Job 11:7
Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
Original Language Analysis
הַחֵ֣קֶר
Canst thou by searching
H2714
הַחֵ֣קֶר
Canst thou by searching
Strong's:
H2714
Word #:
1 of 8
examination, enumeration, deliberation
תִּמְצָֽא׃
canst thou find
H4672
תִּמְצָֽא׃
canst thou find
Strong's:
H4672
Word #:
3 of 8
properly, to come forth to, i.e., appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e., find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present
אִ֤ם
H518
אִ֤ם
Strong's:
H518
Word #:
4 of 8
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
עַד
H5704
עַד
Strong's:
H5704
Word #:
5 of 8
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
Cross References
Ecclesiastes 3:11He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.Romans 11:33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!Psalms 145:3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.Isaiah 40:28Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.Psalms 77:19Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.Job 37:23Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.Job 5:9Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:Ephesians 3:8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Historical Context
Ancient wisdom acknowledged divine mystery and human limitation. Zophar's question echoes themes from Psalms (145:3, 'His greatness is unsearchable') and Isaiah (40:28). The problem isn't the theology but its application—Zophar uses God's incomprehensibility to dismiss Job's protests rather than sit humbly with mystery. This demonstrates how true doctrine can be employed to silence rather than comfort.
Questions for Reflection
- How do we balance affirming God's incomprehensibility with encouraging honest questions and laments?
- What is the difference between acknowledging divine mystery and using it to shut down legitimate suffering?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Zophar asks: 'Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?' The verb chaqar (חָקַר, searching) means to investigate, examine, or explore deeply. Matsa (מָצָא, find out) means to discover or attain. Takhlit (תַּכְלִית, perfection) refers to completeness or ultimate extent. Zophar correctly asserts God's incomprehensibility—finite minds cannot fully grasp infinite being. However, he uses this truth to silence Job's questions rather than acknowledge mystery. The verse contains profound theology about divine transcendence but is weaponized against legitimate suffering.