10 But he knoweth H3045 the way H1870 that I take: H5978 when he hath tried H974 me, I shall come forth H3318 as gold. H2091
That G2443 the trial G1383 of your G5216 faith, G4102 being much G4183 more precious G5093 than of gold G5553 that perisheth, G622 though G1223 G1161 it be tried G1381 with fire, G4442 might be found G2147 unto G1519 praise G1868 and G2532 honour G5092 and G2532 glory G1391 at G1722 the appearing G602 of Jesus G2424 Christ: G5547
[[To the chief Musician, H5329 A Psalm H4210 of David.]] H1732 O LORD, H3068 thou hast searched H2713 me, and known H3045 me. Thou knowest H3045 my downsitting H3427 and mine uprising, H6965 thou understandest H995 my thought H7454 afar off. H7350 Thou compassest H2219 my path H734 and my lying down, H7252 and art acquainted H5532 with all my ways. H1870
For thou, O God, H430 hast proved H974 us: thou hast tried H6884 us, as silver H3701 is tried. H6884
And I will bring H935 the third part H7992 through the fire, H784 and will refine H6884 them as silver H3701 is refined, H6884 and will try H974 them as gold H2091 is tried: H974 they shall call H7121 on my name, H8034 and I will hear H6030 them: I will say, H559 It is my people: H5971 and they shall say, H559 The LORD H3068 is my God. H430
My G3450 brethren, G80 count it G2233 all G3956 joy G5479 when G3752 ye fall G4045 into divers G4164 temptations; G3986 Knowing G1097 this, that G3754 the trying G1383 of your G5216 faith G4102 worketh G2716 patience. G5281 But G1161 let G2192 patience G5281 have G2192 her perfect G5046 work, G2041 that G2443 ye may be G5600 perfect G5046 and G2532 entire, G3648 wanting G3007 nothing. G1722 G3367
By faith G4102 Abraham, G11 when he was tried, G3985 offered up G4374 Isaac: G2464 and G2532 he that had received G324 the promises G1860 offered up G4374 his only begotten G3439 son,
I beseech H577 thee, O LORD, H3068 remember H2142 now how I have walked H1980 before H6440 thee in truth H571 and with a perfect H8003 heart, H3824 and have done H6213 that which is good H2896 in thy sight. H5869 And Hezekiah H2396 wept H1058 H1065 sore. H1419
But H199 put forth H7971 thine hand H3027 now, and touch H5060 all that he hath, and he will curse H1288 H3808 thee to thy face. H6440 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Satan, H7854 Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; H3027 only upon himself put not forth H7971 thine hand. H3027 So Satan H7854 went forth H3318 from the presence H6440 of the LORD. H3068
But H199 put forth H7971 thine hand H3027 now, and touch H5060 his bone H6106 and his flesh, H1320 and he will curse H1288 thee to thy face. H6440 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Satan, H7854 Behold, he is in thine hand; H3027 but save H8104 his life. H5315
I have heard H8085 of thee by the hearing H8088 of the ear: H241 but now mine eye H5869 seeth H7200 thee. Wherefore I abhor H3988 myself, and repent H5162 in dust H6083 and ashes. H665 And it was so, that after H310 the LORD H3068 had spoken H1696 these words H1697 unto Job, H347 the LORD H3068 said H559 to Eliphaz H464 the Temanite, H8489 My wrath H639 is kindled H2734 against thee, and against thy two H8147 friends: H7453 for ye have not spoken H1696 of me the thing that is right, H3559 as my servant H5650 Job H347 hath. Therefore take H3947 unto you now seven H7651 bullocks H6499 and seven H7651 rams, H352 and go H3212 to my servant H5650 Job, H347 and offer up H5927 for yourselves a burnt offering; H5930 and my servant H5650 Job H347 shall pray H6419 for you: for him H6440 will I accept: H5375 lest I deal H6213 with you after your folly, H5039 in that ye have not spoken H1696 of me the thing which is right, H3559 like my servant H5650 Job. H347
But who may abide H3557 the day H3117 of his coming? H935 and who shall stand H5975 when he appeareth? H7200 for he is like a refiner's H6884 fire, H784 and like fullers' H3526 soap: H1287 And he shall sit H3427 as a refiner H6884 and purifier H2891 of silver: H3701 and he shall purify H2891 the sons H1121 of Levi, H3878 and purge H2212 them as gold H2091 and silver, H3701 that they may offer H5066 unto the LORD H3068 an offering H4503 in righteousness. H6666
He saith G3004 unto him G846 the third G5154 time, Simon, G4613 son of Jonas, G2495 lovest G5368 thou me? G3165 Peter G4074 was grieved G3076 because G3754 he said G2036 unto him G846 the third G5154 time, Lovest G5368 thou me? G3165 And G2532 he said G2036 unto him, G846 Lord, G2962 thou G4771 knowest G1492 all things; G3956 thou G4771 knowest G1097 that G3754 I love G5368 thee. G4571 Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto him, G846 Feed G1006 my G3450 sheep. G4263
Nevertheless G3305 the foundation G2310 of God G2316 standeth G2476 sure, G4731 having G2192 this G5026 seal, G4973 The Lord G2962 knoweth G1097 them that are G5607 his. G846 And, G2532 Let G868 every one G3956 that nameth G3687 the name G3686 of Christ G5547 depart G868 from G575 iniquity. G93
And thou shalt remember H2142 all the way H1870 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 led H3212 thee these forty H705 years H8141 in the wilderness, H4057 to humble H6031 thee, and to prove H5254 thee, to know H3045 what was in thine heart, H3824 whether thou wouldest keep H8104 his commandments, H4687 or no.
