Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 25:3
Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?
3. his armies ] The words still amplify the idea of the “dominion” and omnipotence of God. The armies that obey Him are innumerable. The reference is probably to the phenomena of the heavens by night; comp. Isa 40:26, “He bringeth out their host by number, he calleth them all by their names; by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power, not one faileth.” There was a tendency in Oriental thought to identify the angels with the stars, or at least to regard the stars as animated.
his light arise ] The reference is probably to the heavens or world by day; and the words express the pervading universality of God’s influence and rule. The sun as a body is not directly alluded to, for the word “arise” is not that which ordinarily expresses rising or coming above the horizon; the meaning is rather “on whom doth not his light shine?” By “his light” is not meant the nature of God as essential light; the meaning rather is that by His light which He sends forth God reaches all (Psa 19:6) and brings all under His sway, though there may be in “ his light” a reference to the light of day as symbolizing what He is. It is out of the question to limit the words “upon whom” to the “armies” of the first clause, making the query of Bildad to mean, Which of the bright heavenly hosts does not His light outshine? or, Which of them does not shine with a light which falls on it from Him and reflect not its own but His light? The reference in the words “on whom” is not limited to the heavenly host, but is universal.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Is there any number of his armies? – The armies of heaven; or the hosts of angelic beings, which are often represented as arranged or marshalled into armies; see the notes at Isa 1:9. The word which is used here is not the common one which is rendered hosts, ( tsaba’), but is gedud which means properly a troop, band, or army. It may here mean either the constellations often represented as the army which God marshals and commands, or it may mean the angels.
And upon whom doth not his light arise? – This is designed evidently to show the majesty and glory of God. It refers probably to the light of the sun, as the light which he creates and commands. The idea is, that it pervades all things; that, as controlled by him, it penetrates all places, and flows over all worlds. The image is a striking and sublime one, and nothing is better fitted to show the majesty and glory of God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. Is there any number of his armies?] He has troops innumerable; he can serve himself of all his creatures; every thing may be a means of help or destruction, according to his Divine will. When he purposes to save, none can destroy; and when he is determined to destroy, none can save. It is vain to trust in his creatures against himself.
Upon whom doth not his light arise?] That is, his providence rules over all; he is universal Lord; he causes his sun to arise on the evil and the good, and sends his rain on the just and unjust.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Of his armies; of the angels, and stars, and other creatures, all which are his hosts, wholly submitting themselves to his will, to be and do what God would have them; and therefore how insolent and unreasonable a thing is it for thee to quarrel with him! He spoke before of Gods making peace, and here he mentions the armies by which he keeps it.
Upon whom doth no his light arise? either,
1. Properly, his sun, which riseth upon all, Mat 5:45. Or rather,
2. Metaphorically, all that is in men, which is or may be called light; the light of life, by which men subsist, and are kept out of the state of the dead, called a land of darkness, Job 10:22; the light of reason and understanding, called. Gods candle, Pro 20:27, by which thou, O Job, art capable of arguing with God and with us; and all that peace, and prosperity, and comfort which thou ever didst enjoy, which oft comes under the name of light, as Est 8:15,16; Psa 97:11; Psa 112:4; which being here called light, is, to continue the metaphor, most fitly said to arise upon men: all this is from God, and therefore is wholly at his disposal; he freely gave it all, and he may justly take it away, as thou thyself didst truly observe and confess, Job 1:21, and consequently thou hast no reason to reproach God for disposing of his own as he pleaseth. Thou hast lost nothing which was thine own, and having no propriety, there is no foundation for any judicial contest with God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. armiesangels and stars(Isa 40:26; Jer 33:22;Gen 15:5; “countless,”Da 7:10).
