11 Are the consolations H8575 of God H410 small H4592 with thee? is there any secret H328 thing H1697 with thee?
But Zedekiah H6667 the son H1121 of Chenaanah H3668 went near, H5066 and smote H5221 Micaiah H4321 on the cheek, H3895 and said, H559 Which way H335 went H5674 the Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 from me to speak H1696 unto thee?
I would seek H199 H1875 unto God, H410 and unto God H430 would I commit H7760 my cause: H1700 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 Behold, happy H835 is the man H582 whom God H433 correcteth: H3198 therefore despise H3988 not thou the chastening H4148 of the Almighty: H7706 For he maketh sore, H3510 and bindeth up: H2280 he woundeth, H4272 and his hands H3027 make whole. H7495 He shall deliver H5337 thee in six H8337 troubles: H6869 yea, in seven H7651 there shall no evil H7451 touch H5060 thee. In famine H7458 he shall redeem H6299 thee from death: H4194 and in war H4421 from the power H3027 of the sword. H2719 Thou shalt be hid H2244 from the scourge H7752 of the tongue: H3956 neither shalt thou be afraid H3372 of destruction H7701 when it cometh. H935 At destruction H7701 and famine H3720 thou shalt laugh: H7832 neither shalt thou be afraid H3372 of the beasts H2416 of the earth. H776 For thou shalt be in league H1285 with the stones H68 of the field: H7704 and the beasts H2416 of the field H7704 shall be at peace H7999 with thee. And thou shalt know H3045 that thy tabernacle H168 shall be in peace; H7965 and thou shalt visit H6485 thy habitation, H5116 and shalt not sin. H2398 Thou shalt know H3045 also that thy seed H2233 shall be great, H7227 and thine offspring H6631 as the grass H6212 of the earth. H776 Thou shalt come H935 to thy grave H6913 in a full age, H3624 like as a shock of corn H1430 cometh in H5927 in his season. H6256
If thou prepare H3559 thine heart, H3820 and stretch H6566 out thine hands H3709 toward him; If iniquity H205 be in thine hand, H3027 put it far away, H7368 and let not wickedness H5766 dwell H7931 in thy tabernacles. H168 For then shalt thou lift up H5375 thy face H6440 without spot; H3971 yea, thou shalt be stedfast, H3332 and shalt not fear: H3372 Because thou shalt forget H7911 thy misery, H5999 and remember H2142 it as waters H4325 that pass away: H5674 And thine age H2465 shall be clearer H6965 than the noonday; H6672 thou shalt shine forth, H5774 thou shalt be as the morning. H1242 And thou shalt be secure, H982 because there is H3426 hope; H8615 yea, thou shalt dig H2658 about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest H7901 in safety. H983 Also thou shalt lie down, H7257 and none shall make thee afraid; H2729 yea, many H7227 shall make suit H2470 unto thee. H6440
What ye know, H1847 the same do I know H3045 also: I am not inferior H5307 unto you.
Blessed G2128 be God, G2316 even G2532 the Father G3962 of our G2257 Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 the Father G3962 of mercies, G3628 and G2532 the God G2316 of all G3956 comfort; G3874 Who G3588 comforteth G3870 us G2248 in G1909 all G3956 our G2257 tribulation, G2347 that G1519 we G2248 may be able G1410 to comfort G3870 them which are in G1722 any G3956 trouble, G2347 by G1223 the comfort G3874 wherewith G3739 we G3870 ourselves G846 are comforted G3870 of G5259 God. G2316 For G3754 as G2531 the sufferings G3804 of Christ G5547 abound G4052 in G1519 us, G2248 so G3779 our G2257 consolation G3874 also G2532 aboundeth G4052 by G1223 Christ. G5547
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 15
Commentary on Job 15 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 15
SECOND SERIES.
Job 15:1-35. Second Speech of Eliphaz.
2. a wise man—which Job claims to be.
vain knowledge—Hebrew, "windy knowledge"; literally, "of wind" (Job 8:2). In Ec 1:14, Hebrew, "to catch wind," expresses to strive for what is vain.
east wind—stronger than the previous "wind," for in that region the east wind is the most destructive of winds (Isa 27:8). Thus here,—empty violence.
belly—the inward parts, the breast (Pr 18:8).
4. fear—reverence for God (Job 4:6; Ps 2:11).
prayer—meditation, in Ps 104:34; so devotion. If thy views were right, reasons Eliphaz, that God disregards the afflictions of the righteous and makes the wicked to prosper, all devotion would be at an end.
5. The sophistry of thine own speeches proves thy guilt.
6. No pious man would utter such sentiments.
7. That is, Art thou wisdom personified? Wisdom existed before the hills; that is, the eternal Son of God (Pr 8:25; Ps 90:2). Wast thou in existence before Adam? The farther back one existed, the nearer he was to the Eternal Wisdom.
8. secret—rather, "Wast thou a listener in the secret council of God?" The Hebrew means properly the cushions of a divan on which counsellors in the East usually sit. God's servants are admitted to God's secrets (Ps 25:14; Ge 18:17; Joh 15:15).
restrain—Rather, didst thou take away, or borrow, thence (namely, from the divine secret council) thy wisdom? Eliphaz in this (Job 15:8, 9) retorts Job's words upon himself (Job 12:2, 3; 13:2).
9. in us—or, "with us," Hebraism for "we are aware of."
