Job 36:26 kjv
Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
Job 36:26 nkjv
"Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
Job 36:26 niv
How great is God?beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.
Job 36:26 esv
Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable.
Job 36:26 nlt
"Look, God is greater than we can understand.
His years cannot be counted.
Job 36 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 145:3 | Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable. | God's unsearchable greatness. |
| Isa 40:28 | ...The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator... His understanding is unsearchable. | God's eternal nature and boundless wisdom. |
| Rom 11:33 | Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable... | God's unfathomable wisdom and judgments. |
| Ps 90:2 | Before the mountains were born...from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. | God's eternity, having no beginning or end. |
| Job 11:7 | Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? | Rhetorical question on man's inability to comprehend God. |
| Job 37:23 | The Almighty is beyond our reach and great in power... | God's transcendence and mighty power. |
| 1 Tim 1:17 | Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory... | God's timelessness and eternal Kingship. |
| Ps 139:6 | Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain it. | Human inability to grasp divine knowledge. |
| Eccl 3:11 | ...He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. | God's works and purposes are beyond full human comprehension. |
| 1 Cor 1:25 | For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. | God's wisdom transcends human understanding. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord... "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher..." | God's thoughts and ways are vastly superior to ours. |
| Ps 102:27 | But You are the same, and Your years will have no end. | God's unchangeable and unending existence. |
| Heb 1:11-12 | They will perish, but You remain... You are the same, and Your years will not end. | God's enduring nature compared to transient creation. |
| Deut 33:27 | The eternal God is your dwelling place... | God as an eternal refuge. |
| Prov 2:6 | For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. | Wisdom and understanding originate solely from God. |
| Jer 10:6 | No one is like You, Lord; You are great, and Your name is mighty in power. | God's incomparable greatness and power. |
| Dan 2:20-21 | "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might belong to Him... He changes times and seasons..." | God's wisdom, power, and sovereignty over time. |
| Job 42:3 | ...You asked, 'Who is this who conceals counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. | Job's ultimate admission of limited understanding. |
| Jer 32:17 | Ah, Lord God! It is You who have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You. | God's great power in creation, making nothing too difficult for Him. |
| Ps 115:3 | Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. | God's sovereignty and freedom to act as He wills. |
| Ps 62:11 | God has spoken once; twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God. | Reiteration of God's ultimate power. |
| Jude 1:25 | to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. | God's eternal majesty and dominion. |
Job 36 verses
Job 36 26 Meaning
Job 36:26 declares the infinite and incomprehensible nature of God, asserting His supreme greatness beyond human understanding. Elihu proclaims that the Almighty is vast in power and wisdom, and His eternal existence extends beyond any form of measurement or chronological grasp. This verse emphasizes the limitations of human intellect and knowledge when attempting to fully comprehend the divine being.
Job 36 26 Context
Job 36:26 is part of Elihu’s discourse (Job 32-37), where he seeks to correct the flawed perspectives of Job and his three friends. Elihu argues from God's absolute sovereignty, righteousness, and majestic power, particularly as revealed in the natural world. In chapter 36, Elihu emphasizes God’s justice and the righteous basis of His dealings with humanity, whether through discipline or provision. This verse serves as a climactic statement before Elihu shifts to describe specific natural phenomena as manifestations of God’s awesome power (Job 36:27-37:13). It acts as a theological summation: humans must humble themselves before a God whose very being—His greatness, His knowledge, and His eternal duration—is entirely beyond their finite grasp. It undercuts any human attempt to fully analyze or dictate God's actions, setting the stage for God's own declarations of unsearchable power in Job 38-41. Historically, this assertion would have also served as a polemic against limited, anthropomorphic deities common in ancient Near Eastern religions, contrasting them with the infinite, transcendent God of Israel.
Job 36 26 Word analysis
- Behold: The Hebrew הֵן (hēn) is an interjection serving as an emphatic call to attention. It signals a profound declaration about to be made, demanding the listener's focus on a truth of paramount importance, setting a tone of awe and revelation.
- God: The Hebrew אֵל (ʾēl) is a common Semitic term for God, often signifying power, might, and strength. In this context, it refers to the singular, transcendent God, underscoring His unique divine nature above all other entities.
- great: The Hebrew כַּבִּיר (kabbīr) signifies "mighty," "powerful," or "vast." It implies not merely large size, but overwhelming strength, irresistible force, and absolute authority. When applied to God, it highlights His omnipotence and supremacy over all creation and circumstance.
- and we know him not: The Hebrew phrase וְלֹא נֵדָע (wə·lōʾ nēḏāʿ) uses the verb יָדַע (yāḏaʿ) meaning "to know," but here it implies exhaustive comprehension, full understanding, or intimate acquaintance of a complete and definitive kind. The negation "not" (לֹא, lōʾ) conveys humanity's inherent limitation in fully grasping God's infinite essence, ways, and purposes. It is not an ignorance of God's existence, but a recognition that His being far exceeds human cognitive capacity.
- neither can the number of his years be searched out: This phrase, וּמִסְפַּר שָׁנָיו לֹא חֵקֶר (ūmispar šānāw lōʾ ḥēqer), points directly to God's eternity and infinitude.
- number of his years: A metaphor for God's boundless existence, signifying His timelessness, without beginning or end, and His enduring presence through all generations. It contrasts Him with all created beings, whose lifespans are finite and measurable.
- be searched out: The Hebrew חֵקֶר (ḥēqer) means "a searching," "an investigation," or "something unsearchable/unfathomable." The phrase asserts that God’s duration cannot be investigated, calculated, or comprehended in terms of chronological units. His existence precedes all time and transcends it, making it impossible for finite minds to measure or define.
- Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Behold, God is great, and we know him not": This phrase establishes God’s immense and incomparable nature and immediately juxtaposes it with the limited human capacity to fully comprehend Him. It sets a foundational principle of divine transcendence and epistemological humility for humanity. It functions as a declarative statement demanding awe and submission, highlighting that despite His manifestations, God remains ultimately inscrutable to the finite mind.
- "neither can the number of his years be searched out": This complements the preceding statement by elaborating on one key aspect of God's "greatness" and "unknowability"—His eternal nature. It specifically attributes timelessness to God, declaring His infinite existence beyond any measure of duration. This attribute further distinguishes God from creation and underscores His sovereignty as the self-existent One.
Job 36 26 Bonus section
- This verse prefigures the dramatic appearance of God Himself in Job chapters 38-41, where the Lord confronts Job directly, not by answering his specific questions about suffering, but by demonstrating His infinite power and wisdom through the marvels of creation. Elihu’s words prepare Job and the readers for the truth that God is indeed beyond full human understanding.
- The emphasis on God’s unsearchable "years" highlights a stark contrast with pagan deities of the ancient world, who often had defined origins, genealogies, or lifespans, and whose power was limited. The God of Israel is presented as fundamentally different: self-existent, eternal, and truly limitless.
- The verse implies a call to worship and humble submission rather than intellectual conquest. If God's greatness cannot be known completely, nor His years searched out, the appropriate human response is reverence, not accusation or complete understanding. It teaches humanity the bounds of its intellect concerning the Divine.
Job 36 26 Commentary
Job 36:26 encapsulates Elihu’s core argument for divine transcendence and human humility. It moves beyond abstract knowledge of God to declare His incomparable and incomprehensible essence. Elihu underscores that God's power (His "greatness") is fundamentally tied to His eternal, unfathomable nature. Humanity, bound by time and finite understanding, cannot fully grasp His wisdom, His ways, or the entirety of His being, nor can it comprehend His limitless existence. This profound statement serves as a reminder that God operates on a scale far beyond human logic or expectation, demanding not analytical dissection but humble reverence and trust, even in the midst of suffering. It challenges the presumption of human judgment toward God and highlights the intrinsic awe inspired by a truly infinite Creator.