Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 1:10
Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Hast thou not made an hedge about him? – Dr. Good remarks, that to give the original word here its full force, it should be derived from the science of engineering, and be rendered, Hast thou not raised a palisado about him? The Hebrew word used here ( suk) properly means to hedge; to hedge in or about; and hence, to protect, as one is defended whose house or farm is hedged in either with a fence of thorns, or with an enclosure of stakes or palisades. The word in its various forms is used to denote, as a noun, pricks in the eyes Num 33:55; that is, that which would be like thorns; barbed irons Job 41:7, that is, the barbed iron used as a spear to take fish; and a hedge, and thorn hedge, Mic 7:4; Pro 15:19; Isa 5:5. The idea here is, that of making an enclosure around Job and his possessions to guard them from danger. The Septuagint renders it periephracas, to make a defense around, to circumvallate or inclose, as a camp is in war. In the Syriac and Arabic it is rendered, Hast thou not protected him with thy hand? The Chaldee, Hast thou protected him with thy word? The Septuagint renders the whole passage, Hast thou not encircled the things which are without him ( ta exo autou) that is, the things abroad which belong to him, and the things within his house. The sense of the whole passage is, that he was eminently under the divine protection, and that God had kept himself, his family, and property from plunderers, and that therefore he served and feared him.
Thou hast blessed the work of his hands – Thou hast greatly prospered him.
And his substance is increased in the land – His property, Job 1:3. Margin, cattle. The word increased here by no means expresses the force of the original. The word parats means properly to break, to rend, then to break or burst forth as waters do that have been pent up; 2Sa 5:20, compare Pro 3:10, So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out parats with new wine; that is, thy wine-fats shall be so full that they shall overflow, or burst the barriers, and the wine shall flow out in abundance. The Arabians, according to Schultens, employ this word still to denote the mouth or embouchure – the most; rapid part of a stream. So Golius, in proof of this, quotes from the Arabic writer Gjanhari, a couplet where the word is used to denote the mouth of the Euphrates:
His rushing wealth oer flowed him with its heaps;
So at its mouth the mad Euphrates sweeps.
According to Sehultens, the word denotes a place where a river bursts forth, and makes a new way by rending the hills and rocks asunder. In like manner the flocks and herds of Job had burst, as it were, every barrier, and had spread like an inundation over the land; compare Gen 30:43; 2Ch 31:5; Exo 1:7; Job 16:14.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Job 1:10
Hast not Thou made an hedge about him?
Hedges
(To children):–Satan held that Job was such a good man just because God took such special care of him. Now, Satan very often says that of good men; and some of us have been guilty of repeating it. We are so apt to think that God has made It hedge to protect other lives far more than our own, and that the best people are as good as they are because of some special protection which God has granted them. The word hedge denotes that which protects or guards. Why does the farmer raise a hedge all round his field? And God does this. He seeks to protect all our lives. There is many a hedge that we have hardly ever noticed, and certainly have never properly valued. God has given some of us a hedge in the example and teaching of good and pious parents; in the influence of good teachers; in the form of good companionships; in the discipline we have to undergo in the home, in the school, and in life. Sometimes a schoolmasters cane is a very useful hedge. A hedge not only shelters, it often keeps us from wandering. Sometimes we do not like hedges; we should like to see more of the country, and wander at will. Gods way of hedging us in is not always by sending us blessings which we are pleased to accept, but sometimes by sending us sorrow and trial. He thus keeps us in our places, guards us against going astray. That was the kind of hedge that Job did not like. The farmer sometimes plants thorns in his hedges, and we must not be surprised if God does. After all, a hedge may become a very lovely thing. What would the landscape often be without hedges? God makes the hedges along the country full of beauty, poetry, and song. And in our lives here, this is just what the Lord Jesus has done. The old Law of Moses was like a stone hedge. The hedges of the Lord Jesus are like our quick-set hedges. He makes His commandments sweet and welcome, and the ways of His testimonies full of delight. It is the love of Christ constrains us, and that is always a sweet constraint. (David Davies.)
