King James Version
Job 9
35 verses with commentary
Job's Reply: How Can Man Be Right Before God?
Then Job answered and said,
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KJV Study Commentary
Job responds to Bildad with weary acknowledgment: 'Then Job answered and said.' This introduces Job's longest speech thus far (chapters 9-10), where he wrestles with divine sovereignty and justice. Unlike his earlier laments (chapters 3, 6-7), this response engages directly with his friends' theology. Job will affirm God's power and sovereignty while questioning whether these attributes ensure jus...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**22. the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God--**They were selected to take charge of providing those things which were required for the interior of the temple and its service, while to others was committed the care of the "outward business of the house of God" (Ne 11:16). This duty was very properly assigned to the sons of Asaph; for, though they were Levites, th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 9
Chapter Outline
A solemn fast.(1-3)
Prayer and confession of sin.(4-38)
**Verses 1-3**
The word will direct and quicken prayer, for by it the Spirit helps our infirmities in prayer. The careful study of God's word will more and more discover to us our own sinfulness, and the plenteousness of his salvation; thus it calls us to mourn for sin, and to rejoice in him. Every ...
Read full commentary →I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? with God: or, before God?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job asks: 'how should man be just with God?' The verb tsadaq (צָדַק, be just) means to be righteous or vindicated. Job grasps the fundamental problem: humanity cannot establish righteousness before the infinite God through argument or merit. This question anticipates the gospel—justification comes through faith in Christ, not human works (Romans 3:23-24, 5:1). Job seeks vindication but recognizes ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23. it was the king's commandment--**It was the will of the Persian monarch in issuing his edict that the temple service should be revived in all its religious fulness and solemnity. As this special provision for the singers is said to have been by the king's commandment, the order was probably given at the request or suggestion of Ezra or Nehemiah.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 9
Chapter Outline
A solemn fast.(1-3)
Prayer and confession of sin.(4-38)
**Verses 1-3**
The word will direct and quicken prayer, for by it the Spirit helps our infirmities in prayer. The careful study of God's word will more and more discover to us our own sinfulness, and the plenteousness of his salvation; thus it calls us to mourn for sin, and to rejoice in him. Every ...
Read full commentary →If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job acknowledges that if a man would 'contend with him' (God), 'he could not answer him one of a thousand.' This recognition of God's infinite wisdom versus human limitation establishes the impossibility of winning a legal case against the Almighty. Yet Job continues to seek audience, revealing faith that persists despite rational futility.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **If he will contend with him.**—**If **man choose to contend with God, he cannot answer Him one question of **a **thousand, once in a thousand times.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24. Pethahiah ... was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people--**This person was entrusted with judicial power, either for the interest, or by the appointment, of the Persian monarch, and his duty consisted either in adjusting cases of civil dispute, or in regulating fiscal concerns.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 9
Chapter Outline
A solemn fast.(1-3)
Prayer and confession of sin.(4-38)
**Verses 1-3**
The word will direct and quicken prayer, for by it the Spirit helps our infirmities in prayer. The careful study of God's word will more and more discover to us our own sinfulness, and the plenteousness of his salvation; thus it calls us to mourn for sin, and to rejoice in him. Every ...
Read full commentary →He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job acknowledges God's wisdom and power: 'He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?' The phrase 'wise in heart' (chakam lebab, חֲכַם לֵבָב) attributes comprehensive understanding to God. 'Mighty in strength' (ammis koach, אַמִּיץ כֹּחַ) denotes irresistible power. The rhetorical question expects negative answer—none who hardens himself ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25. some of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjath-arba--**The whole region in which the villages here mentioned were situated had been completely devastated by the Chaldean invasion; and, therefore, it must be assumed, that these villages had been rebuilt before "the children dwelt in them."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-38**
The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suff...
Read full commentary →Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job describes God's sovereign power over creation: 'Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.' The verb 'removeth' (ataq, עָתַק) means to move, proceed, or advance. Mountains—symbols of permanence and stability (Psalm 125:1-2)—yield to God's power without even knowing it happened. The phrase 'they know not' emphasizes divine sovereignty's effortless exer...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-38**
The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suff...
