King James Version
Job 6
30 verses with commentary
Job's Reply: My Complaint Is Just
But Job answered and said,
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KJV Study Commentary
Job's response begins with 'But Job answered and said'—the Hebrew 'anah' (answered) indicates formal rebuttal. Job won't accept Eliphaz's accusations silently. This models appropriate response to false teaching: the suffering shouldn't passively accept blame for tragedies they didn't cause. Reformed theology affirms that while submission to God's sovereignty is righteous, submission to false accus...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
VI.
(1) **But Job answered and said.**—Job replies to Eliphaz with the despair of a man who has been baulked of sympathy when he hoped to find it. We cannot trace, nor must we expect to find, the formal reply of a logical argument, fliphaz, he feels, has so misjudged his case that he is neither worthy of a direct reply nor susceptible of one. It is enough for him to reiterate his complaint, and lo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Providence recommends Mordecai to the king's favour.(1-3)
Haman's counsel honours Mordecai.(4-11)
Haman's friends tell him of his danger.(12-14)
**Verses 1-3**
The providence of God rules over the smallest concerns of men. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without him. Trace the steps which Providence took towards the advancement of Mordecai. The kin...
Read full commentary →Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! laid: Heb. lifted up
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KJV Study Commentary
Job wishes his grief could be 'thoroughly weighed' and his calamity 'laid in the balances together,' using legal/commercial imagery. This appeal to objective measurement reveals Job's conviction that his suffering is disproportionate to any possible sin. The metaphor anticipates divine justice weighing all things fairly.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Providence recommends Mordecai to the king's favour.(1-3)
Haman's counsel honours Mordecai.(4-11)
Haman's friends tell him of his danger.(12-14)
**Verses 1-3**
The providence of God rules over the smallest concerns of men. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without him. Trace the steps which Providence took towards the advancement of Mordecai. The kin...
Read full commentary →For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. my words: that is, I want words to express my grief
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KJV Study Commentary
Job acknowledges his words have been rash: 'For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.' The Hebrew 'tala'' (swallow up/rash) admits his speech has been unrestrained. But Job defends this—his grief outweighs the sand of the sea, so passionate expression is proportionate to his suffering. This models honest acknowledgment of emotional speech while defe...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Swallowed up.**—That is. *words are useless and powerless to express it. *(See the margin.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
Providence recommends Mordecai to the king's favour.(1-3)
Haman's counsel honours Mordecai.(4-11)
Haman's friends tell him of his danger.(12-14)
**Verses 1-3**
The providence of God rules over the smallest concerns of men. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without him. Trace the steps which Providence took towards the advancement of Mordecai. The kin...
Read full commentary →For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job describes God's 'arrows' within him and the 'poison' drinking up his spirit - vivid imagery of divine assault. The terrors of God 'set themselves in array' (military language) against him. This brutal honesty about experiencing God as enemy rather than friend models authentic lament.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **The poison whereof drinketh up my spirit.**—Rather, *the poison whereof my spirit imbibeth, *the rendering of the Authorised Version being ambiguous.**
Do set themselves in array against me.**—Like hosts marshalling themselves for battle. *“*If the ox or the ass will not low or bray so long as he is satisfied, so neither should I complain if I had no valid cause. My groaning is the evidence ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-11**
See how men's pride deceives them. The deceitfulness of our own hearts appears in nothing more than in the conceit we have of ourselves and our own performances: against which we should constantly watch and pray. Haman thought the king loved and valued no one but himself, but he was deceived. We should suspect that the esteem which others profess for us, is not so great as it s...
Read full commentary →Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? when he: Heb. at grass?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job asks rhetorical questions: 'Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?' Animals only cry out when they lack necessities. Job's point: his complaints aren't groundless grumbling but legitimate response to genuine deprivation. The Hebrew 'na'aq' (bray) and 'ga'ah' (low) are animal cries of distress. Job implies his friends treat him like an animal complaining ov...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-11**
See how men's pride deceives them. The deceitfulness of our own hearts appears in nothing more than in the conceit we have of ourselves and our own performances: against which we should constantly watch and pray. Haman thought the king loved and valued no one but himself, but he was deceived. We should suspect that the esteem which others profess for us, is not so great as it s...
Read full commentary →Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job continues: 'Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?' The Hebrew 'tapel' (unsavoury/tasteless) describes food lacking flavor—unbearable to eat. Job's metaphor: his life has become flavorless, unbearable. His friends offer platitudes (tasteless food) when he needs genuine comfort (salt). This critiques shallow religious responses to suffer...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-11**
See how men's pride deceives them. The deceitfulness of our own hearts appears in nothing more than in the conceit we have of ourselves and our own performances: against which we should constantly watch and pray. Haman thought the king loved and valued no one but himself, but he was deceived. We should suspect that the esteem which others profess for us, is not so great as it s...
Read full commentary →The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job declares: 'The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.' Things he once rejected (perhaps referring to Eliphaz's accusations, or his suffering itself) have become his unavoidable 'food.' The Hebrew 'davah' (sorrowful/sickening) and 'lehem' (bread/meat) suggest being forced to consume what nauseates. Job is forced to daily digest suffering and false accusations—to live wit...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-11**
See how men's pride deceives them. The deceitfulness of our own hearts appears in nothing more than in the conceit we have of ourselves and our own performances: against which we should constantly watch and pray. Haman thought the king loved and valued no one but himself, but he was deceived. We should suspect that the esteem which others profess for us, is not so great as it s...
Read full commentary →Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! the thing: Heb. my expectation
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KJV Study Commentary
Job wishes for death: 'Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!' The Hebrew 'she'elah' (request) and 'tiqvah' (hope/expectation) reveal Job's deepest desire—that God would grant his wish. The next verse clarifies this wish is for death. Job appeals directly to God rather than to the 'saints' Eliphaz mockingly suggested (5:1). This models appropriate p...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **Oh that I might have my request.**—Baffled in the direction of his fellow-creatures, he turns, like many others, to God as his only hope, although it is rather from God than in God that his hope lies. However exceptional Job’s trials, yet his language is the common language of all sufferers who think that relief, if it comes, must come through change of circumstances rather than in themselve...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 8-13**
Job had desired death as the happy end of his miseries. For this, Eliphaz had reproved him, but he asks for it again with more vehemence than before. It was very rash to speak thus of God destroying him. Who, for one hour, could endure the wrath of the Almighty, if he let loose his hand against him? Let us rather say with David, O spare me a little. Job grounds his comfort upon...
Read full commentary →Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
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KJV Study Commentary
Job's request: 'Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!' The Hebrew 'dakak' (destroy/crush) and 'batsa'' (cut off) are violent terms. Job asks God to finish what He started—to complete his destruction rather than prolonging his agony. The phrase 'let loose his hand' suggests God is restraining His full judgment. Job would prefer swift death to...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Even that it would please God . . .**—The sequence of thought in these verses is obscure and uncertain. The speaker may mean that, notwithstanding all that might befall him, his consolation would still be that he had never denied the words of the Holy One. The words “I would harden myself in sorrow” are the most doubtful, not occurring elsewhere in Scripture. Some render the two clauses, “I ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 8-13**
Job had desired death as the happy end of his miseries. For this, Eliphaz had reproved him, but he asks for it again with more vehemence than before. It was very rash to speak thus of God destroying him. Who, for one hour, could endure the wrath of the Almighty, if he let loose his hand against him? Let us rather say with David, O spare me a little. Job grounds his comfort upon...
Read full commentary →Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job explains why death would comfort him: 'Then should I yet have consolation; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.' Death would bring 'consolation' (Hebrew 'nechamah'—comfort) because Job has not denied God. The phrase 'not concealed the words of the Holy One' indicates Job has maintained orthodox faith despite suffering. His...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Concealed**—*i.e., *denied. The same was the confidence of the Psalmist (Psalm 40:9-10). (Comp. Acts 20:20.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 8-13**
Job had desired death as the happy end of his miseries. For this, Eliphaz had reproved him, but he asks for it again with more vehemence than before. It was very rash to speak thus of God destroying him. Who, for one hour, could endure the wrath of the Almighty, if he let loose his hand against him? Let us rather say with David, O spare me a little. Job grounds his comfort upon...
