Bible Strands
Job 26:14
Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Job speaks this declaration immediately after describing God’s cosmic acts in verse 13, addressing his circle of friends to underscore the limits of human perception.
The words — The Hebrew קְצֹת (qetsot) translates literally as “ends” or “fringes,” and שֵׁמֶץ (shemets) means “a whisper” or “faint sound,” denoting the minimal trace of divine activity that reaches human awareness.
The thread — The text’s claim of unsearchable divine knowledge runs through Job 11:7 and Psalm 139:6, which similarly state that God’s ways and knowledge surpass human measurement.
Why it lands — The verse asks a reader to accept that human understanding cannot encompass divine power, requiring a shift from demanding explanation to acknowledging God’s sovereign magnitude.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?
Cross-references
- Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
- Job 11:7 Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?
- Psalms 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
- Psalms 145:3 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.
- Romans 11:33 O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
- 1 Samuel 2:10 Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.”
- Job 4:12 Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it.
- Job 36:29 Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion?
- Job 40:9 Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like His?
- Psalms 29:3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is heard over many waters.