Read full commentary →Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job continues: 'Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.' The verb 'shaketh' (ragaz, רָגַז) means to quake, tremble, or be agitated. Ancient cosmology conceived earth resting on pillars or foundations (1 Samuel 2:8, Psalm 75:3), which God can destabilize at will. The earth's 'pillars' (ammud, עַמּוּד) 'tremble' (palas, פָּלַס), creating image of earthquake shaking...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-38**
The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suff...
Read full commentary →Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job declares God's command over celestial bodies: 'Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.' The verb 'commandeth' (amar, אָמַר) is the same used in Genesis 1—God speaks, and creation obeys or refrains. God can prevent the sun from rising, reversing creation's fundamental pattern (Genesis 1:3-5). To 'seal up' (chatham, חָתַם) the stars means to close, shut up, or hide...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **And sealeth up the stars**—Comp. Job 41:15. The idea of shutting up, taking away the power of, &c., is contained in the expression “sealing.”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-38**
The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suff...
Read full commentary →Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. waves: Heb. heights
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KJV Study Commentary
Job proclaims God's exclusive creative work: 'Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.' The word 'alone' (bad, בַּד) emphasizes God's sole agency—no divine council or assistants, only God creates. 'Spreadeth out' (natah, נָטָה) pictures stretching a tent (Isaiah 40:22, 42:5), while 'treadeth upon' (darak, דָּרַךְ) suggests dominion and control. Walking on sea ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **Waves of the sea.**—Literally, *high place of the sea: *the sea when and where it runs *mountains high. *The various physical phenomena of earthquake, eclipse, and hurricane are here described as the field of Divine action and the operations of His hands.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-38**
The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suff...
Read full commentary →Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. Arcturus: Heb. Ash, Cesil, and Cimah
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KJV Study Commentary
Job references constellations: 'Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.' The Hebrew terms (Ash, Kesil, Kimah, chadre teman) likely refer to specific star groups, though exact identification is debated. 'Arcturus' may be the Bear, 'Orion' the Hunter, 'Pleiades' the Seven Stars, and 'chambers of the south' perhaps southern constellations or the zodiac. God's making...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Which maketh Arcturus . . .**—This shows us that in the time of this writer, whoever he was, his fellow-countrymen had attained to such knowledge of astronomy as is here implied in the specific names of definite constellations. The Great Bear is the glory of the northern hemisphere, Orion of the southern sky, and the Pleiades of the east; the chambers of the north are the unknown and unexplo...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-38**
The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suff...
Read full commentary →Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job continues describing divine works: 'Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.' The phrase 'past finding out' (ad-ein cheqer, עַד-אֵין חֵקֶר) means beyond investigation or search—God's works exceed human comprehension. 'Wonders' (pele, פֶּלֶא) denotes marvelous, extraordinary acts. The phrase 'without number' (ad-ein mispar, עַד-אֵין מִסְפָּר) emphasizes infini...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Which doeth great things.**—He adopts the very words his former antagonist, Eliphaz, had used in Job 5:9.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-38**
The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suff...
Read full commentary →Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job laments God's imperceptibility: 'Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.' The particle 'Lo' (hen, הֵן) calls attention to the paradox. God moves ('goeth,' avar, עָבַר) near Job, yet remains invisible. The parallel verbs 'see' (ra'ah, רָאָה) and 'perceive' (bin, בִּין) emphasize both physical and mental inability to detect God's presence. Job experienc...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **He passeth on also.**—This, again, is an expression Eliphaz had used in Job 4:15. Here in words of great sublimity Job depicts the unapproachable majesty of God omnipotent, but invisible, and shows the utter hopelessness of entering into judgment with Him. Unfortunately, though this is a proposition to which all must assent, yet none is virtually so much repudiated or practically so often c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-38**
The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suff...
Read full commentary →Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? hinder: Heb. turn him away?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job acknowledges divine sovereignty: 'Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?' The verb 'taketh away' (chathaph, חָתַף) means to seize or snatch away violently. 'Hinder' (shub, שׁוּב) means to turn back or restrain. Job declares God's absolute sovereignty—none can resist His will or demand accountability. The rhetorical questions expect negative answers:...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **What doest thou?**—Putting the case even that God were, so to say, in the wrong, and the assailant, yet even then He would maintain His cause from sheer might, and crush His adversary.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-38**
The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suff...
Read full commentary →If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him. proud: Heb. helpers of pride, or, strength
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KJV Study Commentary
Job proclaims God's inflexible purpose: 'If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.' The phrase 'will not withdraw' (lo yashub, לֹא יָשׁוּב) means God won't turn back or relent. His 'anger' (aph, אַף, literally 'nostril') remains fixed. The 'proud helpers' (ra'ab, רַהַב, possibly mythological chaos forces or earthly powers) 'stoop' (shachach, שָׁחַח, bow down) beneat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Proud helpers.**—Literally, *helpers of Rahab. *(See Isaiah 30:7; Psalm 87:4.) But whether Rahab was Egypt, or a poetical name for the lost archangel, it is impossible to say. If the former, then there is a probable allusion here to the overthrow of Pharaoh and his hosts; but we lack evidence to make it plain. The phrase is evidently used as expressing the very ideal of strength—the race of...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-38**
The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suff...
Read full commentary →How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job laments: 'How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?' Job recognizes his inability to argue legally with God. The verb anah (עָנָה, answer) means to respond or testify. Job desires vindication but acknowledges the impossibility of presenting a case before infinite wisdom and power. This humble recognition of creaturely limitation contrasts with his bold prote...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-21**
Job is still righteous in his own eyes, ch. 32:1, and this answer, though it sets forth the power and majesty of God, implies that the question between the afflicted and the Lord of providence, is a question of might, and not of right; and we begin to discover the evil fruits of pride and of a self-righteous spirit. Job begins to manifest a disposition to condemn God, that he ...
Read full commentary →Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job states 'Though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.' This paradox captures the book's tension: Job maintains innocence yet recognizes he cannot defend himself before absolute holiness. Only supplication, not self-justification, remains appropriate before God.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Though I were righteous.**—He now puts the alternative case: that he were actually righteous; yet even then supplication, and not assertion, would best become him.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36. And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin--**Rather, there were divisions for the Levites; that is, those who were not resident in Jerusalem were distributed in settlements throughout the provinces of Judah and Benjamin.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-21**
Job is still righteous in his own eyes, ch. 32:1, and this answer, though it sets forth the power and majesty of God, implies that the question between the afflicted and the Lord of providence, is a question of might, and not of right; and we begin to discover the evil fruits of pride and of a self-righteous spirit. Job begins to manifest a disposition to condemn God, that he ...
Read full commentary →If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job doubts God would answer his call: 'If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.' Even if God responded (anah, עָנָה), Job couldn't trust it. The phrase 'would I not believe' (lo aamin, לֹא אֲאַמִין) expresses radical doubt born from suffering. 'Hearkened' (azan, אָזַן) means to give ear or pay attention—Job doubts divine attentiveness de...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-21**
Job is still righteous in his own eyes, ch. 32:1, and this answer, though it sets forth the power and majesty of God, implies that the question between the afflicted and the Lord of providence, is a question of might, and not of right; and we begin to discover the evil fruits of pride and of a self-righteous spirit. Job begins to manifest a disposition to condemn God, that he ...
Read full commentary →For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job describes God's overwhelming force: 'For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.' The verb 'breaketh' (shuph, שׁוּף) means to crush or bruise. 'Tempest' (searah, שְׂעָרָה) denotes whirlwind or storm—overwhelming, indiscriminate force. God 'multiplieth' (rabah, רָבָה) Job's wounds 'without cause' (chinnam, חִנָּם), the same word used in 2:3 and 9:17, meaning grat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **He breaketh me . . .**—This is one of the three passages in which this word is found, the other two being Genesis 3:15, “It shall *bruise*,” &c., and Psalm 139:11, “If I say the darkness shall *cover *me.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 12 Ne 12:1-9. Priests and Levites Who Came Up with Zerubbabel.