Read full commentary →What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job asks: 'What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?' The rhetorical questions challenge Eliphaz's advice to hope for restoration. Job's 'strength' (Hebrew 'koach'—power/capacity) is exhausted; his 'end' (Hebrew 'qets'—conclusion/limit) offers nothing to anticipate. Job argues that hope requires some basis—either strength to endure or a desirable...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Prolong my life.**—This is the literal rendering; but some understand *be patient, *as in our phrase, *long-*suffering.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--**In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 8-13**
Job had desired death as the happy end of his miseries. For this, Eliphaz had reproved him, but he asks for it again with more vehemence than before. It was very rash to speak thus of God destroying him. Who, for one hour, could endure the wrath of the Almighty, if he let loose his hand against him? Let us rather say with David, O spare me a little. Job grounds his comfort upon...
Read full commentary →Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? of brass: Heb. brasen?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job continues: 'Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?' The rhetorical questions emphasize human frailty. Job isn't stone or brass—he's flesh, vulnerable and limited. Eliphaz's exhortations ignore Job's human limitations. This challenges the stoic ideal that the wise should be unmoved by circumstance, instead affirming that embodied humans legitimately feel pain. Reformed ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 8-13**
Job had desired death as the happy end of his miseries. For this, Eliphaz had reproved him, but he asks for it again with more vehemence than before. It was very rash to speak thus of God destroying him. Who, for one hour, could endure the wrath of the Almighty, if he let loose his hand against him? Let us rather say with David, O spare me a little. Job grounds his comfort upon...
Read full commentary →Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job concludes: 'Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?' The Hebrew allows two readings: either Job has no help within himself and wisdom has fled, or he's questioning Eliphaz's implication that this is so. Most likely Job admits he has no internal resources left—no help and no wisdom. This radical honesty about spiritual bankruptcy positions Job paradoxically for divine help, si...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Is not my help in me?**—It is in passages such as these that the actual meaning of Job is so obscure and his words so difficult. The sense may be, “Is it not that I have no help in me, and wisdom is driven quite from me?” or yet again, “Is it because there is no help in me that therefore wisdom is driven far from me?” as is the case by your reproaches and insinuations. (See especially Job 5...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 10 Ne 10:1-27. The Names of Those Who Sealed the Covenant.
**1. Nehemiah, the Tirshatha--**His name was placed first in the roll on account of his high official rank, as deputy of the Persian monarch. All classes were included in the subscription; but the people were represented by their elders (Ne 10:14), as it would have been impossible for every one in the country to have been admitted...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 8-13**
Job had desired death as the happy end of his miseries. For this, Eliphaz had reproved him, but he asks for it again with more vehemence than before. It was very rash to speak thus of God destroying him. Who, for one hour, could endure the wrath of the Almighty, if he let loose his hand against him? Let us rather say with David, O spare me a little. Job grounds his comfort upon...
Read full commentary →To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. is afflicted: Heb. melteth
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KJV Study Commentary
Job indicts his friends: 'To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend' - even if he 'forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.' This radical statement prioritizes compassion over theological correction. True friendship offers presence before answers, comfort before correction.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **But he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.**—It is difficult to determine the precise relation of dependent clauses in an archaic language like the Hebrew; but the Authorised Version is, at all events, not correct here, the sense rather being, “Even to one that forsaketh the fear of the Almighty;” or, perhaps, better still, “lest he should forsake;” or, “he may even forsake,” &c.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;
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KJV Study Commentary
Job accuses his friends: 'My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away.' A wadi (seasonal stream) flows during rain but dries up when needed most. Job's friends seemed supportive initially (2:11-13) but now, when he most needs comfort, they've dried up—offering only accusations. The Hebrew 'bagad' (dealt deceitfully/treacherously) is strong language, su...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Have dealt deceitfully as a brook.**—This is one of the most celebrated poetical similes in the book, and carries us to life in the desert, where the wadys, so mighty and torrent-like in the winter, are insignificant streams or fail altogether in summer. So when the writer saw the Gnadalquiver (or mighty wady) at Cordova, in August, it was a third-rate stream, running in many divided curren...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:
