Job 21:22

Wycliffe Bible

Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Can anyone teach God knowledge,since he judges the exalted ones?

Hebrew Names Version
"Shall any teach God knowledge, Seeing he judges those who are high?

King James Version
Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

English Standard Version
Will any teach God knowledge, seeing that he judges those who are on high?

New Century Version
"No one can teach knowledge to God; he is the one who judges even the most important people.

New English Translation
Can anyone teach God knowledge, since he judges those that are on high?

Amplified Bible
"Can anyone teach God knowledge, Seeing that He judges those on high?

New American Standard Bible
"Can anyone teach God knowledge, In that He judges those on high?

World English Bible
"Shall any teach God knowledge, Seeing he judges those who are high?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Shall any teache God knowledge, who iudgeth the hiest things?

Legacy Standard Bible
Can anyone teach God knowledge,In that He judges those on high?

Berean Standard Bible
Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?

Contemporary English Version
Who can tell God what to do? He judges powerful rulers.

Complete Jewish Bible
"Can anyone teach God knowledge? After all, he judges those who are on high.

Darby Translation
Can any teach God knowledge? And he it is that judgeth those that are high.

Easy-to-Read Version
"No one can teach God anything he doesn't already know. God judges even those in high places.

George Lamsa Translation
Shall any teach God knowledge, seeing it is he who judges the proud?

Good News Translation
Can anyone teach God, who judges even those in high places?

Lexham English Bible
Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he himself judges high ones?

Literal Translation
Shall any teach God knowledge, since He shall judge those exalted?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
In as moch the as God hath ye hyest power of all, who can teach him eny knowlege?

American Standard Version
Shall any teach God knowledge, Seeing he judgeth those that are high?

Bible in Basic English
Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing it is He that judgeth those that are high.

King James Version (1611)
Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he iudgeth those that are high.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Seeing God hath the highest power of all, who can teache him any knowledge?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Is it not the Lord who teaches understanding and knowledge? and does not he judge murders?

English Revised Version
Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

Update Bible Version
Shall any teach God knowledge, Seeing he judges those that are high?

Webster's Bible Translation
Shall [any] teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

New King James Version
"Can anyone teach God knowledge, Since He judges those on high?

New Living Translation
"But who can teach a lesson to God, since he judges even the most powerful?

New Life Bible
Can anyone teach God anything, when He judges those on high?

New Revised Standard
Will any teach God knowledge, seeing that he judges those that are on high?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Is it, to GOD, one can teach knowledge, seeing that, he, shall judge, them who are on high?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Shall any one teach God knowledge, who judgeth those that are high?

Revised Standard Version
Will any teach God knowledge, seeing that he judges those that are on high?

Young's Literal Translation
To God doth [one] teach knowledge, And He the high doth judge?

THE MESSAGE
"But who are we to tell God how to run his affairs? He's dealing with matters that are way over our heads. Some people die in the prime of life, with everything going for them— fat and sassy. Others die bitter and bereft, never getting a taste of happiness. They're laid out side by side in the cemetery, where the worms can't tell one from the other.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Can anyone teach God knowledge, In that He judges those on high?

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ Hou ofte schal the lanterne of wickid men be quenchid, and flowing schal come on hem, and God schal departe the sorewis of his stronge veniaunce? ¹⁸ Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood. ¹⁹ God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite. ²⁰ Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God. ²¹ For whi what perteyneth it to hym of his hows aftir hym, thouy the noumbre of his monethis be half takun awey? ²² Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye? ²³ This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie. ²⁴ Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis. ²⁵ Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis. ²⁶ And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

teach: Job 40:2, Isaiah 40:13, Isaiah 40:14, Isaiah 45:9, Romans 11:34, 1 Corinthians 2:16

he judgeth: Job 34:17-19, Psalms 113:5, Psalms 113:6, Ecclesiastes 5:8, Isaiah 40:22, Isaiah 40:23, 1 Corinthians 6:3, 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6, Revelation 20:1-3, Revelation 20:12-15

Reciprocal: Luke 4:27 - Naaman

Cross-References

Genesis 20:2
and he seide of Sare, his wijf, Sche is my sistir. Therfor Abymalec, kyng of Gerare, sente, and took hir.

