Job 37:19 Meaning and Explanation
“Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Elihu confesses that he and Job cannot frame what to say to God, for human darkness clouds their speech.
What Does Job 37:19 Mean?
Having pressed Job with unanswerable questions, Elihu now turns the humbling on himself as well. He asks Job to teach them what they could possibly say to such a God, then admits they cannot even order their words, so deep is the darkness of human understanding. Before the Almighty, eloquence fails.
This is a moment of shared lowliness. Elihu does not exempt himself; he confesses that all human speech gropes in the dark when it tries to address the infinite God. There is grace in such an admission. The believer who knows his own poverty of words before God is closer to true worship than the one who speaks confidently. When we cannot order our speech, we may still come in humble silence, and the Lord who knows our frame receives even our wordless reverence.
Job 37:19 in the Original Language
choshek (חֹשֶׁךְ), 'darkness' -- the absence of light, here the dimness of human understanding before God.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 37:19
What does Job 37:19 mean?
Elihu confesses that he and Job cannot frame what to say to God, for human darkness clouds their speech.