Job 13:2

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 13:2 is a powerful declaration by Job, asserting his intellectual and spiritual equality with his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Amidst his profound suffering and their persistent accusations, Job passionately defends his understanding, stating that he possesses the same foundational knowledge and is in no way inferior to them, directly challenging their presumption of superior wisdom and their rigid theological interpretations of his calamity.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This declaration is situated within Job's third major speech (Job 12-14), following a period of intense debate and his friends' increasingly accusatory pronouncements. Immediately preceding this verse, in [Job 13:1](/job/13-1 "Job 13:1 - Job's Claim of Knowledge"), Job states, "Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it." This sets the stage for [Job 13:2](/job/13-2 "Job 13:2 - Job's Assertion of Parity"), where he elaborates on his comprehension, emphasizing that his understanding of divine principles is as complete as theirs. The broader narrative sees Job consistently maintaining his innocence against the friends' retribution theology, which posits that his suffering must be a direct result of hidden sin. His assertion here is a direct rebuttal to their condescending tone and their failure to offer true comfort or insight into his unique and inexplicable plight.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Book of Job, set in the land of Uz, reflects the ancient Near Eastern wisdom tradition, which often explored questions of justice, suffering, and the nature of God. The friends embody a prevalent cultural and theological framework: retribution theology. This belief system held that righteousness led to prosperity, and wickedness to suffering, providing a seemingly logical explanation for life's events. Job's suffering, despite his known righteousness, directly challenged this conventional wisdom. His friends' insistence on his sinfulness was a culturally acceptable, albeit misapplied, attempt to make sense of his situation. Job's bold assertion in [Job 13:2](/job/13-2 "Job 13:2 - Job's Assertion of Parity") was a radical departure from the expected deference to elders or those perceived as wise, highlighting the profound intellectual and spiritual struggle at the heart of the book.
* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes significantly to several core themes. Firstly, it highlights the **limits of human wisdom** in comprehending divine actions; the friends' conventional knowledge, while generally true, proves utterly inadequate for Job's unique suffering, foreshadowing God's later revelation in [Job 38-41](/job/38 "Job 38 - God's Speeches to Job"). Secondly, it underscores the theme of **false comfort and judgment**; despite their intentions, the friends become "miserable comforters" ([Job 16:2](/job/16-2 "Job 16:2 - Job's Lament Against His Friends")). Thirdly, it reinforces Job's unwavering **assertion of his integrity** before God, even as he grapples with the inexplicable nature of his suffering. His claim of parity is not born of arrogance but of a deep conviction that he has not committed the specific sins his friends accuse him of, thereby challenging their authority and the simplistic application of their theology.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Inferior (Hebrew, _nūphal_):** The Hebrew word translated "inferior" is from the root *nāphal* (נָפַל), meaning "to fall." In the Niphal stem (passive/reflexive), *nūphal* (נוּפָל) means "to be fallen," "to be diminished," or "to be brought low." Job's declaration "I am not diminished from you" conveys a powerful assertion of undiminished status, knowledge, and understanding. It's not merely a claim of equal knowledge, but a forceful rejection of any perceived reduction in his intellectual or spiritual standing due to his suffering.
* **Know (Hebrew, _yādaʿ_):** The verb *yādaʿ* (יָדַע) signifies not just intellectual apprehension but often a deep, experiential, and relational knowledge. When Job says, "What ye know, the same do I know also," he implies that he possesses not only the theoretical understanding of God's ways but also a lived experience that, while different from theirs, is equally valid and perhaps even deeper in its wrestling with divine truth. This suggests a comprehensive grasp of the theological principles they are espousing.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"What ye know, [the same] do I know also":** This clause establishes Job's claim to intellectual and spiritual parity. He is not ignorant of the conventional wisdom, the theological maxims, or the common understanding of God's justice that his friends are espousing. He acknowledges their knowledge but asserts that it is not exclusive to them. This is a direct challenge to their assumption of superior insight and their condescending approach.
* **"I [am] not inferior unto you":** This is a forceful declaration of Job's undiminished standing. It rejects the notion that his suffering has somehow rendered him less wise, less perceptive, or less spiritually attuned than his friends. He is not "fallen" or "diminished" in comparison to them, asserting his full intellectual and spiritual competence to engage in the debate and to understand the complexities of his situation.

