Job 9 12

Job 9:12 kjv

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

Job 9:12 nkjv

If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, 'What are You doing?'

Job 9:12 niv

If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'

Job 9:12 esv

Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, 'What are you doing?'

Job 9:12 nlt

If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him?
Who dares to ask, 'What are you doing?'

Job 9 verses

Job 9 12 Meaning

Job 9:12 conveys Job's profound sense of God's absolute and unchallengeable power. He observes that when God "snatches away" – whether possessions, health, or life itself – no one can restrain Him or turn Him back from His purpose. Furthermore, no human being has the right or ability to question God's actions, to demand an explanation, or to challenge His authority by asking, "What are You doing?" The verse articulates humanity's ultimate powerlessness and inability to contend with or even comprehend the divine will when faced with overwhelming suffering attributed to God.

Job 9 12 Context

Job 9:12 is a powerful statement from Job during his second response to his friend Bildad. Following Bildad's insistence on God's perfect justice and Job's presumed wickedness (Job 8), Job expresses a deep theological dilemma. He acknowledges God's immeasurable power and wisdom (Job 9:4-10), depicting Him as a Creator and Mover of the cosmos. However, Job perceives this very omnipotence as a source of terror and hopelessness in his suffering. He feels that if God decides to afflict or "snatch away," there is no defense, no argument, and no court where he could justly plead his case against the Almighty. The immediate verses reinforce this despair, with Job stating he cannot answer God (9:3, 14-20) and that God "destroys the blameless and the wicked alike" (9:22). Job feels overwhelmed by God's sheer might, unable to find an appeal for his innocence or understand the reasons for his intense, inexplicable suffering.

Job 9 12 Word Analysis

• Behold (הֵ֣ן - hēn): This interjection serves to draw immediate attention, signaling a solemn or weighty pronouncement. Job is emphasizing a profound, almost unavoidable, truth about God's nature. It acts as an exclamation of realization, bringing a forceful acknowledgment to the listener.
• He snatches away (יַחְתֹּף - yaḥṭōp̄): From the Hebrew verb חָטַף (ḥaṭap̄), meaning "to snatch," "to seize by force," "to plunder," or "to carry off suddenly." This choice of verb implies not merely taking, but doing so with suddenness, irresistibility, and perhaps even a degree of violence or unexpectedness. Job views God's actions as swift, decisive, and forceful, leaving no room for negotiation or defense. This contrasts sharply with legal processes or patient removal.
• who can hinder Him? (וּמִ֤י יְשִׁיבֶ֙נּוּ֙ - ūmî yəšîḇennū): This is a rhetorical question that functions as a strong negative assertion: no one can hinder Him.
  • וּמִ֤י (ūmî): "And who?" - A standard interrogative pronoun, but here used to imply an absolute impossibility.
  • יְשִׁיבֶ֙נּוּ֙ (yəšîḇennū): From the root שׁוּב (šūḇ), meaning "to turn back," "to return." In the causative form (Hiphil), it means "to cause to return," "to bring back," "to restrain," or "to turn away." Job's point is that once God acts, His course is fixed; there is no power in creation that can make Him change His mind or retract His deed. This highlights God's absolute sovereignty and unassailable will.
• Who will say to Him, (מִֽי־יֹאמַר֙ אֵלָ֔יו - mî-yōmar ’ēlāw): Another rhetorical question, asserting that no one has the standing, authority, or courage to speak in such a manner to God.
  • מִֽי (mî): "Who?" - Again, implying "no one."
  • יֹאמַר (yōmar): From אָמַר (āmar), "to say," "to speak."
  • אֵלָ֔יו (’ēlāw): "To Him."
• 'What are You doing?' (מַה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה - mah ta‘ăśeh): This is the forbidden question. It's not a polite inquiry, but a challenging, questioning, or even accusatory demand for justification or explanation.
  • מַה (mah): "What?"
  • תַּעֲשֶֽׂה (ta‘ăśeh): From עָשָׂה (‘āśāh), "to do," "to make," "to act."
  • By asking "What are You doing?", a human being would be implying that God's actions are unwarranted, unjust, or beyond His prerogative, and demanding accountability. Job’s statement acknowledges that such a challenge is unthinkable and impossible, reinforcing God's ultimate authority beyond any human right of inquiry or protest. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern context where powerful kings or deities were not to be directly challenged by inferiors.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "He snatches away, who can hinder Him?": This phrase powerfully expresses the overwhelming and irresistible nature of God's power. It highlights the divine prerogative to act decisively and without opposition, especially concerning life-altering events or judgments. For Job, this power feels terrifying and arbitrary rather than comforting, as it implies his suffering is inescapable.
• "Who will say to Him, 'What are You doing?'": This subsequent rhetorical question reinforces humanity's utter powerlessness, not just in physically resisting God, but in intellectually or morally challenging Him. It emphasizes that God is not subject to human scrutiny or accountability. This underlines the profound gulf between human understanding and divine wisdom, and the futility of questioning God's ways, even when they appear inexplicable or unjust from a human perspective.

Job 9 12 Bonus Section

This verse sets the stage for the dramatic confrontation at the end of the book, where God eventually speaks from the whirlwind. Ironically, it is God who then asks Job a series of rhetorical questions (e.g., Job 38-41) about His creation and power, thereby demonstrating Job's finite understanding and reinforcing the very point Job is making here about human inability to question divine action. Job's ultimate response in Job 42:2, "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted," directly echoes and affirms the truth stated in Job 9:12, but with a different posture – one of humility and submission rather than despair. The concept that God does as He pleases without needing human permission or explanation is a foundational biblical truth, appearing throughout Scripture as a declaration of His majesty, even if it presents a challenge to human logic and suffering. This tension between divine omnipotence and human suffering is central to the entire book of Job and many other biblical texts grappling with God's sovereignty over affliction.

Job 9 12 Commentary

Job 9:12 is a pivot in Job's lament, revealing his deep anguish concerning God's formidable sovereignty. While the friends preach a God whose justice aligns neatly with human deeds, Job knows his own righteousness and cannot reconcile it with his intense suffering. He understands God to be the omnipotent Master of the universe, but rather than providing solace, this understanding fuels his despair. God "snatches away" – a vivid image of a swift, unanswerable taking – signifying divine actions that cannot be reversed or questioned. This includes taking wealth, health, and loved ones. The double rhetorical questions are not an actual inquiry, but a profound declaration of hopelessness: no one can physically obstruct God, nor can anyone dare to challenge His will verbally. This sentiment portrays a theological paradox for Job: a just God whose overwhelming power allows Him to act in ways that appear inexplicable or even cruel, with no human recourse. It underscores the theme of divine incomprehensibility and human vulnerability before infinite power. This verse lays bare the crisis of faith experienced when God's absolute power seems divorced from predictable justice in human experience, compelling a recognition of ultimate divine authority, even when its purposes remain shrouded in mystery.