Job 9:4
in Job 9God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?—
KJV
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
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This verse in Job 9
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThe dragon fights, but is cast out, Rev. xii. Wicked men harden themselves against God, dispute his wisdom, disobey his laws, are impenitent for their sins and incorrigible under their afflictions; they reject the offers of his grace, and resist the strivings of his Spirit; they make nothing of his threatenings, and make head against his interest in the world.
This site's exposition
Then Job answered
on Job 9:1-4
Job answers Bildad's true doctrine with the question the whole book turns on: "how can a mortal be righteous before God". A man who contends with God "could not answer Him one time out of a thousand," against a party who is both accuser and judge.
This site's exposition
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength
Clarke reads the two halves together, a wise heart that knows every sin and mighty strength to judge it. Wesley adds that God sees sins a man never saw in himself. Henry points to the dragon of Revelation 12, thrown down.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"He is wise in mind, mighty and strong," with good reason. Indeed, since God is wise, his benefits are countless. But if you do not believe, O mortal, let us bring our reflection to its conclusion. If he pronounces one thousand words, we cannot answer a single one. These are wise words. In fact, that righteous man said, "Also the righteous will be happy." About what righteous man is he speaking? But where will we ever find a man who is righteous before God? "Not one of his thousand words." This is exactly what the prophet said as well: "No living person will be found righteous before you." "If you observe our faults, O Lord, O Lord, who will survive?" … God has created human nature. Why? Out of pure benevolence, as all the rest of creation. He has created the universe and all the rest for humans. He stated a commandment, but humanity did not consider it. Afterward he gave them the law, but they neglected it. Then he sent his Son, but they did not consider him either. Then he gave them repentance, but they did not ponder it. Then he threatened them with the punishment of hell, but they disregarded it. But why did he want to save them? Do you want us to ask Paul himself? Listen to what he says: "God dealt with me mercifully because I acted in the ignorance of disbelief." And then, after being called, Paul testified to the profound and providential care, of which he was an object.
The Medieval Church2 voices
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. What wonder is it, if we call the Maker of the wise, 'wise,' Whom we know to be Wisdom itself? and what wonder is it that he describes Him to be 'mighty,' Whom there is none that doth not know to be this very Mightiness itself? But the holy man, by the two words set forth in praise of the Creator, conveys a meaning to us, whereby to recall us in trembling to the knowledge of ourselves.
He shows as a consequence that man cannot approach God in any proportion in arguing a case when he says, "He (God) is wise in heart and Almighty in power." For there are two types of dispute. There is one in which the dispute is …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He - He is infinitely wise, and searcheth all mens hearts and ways, and discovers a multitude of sins which mens short sighted- eyes cannot see; and therefore can charge them with innumerable evils, where they thought themselves innocent, and sees far more malignity than men could discern in their sins.
He is wise in heart,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
wise in heart--in understanding!--and mighty in power! God confounds the ablest arguer by His wisdom, and the mightiest by His power. hardened himself--or his neck (Pr 29:1); that is, defied God. To prosper, one must fall in with God's arrangements of providence and grace.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength - By his infinite knowledge he searches out and sees all things, and by his almighty power he can punish all delinquencies. He that rebels against him must be destroyed.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He is wise in heart - Herder renders this, Even the wise and the powerful, Who hath withstood him and prospered? But the more common interpretation is to refer it to God. The meaning of Job appears to be, that God was a sagacious adversary; that he was able to manage his cause; that he could meet and refute all objections which could be urged; and that it would be in vain to engage in a litigation before him. He so well understood the whole ground of debate, and was so entirely skilled in the merits of the controversy, and could so successfully meet all that could be alleged, that it was useless to attempt to hold an argument with him. And mighty in strength - He is able to execute all his designs, and to carry all his purposes into effect. Man is weak and feeble, and it is hopeless for him to attempt to contend with the Almighty. Who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? - To harden oneself, here means to resist or withstand him. It refers to the firmness or resolution which one is obliged to adopt who opposes another. Here it means the opposition which man makes to the law and government of the Most High; and the affirmation is, that no one can make such opposition who will not be ultimately overcome. God is so great, so powerful, and so just, that a successful resistance cannot be made. The arrangements of God will take their course, and man must yield to his claims and his government, or be prostrated. None can successfully resist God; and the true policy of man, as well as his duty, is to yield to him, and be at peace with him. And hath prospered - Or been successful. He has failed in his opposition, and been obliged to yield. Prosperity is not found in opposing God. It is only by falling in with his arrangements and following his designs. […]
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חֲכַ֣ם | chakham | wise of | H2450 → | 138 times |
| לֵ֭בָב | levo | heart | H3824 → | 252 times |
| וְאַמִּ֣יץ | veamitz | and strong of | H533 → | |
| כֹּ֑חַ | koach | power | H3581 → | 126 times |
| מִֽי־ | mi- | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| הִקְשָׁ֥ה | hikshah | has he shown stubbornness | H7185 → | |
| אֵ֝לָ֗יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃ | vaiyishlam | and he has remained unharmed | H7999 → | 116 times |
חֲכַ֣םwise of
chakhamH2450 →138 times
לֵ֭בָבheart
levoH3824 →252 times
וְאַמִּ֣יץand strong of
veamitzH533 →
כֹּ֑חַpower
koachH3581 →126 times
מִֽי־who?
mi-H4310 →423 times
הִקְשָׁ֥הhas he shown stubbornness
hikshahH7185 →
אֵ֝לָ֗יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃and he has remained unharmed
vaiyishlamH7999 →116 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Ephesians 3:20Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
- Romans 4:21
being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.
- Jeremiah 32:27
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?
- Jude 1:24
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—
- 1 Corinthians 2:9
Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:8
Through
Romans 11:33O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
it leads to
- Job 11:7–9
Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?
- Job 5:9
the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
- Psalms 92:5
How great are Your works, O LORD, how deep are Your thoughts!
- Job 11:7–9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Job
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Job; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book IX; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, COMMENTARY ON JOB 9:4A; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.