Job 5:13

He catches ¹  the wise in their own craftiness, ²  and the counsel of the cunning ³  is brought to a quick end. ⁴ 

2Sa 15:31,34; 2Sa 17:23; Es 6:4-11; Es 7:10; Es 9:25; Ps 7:15,16; Ps 9:15,16; Ps 18:26; Ps 35:7,8; Pr 3:32; Lu 1:51; 1Co 1:19,20

¹ tn The participles continue the description of God. Here he captures or ensnares the wise in their wickedly clever plans. See also Ps 7:16, where the wicked are caught in the pit they have dug – they are only wise in their own eyes.

² sn This is the only quotation from the Book of Job in the NT (although Rom 11:35 seems to reflect 41:11, and Phil 1:19 is similar to 13:6). Paul cites it in 1 Cor 3:19.

³ tn The etymology of נִפְתָּלִים (niftalim) suggests a meaning of “twisted” (see Prov 8:8) in the sense of tortuous. See Gen 30:8; Ps 18:26 [27].

⁴ tn The Niphal of מָהַר (mahar) means “to be hasty; to be irresponsible.” The meaning in the line may be understood in this sense: The counsel of the wily is hastened, that is, precipitated before it is ripe, i.e., frustrated (A. B. Davidson, Job, 39).