Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Job 16:3

Shall vain words have an end lit. is there any end to words of wind?To retort their charge of "windy knowledge" (ch. Job 15:2), Job cannot help fearing that there is no end to such empty harangues on their side, though he cannot imagine what provokes them to reply instead of letting the controversy drop, as he had long ago besought them (ch. Job 13:5). For emboldeneth provoketh is better.

Continues after advertising

See also Job 16:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 16:3. _VAIN WORDS_] Literally, _words of air_. _WHAT EMBOLDENETH THEE_] Thou art totally ignorant of the business; what then can induce thee to take part in this discussion?...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    SHALL VAIN WORDS? - Margin, As in Hebrew words of wind; that is, words which were devoid of thought-light, trifling. This is a retort on Eliphaz. He had charged Job Job 15:2 with uttering only such wo...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER S 16-17 JOB'S REPLY TO ELIPHAZ _ 1. Miserable comforters are ye all (Job 16:1)_ 2. Oh God! Thou hast done it! (Job 16:6) 3. Yet I look to Thee (Job 16:15) 4. Trouble upon trouble; self-pit...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Job has had enough of his tormenting comforters (Job 16:2 f.). He could, if the positions were reversed, well enough offer them such mere verbal consolation (the stress in Job 16:5 is on mouth and lip...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SHALL... ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6. VAIN WORDS. empty words. Heb, words of wind. WHAT... ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    B. JOB'S TRIALVINDICATION OR? (Job 16:1, Job 17:16). 1. The words of his friends are aimless and unprofitable. (Job 16:1-5) TEXT 16:1-5 16 THEN JOB ANSWERED AND SAID, 2 I have heard many such thing...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _SHALL VAIN WORDS HAVE AN END? OR WHAT EMBOLDENETH THEE THAT THOU ANSWEREST?_ 'Words of wind' (Hebrew). He retorts upon Eliphaz his reproach (Job 15:2). EMBOLDENETH - What wearies (causes annoyance...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB'S FOURTH SPEECH (JOB 16:17) See introductory remarks on Job 15-21. 1-5. Job retorts scornfully that he too could offer such empty 'comfort' if he were in the friends' place....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SHALL VAIN WORDS, etc.] i.e. 'will you never stop?'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Job’s friends wanted to help him. They tried to teach him about God. They tried to show Job his errors. And they wanted to encourage him. But their words did not help Job. They never understood the r...

  • 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 16 JOB REPLIES TO ELIPHAZ’S...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    SHALL VAIN WORDS HAVE AN END? — The English idiom rather requires, “Shall _not_ vain words have an end? for if not, what emboldeneth or provoketh thee that thou answerest?” Eliphaz had contributed not...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    הֲ קֵ֥ץ לְ דִבְרֵי ־ר֑וּחַ אֹ֥ו מַה

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XIV. "MY WITNESS IN HEAVEN" Job 16:1; Job 17:1 Job SPEAKS IF it were comforting to be told of misery and misfortune, to hear the doom of insolent evildoers described again and again in varying term...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    TURNING FROM “MISERABLE COMFORTERS” UNTO GOD Job 16:1 With bitterness the sufferer turns from his comforters to God. As the r.v. makes clear, he says that if he were in their place and they in his,...

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

    Job immediately answered. His answer dealt less with the argument they suggested than before. While the darkness was still about him, and in some senses the agony of his soul was deepening, yet it is...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Shall (a) vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? (a) Which serve for vain ostentation and for no true comfort....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Windy, inconclusive arguments. They all entertain a mean opinion of their adversaries, as they did not agree in the application of the propositions. Hence though they might be true, they were nothing...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (3) Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? (4) I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine...

  • 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

    SHALL VAIN WORDS HAVE AN END?.... Or "words of wind" k, vain empty words, great swelling words of vanity, mere bubbles that look big, and have nothing in them; here Job retorts what Eliphaz had insinu...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? Ver. 3. _Shall vain words have an end?_] Heb. Shall there be an end to words of wind? _Ampullatur in arcto._ Bubbles of wor...

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

    _Shall vain words have an end?_ When wilt thou put an end to these impertinent discourses? He retorts upon him his charge, Job 15:2. _And what imboldeneth thee that thou answerest_ Namely, in such a m...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    JOB COMPLAINS OF THE UNMERCIFUL ATTITUDE OF HIS FRIENDS...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Shall vain, windy, empty, WORDS HAVE AN END? It was about time that they brought something more substantial if they intended to comfort him. OR WHAT EMBOLDENETH THEE THAT THOU ANSWEREST? What particul...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB REPROVES THEIR HEARTLESSNESS (vv.1-5) Eliphaz had claimed to be giving Job "the consolations of God," and this moves Job to reply bitterly, "Miserable comforters are you all!" (v.2). Instead of...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    VAIN WORDS: _ Heb._ words of wind...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    He is not the wind-bag-they are. Job then asks, "WHAT PLAGUES YOU THAT YOU ANSWER?" "Not comprehending why they should be so agitated over his efforts to get. hearing with God…literally, "What irritat...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-5 Eliphaz had represented Job's discourses as unprofitable, and nothing to the purpose; Job here gives his the same character. Those who pass censures, must expect to have them retorted; it is easy...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    When wilt thou put an end to these idle and impertinent discourses? He retorts upon him his charge against Job, JOB 15:2,3. THAT THOU ANSWEREST, to wit, so or in such manner, so censoriously, and oppr...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 16:3 words H1697 wind H7307 end H7093 provokes H4834 (H8686) answer H6030 (H8799) vain words - Heb. words of wind,...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Job charges that Eliphaz is but heaping up words. CHARACTERS: God, Job, three friends. CONCLUSION: It is a great comfort to a good man who lies under the censures of brethren who do not un...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 16:2. _Miserable comforters are ye all._ The Vulgate, “burdensome comforters,” who afflicted instead of consoling their friend. Job 16:3. _Shall vain words have an end._ He plainly tells Eliphaz...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Miserable comforters are ye all._ MISERABLE COMFORTERS They are but sorry comforters who, being confounded with the sight of the afflicted’s trouble, do grate upon their (real or supposed) guilt, w...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 16:1 Job responds again. He begins by pointing out that his friends have failed as comforters (Job 16:2), even though comfort was their original purpose for coming to him (see...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _JOB’S SECOND REPLY TO ELIPHAZ_ I. Complains of the want of sympathy on the part of his friends (Job 16:2). 1. _They gave him only verses from the ancients about the punishment of the wicked and the...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION Job answers the second speech of Eliphaz in a discourse which occupies two (short) chapters, and is thus not much more lengthy than the speech of his antagonist. His tone is very despairing...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are you all. Shall empty words (Job 16:1) Talking about vanity, he said, Shall empty words have an end? or what emboldens...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Job 15:2; Job 20:3; Job 32:3; Job 6:26; Job 8:2;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    End — When wilt thou put an end to these impertinent discourses? He retorts upon him his charge, Job 15:2....

Continues after advertising