Job 36:26

KJV

Behold, God [is] great, and we know [him] not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

KJV (with Strong's)

Behold, God {H410} is great {H7689}, and we know {H3045} him not, neither can the number {H4557} of his years {H8141} be searched out {H2714}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Look, God is great, beyond what we can know; the number of his years is uncountable.

Berean Standard Bible

Indeed, God is great—beyond our knowledge; the number of His years is unsearchable.

American Standard Version

Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Elihu's declaration in Job 36:26 serves as a profound statement on the infinite nature of God, asserting His immense greatness and the inherent human inability to fully comprehend His being or the timelessness of His existence. It highlights the vast, unbridgeable chasm between the finite understanding of humanity and the boundless majesty of the Creator, setting the stage for a deeper revelation of divine sovereignty.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is a pivotal statement within Elihu's extensive monologue, spanning [Job 32](/job/32 "Job 32 - Elihu's Introduction") through [Job 37](/job/37 "Job 37 - Elihu's Concluding Argument"). Elihu, a younger and previously silent observer, interjects after Job and his three friends have exhausted their arguments regarding Job's suffering. Unlike the friends, Elihu does not accuse Job of specific sin but rather posits that God's ways are inscrutable and that suffering can serve as a means of divine instruction and purification, leading to humility and repentance. [Job 36](/job/36 "Job 36 - Elihu Exalts God's Power") specifically focuses on Elihu's exaltation of God's power, wisdom, and justice, using natural phenomena (rain, thunder, lightning) as evidence of God's majestic control. Verse 26 acts as a climactic summation of God's incomprehensible greatness, preparing the listener—and Job—for the direct divine address that follows in [Job 38](/job/38 "Job 38 - God Answers Job from the Whirlwind"). It underscores the futility of human attempts to fully grasp divine purposes.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Book of Job is a masterpiece of wisdom literature, likely set in the patriarchal period, though its exact dating is debated. The cultural context reflects an ancient Near Eastern worldview where divine power was often associated with control over natural elements and an inherent mystery surrounding the gods. Unlike pagan deities, however, the God of Job is portrayed as uniquely sovereign, righteous, and beyond human manipulation or full understanding. The concept of "wisdom" in this context is not merely intellectual knowledge but a deep, reverential understanding of the world as ordered by God, often gained through experience and divine revelation. The dialogue format, common in wisdom traditions, allows for the exploration of profound theological questions concerning suffering, justice, and the nature of God, challenging conventional wisdom that linked suffering directly to sin.

