Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
Parallel translations
- WEB “Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
- BSB Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!
- NKJV “Is not God in the height of heaven? And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!
- NASB ¶“Is God not in the height of heaven? Look also at the highest stars, how high they are!
- NLT “God is so great—higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars.
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
Eliphaz declares that God is enthroned in the highest heavens, above even the loftiest stars. He emphasizes God's exalted transcendence over all.
Overview
Eliphaz affirms a true and majestic doctrine: God dwells on high, far above the highest stars (cf. Ps 113:4-6). However, he is setting up an accusation that Job is using God's distance to excuse sin. The truth of God's transcendence is sound, but Eliphaz misuses it, falsely imputing to Job a denial of God's all-seeing knowledge.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Ps 8:3–4When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
- Isa 66:1Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
- Job 11:8It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
- Eccl 5:2Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
- Ps 115:3But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
- Isa 57:15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
- Ps 115:16The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 22:12 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.