Job 9 11

Job 9:11 kjv

Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

Job 9:11 nkjv

If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;

Job 9:11 niv

When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.

Job 9:11 esv

Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.

Job 9:11 nlt

"Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him.
When he moves by, I do not see him go.

Job 9 verses

Job 9 11 Meaning

Job 9:11 articulates Job's profound sense of bewilderment regarding God's actions and presence. He recognizes that God is actively present and moving, perhaps even "passing by" or interacting with the world and his life, yet Job finds himself completely unable to visually discern God's presence or intellectually comprehend His methods and purposes. It highlights the divine transcendence and the limitations of human perception and understanding when faced with God's sovereign and often inscrutable ways.

Job 9 11 Context

Job 9:11 is part of Job’s second response to his friends, specifically Bildad. After Bildad’s speech in chapter 8, Job begins his reply in chapter 9 by acknowledging God’s supreme power, wisdom, and righteousness, which far exceed human ability to comprehend or challenge. Job affirms that no one can contend with God or question His actions. This verse encapsulates Job's despairing realization that while God is actively at work in the world, including in Job's suffering, His ways are utterly incomprehensible to a finite human like Job. He is lamenting the hiddenness of a God who is undoubtedly powerful and sovereign but remains inscrutable in His methods and purposes, leaving Job unable to grasp the "why" of his trials. The historical context for the original audience, who would have understood a direct and transactional relationship with their deities or the visible manifestation of divine favor, would find Job's articulation of God's hidden but active presence challenging, emphasizing the ultimate transcendence and mysterious nature of Yahweh.

Job 9 11 Word analysis

• Lo: An exclamation (Hebrew: hēn - הֵן). It serves to draw attention to the immediate declaration, emphasizing Job's sense of wonder or exasperation. It highlights the perceived reality that he is about to describe.
• he goeth by me: Hebrew: yaʿabōr (יַעֲבֹר) from ʿābar (עָבַר) - "to pass over," "pass through," or "go by." The participle form suggests continuous action. This implies God is active, moving, and in close proximity ("by me"), yet remains beyond Job's direct sensory perception or cognitive grasp. This challenges any anthropomorphic views of deity that might assume God is easily observable or predictable in His movements.
• and I see him not: Hebrew: wəloʾ-erʾehū (וְלֹא־אֶרְאֵהוּ) from rāʾāh (רָאָה) - "to see," "perceive." This refers to a physical inability to behold God, despite His proximity. It's a statement about God's invisible nature, which stands in stark contrast to His perceived activity.
• he passeth on also: A strong parallelism reinforcing the initial thought. Hebrew: wayyaḥalōp (וַיַּחֲלֹף) from ḥālap̄ (חָלַף) - "to pass on," "pass away quickly," "to go through," "to disappear." This verb suggests rapid movement or passing quickly, possibly even suggesting God’s fleeting presence or a divine act so swift it eludes perception. The repetition emphasizes God's consistent, ungraspable movement.
• but I perceive him not: Hebrew: wəloʾ-ʾāḇîna (וְלֹא־אֲבִינֵהוּ) from bîn (בִּין) - "to discern," "understand," "perceive intellectually." This goes beyond mere sight. It signifies a deeper cognitive inability to comprehend or discern God's purposes, logic, or the significance of His movements. The pairing of "see" (physical) and "perceive" (intellectual) underlines the absolute nature of Job's inability to grasp God.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "he goeth by me, and I see him not": This phrase directly establishes God's imminent presence and activity (moving near Job) coupled with Job's physical inability to see or identify God. It sets up the central paradox of a near, yet unseen, deity. It implicitly addresses any beliefs that assume God's immediate visual presence or discernable action is always manifest to the faithful.
• "he passeth on also, but I perceive him not": This second parallel phrase intensifies the first, using a different verb for passing and a stronger verb for understanding. "Passeth on" can imply swift, perhaps almost unnoticeable movement. "Perceive him not" escalates the inability from mere sight to a complete lack of intellectual comprehension. It underscores Job’s bewilderment not just by God’s actions but by His very rationale, which remains completely veiled. This dual expression speaks to both God's transcendence (unseen) and His inscrutability (unperceived in His purpose).

Job 9 11 Bonus section

This verse not only describes Job's current dilemma but also anticipates the grand revelation of God in Job chapters 38-41. There, God does not explain why Job suffered, but He displays His overwhelming power and wisdom, reinforcing the very point Job is making here: God's ways are beyond human comprehension. Job's perception is fundamentally limited, while God operates on a cosmic scale, managing a universe Job cannot even begin to grasp. The Hebrew parallelism uses two different verbs for 'passing' (ʿābar and ḥālap̄) and two for 'not knowing' (rāʾāh and bîn), creating a powerful poetic effect that emphasizes the thoroughness of God's hiddenness. This showcases the vast chasm between divine nature and human capacity, highlighting God's independence from human scrutiny.

Job 9 11 Commentary

Job 9:11 captures the essence of Job's profound struggle: acknowledging God's omnipotent presence and unchallengeable sovereignty while simultaneously lamenting the divine inscrutability in the face of immense suffering. Job affirms that God is indeed active and ever-present, continually passing through human experience and directing affairs. Yet, this active God remains veiled to human senses and unintelligible to human reason. The double parallel structure, "goeth by me, and I see him not" followed by "passeth on also, but I perceive him not," emphatically conveys Job's utter incapacity, both physical and intellectual, to comprehend God's movements or purposes. It highlights a critical theological point: God's presence is not synonymous with His full comprehension by finite humanity. His actions, though powerful and affecting all of creation, often occur beyond the scope of human observation and understanding. This verse serves as a powerful statement on God's transcendence and our limited perspective, teaching humility in seeking to fully grasp divine ways and fostering faith even when answers remain hidden. It encourages a posture of trust in a God whose ultimate intentions and methods, though often mysterious, are always sovereign.