Bible Strands
Job 35:12
There they cry out, but He does not answer, because of the pride of evil men.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Job addresses the false confidence of the wicked who assume their pleas will reach God. He speaks during his ongoing debate with Elihu regarding divine justice and the mechanics of prayer.
The words — יִצְעֲקוּ (yitṣʿăqû) means they cry out, and גּאוֹן (gəʾôn) denotes pride or arrogance. The text explicitly states that God's silence toward these cries stems from the moral condition of the supplicants.
The thread — The pattern appears in Proverbs 1:28 where God refuses to answer those who call in distress, and John 9:31 where God does not listen to sinners. This aligns with the observation in Psalms 123:3 regarding unheeded pleas amid contempt.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to recognize that prayer is not a mechanical transaction but depends on the moral posture of the one praying. It demands humility, as pride actively blocks divine response.
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
King James Version
There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 1:28 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
- John 9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
- Psalms 123:3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt.
- Psalms 18:41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but He did not answer.
- Psalms 73:6 Therefore pride is their necklace; a garment of violence covers them.
- Isaiah 14:14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”