Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
Parallel translations
- WEB Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
- BSB Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?
- NKJV Have you heard the counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
- NASB “Do you hear the secret discussion of God, And limit wisdom to yourself?
- NLT Were you listening at God’s secret council? Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Eliphaz asks if Job has eavesdropped on God's secret council. He denies Job any monopoly on wisdom.
Overview
Eliphaz challenges whether Job has heard 'the secret counsel of God' or limits wisdom to himself. He accuses Job of presuming access to divine secrets. The deeper irony is that true wisdom belongs to God alone, and humility before that wisdom, not Eliphaz's confident accusations, is what both men ultimately need.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Rom 11:34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
- Jer 23:18For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
- 1 Cor 2:16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
- Job 11:6And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
- Prov 3:32For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
- 1 Cor 2:9–11But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
- Deut 29:29The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
- Job 13:5–6O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
- Rom 16:25–26Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
- Matt 11:25At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
- Job 29:4As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
- Matt 13:11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
- Job 12:2No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
- Matt 13:35That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
- Amos 3:7Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
- Ps 25:14The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
- John 15:15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 15:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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