Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 2:3
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
3. still he holdeth fast his integrity ] Or, his perfectness, see on Job 1:1. Satan had insinuated that Job’s religiousness was interested, he served God for the benefits He conferred. That he maintained his godly fear when the benefits were taken away refuted the suspicion, and shewed that his trials were without cause.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hast thou considered – Notes, Job 1:8.
That there is none like him in the earth – The same addition is made here by the Septuagint which occurs in Job 1:1; see the notes at that verse.
And still he holdeth fast his integrity – Notwithstanding all the efforts made to show that his piety was the result of mere selfishness. The word integrity here tummah means perfection; another form of the word which is rendered perfect in Job 1:1; see the notes at that verse.
Although thou movedst me – The word rendered movedst suth means to incite, to impel, to urge, to irritate against anyone; Jos 15:18; Jdg 1:14; 2Ch 18:2; 1Sa 26:19; Jer 43:3. The Septuagint renders this in a special manner, And thou hast ordered ( eipas) his property to be destroyed in vain ( diakenes), that is, without accomplishing the purpose intended.
To destroy him – The word used here (from bela) means properly to swallow, to devour, with the idea of eagerness or greediness. It is then used in the sense of to consume, or destroy; compare Job 20:18; Pro 1:12; Num 16:30; Psa 69:15. In the margin it is rendered swallow him up.
Without cause – Without any sufficient reason. The cause assigned by Satan Job 1:9-11 was, that the piety of Job was selfish, and that if God should remove his possessions, he would show that he had no true religion. God says now that it was demonstrated that there was no reason for having made the trial. The result had shown that the charge was unfounded, and that his piety still remained, though he was stripped of all that he had. This passage may remind us of the speech of Neptune in favor of Aeneas, Iliad v. 297:
And can ye see this righteous chief atone
With guiltless blood for vices not his own?
To all the gods his constant vows were paid;
Sure though he wars for Troy he claims our aid.
Fate wills not this – Pope
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Job 2:3
Still he holdeth fast his integrity.
A commendation of Jobs integrity
1. Constancy in piety, notwithstanding the sharp temptations of an afflicted condition, is a singular commendation in Gods esteem; for hereby Job so acquits himself that the old characters of his piety are not sufficient without this new addition to his commendation (1Pe 1:7). And the reason of this is insinuated in the word holding fast, which in the original imports a retaining and holding of a thing firmly and with our whole strength, because of difficulties and opposition; as the traveller keeps his garment on a windy day.
2. Whatever it be in religion wherewith men please themselves, yet nothing pleaseth God better than sincerity and uprightness when it is persevered in under affliction, and in a trying condition.
3. As God is specially pleased with mens sincerity, so it is against this that Satan plants his chief engines and battery. Satan did not assault Jobs outward prosperity, but to better his integrity thereby. Nor is it mens formality or outward profession that he doth so much malign, if he can keep them from being sincere in what they do.
4. Albeit it be no small difficulty to stand fast, and to continue straight and upright in sharp trials, yet the truly sincere are, by the grace of God, able to do it, and to abide never so many and sharp assaults. Even weak grace, supported by God, is a party too hard for all opposition.
5. It is an act of Divine wisdom, when things of the world are going to ruin, not to cast away piety also, and a good conscience; or, because God strips us of outward contentments, therefore to turn our back upon that which ought to be a cordial under all pressures: for this is commended as an act of great wisdom in Job, when other things were pulled from him, still he held fast his integrity. To take another course will nothing benefit men, or ease their griefs, but doth indeed double their losses. (George Hutcheson.)
Graces held fast in trial
1. That Satan in all his temptations plants his chiefest battery against sincerity. Satan did not care at all to pull Jobs oxen from him, or his sheep from him, or his children from him, but to pull his grace from him; therefore it is said, Job held that fast.
2. That whatsoever a godly man loseth, he will be sure to lay hold of his graces, he will hold spirituals, whatever becomes of temporals. As it is with a man at sea in a shipwreck, when all is cast overboard, the corn that feeds him, and the clothes that cover him, yet he swims to the shore if he can, with his life in his hand. Or as it is with a valiant standard bearer, that carries the banner in war, if he sees all lost he will wrap the banner about his body, and choose rather to die in that as his winding sheet than let any man take it from him.
3. That grace doth not only oppose, but conquers Satan and all his temptations. He doth prevail in his integrity (so the Hebrew may be rendered in the letter).
4. That true grace gains by opposition. True grace is increased the more it is assaulted. (J. Caryl.)
God unchangeable toward the afflicted servant
He is still His servant, and one prominent among His children, and a word is now added showing that Jehovah notes the fidelity of His own: Holdeth fast his integrity. How beautiful is this! Poor and stricken, bereft of all, Job is still My servant. The living God loses not interest in His tried and suffering ones. Drink deep from this sweet well. Though change of circumstance oft brings change in those we once called friends, and those from whom we look for comfort give only blame, God is not a man that He should change, and it is still My servant Job. (H. E. Stone.)
The moral law and its observance
The lowest step of the religious life is obedience to the moral law, and our time can never be lost when we are gazing at those simple, infinite, eternal sanctions. This is to all Christian life as the primitive granite on which the world is built. The man who strives to be faithful to the moral law, be he even a heathen or a publican, may be nearer to the kingdom of God than they who, in theologic hatreds, systematically violate its most essential precept: Obedience is better than sacrifice. The sum and substance of the moral law, as Christ set it forth, is truth and love. Only a few men are, in the highest sense, men of principle. A man of principle is one of the noblest works of God. He has learned the sacredness of eternity, the awful axiomatic certainty of law. Two most necessary cautions.
1. None of you may suppose for a moment that it needs no more than an appeal to reason and to conscience to secure obedience to this moral law. This, as all history proves, is a vital error.
2. You cannot see the face of God unless you keep your bodies in temperance, soberness, and chastity. It is not the grandeur of the moral law alone which can help you in this. You have to hear the voice of Christ. (Dean Farrar, D. D.)
Although thou movedst Me against him.
Satanic importunity
1. That Satan is an earnest and importunate solicitor against the people and Church of God.
2. That pure, or rather impure, malice stirreth Satan against the people of God.
3. That God doth afflict His people sometimes without respect unto their sins. Thou didst move Me against him without cause.
4. That God will at the last give testimony for the clearing of the innocency of His servants against all Satans malicious accusations. (J. Caryl.)
Satans malicious incitements
The expression although thou movedst Me against him is startling. Is it an admission, after all, that the Almighty can be moved by any consideration less than pure right, or to act in any way to the disadvantage or hurt of His servant? Such an interpretation would exclude the idea of supreme power, wisdom, and righteousness which unquestionably governs the book from first to last. The words really imply a charge against the adversary of malicious untruth. The saying of the Almighty is ironical, as Schultens points out: Although thou, forsooth, didst incite Me against him. He who flings sharp javelins of detraction is pierced with a sharper javelin of judgment. Yet he goes on with his attempt to ruin Job, and prove his own penetration the keenest in the universe. (R. A. Watson.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 3. To destroy him without cause.] Thou wishedst me to permit thee to destroy a man whose sins have not called for so heavy a judgment. This seems to be the meaning of this saying. The original word, leballeo, signifies to swallow down or devour; and this word St. Peter had no doubt in view in the place quoted on verse 7 of the preceding chapter: Job 1:7 “Your adversary the devil goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may DEVOUR; , , seeking whom he may SWALLOW or GULP DOWN. 1Pe 5:8.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Still, notwithstanding all his trials and tribulations, and thy malicious suggestion to the contrary, he holdeth fast his integrity, i.e. he continues to be the same perfect and upright man which he was before. All thy endeavours to pull away his integrity have made him only to hold it the faster.
Thou movedst me, i.e. didst persuade me, and prevailed with me to do it. But this, as the rest of this representation, is not to be understood properly, as if God could be moved by any of his creatures to alter his purposes, which are all eternal and unchangeable, and especially by Satan, as if God would gratify him by granting his desires; but the design of these words is to signify, both the devils restless malice in promoting mans misery, and Gods permission of it for his own wise and holy ends.
Without cause, i.e. without any special provocation, whereby he, more than others, deserved such heavy punishments; which also Job himself oft allegeth for his justification, although he doth not deny himself to be a sinner, as is apparent from Job 7:20,21; 9:2; 13:23,26; nor that sin deserves judgments. Or, without any such cause as thou didst allege, which was his hypocrisy. Or, in vain, as this word is used, Pro 1:17; Eze 6:10, and elsewhere. So it is not referred to Gods destroying him, but to Satans moving God so to do. And so this place may be thus rendered exactly according to the Hebrew, and thou hast moved me to destroy him in vain, or without effect, or to no purpose, i.e. thou hast lost thy design and expectation therein, which was to take away his integrity, which in spite of all thy art and malice he still holdeth fast.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. integrityliterally,”completeness”; so “perfect,” another form of thesame Hebrew word, Job 11:7.
