Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 23:11
My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.
11. hath held his steps ] Or, held fast to His steps, i. e. followed closely His footsteps; comp. Isa 2:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
11 12. Fuller particulars given by Job of “the way that is with him” his innocent, upright life.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
My foot hath held his steps – Roberts, in his Oriental Illustrations, and the Editor of the Pictorial Bible, suppose that there is an allusion here to the active, grasping power which the Orientals have in their feet and toes. By constant usage they accustom themselves to make use of them in holding things in a manner which to us seems almost incredible, and they make the toes perform almost the work of fingers. We bind ours fast from early childhood in our close shoes, and they become useless except for the purpose of walking. But the Orientals use theirs differently. They seize upon an object with their toes, and hold it fast. If in walking along they see anything on the ground which they desire to pick up, instead of stooping as we would, they seize it with their toes, and lift it up. Alypulle, a Kandian chief, was about to be beheaded. When he arrived at the place of execution, he looked round for some object on which to seize, and saw a small shrub, and seized it with his toes, and held it fast in order to be firm while the executioner did his office. Roberts. So an Arab in treading firmly, or in taking a determined stand, seems to lay hold of, to grasp the ground with his toes, giving a fixedness of position inconceivable to those whose feet are cramped by the use of tight shoes. This may be the meaning here, that Job had fixed himself firmly in the footsteps of God, and had adhered tenaciously to him; or, as it is rendered by Dr. Good, In his steps will I rivet my feet.
And not declined – Turned aside.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Job 23:11-12
My foot hath held His steps.
The fair portrait of a saint
Job has, in this part of his self-defence, sketched a fine picture of a man perfect and upright before God. He has set before us the image to which we should seek to be conformed.
I. Inspect this picture of Jobs holy life.
1. Job had been all along a man fearing God, and walking after the Divine rule. His way was Gods way. He knew no rule but the will of the Almighty. This is a great point to begin with; it is, indeed, the only sure basis of a noble character.
2. Consider Jobs first sentence. My foot hath held His steps. This expression sets forth great carefulness. He had watched every step of God to put his foot in it. He had observed the steps of Gods justice, that he might be just; the steps of Gods mercy, that he might be pitiful and compassionate; the steps of Gods bounty, that he might never be guilty of churlishness, or want of liberality; and the steps of Gods truth, that he might never deceive. He had watched Gods steps of forgiveness, that he might forgive his adversaries; and His steps of benevolence, that he might also do good and communicate, according to his ability, to all that were in need. Job had laboured to be exact in his obedience towards God, and in his imitation of the Divine character. There is no holy walking without careful watching. The expression here has something in it of tenacity; he speaks of taking hold upon Gods steps. Many Orientals have a power of grasp in their feet which we appear to have lost from want of use. An Arab in taking a determined stand, actually seems to grasp the ground with his toes. Dr. Good renders the passage, In His steps will I rivet my feet. So firm was his grip upon that holy way which his heart had chosen. The way of holiness is often craggy, and Satan tries to make it very slippery, and unless we can take hold of Gods steps we shall soon slip with our feet, and bring grievous injury upon ourselves, and dishonour to His holy name. To make up a holy character, there must be a tenacious adherence to integrity and piety. Again, to make a holy character, we must take hold of the steps of God in the sense of promptness and speed. Easterns say of a man who closely imitates his religious teacher, his feet have laid hold of his masters steps, meaning that he so closely follows his teacher that he seems to take hold of his heels. It is a blessed thing, when grace enables us to follow our Lord closely. You know what came of Peters following afar off; try what will come of close walking with Jesus. Three things, then, we get in the first sentence–an exactness of obedience; a tenacity of grip upon that which is good; and a promptness in endeavouring to keep touch with God, and to follow Him in all respects. Consider the second sentence. His way have I kept. Job had adhered to Gods way as the rule of his life. When he knew that such and such a thing was the mind of God, either by his conscience telling him that it was right, or by a Divine revelation, then he obeyed the intimation, and kept to it. Keeping to the way signifies not simply adherence, but continuance and progress in it. He had not grown tired of holiness, nor weary of devotion, neither had he grown sick of what men call straitlaced piety. I like a man whose mind is set upon being right with God. Give me a man who has a backbone. The third clause is, And not declined. He had neither declined from the way of holiness, nor declined in the way. Some turn from Gods way to the right hand, by doing more than Gods Word has bidden them do. They invent religious ceremonies, and vows, and bonds, and become superstitious. Turning to the left is being lax in observing Gods commandments. He had shunned omission as well as commission. Job had not begun by running hard, and then got out of breath and flagged. One more sentence remains. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips. As he had not slackened his pace, so much less had he turned back. You can turn back, not only from all the commandments, and so become an utter apostate, but there is such a thing as backing at single commandments. You know the precept to be right, but you cannot face it; you look at it, but go back, refusing to obey. Job had never done so. Going back is dangerous. We have no armour for our back, no protection in retreat. Going back is ignoble and base.
