6 Is not this thy fear, H3374 thy confidence, H3690 thy hope, H8615 and the uprightness H8537 of thy ways? H1870
And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Satan, H7854 Hast thou considered H7760 H3820 my servant H5650 Job, H347 that there is none like him in the earth, H776 a perfect H8535 and an upright H3477 man, H376 one that feareth H3373 God, H430 and escheweth H5493 evil? H7451 Then Satan H7854 answered H6030 the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 Doth Job H347 fear H3372 God H430 for nought? H2600 Hast not thou made an hedge H7753 about him, and about H1157 his house, H1004 and about all that he hath on every side? H5439 thou hast blessed H1288 the work H4639 of his hands, H3027 and his substance H4735 is increased H6555 in the land. H776
My foot H7272 hath held H270 his steps, H838 his way H1870 have I kept, H8104 and not declined. H5186 Neither have I gone back H4185 from the commandment H4687 of his lips; H8193 I have esteemed H6845 the words H561 of his mouth H6310 more than my necessary H2706 food.
Because I delivered H4422 the poor H6041 that cried, H7768 and the fatherless, H3490 and him that had none to help H5826 him. The blessing H1293 of him that was ready to perish H6 came H935 upon me: and I caused the widow's H490 heart H3820 to sing for joy. H7442 I put H3847 on righteousness, H6664 and it clothed H3847 me: my judgment H4941 was as a robe H4598 and a diadem. H6797 I was eyes H5869 to the blind, H5787 and feet H7272 was I to the lame. H6455 I was a father H1 to the poor: H34 and the cause H7379 which I knew H3045 not I searched out. H2713 And I brake H7665 the jaws H4973 of the wicked, H5767 and plucked H7993 the spoil H2964 out of his teeth. H8127
I made H3772 a covenant H1285 with mine eyes; H5869 why then should I think H995 upon a maid? H1330 For what portion H2506 of God H433 is there from above? H4605 and what inheritance H5159 of the Almighty H7706 from on high? H4791 Is not destruction H343 to the wicked? H5767 and a strange H5235 punishment to the workers H6466 of iniquity? H205 Doth not he see H7200 my ways, H1870 and count H5608 all my steps? H6806 If I have walked H1980 with vanity, H7723 or if my foot H7272 hath hasted H2363 to deceit; H4820 Let me be weighed H8254 in an even H6664 balance, H3976 that God H433 may know H3045 mine integrity. H8538 If my step H838 hath turned out H5186 of the way, H1870 and mine heart H3820 walked H1980 after H310 mine eyes, H5869 and if any blot H3971 hath cleaved H1692 to mine hands; H3709 Then let me sow, H2232 and let another H312 eat; H398 yea, let my offspring H6631 be rooted out. H8327 If mine heart H3820 have been deceived H6601 by a woman, H802 or if I have laid wait H693 at my neighbour's H7453 door; H6607 Then let my wife H802 grind H2912 unto another, H312 and let others H312 bow down H3766 upon her. For this is an heinous crime; H2154 yea, it is an iniquity H5771 to be punished by the judges. H6414 For it is a fire H784 that consumeth H398 to destruction, H11 and would root out H8327 all mine increase. H8393 If I did despise H3988 the cause H4941 of my manservant H5650 or of my maidservant, H519 when they contended H7379 with me; What then shall I do H6213 when God H410 riseth up? H6965 and when he visiteth, H6485 what shall I answer H7725 him? Did not he that made H6213 me in the womb H990 make H6213 him? and did not one H259 fashion H3559 us in the womb? H7358 If I have withheld H4513 the poor H1800 from their desire, H2656 or have caused the eyes H5869 of the widow H490 to fail; H3615 Or have eaten H398 my morsel H6595 myself alone, and the fatherless H3490 hath not eaten H398 thereof; (For from my youth H5271 he was brought up H1431 with me, as with a father, H1 and I have guided H5148 her from my mother's H517 womb;) H990 If I have seen H7200 any perish H6 for want of clothing, H3830 or any poor H34 without covering; H3682 If his loins H2504 have not blessed H1288 me, and if he were not warmed H2552 with the fleece H1488 of my sheep; H3532 If I have lifted up H5130 my hand H3027 against the fatherless, H3490 when I saw H7200 my help H5833 in the gate: H8179 Then let mine arm H3802 fall H5307 from my shoulder blade, H7929 and mine arm H248 be broken H7665 from the bone. H7070 For destruction H343 from God H410 was a terror H6343 to me, and by reason of his highness H7613 I could H3201 not endure. If I have made H7760 gold H2091 my hope, H3689 or have said H559 to the fine gold, H3800 Thou art my confidence; H4009 If I rejoiced H8055 because my wealth H2428 was great, H7227 and because mine hand H3027 had gotten H4672 much; H3524 If I beheld H7200 the sun H216 when it shined, H1984 or the moon H3394 walking H1980 in brightness; H3368 And my heart H3820 hath been secretly H5643 enticed, H6601 or my mouth H6310 hath kissed H5401 my hand: H3027 This also were an iniquity H5771 to be punished by the judge: H6416 for I should have denied H3584 the God H410 that is above. H4605 If I rejoiced H8055 at the destruction H6365 of him that hated H8130 me, or lifted up H5782 myself when evil H7451 found H4672 him: Neither have I suffered H5414 my mouth H2441 to sin H2398 by wishing H7592 a curse H423 to his soul. H5315 If the men H4962 of my tabernacle H168 said H559 not, Oh that we had H5414 of his flesh! H1320 we cannot be satisfied. H7646 The stranger H1616 did not lodge H3885 in the street: H2351 but I opened H6605 my doors H1817 to the traveller. H734 If I covered H3680 my transgressions H6588 as Adam, H121 by hiding H2934 mine iniquity H5771 in my bosom: H2243 Did I fear H6206 a great H7227 multitude, H1995 or did the contempt H937 of families H4940 terrify H2865 me, that I kept silence, H1826 and went not out H3318 of the door? H6607 Oh that H5414 one would hear H8085 me! behold, my desire H8420 is, that the Almighty H7706 would answer H6030 me, and that mine adversary H376 H7379 had written H3789 a book. H5612 Surely I would take H5375 it upon my shoulder, H7926 and bind H6029 it as a crown H5850 to me. I would declare H5046 unto him the number H4557 of my steps; H6806 as a prince H5057 would I go near H7126 unto him. If my land H127 cry H2199 against me, or that the furrows H8525 likewise H3162 thereof complain; H1058 If I have eaten H398 the fruits H3581 thereof without money, H3701 or have caused the owners H1167 thereof to lose H5301 their life: H5315 Let thistles H2336 grow H3318 instead of wheat, H2406 and cockle H890 instead of barley. H8184 The words H1697 of Job H347 are ended. H8552
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 4
Commentary on Job 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
Job 4:1-21. First Speech of Eliphaz.
1. Eliphaz—the mildest of Job's three accusers. The greatness of Job's calamities, his complaints against God, and the opinion that calamities are proofs of guilt, led the three to doubt Job's integrity.
2. If we assay to commune—Rather, two questions, "May we attempt a word with thee? Wilt thou be grieved at it?" Even pious friends often count that only a touch which we feel as a wound.
3. weak hands—Isa 35:3; 2Sa 4:1.
5. thou art troubled—rather, "unhinged," hast lost thy self-command (1Th 3:3).
6. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, &c.—Does thy fear, thy confidence, come to nothing? Does it come only to this, that thou faintest now? Rather, by transposition, "Is not thy fear (of God) thy hope? and the uprightness of thy ways thy confidence? If so, bethink thee, who ever perished being innocent?" [Umbreit]. But Lu 13:2, 3 shows that, though there is a retributive divine government even in this life, yet we cannot judge by the mere outward appearance. "One event is outwardly to the righteous and to the wicked" (Ec 9:2); but yet we must take it on trust, that God deals righteously even now (Ps 37:25; Isa 33:16). Judge not by a part, but by the whole of a godly man's life, and by his end, even here (Jas 5:11). The one and the same outward event is altogether a different thing in its inward bearings on the godly and on the ungodly even here. Even prosperity, much more calamity, is a punishment to the wicked (Pr 1:32). Trials are chastisements for their good (to the righteous) (Ps 119:67, 71, 75). See Preface on the Design of this book (see Introduction).
