But there is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.
Parallel translations
- WEB But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.
- KJV But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
- NKJV But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
- NASB “But it is a spirit that is in mankind, And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.
- NLT But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent.
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
Elihu declares that it is the spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty that gives understanding. True wisdom comes from God, not merely from age.
Overview
Elihu states a key truth: genuine understanding is a gift of God's Spirit, the breath of the Almighty that enlightens the human heart. This explains why he, though young, may speak with insight. The teaching that wisdom comes from God anticipates the New Testament truth that the Spirit grants understanding, and it points to Christ, in whom the fullness of God's wisdom dwells and from whom the Spirit is given to his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Job 33:4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
- Job 38:36Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind?
- 2 Tim 3:16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
- Jas 1:5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
- Prov 2:6For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
- Eccl 2:26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
- 1 Cor 2:10–12But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
- 1 Kgs 3:12behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you.
- Dan 2:21He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
- Job 35:11who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?’
- Job 33:16He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings
- Dan 1:17To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
- 1 Kgs 3:28When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
- 1 Kgs 4:29And God gave Solomon wisdom, exceedingly deep insight, and understanding beyond measure, like the sand on the seashore.
- Gen 41:39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
- Job 4:12–21Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it.
- 1 Cor 12:8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit,
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 32:8 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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