1 Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,
2 Are all these words to go unanswered? and is a man seen to be right because he is full of talk?
3 Are your words of pride to make men keep quiet? and are you to make sport, with no one to put you to shame?
4 You may say, My way is clean, and I am free from sin in your eyes.
5 But if only God would take up the word, opening his lips in argument with you;
6 And would make clear to you the secrets of wisdom, and the wonders of his purpose!
7 Are you able to take God's measure, to make discovery of the limits of the Ruler of all?
8 They are higher than heaven; what is there for you to do? deeper than the underworld, and outside your knowledge;
9 Longer in measure than the earth, and wider than the sea.
10 If he goes on his way, shutting a man up and putting him to death, who may make him go back from his purpose?
11 For in his eyes men are as nothing; he sees evil and takes note of it.
12 And so a hollow-minded man will get wisdom, when a young ass of the field gets teaching.
13 But if you put your heart right, stretching out your hands to him;
14 If you put far away the evil of your hands, and let no wrongdoing have a place in your tent;
15 Then truly your face will be lifted up, with no mark of sin, and you will be fixed in your place without fear:
16 For your sorrow will go from your memory, like waters flowing away:
17 And your life will be brighter than day; though it is dark, it will become like the morning.
18 And you will be safe because there is hope; after looking round, you will take your rest in quiet;
19 Sleeping with no fear of danger; and men will be desiring to have grace in your eyes;
20 But the eyes of the evil-doers will be wasting away; their way of flight is gone, and their only hope is the taking of their last breath.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 11
Commentary on Job 11 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 11
FIRST SERIES.
Job 11:1-20. First Speech of Zophar.
2. Zophar assails Job for his empty words, and indirectly, the two friends, for their weak reply. Taciturnity is highly prized among Orientals (Pr 10:8, 19).
3. lies—rather, "vain boasting" (Isa 16:6; Jer 48:30). The "men" is emphatic; men of sense; in antithesis to "vain boasting."
mockest—upbraidest God by complaints, "shall no man make thee ashamed?"
4. doctrine—purposely used of Job's speeches, which sounded like lessons of doctrine (De 32:2; Pr 4:2).
thine—addressed to God. Job had maintained his sincerity against his friends suspicions, not faultlessness.
6. to that which is!—Rather, "they are double to [man's] wisdom" [Michaelis]. So the Hebrew is rendered (Pr 2:7). God's ways, which you arraign, if you were shown their secret wisdom, would be seen vastly to exceed that of men, including yours (1Co 1:25).
exacteth—Rather, "God consigns to oblivion in thy favor much of thy guilt."
7. Rather, "Penetrate to the perfections of the Almighty" (Job 9:10; Ps 139:6).
8. It—the "wisdom" of God (Job 11:6). The abruptness of the Hebrew is forcible: "The heights of heaven! What canst thou do" (as to attaining to them with thy gaze, Ps 139:8)?
know—namely, of His perfections.
10. cut off—Rather, as in Job 9:11, "pass over," as a storm; namely, rush upon in anger.
shut up—in prison, with a view to trial.
gather together—the parties for judgment: hold a judicial assembly; to pass sentence on the prisoners.
11. (Ps 94:11).
consider—so as to punish it. Rather, from the connection, Job 11:6, "He seeth wickedness also, which man does not perceive"; literally, "But no (other, save He) perceiveth it" [Umbreit]. God's "wisdom" (Job 11:6), detects sin where Job's human eye cannot reach (Job 11:8), so as to see any.
12. vain—hollow.
would be—"wants to consider himself wise"; opposed to God's "wisdom" (see on Job 11:11); refuses to see sin, where God sees it (Ro 1:22).
wild ass's colt—a proverb for untamed wildness (Job 39:5, 8; Jer 2:24; Ge 16:12; Hebrew, "a wild-ass man"). Man wishes to appear wisely obedient to his Lord, whereas he is, from his birth, unsubdued in spirit.
13. The apodosis to the "If" is at Job 11:15. The preparation of the heart is to be obtained (Pr 16:1) by stretching out the hands in prayer for it (Ps 10:17; 1Ch 29:18).
14. Rather, "if thou wilt put far away the iniquity in thine hand" (as Zaccheus did, Lu 19:8). The apodosis or conclusion is at Job 11:15, "then shalt thou," &c.
15. Zophar refers to Job's own words (Job 10:15), "yet will I not lift up my head," even though righteous. Zophar declares, if Job will follow his advice, he may "lift up his face."
spot—(De 32:5).
steadfast—literally, "run fast together," like metals which become firm and hard by fusion. The sinner on the contrary is wavering.
16. Just as when the stream runs dry (Job 6:17), the danger threatened by its wild waves is forgotten (Isa 65:16) [Umbreit].
17. age—days of life.
the noon-day—namely, of thy former prosperity; which, in the poet's image, had gone on increasing, until it reached its height, as the sun rises higher and higher until it reaches the meridian (Pr 4:18).
shine forth—rather, "though now in darkness, thou shall be as the morning"; or, "thy darkness (if any dark shade should arise on thee, it) shall be as the morning" (only the dullness of morning twilight, not nocturnal darkness) [Umbreit].
18. The experience of thy life will teach thee there is hope for man in every trial.
dig—namely, wells; the chief necessity in the East. Better, "though now ashamed (Ro 5:5, opposed to the previous 'hope'), thou shalt then rest safely" [Gesenius];
19. (Ps 4:8; Pr 3:24; Isa 14:30); oriental images of prosperity.
make suit—literally, "stroke thy face," "caress thee" (Pr 19:6).
20. A warning to Job, if he would not turn to God.
The wicked—that is, obdurate sinners.
eyes … fail—that is, in vain look for relief (De 28:65). Zophar implies Job's only hope of relief is in a change of heart.
they shall not escape—literally, "every refuge shall vanish from them."
giving up of the ghost—Their hope shall leave them as the breath does the body (Pr 11:7).