The Meaning of Job 9:4 Explained

Job 9:4

KJV: He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

YLT: Wise in heart and strong in power -- Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?

Darby: He is wise in heart and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and had peace?

ASV: He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?-

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[He is] wise  in heart,  and mighty  in strength:  who hath hardened  [himself] against him, and hath prospered? 

What does Job 9:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 9:1-35 - "the Daysman"
Ponder the sublimity of the conceptions of God given in this magnificent passage. To God are attributed the earthquake that rocks the pillars on which the world rests, Job 9:6; the eclipse which hides the heavenly bodies, Job 9:7; the storm in which he bows the heavens and treads majestically on the waves, Job 9:8; and the creation of the constellations, Job 9:9. Who can dare to argue with or call to account so great a God as this? Job 9:10-19. Even if a man be outwardly and inwardly righteous (that is, so far as the measure of his light), yet in such a Presence the heart of the most perfect must condemn him. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves"¦. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." We cannot but feel that this old-world thinker had a truer view of that conscious imperfection and sin which must be experienced by every mortal who has a right appreciation of the holiness of God, than have those who refuse to say the Lord's Prayer because it contains a petition for forgiveness!
Truly we need that Daysman! But we have Him in Jesus our Mediator, who can lay His hand on God and us, Job 9:33; 1 Timothy 2:5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 9

1  Job acknowledges God's justice
22  Man's innocence is not to be condemned by afflictions

What do the individual words in Job 9:4 mean?

[God is] wise in heart and strong in power who has hardened [himself] against Him and prospered
חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־ הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו ؟ וַיִּשְׁלָֽם

חֲכַ֣ם  [God  is]  wise 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: חָכָם  
Sense: wise, wise (man).
לֵ֭בָב  in  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
וְאַמִּ֣יץ  and  strong 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: אַמִּיץ  
Sense: strong, mighty.
כֹּ֑חַ  in  power 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּחַ 
Sense: strength, power, might.
הִקְשָׁ֥ה  has  hardened  [himself] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָשָׁה  
Sense: to be hard, be severe, be fierce, be harsh.
אֵ֝לָ֗יו  against  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
؟ וַיִּשְׁלָֽם  and  prospered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: .