Job 42:5
Job 42:5 in Multiple Translations
My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; But now mine eye seeth thee:
Word of you had come to my ears, but now my eye has seen you.
Before, I had only heard about you, but now I've seen you for myself.
I haue heard of thee by the hearing of the eare, but now mine eye seeth thee.
By the hearing of the ear I heard Thee, And now mine eye hath seen Thee.
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye seeth thee.
With the hearing of the ear, I have heard thee, but now my eye seeth thee.
I had heard about you previously, but now it is as though I have seen you with my own eyes.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 42:5
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 42:5 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
לְ/שֵֽׁמַע
אֹ֥זֶן
שְׁמַעְתִּ֑י/ךָ
וְ֝/עַתָּ֗ה
עֵינִ֥/י
רָאָֽתְ/ךָ
לְ/שֵֽׁמַע
shêmaʻ
H8088
sound
Prep | N-ms
אֹ֥זֶן
ʼôzen
H241
ear
N-fs
שְׁמַעְתִּ֑י/ךָ
shâmaʻ
H8085
to hear
V-Qal-Perf-1cs | Suff
וְ֝/עַתָּ֗ה
ʻattâh
H6258
now
Conj | Adv
עֵינִ֥/י
ʻayin
H5869
eye
N-cs | Suff
רָאָֽתְ/ךָ
râʼâh
H7200
Provider
V-Qal-Perf-3fs | Suff
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 42:5
לְ/שֵֽׁמַע
shêmaʻ
H8088
"sound"
Prep | N-ms
This word refers to a report, rumor, or announcement, something that is heard or spoken. In the Bible, it is used to describe news, fame, or a loud noise, often in books like Genesis and Isaiah.
Definition: sound
Usage: Occurs in 17 OT verses. KJV: bruit, fame, hear(-ing), loud, report, speech, tidings. See also: Genesis 29:13; Psalms 18:45; Psalms 150:5.
אֹ֥זֶן
ʼôzen
H241
"ear"
N-fs
The Hebrew word for ear, referring to the body part or the ability to hear, is used in various contexts, including listening to God's voice in Psalm 40:6. It can also mean to uncover or reveal something, as in 1 Samuel 20:2.
Definition: : ear 1) ear, as part of the body 2) ear, as organ of hearing 3) (subjective) to uncover the ear to reveal; the receiver of divine revelation
Usage: Occurs in 179 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] advertise, audience, [phrase] displease, ear, hearing, [phrase] show. See also: Genesis 20:8; Psalms 40:7; Psalms 10:17.
שְׁמַעְתִּ֑י/ךָ
shâmaʻ
H8085
"to hear"
V-Qal-Perf-1cs | Suff
To hear and listen is what this Hebrew word means, often implying attention and obedience. In Exodus and Deuteronomy, it is used when God speaks to the people, and they must listen and obey.
Definition: : hear v 1) to hear, listen to, obey 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to hear (perceive by ear) 1a2) to hear of or concerning 1a3) to hear (have power to hear) 1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to 1a5) to understand (language) 1a6) to hear (of judicial cases) 1a7) to listen, give heed 1a7a) to consent, agree 1a7b) to grant request 1a8) to listen to, yield to 1a9) to obey, be obedient 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound) 1b2) to be heard of 1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed 1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound 1d2) to sound aloud (musical term) 1d3) to make proclamation, summon 1d4) to cause to be heard n m 2) sound
Usage: Occurs in 1072 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, [idiom] surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness. See also: Genesis 3:8; Exodus 32:18; Deuteronomy 27:9.
וְ֝/עַתָּ֗ה
ʻattâh
H6258
"now"
Conj | Adv
This word means now or at this time, like in Exodus when God says now is the time to act. It can also be used to connect ideas or show a change in time, as seen in the book of Isaiah.
Definition: 1) now 1a) now 1b) in phrases
Usage: Occurs in 422 OT verses. KJV: henceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas. See also: Genesis 3:22; Joshua 24:23; 2 Samuel 24:13.
עֵינִ֥/י
ʻayin
H5869
"eye"
N-cs | Suff
This word can mean a spring or fountain, but also refers to the eye or a source of something. It is often translated as affliction, outward appearance, or countenance, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: : eye 1) eye 1a) eye 1a1) of physical eye 1a2) as showing mental qualities 1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 828 OT verses. KJV: affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him, [phrase] humble, knowledge, look, ([phrase] well), [idiom] me, open(-ly), [phrase] (not) please, presence, [phrase] regard, resemblance, sight, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them, [phrase] think, [idiom] us, well, [idiom] you(-rselves). See also: Genesis 3:5; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 28:67.
רָאָֽתְ/ךָ
râʼâh
H7200
"Provider"
V-Qal-Perf-3fs | Suff
The Hebrew word for provider means to see or look after, and is used to describe God's care for his people. It appears in various forms throughout the Bible, including in Genesis and other books.
Definition: (Lord will) Provide, cause to be seen. This name means to see, look at, inspect, look after
Usage: Occurs in 1206 OT verses. KJV: advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, [idiom] be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), [idiom] sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, [idiom] surely, [idiom] think, view, visions. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 41:41; Exodus 33:13.
Study Notes — Job 42:5
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 42:5 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 42:5
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 42:5
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 42:5
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 42:5
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 42:5
- Cambridge Bible on Job 42:5
- Barnes' Notes on Job 42:5
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 42:5
- Sermons on Job 42:5
Context — Job Submits Himself to the LORD
3You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
4You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will question you, and you shall inform Me.’
5My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.
6Therefore I despise myself, and I repent in dust and ashes.” 7After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ephesians 1:17–18 | that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, |
| 2 | Romans 10:17 | Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. |
| 3 | John 12:45 | And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me. |
| 4 | John 12:41 | Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about Him. |
| 5 | Isaiah 6:1 | In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple. |
| 6 | Isaiah 6:5 | Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.” |
| 7 | John 1:18 | No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. |
| 8 | Job 26:14 | Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?” |
| 9 | Numbers 12:6–8 | He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream. But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?” |
| 10 | Job 23:8–9 | If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him. When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him. |
Job 42:5 Summary
[Job 42:5 tells us that Job had heard a lot about God, but now he has seen Him, which means he had a very personal and real experience with God. This is like when we read about God in the Bible, but then we experience Him in our hearts, as promised in Jeremiah 31:33, where God says He will put His law in our inward parts. Job's experience teaches us that knowing God is not just about what we know in our heads, but about what we experience in our hearts, which is why Psalm 119:10 says, 'My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.']
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for Job to say his ears had heard of God, but now his eyes have seen Him?
This statement signifies a profound shift in Job's understanding of God, from mere hearsay to a deep, personal experience, much like the transformation described in 1 Corinthians 13:12, where we move from seeing dimly to seeing face to face.
How does this verse relate to the concept of faith and sight?
Job's declaration highlights the difference between faith, which comes from hearing, as mentioned in Romans 10:17, and the tangible experience of seeing God, which transcends mere auditory knowledge, resembling the promise in Hebrews 11:1 that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What prompted Job's transition from hearing to seeing?
This transition was prompted by God's direct interaction with Job, as seen in the preceding verses, particularly Job 42:4, where God invites Job to listen and respond, leading to a profound encounter that changes Job's perspective, similar to the transformative power of God's presence noted in Isaiah 6:1-5.
How does Job's experience apply to believers today?
Just as Job's encounter with God transformed his understanding, believers today can experience a similar deepening of their faith when they move from merely knowing about God to truly experiencing His presence, as encouraged in Psalm 34:8, to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Reflection Questions
- What are the ways in which you have 'heard' of God, and how can you deepen your experience to 'see' Him more clearly in your life?
- Reflect on a moment when your understanding of God shifted from mere knowledge to a personal, heartfelt experience. What were the circumstances, and how did it affect your relationship with Him?
- How does the distinction between 'hearing' and 'seeing' God impact your daily walk with Him, and what steps can you take to nurture a deeper, more personal relationship?
- In what ways can you apply Job's humility and openness to your own spiritual journey, especially in times of questioning or doubt, to come to a place of deeper understanding and intimacy with God?
