Job 23:13 (DRB)

Passage

For he is alone, and no man can turn away his thought: and whatsoever his soul hath desired, that hath he done.

Nearby Context

Job 23:11 My foot hath followed his steps, I have kept his way, and have not declined from it.

Job 23:12 I have not departed from the commandments of his lips, and the words of his mouth I have hid in my bosom.

Job 23:13 For he is alone, and no man can turn away his thought: and whatsoever his soul hath desired, that hath he done.

Job 23:14 And when he shall have fulfilled his will in me, many other like things are also at hand with him.

Job 23:15 And therefore I am troubled at his presence, and when I consider him, I am made pensive with fear.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "alone", "turn", "away", "thought", "whatsoever", "soul", "hath", and "desired". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "alone" and "turn", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "I have not departed from the commandments..." into verse 14's "And when he shall have fulfilled his...", so "alone" and "turn" 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 "alone" and "turn" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.