Job 21 · Verse 22

Job 21:22

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.
Job 21:22, King James Version

Job 21:22 in other translations

BSBCan anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?
WEB“Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?
ASVShall any teach God knowledge, Seeing he judgeth those that are high?
YLTTo God doth one teach knowledge, And He the high doth judge?
DARBYCan any teach God knowledge? And he it is that judgeth those that are high.
BBEIs anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.
WebsterShall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

What does Job 21:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
22. Reply of Job, "In all these assertions you try to teach God how He ought to deal with men, rather than prove that He does in fact so deal with them. Experience is against you. God gives prosperity and adversity as it pleases Him, not as man's wisdom would have it, on principles inscrutable to us" (Is 40:13; Ro 11:34). those ... high--the high ones, not only angels, but men (Is 2:12-17).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 Shall any teach God knowledge? - Who among the sons of men can pretend to teach God how to govern the world, who himself teaches those that are high - the heavenly inhabitants, that excel us infinitely both in knowledge and wisdom? Neither angels nor men can comprehend the reasons of the Divine providence. It is a depth known only to God.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 21:17-26

Job had described the prosperity of wicked people; in these verses he opposes this to what his friends had maintained about their certain ruin in this life. He reconciles this to the holiness and justice of God. Even while they prosper thus, they are light and worthless, of no account with God, or with wise men. In the height of their pomp and power, there is but a step between them and ruin. Job refers the…

Read the full comment on Job 21:17-26 →

Job 21:22 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.

הַלְאֵ֥לhal.'El¿ to GodH410
יְלַמֶּד\־ye.la.med-will anyone teachH3925
דָּ֑עַתDa.'atknowledgeH1847
וְ֝ה֗וּאve.Hu'and heH1931
רָמִ֥יםra.Mimexalted [ones]H7311
יִשְׁפּֽוֹט\׃yish.Pothe judgesH8199

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

Cross references for Job 21:22

  • Romans 11:34

    For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

  • 1 Corinthians 2:16

    For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

  • Isaiah 40:13-14

    Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?

  • Ecclesiastes 5:8

    If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

  • Job 40:2

    Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

  • 2 Peter 2:4

    For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

  • Psalms 82:1

    A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

  • Job 35:11

    Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

  • Job 4:18

    Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

  • 1 Corinthians 6:3

    Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

  • Job 36:22

    Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?

  • Revelation 20:12-15

    And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
teach.
40:2; Isa 40:13,14; 45:9; Ro 11:34; 1Co 2:16
he judgeth.
34:17-19; Ps 113:5,6; Ec 5:8; Isa 40:22,23; 1Co 6:3; 2Pe 2:4
Jude 1:6; Re 20:1-3,12-15

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

Context

  • Job 21:21

    For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?

  • Job 21:22

    Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

  • Job 21:23

    One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

Read all of Job 21

Job 21:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
¿Enseñará alguien á Dios sabiduría, juzgando él á los que están elevados?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Est-ce à ✶Dieu qu’on enseignera la connaissance, quand c’est lui qui juge ceux qui sont haut élevés?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Kann man Gott Erkenntnis lehren, da er es ja ist, der die Hohen richtet?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Numquid Deus docebit quispiam scientiam, qui excelsos judicat?