Gill's Exposition on Job 42:5
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear,.... From his ancestors, who in a traditionary way had handed down from one to another what they knew of God, his will and worship, his works and ways;
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 42:5
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Hearing of ear - (Psalms 18:44, margin.) Hearing and seeing are often in antithesis (Job 29:11; Psalms 48:8).
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 42:5
The knowledge which I had of thy Divine nature, and perfections, and counsels, was hitherto dark, and doubtful, and conjectural, being grounded chiefly, if not only, upon the instructions and reports of other men; but now it is clear and certain, as being immediately inspired into my mind by this thy glorious apparition and revelation, and by the operation of thy Holy Spirit; which makes these things as certain and evident to me, as if I saw them with my bodily eyes.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 42:5
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.Ver. 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear] God hath ordained, that as death entered into the world at first by the ear, poisoned by that old man slayer, Genesis 3:14-19, so life shall enter into the soul by the same door: for it is, "Hear, and your soul shall live," Isaiah 55:3. And, The dead (in sins and trespasses) shall hear the voice of the Son of God (sounding in his ordinances); and shall live the life of grace here and of glory hereafter, John 5:25. This great mercy Job had received, and he thankfully acknowledgeth it. But behold a greater. But now mine eye hath seen thee] Not only in the tempest and whirlwind, those clear testimonies of thy presence, but by some other special glorious apparition (so some think), and by a spirit of prophecy (as the Hebrews would have it), by the inward teaching of thy Spirit howsoever, as Vatablus senseth it. Et quando Christus Magister, quam cito discitur quod docetur, saith Austin. When God by his Spirit taketh in hand to teach a man, he soon becometh a skilful scholar. Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia, saith Ambrose. The Spirit is not long in teaching those that commit themselves to his tuition.
The hypocrite knows God but by hearsay, as a blind man knoweth colours: such may say as those in the Psalm, Audivimus famam, something we have heard, and some confused notions we have got concerning God and his will; but they are merely disciplinary, but not intuitive, id est, Per speciem propriam, &c., such as transform the soul into the same image; it is not that claritas in intellectu quae parit ardorem in affectu, that light in the understanding that kindleth the affections. Job was such, witness his next words.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 42:5
Verse 5. I have heard of thee] I have now such a discovery of thee as I have never had before. I have only heard of thee by tradition, or from imperfect information; now the eye of my mind clearly perceives thee, and in seeing thee, I see myself; for the light that discovers thy glory and excellence, discovers my meanness and vileness.
Cambridge Bible on Job 42:5
5. I have heard] Rather perhaps, I had heard. Job’s former knowledge of God, though he had prided himself upon it (ch. 12–13), seems to him now only such a knowledge as one gets by hearsay, confused and defective. His present knowledge is that of eyesight, immediate and full (Isaiah 52:8).
Barnes' Notes on Job 42:5
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear - Referring to the indistinct views which we have of anything by merely hearing of it, compared with the clear apprehension which is furnished by sight.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 42:5
5. Now mine eye seeth thee — This vision of God is by no means to be taken literally, for there is no indication that God disclosed himself otherwise than through the veil of the terribly majestic
Sermons on Job 42:5
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Finishing the Course - 03 the Ministry of the Holy Spirit by Zac Poonen | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of being free from the opinions of men and instead being open to the influence of the Holy Spirit. He highlights how in the Ol |
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With Nothing but God by B.B. Caldwell | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of Job and how God stripped him of his wealth and health to deliver him from the pitfalls of Phariseeism. The preacher emphasizes t |
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Physicians of No Value by B.B. Caldwell | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of evangelism and spreading the word of God. He criticizes those who have been brainwashed and have become false teachers, le |
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Wilderness Testing by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of passing through difficult and perplexing situations in order to glorify God. He highlights the confidence and faith that be |
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Our Light Affliction by Aaron Hurst | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the trials faced by Job in the Bible. He highlights how Job experienced two consecutive trials, with calamities befalling him one after anothe |
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Bankrupt Before God by Anton Bosch | This sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding spiritual poverty, focusing on the concept of being poor in spirit as the key to true blessedness and fulfillment in the Chri |
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The Purpose of Trials by Paul West | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of progressing in the school of God and not remaining stagnant in one's faith. He compares spiritual growth to advancing throu |