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Easy-to-Read Version

Job 9:12

If he takes something away, no one can stop him. No one can say to him, ‘What are you doing?'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   God;   Thompson Chain Reference - Government;   Sovereignty of God;  

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Pahlavi Literature, Jews in;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If he snatches something, who can stop him?Who can ask him, “What are you doing?”
Hebrew Names Version
Behold, he snatches away; who can hinder him? Who will ask him, 'What are you doing?'
King James Version
Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
English Standard Version
Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?'
New Century Version
If he snatches something away, no one can stop him or say to him, ‘What are you doing?'
New English Translation
If he snatches away, who can turn him back? Who dares to say to him, ‘What are you doing?'
Amplified Bible
"Behold, He snatches away; who can restrain or turn Him back? Who will say to Him, 'What are You doing?'
New American Standard Bible
"If He were to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?'
World English Bible
Behold, he snatches away; who can hinder him? Who will ask him, 'What are you doing?'
Geneva Bible (1587)
Behold, when he taketh a pray, who can make him to restore it? who shall say vnto him, What doest thou?
Legacy Standard Bible
Were He to snatch away, who could turn Him back?Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?'
Berean Standard Bible
If He snatches away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, 'What are You doing?'
Contemporary English Version
And if he grabs something, who can stop him or raise a question?
Complete Jewish Bible
If he kills [people], who will ask why? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?'
Darby Translation
Behold, he taketh away: who will hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?
George Lamsa Translation
Behold, if he will destroy, who can resist him? Who can say to him, What doest thou?
Good News Translation
He takes what he wants, and no one can stop him; no one dares ask him, "What are you doing?"
Lexham English Bible
If he would snatch away, who could turn him? Who could say to him, ‘What are you doing?'
Literal Translation
Behold, He takes away; who can turn Him back? Who will say to Him, What are You doing?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf he be haisty to take eny thinge awaye, who wil make him restore it agayne? Who wil saye vnto him: what doest thou?
American Standard Version
Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?
Bible in Basic English
If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold, He snatcheth away, who can hinder Him? Who will say unto Him: 'What doest Thou?'
King James Version (1611)
Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say vnto him, What doest thou?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If he be hastie to take away, who wil make him restore it? or who will say vnto hym, what doest thou?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
If he would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What hast thou done?
English Revised Version
Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If he axith sodeynli, who schal answere to hym? ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?
Update Bible Version
Look, he seizes [the prey], who can hinder him? Who will say to him, What are you doing?
Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say to him, What doest thou?
New King James Version
If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, "What are You doing?'
New Living Translation
If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?'
New Life Bible
If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?'
New Revised Standard
He snatches away; who can stop him? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lo! he snatcheth away, who can bring it back? Who shall say unto him, What wouldst thou do?
Douay-Rheims Bible
If he examine on a sudden, who shall answer him? or who can say: Why dost thou so?
Revised Standard Version
Behold, he snatches away; who can hinder him? Who will say to him, 'What doest thou'?
Young's Literal Translation
Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, `What dost Thou?'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?'

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 taketh: Job 23:13, Job 34:29, Daniel 4:35, Ephesians 1:11

hinder him: Heb. turn him away, Job 11:10

What: Job 33:13, Isaiah 45:9, Jeremiah 18:6, Matthew 11:26, Matthew 20:15, Romans 9:18-20, Romans 11:34

Reciprocal: Judges 20:25 - destroyed 2 Samuel 16:10 - Who shall Job 10:15 - righteous Job 12:14 - he breaketh Job 34:33 - Should Ecclesiastes 7:13 - who Isaiah 14:27 - his Isaiah 43:13 - I will work Jeremiah 48:30 - his lies shall not so effect it Acts 11:17 - what Romans 9:19 - Why doth

Cross-References

Genesis 9:17
So God said to Noah, "This rainbow is proof of the agreement that I made with all living things on earth."
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.
Genesis 9:25
he said, "May there be a curse on Canaan! May he be a slave to his brothers."
Genesis 9:26
Noah also said, "May the Lord , the God of Shem, be praised! May Canaan be Shem's slave.
Genesis 9:28
After the flood Noah lived 350 years.
Genesis 17:11
You will cut the skin to show that you follow the agreement between me and you.
Exodus 12:13
But the blood on your houses will be a special sign. When I see the blood, I will pass over your house. I will cause bad things to happen to the people of Egypt. But none of these bad diseases will hurt you.
Exodus 13:16
This is like a string tied on your hand, like a sign in front of your eyes. It helps you remember that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his great power."
Joshua 2:12
So now, I want you to make a promise to me. I was kind to you and helped you. So promise me before the Lord that you will be kind to my family. Please tell me that you will do this.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, he taketh away,.... There are some things God never takes away from his people; he never takes away his love from them, he always rests in that towards them, let them be in what condition they will; he never takes away his grace from them, when once bestowed on them, or wrought in them; he never takes away his special gifts of grace, particularly the unspeakable gift of his son Christ Jesus, which is that good part, when chosen, which shall not be taken away; nor any of the spiritual blessings wherewith they are blessed in Christ; these are irreversible and irrevocable: but temporal blessings he takes away at pleasure; so he had taken away the children, the servants of Job, his substance, wealth, and riches, and also his bodily health, to which he may have a particular respect; yea, when it pleases him, he takes a man out of the world, as the Targum and Gersom interpret it:

who can hinder him? he does what he pleases in heaven and earth; his will is irresistible, his power is uncontrollable; there is no turning his mind, nor staying his hand, nor turning it back; when he works, none can let or hinder. Mr. Broughton translates it, "who shall make him restore?" l if a man takes away what he has no right to, he may be obliged by law to restore it; but whatever God takes away he has a right unto, be it relations and friends, health or wealth; if he pleases he can restore, and does; and as he did to Job, to whom he after gave twice as much as he had before; but then he is not obliged to do it, none can force him to it:

who will say unto him, what doest thou? not one that knows what God is, or that knows himself a creature of his; no person will choose or dare to ask what God does, or why he does this and not another thing, or why this in the manner he does it; for he gives no account of his matters to the sons of men, nor is he obliged to it, and it would be insolent in them to require it, see Job 33:13; this expresses his sovereignty.

l So Beza, Pagninus, Montanus, Bolducius, Junius & Tremellius, Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold, he taketh away - Property, friends, or life.

Who can hinder him? - Margin, turn him away. Or, rather, “who shall cause him to restore?” that is, who can bring back what he takes away? He is so mighty, that what he removes, it is impossible for us to recover.

Who will say unto him, What doest thou? - A similar expression occurs in Daniel 4:35. The meaning is plain. God has a right to remove any thing which we possess. Our friends, property, health, and lives, are his gift, and he has a right to them all. When he takes them away, he is but taking that which is his own, and which has been lent to us for a little time, and which he has a right to remove when it seems good to him. This truth Job fully admits, and in the calm contemplation of all his losses and his sorrows, he acknowledges that God had a right to do as he had done; see note, Job 1:21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 9:12. He taketh away — He never gives, but he is ever lending: and while the gift is useful or is improved, he permits it to remain; but when it becomes useless or is misused, he recalls it.

Who can hinder him? — Literally, Who can cause him to restore it?

What doest thou? — He is supreme, and will give account of none of his matters. He is infinitely wise, and cannot mistake. He is infinitely kind, and can do nothing cruel. He is infinitely good, and can do nothing wrong. No one, therefore, should question either his motives or his operations.


 
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