Job 21:22

Can anyone teach ¹  God knowledge, since ²  he judges those that are on high? ³ 

Job 34:17-19; Job 40:2; Ps 113:5,6; Ec 5:8; Isa 40:13,14; Isa 40:22,23; Isa 45:9; Ro 11:34; 1Co 2:16; 1Co 6:3; 2Pe 2:4; Jude 1:6; Re 20:1-3,12-15

¹ tn The imperfect verb in this question should be given the modal nuance of potential imperfect. The question is rhetorical – it is affirming that no one can teach God.

² tn The clause begins with the disjunctive vav (ו) and the pronoun, “and he.” This is to be subordinated as a circumstantial clause. See GKC 456 §142.d.

³ tc The Hebrew has רָמִים (ramim), a plural masculine participle of רוּם (rum, “to be high; to be exalted”). This is probably a reference to the angels. But M. Dahood restores an older interpretation that it refers to “the Most High” (“Some Northwest Semitic words in Job,”Bib 38 [1957]: 316-17). He would take the word as a singular form with an enclitic mem (ם). He reads the verse, “will he judge the Most High?”