Job 33:1
_WHEREFORE, JOB, I PRAY THEE, HEAR MY SPEECHES, AND HEARKEN TO ALL MY WORDS._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHEREFORE, JOB, I PRAY THEE, HEAR MY SPEECHES, AND HEARKEN TO ALL MY WORDS._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, NOW I HAVE OPENED MY MOUTH, MY TONGUE HATH SPOKEN IN MY MOUTH._ Mouth - rather, palate, whereby the taste discerns. Every man speaks with his mouth, but few, as Elihu, try their words with discrimination first, and only say what is really good (Job 6:30; Job 12:11). HATH SPOKEN - rather,... [ Continue Reading ]
_MY WORDS SHALL BE OF THE UPRIGHTNESS OF MY HEART: AND MY LIPS SHALL UTTER KNOWLEDGE CLEARLY._ I will speak according to my inward conviction. CLEARLY - rather, purely; х_ BAARUWR_ (H1305)] sincerely; not distorting the truth through passion, as the friends.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE SPIRIT OF GOD HATH MADE ME, AND THE BREATH OF THE ALMIGHTY HATH GIVEN ME LIFE._ The Spirit of God hath made me - as He did thee: latter clause of Job 33:6 (Genesis 2:7). Therefore thou needest not fear me as thou wouldest God (Job 33:7; Job 9:34). On the other hand, 'the breath of the Almighty... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF THOU CANST ANSWER ME, SET THY WORDS IN ORDER BEFORE ME, STAND UP._ Images from a court of justice. STAND UP - alluding to Job's words (Job 30:20).... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, I AM ACCORDING TO THY WISH IN GOD'S STEAD: I ALSO AM FORMED OUT OF THE CLAY._ (Note, Job 33:4; Job 31:35; Job 13:3; Job 13:20.) IN GOD'S STEAD - literally, 'for God' х_ LAA-'EEL_ (H410)]. Maurer translates 'I am to God (in the same relation) as thou art.' But Job 33:23 implies he was God... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, MY TERROR SHALL NOT MAKE THEE AFRAID, NEITHER SHALL MY HAND BE HEAVY UPON THEE._ Hand - alluding to Job's words (Job 13:21, "Withdraw thine hand far from me"). The Hebrew here is not found elsewhere х_ 'EKEP_ (H405)]. It means in Arabic 'a load' or 'burden.' So Maurer and Umbreit translate... [ Continue Reading ]
_SURELY THOU HAST SPOKEN IN MINE HEARING, AND I HAVE HEARD THE VOICE OF THY WORDS, SAYING,_ Thy words - (Job 10:7; Job 16:17; Job 23:11; Job 27:5; Job 29:14). In Job 9:30; Job 13:23, Job had acknowledged sin; but the general spirit of his words was to maintain himself to be "clean," and to charge w... [ Continue Reading ]
_I AM CLEAN WITHOUT TRANSGRESSION, I AM INNOCENT; NEITHER IS THERE INIQUITY IN ME._ Clean - spotless.... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, HE FINDETH OCCASIONS AGAINST ME, HE COUNTETH ME FOR HIS ENEMY,_ Occasions - for hostility: literally, enmities (Job 13:24; Job 16:9; Job 19:11; Job 30:21). х_ TªNUW'OWT_ (H8569)]... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE PUTTETH MY FEET IN THE STOCKS, HE MARKETH ALL MY PATHS._ (Job 13:27.) MARKETH - narrowly watches (Job 14:16; Job 7:12; Job 31:4)... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, IN THIS THOU ART NOT JUST: I WILL ANSWER THEE, THAT GOD IS GREATER THAN MAN._ In this - view of God and His government. It cannot be that God should jealously 'watch' man, though 'spotless' as an 'enemy,' or as one afraid of Him as an equal. For "God is greater than man." There must be sin... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHY DOST THOU STRIVE AGAINST HIM? FOR HE GIVETH NOT ACCOUNT OF ANY OF HIS MATTERS._ Why dost thou strive against him? (Isaiah 45:9.) HIS MATTERS - ways; literally, words. The Hebrew idiom uses "word" х_ DªBAAR_ (H1697)] for "things." Our part is, not to "strive" with God, but to submit. To belie... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR GOD SPEAKETH ONCE, YEA TWICE, YET MAN PERCEIVETH IT NOT._ Translate, 'Yet man regardeth it not:' or, rather, as Umbreit, 'Yea twice (he repeats the warning), (if) man gives no heed' to the first warning. Elihu implies that God's reason for sending affliction is because, when God has communicat... [ Continue Reading ]
