Job 36:26

Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

Job 36:26 (KJV)

Context

Elihu speaks to Job and his friends after their long debate. He urges Job to remember God’s works, as seen in Job 36:24-25. This verse forms part of Elihu’s call to acknowledge God’s majesty and to respond with humility.

Meaning

The opening word “Behold, God is great” is a call to attention and admiration. God’s greatness includes His power, wisdom, and sovereignty over all creation. The word “great” can also mean “much” or “many,” pointing to the fullness of His being.

Elihu then says, “and we know him not.” Human knowledge of God is limited and partial. Although God reveals Himself through creation, His Word, and personal experience, our minds cannot fully grasp His nature or His ways. We see only a small part of His counsels.

The phrase “neither can the number of his years be searched out” stresses God’s eternity. He has no beginning or end. His existence is beyond time and space, and the full extent of His years cannot be measured or understood. This truth calls us to humility and worship.

Biblical connections

Psalm 145:3 echoes this theme, declaring that God’s greatness is unsearchable. Both passages call believers to praise rather than to presume. They remind us that God is exalted far above our comprehension.

Application

This truth encourages humility and reverence. We can know God personally through His self-revelation, yet we must accept that some aspects of His being remain beyond us. This should lead us to trust His wisdom and sovereignty, even when His ways seem mysterious. We are also called to magnify His works, as Elihu urges in the surrounding verses.

Reflection

How do we respond when we cannot understand God’s actions? This verse invites us to approach Him with awe and wonder, not with pride or complaint. Our finite minds can rest in the certainty that He is great, eternal, and worthy of our trust.