Job 10 13

Job 10:13 kjv

And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

Job 10:13 nkjv

'And these things You have hidden in Your heart; I know that this was with You:

Job 10:13 niv

"But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind:

Job 10:13 esv

Yet these things you hid in your heart; I know that this was your purpose.

Job 10:13 nlt

"'Yet your real motive ?
your true intent ?

Job 10 verses

Job 10 13 Meaning

Job 10:13 articulates Job’s profound accusation and frustration, as he declares to God that despite all the details of his suffering being outwardly evident, God had a secret, underlying purpose or plan for him hidden within His own heart. Job asserts that he discerns this hidden intent of God's, suggesting a deliberate and prior determination concerning Job’s ordeal. It conveys Job's feeling that he is not suffering randomly or merely due to perceived sin, but as part of a mysterious, unrevealed divine agenda, known only to God and now dimly perceived by Job.

Job 10 13 Context

Job 10:13 is found within Job's second discourse responding to his friends (chapters 9-10). Throughout this section, Job directly addresses God, voicing his profound despair and challenging God’s apparent methods and motives. Job recognizes God’s immeasurable power and sovereignty (Job 9:4-12), asserting that no one can contend with Him. Despite acknowledging God's meticulous work in his creation (Job 10:8-12), Job laments that God then seems to turn this intricate craftsmanship against him. This verse represents a turning point in Job's complaint, moving from questions about God's justice in action to a claim of understanding a deeper, hidden, and painful divine purpose behind his suffering. Job views his present suffering not as accidental or solely punitive for a sin he isn’t aware of, but as part of a pre-conceived divine agenda that God concealed, contrasting the detailed care in his making with the devastation he now experiences. The historical context reflects a wisdom tradition dealing with the problem of suffering, particularly that of the righteous, challenging conventional Deuteronomistic theology which posited direct divine retribution for sin.

Job 10 13 Word analysis

• Yet (וְאַל, vəʾal): This conjunctive particle usually means "and" or "but." Here, it carries a strong adversative force, introducing a stark contrast. Despite Job's preceding thoughts about God's creative care (verses 8-12), this particle pivots the argument back to his core complaint, indicating that the reality of his suffering stands against any benevolent interpretation of God's actions.
• these things (אֵ֣לֶּה, ʾēlleh): This plural demonstrative pronoun refers to the severe trials and afflictions Job has endured and described, encompassing his suffering, his rejection, his being meticulously hunted and attacked by God as depicted in the preceding verses of chapter 10 (e.g., God bringing ruin upon him, watching his every step, punishing him for sin). It is a direct accusation against God's actions.
• thou didst hide (צָפַנְתָּ, tsaphan̄tā): From the root צָפַן (tsaphan), meaning "to hide," "to conceal," "to store up," or "to treasure." The perfect tense indicates a completed action in the past, implying a fixed decision. It suggests deliberate, secret planning or an intention known only to God. This isn't merely unknown to Job but actively concealed by God. This challenges God's transparency and mercy in Job's eyes.
• in thine heart (בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ, billebhābhékhā): בְּ (in) + לֵבָב (levav - heart). In ancient Hebrew anthropology, the "heart" (לֵב/לֵבָב, lev/levav) is not just the seat of emotion, but pre-eminently the center of thought, reason, will, counsel, and purpose. Thus, "in thine heart" means "in your mind," "in your secret counsel," or "as your underlying purpose." This conveys God's deliberate, internal resolve and secret planning before external execution.
• I know (יָדַעְתִּי, yādhaʿtī): From the root יָדַע (yada), "to know," "to perceive," "to understand," or "to recognize." The first person singular perfect tense expresses an emphatic conviction on Job's part. This is Job's bold assertion, based on observation and his experience, that he has grasped the essence of God's hidden dealings with him. It implies a degree of spiritual insight or, conversely, profound human presumption in trying to discern divine motives.
• that this is (כִּֽי־הִיא, kī-hīʾ): כִּי (kī) functions as "that" or "for/because," connecting Job’s knowledge to the concealed truth. הִיא (hīʾ) is the feminine singular pronoun, referring back to "these things" or more broadly to the "purpose" or "intention" implied by what God concealed. It strongly affirms the identity between "these things" and God's concealed intent.
• with thee (עִמָּךְ, ʿimmāḵ): עִם (ʿim) meaning "with," often implies being in someone’s possession, belonging to them, or inherent in their nature or being. "With thee" therefore suggests that this hidden purpose is part and parcel of God’s nature or deliberate disposition toward Job. It's not something incidental, but intrinsic to God's dealing with him.

• "Yet these things thou didst hide in thine heart": This phrase expresses Job's deep grievance that God, despite His power and intimate knowledge of Job, held a secret design against him. The language of "hiding in the heart" paints a picture of deliberate concealment and an uncommunicated agenda on God's part. It implies that God had a pre-determined course of action against Job, long before its execution, which Job had no knowledge of or ability to understand.
• "I know that this is with thee": This declaration underscores Job's sense of personal insight or profound understanding regarding God’s hidden plan. It's an act of lament, not blasphemy, as Job sincerely seeks truth and answers from the One he believes to be sovereign over his suffering. Job is claiming he sees through the outward appearances to God’s true, concealed intentions, thus validating his lament as more than just a cry of pain but an accusation of concealed divine will.

Job 10 13 Bonus section

• Job's "I know" here is not an affirmation of faith but a declaration of painful certainty born from experience, echoing an earlier phase in chapter 9 where he acknowledges God's uncontrollable power, suggesting God can simply choose to afflict without cause understandable to humanity.
• This verse contributes to the overall tension in the Book of Job: the conflict between human experience (Job's suffering, and his insistence on innocence) and conventional theology (suffering equals sin) versus God's unrevealed counsel.
• The phrase "in thine heart" speaks to the divine will in its most profound and sovereign sense, a concept often revisited throughout Scripture to emphasize God's unchallengeable intentions (Ps 33:11, Prov 19:21). Job's perception, though accurate about God's purposeful intent, misses the actual redemptive or demonstrative reason behind it, which is eventually revealed by God (Job 38-41).
• Job's declaration implicitly challenges the Deuteronomistic theology held by his friends, suggesting that God's ways are far more complex and hidden than their simple cause-and-effect understanding of justice and retribution allows. His suffering is not merely a consequence; it is a profound divine act whose full rationale remains hidden.

Job 10 13 Commentary

Job 10:13 is a powerful expression of Job’s bewildered complaint against God. It moves beyond simply questioning God's justice to asserting a divine conspiracy or hidden agenda. Job acknowledges God's incredible craftsmanship in forming him, contrasting it sharply with God's present meticulous demolition of his life. This juxtaposition leads Job to conclude that God must have harbored a specific, prior, and hidden purpose to bring this suffering upon him. The verse does not imply Job believes God is inherently malicious, but that He is inscrutable and appears to act according to a secret will that Job cannot comprehend, yet paradoxically, feels he has discerned. Job sees God not as acting randomly, but with precision and premeditation, implying that the suffering is not simply a reaction to sin but an unfolding of a divine plan conceived and stored "in His heart." This profound frustration highlights the mystery of divine providence and suffering in human experience, especially when the innocent endure inexplicable hardship, raising the perennial question of how to reconcile God's goodness and power with the reality of pain.