4 But H199 ye are forgers H2950 of lies, H8267 ye are all physicians H7495 of no value. H457
For thou hast taken a pledge H2254 from thy brother H251 for nought, H2600 and stripped H6584 the naked H6174 of their clothing. H899 Thou hast not given water H4325 to the weary H5889 to drink, H8248 and thou hast withholden H4513 bread H3899 from the hungry. H7457 But as for the mighty H2220 man, H376 he had the earth; H776 and the honourable man H5375 H6440 dwelt H3427 in it. Thou hast sent H7971 widows H490 away empty, H7387 and the arms H2220 of the fatherless H3490 have been broken. H1792 Therefore snares H6341 are round about H5439 thee, and sudden H6597 fear H6343 troubleth H926 thee; Or darkness, H2822 that thou canst not see; H7200 and abundance H8229 of waters H4325 cover H3680 thee. Is not God H433 in the height H1363 of heaven? H8064 and behold H7200 the height H7218 of the stars, H3556 how high H7311 they are! And thou sayest, H559 How doth God H410 know? H3045 can he judge H8199 through the dark cloud? H6205 Thick clouds H5645 are a covering H5643 to him, that he seeth H7200 not; and he walketh H1980 in the circuit H2329 of heaven. H8064 Hast thou marked H8104 the old H5769 way H734 which wicked H205 men H4962 have trodden? H1869 Which were cut down H7059 out of time, H6256 whose foundation H3247 was overflown H3332 with a flood: H5104 Which said H559 unto God, H410 Depart H5493 from us: and what can the Almighty H7706 do H6466 for them? Yet he filled H4390 their houses H1004 with good H2896 things: but the counsel H6098 of the wicked H7563 is far H7368 from me. The righteous H6662 see H7200 it, and are glad: H8055 and the innocent H5355 laugh them to scorn. H3932 Whereas H518 our substance H7009 is not cut down, H3582 but the remnant H3499 of them the fire H784 consumeth. H398 Acquaint H5532 now thyself with him, and be at peace: H7999 thereby good H2896 shall come H935 unto thee. Receive, H3947 I pray thee, the law H8451 from his mouth, H6310 and lay up H7760 his words H561 in thine heart. H3824 If thou return H7725 to the Almighty, H7706 thou shalt be built up, H1129 thou shalt put away H7368 iniquity H5766 far H7368 from thy tabernacles. H168 Then shalt thou lay up H7896 gold H1220 as H5921 dust, H6083 and the gold of Ophir H211 as the stones H6697 of the brooks. H5158 Yea, the Almighty H7706 shall be thy defence, H1220 and thou shalt have plenty H8443 of silver. H3701 For then shalt thou have thy delight H6026 in the Almighty, H7706 and shalt lift up H5375 thy face H6440 unto God. H433 Thou shalt make thy prayer H6279 unto him, and he shall hear H8085 thee, and thou shalt pay H7999 thy vows. H5088 Thou shalt also decree H1504 a thing, H562 and it shall be established H6965 unto thee: and the light H216 shall shine H5050 upon thy ways. H1870 When men are cast down, H8213 then thou shalt say, H559 There is lifting up; H1466 and he shall save H3467 the humble H7807 person. H5869 He shall deliver H4422 the island H336 of the innocent: H5355 and it is delivered H4422 by the pureness H1252 of thine hands. H3709
Behold, I know H3045 your thoughts, H4284 and the devices H4209 which ye wrongfully imagine H2554 against me. For ye say, H559 Where is the house H1004 of the prince? H5081 and where are the dwelling H4908 places H168 of the wicked? H7563 Have ye not asked H7592 them that go H5674 by the way? H1870 and do ye not know H5234 their tokens, H226 That the wicked H7451 is reserved H2820 to the day H3117 of destruction? H343 they shall be brought forth H2986 to the day H3117 of wrath. H5678 Who shall declare H5046 his way H1870 to his face? H6440 and who shall repay H7999 him what he hath done? H6213 Yet shall he be brought H2986 to the grave, H6913 and shall remain H8245 in the tomb. H1430 The clods H7263 of the valley H5158 shall be sweet H4985 unto him, and every man H120 shall draw H4900 after H310 him, as there are innumerable H4557 before H6440 him. How then comfort H5162 ye me in vain, H1892 seeing in your answers H8666 there remaineth H7604 falsehood? H4604
