Is there any number of his armies? and on whom does not his light arise?
there
Psalm 103:20,21 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word…
Psalm 148:2-4 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts…
Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
upon whom
Job 38:12,13 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; …
Genesis 1:3-5,14-16 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light…
Psalm 19:4-6 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, …
On whom does His light not rise?
This phrase speaks to the universality of God's presence and influence. Light is often used in Scripture as a metaphor for God's truth, guidance, and life-giving power, as seen in John 1:9, where Jesus is described as the true light that gives light to everyone. The rhetorical question implies that there is no one beyond the reach of God's illumination, aligning with Psalm 19:6, which describes the sun's circuit and its pervasive influence. Culturally, light was a symbol of knowledge and purity, contrasting with darkness, which represented ignorance and evil. This phrase underscores the belief that God's revelation and moral order are accessible to all humanity, pointing to the inclusive nature of His divine plan.
“Can His troops be numbered?” (Job 25:3a)
• Bildad is speaking, reminding Job that God’s hosts—angelic armies and celestial bodies—are beyond human calculation. Psalm 147:4 adds, “He determines the number of the stars; He calls them each by name,” underscoring the limitless scope of God’s forces.
• The point is not simply quantity but unrivaled authority. 2 Kings 6:17 reveals Elisha’s servant’s eyes being opened to see “the hills full of horses and chariots of fire,” illustrating God’s ever-present, immeasurable defense.
• Revelation 5:11 echoes the idea with “myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands” of angels around God’s throne. He commands an army so vast that attempting a census is futile, proving His supreme sovereignty.
• Practically, this truth brings comfort and humility: no earthly problem outnumbers God’s resources (Psalm 46:7), and no human can rival His might (Isaiah 40:26).
“On whom does His light not rise?” (Job 25:3b)
• Bildad shifts from God’s armies to His all-pervasive light. Psalm 19:6 says of the sun, “Nothing is hidden from its heat,” illustrating that God’s illumination reaches every corner of creation.
• Light in Scripture often represents God’s life-giving presence and moral purity. John 1:9 calls Jesus “the true Light who gives light to every man,” affirming that divine illumination is universal in scope.
• Even the wicked experience the daily sunrise (Matthew 5:45), indicating His common grace. Yet while the light rises on all, only those who receive it walk in its fullness (John 8:12).
• The rhetorical question drives home God’s omnipresence; no place, person, or circumstance escapes His sight (Psalm 139:11-12). For believers, that assurance means guidance and protection; for the unrepentant, it signals inescapable accountability (Hebrews 4:13).
Job 25:3 magnifies God’s limitless power and universal reach. His “troops” are innumerable, affirming an authority no enemy can challenge. His “light” rises on everyone, revealing His constant presence and grace while also exposing every heart. Confidence in such a God frees us from fear and calls us to walk in His revealed light with reverent trust.
(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. Psalm 51:5.)Verse 3. - Is there any number of his armies? (comp. Psalm 68:17, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels;" and Daniel 7:10, "Thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;" see also 2 Kings 6:16, 17; Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 9:16). The number of the angels at any given time must be a definite one. But as there is nothing to limit the further exercise of creative power in this direction, the possible number is indefinite. And upon whom doth not his light arise? Upon what being among all the countless thousands whom he hath created, or will create, does not the brightness of his effulgence shine in such sort that they are illumined by him, and them° selves shine with a mere reflected splendour?