He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's so striking here is that God doesn't just stop the schemes of the crafty; He turns their own cleverness against them, like a trap snapping shut on its builder. The verse highlights that even the most cunning plans are destined to fail, not just by chance, but by divine design, often collapsing under their own hurried, deceitful weight.
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 continuing his argument that suffering is a result of sin, and he's explaining how God deals with the wicked. He argues that those who trust in their own clever schemes will ultimately be foiled by God, their own plans backfiring and their hasty, deceitful strategies leading to their downfall. This is presented as a divinely ordained principle that Eliphaz has observed throughout his life.
The world celebrates cleverness, but Scripture reveals a different kind of 'wisdom.' What happens when human cunning clashes with divine power?
Eliphaz here uses the word 'wise' (Hebrew: chakam) not to describe those with true understanding, but those who are shrewd and skillful in worldly affairs, particularly in plotting evil. This isn't the wisdom that honors God, but a deceptive craftiness. God turns this worldly 'wisdom' back on those who wield it. Their own clever schemes become the very traps that ensnare them. It’s a profound principle: the very tools used to outwit others or defy God become the instruments of their downfall.
We often think of evil plans as slow-burning, but sometimes they explode prematurely. What causes the downfall of the devious?
The verse speaks of the 'counsel of the froward' (or perverse, twisted) being 'carried headlong.' This describes plans that are not only wicked but also unstable and prone to collapse. The original language suggests being 'precipitated' or 'hastened' before they are ready. This isn't just a matter of divine intervention, but often a consequence of the inherent nature of such plots. Malice and deceit often drive people to haste and recklessness. Their eagerness to achieve their wicked goals blinds them to the risks, causing their schemes to unravel before they can even be fully executed.
Understand the original words
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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 Apostle Paul directly quotes this verse, highlighting that the 'wisdom of this world' which relies on cunning schemes is ultimately foolishness in God's eyes and will be undone.
Psalm 7:15This Psalm echoes the same sentiment, showing a wicked schemer digging a pit for others but ultimately falling into the very trap they prepared.
Psalm 9:15This passage describes the wicked becoming ensnared in their own hidden traps, illustrating how their plots are turned against them.
Proverbs 11:5-6These verses contrast the fate of the righteous and the wicked, stating that the integrity of the upright guides them, while the wicked are trapped by their own malicious words and deeds.
Esther 7:9-10This historical account provides a vivid example of Haman, a cunning schemer, being ensnared by his own wicked plot against Mordecai, ultimately leading to his own execution on the gallows he had prepared.
bensonJob 5:13: "He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong."
Job 5:13-14 . He taketh the wise in their own craftiness — Men wise to do evil, or wise in the opinion of the world; he not only deceives their hopes and counsels, but turns those counsels against themselves. And the counsel of the froward — Hebrew, Of the perverse, or wrestlers, such as wind and turn every way, as wrestlers do, and will leave no means untried to accomplish their designs:…
clarkeJob 5:13: "He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong."
He taketh the wise in their own craftiness - So counterworks them as to cause their feet to be taken in their own snares, and their evil dealings to fall on their own pate. Such frequent proofs has God given of his especial interference in behalf of the innocent, who have been the objects of the plots and evil designs of the wicked, by turning those evil devices against their framers, tha…
What's so striking here is that God doesn't just stop the schemes of the crafty; He turns their own cleverness against them, like a trap snapping shut on its builder. The verse highlights that even the most cunning plans are destined to fail, not just by chance, but by divine design, often collapsing under their own hurried, deceitful weight.
Eliphaz is continuing his argument that suffering is a result of sin, and he's explaining how God deals with the wicked. He argues that those who trust in their own clever schemes will ultimately be foiled by God, their own plans backfiring and their hasty, deceitful strategies leading to their downfall. This is presented as a divinely ordained principle that Eliphaz has observed throughout his life.
Eliphaz is continuing his argument that suffering is a result of sin, and he's explaining how God deals with the wicked. He argues that those who trust in their own clever schemes will ultimately be foiled by God, their own plans backfiring and their hasty, deceitful strategies leading to their downfall. This is presented as a divinely ordained principle that Eliphaz has observed throughout his life.
"He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end." — What's so striking here is that God doesn't just stop the schemes of the crafty; He turns their own cleverness against them, like a trap snapping shut on its builder. The verse highlights that even…
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Last reviewed October 2026