Yea, the light H216 of the wicked H7563 shall be put out, H1846 and the spark H7632 of his fire H784 shall not shine. H5050 The light H216 shall be dark H2821 in his tabernacle, H168 and his candle H5216 shall be put out H1846 with him. The steps H6806 of his strength H202 shall be straitened, H3334 and his own counsel H6098 shall cast him down. H7993 For he is cast H7971 into a net H7568 by his own feet, H7272 and he walketh H1980 upon a snare. H7639 The gin H6341 shall take H270 him by the heel, H6119 and the robber H6782 shall prevail H2388 against him. The snare H2256 is laid H2934 for him in the ground, H776 and a trap H4434 for him in the way. H5410 Terrors H1091 shall make him afraid H1204 on every side, H5439 and shall drive H6327 him to his feet. H7272 His strength H202 shall be hungerbitten, H7457 and destruction H343 shall be ready H3559 at his side. H6763 It shall devour H398 the strength H905 of his skin: H5785 even the firstborn H1060 of death H4194 shall devour H398 his strength. H905 His confidence H4009 shall be rooted out H5423 of his tabernacle, H168 and it shall bring H6805 him to the king H4428 of terrors. H1091 It shall dwell H7931 in his tabernacle, H168 because it is none H1097 of his: brimstone H1614 shall be scattered H2219 upon his habitation. H5116 His roots H8328 shall be dried up H3001 beneath, and above H4605 shall his branch H7105 be cut off. H5243 His remembrance H2143 shall perish H6 from the earth, H776 and he shall have no name H8034 in the street. H6440 H2351 He shall be driven H1920 from light H216 into darkness, H2822 and chased H5074 out of the world. H8398 He shall neither have son H5209 nor nephew H5220 among his people, H5971 nor any remaining H8300 in his dwellings. H4033 They that come after H314 him shall be astonied H8074 at his day, H3117 as they that went before H6931 were affrighted. H270 H8178 Surely such are the dwellings H4908 of the wicked, H5767 and this is the place H4725 of him that knoweth H3045 not God. H410
Doth God H410 pervert H5791 judgment? H4941 or doth the Almighty H7706 pervert H5791 justice? H6664 If thy children H1121 have sinned H2398 against him, and he have cast them away H7971 for H3027 their transgression; H6588
Call H7121 now, if there be H3426 any that will answer H6030 thee; and to which of the saints H6918 wilt thou turn? H6437 For wrath H3708 killeth H2026 the foolish man, H191 and envy H7068 slayeth H4191 the silly one. H6601 I have seen H7200 the foolish H191 taking root: H8327 but suddenly H6597 I cursed H5344 his habitation. H5116 His children H1121 are far H7368 from safety, H3468 and they are crushed H1792 in the gate, H8179 neither is there any to deliver H5337 them. Whose harvest H7105 the hungry H7457 eateth up, H398 and taketh H3947 it even out H413 of the thorns, H6791 and the robber H6782 swalloweth up H7602 their substance. H2428
Remember, H2142 I pray thee, who ever perished, H6 being innocent? H5355 or where H375 were the righteous H3477 cut off? H3582 Even as I have seen, H7200 they that plow H2790 iniquity, H205 and sow H2232 wickedness, H5999 reap H7114 the same. By the blast H5397 of God H433 they perish, H6 and by the breath H7307 of his nostrils H639 are they consumed. H3615 The roaring H7581 of the lion, H738 and the voice H6963 of the fierce lion, H7826 and the teeth H8127 of the young lions, H3715 are broken. H5421 The old lion H3918 perisheth H6 for lack H1097 of prey, H2964 and the stout lion's H3833 whelps H1121 are scattered abroad. H6504
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).