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Sunday, August 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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The NET Bible®

Job 22:8

Although you were a powerful man, owning land, an honored man living on it,

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Eliphaz;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Justice;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Job;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Eliphaz (2);   Honorable;   Job, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bread;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
while the land belonged to a powerful manand an influential man lived on it.
Hebrew Names Version
But as for the mighty man, he had the eretz. The honorable man, he lived in it.
King James Version
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
English Standard Version
The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it.
New Century Version
You were a powerful man who owned land; you were honored and lived in the land.
Amplified Bible
"But the land is possessed by the man with power, And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.
New American Standard Bible
"But the earth belongs to the powerful man, And the one who is honorable dwells on it.
World English Bible
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But the mightie man had the earth, and he that was in autoritie, dwelt in it.
Legacy Standard Bible
But the earth belongs to the mighty man,And the highly respected man inhabits it.
Berean Standard Bible
while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
Contemporary English Version
although you were rich, respected, and powerful.
Complete Jewish Bible
As a wealthy man, an owner of land, and as a man of rank, who lives on it,
Darby Translation
But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
Easy-to-Read Version
You have a lot of farmland, and people respect you.
George Lamsa Translation
There is a man who sows a field for himself, and the mighty man seizes it from him by force.
Good News Translation
You used your power and your position to take over the whole land.
Lexham English Bible
And the land belongs to the man of power, and the favored lives in it.
Literal Translation
And the earth is to him, to the armed man; and the honored one lives in it.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Shulde soch one the as vseth violece, wroge & oppression (doinge all thinges of parcialyte, & hauynge respecte of personnes) dwell in the lode?
American Standard Version
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.
Bible in Basic English
For it was the man with power who had the land, and the man with an honoured name who was living in it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, and as a man of rank, who dwelleth in it,
King James Version (1611)
But as for the mightie man, hee had the earth, and the honourable man dwelt in it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the mightie man had the earth, and he that was in auctoritie dwelt in it.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou hast accepted the persons of some; and thou hast established those that were already settled on the earth.
English Revised Version
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man, he dwelt in it.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In the strengthe of thin arm thou haddist the lond in possessioun; and thou moost myyti heldist it.
Update Bible Version
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.
Webster's Bible Translation
But [as for] the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honorable man dwelt in it.
New King James Version
But the mighty man possessed the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
New Living Translation
You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it!
New Life Bible
But you were a powerful and respected man owning land and living on it.
New Revised Standard
The powerful possess the land, and the favored live in it.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A man of might, to him, pertaineth the land, and, the favorite, dwelleth therein:
Douay-Rheims Bible
In the strength of thy arm thou didst possess the land, and being the most mighty thou holdest it.
Revised Standard Version
The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man dwelt in it.
Young's Literal Translation
As to the man of arm -- he hath the earth, And the accepted of face -- he dwelleth in it.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But the earth belongs to the mighty man, And the honorable man dwells in it.

Contextual Overview

5 Is not your wickedness great and is there no end to your iniquity? 6 "For you took pledges from your brothers for no reason, and you stripped the clothing from the naked. 7 You gave the weary no water to drink and from the hungry you withheld food. 8 Although you were a powerful man, owning land, an honored man living on it, 9 you sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the orphans you crushed. 10 That is why snares surround you, and why sudden fear terrifies you, 11 why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you. 12 "Is not God on high in heaven? And see the lofty stars, how high they are! 13 But you have said, ‘What does God know? Does he judge through such deep darkness? 14 Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us, as he goes back and forth in the vault of heaven.'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

