Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?” New Living Translation “What does God know?” they ask. “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?” English Standard Version And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Berean Standard Bible The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?” King James Bible And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? New King James Version And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” New American Standard Bible They say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?” NASB 1995 They say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?” NASB 1977 And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?” Legacy Standard Bible They say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?” Amplified Bible They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge [of us] with the Most High?” Christian Standard Bible The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High know everything? ” Holman Christian Standard Bible The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High know everything?” American Standard Version And they say, How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? Contemporary English Version Only evil people would say, "God Most High cannot know everything!" English Revised Version And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? GOD'S WORD® Translation Then wicked people ask, "What does God know?" "Does the Most High know anything?" Good News Translation They say, "God will not know; the Most High will not find out." International Standard Version Then they say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" Majority Standard Bible The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?” NET Bible They say, "How does God know what we do? Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?" New Heart English Bible They say, "How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?" Webster's Bible Translation And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? World English Bible They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd they have said, “How has God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” Young's Literal Translation And they have said, 'How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?' Smith's Literal Translation And they said, How did God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd they said: How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Catholic Public Domain Version New American Bible They say, “Does God really know?” “Does the Most High have any knowledge?” New Revised Standard Version And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThey shall say, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And they will say, "How does God know?", and "Is there knowledge in The Highest?" OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And they say: 'How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?' Brenton Septuagint Translation And they said, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Endow the King with Your Justice…10So their people return to this place and drink up waters in abundance. 11The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?” 12Behold, these are the wicked—always carefree as they increase their wealth.… Cross References Job 22:13-14 Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness? / Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’ Malachi 3:14-15 You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts? / So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’” Ezekiel 8:12 “Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’” 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?” Jeremiah 12:1 Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? Psalm 10:11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees.” Psalm 94:7 They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.” Job 21:14-15 Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways. / Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’ Isaiah 47:10 You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ Zephaniah 1:12 And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’ 2 Peter 3:4 “Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.” Romans 1:28 Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 2 Timothy 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these! Luke 12:45-46 But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk. / The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. Matthew 24:48-51 But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’ / And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. / The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. ... Treasury of Scripture And they say, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? how Psalm 73:9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Psalm 10:11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it. Psalm 94:7 Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. is there Psalm 44:21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Psalm 139:1-6 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me… Hosea 7:2 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face. Jump to Previous HighJump to Next HighPsalm 73 1. The prophet, prevailing in a temptation2. Shows the occasion thereof, the prosperity of the wicked 13. The wound given thereby, diffidence 15. The victory over it, knowledge of God's purpose. How can God know? This phrase reflects a deep skepticism and questioning of God's omniscience. The Hebrew root for "know" is "יָדַע" (yada), which implies an intimate, experiential knowledge. In the context of Psalm 73, the psalmist is grappling with the apparent prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous. This question challenges the belief that God is aware of and involved in the affairs of humanity. Historically, this reflects a common struggle among the faithful when faced with injustice, echoing the sentiments found in other wisdom literature like Job. The psalmist's doubt is not just intellectual but deeply emotional, questioning the very nature of God's involvement in the world. Does the Most High have knowledge? "And people say, How shall God know? And does the Most High take notice of it? Lo! there are wicked men, And yet, always at ease, they amass riches. It is in vain then that I have kept my heart pure. And washed my hands in innocence; For I have been plagued every day, And my punishments (come) every morning." --this reflection being put into the mouth of the public who are onlookers at the career of these timeservers. But the poet immediately goes on to disclaim it for himself. Verse 11. - And they say, How doth God know? Their wickedness breeds scepticism in them. They wish God not to know, and therefore begin to question whether he does or can know (comp. Psalm 10:4, 11, 13). And is there knowledge in the Most High? Does God concern himself at all with the things that take place on earth (comp. Psalm 94:7)? IS not man too weak and contemptible to attract his attention?Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew The wicked say,וְֽאָמְר֗וּ (wə·’ā·mə·rū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Strong's 559: To utter, say “How אֵיכָ֥ה (’ê·ḵāh) Interjection Strong's 349: How?, how!, where can God אֵ֑ל (’êl) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty know? יָדַֽע־ (yā·ḏa‘-) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 3045: To know Does the Most High בְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃ (ḇə·‘el·yō·wn) Preposition-b | Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 5945: An elevation, lofty, as title, the Supreme have knowledge?” דֵּעָ֣ה (dê·‘āh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 1844: Knowledge Links Psalm 73:11 NIVPsalm 73:11 NLT Psalm 73:11 ESV Psalm 73:11 NASB Psalm 73:11 KJV Psalm 73:11 BibleApps.com Psalm 73:11 Biblia Paralela Psalm 73:11 Chinese Bible Psalm 73:11 French Bible Psalm 73:11 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Psalm 73:11 They say How does God know? (Psalm Ps Psa.) |
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