II. How Job came by this character. Note Jobs holy sustenance. God spoke to Job. The words of His mouth. What God had spoken to him he treasured up. Job lived on Gods Word. He esteemed it more than his necessary food. Not more than his dainties only, for these are superfluities, but more than his necessary food, which a man esteems very highly. The natural life is more than meat, but our spiritual life feeds on meat even nobler than itself, for it feeds on the bread of heaven, the person of the Lord Jesus. Remember, then, that you cannot be holy unless you do in secret live upon the blessed Word of God, and you will not live on it unless it comes to you as the Word of His mouth. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 11. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept] I have carefully marked his providential dealings; and in his way – his pure and undefiled religion – have I walked. I have not only been generally but particularly religious: I have attended carefully to the weightier matters of the law, and have not forgotten its slightest injunctions.
Coverdale is curious: – Nevertheles my fete kepe his path, his hye strete have I holden, and not gone out of it. The hye strete is highway, the causeway, or raised road; formed, as they anciently were, by stones in the manner of pavement. It has its name from the Latin strata, paved, via being understood: via lapidibus strata, “a way paved with stones:” hence street, a raised road or pavement either in town or country. And hence the four grand Roman or British roads which intersected this kingdom: viz. Watling street, Icknild or Ricknild street, Ermin street, and Fosse street. Some say these streets or roads were made by Bellinus, a British king.
Fosse street began in Cornwall, passed through Devonshire, Somersetshire, and along by Titbury upon Toteswould, beside Coventry, unto Leicester; and thence by the wide plains to Newark and to Lincoln, where it ends.
Watling street begins at Dover, passes through the middle of Kent, over the Thames by London, running near Westminster, and thence to St. Alban’s, Dunstable, Stratford, Towcester, Weden, Lilbourn, Atherston, Wreaken by Severn, Worcester, Stratton, through Wales unto Cardigan, and on to the Irish sea.
Ermin, or Erminage street, running from St. David’s in Wales, to Southampton.
Ricknild, or Icknild street, running by Worcester, Wycomb, Birmingham, Lichfield, Derby, Chesterfield, and by York, into Tynemouth. See Camden, Holinshed, and Minshieu.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
My foot hath held, i.e. made a free and fixed choice, and taken fast hold of them; been firmly and strongly settled, and resolved to continue in them, as the word signifies.
His steps; either,
1. Actively, the steps or ways in which God himself walks; the paths of holiness, justice, mercy, &c., wherein he walked with or after God, as the phrase is, Gen 5:24; 2Ki 23:3, following his example. Or,
2. Passively, the steps or paths which God hath appointed men to walk in, as Job 21:14.
His way have I kept, and not declined; the same thing with that in the former part of the verse, in different expressions.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. heldfast by His steps.The law is in Old Testament poetry regarded as a way, Godgoing before us as our guide, in whose footsteps we must tread (Ps17:5).
declined (Ps125:5).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
My foot hath held his steps,…. Trod in the steps he has walked in; he followed God closely, imitated him in acts of holiness and righteousness, of mercy, kindness, and beneficence; and he continued therein; as he set his foot in the steps of God, which were to him for an example, he persisted therein; as he followed on to know him, so to imitate him, and walk worthy of him:
his way have I kept; the way he prescribed him, and directed him to walk in, the way of his commandments, which he observed constantly, and kept; though not perfectly, yet with great delight and pleasure, and so as not to be chargeable with any gross neglect of them, but in some sense to walk in all of them blameless, as not to be culpable before men:
and not declined: from the way of God, did not turn aside from it to the right or left, or go into crooked paths with wicked men, or wickedly depart from his God, his ways and worship, as David says,
Ps 18:21.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
11. Held his steps The primary meaning of the word , rendered held, is to seize, to lay fast hold of; upon which Kitto ( Pic. Bib.) observes that “an unshod Oriental, particularly an Arab, in treading firmly or in taking a determined stand, does actually seem to lay hold of, seize or grasp, the ground with his toes, giving a sort of fixedness in his position inconceivable to those the power of whose feet is cramped by the habitual use of shoes.” Roberts, in his “Oriental Illustrations,” says of a Kandian chief who was to be beheaded, that when he arrived at the place where he was to be executed he looked around for some time for a small shrub, and on seeing one he seized it with his toes in order to be firm while the executioner did his office.
His steps The steps are divine. Our entire pathway has been marked by such. Thus holy life is made the more easy, for we have but to “rivet” (Good) our steps in these, and nothing can move us. Life thus becomes the king’s highway, with its “example,” pattern, , literally, writing copy, which Christ hath left that we should follow his steps. 1Pe 2:21. His way The law was regarded by the Hebrew as a way wherein man should walk, under the leadership of God.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 23:11-12. My foot hath held, &c. The division of this book into verses has obscured the sense: these two should be read thus, Job 23:11. My foot hath trodden in his steps; I have kept his way, and have not turned aside (Job 23:12.) from the commandment of his lips; neither have I swerved from his statutes. I have esteemed, &c. See Heath, and the note on Job 22:22 of the last chapter.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 23:11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.
Ver. 11. My foot hath held his steps ] I have followed God step by step, walking as I had him for an example, and pressing his footsteps. This Job speaketh of himself, not as vaunting, but as vindicating and defending his own innocence; and as giving Eliphaz to know, that he had already done, and still continued to do, as he had in the former chapter exhorted him, Job 22:21-22 . Acquaint now thyself with God, &c. That is not now to do, saith Job; for my foot hath held his steps. Be at peace. I am so, saith he, for his way have I kept and not declined. Now, can two walk together, and they not be agreed? Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth. What else have I done, saith Job, when as I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips? Lay up his words in thine heart. This I have done ex instituto, saith he; vel prae demenso, more than my necessary food, have I esteemed the words of his mouth. So exact a pattern of the rule was Job; so consonant to Eliphaz’s good counsel. Plain things will join in every point one with another; not so round and rugged things: so do plain spirits close with holy counsels: not so such as are proud and unmortified. Let these be touched never so gently, nettle like, they will sting you. Deal with them roughly and roundly, they swagger, as that Hebrew did with Moses, saying, Who made thee a man of authority? &c., Exo 2:14 . Good Job was of another spirit with God, as it is said of Caleb, Num 14:24 , and followed him fully; ornavit doctrinam coelestem piis officiis, adorned the heavenly doctrine with his pious office, heavenly doctrine was as the mould, and he as the metal, which takes impression from it in one part as well as another. His constant endeavour was to express God to the world, and to preach forth his virtues or praises by a suitable practice, 1Pe 2:9 . Gressum eius retinuit pes meus.
His way have I kept, and not declined
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
My foot: 1Sa 12:2-5, Psa 18:20-24, Psa 44:18, Act 20:18, Act 20:19, Act 20:33, Act 20:34, 2Co 1:12, 1Th 2:10
his way: Job 17:9, Psa 36:3, Psa 125:5, Zep 1:6, Luk 8:13-15, Rom 2:7, 2Pe 2:20-22
Reciprocal: 1Ki 9:4 – And if thou Job 1:1 – perfect Job 1:8 – upright Job 4:6 – the uprightness Job 24:13 – nor abide Job 33:9 – clean Psa 37:23 – steps Psa 37:31 – steps Psa 94:15 – and all Psa 119:20 – at all times Psa 119:47 – which Psa 119:51 – yet have Psa 119:157 – yet do I Pro 4:5 – neither Isa 38:3 – I have Luk 8:15 – keep
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 23:11-12. My foot hath held his steps Either the steps or ways in which God himself walks; the paths of justice, mercy, and holiness, wherein Job had made it his care to walk with, or after God, as the phrase is, Gen 5:24; or, which is the same thing, the steps or paths which God hath appointed men to walk in. These, Job says, his foot had held, that is, he had made a free and fixed choice of them; had taken fast hold of them; had been strongly and firmly resolved and settled to walk in them. Neither have I gone back Turned aside to any crooked or sinful path, or course of life. I have esteemed the word of his mouth Hebrew, , tzaphanti; abscondi, reposui, I have hid, or laid it up, as men do their best treasures, or what they most love and value. The expression signifies a high esteem for it, a hearty affection to it, and a diligent care to preserve it. More than my necessary food Or, my appointed, or daily portion; that food or provision which is necessary for the support of my life, (as the same word is used Gen 47:22.; Pro 30:8; and Pro 31:15,) and which is more prized and desired than all the riches of the world. There is, however, nothing in the Hebrew for the word food, which our translators have supplied, the term , chokki, meaning simply statutum, vel, prscriptum mihi, what is appointed or prescribed to me. Chappelow, therefore, renders the whole verse thus: As to the commandment of his lips, I have made no digression: according to what is prescribed me, I have kept the words of his mouth.