Job 34:13
Job 34:13 in Multiple Translations
Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?
Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
Who gave him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world?
Who put the earth into his care, or made him responsible for the world?
Who put him in charge of the earth? Who gave him the responsibility for all the world?
Whome hath he appointed ouer the earth beside him selfe? or who hath placed the whole worlde?
Who hath inspected for Himself the earth? And who hath placed all the habitable world?
Who put him in charge of the earth? Or who has appointed him over the whole world?
Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
What other hath he appointed over the earth? or whom hath he set over the world which he made?
The authority that he has to rule everything on the earth, no one [RHQ] gave it to him; no one [RHQ] put him in control of the whole world. He has always had that authority.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 34:13
BAB
Word Study
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Job 34:13 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
מִֽי
פָקַ֣ד
עָלָ֣י/ו
אָ֑רְצָ/ה
וּ/מִ֥י
שָׂ֝֗ם
תֵּבֵ֥ל
כֻּלָּֽ/הּ
מִֽי
mîy
H4310
who?
Part
פָקַ֣ד
pâqad
H6485
to reckon
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
עָלָ֣י/ו
ʻal
H5921
upon
Prep | Suff
אָ֑רְצָ/ה
ʼerets
H776
land
N-cs | Suff
וּ/מִ֥י
mîy
H4310
who?
Conj | Part
שָׂ֝֗ם
sûwm
H7760
to set
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
תֵּבֵ֥ל
têbêl
H8398
world
N-fs
כֻּלָּֽ/הּ
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 34:13
מִֽי
mîy
H4310
"who?"
Part
This word is used to ask questions like who, whose, or whom. It can also be used to express a wish, like would that or whoever. It appears in many forms throughout the Bible, often in phrases like O that or what.
Definition: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
Usage: Occurs in 342 OT verses. KJV: any (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God. See also: Genesis 3:11; 2 Samuel 15:4; Psalms 4:7.
פָקַ֣ד
pâqad
H6485
"to reckon"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
This word means to visit or oversee, and can imply a range of actions, from friendly to hostile. It is used in various contexts, including appointing, avenging, or delivering something into someone's care. The KJV translates it in many ways, including appoint, avenge, or commit.
Definition: : list/count 1) to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pay attention to, observe 1a2) to attend to 1a3) to seek, look about for 1a4) to seek in vain, need, miss, lack 1a5) to visit 1a6) to visit upon, punish 1a7) to pass in review, muster, number 1a8) to appoint, assign, lay upon as a charge, deposit 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be sought, be needed, be missed, be lacking 1b2) to be visited 1b3) to be visited upon 1b4) to be appointed 1b5) to be watched over 1c) (Piel) to muster, call up 1d) (Pual) to be passed in review, be caused to miss, be called, be called to account 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to set over, make overseer, appoint an overseer 1e2) to commit, entrust, commit for care, deposit 1f) (Hophal) 1f1) to be visited 1f2) to be deposited 1f3) to be made overseer, be entrusted 1g) (Hithpael) numbered 1h) (Hothpael) numbered
Usage: Occurs in 269 OT verses. KJV: appoint, [idiom] at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep, be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up, look, make, [idiom] by any means, miss, number, officer, (make) overseer, have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to) remember(-brance), set (over), sum, [idiom] surely, visit, want. See also: Genesis 21:1; Numbers 26:47; Psalms 8:5.
עָלָ֣י/ו
ʻal
H5921
"upon"
Prep | Suff
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Definition: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)
Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.
אָ֑רְצָ/ה
ʼerets
H776
"land"
N-cs | Suff
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Definition: : soil 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
Usage: Occurs in 2190 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 42:13.
וּ/מִ֥י
mîy
H4310
"who?"
Conj | Part
This word is used to ask questions like who, whose, or whom. It can also be used to express a wish, like would that or whoever. It appears in many forms throughout the Bible, often in phrases like O that or what.
Definition: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
Usage: Occurs in 342 OT verses. KJV: any (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God. See also: Genesis 3:11; 2 Samuel 15:4; Psalms 4:7.
שָׂ֝֗ם
sûwm
H7760
"to set"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
This Hebrew word means to put or place something, and is used in many different ways in the Bible, such as to appoint or determine something. It is first used in Genesis to describe God's creation. In the KJV, it is translated as 'appoint' or 'set' in various contexts.
