Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 33:20

So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.

20. his life ] Or, desire (appetite, ch. Job 38:39). The words mean lit. his desire maketh him abhor.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

So that his life abhorreth bread – It is a common effect of sickness to take away the appetite. Elihu here regards it as a part of the wholesome discipline of the sufferer. He has no relish for the comforts of life.

And his soul dainty meat – Margin, meat of desire. The Hebrew is, food of desire. The word rendered meat ( ma’akal) does not denote animal food only, but any kind of food. So the Old English word meat was used. The idea is, that the sick man loathes the most delicate food. It is a part of his discipline that the pleasure which he had in the days of his health is now taken away.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 20. His life abhorreth bread] These expressions strongly and naturally point out that general nausea, or loathing which sick persons feel in almost every species of disorder.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

His life, i.e. his soul, as the next clause explains it; or his appetite, which is a sign and an act of life.

Bread, i.e. common and necessary food.

Dainty meat; such as others do, and he formerly did, much desire and prize.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

20. lifethat is, theappetite, which ordinarily sustains “life” (Job 38:39;Psa 107:18; Ecc 12:5).The taking away of desire for food by sickness symbolizes the removalby affliction of lust, for things which foster the spiritual fever ofpride.

souldesire.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

So that his life abhorreth bread,…. Through the force of pain he loses his appetite for food, and even a nausea of it takes place; he loathes it as the most abominable and filthy thing that can be thought of; even bread, so necessary to the support of human life, so strengthening to the heart of man, and what he every day stands in need of, and should pray for, and in health is never weary of; it may be put for all common and useful food:

and his soul dainty meat; the most rich and delicious; such as the tables of the great and rich are furnished with: “food of desire” p; or desirable food, as it may be rendered; see Da 10:3; such as in the time of health the appetite craves and desires, and is fed on with delight and pleasure, but now had in the utmost aversion. Pains and diseases of body often produce such a nausea in men, Ps 107:17, and was Job’s case, Job 3:24.

p “cibum desiderii”, Vatablus, Drusius, Michaelis; “cibum appetentiae”, Mercerus.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

20. His life abhorreth bread A marked feature of the elephantiasis, to which Elihu alludes the life, hhayyah, and the soul, nephesh, loathe that which is palatable in a condition of health. Elihu, in this discussion of the sick man, has sufficiently touched salient features of Job’s disease to unmistakably indicate whom he meant. (See note Job 2:7.)

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 33:20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.

Ver. 20. So that his life abhorreth bread ] Which is the staff of man’s life, and by the Latins called panis, of the Greek , as if it were all in all. This the sick man velut sordidum abominatur, abhorreth as some filthy thing, so the original word here signifieth; he nauseateth and cannot away with it, though made of the kidneys of wheat, as Moses phraseth it; he brooks it no better than if it were made of sawdust, or mixed with gravel, or made with man’s dung, as that in Ezekiel.

And his soul dainty meat ] Heb. Meats of desire. Those dainties which he once sought so passionately, and fed upon so eagerly, he finds no more relish in than in the white of an egg or a dry chip; yea, they are no less horrid to him than rank poison. See a like description of a sick person, Psa 107:18 , which seemeth to be taken from hence.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

his life: Psa 107:17, Psa 107:18

dainty meat: Heb. meat of desire, Gen 3:6, Jer 3:19, Amo 5:11, *marg.

Reciprocal: Job 33:28 – see Dan 10:3 – pleasant bread

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

33:20 So that his {k} life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.

(k) That is, his painful and miserable life.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes