It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
Parallel translations
- WEB They are high as heaven. What can you do? They are deeper than Sheol. What can you know?
- BSB They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
- NKJV They are higher than heaven— what can you do? Deeper than Sheol— what can you know?
- NASB “They are as high as the heavens; what can you do? Deeper than Sheol; what can you know?
- NLT Such knowledge is higher than the heavens— and who are you? It is deeper than the underworld— what do you know?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God's greatness is higher than heaven and deeper than Sheol, beyond human reach. Zophar magnifies how far God exceeds our knowing.
Overview
Zophar describes God's wisdom as towering above the heavens and plunging below the depths, utterly beyond Job's grasp. The imagery rightly humbles the creature before the Creator. Yet what no one could ascend to or descend for, Christ accomplished, descending and ascending to bring God near to us (Psalm 139:8; Ephesians 4:9-10).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Job 22:12Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
- Ps 139:6–8Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
- Isa 55:9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
- Ps 148:13Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
- Job 35:5Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.
- Amos 9:2Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:
- Job 26:6Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.
- Ps 103:11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
- Prov 25:2–3It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
- 2 Chr 6:18But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!
- Eph 3:18–19May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 11:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.