Job 36:22
in Job 36Behold, God is exalted in His power. Who is a teacher like Him?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, God doeth loftily in his power: Who is a teacher like unto him?
KJV
Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
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This verse in Job 36
Commentary
11 notes on this verseBehold, God is lofty in His strength, and none is like Him among lawgivers. As if he said plainly, He, Who will appear humble in weakness, remains lofty in strength, Paul also witnessing this, who says, For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God. [2 Cor. 13, 4] Of Whom it is rightly subjoined, None is like Him among lawgivers. Moses was a lawgiver, Joshua a lawgiver, the Prophets lawgivers also. We can term all lawgivers, who, we know, admonish the people rightly from the Law.
This site's exposition
God is exalted in His power
on Job 36:22-26
Elihu turns to praise, and asks who is “a teacher like Him”. Henry reads “Who has appointed His way for Him” as Elihu anticipating the whirlwind's appeal to God's unaccountable greatness. Delitzsch notes the next verses' clouds and light moving the speech toward the whirlwind's weather.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And you certainly, he says, were tested so far in the furnace of correction. But God will indeed restore you and will bring you back to your former wealth and dignity.
The Medieval Church1 voice
After Eliud rejected the words of Job in which he had said he was just, he here rejects his words because he believed he had spoken against the justice of divine judgment. So he first proposes the sublimity of divine power when he says, "Behold …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Behold - God is omnipotent; and therefore can, either punish thee far worse, or deliver thee, if thou dost repent. He is also infinitely wise; and as none can work like him, so none can teach like him.
): " Behold, God exalteth by his power, " that is, "He does, may, and can set up and pull down whom he pleases, and therefore it is not for thee nor me to contend with him." The more we magnify God the more do we humble and abase ourselves. Now consider, (1.) That God is an absolute sovereign: He exalts by his own power, and not by strength derived from any other.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
1 Elihu also proceeded, and said, 2 Suffer me a little, and I will show thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf. 3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. 4 For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:89%@v2-4
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Behold, God exalteth by his power,.... He exalts himself, or causes himself to be exalted, and even above all the blessing and praise of his creatures; by his power, in the works of creation and providence, he makes such a display of his glorious perfections, as to set him on high, and out of the reach of the highest praises of men.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
God exalteth by his power - He has brought thee low, but he can raise thee up. Thou art not yet out of the reach of his mercy. Thy affliction is a proof that he acts towards thee as a merciful Parent. He knows what is best to be done; he teaches thee how thou shouldst suffer and improve. Why sin against his kindness? Who can teach like him?
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
He alone can teach; yet, because He, as a sovereign, explains not all His dealings, forsooth Job must presume to teach Him (Isa 40:13, 14; So the transition to Job 36:23 is natural. UMBREIT with the Septuagint translates, "Who is Lord," wrongly, as this meaning belongs to later Hebrew.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Behold, God exalteth by his power - The object of Elihu is now to direct the attention of Job to God, and to show him that he has evinced such power and wisdom in his works, that we ought not to presume to arraign him, but should bow with submission to his will. He remarks, therefore, that God “exalts,” or rather that God is “exalted,” or “exalts himself” (ישׂגיב yaśagiyb) by his power. In the exhibition of his power, he thus shows that he is great, and that people ought to be submissive to him. In support of this, he appeals, in the remainder of his discourse, to the “works” of God as furnishing extraordinary proofs of power, and full demonstration that God is exalted far above man. Who teacheth like him? - The Septuagint renders this, δυνάστης dunastēs - “Who is so powerful as he?” Rosenmuller and Umbreit render it Lord: “Who is Lord like him?” But the Hebrew word (מורה môreh) properly means “one who instructs,” and the idea is, that there is no one who is qualified to give so exalted conceptions of the government of God as he is himself. The object is to direct the mind to him as he is revealed in his works, in order to obtain elevated conceptions of his government.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֶן־ | hen- | there! | H2005 → | 316 times |
| אֵ֭ל | ʾel | God | H410 → | 241 times |
| יַשְׂגִּ֣יב | yasgiv | he is exalted | H7682 → | |
| בְּכֹח֑וֹ | bekhocho | in power his | H3581 → | 126 times |
| מִ֖י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| כָמֹ֣הוּ | khamohu | like him | H3644 → | 143 times |
| מוֹרֶֽה׃ | moreh | [is] a teacher | H4175 → |
הֶן־there!
hen-H2005 →316 times
אֵ֭לGod
ʾelH410 →241 times
יַשְׂגִּ֣יבhe is exalted
yasgivH7682 →
בְּכֹח֑וֹin power his
bekhochoH3581 →126 times
מִ֖יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
כָמֹ֣הוּlike him
khamohuH3644 →143 times
מוֹרֶֽה׃[is] a teacher
morehH4175 →
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
Isaiah 48:17Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who directs you in the way you should go.
it leads to
- Psalms 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you.
- Psalms 25:12
Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him.
- Job 22:21–22
Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
- Deuteronomy 8:17–18
You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
- Isaiah 30:20
The Lord will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, but your Teacher will no longer hide Himself—with your own eyes you will see Him.
- Psalms 32:8
Through
Romans 13:1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.
it leads to
- Titus 3:1
Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,
- 1 Peter 2:13–17
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority,
- Daniel 2:21
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
- Titus 3:1
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 (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON JOB 36:22; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXVII; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.