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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Job 26:2-3

How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?

Without power ... no strength ... no wisdom. The negatives are used instead of the positives, powerlessness, etc., designedly (so Isaiah 31:8; Deuteronomy 32:21, "That which is not God ... those which are not a people"): Granting I am, as you say (Job 18:17; Job 15:2). powerlessness itself, etc. How hast thou helped such a one?

Savest - helpest, supportest.

Plentifully ... the thing as it is - rather, 'abundantly-wisdom' х tuwshiyaah (H8454)]. Bildad had made great pretensions to abundant wisdom. How has he shown it?

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See also Job 26:2-3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 26:2. _HOW HAST THOU HELPED_ HIM] This seems a species of irony. How wonderfully hast thou counselled the unskilful and strengthened the weak! Alas for you! ye could not give what ye did no...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    HOW HAST THOU HELPED HIM THAT IS WITHOUT POWER? - It has been doubted whether this refers to Job himself, the two friends of Bildad, or to the Deity. Rosenmuller. The connection, however, seems to dem...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 26JOB'S REPLY _ 1. A sarcastic beginning (Job 26:1)_ 2. Job also knows and can speak of the greatness of God (Job 26:5) Job 26:1. You have helped me greatly, Bildad, me, who am without power...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    BEGINNING OF JOB'S REPLY TO BILDAD. He speaks sarcastically of the helpfulness and instructiveness of Bildad's speech. He must have been inspired (Job 26:4)!...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Job sarcastically expresses his admiration of Bildad's speech, and gratitude for the help it has been to him....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _how savest thou_?] Rather, how HAST THOU SAVED? i. e. succoured....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HOW HAST THOU HELPED HIM, &C.— _Whom hast thou been helping? him who hast no power: For whom hast thou gotten a victory? the arm which hath no strength,_ Job 26:3. _To whom hast thou been giving couns...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    D. GREATNESS AND GOODNESS OF GOD (Job 26:1-14) 1. What a giant of comfort Bildad has been! (sarcasm) (Job 26:1-4) TEXT 26:1-4 26 THEN JOB ANSWERED AND SAID, 2 How hast thou helped him that is with...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB'S EIGHTH SPEECH (JOB 26, 27) 1-4. Job taunts Bildad with the worthlessness of his remarks as a solution of the problem. 2, 3, 4 are spoken ironically....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    _Him that is_ WITHOUT POWER] i.e. Job himself....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Bildad’s interruption did not impress Job. Such words would not help Job, who was still suffering. And Job thought that Bildad’s description of God was very poor. Job had studied wisdom (chapter 28)....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 26 JOB REPLIES TO BILDAD’S...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    מֶה ־עָזַ֥רְתָּ לְ לֹא ־כֹ֑חַ הֹ֝ושַׁ֗עְתָּ ז

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XXII. THE OUTSKIRTS OF HIS WAYS Job 26:1; Job 27:1 Job SPEAKS BEGINNING his reply Job is full of scorn and sarcasm. "How hast thou helped one without power! How hast thou saved the strengthless...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “THE OUTSKIRTS OF HIS WAYS” Job 26:1 Job taunts Bildad with his reply as having imparted no help or thought. He then proceeds, Job 26:5, to give a description of God's power as manifested in Hades, i...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    We come next to Job's answer. The reply to Bildad occupies but one chapter, which is characterized from beginning to end by scorn for the man who had no more to say. In a series of fierce exclamations...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (a) How hast thou helped [him that is] without power? [how] (b) savest thou the arm [that hath] no strength? (a) You concluded nothing, for neither did you help me while destitute of all help, nor ye...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (1) В¶ But Job answered and said, (2) How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength? (3) How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 THROUGH 31. As to the friends of Job, they do not call for any extended remarks. They urge the doctrine that God's earthly government is a full measure and...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    HOW HAST THOU HELPED [HIM THAT IS] WITHOUT POWER?.... This verse and Job 26:3 either are to be understood of God, as many do, by reading the words, "who hast thou helped? God" r? a fine advocate for h...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    How hast thou helped [him that is] without power? [how] savest thou the arm [that hath] no strength? Ver. 2. _How hast thou helped him that is without power?_] _q.d._ Full well hast thou done it, sur...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _How hast thou helped him, that is without power?_ Thou hast helped excellently! It is an ironical expression, implying quite the contrary, that he had not helped at all. As if he had said, I am a poo...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    How hast thou helped him that is without power? How fine, indeed, how excellently well had Bildad shown himself a friend to Job, enfeebled as the latter was with illness! HOW SAVEST THOU THE ARM THAT...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    A SHARP IRONICAL REPROOF...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    BILDAD'S WORDS FUTILE IN JOB'S CASE (vv.1-4) Job begins a reply that continues through six Chapter s, and his friends are totally silenced. His language is amazing, specially considering the length...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "WHAT. HELP YOU ARE TO THE WEAK!": Job declares that Bildad's counsel and help have been absolutely worthless. JOB 26:2-3 "ABUNDANTLY PROVIDED": "Speaking of the 'helpful insight' Bildad had 'abundant...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-4 Job derided Bildad's answer; his words were a mixture of peevishness and self-preference. Bildad ought to have laid before Job the consolations, rather than the terrors of the Almighty. Christ kn...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    HOW HAST THOU HELPED? thou hast helped egregiously. It is an ironical expression, implying the quite contrary, that he had not at all helped. See the like, GENESIS 3:22 1 KINGS 18:27 1 CORINTHIANS 4:8...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 26:2 helped H5826 (H8804) power H3581 saved H3467 (H8689) arm H2220 no H3808 strength H5797 How hast tho

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Job's answer to Bildad. His faith in God. CHARACTERS: God, Job, friends. CONCLUSION: God is infinite and incomprehensible; man's capacities to understand Him and all His ways are weak, the...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 26:5. _Dead things,_ הרפאים _ha-raphaim,_ the raphaim _are formed from under the waters._ SCHULTENS reads, _Manes orcinorum intremiscunt, de subter aquis, et la habitatores eorum._ The manes of th...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _But Job answered and said._ THE TRANSCENDENT GREATNESS OF GOD I. God appears incomprehensibly great in that portion of the universe that is brought under human observation. 1. In connection with t...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB 26:1 Job: The Power of God, Place of Wisdom, and Path of Integrity. Up until now, the dialogue between Job and his three friends has followed a pattern in which each speech by Job is followed by r...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 26:2 HOW YOU HAVE HELPED... SAVED... COUNSELED...! The presumed theological correctness of Bildad and the other two friends rings hollow. In their defense of God, they have not helped...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _JOB’S REPLY TO BILDAD_ Job, more alive to Bildad’s want of sympathy than to the excellence of his sentiments in regard to the Divine perfections, speaks somewhat petulantly,—certainly with irony and...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION The long discourse of Job now begins, which forms the central and most solid mass of the book. It continues through six chapters (Job 26-31.). In it Job, after hastily brushing aside Bildad...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So Job answers now this little saying of Bildad. It's his third and final answer to Job, and it's really nothing. Job answered and said, How have you helped him that is without power? how can you save...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Kings 18:27; Isaiah 35:3; Isaiah 35:4; Isaiah 40:14; Isaiah 41:5;...

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