1.9 KiB
Can you understand God by searching for him? Can you comprehend the Almighty perfectly?
These two parallel questions are asking the same thing. The writer uses the form of a question to add emphasis. AT: "You cannot understand God by searching for him, and you will never completely understand the Almighty!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
The matter
This refers to understanding God. AT: "To understand God" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit)
is as high as heaven ... deeper than Sheol
The impossibility of understanding God is spoken of as if it were impossible to go to these extremely far away places. AT: "is as inaccessible as the highest places in heaven ... is more inaccessible than the deepest places in Sheol" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile)
what can you do?
Zophar uses this question to show that a person cannot do anything to understand God fully. AT: "you cannot do anything." or "you cannot understand him fully." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
what can you know?
Zophar uses this question to show that a person cannot do anything to know God fully. AT: "you cannot know God fully." or "you cannot know all there is to know." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
Its measure
Possible meanings are that this refers to 1) God's greatness or 2) the greatness of God's wisdom.
is longer than the earth ... wider than the sea
God's greatness or wisdom is spoken of as if it could be measured in distance. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)