Job 26 14

Job 26:14 kjv

Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

Job 26:14 nkjv

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, And how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?"

Job 26:14 niv

And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?"

Job 26:14 esv

Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?"

Job 26:14 nlt

These are just the beginning of all that he does,
merely a whisper of his power.
Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?"

Job 26 verses

Job 26 14 Meaning

Job 26:14 expresses humanity's incredibly limited comprehension of God's vast and immense power, wisdom, and actions. It portrays God's revealed works as merely the outermost edges or a faint whisper, hinting at an overwhelmingly powerful and largely unfathomable reality that lies beyond human grasp.

Job 26 14 Context

Job 26 stands as Job's majestic response to Bildad's brief and rather condescending speech in chapter 25. While Bildad vaguely acknowledges God's power, Job counters by elaborating with profound detail on God's omnipotence and absolute sovereignty over creation, far exceeding his friends' understanding. In verses 7-13, Job vividly describes God's power in sustaining the cosmos—hanging the earth on nothing, binding the waters in clouds, shaping the skies, ruling the sea, and taming cosmic monsters (like Rahab). Verse 14 serves as the climax of this exposition, a humble recognition that despite Job's impressive catalogue of divine wonders, he has only touched upon the slightest hint of God's true greatness. It acts as a powerful polemic against any notion that human wisdom, whether the friends' traditional maxims or Job's own experiences, could fully comprehend the Creator.

Job 26 14 Word Analysis

• Indeed, these: Points back to the grand demonstrations of divine power and order that Job has just detailed in verses 7-13, asserting that even this vast array of cosmic wonders is a limited view.
• are but the fringes: Hebrew: קְצוֹת (q'tsōt) from קָצֶה (qātsāv), meaning "end, extremity, boundary, tip." This signifies merely the outermost edge, the bare minimum, or the shallowest part. It conveys that human perception only apprehends the very periphery of God's vast work and wisdom, not the depth or center.
• of His ways: Refers to God's methods, operations, providential governance, and wisdom in creating and maintaining the universe.
• And how faint a whisper: Hebrew: שֶׁמֶץ (shemets), meaning "a faint sound, a trifle, a little bit, a whisper." This metaphor powerfully communicates how incredibly little of God's true nature, wisdom, and power is perceivable or understandable by humanity. It's a barely audible sound amidst a vast, roaring silence.
• we hear of Him!: Indicates humanity's capacity to perceive and comprehend divine revelation. The "whisper" highlights the stark limitation of this capacity when compared to God's full reality.
• But the thunder: Hebrew: רַעַם (raʿam), meaning "thunder, roaring, crashing sound." In contrast to a "whisper," thunder symbolizes immense, overwhelming, and potentially terrifying power. It signifies the full, raw, incomprehensible might and glory of God that lies beyond our limited sensory and cognitive abilities.
• of His power: Hebrew: גְּבֻרוֹת (g'vurōt), plural of גְּבוּרָה (g'vurah), meaning "strength, might, mighty deeds." The plural suggests the manifold, diverse, and immense expressions of God's overwhelming strength.
• who can understand?: This is a rhetorical question. It asserts the complete inability of human beings to fully grasp, comprehend, or even withstand the overwhelming reality of God's complete and unapproachable power. It underscores humanity's profound humility and awe before the Creator.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways": This phrase underscores the infinitesimal nature of human understanding of God's vast plan and operation. All the intricate cosmic workings Job described are merely the shallowest glimpses, the tip of an infinite iceberg of divine activity.
• "And how faint a whisper we hear of Him!": This deepens the preceding point by shifting from visible "ways" to audible "revelation." What God reveals or allows us to perceive is barely a sound, a testament to His immensity and our profound inability to hear His full voice.
• "But the thunder of His power who can understand?": This is the climactic contrast. The "thunder" represents God's true, unadulterated power and glory—something so overwhelming that no human mind can possibly comprehend it. This rhetorical question leaves the listener in a state of reverent awe and humility, emphasizing the gulf between human limitations and divine infinity.

Job 26 14 Bonus section

• Divine Hiddenness and Revelation: This verse encapsulates the theological concept of Deus absconditus (hidden God) versus Deus revelatus (revealed God). What God has revealed is a mere "whisper" or "fringes" (enough for faith and worship), while the vast majority of His essence and power remains a "thunder" that cannot be comprehended.
• Apologetic Significance: In ancient cultures, various deities were often associated with natural forces. Job's monologue and this verse firmly establish the singular God of Israel as utterly distinct and supreme, with power far surpassing any mythological construct or deified force, and largely incomprehensible even in His manifestations.
• Humility in Wisdom Literature: This verse perfectly aligns with the pervasive theme in wisdom literature of the limits of human wisdom and the unfathomable depth of divine wisdom (e.g., Prov 2:6, Ecc 3:11, Job 28). True wisdom, in part, lies in acknowledging this inherent human limitation and standing in awe of the Creator.
• Foreshadowing the Whirlwind: The image of "thunder" strongly anticipates the divine encounter with God speaking from the whirlwind in Job 38, where God further demonstrates His unchallengeable power and Job is silenced in humility.

Job 26 14 Commentary

Job 26:14 is a pinnacle of theological insight in the Book of Job, revealing Job's profound grasp of God's transcendence despite his personal agony and lack of answers. It stands as a powerful testament to the immeasurable gulf between the finite human mind and the infinite divine Being. Even after cataloging the vast cosmic power of God in creation, Job acknowledges that he has only perceived the very outermost edge, a mere whisper, of the divine reality. The true essence of God's thunderous power remains incomprehensible, hidden from human apprehension. This humility prefigures God's own majestic speeches in chapters 38-41, validating Job's foundational theology. The verse promotes a deep sense of awe and a sober recognition of human limitation when confronted with the incomprehensible sovereignty of God, urging reliance on faith over full comprehension, especially in the face of mystery or suffering.