Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 11:11
For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider [it]?
11. Job had used these words to describe God as an irresistible, unaccountable force; Zophar indicates what account is to be given of God’s actions He knoweth vain (wicked, Psa 26:4) men. His action is the reflexion of His omniscient insight.
will he not then consider it ] Rather, without considering it. The words are closely connected with the preceding: he seeth wickedness also, without needing to consider it, that is, with a knowledge immediate and requiring no effort, cf. ch. Job 34:23, notes. So already Ibn Ezra. Another meaning is possible: and that which they (men) consider not. But this is a useless repetition.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For he knoweth vain men – He is intimately acquainted with the heart; he knows human beings altogether. The word vain here ( shav’), means properly vanity, emptiness, falsehood, a lie, iniquity. Men of vanity, here may mean people whose opinions are valueless, or it may mean people of deceit, falsehood, hypocrisy. Most probably it means the latter, and the indirect reference may be to such men as Job. The sense is, that God is intimately acquainted with such men. They cannot deceive him, and their wickedness will be found out.
Will he not then consider it? – Various ways have been proposed of explaining this. By some it is supposed to mean, He seeth iniquity, where they do not observe it; that is, he perceives it, where people do not themselves. This would express a thought which would accord well with the connection, but it is doubtful whether the Hebrew will bear this construction. By another explanation it is supposed to mean, as in our common version, Will not God observe it, and bring it to trial? Will he suffer it to pass unnoticed? This makes good sense, and the Hebrew will admit of this interpretation. But there is another view still, which is preferable to either. According to this it means, that God perceives the iniquity in man, though he does not seem to notice it; see the notes at Job 11:6. He appears to pass over a part of it, but he sees it notwithstanding, and is intimately acquainted with all the depravity of the heart. The main reference here is to Job, and the object is to show him that he was guilty, though he had asserted his innocence in so decided a manner. Though he seemed to himself to be innocent, yet Zophar labors to show him that he must be guilty, and that he had seen but a small part of his sins.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. He knoweth vain men] methey shau, “men of falsehood.”
He seeth wickedness] He sees as well what is in man, as what man does; and of his actions and propensities he cannot be an indifferent spectator.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He knoweth vain men: though men know but little of God, and therefore are very unfit judges of all his counsels and actions; yet God knows man exactly, and his vanity, or falsehood, or folly, or rashness; for all these this word signifies. He knoweth that every man in the world is guilty of much vanity and folly, and therefore seeth sufficient reason for his severity against the best men, such as thou, O Job, fanciest thyself to be; and if thou wert so, thou hast no reason to wonder at or quarrel with his proceedings; and if thy quarrel be that he shuts thee up, or cuts thee off, when he gathers others under his wing and protection, whom thou thinkest or knowest to be worse than thyself, while thou dost impeach his justice, thou dost but betray thy own vanity and folly; for he knows both whom he chastiseth, and whom he spareth, and why he doth it, though he do not acquaint thee with the reasons of all his actions.
He seeth wickedness also; as he knoweth the vanity of all men, so he exactly perceiveth the wickedness of evil men, though it be covered with the veil of religion. He seeth thy evil heart, which discovers itself by such wicked and scandalous speeches against the justice and goodness of his providence, which gives him just cause to continue and increase thy miseries. Though thou art partial, and flatterest thyself with a conceit of thy own integrity, yet he knoweth thy hypocrisy and wickedness.
Will he not then consider it? shall he only see it as an idle spectator, and not observe it as a judge, to requite and punish it?
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. (Ps94:11).
considerso as topunish it. Rather, from the connection, Job11:6, “He seeth wickedness also, which man does notperceive“; literally, “But no (other, save He)perceiveth it” [UMBREIT].God’s “wisdom” (Job11:6), detects sin where Job’s human eye cannot reach (Job11:8), so as to see any.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For he knoweth vain men,…. Or, “men of vanity” p, as all men are; men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree a lie, and they are both lighter than vanity, Ps 62:9; and the Lord knows them, and knows them to be so; he knows all men, and all that is in them; he knows the vanity of their minds, and the vain thoughts that are in them; all their vain and idle words, and their vain lives and conversations; and therefore it is no wonder he does the above things at his pleasure:
he seeth wickedness also; the wickedness of their hearts and lives, their secret and open wickedness, their wicked thoughts, words, and actions; or, “men of wickedness”; even wicked men; they are all seen by him; nothing is or can be hid from him; he is God omniscient, the searcher of the hearts and trier of the reins of the children of men:
will he not then consider [it]? so as to punish or correct for it? he will: or, “he does not consider” q; he seems as if he did not; as if he took no notice of wicked men, and of their wickedness, because he does not immediately punish or correct for it; or, he has no need to take any time to consider thereof, he sees and knows at once what it is, and what men are: Gersom reads this clause in connection with the former; “he sees [the men] of wickedness”, and him who does “not consider” the ways of the Lord; or, the man does not consider that God sees him; so Ben Melech.
p “homines vanitatis”, Vatablus, Drusius, Bolducius, Mercerus, Schmidt, Michaelis. q “et non cousiderat”, Cocceius; “et non advertit”, Schmidt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(11) He knoweth vain men.Though he regardeth it not: that is, seemeth not to see it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Will he not then consider it Literally, Even though he does not fix his mind upon it. (Gesenius, Hitzel, Dillmann.) He hath no need that he should consider for a long time, ( Aben Ezra.) He sees wickedness at a glance nay more, it is a necessity of his being that he should perceive all wickedness, whether of the overt act or of the most secret subtle thought. Man’s most hidden deeds and God’s knowledge of them are simultaneous.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 11:11 For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider [it]?
Ver. 11. He knoweth vain man, he seeth wickedness also ] Doubtless he beholdeth faithless men, mortals of vanity, headlong and headstrong wights; homines falsitatis (so Cajetan renderetb it), men of falsehood; homines mendaces (so Pagnine), lying persons, such as thou Job art presumed to be by thy impious words and grievous punishments: He seeth wickedness, inanitatem et iniquitatem, vanity and villany. God seeth all, how closely and cleanly soever hypocrites think to carry the matter; first hiding God from themselves, and then vainly hoping to hide themselves also from God; but “his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men,” Psa 11:4 . He seeth their wickedness or unreasonableness (as the word properly signifieth), for wicked men are absurd men, 2Th 3:2 , they are compact of mere incongruities, solecizing in opinion, speeches, actions, all.
Will he not then consider it?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wickedness = iniquity. Hebrew. ‘avert. See App-44.
will He not then, &c. = although He seemeth not to perceive it.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
he knoweth: Psa 94:11, Jer 17:9, Jer 17:10, Joh 2:24, Joh 2:25, Heb 4:13, Rev 2:23
he seeth: Job 22:13, Job 22:14, Psa 10:11, Psa 10:14, Psa 35:22, Ecc 5:8, Hos 7:2, Hab 1:13, Heb 4:13
Reciprocal: Psa 33:15 – considereth Eze 31:10 – and his 1Co 3:20 – that 1Co 4:6 – that ye Jam 2:20 – O vain
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 11:11. For he knoweth vain men Though men know but little of God, and therefore are very unfit judges of his counsels and actions, yet God knows man exactly. He knoweth that every man in the world is guilty of much vanity and folly, and therefore seeth sufficient reason for his severity against the best men. He seeth wickedness also He perceiveth the wickedness of evil men, though it be covered with the veil of religion. Will he not then consider Shall he only see it as an idle spectator, and not observe it as a judge to punish it?