Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 6:25
How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?
25. how forcible are right words ] Or, words of uprightness, that is honest, straightforward, close dealing with a man about himself, or his offences, sign of true friendship, Psa 141:5; cf. ch. Job 33:3, where Elihu claims to speak out of this rectitude of mind. The word rendered forcible is of rather uncertain meaning. It occurs again 1Ki 2:8, a grievous curse, Mic 2:10, a sore destruction, and in Job 16:3, what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? The fundamental sense of the word is assumed to be to be sharp, hence, to be strong, vehement. This is conjectural. What may be but another form of the word occurs in Psa 119:103, how sweet are thy words unto my taste! And many prefer that meaning here: how sweet are words of uprightness.
your arguing reprove ] lit. what doth reproving from you, the kind of reproving that comes from you, insinuations and captious laying hold of more excited language, reprove? In Job 6:24 Job demanded to know from his friends directly what sins they laid to his charge. He would welcome straightforward dealing that went into his circumstances.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
How forcible are right words! – How weighty and impressive are words of truth! Job means that he was accustomed to feel their power, and to admit it on his soul. If their words were such, he would listen to them with profound attention, and in silence. The expression has a proverbial cast.
But what doth your arguing reprove? – Or rather, what doth the reproof from you reprove? or what do your reproaches prove? Job professes a readiness to listen to words of truth and wisdom; he complains that the language of reproach used by them was not adapted to instruct his understanding or to benefit his heart. As it was, he did not feel himself convinced, and was likely to derive no advantage from what they said.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Job 6:25
How forcible are right words!
The force of right words
Who has not felt the superiority of the power of Jobs words compared with those of the words of his friends?
How is this? Job suffered, struggled, and sorrowed, and therefore he learned something of the human heart. Irritating to him were the words of his friends. Those words were as nothing; they reproved nothing; they appealed to nothing in the sorrow-stricken man. Righteous words would have been precious to him; hence his bitter disappointment after listening to the effusion of Eliphaz. Who has not felt the feebleness of mere platitudes when the soul has longed for sympathy?
I. That words may possess a righteous or unrighteous character. Right words. God declared to Jobs friends, Ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job hath.
1. The power of speech is a Divine gift. Whether words were originally given, or were elaborated by the faculty of speech, does not alter the question of the Divine origin of the gift. Without speech, where would have been the outcome of mans spiritual energies? How the soul speaks in the voice! Burning words proclaim the power of the spirit that is in man.
2. The Divine gift of words is intended to be a righteous power. By perversion of words sin was introduced; by the righteousness of words error and evil shall be destroyed. The words of God are spirit and life.
3. In proportion to the excellence of the gift will be the responsibility of the speaker. By thy words shalt thou be justified, etc.
II. The power of words for good or evil is in proportion to their righteousness or unrighteousness. Doth not the ear try words? Righteous words reprove.
1. The words of God are instruments of righteousness. Do not My words do good? (Mic 2:7.)
2. The words of man are only righteous as they harmonise with the words of God. Let your speech be always with grace (Col 4:6).
3. In the war of words the righteous words shall be victorious. Great is truth, and must prevail.
4. Divine power operates through the words of the good. I will be to thee a mouth and wisdom. Therefore how forcible are right words!
5. Evil words are destructive. Whose word doth eat as doth a canker. The unrighteous words of Jobs friends possessed a power that forced him to exclaim, How forcible are right words! (Bishop Percival.)
Right words
Words are right three ways.
I. In the matter, when they are true.
II. In the manner, when they are plain, direct, and perspicuous.
III. In their use, when they are duly and properly applied; when the arrow is carried home to the white, then they are right words, or words of righteousness. When this threefold rightness meets in words, how forcible, how strong are such words! (J. Caryl.)
