Bible Commentary

[It is] as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? 8. His wisdom is immeasurable, unfathomable. The words are an exclamation: heights of heaven! what canst thou do? thou art impotent before it, to scale it or reach it. deeper than hell ] i. e. than Sheol, the … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 11:8”

Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? 7. The verse means, Canst thou fathom or conceive God? The special side of God’s being, which Zophar declares to be unfathomable, is His wisdom or omniscience. This is the point in question, for it is this which discovers Job’s … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 11:7”

And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom, that [they are] double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee [less] than thine iniquity [deserveth]. 6. shew thee the secrets of wisdom ] Wisdom here is God’s omniscience. Its secrets are not the things known to it, such, for example, … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 11:6”

But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee; 5. Job had expressed his readiness to meet God and plead his cause before Him, ch. Job 9:25; Zophar, with reference to this, exclaims, Would that God would speak! The result would be different from what Job anticipated, his guilt would be laid … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 11:5”

For thou hast said, My doctrine [is] pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. 4. For thou hast said ] Better, and sayest, explaining what his mockery consists in. My doctrine is pure ] Job had not used precisely such words. Zophar gives what he understands as the gist of his contention. and I … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 11:4”

Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? 3. Should thy lies ] Or, Shall thy boastings, or, as Reuss, “ton verbiage.” The reference is probably to Job’s assertions of his own innocence, or perhaps the general scope of his speech. The word “men” is … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 11:3”

Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified? 2. Should not the multitude of words ] Or, shall not ? Zophar probably did not demand the parole immediately on Job’s ceasing to speak. A pause was allowed to intervene, and the words with which he commences … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 11:2”

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, Job 11:1-6 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite. The attitude of Jobs friends In this chapter Zophar gives his first speech, and it is sharper toned than those which went before. The three friends have now all spoken. Your sympathies perhaps are not wholly on their side. Yet do … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 11:1”

A land of darkness, as darkness [itself; and] of the shadow of death, without any order, and [where] the light [is] as darkness. 22. without any order ] There Chaos reigns; cf. the beautiful description of the effect of light upon the earth, ch. Job 38:12-14. the light is as darkness ] The light in … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 10:22”

Before I go [whence] I shall not return, [even] to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; Before I go – from where I shall not return. To the grave, to the land of shades, to That undiscovered country, from whose bourne No traveler returns. To the land of darkness – This passage … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 10:21”