Job 33:13

KJV

Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

KJV (with Strong's)

Why dost thou strive {H7378} against him? for he giveth not account {H6030} of any of his matters {H1697}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Why do you strive against him? He will not defend his words

Berean Standard Bible

Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?

American Standard Version

Why dost thou strive against him, For that he giveth not account of any of his matters?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 33:13 encapsulates Elihu's direct challenge to Job's posture of complaint and perceived contention with God, asserting that the Almighty is not obligated to provide an explanation or justification for His actions to humanity. This verse underscores God's absolute sovereignty and transcendence, reminding Job—and by extension, all believers—of the vast chasm between divine wisdom and human understanding, thereby calling for humility and trust in the face of inscrutable divine providence.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within Elihu's first major discourse to Job and his three friends (Job 32-37). Elihu, a younger man, enters the dialogue after the three friends have exhausted their arguments and Job has maintained his innocence, continuing to demand an explanation from God. Elihu positions himself as a more balanced voice, seeking to correct Job's presumption while also implicitly critiquing the friends' simplistic theology that equates suffering directly with specific sin. In [Job 33](/job/33 "Job 33 - Elihu's First Speech"), Elihu begins by asserting his own divine inspiration and then directly addresses Job's complaints, particularly Job's feeling that God has dealt unjustly with him or has remained silent. This verse is a direct rhetorical question and assertion, confronting Job's "striving" against God and emphasizing God's ultimate authority and lack of accountability to human questioning.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, the concept of a deity or a king being accountable to their subjects was virtually nonexistent. Rulers and gods operated from a position of absolute authority, their decisions rarely questioned, let alone demanded explanation for. Job's persistent "lawsuit" against God, demanding a hearing and an explanation for his suffering, would have been seen as profoundly audacious and even blasphemous within this cultural framework. Elihu's words reflect this societal understanding of divine prerogative, reminding Job that God is not a human litigant who must present His case or justify His "matters" before a human court. The very notion of "striving against" God (Hebrew: _rîyb_) implies a legal dispute, which Elihu deems inappropriate and futile when one party is the Almighty Creator.
* **Key Themes:** Job 33:13 contributes significantly to several key themes within the broader book of Job and biblical theology. Foremost among these is **God's absolute sovereignty and transcendence**, emphasizing His unchallengeable authority and freedom to act without human permission or comprehension. It also highlights **human epistemic limitation**, underscoring the inability of finite humans to fully grasp or judge the infinite wisdom and purposes of God. The verse implicitly calls for **humility and submission** before the divine, contrasting Job's demanding posture with the appropriate reverence due to the Creator. Furthermore, it touches upon the **inscrutability of God's ways**, a central tension in Job, where divine justice and human suffering do not always align with human expectations, leading to the conclusion that God's purposes are often beyond our understanding, as further elaborated in [Job 38](/job/38 "Job 38-41 - The Lord Answers Job").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Strive (Hebrew, _rîyb'_):** From H7378, this verb carries the connotation of contending, disputing, arguing, or even engaging in a legal quarrel or lawsuit. Elihu uses it to describe Job's persistent complaints and challenges against God's justice and actions. It implies a posture of accusation and demand, as if Job is taking God to court and expecting Him to defend Himself.
* **Account (Hebrew, _'ânâh'_):** From H6030, the verb _'ânâh_ means "to answer," "to respond," or "to give attention to." In this context, with the negative particle, it signifies that God is not obligated to answer, respond to, or justify His actions to humanity. He is not subject to human interrogation or demands for explanation; His sovereignty places Him beyond such accountability.
* **Matters (Hebrew, _dâbâr'_):** From H1697, this noun is highly versatile, meaning "word," "thing," "affair," "business," or "cause." Here, it refers to God's actions, decisions, or the reasons behind His dealings. The phrase "any of his matters" emphasizes the totality of God's ways, none of which He is compelled to explain or justify to human beings.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Why dost thou strive against him?":** This is a rhetorical question posed by Elihu, directly challenging Job's continuous complaints and his perceived legal contention with God. It implies that Job's posture of demanding answers and questioning God's righteousness is presumptuous and inappropriate. Elihu views Job's lamentations as crossing a line from honest grief into an accusation against the divine.
* **"for he giveth not account of any of his matters.":** This clause provides the theological justification for Elihu's rhetorical question. It asserts God's absolute sovereignty and transcendence. God is the Creator and Sustainer of all; therefore, He is not answerable to His creation. His actions, His decisions, and His purposes are His own, and He is under no obligation to explain them or justify them to human beings, whose understanding is finite and limited.

#### Literary Devices
Elihu's statement in Job 33:13 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful theological message. The opening **Rhetorical Question**, "Why dost thou strive against him?", serves not to elicit an answer from Job, but to highlight the futility and impropriety of his posture. It functions as a direct challenge, forcing Job to confront the nature of his complaints. This is immediately followed by a declarative **Assertion**: "for he giveth not account of any of his matters." This assertion functions as the unassailable theological premise for the rhetorical question, establishing God's ultimate authority. There is also an implicit **Contrast** at play: the contrast between the limited, questioning human (Job) and the unlimited, unquestionable divine (God). This contrast underscores the vast difference in status and understanding, reinforcing the theme of divine inscrutability.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 33:13 articulates a foundational biblical truth about God's absolute sovereignty, transcendence, and the limits of human comprehension regarding His ways. While Elihu's overall understanding of suffering is not entirely complete, his assertion here regarding God's unchallengeable authority resonates deeply with the broader scriptural witness. God is not a cosmic accountant who must itemize His actions for human approval; His wisdom and purposes operate on a scale far beyond human grasp. This truth calls humanity to a posture of humble trust rather than demanding interrogation, acknowledging that while God is just and loving, His methods and reasons are often hidden from our sight.