* **Key Themes:** Job 36:26 profoundly contributes to several overarching themes in the book. Firstly, it emphasizes **Divine Incomprehensibility**, asserting that God's being, His thoughts, and His ways are ultimately beyond full human grasp. While humanity can know *about* God and experience His presence, His infinite nature remains a mystery that finite minds cannot completely fathom, as seen in [Isaiah 55:8-9](/isaiah/55-8 "Isaiah 55:8-9 - God's Thoughts and Ways are Higher"). Secondly, the verse highlights **God's Eternity**, stating that "neither can the number of his years be searched out." This speaks directly to God's timelessness and infinite existence, contrasting sharply with the temporal limitations of creation. He is from everlasting to everlasting, existing outside the constraints of time He Himself created, a truth echoed in [Psalm 90:2](/psalms/90-2 "Psalm 90:2 - God's Eternity"). Finally, the opening exclamation, "Behold, God is great," underscores **God's Greatness and Majesty**. Elihu's discourse, particularly in [Job 37](/job/37 "Job 37 - Elihu Continues to Exalt God"), expounds on God's immense power, wisdom, and absolute control over creation, demanding reverence and worship from all.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Behold (Hebrew, _hinneh'_):** This is an interjection used to draw immediate and emphatic attention to what follows. It functions as a call to notice, to consider deeply, or to marvel at a significant declaration. In this context, it heightens the awe and solemnity of Elihu's pronouncement about God's nature, demanding a moment of pause and reflection from the listener.
* **Great (Hebrew, _gadol'_):** Derived from a root meaning "to be large, great, or mighty," _gadol_ here signifies not merely physical size but immense power, importance, and majesty. When applied to God, it speaks to His incomparable might, His supreme authority, and His unparalleled significance in the cosmos. It encapsulates His omnipotence and transcendent nature.
* **Know (Hebrew, _yada‘'_):** This verb implies more than mere intellectual acquaintance; it suggests an intimate, experiential, and comprehensive understanding. When the text states "we know him not," it is not denying that humans can have a relationship with God or understand certain truths about Him. Rather, it asserts that humanity cannot fully grasp His essence, His infinite wisdom, or the totality of His ways. It points to a profound epistemological limitation in the face of the divine.
* **Searched out (Hebrew, _chaqar'_):** This verb means "to search, explore, investigate, or fathom thoroughly." Its use here emphasizes the impossibility of exhaustively examining, measuring, or comprehending God's infinite duration or the boundlessness of His being. It conveys the idea that God's "years" (a metaphor for His eternal existence) are beyond any human capacity for calculation or complete discovery.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Behold, God is great":** This opening clause is a declarative statement and an exclamation, serving as a foundational truth. It asserts God's inherent, unparalleled greatness in terms of power, wisdom, and sovereignty. Elihu calls for a recognition of this fundamental attribute, positioning God as utterly supreme and beyond all comparison. This greatness is not merely relative but absolute, defining His very nature.
* **"and we know him not":** This phrase directly addresses the human perspective in relation to God's greatness. It acknowledges the profound limitation of human understanding. Despite any revelation God provides, or any knowledge we gain through experience or study, our finite minds cannot fully comprehend the infinite God. This is not a statement of ignorance but of incomprehensibility; God's essence remains ultimately mysterious and unfathomable to humanity.
* **"neither can the number of his years be searched out":** This final clause provides a specific illustration of God's incomprehensibility, focusing on His eternal nature. "Years" is a human measurement of time, but when applied to God, it signifies His timeless, uncreated, and unending existence. The inability to "search out" or count His years underscores His eternity and infinitude, meaning He has no beginning and no end, existing outside the temporal constraints He imposed on creation.

#### Literary Devices
Elihu's declaration in Job 36:26 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound theological message. The verse begins with an **Exclamation** ("Behold!"), signaled by the Hebrew particle _hinneh_, which immediately commands attention and underscores the awe-inspiring nature of the truth being presented. This serves to elevate the statement's significance and evoke a sense of wonder. Following this, the verse utilizes **Negative Theology** by stating what God is not—He is not fully knowable, and His years cannot be counted. This method of defining God by what He is *not* (finite, comprehensible) effectively highlights His transcendence and infinite nature, emphasizing the limits of human understanding. Furthermore, the phrase "neither can the number of his years be searched out" employs **Hyperbole** to underscore God's eternity. While "years" is a temporal concept, its application to God, coupled with the absolute inability to count them, stretches human language to convey an infinite reality, emphasizing the boundless and immeasurable nature of God's existence.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 36:26 stands as a cornerstone for understanding divine transcendence and human humility. It articulates the profound truth that God, in His infinite greatness, utterly surpasses human capacity for full comprehension. This incomprehensibility is not a deficit in God, but a reflection of His boundless nature, wisdom, and power, which cannot be contained or fully grasped by finite minds. It calls humanity to a posture of awe, reverence, and trust, acknowledging that even when God's ways seem mysterious or His actions unfathomable, His character remains consistent with His eternal, great, and righteous being. This foundational truth encourages faith beyond intellectual understanding, fostering a deeper reliance on His sovereign plan.

