Job 9 · Verse 4

Job 9:4

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
Job 9:4, King James Version

Job 9:4 in other translations

BSBGod is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
WEBGod is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and prospered?
ASVHe is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?—
YLTWise in heart and strong in power--Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?
DARBYHe is wise in heart and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and had peace?
BBEHe is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?
WebsterHe is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

What does Job 9:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. wise in heart--in understanding!--and mighty in power! God confounds the ablest arguer by His wisdom, and the mightiest by His power. hardened himself--or his neck (Pr 29:1); that is, defied God. To prosper, one must fall in with God's arrangements of providence and grace.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength - By his infinite knowledge he searches out and sees all things, and by his almighty power he can punish all delinquencies. He that rebels against him must be destroyed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 9:1-13

In this answer Job declared that he did not doubt the justice of God, when he denied himself to be a hypocrite; for how should man be just with God? Before him he pleaded guilty of sins more than could be counted; and if God should contend with him in judgment, he could not justify one out of a thousand, of all the thoughts, words, and actions of his life; therefore he deserved worse than all his present sufferings…

Read the full comment on Job 9:1-13 →

Job 9:4 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.

חֲכַ֣םcha.Khamwise ofH2450
לֵ֭בָבle.voheartH3824
וְאַמִּ֣יץve.'a.Mitzand strong ofH533
כֹּ֑חַKo.achpowerH3581
מִֽי\־mi-who?H4310
הִקְשָׁ֥הhik.Shahhas he shown stubbornnessH7185
אֵ֝לָ֗יו'e.Lavto himH413
וַיִּשְׁלָֽם\׃vai.yish.Lamand he has remained unharmedH7999

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

Cross references for Job 9:4

  • Job 36:5

    Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

  • Ephesians 3:20

    Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

  • Romans 11:33

    O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

  • Exodus 14:17-18

    And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

  • Job 9:19

    If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

  • Jude 1:24-25

    Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

  • Proverbs 29:1

    He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

  • Ephesians 3:10

    To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

  • Job 11:6

    And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

  • Exodus 9:14-17

    For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?

  • Job 12:13

    With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

  • Daniel 5:20-30

    But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
wise in heart.
19; 36:5; Ps 104:24; 136:5; Da 2:20; 4:34-37; Ro 11:33; Eph 1:8,19
Eph 3:10,20; Jude 1:24,25
who hath hardened.
6:10; 15:23-27; 40:9; Ex 9:14-17; 14:17,18; Pr 28:14; 29:1
Da 5:20-30; 1Co 10:22

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

Context

  • Job 9:3

    If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

  • Job 9:4

    He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

  • Job 9:5

    Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

Read all of Job 9

Job 9:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
El es sabio de corazón, y poderoso en fortaleza: ¿quién se endureció contra él, y quedó en paz?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Il est sage de cœur et puissant en force: qui s’est endurci contre lui et a prospéré?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Er ist weise von Herzen und stark an Kraft: wer hat sich wider ihn verhärtet und ist unversehrt geblieben?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Sapiens corde est, et fortis robore: quis restitit ei, et pacem habuit?