Job 36:25
in Job 36All mankind has seen it; men behold it from afar.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
All men have looked thereon; Man beholdeth it afar off.
KJV
Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.
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This verse in Job 36
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAll men see Him, every one beholdeth afar off. Every man from the fact that he is created rational, ought to conclude from reason that He Who made him is God. And to see Him at this time, is doubtless to behold, through reason, His sovereign power. But when it is said, All men see Him, it is rightly subjoined, Every one beholdeth afar off. For, to behold Him afar off, is to behold Him at present not in Person, but to think of Him as yet, solely from admiration of His works.
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.
This site's exposition
men behold it from afar
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that the second word for men means mortals, who behold only a small part, as at Job 26:14. Albert Barnes names the sun, moon, stars, storm and rain as works all mankind has seen. Gregory the Dialogist reads afar as knowing God by reason.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
No matter how some wise men may be, they cannot arrive at knowing and explaining God's essence. But all the thought of man and his discourse about God is through his works. For no one lacks wisdom to such an extent that he does not …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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
It - The power, and wisdom, and greatness of God are so manifest in all his works, that all who are not stupid, must see and acknowledge it. Afar off - The works of God are so great and conspicuous, that they may be seen at a great distance.
Every man may see it,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
See--namely, with wondering admiration [MAURER]. man may behold--rather, "(yet) mortals (a different Hebrew word from 'man') behold it (only) from afar off," see but a small "part" (Job 26:14).
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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
Every man may see it - He who says he can examine the earth with a philosophic eye, and the heavens with the eye of an astronomer, and yet says he cannot see in them a system of infinite skill and contrivance, must be ignorant of science, or lie against his conscience, and be utterly unworthy of confidence or respect.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Every man may see it - That is, every man may look on the visible creation, and see proofs there of the wisdom and greatness of God. All may look on the sun, the moon, the stars; all may behold the tempest and the storm; all may see the lightning and the rain, and may form some conception of the majesty of the Most High. The idea of Elihu here is, that every man might trace the evidences that God is great in his works.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אָדָ֥ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| חָֽזוּ־ | chazu- | they have looked | H2372 → | 55 times |
| ב֑וֹ | vo | on it | ||
| אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ | ʾenoosh | human[s] | H582 → | 566 times |
| יַבִּ֥יט | yabit | he looks | H5027 → | 69 times |
| מֵרָחֽוֹק׃ | merachok | from a distance | H7350 → | 84 times |
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אָדָ֥םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
חָֽזוּ־they have looked
chazu-H2372 →55 times
ב֑וֹon it
vo
אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁhuman[s]
ʾenooshH582 →566 times
יַבִּ֥יטhe looks
yabitH5027 →69 times
מֵרָחֽוֹק׃from a distance
merachokH7350 →84 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Job
This page draws on 9 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); 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.