Job 26:13
New International Version
By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent.

New Living Translation
His Spirit made the heavens beautiful, and his power pierced the gliding serpent.

English Standard Version
By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

Berean Standard Bible
By His breath the skies were cleared; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

King James Bible
By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

New King James Version
By His Spirit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

New American Standard Bible
“By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.

NASB 1995
“By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.

NASB 1977
“By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.

Legacy Standard Bible
By His breath the heavens are made beautiful; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.

Amplified Bible
“By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the [swiftly] fleeing serpent.

Christian Standard Bible
By his breath the heavens gained their beauty; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
By His breath the heavens gained their beauty; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

American Standard Version
By his Spirit the heavens are garnished; His hand hath pierced the swift serpent.

Contemporary English Version
The heavens became bright when he breathed, and the escaping sea monster died at his hands.

English Revised Version
By his spirit the heavens are garnished; his hand hath pierced the swift serpent.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
With his wind the sky was cleared. With his hand he stabbed the fleeing snake.

Good News Translation
It is his breath that made the sky clear, and his hand that killed the escaping monster.

International Standard Version
he clears the skies with his wind; his hands have pierced the fleeing serpent.

Majority Standard Bible
By His breath the skies were cleared; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

NET Bible
By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

New Heart English Bible
By his Spirit the heavens are garnished. His hand has pierced the swift serpent.

Webster's Bible Translation
By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

World English Bible
By his Spirit the heavens are garnished. His hand has pierced the swift serpent.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
He beautified the heavens by His Spirit, "" His hand has formed the fleeing serpent.

Young's Literal Translation
By His Spirit the heavens He beautified, Formed hath His hand the fleeing serpent.

Smith's Literal Translation
By his spirit he polished the heavens; his hand pierced the flat serpent.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
His spirit hath adorned the heavens, and his obstetric hand brought forth the winding serpent.

Catholic Public Domain Version
His spirit has adorned the heavens, and his birthing hand has brought forth the winding serpent.

New American Bible
By his wind the heavens were made clear, his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

New Revised Standard Version
By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
By his spirit he manages the heavens; his hand slew the fleeing serpent.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
By his Spirit he governs Heaven, and his hand killed the Serpent which fled
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
By His breath the heavens are serene; His hand hath pierced the slant serpent.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the barriers of heaven fear him, and by a command he has slain the apostate dragon.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: Who Can Understand God's Majesty?
12By His power He stirred the sea; by His understanding He shattered Rahab. 13By His breath the skies were cleared; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent. 14Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”…

Cross References
Genesis 1:2
Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

Psalm 33:6
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.

Isaiah 27:1
In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan the fleeing serpent—Leviathan the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea.

Isaiah 51:9
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon?

Psalm 104:30
When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.

Proverbs 8:27-29
I was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, / when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth, / when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.

Isaiah 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance?

Jeremiah 10:12-13
The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. / When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

Psalm 148:5
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He gave the command and they were created.

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. / He was with God in the beginning. / Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

Colossians 1:16
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Revelation 4:11
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and were created.”

Romans 11:36
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.


Treasury of Scripture

By his spirit he has garnished the heavens; his hand has formed the crooked serpent.

his spirit

Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Psalm 33:6,7
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth…

Psalm 104:30
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

the crooked serpent

Psalm 74:13,14
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters…

Isaiah 27:1
In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Jump to Previous
Beautified Breath Bright Cleared Crooked Cut Fair Fleeing Formed Garnished Gliding Hand Heavens Moving Pierced Quickly Serpent Skies Slant Snake Spirit Swift Wind
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Beautified Breath Bright Cleared Crooked Cut Fair Fleeing Formed Garnished Gliding Hand Heavens Moving Pierced Quickly Serpent Skies Slant Snake Spirit Swift Wind
Job 26
1. Job, reproving the uncharitable spirit of Bildad
5. acknowledges the power of God to be infinite and unsearchable














By His breath the skies were cleared;
This phrase highlights God's sovereign power over creation. The "breath" of God is often associated with His Spirit, as seen in Genesis 1:2, where the Spirit of God hovers over the waters during creation. The clearing of the skies can be understood as God's ability to bring order out of chaos, a theme prevalent throughout the Bible. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the sky was often seen as a realm of divine activity, and God's control over it signifies His supreme authority. This imagery also connects to the calming of storms, as seen in the New Testament when Jesus calms the sea (Mark 4:39), demonstrating His divine authority over nature.