his light (Jas1:17).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Is there any number of his armies?…. His armies in heaven, the heavenly host of angels, which are innumerable; there are more than twelve legions of them, thousand and ten thousand times ten thousand, employed in a military way, for the safety and preservation of the saints; see Ge 32:1; and the sun, moon, and stars, often called the host of heaven, the latter of which cannot be numbered, and which fought in their courses against Sisera, Jud 5:20; and his armies on earth, all the inhabitants of it; yea, every creature, even the smallest insect in it, which are without number: thus, frogs, lice, flies, and locusts, were the armies of God, with which he fought against Pharaoh and the Egyptians, see Joe 2:11;
and upon whom doth not his light arise? either natural light, that grand luminary the sun, which rises on all, the evil and the good, nor is anything hid from the light and heat of it; or moral light, the light of nature, with which everyone that comes into the world is enlightened by him; or the light of providential goodness, which is unto all, and over all his creatures; the whole earth is full of it, and all the inhabitants have a share in it; nor is anything hid from his all piercing, all penetrating, all seeing eye, who is light itself, and dwells in light inaccessible, and from which light nothing can be hid.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(3) Is there any number of his armies?He is also so glorious that He dispenses of His glory to His innumerable hosts of angels. Glorious as they are, they but reflect His glory; and what then must not that be? but if so, how utterly hopeless for man to think he can have any purity to compete with His, or that He will acknowledge to be such. Man also is by nature and birth unclean. (Comp. Psa. 51:5.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Armies The idea is not so much of hostile array as of harmony, gradation, discipline, and subjection. The writer to the Hebrews speaks (Heb 12:22) of “myriads, the festal host of angels.” (Alford.)
Bildad rises higher, and asks, “Is there number to his armies? ”
His light All light emanates from God, whether it be that which rises upon the evil and the good alike (Mat 5:45), or the glory of God that lightens the heavenly world. (Rev 21:23.) Delitzsch and Ewald take the sense to be that of excellence: over whom (that is, over which of those beings of light) does it not rise, leaving them behind and exceeding them in brightness.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 25:3. And upon whom doth not his light arise? And who is there whom his brightness doth not surpass? Heath and Schultens.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 25:3 Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?
Ver. 3. Is there any number of his armies? ] God is Lord of hosts; and, as the Rabbis well observe, he hath his upper forces and his lower forces, as his horse and foot, ready pressed. The upper are here chiefly meant, viz. the angels and stars, as appeareth by the context. An est numerus expeditorum? so Brentius rendereth it; Tremellius, turmariorum, of his troopers? they are innumerable, and yet no variance among them; this is admirable. The army of Nineveh was quiet, no failing out nor complaining in their hosts, therefore did their king march on, pass through, Nah 1:12 . The Turks’ military discipline at this day is beyond that of all other nations in the world besides; yea, beyond that of the old Greeks or Romans. There is no quarrelling heard at any time among their many soldiers, no, nor any words at all. Perpetuum silentium tenent ut muti, saith Cuspinianus. There is perpetual silence kept, and most ready obedience yielded to the dumb signs and noddings of their officers. But all this is nothing to that in heaven. Of God’s hosts, together with their number, order, and obedience, see my treatise called The Righteous Man’s Recompense.
And upon whom doth not his light arise?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
there: Psa 103:20, Psa 103:21, Psa 148:2-4, Isa 40:26, Dan 7:10, Mat 26:53, Rev 5:11
upon whom: Job 38:12, Job 38:13, Gen 1:3-5, Gen 1:14-16, Psa 19:4-6, Mat 5:45, Joh 1:4, Joh 1:9, Jam 1:17
Reciprocal: 1Ki 18:15 – of hosts liveth Psa 8:3 – moon Psa 19:6 – His going
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 25:3. Is there any number of his armies? Of his angels, and stars, and other creatures, all which are his hosts, wholly submitting themselves to his will, to be and to do whatever he pleases. And, therefore, how insolent and unreasonable a thing it is to quarrel with him, or resist his will! Upon whom doth not his light arise? The light of the sun is communicated to all parts of the world. This is a faint resemblance of the cognizance and care which God takes of the whole creation. All are under the light of his knowledge: all partake of the light of his goodness: his pleasure is to show mercy: all the creatures live upon his bounty.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
25:3 Is there any number of his armies? {b} and upon whom doth not his light arise?
(b) Who can hide him from his presence?