6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
8 Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
10 He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
6 Hear H8085 now my reasoning, H8433 and hearken H7181 to the pleadings H7379 of my lips. H8193
7 Will ye speak H1696 wickedly H5766 for God? H410 and talk H1696 deceitfully H7423 for him?
8 Will ye accept H5375 his person? H6440 will ye contend H7378 for God? H410
9 Is it good H2895 that he should search you out? H2713 or as one man H582 mocketh H2048 another, do ye so mock H2048 him?
10 He will surely H3198 reprove H3198 you, if ye do secretly H5643 accept H5375 persons. H6440
11 Shall not his excellency H7613 make you afraid? H1204 and his dread H6343 fall H5307 upon you?
12 Your remembrances H2146 are like H4912 unto ashes, H665 your bodies H1354 to bodies H1354 of clay. H2563
6 Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will ye speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him?
8 Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him?
10 He will surely reprove you If ye do secretly show partiality.
11 Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall upon you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defences are defences of clay.
6 Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,
7 For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?
8 His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?
9 Is `it' good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?
10 He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.
11 Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?
12 Your remembrances `are' similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.
6 Hear now my defence, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will ye speak unrighteously for ùGod? and for him speak deceit?
8 Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for ùGod?
9 Will it be well if he should search you out? or as one mocketh at a man, will ye mock at him?
10 He will certainly reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
11 Shall not his excellency terrify you? and his dread fall upon you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, your bulwarks are bulwarks of mire.
6 Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will you speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him?
8 Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
10 He will surely reprove you If you secretly show partiality.
11 Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall on you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay.
6 Give ear to the argument of my mouth, and take note of the words of my lips.
7 Will you say in God's name what is not right, and put false words into his mouth?
8 Will you have respect for God's person in this cause, and put yourselves forward as his supporters?
9 Will it be good for you to be searched out by him, or have you the thought that he may be guided into error like a man?
10 He will certainly put you right, if you have respect for persons in secret.
11 Will not his glory put you in fear, so that your hearts will be overcome before him?
12 Your wise sayings are only dust, and your strong places are only earth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 13
Commentary on Job 13 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 13
Job 13:1-28. Job's Reply to Zophar Continued.
1. all this—as to the dealings of Providence (Job 12:3).
3. Job wishes to plead his cause before God (Job 9:34, 35), as he is more and more convinced of the valueless character of his would-be "physicians" (Job 16:2).
4. forgers of lies—literally, "artful twisters of vain speeches" [Umbreit].
5. (Pr 17:28). The Arabs say, "The wise are dumb; silence is wisdom."
7. deceitfully—use fallacies to vindicate God in His dealings; as if the end justified the means. Their "deceitfulness" for God, against Job, was that they asserted he was a sinner, because he was a sufferer.
8. accept his person—God's; that is, be partial for Him, as when a judge favors one party in a trial, because of personal considerations.
contend for God—namely, with fallacies and prepossessions against Job before judgment (Jud 6:31). Partiality can never please the impartial God, nor the goodness of the cause excuse the unfairness of the arguments.
9. Will the issue to you be good, when He searches out you and your arguments? Will you be regarded by Him as pure and disinterested?
mock—(Ga 6:7). Rather, "Can you deceive Him as one man?" &c.
10. If ye do, though secretly, act partially. (See on Job 13:8; Ps 82:1, 2). God can successfully vindicate His acts, and needs no fallacious argument of man.
11. make you afraid?—namely, of employing sophisms in His name (Jer 10:7, 10).
12. remembrances—"proverbial maxims," so called because well remembered.
like unto ashes—or, "parables of ashes"; the image of lightness and nothingness (Isa 44:20).
bodies—rather, "entrenchments"; those of clay, as opposed to those of stone, are easy to be destroyed; so the proverbs, behind which they entrench themselves, will not shelter them when God shall appear to reprove them for their injustice to Job.
13. Job would wish to be spared their speeches, so as to speak out all his mind as to his wretchedness (Job 13:14), happen what will.
14. A proverb for, "Why should I anxiously desire to save my life?" [Eichorn]. The image in the first clause is that of a wild beast, which in order to preserve his prey, carries it in his teeth. That in the second refers to men who hold in the hand what they want to keep secure.
15. in him—So the margin or keri, reads. But the textual reading or chetib is "not," which agrees best with the context, and other passages wherein he says he has no hope (Job 6:11; 7:21; 10:20; 19:10). "Though He slay me, and I dare no more hope, yet I will maintain," &c., that is, "I desire to vindicate myself before Him," as not a hypocrite [Umbreit and Noyes].
16. He—rather, "This also already speaks in my behalf (literally, 'for my saving acquittal') for an hypocrite would not wish to come before Him" (as I do) [Umbreit]. (See last clause of Job 13:15).
17. my declaration—namely, that I wish to be permitted to justify myself immediately before God.
with your ears—that is, attentively.
18. ordered—implying a constant preparation for defense in his confidence of innocence.
19. if, &c.—Rather, "Then would I hold my tongue and give up the ghost"; that is, if any one can contend with me and prove me false, I have no more to say. "I will be silent and die." Like our "I would stake my life on it" [Umbreit].
20. Address to God.
not hide—stand forth boldly to maintain my cause.
21. (See on Job 9:34 and see Ps 39:10).
22. call—a challenge to the defendant to answer to the charges.
answer—the defense begun.
speak—as plaintiff.
answer—to the plea of the plaintiff. Expressions from a trial.
23. The catalogue of my sins ought to be great, to judge from the severity with which God ever anew crushes one already bowed down. Would that He would reckon them up! He then would see how much my calamities outnumber them.
sin?—singular, "I am unconscious of a single particular sin, much less many" [Umbreit].
24. hidest … face—a figure from the gloomy impression caused by the sudden clouding over of the sun.
enemy—God treated Job as an enemy who must be robbed of power by ceaseless sufferings (Job 7:17, 21).
25. (Le 26:36; Ps 1:4). Job compares himself to a leaf already fallen, which the storm still chases hither and thither.
break—literally, "shake with (Thy) terrors." Jesus Christ does not "break the bruised reed" (Isa 42:3, 27:8).
26. writest—a judicial phrase, to note down the determined punishment. The sentence of the condemned used to be written down (Isa 10:1; Jer 22:30; Ps 149:9) [Umbreit].
bitter things—bitter punishments.
makest me to possess—or "inherit." In old age he receives possession of the inheritance of sin thoughtlessly acquired in youth. "To inherit sins" is to inherit the punishments inseparably connected with them in Hebrew ideas (Ps 25:7).
27. stocks—in which the prisoner's feet were made fast until the time of execution (Jer 20:2).
lookest narrowly—as an overseer would watch a prisoner.
print—Either the stocks, or his disease, marked his soles (Hebrew, "roots") as the bastinado would. Better, thou drawest (or diggest) [Gesenius] a line (or trench) [Gesenius] round my soles, beyond which I must not move [Umbreit].
28. Job speaks of himself in the third person, thus forming the transition to the general lot of man (Job 14:1; Ps 39:11; Ho 5:12).