Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. New Living Translation I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. English Standard Version “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; Berean Standard Bible If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him. King James Bible Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: New King James Version “Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; New American Standard Bible “Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; NASB 1995 “Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; NASB 1977 “Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; Legacy Standard Bible “Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot discern Him; Amplified Bible “Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there; I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him; Christian Standard Bible If I go east, he is not there, and if I go west, I cannot perceive him. Holman Christian Standard Bible If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot perceive Him. American Standard Version Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; And backward, but I cannot perceive him; Contemporary English Version I cannot find God anywhere--in front or back of me, English Revised Version Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: GOD'S WORD® Translation However, if I go east, he isn't there. If I go west, I can't find him. Good News Translation I have searched in the East, but God is not there; I have not found him when I searched in the West. International Standard Version "Look! If I go east, he isn't there! If I go to the west, I don't perceive him. Majority Standard Bible If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him. NET Bible "If I go to the east, he is not there, and to the west, yet I do not perceive him. New Heart English Bible "If I go east, he is not there; if west, I can't find him; Webster's Bible Translation Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: World English Bible “If I go east, he is not there. If I go west, I can’t find him. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionBehold, I go forward—and He is not, "" And backward—and I do not perceive Him. Young's Literal Translation Lo, forward I go -- and He is not, And backward -- and I perceive him not. Smith's Literal Translation Behold, I shall go before, and he is not; and behind, I shall not understand for him. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBut if I go to the east, he appeareth not; if to the west, I shall not understand him. Catholic Public Domain Version If I go to the east, he does not appear; if I go to the west, I will not understand him. New American Bible But if I go east, he is not there; or west, I cannot perceive him; New Revised Standard Version “If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleBehold, if he goes before me, I know not; or behind, I cannot perceive him. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated If he goes before me I do not know, or from behind him I do not perceive him OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Behold, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; Brenton Septuagint Translation For if I shall go first, and exist no longer, still what do I know concerning the latter end? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Job Longs for God…7Then an upright man could reason with Him, and I would be delivered forever from my Judge. 8If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him. 9When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him.… Cross References Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? / If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. / If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea, ... Jeremiah 23:23-24 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away?” / “Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Psalm 10:1 Why, O LORD, do You stand far off? Why do You hide in times of trouble? Psalm 77:6-9 At night I remembered my song; in my heart I mused, and my spirit pondered: / “Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again? / Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time? ... Lamentations 3:44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud that no prayer can pass through. Isaiah 45:15 Truly You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. Deuteronomy 31:17-18 On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’ / And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods. Amos 8:11-12 Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. / People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east, seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. Psalm 13:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? Psalm 22:1-2 For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? / I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest. Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” John 20:14-15 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not recognize that it was Jesus. / “Woman, why are you weeping?” Jesus asked. “Whom are you seeking?” Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him off, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.” Luke 24:15-16 And as they talked and deliberated, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them. / But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. Acts 17:27 God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. Treasury of Scripture Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: Job 9:11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not. Psalm 10:1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? Psalm 13:1-3 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? … Jump to Previous Backward East Find Forward Perceive WestJump to Next Backward East Find Forward Perceive WestJob 23 1. Job longs to appear before God6. in confidence of his mercy 8. God, who is invisible, observes our ways 11. Job's innocence 13. God's decree is immutable If I go east, He is not there In this passage, Job expresses his deep sense of God's absence during his suffering. The east, often associated with the rising sun, symbolizes the beginning of new opportunities or hope. Job's search for God in the east reflects his desire for a fresh encounter with God, yet he feels abandoned. This sentiment echoes Psalm 139:9-10, where the psalmist acknowledges God's omnipresence, contrasting Job's current experience. Theologically, this highlights the struggle of faith during trials, where God's presence seems elusive despite His omnipresence. and if I go west, I cannot find Him Persons / Places / Events 1. JobA man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and seeking understanding of God's ways. 2. God The omnipresent and omniscient Creator, whose ways and presence Job is earnestly seeking to understand amidst his trials. 3. East and West Directions symbolizing the entirety of Job's search for God. In the ancient Near Eastern context, these directions often represented the full scope of one's experience or journey. Teaching Points The Reality of God's PresenceEven when we feel God is absent, His presence is a constant reality. Our feelings do not dictate His nearness. The Mystery of God's Ways God's ways are often beyond our understanding. Trusting in His wisdom is crucial, especially when we cannot trace His hand. Perseverance in Seeking God Like Job, we must continue to seek God earnestly, even when He seems distant. Our pursuit is an act of faith and devotion. Faith in Times of Silence Silence from God does not equate to His absence. Our faith is tested and refined in these moments of perceived silence. The Assurance of God's Omnipresence Scriptures affirm that God is everywhere, and His presence is not limited by our perception or understanding.Verses 8, 9. - Here Job returns to the complaint of ver. 3. He cannot "find" God. God hides himself. It is in vain that he searches on every side. There is no manifestation, no open vision. Nothing, however, leads him to doubt God's existence, or even his presence where he is unperceived. "Job's conviction of God's absolute presence comes out most strongly when he feels that he cannot discern him" (Cook). Verse 8. - Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; that is, "He is not there to my perceptions." I may believe it, but I have no sensible proof of it, and I cannot demonstrate it. And backward, but I cannot perceive him. In describing locality, the Hebrews, Arabs, and Orientals generally always imagined themselves to be looking eastward, facing the rising sun. Hence the same word is used for" in front," "forwards," and "the east;" for "behind," "backwards," and "the west;" for "the left hand" and "the north;" for "the right hand" and "the south." Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Ifהֵ֤ן (hên) Interjection Strong's 2005: Lo! behold! I go אֶהֱלֹ֣ךְ (’e·hĕ·lōḵ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk east, קֶ֣דֶם (qe·ḏem) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6924: The front, of place, time He is not there, וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ (wə·’ê·nen·nū) Conjunctive waw | Adverb | third person masculine singular Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle and if I go west, וְ֝אָח֗וֹר (wə·’ā·ḥō·wr) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 268: The hinder part, behind, backward, the West I cannot וְֽלֹא־ (wə·lō-) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no find אָבִ֥ין (’ā·ḇîn) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand Him. לֽוֹ׃ (lōw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's Hebrew Links Job 23:8 NIVJob 23:8 NLT Job 23:8 ESV Job 23:8 NASB Job 23:8 KJV Job 23:8 BibleApps.com Job 23:8 Biblia Paralela Job 23:8 Chinese Bible Job 23:8 French Bible Job 23:8 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Job 23:8 If I go east he is not (Jb) |
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