Yesaya 40:13-14

40:13 Who comprehends ¹  the mind ²  of the Lord,

or gives him instruction as his counselor? ³ 

40:14 From whom does he receive directions? ⁴ 

Who ⁵  teaches him the correct way to do things, ⁶ 

or imparts knowledge to him,

or instructs him in skillful design? ⁷ 

Yesaya 41:22-23

41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!

Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, ⁸ 

so we may examine them ⁹  and see how they were fulfilled. ¹⁰ 

Or decree for us some future events!

41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, ¹¹ 

so we might know you are gods.

Yes, do something good or bad,

so we might be frightened and in awe. ¹² 

Yesaya 44:7

44:7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim! ¹³ 

Let him announce it and explain it to me –

since I established an ancient people – ¹⁴ 

let them announce future events! ¹⁵ 

Ayub 11:6-7

11:6 and reveal to you the secrets of wisdom –

for true wisdom has two sides ¹⁶  –

so that you would know ¹⁷ 

that God has forgiven some of your sins. ¹⁸ 

11:7 “Can you discover ¹⁹  the essence ²⁰  of God?

Can you find out ²¹ 

the perfection of the Almighty? ²² 

Roma 11:33-34

11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways!

11:34 For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor? ²³ 

[40:13]  ¹ tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).

[40:13]  ² tn In this context רוּחַ (ruakh) likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB 925 s.v.).

[40:13]  ³ tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”

[40:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”

[40:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “and taught him.” The vav (ו) consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons.

[40:14]  ⁶ tn The phrase אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט (’orakh mishpat) could be translated “path of justice” (so NASB, NRSV), but in this context, where creative ability and skill is in view, the phrase is better understood in the sense of “the way that is proper or fitting” (see BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6); cf. NIV, NCV “the right way.”

[40:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “or the way of understanding causes him to know?”

[40:14]  sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions in vv. 13-14 is, “No one.” In contrast to Marduk, the creator-god of Mesopotamian myths who receives help from the god of wisdom, the Lord neither needs nor receives any such advice or help. See R. Whybray, Heavenly Counsellor (SOTSMS), 64-77.

[41:22]  ⁸ tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”

[41:22]  ⁹ tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”

[41:22]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”

[41:23]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”

[41:23]  ¹² tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).

[41:23]  tn Heb “so we might be frightened and afraid together.” On the meaning of the verb שָׁתָע (shata’), see the note at v. 10.

[44:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”

[44:7]  ¹⁴ tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed. One of the options assumes the reading מַשְׁמִיעִים מֵעוֹלָם אוֹתִיּוֹת (mashmi’im me’olam ’otiyyot); This literally reads “the ones causing to hear from antiquity coming things,” but more idiomatically would read “as for those who predict from antiquity what will happen” (cf. NAB, NEB, REB). The emendation directs the attention of the reader to those who claim to be able to predict the future, challenging them to actually do what they claim they can do. The MT presents Yahweh as an example to whom these alleged “predictors of the future” can compare themselves. Since the ancient versions are unanimous in their support of the MT, the emendations should be set aside.

[44:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”

[11:6]  ¹⁶ tn The text seems to be saying “that it [wisdom] is double in understanding.” The point is that it is different than Job conceived it – it far exceeded all perception. But some commentators have thought this still too difficult, and so have replaced the word כִפְלַיִם (khiflayim, “two sides”) with כִפְלָאִים (khifla’im, “like wonders,” or, more simply, “wonders” without the preposition). But it is still a little strange to talk about God’s wisdom being like wonders. Others have had more radical changes in the text; J. J. Slotki has “for sound wisdom is his. And know that double [punishment] shall God exact of you” (“Job 11:6,” VT 35 [1985]: 229-30).

[11:6]  ¹⁷ tn The verb is the imperative with a ו (vav). Following the jussive, this clause would be subordinated to the preceding (see GKC 325 §110.i).

[11:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “God causes to be forgotten for you part of your iniquity.” The meaning is that God was exacting less punishment from Job than Job deserved, for Job could not remember all his sins. This statement is fitting for Zophar, who is the cruelest of Job’s friends (see H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 88). Others in an attempt to improve the text make too many unwarranted changes. Some would read יִשְׁאָלְךָ (yish’alkha, “he asks of you”) instead of יַשֶּׂה לְךָ (yasseh lÿka, “he causes to be forgotten for you”). This would mean that God demands an account of Job’s sin. But, as D. J. A. Clines says, this change is weak and needless (Job [WBC], 254-55).

[11:7]  ¹⁹ tn The verb is מָצָא (matsa’, “to find; to discover”). Here it should be given the nuance of potential imperfect. And, in the rhetorical question it is affirming that Job cannot find out the essence of God.

[11:7]  ²⁰ tn The word means “search; investigation”; but it here means what is discovered in the search (so a metonymy of cause for the effect).

[11:7]  ²¹ tn The same verb is now found in the second half of the verse, with a slightly different sense – “attain, reach.” A. R. Ceresko notes this as an example of antanaclasis (repetition of a word with a lightly different sense – “find/attain”). See “The Function of Antanaclasis in Hebrew Poetry,” CBQ 44 (1982): 560-61.

[11:7]  ²² tn The abstract תַּכְלִית (takhlit) from כָּלָה (kalah, “to be complete; to be perfect”) may mean the end or limit of something, perhaps to perfection. So the NIV has “can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” The LXX has: “have you come to the end of that which the Almighty has made?”

[11:34]  ²³ sn A quotation from Isa 40:13.