Job 17 · Verse 4

Job 17:4

For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.
Job 17:4, King James Version

Job 17:4 in other translations

BSBYou have closed their minds to understanding; therefore You will not exalt them.
WEBFor you have hidden their heart from understanding, therefore you will not exalt them.
ASVFor thou hast hid their heart from understanding: Therefore shalt thou not exalt them.
YLTFor their heart Thou hast hidden From understanding, Therefore Thou dost not exalt them.
DARBYFor thou hast hidden their heart from understanding; therefore thou wilt not exalt them.
BBEYou have kept their hearts from wisdom: for this cause you will not give them honour.
WebsterFor thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

What does Job 17:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. their heart--The intellect of his friends. shalt ... exalt--Rather imperative, "exalt them not"; allow them not to conquer [Umbreit], (Is 6:9, 10).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 For thou hast hid their heart - This address is to God; and here he is represented as doing that which in the course of his providence he only permits to be done. Shalt thou not exalt them - This was exactly fulfilled: not one of Job's friends was exalted; on the contrary, God condemned the whole; and they were not received into the Divine favor till Job sacrificed, and made intercession for them.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 17:1-9

Job reflects upon the harsh censures his friends had passed upon him, and, looking on himself as a dying man, he appeals to God. Our time is ending. It concerns us carefully to redeem the days of time, and to spend them in getting ready for eternity. We see the good use the righteous should make of Job's afflictions from God, from enemies, and from friends. Instead of being discouraged in the service of God, by the…

Read the full comment on Job 17:1-9 →

Job 17:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
לִ֭בָּםLi.bomheart theirH3820
צָפַ֣נְתָּtza.Fan.tayou have keptH6845
מִּשָּׂ֑כֶלmi.Sa.khelfrom understandingH7922
עַל\־'al-there-H5921
כֵּ֝֗ןKen-foreH3651
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תְרֹמֵֽם\׃te.ro.Memyou will exalt [them]H7311

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 17:4

  • Matthew 11:25

    At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

  • Matthew 13:11

    He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

  • 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.

  • Isaiah 19:14

    The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:20

    Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

  • 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.

  • Romans 11:8

    (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

  • 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 15:31; 17:14; 2Ch 25:16; Isa 19:14; Mt 11:25; 13:11; Ro 11:8
1Co 1:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 17:3

    Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

  • Job 17:4

    For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

  • Job 17:5

    He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

Read all of Job 17

Job 17:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque á éstos has tú escondido su corazón de inteligencia: por tanto, no los ensalzarás.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car tu as fermé leur cœur à l’intelligence; c’est pourquoi tu ne les élèveras pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn ihre Herzen hast du der Einsicht verschlossen; darum wirst du ihnen nicht die Oberhand geben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cor eorum longe fecisti a disciplina: propterea non exaltabuntur.