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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 26:5–14. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The truth received a great deal of light from the dispute between Job and his friends concerning those points about which they differed; but now they are upon a subject in which they were all agreed, the infinite glory and power of God. How does truth triumph, and how brightly does it shine, when there appears no other strife between the contenders than which shall speak most highly and honourably of God and be most copious in showing forth his praise! It were well if all disputes about matters of religion might end thus, in glorifying God as Lord of all, and our Lord, with one mind and one mouth (Rom 15:6); for to that we have all attained, in that we are all agreed.
I.Many illustrious instances are here given of the wisdom and power of God in the creation and preservation of the world.
1.If we look about us, to the earth and waters here below, we shall see striking instances of omnipotence, which we may gather out of these verses.
(1.)He hangs the earth upon nothing, Job 26:7. The vast terraqueous globe neither rests upon any pillars nor hangs upon any axle-tree, and yet, by the almighty power of God, is firmly fixed in its place, poised with its own weight. The art of man could not hang a feather upon nothing, yet the divine wisdom hangs the whole earth so. It is ponderibus librata suis - poised by its own weight, so says the poet; it is upheld by the word of God's power, so says the apostle. What is hung upon nothing may serve us to set our feet on, and bear the weight of our bodies, but it will never serve us to set our hearts on, nor bear the weight of our souls.
(2.)He sets bounds to the waters of the sea, and compasses them in (Job 26:10), that they may not return to cover the earth; and these bounds shall continue unmoved, unshaken, unworn, till the day and night come to an end, when time shall be no more. Herein appears the dominion which Providence has over the raging waters of the sea, and so it is an instance of his power, Jer 5:22. We see too the care which Providence takes of the poor sinful inhabitants of the earth, who, though obnoxious to his justice and lying at his mercy, are thus preserved from being overwhelmed, as they were once by the waters of a flood, and will continue to be so, because they are reserved unto fire.
(3.)He forms dead things under the waters. Rephaim-giants, are formed under the waters, that is, vast creatures, of prodigious bulk, as whales, giant-like creatures, among the innumerable inhabitants of the water. So bishop Patrick.
(4.)By mighty storms and tempests he shakes the mountains, which are here called the pillars of heaven (Job 26:11), and even divides the sea, and smites through its proud waves, Job 26:12. At the presence of the Lord the sea flies and the mountains skip, Psa 114:3, Psa 114:4. See Hab 3:6, etc. A storm furrows the waters, and does, as it were, divide them; and then a calm smites through the waves, and lays them flat again. See Psa 89:9, Psa 89:10. Those who think Job lived at, or after, the time of Moses, apply this to the dividing of the Red Sea before the children of Israel, and the drowning of the Egyptians in it. By his understanding he smiteth through Rahab; so the word is, and Rahab is often put for Egypt; as Psa 87:4; Isa 51:9.
2.If we consider hell beneath, though it is out of our sight, yet we may conceive the instances of God's power there. By hell and destruction (Job 26:6) we may understand the grave, and those who are buried in it, that they are under the eye of God, though laid out of our sight, which may strengthen our belief of the resurrection of the dead. God knows where to find, and whence to fetch, all the scattered atoms of the consumed body. We may also consider them as referring to the place of the damned, where the separate souls of the wicked are in misery and torment. That is hell and destruction, which are said to be before the Lord (Pro 15:11), and here to be naked before him, to which it is probable there is an allusion, Rev 14:10, where sinners are to be tormented in the presence of the holy angels (who attended the Shechinah) and in the presence of the Lamb. And this may give light to Job 26:5, which some ancient versions read thus (and I think more agreeably to the signification of the word Rephaim): Behold, the giants groan under the waters, and those that dwell with them; and then follows, Hell is naked before him, typified by the drowning of the giants of the old world; so the learned Mr. Joseph Mede understands it, and with it illustrates Pro 21:16, where hell is called the congregation of the dead; and it is the same word which is here used, and which he would there have rendered the congregation of the giants, in allusion to the drowning of the sinners of the old world. And is there any thing in which the majesty of God appears more dreadful than in the eternal ruin of the ungodly and the groans of the inhabitants of the land of darkness? Those that will not with angels fear and worship shall for ever with devils fear and tremble; and God therein will be glorified.
3.If we look up to heaven above, we shall see instances of God's sovereignty and power.
(1.)He stretches out the north over the empty place, Job 26:7. So he did at first, when he stretched out the heavens like a curtain (Psa 104:2); and he still continues to keep them stretched out, and will do so till the general conflagration, when they shall be rolled together as a scroll, Rev 6:14. He mentions the north because his country (as ours) lay in the northern hemisphere; and the air is the empty place over which it is stretched out. See Psa 89:12. What an empty place is this world in comparison with the other!
