Job 42:2
"I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted.
I know
The phrase "I know" in Hebrew is "יָדַעְתִּי" (yada'ti), which conveys a deep, intimate knowledge. In the context of Job, this is not merely intellectual assent but a profound, personal realization. Job's journey through suffering has brought him to a place of deeper understanding and relationship with God. This acknowledgment signifies a shift from questioning to trusting, from confusion to clarity. It reflects a heart that has been humbled and enlightened through divine revelation.

that You can do all things
The Hebrew phrase here, "כָּל-תּוּכָל" (kol tukal), emphasizes God's omnipotence. "All things" encompasses the entirety of creation and the full scope of divine power. This is a declaration of God's unlimited ability to accomplish His purposes. Historically, this acknowledgment would resonate with the ancient Near Eastern understanding of deities, but Job's declaration sets the God of Israel apart as the one true omnipotent being. It is a confession of faith that recognizes no limits to God's power, aligning with the broader biblical narrative of God's sovereignty.

and that no plan of Yours
The word "plan" in Hebrew is "מְזִמָּה" (mezimah), which can also be translated as "purpose" or "design." This term suggests intentionality and wisdom in God's actions. Job is affirming that God's purposes are deliberate and well-conceived. In the scriptural context, this reflects the belief that God's plans are not arbitrary but are rooted in His perfect wisdom and love. This understanding provides comfort and assurance that, despite human suffering and confusion, God's overarching plan is good and just.

can be thwarted
The Hebrew word "יִבָּצֵר" (yibbatzar) means "to be restrained" or "to be hindered." Job is declaring that nothing can obstruct or prevent God's will from being fulfilled. This is a powerful statement of faith in God's ultimate control over all circumstances. In the historical and cultural context of the ancient world, where chaos and disorder were often feared, this assurance of God's unassailable plan would bring profound peace. It echoes the biblical theme that God's purposes will prevail, regardless of human or demonic opposition.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He underwent severe trials and suffering, losing his wealth, children, and health, yet remained faithful to God.

2. God (Yahweh)
The Almighty Creator who allowed Job's testing and ultimately restored him. In Job 42:2, Job acknowledges God's omnipotence and sovereignty.

3. The Land of Uz
The setting of the Book of Job, traditionally considered to be in the region of Edom or northern Arabia.

4. Job's Friends
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who visited Job to comfort him but ended up accusing him of sinning against God.

5. Satan
The adversary who challenged Job's integrity, suggesting that Job was faithful only because of his prosperity.
Teaching Points
Acknowledging God's Sovereignty
Recognize that God is in control of all circumstances, and His plans are perfect and unchangeable.

Trust in God's Omnipotence
In times of trial, remember that God can do all things and that His power is beyond human understanding.

Humility Before God
Like Job, we should approach God with humility, acknowledging our limited understanding compared to His infinite wisdom.

Faith in God's Goodness
Trust that God's plans, even when not immediately apparent, are ultimately for our good and His glory.

Perseverance in Trials
Job's account encourages us to remain steadfast in faith, knowing that God is working through our trials for a greater purpose.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Job 42:2 challenge your understanding of God's power and control over your life circumstances?

2. In what ways can you apply the truth of God's unthwartable plans to a current situation you are facing?

3. How does the acknowledgment of God's sovereignty in Job 42:2 provide comfort during times of uncertainty or suffering?

4. Reflect on a time when you doubted God's plans. How does Job's declaration in this verse encourage you to trust God more fully?

5. How can you use the truth of Job 42:2 to encourage someone else who is going through a difficult time? What other scriptures might you share with them?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 18:14
This verse echoes the theme of God's omnipotence, where God assures Abraham that nothing is too hard for Him, reinforcing the idea that God's plans cannot be thwarted.

Isaiah 14:27
This passage speaks of the Lord's purpose standing firm, emphasizing the unchangeable nature of God's plans.

Matthew 19:26
Jesus speaks of the possibility of all things with God, aligning with Job's acknowledgment of God's limitless power.

