They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways.
Parallel translations
- KJV Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
- BSB Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.
- NKJV Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
- NASB “Yet they say to God, ‘Go away from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
- NLT And yet they say to God, ‘Go away. We want no part of you and your ways.
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
The wicked tell God to leave them alone because they have no desire to know His ways. Their prosperity goes hand in hand with willful rejection of God.
Overview
Job exposes the inner attitude of the prosperous wicked: they actively push God away, wanting nothing to do with His commands. This is the essence of sin, a desire for autonomy from the Creator (cf. Rom 1:28). Their material success masks deep spiritual poverty, which only deepens the tragedy of their condition.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Job 22:17who said to God, ‘Depart from us;’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
- Rom 8:7because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be.
- Ps 10:4The wicked, in the pride of his face, has no room in his thoughts for God.
- 2 Th 2:10–12and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
- Prov 1:29because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.
- John 3:19–20This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
- John 15:23–24He who hates me, hates my Father also.
- 2 Tim 4:3–4For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts;
- Prov 1:7The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
- Rom 1:28Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
- Luke 8:28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!”
- Hab 1:15He takes up all of them with the hook. He catches them in his net, and gathers them in his dragnet. Therefore he rejoices and is glad.
- Prov 1:22“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?
- Luke 8:37All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned.
- John 8:45–47But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.
- Ps 10:11He says in his heart, “God has forgotten. He hides his face. He will never see it.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 21:14 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.