Job 26:11-13 New English Translation
11 The pillars[a] of the heavens tremble
and are amazed at his rebuke.[b]
12 By his power he stills[c] the sea;
by his wisdom he cut Rahab the great sea monster[d] to pieces.[e]
13 By his breath[f] the skies became fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.[g]
Footnotes
- Job 26:11 sn H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 173) says these are the great mountains, perceived to hold up the sky.
- Job 26:11 sn The idea here is that when the earth quakes, or when there is thunder in the heavens, these all represent God’s rebuke, for they create terror.
- Job 26:12 tn The verb רָגַע (ragaʿ) has developed a Semitic polarity, i.e., having totally opposite meanings. It can mean “to disturb; to stir up” or “to calm; to still.” Gordis thinks both meanings have been invoked here. But it seems more likely that “calm” fits the context better.
- Job 26:12 tn Heb “Rahab” (רָהַב), the mythical sea monster that represents the forces of chaos in ancient Near Eastern literature. In the translation the words “the great sea monster” have been supplied appositionally in order to clarify “Rahab.”
- Job 26:12 sn Here again there are possible mythological allusions or polemics. The god Yam, “Sea,” was important in Ugaritic as a god of chaos. And Rahab is another name for the monster of the deep (see Job 9:13).
- Job 26:13 tn Or “wind”; or perhaps “Spirit.” The same Hebrew word, רוּחַ (ruakh), may be translated as “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit/Spirit” depending on the context.
- Job 26:13 sn Here too is a reference to pagan views indirectly. The fleeing serpent was a designation for Leviathan, whom the book will simply describe as an animal, but the pagans thought to be a monster of the deep. See the same Hebrew phrase in Isaiah 27:1. God’s power over nature is associated with defeat of pagan gods (see further W. F. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan).
New English Translation (NET)
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