Job 25:3
in Job 25Can His troops be numbered? On whom does His light not rise?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Is there any number of his armies? And upon whom doth not his light arise?
KJV
Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?
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This verse in Job 25
Commentary
11 notes on this verseIs there any number of His soldiers? In the cognizance of human reason there is not any number of the spirits above, in that it cannot tell how great is that concourse of the Invisible Host, whereof it is said by Daniel, Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The number of the citizens above is represented as infinite and definite, in order that that which relatively to God is capable of being numbered may be shewn relatively to man to be incapable of being numbered.
This site's exposition
Then Bildad the Shuhite replied
on Job 25:1-3
Bildad's third speech runs six verses, the shortest, and after it Zophar never speaks a third time. What remains is majesty with no application: "Dominion and awe belong to God". Gill reads the question about "His light" as the sun shared by every man, whatever his standing before God.
This site's exposition
Can His troops be numbered?
Barnes takes His troops as the armies of heaven, a band that cannot be numbered. Wesley reads the light that rises on all as the sun shared by every man. Henry hears goodness there as well as power.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Since he said, "You have not visited these yet," truly Bildad answers, "There is no respite for robbers." Therefore, he says the opposite of what happens, because there is respite. But in order to play a trick on Job, he speaks in this way. "How then can a mortal be righteous before God?" Indeed, he is necessarily punished. Since Job, in fact, said, I wanted to be judged, and, even though I have not sinned, I am chastised. Bildad replied there is none that is righteous among humankind. How is it possible, he says, that any righteous person will ever exist? Therefore you desire in vain to be judged and examined.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he shows the divine power from those things he does in lower creatures in which he acts through the ministry of higher creatures, whose great number is unknown to man. So he then says, "Can one number his soldiers?" He calls soldiers of God …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
All partake of the light of his goodness: it seems especially to be meant of that. He is good to all; the earth is full of his goodness. He is Deus optimus--God, the best of beings, as well as maximus--the greatest: he has power to destroy; but his pleasure is to show mercy.
What great things are here said of God, designed to possess Job with a reverence of him, and to check his reflections upon him and upon his dealings with him: (1.) God is the sovereign Lord of all, and with him is terrible majesty.
Light - The light of the sun is communicated to all parts of the world. This is a faint resemblance, of the cognisance and care which God takes of the whole creation. All are under the light of his knowledge: all partake of the light of his goodness: his pleasure is to shew mercy: all the creatures live upon his bounty.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Is there any number of his armies?....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Is there any number of his armies? - The armies of heaven; or the hosts of angelic beings, which are often represented as arranged or marshalled into armies; see the notes at Isa 1:9. The word which is used here is not the common one which is rendered “hosts,” (צבא tsâbâ'), but is גדוּד gedûd which means properly a troop, band, or army. It may here mean either the constellations often represented as the army which God marshals and commands, or it may mean the angels.
Is there any number of his armies? - He has troops innumerable; he can serve himself of all his creatures; every thing may be a means of help or destruction, according to his Divine will. When he purposes to save, none can destroy; and when he is determined to destroy, none can save. It is vain to trust in his creatures against himself. Upon whom doth not his light arise? - That is, his providence rules over all; he is universal Lord; he causes his sun to arise on the evil and the good, and sends his rain on the just and unjust.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Bildad’s reply Dominion and fear Directed towards what Job said (23:4), “I would set out my case before Him,” he says to him, “Dominion and fear are with Him.” “Dominion” refers to Michael, and “fear” refers to Gabriel. Can you answer even one of them?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֲיֵ֣שׁ | hayesh | ¿ [is] there | H3426 → | 140 times |
| מִ֭סְפָּר | mispor | a number | H4557 → | 134 times |
| לִגְדוּדָ֑יו | ligdudav | to troops his | H1416 → | 33 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִ֝֗י | mi | whom? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָק֥וּם | yakum | does it rise | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אוֹרֵֽהוּ׃ | ʾorehu | light his | H216 → | 121 times |
הֲיֵ֣שׁ¿ [is] there
hayeshH3426 →140 times
מִ֭סְפָּרa number
misporH4557 →134 times
לִגְדוּדָ֑יוto troops his
ligdudavH1416 →33 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
מִ֝֗יwhom?
miH4310 →423 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָק֥וּםdoes it rise
yakumH6965 →628 times
אוֹרֵֽהוּ׃light his
ʾorehuH216 →121 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
James 1:17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
it leads to
- John 3:27
John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
- Matthew 7:11
So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
- Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
- Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
- John 3:27
Through
John 1:4In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
it leads to
- John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.
- 1 John 1:5–7
And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
- John 8:12
Through
Matthew 5:45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
it leads to
- Psalms 145:9
The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.
- Psalms 145:9
About Job
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVII; John Chrysostom, COMMENTARY ON JOB 25:2B-4B; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.