Job 42:3 (DRB)

Passage

Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge.

Nearby Context

Job 42:1 Then Job answered the Lord, and said:

Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do all things, and no thought is hid from thee.

Job 42:3 Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge.

Job 42:4 Hear, and I will speak: I will ask thee, and do thou tell me.

Job 42:5 With the hearing of the ear, I have heard thee, but now my eye seeth thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hideth", "counsel", "without", "knowledge", "therefore", "spoken", "unwisely", and "things". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hideth" 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 all..." into verse 4's "Hear and I will speak I will...", so "hideth" 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 "hideth" and "counsel" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.