It’s easy to read this as God simply thwarting evil plans. But the Hebrew word translated "enterprise" carries a deeper meaning: it’s about achieving something sound, solid, or truly wise. So, God doesn’t just stop the crafty; He prevents them from creating anything genuinely worthwhile or lasting with their schemes.
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. They meet with darkness in the daytime and grope at noonday as in the night.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Eliphaz is speaking to Job, arguing that suffering is a consequence of sin and that the wise trust in God. This verse follows Eliphaz's description of how God blesses the humble, and here he contrasts that with how God actively thwarts the plans of the wicked and deceitful. It's part of a larger argument that Job's current troubles stem from his own hidden sinfulness.
Ever felt like someone's sneaky plan was about to succeed, only for it to fall apart at the last second? That's not random chance.
This verse is a powerful declaration that God actively intervenes to frustrate the cleverest, most well-hidden plans of those who seek to do harm or build themselves up apart from Him.
The Bible uses specific words to convey deep meaning. What does the original language tell us about the 'enterprise' that crafty hands fail to achieve?
The word translated 'enterprise' in Job 5:12 is rich with meaning, pointing to more than just a simple project.
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So, it's not just that their plans are delayed; they are rendered fundamentally ineffective and unable to achieve anything of true worth or permanence.
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.
choshek · Hebrew Noun
Metaphor for confusion, loss of judgment, or judgment itself. When the wicked are said to meet darkness in the daytime, it signifies that God has blinded their understanding so they cannot find their way.
While Job's friends grapple with theological concepts, Eliphaz grounds his arguments in observed historical events, suggesting that human plans, no matter how clever, are ultimately subject to God's sovereign control. This perspective would have resonated with an audience familiar with foundational stories of God thwarting human ambition.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, defying Pharaoh's decrees and his armies' pursuit.
c. 1400 BC
Tower of Babel Incident
Humanity's unified, defiant attempt to build a tower to reach heaven was thwarted by God confusing their languages.
Early 1st millennium BC
Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom Traditions
Cultures developed sophisticated understandings of morality, justice, and divine order, often expressed through proverbs and teachings.
c. 1000 BC - 500 BC— this verse
Job's Life and the Dialogue
The book of Job, set in a time of ancient Israelite wisdom literature, depicts Job's trials and his discussions with friends about suffering and divine justice.
This Psalm echoes Job's thought, stating that the Lord frustrates the plans of nations and the schemes of people who try to stand against Him.
Proverbs 21:30This proverb directly states that no wisdom, plan, or understanding can succeed against the Lord, reinforcing the idea that human craftiness is ultimately powerless against God's will.
Ecclesiastes 9:11This passage speaks to the unpredictable nature of events, noting that 'time and chance' happen to all, but it also implies that divine sovereignty underpins these occurrences, meaning outcomes are not solely determined by human effort or cleverness.
1 Corinthians 1:19The Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah, declaring that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent, directly aligning with the idea that human schemes are often thwarted by divine intervention.
Esther 9:25This historical account shows how Haman, a crafty schemer against God's people, had his own plots turned back on himself, demonstrating God's active role in frustrating the devices of the wicked.
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 God simply thwarting evil plans. But the Hebrew word translated "enterprise" carries a deeper meaning: it’s about achieving something sound, solid, or truly wise. So, God doesn’t just stop the crafty; He prevents them from creating anything genuinely worthwhile or lasting with their schemes.
Eliphaz is speaking to Job, arguing that suffering is a consequence of sin and that the wise trust in God. This verse follows Eliphaz's description of how God blesses the humble, and here he contrasts that with how God actively thwarts the plans of the wicked and deceitful. It's part of a larger argument that Job's current troubles stem from his own hidden sinfulness.
Eliphaz is speaking to Job, arguing that suffering is a consequence of sin and that the wise trust in God. This verse follows Eliphaz's description of how God blesses the humble, and here he contrasts that with how God actively thwarts the plans of the wicked and deceitful. It's part of a larger argument that Job's current troubles stem from his own hidden sinfulness.
"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. They meet with darkness in the daytime…" — It’s easy to read this as God simply thwarting evil plans. But the Hebrew word translated "enterprise" carries a deeper meaning: it’s about achieving something sound, solid, or truly wise. So,…
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Last reviewed October 2026
