Job 42:3
Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge.
Open Job 42:3 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Quis est iste qui celat consilium absque scientia ? ideo insipienter locutus sum, et quæ ultra modum excederent scientiam meam.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- τίς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ κρύπτων σε βουλήν; φειδόμενος δὲ ῥημάτων, καὶ σὲ οἴεται κρύπτειν; τίς δὲ ἀναγγελεῖ μοι ἃ οὐκ ᾔδειν, μεγάλα καὶ θαυμαστὰ ἃ οὐκ ἠπιστάμην;
- Hebrew (WLC)
- מִ֤י זֶ֨ה מַעְלִ֥ים עֵצָ֗ה בְּֽלִ֫י דָ֥עַת לָכֵ֣ן הִ֭גַּדְתִּי וְלֹ֣א אָבִ֑ין נִפְלָא֥וֹת מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי וְלֹ֣א אֵדָֽע
Haydock's commentary
Who. Hebrew, "Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge?" (Protestants) This seems to allude to the words of God, chap. xxxviii. 2. Each of my friends has only rendered the ways of Providence more obscure, and I myself have not perfectly understood them. (Haydock)
Unwisely. See chap. xxxix. 35. (Worthington) (Du Hamel)
Hebrew, "without knowledge, things wonderful to me, which I knew not." (Haydock)
Now I comprehend that thou didst not afflict me, but hast given me into the hands of the enemy, as thou wilt hereafter do others of the greatest virtue, that their patience may shine the brighter, and be rewarded. I need inquire no farther, now I see thy design plainly, ver. 5. He does not accuse himself of any sin or false assertion, but acknowledges his infirmity in not having understood this before, ver. 6. (Houbigant)
Septuagint, "I have been told what I knew not, things great and wonderful, of which I was not apprized." (Haydock)
Who can deny God's providence? (Du Hamel)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
Clement of Alexandria The Stromata, or Miscellanies, Chapter XXIII. The Same Subject Continued
The soul is not then sent down from heaven to what is worse. For God works all things up to what is better. But the soul which has chosen the best life, the life that is from God and righteousness, exchanges earth for heaven. With reason therefore, Job, who had attained to knowledge, said, “Now I know that thou canst do all things; and nothing is impossible to Thee. For who tells me of what I know not, great and wonderful things with which I was unacquainted? And I felt myself vile, considering myself to be earth and ashes.” For he who, being in a state of ignorance, is sinful, “is earth and ashes;” while he who is in a state of knowledge, being assimilated as far as possible to God, is already spiritual, and so elect. …