Job 9:12

KJV

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

KJV (with Strong's)

Behold, he taketh away {H2862}, who can hinder {H7725} him? who will say {H559} unto him, What doest {H6213} thou?

Complete Jewish Bible

If he kills [people], who will ask why? Who will say to him, 'What are you doing?'

Berean Standard Bible

If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’

American Standard Version

Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 9:12 encapsulates Job's profound realization of God's absolute and unchallengeable sovereignty. In the midst of his intense suffering, Job acknowledges that God acts according to His own inscrutable will, sweeping away whatever He chooses, and no human or earthly power can resist His actions or demand an explanation. This verse highlights the vast chasm between divine omnipotence and human frailty, emphasizing the futility of contending with an Almighty God whose ways are beyond human comprehension and control.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 9:12 is a pivotal statement within Job's first response to Bildad's rigid adherence to retribution theology (Job 8). Having just described God's majestic power evident in creation and natural phenomena—from moving mountains to commanding the stars and oceans, performing "great things past finding out, yea, and wonders without number" ([Job 9:4-11](/job/9-4 "Job 9:4-11 - God's Unsearchable Works"))—Job transitions to the terrifying implications of this power for a suffering human. He recognizes that God's actions are often unseen and incomprehensible to humanity, stating, "Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not" ([Job 9:11](/job/9-11 "Job 9:11 - God's Unseen Presence")). Verse 12 then serves as a powerful summary of this divine inscrutability and irresistible might, setting the stage for Job's lament about the impossibility of contending with such a God, regardless of one's righteousness. It underscores the central theological dilemma of the book: how to reconcile God's absolute power and justice with the inexplicable suffering of the innocent.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Book of Job is set in the ancient Near East, likely in the land of Uz, a region known for its wisdom traditions. The prevailing worldview, particularly among Job's friends, was a form of retribution theology, which posited a direct correlation between righteousness and prosperity, and sin and suffering. In this framework, Job's immense suffering *must* be a consequence of some hidden sin. Job 9:12 challenges this simplistic understanding by asserting God's power to act beyond human moral frameworks or expectations. The cultural context would have understood divine power as immense and often unpredictable, but Job pushes this concept to its extreme, highlighting God's freedom from human accountability. This verse reflects a profound theological struggle against the common wisdom of the day, suggesting that God's ways are not always discernible through human logic or conventional religious understanding.
* **Key Themes:** Job 9:12 powerfully articulates several core themes central to the Book of Job and biblical theology. Firstly, it emphasizes **God's Absolute Sovereignty and Omnipotence**, portraying Him as the ultimate authority whose will cannot be thwarted by any created being. He "taketh away" with irresistible force, demonstrating complete control over all circumstances, including life and death, prosperity and adversity. This theme is echoed throughout scripture, such as in [Daniel 4:35](/daniel/4-35 "Daniel 4:35 - God's Dominion Over All Nations"), where it is declared that God "doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?". Secondly, the verse highlights **Human Helplessness and Insignificance** in the face of divine power. The rhetorical questions "who can hinder him?" and "who will say unto him, What doest thou?" underscore humanity's utter inability to resist God's actions or demand an explanation. This leads to the third theme: the **Inscrutability of God's Ways**. Job grapples with the fact that God's actions are often beyond human comprehension, challenging the comfortable notion that divine justice always operates according to human expectations. This theme is foundational to the entire book, as Job seeks to understand why an innocent man suffers, ultimately leading to God's own declarations of His unsearchable wisdom in [Job 38-41](/job/38 "Job 38 - God's Challenge to Job").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Behold (Hebrew, _hēn'_):** This interjection serves as an emphatic particle, drawing immediate attention to the profound and weighty statement that follows. It signals a declaration of undeniable truth, urging the listener to consider the gravity of what is being said about God's power. It's a call for awe and recognition.
* **taketh away (Hebrew, _yachaloph'_):** Derived from the root meaning "to pass over, through, or away," this verb conveys a sense of swift, decisive, and irresistible action. It implies not merely taking, but sweeping away, removing, or even destroying without opposition. The suddenness inherent in the word suggests an act that is beyond human anticipation or prevention, emphasizing God's unhindered freedom to act.
* **hinder (Hebrew, _yəšîḇennū'_):** This verb literally means "to turn him back" or "to cause him to return." In this context, it speaks to the utter futility of human resistance or intervention against God's determined will. No one possesses the power or authority to deflect, reverse, or stop God's course of action once He has set it in motion.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Behold, he taketh away":** This opening clause is a stark declaration of God's active and sovereign power. The subject "he" refers unequivocally to God, emphasizing His initiative and omnipotence. The phrase "taketh away" signifies God's absolute prerogative to remove, diminish, or sweep away anything—be it life, possessions, health, or circumstances—without needing permission or facing any impediment. It speaks to a divine freedom that transcends human control or understanding.
* **"who can hinder him?":** This is a powerful rhetorical question, designed to elicit the unequivocal answer: "No one." It underscores the absolute impossibility of human intervention or resistance against God's will. The question highlights the vast disparity between God's boundless power and humanity's inherent limitations, asserting that no created being possesses the strength or authority to deflect or reverse God's determined course of action.
* **"who will say unto him, What doest thou?":** Another potent rhetorical question, this clause emphasizes the lack of any human right or authority to interrogate God or demand an explanation for His actions. It implies that God is not accountable to humanity; His wisdom and purposes are beyond human scrutiny or challenge. To ask "What doest thou?" would be an act of supreme arrogance, presuming to judge the Creator. This reinforces God's ultimate sovereignty and inscrutability.

#### Literary Devices
Job 9:12 is rich in **Rhetorical Questions**, which are the primary literary device employed. The two questions, "who can hinder him?" and "who will say unto him, What doest thou?", are not posed to elicit information but to emphasize a self-evident truth: no one can resist or question God. This technique powerfully underscores the absolute and unchallengeable nature of divine sovereignty, highlighting the futility of human opposition or interrogation. Additionally, the verse uses **Assertion** in its opening declaration, "Behold, he taketh away," which is a direct, forceful statement of God's active power. The phrase "taketh away" itself functions as a form of **Metonymy** or **Synecdoche**, where a specific action (taking away) represents the broader concept of God's comprehensive control over all things, including life, death, and destiny. The overall tone conveys a sense of **Awe** mixed with **Despair** from Job's perspective, reflecting his profound recognition of divine power alongside his personal suffering and lack of understanding.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 9:12 stands as a profound theological statement on the nature of God, asserting His absolute sovereignty and omnipotence. It highlights the divine prerogative to act without human permission, consultation, or accountability. This verse confronts the human tendency to impose limits on God or to demand explanations for His actions, particularly in the face of suffering. It underscores the theological concept of God's inscrutability—His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. While this can be unsettling, it also affirms that God is ultimately in control, even when circumstances seem chaotic or unjust from a human perspective. The verse challenges a simplistic understanding of divine justice, forcing a deeper contemplation of God's majestic freedom and power, which operates independently of human merit or comprehension.

* [Isaiah 45:9](/isaiah/45-9 "Isaiah 45:9 - The Potter and the Clay"): "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?"
* [Daniel 4:35](/daniel/4-35 "Daniel 4:35 - God's Dominion Over All"): "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?"
* [Romans 9:20](/romans/9-20 "Romans 9:20 - Who Are You to Argue with God?"): "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?"

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 9:12 serves as a powerful and humbling reminder of the vast chasm between human understanding and divine sovereignty. For believers today, this verse calls for a posture of deep humility and reverence before God. It challenges our innate desire for control and our tendency to question God's methods when they do not align with our expectations or comfort. In times of inexplicable suffering, loss, or confusion, Job's words remind us that God is actively at work, even when His hand is unseen and His purposes are unfathomable. This does not mean we cannot lament or express our pain to God, but it does mean we must ultimately surrender to His supreme authority and trust in His ultimate wisdom, even when the path is dark. The comfort found here is in knowing that God is truly sovereign; nothing happens outside of His ultimate knowledge and permission. This truth can anchor our souls, providing a foundation of peace even when life's storms threaten to overwhelm us, encouraging us to lean not on our own understanding but on His unfailing power and perfect will.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Job's acknowledgment of God's unchallengeable power shape my own understanding of divine sovereignty?**
* **In what areas of my life do I struggle to accept God's "taking away" or His actions that I don't understand?**
* **How can I cultivate a posture of humility and trust, rather than questioning or resisting God's inscrutable ways?**
* **What comfort can I find in God's absolute control, even when circumstances are painful or confusing?**