God protects His people
1. That the protection God gives to His people and servants is the vexation of Satan, and of all his instruments.
2. That Satan, the father of lies, sometimes speaks truth for his own advantage.
3. That the people and servants of God dwell in the midst of enemies, in the midst of dangers.
4. That God Himself doth undertake the guarding and protecting of His people.
5. You see how far the hedge goeth, not only about his person and household, but about all that he hath. His meanest thing was hedged about. (J. Caryl.)
Thou hast blessed the work of his hands.
Success the outcome of the Divine blessing
1. That all success in business is from the blessing of the Lord. Satan speaks very good Divinity here; Thou hast blessed: it is from the Lord (Gen 39:23). That whatsoever he did, the Lord made it to prosper. Working is our part, but prospering is the Lords part. Some take all to themselves, and thank their own labours, their own wisdom, policy, and parts; others ascribe all to their good fortune, etc. We see Satan himself here preacheth a truth that will confute them.
2. Everyone ought to be a man of employment. Everyone ought to have some business to turn his hand. God doth not love to bless those that are idle.
3. That the Lord delighteth to bless those who are industrious. It is seldom that there is an industrious hand, but there is a blessing of God upon it. Hence, as we find in one place, the diligent hand maketh rich (Pro 10:4; Pro 10:22).
4. The blessing of God where it falleth is effectual. If God doth but bless we shall increase, there is no question of it. Blessing and multiplying go together. The blessing of God is a powerful blessing. (J. Caryl.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 10. Hast not thou made a hedge about him] Thou hast fortified him with spikes and spears. Thou hast defended him as by an unapproachable hedge. He is an object of thy peculiar care; and is not exposed to the common trials of life.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Made a hedge about him, i.e. defended him by thy special care and providence from all harms and inconveniencies; which is able to oblige and win persons of the worst tempers.
His house; his children and servants.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. his substance isincreasedliterally, “spread out like a flood”; Job’sherds covered the face of the country.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Hast not thou made an hedge about him,…. A fence, a wall of protection all around him? he had; he encompassed him about with his love as with a shield, a hedge which could not be broken down by men or devils; he surrounded him with his almighty power, that none could hurt him; he guarded him by his providence, he caused his angels to encamp about him; yea, he himself was a wall of fire around him; the Targum interprets it the word of God: so thick was the hedge, so strong the fence, that Satan could not find the least gap to get in at, to do him any injury to his body or mind, without the divine permission; which he envied and was vexed at, and maliciously suggests that this was the motive of Job’s fear of the Lord; and indeed it was an obligation upon him to fear him, but not the sole cause of it:
and about his house; not the house in which he dwelt; though Satan could have gladly pulled down that about his ears, as well as that in which his children were; but it designs his family, who were also by Providence protected in their persons and estates, and preserved from the temptations of Satan, at least from being overcome by them, and even at the times of their feasting before mentioned; this fence was about his servants also, so that Satan could not come at and hurt any one that belonged to him, which was a great grief and vexation of mind to him:
and about all that he hath on every side? his sheep, his camels, his oxen, and his asses; for otherwise these would not have escaped the malice and fury of this evil spirit they afterwards felt; but as these were the gifts of the providence of God to Job, they were guarded by his power, that Satan could not hurt them without leave:
thou hast blessed the work of his hands; not only what he himself personally wrought with his own hands, but was done by his servants through his direction, and by his order; the culture of his fields, the feeding and keeping of his flocks and herds; all succeeded well; whatever he did, or was concerned in, prospered:
and his substance is increased in the land; or “broke out” t; like a breach of waters; see 2Sa 5:20; exceeded all bounds; his riches broke forth on the right hand and on the left, and flowed in, so that there were scarce any limits to be set to them; he abounded in them; his sheep brought forth thousands; his oxen, camels, and asses, stood well, and were strong to labour; and his wealth poured in upon him in great plenty; all which was an eyesore to Satan, and therefore would insinuate that this was the sole spring and source of Job’s religion, devotion, and obedience.