(2.)He keeps the waters that are said to be above the firmament from pouring down upon the earth, as once they did (Job 26:8): He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, as if they were tied closely in a bag, till there is occasion to use them; and, notwithstanding the vast weight of water so raised and laid up, yet the cloud is not rent under them, for then they would burst and pour out as a spout; but they do, as it were, distil through the cloud, and so come drop by drop, in mercy to the earth, in small rain, or great rain, as he pleases.
(3.)He conceals the glory of the upper world, the dazzling lustre of which we poor mortals could not bear (Job 26:9): He holds back the face of his throne, that light in which he dwells, and spreads a cloud upon it, through which he judges, Job 22:13. God will have us to live by faith, not by sense; for this is agreeable to a state of probation. It were not a fair trial if the face of God's throne were visible now as it will be in the great day.
Lest his high throne, above expression bright,
With deadly glory should oppress our sight,
To break the dazzling force he draws a screen
Of sable shades, and spreads his clouds between.
- Sir R. Blackmore
(4.)The bright ornaments of heaven are the work of his hands (Job 26:13): By his Spirit, the eternal Spirit that moved upon the face of the waters, the breath of his mouth (Psa 33:6), he has garnished the heavens, not only made them, but beautified them, has curiously bespangled them with stars by night and painted them with the light of the sun by day. God, having made man to look upward (Os homini sublime dedit - To man he gave an erect countenance), has therefore garnished the heavens, to invite him to look upward, that, by pleasing his eye with the dazzling light of the sun and the sparkling light of the stars, their number, order, and various magnitudes, which, as so many golden studs, beautify the canopy drawn over our heads, he may be led to admire the great Creator, the Father and fountain of lights, and to say, "If the pavement be so richly inlaid, what must the palace be! If the visible heavens be so glorious, what are those that are out of sight!" From the beauteous garniture of the ante-chamber we may infer the precious furniture of the presence-chamber. If stars be so bright, what are angels! What is meant here by the crooked serpent which his hands have formed is not certain. Some make it part of the garnishing of the heavens, the milky-way, say some; some particular constellation, so called, say others. It is the same word that is used for leviathan (Isa 27:1), and probably may be meant of the whale or crocodile, in which appears much of the power of the Creator; and why may not Job conclude with that inference, when God himself does so? ch. 41.
II.He concludes, at last, with an awful et caetera (Job 26:14):
Lo, these are parts of his ways, the out-goings of his wisdom and power, the ways in which he walks and by which he makes himself known to the children of men. Here,
1.He acknowledges, with adoration, the discoveries that were made of God. These things which he himself had said, and which Bildad had said, are his ways, and this is heard of him; this is something of God. But,
2.He admires the depth of that which is undiscovered. This that we have said is but part of his ways, a small part. What we know of God is nothing in comparison with what is in God and what God is. After all the discoveries which God has made to us, and all the enquiries we have made after God, still we are much in the dark concerning him, and must conclude, Lo, these are but parts of his ways. Something we hear of him by his works and by his word; but, alas! how little a portion is heard of him? heard by us, heard from us! We know but in part; we prophesy but in part. When we have said all we can, concerning God, we must even do as St. Paul does (Rom 11:33); despairing to find the bottom, we must sit down at the brink, and adore the depth: O the depth of the wisdom and knowledge of God! It is but a little portion that we hear and know of God in our present state. He is infinite and incomprehensible; our understandings and capacities are weak and shallow, and the full discoveries of the divine glory are reserved for the future state. Even the thunder of his power (that is, his powerful thunder), one of the lowest of his ways here in our own region, we cannot understand. See Job 37:4, Job 37:5. Much less can we understand the utmost force and extent of his power, the terrible efforts and operations of it, and particularly the power of his anger, Psa 90:11. God is great, and we know him not.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
“He stretches out the north wind upon nothing, and he upon nothing hangs the earth.” Indeed the support of the earth is nothing but an understructure, but it is suspended and is sustained by divine will. “Binding water in his clouds, and the cloud is not dispersed under it.” In fact, if he does not order the clouds to rain, they do not release rain on earth in the quantity that has been ordered by him. “He constrains the elements with his purposes hidden, stretching out his cloud upon them.” Heaven is often called “the throne of God” in holy Scripture. Air is placed before the face of heaven. Therefore, he says that God, by containing the air and expanding the clouds, does not allow them to release rain, if not in the measure that he knows to be convenient and useful.
