Job 16
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Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Man prepares, but God governs. God has made all things for himself; he hates pride. The judgments of God. The administration of kings; their justice, anger, and clemency. God has made all in weight, measure, and due proportion. Necessity produces industry. The patient man. The lot is under the direction of the Lord.
Open source ↗JOB'S REPLY. (Job 16:1-22) (Job 13:4).
Open source ↗Then Job answered and said. As soon as Eliphaz had done speaking, Job stood up, and made the following reply. Then Job answered and said. As soon as Eliphaz had done speaking, Job stood up, and made the following reply. Job 16:2 job 16:2 job 16:2 job 16:2I have heard many such things,.... As those Eliphaz has been discoursing of, concerning the punishment of wicked men; many instances of this kind had been reported to him from his preceptors, and from his parents, and which they had had from theirs, as well as Eliphaz had from his; and he had heard these things, or such like, told "many times" from one to another, as Ben Gersom interprets it; or "frequently", as the Vulgate Latin version, yea, he had heard them his friends say many things of this kind; so that there was nothing new delivered, nothing but what was "crambe millies cocta", the same thing over and over again; insomuch that it was not only needless and useless, but nauseous and disagreeable, and was far from carrying any conviction with it, or tracing weight and influence upon him; that he only gave it the hearing, and that was all, and scarce with any patience, it being altogether inapplicable to him: that wicked men were punished for their sins, he did not deny; and that good men were also afflicted, was a very plain case; and that neither good nor hatred, or an interest in the favour of God or not, were not known by these things; nor could any such conclusion be fairly drawn, that because Job was afflicted, that therefore he was a bad man: miserable comforters are ye all; his friends came to comfort him, and no doubt were sincere in their intentions; they took methods, as they thought, proper to answer such an end; and were so sanguine as to think their consolations were the consolations of God, according…
Open source ↗1 Then began Job, and said: 2 I have now heard such things in abundance, Troublesome comforters are ye all! 3 Are windy words now at an end, Or what goadeth thee that thou answerest? 4 I also would speak like you, If only your soul were in my soul's stead. I would weave words against you, And shake my head at you; 5 I would encourage you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips should soothe you. The speech of Eliphaz, as of the other two, is meant to be comforting. It is, however, primarily an accusation; it wounds instead of soothing. Of this kind of speech, says Job, one has now heard רבּות, much, i.e., (in a pregnant sense) amply sufficient, although the word might signify elliptically (Psa 106:43; comp. Neh 9:28) many times (Jer. frequenter); multa (as Job 23:14) is, however, equally suitable, and therefore is to be preferred as the more natural. Job 16:2 shows how כּאלּה is intended; they are altogether עמל מנחמי, consolatores onerosi (Jer.), such as, instead of alleviating, only cause עמל, molestiam (comp. on Job 13:4). In Job 16:3 Job returns their reproach of being windy, i.e., one without any purpose and substance, which they brought against him, Job 15:2.: have windy words an end, or (לו vel = אם in a disjunctive question, Ges. 155, 2, b) if not, what goads thee on to reply? מרץ has been already discussed on Job 6:25. The Targ. takes it in the sense of מלץ: what makes it sweet to thee, etc.; the Jewish interpreters give it, without any proof, the signification, to be strong; the lxx transl. παρενοχλήσει, which is not transparent. Hirz., Ew., Schlottm., and others, call in the help of the Arabic marida (Aramaic מרע), to be sick, the IV. form of which signifies "to make sick," not "to injure." (Note: The primary meaning of Arabic marida (root mr, stringere) is…
Open source ↗Both Job and his friends took the same way that disputants commonly take, which is to undervalue one another's sense, and wisdom, and management. The longer the saw of contention is drawn the hotter it grows; and the beginning of this sort of strife is as the letting forth of water; therefore leave it off before it be meddled with. Eliphaz had represented Job's discourses as idle, and unprofitable, and nothing to the purpose; and Job here gives his the same character. Those who are free in passing such censures must expect to have them retorted; it is easy, it is endless: but cui bono? - what good does it do? It will stir up men's passions, but will never convince their judgments, nor set truth in a clear light. Job here reproves Eliphaz, 1. For needless repetitions (v. 2): "I have heard many such things. You tell me nothing but what I knew before, nothing but what you yourselves have before said; you offer nothing new; it is the same thing over and over again." This Job thinks as great a trial of his patience as almost any of his troubles. The inculcating of the same things thus by an adversary is indeed provoking and nauseous, but by a teacher it is often necessary, and must not be grievous to the learner, to whom precept must be upon precept, and line upon line. Many things we have heard which it is good for us to hear again, that we may understand and remember them better, and be more affected with them and influenced by them. 2. For unskilful applications. They came with a design to comfort him, but they went about it very awkwardly, and, when they touched Job's case, quite mistook it: "Miserable comforters are you all, who, instead of offering any thing to alleviate the affliction, add affliction to it, and make it yet more grievous." The patient's case is sad ind…
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
אִיּוֹב (ʼÎyôwb, H347) — Ijob, the patriarch famous for his patience עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;… אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude)
Open source ↗שָׁמַע (shâmaʻ, H8085) — to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively,… רַב (rab, H7227) — abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality) עָמָל (ʻâmâl, H5999) — toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mind נָחַם (nâcham, H5162) — properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a…
Open source ↗רוּחַ (rûwach, H7307) — wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively,… דָּבָר (dâbâr, H1697) — a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause קֵץ (qêts, H7093) — an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after מָרַץ (mârats, H4834) — properly, to press, i.e. (figuratively) to be pungent or vehement; to irritate עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;…
Open source ↗דָבַר (dâbar, H1696) — perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a… לוּא (lûwʼ, H3863) — a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. as a wish) would that! נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh, H5315) — properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in… יֵשׁ (yêsh, H3426) — there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection) חָבַר (châbar, H2266) — to join (literally or figuratively); specifically (by means of spells) to fascinate מִלָּה (millâh, H4405) — a word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic נוּעַ (nûwaʻ, H5128) — to waver, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (as subjoined) רֹאשׁ (rôʼsh, H7218) — the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of… בְּמוֹ (bᵉmôw, H1119) — in, with, by, etc.