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KJV Study Commentary
Job elaborates: 'Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid.' The imagery describes streams dark with ice melt and hidden snow—suggesting abundance. Job's friends appeared to have deep reserves of wisdom and comfort (like snow-fed streams), but this proved illusory. The Hebrew 'qadar' (blackish/dark) may suggest troubled waters, foreshadowing the contaminated counsel that...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. vanish: Heb. are cut off when: Heb. in the heat thereof consumed: Heb. extinguished
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KJV Study Commentary
Job continues: 'What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.' Summer heat dries the streams—exactly when travelers need water most. Similarly, the heat of Job's trials has evaporated his friends' support. The Hebrew 'chamam' (wax warm/hot) and 'tsamath' (vanish/are consumed) describe complete disappearance. This models the failure of human comfort whe...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job describes the consequences: 'The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.' Travelers who rely on deceptive wadis are led astray and die. The Hebrew 'arach' (paths/caravans) suggests groups led to destruction by following unreliable guides. Job's friends are such guides—their theological counsel leads to 'nothing' (Hebrew 'tohu'—waste/emptiness, the same word describ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **They go to nothing.**—It is doubtful whether this applies to the streams or to the caravans. Thus, “The paths of their way are turned aside and come to nought;” or, “The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside, and go into the waste and perish.” The nineteenth verse seems to suggest the latter as the more probable.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job continues: 'The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.' Tema and Sheba were important trade routes in Arabia. These experienced caravans 'looked' (Hebrew 'nabat'—gazed intently) and 'waited' (Hebrew 'qavah'—hoped expectantly) for the streams. Even the experienced are deceived by deceptive wadis. Similarly, Job (no fool about theology) expected genuine comfort from his f...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **The troops of Tema.**—Fürst says of Tema that it was a tract in the north of the Arabian Desert, on the borders of the Syrian one, where traffic was carried on from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean by caravans (Isaiah 21:14; Jeremiah 25:23; Job 6:19). Sheba, as understood here, was probably a district on the Arabian Gulf (see Job 1:15), where merchants trafficked with the distant citie...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job concludes: 'They were confounded because they had hoped: they came thither, and were ashamed.' The Hebrew 'bosh' (confounded/ashamed) and 'chapher' (ashamed/disappointed) emphasize the humiliation of misplaced hope. The caravans' confidence in the streams led to deadly disappointment. Job feels similarly about his friends—he hoped in their comfort but received accusations instead. This warns a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **They were confounded.**—Comp. Jeremiah’s description of the famine (Jeremiah 14:3). (See margin.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid. ye are: or, ye are like to them: Heb. to it nothing: Heb. not
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KJV Study Commentary
Job applies the metaphor: 'For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.' The friends are 'nothing' (Hebrew 'lo'—not/nothing), just like the dried-up stream. They see Job's calamity and fear it could happen to them, so they distance themselves by blaming Job. The Hebrew 'yare'' (afraid) reveals self-protective motive—if Job's suffering results from his sin, then their own prosper...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **For now ye are nothing.**—“Surely now ye are become like *it” i.e., *that wady; or, according to another reading followed in the text of the Authorised Version, “Ye have become nothing: ye have seen an object of terror, and are terrified: ye have seen my broken-down condition, and are dismayed at it.”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job asks: 'Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?' The rhetorical questions point out that Job never asked for material help—he only wanted comfort. The Hebrew 'yahab' (bring/give) and 'shachad' (reward/bribe) emphasize that Job made no financial demands. His complaint isn't that friends didn't provide money but that they didn't provide comfort. This distinguishes be...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **Did I say, Bring unto me?**—“It is not as though I had abused your former kindness. I never laid myself under obligations to you; I never asked for your help before. Had I done so, I might have wearied out your patience, and brought upon myself your present conduct justly; but you cannot convict me of this.”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job's rhetorical questions reveal the depth of his desperation and the futility of his friends' counsel. The Hebrew 'patsal' (פָּצַל) for 'deliver' carries the connotation of rescue or snatching away from danger, while 'padah' (פָּדָה) for 'redeem' implies payment of a ransom price. Job is essentially asking his companions: 'Can you actually do anything to help me?' These questions expose the limi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.</strong> Job responds to his friends' accusations with remarkable openness to correction if they can demonstrate genuine fault. The Hebrew verb <em>yarah</em> (יָרָה, "teach me") means to instruct, direct, or point out—the same root used for Torah (teaching/law). Job requests genuine instruction, not accu...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job acknowledges truth's power: 'How forcible are right words!' but challenges his friends' application: 'what doth your arguing reprove?' The distinction between truth and its proper application remains crucial - correct theology wrongly applied becomes false comfort.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **How forcible are right words **!—“How forcible are words of uprightness! But what doth your reproof reprove? Open rebuke is better than secret love; better to be honestly and openly rebuked by you than be subject to the secret insinuations which are intended to pass for friendship.”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job accuses his friends of misinterpreting his words of despair as mere 'wind' (ruach, רוּחַ)—empty, meaningless utterance. The verb 'imagine' (chashab, חָשַׁב) means to devise or plan, suggesting his friends are deliberately constructing arguments against him rather than offering compassionate understanding. Job identifies himself as 'desperate' (ya'ash, יָאַשׁ), one who has lost hope—a state tha...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **Do ye imagine to reprove words . . .?**—“It cannot be your intent to reprove mere words, as mine confessedly are (Job 6:3), and as you seem to count them (Job 6:13). If so, they are hardly worthy the trouble bestowed upon them, but might be left to answer themselves.”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend. ye overwhelm: Heb. ye cause to fall upon
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KJV Study Commentary
Job's accusation intensifies with two vivid metaphors of betrayal. 'Overwhelm' (naphal, נָפַל) literally means to cause to fall or cast lots over, suggesting his friends would exploit even orphans for personal gain. 'Dig a pit' (karah, כָּרָה) evokes the hunter's trap, a premeditated act of destruction against one who should be protected. The progression from 'fatherless' to 'friend' is devastatin...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless.**—Rather, probably, *Ye would cast lots upon the fatherless, and make merchandise of your friend. *This is more
in accordance with the language, and preserves the parallelism.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie. evident: Heb. before your face
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KJV Study Commentary
After his sharp rebuke, Job appeals for honest examination. 'Be content' (ya'al, יָאַל) means to be willing or to resolve, calling for a deliberate choice to truly look at him. 'Look upon me' (panah, פָּנָה) means to turn the face toward, demanding direct personal attention rather than abstract theological debate. The phrase 'it is evident unto you' (literally 'before your face') emphasizes that J...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **Now therefore be content **to look upon me; for it will be evident unto you if I lie; or, *for surely I shall not lie to your face.*
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it. in it: that is, in this matter
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KJV Study Commentary
Job pleads 'Return' (shub, שׁוּב) twice—a call for repentance or change of direction, ironically reversing the expected relationship where the sinner should repent. Job demands his friends reconsider their position, warning 'let it not be iniquity' (avelah, עַוְלָה)—unrighteousness or injustice. This is bold: Job suggests that continuing their false accusations would itself be sin. The declaration...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **Return, I pray you.**—“Do not regard the case as settled, but come again and examine it; try once more before you decide there is no unrighteousness in my case;” or, as some understand it, in my *tongue, *which is expressed immediately afterwards, and is here anticipated in the pronoun *her. *This rendering is certainly confirmed by Job 6:30.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things? my taste: Heb. my palate
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KJV Study Commentary
Job concludes his defense with two rhetorical questions emphasizing his moral discernment. 'Iniquity in my tongue' (avelah, עַוְלָה) asks whether he has spoken unjustly or falsely. 'Cannot my taste discern perverse things' (chavvah, הַוָּה) uses the metaphor of palate or taste—the ability to distinguish wholesome from corrupt, truth from falsehood. The Hebrew 'taste' (chek, חֵךְ) refers to the org...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **Is there iniquity?**—Or, *injustice in my tongue? Is my taste so perverted that it cannot perceive what is perverse? *“Ye appear to think that I am wholly incapable of judging my own cause because it is my own; but if ye will only condescend to return in due course, ye shall find that I know what is right as well as you, and that there is no more vicious reasoning in me than there is with y...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-30**
In his prosperity Job formed great expectations from his friends, but now was disappointed. This he compares to the failing of brooks in summer. Those who rest their expectations on the creature, will find it fail when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence, have help in the time of need, He 4:16. Those who make gold their hope, sooner or later will b...
Read full commentary →