The potency of language
Language is more than the expression of ideas. It sustains a more vital relation. Thought is a remote abstraction until it becomes visible, tangible, concrete, in words. Hence Wordsworth, with profound philosophy, wrote, Language is the incarnation of thought. But more than this, a man knows not what he thinks until he tries to put it into words. The tongue or pen sometimes like a whetstone sharpens thought, giving it edge and point; sometimes like a painters pencil, it communicates definiteness, precision, and exquisite colouring to the outlines of thought; again, like a prism, it seems to analyse and separate blended ideas; again, like a crystal, it imparts clearness, symmetry, brilliance; or like a mirror, it reflects and multiplies the rays of light. Verily, how forcible are right words! (A. T. Pierson, D. D.)
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Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 25. How forcible are right words] A well-constructed argument, that has truth for its basis, is irresistible.
But what doth your arguing reprove?] Your reasoning is defective, because your premises are false; and your conclusions prove nothing, because of the falsity of the premises whence they are drawn. The last clause, literally rendered, is, What reproof, in a reproof from you? As you have proved no fault you have consequently reproved no vice. Instead of mah nimretsu, “how forcible,” mah nimletsu, “how savoury or pleasant,” is the reading of two MSS., the Chaldee, and some of the rabbins. Both senses are good, but the common reading is to be preferred.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Right words, i.e. the words of truth or solid arguments, have a marvellous power to convince and persuade a man; and if yours were such, I should readily yield to them.
Your arguing reprove; or, your arguing argue. There is no truth in your assertions, nor weight in your arguments, and therefore are they of no account or power with me.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
25. And what will your arguingsreprove?literally, “the reproofs which proceed from you”;the emphasis is on you; you may find fault, who are not in mysituation [UMBREIT].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
How forcible are right words!…. That are according to right reason; such as may be called strong reasons, or bony arguments, as in
Isa 41:21; there are strength and weight in such words, reasonings, and arguments; they bring evidence and conviction with them, and are very powerful to persuade the mind to an assent unto them, and have great influence to engage to a profession or practice of what they are used for; such are more especially the words of God, the Scriptures of truth, the doctrines of the Gospel; these are right words, see Pr 8:6; they are not contrary to right reason, although above it; and are agreeably to sanctified reason, and received by it; they are according to the perfections of God, even his righteousness and holiness, and according to the law of God, and in no wise repugnant to it, which is the rule of righteousness; and they are doctrines according to godliness, and are far from encouraging licentiousness; and they are all strictly true, and must be right: and there is a force and strength in those words; they come with weight, especially when they come in demonstration of the Spirit and power of God; they are mighty, through God, for the pulling down the strong holds of sin, Satan, and self, and for the bringing of men to the obedience of Christ; to the quickening dead sinners, enlightening dark minds, softening hard hearts; renewing, changing, and transforming men into quite another temper and disposition of mind they formerly had; for the comforting and relieving souls in distress, and saints under affliction; and have so very wonderful an influence on the lives and conversations of those to whom they come, not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost, as to teach them to deny all sin and ungodliness, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly: or, “how forcible are the words of an upright man!” a that is, sincere, impartial, and faithful; which Job suggests his friends were not: some think Job has respect to his own words, and render the clause, “what hardness”, or “harshness”, have “right words!” b Such as he believed his own were, and in which there were nothing hard and harsh, sharp and severe, or which might give just offence; such as his cursing the day in which he was born, or charging his friends with treachery and deceit: but rather he tacitly reflects upon the words and arguments of his friends; intimating, that though there is force and strength in right words, theirs were neither right nor forcible, but partial and unjust, and weak and impotent; which had no strength of reasoning in them, nor carried any conviction with them, as follows:
but what doth your arguing reprove? their arguments they had used with him had no strength in them; they were of no avail; they did not reprove or convince of any evil he had been guilty of, or any mistake he had made; they were weak, impertinent, and useless, and fell with no weight upon him, nor wrought any conviction in him.
