Zophar (11:1–20)

Can you fathom the mysteries of God? (11:7). Humans are not capable of understanding the mysteries of the divine mind. In verses 8–9 cosmological symbolism (see sidebar on “Creation and World Picture” at 9:7) is used. Here a fourfold cosmos is described: heavens and underworld (11:8; NIV uses “grave” for Sheol), earth and sea (11:9; cf. Ps. 139:8–10; Amos 9:2–4). The limits of the Almighty (Heb. šadday; see sidebar on “Almighty [šadday] and Other Divine Names” at 5:7) are higher than the heavens, deeper than the depths of the grave (Heb. š^e ʾôl; see sidebar on “Death and Sheol” at 7:9). Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. This idea is also found in Mesopotamian texts (cf. the introduction). In Ugarit there is mention of heaven, earth, the deep, and stars.131

Higher than the heavens … deeper than the depths of the grave (11:7). Egyptian cosmological texts also describe that the unfathomable quality of the deity and the creator god Amun is separate from the world he created by being higher than the sky and deeper than the nether world:

Amun is one, hiding himself from them.

He is concealed from the gods, and his aspect is unknown.

He is farther than the sky, he is deeper than the Duat.132

No god knows his true appearance.133

Stretch out your hands to him (11:13). The stretching out of the arms or hands, raising the hands with the palms outward at face level, is a gesture of prayer typical in the Old Testament (e.g., Ps. 28:2): “I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place” (cf. also Ps. 143:6; Ezra 9:5).134 It is also known from Mesopotamian sources135 and is depicted in Egyptian art.136 This gesture is illustrated on a carved ivory casket from Hazor in Palestine dating from the time of the Israelite kings.137 The gesture also occurs in Ugaritic literature, where the king lifts his hands to heaven to sacrifice.138 King Zakkur of Hamath raises his hands to Baal Shamem.139 For other hand gestures in Job, cf. 21:5; 29:9; 31:27; 40:4.140

Hands raised in worship before Re-Horakhty

Guillaume Blanchard/Wikimedia Commons, courtesy of the Louvre, GNU FOL CC-BY-SA 2.0