But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:13 belongs to Job's answer to Eliphaz's third speech accusing him, where Job expresses confidence in God's mercy even while speaking of the end of the wicked. The mention of his soul shows that God has a soul, meaning God himself and not a separate, immortal part of him. The verse declares that he is in one mind and no one can turn him, so his purpose does not change and does not contradict itself, and whatever his soul desires, that he does.
Because his purpose is unchangeable, he sees the end from the beginning and works through suffering toward a purpose that brings him lasting glory, and this gives comfort and hope to sufferers while his dealing with Job proves a blessing to him. For this reason he did not abolish his ten-commandment constitution at the first advent in order to remove the Sabbath and then make a new constitution out of nine of the same precepts, since to enact a law, then abolish it, then re-enact it would be variableness and contradiction belonging to men and never to be charged upon God. His unchanging word at every hour of the day, at the third and the sixth and the ninth and the eleventh hours, remains Go work in his vineyard, which means keep the commandments, for he changes not and does not alter the thing gone out of his lips.
The verse shows he is not fickle, changeable, and subject to human weakness as his repenting in Genesis 6:6 is charged to mean, for his will does not change. His repenting speaks after the manner of men in gracious condescension to shallow earthly understanding, expressing his resentment and grief at wickedness like an affectionate father grieved by a rebellious child rather than an unconcerned spectator. What is called his repenting denotes only a painful consciousness that the end does not correspond with the design, along with a change in his work and conduct toward creatures in bestowing good or inflicting evil, founded wholly on a change in them and carried out according to conditions already laid down or mentally determined.
Job 23:13 belongs to Job's answer to Eliphaz's third speech accusing him, where Job expresses confidence in God's mercy even while speaking of the end of the wicked. The mention of his soul shows that God has a soul, meaning God himself and not a separate, immortal part of him. The verse declares that he is in one mind and no one can turn him, so his purpose does not change and does not contradict itself, and whatever his soul desires, that he does.
Because his purpose is unchangeable, he sees the end from the beginning and works through suffering toward a purpose that brings him lasting glory, and this gives comfort and hope to sufferers while his dealing with Job proves a blessing to him. For this reason he did not abolish his ten-commandment constitution at the first advent in order to remove the Sabbath and then make a new constitution out of nine of the same precepts, since to enact a law, then abolish it, then re-enact it would be variableness and contradiction belonging to men and never to be charged upon God. His unchanging word at every hour of the day, at the third and the sixth and the ninth and the eleventh hours, remains Go work in his vineyard, which means keep the commandments, for he changes not and does not alter the thing gone out of his lips.
The verse shows he is not fickle, changeable, and subject to human weakness as his repenting in Genesis 6:6 is charged to mean, for his will does not change. His repenting speaks after the manner of men in gracious condescension to shallow earthly understanding, expressing his resentment and grief at wickedness like an affectionate father grieved by a rebellious child rather than an unconcerned spectator. What is called his repenting denotes only a painful consciousness that the end does not correspond with the design, along with a change in his work and conduct toward creatures in bestowing good or inflicting evil, founded wholly on a change in them and carried out according to conditions already laid down or mentally determined.