Job 36:25 kjv
Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.
Job 36:25 nkjv
Everyone has seen it; Man looks on it from afar.
Job 36:25 niv
All humanity has seen it; mortals gaze on it from afar.
Job 36:25 esv
All mankind has looked on it; man beholds it from afar.
Job 36:25 nlt
Everyone has seen these things,
though only from a distance.
Job 36 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 19:1 | The heavens declare the glory of God... | God's glory seen in creation. |
| Rom 1:20 | For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities... are clearly seen... | God's attributes evident in nature. |
| Acts 14:17 | Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain... | God's benevolent testimony through nature. |
| Is 40:26 | Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? | God's creative power visible. |
| Job 37:5 | God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our comprehension. | God's wonders beyond full human understanding. |
| Ps 104:24 | How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. | Abundance and wisdom of God's works. |
| Jer 32:17 | "Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm." | God's mighty creative act. |
| Rev 15:4 | Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy... | God's ultimate deserved fear and glory. |
| Ps 66:3 | Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cower before you.” | God's awesome power revealed. |
| Ps 96:3 | Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. | God's works for universal declaration. |
| Is 45:12 | I made the earth and created mankind on it. My hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. | God as the sole Creator, orchestrating all. |
| Job 11:7 | “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?" | Human inability to fully comprehend God. |
| Job 26:14 | And these are but the fringes of his ways; how faint the whisper we hear of him! | God's vastness largely unknown. |
| Job 37:23 | The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. | God's ultimate transcendence. |
| Ps 145:3 | Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. | God's unsearchable greatness. |
| Is 55:9 | “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." | God's superior wisdom and ways. |
| Job 5:9 | He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. | God's countless and unfathomable deeds. |
| Ps 40:5 | Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done... no one can recount them to you. | God's multitudinous wonders. |
| Neh 9:6 | You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens... You preserve them all... | God as the sustainer and preserver of creation. |
| Heb 1:3 | The Son is the radiance of God’s glory... sustaining all things by his powerful word. | Christ's role in sustaining creation. |
| Jer 10:13 | When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. | God's power manifest in natural phenomena. |
| Ps 8:3-4 | When I consider your heavens... what is mankind that you are mindful of them...? | Human insignificance compared to God's vast creation. |
Job 36 verses
Job 36 25 Meaning
Job 36:25 states that God's majestic works, particularly His awe-inspiring manifestations in nature, are universally visible to all of humanity, who observe them with a sense of wonder and distance, signifying their limited comprehension in the face of such divine power. Elihu here underscores the undeniable presence and display of God's greatness in the natural world.
Job 36 25 Context
Job 36:25 is part of Elihu's fourth and final speech, spanning from Job 32 to 37. Elihu presents himself as a younger, more objective voice, aiming to correct both Job and his three friends. His main objective is to vindicate God's character, particularly His righteousness, justice, and unsearchable wisdom. Elihu emphasizes God's majesty and sovereign control over creation, especially through meteorological phenomena.
Immediately preceding this verse, Elihu speaks of God's exaltation and unsearchable greatness (Job 36:22-24), stating that no one can teach God and that His works are magnified beyond human full comprehension. Verse 25 then serves as an affirmation that despite God's transcendence, His works are openly displayed for all humanity to observe, particularly the powerful forces of nature he elaborates on in the subsequent verses (Job 36:26-37:24), like storms, lightning, and rain. The verse places the "it" as a reference to God's magnificent works described earlier, reinforcing the concept of God's undeniable display of power. Historically and culturally, ancient peoples widely observed the power of storms, attributing them to divine power, which resonates with Elihu's argument.
Job 36 25 Word analysis
- All (כֹּל, kol): This word emphasizes universality, encompassing every individual and group within humanity. It indicates a scope that transcends specific nations or beliefs, highlighting God's self-revelation to the entire human race.
- mankind (אָדָם, ’ādām): Refers to humanity collectively. Its usage here underlines that the observable grandeur of God's works is not confined to a select few but is accessible to and recognized by everyone.