For I know H3045 him, that H834 he will command H6680 his children H1121 and his household H1004 after him, H310 and they shall keep H8104 the way H1870 of the LORD, H3068 to do H6213 justice H6666 and judgment; H4941 that the LORD H3068 may bring H935 upon Abraham H85 that which he hath spoken H1696 of him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 23
Commentary on Job 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
THIRD SERIES.
Job 23:1-17. Job's Answer.
2. to-day—implying, perhaps, that the debate was carried on through more days than one (see Introduction).
bitter—(Job 7:11; 10:1).
my stroke—the hand of God on me (Margin, Job 19:21; Ps 32:4).
heavier than—is so heavy that I cannot relieve myself adequately by groaning.
3. The same wish as in Job 13:3 (compare Heb 10:19-22).
Seat—The idea in the Hebrew is a well-prepared throne (Ps 9:7).
4. order—state methodically (Job 13:18; Isa 43:26).
fill, &c.—I would have abundance of arguments to adduce.
5. he—emphatic: it little matters what man may say of me, if only I know what God judges of me.
6. An objection suggests itself, while he utters the wish (Job 23:5). Do I hereby wish that He should plead against me with His omnipotence? Far from it! (Job 9:19, 34; 13:21; 30:18).
strength—so as to prevail with Him: as in Jacob's case (Ho 12:3, 4). Umbreit and Maurer better translate as in Job 4:20 (I only wish that He) "would attend to me," that is, give me a patient hearing as an ordinary judge, not using His omnipotence, but only His divine knowledge of my innocence.
7. There—rather, "Then": if God would "attend" to me (Job 23:6).
righteous—that is, the result of my dispute would be, He would acknowledge me as righteous.
delivered—from suspicion of guilt on the part of my Judge.
8. But I wish in vain. For "behold," &c.
forward … backward—rather, "to the east—to the west." The Hebrew geographers faced the east, that is, sunrise: not the north, as we do. So "before" means east: "behind," west (so the Hindus). Para, "before"—east: Apara, "behind"—west: Daschina, "the right hand"—south: Bama, "left"—north. A similar reference to sunrise appears in the name Asia, "sunrise," Europe, "sunset"; pure Babylonian names, as Rawlinson shows.
9. Rather, "To the north."
work—God's glorious works are especially seen towards the north region of the sky by one in the northern hemisphere. The antithesis is between God working and yet not being beheld: as in Job 9:11, between "He goeth by," and "I see Him not." If the Hebrew bears it, the parallelism to the second clause is better suited by translating, as Umbreit, "doth hide himself"; but then the antithesis to "behold" would be lost.
right hand—"in the south."
hideth—appropriately, of the unexplored south, then regarded as uninhabitable because of its heat (see Job 34:29).
10. But—correcting himself for the wish that his cause should be known before God. The omniscient One already knoweth the way in me (my inward principles: His outward way or course of acts is mentioned in Job 23:11. So in me, Job 4:21); though for some inscrutable cause He as yet hides Himself (Job 23:8, 9).
when—let Him only but try my cause, I shall, &c.
11. held—fast by His steps. The law is in Old Testament poetry regarded as a way, God going before us as our guide, in whose footsteps we must tread (Ps 17:5).
declined—(Ps 125:5).
12. esteemed—rather, "laid up," namely, as a treasure found (Mt 13:44; Ps 119:11); alluding to the words of Eliphaz (Job 22:22). There was no need to tell me so; I have done so already (Jer 15:16).
necessary—"Appointed portion" (of food; as in Pr 30:8). Umbreit and Maurer translate, "More than my law," my own will, in antithesis to "the words of His mouth" (Joh 6:38). Probably under the general term, "what is appointed to me" (the same Hebrew is in Job 23:14), all that ministers to the appetites of the body and carnal will is included.
13. in one mind—notwithstanding my innocence, He is unaltered in His purpose of proving me guilty (Job 9:12).
soul—His will (Ps 115:3). God's sovereignty. He has one great purpose; nothing is haphazard; everything has its proper place with a view to His purpose.
14. many such—He has yet many more such ills in store for me, though hidden in His breast (Job 10:13).
15. God's decrees, impossible to be resisted, and leaving us in the dark as to what may come next, are calculated to fill the mind with holy awe [Barnes].
16. soft—faint; hath melted my courage. Here again Job's language is that of Jesus Christ (Ps 22:14).
17. Because I was not taken away by death from the evil to come (literally, "from before the face of the darkness," Isa 57:1). Alluding to the words of Eliphaz (Job 22:11), "darkness," that is, calamity.
cut off—rather, in the Arabic sense, brought to the land of silence; my sad complaint hushed in death [Umbreit]. "Darkness" in the second clause, not the same Hebrew word as in the first, "cloud," "obscurity." Instead of "covering the cloud (of evil) from my face," He "covers" me with it (Job 22:11).