HOW GREAT IS GOD
Key verse: 26
NIV
36 Elihu continued:
2 “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 I get my knowledge from afar;(A)
I will ascribe justice to my Maker.(B)
4 Be assured that my words are not false;(C)
one who has perfect knowledge(D) is with you.(E)
5 “God is mighty,(F) but despises no one;(G)
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.(H)
6 He does not keep the wicked alive(I)
but gives the afflicted their rights.(J)
7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;(K)
he enthrones them with kings(L)
and exalts them forever.(M)
8 But if people are bound in chains,(N)
held fast by cords of affliction,(O)
9 he tells them what they have done—
that they have sinned arrogantly.(P)
10 He makes them listen(Q) to correction(R)
and commands them to repent of their evil.(S)
11 If they obey and serve him,(T)
they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity(U)
and their years in contentment.(V)
12 But if they do not listen,
they will perish by the sword[a](W)
and die without knowledge.(X)
13 “The godless in heart(Y) harbor resentment;(Z)
even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.(AA)
14 They die in their youth,(AB)
among male prostitutes of the shrines.(AC)
15 But those who suffer(AD) he delivers in their suffering;(AE)
he speaks(AF) to them in their affliction.(AG)
16 “He is wooing(AH) you from the jaws of distress
to a spacious place(AI) free from restriction,(AJ)
to the comfort of your table(AK) laden with choice food.(AL)
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;(AM)
judgment and justice have taken hold of you.(AN)
18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
do not let a large bribe(AO) turn you aside.(AP)
19 Would your wealth(AQ) or even all your mighty efforts
sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20 Do not long for the night,(AR)
to drag people away from their homes.[b]
21 Beware of turning to evil,(AS)
which you seem to prefer to affliction.(AT)
22 “God is exalted in his power.(AU)
Who is a teacher like him?(AV)
23 Who has prescribed his ways(AW) for him,(AX)
or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?(AY)
24 Remember to extol his work,(AZ)
which people have praised in song.(BA)
25 All humanity has seen it;(BB)
mortals gaze on it from afar.
26 How great is God—beyond our understanding!(BC)
The number of his years is past finding out.(BD)
27 “He draws up the drops of water,(BE)
which distill as rain to the streams[c];(BF)
28 the clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showers(BG) fall on mankind.(BH)
29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
how he thunders(BI) from his pavilion?(BJ)
30 See how he scatters his lightning(BK) about him,
bathing the depths of the sea.(BL)
31 This is the way he governs[d] the nations(BM)
and provides food(BN) in abundance.(BO)
32 He fills his hands with lightning
and commands it to strike its mark.(BP)
33 His thunder announces the coming storm;(BQ)
even the cattle make known its approach.[e](BR)
Footnotes
Cross references
- Job 36:3 : S Job 6:28
- Job 36:3 : S Job 4:17
- Job 36:4 : S Job 6:28; S 13:6
- Job 36:4 : Job 37:5, 16, 23
- Job 36:4 : S Job 32:17
- Job 36:5 : S Job 9:4
- Job 36:5 : Ps 5:2; 22:24; 31:22; 69:33; 102:17; 103:10
- Job 36:5 : S Nu 23:19; Ro 11:29
- Job 36:6 : S Job 34:26
- Job 36:6 : S Job 4:10
- Job 36:7 : S Job 11:11; Ps 11:5; 33:18; 34:15; Mt 6:18
- Job 36:7 : Ps 113:8; Isa 22:23
- Job 36:7 : S 1Sa 2:7-8; S Job 4:7
- Job 36:8 : S 2Sa 3:34; 2Ki 23:33; Ps 107:10, 14
- Job 36:8 : ver 10, 15, 21; Ps 119:67, 71
- Job 36:9 : S Job 15:25
- Job 36:10 : S Job 33:16
- Job 36:10 : S Job 5:17
- Job 36:10 : S ver 8; S Jdg 6:8; S Job 34:33; 1Th 5:22
- Job 36:11 : S Lev 26:33; Dt 28:1; Isa 1:19; Hag 1:12
- Job 36:11 : S Dt 30:15; S Job 8:7
- Job 36:11 : S Ex 8:22; S Dt 8:1; Jn 14:21; 1Ti 4:8
- Job 36:12 : S Lev 26:38; S Job 15:22
- Job 36:12 : S Job 4:21; Eph 4:18
- Job 36:13 : S Job 15:12; Ro 2:5
- Job 36:13 : S Job 5:2
- Job 36:13 : S Job 4:17; Am 4:11
- Job 36:14 : S Job 15:32
- Job 36:14 : S Dt 23:17
- Job 36:15 : S Job 5:15
- Job 36:15 : 2Co 12:10
- Job 36:15 : S Job 33:16
- Job 36:15 : S ver 8; S Job 34:33
- Job 36:16 : Hos 2:14
- Job 36:16 : S 2Sa 22:20; Ps 18:19
- Job 36:16 : Ps 118:5
- Job 36:16 : Ps 23:5; 78:19
- Job 36:16 : S Ge 17:1; S Job 15:11
- Job 36:17 : S Job 20:29
- Job 36:17 : Job 22:11
- Job 36:18 : S Ex 23:8; Am 5:12
- Job 36:18 : S Job 34:33
- Job 36:19 : Ps 49:6; Jer 9:23
- Job 36:20 : Job 34:20, 25
- Job 36:21 : S Job 34:33; Ps 66:18
- Job 36:21 : S ver 8; Heb 11:25
- Job 36:22 : S Job 5:9; S 9:4
- Job 36:22 : S Job 21:22; S Ro 11:34
- Job 36:23 : Job 27:11
- Job 36:23 : S Job 34:13; Ro 11:33
- Job 36:23 : S Ge 18:25; S Job 34:10
- Job 36:24 : 1Ch 16:24; Ps 35:27; 92:5; 111:2; 138:5; 145:10
- Job 36:24 : S Ex 15:1; Rev 15:3
- Job 36:25 : Ro 1:20
- Job 36:26 : S Job 5:9; 1Co 13:12
- Job 36:26 : S Ge 21:33; S Job 10:5; Heb 1:12
- Job 36:27 : S Job 26:8
- Job 36:27 : S 2Sa 1:21; Job 28:26; 38:28; Isa 55:10
- Job 36:28 : Ps 65:10; 72:6; Joel 2:23
- Job 36:28 : S Job 5:10; S 22:11; S 28:26; Mt 5:45
- Job 36:29 : Ps 29:3; Jer 10:13
- Job 36:29 : S Job 9:6; 37:16; Ps 18:7-15; 19:4, 5; 104:2; Pr 8:28; Isa 40:22
- Job 36:30 : Ex 19:16; Job 37:11, 15; Ps 18:12, 14; 97:4; Jer 10:13; Hab 3:11
- Job 36:30 : Ps 68:22; Isa 51:10
- Job 36:31 : Dt 28:23-24; 1Ki 17:1; Job 37:13; Am 4:7-8
- Job 36:31 : Ps 145:15
- Job 36:31 : Ps 104:14-15, 27-28; Isa 30:23; Ac 14:17
- Job 36:32 : S Job 28:24; 37:12, 15; Ps 18:14; 29:7-9
- Job 36:33 : Job 37:5; 40:9
- Job 36:33 : S Job 28:26
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Elihu Extols God's Greatness
36 And Elihu continued, and said:
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you,
for I have yet something to say on God's behalf.
3 I will get my knowledge from (A)afar
and ascribe (B)righteousness to my (C)Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false;
one who is (D)perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty, and (E)does not despise any;
he is (F)mighty in strength of understanding.
6 He does not keep the wicked alive,
but gives (G)the afflicted their right.
7 He does not withdraw his (H)eyes from the righteous,
but with (I)kings on the throne
he sets them forever, and they are (J)exalted.
8 And if they are (K)bound in chains
and caught in the cords of affliction,
9 then he declares to them their work
and their transgressions, that they are (L)behaving arrogantly.
10 He (M)opens their ears to instruction
and commands that they (N)return from iniquity.
11 (O)If they listen and serve him,
they (P)complete their days in prosperity,
and their years in pleasantness.
12 But if they do not listen, they (Q)perish by the sword
and die (R)without knowledge.
13 “The (S)godless in heart cherish anger;
they do not cry for help when he (T)binds them.
14 They (U)die in youth,
and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.
15 He delivers (V)the afflicted by their affliction
and (W)opens their ear by adversity.
16 He also allured you out of distress
into (X)a broad place where there was no cramping,
and what was set on your (Y)table was full of (Z)fatness.
17 “But you are full of the judgment on the wicked;
judgment and justice seize you.
18 Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing,
and let not the greatness of (AA)the ransom turn you aside.
19 Will your (AB)cry for help avail to keep you from distress,
or all the force of your strength?
20 Do not long for (AC)the night,
when peoples vanish (AD)in their place.
21 Take care; (AE)do not turn to iniquity,
for this you have chosen rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power;
who is (AF)a teacher like him?