**1. these are the priests--**according to Ne 12:7, "the chief of the priests," the heads of the twenty-four courses into which the priesthood was divided (1Ch 24:1-20). Only four of the courses returned from the captivity (Ne 7:39-42; Ezr 2:36-39). But these were divided by Zerubbabel, or Jeshua, into the original number of t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-21**
Job is still righteous in his own eyes, ch. 32:1, and this answer, though it sets forth the power and majesty of God, implies that the question between the afflicted and the Lord of providence, is a question of might, and not of right; and we begin to discover the evil fruits of pride and of a self-righteous spirit. Job begins to manifest a disposition to condemn God, that he ...
Read full commentary →He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job describes relentless affliction: 'He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.' The phrase 'suffer me to take my breath' (yitteneni hasheb ruchi, יִתְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁב רוּחִי) means to recover or catch one's breath—Job gets no respite between blows. 'Filleth me' (yasbienu, יַשְׂבִּעֵנִי) means to saturate or satisfy—but instead of satisfaction, God fills Job with 'bitte...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Take my breath.**—The action being that of breathing again after complete exhaustion—recovering breath and the power to breathe, &c. “If I say I am perfect, it also shall prove me perverse by the very act of saying so; because for man to maintain his righteousness before God is at once to proclaim his iniquity. The finite cannot come into competition with the Infinite, nor measure itself th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-21**
Job is still righteous in his own eyes, ch. 32:1, and this answer, though it sets forth the power and majesty of God, implies that the question between the afflicted and the Lord of providence, is a question of might, and not of right; and we begin to discover the evil fruits of pride and of a self-righteous spirit. Job begins to manifest a disposition to condemn God, that he ...
Read full commentary →If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job acknowledges asymmetrical power: 'If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?' Regarding 'strength' (koach, כֹּחַ), Job admits God is mighty (ammits, אַמִּיץ). Regarding 'judgment' (mishpat, מִשְׁפָּט), Job asks who can summon God to trial—'set me a time' (yoedeni, יוֹעֲדֵנִי) means to appoint or designate a court date. Job cannot compel God'...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **If I speak of strength.**—All this is the most uncompromising acknowledgment of the absolute inability of man to stand in judgment before God. The whole of this is so very abrupt and enigmatical that it is extremely difficult to be sure of the argument, though naturally the general drift of it is obvious enough. “If it were a trial of strength—Who is Almighty?—and if it was a matter of judg...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-21**
Job is still righteous in his own eyes, ch. 32:1, and this answer, though it sets forth the power and majesty of God, implies that the question between the afflicted and the Lord of providence, is a question of might, and not of right; and we begin to discover the evil fruits of pride and of a self-righteous spirit. Job begins to manifest a disposition to condemn God, that he ...
Read full commentary →If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job's self-aware statement 'If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me' reveals the impossibility of self-vindication. The mouth that speaks defense becomes the instrument of judgment - a profound recognition that human words ultimately fail before divine truth. Only God can vindicate.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. Abijah--**one of the ancestors of John the Baptist (Lu 1:5).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-21**
Job is still righteous in his own eyes, ch. 32:1, and this answer, though it sets forth the power and majesty of God, implies that the question between the afflicted and the Lord of providence, is a question of might, and not of right; and we begin to discover the evil fruits of pride and of a self-righteous spirit. Job begins to manifest a disposition to condemn God, that he ...
Read full commentary →Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job declares self-forgetfulness in despair: 'Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.' The phrase 'though I were perfect' (tam-ani, תָּם-אָנִי) uses the same word God used to describe Job (1:8). 'I would not know my soul' (lo eda naphshi, לֹא אֵדַע נַפְשִׁי) expresses alienation from self—Job cannot recognize himself. He would 'despise my life' (ma'as chayyay, ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-21**
Job is still righteous in his own eyes, ch. 32:1, and this answer, though it sets forth the power and majesty of God, implies that the question between the afflicted and the Lord of providence, is a question of might, and not of right; and we begin to discover the evil fruits of pride and of a self-righteous spirit. Job begins to manifest a disposition to condemn God, that he ...
Read full commentary →This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job declares divine impartiality: 'This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.' The phrase 'This is one thing' (achat hi, אַחַת הִיא) emphasizes singular, unified principle. Job asserts God 'destroyeth' (kalah, כָּלָה, completes, finishes) both 'perfect' (tam, תָּם, blameless) and 'wicked' (rasha, רָשָׁע) indiscriminately. From Job's observation, divine judgme...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-24**
Job touches briefly upon the main point now in dispute. His friends maintained that those who are righteous and good, always prosper in this world, and that none but the wicked are in misery and distress: he said, on the contrary, that it is a common thing for the wicked to prosper, and the righteous to be greatly afflicted. Yet there is too much passion in what Job here says,...
Read full commentary →If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job describes divine indifference to suffering: 'If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.' The 'scourge' (shot, שׁוֹט) denotes whip or disaster. 'Slay suddenly' (petaom yamit, פִּתְאֹם יָמִית) describes unexpected death. Job accuses God of 'laughing' (laag, לָעַג, mocking) at innocent sufferers' 'trial' (massah, מַסָּה, testing). This is Job's most bitter accusatio...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **The scourge slay suddenly.**—Probably meaning that in the case of hidden calamity overtaking an innocent man, He, God, will laugh at it: that is to say, take no more notice of it than if it furnished Him with sport. The very fact of such calamity befalling, as it often does, the innocent is at all events, in one view, a proof of His indifference to it who, by the exercise of His providence,...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-24**
Job touches briefly upon the main point now in dispute. His friends maintained that those who are righteous and good, always prosper in this world, and that none but the wicked are in misery and distress: he said, on the contrary, that it is a common thing for the wicked to prosper, and the righteous to be greatly afflicted. Yet there is too much passion in what Job here says,...
Read full commentary →The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The earth is given into the hand of the wicked</strong> (נִתְּנָה אֶרֶץ בְּיַד־רָשָׁע, nitt'nah eretz b'yad-rasha)—Job's complaint challenges divine providence with brutal honesty. The verb 'given' (natan, נָתַן) implies deliberate divine action, not passive permission. Job sees God actively placing the earth under wicked rulers' control.<br><br><strong>He covereth the faces of the judges ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-24**
Job touches briefly upon the main point now in dispute. His friends maintained that those who are righteous and good, always prosper in this world, and that none but the wicked are in misery and distress: he said, on the contrary, that it is a common thing for the wicked to prosper, and the righteous to be greatly afflicted. Yet there is too much passion in what Job here says,...
Read full commentary →Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Now my days are swifter than a post</strong> (יָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי־רָץ, yamai qallu minni-ratz)—Job laments life's brevity using the image of a 'post' (ratz, רָץ), a courier or runner carrying urgent messages. Ancient Near Eastern postal systems used relay runners for rapid communication across empires. The verb 'are swifter' (qalal, קָלַל) means to be light, swift, or insignificant—Job's d...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **Swifter than a post.**—The runner, with his messages and dispatches. He now turns away from the contemplation of God and His dealings to that of his own misery.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. their brethren, were over against them in the watches--**that is, according to some, their stations--the places where they stood when officiating--"ward over against ward" (Ne 12:24); or, according to others, in alternate watches, in course of rotation.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
Read full commentary →They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey. swift: or, ships of Ebeh: Heb. ships of desire
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They are passed away as the swift ships</strong> (חָלְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּוֹת אֵבֶה, chalf'u im-oniyyot eveh)—Job employs two vivid metaphors for life's rapid passage. The 'swift ships' (likely papyrus reed boats used on the Nile or Jordan) were lightweight and extremely fast. The verb 'passed away' (chalaph, חָלַף) means to pass on, change, or vanish—the same word used of watches in the night t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **Swift ships.**—What is meant by the swift ships, or ships of Desire, no one knows. Literally, *ships of Eveh, *probably a proper name, and perhaps referring to a particular kind of boat in use on the Nile; if so, this is one instance out of many of Job’s acquaintance with Egypt. The Vulgate has, *naves poma portantes. *Job is a problem to himself; he is confident of his innocence, and yet h...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ne 12:10-47. Succession of the High Priests.
