Job 13:9
New International Version
Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?

New Living Translation
What will happen when he finds out what you are doing? Can you fool him as easily as you fool people?

English Standard Version
Will it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?

Berean Standard Bible
Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him like a man?

King James Bible
Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

New King James Version
Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?

New American Standard Bible
Will it go well when He examines you? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

NASB 1995
“Will it be well when He examines you? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

NASB 1977
“Will it be well when He examines you? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

Legacy Standard Bible
Will it be well when He examines you? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

Amplified Bible
“Will it be well for you when He investigates you [and your tactics against me]? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

Christian Standard Bible
Would it go well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you would deceive a man?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Would it go well if He examined you? Could you deceive Him as you would deceive a man?

American Standard Version
Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him?

Contemporary English Version
If he took you to court, could you fool him, just as you fool others?

English Revised Version
Is it good that he should search you out? or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Will it go well when he cross-examines you? Will you try to trick him as one mortal tricks another?

Good News Translation
If God looks at you closely, will he find anything good? Do you think you can fool God the way you fool others?

International Standard Version
Will things go well for you under his cross-examination? Can you lie to him, as you would to a human being?

Majority Standard Bible
Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him like a man?

NET Bible
Would it turn out well if he would examine you? Or as one deceives a man would you deceive him?

New Heart English Bible
Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?

Webster's Bible Translation
Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

World English Bible
Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Is [it] good that He searches you, "" If, as one mocks at a man, you mock at Him?

Young's Literal Translation
Is it good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?

Smith's Literal Translation
Is it good that he shall search you out? or as he mocking against a man; will ye mock against him?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Or shall it please him, from whom nothing can be concealed ? or shall he be deceived as a man, with your deceitful dealings ?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Or, will it please him, from whom nothing can be concealed? Or, will he be deceived, like a man, by your deceitfulness?

New American Bible
Will it be well when he shall search you out? Can you deceive him as you do a mere human being?

New Revised Standard Version
Will it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one person deceives another?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Is it good for you that he should search you out? Or as you are judged by men, would you be judged by him?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
It is good for you that he investigates you, if as a man is judged you are judged by him in all things
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Would it be good that He should search you out? Or as one mocketh a man, will ye mock Him?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For it were well if he would thoroughly search you: for though doing all things in your power ye should attach yourselves to him,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Reproves His Friends
8Would you show Him partiality or argue in His defense? 9Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him like a man? 10Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.…

Cross References
Psalm 139:1-4
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. / You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar. / You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways. ...

Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”

1 Chronicles 28:9
As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

Romans 2:16
on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.

Matthew 6:4-6
so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. / And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. / But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Luke 16:15
So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.

John 2:24-25
But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all. / He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.

Psalm 44:21
would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?

Proverbs 21:2
All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.

Isaiah 29:15
Woe to those who dig deep to hide their plans from the LORD. In darkness they do their works and say, “Who sees us, and who will know?”

Acts 1:24
And they prayed, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen

1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.


Treasury of Scripture

Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocks another, do you so mock him?

search

Job 34:36
My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.

Psalm 44:21
Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

Psalm 139:23
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

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Job 13
1. Job reproves his friends for partiality
14. He professes his confidence in God;
19. and entreats to know his own sins, and God's purpose in afflicting him














Would it be well
This phrase challenges the reader to consider the outcome of divine scrutiny. The Hebrew root here, "yitav," suggests a sense of goodness or wellness. Job is questioning whether the actions and intentions of his friends would stand up to God's examination. In a broader scriptural context, this reflects the biblical theme that God’s judgment is thorough and righteous, as seen in passages like Psalm 139:23-24, where the psalmist invites God to search and know his heart. The rhetorical nature of the question implies that the answer is negative, emphasizing the futility of trying to justify oneself before God without true righteousness.

when He examines you
The word "examines" comes from the Hebrew "bāḥan," meaning to test or scrutinize. This term is often used in the context of refining metals, suggesting a process that reveals true character and purity. Historically, this reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of testing the quality of metals, which serves as a metaphor for divine judgment. Theologically, it underscores the belief that God’s examination is penetrating and discerning, as echoed in Jeremiah 17:10, where God searches the heart and tests the mind.

Could you deceive Him
The concept of deception here is rooted in the Hebrew "rāmah," which means to beguile or mislead. Job is highlighting the absurdity of attempting to deceive an omniscient God. This reflects a consistent biblical theme that God cannot be mocked or deceived, as seen in Galatians 6:7. The rhetorical question serves to remind the reader of the futility and danger of hypocrisy, urging a life of sincerity and truthfulness before God.

like a man
This phrase contrasts human limitations with divine omniscience. The Hebrew "kā’ādām" implies the frailty and fallibility of human beings. In the historical context of the ancient world, where gods were often perceived as having human-like weaknesses, the God of Israel stands apart as wholly other and incapable of being deceived. Scripturally, this distinction is crucial, as seen in Numbers 23:19, which declares that God is not a man that He should lie. This serves as a powerful reminder of the need for humility and integrity in our relationship with God.

(9) As one man mocketh another.--As one man, with mingled flattery and deception, seeks to impose upon another.

Verse 9. - Is it good that he should search you out? "Are your motives in thus acting," Job asks his opponents, "so pure that they will stand the severity of God's judgment when he turns his scrutiny upon you and searches out the grounds of your proceedings? Is not your real motive to carry favour with him because he is so great and powerful?" Or as one man mocketh another, do ye so meek him? You may impose on a man by so acting, but you will not impose on God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Would it be well
הֲ֭טוֹב (hă·ṭō·wḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

when
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

He examined you?
יַחְקֹ֣ר (yaḥ·qōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2713: To penetrate, to examine intimately

Could you deceive
כְּהָתֵ֥ל (kə·hā·ṯêl)
Preposition-k | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2048: To deride, to cheat

Him
בֽוֹ׃ (ḇōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

[like]
תְּהָתֵ֥לּוּ (tə·hā·ṯêl·lū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 2048: To deride, to cheat

a man?
בֶּ֝אֱנ֗וֹשׁ (be·’ĕ·nō·wōš)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person


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OT Poetry: Job 13:9 Is it good that he should search (Jb)
Job 13:8
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