movedst . . . againstSo1Sa 26:19; compare 1Ch 21:1;2Sa 24:1.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Lord said unto Satan, hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?…. The same with this is also before put unto Satan, and the same character given of Job, which is here continued and confirmed, with an addition to it; for Job was no loser, but a gainer in his character by his afflictions and trials:
and still he holdeth fast his integrity. The first man Adam was made upright, but by sinning he lost his integrity, and since the fall there is none in man naturally; it is only to be found in regenerate and renewed persons, who have right spirits renewed in them; by which principle of grace wrought in them they become upright in heart, and walk uprightly. The word used signifies “perfection” o, which Job had not in himself, but in Christ; though it may denote the truth and sincerity of his grace, and the uprightness of his walk, and the simplicity of his conversation, the bias of his mind, and the tenor of his conduct and behaviour towards God and men; this principle he retained, this frame and disposition of soul continued with him, and he acted up to it in all things; he held fast his faith and confidence in the Lord his God, and he professed his cordial love and sincere affection for God, and his filial fear and reverence of him; and this he did still, notwithstanding all the assaults and temptations of Satan, and all the sore afflictions and trials he met with; an instance this of persevering grace, and of the truth of what Job after expresses, Job 17:9; and this he did, even says the Lord to Satan,
although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause; not that Satan could work upon God as he does upon men, both good and bad, especially the latter; nor could he so work upon him as to cause him to change his mind and will, who is unchangeable in his nature and purposes; but the sense is, he made a motion to him, he proposed it, requested and entreated, and did not barely propose it, but urged it with importunity, was very solicitous to have it done; and he prevailed and succeeded according to God’s own determinate counsel and will, though only in part; for he moved him to “destroy him”, himself, his body, if not his soul; for this roaring lion seeks to devour men, even the sheep and lambs of Christ’s flock: or “to swallow him up” p, as the word signifies; that he might be delivered to him, who would make but one morsel of him, swallow him up alive, as a lion any creature, or any other beast of prey. Mr. Broughton renders it, “to undo him”; and we say of a man, when he has lost his substance, that he is undone; and in this sense Job was destroyed or undone, for he had lost his all: and this motion was made “without cause”, there was no just reason for it; what Satan suggested, and the calumny he cast upon Job, was not supported by him, he could give no proof nor evidence of it; and it was in the issue and event “in vain”, as the word q may be rendered; for he did not appear, notwithstanding all that was done to him, to be the man Satan said he was, nor to do the things, or say the words, Satan said he would.
o , Polychronius in Drusius; “perfectionem suam”, Pagninus, Montanus, Mercerus. p “ad deglutiendum eum”, Montanus; “ad illum absorbendum”, Schultens; “ut absorberem eum”, Michaelis. q , Sept. “frustra”, V. L. Junius & Tremellius,
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3 Then Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, fearing God and eschewing evil; and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou hast moved me against him, to injure him without cause.
From the foregoing fact, that amidst all his sufferings hitherto Job has preserved and proved his (except in the book of Job, only Pro 11:3), the fut. consec. draws the conclusion: there was no previous reason for the injury which Satan had urged God to decree for Job. does not signify, as Umbreit thinks, to lead astray, in which case it were an almost blasphemous anthropomorphism: it signifies instigare , and indeed generally, to evil, as e.g., 1Ch 21:1; but not always, e.g., Jos 15:18: here it is certainly in a strongly anthropopathical sense of the impulse given by Satan to Jehovah to prove Job in so hurtful a manner. The writer purposely chooses these strong expressions, and . Satan’s aim, since he suspected Job still, went beyond the limited power which was given him over Job. Satan even now again denies what Jehovah affirms.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
3. Holdeth fast his integrity As a soldier his shield, because his life is wrapped up in it.
Movedst me For the test and maturing of the godly character of men, the devices of Satan are tolerated in the divine scheme.
To destroy him without cause “This points to a very important rule in the divine administration, according to which the cause of a destructive temptation is something in a man’s self a sin, for example, leading on to a larger and larger. There was no such cause in Job why he should be tempted to destruction.” Chalmers. The bias of the heart to any peculiar sin invites trial or temptation; while the cherishing of secret sin subsequently lands us in a larger temptation. The metallic rock hidden in the each attracts not one, but many lightning strokes. The strokes of trial, in the mercy of God, are meant not to scathe, but to burn out the subtle springs of sin’s disease. That the malicious aspersions of Satan may be confounded, and Job become an exemplar to the Church in all ages, God is moved, of his own free will, to permit the trial of Job, though without cause.
Job 2:3. To destroy him without cause The most that can be meant by this expression is, without his desert, (according to the usual way of speaking, for, strictly speaking, we all deserve hell;) or without any signal guilt to draw upon him so signal a calamity: not but that there might be other very weighty causes for it; for the divine wisdom, we may be sure, neither does nor suffers any thing without cause, i.e. without a sufficient reason. That good men are sometimes extremely afflicted, and that not only in their outward estate, but in their persons, as Job was, is a fact too obvious to be denied; (see Joh 9:3.) and whether God permits wicked spirits or wicked men, or any thing else, to be the immediate instrument of a good man’s sufferings, it makes no alteration in the thing itself. To all this it may be added, that the words will bear a different construction. They are translated by Junius and Tremellius, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that he still retains his integrity? and in vain hast thou excited me to destroy him: and by Houbigant, He still retains his integrity, after thou hast excited me against him, that I might trouble him in vain. See Peters.
