Job 13:20

Only grant these two things to me, so that I need not hide from You:

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Job speaks directly to God during his legal defense, positioning himself to face divine scrutiny rather than flee from it.

The words — The Hebrew אַל־תַּ֣עַשׂ (al-ta‘as) literally means "do not do" or "do not make," anchoring Job’s request as a demand for God to cease a specific action.

The thread — The theme of hiding from God recurs in Genesis 3:8, while the plea for God to withdraw His terrifying presence aligns with Job 9:34 and contrasts with the inescapable divine presence described in Psalm 139:12.

Why it lands — The text demands a reader stop avoiding divine accountability and instead face God’s examination with direct honesty.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אַךְ־'a.khoSh-only שְׁ֭תַּיִםShe.ta.yimtwo [things]אַל־'al-may not תַּ֣עַשׂTa.'asyou do עִמָּדִ֑י'i.ma.D/iwith/ me אָ֥ז'azthen מִ֝פָּנֶ֗יךָmi./pa.Nei./khafrom/ before/ you לֹ֣אlo'not אֶסָּתֵֽר׃'e.sa.TerI will hide myself

King James Version

Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

Cross-references

Genesis 3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Job 9:34 Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
Psalms 139:12 even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.
Revelation 6:15 Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.