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Contemporary English Version

Job 32:13

You shouldn't say, "We know what's right! Let God punish him."

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ethics;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elihu;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So do not claim, “We have found wisdom;let God deal with him, not man.”
Hebrew Names Version
Beware lest you say, 'We have found wisdom, God may refute him, not man:'
King James Version
Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.
English Standard Version
Beware lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not a man.'
New Century Version
Don't say, ‘We have found wisdom; only God will show Job to be wrong, not people.'
New English Translation
So do not say, ‘We have found wisdom! God will refute him, not man!'
Amplified Bible
"Beware if you say, 'We have found wisdom; God thrusts Job down [justly], not man [for God alone is dealing with him].'
New American Standard Bible
"So do not say, 'We have found wisdom: God will defeat him, not man.'
World English Bible
Beware lest you say, 'We have found wisdom, God may refute him, not man:'
Geneva Bible (1587)
Lest ye should say, We haue found wisedome: for God hath cast him downe, and no man.
Legacy Standard Bible
Lest you say,‘We have found wisdom;God will drive him away, not man.'
Berean Standard Bible
So do not claim, 'We have found wisdom; let God, not man, refute him.'
Complete Jewish Bible
So don't say, ‘We found the wise course — Let God defeat him, not a human being.'
Darby Translation
That ye may not say, We have found out wisdom; God will make him yield, not man.
Easy-to-Read Version
You men cannot say that you have found wisdom. The answer to Job's arguments must come from God, not people.
George Lamsa Translation
So that you could not say, We have found wisdom. God has smitten him, not man.
Good News Translation
How can you claim you have discovered wisdom? God must answer Job, for you have failed.
Lexham English Bible
So do not say, ‘We have found wisdom; let God refute him, not a man.'
Literal Translation
that you not say, We have discovered wisdom. It is God who will scatter him, not man.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
lest ye shulde prayse youre selues, to haue founde out wy?dome: because it is God that hath cast him out, & no man.
American Standard Version
Beware lest ye say, We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not man:
Bible in Basic English
Take care that you do not say, Wisdom is here; God may overcome him, but not man.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Beware lest ye say: 'We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not man!'
King James Version (1611)
Lest ye should say, We haue found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Lest ye should say: We haue found out wisdome, God shall cast hym downe, and no man.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
lest ye should say, We have found that we have added wisdom to the Lord.
English Revised Version
Beware lest ye say, We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not man:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
lest perauenture ye seien, We han founde wisdom; God, and not man, hath cast hym awei.
Update Bible Version
Beware you don't say, We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not man:
Webster's Bible Translation
Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.
New King James Version
Lest you say, "We have found wisdom'; God will vanquish him, not man.
New Living Translation
And don't tell me, ‘He is too wise for us. Only God can convince him.'
New Life Bible
Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom. God will show he is wrong, not man.'
New Revised Standard
Yet do not say, ‘We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not a human.'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom. GOD, must put him to flight, not man.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Lest you should say: We have found wisdom, God hath cast him down, not man.
Revised Standard Version
Beware lest you say, 'We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not man.'
Young's Literal Translation
Lest ye say, We have found wisdom, God doth thrust him away, not man.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Do not say, 'We have found wisdom; God will rout him, not man.'

Contextual Overview

6 and he said to them: I am much younger than you, so I have shown respect by keeping silent. 7 I once believed age was the source of wisdom; 8 now I truly realize wisdom comes from God. 9 Age is no guarantee of wisdom and understanding. 10 That's why I ask you to listen to me. 11 I eagerly listened to each of your arguments, 12 but not one of you proved Job to be wrong. 13 You shouldn't say, "We know what's right! Let God punish him." 14 Job hasn't spoken against me, and so I won't answer him with your arguments.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Lest: Genesis 14:23, Judges 7:2, Isaiah 48:5, Isaiah 48:7, Zechariah 12:7

We: Job 12:2, Job 15:8-10, Isaiah 5:21, Jeremiah 9:23, Ezekiel 28:3, 1 Corinthians 1:19-21, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, 1 Corinthians 3:18

