Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 4:20
They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish forever without any regarding [it].
20. from morning to evening ] i. e. from a morning to an evening, in the course of a single day, cf. Isa 38:12. They are short-lived as ephemerids.
without any regarding ] i. e. without any one noticing it; so insignificant and of no account are they, that they pass away unobserved, like ephemeral insects. The words might mean, without any of them laying to heart; they are thoughtless in their sinful levity, an idea parallel to “without wisdom” in the next verse. Job 4:19 described how easily men are destroyed, this verse describes how soon. All is meant to widen the chasm between men and God, and by giving Job right thoughts of God, and of himself a man, to bring back his mind to a becoming attitude towards Heaven.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They are destroyed from morning to evening – Margin, beaten in pieces. This is nearer to the Hebrew. The phrase from morning to evening means between the morning and the evening; that is, they live scarcely a single day; see the notes at Isa 38:12. The idea is, not the continuance of the work of destruction from morning to evening; but that mans life is excecdingly short, so short that he scarce seems to live from morning to night. What a beautiful expression, and how true! How little qualified is such a being to sit in judgment on the doings of the Most High!
They perish forever – Without being restored to life. They pass away, and nothing is ever seen of them again!
Without any regarding it – Without its being noticed. How strikingly true is this! What a narrow circle is affected by the death of a man, and how soon does even that circle cease to be affected! A few relatives and friends feel it and weep over the loss; but the mass of men are unconcerned. It is like taking a grain of sand from the sea-shore, or a drop of water from the ocean. There is indeed one less, but the place is soon supplied, and the ocean rolls on its tumultuous billows as though none had been taken away. So with human life. The affairs of people will roll on; the world will be as busy, and active, and thoughtless as though we had not been; and soon, O how painfully soon to human pride, will our names be forgotten! The circle of friends will cease to weep, and then cease to remember us. The last memorial that we lived, will be gone. The house that we built, the bed on which we slept, the counting-room that we occupied, the monuments that we raised, the books that we made, the stone that we directed to be placed over our graves, will all be gone; and the last memento that we ever lived, will have faded away! How vain is man! How vain is pride! How foolish is ambition! How important the announcement that there is another world, where we may live on forever!
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. They are destroyed from morning to evening] In almost every moment of time some human being comes into the world, and some one departs from it. Thus are they “destroyed from morning to evening.”
They perish for ever] yobedu; peribunt, they pass by; they go out of sight; they moulder with the dust, and are soon forgotten. Who regards the past generation now among the dead?
Isaiah has a similar thought, Isa 57:1: “The righteous perisheth, and No MAN LAYETH IT TO HEART: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.” Some think that Isaiah borrowed from Job; this will appear possible when it has been proved, which has never yet been done, that the writer of this book flourished before Isaiah. If, however, he borrowed the above thought, it must be allowed that it has been wondrously improved by coming through his hands.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
From morning to evening; either,
1. Speedily, between morning and evening, like the grass; they flourish in the morning, and in the evening are cut off, Psa 90:5,6. Or rather,
2. All the day long, as the phrase is, 2Co 11:25. There is not a moment wherein man is not sinking and drawing on towards death and corruption.
For ever; as to human appearance and the course of nature, as many such like passages are to be understood in this book; or in reference to this present. and worldly life, which when once lost is never recovered, Job 16:22; Psa 39:13.
Without any regarding it, Heb. without putting the heart to it; the word heart being understood there, as also Job 23:6; 34:23; Isa 41:20, as may appear by comparing 1Sa 9:20; 2Sa 18:3; Isa 41:22; 57:1, where the same phrase is used, and the word heart expressed. The meaning is either,
1. Yet few or no men that survive them lay it to heart as they should do. Or,
2. They perish beside the expectation of all men, when both themselves and others thought their mountain was so strong that it could not be removed. Or rather,
3. This is so common a thing for all men, though never so high and great, to perish in this manner, that no man heeds it, but passeth it by as a general accident not worthy of observation. Otherwise, no man procuring or furthering it, Heb. without any mans putting the hand to it, i.e. they perish of themselves, without any violent hand.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. from morning toeveningunceasingly; or, better, between the morning andevening of one short day (so Exo 18:14;Isa 38:12).
They are destroyedbetter,”they would be destroyed,” if God withdrew Hisloving protection. Therefore man must not think to be holy beforeGod, but to draw holiness and all things else from God(Job 4:17).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They are destroyed from morning to evening,…. That is, those that dwell in houses of clay, before described; the meaning is, that they are always exposed to death, and liable to it every day they live; not only such who are persecuted for the sake of religion, but all men in common, for of such are both the text and context; who have always the seeds of mortality and death in them, that is continually working in them; and every day, even from morning to evening, are innumerable instances of the power of death over men; and not only some there are, whose sun rises in the morning and sets at evening, who are like grass in the morning, gay, and green, and by evening cut down and withered, live but a day, and some not that, but even it is true of all men, comparatively speaking, they begin to die the day they begin to live; so that the wise man takes no notice of any intermediate time between a time to be born and a time to die, Ec 3:2; so frail and short is the life of man; his days are but as an hand’s breadth,
Ps 39:5;
they perish for ever: which is not to be understood of the second or eternal death which some die; for this is not the case of all; those that believe in Christ shall not perish for ever, but have everlasting life; but this respects not only the long continuance of men under the power of death until the resurrection, which is not contradicted by thus expression; but it signifies that the dead never return to this mortal life again, at least the instances are very rare; their families, friends, and houses, that knew them, know them no more; they return no more to their worldly business or enjoyments, see Job 7:9;
without any regarding [it]; their death; neither they themselves nor others, expecting it so soon, and using no means to prevent it, and which, if made use of, would not have availed, their appointed time being come; or “without putting” k, either without putting light into them, as Sephorno, which can only be true of some; or with out putting the hand, either their own or another’s, to destroy them, being done by the hand of God, by a distemper of his sending, or by one providence or another; or without putting the heart to it, which comes to the sense of our version; though death is so frequent every day, yet it is not taken notice of; men do not lay it to heart, so as to consider of their latter end, and repent of their sins, and reform from them, that they may not be their ruin; and this is and would be the case of all men, were it not for the grace of God.
k “propter non ponentem”, Montanus; “sub. manum”, Codurcus; “cor”, R. Levi, Jarchi, Mercerus, Piscator, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(20) From morning to evening.The process is continual and unceasing, and when we consider the ravages of time on history, we may well say, as in Job. 4:20, that none regardeth it.
The next verse, however, may seem to imply that they themselves are unmindful of their decay, it is so insidious and so complete.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. From morning to evening So short is their life that they may be called ephemeral.
They perish forever That is, from this present life.
Without any regarding it So insignificant is man, that though thousands perish, the face of society remains the same. The landscape shines no less brightly though many a blade of grass may have withered; and the ocean rolls no less majestically after it has dashed its long line of surf against the shore. Of as little account in the estimate of man is man himself. It is of infinite moment to man how he shall have lived, not so much what others shall think of him (if they think of him at all) when once he is dead. This verse has such a human look that we might imagine the spirit that speaks to have once been of our race, one of life’s great actors, his name already blotted out from human remembrance. It is more profitable to reflect that the oft-recurring event of death has so little power to affect the human heart. Its visitations, really more ghastly than those of a ghost, elicit this strange feature of the heart, that the frequent repetition of that which is most terrible renders us correspondingly indifferent if not insensible. The shafts of death are for the most part powerless to turn the infatuated children of men from the pursuit of folly. The subject shows in its true light the desperate perverseness of the heart of man.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 4:20. They are destroyed from morning to evening, &c. From morning until evening they are destroyed; for want of discernment they perish together: Heath; who renders the next verse thus: It not the excellence which was in them pulled up by the roots? They die, but not in wisdom. This seems to allude to the corruption of human nature by the fall.
REFLECTIONS.1st, Having heard Job’s impatient complaint, Eliphaz can no longer keep silence.
1. He apologizes for the part that he is about to take, but hopes that Job will not be offended if he and his friends essay to apply some remedy to his disease; and, as they apprehended his wound needed to be laid open, he begs he will not think that unkindness, but friendship, dictates his discourse. He would not willingly grieve him; but he intimates, that in this case silence would be criminal, and that God’s glory, as well as Job’s good, required them to deal with him faithfully.
2. He suggests the unbecoming tenour of his conduct under his present trials, so contrary to the advice that himself had often given to others. Thou hast instructed many how they should walk before God, and taught them the submission due to his holy will: thou hast strengthened the weak hands that hung down as ready to faint, under the pressure of heavy afflictions; thy words have upholden him that was falling, either by temptation into sin, or by trouble into despair; and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees, encouraged them to support their burdens, and helped them with good advice, and kind consolation; but now it is come upon thee, the same trials which he had taught others how to bear; and thou faintest, or art weary, sinking under the burden as insupportable; it toucheth thee, as if Job’s present griefs were but light afflictions, but a slight stroke of correction; and thou art troubled, like the raging sea which cannot rest. Hence he seems to intimate, that, as his present behaviour so little corresponded to his own advice, it was to be feared that his former conduct had been insincere. Note; To make light of others’ trials, and to exaggerate their impatience under them, shews the absence of the spirit of love, which would be glad to plead the excuse of the tempted, and from their circumstances engage us to make the most candid allowances.