36. For what does he call ‘the waters’ in this place but knowledge; what ‘clouds’ but the Preachers? For that in Holy Writ ‘water’ may sometimes be a term used for knowledge, we have been taught by Solomon bearing witness to it, who says, The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the well-spring of wisdom as a flowing brook. [Prov. 18, 4] That, by water knowledge is denoted, the Prophet David bears witness, saying, Dark water in clouds of the sky, [Ps. 18, 11] i.e. secret knowledge in the Prophets, who before the Advent of the Lord, whilst, pregnant with secret sacraments, they were bearing in them boundless mysteries, to the eyes of beholders had their meaning obscured. But by the name of ‘clouds,’ what else is denoted in this passage but the holy Preachers, i.e. the Apostles, who being dispatched in every direction through the regions of the world, both knew how to shower in words, and to flash forth [coruscare] in miracles? Whom the Prophet Isaiah beholding long before, said, Who are these that fly as clouds? [Is. 60, 8] Thus because this man, filled with the spirit of prophecy, in this utterance of his voice longs that for the praise of God the rise of Holy Church may commence, he betakes himself to tell the order of her rise from the preaching of the Apostles, who took the greatest pains to preach to uninstructed people what was plain and comprehensible, not what was high and arduous. For holy knowledge, which is here set forth by the title of water, if in the same way that they drew it from the heart, so they poured it forth from the lips, by the immensity thereof they would overwhelm rather than water their hearers. Hence his knowledge being unbound within, that it should not burst forth alike beneath, in nourishing his hearers with the dropping of words, that ‘cloud’ spake, saying, And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat. [1 Cor. 3, 1. 2.] For who could have borne it if he that was caught up to the third heaven, that was caught into paradise, even hearing unutterable words, which it was not permitted to man to speak, had opened such unbounded depths of celestial knowledge? or what hearer’s power would he not overwhelm, if all that he might have been able to draw within, as far as tongue of flesh may suffice, overflowing without the mighty flood of this water had poured forth?
37. But that uninstructed hearers might be comforted not by an inundation of knowledge, but by the tempered dropping of preaching, God tieth up the waters in the clouds, that they may not burst forth alike beneath. Because He tempers the preaching of the teachers, that so the infirmity of the hearers, being nourished by the dew of the things spoken, may be made strong. Which is well described in the Gospel by a mystical mode of representation, where it is said, Jesus entered into the boat of Peter, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land; and he sat down thus, and taught the people. [Luke 5, 3] By Peter’s ship what else is denoted but the Church committed to Peter? and that the Lord may preach to the crowds flocking together out of this ship, He orders it to be ‘thrust out a little from the land.’ Which same he neither bids to be carried into the deep, and yet does bid that it be thrust out from the land, signifying, surely, that to uninstructed people His preachers ought not to preach either what is too deep relating to the heavenly world, nor yet what is earthly. And so ‘water is bound up in the clouds,’ because the knowledge of the Preachers, speaking to the minds of the frail, is forbidden to teach as much as it is able to see.
38. Since, for the most part, if the heart of the hearers is spoilt by the vastness of the utterance, the tongue of the persons teaching is mulcted in the damage of indiscretion. Whence it is written; And if a man shall open a cistern, or if a man shall dig a pit and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein, the owner of the pit shall make it good. [Ex. 21, 33. 34.] For what is it ‘to open a cistern,’ saving with strong understanding to penetrate the mysteries of Holy Writ? And what is understood by an ‘ox’ and an ‘ass,’ viz. a clean and an unclean animal, save every believer and unbeliever? Accordingly, let him that ‘diggeth a cistern cover it, lest an ox or an ass tumble headlong therein,’ i.e. let him, who already makes out deep things in Holy Writ, by silence cover over his lofty perceptions before those that do not reach that compass, lest by a stumbling-block to the soul he kill either the believing little one, or the unbelieving, who might have been led to believe. For upon the death of the beasts of burthen there are damages due, plainly because he is convicted of having done that, whereby he is held a debtor for the exercising of penance [a]. Accordingly, ‘the cistern must be covered,’ in that before little minds, deep knowledge requires to be veiled, lest by the same cause that the heart of the teachers is lifted up to the highest things, the infirmity of the hearer fall away to the lowest. Accordingly let it be said with justice, He bindeth up the waters in His clouds, that they should not burst forth alike beneath. For ‘the waters would burst forth alike,’ if, in the presence of weak hearers, the knowledge came forth from the lips of the speaker as great as it is, if all the whole fulness of preaching poured itself out at once, and reserved nought to itself together with those making progress. For it is fitting that he that preaches should have an eye to the measure of him that hears him, so that the preaching itself may grow with his hearers’ stages of growth. For so does it behove every single preacher to do, as it is dealt with himself from heaven; never to tell to the weak all that he has the perception of, because he himself too, so long as by flesh of mortality he is weak, does not perceive all those things that belong to heaven. And therefore he ought not to preach to the ignorant as much as he is acquainted with, because even he himself, touching heavenly mysteries, cannot have his eyes open to see how great they are. For hence it is that Paul the Apostle, after he was admitted to the mysteries of heaven, saith, For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face. [1 Cor. 13, 12]
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Summary
Job 26:8 concisely declares God's absolute and miraculous control over creation, specifically highlighting His power to contain immense quantities of water within clouds without them breaking. This verse is part of Job's profound discourse affirming divine sovereignty even amidst his suffering, serving as a powerful testament to God's unfathomable wisdom and meticulous design in sustaining the natural world.
