Job 42:2 (ASV)

Passage

I know that thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of thine can be restrained.

Nearby Context

Job 42:1 Then Job answered Jehovah, and said,

Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of thine can be restrained.

Job 42:3 Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

Job 42:4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak; I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "purpose", "thou", "canst", "thine", and "restrained". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "purpose", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Then Job answered Jehovah and said..." into verse 3's "Who is this that hideth counsel without...", so "all things" and "purpose" belong inside that flow. In Job context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "all things" and "purpose" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.