Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 10:7
Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and [there is] none that can deliver out of thine hand.
7. thou knowest ] Rather, though thou knowest. All these suppositions are vain; for as to the first ( Job 10:4), God knew that Job was guiltless, and as to the other, none could rescue from His hand. The suppositions are but a subtle mode of appealing from God to God Himself, from God’s dealing in providence to God’s inner heart and being.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou knowest that I am not wicked – That is, that I am not a hypocrite, or an impenitent sinner. Job did not claim perfection (see the note at Job 9:20), but he maintained through all this argument that he was not a wicked man, in the sense in which his friends regarded him as such, and for the truth of this he could boldly appeal to God. The margin is, It is upon thy knowledge. This is a literal translation of the Hebrew, but the sense is well expressed in the text. The meaning of the verse is, Why dost thou thus afflict me, when thou knowest that I am not wicked? Why am I treated as if I were the worst of men? Why is occasion thus furnished for my friends to construct an argument as if I were a man of singular depravity?
There is none that can deliver out of thine hand – I have no power to release myself. Job felt hat God had almighty power; and he seems to have felt that his sufferings were rather the simple exertion of power, than the exercise of justice. It was this that laid the foundation for his complaint.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. Thou knowest that I am not wicked] While thou hast this knowledge of me and my conduct, why appear to be sifting me as if in order to find out sin; and though none can be found, treating me as though I were a transgressor?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I am not wicked, i.e. a hypocrite, or an ungodly man, as my friends account me; and therefore deal not with me as such.
There is none that can deliver out of thine hand: the sense is, either,
1. Thou dost not need to keep me fast in thy prison, lest I should make an escape, or any should rescue me out of thy hands, which none can do; therefore take off thy hand from me. Or,
2. If thou dost not help and deliver me, none else can do it; therefore do not thou fail me; which, considering Gods merciful nature, is a good argument. If any man oppress another, he may have relief from thee, who art higher than his oppressor, Ecc 5:8; but thou art the supreme and uncontrollable Ruler of the world, and therefore thou must needs do right, Gen 18:25; and therefore do not thou oppress me. See Poole “Job 10:3“. above, Job 10:4.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. “Although Thou (theOmniscient) knowest,” &c. (connected with Job10:6), “Thou searchest after my sin.”
and . . . thatnone that can deliver out of thine handTherefore Thou hast noneed to deal with me with the rapid violence which man would use (seeJob 10:6).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou knowest that I am not wicked,…. Or “in”, or “upon thy knowledge a [it is] that I am not wicked”; it is a thing well known, quite clear, and manifest, without making such a search and inquiry: not that he thought himself without sin, and could appeal to the omniscience of God for the truth of that; for he had confessed before that he was a sinner, and wicked, as to his nature and birth, and the many infirmities of life; see Job 7:20; but that he was not that wicked person, and an hypocrite, as his friends took him to be, and as might be concluded from the sore afflictions that were upon him; he did not live in sin, nor indulge himself in a vicious course of life; sin had not the dominion over him, and he had not secretly cherished any reigning iniquity, and lived in the commission of it: and for the truth of this he could appeal to the searcher of hearts; and yet he so closely pursued, and so strictly examined him, as if he suspected he was thus guilty:
and [there is] none that can deliver out of thine hand; that is, out of his afflicting hand, until he please to release him from it himself; for this is not to be understood of deliverance from the avenging hand of justice, from hell and wrath, and everlasting destruction; for there is one that can and does deliver his people from sin and Satan; from the world, the law, its curses and condemnation, and from wrath to come; and from the hands of justice, having made full satisfaction to it: but what Job observes that God knew was, that neither he himself, nor any angel, nor man, nor any creature, could take him out of his hand in which be was; and therefore suggests, not only that his condition was extremely bad, distressed, and miserable, but that there was no necessity for God to he so quick upon him, and so strict in his inquiry into him; nor of enclosing him about on all hands with afflictions, since, there was no danger of his escaping from him, or of others assisting him in and facilitating such an attempt: and this he full well knew; for so the words are connection with the preceding: “and thou knowest [that] there is none”, c. b, as well as with what follows, as some think.
a “in notitia tua est”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Beza so Michaelis. b So Bolducius, Drusius, Schmidt, Michaelis, and Bar Tzemach.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) That I am not wicked.The meaning is rather, that I shall not be found guilty. It is not like the appeal of Peter (Joh. 21:17). See the language borrowed by the Psalmist (Psa. 119:73).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Thou knowest Literally, upon (that is, notwithstanding) thy knowledge. Read, although thou knowest.
