11 My foot H7272 hath held H270 his steps, H838 his way H1870 have I kept, H8104 and not declined. H5186
Our heart H3820 is not turned H5472 back, H268 neither have our steps H838 declined H5186 from thy way; H734
The righteous H6662 also shall hold H270 on his way, H1870 and he that hath clean H2890 hands H3027 shall be H3254 stronger and stronger. H555
To them who by G3303 G2596 patient continuance G5281 in well G18 doing G2041 seek G2212 for glory G1391 and G2532 honour G5092 and G2532 immortality, G861 eternal G166 life: G2222
For G1063 if G1487 after they have escaped G668 the pollutions G3393 of the world G2889 through G1722 the knowledge G1922 of the Lord G2962 and G2532 Saviour G4990 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 they are G1707 again G3825 entangled G1707 therein, G5125 and G1161 overcome, G1096 G2274 the latter end G2078 is worse G5501 with them G846 than the beginning. G4413 For G1063 it had been G2258 better G2909 for them G846 not G3361 to have known G1921 the way G3598 of righteousness, G1343 than, G2228 after they have known G1921 it, to turn G1994 from G1537 the holy G40 commandment G1785 delivered G3860 unto them. G846 But G1161 it is happened G4819 unto them G846 according to G3588 the true G227 proverb, G3942 The dog G2965 is turned G1994 to G1909 his own G2398 vomit G1829 again; G1994 and G2532 the sow G5300 that was washed G3068 to G1519 her wallowing G2946 in the mire. G1004
The LORD H3068 rewarded H1580 me according to my righteousness; H6664 according to the cleanness H1252 of my hands H3027 hath he recompensed H7725 me. For I have kept H8104 the ways H1870 of the LORD, H3068 and have not wickedly departed H7561 from my God. H430 For all his judgments H4941 were before me, and I did not put away H5493 his statutes H2708 from me. I was also upright H8549 before him, and I kept H8104 myself from mine iniquity. H5771 Therefore hath the LORD H3068 recompensed H7725 me according to my righteousness, H6664 according to the cleanness H1252 of my hands H3027 in his eyesight. H5869
And G1161 when G5613 they were come G3854 to G4314 him, G846 he said G2036 unto them, G846 Ye G5210 know, G1987 from G575 the first G4413 day G2250 that G575 G3739 I came G1910 into G1519 Asia, G773 after what manner G4459 I have been G1096 with G3326 you G5216 at all G3956 seasons, G5550 Serving G1398 the Lord G2962 with G3326 all G3956 humility of mind, G5012 and G2532 with many G4183 tears, G1144 and G2532 temptations, G3986 which G3588 befell G4819 me G3427 by G1722 the lying in wait G1917 of the Jews: G2453
For G1063 our G2257 rejoicing G2746 is G2076 this, G3778 the testimony G3142 of our G2257 conscience, G4893 that G3754 in G1722 simplicity G572 and G2532 godly G2316 sincerity, G1505 not G3756 with G1722 fleshly G4559 wisdom, G4678 but G235 by G1722 the grace G5485 of God, G2316 we have had our conversation G390 in G1722 the world, G2889 and G1161 more abundantly G4056 to G4314 you-ward. G5209
And now, behold, the king H4428 walketh H1980 before H6440 you: and I am old H2204 and grayheaded; H7867 and, behold, my sons H1121 are with you: and I have walked H1980 before H6440 you from my childhood H5271 unto this day. H3117 Behold, here I am: witness H6030 against me before the LORD, H3068 and before his anointed: H4899 whose ox H7794 have I taken? H3947 or whose ass H2543 have I taken? H3947 or whom have I defrauded? H6231 whom have I oppressed? H7533 or of whose hand H3027 have I received any bribe H3724 to blind H5956 mine eyes H5869 therewith? and I will restore H7725 it you. And they said, H559 Thou hast not defrauded H6231 us, nor oppressed H7533 us, neither hast thou taken H3947 ought H3972 of any man's H376 hand. H3027 And he said H559 unto them, The LORD H3068 is witness H5707 against you, and his anointed H4899 is witness H5707 this day, H3117 that ye have not found H4672 ought H3972 in my hand. H3027 And they answered, H559 He is witness. H5707
G1161 They on G1909 the rock G4073 are they, which, G3739 when G3752 they hear, G191 receive G1209 the word G3056 with G3326 joy; G5479 and G2532 these G3778 have G2192 no G3756 root, G4491 which G3739 for G4314 a while G2540 believe, G4100 and G2532 in G1722 time G2540 of temptation G3986 fall away. G868 And G1161 that which fell G4098 among G1519 thorns G173 are G1526 they, G3778 which, when they have heard, G191 go forth, G4198 and G2532 are choked G4846 with G5259 cares G3308 and G2532 riches G4149 and G2532 pleasures G2237 of this life, G979 and G2532 bring G5052 no G3756 fruit to perfection. G5052 But G1161 that on G1722 the good G2570 ground G1093 are G1526 they, G3778 which G3748 in G1722 an honest G2570 and G2532 good G18 heart, G2588 having heard G191 the word, G3056 keep G2722 it, and G2532 bring forth fruit G2592 with G1722 patience. G5281
I have coveted G1937 no man's G3762 silver, G694 or G2228 gold, G5553 or G2228 apparel. G2441 Yea, G1161 ye yourselves G846 know, G1097 that G3754 these G3778 hands G5495 have ministered G5256 unto my G3450 necessities, G5532 and G2532 to them that were G5607 with G3326 me. G1700
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 23
Commentary on Job 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
THIRD SERIES.
