God’s Word Translation
Job 36:23
23Who can tell him which way he should go? Who can say to him, ‘You did wrong’?
Job 36:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
- New International Version (NIV)Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, 'You have done wrong'?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who has assigned Him His way, Or who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?
Context of Job 36:23
21Be careful! Don’t turn to evil, because you have chosen evil instead of suffering. 22“God does great things by his power. Is there any teacher like him? Who can tell him which way he should go? Who can say to him, ‘You did wrong’? 24Remember that you should praise his work. People have sung about it. 25Every person has seen it. Mortals have looked at it from a distance.
Read all of Job 36Job 36:23 word by word
מִֽי־פָקַ֣ד עָלָ֣יו דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וּמִֽי־אָ֝מַ֗ר פָּעַ֥לְתָּ עַוְלָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Job 36:23
- Job 34:13Who put him in charge of the earth? Who appointed him to be over the whole world?
- Isaiah 40:13Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord or instructed him as his adviser?
- Romans 11:34“Who knows how the Lord thinks? Who can become his adviser?”
- 1 Corinthians 2:16“Who has known the mind of the Lord so that he can teach him?” However, we have the mind of Christ.
- Ephesians 1:11God also decided ahead of time to choose us through Christ according to his plan, which makes everything work the way he intends.
- Job 8:3Does God distort justice, or does the Almighty distort righteousness?
- Job 34:10“You people who have understanding, listen to me. It is unthinkable that God would ever do evil or that the Almighty would ever do wicked things.
- Job 40:8“Would you undo my justice? Would you condemn me so that you can be righteous?
- Romans 2:5Since you are stubborn and don’t want to change the way you think and act, you are adding to the anger that God will have against you on that day when God vents his anger. At that time God will reveal that his decisions are fair.
- Romans 3:5But if what we do wrong shows that God is fair, what should we say? Is God unfair when he vents his anger on us? (I’m arguing the way humans would.)
- Romans 9:14What can we say—that God is unfair? That’s unthinkable!
Commentaries on Job 36:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Who hath enjoined him his way - Has God taken instructions from any man how he shall govern the world? Thou hast wrought iniquity? - Who can prove, in the whole compass of the creation, that there is one thing imperfect, superabundant, or out of its place? Who can show that there is, in the course of the Divine providence, one unrighteous, cruel, or unwise act? All the cunning and wickedness of man have never been able to find out the smallest flaw in the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Who hath enjoined him his way? - Who hath prescribed to him what he ought to do? Who is superior to him, and has marked out for him the plan which he ought to pursue? The idea is, that God is supreme and independent; no one has advised him, and no one has a right to counsel him. Perhaps, also, Elihu designs this as a reproof to Job for having complained so much of the government of God, and for being disposed, as he thought, to “prescribe” to God what he…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-23Verses 15-23 Elihu shows that Job caused the continuance of his own trouble. He cautions him not to persist in frowardness. Even good men need to be kept to their duty by the fear of God's wrath; the wisest and best have enough in them to deserve his stroke. Let not Job continue his unjust quarrel with God and his providence. And let us never dare to think favourably of sin, never indulge it, nor allow ourselves in it. Elihu thinks Job needed this…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2522-25. God is not to be impiously arraigned, but to be praised for His might, shown in His works. exalteth--rather, doeth lofty things, shows His exalted power [Umbreit] (Psa 21:13). teacheth--(Psa 94:12, &c.). The connection is, returning to Job 36:5, God's "might" is shown in His "wisdom"; He alone can teach; yet, because He, as a sovereign, explains not all His dealings, forsooth Job must presume to teach Him (Is 40:13, 14; Ro 11:34; 1Co 2:16). So the…Read the comment
Topics related to Job 36:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Job 36
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries