Job 23:8 (YLT)

Passage

Lo, forward I go--and He is not, And backward--and I perceive him not.

Nearby Context

Job 23:6 In the abundance of power doth He strive with me? No! surely He putteth <FI>it<Fi> in me.

Job 23:7 There the upright doth reason with Him, And I escape for ever from my judge.

Job 23:8 Lo, forward I go--and He is not, And backward--and I perceive him not.

Job 23:9 <FI> To<Fi> the left in His working--and I see not, He is covered <FI>on<Fi> the right, and I behold not.

Job 23:10 For He hath known the way with me, He hath tried me--as gold I go forth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "forward", "go--and", "backward--and", and "perceive". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "forward" and "go--and", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "There the upright doth reason with Him..." into verse 9's "FI To Fi the left in His...", so "forward" and "go--and" 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 "forward" and "go--and" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.