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New King James Version
Job 23:9
Bible Study Resources
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- TheParallel Translations
When he is at work to the north, I cannot see him;when he turns south, I cannot find him.
He works to the north, but I can't see him; He turns south, but I can't catch a glimpse of him.
On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:
on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.
When he is at work in the north, I catch no sight of him; when he turns to the south, I cannot see him.
In the north when he is at work, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I see no trace of him.
To the left (north) He turns, but I cannot behold Him; He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him.
When He acts on the left, I cannot see Him; He turns to the right, but I cannot see Him.
He works to the north, but I can't see him; He turns south, but I can't catch a glimpse of him.
If to the North where he worketh, yet I cannot see him: he wil hide himselfe in the South, and I cannot beholde him.
When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him;He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.
When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him.
to my left or my right. God is always at work, though I never see him.
if I turn north, I don't spot him; in the south he is veiled, and I still don't see him.
On the left hand, where he doth work, but I behold [him] not; he hideth himself on the right hand, and I see [him] not.
When he is working in the north, I don't see him. When he turns to the south, I still don't see him.
I seek him on my left hand, but I cannot behold him; then I turn to my right hand, but I cannot see him.
God has been at work in the North and the South, but still I have not seen him.
When he works on the left, I cannot perceive him; he turns to the right, but I cannot see him.
to the left where He works, but I cannot see; He turns to the right, but I do not see Him .
Yf I go on the left syde to pondre his workes, I can not atteyne vnto them: Agayne, yf I go on the right syde, he hydeth himself, yt I can not se him.
On the left hand, when he doth work, but I cannot behold him; He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him.
I am looking for him on the left hand, but there is no sign of him; and turning to the right, I am not able to see him.
On the left hand, when He doth work, but I cannot behold Him, He turneth Himself to the right hand, but I cannot see Him.
On the left hand where hee doeth worke, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himselfe on the right hand, that I cannot see him.
If I go on the left side where he doth his worke, I can not attayne vnto him: Againe, if I go on the right side, he hydeth him selfe that I can not see hym.
When he wrought on the left hand, then I observed it not: his right hand shall encompass me but I shall not see it.
On the left hand, when he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him.
what schal Y do? Y schal not take hym; if Y turne me to the riyt side, Y schal not se hym.
On the left hand, when he does work, but I can't behold him; He hides himself on the right hand, that I can't see him.
On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold [him]: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see [him]:
I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.
When He works to the left, I cannot see Him. When He turns to the right, I cannot see Him.
on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.
On the north, where he worketh, but I get no vision, He hideth himself on the south that I cannot see him.
If to the left hand, what shall I do? I shall not take hold on him: if I turn myself to the right hand, I shall not see him.
on the left hand I seek him, but I cannot behold him; I turn to the right hand, but I cannot see him.
[To] the left in His working -- and I see not, He is covered [on] the right, and I behold not.
When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him; He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
he hideth himself: Psalms 89:46, Isaiah 8:17
Reciprocal: Job 9:11 - he goeth Job 10:13 - hid Job 34:29 - when he hideth Job 42:5 - mine Psalms 10:1 - hidest Psalms 139:5 - beset me Song of Solomon 3:1 - but
Cross-References
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
Mark 12:31; James 2:8">[xr] Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold [him],.... The northern part of the world, where his seat is, or the circle of the earth, says Bar Tzemach, and who has stretched out the north over the empty place, Job 26:7. Jarchi's note is, when he created it, he did not make it the place of his throne: God works everywhere in a way of providence, but in some places more eminently than in others; the northern part of the world is observed to be more inhabited than the southern, and the people of it to be more active in war and business than elsewhere; and more and greater things are done by God among them as instruments than among any other; and Mr. Caryl observes, that the Gospel has ever more generally and more clearly been preached here than in the southern parts of the world; and perhaps by the northern chambers in Ezekiel's vision, Ezekiel 42:1, were designed the Protestant churches in the northern parts, as it is well known the Protestant doctrine is called the northern heresy: but what Job meant by God's works in the north is not easy to say; but as this refers to some place where God had been used to work either in the way of providence or grace, it was the most likely one to find him in, and yet Job could not behold him, or get any sight of him, either as on a throne of grace or justice:
he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see [him]; or "he covereth the right hand" h, the southern parts of the world; he covers the face of the south with his face, that I cannot see him, so Jarchi; this is said because the south is covered with the waters of the ocean, as Bar Tzemach observes; what we call the South sea: or rather the meaning is, that God covered himself on the right hand, or on the south, as with a garment, as the word signifies; wrapped himself up either in light inaccessible, as with a garment, or with clouds of darkness, that he could not be seen; and if he hides himself, as he often does from the best of men, who can behold him? Job 34:29; see Job 9:11.
h יעטף ימין "operiet dextram", Montanus, Junius Tremellius so Cocceius, Drusius, Schmidt, Schultens, & Broughton.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
On the left hand - That is, in the North - at the left hand when the face was turned to the East. So the Chaldee, בצפונא - “on the North.” The other versions, the Vulgate, the Septuagint, the Syriac, Castellio, Luther, etc., render it “on the left hand.” The common term among the Hebrews for the “North” is צפון tsâphôn - (from צפן tsâphan - “to hide,” or “conceal”), meaning the hidden, concealed, or dark region, since the ancients regarded the North as the seat of gloom and darkness, (Homer, Odyssey ix. 25ff), while they supposed the South to be illuminated by the sun. “Gesenius.” Frequently, however, as here, the word “left,” or “left hand,” is used. The region of the North is intended.
