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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 26:8

He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds ,.... The clouds are of his making; when he utters his voice, or gives the word of command, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and the vapours he exhales from the ends of the earth and forms them into clouds, and they are his chariots, in which he rides up and down in the heavens, and waters his gardens and plantations on earth; see Jeremiah 10:13 ; which may be said to be thick in comparison of the air, in which they are; otherwise... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 26:8

He bindeth up the waters - Drives the aqueous particles together, which were raised by evaporation, so that, being condensed, they form clouds which float in the atmosphere, till, meeting with strong currents of wind, or by the agency of the electric fluid, they are farther condensed; and then, becoming too heavy to be sustained in the air, fall down in the form of rain, when, in this poetic language, the cloud is rent under them. 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 26:5-14

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

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 26:6-14

The Divine ways but partially revealed. Bildad had given Job no comfort. And Job at first (verses 1-3) retorts upon him a reproof for his unhelpful words. He then bursts into an impressive representation of the wonderful works of God to whom Bildad had referred. The works of God in the heavens, the earth, and the deep sea are great and manifold; so are his works amongst the creatures of his power, of whom the serpent alone is mentioned. But the hidden hand of God Job confesses, and the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 26:8

He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds ; i.e. he makes the clouds, that we see floating in the atmosphere, contain and hold the waters on which the productiveness of the earth depends, and which he restrains, or allows to fall in fertilizing rain, at his pleasure. And the cloud is not rent under them . The metaphor is, no doubt, drawn from those water-skins, so well known in the East, and especially in Arabia, in which men stored the water for their journeys and other needs, which... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 26:8

Clouds. As we proceed through the poem we cannot but be struck with the wonderful wealth of its nature-imagery, which continues to open out with ever-increasing luxuriance till it reaches its fulness in the burst of splendour that accompanies the final theophany. Each aspect of nature touched by the poet has its special lessons. Now he calls us to look at the gorgeous pageantry of the clouds. Here truths of Divine order and government are displayed before our eyes. I. CLOUDS ARE OF ... read more

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