8. they that plough iniquity … reap the same—(Pr 22:8; Ho 8:7; 10:13; Ga 6:7, 8).
9. breath of his nostrils—God's anger; a figure from the fiery winds of the East (Job 1:16; Isa 5:25; Ps 18:8, 15).
10, 11. lion—that is, wicked men, upon whom Eliphaz wished to show that calamities come in spite of their various resources, just as destruction comes on the lion in spite of his strength (Ps 58:6; 2Ti 4:17). Five different Hebrew terms here occur for "lion." The raging of the lion (the tearer), and the roaring of the bellowing lion and the teeth of the young lions, not whelps, but grown up enough to hunt for prey. The strong lion, the whelps of the lioness (not the stout lion, as in English Version) [Barnes and Umbreit]. The various phases of wickedness are expressed by this variety of terms: obliquely, Job, his wife, and children, may be hinted at by the lion, lioness, and whelps. The one verb, "are broken," does not suit both subjects; therefore, supply "the roaring of the bellowing lion is silenced." The strong lion dies of want at last, and the whelps, torn from the mother, are scattered, and the race becomes extinct.
12. a thing—Hebrew, a "word." Eliphaz confirms his view by a divine declaration which was secretly and unexpectedly imparted to him.
a little—literally, "a whisper"; implying the still silence around, and that more was conveyed than articulate words could utter (Job 26:14; 2Co 12:4).
13. In thoughts from the visions of the night—[So Winer]. While revolving night visions previously made to him (Da 2:29). Rather, "In my manifold (Hebrew, divided) thoughts, before the visions of the night commenced"; therefore not a delusive dream (Ps 4:4) [Umbreit].
deep sleep—(Ge 2:21; 15:12).
16. It stood still—At first the apparition glides before Eliphaz, then stands still, but with that shadowy indistinctness of form which creates such an impression of awe; a gentle murmur: not (English Version): there was silence; for in 1Ki 19:12, the voice, as opposed to the previous storm, denotes a gentle, still murmur.
17. mortal man … a man—Two Hebrew words for "man" are used; the first implying his feebleness; the second his strength. Whether feeble or strong, man is not righteous before God.
more just than God … more pure than his maker—But this would be self-evident without an oracle.
18. folly—Imperfection is to be attributed to the angels, in comparison with Him. The holiness of some of them had given way (2Pe 2:4), and at best is but the holiness of a creature. Folly is the want of moral consideration [Umbreit].
19. houses of clay—(2Co 5:1). Houses made of sun-dried clay bricks are common in the East; they are easily washed away (Mt 7:27). Man's foundation is this dust (Ge 3:19).
before the moth—rather, "as before the moth," which devours a garment (Job 13:28; Ps 39:11; Isa 50:9). Man, who cannot, in a physical point of view, stand before the very moth, surely cannot, in a moral, stand before God.
20. from morning to evening—unceasingly; or, better, between the morning and evening of one short day (so Ex 18:14; Isa 38:12).
They are destroyed—better, "they would be destroyed," if God withdrew His loving protection. Therefore man must not think to be holy before God, but to draw holiness and all things else from God (Job 4:17).
21. their excellency—(Ps 39:11; 146:4; 1Co 13:8). But Umbreit, by an Oriental image from a bow, useless because unstrung: "Their nerve, or string would be torn away." Michaelis, better in accordance with Job 4:19, makes the allusion be to the cords of a tabernacle taken down (Isa 33:20).
they die, even without wisdom—rather, "They would perish, yet not according to wisdom," but according to arbitrary choice, if God were not infinitely wise and holy. The design of the spirit is to show that the continued existence of weak man proves the inconceivable wisdom and holiness of God, which alone save man from ruin [Umbreit]. Bengel shows from Scripture that God's holiness (Hebrew, kadosh) comprehends all His excellencies and attributes. De Wette loses the scope, in explaining it, of the shortness of man's life, contrasted with the angels "before they have attained to wisdom."