He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Hebrew word for "enterprise" here signifies not just a plan, but something solid and well-established, suggesting that God's frustration of the crafty means their schemes can’t even get off the ground to become anything real or lasting. It's a powerful reminder that even our most intricate, "wise" plans for ourselves can fall apart if they don't align with His purposes.
He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Eliphaz is responding to Job's profound suffering and questioning, suggesting that such hardship is often a consequence of sin. He's trying to offer comfort and wisdom by explaining God's providential care, particularly how God intervenes to thwart the plans of the wicked. This verse emphasizes that God actively frustrates the schemes of those who rely on their own cunning, ensuring their plots ultimately fail and their efforts come to nothing.
Ever felt like your best-laid plans were mysteriously derailed? Job 5:12 speaks directly to that experience, revealing God's active role in thwarting human cunning.
Eliphaz, one of Job's friends, observes that God actively intervenes to stop the schemes of the wicked. It's not just that bad plans fail on their own; God frustrates them. This means He actively throws obstacles in the way, disrupts their carefully constructed plots, and renders their efforts useless.
Divine Disruption
We often trust in our own smarts and abilities to get ahead. But what happens when that human ingenuity faces a divine roadblock?
The verse points out a crucial theological truth: human wisdom and effort, when separated from God, are ultimately insufficient. The "crafty" rely on their own intelligence, their "devices," believing they can control outcomes. However, God's power transcends human capability.
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Wisdom vs. God's Sovereignty
Understand the original words
parar · Hebrew Verb
Refers to the act of thwarting or breaking the plans of others. It implies God's sovereignty in rendering the wicked designs of humans ineffective.
arum · Hebrew Adjective
Often used in a negative sense in wisdom literature, describing those who rely on human intelligence and deceit rather than divine wisdom. It implies a sense of cunning or shrewdness that lacks integrity.
chakam · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
Refers to those who possess intellectual knowledge or practical skill. While wisdom can be godly, when paired with 'craftiness,' it denotes a worldly intellect that stands in opposition to God's ways.
ormah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to intellectual or strategic cleverness, often used in a pejorative sense when describing wicked plots or manipulative strategies used by those who disregard God.
etsah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to a plot or a predetermined plan. In a negative biblical context, it describes the calculated, often deceitful, intentions of the wicked.
The verse speaks to the timeless truth that God's wisdom and power ultimately frustrate the schemes of those who oppose Him, whether in ancient Egypt, at Babel, or in the sophisticated intellectual circles of Paul's day.
~1440 BC
Israelites Flee Egypt
After centuries of oppression, the Israelites, numbering around 600,000 men plus women and children, depart Egypt. This miraculous exodus, orchestrated by God, involves the defeat of Pharaoh's pursuing army in the Red Sea.
~2000 BC
Tower of Babel Incident
Humanity attempts to build a tower to reach the heavens and prevent scattering. God intervenes by confusing their languages, foiling their grand design and scattering them across the earth.
Early 1st Century AD— this verse
Paul's Ministry in Corinth
The Apostle Paul ministers in Corinth, a hub of commerce and philosophical debate. He encounters opposition from those who employ 'crafty' arguments and false teachings against the gospel.
c. AD 60
Paul Writes 1 Corinthians
While in Ephesus, Paul writes to the Corinthian church, addressing divisions and correcting misunderstandings. He warns against the 'foolishness' of human wisdom that opposes God's truth.
This passage echoes Job 5:12, stating that the Lord thwarts the plans of nations and the schemes of peoples, highlighting God's sovereign power over all human endeavors, especially those that oppose Him.
Proverbs 21:30Similar to Job's observation, this proverb asserts that no amount of human wisdom or planning can ultimately succeed against the Lord's purposes, directly reinforcing the idea that God frustrates the devices of the crafty.
Ecclesiastes 9:11This verse speaks to the unpredictability of outcomes, noting that 'the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.' This aligns with Job 5:12 by suggesting that success isn't solely dependent on one's own skill or craft, but is ultimately subject to a higher power's influence.
1 Corinthians 1:20The Apostle Paul, referencing the Old Testament, declares God's power to destroy the wisdom of the wise. This passage powerfully illustrates the concept in Job 5:12 by showing how God renders human schemes foolish and ineffective, demonstrating His ultimate authority over worldly wisdom.
Exodus 1:15-20The midwives Shiphrah and Puah defied Pharaoh's command to kill the male Israelite babies. God, in His providence, not only protected the babies but also blessed the midwives, showing how He frustrates the 'devices of the crafty' (Pharaoh's plan) and ensures His people's survival and growth.
bensonJob 5:12: "He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise."
Job 5:12 . He disappointeth the devices of the crafty — On the contrary, he defeats the craftiest designs of evil and subtle men to exalt themselves. They may place a great deal of confidence in their own abilities, and, without any regard to the overruling hand of Providence, may imagine that their good or bad success in the world depends wholly on their own wisdom and efforts: they may…
clarkeJob 5:12: "He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise."
He disappointeth the devices of the crafty - All these sayings refer to God's particular providence, by which he is ever working for the good, and counterworking the plots of the wicked. And as various as are the contingent, capricious, and malevolent acts of men, so varied are his providential interferences; disappointing the devices, snares, and plots of the crafty, so that their plans…
The Hebrew word for "enterprise" here signifies not just a plan, but something solid and well-established, suggesting that God's frustration of the crafty means their schemes can’t even get off the ground to become anything real or lasting. It's a powerful reminder that even our most intricate, "wise" plans for ourselves can fall apart if they don't align with His purposes.
Eliphaz is responding to Job's profound suffering and questioning, suggesting that such hardship is often a consequence of sin. He's trying to offer comfort and wisdom by explaining God's providential care, particularly how God intervenes to thwart the plans of the wicked. This verse emphasizes that God actively frustrates the schemes of those who rely on their own cunning, ensuring their plots ultimately fail and their efforts come to nothing.
Eliphaz is responding to Job's profound suffering and questioning, suggesting that such hardship is often a consequence of sin. He's trying to offer comfort and wisdom by explaining God's providential care, particularly how God intervenes to thwart the plans of the wicked. This verse emphasizes that God actively frustrates the schemes of those who rely on their own cunning, ensuring their plots ultimately fail and their efforts come to nothing.
"He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end." — The Hebrew word for "enterprise" here signifies not just a plan, but something solid and well-established, suggesting that God's frustration of the crafty means their schemes can’t even get off the g…
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Last reviewed October 2026