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Easy-to-Read Version

Job 9:11

When he passes by, I cannot see him. He goes right past me, and I don't notice.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   God Continued...;   Thompson Chain Reference - Invisibility of God;   Mysteries-Revelations;   Unseen God;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If he passed by me, I wouldn’t see him;if he went by, I wouldn’t recognize him.
Hebrew Names Version
Behold, he goes by me, and I don't see him. He passes on also, but I don't perceive him.
King James Version
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
English Standard Version
Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
New Century Version
When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by me, I do not recognize him.
New English Translation
If he passes by me, I cannot see him, if he goes by, I cannot perceive him.
Amplified Bible
"Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him; He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him.
New American Standard Bible
"If He were to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
World English Bible
Behold, he goes by me, and I don't see him. He passes on also, but I don't perceive him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Lo, when he goeth by me, I see him not: and when he passeth by, I perceiue him not.
Legacy Standard Bible
Were He to sweep by me, I would not see Him;Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
Berean Standard Bible
Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
Contemporary English Version
God walks right past me, without making a sound.
Complete Jewish Bible
He can go right by me, and I don't see him; he moves past without my being aware of him.
Darby Translation
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see [him] not; and he passeth along, and I perceive him not.
George Lamsa Translation
Lo, if he will pass by me, I will see him not; and if he will circle around me, I will not perceive him.
Good News Translation
God passes by, but I cannot see him.
Lexham English Bible
"If he passes by me, I would not see him; and if he should move on, I would not recognize him.
Literal Translation
Behold, He goes by me, and I do not see Him ; and He passes on, but I do not perceive Him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf he came by me, I might not loke vpo him: yf he wente his waye, I shulde not perceaue it.
American Standard Version
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: He passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
Bible in Basic English
See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Lo, He goeth by me, and I see Him not. He passeth on also, but I perceive Him not.
King James Version (1611)
Loe, hee goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceiue him not.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Lo, when he goeth by me, I shal not see hym, and when he passeth, I shall not perceaue hym.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither thus have I known it.
English Revised Version
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If he cometh to me, `that is, bi his grace, Y schal not se hym; if he goith awey, `that is, in withdrawynge his grace, Y schal not vndurstonde.
Update Bible Version
Look, he goes by me, and I don't see him: He passes on also, but I don't perceive him.
Webster's Bible Translation
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see [him] not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
New King James Version
If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;
New Living Translation
"Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go.
New Life Bible
When He passes by me, I do not see Him. When He goes by me, I do not know Him.
New Revised Standard
Look, he passes by me, and I do not see him; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lo! he cometh upon me, yet can I not see him, Yea he passeth on, yet can I not discern him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
If he come to me, I shall not see him: if he depart, I shall not understand.
Revised Standard Version
Lo, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
Young's Literal Translation
Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

Contextual Overview

1 Then Job answered: 2 "Of course, I know that this is true. But how can a human being win an argument with God? 3 Anyone who chose to argue with him could not answer one question in a thousand! 4 God is so wise and powerful that no one could oppose him and survive. 5 When God is angry, he moves mountains before they know what happened. 6 He can shake the earth, and it will tremble down to its foundations. 7 With one command he can stop the sun from rising. He can lock up the stars and keep them from shining. 8 He alone made the skies, and he walks on the ocean waves. 9 "God made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades. He made the planets that cross the southern sky. 10 He does things too marvelous for people to understand. He does too many miracles to count!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he goeth: Job 23:8, Job 23:9, Job 35:14, Psalms 77:19, 1 Timothy 6:16

Reciprocal: Genesis 28:16 - and I

Cross-References

Genesis 9:21
One day Noah made some wine. He got drunk, went into his tent, and took off all his clothes.
Genesis 9:22
Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his brothers who were outside the tent.
Genesis 9:23
Shem and Japheth took a robe, put it across their shoulders, and walked backward into the tent. Then they covered their father without looking at him.
Isaiah 54:9
"Remember, in Noah's time I punished the world with the flood. But I made a promise to Noah that I would never again destroy the world with water. In the same way, I promise that I will never again be angry with you and say bad things to you.
2 Peter 3:7
And that same word of God is keeping the skies and the earth that we have now. They are being kept to be destroyed by fire. They are kept for the day of judgment and the destruction of all people who are against God.
2 Peter 3:11
Everything will be destroyed in this way. So what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and devoted to God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Lo, he goeth by me, and I see [him] not,.... This is expressive of the invisibility of God; for though the angels in heaven always behold his face, and men, in the works of creation, may see his eternal power and Godhead, and other perfections of it displayed therein; and saints by faith have a comfortable and delightful view of him, of his countenance, his love, grace and mercy in his word and ordinances, and especially in the face and person of Christ, the image of the invisible God, and will in heaven most clearly see him as he is, in the greater display of his glory and his grace; yet his essence is invisible, not only not to be seen with corporeal eyes, but not to be comprehended in the mind:

he passeth on also, but I perceive him not; this "going [and] passing on", as, ascribed to God, must be understood in consistence with his omnipresence; he cannot be thought to move from place to place who is everywhere, who fills heaven and earth with his presence, and there is no going from it: local motion cannot be said of him; but this respects the operations of his providence; he is continually working all around us, by supporting us in being, and supplying us with what we want, and so is near us, and yet we see him not: Job experienced the bounties of his providence, as well as the blessings of his grace, in the time of his prosperity, and now he felt the weight of his afflicting hand upon him; but yet, as to his essence, he could not see him; he was sensible that he was nigh him, and find a concern in all that befell him, but he could neither see nor comprehend him, nor account for his dealings with him: he had "passed by" him in his state of nature, and had looked graciously on him, and had said unto him, Live; he had "passed on" from him, and hid his face so that he could not see him, nor find him backward nor forward, on the right hand, nor on the left, where he used to work, see Job 23:3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Lo, he goeth by me - That is, he passes along - as in the silent movements of the heavenly bodies. “I see the evidence of his existence. I can see that God must be there - moving along by me in the orbs of night and in the march of the constellations, but I cannot see God himself. He passes by, or rather he passes over me (עלי ‛ālay), as in the majestic movement of the heavenly bodies over my head.” This is, I think, the idea, and the image is exceedingly poetic and beautiful. The heavens are seen to move in silent grandeur. The northern constellation rolls around the pole. The others move on as a marshalled army. They go in silent and solemn order, and God must be there. But, says Job, I cannot see him. I can feel that he must be there, and I look out on the heavens to see him, but my eyes fail, and I cannot behold him. He passes on, and I see him not. Who has ever looked upon the heavens in the still night, and seen the silent grandeur of such movements of the heavenly host, without some such feeling - some emotion of inexpressible awe - as if he, if I may so express it, COULD ALMOST SEE GOD?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 9:11. Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not — He is incomprehensible in all his ways, and in all his works; and he must be so it he be GOD, and work as GOD; for his own nature and his operations are past finding out.


 
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