I am not wicked Job had before confessed himself a sinner. He must mean here, either some specific heinous sin, or the more gross overt life, such as marks those technically called the wicked.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 10:7. Thou knowest that I am not wicked Flagitious. Houbigant. Guilty of atrocious and enormous crimes. It would be injurious to the character of Job, says Mr. Peters, should we interpret in a severe and rigorous sense, as it is certain his friends too often did, his frequent protestations of his innocence and his bold appeals to the supreme Judge to prove and try him; for where he is thus strenuous in affecting his integrity, it is only in opposition to the notion which those mistaken friends had entertained of him; namely, that he had been guilty of some gross sins which he had the art to hide from the world, and that he was in reality a wicked man, and a hypocrite in his behaviour. This is what Job utterly denies and disclaims; though he nowhere arrogates to himself perfect innocence, or freedom from sin.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 461
CONSCIOS INTEGRITY
Job 10:7. Thou knowest that I am not wicked.
PAINFUL as the consideration of Gods omniscience must be to the wicked, it is a rich source of consolation to those who are upright before him. Circumstances may arise, wherein they may not be able fully to vindicate their character to the world, even though they are perfectly innocent of the things laid to their charge. The defilement also which they sometimes contract by reason of their indwelling corruptions maybe such as to excite fears respecting the state of their souls; while they are maintaining a strenuous conflict with the whole body of sin. In such cases it will be a satisfaction to them to reflect, that their very inmost souls are naked and open before God; and that he can discern the integrity of their hearts, even when most clouded, either by unreasonable suspicions, or just occasions of doubt. From this source Job drew his consolation, when the dispensations of Providence seemed to justify his friends in accusing him of hypocrisy: he could then appeal to God, and say, Thou knowest that I am not wicked.
We propose to shew,
I.
What we are to understand by this appeal
Job never intended to assert that he was possessed of sinless perfection
[God had indeed honoured him with the title of a perfect man. But in the very same place, the import of the term perfect is limited and explained by the word upright united to it [Note: Job 1:8.]. Perfection, in the Scripture use of the word, relates rather to our desires than our attaimments; and denotes that growth in grace, which is found in those who have arrived at the full stature of a Christian, as distinguished from a state of infantine weakness, or youthful inexperience. That Job did not deny himself to be a sinner, or still to be encompassed with sinful infirmities, is evident from the whole of the preceding context, where he repeatedly acknowledges, and deeply bewails, his own depravity [Note: Job 7:20; Job 9:20-21; Job 9:30-31.]. Indeed his spirit at this time was by no means free from sinful impatience [Note: ver. 3.]; so that, if he had boasted of sinless perfection, he would have opposed the whole tenor of Scripture [Note: 1Ki 8:46. Jam 3:2. 1Jn 1:8.], and his own mouth would have condemned him, and proved him perverse.]
But he appealed to God,
1.
That he was free from the sin imputed to him
[Jobs friends imagined, that heavy judgments were never sent except as punishments of some enormous wickedness. What evils Job had been guilty of, they could not tell: but, as they saw him so grievously afflicted, they concluded that he must have indulged some secret wickedness, which God now intended to disclose and punish. They therefore, at a venture, accused him of hypocrisy [Note: Job 8:13-14; Job 8:20.]. But he repelled the charge, and asserted, in opposition to them, his own innocence [Note: David did the same. See Psa 7:3; Psa 7:8; Psa 26:1; Psa 26:6. And Paul: see 1Th 2:10.].]
2.
That he was, on the whole, upright before God
[He had unfeignedly endeavoured to serve and please God; nor did his conscience accuse him of allowedly indulging sin. In hopes therefore that the solemnity of an appeal to God would convince and satisfy his friends, he presumed to address the Deity in the words of our text. Nor was this without an evident propriety: for, as the troubles which proceeded from God were considered as a testimony against him, he could not clear himself better than by appealing to the Author of those troubles for a testimony in his favour. To have done this merely to cover his guilt, would have been madness: for if he was already suffering the rebukes of God on account of his hypocrisy, he could expect nothing but a ten-fold load of misery us the reward of such aggravated impiety Such an appeal therefore to the heart-searching God, upon a subject of which none but God could judge, was the best, and indeed the only means, of re-eatablishing his character in the good opinion of his friends.]
But, that we may not be too hasty in making such an appeal, let us consider,
II.
What is necessary to warrant it
We ought to have the testimony of our own conscience,
1.
That we are free from all allowed sin
[If we allow ourselves in any sin, we are servants of sin [Note: Rom 6:16.]; we belong to Satan [Note: 1Jn 3:8.]; we have no interest in the covenant or grace [Note: Rom 6:14.]; yea, even the prayers we offer in such a state are an abomination to the Lord [Note: Psa 66:18. Pro 28:9.]. It matters not whether the sin be open or secret, great or small; if we indulge it willingly, we oppose the authority of God, which is equally displayed in every commandment. It is no excuse to say, that such or such an indulgence is conducive to our comfort, or necessary to our welfare: if it be as useful as a right hand, or as precious as a right eye, we can never be sincere, if we do not pluck it out or out it off, and cast it from us [Note: Mat 5:29-30.]. In order to say with truth, I am not wicked, we must have a single eye [Note: Mat 6:22.], and be Israelites indeed, without guile [Note: Joh 1:47.].]
2.
That we endeavour habitually to approve ourselves to God
[We may approve ourselves to our fellow-creatures, while there is much iniquity harboured in our hearts. If we would have a good conscience, we must act, not to men, but to God: Gods will must be the reason, his word the rule, and his glory the end, of our obedience [Note: Col 3:23.]. We must have as much respect to our motives and inclinations as to our words and actions; we must be careful to purge out all leaven [Note: Luk 12:1. 1Co 5:7-8.], and to have the very thoughts of our hearts brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ [Note: 2Co 10:5.]. Without this we cannot say, I am not wicked; for that which is the root and summit of all wickedness abides within us: we have a carnal mind that is enmity against God [Note: Rom 8:7.]: and however clean we may be in the outward appearance, we are inwardly like whited sepulehres, full of rottenness and all uncleanness [Note: Mat 23:27-28.].]
But in proportion to the difficulty of making this appeal is,
III.
The blessedness of being able to make it
Certainly such a consciousness of our own integrity must be a rich consolation to us,
1.
Under any troubles that may come upon us
[Under the pressure of any heavy calamity, when God seems as if he were bringing our sins to remembrance, and especially in times of persecution, when our characters are traduced, and we are regarded as the most worthless of man-kind, we find it a most painful addition to our grief if we think that we have brought the trial on ourselves by some misconduct of our own. But if, in either of these cases, we can appeal to God that we have sought only his glory, and endeavoured to approve ourselves to him, we shall feel our trials greatly alleviated, and our spirits calmed. Never was a man more cruelly aspersed, or more virulently persecuted, than the Apostle Paul: yet the reflection that God knew his heart, and approved his conduct, made it appear a light matter to him to be judged of mans judgment [Note: 1Co 4:3.]. A similar consciousness will be productive of similar composure in all our minds [Note: 2Co 1:12.].]
2.
In the prospect of death and judgment
[None who have guilt upon their conscience can look forward to these seasons without pain and dread. But to him who can make this appeal to God, death and judgment have lost all their terrors. He has within himself an earnest of the felicity that awaits him. The judgment has already passed, as it were, with respect to him; and, while others have only a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation to consume them, he knows that he has a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens [Note: 2Co 5:1.]. Not being condemned in his own heart, he has a just and Scriptural confidence towards God [Note: 1Jn 3:19-21.].]
Address,
1.
Those who are living in any known sin
[Perhaps you have contrived so well, that you can defy man to lay any particular evil to your charge. But what will that avail, while God beholds the secret abominations of your hearts? To what purpose is it to say to your fellow-creatures, Ye cannot accuse me, when you are constrained to confess before God, Thou knowest that I am wicked? Reflect on the strictness of the trial that awaits you; and know, that God will bring every secret thing into judgment, whether it be good or evil [Note: 1Co 4:4-5. with the first clause of Job 10:15.].]
2.
Those who think themselves in a good state
[It is by no means uncommon for men to deceive themselves, by thinking themselves something when they are nothing [Note: Gal 6:3.]. The way to prevent this is, to take the word of God as the standard by which we try ourselves; and, to beg of God to search and try us. This is recommended by St. Paul, in order that we may have rejoicing in ourselves alone, and not merely in the good opinion of others [Note: Gal 6:4-5.]. If indeed we have in ourselves an evidence that we truly love and fear God, we may say, with Peter, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee [Note: Joh 21:17.]. But, after all, we should remember, that, whatever be our estimate of our own character, Not he who commendeth himself shall be approved, but he whom the Lord commendeth [Note: 2Co 10:18.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
(7) Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
When Job saith, as here, I am not wicked, we should compare it with what he had said before, in order to apprehend his meaning. He had before cried out, I have sinned. Chap. 7:20. And in the preceding chapter to this, again and again declared, that if he justified himself, his own mouth would condemn him; therefore by saying here, that the LORD knew he was not wicked, Job could mean nothing more, than that he was not an intentional sinner, or as Satan charged him, and his friends wanted to prove him to be, an hypocrite before GOD; a dissembler with the LORD. This view of Job’s meaning, I have the more largely insisted upon, because it will serve to throw a light upon many other similar passages, in his whole history.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Job 10:7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and [there is] none that can deliver out of thine hand.
Ver. 7. Thou knowest that I am not wicked ] A lewd liver, and a rank hypocrite, as these men would make of me. A sinner I am, but I allow not, wallow not in any known sin; there is no way of wickedness found in me; hypocrisy reigns not in my heart: Haeret in regenitis peccatum, saith one, sin abideth in the best; yet they may not, they must not be called wicked. Julian, the apostate, affirmed that Peter’s halting at Antioch was so taxed by Paul that Peter must needs be a hypocrite (Cyril, lib. 9, in Julian); but this cavil and calumny can never be proved from Paul’s words, for not every one that through infirmity dissembleth sometimes is presently a hypocrite. It is upon thy knowledge, saith Job, that however I am weak, yet wicked I am not; my great scum is not in me, Eze 24:11-12 . The good heart admits not the mixture of any sin; like right wine or honey, as the scum ariseth, it ever casteth it out; as spring water worketh itself clean; as the sea will endure no poisonous thing, but casts it up upon the shore; so a Christian cleareth himself of sin. Well, it may cleave to it for a while, as dross doth to silver, but it entereth not into the frame and constitution; Job is confident of that, and will venture all upon it.
And there is none (or nothing) that can deliver out of thine hand] q.d. Thus thou, Lord, knowest it to be with me, that I have no wicked heart; but for this I expect not to be delivered, for thou canst still find matter in me for which to lay thine hand upon me: but the more I submit myself the more mild shouldest thou surely be in thy dealings toward me; as a lion to a man crouching to him. As Paul said, “I know nothing by myself; yet am I not thereby justified,” 1Co 4:4 ; so Job saith, Lord, thou knowest nothing by me, yet hereby I cannot be delivered (Junius).
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wicked. Hebrew. rasha’. App-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Thou knowest: Heb. It is upon thy knowledge, Job 23:10, Job 31:6, Job 31:14, Job 31:35, Job 42:7, Psa 1:6, Psa 7:3, Psa 7:8, Psa 7:9, Psa 17:3, Psa 26:1-5, Psa 139:1, Psa 139:2, Psa 139:21-24, Joh 21:17, 2Co 1:12, 1Th 2:10
and there: Job 23:13, Job 23:14, Deu 32:39, Psa 50:22, Dan 3:15, Hos 2:10, Joh 10:28-30
Reciprocal: Jos 22:22 – he knoweth Job 5:4 – neither Job 9:29 – General Job 10:15 – If I be wicked Job 11:4 – For thou Job 13:15 – but I will Job 32:1 – righteous Job 33:9 – clean Job 34:5 – I Job 35:2 – My Psa 7:2 – while Jer 15:15 – thou Lam 5:8 – there Dan 8:4 – neither Hos 5:14 – none
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10:7 Thou knowest that I am not {i} wicked; and [there is] none that can deliver out of thine hand.
(i) By affliction you keep me as in a prison, and restrain me from doing evil, neither can any set me free.