Definition: : make/establish 1) to put, place, set, appoint, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on 1a2) to set, direct, direct toward 1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig) 1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix 1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix 1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give 1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign 1c) (Hophal) to be set
Usage: Occurs in 550 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. See also: Genesis 2:8; Leviticus 20:5; 1 Samuel 21:13.
תֵּבֵ֥ל
têbêl
H8398
"world"
N-fs
The Hebrew word for world, it refers to the earth and its inhabitants. In the Bible, it's used to describe the world God created, like in Psalm 24, which says the earth belongs to God.
Definition: world
Usage: Occurs in 36 OT verses. KJV: habitable part, world. See also: 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalms 97:4; Psalms 9:9.
כֻּלָּֽ/הּ
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms | Suff
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
Study Notes — Job 34:13
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 34:13 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 34:13
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 34:13
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 34:13
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 34:13
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 34:13
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 34:13
- Cambridge Bible on Job 34:13
- Barnes' Notes on Job 34:13
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 34:13
- Sermons on Job 34:13
Context — Elihu Confirms God’s Justice
11For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
12Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
13Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?
14If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath, 15all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Chronicles 29:11 | Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. |
| 2 | Isaiah 40:13–14 | Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor? Whom did He consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the paths of justice? Who imparted knowledge to Him and showed Him the way of understanding? |
| 3 | Romans 11:34–36 | “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?” “Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?” For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. |
| 4 | Job 40:8–11 | Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself? Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like His? Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and clothe yourself with honor and glory. Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low. |
| 5 | Job 36:23 | Who has appointed His way for Him, or told Him, ‘You have done wrong’? |
| 6 | Daniel 4:35 | All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” |
| 7 | Job 38:4–41 | Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone, while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket, when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors, and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop’? In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place, that it might spread to the ends of the earth and shake the wicked out of it? The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its hills stand out like the folds of a garment. Light is withheld from the wicked, and their upraised arm is broken. Have you journeyed to the vents of the sea or walked in the trenches of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Have you surveyed the extent of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this. Where is the way to the home of light? Do you know where darkness resides, so you can lead it back to its border? Do you know the paths to its home? Surely you know, for you were already born! And the number of your days is great! Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail, which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle? In which direction is the lightning dispersed, or the east wind scattered over the earth? Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt, to bring rain on a barren land, on a desert where no man lives, to satisfy the parched wasteland and make it sprout with tender grass? Does the rain have a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb does the ice emerge? Who gives birth to the frost from heaven, when the waters become hard as stone and the surface of the deep is frozen? Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth? Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you? Can you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods of earth stick together? Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket? Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food? |
| 8 | Proverbs 8:23–30 | From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began. When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth, when no springs were overflowing with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth, before He made the land or fields, or any of the dust of the earth. I was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth, when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side, and His delight day by day, rejoicing always in His presence. |
Job 34:13 Summary
[This verse, Job 34:13, is asking a very important question: who put God in charge of the earth? The answer is, God Himself did. He is the one who has the authority and power over the whole world, as seen in Psalm 24:1, which says that the earth is the Lord's. This means that God is the ultimate boss, and we can trust Him to take care of us and the world, as also seen in Matthew 6:26, which says that God takes care of the birds of the air.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main point of Job 34:13?
The main point of Job 34:13 is to emphasize God's sovereignty and authority over the earth, as seen in verses like Psalm 103:19, which says that God's dominion is over all.
Who is speaking in Job 34:13?
The speaker in Job 34:13 is Elihu, who is one of Job's friends trying to defend God's character and wisdom, as seen in Job 32:1-5.
What does this verse imply about God's relationship with humanity?
This verse implies that God is the ultimate authority over humanity and the earth, and that He is not accountable to anyone, as also seen in Romans 11:34, which says that God's ways are unsearchable.
How does this verse relate to the concept of divine sovereignty?
This verse directly relates to the concept of divine sovereignty, emphasizing that God is the one who has appointed Himself over the whole world, as also seen in Isaiah 46:10, which says that God's purposes will stand.
Reflection Questions
- What does it mean for God to have 'charge over the earth' in my own life, and how can I submit to His authority?
- How does acknowledging God's sovereignty over the world affect my trust in Him during difficult times?
- In what ways can I recognize and honor God's appointment over the whole world in my daily life and decisions?
- What are some ways that I can practically surrender to God's authority and control in my life, as implied in this verse?
