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the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Job 33:14

For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Agency;   Conviction;   God;   God Continued...;   Impenitence;   Philosophy;   Prophets;   Wicked (People);   The Topic Concordance - Hearing;  

Dictionaries:

- Fausset Bible Dictionary - Job;   Samuel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Suffering;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Pit;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Dreams;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elihu;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Job, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Dreams;   Numbers and Numerals;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 19;  

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.
English Revised Version
For God speaketh once, yea twice, though man regardeth it not.
Update Bible Version
For God speaks once, Yes twice, [though man] does not regard it.
New Century Version
God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another— even though people may not understand it.
New English Translation
"For God speaks, the first time in one way, the second time in another, though a person does not perceive it.
Webster's Bible Translation
For God speaketh once, yes twice, [yet man] perceiveth it not.
World English Bible
For God speaks once, Yes twice, though man pays no attention.
Amplified Bible
"For God speaks once, And even twice, yet no one notices it [including you, Job].
English Standard Version
For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
God spekith onys, and the secounde tyme he rehersith not the same thing.
Berean Standard Bible
For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.
Contemporary English Version
God speaks in different ways, and we don't always recognize his voice.
American Standard Version
For God speaketh once, Yea twice, though man regardeth it not.
Bible in Basic English
For God gives his word in one way, even in two, and man is not conscious of it:
Complete Jewish Bible
God speaks once, even twice, and still the hearer misses the point.
Darby Translation
For God speaketh once, and twice,—[and man] perceiveth it not—
Easy-to-Read Version
But maybe God does explain what he does but speaks in ways that people don't understand.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For God speaketh in one way, yea in two, though man perceiveth it not.
King James Version (1611)
For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiueth it not.
New Life Bible
For God speaks once, or twice, and yet no one listens.
New Revised Standard
For God speaks in one way, and in two, though people do not perceive it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For God speaketh once or twise, and one seeth it not.
George Lamsa Translation
For God speaks once; he does not speak a second time;
Good News Translation
Although God speaks again and again, no one pays attention to what he says.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, in one way, GOD may speak, - and, in a second way, one may not heed it: -
Douay-Rheims Bible
God speaketh once, and repeateth not the selfsame thing the second time.
Revised Standard Version
For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For God speaketh once or twise, and yet man vnderstandeth it not.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For when the Lord speaks once, or a second time,
Christian Standard Bible®
For God speaks time and again,but a person may not notice it.
Hebrew Names Version
For God speaks once, Yes twice, though man pays no attention.
Lexham English Bible
Indeed, God speaks in one way, even in two, yet someone does not perceive it.
Literal Translation
For in one way God may speak, and in a second, but one does not regard it.
Young's Literal Translation
For once doth God speak, and twice, (He doth not behold it.)
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For whe God doth once commaunde a thinge, there shulde no man be curious, to search whether it be right.
New American Standard Bible
"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it.
New King James Version
For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it.
Legacy Standard Bible
Indeed God speaks once,Or twice, yet no one perceives it.

Contextual Overview

14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; 16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, 17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. 18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God: Job 40:5, Psalms 62:11

perceiveth: 2 Chronicles 33:10, Proverbs 1:24, Proverbs 1:29, Isaiah 6:9, Matthew 13:14, Mark 8:17, Mark 8:18, Luke 24:25, John 3:19

Reciprocal: Genesis 28:16 - and I Genesis 41:32 - doubled Genesis 46:2 - in the visions 1 Samuel 3:8 - the third 1 Samuel 28:6 - by dreams 1 Kings 3:5 - in a dream Job 4:13 - thoughts Job 33:29 - all Daniel 7:1 - Daniel Matthew 27:19 - his 1 Thessalonians 2:18 - once

Cross-References

Genesis 32:3
And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
Genesis 33:2
And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
Genesis 33:3
And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
Genesis 33:19
And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.
Deuteronomy 2:1
Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the Lord spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.
Judges 5:4
Lord , when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
2 Chronicles 20:10
And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
Isaiah 40:11
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Ezekiel 25:8
Thus saith the Lord God ; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen;
Mark 4:33
And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For God speaketh once, yea, twice,.... Or, "but God speaketh" i; though he is not bound to give an account of his matters, and the reasons of his proceedings in a way of providence or grace; yet such is his condescension and goodness, that he makes use of various ways and means to make known his mind and will in his dispensations, if men were but attentive to them; he speaks once, in dreams and visions, as in