- has seen (חָזוּהוּ, ḥāzūhū): Derived from the root ḥāzāh, meaning "to behold," "to perceive," or "to envision." It implies more than mere visual recognition; it suggests an active observation, a noticing that involves intellectual apprehension and a recognition of what is being beheld. This "seeing" is profound, an undeniable witnessing.
- it (וְהִבִּיט, wəhiḇḇīṭ): The pronoun refers back to the "greatness" and "works" of God described in the preceding verses (Job 36:22-24). It encompasses the manifest power and wisdom displayed through creation, specifically God's control over natural phenomena.
- people (אֱנוֹשׁ, ’ĕnōš): This term for "man" or "people" often emphasizes human frailty or mortality. Its use alongside ’ādām further solidifies the universality of the observation, reinforcing that even mortal, limited beings can witness these divine displays.
- gaze on it (יַבִּיט, yaḇḇīṭ): From the root nābaṭ, meaning "to look intently," "to fix one's eyes upon," "to contemplate." This verb suggests a more deliberate, prolonged, and perhaps awe-struck observation than "seen." It implies wonder, contemplation, and perhaps an attempt to understand what is being seen, even if understanding is incomplete.
- from afar (מֵרָחוֹק, mēraḥōq): Literally "from a distance." This phrase is highly significant. It implies a perspective that recognizes immense scale and power, highlighting the vastness and incomprehensibility of what is observed. It also signifies human separation from God's full understanding or control. While humanity sees God's works, they do so from a position of relative insignificance and intellectual distance, unable to grasp the totality of His being or His ways. This "afar" perspective evokes both awe and humility, emphasizing the gulf between the creature and the Creator.
Words-group analysis
- "All mankind has seen it": This phrase underlines the concept of general revelation, asserting that the evidence of God's power and existence is so pervasive in creation that no human being is without witness. It's a foundational truth about God's omnipresent testimony to Himself.
- "people gaze on it from afar": This part beautifully conveys both the human capacity for observation and their inherent limitations. Humans can perceive and appreciate the grandeur of God's works, but they remain at a distance, unable to fully comprehend, control, or encompass the infinite nature of the Divine power that orchestrates them. It's a statement about human humility in the face of divine majesty.
Job 36 25 Bonus section
The concept presented in Job 36:25 is often termed "general revelation," where God reveals aspects of His character, power, and wisdom through the created order to all humanity, irrespective of their knowledge of special revelation (like the Bible or Christ). This stands in contrast to "special revelation," where God reveals Himself through specific acts, words, or person (e.g., the Law, the prophets, Jesus Christ). Elihu's argument here is that the general revelation is so clear that humanity has no excuse for not recognizing the Almighty, aligning with later biblical theology, notably in Rom 1:20. The poetic language used by Elihu serves not just to describe facts, but to evoke wonder and fear of the Lord in his audience. His intention is to draw Job and his friends, and by extension the reader, to a posture of humble worship and trust in God's perfect ways, even when those ways are beyond human comprehension.
Job 36 25 Commentary
Elihu's assertion in Job 36:25 is a powerful testament to the self-evident nature of God's greatness, particularly as displayed through creation. He argues that the overwhelming power and wisdom evident in the natural world – especially the phenomena of weather like storms, lightning, and rain, which he details in subsequent verses – are not hidden secrets but are open for "all mankind" to "see." This serves as a refutation of Job's perception that God is hidden or inexplicable in His dealings.
The phrase "gaze on it from afar" is crucial. It means humanity can observe and even marvel at God's works, but always from a position of distance, emphasizing their inability to fully grasp the infinite mind and power behind them. This acknowledges God's transcendence while affirming His immanence in displaying His attributes. The universal witness of God's power demands a posture of awe, reverence, and humility, reminding humans of their limited understanding in comparison to the boundless wisdom of the Creator. This points towards the biblical truth that God is unsearchable yet revealed, inscrutable yet understandable in part. Practical usage: When witnessing a majestic storm, the grandiosity of mountains, or the complexity of a cell, these serve as tangible proofs of a magnificent, intelligent Creator, demanding awe rather than complaint.