Limitless Word
Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
Job 37:23 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB We can’t reach the Almighty. He is exalted in power. In justice and great righteousness, he will not oppress.
  • BSB The Almighty is beyond our reach; He is exalted in power! In His justice and great righteousness He does not oppress.
  • NKJV As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, In judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress.
  • NASB “The Almighty—we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power And He will not violate justice and abundant righteousness.
  • NLT We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us.

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

The Almighty is beyond our reach, supreme in power, yet he never abuses his justice and righteousness. God's might is matched by his goodness.

Overview

Elihu affirms both God's transcendence and his moral perfection: exalted in power yet never oppressive in justice. This directly answers Job's fear that God might be a capricious tyrant. It points forward to the gospel assurance that the all-powerful God is also perfectly just and good (Romans 3:26).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 30

  • 1 Tim 6:16Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
  • Rom 11:33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
  • Job 36:5Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
  • Lam 3:32–33But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
  • Ps 99:4The king’s strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
  • Job 9:4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
  • Ezek 18:23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
  • Ezek 18:32For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
  • Ps 30:5For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
  • Isa 63:9In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
  • Job 11:7Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
  • Prov 30:3–4I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
  • Isa 45:21Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
  • Ps 36:5–7Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
  • Heb 12:10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
  • Job 8:3Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
  • Ps 66:3Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.
  • Job 26:14Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?
  • Eccl 3:11He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
  • Job 37:19Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.
  • Matt 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
  • Luke 10:22All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
  • Ps 62:11God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
  • Job 9:19If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
  • Job 36:26Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
  • Ps 93:1The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
  • Ps 146:6–7Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
  • Ps 65:6Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:
  • Job 16:7–17But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
  • Job 12:13With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Job videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Job 37:23YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JobMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 37:23 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.