1 Then answered H6030 Zophar H6691 the Naamathite, H5284 and said, H559
2 Should not the multitude H7230 of words H1697 be answered? H6030 and should a man H376 full of talk H8193 be justified? H6663
3 Should thy lies H907 make H2790 men H4962 hold their peace? H2790 and when thou mockest, H3932 shall no man make thee ashamed? H3637
4 For thou hast said, H559 My doctrine H3948 is pure, H2134 and I am clean H1249 in thine eyes. H5869
5 But H199 oh that H5414 God H433 would speak, H1696 and open H6605 his lips H8193 against thee;
6 And that he would shew H5046 thee the secrets H8587 of wisdom, H2451 that they are double H3718 to that which is! H8454 Know H3045 therefore that God H433 exacteth H5382 of thee less than thine iniquity H5771 deserveth.
7 Canst thou by searching H2714 find out H4672 God? H433 canst thou find H4672 out the Almighty H7706 unto perfection? H8503
8 It is as high H1363 as heaven; H8064 what canst thou do? H6466 deeper H6013 than hell; H7585 what canst thou know? H3045
9 The measure H4055 thereof is longer H752 than the earth, H776 and broader H7342 than the sea. H3220
10 If he cut off, H2498 and shut up, H5462 or gather together, H6950 then who can hinder H7725 him?
11 For he knoweth H3045 vain H7723 men: H4962 he seeth H7200 wickedness H205 also; will he not then consider H995 it?
12 For vain H5014 man H376 would be wise, H3823 though man H120 be born H3205 like a wild ass's H6501 colt. H5895
13 If thou prepare H3559 thine heart, H3820 and stretch H6566 out thine hands H3709 toward him;
14 If iniquity H205 be in thine hand, H3027 put it far away, H7368 and let not wickedness H5766 dwell H7931 in thy tabernacles. H168
15 For then shalt thou lift up H5375 thy face H6440 without spot; H3971 yea, thou shalt be stedfast, H3332 and shalt not fear: H3372
16 Because thou shalt forget H7911 thy misery, H5999 and remember H2142 it as waters H4325 that pass away: H5674
17 And thine age H2465 shall be clearer H6965 than the noonday; H6672 thou shalt shine forth, H5774 thou shalt be as the morning. H1242
18 And thou shalt be secure, H982 because there is H3426 hope; H8615 yea, thou shalt dig H2658 about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest H7901 in safety. H983
19 Also thou shalt lie down, H7257 and none shall make thee afraid; H2729 yea, many H7227 shall make suit H2470 unto thee. H6440
20 But the eyes H5869 of the wicked H7563 shall fail, H3615 and they shall not escape, H6 H4498 and their hope H8615 shall be as the giving up H4646 of the ghost. H5315
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).