Job 17 10

Job 17:10 kjv

But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

Job 17:10 nkjv

"But please, come back again, all of you, For I shall not find one wise man among you.

Job 17:10 niv

"But come on, all of you, try again! I will not find a wise man among you.

Job 17:10 esv

But you, come on again, all of you, and I shall not find a wise man among you.

Job 17:10 nlt

"As for all of you, come back with a better argument,
though I still won't find a wise man among you.

Job 17 verses

Job 17 10 Meaning

Job 17:10 conveys Job's frustrated challenge and categorical dismissal of his friends' perceived wisdom. Despite his intense suffering and longing for understanding, he finds that their repeated counsel offers no true insight, compassion, or grasp of divine mysteries concerning his plight. He calls them to re-evaluate their positions, yet immediately asserts his firm conviction that he will not find a single truly wise man among them who can provide a satisfying or accurate explanation for his unique circumstances. It is a profound declaration of intellectual and spiritual bankruptcy on the part of his accusers.

Job 17 10 Context

Job 17 falls within Job's third cycle of speeches with his three friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar), although Zophar does not speak after chapter 11. Chapters 16 and 17 constitute Job's direct response to Bildad's speech in chapter 18. By this point, Job is deeply disillusioned and exhausted by his friends' unwavering insistence that his suffering is direct punishment for sin. He sees them not as comforters but tormentors who misunderstand both his innocence and the mysterious ways of God. His physical state is deteriorating, his spirit is broken, and his hope for vindication in this life is dwindling. Despite his despair, Job maintains his integrity and repeatedly asserts his desire for an arbiter with God. Job 17:10 is a direct expression of his utter frustration and intellectual dismissal of his friends, implying their failure to comprehend true spiritual realities or his situation within them. It represents Job's polemic against the conventional retribution theology his friends championed.

Job 17 10 Word analysis

• But as for all of you (וְאֻלַם כֻּלְּכֶם, wĕ'ulam kullĕkem):

  • wĕ'ulam (וְאֻלַם): A strong adversative conjunction, "but indeed," "but truly," or "nevertheless." It introduces a contrast and carries an emphatic sense, highlighting a definitive statement. Job is drawing a clear line, forcefully asserting his point against their prior arguments.
  • kullĕkem (כֻּלְּכֶם): "All of you." This is an inclusive term, emphasizing that Job is addressing the entirety of his companions without exception. It underscores the collective failure of their shared, rigid theological perspective.
  • Significance: This opening sets a tone of direct challenge and sweeping judgment against his interlocutors. Job dismisses their combined wisdom as completely inadequate.

• turn back (שֻׁבוּ, shuvu):

  • This is an imperative verb, "return," "turn back." While it can mean to physically return, in this context, it signifies a return in thought or understanding; a change of mind, a reconsideration, or even a repentance from their flawed arguments. It is ironic, as this is the very counsel they repeatedly offered Job himself regarding his presumed sins.
  • Significance: Job is effectively telling them to abandon their current theological stance, which he finds bankrupt. He is inviting them, perhaps with a hint of sarcasm, to a different way of thinking about suffering and God's justice.

• and come (וּבֹאוּ, u•vo'u):

  • Also an imperative, "and come." This could imply "come forward (with something better)" or "come close (to truly understand)." Paired with "turn back," it suggests a turning from their error to a fresh consideration.
  • Significance: Despite his despair, Job retains a sliver of hope that they might offer new, valid counsel, even as his next phrase dismisses this hope. It is an invitation that is immediately negated.

• and I shall not find (וְלֹא־אֶמְצָא, wĕ•lo-ʼemtsa'):

  • wĕ•lo (וְלֹא): The simple negation "and not."
  • ʼemtsa' (אֶמְצָא): The verb "I shall find."
  • Significance: The emphatic placement of the negation "not" before "find" creates a strong, almost declarative statement. Job is utterly convinced that his search for genuine wisdom among them will be fruitless. It is not that he might not find one, but he will not find one, demonstrating his deep disillusionment.

• one wise man (חָכָם אֶחָד, chakham 'echad):

  • chakham (חָכָם): This Hebrew term denotes wisdom not merely as intellectual acumen but also practical skill, moral insight, and, critically in a biblical context, understanding the ways of God and adherence to His commands. In Job, true chakham involves discerning God's complex character and sovereignty beyond simplistic cause-and-effect explanations.
  • 'echad (אֶחָד): Meaning "one." Its inclusion emphasizes the absolute lack; not even a single individual among them possessed true wisdom according to Job's estimation. This highlights Job's utter despair and his severe condemnation of their counsel.
  • Significance: Job is essentially declaring their entire theological framework bankrupt. Their wisdom, based on rigid traditional dogma (divine retribution), fails to explain his blameless suffering, thus exposing its limitations and falsehood in this particular context. It directly contrasts with God's perfect and inscrutable wisdom that will eventually humble Job himself (Job 38-41). Job is polemically challenging their widely accepted understanding of divine justice.

Job 17 10 Bonus section

The Hebrew phrasing "turn back and come" (שֻׁבוּ וּבֹאוּ) is similar to phrases inviting one to repentance or serious consideration in other biblical contexts, adding a layer of ironic gravity to Job's challenge to his friends, who were so keen on him repenting. This statement by Job can also be seen as an early form of philosophical skepticism within the biblical narrative, challenging accepted dogma when it fails to align with observed reality or personal experience. The friends represented the established "wise men" of their culture, yet Job found their traditional explanations for suffering to be shallow and unhelpful, thus launching a profound polemic against the limits of human wisdom without divine revelation. Job's pronouncement hints that the source of true insight lay beyond their established conventions, a truth that would eventually be confirmed by the Divine voice in the whirlwind.

Job 17 10 Commentary

Job 17:10 is a poignant culmination of Job's profound despair and frustration with his friends. It encapsulates his feeling of utter isolation and intellectual contempt for their counsel. Despite a fleeting, almost desperate invitation for them to "turn back and come" – to reconsider their judgmental stance and simplistic theology – Job immediately retracts any genuine hope, declaring with finality that he will not discover even one person among them who possesses true wisdom. This wisdom he seeks is not merely clever argument, but insight into the mystery of his suffering and a genuine understanding of God's justice beyond superficial causality. His friends' "wisdom" is rooted in traditional dogma, failing to account for blameless suffering, making their comfort miserable and their advice bankrupt. Job's words foreshadow God's ultimate verdict in Job 42:7, where the Lord confirms that the friends had not spoken rightly of Him, validating Job's critique of their wisdom. This verse underscores the difference between conventional, human-centric wisdom and true divine wisdom, which often transcends human categories and can only be revealed by God Himself.