a So Aquila apud Drusium. b “quid duritiei habent verba rectitudinis”, Schmidt; so Luther.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(25) How forcible are right words !How forcible are words of uprightness! But what doth your reproof reprove? Open rebuke is better than secret love; better to be honestly and openly rebuked by you than be subject to the secret insinuations which are intended to pass for friendship.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
25. How forcible How sweet, etc. Thus Furst, Ewald, and Zockler. Many others of equal authority, however, (for instance, Gesenius, Thes., p. 820,) favour the version of the text How forcible are right words words of “uprightness,” or “truth,” . The parallelism, which ever helps to the meaning of a verse, will properly appear from a literal translation of the second member of the verse: “But what doth reproof from you reprove.” The feebleness of their reproof ( from you) is set forth by contrast with the forcibleness of right words. “Words which keep the straight way of truth go to the heart.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 6:25. How forcible are right words! How persuasive are the words of an impartial man! But how shall a man defend himself, whom you have already condemned? The reason is, they had condemned him unheard. Heath.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 6:25 How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?
Ver. 25. How forcible are right words ] How sweet, saith the Chaldee, interpreting it by Psa 119:103 . It may be read Nimletsu for Nimretsu ; but the word is well rendered forcible, potent, valid. It noteth also, saith Mr Caryl, acrimony, sharpness, or smartness, because right words have a pleasing acrimony upon the palate of the soul, and a power upon the judgment to sway and carry it. Ille regit dictis animos, &c. Audite senem iuvenes quem iuvenem senes audierunt: these few words from Augustus, falling right, quieted the rebels in his army; and the like is reported of Alexander the Great, of Menenius, Agrippa, &c. But we have better instances, as that of Abigail treating with David; the woman of Abel with Joab; Nicodemus, by a few seasonable words, dissolving the council gathered together against Christ, Joh 7:50 ; Joh 7:53 ; Paphnutius stickling for the married clergy at the Nicene council, &c. One seasonable truth failing on a prepared heart hath often a strong and sweet operation. Luther having heard Staupicius say that that is kind repentance which begins from the love of God, ever after that time the practice of repentance was sweeter to him. This speech also of his took well with Luther, The doctrine of predestination beginneth at the wounds of Christ; but before any of this he was much wrought upon by conferrence with an old priest about justification by faith. So was that Italian marquis, Galecius Caracciolus, by a similitude used by Peter Martyr reading upon the First to the Corinthians. Nescio quid divinum in auscultatione est, saith one, there is a kind of divine force and efficacy in hearing more than in reading the word. We may say of it, as David once did of Goliath’s sword, There is none to that. And yet it cannot be denied that the word read also hath a mighty force and powerful influence upon the conscience Hence those many praises of it, Psa 19:7-8 , “The statutes of the Lord are right,” &c. Right for every man’s state and purpose; so penned, that every man may think they speak de se in re sua, of himself in this particular case, as Athanasius hath it; so right the good word of God is and suitable; how then can it be but forcible. see Heb 4:12 2Co 10:4-5 And how forcible it is none can tell but those that have felt it; nor those neither; hence this expression by way of admiration, Oh how effectual are right words!
But what doth your arguing reprove?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
words = sayings.
reprove = convince, or confute: i.e. what can a reproof from you reprove? See translation, below.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
forcible: Job 4:4, Job 16:5, Pro 12:18, Pro 16:21-24, Pro 18:21, Pro 25:11, Ecc 12:10, Ecc 12:11
what doth: Job 13:5, Job 16:3, Job 16:4, Job 21:34, Job 24:25, Job 32:3
Reciprocal: 1Sa 24:16 – Is this Job 6:6 – that which Job 12:2 – ye are the people Job 16:2 – heard Job 26:2 – helped Job 27:12 – altogether Job 32:15 – amazed Pro 24:26 – giveth a right answer
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6:25 How {p} forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?
(p) He who has a good conscience does not shrink at the sharp words or reasonings of others, unless they are able to persuade him by reason.