Job 23:1-17. Job's Answer.
2. to-day—implying, perhaps, that the debate was carried on through more days than one (see Introduction).
bitter—(Job 7:11; 10:1).
my stroke—the hand of God on me (Margin, Job 19:21; Ps 32:4).
heavier than—is so heavy that I cannot relieve myself adequately by groaning.
3. The same wish as in Job 13:3 (compare Heb 10:19-22).
Seat—The idea in the Hebrew is a well-prepared throne (Ps 9:7).
4. order—state methodically (Job 13:18; Isa 43:26).
fill, &c.—I would have abundance of arguments to adduce.
5. he—emphatic: it little matters what man may say of me, if only I know what God judges of me.
6. An objection suggests itself, while he utters the wish (Job 23:5). Do I hereby wish that He should plead against me with His omnipotence? Far from it! (Job 9:19, 34; 13:21; 30:18).
strength—so as to prevail with Him: as in Jacob's case (Ho 12:3, 4). Umbreit and Maurer better translate as in Job 4:20 (I only wish that He) "would attend to me," that is, give me a patient hearing as an ordinary judge, not using His omnipotence, but only His divine knowledge of my innocence.
7. There—rather, "Then": if God would "attend" to me (Job 23:6).
righteous—that is, the result of my dispute would be, He would acknowledge me as righteous.
delivered—from suspicion of guilt on the part of my Judge.
8. But I wish in vain. For "behold," &c.
forward … backward—rather, "to the east—to the west." The Hebrew geographers faced the east, that is, sunrise: not the north, as we do. So "before" means east: "behind," west (so the Hindus). Para, "before"—east: Apara, "behind"—west: Daschina, "the right hand"—south: Bama, "left"—north. A similar reference to sunrise appears in the name Asia, "sunrise," Europe, "sunset"; pure Babylonian names, as Rawlinson shows.
9. Rather, "To the north."
work—God's glorious works are especially seen towards the north region of the sky by one in the northern hemisphere. The antithesis is between God working and yet not being beheld: as in Job 9:11, between "He goeth by," and "I see Him not." If the Hebrew bears it, the parallelism to the second clause is better suited by translating, as Umbreit, "doth hide himself"; but then the antithesis to "behold" would be lost.
right hand—"in the south."
hideth—appropriately, of the unexplored south, then regarded as uninhabitable because of its heat (see Job 34:29).
10. But—correcting himself for the wish that his cause should be known before God. The omniscient One already knoweth the way in me (my inward principles: His outward way or course of acts is mentioned in Job 23:11. So in me, Job 4:21); though for some inscrutable cause He as yet hides Himself (Job 23:8, 9).
when—let Him only but try my cause, I shall, &c.
11. held—fast by His steps. The law is in Old Testament poetry regarded as a way, God going before us as our guide, in whose footsteps we must tread (Ps 17:5).
declined—(Ps 125:5).
12. esteemed—rather, "laid up," namely, as a treasure found (Mt 13:44; Ps 119:11); alluding to the words of Eliphaz (Job 22:22). There was no need to tell me so; I have done so already (Jer 15:16).
necessary—"Appointed portion" (of food; as in Pr 30:8). Umbreit and Maurer translate, "More than my law," my own will, in antithesis to "the words of His mouth" (Joh 6:38). Probably under the general term, "what is appointed to me" (the same Hebrew is in Job 23:14), all that ministers to the appetites of the body and carnal will is included.
13. in one mind—notwithstanding my innocence, He is unaltered in His purpose of proving me guilty (Job 9:12).
soul—His will (Ps 115:3). God's sovereignty. He has one great purpose; nothing is haphazard; everything has its proper place with a view to His purpose.
14. many such—He has yet many more such ills in store for me, though hidden in His breast (Job 10:13).
15. God's decrees, impossible to be resisted, and leaving us in the dark as to what may come next, are calculated to fill the mind with holy awe [Barnes].
16. soft—faint; hath melted my courage. Here again Job's language is that of Jesus Christ (Ps 22:14).
17. Because I was not taken away by death from the evil to come (literally, "from before the face of the darkness," Isa 57:1). Alluding to the words of Eliphaz (Job 22:11), "darkness," that is, calamity.
cut off—rather, in the Arabic sense, brought to the land of silence; my sad complaint hushed in death [Umbreit]. "Darkness" in the second clause, not the same Hebrew word as in the first, "cloud," "obscurity." Instead of "covering the cloud (of evil) from my face," He "covers" me with it (Job 22:11).