Job 23:8
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 Version
Behold, 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 Bible
But 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 Bible
Behold, 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 1917
Behold, 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 West
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Backward East Find Forward Perceive West
Job 23
1. Job longs to appear before God
6. 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
The Hebrew word for "east" is "קֶדֶם" (qedem), which often signifies not just a direction but also the past or ancient times. In the context of Job, this phrase suggests a search for God in the familiar or traditional places where one might expect to find Him. Historically, the east was associated with the rising sun, symbolizing hope and new beginnings. Job's expression of going east reflects his earnest quest for divine presence and understanding, yet he finds it elusive.

He is not there
This phrase captures Job's profound sense of divine absence. The Hebrew word "אֵין" (ayin) means "there is not" or "nothingness," emphasizing the void Job feels. In the broader scriptural context, God's presence is often associated with comfort and guidance. Job's lament here is a poignant expression of spiritual desolation, highlighting the struggle of faith when God seems distant.

and if I go west
The term "west" in Hebrew is "יָם" (yam), which also means "sea." The west, where the sun sets, can symbolize the end of a journey or the unknown. In ancient times, the sea was often seen as a place of chaos and mystery. Job's mention of going west underscores his exhaustive search for God, even into the realms of uncertainty and fear, yet still finding no trace of Him.

I cannot find Him
The Hebrew root "מָצָא" (matsa) means "to find" or "to encounter." Job's inability to find God is not due to a lack of effort but rather the inscrutable nature of God's presence. This phrase reflects a common biblical theme where God's ways and presence are beyond human comprehension. It serves as a reminder of the mystery of faith and the perseverance required in seeking God, even when He seems hidden.

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
If
הֵ֤ן (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


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OT Poetry: Job 23:8 If I go east he is not (Jb)
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