Job 9:5
in Job 9He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Him that removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When he overturneth them in his anger;
KJV
Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.
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This verse in Job 9
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Which removeth the mountains - In order to show how vain it was to contend with God, Job refers to some exhibitions of his power and greatness. The “removal of the mountains” here denotes the changes which occur in earthquakes and other violent convulsions of nature. This illustration of the power of God is often referred to in the Scriptures; compare Jdg 5:5; 1Ki 19:11; Psa 65:6; Psa 114:4; Psa 144:5; Isa 40:12; Jer 4:24. And they know not - This is evidently a Hebraism, meaning suddenly, or unexpectedly.
This site's exposition
He moves mountains without their knowledge
on Job 9:5-10
Job answers his own hard question with praise for the God who "moves mountains," "shakes the earth from its place," and "seals off the stars". "He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion" reaches into the created order the whirlwind speeches return to in chapters 38 and 39.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"He removes mountains," Job says, "and they do not know it." The mountains, he says, and they do not notice it. And this is in perfect accordance with what David said: "He touches the mountains, and they smoke." In this passage he speaks about the power of God by stating that God can do anything through his avenging power. In fact, Job has testified to his justice and, at the same time, testifies to his power.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Which removed the mountains, and they knew not whom He overturned in His anger. ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION Oftentimes in Holy Writ by the title of 'mountains,' the loftiness of Preachers is set forth. Of whom it is said by the Psalmist, The mountains shall receive peace for Thy people. For the Elect Preachers of the eternal Land are not unjustly called 'mountains,' in that by the loftiness of their lives they leave the low bottoms of earthly regions, and are brought near to heaven. Now 'Truth' 'removed the mountains' when He withdrew the holy Preachers from the stubbornness of Judaea.
Then he shows that the power of God exceeds all the power of natural things as much in higher as in lower bodies. He shows this in the lower bodies from the fact that he moves those things which seem especially firm and stable among …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
By the common law of nature the mountains are settled and are therefore called everlasting mountains, the earth is established and cannot be removed ( Ps. xciii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Which removeth the mountains,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
and they know not--Hebrew for "suddenly, unexpectedly, before they are aware of it" (Ps 35:8); "at unawares"; Hebrew, which "he knoweth not of" (Joe 2:14;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
Removeth the mountains, and they know not - This seems to refer to earthquakes. By those strong convulsions, mountains, valleys, hills, even whole islands, are removed in an instant; and to this latter circumstance the words, they know not, most probably refer. The work is done in the twinkling of an eye; no warning is given; the mountain, that seemed to be as firm as the earth on which it rested, was in the same moment both visible and invisible; so suddenly was it swallowed up.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק | hama'tik | the [one who] removes | H6275 → | 9 times |
| הָ֭רִים | harim | mountains | H2022 → | 546 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדָ֑עוּ | yadau | they know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֖ר | ʾasher | [the one] who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֲפָכָ֣ם | hafakham | he overturns them | H2015 → | 94 times |
| בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃ | beapo | in anger his | H639 → | 276 times |
הַמַּעְתִּ֣יקthe [one who] removes
hama'tikH6275 →9 times
הָ֭רִיםmountains
harimH2022 →546 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יָדָ֑עוּthey know
yadauH3045 →945 times
אֲשֶׁ֖ר[the one] who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֲפָכָ֣םhe overturns them
hafakhamH2015 →94 times
בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃in anger his
beapoH639 →276 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
Matthew 27:51At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:19–22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
- Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake,…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 15:38
And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
- Hebrews 6:19
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
- Luke 23:45
The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
- Hebrews 10:19–22
Through
Revelation 11:13And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand were killed in the quake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God…
it leads to
- Revelation 14:7
And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea…
- Revelation 6:12
And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,
- Revelation 14:7
Through
Habakkuk 3:10The mountains saw You and quaked; torrents of water swept by. The deep roared with its voice and lifted its hands on high.
it leads to
- Psalms 98:7–8
Let the sea resound, and all that fills it, the world, and all who dwell in it.
- Psalms 98:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Job
This page draws on 9 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); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; 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 9:5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.