Job 22:13
But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Job 22:13
But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Eliphaz twists Job's words, accusing him of thinking God is blind to human affairs simply because God dwells in inaccessible heights, like behind a thick cloud. This isn't just about Job's suffering, but a profound accusation of Job questioning God's very ability to see and judge from His distant throne.
Eliphaz is accusing Job of secretly holding impious thoughts due to his suffering. He argues that Job's complaints about the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering imply a belief that God is too distant and hidden by darkness to truly know or judge human affairs. This accusation leads into Eliphaz's assertion that God, who dwells in heavenly light, certainly sees all earthly deeds and will hold Job accountable.
When facing deep suffering, it's tempting to conclude God is distant or ignorant. But this verse reveals a dangerous way of thinking.
Eliphaz is accusing Job, not necessarily of saying these words aloud, but of thinking them. He's saying, 'Because you're suffering and the wicked seem to prosper, your conclusion must be that God doesn't know what's happening on Earth, or can't possibly see through the 'darkness' to judge.' This is a logical leap Eliphaz is making based on Job's laments. It's a pattern we see when people try to understand God's actions through a limited human lens. They see a disconnect between righteousness and reward, or suffering and sin, and wrongly conclude God is either unaware or unable to intervene.
We often see 'dark clouds' obscuring our view, but can they truly hide anything from God's sight?
Eliphaz uses the image of 'the dark cloud' to represent the distance and obscurity between heaven and earth. He implies that just as clouds can block our vision, they might also block God's ability to see and judge human affairs. This is a projection of human limitations onto God. However, Scripture consistently paints a different picture. God's dwelling place, often described with clouds, is not a place of obscurity for Him, but a manifestation of His majestic presence. For God, there is no 'darkness' that can conceal; light and darkness are the same to Him. The 'thick darkness' that surrounds God is a mystery to us, not a barrier for His sight.
Understand the original words
din · Hebrew Verb
A term denoting moral evaluation and legal ruling, signifying God’s sovereign authority to declare what is right and wrong and to administer justice according to His perfect character.
Eliphaz is arguing against a view of God that was considered heretical and contrary to the established understanding of Yahweh as an omniscient and immanent God, a view which had developed over centuries of Hebrew thought.
c. 2000 BC
Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom Literature
The book of Job fits within a tradition of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, which explored questions of divine justice, human suffering, and the nature of good and evil. Other examples include Mesopotamian texts like 'The Poem of the Righteous Sufferer'.
c. 1000 BC
Hebrew Monotheism Develops
During the period of the Israelite monarchy, the understanding of Yahweh as the one, all-knowing, and just God solidified. This theological backdrop is crucial for understanding arguments about God's providence and justice.
c. 700 BC
Prophetic Critiques of Idolatry
Prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah railed against the idea that God was limited or unaware, particularly in contrast to the limited, localized deities of surrounding cultures. This established the principle of God's universal sovereignty.
Undated (Likely Ancient)— this verse
Job's Discourse on Divine Justice
Job, facing immense suffering, questions the fairness of divine judgment, suggesting God is distant and perhaps unaware of human affairs. This forms the immediate context for Eliphaz's accusations.
This Psalm echoes the sentiment of doubt about God's awareness and justice, stating, 'And they say, How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?' This highlights a recurring human tendency to question God's involvement when circumstances seem unfair.
Psalm 94:7This verse directly addresses the arrogance of those who believe God is unaware or indifferent, crying out, 'They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”' It reveals that the accusation against Job was a common, albeit wrong, perspective.
Isaiah 40:28This passage contrasts human limitation with God's boundless knowledge and power: 'Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.' It serves as a powerful counterpoint to the idea that God's distance or the 'dark clouds' limit His perception.
Jeremiah 23:23-24God Himself declares His omnipresence and all-knowing nature, asking, 'Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.'
gillJob 22:13: "And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?"
And thou sayest, how doth God know?.... What is done on earth, the works of the children of men, their sinful actions, when he dwells at such a distance, and so remote from the earth, as the height of the stars, and highest heavens, be; not that Job said this expressly with his lips, but in his heart; Eliphaz imagined and supposed that such was the reasoning of his mind; it was an invidious consequence he had…
bensonJob 22:13: "And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?"
Job 22:13 . And — Or therefore, thou sayest, How doth God know? &c. — From this true and certain principle, thou drawest a false and wicked conclusion, and fanciest, perhaps, that because he is so high he minds not what is done here below: or, that he cannot discern the difference of things so very remote, through those immense and innumerable clouds which lie between the heaven and the earth.
Eliphaz twists Job's words, accusing him of thinking God is blind to human affairs simply because God dwells in inaccessible heights, like behind a thick cloud. This isn't just about Job's suffering, but a profound accusation of Job questioning God's very ability to see and judge from His distant throne.
Eliphaz is accusing Job of secretly holding impious thoughts due to his suffering. He argues that Job's complaints about the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering imply a belief that God is too distant and hidden by darkness to truly know or judge human affairs. This accusation leads into Eliphaz's assertion that God, who dwells in heavenly light, certainly sees all earthly deeds and will hold Job accountable.
Eliphaz is accusing Job of secretly holding impious thoughts due to his suffering. He argues that Job's complaints about the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering imply a belief that God is too distant and hidden by darkness to truly know or judge human affairs. This accusation leads into Eliphaz's assertion that God, who dwells in heavenly light, certainly sees all earthly deeds and will hold Job accountable.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Job 22:13 is available in the Sola app.
Undated (Likely Ancient)
Eliphaz's Accusation of Doubt
Eliphaz, responding to Job, accuses him of questioning God's knowledge and ability to judge from his heavenly throne, implying Job's suffering is a result of hidden sin.
"But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?" — Eliphaz twists Job's words, accusing him of thinking God is blind to human affairs simply because God dwells in inaccessible heights, like behind a thick cloud. This isn't just about Job's suffering,…