2 Is the striver with the Mighty instructed? The reprover of God, let him answer it.
Wherefore against Him hast thou striven, When `for' all His matters He answereth not?
Wo `to' him who is striving with his Former, (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Doth clay say to its Framer, `What dost thou?' And thy work, `He hath no hands?' Wo `to' him who is saying to a father, `What dost thou beget?' Or to a wife, `What dost thou bring forth? Thus said Jehovah, The Holy One of Israel, and his Former: Ask Me of the things coming concerning My sons, Yea, concerning the work of My hands, ye command Me.'
God liveth! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty -- He made my soul bitter.
do we arouse the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?
for who did know the mind of the Lord? or who did become His counsellor? or who did first give to Him, and it shall be given back to him again? because of Him, and through Him, and to Him `are' the all things; to Him `is' the glory -- to the ages. Amen.
Thou wilt say, then, to me, `Why yet doth He find fault? for His counsel who hath resisted?' nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form `it', Why me didst thou make thus? hath not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make the one vessel to honour, and the one to dishonour? And if God, willing to shew the wrath and to make known His power, did endure, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He did call -- us --
`What -- to you, ye -- using this simile Concerning the ground of Israel, saying: Fathers do eat unripe fruit, And the sons' teeth are blunted?
Near `is' He who is justifying me, Who doth contend with me? We stand together, who `is' mine opponent? Let him come nigh unto me.
What `is' that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it `is' man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.
Thou art turned to be fierce to me, With the strength of Thy hand, Thou oppresest me.
Know now, that God turned me upside down, And His net against me hath set round, Lo, I cry out -- violence, and am not answered, I cry aloud, and there is no judgment. My way He hedged up, and I pass not over, And on my paths darkness He placeth. Mine honour from off me He hath stripped, And He turneth the crown from my head. He breaketh me down round about, and I go, And removeth like a tree my hope. And He kindleth against me His anger, And reckoneth me to Him as His adversaries.
God shutteth me up unto the perverse, And to the hands of the wicked turneth me over. At ease I have been, and he breaketh me, And he hath laid hold on my neck, And he breaketh me in pieces, And he raiseth me to him for a mark. Go round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall. He breaketh me -- breach upon breach, He runneth upon me as a mighty one. Sackcloth I have sewed on my skin, And have rolled in the dust my horn. My face is foul with weeping, And on mine eyelids `is' death-shade. Not for violence in my hands, And my prayer `is' pure. O earth, do not thou cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry. Also, now, lo, in the heavens `is' my witness, And my testifier in the high places. My interpreter `is' my friend, Unto God hath mine eye dropped: And he reasoneth for a man with God, And a son of man for his friend.
Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me. And call Thou, and I -- I answer, Or -- I speak, and answer Thou me. How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know. Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee? A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue? For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth: And puttest in the stocks my feet, And observest all my paths, On the roots of my feet Thou settest a print,
If I sinned, then Thou hast observed me, And from mine iniquity dost not acquit me, If I have done wickedly -- wo to me, And righteously -- I lift not up my head, Full of shame -- then see my affliction, And it riseth -- as a lion Thou huntest me. And Thou turnest back -- Thou shewest Thyself wonderful in me. Thou renewest Thy witnesses against me, And dost multiply Thine anger with me, Changes and warfare `are' with me.
Is it good for Thee that Thou dost oppress? That Thou despisest the labour of Thy hands, And on the counsel of the wicked hast shone? Eyes of flesh hast Thou? As man seeth -- seest Thou? As the days of man `are' Thy days? Thy years as the days of a man? That Thou inquirest for mine iniquity, And for my sin seekest? For Thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is no deliverer from Thy hand.
But if a man like myself -- I answer him, We come together into judgment. If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both. He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid, I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.
Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought. He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.
How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle. I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself -- and what? Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me -- and I am not!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 40
Commentary on Job 40 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 40
Job 40:1-24. God's Second Address.
He had paused for a reply, but Job was silent.
1. the Lord—Hebrew, "Jehovah."
2. he that contendeth—as Job had so often expressed a wish to do. Or, rebuketh. Does Job now still (after seeing and hearing of God's majesty and wisdom) wish to set God right?
answer it—namely, the questions I have asked.
3. Lord—Jehovah.
4. I am (too) vile (to reply). It is a very different thing to vindicate ourselves before God, from what it is before men. Job could do the latter, not the former.
lay … hand … upon … mouth—I have no plea to offer (Job 21:5; Jud 18:19).