Context
Literary Context
Job 26 marks a pivotal moment in the book, serving as Job's final, eloquent response to Bildad and effectively silencing his friends. Far from being defeated by their arguments, Job here demonstrates a superior and breathtaking understanding of God's power and majesty, asserting divine sovereignty over all creation, from the deepest parts of the underworld (Sheol) to the vastness of the heavens. This chapter functions as a magnificent hymn, detailing God's incomparable might in realms both seen and unseen, thereby setting the stage for God's own direct address to Job in Job 38. Verse 8 specifically transitions from God's power over the cosmic deep and the foundations of the earth to His meticulous control over the celestial elements, showcasing the boundless breadth of His dominion over all natural phenomena.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, the control of weather, especially the provision of life-giving rain or the unleashing of destructive storms, was frequently attributed to various deities, often depicted in chaotic or capricious ways. For the Israelites, however, Yahweh alone was the sovereign Lord over all natural phenomena, a truth deeply embedded in their monotheistic worldview. Job's declaration in this verse would have resonated powerfully with this understanding, standing in stark contrast to pagan beliefs that saw nature as either chaotic or governed by a pantheon of squabbling gods. The vivid imagery of "thick clouds" holding immense amounts of water without "renting" speaks to a divine order that was both awe-inspiring and foundational to the stability of life, particularly in an agrarian society utterly dependent on consistent and controlled rainfall. This profound understanding of God's mastery over nature is a recurring theme in biblical theology, as profoundly articulated in passages like Psalm 104:13.
Key Themes
Job 26:8 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Job and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it profoundly underscores Divine Sovereignty over Creation, portraying God's absolute and meticulous command over the natural world. This theme is echoed throughout the Psalms, such as Psalm 29:3, which speaks of the Lord's voice being over the waters. Secondly, the verse highlights Order and Stability in Nature, demonstrating that despite the immense and potentially chaotic forces at play, God maintains perfect control, ensuring the cosmos operates with precision and reliability. This testifies to His continuous sustaining power. Lastly, the verse points to God's Unfathomable Wisdom, showcasing a divine engineering marvel that far surpasses human comprehension or capability. This aligns perfectly with wisdom literature that consistently extols God's creative intelligence, as exemplified in Proverbs 3:19, which states that "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens."
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Derived from H6887, this verb signifies to cramp, to shut up, or to bind. In this context, it emphasizes God's active, deliberate, and complete control over the waters. It is not merely a passive holding but a sovereign act of containment, suggesting precision and immense power in gathering and securing the vast liquid within the cloud formations, much like binding a burden.
This term refers to an envelope or density, specifically a dense, heavy, or dark cloud. It often carries connotations of the immense volume, weight, and potential destructive power of the water they hold. The use of "thick" underscores the incredible mass and pressure involved, making God's ability to "bind" them without rupture an even more remarkable display of divine might.
This verb means to cleave, rend, break, or burst. Here, in the negative, it highlights the miraculous integrity and resilience of the clouds under immense pressure. Despite the colossal weight of water, they do not burst, tear open, or collapse prematurely. This testifies to God's perfect design and continuous upholding power, ensuring the stability and functionality of this natural phenomenon.
Verse Breakdown
"He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds;"
This clause directly attributes the miraculous suspension of vast quantities of water in the atmosphere to God's active and sovereign power. The imagery evokes a profound sense of divine control over immense natural forces, portraying the Creator as meticulously gathering and securing the waters within the dense, heavy cloud formations. This speaks to an intentional, powerful act of containment that defies natural expectations of collapse under such immense weight.
"and the cloud is not rent under them."
