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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Bible

Job 11:7-12

7-12 Zophar speaks well concerning God and his greatness and glory, concerning man and his vanity and folly. See here what man is; and let him be humbled. God sees this concerning vain man, that he would be wise, would be thought so, though he is born like a wild ass's colt, so unteachable and untameable. Man is a vain creature; empty, so the word is. Yet he is a proud creature, and self-conceited. He would be wise, would be thought so, though he will not submit to the laws of wisdom. He would be wise, he reaches after forbidden wisdom, and, like his first parents, aiming to be wise above what is written, loses the tree of life for the tree of knowledge. Is such a creature as this fit to contend with God?

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See also Job 11:7-12 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 11:7. _CANST THOU BY SEARCHING FIND OUT GOD?_] What is God? A Being self-existent, eternal, infinite, immense, without bounds, incomprehensible either by mind, or time, or space. Who then ca...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    CANST THEN, BY SEARCHING, FIND OUT GOD? - In order to illustrate the sentiment which he had just expressed, that the secrets of divine wisdom must be far above our comprehension, Zophar introduces her...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 11 ZOPHAR'S FIRST ADDRESS _ 1. Job's multitude of words rebuked (Job 11:1)_ 2. The greatness and omniscience of God (Job 11:7) 3. That Job repent and receive the Blessings (Job 11:13)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    SPEECH OF ZOPHAR.Job has shown that the assumption, that on account of the Divine righteousness only human sin can be the cause of misfortune, leads to the worst conclusions as to God's nature. What a...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    CANST. ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6. THE ALMIGHTY. Hebrew El Shaddai. App-4....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    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 th...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Panegyric on the Divine Wisdom or Omniscience. This wisdom cannot be fathomed by man (Job 11:7). It fills all things (Job 11:8). And this explains the sudden calamities that befall men, for God percei...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 462 THE INCOMPREHENSIBILITY OF GOD Job 11:7. Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    CANST THOU BY SEARCHING FIND OUT GOD?— _Canst thou penetrate into the secrets or depths of God? Canst thou fathom the immensity of the Almighty?_ Houbigant and Heath....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. The Almighty is not fooled; He recognizes iniquity. (Job 11:7-12) TEXT 11:7-12 7 CANST THOU BY SEARCHING FIND OAT GOD? Canst thou find OUT THE Almighty unto perfection? 8 IT IS high as heaven;...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _CANST THOU BY SEARCHING FIND OUT GOD? CANST THOU FIND OUT THE ALMIGHTY UNTO PERFECTION?_ Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? х_ TAKLIYT_ (H8503)] - rather, 'Penetrate (reach) to the pe...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FIRST SPEECH OF ZOPHAR The speech is short and unsympathetic. 1-6. Zophar rebukes Job for daring to assert his innocence....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    RM 'Canst thou find out the deep things of God?'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 11 ZOPHAR’S FIRST SPEECH G...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Zophar’s words in verses 7-9 are like God’s words in Job 38:4-5 and Job 38:19. God said these things to teach Job about God’s greatness. But Zophar wanted to frighten Job. Zophar was saying, ‘God is v...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    CANST THOU BY SEARCHING FIND OUT GOD? Literally, _Canst thou attain to the searching out of God? _...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    הַ חֵ֣קֶר אֱלֹ֣והַ תִּמְצָ֑א אִ֤ם עַד ־תַּכְל

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XI. A FRESH ATTEMPT TO CONVICT Job 11:1 ZOPHAR SPEAKS THE third and presumably youngest of the three friends of Job now takes up the argument somewhat in the same strain as the others. With no wis...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “CANST THOU BY SEARCHING FIND OUT GOD?” Job 11:1 Zophar waxes vehement as he censures Job's self-justification and his refusal to acknowledge the guilt which his friends attribute to him. There is s...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    When Job had ceased, Zophar, the last of the three friends, answered him. His method was characterized by even greater plainness than that of Bildad. Indeed, there was a roughness and directness about...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Perfectly? If not, it is rash to find fault. (Menochius)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (7) В¶ Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? (8) It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? (9) The measure...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 THROUGH 31. As to the friends of Job, they do not call for any extended remarks. They urge the doctrine that God's earthly government is a full measure and...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    CANST THOU BY SEARCHING FIND OUT GOD?.... God is not to be found out by human search; that there is a God may be found out by inquiring into the book of nature, by considering the creatures that are m...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? Ver. 7. _Canst thou by searching find out God?_] _i.e._ The nature of God, or the course of his providence, and...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Canst thou by searching find out God?_ That is, discover all the depths of his wisdom, and the reasons of all his actions. _It is as high as heaven_ Thou canst not measure the heights of the visible...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Canst thou by searching find out God, reaching the bottom of the mystery of God's wonderful essence? CANST THOU FIND OUT THE ALMIGHTY UNTO PERFECTION, penetrating to the uttermost parts of the divine...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    ZOPHAR TRIES TO REPROVE JOB...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    ZOPHAR'S CRUEL ACCUSATION (vv.1-6) Zophar was likely the youngest of the three men, and what he lacks in maturity he makes up for in bitter accusation against Job. He did not have such restraint as...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    This is. wonderful description of God's wisdom and it may have been intended as. rebuke to Job's claim of wisdom (Job 9:4). "Zophar pointed out that the Lord's mysterious, plummetless, unknowable wisd...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    FIND OUT GOD, i.e. discover all the depths of his wisdom, and the reasons of all his actions....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 11:7 search H2714 H4672 (H8799) God H433 out H4672 (H8799) limits H8503 Almighty H7706 Canst -...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Job 11:7 Zophar's question made Job burn with passion. Over three Chapter s, in alternate hope and despair, but always with fierce intensity, turning and returning his thoughts, but always reassertin...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    The words we are about to read were spoken by one of Job's three friends, or what if I call them his three tormentors? These men did not speak wisely, and their argument was not altogether sound; but,...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Zophar's theory of Job's condition. He thinks Job a hypocrite and liar. CHARACTERS: God, Zophar, Job. CONCLUSION: Those are not always in the right who are most forward to express their ju...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 11:3. _Thy lies;_ that is, thy device, as in the margin; _jactantias tuas,_ thy boastings, the delicacy of thy turns of speech, to extenuate thy sins: He does not mean gross lies and untruths, bec...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Canst thou by searching find out God?_ THE UNSEARCHABLENESS OF GOD You are not to suppose that your God is to be utterly unknown, and that because your faculties cannot pierce the inmost recesses o...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 11:1 Like Bildad (Job 8:1), Zophar accuses Job of being presumptuous and speaking empty words. ⇐

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 11:7 There is irony in this verse that Zophar will realize only during the events of the epilogue (Job 42:7). Zophar accuses Job of wrongly thinking he can know the deep things of God

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _FIRST SPEECH OF ZOPHAR_ Zophar follows in the same train with his companions. Misled by the same false principle—great sufferings prove great sins—he acts the part, not of a comforter, but of a repr...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JOB 11:1 Zophar, the Naamathite, the third of Job's comforters (Job 2:11), and probably the youngest of them, now at last takes the word, and delivers an angry and violent speech. He begin...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn to the eleventh chapter of the book of Job. And in chapter 11 we hear from Job's third friend, old Zophar, and he gets his two cents worth in. Now for you that weren't here last Sunday n...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Ecclesiastes 3:11; Ephesians 3:8;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Find out — Discover all the depths of his wisdom, and the reasons of his actions?...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    Can God be known by humans? PROBLEM: Job seems to imply that God cannot be known by human reason. Paul also declared that God’s judgments are “unsearchable … and His ways past finding out” (Romans 11:...

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