Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
Parallel translations
- WEB Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness?’
- BSB Who has appointed His way for Him, or told Him, ‘You have done wrong’?
- NKJV Who has assigned Him His way, Or who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?
- NASB “Who has appointed Him His way, And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?
- NLT No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’
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
No one has prescribed God's way for Him, and none can charge Him with wrongdoing. God is accountable to no one and is wholly just.
Overview
Elihu affirms that God acts according to His own perfect counsel, with no one able to direct Him or convict Him of injustice. This guards God's absolute sovereignty and righteousness (Rom. 9:20; Deut. 32:4). The verse humbles every human complaint against God and assures us that the Judge of all the earth does right, a confidence vindicated at the cross where justice and mercy meet.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 1 Cor 2:16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
- Isa 40:13–14Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
- Job 8:3Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
- Rom 2:5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
- Job 34:13–33Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
- Job 34:10Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
- Eph 1:11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
- Rom 11:34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
- Rom 9:14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
- Rom 3:5But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
- Job 40:8Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 36:23 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.