5. Once … twice—oftentimes, more than once (Job 33:14, compare with Job 33:29; Ps 62:11):
I have spoken—namely, against God.
not answer—not plead against Thee.
6. the Lord—Jehovah.
7. (See on Job 38:3). Since Job has not only spoken against God, but accused Him of injustice, God challenges him to try, could he govern the world, as God by His power doth, and punish the proud and wicked (Job 40:7-14).
8. Wilt thou not only contend with, but set aside My judgment or justice in the government of the world?
condemn—declare Me unrighteous, in order that thou mayest be accounted righteous (innocent; undeservingly afflicted).
9. arm—God's omnipotence (Isa 53:1).
thunder—God's voice (Job 37:4).
10. See, hast thou power and majesty like God's, to enable thee to judge and govern the world?
11. rage—rather, pour out the redundant floods of, &c.
behold—Try, canst thou, as God, by a mere glance abase the proud (Isa 2:12, &c.)?
12. proud—high (Da 4:37).
in their place—on the spot; suddenly, before they can move from their place. (See on Job 34:26; Job 36:20).
13. (Isa 2:10). Abase and remove them out of the sight of men.
bind … faces—that is, shut up their persons [Maurer]. But it refers rather to the custom of binding a cloth over the faces of persons about to be executed (Job 9:24; Es 7:8).
in secret—consign them to darkness.
14. confess—rather, "extol"; "I also," who now censure thee. But since thou canst not do these works, thou must, instead of censuring, extol My government.
thine own … hand … save—(Ps 44:3). So as to eternal salvation by Jesus Christ (Isa 59:16; 63:5).
15-24. God shows that if Job cannot bring under control the lower animals (of which he selects the two most striking, behemoth on land, leviathan in the water), much less is he capable of governing the world.
behemoth—The description in part agrees with the hippopotamus, in part with the elephant, but exactly in all details with neither. It is rather a poetical personification of the great Pachydermata, or Herbivora (so "he eateth grass"), the idea of the hippopotamus being predominant. In Job 40:17, "the tail like a cedar," hardly applies to the latter (so also Job 40:20, 23, "Jordan," a river which elephants alone could reach, but see on Job 40:23). On the other hand, Job 40:21, 22 are characteristic of the amphibious river horse. So leviathan (the twisting animal), Job 41:1, is a generalized term for cetacea, pythons, saurians of the neighboring seas and rivers, including the crocodile, which is the most prominent, and is often associated with the river horse by old writers. "Behemoth" seems to be the Egyptian Pehemout, "water-ox," Hebraized, so-called as being like an ox, whence the Italian bombarino.
with thee—as I made thyself. Yet how great the difference! The manifold wisdom and power of God!
he eateth grass—marvellous in an animal living so much in the water; also strange, that such a monster should not be carnivorous.
16. navel—rather, "muscles" of his belly; the weakest point of the elephant, therefore it is not meant.
17. like a cedar—As the tempest bends the cedar, so it can move its smooth thick tail [Umbreit]. But the cedar implies straightness and length, such as do not apply to the river horse's short tail, but perhaps to an extinct species of animal (see on Job 40:15).
stones—rather, "thighs."
wrapped—firmly twisted together, like a thick rope.
18. strong—rather, "tubes" of copper [Umbreit].
19. Chief of the works of God; so "ways" (Job 26:14; Pr 8:22).
can make his sword to approach—rather, "has furnished him with his sword" (harpe), namely, the sickle-like teeth with which he cuts down grain. English Version, however, is literally right.
20. The mountain is not his usual haunt. Bochart says it is sometimes found there (?).
beasts … play—a graphic trait: though armed with such teeth, he lets the beasts play near him unhurt, for his food is grass.
21. lieth—He leads an inactive life.
shady trees—rather, "lotus bushes"; as Job 40:22 requires.
22. shady trees—Translate: "lotus bushes."
23. Rather, "(Though) a river be violent (overflow), he trembleth not"; (for though living on land, he can live in the water, too); he is secure, though a Jordan swell up to his mouth. "Jordan" is used for any great river (consonant with the "behemoth"), being a poetical generalization (see on Job 40:15). The author cannot have been a Hebrew as Umbreit asserts, or he would not adduce the Jordan, where there were no river horses. He alludes to it as a name for any river, but not as one known to him, except by hearsay.
24. Rather, "Will any take him by open force" (literally, "before his eyes"), "or pierce his nose with cords?" No; he can only be taken by guile, and in a pitfall (Job 41:1, 2).