and disclose to you the secrets of wisdomThis phrase suggests that wisdom is not fully accessible to human understanding without divine revelation. In the context of the Book of Job, wisdom is often portrayed as something that belongs to God alone (
Job 28:28). The "secrets of wisdom" imply that there are deeper truths and insights that God can reveal, which are beyond human comprehension. This aligns with the biblical theme that God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours (
Isaiah 55:8-9).
for true wisdom has two sides
The idea that wisdom has "two sides" can be interpreted as the complexity and depth of divine wisdom. It suggests that wisdom is multifaceted and not easily understood from a single perspective. This duality can be seen in the balance between justice and mercy, or between God's sovereignty and human responsibility. The Book of Proverbs often contrasts wisdom with folly, indicating that understanding requires discernment (Proverbs 9:10).
Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves
This statement reflects the biblical principle of God's mercy. While human sin deserves punishment, God often shows restraint and compassion. This is consistent with the broader biblical narrative of grace, where God does not treat us as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:10). In the context of Job, it challenges the assumption that suffering is always a direct result of personal sin, suggesting instead that God's dealings with humanity are more merciful than we might expect. This foreshadows the ultimate expression of mercy through Jesus Christ, who bore the punishment for sin on behalf of humanity (1 Peter 2:24).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JobA man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning the reasons behind it.
2.
Zophar the NaamathiteOne of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. In this chapter, Zophar speaks, suggesting that Job's suffering is due to his sin and that he deserves even more punishment.
3.
The Land of UzThe setting of the Book of Job, traditionally considered to be in the region of Edom or northern Arabia.
4.
GodThe sovereign Creator who allows Job's testing and is the ultimate source of wisdom and justice.
5.
WisdomA central theme in the Book of Job, representing the deep understanding and insight that comes from God alone.
Teaching Points
The Dual Nature of WisdomTrue wisdom has "two sides," indicating its complexity and depth. Believers should seek to understand both the visible and hidden aspects of God's wisdom.
God's Mercy in JusticeZophar's statement that God exacts less than our guilt deserves highlights God's mercy. We should be grateful for His grace, recognizing that our sins deserve greater punishment.
The Importance of HumilityZophar's rebuke, though harsh, reminds us to approach God with humility, acknowledging our limited understanding and the vastness of His wisdom.
Seeking Divine WisdomIn times of trial, like Job, we should seek God's wisdom to navigate our circumstances, trusting that He knows the full picture.
Understanding SufferingSuffering is not always a direct result of personal sin. We must be cautious in judging others' situations and instead offer compassion and support.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Job 11:6?
2. How does Job 11:6 reveal God's wisdom and understanding beyond human comprehension?
3. In what ways can we seek deeper understanding of God's "wisdom" in our lives?
4. How does Job 11:6 connect with Proverbs 3:5-6 about trusting God's wisdom?
5. What practical steps can we take to embrace God's wisdom in daily decisions?
6. How can acknowledging God's "wisdom" and "secrets" strengthen our faith during trials?
7. What does Job 11:6 reveal about God's wisdom and understanding?
8. How does Job 11:6 challenge our perception of divine justice?
9. Why does Job 11:6 suggest God conceals some wisdom from us?
10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 11?
11. How are God's thoughts higher than human thoughts?
12. Why did Job's three friends visit him?
13. (Deut 29:29) Why would a just and loving God keep 'secret things' hidden, leaving His followers in uncertainty?
14. In Job 22:5, Eliphaz accuses Job of great wickedness, yet Job 1:1 calls him blameless; how do we resolve this apparent contradiction?What Does Job 11:6 Mean
Setting the stageJob 11 records Zophar’s first speech. Frustrated by Job’s insistence on innocence (Job 10:7), Zophar claims that God’s plans are “higher than the heavens” (v. 8, cf. Isaiah 55:8-9) and that Job speaks “empty talk” (v. 3). Into that setting comes verse 6.
Zophar’s claim: hidden wisdom“and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom”
• Zophar asserts that only God can unveil what we cannot see (Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 Corinthians 13:12).
• He assumes Job lacks this heavenly perspective, therefore misunderstands his suffering (Proverbs 3:5-7).
Two-sided wisdom“for true wisdom has two sides”
• One side: God’s justice—He must judge sin (Psalm 11:7).
• Other side: God’s mercy—He restrains full punishment (Psalm 103:10; Lamentations 3:22-23).
Zophar is partly right: divine wisdom is multifaceted. Yet he wrongly thinks the “other side” cannot include innocent suffering (John 9:1-3).
Undeserved mercy“Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves.”
• Scripture affirms that all have sinned (Romans 3:23); even the righteous need grace (Romans 5:8).
• God often spares us the full weight of our sin’s consequences (Ezra 9:13; Psalm 145:8).
Zophar’s core principle is sound, but he misapplies it by concluding Job’s losses must be punishment (Luke 13:1-5 shows this error).
Lessons for believers• Embrace both justice and mercy in God’s character; they meet perfectly at the cross (Romans 3:24-26).
• Avoid presuming to read providence in another’s pain (James 4:11-12).
• When suffering, remember that even discipline is tempered with compassion (Hebrews 12:5-6, 11).
summaryJob 11:6 teaches that God’s wisdom is richer than human logic and that His mercy often withholds the full penalty our sins merit. Zophar rightly praises God’s two-sided wisdom but errs by assuming Job’s suffering equals divine retribution. The verse calls us to trust God’s just yet merciful nature, resist hasty judgments, and humbly receive grace that none of us deserves.
(6)
They are double to that which is!--This translation conveys no sense, and is not a translation; see the last Note.
Verse 6. -
And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom! In God are "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hid away" (
ἀπόκρυφοι Colossians 2:3). Zophar wishes that he would reveal to Job this wisdom, or a portion of it, as, in that case, all his pride and self-confidence would be confounded and fall away. That they are double to that which is! This phrase is very obscure. Some translate, "For he (
i.e. God) is twice as wise as thou;" others, "That it (
i.e. wisdom) is manifold in effectual working;" others, again, "That they (
i.e. the treasures of wisdom) are double (or manifold) in substance." Perhaps this last rendering is to be preferred. The treasures of wisdom that are hid away in God have many depths, secret and unexplored; they "lie, as it were, fold over fold, in unexpected complexities, defying the shallow and unscrutinizing gaze" (Professor Stanley Leathes). If they were revealed to Job, they would astonish, confound, silence, him. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth. "Be sure,"
i.e., "that God, so far from inflicting on thee a more severe punishment than thou deservest, in reality excuses much of thy guilt, and punishes thee less than is thy due." This is Zophar's conclusion from his general knowledge of God's dealings with man (comp.
Ezra 9:13).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
and discloseוְיַגֶּד־ (wə·yag·geḏ-)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuousto youלְךָ֨ ׀ (lə·ḵā)Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew the secretsתַּֽעֲלֻמ֣וֹת (ta·‘ă·lu·mō·wṯ)Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 8587: A hidden thing, secretof wisdom,חָכְמָה֮ (ḥāḵ·māh)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2451: Wisdomforכִּֽי־ (kî-)Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunctiontrue wisdomלְֽת֫וּשִׁיָּ֥ה (lə·ṯū·šî·yāh)Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8454: Support, ability, help, an undertaking, understandinghas two sides.כִפְלַ֪יִם (ḵip̄·la·yim)Noun - md
Strong's 3718: A duplicateKnowוְדַ֡ע (wə·ḏa‘)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To knowthen thatכִּֽי־ (kî-)Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunctionGodאֱ֝ל֗וֹהַ (’ĕ·lō·w·ha)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 433: God -- a deity, the Deityexactsיַשֶּׁ֥ה (yaš·šeh)Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5382: To forget, to neglect, to remit, removefrom youלְךָ֥ (lə·ḵā)Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew [less] than your iniquity [deserves].מֵעֲוֺנֶֽךָ׃ (mê·‘ă·wō·ne·ḵā)Preposition-m | Noun - common singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity
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OT Poetry: Job 11:6 That he would show you the secrets (Jb) 
