Job 11:6

shew thee the secrets of wisdom Wisdomhere is God's omniscience. Its secretsare not the things known to it, such, for example, as Job's sins, but its own profound depths and insight.

that they are double to that which is Or, that it (wisdom) is double in (true) understanding. By double or twofold in regard to true understanding is not meant, double of man's wisdom or that of the creature in general, but rather, twofold what Job conceived of it, in other words, that, in regard to its true insight, it far exceeded all conception. This translation presents the smallest deviation from the A. V. and is simple. It is an objection to it that it makes "understanding" a quality of "wisdom," while the former word (on which see note on ch. Job 5:12) would more naturally be but another name for the "wisdom," as it is in Job's reply to all this, ch. Job 12:16, cf. Job 11:13. Hence others assume that the word twofoldmeans "many folds," translating: that folds, complications, belong to (true) understanding, that is, that (God's) understanding is manifold.

Know therefore i. e. then shouldst thou know. The imperative is a more vivid way of expressing the future, see on ch. Job 5:1.

exacteth of thee less, &c. This gives the general sense, though the translation seems to rest both on a false etymology and a false idea of construction. Literally the words mean: God bringeth into forgetfulness for thee some of thy guilt, that is, remembereth not against thee all thy guilt. Others (e.g. Hitz.): God causeth thee to forget thy guilt. The general meaning is, that if God would appear and speak and reveal His knowledge of Job's sins, Job would be brought to know that he was guilty perhaps even that his afflictions were far below his guilt. This is a harder word than has yet been uttered against Job.