Job 33:15; and twice, or a second time, by chastisements, as in

Job 33:18; or he speaks frequently, again and again, see

Psalms 62:11; gives line upon line, and precept upon precept; if one way is without effect, he will take another; and if one warning and admonition is not sufficient, he will give another; so that though he is a sovereign Being, and not accountable to any, yet he does not act the unkind and unfriendly part Job had suggested:

[yet man] perceiveth it not: the voice of God speaking in one way or another; hearkens not to the admonition given in a dream or vision, nor hears the chastising rod, and him that has appointed it; he is deaf to all instructions; he understands not the mind and meaning of God in his dispensations; which is not owing to want of means of knowledge, but to the blindness and ignorance of his mind, to dulness of hearing, to negligence and inattention, and to the prevalence of sin and corruption: the words, "yet man", are a supplement to the text, and not in it, and some versions are without it, and understand the whole of God, rendering the words thus, "God speaketh once, and a second time he does not repeat it"; so the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions: or "does not revise it", or "will not see it" k; to which agrees the Targum,

"and a second time he needs not to look upon it;''

and which rendering, as it suits with the context, so is more agreeable to the accents; but is differently applied, by some to the sufficiency of the word of God, that God has at once made known all truth, and there is no need to do it a second time; but certain it is, that God did at sundry times, and in divers manners, speak unto the fathers by the prophets; though indeed in these last days he hath spoken at once all his mind and will by his Son, so that no future revelation is to be expected; but though this is true now, it was not in the times of Elihu: by others it is referred to God's dealings with a proud man, that calls him to an account for his actions, to whom he speaks once, and reproves him for his boldness; but a second time he will not look at him, nor bear his pride and insolence: and by others to the unalterable decrees and purposes of God; what he has said or determined in his eternal mind is done at once, and remains invariably fixed; he has no need to look over a second time, or revise his first thoughts and designs, or reconsider them, whether it is proper to make any alteration in them or not, they are at once so wisely formed; and he has all things before him in one view in his all comprehending mind, so that there cannot possibly anything turn up unforeseen by him, to hinder the execution of his purposes, or cause him to make any change in them; no new thoughts, resolutions, or purposes, can arise in his mind, with whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. This agrees well with his sovereignty, expressed in Job 33:13, and carries in it a strong reason enforcing what is there said. Though some take the meaning to be this, that God speaks once to a man, and admonishes and reproves him as he used to do, in the way expressed in the following verse; and if he regards it not, he do not speak to him a second time in that way, or no more by words, but now by blows or chastisements.

i כי "sed", Beza, Piscator. k ובשתים לא ישורנה "secundo non revidet", Schmidt Maius apud Michaelis "et secunda vice non videbit illud", Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For God speaketh once - The object of what is here said is, to show the reason why God brings affliction upon people, or to explain the principles of his government which Elihu supposed had been sadly misunder stood by Job and his friends. The reason why he brings affliction, Elihu says, is because all other means of reclaiming and restraining people fail. He communicates his will to them; he speaks to them again and again in dreams and visions; he warns them of the error of their course Job 33:14-17, and when this is all ineffectual he brings upon them affliction. He lays them upon their bed where they must reflect, and where there is hope that they may be reclaimed and reformed, Job 33:18-28.

Yea, twice - He does not merely admonish him once. He repeats the admonition when man refuses to hear him the first time, and takes all the methods which he can by admonition and warning to withdraw him from his wicked purpose, and to keep him from ruin.

Yet man perceiveth it not - Or, rather, “Although he does not perceive it or attend to it.” Though the sinner is regardless of the admonition, yet still God repeats it, and endeavors to save him from the commission of the crimes which would lead him to ruin. This is designed to show the patience and forbearance of God, and how many means he takes to save the sinner from ruin. Of the truth of what Elihu here says, there can be no difference of opinion. It is one of the great principles of the divine administration that the sinner is often warned, though he heeds it not; and that God sends repeated admonitions even when people will not regard them, but are bent on their own ruin.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 33:14. For God speaketh once — Though he will not be summoned to the bar of his creatures, nor condescend to detail the reasons of his conduct, which they could not comprehend, yet he so acts, in the main, that the operation of his hand and the designs of his counsel may sufficiently appear, provided men had their eyes open upon his ways, and their hearts open to receive his influence.

Elihu, having made the general statement that God would not come to the bar of his creatures to give account of his conduct, shows the general means which he uses to bring men to an acquaintance with themselves and with him: he states these in the six following particulars, which may be collected from Job 33:15-24.


 
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