12 Neither have I gone back H4185 from the commandment H4687 of his lips; H8193 I have esteemed H6845 the words H561 of his mouth H6310 more than my necessary H2706 food.
Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto them, G846 My G1699 meat G1033 is G2076 to G2443 do G4160 the will G2307 of him that sent G3992 me, G3165 and G2532 to finish G5048 his G846 work. G2041
Then G3767 said G3004 Jesus G2424 to G4314 those Jews G2453 which G3588 believed G4100 on him, G846 If G1437 ye G5210 continue G3306 in G1722 my G1699 word, G3056 then are ye G2075 my G3450 disciples G3101 indeed; G230
From G1537 that G5127 time many G4183 of his G846 disciples G3101 went G565 back, G1519 G3694 and G2532 walked G4043 no more G3765 with G3326 him. G846 Then G3767 said G2036 Jesus G2424 unto the twelve, G1427 G3361 Will G2309 ye G5210 also G2532 go away? G5217 Then G3767 Simon G4613 Peter G4074 answered G611 him, G846 Lord, G2962 to G4314 whom G5101 shall we go? G565 thou hast G2192 the words G4487 of eternal G166 life. G2222 And G2532 we G2249 believe G4100 and G2532 are sure G1097 that G3754 thou G4771 art G1488 that Christ, G5547 the Son G5207 of the living G2198 God. G2316
Receive, H3947 I pray thee, the law H8451 from his mouth, H6310 and lay up H7760 his words H561 in thine heart. H3824
The lord G2962 of that G1565 servant G1401 will come G2240 in G1722 a day G2250 when G3739 he looketh G4328 not G3756 for G4328 him, and G2532 at G1722 an hour G5610 when G3739 he is G1097 not G3756 aware, G1097 and G2532 will cut G1371 him G846 in sunder, G1371 and G2532 will appoint G5087 him his G846 portion G3313 with G3326 the unbelievers. G571
And G1161 the Lord G2962 said, G2036 Who G5101 then G686 is G2076 that faithful G4103 and G2532 wise G5429 steward, G3623 whom G3739 his lord G2962 shall make ruler G2525 over G1909 his G846 household, G2322 to give G1325 them their portion of meat G4620 in G1722 due season? G2540
Therefore I love H157 thy commandments H4687 above gold; H2091 yea, above fine gold. H6337
The fear H3374 of the LORD H3068 is clean, H2889 enduring H5975 for ever: H5703 the judgments H4941 of the LORD H3068 are true H571 and righteous H6663 altogether. H3162 More to be desired H2530 are they than gold, H2091 yea, than much H7227 fine gold: H6337 sweeter H4966 also than honey H1706 and the honeycomb. H5317 H6688
Then should I yet have comfort; H5165 yea, I would harden H5539 myself in sorrow: H2427 let him not spare; H2550 for I have not concealed H3582 the words H561 of the Holy One. H6918
Now G1161 the just G1342 shall live G2198 by G1537 faith: G4102 but G2532 if G1437 any man draw back, G5288 my G3450 soul G5590 shall have G2106 no G3756 pleasure G2106 in G1722 him. G846 But G1161 we G2249 are G2070 not G3756 of them who draw back G5289 unto G1519 perdition; G684 but G235 of them that believe G4102 to G1519 the saving G4047 of the soul. G5590
They went out G1831 from G1537 us, G2257 but G235 they were G2258 not G3756 of G1537 us; G2257 for G1063 if G1487 they had been G2258 of G1537 us, G2257 they would G302 no doubt have continued G3306 with G3326 us: G2257 but G235 they went out, that G2443 they might be made manifest G5319 that G3754 they were G1526 not G3756 all G3956 of G1537 us. G2257
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).