His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
The "fleeing serpent" is a reference to chaos and evil, often symbolized by serpents or dragons in ancient Near Eastern mythology. This imagery is reminiscent of the Canaanite myth of Baal defeating the sea monster Lotan, which parallels the biblical narrative of God's victory over chaos. In a biblical context, the serpent is also a symbol of Satan, as seen in Genesis 3 and Revelation 12:9. The act of piercing the serpent signifies God's ultimate victory over evil. This can be seen as a foreshadowing of Christ's victory over Satan through His death and resurrection, fulfilling the prophecy of Genesis 3:15, where the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head. This victory is further echoed in Colossians 2:15, where Christ disarms the powers and authorities, triumphing over them by the cross.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
The central figure in the Book of Job, a man known for his patience and faithfulness amidst suffering. Job is responding to his friends, defending his understanding of God's power and majesty.

2. God
The Creator, whose power and wisdom are being extolled by Job. God is depicted as the one who orders the cosmos and subdues chaos.

3. The Skies
Represents the heavens or the firmament, which God has ordered and cleared by His breath, signifying His control over creation.

4. The Fleeing Serpent
Often interpreted as a symbol of chaos or evil, possibly referring to mythological creatures like Leviathan, which God has power over.

5. Creation
The act of God bringing order and beauty to the universe, demonstrating His sovereignty and authority over all things.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Creation
God's breath symbolizes His life-giving and sustaining power. Just as He cleared the skies, He can bring order to our lives.

Victory Over Chaos and Evil
The imagery of God piercing the fleeing serpent reassures believers of His ultimate victory over evil. We can trust in His power to overcome the chaos in our lives.

The Majesty of God's Creation
Reflect on the beauty and order of creation as a testament to God's wisdom and power. This should inspire awe and worship in our hearts.

Trust in God's Control
In times of personal chaos or uncertainty, remember that God is in control. His hand is mighty to save and deliver.

The Breath of God in Our Lives
Just as God's breath cleared the skies, His Spirit can renew and transform us. Seek His presence for guidance and strength.(13) The crooked serpent.--By this expression is doubtless meant the forked lightning-flash, though it is difficult to determine whether any, or what mythological ideas may underlie the expression, or whether it is anything more than a figure derived from the natural world, which suggested the similitude of the flying serpent. Others understand by it the constellation of the Northern Dragon, to whose influence storms were ascribed.

Verse 13. - By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; or, by his spirit the heavens are brightness; i.e. at a breath from his mouth the heavens, lately all cloud and storm (vers. 8-11), recover their serenity, are calm and clear and bright. Our experience says, "After a storm comes a calm." Job notes that both alike are from God. His hand hath formed the crooked serpent; rather, his hand hath pierced the swift serpent (see the Revised Version). The reference is probably to "the war in heaven," already suggested by the mention of" Rahab" (ver. 12). In that war, according to the tradition that had reached Job, a great serpent, like the Egyptian Apepi (Apophis), had borne a part.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
By His breath
בְּ֭רוּחוֹ (bə·rū·ḥōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

the skies
שָׁמַ֣יִם (šā·ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

were cleared;
שִׁפְרָ֑ה (šip̄·rāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8235: Fairness, clearness (of sky)

His hand
יָ֝ד֗וֹ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

pierced
חֹֽלֲלָ֥ה (ḥō·lă·lāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2490: To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play

the fleeing
בָּרִֽיחַ׃ (bā·rî·aḥ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1281: A fugitive, the serpent

serpent.
נָחָ֥שׁ (nā·ḥāš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5175: A serpent


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OT Poetry: Job 26:13 By his Spirit the heavens are garnished (Jb)
Job 26:12
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