* [Isaiah 55:8-9](/isaiah/55-8-9 "Isaiah 55:8-9 - God's Thoughts and Ways are Higher")
* [Romans 9:20-21](/romans/9-20-21 "Romans 9:20-21 - The Potter and the Clay")
* [Psalm 115:3](/psalms/115-3 "Psalm 115:3 - Our God is in the Heavens")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world that often demands transparency and accountability from all institutions and individuals, Job 33:13 serves as a profound counter-cultural reminder regarding our relationship with God. When faced with inexplicable suffering, unanswered prayers, or circumstances that seem utterly unfair, it is natural for the human heart to cry out, "Why?" or "How long?" Elihu's words caution against allowing these questions to devolve into a posture of "striving against" God, demanding explanations as if He were obligated to justify Himself to us. Instead, this verse encourages a radical humility and trust in God's perfect wisdom and unwavering justice, even when His plan is obscured from our view. It calls us to rest in the knowledge that His ways are higher, His thoughts deeper, and His character perfectly good, even when we cannot trace His hand. Our worship should flow from who He is, not merely from what we can comprehend of His actions.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do I typically respond when God's ways seem hidden or His actions inexplicable in my life?**
* **In what ways might I be "striving against" God rather than humbly submitting to His sovereign will?**
* **What does it truly mean to trust God's character and wisdom when I don't understand His specific plan or allow His perfect love to guide me through uncertainty?**

### FAQ
**Does this verse imply that God is arbitrary or uncaring in His actions?**

Answer: No, this verse does not suggest that God is arbitrary, uncaring, or unjust. Rather, it speaks to His transcendence and absolute sovereignty. The fact that God "giveth not account" to humanity means He is not subject to human judgment or limited by human understanding. His actions are always consistent with His perfect, holy, and loving character, even if their reasons are beyond our finite comprehension. God's justice and love operate on a cosmic scale, and His purposes are ultimately for His glory and the good of His creation, even when we cannot perceive the immediate reasons for specific events. [Psalm 145:17](/psalms/145-17 "Psalm 145:17 - The Lord is Righteous in All His Ways") affirms that "The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."

**Is Elihu's perspective on God entirely correct or the final word in the book of Job?**

Answer: Elihu's contribution in Job 33 is significant and provides a crucial corrective to both Job's presumption and the simplistic, often rigid, theology of the three friends. He correctly emphasizes God's sovereignty, the disciplinary potential of suffering, and humanity's need for humility before the Almighty. While Elihu's understanding is profound, it is not the final or complete word on the matter. God's own direct speech from the whirlwind in [Job 38](/job/38 "Job 38-41 - The Lord Answers Job") offers the ultimate divine perspective, further humbling Job by demonstrating God's unsearchable wisdom and power through creation, without ever fully explaining the "why" of Job's suffering. Elihu points in the right direction regarding God's unchallengeable authority, preparing the way for God's own revelation.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 33:13 highlights God's inscrutability and unchallengeable sovereignty, the New Testament, through the person of Jesus Christ, offers the ultimate "account" of God's heart, not through verbal explanation of every trial, but through incarnate love and self-sacrifice. Jesus, the very image of the invisible God ([Colossians 1:15](/colossians/1-15 "Colossians 1:15 - Jesus, the Image of God")), perfectly embodied submission to the Father's will, even when that will led to the incomprehensible suffering of the cross ([Luke 22:42](/luke/22-42 "Luke 22:42 - Jesus' Prayer in Gethsemane")). He did not demand an explanation from the Father for the cup He was to drink but trusted in divine wisdom. In Christ, God has given us the most profound revelation of Himself, not by explaining "all His matters" in a rationalistic sense, but by demonstrating His character—His love, justice, and mercy—in a way that transcends mere words. Through Jesus, we are invited into a relationship with God where trust in His heart replaces the need for full comprehension of His hand. The ultimate answer to suffering and the mystery of God's ways is found in the cross, where the [Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), reconciling us to a God who, though sovereign and inscrutable, is also intimately acquainted with our griefs ([Isaiah 53:3](/isaiah/53-3 "Isaiah 53:3 - A Man of Sorrows")). This enables believers to rest in the assurance that [all things work together for good](/romans/8-28 "Romans 8:28 - All Things Work for Good") for those who love God, even when the "account" of His specific workings remains hidden.

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 40:2

Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct [him]? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Isaiah 45:9

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! [Let] the potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

Ezekiel 22:14

Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken [it], and will do [it].

1 Corinthians 10:22

Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

Job 15:25

For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.

Job 15:26

He runneth upon him, [even] on [his] neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

Psalms 62:11

God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power [belongeth] unto God.