Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 16:4
I also could speak as ye [do]: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
4. I could heap up words ] Rather, I could compose words. By “composing” or joining together words Job means making formal, artificial and heartless speeches; cf. the string of traditional sayings put together by Eliphaz, ch. Job 15:20 seq.
shake mine head at you ] “A gesture of astonishment, as much as to say ‘Eh! I would not have thought that the pious man, as it appears from his misfortunes, had been so great a sinner’ ” (Hitzig), cf. Psa 22:7, Isa 37:22.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
4, 5. Job then, with the supercilious contempt peculiar to him and in justification of his rejection of their “comfort,” holds up a picture of it before them: their method is not a difficult one, he also could adopt it, if his case were theirs; he could shake his head over them and give them lip-comfort enough.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I also could speak as ye do – In the same reproachful manner, and stringing together old proverbs and maxims as you have.
If your soul were in my souls stead – If you were in my place. The idea is, that there is no difficulty in finding arguments to overwhelm the afflicted – a truth which most persons who have been unfortunate, have had opportunity to experience.
I could heap up words against you – Or, rather, I could string together words against you. The idea is not that of heaping up, or accumulating; it is that of tying together, or uniting; and refers here to stringing together old maxims, saws, and proverbs, in the form of a set argument or discourse. The idea of Job is, that their discourses were nothing but ancient proverbs, thrown together, or strung along without regard to order, pertinency, or force. The Hebrew word used here ( chabar) means to bind, to bind together, to associate, to be confederate. It may be applied to friends – united in friendship; to nations – united in an alliance, etc. Gesenius supposes that it means here that he would make a league with words against them; but the above seems to be the more probable interpretation. The Septuagint renders it, then I could insult you – enaloumai – with words. Jerome (Vulgate) I would console you with words, and move my head over you. The Chaldee is as the Hebrew – chabar. Dr. Good renders it, against you will I string together old sayings.
And shake mine head at you – An action common to all countries and ages, expressive of contempt, or of threatening; compare Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15; Zep 2:15; Mat 27:39. So Lucretius ii. 1163:
Jamque caput quassans grandis suspirat ararat
Crebrius incassum magnum cecidisse laborem.
In like manner Virgil, Aeneid xii. 292:
Tum quassanos caput, haec effudit pectore dicta.
So, also, Homer, Odyssey e:
.
Kinesas de kare proti hon muthesato thumon.
The meaning of Job here is, that be could as easily have expressed contempt, reproach, and scorn, as they did. It required no uncommon talent to do it, and he felt that he would have been fully sufficient for the task.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. I also could speak] It is probably better to render some of these permissives or potential verbs literally in the future tense, as in the Hebrew: I also WILL speak. Mr. Good has adopted this mode.
If your soul were in my soul’s stead] If you were in my place, I also could quote many wise sayings that might tend to show that you were hypocrites and wicked men; but would this be fair? Even when I might not choose to go farther in assertion, I might shake my head by way of insinuation that there was much more behind, of which I did not choose to speak; but would this be right? That such sayings are in memory, is no proof that they were either made for me, or apply to my case.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
If your soul, i.e. your person, as Gen 12:5.
I could heap up words against you, i.e. I could multiply accusations and reproaches against you, as you do against me.
Shake mine head at you; in way of derision, as this phrase is most commonly used; as 2Ki 19:21; Psa 22:7; Isa 37:22; Mat 27:39.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. heap uprather, “marshaltogether (an army of) words against you.”
shake . . . headinmockery; it means nodding, rather than shaking; noddingis not with us, as in the East, a gesture of scorn (Isa 37:22;Jer 18:16; Mat 27:39).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I also could speak as ye [do],…. As big words, with as high a tone, with as stiff a neck, and as haughtily and loftily; or “ought I to speak as you do” m? that I ought not, nor would you think I ought, if you were in my case; or, being so, “would I speak as you do” n? no, I would not, my conscience would not suffer me:
if your soul were in my soul’s stead; in the same afflicted state and condition, in the same distressed case and circumstances; not that he wished it, as some render the words, for a good man will not wish hurt to another; only he supposes this, as it was a case supposable, and not impossible to be a fact, some time or another, in this state of uncertainty and change; however it is right to put ourselves in the case of others in our own imagination, that so it may be considered in the proper point of view, that we may better judge how we should choose to be treated ourselves in such circumstances, and so teach us to do that to others as we would have done to ourselves:
I could heap up words against you; talk as fast as you to me, and run you down with a great torrent of words; Job had a great fluency, he talked a great deal in his afflicted, state, too much as his friends thought, who represent him as dealing in a multitude of words, and as a very talkative man, Job 8:2; and what could he have done, had he his health, and in prosperous circumstances as formerly? he could have brought many charges and accusations against them, as they had against him; or “would I heap up words against you?” or “ought I?” c. o no, it would not be my duty, nor would I do it; humanity and good sense would never have allowed me to do it; but, on the contrary, I “would have joined [myself] with you”, in a social, free, and familiar manner, in words p, in a friendly meeting with you, so the words may be read and paraphrased; I would have come and paid you a visit, and sat down by you, and entered into a kind and compassionate conversation with you about your case and condition, and done all I could to comfort you; I would have framed and composed (as the word used signifies) a set discourse on purpose; I would have sought out all the acceptable words, and put them together in the best manner I could for you q; had I the tongue of the learned, I would have made use of it, to have spoken a word in season to you:
and shake mine head at you; by way of scorn and derision, that is, he could have done it as well as they; shaking the head is used as a sign of contempt, Ps 22:8; or “would I”, or “ought I to shake my head at you” r if in my case? no, I would not; as I ought not, I would have scorned to have done it; or the sense may be, “I would have shook my head at you”, in a way of pity, bemoaning lamenting, and, condoling your case s; see Job 42:11.
