Job 5:12-13
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)
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It's easy to read this as just saying God stops bad guys. But notice the Hebrew word for "enterprise" – it implies something solid, real, something that endures. God doesn't just foil their plans, He prevents their hands from accomplishing anything substantial or truly successful, leaving them with nothing but futility.
Eliphaz continues his argument by shifting focus from God's power over nature to his direct intervention in human affairs. He's arguing that God actively thwarts the cunning plans of those who seek to advance themselves through deceit or manipulation. Eliphaz uses this point to suggest that Job's current suffering might be a result of God frustrating his own self-serving schemes, implying Job isn't as righteous as he claims.
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
This verse echoes Job 5:12 by stating that the Lord frustrates the plans and schemes of nations and their leaders, showing God's ultimate power over human craftiness.
Proverbs 19:21This proverb directly relates to Job 5:12, stating that while people make many plans, it is the Lord's purpose that will stand, highlighting God's sovereign control over human endeavors.
1 Corinthians 3:19The Apostle Paul quotes Job 5:12 to warn about human wisdom that opposes God, emphasizing that such wisdom is foolishness in God's sight and will ultimately be frustrated.
Exodus 1:12This passage from Exodus illustrates Job 5:12, showing how the more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelites, the more they multiplied and spread, thus frustrating the Egyptians' plan to diminish them.
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…
It's easy to read this as just saying God stops bad guys. But notice the Hebrew word for "enterprise" – it implies something solid, real, something that endures. God doesn't just foil their plans, He prevents their hands from accomplishing anything substantial or truly successful, leaving them with nothing but futility.
Eliphaz continues his argument by shifting focus from God's power over nature to his direct intervention in human affairs. He's arguing that God actively thwarts the cunning plans of those who seek to advance themselves through deceit or manipulation. Eliphaz uses this point to suggest that Job's current suffering might be a result of God frustrating his own self-serving schemes, implying Job isn't as righteous as he claims.
Eliphaz continues his argument by shifting focus from God's power over nature to his direct intervention in human affairs. He's arguing that God actively thwarts the cunning plans of those who seek to advance themselves through deceit or manipulation. Eliphaz uses this point to suggest that Job's current suffering might be a result of God frustrating his own self-serving schemes, implying Job isn't as righteous as he claims.
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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.
"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." — It's easy to read this as just saying God stops bad guys. But notice the Hebrew word for "enterprise" – it implies something solid, real, something that endures. God doesn't just foil their plans, He…