* [Psalm 145:3](/psalms/145-3 "Psalm 145:3 - God's Greatness is Unsearchable")
* [Romans 11:33](/romans/11-33 "Romans 11:33 - The Depth of God's Riches, Wisdom, and Knowledge")
* [1 Timothy 6:16](/1_timothy/6-16 "1 Timothy 6:16 - God Alone is Immortal and Unapproachable")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 36:26 offers a vital corrective to any human tendency to reduce God to our own categories or to assume we can fully grasp His purposes. In an age that often prioritizes intellectual mastery and control, this verse calls us to embrace the mystery of God, fostering a profound sense of humility and awe. Our inability to "know Him not" in His fullness should not lead to despair or agnosticism, but rather to worship and trust. It reminds us that God's wisdom far transcends our own, especially when we face inexplicable suffering or confusing circumstances. This truth encourages us to lean into His sovereignty, knowing that His infinite nature means His wisdom, love, and power are boundless, even when we cannot fully discern His immediate path. It invites us to rest in the assurance that the God who is too great to be fully known is also too great to make a mistake, and too loving to abandon His creation.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does acknowledging God's incomprehensible greatness impact your approach to prayer and worship?**
* **In what areas of your life do you find yourself trying to "search out" God's plans or reasons, and how might this verse encourage you to surrender to His mystery?**
* **What comfort or challenge do you find in the truth that God's "years cannot be searched out," signifying His eternal and unchanging nature?**

### FAQ
**Does Elihu's statement imply that God is unknowable in any sense?**

Answer: No, Elihu's statement in [Job 36:26](/job/36-26 "Job 36:26 - God's Greatness and Incomprehensibility") does not imply that God is entirely unknowable. Rather, it emphasizes that God is *incomprehensible* in His infinite essence and the totality of His being. We can know God truly, intimately, and personally through His revelation—in creation, in His Word, and supremely in Jesus Christ. However, our knowledge of Him will always be partial and finite, constrained by our human limitations. We can know *about* God and experience His presence, but we cannot fully fathom or exhaust His infinite wisdom, power, or eternal nature. This distinction is crucial: God is knowable, but not exhaustible by human intellect.

**How does this verse relate to the problem of suffering in the Book of Job?**

Answer: [Job 36:26](/job/36-26 "Job 36:26 - God's Greatness and Incomprehensibility") serves as a theological foundation for understanding God's response to Job's suffering. Elihu's argument, culminating in this verse, prepares Job for God's direct address from the whirlwind in [Job 38](/job/38 "Job 38 - God Answers Job from the Whirlwind"). God's speech similarly highlights His unsearchable wisdom and power in creation, implicitly rebuking Job's attempts to understand or question divine justice based on his limited perspective. The verse underscores that human suffering, while real and painful, occurs within the context of a divine plan that is far grander and more complex than human minds can grasp. It calls for humility and trust in God's sovereignty, even when His reasons for allowing suffering remain mysterious.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 36:26 declares God's incomprehensible greatness and unsearchable eternity, the New Testament reveals how this infinite God has made Himself uniquely knowable in the person of Jesus Christ. The "God whom we know not" in His full essence is the very God who "so loved the world, that he gave his only Son" ([John 3:16](/john/3-16 "John 3:16 - God's Love for the World")). Jesus is described as "the image of the invisible God" ([Colossians 1:15](/colossians/1-15 "Colossians 1:15 - Christ, the Image of the Invisible God")) and "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" ([Hebrews 1:3](/hebrews/1-3 "Hebrews 1:3 - Christ, the Radiance of God's Glory")). Through Christ, the unsearchable God has become approachable; the eternal God entered time; and the incomprehensible God revealed His heart. While the divine mystery remains—for even in Christ, "in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" ([Colossians 1:19](/colossians/1-19 "Colossians 1:19 - All the Fullness of God in Christ"))—He has provided the ultimate means for humanity to truly "know Him" relationally and redemptively. In Jesus, we encounter the very wisdom and power of God, making the abstract greatness of [Job 36:26](/job/36-26 "Job 36:26 - God's Greatness and Incomprehensibility") concrete and salvific.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 90:2

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou [art] God.

Psalms 145:3

Great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness [is] unsearchable.

Job 11:7

¶ Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

Job 11:9

The measure thereof [is] longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

Job 37:5

God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.

1 Kings 8:27

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

Job 37:23

[Touching] the Almighty, we cannot find him out: [he is] excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.