Job 42:5

5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

Job 42:5 in Other Translations

5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;

5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

5 I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand - from my own eyes and ears!

5 I had heard rumors about You, but now my eyes have seen You.

Job 42:5 Meaning and Commentary

Job 42:5

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear
From his ancestors, who in a traditionary way had handed down from one to another what they knew of God, his will and worship, his works and ways; and from those who had the care of his education, parents and tutors, who had instilled the principles of religion, and the knowledge of divine things, into him very early; and from such as might instruct in matters of religion in a public manner; and both by ordinary and extraordinary revelation made unto him, as was sometimes granted to men in that age in which Job lived; see ( Job 4:16 Job 4:17 ) ( 33:14-16 ) . Though he had heard more of God through his speaking to him out of the whirlwind than ever he did before, to which he had attentively listened; and the phrase, hearing by or with the hearing of the ear, denotes close attention; see ( Ezekiel 44:5 ) ;

but now mine eye seeth thee;
thy Shechinah, as Jarchi; thy divine glory and Majesty; the Logos, the Word or Son of God, who now appeared in an human form, and spake to Job out of the whirlwind; and whom he saw with the eyes of his body, as several of the patriarchs had seen him, and which is the sense of an ancient writer ^F14; though no doubt he saw him also with the eyes of his understanding, and had a clearer sight of his living Redeemer, the Messiah, than ever he had before; and saw more of God in Christ, of his nature, perfections, and glory, than ever he had as yet seen; and what he had heard of him came greatly short of what he now saw; particularly he had a more clear and distinct view of the sovereignty, wisdom, goodness, and justice of God in the dealings of his providence with the children of men, and with himself, to which now he humbly submitted.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Euseb. Demonstr. Evangel. l. 1. c. 5. p. 11.

Job 42:5 In-Context

3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’

5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

7 After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.

Cross References

• 1. S Job 26:14; Romans 10:17
• 2. Judges 13:22; Isaiah 6:5; S Matthew 5:8; Luke 2:30; Ephesians 1:17-18