3. He charges him with hypocrisy in his former professions; insinuates, that his fear of God, his confidence in his regard, his hope of things unseen, and the uprightness of his ways, however exemplary they might have seemed, were but appearances; that at bottom there was nothing in them; and his present state, as he concludes, evidently proved this, since God would not afflict a truly righteous man, nor would such a one be thus impatient in his trouble. Note; (1.) The charge of hypocrisy is one which is the oftenest laid against God’s people, and among the sorest to be borne. (2.) A censorious spirit is exceedingly sinful; they will have judgment without mercy, who have shewn no mercy. (3.) We must not judge of a man’s state from a particular failing. He may be truly faithful at bottom, who on a violent temptation may yet be moved from his own steadfastness.
2nd, Eliphaz here lays down two positions in support of his former charge that Job must be a hypocrite because of his afflictions.
1. That the innocent and righteous never perish under such heavy visitations; but his case appeared desperate, therefore he was not innocent or righteous, as he pretended. Alas! Job, to whose experience he appealed, might easily have confuted him with the death of Abel, and the sufferings of Jacob. Note; The conclusions of the revilers of God’s people are usually drawn from premises as weak and insufficient to support them.
2. That wickedness was ever attended with, or followed by, temporal punishment; and for this he vouches his own experience, in the case of sinners in general; who, sowing iniquity, and expecting to reap comfort, find the harvest misery; their crop blasted with the divine displeasure, and consumed as corn rooted up by the whirl-wind: and in particular he had seen the proud oppressors thus perish; who, ravening like lions, fierce and greedy of prey, filled their houses with spoil; but soon, by God’s judgment, their teeth were broken, the old lion was famished with hunger, and their whelps, their families, were scattered abroad. Though he speaks of the case of others, there seems to be an oblique glance at Job’s situation, as if, like this old lion, he had by extortion filled his den, but now was ready to perish for want, and his children had been slain by the breath of God. Hence he would infer his wickedness as the cause of his sufferings; but, whatever the experience of Eliphaz might be, greater and more numerous instances were easy to be collected, where the wicked prospered long, perhaps died in plenty, and saw no bitterness. Such was profane Esau’s case; and Lamech seems a still more daring and prosperous sinner.
3rdly, To reprove Job’s impatient complaints, Eliphaz proceeds to relate a vision from God. The purport of it is, from the view of the frailty, folly, and sinfulness of mortal man, to silence every murmur against his dispensations, and to lead his friend to more humble thoughts of himself.
1. He describes the manner of this revelation made to him: a thing, or a word of divine wisdom was secretly brought to me, stole upon me unawares, and mine ear received a little thereof; either his capacity was too weak to retain the whole, or what was revealed was but a small portion of the will of God. In thoughts of deep and serious meditation from visions of the night, which were vouchsafed him, when deep sleep falleth upon men, to whose spirit nevertheless God hath access, fear came upon me, and trembling; an awful sense of the Divine Majesty affected his mind, and communicated to his very body a sacred tremor, which made all my bones to shake, as if each sinew was unstrung, and every joint loosened. Note; (1.) God hath secret ways of access to the souls of men; his people know it, to their comfort; his enemies feel it, to their terror. (2.) Our highest attainments are poor and inconsiderable; we know but a part, a very little part of God’s ways. (3.) When we lie down with good thoughts, we may hope that our very dreams shall be holy. (4.) Though most visions of the night are vain and incoherent, and that to be troubled by them would be superstitious folly; yet there are some, I doubt not, which bear the mark of God’s hand, and deserve our solemn attention.
2. The messenger who brought it: a spirit, one of those bright angelic hosts who minister to the heirs of salvation, passed before my face; struck with surprise and dread, the hair of my head stood up, erect as the bristles of the porcupine. It stood still, as if prepared to speak, but I could not discern the form thereof, perhaps the brightness of the surrounding glory prevented him: an image was before my eyes, terrible to behold; there was silence, an awful pause, and then I heard a voice distinct and audible. Note; (1.) Though apparitions, in general, are the creatures of fear and folly, yet why should it be thought incredible that God may on important occasions thus send from the world of spirits? (2.) The weakness of our nature shudders, and the consciousness of guilt terrifies us, at the apprehension of a visit from the unseen world. (3.) When God is about to speak, silence and attention become our prostate souls before him.
3. The message is weighty and important: shall mortal man, sinful, and therefore weak and frail, be more just than God, or rather be just before God, pretend to affect innocence, or stand at his bar as righteous? Behold, note it with deep attention, he put no trust in his servants, his angels; did not place his confidence in them, as in any measure supporting the glory of his throne; he wanted them not: (nay, he chargeth them with folly; compared with himself, their wisdom is foolishness:) how much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, in man, a worm, whose body is but a vessel of finer clay, whose foundation is in the dust, weak and tottering before every blast of disease or accident, which are crushed before the moth; if but such a weak worm push against it, so feeble is the structure, the house is broken through, or more easily crushed than the soft moth between our fingers. They are destroyed from morning to evening, thousands dying daily and continually, or every day their bodies hasten to their dissolution; they perish for ever, are cut off from the land of the living, no more to return, without any regarding it; they themselves little expecting it, and the living usually lay it not to heart. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away, or with them? all the endowments of their mind, the beauty, health, and strength of their bodies, and all their pomp, greatness, and affluence, vanish as the cloud of the morning; they die even without wisdom, it perishes with them; or forgetting to consider their latter end, they die unprepared. Now, if God puts no trust in the angels, and charges them with folly, how much less dependance can be placed on miserable, weak, and sinful man; and how much more chargeable is he with folly and frailty! man, therefore, can in nowise arrogate to himself a wisdom and righteousness beyond his maker, or think of appearing justified in the eyes of his purity. Note; (1.) To be discontent with the dispensations of God’s providence is, in fact, to impeach his wisdom, justice, and goodness, as inferior to our own. (2.) If the angels are in God’s sight thus weak and imperfect, and in some sense he places no confidence in them, what folly for man to make them the objects of worship, or to direct his prayer unto them! (3.) The more we consider the vanity and frailty of our life, and the nearness and certainty of death, the lowlier thoughts of ourselves it will beget in us. (4.) It were the height of folly, nay of madness, for a sinful dying worm to plead before God his worth and excellence. (5.) It is among the strong proofs of the insensibility and thoughtlessness bound up in the heart of a sinner, that amid such daily warnings around him, and such frequent notices within him, he lives so carelessly, and leaves death, with all its awful consequences, far out of his sight.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 4:20 They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding [it].
Ver. 20. They are destroyed from morning to evening ] Heb. They are beaten to pieces, as in a mortar, with one sorrow upon another, till the very breath be beaten out of their bodies at length; and all this from morning to evening, all the day long, or all their life long, which is here set forth (for the brevity of it) by an artificial day, and such also as no man can be sure he shall have twelve hours to his day ( Per totum diem, through the entire day, Drus.), for how many are there whose sun hath set at high noon! in the prime and pride of their days have they been suddenly snatched away by the hand of death; yea, how many see we whose sun setteth in the very rising, so that they are carried from the birth to the burial! Every hour, surely, we all yield somewhat unto death, and a very short cut hath the longest liver of all, from the grave of the womb to the womb of the grave. Eliphaz here seemeth to compare us to those creatures called Ephemerobii, which are young in the morning, middle aged at noon, and dead ere night; they begin and end their lives in a day (Aristot.). Man’s life is a vapour, saith St James, a bubble, say the heathens, a blast, a dream, a shadow, a dream of a shadow, &c.
They perish for ever
Without any regarding it
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
destroyed: Heb. beaten in pieces, 2Ch 15:6, *marg
from morning: Isa 38:12, Isa 38:13
they perish: Job 14:14, Job 16:22, Psa 39:13, Psa 92:7
without: Job 18:17, Job 20:7, 2Ch 21:20, Psa 37:36, Pro 10:7
Reciprocal: Ecc 12:7 – dust Luk 8:42 – and she
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 4:20. They are destroyed Bruised, or broken, as the same word, , juccattu, is rendered, Mic 1:7, where we read, The graven images shall be broken to pieces; from morning to evening That is, either speedily, between the morning and evening, like the grass, Psa 90:5-6. They flourish in the morning, and in the evening are cut down: or rather, all the day long; there is not a moment wherein man is not sinking toward death and corruption. If these words were considered as being connected with the latter clause of the preceding verse, as Dr. Grey thinks they ought to be, the sense would be, they are crushed and destroyed all the day long, as moths are, which, being an insect hurtful and injurious, every one is ready to destroy. They perish for ever In reference to the present worldly life, which when once lost is never recovered; without any regarding it Or laying it to heart, say most commentators. But the literal interpretation of the Hebrew, , mibbeli meesim, Chappelow thinks, is preferable, namely, absque imponente, without any ones adding to their misery; or, according to Junius and Tremellius, nemine disponente, without any ones ordering or appointing it. That is, they are continually perishing and going to destruction, of their own accord, through the mere frailty of their nature, even if no external violence be offered to them. Our translation, however, conveys an important and instructive truth, namely, that few or none that survive, lay to heart, as they ought to do, the death of those that are taken away. For it is so common a thing for all men, though ever so high and great, to perish in this manner, that no man regards it, but all pass it by, as a general accident not worthy of observation.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
4:20 They are destroyed from {o} morning to evening: they perish for ever {p} without any regarding [it].
(o) They see death continually before their eyes and daily approaching them.
(p) No man for all this considers it.