Where he doth work - Where there are such wonderful manifestations of his majesty and glory. May Job here not refer to the “Aurora Borealis,” the remarkable display of the power of God which is seen in those regions? May he not have felt that there was some special reason why he might hope to meet with God in that quarter, or to see him manifest himself amidst the brilliant lights that play along the sky, as if to precede or accompany him? And when he had looked to the splendor of the rising sun, and the glory of his setting, in vain, was it not natural to turn his eye to the next remarkable manifestation, as he supposed, of God, in the glories of the Northern lights, and to expect to find him there? There is reason to think that the ancient Chaldeans, and other pagans, regarded the regions of the North, illuminated with these celestial splendors, as the special residence of the gods (see the notes at Isaiah 14:13), and it seems probable that Job may have had allusion to some such prevailing opinion.
But I cannot behold him - I can see the exhibition of remarkable splendor, but still “God” is unseen. He does not come amidst those glories to give me an opportunity to carry my cause before him. The meaning, then, of this is, “Disappointed in the East and the West. I turn to the North. There I have been accustomed to witness extraordinary manifestations of his magnificence and glory. There beautiful constellations circle the pole. There the Aurora plays, and seems to be the manifestation of the glory of God. Next to the glory of the rising and setting sun, I turn to those brilliant lights, to see if there I may not find my God, but in vain. Those lights are cold and chilly, and reveal no God to my soul. Disappointed, then I turn to the last point, the South, to see if I can find him there.”
He hideth himself on the right hand - On the South. The South was to the ancients an unknown region. The deserts of Arabia, indeed, stretched away in that region, and they were partially known, and they had some knowledge that the sea was beyond. But they regarded the regions farther to the South, if there was land there, as wholly impassable and uninhabitable on account of the heat. The knowledge of geography was slowly acquired, and, of course, it is impossible to tell what were the views which prevailed on the subject in the time of Job. That there was little accuracy of information about remote countries must be regarded as an indisputable fact; and, probably, they had little conception of distant parts of the earth, except that formed by conjecture. Interesting details of the views of the ancients, on this subject, may be found in the Encyclopedia of Geography, vol. i. pp. 10-68; compare particularly the notes at Job 26:10.
The earth was regarded as encompassed with waters, and the distant southern regions, on account of the impossibility of passing through the heat of the torrid zone, were supposed to be inaccessible. To those hidden and unknown realms, Job says he now turned, when he had in vain looked to each other quarter of the heavens, to see if he could find some manifestation of God. Yet he looked to that quarter equally in vain. God “hid” or “concealed” himself in those inaccessible regions so that he could not approach him. The meaning is, “I am also disappointed here. He hides himself in that distant land. In the burning and impassable wastes which stretch themselves to an unknown extent there, I cannot find him. The feet of mortals cannot traverse those burning plains, and there I cannot approach him. To whatever point of the compass I turn, I am left in equal darkness.” What a striking description is this of the darkness that sometimes comes over the Christian’s soul, prompting to the language, “O that I knew where I might find him! That I could come to his throne!”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Job 23:9. On the left hand, where he doth work — In these two verses Job mentions the four cardinal points of the heavens: the EAST, by the word קדם kedem, which signifies before; the WEST, by אחור achor, which signifies after, or the back part; the NORTH, by שמאל semol, which signifies the left; and the SOUTH, by ימין yamin, which signifies the right. Such is the situation of the world to a man who faces the east; see Genesis 13:9; Genesis 13:11; Genesis 28:14. And from this it appears that the Hebrews, Idumeans, and Arabs had the same ideas of these points of the heavens. It is worthy of remark that Job says, He hideth himself on the right hand, (the south,) that I cannot see him: for in fact, the southern point of heaven is not visible in Idumea, where Job was. Hence it comes that when he spake before, Job 9:9, of the constellations of the antarctic pole, he terms them the hidden chambers of the south; i.e., those compartments of the celestial concave that never appeared above the horizon in that place. - See Calmet.
Mr. Good translates these verses as follows: -
Behold! I go forward, and he is not there;
And backward, but I cannot perceive him.
On the left hand I feel for him, but trace him not:
He enshroudeth the right hand, and I cannot see him.
The simple rendering of Coverdale is nervous and correct: -
For though I go before, I fynde hym not:
Yf I come behynde, I can get no knowledge of him:
Yf I go on the left syde to pondre his workes,
I cannot atteyne unto them:
Agayne, yf I go on the right syde, he hydeth himself,
That I cannot se him.
