1 Lo, mine eye H5869 hath seen H7200 all this, mine ear H241 hath heard H8085 and understood H995 it.
Which doeth H6213 great things H1419 and unsearchable; H369 H2714 marvellous things H6381 without number: H4557 Who giveth H5414 rain H4306 upon H6440 the earth, H776 and sendeth H7971 waters H4325 upon H6440 the fields: H2351 To set up H7760 on high H4791 those that be low; H8217 that those which mourn H6937 may be exalted H7682 to safety. H3468 He disappointeth H6565 the devices H4284 of the crafty, H6175 so that their hands H3027 cannot perform H6213 their enterprise. H8454 He taketh H3920 the wise H2450 in their own craftiness: H6193 and the counsel H6098 of the froward H6617 is carried headlong. H4116 They meet H6298 with darkness H2822 in the daytime, H3119 and grope H4959 in the noonday H6672 as in the night. H3915 But he saveth H3467 the poor H34 from the sword, H2719 from their mouth, H6310 and from the hand H3027 of the mighty. H2389 So the poor H1800 hath hope, H8615 and iniquity H5766 stoppeth H7092 her mouth. H6310
For enquire, H7592 I pray thee, of the former H7223 H7223 age, H1755 and prepare H3559 thyself to the search H2714 of their fathers: H1 (For we are but of yesterday, H8543 and know H3045 nothing, because our days H3117 upon earth H776 are a shadow:) H6738 Shall not they teach H3384 thee, and tell H559 thee, and utter H3318 words H4405 out of their heart? H3820
Who knoweth H3045 not in all these that the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 hath wrought H6213 this? In whose hand H3027 is the soul H5315 of every living thing, H2416 and the breath H7307 of all mankind. H376 H1320 Doth not the ear H241 try H974 words? H4405 and the mouth H2441 taste H2938 his meat? H400 With the ancient H3453 is wisdom; H2451 and in length H753 of days H3117 understanding. H8394 With him is wisdom H2451 and strength, H1369 he hath counsel H6098 and understanding. H8394 Behold, he breaketh down, H2040 and it cannot be built again: H1129 he shutteth up H5462 a man, H376 and there can be no opening. H6605 Behold, he withholdeth H6113 the waters, H4325 and they dry up: H3001 also he sendeth them out, H7971 and they overturn H2015 the earth. H776 With him is strength H5797 and wisdom: H8454 the deceived H7683 and the deceiver H7686 are his. He leadeth H3212 counsellors H3289 away spoiled, H7758 and maketh the judges H8199 fools. H1984 He looseth H6605 the bond H4148 of kings, H4428 and girdeth H631 their loins H4975 with a girdle. H232 He leadeth H3212 princes H3548 away spoiled, H7758 and overthroweth H5557 the mighty. H386 He removeth away H5493 the speech H8193 of the trusty, H539 and taketh away H3947 the understanding H2940 of the aged. H2205 He poureth H8210 contempt H937 upon princes, H5081 and weakeneth H7503 the strength H4206 of the mighty. H650 He discovereth H1540 deep things H6013 out of darkness, H2822 and bringeth out H3318 to light H216 the shadow of death. H6757 He increaseth H7679 the nations, H1471 and destroyeth H6 them: he enlargeth H7849 the nations, H1471 and straiteneth H5148 them again. He taketh away H5493 the heart H3820 of the chief H7218 of the people H5971 of the earth, H776 and causeth them to wander H8582 in a wilderness H8414 where there is no way. H1870 They grope H4959 in the dark H2822 without light, H216 and he maketh them to stagger H8582 like a drunken H7910 man.
I will shew H2331 thee, hear H8085 me; and that which I have seen H2372 I will declare; H5608 Which wise H2450 men have told H5046 from their fathers, H1 and have not hid H3582 it:
Who is he that hideth H5956 counsel H6098 without knowledge? H1847 therefore have I uttered H5046 that I understood H995 not; things too wonderful H6381 for me, which I knew H3045 not. Hear, H8085 I beseech thee, and I will speak: H1696 I will demand H7592 of thee, and declare H3045 thou unto me. 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
Which we have heard H8085 and known, H3045 and our fathers H1 have told H5608 us. We will not hide H3582 them from their children, H1121 shewing H5608 to the generation H1755 to come H314 the praises H8416 of the LORD, H3068 and his strength, H5807 and his wonderful works H6381 that he hath done. H6213
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).