But as: Job 29:7-17, Job 31:34, 1 Kings 21:11-15, Psalms 12:8, Micah 7:3

mighty man: Heb. man of arm

honourable: Heb. eminent, or, accepted for countenance. Job 13:8

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 24:17 - pervert

Cross-References

Genesis 18:14
Is anything impossible for the Lord ? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son."
Genesis 22:19
Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed.
Genesis 22:20
After these things Abraham was told, "Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor—
2 Chronicles 25:9
Amaziah asked the prophet: "But what should I do about the hundred talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops?" The prophet replied, "The Lord is capable of giving you more than that."
Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and replied, "This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible."
John 1:29
On the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:36
Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
Revelation 5:6
Then I saw standing in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Revelation 5:12
all of whom were singing in a loud voice: "Worthy is the lamb who was killed to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise!"
Revelation 7:14
So I said to him, "My lord, you know the answer." Then he said to me, "These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But [as for] the mighty man, he had the earth,.... A large share and portion of it, which Job could not hinder him from the enjoyment of, because mightier than he, or otherwise he would have done it; or Job was content he should have what he had, and gave him more than what of right belonged to him; for when any cause came before him as a judge, or civil magistrate, between a rich man, and a poorer man, relating to a field, or piece of land he always gave the cause to the rich and mighty and so he had the land, as is suggested:

and the honourable man dwelt in it; peaceably, quietly, and undisturbed, though he had no just title to it; or "the man accepted of face" or "countenance" q, who was respected because of his outward circumstances, wealth and riches, power and authority; and so Job is tacitly charged with being a respecter of persons in judgment, which was not good; and in general these phrases denote partiality in him, that he was favourable to the mighty and powerful, and unkind and cruel to the poor and needy. Some r understand all this of Job himself, that because he was the mighty man, or "man of arms" s, he made use of his power and might, and stretched out his arm, and grasped and got into his possession, by force and violence, the houses, and lands, and estates of others, and became the greatest man in all the east, and the earth in a manner was his alone; and because he was respected for his greatness and riches, he was confirmed therein, and dwelt securely: or rather, taking the words in this sense, they may be considered as an aggravation of Job's sins, both before and after charged upon him; as that when he was the mighty and honourable man, and though he was such, and had it in the power of his hands to do a great deal of good to the poor and needy; yet took a pledge from his indigent brother, stripped those that were almost naked of their clothing, and would not give a poor weary traveller a cup of water, nor a morsel of bread to an hungry man; yea, abused his power and authority which he had, to the oppression of the widow and fatherless, as in Job 22:9.

q נשוא פנים "acceptus faciebus", Montanus; "vel facie", Vatablus, Beza, Junius & Tremellius, Drusius, Mercerus. r Jarchi, Ramban, Bar Tzemach, Sephorno. s איש זרוע "viro brachii", Pagninus, Montanus, Bolducius, Vatablus, Drusius, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But as for the mighty man - Hebrew as in the margin, “man of arm.” The “arm,” in the Scriptures, is the symbol of power; Psalms 10:15, “Break thou the arm of the wicked;” Ezekiel 30:21. “I have broken the arm of Pharaoh;” Psalms 89:13, “Thou hast a mighty arm;” Psalms 97:1, “His holy arm hath gotten him the victory.” The reason of this is, that the sword and spear were principally used in war, and success depended on the force with which they were wielded by the arm. There can be no doubt that this is intended to be applied to Job, and that the meaning is, that he had driven the poor from their possessions, and he had taken forcible occupancy of what belonged to them. The idea is, that he had done this by power, not by “right.”

Had the earth - Took possession of the land, and drove off from it those to whom it belonged, or who had an equal right to it with him.

And the honorable man - Margin, “eminent,” or “accepted of countenance.” Hebrew: “Lifted up of countenance;” that is, the man whose countenance was elevated either by honor or pride. It may be used to describe either; but, perhaps, there is more force in the former, in saying that it was the great man, the man of rank and office, who had got possession. There is, thus, some sarcasm in the severe charge: “The great man ... the man of rank, and wealth, and office, has got possession, while the humble and poor are banished.” Job had had great possessions; but this charge as to the manner in which he had acquired them seems to be wholly gratuitous. Eliphaz takes it for granted, since he was so severely punished, that it “must have been” in some such way.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 22:8. But as for the mighty man, he had the earth — איש זרוע ish zeroa, the man of arm. Finger, hand, and arm, are all emblems of strength and power. The man of arm is not only the strong man, but the man of power and influence, the man of rapine and plunder.

The honourable man — Literally, the man whose face is accepted, the respectable man, the man of wealth. Thou wert an enemy to the poor and needy, but thou didst favour and flatter the rich and great.


 
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