23 Who has (AG)prescribed for him his way,
or who can say, (AH)‘You have done wrong’?
24 “Remember to (AI)extol his work,
of which men have (AJ)sung.
25 All mankind has looked on it;
man beholds it from afar.
26 Behold, God is great, and we (AK)know him not;
the number of his (AL)years is unsearchable.
27 For he draws up the drops of water;
they distill his (AM)mist in (AN)rain,
28 which (AO)the skies pour down
and drop on mankind abundantly.
29 Can anyone understand (AP)the spreading of the clouds,
the thunderings of his (AQ)pavilion?
30 Behold, he scatters his lightning about him
and covers the roots of the sea.
31 For by these he (AR)judges peoples;
he gives (AS)food in abundance.
32 He covers his (AT)hands with the lightning
and commands it to strike the mark.
33 Its crashing declares his presence;[a]
the cattle also declare that he rises.
Footnotes
- Job 36:33 Hebrew declares concerning him
Cross references
- Job 36:3 : [Ps. 78:2]
- Job 36:3 : [Rev. 15:3, 4; 16:5, 7; 19:1, 2]
- Job 36:3 : ch. 35:10
- Job 36:4 : ch. 37:16
- Job 36:5 : ch. 8:20 (Heb.); [Ps. 138:6]
- Job 36:5 : ch. 9:4; 12:13, 16
- Job 36:6 : ver. 15; ch. 34:28
- Job 36:7 : [Ps. 33:18; 34:15]
- Job 36:7 : Ps. 132:12; [Ps. 113:8]
- Job 36:7 : Ps. 75:10
- Job 36:8 : ver. 13; Ps. 107:10
- Job 36:9 : ch. 15:25
- Job 36:10 : ch. 33:16
- Job 36:10 : Jer. 18:11
- Job 36:11 : For ver. 11, 12, see Isa. 1:19, 20
- Job 36:11 : ch. 21:13
- Job 36:12 : ch. 33:18
- Job 36:12 : [ch. 4:21]; See ch. 35:16
- Job 36:13 : ch. 15:34
- Job 36:13 : ver. 8
- Job 36:14 : ch. 15:32; 22:16; Ps. 55:23
- Job 36:15 : ver. 6; See ch. 33:15-28
- Job 36:15 : ver. 10; [Ps. 119:67, 71]
- Job 36:16 : [ch. 37:10; Ps. 4:1; 18:19; 31:8; 118:5]
- Job 36:16 : Ps. 23:5
- Job 36:16 : Ps. 36:8
- Job 36:18 : ch. 33:24
- Job 36:19 : Prov. 11:4
- Job 36:20 : ch. 27:20; 34:20, 25
- Job 36:20 : ch. 40:12
- Job 36:21 : Ps. 66:18
- Job 36:22 : ch. 34:32; 35:11
- Job 36:23 : ch. 34:13; [Isa. 40:13, 14; Rom. 11:34; 1 Cor. 2:16]
- Job 36:23 : [ch. 34:10]
- Job 36:24 : Luke 1:46; [Ps. 92:5; Rev. 15:3]
- Job 36:24 : [ch. 33:27; Ps. 104:33]
- Job 36:26 : [ch. 37:5; 1 Cor. 13:12]
- Job 36:26 : Ps. 90:2; 102:27
- Job 36:27 : Gen. 2:6 (Heb.)
- Job 36:27 : Ps. 147:8
- Job 36:28 : Prov. 3:20; [Deut. 33:28]
- Job 36:29 : [ch. 26:9]
- Job 36:29 : Ps. 18:11; 105:39
- Job 36:31 : ch. 37:13
- Job 36:31 : Ps. 104:27, 28; 136:25; 145:15; 147:9; Acts 14:17
- Job 36:32 : Hab. 3:4
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
This is Elihu's fourth and final speech. He proclaims God's justice. Even though God is mighty, he does not despise men. His eyes are on the righteous. When those who suffer repent of sin and seek him, he blesses. But godless men become stubborn and bitter when they suffer. With rebellious hearts they persist in sin and reap its consequences.
God has revealed himself in power and glory to all humanity. We are called to praise him. God is beyond our ability to understand, but he pours out blessings on all mankind. With his almighty power, his perfect justice, and his sovereign greatness, God governs the nations in order that his glory may be revealed and multiplied. Apart from God all men fall into bitterness and judgment. We are called to pursue how great is God. Though he is beyond our understanding, his glory is revealed to us every day.
Prayer: Lord, help me to pursue your greatness with the hope of tasting your eternal glory.
One Word: Seek the greatness of God