Job 13:2

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

What ye know, [the same] do I know also: I [am] not inferior unto you.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Whatever you know, I know too; I am not inferior to you.

Berean Standard Bible:

What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

American Standard Version:

What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

What ye know^{H1847}, the same do I know^{H3045} also: I am not inferior^{H5307} unto you.

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Job 13:2

Job 13:2 is a verse from the Book of Job, which is part of the Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. The Book of Job deals with the problem of theodicy, the question of why a just God permits evil and suffering in the world, particularly to the righteous. Job, the central character, is a man of great wealth and piety who is afflicted with the loss of his possessions, his children, and his health as part of a divine test.

In this verse, Job is responding to his three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—who have come to comfort him but end up accusing him of wrongdoing, suggesting that his suffering must be a punishment for sin. Here, Job asserts his epistemological equality with his friends, stating, "What ye know, [the same] do I know also: I [am] not inferior unto you." This declaration is significant because it challenges the assumption that his friends' ability to articulate theological arguments gives them superior wisdom or insight into his situation.

Job's statement underscores a few themes:

1. **Human Limitations**: Despite the friends' certainty about their understanding of God's justice, Job reminds them that human knowledge is limited. He implies that they do not possess a special insight that he lacks.

2. **Mutual Understanding**: Job suggests that he and his friends share a common understanding of God and the world, emphasizing that he is not less informed or less capable of discerning truth.

3. **Self-Defense**: Job is defending his integrity and innocence against the accusations of his friends. He insists that he is not less righteous than they are, and therefore, his suffering is not evidence of divine retribution for personal sin.

4. **Theodicy**: The broader context of this verse contributes to the ongoing exploration of why good people suffer. Job's dialogue with his friends is part of a larger discourse on the nature of suffering and divine justice.

Historically, the Book of Job is thought to have been written during the period of the Israelite monarchy, possibly between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE. It reflects the wisdom tradition, which sought to understand the complexities of life and the divine through observation, experience, and reflection. Job's speeches, including the one in chapter 13, are powerful examples of the human struggle to reconcile personal experience with traditional theological beliefs.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H1847
   There are 91 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דַּעַת
   Transliteration: daʻath
   Pronunciation: dah'-ath
   Description: from יָדַע; knowledge; cunning, (ig-) norantly, know(-ledge), (un-) awares (wittingly).
   
2. Strong's Number: H3045
   There are 873 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָדַע
   Transliteration: yâdaʻ
   Pronunciation: yaw-dah'
   Description: a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.); acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-) norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, [phrase] be learned, [phrase] lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, [idiom] prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), [idiom] will be, wist, wit, wot.
   
3. Strong's Number: H5307
   There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָפַל
   Transliteration: nâphal
   Pronunciation: naw-fal'
   Description: a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative); be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for פָּלַל), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down.