Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 8:12

Whilst it [is] yet in his greenness, [and] not cut down, it withereth before any [other] herb.

12. and not cut down ] lit. and not to be cut down (or, plucked, ch. Job 30:4), that is, in its full luxuriance, not ripe nor ready for cutting, and therefore with no trace of withering or decay in it. In this state of full freshness, when water is withdrawn from it, it sinks and collapses, withering sooner than any herb.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Whilst it is yet in his greenness – That is, while it seems to be in its vigor.

And is not cut down – Even when it is not cut down. If suffered to stand by itself, and if undisturbed, it will wither away. The application of this is obvious and beautiful. Such plants have no self sustaining power. They are dependent on moisture for their support. If that is withheld, they droop and die. So with the prosperous sinner and the hypocrite. His piety, compared with that which is genuine, is like the spongy texture of the paper-reed compared with the solid oak. He is sustained in his professed religion by outward prosperity, as the rush is nourished by moisture; and the moment his prosperity is withdrawn, his religion droops and dies like the flag without water.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 12. Whilst it is yet in his greenness] We do not know enough of the natural history of this plant to be able to discern the strength of this allusion; but we learn from it that, although this plant be very succulent, and grow to a great size, yet it is short-lived, and speedily withers; and this we may suppose to be in the dry season, or on the retreat of the waters of the Nile. However, Soon RIPE, soon ROTTEN, is a maxim in horticulture.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Yet in his greenness; whereby it promiseth long continuance.

Not cut down; though no man cut it down, it withereth of itself, and will save a man the labour of cutting or plucking it up. It gives not a man so much warning that he can cut it down in time, as other green herbs do, but suddenly withereth.

Before any other herb, i.e. sooner than other herbs, or in their presence, or they surviving; in which sense it seems to be said that Ishmael died in the presence of his brethren, Gen 25:18; the rest of the herbs looking upon it, and admiring this sudden change. For actions of sense and understanding are oft ascribed to lifeless creatures, both in Scripture and other authors.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

12. not cut downBefore it hasripened for the scythe, it withers more suddenly than any herb,having no self-sustaining power, once that the moisture is gone,which other herbs do not need in the same degree. So ruin seizes onthe godless in the zenith of prosperity, more suddenly than on otherswho appear less firmly seated in their possessions [UMBREIT](Ps 112:10).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Whilst it [is] yet in its greenness,…. Before it is come to its full height, or to a proper ripeness; when as yet it has not flowered, or is about it; before the time usual for it to turn and change; it being without moisture, water, or watery clay, will change;

[and] not cut down; by the scythe, or cropped by the hand of man,

it withereth before any [other] herb; of itself; rather sooner than such that do not require so much moisture; or in the sight and presence of them, they looking on as it were, and deriding it; a poetical representation, as Schultens observes: next follows the accommodation of these similes to wicked and hypocritical men.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

12. It withereth Our translators have disregarded the (in this case) important : while yet it is in its greenness, it is uncut, (and) THEN, sooner than all (other) grass, it drieth up. The passage strikingly illustrates the estate of the hypocrite the man who forgets God. The tall and graceful plant need not be cut down that it may suddenly die. Take from it the moisture of the marsh, and it withers. Thus with one who assumes to be what he is not. False and characterless he stands. He has no life of God in the soul. Withdraw the grace of God, and his nakedness stands self-confessed. He withers before he dies. Few are the exceptions to the law that the character of men is known to their fellows before they are cut down. The scene of the first three verses of this poem is evidently the Nile. The hot sun dries up the marsh water, and the plants perish. Still not far away rolls the majestic river, sometimes, as we have seen, called the ocean. In like manner the sinner perishes in the morass, not far from the river of life.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 8:12 Whilst it [is] yet in his greenness, [and] not cut down, it withereth before any [other] herb.

Ver. 12. Whilst it is yet in his greenness, &c. ] And so withereth not through age, as being but in its shooting up.

And not cut down ] Or, cropped off, either by the hands of men or teeth of beasts.

It withereth ] For want of water, without store whereof it cannot live. The hypocrite is a sensualist, Jdg 18:19 Job 21:11 Hos 4:11 ; he liveth in such miry places as cannot be healed by the waters of the sanctuary, Eze 47:11 . He saith, as the vine and the olive in Jotham’s parable, I cannot leave my wine, my fat and sweet sins; take away my liquor, you take away my life. He serveth not the Lord Jesus Christ (whatever he pretendeth), but his own belly, Rom 16:17-18 . He followeth Christ for the loaves only.

Before any other herb ] That is, of less show, but better rooting. These retain their verdure, and look on, as it were, to see the rush wither: so David did by Doeg, Psa 52:5-6 ; Psa 52:8 .

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Psa 129:6, Psa 129:7, Jer 17:6, Mat 13:20, Jam 1:10, Jam 1:11, 1Pe 1:24

Reciprocal: Est 5:12 – to morrow

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge