# Can you understand God by searching for him? Can you comprehend the Almighty perfectly?

These two parallel questions are asking the same thing. The writer uses the form of a question to add emphasis. AT: "You cannot understand God by searching for him, and you will never completely understand the Almighty!" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

# The matter

This refers to understanding God. AT: "To understand God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])

# is as high as heaven ... deeper than Sheol

The impossibility of understanding God is spoken of as if it were impossible to go to these extremely far away places. AT: "is as inaccessible as the highest places in heaven ... is more inaccessible than the deepest places in Sheol" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]])

# what can you do?

Zophar uses this question to show that a person cannot do anything to understand God fully. AT: "you cannot do anything." or "you cannot understand him fully." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

# what can you know?

Zophar uses this question to show that a person cannot do anything to know God fully. AT: "you cannot know God fully." or "you cannot know all there is to know." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

# Its measure

Possible meanings are that this refers to 1) God's greatness or 2) the greatness of God's wisdom.

# is longer than the earth ... wider than the sea

God's greatness or wisdom is spoken of as if it could be measured in distance. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/god]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/almighty]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/heaven]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/hades]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/know]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/earth]]