Worthy.Bible » ASV » Job » Chapter 18 » Verse 8

Job 18:8 American Standard (ASV)

8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet, And he walketh upon the toils.

Cross Reference

Job 22:10 ASV

Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee,

Psalms 9:15 ASV

The nations are sunk down in the pit that they made: In the net which they hid is their own foot taken.

Psalms 35:8 ASV

Let destruction come upon him unawares; And let his net that he hath hid catch himself: With destruction let him fall therein.

Esther 3:9 ASV

If it please the king, let it be written that they be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have the charge of the `king's' business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

Esther 6:13 ASV

And Haman recounted unto Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai, before whom thou hast begun to fall, be of the seed of the Jews, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.

Esther 7:5 ASV

Then spake the king Ahasuerus and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?

Esther 7:10 ASV

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

Proverbs 5:22 ASV

His own iniquities shall take the wicked, And he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.

Proverbs 29:6 ASV

In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare; But the righteous doth sing and rejoice.

Ezekiel 32:3 ASV

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will spread out my net upon thee with a company of many peoples; and they shall bring thee up in my net.

1 Timothy 3:7 ASV

Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

1 Timothy 6:9 ASV

But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition.

2 Timothy 2:26 ASV

and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will.

Commentary on Job 18 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 18

SECOND SERIES.

Job 18:1-21. Reply of Bildad.

2. ye—the other two friends of Job, whom Bildad charges with having spoken mere "words," that is, empty speeches; opposed to "mark," that is, come to reason, consider the question intelligently; and then let us speak.

3. beasts—alluding to what Job said (Job 12:7; so Isa 1:3).

vile—rather from a Hebrew root, "to stop up." "Stubborn," answering to the stupidity implied in the parallel first clause [Umbreit]. Why should we give occasion by your empty speeches for our being mutually reputed, in the sight of Job and one another, as unintelligent? (Job 17:4, 10).

4. Rather, turning to Job, "thou that tearest thyself in anger" (Job 5:2).

be forsaken?—become desolate. He alludes here to Job's words as to the "rock," crumbling away (Job 14:18, 19); but in a different application. He says bitterly "for thee." Wert thou not punished as thou art, and as thou art unwilling to bear, the eternal order of the universe would be disturbed and the earth become desolate through unavenged wickedness [Umbreit]. Bildad takes it for granted Job is a great sinner (Job 8:3-6; Isa 24:5, 6). "Shall that which stands fast as a rock be removed for your special accommodation?"

5. That (Job 18:4) cannot be. The decree of God is unalterable, the light (prosperity) of the wicked shall at length be put out.

his fire—alluding to Arabian hospitality, which prided itself on welcoming the stranger to the fire in the tent, and even lit fires to direct him to it. The ungodly shall be deprived of the means to show hospitality. His dwelling shall be dark and desolate!

6. candle—the lamp which in the East is usually fastened to the ceiling. Oil abounds in those regions, and the lamp was kept burning all night, as now in Egypt, where the poorest would rather dispense with food than the night lamp (Ps 18:28). To put out the lamp was an image of utter desolation.

7. steps of his strength—Hebrew, for "His strong steps." A firm step marks health. To be straitened in steps is to be no longer able to move about at will (Pr 4:12).

his own counsel—Plans shall be the means of his fall (Job 5:13).

8. he walketh upon—rather, "he lets himself go into the net" [Umbreit]. If the English Version be retained, then understand "snare" to be the pitfall, covered over with branches and earth, which when walked upon give way (Ps 9:15; 35:8).

9. robber—rather answering to "gin" in the parallel clause, "the noose shall hold him fast" [Umbreit].

11. Terrors—often mentioned in this book (Job 18:14; 24:17; &c.). The terrors excited through an evil conscience are here personified. "Magor-missabib" (Jer 20:3).

drive … to his feet—rather, "shall pursue" (literally, "scatter," Hab 3:14) him close "at his heels" (literally, "immediately after his feet," Hab 3:5; 1Sa 25:42; Hebrew). The image is that of a pursuing conqueror who scatters the enemy [Umbreit].

12. The Hebrew is brief and bold, "his strength is hungry."

destruction—that is, a great calamity (Pr 1:27).

ready at his side—close at hand to destroy him (Pr 19:29).

13. Umbreit has "he" for "it," that is, "in the rage of hunger he shall devour his own body"; or, "his own children" (La 4:10). Rather, "destruction" from Job 18:12 is nominative to "devour."

strength—rather, "members" (literally, the "branches" of a tree).

the first-born of death—a personification full of poetical horror. The first-born son held the chief place (Ge 49:3); so here the chiefest (most deadly) disease that death has ever engendered (Isa 14:30; "first-born of the poor"—the poorest). The Arabs call fever, "daughter of death."

14. confidence—all that the father trusted in for domestic happiness, children, fortune, &c., referring to Job's losses.

rooted out—suddenly torn away, it shall bring—that is, he shall be brought; or, as Umbreit better has, "Thou (God) shalt bring him slowly." The Hebrew expresses, "to stride slowly and solemnly." The godless has a fearful death for long before his eyes, and is at last taken by it. Alluding to Job's case. The King of terrors, not like the heathen Pluto, the tabled ruler of the dead, but Death, with all its terrors to the ungodly, personified.

15. It—"Terror" shall haunt, &c., and not as Umbreit, "another," which the last clause of the verse disproves.

none of his—It is his no longer.

brimstone—probably comparing the calamity of Job by the "fire of God" (Job 1:16) to the destruction of guilty Sodom by fire and brimstone (Ge 19:24).

16. Roots—himself.

branch—his children (Job 8:12; 15:30; Mal 4:1).

17. street—Men shall not speak of him in meeting in the highways; rather, "in the field" or "meadow"; the shepherds shall no more mention his name—a picture from nomadic life [Umbreit].

18. light … darkness—existence—nonexistence.

19. nephew—(so Isa 14:22). But it is translated "grandson" (Ge 21:23); translate "kinsman."

20. after … before—rather, "those in the West—those in the East"; that is, all people; literally, "those behind—those before"; for Orientals in geography turn with their faces to the east (not to the north as we), and back to the west; so that before—east; behind—north (so Zec 14:8).

day—of ruin (Ob 12).

affrighted—seized with terror (Job 21:6; Isa 13:8).

21. (Job 8:22, Margin).