14“If He should determine to do so,
         If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,

15All flesh would perish together,
         And man would return to dust.

16“But if you have understanding, hear this;
         Listen to the sound of my words.

17“Shall one who hates justice rule?
         And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

18Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
         To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;

19Who shows no partiality to princes
         Nor regards the rich above the poor,
         For they all are the work of His hands?

20“In a moment they die, and at midnight
         People are shaken and pass away,
         And the mighty are taken away without a hand.

21“For His eyes are upon the ways of a man,
         And He sees all his steps.

22“There is no darkness or deep shadow
         Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23“For He does not need to consider a man further,
         That he should go before God in judgment.

24“He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
         And sets others in their place.

25“Therefore He knows their works,
         And He overthrows them in the night,
         And they are crushed.

26“He strikes them like the wicked
         In a public place,

27Because they turned aside from following Him,
         And had no regard for any of His ways;

28So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
         And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted—

29When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
         And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him,
         That is, in regard to both nation and man?—

30So that godless men would not rule
         Nor be snares of the people.

31“For has anyone said to God,
         ‘I have borne chastisement;
         I will not offend anymore;

32Teach me what I do not see;
         If I have done iniquity,
         I will not do it again’?

33“Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it?
         For you must choose, and not I;
         Therefore declare what you know.

34“Men of understanding will say to me,
         And a wise man who hears me,

35‘Job speaks without knowledge,
         And his words are without wisdom.

36‘Job ought to be tried to the limit,
         Because he answers like wicked men.

37‘For he adds rebellion to his sin;
         He claps his hands among us,
         And multiplies his words against God.’”

Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Who put him in charge of the earth? Who appointed him to be over the whole world?

King James Bible
Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

Douay-Rheims Bible
What other hath he appointed over the earth? or whom hath he set over the world which he made?

Darby Bible Translation
Who hath entrusted to him the earth? and who hath disposed the whole world?

English Revised Version
Who gave him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

Webster's Bible Translation
Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

World English Bible
Who put him in charge of the earth? or who has appointed him over the whole world?

Young's Literal Translation
Who hath inspected for Himself the earth? And who hath placed all the habitable world?

Cross References

Job 38:4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,

Job 38:5 Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it?

Commentary

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Verses 10-15

The scope of Elihu's discourse to reconcile Job to his afflictions and to pacify his spirit under them. In order to this he had shown, in the foregoing chapter, that God meant him no hurt in afflicting him, but intended it for his spiritual benefit. In this chapter he shows that he did him no wrong in afflicting him, nor punished him more than he deserved. If the former could not prevail to satisfy him, yet this ought to silence him. In these verses he directs his discourse to all the company: "Hearken to me, you men of understanding (v. 10), and show yourselves to be intelligent by assenting to this which I say." And this is that which he says, That the righteous God never did, nor ever will do, any wrong to any of his creatures, but his ways are equal, ours are unequal. The truth here maintained respects the justice of equity of all God's proceedings. Now observe in these verses,

I. How plainly this truth is laid down, both negatively and positively. 1. He does wrong to none: God cannot do wickedness, nor the Almighty commit iniquity, v. 10. It is inconsistent with the perfection of his nature, and so it is also with the purity of his will (v. 12): God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. He neither can nor will do a wrong thing, nor deal hardly with any man. He will never inflict the evil of punishment but where he finds the evil of sin, nor in any undue proportion, for that would be to commit iniquity and do wickedly. If appeals be made to him, or he be to give a definitive sentence, he will have an eye to the merits of the cause and not respect the person, for that were to pervert judgment. He will never either do any man wrong or deny any man right, but the heavens will shortly declare his righteousness. Because he is God, and therefore is infinitely perfect and holy, he can neither do wrong himself nor countenance it in others, nay more than he can die, or lie, or deny himself. Though he be Almighty, yet he never uses his power, as mighty men often do, for the support of injustice. He is Shaddai-God all-sufficient, and therefore he cannot be tempted with evil (James 1:13), to do an unrighteous thing. 2. He ministers justice to all (v. 11): The work of a man shall he render unto him. Good works shall be rewarded and evil works either punished or satisfied for; so that sooner or later, in this world or in that to come, he will cause every man to find according to his ways. This is the standing rule of distributive justice, to give to every man according to his work. Say to the righteous, it shall be well with them; woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with them. If services persevered in now go unrewarded, and sins persisted in now go unpunished, yet there is a day coming when God will fully render to every man according to his works, with interest for the delay.

II. How warmly it is asserted, 1. With an assurance of the truth of it: Yea, surely, v. 12. It is a truth which none can deny or call in question; it is what we may take for granted and are all agreed in, That God will not do wickedly. 2. With an abhorrence of the very thought of the contrary (v. 10): Far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from us that we should entertain the least suspicion of it or say any thing that looks like charging him with it.

III. How evidently it is proved by two arguments:

1. His independent absolute sovereignty and dominion (v. 13): Who has given him a charge over the earth and deputed him to manage the affairs of men upon the earth? Or, Who besides has disposed the whole world of mankind? He has the sole administration of the kingdoms of men, and has it of himself, nor is he entrusted with it by or for any other. (1.) It is certain that the government is his, and he does according to his will in all the hosts both of heaven and earth; and therefore he is not to be charged with injustice; for shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Gen. 18:25. How shall God either rule or judge the world if there be, or could be, any unrighteousness with him? Rom. 3:5, 6. He that is entitled to such unlimited power most certainly have in himself unspotted purity. This is also a good reason why we should acquiesce in all God's dealings with us. Shall not he that disposes of the whole world dispose of us and our concerns? (2.) It is as certain that he does not derive his power from any, nor is it a dispensation that is committed to him, but his power is original, and, like his being, of himself; and therefore, if he were not perfectly just, all the world and the affairs of it would soon be in the utmost confusion. The highest powers on earth have a God above them, to whom they are accountable, because it is not far from them to do iniquity. But therefore God has none above him, because it is not possible that he should do any thing (such is the perfection of his nature) that should need to be controlled. And, if he be an absolute sovereign, we are bound to submit to him, for there is no higher power to which we may appeal, so that the virtue is a necessity.

2. His irresistible power (v. 14): If he set his heart upon man, to contend with him, much more if (as some read it) he set his heart against man, to ruin him, if he should deal with man either by summa potestas-mere sovereignty, or by summum jus-strict justice, there were no standing before him; man's spirit and breath would soon be gone and all flesh would perish together, v. 15. Many men's honesty is owing purely to their impotency; they do not do wrong because they cannot support it when it is done, or it is not in their power to do it. But God is able to crush any man easily and suddenly, and yet does not by arbitrary power crush any man, which therefore must be attributed to the infinite perfection of his nature, and that is immutable. See here, (1.) What God can do with us. He can soon bring us to dust; there needs not any positive act of his omnipotence to do it; if he do but withdraw that concurrence of his providence by which we live, if he gather unto himself that spirit and breath which was from his hand at first and is still in his hand, we expire immediately, like an animal in an air-pump when the air is exhausted. (2.) What he may do with us without doing us wrong. He may recall the being he gave, of which we are but tenants at will, and which also we have forfeited; and therefore, as long as that is continued of his mere favour, we have no reason to cry out of wrong, whatever other comforts are removed.

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New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.

GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.

Alphabetical: And appointed authority charge earth gave has him in laid of on over put the Who whole world

Bible Browser

February 3 Evening
The darkness hideth not from thee.--PSA. 139:12. His eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.--Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? . . . Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; . . . nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness . . . Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

Pride Catechized
DEAR FRIENDS, it is never wise to dispute with God. Let a man strive with his fellow, but not with his Maker. If we must discuss any point, let it be with imperfect beings like ourselves, but not with the infallible and infinitely wise God; for, in most of our discussions, these questions wilt come back to us, "Should it be according to thy mind? Art thou master? Is everyone to be subordinate to thee?" I am going to speak, this evening, to those who have a quarrel with God concerning the way of salvation. …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 46: 1900

Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Whether God Provides for all Things Directly
Whether God Provides for All Things Directly We proceed to the third article thus: 1. It seems that God does not provide for all things directly. We must ascribe to God whatever dignity requires, and the dignity of a king requires that he provide for his subjects through the medium of ministers. Much more, then, does God provide for all things through some medium. 2. Again, providence ordains things to their end. Now the end of anything is its perfection and good, and every cause directs its effect …
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Whether Predestination is Certain
Whether Predestination is Certain We proceed to the sixth article thus: 1. It seems that predestination is not certain. For on Rev. 3:11, "hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown," Augustine says: "no other will take it if one does not lose it." The crown to which one is predestined may therefore be lost as well as won. Hence predestination is not certain. 2. Again, if something is possible, none of its consequences are impossible. Now it is possible for a predestined man, like …
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Whether God Has Immediate Providence Over Everything?
Objection 1: It seems that God has not immediate providence over all things. For whatever is contained in the notion of dignity, must be attributed to God. But it belongs to the dignity of a king, that he should have ministers; through whose mediation he provides for his subjects. Therefore much less has God Himself immediate providence over all things. Objection 2: Further, it belongs to providence to order all things to an end. Now the end of everything is its perfection and its good. But it appertains …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Christ's Judiciary Power Extends to the Angels?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's judiciary power does not extend to the angels, because the good and wicked angels alike were judged in the beginning of the world, when some fell through sin while others were confirmed in bliss. But those already judged have no need of being judged again. Therefore Christ's judiciary power does not extend to the angels. Objection 2: Further, the same person cannot be both judge and judged. But the angels will come to judge with Christ, according to Mat. 25:31: …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether it is More Grievous to Sin through Certain Malice than through Passion?
Objection 1: It would seem that it is not more grievous to sin through certain malice than through passion. Because ignorance excuses from sin either altogether or in part. Now ignorance is greater in one who sins through certain malice, than in one who sins through passion; since he that sins through certain malice suffers from the worst form of ignorance, which according to the Philosopher (Ethic. vii, 8) is ignorance of principle, for he has a false estimation of the end, which is the principle …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Anyone Sins through Certain Malice?
Objection 1: It would seem that no one sins purposely, or through certain malice. Because ignorance is opposed to purpose or certain malice. Now "every evil man is ignorant," according to the Philosopher (Ethic. iii, 1); and it is written (Prov. 14:22): "They err that work evil." Therefore no one sins through certain malice. Objection 2: Further, Dionysius says (Div. Nom. iv) that "no one works intending evil." Now to sin through malice seems to denote the intention of doing evil [*Alluding to the …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Wisdom of God
The next attribute is God's wisdom, which is one of the brightest beams of the Godhead. He is wise in heart.' Job 9:9. The heart is the seat of wisdom. Cor in Hebraeo sumitur pro judicio. Pineda. Among the Hebrews, the heart is put for wisdom.' Let men of understanding tell me:' Job 34:44: in the Hebrew, Let men of heart tell me.' God is wise in heart, that is, he is most wise. God only is wise; he solely and wholly possesses all wisdom; therefore he is called, the only wise God.' I Tim 1:17. All …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Whether a Sin is Aggravated by Reason of the Condition of the Person against whom it is Committed?
Objection 1: It would seem that sin is not aggravated by reason of the condition of the person against whom it is committed. For if this were the case a sin would be aggravated chiefly by being committed against a just and holy man. But this does not aggravate a sin: because a virtuous man who bears a wrong with equanimity is less harmed by the wrong done him, than others, who, through being scandalized, are also hurt inwardly. Therefore the condition of the person against whom a sin is committed …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Predestination is Certain?
Objection 1: It seems that predestination is not certain. Because on the words "Hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown," (Rev 3:11), Augustine says (De Corr. et Grat. 15): "Another will not receive, unless this one were to lose it." Hence the crown which is the effect of predestination can be both acquired and lost. Therefore predestination cannot be certain. Objection 2: Further, granted what is possible, nothing impossible follows. But it is possible that one predestined---e.g. …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Letter ix. Meditation.
"Meditate upon these things."--1 TIM. 4:15. MY DEAR SISTER: The subject of this letter is intimately connected with that of the last; and in proportion to your faithfulness in the duty now under consideration, will be your interest in the word and worship of God. Religious meditation is a serious, devout and practical thinking of divine things; a duty enjoined in Scripture, both by precept and example; and concerning which, let us observe, 1. Its importance. That God has required it, ought to …
Harvey Newcomb—A Practical Directory for Young Christian Females

Whether Vengeance Should be Taken on those who have Sinned Involuntarily?
Objection 1: It seems that vengeance should be taken on those who have sinned involuntarily. For the will of one man does not follow from the will of another. Yet one man is punished for another, according to Ex. 20:5, "I am . . . God . . . jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation." Thus for the sin of Cham, his son Chanaan was curse (Gn. 9:25) and for the sin of Giezi, his descendants were struck with leprosy (4 Kings 5). Again the blood …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Thoughts Upon Worldly-Riches. Sect. Ii.
TIMOTHY after his Conversion to the Christian Faith, being found to be a Man of great Parts, Learning, and Piety, and so every way qualified for the work of the Ministry, St. Paul who had planted a Church at Ephesus the Metropolis or chief City of all Asia, left him to dress and propagate it, after his departure from it, giving him Power to ordain Elders or Priests, and to visit and exercise Jurisdiction over them, to see they did not teach false Doctrines, 1 Tim. i. 3. That they be unblameable in …
William Beveridge—Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life

Directions to Awakened Sinners.
Acts ix. 6. Acts ix. 6. And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do. THESE are the words of Saul, who also is called Paul, (Acts xiii. 9,) when he was stricken to the ground as he was going to Damascus; and any one who had looked upon him in his present circumstances and knew nothing more of him than that view, in comparison with his past life, could have given, would have imagined him one of the most miserable creatures that ever lived upon earth, and would have expected …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
Presented to the World in a Familiar Dialogue Between Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Attentive. By John Bunyan ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The life of Badman is a very interesting description, a true and lively portraiture, of the demoralized classes of the trading community in the reign of King Charles II; a subject which naturally led the author to use expressions familiar among such persons, but which are now either obsolete or considered as vulgar. In fact it is the only work proceeding from the prolific …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Job
The book of Job is one of the great masterpieces of the world's literature, if not indeed the greatest. The author was a man of superb literary genius, and of rich, daring, and original mind. The problem with which he deals is one of inexhaustible interest, and his treatment of it is everywhere characterized by a psychological insight, an intellectual courage, and a fertility and brilliance of resource which are nothing less than astonishing. Opinion has been divided as to how the book should be …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament