Job 23:8
New International Version
“But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him.

New Living Translation
I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him.

English Standard Version
“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him;

Berean Standard Bible
If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him.

King James Bible
Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

New King James Version
“Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

New American Standard Bible
“Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

NASB 1995
“Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

NASB 1977
“Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

Legacy Standard Bible
“Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot discern Him;

Amplified Bible
“Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there; I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him;

Christian Standard Bible
If I go east, he is not there, and if I go west, I cannot perceive him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot perceive Him.

American Standard Version
Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; And backward, but I cannot perceive him;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
If he goes before me I do not know, or from behind him I do not perceive him

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For if I shall go first, and exist no longer, still what do I know concerning the latter end?

Contemporary English Version
I cannot find God anywhere--in front or back of me,

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if I go to the east, he appeareth not; if to the west, I shall not understand him.

English Revised Version
Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
However, if I go east, he isn't there. If I go west, I can't find him.

Good News Translation
I have searched in the East, but God is not there; I have not found him when I searched in the West.

International Standard Version
"Look! If I go east, he isn't there! If I go to the west, I don't perceive him.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Behold, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

Literal Standard Version
Behold, I go forward—and He is not, | And backward—and I do not perceive Him.

Majority Standard Bible
If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him.

New American Bible
But if I go east, he is not there; or west, I cannot perceive him;

NET Bible
"If I go to the east, he is not there, and to the west, yet I do not perceive him.

New Revised Standard Version
“If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him;

New Heart English Bible
"If I go east, he is not there; if west, I can't find him;

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

World English Bible
“If I go east, he is not there. If I go west, I can’t find him.

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, forward I go -- and He is not, And backward -- and I perceive him not.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Longs for God
7Then an upright man could reason with Him, and I would be delivered forever from my Judge. 8If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him. 9When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him.…

Cross References
Job 9:11
Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.

Job 23:9
When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him.

Job 35:14
How much less, then, when you say that you do not see Him, that your case is before Him and you must wait for Him,


Treasury of Scripture

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

Job 9:11
Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

Psalm 10:1
Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

Psalm 13:1-3
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? …

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Backward East Find Forward Perceive West
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Backward East Find Forward Perceive West
Job 23
1. Job longs to appear before God
6. in confidence of his mercy
8. God, who is invisible, observes our ways
11. Job's innocence
13. God's decree is immutable














Verses 8, 9. - Here Job returns to the complaint of ver. 3. He cannot "find" God. God hides himself. It is in vain that he searches on every side. There is no manifestation, no open vision. Nothing, however, leads him to doubt God's existence, or even his presence where he is unperceived. "Job's conviction of God's absolute presence comes out most strongly when he feels that he cannot discern him" (Cook). Verse 8. - Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; that is, "He is not there to my perceptions." I may believe it, but I have no sensible proof of it, and I cannot demonstrate it. And backward, but I cannot perceive him. In describing locality, the Hebrews, Arabs, and Orientals generally always imagined themselves to be looking eastward, facing the rising sun. Hence the same word is used for" in front," "forwards," and "the east;" for "behind," "backwards," and "the west;" for "the left hand" and "the north;" for "the right hand" and "the south."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
הֵ֤ן (hên)
Interjection
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

I go
אֶהֱלֹ֣ךְ (’e·hĕ·lōḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

east,
קֶ֣דֶם (qe·ḏem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6924: The front, of place, time

He is not there,
וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ (wə·’ê·nen·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb | third person masculine singular
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

and if I go west,
וְ֝אָח֗וֹר (wə·’ā·ḥō·wr)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 268: The hinder part, behind, backward, the West

I cannot
וְֽלֹא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

find
אָבִ֥ין (’ā·ḇîn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand

Him.
לֽוֹ׃ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Poetry: Job 23:8 If I go east he is not (Jb)
Job 23:7
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