Romans 8:28
This verse connects to the idea that God's plans are for the good of those who love Him, even when circumstances seem dire.
The Confession of God's SupremacyW.F. Adeney Job 42:1, 2
ContritionR. Green Job 42:1-6
Job's Answer and ConfessionE. Johnson Job 42:1-6
Job's Confession and RestorationS. G. Woodrow.Job 42:1-10
Job's Confession and RestorationD. J. Burrell, D. D.Job 42:1-10
Job's Confession and RestorationC. A. Dickinson.Job 42:1-10
People
Bildad, Eliphaz, Jemima, Job, Kerenhappuch, Kezia, Zophar
Places
Uz
Topics
Able, Canst, Designs, Device, Effect, Hast, Hindered, Purpose, Restrained, Thwarted, Withheld, Withholden, Yours
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Job 42:2

     1105   God, power of
     1115   God, purpose of
     1130   God, sovereignty
     5216   authority, nature of
     5776   achievement
     5917   plans
     8401   challenges

Job 42:1-6

     8281   insight

Job 42:2-3

     5779   advice

Library
October 6 Morning
The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.--REV. 19:6. I know that thou canst do every thing.--The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.--He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?--There is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?--Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee. Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea,
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

July 26. "Now Mine Eye Seeth Thee" (Job Xlii. 5).
"Now mine eye seeth Thee" (Job xlii. 5). We must recognize the true character of our self-life and its real virulence and vileness. We must consent to its destruction, and we must take it ourselves, as Abraham did Isaac, and lay it at the feet of God in willing sacrifice. This is a hard work for the natural heart, but the moment the will is yielded and the choice is made, that death is past, the agony is over, and we are astonished to find that the death is accomplished. Usually the crisis of life
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

'The End of the Lord'
'Then Job answered the Lord, and said, 2. I know that Thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can he withholden from Thee. 3. 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. 4. Hear, I beseech Thee, and I will speak: I will demand of Thee, and declare Thou unto me. 5. I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee. 6. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Intercessory Prayer
The circumstance which attended Job's restoration is that to which I invite your particular attention. "The Lord turned again the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends." Intercessory prayer was the omen of his returning greatness. It was the bow in the cloud, the dove bearing the olive branch, the voice of the turtle announcing the coming summer. When his soul began to expand itself in holy and loving prayer for his erring brethren, then the heart of God showed itself to him by returning
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 7: 1861

The Sinner Sentenced.
1, 2.The sinner called upon to hear his sentence.--3. God's law does now in general pronounce a curse.--4. It pronounces death.--5. And being turned into hell.--6. The judgement day shall come.--7, 8. The solemnity of that grand process described according to scriptural representations of it.--9. With a particular illustration of the sentence, "Depart, accursed," &c.--10. The execution wilt certainly and immediately follow.--11. The sinner warned to prepare for enduring it. The reflection of a sinner
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Whether after the Resurrection the Saints Will See God with the Eyes of the Body? [*Cf. Fp, Q , a ]
Objection 1: It would seem that after the resurrection the saints will see God with the eyes of the body. Because the glorified eye has greater power than one that is not glorified. Now the blessed Job saw God with his eyes (Job 42:5): "With the hearing of the ear, I have heard Thee, but now my eye seeth Thee." Much more therefore will the glorified eye be able to see God in His essence. Objection 2: Further, it is written (Job 19:26): "In my flesh I shall see God my Saviour [Vulg.: 'my God']." Therefore
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Its Problem
In this and the following chapter our aim will be fourfold. First, to demonstrate the impossibility of any sinner obtaining acceptance and favour with God on the ground of his own performances. Second, to show that the saving of a sinner presented a problem which nought but omniscience could solve, but that the consummate wisdom of God has devised a way whereby He can pronounce righteous a guilty transgressor of His Law without impeaching His veracity, sullying His holiness, or ignoring the claims
Arthur W. Pink—The Doctrine of Justification

Washed to Greater Foulness
Turning to my text, let me say, that as one is startled by a shriek, or saddened by a groan, so these sharp utterances of Job astonish us at first, and then awake our pity. How much are we troubled with brotherly compassion as we read the words,--"If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me!" The sense of misery couched in this passage baffles description. Yet this is but one of a series, in which sentence
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 32: 1886

Whether the Essence of God Can be Seen with the Bodily Eye?
Objection 1: It seems that the essence of God can be seen by the corporeal eye. For it is written (Job 19:26): "In my flesh I shall see . . . God," and (Job 42:5), "With the hearing of the ear I have heard Thee, but now my eye seeth Thee." Objection 2: Further, Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xxix, 29): "Those eyes" (namely the glorified) "will therefore have a greater power of sight, not so much to see more keenly, as some report of the sight of serpents or of eagles (for whatever acuteness of vision
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Our Attitude Toward his Sovereignty
"Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight" (Matt. 11:26). In the present chapter we shall consider, somewhat briefly, the practical application to ourselves of the great truth which we have pondered in its various ramifications in earlier pages. In chapter twelve we shall deal more in detail with the value of this doctrine but here we would confine ourselves to a definition of what ought to be our attitude toward the Sovereignty of God. Every truth that is revealed to us in God's Word
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Whether Contention is a Mortal Sin?
Objection 1: It would seem that contention is not a mortal sin. For there is no mortal sin in spiritual men: and yet contention is to be found in them, according to Lk. 22:24: "And there was also a strife amongst" the disciples of Jesus, "which of them should . . . be the greatest." Therefore contention is not a mortal sin. Objection 2: Further, no well disposed man should be pleased that his neighbor commit a mortal sin. But the Apostle says (Phil. 1:17): "Some out of contention preach Christ,"
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Character of Its Teachings Evidences the Divine Authorship of the Bible
Take its teachings about God Himself. What does the Bible teach us about God? It declares that He is Eternal: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou are God" (Ps. 90:2). It reveals the fact that He is Infinite: "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee" (I Kings 8:27). Vast as we know the universe to be, it has its bounds; but we must go beyond
Arthur W. Pink—The Divine Inspiration of the Bible

An Address to a Soul So Overwhelmed with a Sense of the Greatness of Its Sins, that it Dares not Apply Itself to Christ with Any
1-4. The case described at large.--5. As it frequently occurs.--6. Granting all that the dejected soul charges on itself.--7. The invitations and promises of Christ give hope.--8. The reader urged, under all his burdens and fears, to an humble application to him. Which is accordingly exemplified in the concluding Reflection and Prayer. 1. I have now done with those unhappy creatures who despise the Gospel, and with those who neglect it. With pleasure do I now turn myself to those who will hear me
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Letter xx. Self-Examination.
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your own selves."--2 COR. 13:6. MY DEAR SISTER, In view of the positive injunction of Scripture, above quoted, no argument is necessary to show that self-examination is a duty. But if the word of God had been silent upon the subject, the importance of self-knowledge would have been a sufficient motive for searching into the secret springs of action which influence our conduct. A person ignorant of his own heart, is like a merchant, who knows
Harvey Newcomb—A Practical Directory for Young Christian Females

Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
(from Bethany to Jerusalem and Back, Sunday, April 2, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXI. 1-12, 14-17; ^B Mark XI. 1-11; ^C Luke XIX. 29-44; ^D John XII. 12-19. ^c 29 And ^d 12 On the morrow [after the feast in the house of Simon the leper] ^c it came to pass, when he he drew nigh unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, ^a 1 And when they came nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage unto { ^b at} ^a the mount of Olives [The name, Bethphage, is said to mean house of figs, but the
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Acceptable Sacrifice;
OR, THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART: SHOWING THE NATURE, SIGNS, AND PROPER EFFECTS OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT. BEING THE LAST WORKS OF THAT EMINENT PREACHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, MR. JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD. WITH A PREFACE PREFIXED THEREUNTO BY AN EMINENT MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN LONDON. London: Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgates, 1692. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The very excellent preface to this treatise, written by George Cokayn, will inform the reader of
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Having spoken of the general notion of blessedness, I come next to consider the subjects of this blessedness, and these our Saviour has deciphered to be the poor in spirit, the mourners, etc. But before I touch upon these, I shall attempt a little preface or paraphrase upon this sermon of the beatitudes. 1 Observe the divinity in this sermon, which goes beyond all philosophy. The philosophers use to say that one contrary expels another; but here one contrary begets another. Poverty is wont to expel
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Job
The book of Job is one of the great masterpieces of the world's literature, if not indeed the greatest. The author was a man of superb literary genius, and of rich, daring, and original mind. The problem with which he deals is one of inexhaustible interest, and his treatment of it is everywhere characterized by a psychological insight, an intellectual courage, and a fertility and brilliance of resource which are nothing less than astonishing. Opinion has been divided as to how the book should be
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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