Genesis 20:17
Sotheli for Abraham preiede, God curide Abymelech, and his wijf, and handmaydens, and thei childiden;

Genesis 21:2
And sche conseyuede, and childide a sone in hir eeld, in the tyme wherynne God biforseide to hir.

Genesis 21:3
And Abraham clepide the name of his sone, whom Sare childide to him, Ysaac.

Genesis 26:26
And whanne Abymelech, and Ochosat, hise frendis, and Ficol, duk of knyytis, hadden come fro Geraris to that place,

Genesis 26:28
Whiche answeriden, We seiyen that God is with thee, and therfor we seiden now, An ooth be bitwixe vs, and make we a couenaunt of pees,

Genesis 28:15
And Y schal be thi kepere, whidur euer thou schalt go; and Y schal lede thee ayen in to this lond, and Y schal not leeue no but Y schal fil alle thingis whiche Y seide.

Genesis 30:27
Laban seide to hym, Fynde Y grace in thi siyt, Y haue lerned bi experience that God blesside me for thee;

Joshua 3:7
And the Lord seide to Josue, To dai Y schal bigynne to enhaunse thee bifor al Israel, that thei wite, that as Y was with Moises, so Y am also with thee.

2 Chronicles 1:1
Therfor Salomon, the sone of Dauid, was coumfortid in his rewme, and the Lord was with hym, and magnefiede hym an hiy.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Shall [any] teach God knowledge?.... Who is a God of knowledge, and knows all things, that teaches men knowledge; will any one take upon him to teach him the path of judgment, and the way of understanding, how he shall govern the world, and dispose of men and things in it? see Isaiah 40:13. Will anyone be so bold and audacious as to pretend to direct and instruct him whom he shall afflict, and whom not, and when he shall do it, and in what manner? should not these things be left to him, who does all things after the counsel of his own will? shall his dealings with men in an outward way of providence be the criterions of the characters and estates of men, as if love and hatred were to be known by those things, and therefore God must be taught what he should do in order to fix them?

seeing he judgeth those that are high; not the high heavens, as the Targum, nor the angels in them, though he has judged them that sinned, and cast them down to hell; but the high ones on earth, kings, princes, and civil magistrates, such as are in high places, and are lifted up with pride above others: God is above them; he is higher than the highest, and judges them; he is the Judge of all the earth, that will do right, the Governor of the universe, and who overrules all things for his own glory and the good of his creatures; and therefore none should pretend to direct him what is fit and proper to be done by him, who is a Sovereign, and distinguishes men in his providence, in life, and at death, as follows; but their characters, as good or bad men, are not to be determined thereby.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall any teach God knowledge? - This commences the reply of Job to the sentiments of his friends to which he had just adverted. The substance of the reply is, that no one could prescribe to God how he should deal with people, and that it; was not a FACT that people were treated as they had supposed. Instead of its being true, as they maintained, that wicked people would all be cut down in some fearful and violent manner, as a punishment for their sins, Job goes on Job 21:23-26 to show that they died in a great variety of ways - one in full age and prosperity, and another in another manner. This, he says, God directs as he pleases. No one can teach him knowledge; no one can tell him what he ought to do. The reasoning of his friends, Job seems to imply, had been rather an attempt to teach God how he “ought” to deal with people, than a patient and candid inquiry into the “facts” in the case, and he says the facts were not as they supposed they ought to be.

Seeing he judgeth those that are high - Or rather, he judges “among the things” that are high. He rules over the great affairs of the universe, and it is presumptuous in us to attempt to prescribe to him how he shall govern the world. The design of this and the following verses is to show, that, from the manner in which people actually die, no argument can be derived to determine what was their religious condition, or their real character. Nothing is more fallacious than that kind of reasoning.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 21:22. Shall any teach God knowledge? — Who among the sons of men can pretend to teach GOD how to govern the world, who himself teaches those that are high-the heavenly inhabitants, that excel us infinitely both in knowledge and wisdom? Neither angels nor men can comprehend the reasons of the Divine providence. It is a depth known only to God.