Job 38:2
New International Version
“Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?

New Living Translation
“Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?

English Standard Version
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Berean Standard Bible
“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?

King James Bible
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

New King James Version
“Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?

New American Standard Bible
“Who is this who darkens the divine plan By words without knowledge?

NASB 1995
“Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge?

NASB 1977
“Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge?

Legacy Standard Bible
“Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge?

Amplified Bible
“Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom] By words without knowledge?

Christian Standard Bible
Who is this who obscures my counsel with ignorant words?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Who is this who obscures My counsel with ignorant words?

American Standard Version
Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Who is this who devises doctrine in words without knowledge?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in his heart, and thinks to conceal them from me?

Contemporary English Version
Why do you talk so much when you know so little?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who is this that wrappeth up sentences in unskillful words?

English Revised Version
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Who is this that belittles my advice with words that do not show any knowledge [about it]?

Good News Translation
Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words?

International Standard Version
"Who is this who keeps darkening my counsel without knowing what he's talking about?

JPS Tanakh 1917
Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge?

Literal Standard Version
“Who [is] this—darkening counsel, | By words without knowledge?

Majority Standard Bible
“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?

New American Bible
Who is this who darkens counsel with words of ignorance?

NET Bible
"Who is this who darkens counsel with words without knowledge?

New Revised Standard Version
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

New Heart English Bible
"Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Webster's Bible Translation
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

World English Bible
“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Young's Literal Translation
Who is this -- darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Challenges Job
1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge? 3Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.…

Cross References
Job 34:35
Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.'

Job 35:16
So Job opens his mouth in vain and multiplies words without knowledge."

Job 42:3
You asked, 'Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.


Treasury of Scripture

Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Job 12:3
But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

Job 23:4,5
I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments…

Job 24:25
And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

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Counsel Dark Makes Purpose Words
Job 38
1. God challenges Job to answer
4. God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance
31. and weakness














(2) Who is this?--The question may be answered by Job's own words (Job 14:1). It is a man as so described, a dying and enfeebled man, like Job himself, not even a man in his best estate, but one so persecuted and exhausted as Job: one, therefore, altogether unequal to the task he has undertaken.

That darkeneth counsel.--That is, probably, my counsel, which was the matter under debate. The words, however, are often used proverbially in a general sense. Such discussions, carried on, as they cannot but be, in entire ignorance by blind mortals, must to God's omniscience seem thus, and cannot be otherwise than the darkening of counsel by words without knowledge.

Verse 2. - Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? It is very noticeable that God entirely ignores the reasonings of Elihu, and addresses himself, in the first instance, wholly to Job, with whom he begins by remonstrating. Job has not been without fault. He has spoken many "words without knowledge" or with insufficient knowledge, and has thus trenched on irreverence, and given the enemies of God occasion to blaspheme. Moreover, he has "darkened counsel." Instead of making the ways of God clear to his friends and companions, he has east doubts upon God's moral government (Job 21:7-26), upon his mercy and loving-kindness (Job 16:7-14), almost upon his justice (Job 19:7; Job 31:1-35). He is thus open to censure, and receives censure, and owns himself "vile" (Job 40:4), before peace and reconciliation can be established.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Who
מִ֤י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

is this
זֶ֨ה ׀ (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

who obscures
מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ (maḥ·šîḵ)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2821: To be dark, to darken

My counsel
עֵצָ֥ה (‘ê·ṣāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6098: Advice, plan, prudence

by words
בְמִלִּ֗ין (ḇə·mil·lîn)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4405: A word, a discourse, a topic

without
בְּֽלִי־ (bə·lî-)
Adverb
Strong's 1097: Failure, nothing, destruction, without, not yet, because not, as long as

knowledge?
דָֽעַת׃ (ḏā·‘aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1847: Knowledge


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OT Poetry: Job 38:2 Who is this who darkens counsel (Jb)
Job 38:1
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