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Job 26
Job 26:1
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Job 26:2
How you have helped one ... the arm that has no strength
In these statements, Job is accusing Bildad. The word "one" refers to Job. And, the word "arm" represents the whole person. Alternate translation: "I am powerless and have no strength, but you act like you have helped me; but really, you have not helped me at all" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-irony and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche)
Job 26:3
How you have advised one who has no wisdom and announced to him sound knowledge
Job is saying that Bildad has not provided him with good advice and knowledge. Alternate translation: "You act like I have no wisdom and that you have advised me, that you have given me good advice" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-irony)
announced to him sound knowledge
"given him good advice"
Job 26:4
With whose help have you spoken these words? Whose spirit was it ... you?
In these questions Job continues to mock Bildad. They are both rhetorical questions and have basically the same meaning. They are used together to strengthen each other. Alternate translation: "You must have had help speaking these words. Perhaps some spirit helped you speak them!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
Job 26:5
The dead
This refers to dead people. Alternate translation: "Those who are dead" or "The spirits of the dead" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-nominaladj)
tremble
They tremble because they are afraid of God. This can be stated clearly. Alternate translation: "tremble in fear" or "tremble in fear of God" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
those who are beneath the waters
This refers to the dead people who tremble.
all who dwell in them
This refers to the dead people who dwell in the waters.
Job 26:6
Sheol is naked before God; destruction itself has no covering
Sheol is spoken of as if it were a person. These two phrases have the same meaning. To be "naked" or have "no covering" is to be completely exposed and not able to hide anything. Alternate translation: "It is like sheol is naked before God, for nothing in sheol, the place of destruction, is hidden from God" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)
destruction
This is another name for sheol. Alternate translation: "the place of destruction"
Job 26:7
He stretches out the northern skies over the empty space
The northern skies represent heaven, the place where God dwells with the beings he created to dwell there. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Job 26:8
He binds up the waters in his thick clouds
The clouds are compared to a large blanket in which God wraps the rainwater. Alternate translation: "He wraps up the water in his thick clouds"
but the clouds are not torn under them
This can be stated actively. The word "them" refers to the waters. Alternate translation: "but the weight of the waters does not tear the clouds" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
Job 26:9
and spreads his clouds on it
This phrase tells how he covers the surface of the moon. Alternate translation: "by spreading his clouds in front of it"
Job 26:10
He has engraved a circular boundary on the surface of the waters
This speaks of the horizon, where the earth appears to meet the sky, as if God has marked a boundary on the ocean.
Job 26:11
The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke
People thought of heaven or the sky as resting on pillars. Job speaks as though the pillars are humans that shake in fear when God is angry. Alternate translation: "The pillars that hold up heaven shake in fear when God rebukes them" or "The pillars that hold up the sky shake like people who are afraid when God rebukes them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)
Job 26:12
he shattered Rahab
"he destroyed Rahab"
Rahab
This is the name of a frightening monster that lived in the sea. See how you translated this in Job 9:13. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-names)
Job 26:13
By his breath he made the skies clear
The noun "breath" can be translated with the verb "breathe" or "blow." This image represents God causing the wind to blow away the clouds. Alternate translation: "God blew away the clouds so that the skies were clear" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent
It is implied that God his holding a sword, and here "his hand" represents that sword. Also, "pierced" represents killing. Alternate translation: "With his sword he pierced the fleeing serpent" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
the fleeing serpent
"the serpent as it was trying to escape from him." This refers to Rahab, the monster in the sea. See Job 26:12.
Job 26:14
See, these are but the fringes of his ways
Here "fringes" represents a small part that we can see of something that is much bigger. Alternate translation: "See, these things that God has done show only a small part of his great power" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
how small a whisper do we hear of him!
This is an exclamation that expresses Job's amazement of all the great things that God does that we do not even know about. Seeing what God does is spoken of as hearing God's voice. Alternate translation: "it is as if we heard only his quiet whisper!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-exclamations and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Who can understand the thunder of his power?
The "thunder of his power" represents God's greatness. Job uses this question to emphasize that God's power is so great that no one can understand it. Alternate translation: "The thunder displays the greatness of his power which no one can understand!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)