Job 22:17
New International Version
They said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’

New Living Translation
For they said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’

English Standard Version
They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’

Berean Standard Bible
They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’

King James Bible
Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

New King James Version
They said to God, ‘Depart from us! What can the Almighty do to them?’

New American Standard Bible
“They said to God, ‘Go away from us!’ And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’

NASB 1995
“They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’

NASB 1977
“They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’

Legacy Standard Bible
They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’

Amplified Bible
“They said to God, ‘Depart from us! What can the Almighty do for us or to us?’

Christian Standard Bible
They were the ones who said to God, “Leave us alone! ” and “What can the Almighty do to us? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They were the ones who said to God, “Leave us alone!” and “What can the Almighty do to us?”

American Standard Version
Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, What can the Almighty do for us?

Contemporary English Version
They rejected God All-Powerful, feeling he was helpless,

English Revised Version
Who said unto God, Depart from us; and, What can the Almighty do for us?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They told God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do for us?'

Good News Translation
These are the ones who rejected God and believed that he could do nothing to them.

International Standard Version
They told God, 'Get away from us!' and 'What will the Almighty do to them?'

Majority Standard Bible
They said to God, ?Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us??

NET Bible
They were saying to God, 'Turn away from us,' and 'What can the Almighty do to us?'

New Heart English Bible
who said to God, 'Depart from us;' and, 'What can Shaddai do for us?'

Webster's Bible Translation
Who said to God, depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them!

World English Bible
who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, "" And what does the Mighty One do to them?

Young's Literal Translation
Those saying to God, 'Turn aside from us,' And what doth the Mighty One to them?

Smith's Literal Translation
They saying to God, Depart from us: and what shall the Almighty do for them?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who said to God: Depart from us: and looked upon the Almighty as if he could do nothing:

Catholic Public Domain Version
They said to God, “Withdraw from us,” and they treated the Almighty as if he could do nothing,

New American Bible
They said to God, “Let us alone!” and, “What can the Almighty do to us?”

New Revised Standard Version
They said to God, ‘Leave us alone,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Who said to God, Depart from us; what can God do for us?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they were saying to God: ‘depart from us, and we do not want to know your ways, and what does God do for us?’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Who said unto God: 'Depart from us'; And what could the Almighty do unto them?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Who say, What will the Lord do to us? or what will the Almighty bring upon us?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Eliphaz Exhorts Job
16They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood. 17They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’ 18But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.…

Cross References
Psalm 73:11
The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?”

Isaiah 30:11-12
Get out of the way; turn off the road. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!” / Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, trusting in oppression and relying on deceit,

Jeremiah 2:31
You people of this generation, consider the word of the LORD: “Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to You no more’?

Proverbs 1:29-31
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. / They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof. / So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

Romans 1:28
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

2 Peter 3:5
But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

Luke 12:19-20
Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ / But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

Matthew 24:38-39
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. / And they were oblivious until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Isaiah 5:19
to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”

Ezekiel 8:12
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”

Malachi 3:14-15
You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts? / So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”

2 Timothy 3:4
traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Psalm 10:4
In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God.

Isaiah 47:10
You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’


Treasury of Scripture

Which said to God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

Depart

Job 21:10,14,15
Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf…

Isaiah 30:11
Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

Matthew 8:29,34
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? …

and what

Psalm 4:6
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

Malachi 3:14
Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

for them.

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Job 22
1. Eliphaz shows that man's goodness profits not God
5. He accuses Job of various sins
21. He exhorts him to repentance, with promises of mercy














They said to God
This phrase introduces the rebellious attitude of those who have turned away from God. In the Hebrew text, the word for "said" is "אָמַר" (amar), which is a common verb used to express speech or thought. This indicates a deliberate and conscious decision to reject God. Historically, this reflects the attitude of many who, in their prosperity, felt self-sufficient and saw no need for divine intervention or guidance. It is a reminder of the human tendency to forget God when life seems manageable on our own terms.

‘Depart from us
The Hebrew word for "depart" is "סוּר" (sur), which means to turn aside or remove. This is a strong expression of rejection, showing a desire to be left alone by God. In the context of Job, this reflects the arrogance and pride of those who believe they can live independently of divine influence. It is a sobering reminder of the folly of attempting to live without acknowledging God's sovereignty and presence in our lives.

What can the Almighty do to us?
Here, "the Almighty" is translated from the Hebrew "שַׁדַּי" (Shaddai), a name for God that emphasizes His power and might. The rhetorical question implies a dismissive attitude towards God's ability to affect their lives. This reflects a historical context where people often underestimated God's power, especially when they were prosperous or successful. It serves as a caution against the arrogance of believing that human strength or wisdom can surpass divine authority. The phrase challenges believers to recognize God's omnipotence and the futility of resisting His will.

(17) Which said unto God, Depart from us.--Here again he attributes to Job the very thoughts he had ascribed to the wicked (Job 20:14-15).

Verse 17. - Who said unto God, Depart from us (comp. Job 21:14). Eliphaz tries, though with no very great success, to turn Job's words against him. And, What can the Almighty do for them? i.e. and ask what the Almighty can do for them. A change from the second to the third person, without any change of subject, is not unusual in Hebrew. The wicked renounce God, and bid him depart from them - conduct which they justify by asking what good he could do them if they acted otherwise. The idea is the same as that of Job 21:15, though not expressed so pointedly. What Eliphaz thinks to gain by echoing Job's words is not very apparent.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They said
הָאֹמְרִ֣ים (hā·’ō·mə·rîm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to God,
לָ֭אֵל (lā·’êl)
Preposition | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

‘Depart
ס֣וּר (sūr)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5493: To turn aside

from us.
מִמֶּ֑נּוּ (mim·men·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

What
וּמַה־ (ū·mah-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

can the Almighty
שַׁדַּ֣י (šad·day)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7706: The Almighty

do to us?’
יִּפְעַ֖ל (yip̄·‘al)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6466: To do, make, to practise


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OT Poetry: Job 22:17 Who said to God 'Depart from us (Jb)
Job 22:16
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