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mannafest.faith

Job 23:13

in Job 23

But He is unchangeable, and who can oppose Him? He does what He desires.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

KJV

But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

This verse in Job 23

Commentary

11 notes on this verse
But he is in one mind - He is unchangeable. He has formed his plans, and no one can divert him from them. Of the truth of this sentiment there can be no dispute. The only difficulty in the case is to see why Job adverted to it here, and how it bears on the train of thought which he was pursuing.

This site's exposition

But He is unchangeable

on Job 23:13-14

The chapter turns from Job's record to the will he cannot move: "But He is unchangeable, and who can oppose Him". "He does what He desires" reaches Job's case, "For He carries out His decree against me, and He has many such plans". The decree will not bend to argument.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church3 voices

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Job · Written before 1274.

proposed

To the objection that this proof which he introduced on the basis of the righteousness of his life is not fitting, he shows as a consequence that the most certain and demonstrative proof cannot be introduced about divine judgments because of the incomprehensibility of the …

A commentator

Gregory the Dialogist

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVI · Written before 604.

proposed

But He is Himself alone, and no man can turn away His thought. And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth. Are there not angels and men, the heavens and the earth, the air and the waters of the ocean, all the winged creatures, quadrupeds, and creeping things? And surely it is written, Which God created that they should be. Whereas then there is such a multitude of things in the circle of nature, wherefore is it now said by the voice of the blessed man, He is Himself alone?

A commentator

Bonaventure

Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 2 · Written in the 13th century.

proposed

The fear of the Lord arises in us from the consideration of the perspicacity of divine wisdom. Whence Job: "For he alone is, and no one can turn away his thoughts. And therefore I am troubled at his presence, and when I consider him, I …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Prayer has prevailed to change God's way and his providence, but never was his will or purpose changed; for known unto God are all his works. That his power is irresistible: What his soul desires or designs even that he does, and nothing can stand in his way or put him upon new counsels.
But he is in one mind,....
4 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century4 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

in one mind--notwithstanding my innocence, He is unaltered in His purpose of proving me guilty (Job 9:12). soul--His will (Ps 115:3). He has one great purpose; nothing is haphazard; everything has its proper place with a view to His purpose.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

IT is very advantageous to the Christian mind frequently to consider the deep and unsearchable attributes of God. The beneficial effect is palpable in two ways, exerting a sacred influence both on the judgment and the heart. In respect to the one, it tends to confirm us in those good old orthodox doctrines which lie at the basis of our faith. If we study man, and make him the only object of our research, there will be a strong tendency in our minds to exaggerate his importance.
IT is very advantageous to the Christian mind frequently to consider the deep and unsearchable attributes of God. The beneficial effect is palpable in two ways, exerting a sacred influence both on the judgment and the heart. In respect to the one, it tends to confirm us in those good old orthodox doctrines which lie at the basis of our faith. If we study man, and make him the only object of our research, there will be a strong tendency in our minds to exaggerate his importance. We shall think too much of the creature and too little of the Creator, preferring that knowledge which is to be found out by observation and reason to that divine truth which revelation alone could make known to us. The basis and groundwork of Arminian theology lies in attaching undue importance to man, and giving God rather the second place than the first. Let your mind dwell for a long time upon man as a free agent, upon man as a responsible being, upon man, not so much as being under God’s claims as having claims upon God, and you will soon find upspringing in your thoughts a set of crude doctrines, to support which the letter of some few isolated texts in Scripture may be speciously quoted, but which really in spirit are contrary to the whole tenour of the Word of God. Thus your orthodoxy will be shaken to its very foundations, and your soul will be driven out to sea again without peace or joy. Brethren, I am not afraid that any man, who thinks worthily about the Creator, stands in awe of his adorable perfections and sees him sitting upon the throne, doing all things according to the counsel of his will, will go far wrong in his doctrinal sentiments. He may say, “My heart is fixed, O God;” and when the heart is fixed with a firm conviction of the greatness, the omnipotence, the divinity indeed of him whom we call God, the head will not wander far from truth.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

But he is in one mind - The original is והוא באחד vehu beechad, and is literally, But he is in one: properly rendered by the Vulgate, Ipse enim solus est. But he is alone. And not badly rendered by Coverdale - It is he himself alone. He has no partner; his designs are his own, they are formed in his infinite wisdom, and none can turn his determinations aside. It is vain, therefore, for man to contend with his Maker. He designs my happiness, and you cannot prevent its accomplishment.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

But He Since He is One in the world and knows the knowledge and the thoughts of the creatures, and what they have to reply to Him, therefore replies are prepared before Him.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Job 23:13:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
For He will complete my sentence I know that He will not draw back His hand until He completes the sentence of His decrees, the retribution that He has decreed against me.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Job 23:14:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

7 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְה֣וּאand he

    vehu'H1931 →1879 times

  • בְ֭אֶחָד[is] <in> one

    veechodH259 →971 times

  • וּמִ֣יand who?

    umiH4310 →423 times

  • יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּwill he turn back him

    yeshivenuH7725 →1056 times

  • וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹand [that which] self his

    venafshoH5315 →754 times

  • אִוְּתָ֣הit has desired

    ʾivetahH183 →

  • וַיָּֽעַשׂ׃and he has done

    vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Proverbs 19:21

    Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 16:9

      A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

    • Isaiah 46:10

      I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Isaiah 14:24

      The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand.

    • Proverbs 16:1

      The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD.

    • Psalms 33:10–11

      The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.

  • Through

    Psalms 115:3

    Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 135:6

      The LORD does all that pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Isaiah 46:10

    I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 19:21

      Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

    • Psalms 33:11

      The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.

Where this verse is studied

About Job

Job Hears of His Misfortunes, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Job Hears of His Misfortunes, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Job; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 2; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 406: “The Infallibility of God's Purpose” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVI; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.