Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 13:17
Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
17 22. Assured of victory, he commands his friends to mark his pleading of his cause.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hear diligently my speech – That which I have made; that is, the declaration which I have made of my innocence. He refers to his solemn declaration, Job 13:15-16 that he had unwavering confidence in God, and that even should God slay him he would put confidence in him. This solemn appeal he wished them to attend to as one of the utmost importance.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
This he desired before, Job 13:6, and now repeateth, either because they manifested some neglect or dislike of his speech, and some desire to interrupt him; or because he now comes more closely to his business, the foregoing verses being mostly in way of preface to it.
My declaration, i.e. the words whereby I declare my mind.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. my declarationnamely,that I wish to be permitted to justify myself immediately before God.
with your earsthat is,attentively.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Hear diligently my speech,…. Or, “in hearing hear” s; meaning, not only that his friends would attentively hear him, but continue to hear him; that they would hear him out what he had to say further: upon his expressing himself with so much faith and confidence in God, they might rise up from their seats and be preparing to be gone, as not having patience to hear a man talk so confidently, who they thought was a bad man and an hypocrite; or they might attempt to interrupt him while speaking, and therefore he desires they would be still, and patiently and diligently hear what he had more to say:
and my declaration with your ears; that is, that they would listen to it attentively, when he doubted not but he should make his case as clear as the sun, and set it in such a point of view, as that it would appear most plainly to be right, and he to be a just man.
s “audite audiendo”, Pagninus, Montanus, Beza, &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
17 Hear, O hear my confession,
And let my declaration echo in your ears.
18 Behold now! I have arranged the cause,
I know that I shall maintain the right.
19 Who then can contend with me?
Then, indeed, I would be silent and expire.
Eager for the accomplishment of his wish that he might himself take his cause before God, and as though in imagination it were so, he invites the friends to be present to hear his defence of himself. (in Arabic directly used for confession = religion) is the confession which he will lay down, and the declaration that he will make in evidence, i.e., the proof of his innocence. The latter substantive, which signifies brotherly conduct in post-biblical Hebrew, is here an . . from , not however with Aleph prostheticum from Kal, but after the form = , from the Aphl = Hiphil of this verb, which, except Psa 19:3, occurs only in the book of Job as Hebrew (comp. the n. actionis, , Dan 5:12), Ewald, 156, c. It is unnecessary to carry the on to Job 13:17 (hear now … with your own ears, as e.g., Jer 26:11); Job 13:17 is an independent substantival clause like Job 15:11; Isa 5:9, which carries in itself the verbal idea of or (Psa 18:7). They shall hear, for on his part he has arranged, i.e., prepared ( , causam instruere , as Job 23:4, comp. Job 33:5) the cause, so that the action can begin forthwith; and he knows that he, he and no one else, will be found in the right. With the conviction of this superiority, he exclaims, Who in all the world could contend with him, i.e., advance valid arguments against his defence of himself? Then, indeed, if this impossibility should happen, he would be dumb, and willingly die as one completely overpowered not merely in outward appearance, but in reality vanquished. following (comp. Job 4:7) may be taken as an elliptical relative clause: qui litigare possit mecum (comp. Isa 50:9 with Rom 8:34, ); but since is also used in the sense of quis tandem or ecquisnam , this syntactic connection which certainly did exist (Ewald, 325, a) is obliterated, and serves like only to give intensity and vividness to the . On (in meaning not different to ), vid., Job 3:13; Job 8:6. In Job 13:19 that is granted as possible which, according to the declaration of his conscience, Job must consider as absolutely impossible. Therefore he clings to the desire of being able to bring his cause before God, and becomes more and more absorbed in the thought.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Job 13:17 Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
Ver. 17. Hear diligently my speech ] Heb. Hearing hear, that is, incline your ears and hear, as Isa 55:3 . Mark and attend; hear me not only, but heed me too; interrupt me not, neither give me the slip, as it may seem they were ready to do, when they heard him profess such a deal of faith and hope under so many and heavy afflictions; wherein they thought that either he was beside himself, or, at least, beside the cushion, as we say, and utterly out. See Job 13:6 , and observe, that it is but needful often to stir up our auditors to attention. Job makes more prefaces than one to be heard; so do the prophets often. Hear the word of the Lord, hear and give ear, be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken it. So doth the arch prophet more than once, Rev 2:7 ; Rev 2:11 ; Rev 2:17 ; Rev 2:29 ; Rev 3:6 ; Rev 3:13 ; Rev 3:22 Mat 13:9 , “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” All Christ’s hearers had not ears; or if they had, yet they were stopped; or if open, yet the bore was not large enough. Oh pray that God would say unto us, Ephphatha, be opened, for a heavy ear is a singular judgment.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Hear diligently. Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6. “Hear ye, hearing”: i.e. Listen attentively; or, give diligent heed. Compare Isa 6:9. See note on Gen 26:28.
declaration = opinion. Occurs only here.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Job 13:6, Job 33:1
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 13:17. Hear diligently my speech This he desired before, (Job 13:6,) and now repeats, either, because they manifested some dislike of his speech, and some desire to interrupt him; or, because he now comes more closely to the question; the foregoing verses being mostly in the way of preface to it. And my declaration That is, the words whereby I declare my mind.