Job 2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
Ver. 3. And the Lord said unto Satan ] Before he would condemn him he thus interrogateth him (which he would not vouchsafe to do when he had deceived our first parents, Gen 3:14 ), but with a very bitter taunt and sharp reprehension; as if God should have said, Art thou not ashamed, Satan, thus to answer me, as if I had forgotten what I granted thee in our last assembly, and thus in my presence to dissemble? &c. (Beza).
Hast thou considered my servant Job
One that feareth God, &c.
And still he holdeth fast his integrity
Although thou movedst me against him
To destroy him
Without cause perfect and an upright. See note on Job 1:1.
feareth
(See Scofield “Psa 19:9”).
Hast thou: Job 1:1, Job 1:8, Job 9:20, Gen 6:9, Psa 37:37, Phi 3:12, 1Pe 5:10
an upright: Pro 11:8, Pro 13:6, Pro 14:2, Pro 15:8, Pro 16:17
holdeth: Job 1:21, Job 1:22, Job 13:15, Job 27:5, Job 27:6, Psa 26:1, Psa 41:12, Jam 1:12, 1Pe 1:7
thou movedst: Job 1:11
destroy him: Heb. swallow him up, 2Sa 20:20
without: Job 9:17, Joh 9:3
Reciprocal: Gen 25:27 – a plain man 2Ch 32:31 – to try him Job 2:9 – retain Job 5:5 – swalloweth Pro 24:28 – not Isa 52:4 – without Lam 2:2 – swallowed Mat 8:32 – Go Luk 22:31 – Satan 2Co 2:11 – General Tit 1:9 – Holding Heb 11:17 – when 1Pe 3:11 – eschew
Job 2:3. Hast thou considered, &c. Hebrew, , hashamta libbecha, Hast thou set thy heart on my servant? &c. And still he holdeth fast his integrity Notwithstanding all his trials and tribulations, and thy malicious suggestion to the contrary, he continues to be the same perfect and upright man he was before; and all thy efforts to wrest from him his integrity, and draw him into sin, have been fruitless. Although thou movedst me, &c. It is justly observed by a late writer, that the translation of this verse will be more agreeable to the Hebrew, if, with the vulgar Latin, we place the interrogation after the word integrity; namely, Timens Deum, et recedens a malo, et adhuc retinens innocentiam? Fearing God, departing from evil, and still holding fast his integrity? For thus do the three participles in Hebrew follow one another. Instead then of rendering the next word, although thou movedst me; he proposes reading, And yet thou movest me; or, to continue the interrogation, namely, And dost thou, or, wilt thou, move me against him to destroy him without cause? This, and the rest of this representation, respecting Satans moving, that is, persuading and prevailing with God, to bring, or to suffer this his enemy to bring, these grievous calamities upon Job, is not to be understood literally; as if God could be moved by any of his creatures, especially by Satan, to alter or depart from his own wise and holy purposes, which are all eternal and unchangeable, to gratify that evil spirit by granting his desires: but the design is simply to signify the devils restless malice, in promoting mans misery, and Gods permission of it, for his own glory. To destroy him without cause Without any signal guilt or special provocation, whereby he, more than others, deserved to be chastised by such heavy calamities; not but that there might be other very weighty causes for them: for the divine wisdom, we may be sure, neither does nor suffers any thing without cause; that is, without a sufficient reason. That good men are sometimes extremely afflicted, and that not only in their outward estate, but in their persons, as Job was, is too plain to be denied; (see Joh 9:3;) and, whether God permits wicked spirits, or wicked men, or any thing else, to be the immediate instrument of a good mans sufferings, makes no alteration as to the nature or degree of his sufferings. But the word chinnam, here rendered, without cause, may, with equal propriety, be translated, as it is Pro 1:17; Eze 6:10, and elsewhere, in vain; and be referred, not to Gods destroying him, but to Satans moving God so to do. And then the reading will be, Thou hast in vain moved, or dost, or wilt, in vain move me to destroy him; that is, without effect, or to no purpose; for thou art not able to take away his integrity, which, in spite of all thy art and malice, he still holds fast. Thus Junius and Tremellius translate the words: Hast thou considered my servant Job that he still retains his integrity? and, in vain hast thou excited me to destroy him: and Houbigant, He still retains his integrity, after thou hast excited me against him, that I might trouble him, in vain.
2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, {c} although thou movedst me against {d} him, to destroy him without cause.
(c) He proves Job’s integrity by this that he ceased not to fear God when his plagues were grievously upon him.
(d) That is, when you had nothing against him, or when you were not able to bring your purpose to pass.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes