Job 13:7 kjv
Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
Job 13:7 nkjv
Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him?
Job 13:7 niv
Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him?
Job 13:7 esv
Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him?
Job 13:7 nlt
"Are you defending God with lies?
Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake?
Job 13 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 5:6 | You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. | God's hatred of deceit. |
| Ps 15:2 | He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart. | Speaking truth is integral to righteous living. |
| Ps 24:4 | ...who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood or sworn deceitfully. | Integrity involves absence of falsehood. |
| Prov 6:17 | a lying tongue... | Listing lies among things God detests. |
| Prov 12:22 | Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight. | Direct statement against lies, showing God's nature. |
| Prov 19:9 | A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish. | Consequences of bearing false witness/lying. |
| Prov 24:28 | Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. | Admonition against bearing false witness. |
| Isa 5:20 | Woe to those who call evil good and good evil... | Distorting truth and morality. |
| Jer 9:5 | ...and everyone cheats his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they wear themselves out with iniquity. | Depicts a society where deceit is normalized. |
| Eph 4:25 | Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor... | Christian command to forsake lies. |
| Col 3:9 | Do not lie to one another... | Explicit New Testament command against lying. |
| Jn 8:44 | You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. | The devil as the origin of lies, contrasting with God's truth. |
| 1 Pet 3:10 | For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit." | Avoidance of deceit for a blessed life. |
| Rom 3:7 | But if through my lie God's truth abounds to His glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? | Paul refutes the idea of using falsehood to magnify God. |
| Ps 51:6 | Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being... | God desires truth in heart. |
| Ps 89:14 | Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. | God's character is based on truth and justice. |
| Ps 94:20 | Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? | God does not ally with injustice. |
| Hab 1:13 | You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong... | God's perfect holiness. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature... For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." | Human flawed judgment versus God's true sight. |
| Matt 23:27-28 | Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs... | Jesus condemns outward show and inner corruption/deceit. |
| Isa 48:1 | Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel... who swear by the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. | Ritual without true righteousness. |
| Rom 1:18 | For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. | Human tendency to suppress truth with unrighteousness. |
Job 13 verses
Job 13 7 Meaning
Job 13:7 is a powerful rhetorical question posed by Job to his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Job challenges their method of defending God, accusing them of resorting to unrighteousness and deception in their arguments. He implies that by falsely accusing him of sin or by distorting truth about God's character to justify their harsh conclusions, they are dishonoring God rather than defending Him. The verse underscores the principle that the end does not justify the means, especially when it involves defending God with falsehoods.
Job 13 7 Context
Job 13:7 falls within Job's impassioned discourse (chapters 12-14) addressed directly to his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. After enduring their pronouncements that his suffering must be a direct result of hidden sin, Job dismisses their "wisdom" as mere proverbs of ashes (13:12) and their arguments as empty. He sarcastically acknowledges their purported knowledge (13:1-2) but quickly turns to condemn their judgment. Just prior to verse 7, Job explicitly labels them "forgers of lies" and "worthless physicians" (13:4), expressing his desire that they would remain silent (13:5). In this verse, Job is specifically rebuking their theological arguments, which, though perhaps intended to defend God's justice and sovereignty, did so at the expense of truth, both regarding Job's actual guilt and potentially God's own complex ways. Job questions the integrity of their defense of God, implying that God does not require or desire a defense built on unrighteousness or deception. The broader historical and cultural context includes the common belief in strict retributive justice, where suffering was always directly proportional to sin. Job's friends rigorously adhered to this view, and in their attempts to defend God within this framework, they misapplied it to Job, thereby distorting truth.
Job 13 7 Word analysis
- הַלְאֵל (ha-lĕ'el): A combination of the interrogative particle 'ha-' (is it?), the preposition 'le-' (to, for, belonging to), and 'El' (God, the Mighty One). This formation introduces a rhetorical question, indicating Job's strong disbelief and disapproval of his friends' actions. It challenges the very idea that such behavior could be for God or acceptable to Him.
- תְּדַבְּרוּ (tĕdabbĕrû): The verb "to speak, to say" in the 2nd person plural imperfect tense, meaning "you (all) will speak." The imperfect tense suggests ongoing or habitual action, emphasizing that their pattern of speech is in question. Its repetition in the second half of the verse strengthens the rhetorical force.
- עַוְלָה (ʿawlâ): "Iniquity," "unrighteousness," "perversity," "injustice." This word signifies a twisted or bent act, deviating from what is straight and right. It's not just error, but active wrongdoing. Job is implying their arguments are fundamentally flawed and contrary to divine righteousness, even if seemingly made in God's name. It suggests a distortion of justice and truth.
- וְלוֹ (wĕlô): "And to him," or "and for him." The conjunctive 'waw' connects this to the previous clause, emphasizing the parallel structure and reiterating the supposed object of their service. 'Lo' (to him) refers back to God ('El'), making the parallel clear.
- מִרְמָה (mirmâ): "Deceit," "guile," "treachery," "fraud." This word denotes intentional dishonesty or cunning. It suggests a deliberate manipulation of truth or presentation of falsehoods, implying their arguments are not only wrong (ʿawlâ) but intentionally misleading.
- Words-group analysis:
- "Will you speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him?": The structure of the verse is a poetic parallelism (synthetic/emphatic parallelism). The second part of the verse amplifies or clarifies the first. "Wickedly" (ʿawlâ) describes the nature of their speech, while "deceitfully" (mirmâ) describes its method or intent. Job sees their "defense" of God as both wrong in content and dishonest in approach. The rhetorical question demands a resounding "No!" and highlights the profound incompatibility between divine righteousness and human deceit. Job accuses his friends of using wrong methods and distorted logic under the guise of piety, failing to understand that God's truth needs no falsehood.
Job 13 7 Bonus section
Job's rhetorical question is a powerful polemic not only against his friends' arguments but also against any theological approach that prioritizes a predetermined system or human tradition over experiential truth and divine revelation. It directly challenges the idea that God's glory can be served through human unrighteousness or guile, contrasting sharply with popular notions that one must uphold certain rigid doctrines even at the expense of compassion or accurate assessment of reality. Job asserts that God is far greater than human attempts to define or defend Him through simplistic frameworks. This verse highlights a central theme in Job: God's wisdom and justice are unfathomable to humanity and cannot be fully grasped or neatly categorized by human reasoning, especially not when that reasoning leads to moral compromise.
Job 13 7 Commentary
Job 13:7 encapsulates Job's deep conviction that God's truth and justice require no human falsehoods or manipulative arguments. His friends, attempting to uphold a simplistic view of divine retribution, inadvertently compromise the very character of God by employing flawed logic and unjust accusations against Job. This verse is a stern rebuke, asserting that true reverence for God demands integrity, even when defending Him. It underlines that speaking dishonestly, even with a seemingly good intention of defending divine character or action, is an offense to God Himself, whose nature is pure truth and righteousness. God does not need our lies or human "spin" to vindicate Himself; His ways are always true. The verse serves as a timeless caution against allowing zeal for God to overshadow truthfulness and ethical conduct.
- Example for practical usage: A believer might be tempted to exaggerate miracle stories, misrepresent scientific data, or selectively quote historical sources to "prove" the existence of God or the truth of the Bible, believing they are defending faith. Job 13:7 warns against such actions, emphasizing that dishonesty, no matter the perceived noble goal, dishonors God. Truth is its own defense for God's work.