Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore you will not let them triumph. New Living Translation You have closed their minds to understanding, but do not let them triumph. English Standard Version Since you have closed their hearts to understanding, therefore you will not let them triumph. Berean Standard Bible You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore You will not exalt them. King James Bible For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them. New King James Version For You have hidden their heart from understanding; Therefore You will not exalt them. New American Standard Bible “For You have kept their hearts away from understanding; Therefore You will not exalt them. NASB 1995 “For You have kept their heart from understanding, Therefore You will not exalt them. NASB 1977 “For Thou hast kept their heart from understanding; Therefore Thou wilt not exalt them. Legacy Standard Bible For You have hidden their heart from insight, Therefore You will not exalt them. Amplified Bible “But You [Lord] have closed their hearts to understanding, Therefore You will not exalt them [by giving a verdict against me]. Christian Standard Bible You have closed their minds to understanding, therefore you will not honor them. Holman Christian Standard Bible You have closed their minds to understanding, therefore You will not honor them. American Standard Version For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: Therefore shalt thou not exalt them. Contemporary English Version My friends won't really listen, all because of you, and so you must be the one to prove them wrong. English Revised Version For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them. GOD'S WORD® Translation You have closed their minds so that they cannot understand. That is why you will not honor them. Good News Translation You have closed their minds to reason; don't let them triumph over me now. International Standard Version "Because you're the one who closed their hearts to compassion; therefore, you won't let them triumph. Majority Standard Bible You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore You will not exalt them. NET Bible Because you have closed their minds to understanding, therefore you will not exalt them. New Heart English Bible For you have hidden their heart from understanding, Therefore you shall not exalt them. Webster's Bible Translation For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them. World English Bible For you have hidden their heart from understanding, therefore you will not exalt them. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionFor You have hidden their heart from understanding, "" Therefore You do not exalt them. Young's Literal Translation For their heart Thou hast hidden From understanding, Therefore Thou dost not exalt them. Smith's Literal Translation For thou didst hide their heart from understanding; for this thou wilt not exalt them. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThou hast set their heart far from understanding, therefore they shall not be exalted. Catholic Public Domain Version You have set their heart far from discipline; therefore, they will not be praised. New American Bible You darken their minds to knowledge; therefore you will not exalt them. New Revised Standard Version Since you have closed their minds to understanding, therefore you will not let them triumph. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor thou hast hid their heart from understanding; therefore they shall exalt themselves in their deception. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Because you have hidden their heart from understanding, therefore they shall be exalted in their deception OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917For Thou hast hid their heart from understanding; Therefore shalt Thou not exalt them. Brenton Septuagint Translation For thou hast hid their heart from wisdom; therefore thou shalt not exalt them. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Job Prepares for Death…3Give me, I pray, the pledge You demand. Who else will be my guarantor? 4 You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore You will not exalt them. 5If a man denounces his friends for a price, the eyes of his children will fail.… Cross References Isaiah 44:18 They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand. Romans 11:8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Matthew 13:14-15 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’ John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.” Isaiah 6:9-10 And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Deuteronomy 29:4 Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear. Jeremiah 5:21 “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear. Ezekiel 12:2 “Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house. Mark 4:12 so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’” Acts 28:26-27 ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’ 1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. Proverbs 28:5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD comprehend fully. Psalm 81:12 So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. Isaiah 29:10 For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers. Treasury of Scripture For you have hid their heart from understanding: therefore shall you not exalt them. 2 Samuel 15:31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. 2 Samuel 17:14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom. 2 Chronicles 25:16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel. Jump to Previous Cause Closed Exalt Heart Hearts Hid Hidden Honour Kept Minds Triumph Understanding Wilt WisdomJump to Next Cause Closed Exalt Heart Hearts Hid Hidden Honour Kept Minds Triumph Understanding Wilt WisdomJob 17 1. Job appeals from men to God6. The unmerciful dealing of men with the afflicted may astonish, 9. but not discourage the righteous 11. His hope is not in life, but in death You have closed their minds to understanding; This phrase suggests divine sovereignty over human comprehension. In the context of Job, it reflects Job's belief that God has allowed his friends to misunderstand his situation. This aligns with the broader biblical theme of God hardening hearts, as seen in Exodus 9:12 with Pharaoh. Theologically, it raises questions about human free will and divine intervention. The closing of minds can be seen as a form of judgment, where God allows individuals to persist in their ignorance due to their own stubbornness, similar to Romans 1:28, where God gives people over to a depraved mind. therefore You will not exalt them. Persons / Places / Events 1. JobThe central figure in the Book of Job, a man of great faith and integrity who undergoes severe trials and suffering. He is speaking in this verse, expressing his lament and confusion about his situation and the actions of God. 2. God The omnipotent and omniscient Creator, who is sovereign over all events. In this context, Job attributes the closing of minds to God, reflecting his struggle to understand divine justice and wisdom. 3. Job's Friends Although not directly mentioned in this verse, they are the ones whose minds Job implies have been closed. They fail to understand Job's righteousness and wrongly accuse him of sin. 4. The Heavenly Court The backdrop of the Book of Job includes a heavenly scene where God allows Satan to test Job's faith, setting the stage for the events that unfold. 5. The Land of Uz The setting of the Book of Job, a place of ancient wisdom and prosperity, which becomes a backdrop for Job's trials and dialogues. Teaching Points Divine Sovereignty Over UnderstandingGod has the power to open or close human minds to understanding. This should lead us to humility and reliance on God for true wisdom. The Limits of Human Wisdom Human understanding is limited and can be flawed, especially when it is not aligned with God's truth. We must seek God's wisdom through prayer and scripture. The Role of Suffering in Spiritual Insight Suffering can be a tool for spiritual growth and deeper understanding of God's purposes, even when it seems like our minds are closed to the reasons behind it. The Importance of Compassionate Counsel Like Job's friends, we must be cautious not to judge others' situations without understanding God's perspective. Compassion and empathy should guide our counsel. Trusting God's Justice Even when we do not understand God's actions, we can trust in His justice and righteousness. Our faith should rest in His character, not our circumstances.(4) Their heart.--i.e., the heart of his friends.Verse 4. - For thou hast hid their heart from understanding. My so-called friends will certainly not undertake for me, since thou hast blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts against me. Therefore shalt thou not exalt them. God will not exalt those who are without understanding. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew You have closedצָפַ֣נְתָּ (ṣā·p̄an·tā) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 6845: To hide, to hoard, reserve, to deny, to protect, to lurk their minds לִ֭בָּם (lib·bām) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre to understanding; מִּשָּׂ֑כֶל (miś·śā·ḵel) Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 7922: Intelligence, success therefore עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against You will not לֹ֣א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no exalt them. תְרֹמֵֽם׃ (ṯə·rō·mêm) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 7311: To be high actively, to rise, raise Links Job 17:4 NIVJob 17:4 NLT Job 17:4 ESV Job 17:4 NASB Job 17:4 KJV Job 17:4 BibleApps.com Job 17:4 Biblia Paralela Job 17:4 Chinese Bible Job 17:4 French Bible Job 17:4 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Job 17:4 For you have hidden their heart (Jb) |
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