Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 22:30
He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
30. the island of the innocent ] Rather, him that is not innocent. Even others who are blameworthy shall be saved through Job’s intercession, because of the cleanness of his hands, for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. The curious translation “island of the innocent” arose from confounding ’I, an unusual form of the privative particle “not,” with ’I, an island. This form of the privative appears occasionally in proper names as, I -chabod, “not glory” (inglorious). For and it is, better, yea, he shall be.
The charges of unrighteousness ( Job 22:5-11) and ungodliness ( Job 22:12-17), which Eliphaz allows himself to make against Job, furnish a singular illustration of the length to which good men will suffer their theoretical opinions in religion to carry them. His concluding words, however ( Job 22:21-30), are conciliatory and humane, and not unworthy of the very aged and very devout speaker.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He shall deliver the island of the innocent – Margin, the innocent shall deliver the island. Never was there a more unhappy translation than this; and it is quite clear that our translators had no intelligible idea of the meaning of the passage. What can be meant by saving the island of the innocent? The word rendered island ( ‘y) commonly means, indeed, an island, or a maritime country; see Isa 20:6, note. It is, however, used as a negative in 1Sa 4:21, in the name I-chabod – ‘y–kabod. And she named the child I-chabod (margin, that is, where is the glory? or, there is no glory), saying, the glory is departed from Israel. This sense is frequent in the Rabbinic Hebrew, where it is used as connected with an adjective in a privative sense, like the English un. It is probably an abbreviated form of ( ‘ayn) not, nothing; and is used here as a negative to qualify the following word, He shall deliver even him that is not innocent.
So it is rendered by the Chaldee, by Le Clerc, Rosenmuller, Gesenius, Noyes, and others. The Vulgate and the Septuagint render it, He shall deliver the innocent. The sense is, that the man who returns to God, and who is regarded by him as his friend, will be able to intercede for the guilty, and to save them from the punishment which they deserved. His prayers and intercessions will be heard in their behalf, and on his account layouts will be shown to them, even when they did not personally deserve them. This sentiment accords with that expressed in Gen 18:26, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes; Eze 14:14, Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own souls; compare Eze 22:30; Jer 5:1. The sentiment, also, had a beautiful illustration, though one which Eliphaz did not here think of, in his own case and that of his friends, where this very Job, to whom he was giving this counsel, was directed to intercede for them; Job 42:7-8. The sentiment, indeed, is found every where in the Scriptures, that the righteous are permitted to pray for others, and that they are thus the means of bringing down important blessings on them. In answer to those prayers, multitudes are saved from calamity here, and will be brought to eternal life hereafter.
And it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands – Or, rather, he, i. e., the wicked, for whom you pray, will be delivered by the pureness of thine hands. That is, God will save him in answer to the prayers of a righteous man. Your upright and holy life; your pure hands stretched out in supplication, shall be the means of saving him. No one can tell how many blessings are conferred on wicked people because the righteous pray for them. No one can tell how many a wicked son is spared, and ultimately saved, in answer to the intercessions of a holy parent; nor can the wicked world yet know how much it owes its preservation, and the numberless blessings which it enjoys, to the intercessions of the saints. It is one of the innumerable blessings of being a child of God thus to be permitted to be the means of bringing down blessings on others, and saving sinners from ruin. All the friends of God may thus confer unspeakable benefits to others; and they who have an interest at the throne of grace should plead without ceasing for the salvation of guilty and dying people.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 30. He shall deliver the island of the innocent] The word ai, which we translate island, is most probably the Arabic particle [Arabic] whosoever, whatsoever, any, whosoever he may be, as [Arabic] ai rajuli, whatsoever man he may be. And it is most probable that both words are Arabic, [Arabic] or [Arabic] any innocent, chaste, pure, or holy person; for the word has the same meaning both in Hebrew and Arabic. The text may therefore be translated, He shall deliver every innocent person: He, the innocent person, shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands; i.e., as thou lovest justice, so thou wilt do justice. Instead of cappeyca, thy hands, the Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic have read cappaiv, his or their hands. Mr. Good thinks that ai signifies house, as [Arabic] and [Arabic] in Arabic signify to reside, to have a home, c. and therefore translates the passage thus: “The house of the innocent shall be delivered; and delivered by the pureness of thy hands.” The reader may adopt which he pleases; but the word island must be given up, as it cannot make any consistent sense.
THUS ends Eliphaz the Temanite, who began with a tissue of the bitterest charges, continued with the most cruel insinuations, and ended with common-place exhortations to repentance, and promises of secular blessings in consequence: and from his whole speech scarcely can one new or important maxim be derived. Blessed be God for Moses and the prophets! for Jesus, the evangelists and the apostles! Their trumpet gives no uncertain sound: but by that of Job’s friends who can prepare himself for the battle?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He, i.e. God, as Job 22:29, whose prerogative it is to give deliverances.
Shall deliver, to wit, upon thy request, as the following clause showeth: God will hear thy prayers even for others, which is a great honour and comfort; and much more for thyself.
The island of the innocent; not only thyself, when thou shalt become innocent and pure, but for thy sake he will deliver the whole island (or country, that word being oft used not only for such lands or countries as were separated from Canaan by the sea, as is commonly observed, but also for such as were upon the same continent with it, as appears from Gen 10:5; Psa 72:10; 97:1; Isa 41:5) in which thou dwellest. Or, the guilty, or him that is not innocent; for the word here rendered island is sometimes used for not, in Scripture, as 1Sa 4:21; Pro 31:4. So the sense is, God will have so great a respect to thy innocency and purity, that for thy sake he will deliver those that belong to thee, or live with thee, or near thee, though in themselves they be sinful creatures, and ripe for destruction. See Gen 18:32.
It is delivered, to wit, the island; or, he, i.e. the guilty person.
By the pureness of thine hands, i.e. by thy prayers proceeding from a pure heart and conscience. When thou shalt lift up pure hands to God in prayer, as it is expressed, 1Ti 2:8; whereby as he asserts the prevalency of the righteous mans prayers with God for mercy, both for himself and others; and by this argument he persuadeth Job to repentance; so withal he allegeth this as an argument or evidence that Job did not stretch out pure hands to God in prayer, as he pretended, because his prayers could not prevail for the preservation of himself or his children, and much less for others at a greater distance.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
30. islandthat is,”dwelling.” But the Hebrew expresses the negative(1Sa 4:21); translate “ThusHe (God) shall deliver him who was not guiltless,”namely, one, who like Job himself on conversion shall be saved, butnot because he was, as Job so constantly affirms of himself,guiltless, but because he humbles himself (Job22:29); an oblique attack on Job, even to the last.
and itRather, “he(the one not heretofore guiltless) shall be delivered throughthe purity (acquired since conversion) of thy hands”; by thyintercession (as Ge 18:26, c.).[MAURER]. The irony isstrikingly exhibited in Eliphaz unconsciously uttering words whichexactly answer to what happened at last: he and the other two were”delivered” by God accepting the intercession of Job forthem (Job 42:7 Job 42:8).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He shall deliver the island of the innocent,…. But where is there such an island, an island of innocent persons? it seems to be better rendered by others, “the innocent shall deliver the island” s: good men are sometimes, by their counsel and advice, and especially by their prayers, the means of delivering an island or country from ruin and destruction: but the word rendered “island” is a negative particle, as in 1Sa 4:21; and signifies “not”; and so in the Targum; which is
“a man that is not innocent shall be delivered:”
in like manner Jarchi interprets it, and so do Noldius t and others u; and the sense is, that Job, for he is the person spoken of, as appears from the following clause, should not only be beneficial by his prayers, to humble and good men, but even to the wicked, such as were not innocent and free from fault and punishment, but guilty, and obnoxious to wrath and ruin; and yet such should escape it, at least for the present, through the prayers and intercession of Job; or God should do this for Job’s sake and his prayers:
and it is, or “he is”
delivered by the pureness of thine hands; either by his good works, setting a good example, which, being followed, would be the means of the prevention of present ruin; or by his lifting up pure and holy hands in prayer to God for a sinful people; which God often attends to and hears, and so delivers them from destruction; as the Israelites were delivered through the prayer of Moses, when they had made the golden calf, and worshipped it; see Ps 106:19; though sometimes God will not admit of an intercessor for such persons, Eze 14:20.
s “innocens insulam liberabit”, Montanus; so Pagninus, Vatablus. t Concordant. Ebr. Part. p. 25. No. 135. u “non innocentem”, Drusius, Piscator, Michaelis; “non insontem”, Schultens; to the same sense Beza, Mercerus, Codurcus, Junius, & Tremellius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(30) He shall deliver the island of the innocent is undoubtedly an error for He shall deliver him that is not innocent: that is, either God shall deliver, or the humble person, if that is the subject of the former clause; the humble-minded man would have saved them. He would have delivered him that is not innocent; yea, even so shall he be delivered by the cleanness of thy hands, as the ten righteous would have saved Sodom. It is remarkable that this, which is the last word of Eliphaz, has in it the significance of a prophecy, for it is exactly thus that the history of Job closes; and Eliphaz himself exemplified his own promise in being indebted to Job for the act of intercession by which he was pardoned, together with his friends; Job. 42:8-9.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
30. The island of , not guiltless. This Hebrew word i ( not) our translators altogether mistook. Here it has a negative sense, as in I-chabod, no-glory. The verse should read
He shall deliver him that is not guiltless,
And he shall be saved by the pureness of thy hands.
Our own purity of life under God becomes a powerful agency for the conversion of others. (Psa 51:13.) So little do we know of our spiritual needs, that we are quite as ready to exhort others as to care for ourselves. At the very moment that these words of noble counsel fell from his lips, Eliphaz needed the prayers of some upright man, which Job himself (Job 42:8) finally offered. The reader cannot but be touched with a feeling of regret as this high-minded son of Teman passes from the scene, commissioned as he was from God to deliver an exhortation that for beauty of sentiment, purity of thought, and depth of spiritual knowledge, is without compare in the Old Testament Scriptures. He stands forth the lofty peer of Balaam, free (the reader may trust) from his failing; the only one of “THE THREE,” at all worthy to grapple with Job in the solution of the dark problem of evil. In argument, however, he lacked self-control, and allowed himself to follow his friends in vituperation and to surpass them in calumny. Eliphaz spoke of God “the thing that was not right,” by perverting the facts of human life, and by setting forth an imperfect retribution, as worthy of the righteousness of God.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
REFLECTIONS
READER the view here presented to you of Job’s exercises, is the more profitable from being the more plain. In all the charges of the friends of Job before, there were none so palpably false and cruel; and therefore here we feel the more comfort, from the consciousness that Job himself found that consolation under them, which a mind of rectitude cannot but enjoy, under the false accusations of the wicked. Indeed Job was too deeply drenched in affliction, from the sufferings of his body, not to be very sensibly affected also, however false the charges were, with what Eliphaz had said. The man that doth not realize his trials, and feel them as trials, will not truly profit by them. Yet, certainly, Job had a comfortable retreat in his own mind, in the consciousness of their falsehood. Our profit will be the more striking from this chapter, in what we behold under this particular. We are taught the blessedness of that state of mind, when, from being exercised with the temptations, or the accusations of Satan, we can look to JESUS, with thankfulness, when the tempter’s malice is ill founded.
But what I would particularly desire from the perusal of this chapter, to have impressed both upon the Reader’s mind and my own, is this a that when the malice of men, or the adversary, raiseth storms of trial, or persecution, falsely against us, this is the blessed moment to look after, and narrowly to watch, and eye the hand of JESUS in the permission. My brother! do mark this down as a never-failing maxim, whatever our trial be, it must be by JESUS’S appointment. Be the instrument who, or what it may, yet JESUS is in it. His love, his wisdom, is at the bottom. Mark this down, as a rule never to be controverted. Then follow this up with another. Whatever the trial be, it is for good. Thy GOD, thy JESUS, my soul, cannot do iniquity. Mark this also. And this will bring out a third, as the sweet and blessed result of the two which went before: the end shall be as Job’s was; glory to GOD, and salvation to his redeemed. When Eliphaz thus charged Job, when Shimei cursed David, and when, on an infinitely more important exercise than both, or than all the world of GOD’S children put together, JESUS was traduced and blasphemed, what was the result? As it is beautifully expressed in one of the Psalms: ‘I will cry unto GOD, most high, even unto GOD, that performeth all things for me.’ Yes! Reader! it is very sweet and very precious, when the conscious soul, unjustly oppressed, can take refuge in divine favor, and divine strength, and say, Thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God!
But chiefly let our eye and heart, upon all those occasions, be altogether fixed upon the person and work of JESUS. In all situations, he is the pattern, and forerunner of his people: and what he said of old, be saith the same to all his exercised family now: fear none of these things, which thou shalt suffer. Through Satan cast some of you in prison, when he would cast, if he could, all: and when, instead of prison he wishes it were hell; yet, it shall be but for ten days, though he would have it to be forever. Fear not therefore; but be faithful unto death and I will give you (saith the faithful and true witness) the crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Job 22:30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
Ver. 30. He shall deliver the island of the innocent ] Or, He shall deliver the not innocent; him that is not guiltless; and even such shall be delivered for the purity of thine hands. Thus God gave Zoar to Lot, and all the souls in the ship to Paul, and the guilty Israelites to Moses. See Jer 5:1 . Or, The innocent shall deliver the island; or, Liberabitur vita innocentis, the innocent shall be freed from affliction: so Brentius.
And it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the island of. Island put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject), App-6, for coasts, or borders; but the words are omitted by the Septuagint
it. The Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read “thou”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
island
i.e. coast.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
He shall deliver the island of the innocent: or, The innocent shall deliver the island, Job 42:8, Gen 18:26-32, Isa 58:12, Jer 5:1, Act 27:24
pureness: Isa 1:15, Mal 1:9, Mat 17:19, Mat 17:20, Act 19:15, Act 19:16, 1Ti 2:8, Jam 5:15, Jam 5:16
Reciprocal: 2Ki 2:12 – My father Pro 11:11 – the blessing Isa 20:6 – isle Act 27:22 – I exhort
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 22:30. He Whose prerogative it is to give deliverances; shall deliver Namely, upon thy request, as the following clause shows; the island of the innocent Not only thyself, when thou shalt become innocent, or righteous, but, for thy sake, he will deliver the whole island, or country, in which thou dwellest: God will have so great a respect to thy innocence, that for thy sake he will deliver those that belong to thee, or live with thee, or near thee, though, in themselves, they be ripe for destruction. By the pureness of thy hands By thy prayers, proceeding from a pure heart and conscience. So Eliphaz and his two friends, who, in this matter, were not innocent, were delivered by the pureness of Jobs hands, Job 42:8.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
22:30 He shall deliver the {x} island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
(x) God will deliver a whole country from peril, even for the just man’s sake.