Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
The book holding this verse is the oldest book in the Bible and the oldest poetical book that has come down to us, written by Moses while he was in the land of Midian. Within that book the verse belongs to the second of four parts, the debate between Job and his three friends on the subject of his afflictions in chapters 4 to 31, made up of three circles of speeches on the part of each. That second part stands distinct from the prose prologue in chapters 1 and 2, the speeches of Elihu in chapters 32 to 37, the speeches of the Lord out of the storm-cloud, and the prose epilogue in chapter 42:7-17. More particularly, the verse is part of Job's reply to Bildad, in which Job argues that afflictions do not prove that a person has sinned.
It belongs to the discussion of God's providence amid sin and suffering, in which Job maintains that afflictions do not prove that a person has sinned, while his friends wrongly insist that his afflictions prove he has sinned. Its plain declaration is that God has authority to act and can take away whatever He wills, and no one can stop Him or demand an explanation from Him. Job himself could not understand God's dealings with him, yet he did not accuse God of wrongdoing. God saw the outcome from the beginning and was bringing good from Job's trial.
The book holding this verse is the oldest book in the Bible and the oldest poetical book that has come down to us, written by Moses while he was in the land of Midian. Within that book the verse belongs to the second of four parts, the debate between Job and his three friends on the subject of his afflictions in chapters 4 to 31, made up of three circles of speeches on the part of each. That second part stands distinct from the prose prologue in chapters 1 and 2, the speeches of Elihu in chapters 32 to 37, the speeches of the Lord out of the storm-cloud, and the prose epilogue in chapter 42:7-17. More particularly, the verse is part of Job's reply to Bildad, in which Job argues that afflictions do not prove that a person has sinned.
It belongs to the discussion of God's providence amid sin and suffering, in which Job maintains that afflictions do not prove that a person has sinned, while his friends wrongly insist that his afflictions prove he has sinned. Its plain declaration is that God has authority to act and can take away whatever He wills, and no one can stop Him or demand an explanation from Him. Job himself could not understand God's dealings with him, yet he did not accuse God of wrongdoing. God saw the outcome from the beginning and was bringing good from Job's trial.