Job 15:8

15:8 Do you listen in on God’s secret council? ¹ 

Do you limit ²  wisdom to yourself?

Job 22:2

22:2 “Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?

Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable? ³ 

Job 40:2

40:2 “Will the one who contends ⁴  with the Almighty correct him? ⁵ 

Let the person who accuses God give him an answer!”

Isaiah 40:13-14

40:13 Who comprehends ⁶  the mind ⁷  of the Lord,

or gives him instruction as his counselor? ⁸ 

40:14 From whom does he receive directions? ⁹ 

Who ¹⁰  teaches him the correct way to do things, ¹¹ 

or imparts knowledge to him,

or instructs him in skillful design? ¹² 

Jeremiah 23:18

23:18 Yet which of them has ever stood in the Lord’s inner circle ¹³ 

so they ¹⁴  could see and hear what he has to say? ¹⁵ 

Which of them have ever paid attention or listened to what he has said?

Romans 11:34

11:34 For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor? ¹⁶ 

[15:8]  ¹ tn The meaning of סוֹד (sod) is “confidence.” In the context the implication is “secret counsel” of the Lord God (see Jer 23:18). It is a question of confidence on the part of God, that only wisdom can know (see Prov 8:30,31). Job seemed to them to claim to have access to the mind of God.

[15:8]  ² tn In v. 4 the word meant “limit”; here it has a slightly different sense, namely, “to reserve for oneself.”

[22:2]  ³ tn Some do not take this to be parallel to the first colon, taking this line as a statement, but the parallel expressions here suggest the question is repeated.

[40:2]  ⁴ tn The form רֹב (rov) is the infinitive absolute from the verb רִיב (riv, “contend”). Dhorme wishes to repoint it to make it the active participle, the “one who argues with the Almighty.”

[40:2]  ⁵ tn The verb יִסּוֹר (yissor) is found only here, but comes from a common root meaning “to correct; to reprove.” Several suggestions have been made to improve on the MT. Dhorme read it יָסוּר (yasur) in the sense of “to turn aside; to yield.” Ehrlich read this emendation as “to come to an end.” But the MT could be read as “to correct; to instruct.”

[40:13]  ⁶ tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).

[40:13]  ⁷ tn In this context רוּחַ (ruakh) likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB 925 s.v.).

[40:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”

[40:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”

[40:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and taught him.” The vav (ו) consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons.

[40:14]  ¹¹ tn The phrase אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט (’orakh mishpat) could be translated “path of justice” (so NASB, NRSV), but in this context, where creative ability and skill is in view, the phrase is better understood in the sense of “the way that is proper or fitting” (see BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6); cf. NIV, NCV “the right way.”

[40:14]  ¹² tn Heb “or the way of understanding causes him to know?”

[23:18]  ¹³ tn Or “has been the Lord’s confidant.”

[23:18]  ¹⁴ tn The form here is a jussive with a vav of subordination introducing a purpose after a question (cf. GKC 322 §109.f).

[23:18]  ¹⁵ tc Heb “his word.” In the second instance (“what he has said” at the end of the verse) the translation follows the suggestion of the Masoretes (Qere) and many Hebrew mss rather than the consonantal text (Kethib) of the Leningrad Codex.

[11:34]  ¹⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 40:13.