This second clause emphasizes the astonishing stability and integrity of the clouds, despite the immense burden they carry. The fact that the clouds do not burst, tear open, or collapse prematurely is presented as a direct testament to God's sustaining power and perfect, intricate design. It highlights the precision, reliability, and continuous upholding nature of God's governance over creation, ensuring that natural processes unfold according to His divine will, rather than by chance or inherent instability.
Literary Devices
Job 26:8 employs several powerful literary devices to convey God's majestic power. Personification is subtly present as God "binds up" the waters, an action typically associated with human effort, thereby emphasizing His direct, active, and personal involvement in the intricate processes of nature. The phrase "thick clouds" functions as a vivid Metonymy, where the dense clouds stand in for the immense, almost overwhelming, natural power and volume of water that God effortlessly controls. The entire verse functions as a profound Hyperbole to underscore God's omnipotence; while clouds do hold water, the language "bindeth up" and "is not rent" elevates this natural phenomenon to a miraculous display of divine might that transcends human understanding of physics and engineering. This contributes significantly to the overall Hymnic quality of Job 26, celebrating God's unparalleled dominion over all creation.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 26:8 serves as a profound theological statement on God's absolute sovereignty and meticulous control over the natural world. It underscores the biblical truth that creation is not a self-sustaining entity or a product of chance, but is continuously upheld and governed by the Creator's active will. This divine oversight provides a foundational basis for trust and security, reminding humanity that the same God who masterfully manages the colossal weight of water in the clouds also orchestrates the complexities of human existence. The verse invites a posture of awe and humility before a God whose wisdom and power are unfathomable, yet consistently displayed in the intricate order of the cosmos, providing a profound sense of stability in a world often perceived as chaotic.
Reflection and Application
Job 26:8 challenges us to pause and truly observe the world around us, not as a collection of random phenomena, but as a continuous, active display of God's presence and power. In an age where we often seek purely scientific explanations for everything, this verse reorients our perspective, inviting us to see the divine hand behind the natural laws that govern our universe. If God can so perfectly manage the immense, volatile forces of the atmosphere, holding vast quantities of water in delicate suspension without rupture, how much more can He be trusted with the seemingly overwhelming pressures and complexities of our personal lives? This verse offers profound comfort, reminding us that our anxieties, our burdens, and our uncertainties are not beyond the grasp of the One who "bindeth up the waters." It calls us to relinquish our attempts at ultimate control and to rest securely in the sovereignty of a God who is both infinitely powerful and meticulously precise, sustaining all things by His very word.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Job emphasize God's control over clouds specifically?
Job emphasizes God's control over clouds because it serves as a powerful, tangible illustration of divine omnipotence and wisdom that would have resonated deeply with his audience. In the ancient world, and even today, the formation and behavior of clouds—especially their miraculous ability to hold immense amounts of water without bursting—is a profound marvel of nature. This specific example highlights God's intricate design and sustaining power over elements that are both vital for life (rain) and potentially destructive (storms). It demonstrates God's mastery over phenomena that are entirely beyond human comprehension or control, thereby reinforcing the overarching theme of God's unparalleled greatness and wisdom, as also described in Job 37:16.
How does this verse relate to God's faithfulness?
Job 26:8 profoundly relates to God's faithfulness by showcasing His consistent and reliable maintenance of creation. The fact that the clouds "are not rent" under the immense weight of water speaks directly to God's unwavering commitment to uphold the natural order He established. This remarkable stability and precision in creation serve as a powerful metaphor for God's faithfulness in His covenant promises and His providential care for His people. If God is faithful to sustain the physical laws of the universe with such meticulous precision, believers can trust that He will be equally faithful in upholding His word and caring for their lives, just as emphasized in passages like Lamentations 3:22-23.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 26:8, in its declaration of God's meticulous and powerful control over the elements, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The very God who "bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds" is revealed in the New Testament as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created and by whom all things are sustained. Colossians 1:16-17 explicitly states that "by him all things were created... and in him all things hold together." This means that the miraculous integrity of the clouds, their ability to hold vast quantities of water without being "rent," is not merely a testament to an abstract divine power, but to the very power of the pre-incarnate Christ who actively sustains the cosmos. Furthermore, during His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated this same divine authority over nature, calming raging storms with a mere word (Mark 4:39) and walking on the very water He sustains (Matthew 14:25). He is the embodiment of the wisdom and power Job describes, the One through whom creation was ordered and by whom it is continuously upheld, ultimately pointing to His sovereign authority as Lord over all, including the very forces of nature and the complexities of human life.