10. On our side, thinking with us are the aged. Job had admitted that wisdom is with them (Job 12:12). Eliphaz seems to have been himself older than Job; perhaps the other two were also (Job 32:6). Job, in Job 30:1, does not refer to his three friends; it therefore forms no objection. The Arabs are proud of fulness of years.
11. consolations—namely, the revelation which Eliphaz had stated as a consolatory reproof to Job, and which he repeats in Job 15:14.
secret—Hast thou some secret wisdom and source of consolation, which makes thee disregard those suggested by me? (Job 15:8). Rather, from a different Hebrew root, Is the word of kindness or gentleness addressed by me treated by thee as valueless? [Umbreit].
12. wink—that is, why do thy eyes evince pride? (Pr 6:13; Ps 35:19).
13. That is, frettest against God and lettest fall rash words.
14. Eliphaz repeats the revelation (Job 4:17) in substance, but using Job's own words (see on Job 14:1, on "born of a woman") to strike him with his own weapons.
15. Repeated from Job 4:18; "servants" there are "saints" here; namely, holy angels.
heavens—literally, or else answering to "angels" (see on Job 4:18, and Job 25:5).
16. filthy—in Arabic "sour" (Ps 14:3; 53:3), corrupted from his original purity.
drinketh—(Pr 19:28).
17. In direct contradiction of Job's position (Job 12:6, &c.), that the lot of the wicked was the most prosperous here, Eliphaz appeals (1) to his own experience, (2) to the wisdom of the ancients.
18. Rather, "and which as handed down from their fathers, they have not concealed."
19. Eliphaz speaks like a genuine Arab when he boasts that his ancestors had ever possessed the land unmixed with foreigners [Umbreit]. His words are intended to oppose Job's (Job 9:24); "the earth" in their case was not "given into the hand of the wicked." He refers to the division of the earth by divine appointment (Ge 10:5; 25:32). Also he may insinuate that Job's sentiments had been corrupted from original purity by his vicinity to the Sabeans and Chaldeans [Rosenmuller].
20. travaileth—rather, "trembleth of himself," though there is no real danger [Umbreit].
and the number of his years, &c.—This gives the reason why the wicked man trembles continually; namely, because he knows not the moment when his life must end.
21. An evil conscience conceives alarm at every sudden sound, though it be in a time of peace ("prosperity"), when there is no real danger (Le 26:36; Pr 28:1; 2Ki 7:6).
22. darkness—namely, danger or calamity. Glancing at Job, who despaired of restoration: in contrast to good men when in darkness (Mic 7:8, 9).
waited for of—that is, He is destined for the sword [Gesenius]. Rather (in the night of danger), "he looks anxiously towards the sword," as if every sword was drawn against him [Umbreit].
23. Wandereth in anxious search for bread. Famine in Old Testament depicts sore need (Isa 5:13). Contrast the pious man's lot (Job 5:20-22).
knoweth—has the firm conviction. Contrast the same word applied to the pious (Job 5:24, 25).
ready at his hand—an Arabic phrase to denote a thing's complete readiness and full presence, as if in the hand.
24. prevail—break upon him suddenly and terribly, as a king, &c. (Pr 6:11).
25. stretcheth … hand—wielding the spear, as a bold rebel against God (Job 9:4; Isa 27:4).
26. on his neck—rather, "with outstretched neck," namely, that of the rebel [Umbreit] (Ps 75:5).
upon … bucklers—rather, "with—his (the rebel's, not God's) bucklers." The rebel and his fellows are depicted as joining shields together, to form a compact covering over their heads against the weapons hurled on them from a fortress [Umbreit and Gesenius].
27. The well-nourished body of the rebel is the sign of his prosperity.
collops—masses of fat. He pampers and fattens himself with sensual indulgences; hence his rebellion against God (De 32:15; 1Sa 2:29).
28. The class of wicked here described is that of robbers who plunder "cities," and seize on the houses of the banished citizens (Isa 13:20). Eliphaz chooses this class because Job had chosen the same (Job 12:6).
heaps—of ruins.
29. Rather, he shall not increase his riches; he has reached his highest point; his prosperity shall not continue.
perfection—rather, "His acquired wealth—what he possesses—shall not be extended," &c.
30. depart—that is, escape (Job 15:22, 23).
branches—namely, his offspring (Job 1:18, 19; Ps 37:35).
dry up—The "flame" is the sultry wind in the East by which plants most full of sap are suddenly shrivelled.
his mouth—that is, God's wrath (Isa 11:4).
31. Rather, "let him not trust in vanity or he will be deceived," &c.
vanity—that which is unsubstantial. Sin is its own punishment (Pr 1:31; Jer 2:19).
32. Literally, "it (the tree to which he is compared, Job 15:30, or else his life) shall not be filled up in its time"; that is, "he shall be ended before his time."
shall not be green—image from a withered tree; the childless extinction of the wicked.
33. Images of incompleteness. The loss of the unripe grapes is poetically made the vine tree's own act, in order to express more pointedly that the sinner's ruin is the fruit of his own conduct (Isa 3:11; Jer 6:19).
34. Rather, The binding together of the hypocrites (wicked) shall be fruitless [Umbreit].
tabernacles of bribery—namely, dwellings of unjust judges, often reprobated in the Old Testament (Isa 1:23). The "fire of God" that consumed Job's possessions (Job 1:16) Eliphaz insinuates may have been on account of Job's bribery as an Arab sheik or emir.
35. Bitter irony, illustrating the "unfruitfulness" (Job 15:34) of the wicked. Their conceptions and birthgivings consist solely in mischief, &c. (Isa 33:11).
prepareth—hatcheth.