The Meaning of Job 15:8 Explained

Job 15:8

KJV: Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

YLT: Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?

Darby: Hast thou listened in the secret council of +God? And hast thou absorbed wisdom for thyself?

ASV: Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? And dost thou limit wisdom to thyself?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Hast thou heard  the secret  of God?  and dost thou restrain  wisdom  to thyself? 

What does Job 15:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 15:1-35 - "the Heavens Are Not Clean"
The second colloquy, like the first, is commenced by Eliphaz. He begins by rebuking Job, Job 15:1-16. He complains that the words of Job proved him to be unwise, Job 15:2-3, and even impious, Job 15:4. His very speech testified to his iniquity, Job 15:5-6. With something of irony Eliphaz asks upon what Job's claim to superior wisdom rests. Was he the first man? Job 15:7. Or had he access to the secret counsel of God? Job 15:8. In refusing the counsel of his friends, Job 15:9-10, and the consolations of God they had offered, Job 15:11, r.v., had he not proved his want of wisdom? He had even proved his folly and his impiety, by attempting to assert his innocence before God, Job 15:12-14, in whose presence even the heavens were unclean, Job 15:15-16. It is clear that Eliphaz and his friends did not believe the sincerity of Job's protestations of innocence.
Eliphaz then attempts to instruct Job, Job 15:17-35. His theme is almost the same as that of his former speech. It is the righteousness of God as specially manifested in the punishment of the wicked. He claims that his doctrine is that of the wise men, Job 15:17-19; then proceeds to describe the wicked man as troubled in conscience and full of fear, Job 15:20-24; attributes this to his bold impiety, Job 15:25-28; and predicts his fearful doom, Job 15:29-35. The application of such teaching to Job must have been very painful. He insinuated that Job's terrible afflictions were God's testimony against his sin. We know better from John 11:4-5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 15

1  Eliphaz reproves Job for impiety in justifying himself
17  He proves by tradition the restlessness of wicked men

What do the individual words in Job 15:8 mean?

have the counsel of God you heard and do you limit to yourself wisdom
הַבְס֣וֹד ؟ אֱל֣וֹהַ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חָכְמָֽה

הַבְס֣וֹד  have  the  counsel 
Parse: Article, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סׄוד  
Sense: council, counsel, assembly.
؟ אֱל֣וֹהַ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹוהַּ  
Sense: God.
תִּשְׁמָ֑ע  you  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וְתִגְרַ֖ע  and  do  you  limit 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: גָּרַע 
Sense: to diminish, restrain, withdraw, abate, keep back, do away, take from, clip.
אֵלֶ֣יךָ  to  yourself 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
חָכְמָֽה  wisdom 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.