m “sicut vos loqui deberem?” Schmidt. n “Etiam ego ut vos loquerer?” Cocceius; so Broughton. o “nectere deberem nexus contra vos verbis?” Schmidt. p “Adjungerem me super vos in sermonibus”, Montanus, Bolducius; so Vatablus, Cocceius. q “Vobis enim aptum sermonem accommodarem”, Tigarine version; so Codurcus. r – “et caput meum quassarem super vobis”, Cocceius; “movere deberem super vos caput meum?” Schmidt. s So Tigurine version and Bar Tzemach, , Hom. II. 17. v. 200.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(4) If your soul.i.e., person= If you were in my place, I could heap up words, &c. It is doubtful whether this is in contrast to what comes afterwards in the fifth verse, as in the Authorised Version, or whether it may not be in parallelism with it; thus: I would make myself a companion to youcondole and sympathise with you. in words, and shake my head at you as a mark of sympathy. The phrase differs somewhat from that in Psa. 22:7; Isa. 37:22, where to shake the head expresses contempt and derision.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Heap up words Knit together words. The ministry of words is nothing without the ministry of the heart.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 16:4. I also could speak, &c. I also could speak as well as you: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, would I accumulate sentences against you? would I shake my head at you? Heath. The rendering of this verse interrogatively gives it a very pathetic turn.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 16:4 I also could speak as ye [do]: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
Ver. 4. I also could speak as you do, &c. ] Every whit as curiously, as furiously. I could scold and scoff as freely as you do, but I know no warrant so to retort and retaliate; “being reviled, we bless; being defamed, we entreat,” 1Co 4:12-13 . To render railing for railing is to think to wash off dirt with dirt.
If your soul were in my soul’s stead] Some read it optatively, as Isa 64:1 , Would to God your soul were in my soul’s stead; for then I would heap up words against you, and act your part upon you; but Job was not so malicious or vindictive as to think that tallying of injuries is but justice. Hypocritis nihil est crudelius, impatientius, et vindictae cupidius, saith Luther. Hypocrites are cruel, spiteful, and revengeful; but Job was none such. He, therefore, telleth his friends that if they were in his condition he would deal much more mildly with them.
I could heap up words against you
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
your soul = you (emph.) Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
my soul = me (emph.) Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
if your soul: Job 6:2-5, Job 6:14, Mat 7:12, Rom 12:15, 1Co 12:26
up words: Job 11:2, Job 35:16, Pro 10:19, Ecc 10:14
shake mine: 2Ki 19:21, Psa 22:7, Psa 44:14, Psa 109:25, Jer 18:16, Lam 2:15, Mat 27:39, Mat 27:40
Reciprocal: Job 6:25 – what doth Job 12:5 – of him Job 16:20 – scorn me Job 26:2 – helped Psa 123:4 – with the scorning Ecc 4:1 – they had Isa 37:22 – shaken Phi 1:16 – supposing
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 16:4. I could also speak as ye do It is an easy thing to trample upon those that are down, and to find fault with what those say who are in extremity of pain and affliction. If your soul were in my souls stead If our conditions were changed, and you were in misery like me, and I at ease like you; I could heap up words against you As you do against me; that is, I could multiply accusations and reproaches against you, and how would you like it? how would you bear it? and shake my head at you In a way of derision, as this phrase is commonly used. Heath renders these clauses interrogatively, thus: If your soul were in my souls stead, would I accumulate sentences against you? would I shake my head at you? Which rendering gives the verse a very pathetic turn.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
16:4 I also could speak as ye [do]: if your {c} soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and {d} shake mine head at you.
(c) I would that you felt what I do.
(d) That is, mock at your misery, as you do at mine.