Job 13:7
Job 13:7 in Multiple Translations
Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf or speak deceitfully for Him?
Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
Will ye speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him?
Will you say in God's name what is not right, and put false words into his mouth?
Do you think you can tell lies to defend God? Are you talking deceitfully on his behalf?
Will ye speake wickedly for Gods defence, and talke deceitfully for his cause?
For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?
Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
Hath God any need of your lie, that you should speak deceitfully for him?
Are you telling lies about me to prove God is just in causing me to suffer? Are you saying what is deceitful in order to benefit him?
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 13:7
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 13:7 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הַ֭/לְ/אֵל
תְּדַבְּר֣וּ
עַוְלָ֑ה
וְ֝/ל֗/וֹ
תְּֽדַבְּר֥וּ
רְמִיָּֽה
הַ֭/לְ/אֵל
ʼêl
H410
god
Part | Prep | N-ms
תְּדַבְּר֣וּ
dâbar
H1696
to speak
V-Piel-Imperf-2mp
עַוְלָ֑ה
ʻevel
H5766
injustice
N-cs
וְ֝/ל֗/וֹ
Conj | Prep | Suff
תְּֽדַבְּר֥וּ
dâbar
H1696
to speak
V-Piel-Imperf-2mp
רְמִיָּֽה
rᵉmîyâh
H7423
deceit
N-fs
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 13:7
הַ֭/לְ/אֵל
ʼêl
H410
"god"
Part | Prep | N-ms
In the Bible, 'el means strength or power, and is often used to refer to God or false gods. It describes something or someone as mighty or powerful, like the Almighty. This concept is central to understanding the Bible's view of God.
Definition: : god 1) god, god-like one, mighty one 1a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes 1b) angels 1c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations) 1d) God, the one true God, Jehovah 2) mighty things in nature 3) strength, power Also means: ": power" (el אֵל H0410L)
Usage: Occurs in 235 OT verses. KJV: God (god), [idiom] goodly, [idiom] great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong. Compare names in '-el.' See also: Genesis 14:18; Job 33:14; Psalms 5:5.
תְּדַבְּר֣וּ
dâbar
H1696
"to speak"
V-Piel-Imperf-2mp
To speak or communicate, like God speaking to Moses in Exodus or a king commanding his people. It can also mean to promise or warn someone.
Definition: : speak/tell/command 1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight
Usage: Occurs in 1049 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work. See also: Genesis 8:15; Exodus 12:25; Leviticus 23:9.
עַוְלָ֑ה
ʻevel
H5766
"injustice"
N-cs
Injustice or moral evil is what this word represents, covering violent deeds, unfair speech, and general wrongdoing. It is used to describe actions that go against God's standards of righteousness.
Definition: injustice, unrighteousness Another spelling of av.lah (עַוְלָה "injustice" H5766B)
Usage: Occurs in 51 OT verses. KJV: iniquity, perverseness, unjust(-ly), unrighteousness(-ly); wicked(-ness). See also: Leviticus 19:15; Psalms 64:7; Psalms 7:4.
וְ֝/ל֗/וֹ
""
Conj | Prep | Suff
תְּֽדַבְּר֥וּ
dâbar
H1696
"to speak"
V-Piel-Imperf-2mp
To speak or communicate, like God speaking to Moses in Exodus or a king commanding his people. It can also mean to promise or warn someone.
Definition: : speak/tell/command 1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight
Usage: Occurs in 1049 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work. See also: Genesis 8:15; Exodus 12:25; Leviticus 23:9.
רְמִיָּֽה
rᵉmîyâh
H7423
"deceit"
N-fs
Remiyah refers to slackness or deceit, describing someone who is idle or treacherous, as seen in various KJV translations. It implies a lack of effort or loyalty.
Definition: deceit, treachery
Usage: Occurs in 15 OT verses. KJV: deceit(-ful, -fully), false, guile, idle, slack, slothful. See also: Job 13:7; Psalms 120:3; Psalms 32:2.
Study Notes — Job 13:7
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 13:7 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 13:7
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 13:7
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 13:7
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 13:7
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 13:7
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 13:7
- Cambridge Bible on Job 13:7
- Barnes' Notes on Job 13:7
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 13:7
- Sermons on Job 13:7
Context — Job Prepares His Case
5If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom!
6Hear now my argument, and listen to the plea of my lips.
7Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf or speak deceitfully for Him?
8Would you show Him partiality or argue in His defense? 9Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him as you would deceive a man?Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 36:4 | For truly my words are free of falsehood; one perfect in knowledge is with you. |
| 2 | Job 27:4 | my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will not utter deceit. |
| 3 | Job 32:21–22 | I will be partial to no one, nor will I flatter any man. For I do not know how to flatter, or my Maker would remove me in an instant. |
| 4 | John 16:2 | They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. |
| 5 | Job 11:2–4 | “Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated? Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke? You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’ |
| 6 | Job 4:7 | Consider now, I plead: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed? |
| 7 | 2 Corinthians 4:2 | Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. |
| 8 | Romans 3:5–8 | But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms. Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world? However, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner? Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved! |
| 9 | Job 17:5 | If a man denounces his friends for a price, the eyes of his children will fail. |
Job 13:7 Summary
[This verse is asking if we will speak falsely or wrongly about God, which is a very serious thing, as we see in Psalm 101:5, where it says that God hates a false witness. Job is concerned that his friends are not being honest about God's character. We should always strive to speak the truth about God and His ways, as seen in Psalm 119:160, where it says that the sum of God's word is truth. By doing so, we can be faithful witnesses for Him and avoid misrepresenting His character.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Job accusing his friends of doing in this verse?
Job is accusing his friends of speaking wickedly on God's behalf or speaking deceitfully for Him, which is a serious offense, as seen in Proverbs 12:22, where it says that the Lord detests lying lips.
Is it ever acceptable to speak deceitfully for God?
No, it is never acceptable to speak deceitfully for God, as this would be a form of idolatry and a violation of the ninth commandment, which prohibits bearing false witness, as stated in Exodus 20:16 and Deuteronomy 5:20.
How does this verse relate to the concept of being a faithful witness for God?
This verse emphasizes the importance of being a faithful witness for God, speaking the truth and not misrepresenting Him, as seen in Revelation 1:5, where Jesus is described as the faithful witness.
What is the consequence of speaking wickedly on God's behalf?
The consequence of speaking wickedly on God's behalf is that it would be a form of blasphemy, and as seen in Matthew 12:31-32, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, highlighting the seriousness of misrepresenting God.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways can I ensure that I am speaking truthfully and faithfully for God in my daily conversations?
- How can I avoid the temptation to speak deceitfully or misrepresent God's character to others?
- What are some common ways that people speak wickedly on God's behalf, and how can I guard against these in my own life?
- In what ways can I cultivate a deeper understanding of God's character, so that I can more accurately represent Him to others?
Gill's Exposition on Job 13:7
Will you speak wickedly for God?.... As he suggests they did; they spoke for God, and pleaded for the honour of his justice, by asserting he did not afflict good men, which they thought was contrary
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 13:7
Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? Deceitfully - use fallacies to vindicate God in His dealings, as if the end justified the means.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 13:7
Will you utter falsehoods upon pretence of pleasing God, or of maintaining God’ s honour or justice? Doth he need such defences?