### FAQ

**Is Job questioning God's justice here, or just acknowledging His power?**

Answer: In Job 9:12, Job is primarily acknowledging God's overwhelming and irresistible power. He is not directly questioning God's justice in this specific verse, but rather expressing the futility of contending with such an omnipotent being. His rhetorical questions ("who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?") highlight humanity's utter inability to resist or interrogate God. This acknowledgment of God's raw power then *undergirds* his subsequent struggle with the problem of suffering and divine justice throughout the book. He recognizes God's might as the fundamental reality that makes his own suffering so perplexing and seemingly unchallengeable. For a broader view of Job's initial acknowledgment of God's righteousness, see [Job 9:2-4](/job/9-2 "Job 9:2-4 - Job's Acknowledgment of God's Righteousness").

**How does this verse relate to the concept of free will?**

Answer: Job 9:12 emphasizes God's ultimate and unhindered sovereignty over all things, including human circumstances and outcomes. It highlights that even with free will, human actions and desires are ultimately subject to God's overarching plan and power. This verse does not negate human free will but places it within the larger framework of divine control, suggesting that God's purposes cannot be thwarted by human choices or resistance. While humans make genuine choices, God's supreme authority means that He can "take away" or act as He wills, and no human decision can ultimately frustrate His ultimate design. This perspective encourages humility, recognizing that our freedom operates within the boundaries of God's unchallengeable will, as seen in [Proverbs 16:9](/proverbs/16-9 "Proverbs 16:9 - The Lord Directs Our Steps") which states, "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps."

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job's profound declaration in [Job 9:12](/job/9-12 "Job 9:12 - God's Unchallengeable Power")—that God "taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?"—finds its ultimate and most redemptive fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While Job perceived God's unchallengeable power as terrifyingly inscrutable, particularly in the context of his suffering, the New Testament reveals this same power as perfectly wise, loving, and redemptive through the person and work of Christ. Jesus, as the incarnate God, demonstrates this divine power by calming storms, healing the sick, and raising the dead, proving that indeed, "who can hinder him?" Yet, the most profound "taking away" orchestrated by God's unhindered will was the sacrifice of His own Son. On the cross, God "took away" the sin of the world through the ultimate sacrifice of the [Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"). Here, the omnipotent God, who Job feared would "take away" his life arbitrarily, willingly "took away" the life of His Son to secure eternal life for humanity. Christ's submission to the Father's will, even to the point of death on a cross, perfectly answers Job's desperate question, "who will say unto him, What doest thou?" For in Christ, God's power and wisdom converge in a way that is both incomprehensible and utterly good. The cross reveals that God's sovereign "taking away" is not arbitrary destruction but purposeful redemption, ultimately "blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us... nailing it to his cross" ([Colossians 2:14](/colossians/2-14 "Colossians 2:14 - Nailing Our Debt to the Cross")). Through Christ, God's power conquers sin and death, giving us victory over the very things Job wrestled with ([Hebrews 2:14-15](/hebrews/2-14 "Hebrews 2:14-15 - Christ's Victory Over Death")), transforming Job's fearful awe into worshipful trust.

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

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?

Job 11:10

If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?

Job 23:13

¶ But he [is] in one [mind], and who can turn him? and [what] his soul desireth, even [that] he doeth.

Romans 11:34

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Job 34:29

When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth [his] face, who then can behold him? whether [it be done] against a nation, or against a man only:

Matthew 20:15

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

Job 33:13

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