Job 13:7

My Notes

What Does Job 13:7 Mean?

Job turns on his friends with the sharpest accusation in the dialogue: "Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?" Job charges them with dishonesty in God's defense. They're lying — not about God's existence or power, but about how God operates. Their theology is technically correct and experientially false, and Job calls it wicked.

The phrase "for God" (l'El) is the critical preposition: they're speaking wickedness on behalf of God. Their theological defense of God's justice (the righteous prosper, the wicked suffer, therefore Job must be wicked) is presented as advocacy for God — and Job says the advocacy itself is wicked. You're defending God with lies. The defense dishonors the defendant.

The accusation "talk deceitfully for him" (remiyyah — deceit, fraud, treachery) adds moral weight: the friends aren't just mistaken. They're deceitful. They know (or should know) that their theology doesn't match Job's case, and they're applying it anyway. The deceit is in the application, not the principle.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Where have you seen 'speaking wickedly for God' — defending God's justice with dishonest theology?
• 2.How does applying true theological principles to wrong specific situations constitute deceit?
• 3.What does God's later vindication of Job (42:7) teach about who was actually right in the dialogue?
• 4.Before you explain someone's suffering theologically, how do you ensure you're not speaking wickedly for God?

Devotional

Will you speak wickedly for God? Job looks at his friends — the theological experts, the defenders of divine justice, the men who came to comfort him — and says: you're lying. On God's behalf. Your defense of God is itself wicked.

The accusation is staggering: Job charges his friends with sin committed in the act of defending God. Not despite their theology but because of it. The theology that says 'God punishes the wicked; you're suffering; therefore you're wicked' is being applied to a situation it doesn't fit — and the misapplication is what Job calls wicked. You're using true principles to reach false conclusions about a specific person. And that's deceit.

The friends would be offended: we're defending God's justice! We're upholding the moral order of the universe! How is that wicked? Job's answer: because the defense is dishonest. You know me. You know my character. You know the evidence of my life doesn't match the verdict your theology requires. And you're applying the verdict anyway because your theology matters more to you than the truth about your friend.

The 'for God' is what makes the wickedness worse, not better. Speaking wickedness about God would be blasphemy — bad enough. Speaking wickedness for God is worse: you're putting words in God's mouth, attributing to God a judgment he didn't make, and claiming divine authority for human theology. You're making God the author of your deceit.

God himself will later vindicate Job's accusation: in 42:7, God tells the friends 'ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.' The wicked speech Job identified was confirmed by God as wrong. The defenders of God were wrong about God. The sufferer who accused them was right.

Before you defend God's justice in someone's suffering, Job's question should stop you: is the defense honest? Or are you speaking wickedly for God?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture