Job 42:3
New International Version
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

New Living Translation
You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.

English Standard Version
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Berean Standard Bible
You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

King James Bible
Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

New King James Version
You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

New American Standard Bible
‘Who is this who conceals advice without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I do not know.

NASB 1995
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

NASB 1977
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

Legacy Standard Bible
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too marvelous for me, which I did not know.

Amplified Bible
“[You said to me] ‘Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge?’ Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Christian Standard Bible
You asked, “Who is this who conceals my counsel with ignorance? ” Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wondrous for me to know.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You asked, “Who is this who conceals My counsel with ignorance?” Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

American Standard Version
Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Who is this who devises doctrine by words without knowledge? Because of this you showed me that I did not understand and I have not known things that are greater than I

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For who is he that hides counsel from thee? or who keeps back his words, and thinks to hide them from thee? and who will tell me what I knew not, great and wonderful things which I understood not?

Contemporary English Version
You asked why I talk so much when I know so little. I have talked about things that are far beyond my understanding.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge.

English Revised Version
Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"[You said,] 'Who is this that belittles my advice without having any knowledge [about it]?' Yes, I have stated things I didn't understand, things too mysterious for me to know.

Good News Translation
You ask how I dare question your wisdom when I am so very ignorant. I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know.

International Standard Version
You asked, 'Who is this that darkens counsel without knowledge?' Well now, I have talked about what I don't understand— awesome things beyond me that I don't know.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

Literal Standard Version
[You said], Who [is] this hiding counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have declared, and do not understand, | Too wonderful for me, and I do not know.

Majority Standard Bible
You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

New American Bible
“Who is this who obscures counsel with ignorance?” I have spoken but did not understand; things too marvelous for me, which I did not know.

NET Bible
you asked, 'Who is this who darkens counsel without knowledge?' But I have declared without understanding things too wonderful for me to know.

New Revised Standard Version
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

New Heart English Bible
You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' therefore I have uttered that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Webster's Bible Translation
Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that which I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

World English Bible
You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ therefore I have uttered that which I didn’t understand, things too wonderful for me, which I didn’t know.

Young's Literal Translation
Who is this, hiding counsel without knowledge?' Therefore, I have declared, and understand not, Too wonderful for me, and I know not.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Submits Himself to the LORD
2“I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted. 3You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will question you, and you shall inform Me.’…

Cross References
Job 5:9
the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.

Job 38:2
"Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?

Psalm 40:5
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, and the plans You have for us--none can compare to You--if I proclaim and declare them, they are more than I can count.

Psalm 131:1
My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty. I do not aspire to great matters or things too lofty for me.

Psalm 139:6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.


Treasury of Scripture

Who is he that hides counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

Who

Job 38:2
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

things

Psalm 40:5
Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Psalm 131:1
A Song of degrees of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

Psalm 139:6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

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Counsel Dark Declared Hides Hideth Hiding Makes Obscures Purpose Searched Surely Talking Understand Understood Uttered Who Wonderful Wonders Words
Job 42
1. Job submits himself unto God
7. God, preferring Job's cause, makes his friends submit themselves, and accepts him
10. He magnifies and blesses Job
16. Job's age and death














XLII.

(3) Who is he that hideth counsel?--It is quite obvious that the right way of understanding these verses is, as in Isaiah 63:1-6, after the manner of a dialogue, in which Job and the Lord alternately reply. "Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge?" were the words with which God Himself joined the debate in Job 38:2; and therefore, unless we assign them to Him here also, we must regard them as quoted by Job, and applied reflectively to himself; but it is far better to consider them as part of a dialogue.

Verse 3. - Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? As these are nearly the words of God in Job 38:2, some suppose that they must be his words again here, and imagine a short dialogue in this place between Job and the Almighty, assigning to Job ver. 2, the latter half of ver. 8, and the whole of vers. 5 and 6, while they assign to God ver. 4 and the first clause of ver. 8. But it is far more natural to regard Job as bringing up the words which God had spoken to him, to ponder on them and answer them, or at any rate to hang his reply upon them, than to imagine God twice interrupting Job in the humble confession that he was anxious to make. We must understand, then, after the word "knowledge," an ellipse of "thou sayest." Therefore have I uttered that I understood not. Therefore, because of that reproof of thine, I perceive that, in what I said to my friends, I "darkened counsel," - I "uttered that I understood not," words which did not clear the matter in controversy, but obscured it. I dealt, in fact, with things too wonderful for me - beyond my compre-hension - which I knew not, of which I had no real knowledge, but only a semblance of knowledge, and on which, therefore, I had better have been silent.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You asked, ‘Who
מִ֤י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

is this
זֶ֨ה ׀ (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

who conceals
מַעְלִ֥ים (ma‘·lîm)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5956: To veil from sight, conceal

My counsel
עֵצָ֗ה (‘ê·ṣāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6098: Advice, plan, prudence

without
בְּֽלִ֫י (bə·lî)
Adverb
Strong's 1097: Failure, nothing, destruction, without, not yet, because not, as long as

knowledge?’
דָ֥עַת (ḏā·‘aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1847: Knowledge

Surely
לָכֵ֣ן (lā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

I spoke of things
הִ֭גַּדְתִּי (hig·gaḏ·tî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

I did not
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

understand,
אָבִ֑ין (’ā·ḇîn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand

things too wonderful
נִפְלָא֥וֹת (nip̄·lā·’ō·wṯ)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 6381: To separate, distinguish, to be, great, difficult, wonderful

for
מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי (mim·men·nî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

me to know.
אֵדָֽע׃ (’ê·ḏā‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know


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OT Poetry: Job 42:3 You asked 'Who is this who hides (Jb)
Job 42:2
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