Open source ↗אָמַץ (ʼâmats, H553) — to be alert, physically (on foot) or mentally (in courage) בְּמוֹ (bᵉmôw, H1119) — in, with, by, etc. פֶּה (peh, H6310) — the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech);… נִיד (nîyd, H5205) — motion (of the lips in speech) שָׂפָה (sâphâh, H8193) — the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a… חָשַׂךְ (châsak, H2820) — to restrain or (reflex.) refrain; by implication, to refuse, spare, preserve; to observe
Open source ↗דָבַר (dâbar, H1696) — perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a… כְּאֵב (kᵉʼêb, H3511) — suffering (physical or mental), adversity חָשַׂךְ (châsak, H2820) — to restrain or (reflex.) refrain; by implication, to refuse, spare, preserve; to observe חָדַל (châdal, H2308) — properly, to be flabby, i.e. (by implication) desist; (figuratively) be lacking or idle הָלַךְ (hâlak, H1980) — to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
Open source ↗לָאָה (lâʼâh, H3811) — to tire; (figuratively) to be (or make) disgusted שָׁמֵם (shâmêm, H8074) — to stun (or intransitively, grow numb), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both… עֵדָה (ʻêdâh, H5712) — a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd)
Open source ↗קָמַט (qâmaṭ, H7059) — to pluck, i.e. destroy עֵד (ʻêd, H5707) — concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. prince כַּחַשׁ (kachash, H3585) — literally a failure of flesh, i.e. emaciation; figuratively, hypocrisy קוּם (qûwm, H6965) — to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative) עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;… פָּנִים (pânîym, H6440) — the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and…
Open source ↗טָרַף (ṭâraph, H2963) — to pluck off or pull to pieces; causatively to supply with food (as in morsels) אַף (ʼaph, H639) — properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the… שָׂטַם (sâṭam, H7852) — properly, to lurk for, i.e. persecute חָרַק (châraq, H2786) — to grate the teeth שֵׁן (shên, H8127) — a tooth (as sharp); specifically ivory; figuratively, a cliff צַר (tsar, H6862) — narrow; (as a noun) a tight place (usually figuratively, i.e. trouble); also a pebble ;… לָטַשׁ (lâṭash, H3913) — properly, to hammer out (an edge), i.e. to sharpen עַיִן (ʻayin, H5869) — an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
Open source ↗פָּעַר (pâʻar, H6473) — to yawn, i.e. open wide (literally or figuratively) פֶּה (peh, H6310) — the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech);… נָכָה (nâkâh, H5221) — to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively) לְחִי (lᵉchîy, H3895) — the cheek (from its fleshiness); hence, the jaw-bone חֶרְפָּה (cherpâh, H2781) — contumely, disgrace, the pudenda מָלֵא (mâlêʼ, H4390) — to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively) יַחַד (yachad, H3162) — properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedly
Open source ↗אֵל (ʼêl, H410) — strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity) סָגַר (çâgar, H5462) — to shut up; figuratively, to surrender עֲוִיל (ʻăvîyl, H5760) — perverse (morally) יָרַט (yâraṭ, H3399) — to precipitate or hurl (rush) headlong; (intransitively) to be rash יָד (yâd, H3027) — a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.), רָשָׁע (râshâʻ, H7563) — morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person
Open source ↗שָׁלֵו (shâlêv, H7961) — tranquil; (in a bad sense) careless; abstractly, security פָּרַר (pârar, H6565) — to break up (usually figuratively), i.e. to violate, frustrate אָחַז (ʼâchaz, H270) — to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession) עֹרֶף (ʻôreph, H6203) — the nape or back of the neck (as declining); hence, the back generally (whether literal… פּוּץ (pûwts, H6327) — to dash in pieces, literally or figuratively (especially to disperse) קוּם (qûwm, H6965) — to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative) מַטָּרָא (maṭṭârâʼ, H4307) — a jail (as a guard-house); also an aim (as being closely watched)
Open source ↗רַב (rab, H7228) — an archer סָבַב (çâbab, H5437) — to revolve, surround, or border; used in various applications, literally and figuratively פָּלַח (pâlach, H6398) — to slice, i.e. break open or pierce כִּלְיָה (kilyâh, H3629) — a kidney (as an essential organ); figuratively, the mind (as the interior self) חָמַל (châmal, H2550) — to commiserate; by implication, to spare שָׁפַךְ (shâphak, H8210) — to spill forth (blood, a libation, liquid metal; or even a solid, i.e. to mound up); also… מְרֵרָה (mᵉrêrâh, H4845) — bile (from its bitterness) אֶרֶץ (ʼerets, H776) — the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
Open source ↗פָּרַץ (pârats, H6555) — to break out (in many applications, direct and indirect, literal and figurative) פֶּרֶץ (perets, H6556) — a break (literally or figuratively) פָּנִים (pânîym, H6440) — the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and… רוּץ (rûwts, H7323) — to run (for whatever reason, especially to rush) גִּבּוֹר (gibbôwr, H1368) — powerful; by implication, warrior, tyrant
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