Job 36:26

Old Testament Wisdom/Poetry ASV (1901)

What does Job 36:26 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable.
Job 36:26 — American Standard Version

Context — Job 36

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
26Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Behold, God [is] great, etc.] In his power and might, in his wisdom and knowledge, in his truth and faithfulness, in his love, grace, and mercy, and that to admiration; and it is worthy of notice and attention, which the word “behold”, prefixed hereunto, is expressive of: or is “much” or “many” f1251; as he is in his persons: for though his essence is one, his persons are more, they are three, Father, Son, and Spirit; in his perfections, of which there is a fulness; in his thoughts, counsels, purposes? and decrees, which respect other persons and things; in his works of creation, providence, and grace, and in the blessings of his goodness, which are so many as not to be reckoned up; and we…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“(Job 37:13). God's greatness in heaven and earth: a reason why Job should bow under His afflicting hand. know him not--only in part (Job 36:25; Co1 13:12). his years-- (Psa 90:2; Psa 102:24, Psa 102:27); applied to Jesus Christ (Heb 1:12).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Behold, God is great, and we know him not - That is, we cannot fully comprehend him; see the notes at Job 11:7-9. Neither can the number of his years be searched out - That is, he is eternal. The object of what is said here is to impress the mind with a sense of the greatness of God, and with the folly of attempting fully to comprehend the reason of what he does. Man is of a few days, and it is presumption in him to sit in judgment on the doings of one who is from eternity. We may here remark that the doctrine that there is an Eternal Being presiding over the universe, was a doctrine fully held by the speakers in this book - a doctrine far in advance of all that philosophy ever taught, and…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Neither - He is eternal, as in his being, so in all his counsels; which therefore must be infinitely above the comprehension of short - lived men. Job 36:27”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“God: Job 37:5; Psa 145:3 we: Job 11:7-9, Job 26:14, Job 37:23; Kg1 8:27 neither: Psa 90:2, Psa 102:24-27; Heb 1:12; Pe2 3:8 Job 36:27”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“26 Behold, God is exalted-we know Him not entirely; The number of His years, it is unsearchable. 27 For He draweth down the drops of water, They distil as rain in connection with its mist, 28 Which the clouds do drop, Distil upon the multitude of men. 29 Who can altogether understand the spreadings of the clouds, The crash of His tabernacle? The Waw of the quasi-conclusion in Job 36:26 corresponds to the Waw of the train of thought in Job 36:26 (Ges. 145, 2). מספּר שׁניו is, as the subject-notion, conceived as a nominative (vid., on Job 4:6), not as in similar quasi-antecedent clauses, e.g., Job 23:12, as an acc. of relation. שׂגּיא here and Job 37:23 occurs otherwise only in Old Testament…”
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