t “erupit”, Montanus, Piscator; “eruperit”, Junius Tremellius “prorupit”, Schultens,
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
10. Hast not thou ( , thou, the very one whom Job fears) made a hedge about him The Chaldee paraphrases it: “Hast thou not covered him with thy word?” In his mind Satan sees a field or garden surrounded with a hedge as a protection against wild beasts. According to Thomson, ( Land and Book, 1:299,) the stone walls which surround the sheepfolds of modern Palestine are frequently covered with sharp thorns. (Hos 2:6.) The fence was threefold first, around Job himself; then another, an exterior hedge, around his house; and a third protection or fence around all that he possessed, somewhat after the manner of fortifying ancient cities. Such, Satan unwittingly says, is God’s mode of protecting those who are his.
Thou hast blessed Wordsworth remarks: “Even Satan confesses that God’s benediction is the source of all good to man.”
Is increased signifies to break through bounds. Not unlike a swollen stream, his herds had covered the land, (better, the earth,) thus showing the greatness of his possessions. The Arabs at the present day employ this word to express the mouth of a stream.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 1:10. Hast not thou made an hedge about him, &c. i.e. Hast thou not protected him with a thorny and inaccessible defence? The word rendered increased, is a metaphor, taken from waters which have burst their bounds, and spread themselves on all sides round; so Job’s substance had largely increased, and spread itself like a flowing torrent over the adjacent land. Schultens.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Ver. 10. Hast not thou made an hedge about him? ] Or, hast thou not trenched him in, and secured him with thine own bare hand, as in a town of war, or tower of brass? thou thyself either art the hedge, or makest it; and that not only about his person, but about his people, children, servants, &c., yea, about his whole estate, so that there is no coming at him: and this Satan seems to speak very angrily. See Trapp on “ Zec 2:5 “
On every side
Thou hast blessed the work of his hands
And his substance is increased in the land
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Hast not Thou . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
an hedge: Gen 15:1, Deu 33:27, 1Sa 25:16, Psa 5:12, Psa 34:7, Psa 80:12, Isa 5:2, Isa 5:5, Zec 2:5, Zec 2:8, 1Pe 1:5
about: Gen 39:5, Deu 28:2-6, Psa 71:21, Psa 128:1-4
thou hast blessed: Job 42:12, Gen 26:12, Gen 30:30, Gen 49:25, Deu 7:13, Deu 33:11, Psa 90:17, Psa 107:38, Pro 10:22
substance: or, cattle, Gen 30:43
Reciprocal: Gen 13:2 – General Gen 31:7 – God Exo 34:24 – desire Jdg 7:14 – his fellow 1Sa 30:19 – General Job 2:10 – shall we receive Job 4:6 – thy fear Job 29:2 – God Job 29:4 – the secret Psa 35:3 – stop Psa 89:40 – broken Psa 107:39 – they are Ecc 7:12 – wisdom Son 2:4 – his banner Amo 9:11 – close Mat 4:6 – lest Mat 8:32 – Go Mat 17:15 – for ofttimes Mar 5:12 – General Mar 9:20 – the spirit Luk 8:32 – besought Rev 9:4 – that they
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 1:10. Hast thou not made a hedge about him? Protected him with a thorny and inaccessible defence, or secured him, by thy special care and providence, from all harm and inconveniences? which is sufficient to oblige and win persons of the worst tempers; and about his house His children and servants; about all that he hath on every side His whole property, which is all under thy protection. Thou hast blessed the work of his hands Hast caused whatever he does to prosper. Observe, reader, without the divine blessing, be the hands ever so strong, ever so skilful, their work will not prosper. And his substance is increased in the land The original word , mickneehu, chiefly means his cattle; and the word , parets, here rendered increased, is a metaphor taken from waters which have burst their bounds, and spread themselves on all sides round; so Jobs substance had largely increased, and spread itself like a flowing torrent over the adjacent land. Schultens.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1:10 Hast not thou made {q} an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
(q) Meaning, the grace of God, which served Job as a rampart against all temptations.