_IN A DREAM, IN A VISION OF THE NIGHT, WHEN DEEP SLEEP FALLETH UPON MEN, IN SLUMBERINGS UPON THE BED;_ Slumberings - light, as opposed to 'deep sleep.' Elihu has in view Eliphaz (Job 4:13), and also Job himself (Job 7:14). "Dreams" in sleep, and "visions" of actual apparitions, were among the ways... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN HE OPENETH THE EARS OF MEN, AND SEALETH THEIR INSTRUCTION,_ Literally, sealeth (their ears) to himself by warnings - i:e., with the sureness and secrecy of a seal He reveals His warnings (Umbreit). To seal up securely (Job 37:7) to one's self. On the "openeth," see Job 36:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THAT HE MAY WITHDRAW MAN FROM HIS PURPOSE, AND HIDE PRIDE FROM MAN._ Purpose - margin, 'work.' So. Job 36:9. So 'business' in a bad sense (1 Samuel 20:19). Elihu alludes to Job's words (Job 17:11). "Pride" is an open "pit" (Job 33:18) which God hides or covers up lest man should fall into it. Even... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE KEEPETH BACK HIS SOUL FROM THE PIT, AND HIS LIFE FROM PERISHING BY THE SWORD._ His soul - his life. THE PIT - the grave; a symbol of hell. PERISHING BY THE SWORD - i:e., a violent death; in the Old Testament a symbol of the future punishment of the ungodly.... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE IS CHASTENED ALSO WITH PAIN UPON HIS BED, AND THE MULTITUDE OF HIS BONES WITH STRONG PAIN:_ When man does not heed warnings of the night, he is chastened, etc. The new thought suggested by Elihu is that affliction is disciplinary (Job 36:10): for the good of the godly. MULTITUDE - so the Hebr... [ Continue Reading ]
_SO THAT HIS LIFE ABHORRETH BREAD, AND HIS SOUL DAINTY MEAT._ Life - i:e., the appetite, which ordinarily sustains, "life" (Job 38:39, margin; see Psalms 107:18, "Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat, and they drew near unto the gates of death;" Ecclesiastes 12:5, "Desire shall fail"). The takin... [ Continue Reading ]
_HIS FLESH IS CONSUMED AWAY, THAT IT CANNOT BE SEEN; AND HIS BONES THAT WERE NOT SEEN STICK OUT._ His flesh, once prominent, 'can no more be seen.' His bones, once not seen, now appear prominent. STICK OUT - literally, are bare х_ SHUPUW_ (H8205)]. The Hebrew margin (Qeri') reading. The text (Ket... [ Continue Reading ]
_YEA, HIS SOUL DRAWETH NEAR UNTO THE GRAVE, AND HIS LIFE TO THE DESTROYERS._ Destroyers - angels of death commissioned by God to end man's life (2 Samuel 24:16; Psalms 78:49, "He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger ... by sending evil angels among them"). The death pains personified may, how... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF THERE BE A MESSENGER WITH HIM, AN INTERPRETER, ONE AMONG A THOUSAND, TO SHEW UNTO MAN HIS UPRIGHTNESS:_ Elihu refers to himself as the divinely sent (Job 32:8; Job 33:6) "messenger" or angel х_ MAL'AAK_ (H4397)], the "interpreter," to explain to Job and vindicate God's righteousness; х_ MEELIYTS... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN HE IS GRACIOUS UNTO HIM, AND SAITH, DELIVER HIM FROM GOING DOWN TO THE PIT: I HAVE FOUND A RANSOM._ He is gracious - God. This verse is the apodosis to Job 33:23. DELIVER - literally, redeem: х_ PAADA`_ (H6308) or _ PAADAAH_ (H6299)]: deliver by paying a price [Greek, _ LUTRON_ (G3083), a pa... [ Continue Reading ]
_HIS FLESH SHALL BE FRESHER THAN A CHILD'S: HE SHALL RETURN TO THE DAYS OF HIS YOUTH:_ Effects of restoration to God's favour; literally, to Job a temporal revival; spiritually, an eternal regeneration. The striking words cannot be restricted to their temporal meaning as used by Elihu (1 Peter 1:11... [ Continue Reading ]
_LO, ALL THESE THINGS WORKETH GOD OFTENTIMES WITH MAN,_ Hebrew margin, etc., twice (and) thrice, alluding to Job 33:14: once by visions, Job 33:15; secondly, by afflictions, Job 33:19; now by the "messenger;" thirdly, Job 33:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
_TO BRING BACK HIS SOUL FROM THE PIT, TO BE ENLIGHTENED WITH THE LIGHT OF THE LIVING._ Referring to Job 33:28 (Psalms 56:13).... [ Continue Reading ]
_MARK WELL, O JOB, HEARKEN UNTO ME: HOLD THY PEACE, AND I WILL SPEAK._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF THOU HAST ANY THING TO SAY, ANSWER ME: SPEAK, FOR I DESIRE TO JUSTIFY THEE._ Justify - to do thee justice; and, if I can, consistently with it, to declare thee innocent. At Job 33:33 Elihu pauses for a reply; then proceeds, Job 34:1. Remarks: (1) Calm and candid reasoning in a kindly spirit is... [ Continue Reading ]