Trapp's Commentary on Job 13:7
Job 13:7 Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?Ver. 7. Will ye speak wickedly for God?] Ought ye to defend God’ s justice by unjustly accusing me? Or must ye needs so free him from injustice, that ye must charge me with hypocrisy? Job had before called them physicians of no value; here he compareth them to lawyers of no conscience, that care not what they plead, so they may carry the cause of their client. But the Lord needeth no such advocates; he so loveth truth, that he will not borrow patronage to his cause from falsehood; he so hateth flattery (though it be of himself) that he hath threatened to cut off all flattering lips, Psalms 12:3; and would one day say as much to Job’ s friends, notwithstanding their pretended zeal for his glory, as once Alexander the Great did to Aristobulus the historian, who presented him with a flattering piece concerning his own worthy acts, which he extolled above measure; he cast the book into the river Hydaspes, and told the author he could find in his heart to cast him after it. And talk deceitfully for him?] To talk for God is our duty; it is to make our tongue our glory; but to talk deceitfully for him, to seek to hold his truth by our lie (the Vulgate here hath it, needeth God your lie?), that is altogether unlawful; for shall we do evil that good may come thereof? God forbid, Romans 3:8. And yet the Papists do so familiarly, and think they therein do God good service; as when they deny his provident hand in ordering the disorders of the world to his own glory, lest they should make him the author of sin; so they think to defend his justice by teaching predestination according to foreseen works, by ascribing to man free will, righteousness of works, merit, &c. So their doctrine of equivocation for the relief of persecuted Catholics, their piae fraudes (as they call them), their holy hypocrisy to draw infidels to the embracing of the faith, and to the love of virtue; their lying legends, made, say they, for good intention, that the common people might with greater zeal serve God and his saints; and especially, to draw the women to good order, being by nature facile and credulous, addicted to novelties and miracles (Spec. Hist. lib. 29).
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 13:7
(7) Will ye speak wickedly for God?—And now, in these verses, he gives utterance to a sublime truth, which shows how truly he had risen to the true conception of God, for he declares that He, who is no respecter of persons, desires to have no favour shown to Himself, and that in seeking to show favour they will greatly damage their own cause, for He is a God of truth, and by Him words as well as actions are weighed, and therefore nothing that is not true can stand any one in stead with Him.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 13:7
Verse 7. Will ye speak wickedly for God?] In order to support your own cause, in contradiction to the evidence which the whole of my life bears to the uprightness of my heart, will ye continue to assert that God could not thus afflict me, unless flagrant iniquity were found in my ways; for it is on this ground alone that ye pretend to vindicate the providence of God. Thus ye tell lies for God's sake, and thus ye wickedly contend for your Maker.
Cambridge Bible on Job 13:7
7. speak wickedly] Or, wrongously, lit. speak iniquity, ch. Job 5:16, cf. Zophar’s recommendation to Job, ch. Job 11:14. For God means in His behalf, in His defence; and the words for God are emphatic.
Barnes' Notes on Job 13:7
Will ye speak wickedly for God? - That is, will you maintain unjust principles with a view to honor or to vindicate God?
Whedon's Commentary on Job 13:7
Second strophe — Such is Job’s fiery indignation at the dishonesty and arrogance of the friends in assuming to be God’s advocates, that he still turns aside from his main purpose of appeal that he
Sermons on Job 13:7
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Attributes of God (Series 2): The Omniscience of God by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher uses the analogy of a cracked piece of glass being transformed into a beautiful piece of art to illustrate how God can turn our brokenness into somethi |
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(Through the Bible) Job 31-37 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the speaker shares a story about an interesting individual who was obsessed with timing everything. It is later revealed that this person was a bank robber and had |
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The Clergy: From God or Man? by Stan Thompson | Stan Thompson challenges the traditional clergy-laity system by emphasizing the importance of following God's Word over man-made traditions and denominational teachings. He highlig |
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Religiosity or Spirituality #2 - the Two Streams by Zac Poonen | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes that simply fasting, praying, and attending religious meetings does not guarantee salvation. He uses the story of the prodigal son to illust |
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No Backing Up (Part 2) by Jim Cymbala | In this sermon, the preacher describes a moment when people in downtown Brooklyn were curious about him and gathered to see what he was about. Despite the temptation to say somethi |
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Jesus Warns His Disciples of the World's Hatred John 15:18-16:4 by David Servant | David Servant preaches about Jesus' warning to His disciples regarding the persecution they would face for their faith, emphasizing that believers should not be surprised by persec |
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Luke 13 by John Nelson Darby | John Nelson Darby discusses the distinction between the church of God and His governmental dealings with the world, emphasizing that while grace is evident in the church, God's jus |