#### Literary Devices
Job 13:2 employs several literary devices to convey its powerful message. The most prominent is **Assertion**, where Job makes a direct and emphatic statement of his equality and understanding, challenging the friends' condescending tone. This assertion functions as a direct **Rebuttal**, countering the friends' implicit or explicit claims of superior wisdom and their attempts to instruct him. There is also an element of **Irony** at play; the friends believe they are offering profound wisdom, but Job, through this verse and the broader context, reveals the limitations of their conventional understanding, suggesting that their "wisdom" is insufficient for his unique and unprecedented suffering. The structure of the verse, with its parallel clauses, also demonstrates a form of **Parallelism**, reinforcing the idea of Job's knowledge mirroring theirs, followed by a strong negative assertion of non-inferiority.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 13:2 serves as a crucial pivot in the dialogue, shifting the focus from Job's lament to his direct confrontation with his friends' flawed theology. It highlights the profound truth that suffering does not inherently diminish one's spiritual understanding or intellectual capacity. Job's assertion of parity challenges the simplistic cause-and-effect understanding of divine justice prevalent in his time, paving the way for a deeper, more nuanced exploration of God's sovereignty and human suffering throughout the book. It underscores the danger of applying general theological truths rigidly to specific, complex individual circumstances without empathy or humility, and it sets the stage for God's ultimate vindication of Job's integrity.

* [Job 6:29-30](/job/6-29 "Job 6:29-30 - Job's Plea for Justice")
* [Job 32:7-9](/job/32-7 "Job 32:7-9 - Elihu's Perspective on Wisdom")
* [Proverbs 26:12](/proverbs/26-12 "Proverbs 26:12 - The Danger of Self-Perceived Wisdom")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 13:2 offers profound lessons for how we engage with others, especially those in distress, and how we approach complex theological questions. It calls us to cultivate a spirit of humility, recognizing that our understanding of God's ways is always partial and limited. When comforting others, our primary posture should be one of empathetic listening rather than immediate judgment or the dispensing of simplistic answers. We must resist the temptation to assume superior insight or to attribute suffering solely to sin, remembering that God's purposes are often far beyond our comprehension. This verse encourages us to respect the inherent dignity and understanding of those who suffer, acknowledging that they may possess a deep, even if struggling, spiritual knowledge that rivals or surpasses our own. True compassion involves walking alongside, not standing in judgment above.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways might I be tempted to assume superior knowledge or wisdom when interacting with someone who is suffering?**
* **How does Job's assertion challenge my own assumptions about the relationship between suffering and spiritual standing?**
* **What is the difference between offering empathetic presence and dispensing unhelpful theological pronouncements?**

### FAQ
**Does Job's statement imply arrogance or a lack of humility?**

Answer: While Job's tone is certainly assertive and direct, it is not necessarily arrogant. Rather, it is a passionate defense of his integrity and understanding against what he perceives as the condescending and misinformed counsel of his friends. He is not claiming to know *more* than them, but to know *the same*, and to be *not inferior*. His suffering has not diminished his intellect or his grasp of theological principles. In the context of the entire book, Job is genuinely wrestling with God, not just his friends, and his honesty, though sometimes raw, is ultimately vindicated by God in [Job 42:7](/job/42-7 "Job 42:7 - God's Rebuke of Job's Friends"). His assertion is a necessary pushback against their rigid and ultimately false accusations, highlighting the limits of human wisdom in the face of divine mystery.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job's assertion of parity and his rejection of being "inferior" to his friends, despite his suffering, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. While Job's suffering was inexplicable to his friends, Christ's suffering was purposeful, a divine plan unfolding for the redemption of humanity. Jesus, though "made lower than the angels for a little while" through his incarnation and suffering ([Hebrews 2:9](/hebrews/2-9 "Hebrews 2:9 - Jesus, Crowned with Glory and Honor")), was never "inferior" in knowledge or wisdom to any human being, not even the most learned Pharisees or Sadducees. He consistently demonstrated a profound, divine understanding that surpassed all conventional human wisdom ([Matthew 7:28-29](/matthew/7-28 "Matthew 7:28-29 - The Authority of Jesus' Teaching")). His suffering, unlike Job's, was not a consequence of personal sin but a vicarious atonement, perfectly fulfilling the role of the righteous sufferer. In Christ, we see the true "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")), whose wisdom and authority remained undiminished even in the face of the cross, ultimately leading to resurrection and triumph over sin and death ([Colossians 2:3](/colossians/2-3 "Colossians 2:3 - Christ, in Whom are Hidden All Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Job 12:3

But I have understanding as well as you; I [am] not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

2 Corinthians 11:16

¶ I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

2 Corinthians 11:18

Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

2 Corinthians 12:11

¶ I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

Job 40:4

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

Job 40:5

Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

1 Corinthians 8:1

¶ Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.