Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 11:14

If iniquity [be] in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

14. The reformation which Zophar impresses on Job has several steps: first, the preparation of his heart; then, prayer unto God; then, the putting away of his personal sins; and finally, those of his home. These are enumerated, one after another, but nothing lies in the order of enumeration.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

If iniquity be in thine hand – If you have in your possession anything that has been unjustly obtained. If you have oppressed the poor and the fatherless, and have what properly belongs to them, let it be restored. This is the obvious duty of one who comes to God to implore his favor; compare Luk 19:8.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Either,

1. If thou hast in thine hand or possession any good, got by injury or oppression, as it seems they supposed that he had. Or,

2. More generally, If thou allowest thyself in any sinful practices. The hand is put for action, whereof it is the instrument.

Put it far away; keep thyself at a great distance, not only from such actions, but also from the very occasions and appearances of them.

Let not wickedness dwell, let it not have a quiet and settled abode, or allowance, in thy habitation, i.e. either in thyself, or in thy family; whose sins Job was obliged as far as he could to prevent or reform; as he had done, Job 1:5. He saith

tabernacles, because anciently the habitations of great men consisted of several tents or tabernacles, as we see, Gen 24:67; 31:33.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

14. Rather, “if thou wiltput far away the iniquity in thine hand” (as Zaccheus did, Lu19:8). The apodosis or conclusion is at Job11:15, “then shalt thou,” &c.

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

If iniquity [be] in thine hand,…. For, as the heart must be prepared for the stretching out of the hand in prayer to God, so it is not any hand that is to be stretched out or lifted up unto God; not hands full of blood, or defiled with sin, but holy hands; see Isa 1:15 1Ti 2:8; it is not said, if iniquity be in thine heart, or on thy conscience,

put it far away; for sin cannot be put away out of the heart, it will have a place there as long as we live; though it should not be regarded, cherished, and nourished there; if so, God will not hear prayer, Ps 66:18; and nothing can put away or remove afar off guilt from the conscience but the blood of Jesus; which, being sprinkled, purifies the heart and purges the conscience from dead works; but it is said, if it is in thine hand, which is the instrument of action, and may signify the commission of sin, and a series and course of sinning, which Job’s friends suspected he was privately guilty of; and therefore advise him to leave off such a sinful course, and abstain from all appearance of evil, and live a holy and godly conversation:

and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles; in any room or apartment of his house; some restrain this, and iniquity in the former clause, to ill gotten goods, obtained by rapine and oppression, which he is advised to restore to those that had been injured by him; but there is no need to limit it to any sin: besides, wickedness may be put for wicked men, and the sense be, that, as he should not indulge to any iniquity himself, so neither should he suffer wicked men to dwell in his house, but make a general reformation in himself and in his family.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

14. Tabernacles The word tent, in course of time, was used for dwellings of any kind. It is quite certain that Job dwelt in the country. See Job 29:7.

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

Job 11:14 If iniquity [be] in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

Ver. 14. If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away ] Cast away all thy transgressions, and throw thy lusts out of service, hands lifted up in prayer must be pure, 1Ti 2:8 , for the fountain of goodness will not be laden at with foul hands, Isa 1:15-16 . Good therefore is the counsel of Jeremiah, Jer 4:14 , and of St James, Jas 4:8 . The priests had their laver to wash in before they sacrificed, and their brazen altar to offer on before they burnt incense. He that comes to pray, having not first purged himself of all filthiness of flesh and spirit, doth (say the Jewish doctors) as he that cometh to offer a clean beast, but holds an unclean one in his hand. By iniquity in the hand here Beza and others understand wrong dealing, either by fraud or force, by strength or sleight of hand; and their Zophar presseth Job to restitution: Away with it, saith he, send it home to the right owner; else you will cough in hell, and the devils will laugh at you, saith Latimer.

And let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles ] i.e. In thy family, and wherever else thou hast to do. I and my house will serve the Lord, saith Joshua; I and my maids, saith Esther, Jos 24:15 Est 4:16 . David’s care for the reforming and well ordering of his household, and of his whole kingdom. Psa 101:1-8 Such a man is really as he is relatively. Those governors of families and countries show themselves perfect strangers to the practice of repentance, who make no other use of their servants and subjects than they do of their beasts; while they may have their bodies to do their service, they care not if their souls serve the devil. This will lay heavy one day.

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

tabernacles = tents. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read “tent” (singular) App-40.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

iniquity: Job 4:7, Job 22:5, Isa 1:15

put it far: Job 22:23, Job 34:32, Eze 18:30, Eze 18:31, Jam 4:8

let not: Psa 101:2, Zec 5:3, Zec 5:4

Reciprocal: 1Sa 1:14 – put away 1Sa 7:3 – prepare Job 15:34 – the tabernacles Job 16:17 – Not for Job 18:18 – He shall be driven Job 19:3 – ye reproached Psa 7:3 – if there Pro 4:15 – General Pro 4:24 – Put Isa 1:16 – Wash

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Job 11:14. If iniquity be in thy hand If thou hast in thy hand, or possession, any goods gotten by injustice or oppression, as it seems they supposed he had; or, he means, more generally, if thou allowest thyself in any sinful practices, the hand being put for action, whereof it is the instrument; put it far away Keep thyself at a great distance, not only from such actions, but also from the very occasions and appearances of them. Let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles That is, in thy habitation, either in thyself or in thy family; whose sins Job was obliged, as far as he could, to prevent or reform, as it seems he had done, Job 1:5. He saith, tabernacles, because anciently the habitations of great men consisted of several tents or tabernacles.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

11:14 If iniquity [be] in thine {h} hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

(h) Renounce your own evil works and see that they do not offend God, over whom you have charge.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes