Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
the Third Week after Easter
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

Job 9:4

Wise in heart and strong in power -- Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   Heart;   Impenitence;   Power;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Power of God, the;   Wisdom of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Harden (the heart);  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Harden;   Wisdom;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
God is wise and all-powerful.Who has opposed him and come out unharmed?
Hebrew Names Version
God who is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who has hardened himself against him, and prospered?
King James Version
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
English Standard Version
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength —who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—
New Century Version
God's wisdom is deep, and his power is great; no one can fight him without getting hurt.
New English Translation
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength— who has resisted him and remained safe?
Amplified Bible
"God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?
New American Standard Bible
"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?
World English Bible
God who is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who has hardened himself against him, and prospered?
Geneva Bible (1587)
He is wise in heart, & mighty in stregth: who hath bene fierce against him & hath prospered?
Legacy Standard Bible
Wise in heart and mighty in power,Who has stiffened his neck against Him and been at peace?
Berean Standard Bible
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
Contemporary English Version
God is wise and powerful— who could possibly oppose him and win?
Complete Jewish Bible
His heart is so wise, his strength so great — who can resist him and succeed?
Darby Translation
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and had peace?
Easy-to-Read Version
God is so wise and powerful that no one could oppose him and survive.
George Lamsa Translation
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has hardened himself against him, and had peace?
Good News Translation
God is so wise and powerful; no one can stand up against him.
Lexham English Bible
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and succeeded?
Literal Translation
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has been hard against Him and been at peace?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He is wyse of hert, and mightie in strength. Who euer prospered, that toke parte agaynst him?
American Standard Version
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?—
Bible in Basic English
He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered?
King James Version (1611)
He is wise in heart, and mightie in strength: who hath hardened himselfe against him, and hath prospered?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He is wyse in heart and mightie in strength: who hath ben fearce against hym, and hath prospered?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?
English Revised Version
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He is wiys in herte, and strong in myyt; who ayenstood hym, and hadde pees?
Update Bible Version
[He is] wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who has hardened himself against him, and prospered?-
Webster's Bible Translation
[He is] wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened [himself] against him, and hath prospered?
New King James Version
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
New Living Translation
For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully?
New Life Bible
He is wise in heart and powerful in strength. Who has ever stood against Him without being hurt?
New Revised Standard
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength —who has resisted him, and succeeded?—
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wise in heart, and alert in vigour, What man hath hardened himself against him, and prospered!
Douay-Rheims Bible
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath resisted him, and hath had peace?
Revised Standard Version
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength--who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded? --
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?

Contextual Overview

1 And Job answereth and saith: -- 2 Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what -- is man righteous with God? 3 If he delight to strive with Him -- He doth not answer him one of a thousand. 4 Wise in heart and strong in power -- Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace? 5 Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger. 6 Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves. 7 Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up. 8 Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea, 9 Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south. 10 Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wise in heart: Job 9:19, Job 36:5, Psalms 104:24, Psalms 136:5, Daniel 2:20, Daniel 4:34-37, Romans 11:33, Ephesians 1:8, Ephesians 1:19, Ephesians 3:10, Ephesians 3:20, Jude 1:24, Jude 1:25

who hath hardened: Job 6:10, Job 15:23-27, Job 40:9, Exodus 9:14-17, Exodus 14:17, Exodus 14:18, Proverbs 28:14, Proverbs 29:1, Daniel 5:20-30, 1 Corinthians 10:22

Reciprocal: Exodus 9:7 - the heart Exodus 9:17 - General Exodus 11:10 - the Lord Leviticus 26:24 - General Numbers 16:27 - and stood 1 Samuel 6:6 - harden 2 Chronicles 13:12 - ye shall not 2 Chronicles 14:13 - before the Lord 2 Chronicles 32:21 - cut off all Job 11:10 - If he cut off Job 12:13 - wisdom Job 15:13 - turnest Job 15:25 - strengtheneth Job 33:12 - God Job 34:14 - set Job 37:23 - excellent Job 41:10 - who Psalms 66:7 - let Ecclesiastes 6:10 - neither Jeremiah 48:26 - for he Jeremiah 50:24 - because Ezekiel 28:6 - Because Daniel 4:35 - none Nahum 1:3 - great Zechariah 7:12 - their hearts Malachi 1:4 - They shall build Acts 9:5 - it is Hebrews 3:8 - Harden

Cross-References

Genesis 9:10
and with every living creature which [is] with you, among fowl, among cattle, and among every beast of the earth with you, from all who are going out of the ark -- to every beast of the earth.
Genesis 9:14
and it hath come to pass (in My sending a cloud over the earth) that the bow hath been seen in the cloud,
Leviticus 3:17
`A statute age-during to your generations in all your dwellings: any fat or any blood ye do not eat.'
Leviticus 7:26
`And any blood ye do not eat in all your dwellings, of fowl, or of beast;
Leviticus 19:26
`Ye do not eat with the blood; ye do not enchant, nor observe clouds.
Deuteronomy 12:16
`Only, the blood ye do not eat -- on the earth thou dost pour it as water;
Deuteronomy 12:23
`Only, be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood [is] the life, and thou dost not eat the life with the flesh;
Deuteronomy 14:21
`Ye do not eat of any carcase; to the sojourner who [is] within thy gates thou dost give it, and he hath eaten it; or sell [it] to a stranger; for a holy people thou [art] to Jehovah thy God; thou dost not boil a kid in its mother's milk.
Deuteronomy 15:23
Only, its blood thou dost not eat; on the earth thou dost pour it as water.
Acts 15:20
but to write to them to abstain from the pollutions of the idols, and the whoredom, and the strangled thing; and the blood;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[He is] wise in heart,.... Originally, essentially, truly, really, and perfectly so; he is the only, and the all wise God; his understanding is infinite; he is able to traverse all the schemes of men, in things civil or religious, and disappoint all their devices; for though there be ever so many of them, or be ever so deeply laid, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand; for there is no wisdom, understanding, or counsel against him; and therefore it is in vain to contend with him: he is so wise and knowing, that he sees and knows all that is in man, or is done by him, whether in public or in private; there is not a thought in his heart, nor a word on his tongue, nor an action in his life and conversation, but what he is thoroughly acquainted with; and everyone of these he will bring into judgment: how therefore is it possible that sinful men should be just in the sight of such a wise and holy Being, upon the score of his own righteousness?

and mighty in strength; he is the most mighty; he is the Almighty; he has a mighty arm and strong hand; and unless a man had a strong arm like him, his own right hand can never save him, or his own righteousness justify him; wherefore, to what purpose is it for a feeble man to contend and strive with him? and since he is not a man, as he is, how should they come together in judgment? and what a vain thing must it he to set a time for it, since, if we speak of strength, lo, he is strong? see Job 9:19;

who hath hardened [himself] against him, and hath prospered? either by behaving proudly and insolently to him, as Pharaoh, Sennacherib, and others, by speaking hard words against him, as the Jews in the times of Malachi; and such hard speeches ungodly sinners utter against God, Christ, his Gospel, ordinances, people, ways, and worship, of which they will be convinced, and for which they will be condemned at the last judgment; and by bold and daring acts of sin, running upon the thick bosses of his buckler, giving themselves up to commit all uncleanness with greediness, and making a covenant with hell and an agreement with death, and so think themselves safe and secure at all events; but such never prospered and succeeded as they promised themselves, but came to ruin and destruction: or "had peace" x, or "found quietness", as Mr. Broughton: there is no peace to wicked men, true, solid peace, either here or hereafter; when they cry "Peace", or promise themselves much of it, destruction comes; and if God sets home the guilt of sin upon their consciences, the lead of it is intolerable; it sinks them into despair, and what then will be the worm that dieth not?

x וישלם "et pacem habuit", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Bolducius; "et pace frueretur", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He is wise in heart - Herder renders this,

Even the wise and the powerful,

Who hath withstood him and prospered?

But the more common interpretation is to refer it to God. The meaning of Job appears to be, that God was a sagacious adversary; that he was able to manage his cause; that he could meet and refute all objections which could be urged; and that it would be in vain to engage in a litigation before him. He so well understood the whole ground of debate, and was so entirely skilled in the merits of the controversy, and could so successfully meet all that could be alleged, that it was useless to attempt to hold an argument with him.

And mighty in strength - He is able to execute all his designs, and to carry all his purposes into effect. Man is weak and feeble, and it is hopeless for him to attempt to contend with the Almighty.

Who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? - To harden oneself, here means to resist or withstand him. It refers to the firmness or resolution which one is obliged to adopt who opposes another. Here it means the opposition which man makes to the law and government of the Most High; and the affirmation is, that no one can make such opposition who will not be ultimately overcome. God is so great, so powerful, and so just, that a successful resistance cannot be made. The arrangements of God will take their course, and man must yield to his claims and his government, or be prostrated. None can successfully resist God; and the true policy of man, as well as his duty, is to yield to him, and be at peace with him.

And hath prospered - Or been successful. He has failed in his opposition, and been obliged to yield. Prosperity is not found in opposing God. It is only by falling in with his arrangements and following his designs. A prosperous voyage is made by falling in with winds and currents, and not in opposing them; prosperous agriculture is carried on by coinciding with the favorable seasons of the year, and taking advantage of the dews, and rains, and sunbeams that God sends, and not in opposing them; prosperity in regard to health is found in taking advantage of the means which God gives to secure it, and not in opposing them. And the sinner in his course has no more chance of success and prosperity, than a man would have who should make it a point or principle of life always to sail against tides, and currents, and head winds; or he who should set at defiance all the laws of husbandry, and plant on a rock, or in the dead of winter; or he who should feed himself on poison rather than on nutritious food, and cultivate the nightshade rather that wheat. The great principle is, that if a man desires prosperity, he must fall in with the arrangements of God in his providence and grace; and wisdom is seen in studying these arrangements, and in yielding to them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 9:4. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength — By his infinite knowledge he searches out and sees all things, and by his almighty power he can punish all delinquencies. He that rebels against him must be destroyed.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile