Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 26:5-14

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 26:5

Dead things are formed from under the waters ,.... It is difficult to say what things are here meant; it may be understood of "lifeless" things, as Mr. Broughton renders it; things that never had any life, things inanimate, that never had at least an animal life, though they may have a vegetable one; and so may be interpreted of grains of corn, and which indeed die before they are quickened; to which both Christ and the apostle allude, John 12:24 ; and which, as they cannot grow without... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 26:5

Dead things are formed from under the waters - This verse, as it stands in our version, seems to convey no meaning; and the Hebrew is obscure; הרפאים , harephaim , "the Rephaim," certainly means not dead things; nor can there be any propriety in saying that dead things, or things without life, are formed under the waters, for such things are formed everywhere in the earth, and under the earth, as well as under the waters. The Vulgate translates: Ecce gigantes gemunt sub aquis, et qui... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 26:1-14

Job to Bildad: another sermon on the foregoing text. I. THE PREFACE TO THE SERMON ; OR , THE DISCOURSE OF BILDAD CRITICIZED . In Job's estimation it was: 1 . Wholly unserviceable. With stinging irony Job, according to our view, represents it as having been extremely helpful to him in his feebleness, as having imparted strength to his powerless arm and wisdom to his ignorant mind (verses 2, 3); meaning, of course, the opposite—that in these respects the brief but... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 26:1-14

Praises of the Eternal I. REPARTEE AND REPROOF . ( Job 26:2-4 .) The tone seems to be ironical: "How well hast thou helped feebleness, supported the arm of him that has no strength, counselled unwisdom, and in fulness given utterance to good sense! To whom hast thou offered words, and whose breath went forth from thee? By whose inspiration?" possibly pointing to the borrowed character of Bildad's speech. Words may be good in themselves, yet not pleasant or profitable if not spoken... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 26:5

Dead things are formed from under the waters ; rather, the dead from under the waters tremble. Hehraists generally are agreed that one of the meanings of Rephaim ( רְפָאִים ) is "the dead" or the departed, considered especially as inhabitants of Hades (comp. Psalms 88:11 ; Proverbs 2:18 ; Isaiah 14:9 ; Isaiah 26:14 ). And if so, this meaning is certainly appropriate here. Blidad had illustrated God's dominion from his power in heaven. Job shows that it exists alike in heaven... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 26:5-14

Job now turns from controversy to the realities of the case, and begins with a full acknowledgment of God's greatness, might, and inscrutableness. As Bildad seemed to have supposed that he needed enlightenment on these points ( Job 26:2-4 ), Job may have thought it right to make once more a plain profession of his belief (comp. Job 9:4-18 ; Job 12:9-25 , etc.). read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 26:5

Dead things - Job here commences his description of God, to show that his views of his majesty and glory were in no way inferior to those which had been expressed by Bildad, and that what Bildad had said conveyed to him no real information. In this description he far surpasses Bildad in loftiness of conception, and sublimity of description. Indeed, it may be doubted whether for grandeur this passage is surpassed by any description of the majesty of God in the Bible. The passage here has given... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Job 26:5

Job 26:5. Dead things, &c. That is, according to several interpreters, those seeds which are sown and die in the earth quicken again and grow. Or, as R. Levi rather thinks, an allusion is made to those vegetables, stones, or metals, which are found in the earth under the waters. The Hebrew word here for dead things is רפאים , rephaim, which is generally rendered dead men; thus, Psalms 88:10, we read, Wilt thou show wonders to methim, the dead? Shall rephaim, the dead, arise... read more

Group of Brands