Gill's Exposition on Job 34:13
Who hath given him a charge over the earth?.... Or who hath committed the earth unto him, and made it his care and charge? Is there any above him that has put him into this post and office?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 34:13
Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 34:13
Over the earth, i.e. over the inhabitants of the earth, to rule them according to his laws, and to give an account to him of it. Who or where is his superior that made the world, and then delivered the government of it to God? There is no such person. God himself is the sole Creator, the absolute and supreme Lord and Governor, of all the world, and therefore cannot do unjustly. The reason is, partly, because all unrighteousness is a transgression of some law, and God hath no law to bound him but his own nature and will; partly, because the Creator and Lord of the world must needs have all possible perfections in himself, and, amongst others, perfect justice, and must needs be free from all imperfections and obliquities, and therefore from injustice; and partly, because he is of himself all-sufficient, and independent upon all other persons, and able to do and procure whatsoever pleaseth him; and therefore as he hath no inclination, so he hath no temptation, to any unrighteous actions; this being generally the reason of all unrighteous actions in the world, because the persons who do them either are obliged to do it, to gratify some superior authority who commands them to do it, or else do want or desire something which they cannot justly obtain; for he is a monster, and not a man, who will take away any thing by injustice or violence which he may have by right. Who hath disposed, or committed, to wit, to him, to be governed by him, in the name and for the use and service of his superior Lord, to whom he must give an account.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 34:13
Job 34:13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?Ver. 13. Who hath given him a charge over all the earth?] sc. To govern it. Is not he the Maker and Monarch of all men? Who is his superior? and to whom shall he give account? and who shall expostulate with him about injustice? Or, for fear of whom should he warp or writhe? The emperor cannot do right, saith one, because he hath none to overly awe him or question him (Theophil. Inst.). It is said of Trajan, that he neither feared nor hated any man living. What, then, shall we think of him, who is Moderator et Dominator supremus ac solus (Mercer).
Or who hath disposed the whole world?] The habitable world; and especially that habitable part of God’ s earth, as man is called, Proverbs 8:31.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 34:13
(13) Who hath disposed the whole world?—Or, Who hath set the whole world upon Him? i.e., entrusted it to His care; in the other sense it means, “Who but He hath made the whole world, and who, therefore, can have the interest in it which He must have?”
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 34:13
Verse 13. Who hath given him a charge] Who is it that governs the world? Is it not God? Who disposes of all things in it? Is it not the Almighty, by his just and merciful providence? The government of the world shows the care, the justice, and the mercy of God.
Cambridge Bible on Job 34:13
10–19. This charge of injustice Elihu rebuts, first, on the general ground of its impiety: God cannot be thought of as acting in the way Job asserted—He rewardeth every man according to his works (Job 34:10-12); and second, he then resolves the general idea into two distinct thoughts, Job 34:13-15, and Job 34:16-19.
Barnes' Notes on Job 34:13
Who hath given him a charge over the earth? - That is, he is the great original Proprietor and Ruler of all.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 34:13
13. Who hath given him a charge, etc. — The äis paragogic, not directive. The clause should read, Who hath given the earth in charge to him?
Sermons on Job 34:13
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Greatness of God by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the speaker reflects on a mother who takes her young child to the beach to escape the monotony of housework. As the mother reads, she occasionally looks up to check |
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When You Call Down Heaven by Shane Idleman | This sermon emphasizes the importance of prayer as a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare. It highlights the need for a deeper walk with Christ through motives, positioning oneself |
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Spirit Filled, Word Centered Praying by Bill McLeod | In this sermon transcript, the speaker shares his experience of speaking at a conference where he felt the presence of God. The church was packed with 12-1400 people, and the speak |
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The Walk of Faith - Part 1 by Larry Ainsworth | In this sermon, the speaker begins by acknowledging the absence of some attendees from the morning session and provides a brief recap of the previous study on the words of Jesus, " |
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Confidence in the Midst of Distress by Charles Stanley | Charles Stanley preaches about the common human instinct to want to escape stressful situations by walking away, but God's truth teaches us to find rest and peace in Him instead of |
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Thine Is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory Forever by Zac Poonen | Zac Poonen emphasizes the significance of the phrase 'Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever' from the Lord's Prayer, explaining that it reflects God's ultimate aut |
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Mounting Up With Eagles Wings - Part 1 by Leonard Ravenhill | Leonard Ravenhill emphasizes the power and majesty of God as depicted in Isaiah 40, particularly focusing on the promise that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength |