Job 26:11

King James Version

The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
The foundations of heaven tremble; they shudder at his rebuke.

English Revised Version
The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke.

Update Bible Version
The pillars of heaven tremble And are astonished at his rebuke.

New Century Version
Heaven's foundations shake when he thunders at them.

New English Translation
The pillars of the heavens tremble and are amazed at his rebuke.

Webster's Bible Translation
The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.

World English Bible
The pillars of heaven tremble And are astonished at his rebuke.

Amplified Bible
"The pillars of the heavens tremble And are terrified at His rebuke.

English Standard Version
The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The pilers of heuene tremblen, and dreden at his wille.

Berean Standard Bible
The foundations of heaven quake, astounded at His rebuke.

Contemporary English Version
And columns supporting the sky tremble at his command.

American Standard Version
The pillars of heaven tremble And are astonished at his rebuke.

Bible in Basic English
The pillars of heaven are shaking, and are overcome by his sharp words.

Complete Jewish Bible
The pillars of heaven tremble, aghast at his rebuke.

Darby Translation
The pillars of the heavens tremble and are astonished at his rebuke.

Easy-to-Read Version
The foundations that hold up the sky shake with fear when God threatens them.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at His rebuke.

King James Version (1611)
The pillars of heauen tremble, and are astonished at his reproofe.

New Life Bible
The pillars of heaven shake with fear. They are surprised and afraid of His sharp words.

New Revised Standard
The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astounded at his rebuke.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The pillars of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe.

George Lamsa Translation
The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.

Good News Translation
When he threatens the pillars that hold up the sky, they shake and tremble with fear.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The pillars of the heavens, are shaken, and are terrified at his rebuke:

Douay-Rheims Bible
The pillars of heaven tremble, and dread at his beck.

Revised Standard Version
The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astounded at his rebuke.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The very pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The pillars of heaven are prostrate and astonished at his rebuke.

Christian Standard Bible®
The pillars that hold up the sky tremble,astounded at his rebuke.

Hebrew Names Version
The pillars of heaven tremble And are astonished at his rebuke.

Lexham English Bible
"The pillars of heaven tremble, and they are astounded at his rebuke.

Literal Translation
The pillars of the heavens tremble and are stunned at His rebuke.

Young's Literal Translation
Pillars of the heavens do tremble, And they wonder because of His rebuke.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The very pilers of heaue treble & quake at his reprofe.

New American Standard Bible
"The pillars of heaven tremble And are amazed at His rebuke.

New King James Version
The pillars of heaven tremble, And are astonished at His rebuke.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The pillars of heaven tremble And are amazed at His rebuke.

Legacy Standard Bible
The pillars of heaven trembleAnd are astonished at His rebuke.

Contextual Overview

⁵ Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof. ⁶ Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. ⁷ He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. ⁸ He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. ⁹ He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it. ¹⁰ He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end. ¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof. ¹² He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. ¹³ By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. ¹⁴ Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

pillars: 1 Samuel 2:8, Psalms 18:7, Haggai 2:21, Hebrews 12:26, Hebrews 12:27, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 20:11

are astonished: Job 15:15

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 22:8 - foundations Job 9:6 - the pillars Psalms 29:4 - powerful Psalms 114:7 - Tremble

Cross-References

Genesis 20:6
And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

Psalms 105:15
Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

Proverbs 6:29
So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

Zechariah 2:8
For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The pillars of heaven tremble,.... Which may be understood either of the air, the lower part of the heavens, which may be thought to be the foundation, prop, and support of them, and is sometimes called the firmament, and "the firmament of his power", Psalms 150:1; and which seems to tremble when there are thunder and lightnings, and coruscations in it; or else the mountains, which, reaching up to the heavens, look as if they were the pillars and support of them; and are indeed said to be the foundations of heaven, which move and shake and tremble at the presence and power of God, and at any expressions of his wrath and anger, and particularly through earthquakes and storms, and tempests of thunder and lightning; see 2 Samuel 22:8, which are meant by what follows:

and are astonished at his reproof; his voice of thunder, which is sometimes awful and terrible, astonishing and surprising; and, to set forth the greatness of it, inanimate creatures are represented as trembling, and astonished at it; see Psalms 104:7; some interpret this figuratively of angels, who they suppose are employed in the direction of the heavens, and the motion of the heavenly bodies; and who they think are the same which in the New Testament are called "the powers of heaven said to be shaken", Matthew 24:29; and to be the seraphim that covered their faces upon a glorious display of the majesty of God, and when the posts of the door of the temple moved at the voice of him that cried, Isaiah 6:1; but if a figurative sense may be admitted of, the principal persons in the church, sometimes signified by heaven in Scripture, may be thought of; as ministers of the word, who are pillars in the house of God; yea, every true member of the church of God is made a pillar in it; and these tremble, and are astonished oftentimes when the Lord rebukes them by afflictions, though it is in love and kindness to them, Proverbs 9:1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The pillars of Heaven tremble - That is, the mountains, which seem to bear up the heavens. So, among the ancients. Mount Atlas was represented as one of the pillars of heaven. Virgil speaks of “Atlas whose brawny back supports the skies.” And Hesiod, ver. 785, advances the same notion:

“Atlas, so hard necessity ordains,

Great, the ponderous vault of stars sustains

Not far from the Hesperides he stands,

Nor from the load retracts his head or hands.”

The word “reproof” in this verse refers to the language of God, as if spoken in anger to rebuke the mountains or the earth. Perhaps the reference is to thunder, to storms, and to winds, which seem to be the voice of God; compare Psalms 29:3-8. Similar descriptions of the majesty and glory of God abound in the Scriptures, where he speaks to the earth, the mountains, the hills, and they tremble. Thus, in Psalms 104:32;

He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth;

He toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

So in Habakkuk 3:10 :

The mountains saw thee, and they trembled;

The overflowing of the water passed by;

The deep uttered his voice, and lift up his hands on high.

So in Nahum 1:5, “The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burnt at his presence.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 26:11. The pillars of heaven tremble — This is probably a poetical description either of thunder, or of an earthquake: -

"He shakes creation with his nod;

Earth, sea, and heaven, confess him God."

But there may be an allusion to the high mountains, which were anciently esteemed by the common people as the pillars on which the heavens rested; and when these were shaken with earthquakes, it might be said the pillars of heaven tremble. Mount Atlas was supposed to be one of those pillars, and this gave rise to the fable of Atlas being a man who bore the heavens on his shoulders. The Greek and Roman poets frequently use this image. Thus SILIUS ITALICUS, lib. i., ver. 202: -

Atlas subducto tracturus vertice coelum:

Sidera nubiferum fulcit caput, aethereasque

Erigit aeternum compages ardua cervix:

Canet barba gelu, frontemque immanibus umbris

Pinea silva premit; vastant cava tempora venti

Nimbosoque ruunt spumantia flumina rictu.

"Atlas' broad shoulders prop th' incumbent skies:

Around his cloud-girt head the stars arise.

His towering neck supports th' ethereal way;

And o'er his brow black woods their gloom display.

Hoar is his beard; winds round his temples roar;

And from his jaws the rushing torrents pour."

J. B. C.