Eliphaz isn't just pointing out that God is in heaven; he's using the immense height of the stars to frame an accusation. He implies Job believes God is so distant and removed, lost in His lofty celestial palace, that He's unaware of or indifferent to what happens on earth.
“Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are! But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness? Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Eliphaz, continuing his heated argument with Job, now accuses Job of holding impious thoughts. Eliphaz claims Job believes God is so incredibly distant and high in the heavens, even higher than the stars, that He cannot possibly see or care about what happens on Earth. He uses the vastness of the cosmos to emphasize God's supreme position, suggesting Job has forgotten this reality in his complaints.
Eliphaz believes Job is questioning God’s ability to see and act. But is that what Job was actually saying?
Eliphaz, in his zeal to defend God's justice, accuses Job of harboring impious thoughts. He interprets Job's lament about suffering and the prosperity of the wicked as an assertion that God is too distant and high up to notice human affairs.
The stars are incredibly distant, almost unimaginably so. But even they don't come close to God's true height.
Eliphaz uses the vastness of the cosmos as a stark comparison to emphasize God's infinite transcendence.
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Understand the original words
Eloah · Hebrew Noun
The supreme Creator and Sovereign of the universe, who is transcendent, omnipotent, and worthy of all worship; the term implies His covenant relationship with His people and His rule over all creation.
marom · Hebrew Noun
A description of God's transcendence and supreme authority, emphasizing His dwelling place as being beyond human limitation and His absolute rule from above the created order.
din · Hebrew Verb
A term denoting moral evaluation and legal ruling, signifying God’s sovereign authority to declare what is right and wrong and to administer justice according to His perfect character.
araphel · Hebrew Noun
Refers to impenetrable darkness or dense clouds, symbolically used to suggest God's transcendence and inscrutability, or in this context, the false belief that God is hidden from human affairs.
chug · Hebrew Noun
Referring to the 'circuit' or 'horizon' of the heavens; in a theological context, it depicts the boundary of God's immediate presence or the sphere in which He maintains His cosmic order.
This Psalm echoes the sentiment by stating God's sovereignty is above all nations and His glory is higher than the heavens, emphasizing His supreme, lofty position.
Isaiah 40:26This passage highlights God's incredible power by pointing to the stars, which He created and orders, implying His greatness is far beyond human comprehension.
Psalm 19:1The heavens themselves declare God's glory, a concept Eliphaz uses to point out God's immeasurable height and the vastness of His creation, which testifies to His majesty.
Job 35:5This verse directly asks Job if his righteousness is of benefit to God, implying God's transcendence and that His position in the heavens is so far above humanity that our actions don't fundamentally change Him.
bensonJob 22:12: "Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!"
Job 22:12 . Is not God in the height of heaven? — Surely, he is; and from that high tower he looketh down upon men, to behold, and govern, and recompense all their actions, whether good or bad. And, therefore, O Job, thou art grossly mistaken, in thinking that good men suffer as deeply as any others in this lower world, while the vilest of men flourish and are exalted; which would imply that…
clarkeJob 22:12: "Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!"
Is not God in the height of heaven? - It appears, from this and the following verses, that Eliphaz was attributing infidel and blasphemous speeches or sentiments to Job. As if he had said: "Thou allowest that there is a God, but thou sayest that he is infinitely exalted above the heavens and the stars, and that there is so much dense ether and thick cloud between his throne and the earth, tha…
Eliphaz isn't just pointing out that God is in heaven; he's using the immense height of the stars to frame an accusation. He implies Job believes God is so distant and removed, lost in His lofty celestial palace, that He's unaware of or indifferent to what happens on earth.
Eliphaz, continuing his heated argument with Job, now accuses Job of holding impious thoughts. Eliphaz claims Job believes God is so incredibly distant and high in the heavens, even higher than the stars, that He cannot possibly see or care about what happens on Earth. He uses the vastness of the cosmos to emphasize God's supreme position, suggesting Job has forgotten this reality in his complaints.
Eliphaz, continuing his heated argument with Job, now accuses Job of holding impious thoughts. Eliphaz claims Job believes God is so incredibly distant and high in the heavens, even higher than the stars, that He cannot possibly see or care about what happens on Earth. He uses the vastness of the cosmos to emphasize God's supreme position, suggesting Job has forgotten this reality in his complaints.
"“Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are! But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness? Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on t…" — Eliphaz isn't just pointing out that God is in heaven; he's using the immense height of the stars to frame an accusation. He implies Job believes God is so distant and removed, lost in His lofty cele…
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Last reviewed October 2026
