the Second Week after Easter
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THE MESSAGE
Job 38:2
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BakerEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
Who is this who obscures my counselwith ignorant words?
"Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
"Who is this that makes my purpose unclear by saying things that are not true?
"Who is this who darkens counsel with words without knowledge?
"Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom] By words without knowledge?
"Who is this who darkens the divine plan By words without knowledge?
"Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
Who is this that darkeneth the counsell by wordes without knowledge?
"Who is this that darkens counselBy words without knowledge?
"Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?
Why do you talk so much when you know so little?
"Who is this, darkening my plans with his ignorant words?
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
"Who is this ignorant person saying these foolish things?
Who is this that gives counsel by words without knowledge?
The Lord
Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words?"Who is this darkening counsel by words without knowledge?
Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
what is he, that hydeth his mynde with foolysh wordes?
Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge?
Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
Who is this that darkneth counsell by words without knowledge?
What is he that darkeneth his counsaile by wordes without knowledge?
Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in his heart, and thinks to conceal them from me?
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
Who [is] this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
"Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
"Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?
"Who is this that makes words of wisdom dark by speaking without much learning?
"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Who is it that darkeneth counsel, by words, without knowledge?
Who is this that wrappeth up sentences in unskilful words?
"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Who [is] this -- darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
"Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Job 12:3, Job 23:4, Job 23:5, Job 24:25, Job 26:3, Job 27:11, Job 34:35, Job 35:16, Job 42:3, 1 Timothy 1:7
Reciprocal: Job 6:26 - reprove Job 11:5 - General Job 33:3 - my lips Job 37:19 - we Psalms 106:33 - he spake Psalms 139:4 - there is not Romans 9:20 - who art Colossians 2:18 - intruding James 4:12 - who
Cross-References
When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.
This was back in the days (and also later) when there were giants in the land. The giants came from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. These were the mighty men of ancient lore, the famous ones.
Judah's sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (Er and Onan had already died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute. He went to her. The news got around: "Samson's here." They gathered around in hiding, waiting all night for him at the city gate, quiet as mice, thinking, "At sunrise we'll kill him."
One late afternoon, David got up from taking his nap and was strolling on the roof of the palace. From his vantage point on the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was stunningly beautiful. David sent to ask about her, and was told, "Isn't this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite?" David sent his agents to get her. After she arrived, he went to bed with her. (This occurred during the time of "purification" following her period.) Then she returned home. Before long she realized she was pregnant. Later she sent word to David: "I'm pregnant."
Judah had Er, Onan, and Shelah; their mother was Bathshua the Canaanite. Er, Judah's firstborn, was so bad before God that God killed him. Judah also had Perez and Zerah by his daughter-in-law Tamar—a total of five sons. Perez had Hezron and Hamul; Zerah had Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda—five sons. Carmi had Achar, who brought doom on Israel when he violated a holy ban. Ethan's son was Azariah. And Hezron had Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.
Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I'll be a Father to you; you'll be sons and daughters to me." The Word of the Master, God.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Who [is] this,.... Meaning not Elihu the last speaker, as some think; and there are some who suppose not only that these words are directed to him, but all that is said in this and the following chapter: but it was Job the Lord spoke to and answered, as expressed in
Job 38:1; and these words are taken by Job to himself, Job 42:3. Concerning whom the Lord inquires, not as ignorant of him, who he was; but wondering that such a man as he should talk as he did; and as angry with him, and rebuking him for it;
that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? either his own counsel, his sense and sentiments of things, which were delivered in such an obscure manner as not to be intelligible by those that heard them; whereby they were led, as Job's friends were, into some mistaken notions of him: or rather the counsel of God, his works of providence, which are done according to the counsel of his will, and were misrepresented by Job, as not being wise and good, just and equitable; see Job 34:3.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Who is this - Referring doubtless to Job, for he is specified in the previous verse. Some have understood it of Elihu (see Schultens), but the connection evidently demands that it should be understood as referring to Job. The object was, to reprove him for the presumptuous manner in which he had spoken of God and of his government. It was important before God manifested his approval of Job, that he should declare his sense of what he had said, and show him how improper it was to indulge in language such as he had used.
That darkeneth counsel - That makes the subject darker. Instead of explaining the reason of the divine dealings, and vindicating God from the objections alleged against him and his government, the only tendency of what he had said had been to make his government appear dark, and severe, and unjust in the view of his friends. It might have been expected of Job, being a friend of God, that all that he said would have tended to inspire confidence in him, and to explain and vindicate the divine dealings; but, God had seen much that was the very reverse. Even the true friends of God, in the dark times of trial, may say much that will tend to make people doubt the wisdom and goodness of his government, and to prejudice the minds of the wicked against him.
By words without knowledge - Words that did not contain a true explanation of the difficulty. They conveyed no light about his dealings; they did not tend to satisfy the mind, or to make the subject more clear than it was before. There is much of this kind of speaking in the world; much that is written, and much that fails from the lips in debate, in preaching, and in conversation, that explains nothing, and that even leaves the subject more perplexed than it was before. We see from this verse that God does not and cannot approve of such “words.” If his friends speak, they should vindicate his government; they should at least express their conviction that he is right; they should aim to explain his doings, and to show to the world that they are reasonable. If they cannot do this, they should adore in silence. The Savior never spoke of God in such a way as to leave any doubt that his ways could be vindicated, never so as to leave the impression that he was harsh or severe in his administration, or so as to lend the least countenance to a spirit of murmuring and complaining.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Job 38:2. Who is this that darkeneth counsel — As if he had said, Who art thou who pretendest to speak on the deep things of God, and the administration of his justice and providence, which thou canst not comprehend; and leavest my counsels and designs the darker for thy explanation?
