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Wednesday, October 9th, 2024
the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Job 42:3

Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   Job;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Job;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Providence;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Suffering;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Prayer;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,Things too marvelous for me, which I did not know.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For who can keepe his owne counsaile so secrete but it shalbe knowen? Therefore haue I spoken that I vnderstoode not, euen the thinges that are to wonderfull for me, and passe myne vnderstanding.
Darby Translation
Who is he that obscureth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered what I did not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
New King James Version
You asked, "Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Literal Translation
Who is this hiding counsel without knowledge? So I declared, but did not understand things too wonderful for me; yea, I did not know.
Easy-to-Read Version
You asked, ‘Who is this ignorant person saying these foolish things?' I talked about things I did not understand. I talked about things too amazing for me to know.
World English Bible
You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I didn't know.
King James Version (1611)
Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore haue I vttered that I vnderstood not, things too wonderfull for me, which I knew not.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For who can kepe his owne councell so secrete, but it shall be knowne? Therfore haue I spoken vnwysely, seynge these thinges are so hye, and passe myne vnderstondinge.
American Standard Version
Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
Bible in Basic English
Who is this who makes dark the purpose of God by words without knowledge? For I have been talking without knowledge about wonders not to be searched out.
Update Bible Version
Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered that which I didn't understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I didn't know.
Webster's Bible Translation
Who [is] he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that which I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
New English Translation
you asked, ‘Who is this who darkens counsel without knowledge?' But I have declared without understanding things too wonderful for me to know.
Contemporary English Version
You asked why I talk so much when I know so little. I have talked about things that are far beyond my understanding.
Complete Jewish Bible
"[You asked,] ‘Who is this, hiding counsel, without having knowledge?' Yes, I spoke, without understanding, of wonders far beyond me, which I didn't know.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who is hee that hideth counsell without knowledge? therefore haue I spoken that I vnderstood not, euen things too wonderfull for me, and which I knew not.
George Lamsa Translation
Who am I to think that I can give counsel without knowledge? Therefore thou hast declared to me that I have uttered that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know.
Amplified Bible
"[You said to me] 'Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge?' Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Hebrew Names Version
You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I didn't know.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge?
New Living Translation
You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.
New Life Bible
‘Who is this that hides words of wisdom without much learning?' I have said things that I did not understand, things too great for me, which I did not know.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For who is he that hides counsel from thee? or who keeps back his words, and thinks to hide them from thee? and who will tell me what I knew not, great and wonderful things which I understood not?
English Revised Version
Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
Berean Standard Bible
You asked, 'Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
New Revised Standard
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who is it that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore, have I declared, but not understood, things too wonderful for me, which I could not know.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge.
Lexham English Bible
‘Who is this darkening counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I uttered, but I did not understand; things too wonderful for me, but I did not know.
English Standard Version
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
New American Standard Bible
'Who is this who conceals advice without knowledge?' Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I do not know.
New Century Version
You asked, ‘Who is this that made my purpose unclear by saying things that are not true?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand; I talked of things too wonderful for me to know.
Good News Translation
You ask how I dare question your wisdom when I am so very ignorant. I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know.
Christian Standard Bible®
You asked, "Who is this who conceals My counsel with ignorance?" Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Who is this, that helith counsel with out kunnyng? Therfor Y spak vnwiseli, and tho thingis that passiden ouer mesure my kunnyng.
Young's Literal Translation
`Who [is] this, hiding counsel without knowledge?' Therefore, I have declared, and understand not, Too wonderful for me, and I know not.
Revised Standard Version
'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Contextual Overview

1 Then Job answered the Lord , and said, 2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Who: Job 38:2

things: Psalms 40:5, Psalms 131:1, Psalms 139:6, Proverbs 30:2-4

Reciprocal: Job 6:26 - reprove Job 6:30 - iniquity Job 13:1 - Lo Job 13:22 - General Job 15:6 - thine own Job 31:37 - declare Job 34:35 - General Job 37:19 - we Psalms 77:10 - This is Psalms 139:4 - there is not Proverbs 25:2 - the glory Proverbs 30:18 - too Jeremiah 30:21 - engaged Jeremiah 49:19 - appoint me the time

Cross-References

Genesis 42:5
And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Genesis 42:13
And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who [is] he that hideth counsel without knowledge?.... It may be understood, and supplied, as it is by Cocceius, "thou didst say"; as the Lord had said, or to this purpose, :-; to which Job here replies, I am the foolish man that has done it, I own it with sorrow, shame, and confusion: or it may be interpreted as condemning every other man that should act the like part. Schultens understands this as spoken by Job of God, and renders the words,

"who is this that seals up counsel, which cannot be known?''

the counsels, purposes, and decrees of God are sealed up by him, among his treasures, in the cabinet of his own breast, and are not to be unsealed and unlocked by creatures, but are impenetrable to them, past finding out by them, and not to be searched and pried into; and so the secret springs of Providence are not to be known, which Job had attempted, and for which he condemns himself;

therefore have I uttered that I understood not; concerning the providential dealings of God with men, afflicting the righteous, and suffering the wicked to prosper, particularly relating to his own afflictions; in which he arraigned the wisdom, justice, and goodness of God, as if things might have been better done than they were; but now he owns his ignorance and folly, as Asaph did in a like case, Psalms 73:22;

things too wonderful for me, which I knew not; things out of his reach to search into, and beyond his capacity to comprehend; what he should have gazed upon with admiration, and there have stopped. The judgments of God are a great deep, not to be fathomed with the line of human understanding, of which it should be said with the apostle, "O the depth", Romans 11:33, c. Job ought to have done as David did,

Psalms 131:1 of which he was now convinced, and laments and confesses his folly.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? - This is repeated from Job 38:2. As used there these are the words of the Almighty, uttered as a reproof of Job for the manner in which he had undertaken to explain the dealings of God; see the notes at that verse. As repeated here by Job, they are an acknowledgment of the truth of what is there implied, that “he” had been guilty of hiding counsel in this manner, and the repetition here is a part of his confession. He acknowledges that he “had” entertained and expressed such views of God as were in fact clothing the whole subject in darkness instead of explaining it. The meaning is, “Who indeed is it, as thou saidst, that undertakes to judge of great and profound purposes without knowledge? I am that presumptuous man? Ilgen.”

Therefore have I uttered that I understood not - I have pronounced an opinion on subjects altogether too profound for my comprehension. This is the language of true humility and penitence, and shows that Job had at heart a profound veneration for God, however much he had been led away by the severity of his sufferings to give vent to improper expressions. It is no uncommon thing for even good people to be brought to see that they have spoken presumptuously of God, and have engaged, in discussions and ventured to pronounce opinions on matters pertaining to the divine administration, that were wholly beyond their comprehension.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 42:3. Who is he that hideth counsel — These are the words of Job, and they are a repetition of what Jehovah said, Job 38:2: "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" Job now having heard the Almighty's speech, and having received his reproof, echoes back his words: "Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge Alas, I am the man; I have uttered what I understood not; things too wonderful for me, that I knew not.

God had said, Job 38:3: "Gird up now thy loins like a man; I will demand of thee, and answer thou me." In allusion to this, Job exclaims to his Maker, Job 42:4: "Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will ask of THEE, and declare THOU unto ME." I acknowledge my ignorance; I confess my foolishness and presumption; I am ashamed of my conduct; I lament my imperfections; I implore thy mercy; and beg thee to show me thy will, that I may ever think, speak, and do, what is pleasing in thy sight.

Things too wonderful — I have spoken of thy judgments, which I did not comprehend.


 
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