Job 42:3 (DBY)

Passage

Who is he that obscureth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered what I did not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

Nearby Context

Job 42:1 And Job answered Jehovah and said,

Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do everything, and that thou canst be hindered in no thought of thine.

Job 42:3 Who is he that obscureth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered what I did not understand; 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 inform me.

Job 42:5 I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "obscureth", "counsel", "without", "knowledge", "therefore", "uttered", "understand", and "things". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "obscureth" and "counsel", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "I know that thou canst do everything..." into verse 4's "Hear I beseech thee and I will...", so "obscureth" and "counsel" 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 "obscureth" and "counsel" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.