God’s power and justice prevail, safeguarding the righteous from schemes and ensuring that prideful plots ultimately fail.
Eliphaz the Temanite, hailing from the region of Teman in Edom, likely spoke during the same time period Job lived, which many believe to be around the era of the Patriarchs (roughly 2100-1900 BC). In his discourse to Job, Eliphaz declares, He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, So that their hands cannot attain success. (Job 5:12). This bold statement highlights God’s active sovereignty in human affairs. No matter how cunning the plans of the shrewd, the Lord retains the ultimate authority to thwart schemes formed in pride and arrogance.
In this verse, the act of “frustrating the plotting” reveals the Lord’s watchful role over all people. While the shrewd may rely on cleverness and manipulation, God dismantles their strategies in ways that demonstrate His justice and concern for uprightness. A parallel thought can be found later in scripture, where it teaches that God “is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Through the lens of Jesus’s ministry, we see this principle realized when Christ confronts and overcomes crafty temptations, offering both truth and redemption in place of plotting and deceit (Matthew 4:1-11).
In a broader sense, Job 5:12 encourages believers to have confidence in the Creator, who stands above all human cunning. Though injustice or sly manipulation may appear victorious in the short term, they cannot prevail against God’s righteous will. Ultimately, His protective authority brings hope to those who trust in Him, and a sobering reminder to those who would attempt to succeed through underhanded ways.
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Job 5:12 meaning
Eliphaz the Temanite, hailing from the region of Teman in Edom, likely spoke during the same time period Job lived, which many believe to be around the era of the Patriarchs (roughly 2100-1900 BC). In his discourse to Job, Eliphaz declares, He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, So that their hands cannot attain success. (Job 5:12). This bold statement highlights God’s active sovereignty in human affairs. No matter how cunning the plans of the shrewd, the Lord retains the ultimate authority to thwart schemes formed in pride and arrogance.
In this verse, the act of “frustrating the plotting” reveals the Lord’s watchful role over all people. While the shrewd may rely on cleverness and manipulation, God dismantles their strategies in ways that demonstrate His justice and concern for uprightness. A parallel thought can be found later in scripture, where it teaches that God “is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Through the lens of Jesus’s ministry, we see this principle realized when Christ confronts and overcomes crafty temptations, offering both truth and redemption in place of plotting and deceit (Matthew 4:1-11).
In a broader sense, Job 5:12 encourages believers to have confidence in the Creator, who stands above all human cunning. Though injustice or sly manipulation may appear victorious in the short term, they cannot prevail against God’s righteous will. Ultimately, His protective authority brings hope to those who trust in Him, and a sobering reminder to those who would attempt to succeed through underhanded ways.