God: Job 1:21, Job 2:10, Job 4:9, Job 6:4, Job 19:6, Job 19:21, John 19:11

Reciprocal: Job 20:2 - my thoughts

Cross-References

Genesis 18:2
Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground,
Genesis 32:20
And Jacob told them to be sure to say that he was right behind them. Jacob hoped the gifts would make Esau friendly, so Esau would be glad to see him when they met.
Genesis 32:21
Jacob's men took the gifts on ahead of him, but he spent the night in camp.
Genesis 33:10
"No!" Jacob said. "Please accept these gifts as a sign of your friendship for me. When you welcomed me and I saw your face, it was like seeing the face of God.
Genesis 42:6
Since Joseph was governor of Egypt and in charge of selling grain, his brothers came to him and bowed with their faces to the ground.
Genesis 43:11
Their father said: If Benjamin must go with you, take the governor a gift of some of the best things from our own country, such as perfume, honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
Genesis 43:26
When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought, and they bowed down to him.
1 Samuel 25:8
Ask your shepherds, and they'll tell you the same thing. My servants are your servants, and you are like a father to me. This is a day for celebrating, so please be kind and share some of your food with us.
Proverbs 17:8
A bribe works miracles like a magic charm that brings good luck.
Proverbs 18:16
A gift will get you in to see anyone.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Lest ye should say, we have found out wisdom,.... They were left to themselves, and not directed to take the proper methods of convincing Job, and answering his arguments; lest they should be wise in their own conceits, and attribute too much to themselves; or Elihu told them this, that they had not convicted Job, though they had condemned him, nor answered his arguments, though they had left off speaking; and this he was obliged to say, and that for the reason before observed: for all wisdom is of God, and not to be found out or acquired by men; not natural wisdom, that is not of men, but of God, and especially supernatural wisdom, or the knowledge of divine and spiritual things, and the reason of God's dealings with the sons of men in the different manner he does, see Job 28:12;

God thrusteth him down, not man: some think Elihu says this in reference to himself, whom God would make use of as an instrument to convince Job and answer his arguments; and that he would ascribe this not to himself, but to God; they took a natural way to convince Job, which failed, that they might not be proud of their own wisdom; he should take a more divine and spiritual method, and, if he succeeded, he should give all the glory to God, and ascribe nothing to himself: as in the conviction and conversion of a sinner, though ministers are instruments, it is not by might or power of men, but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts; it is God that thrusts down man from a vain opinion he has of himself; that convinces him of sin, that takes him off of his own righteousness, and humbles him, and lays him low at his feet: but they rather seem to be the words of Job's friends, as related by Elihu; and the sense is in connection with the former, either that they found it was the wisest method they could take with Job to be silent, and leave him to himself, lest they should add to his afflict; on; to which Jarchi inclines, who paraphrases it,

"we found wisdom by our silence, that we may not provoke him any more;''

which, if their sense, shows more tenderness and compassion than they had hitherto expressed, and answers pretty much to the advice given 2 Corinthians 2:6; or else their meaning is, that they found it the best and wisest way to leave him with God, he being so obstinate and incorrigible that none but God could move him; it was not in the power of men, or of words used by men, to make him sensible of things; or rather the meaning is, Elihu was obliged to tell them, that none of them had convinced Job, or answered his arguments, lest they should say, we have found out a wise and strong argument, proving the charge brought against him, that he must be a wicked man and an hypocrite, since God has so sorely afflicted him, and thrust him down from all his grandeur and dignity; which no man could ever have done, and God would not, if he had not been the man we suppose him to be; now Elihu's view is to observe to them, that there was nothing in this argument convincing, in which they imagined so much wisdom lay. Job's afflictions, indeed, were of God, and not men; and which he often owns himself; but this was no proof or argument of his being a wicked man: Mr. Broughton renders the words,

"the Omnipotent doth toss him, not man.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom - That is, this has been permitted and ordered in such a manner that it might be manifest that the truths which are to convince him come from God and not from man. You were not permitted to refute or convince him, for if you had been you would have been lifted up with pride, and would have attributed to yourselves what belongs to God. This is in accordance with the entire drift of the book, which is to introduce the Almighty himself to settle the controversy when human wisdom failed. They could not arrogate to themselves the claim that they had found out wisdom. They had been completely silenced by Job; they had no power to drive him from his positions; they could not explain the divine dealings so as to settle the great inquiry in which they had been engaged. Elihu proposes to do it, and to do it in such a way as to show that it could be accomplished only by that wisdom which is from above.

God thrusteth him down, not man - These are the words of Elihu. The meaning is, “God only can drive Job from his position, and show him the truth, and humble him. The wisdom of man fails. The aged, the experienced, and the wise have been unable to meet his arguments and bring him down from the positions which he has taken. That work can be done only by God himself, or by the wisdom which he only can give.” Accordingly Elihu, who proposes to meet the arguments of Job, makes no appeal to experience or observation; he does not ground what he says on the maxims of sages or the results of reflection, but proposes to adduce the precepts of wisdom which God had imparted to him; Job 33:4, Job 33:6. Other interpretations have, however, been given of this verse, but the above seems to me the most simple, and most in accordance with the scope of the passage.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 32:13. We have found out wisdom — We by dint of our own wisdom and understanding, have found out the true system of God's providence; and have been able to account for all the sufferings and tribulations of Job. Had they been able to confute Job, they would have triumphed over him in their own self-sufficiency.

God thrusteth him down, not man. — This is no accidental thing that has happened to him: he is suffering under the just judgments of God, and therefore he must be the wicked man which we supposed him to be.


 
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