**10. Jeshua begat Joiakim, &c.--**This enumeration was of great importance, not only as establishing their individual purity of descent, but because the chronology of the Jews was henceforth to be reckoned, not as formerly by the reigns of their kings, but by the successions of their high priests.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
Read full commentary →If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>If I say, I will forget my complaint</strong> (אִם־אָמַרְתִּי אֶשְׁכְּחָה שִׂיחִי, im-amarti eshk'chah sichi)—Job considers attempting to suppress his lament. The verb 'forget' (shakach, שָׁכַח) means to cease remembering or ignore deliberately. 'Complaint' (siach, שִׂיחַ) means meditation, complaint, or concern—the word describes deep, consuming thought. Job wonders if he should stop nurs...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. Jaddua--**It is an opinion entertained by many commentators that this person was the high priest whose dignified appearance, solemn manner, and splendid costume overawed and interested so strongly the proud mind of Alexander the Great; and if he were not this person (as some object that this Jaddua was not in office till a considerable period after the death of Nehemiah), it might probably b...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
Read full commentary →I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>I am afraid of all my sorrows</strong> (יָגֹרְתִּי כָל־עַצְּבֹתָי, yagorti kol-atzvotai)—Job's attempted self-comfort (v. 27) fails because fear grips him. The verb 'am afraid' (yagor, יָגֹר) means to dread or be terrified. 'Sorrows' (atzvot, עַצְּבוֹת) means pains, hardships, or griefs—the comprehensive suffering crushing Job. He fears not merely present pain but future sorrows God might ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers--**As there had been priests in the days of Jeshua, so in the time of Joiakim, the son and successor of Jeshua, the sons of those persons filled the priestly office in the place of their fathers, some of whom were still alive, though many were dead.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
Read full commentary →If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?</strong> (אָנֹכִי אֶרְשָׁע לָמָּה־זֶּה הֶבֶל אִיגָע, anokhi ersha lamah-zeh hevel iga)—Job's logic is devastating: if God has already condemned me as wicked (rasha, רָשָׁע), why should I continue striving for righteousness? The phrase 'labour I in vain' uses hevel (הֶבֶל, 'vanity' or 'breath') from Ecclesiastes—meaningless, futile effort. The verb...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
Read full commentary →If I wash myself with snow water , and make my hands never so clean;
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>If I wash myself with snow water</strong> (אִם־הִתְרָחַצְתִּי בְמֵי־שָׁלֶג, im-hitrach'tzti v'mei-sheleg)—Job envisions extreme purification rituals. 'Snow water' represents the purest, cleanest water available in the ancient Near East—melted snow from mountain peaks, uncontaminated by earth or human contact. The verb 'wash' (rachatz, רָחַץ) with the hitpael form (reflexive) emphasizes tho...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
Read full commentary →Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. abhor: or, make me to be abhorred
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch</strong> (אָז בַּשַּׁחַת תִּטְבְּלֵנִי, az bashachat titb'leni)—despite Job's hypothetical maximum purification (v. 30), God would immediately defile him. The verb 'plunge' (taval, טָבַל) means to dip, immerse, or plunge into—the same word used for baptism. 'Ditch' (shachat, שַׁחַת) means pit, corruption, or cesspool—a place of sewage and filth, perhap...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
Read full commentary →For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job cries: 'For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.' The fundamental problem is ontological difference: God is not enosh (אֱנוֹשׁ, mortal man). The phrase 'come together in judgment' (navo yachdav ba-mishpat, נָבוֹא יַחְדָּו בַּמִּשְׁפָּט) envisions legal proceeding between equals, impossible between Creator and creature. This verse articula...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32, 33) **For he is not a man, as I am . . .**—Is not that confession, if we believe that such a daysman as Job longed for has been given, itself a witness that it came from God, and was given by God? The light that has shined upon us was shining then in the heart of Job, and shines for ever in the pages of his book. Job felt, as he had been taught to feel, that in himself there not only was no h...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
Read full commentary →Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. any: Heb. one that should argue daysman: or, umpire
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.</strong> Job articulates one of the Old Testament's most profound yearnings—for a mediator between God and humanity. The word "daysman" (<em>mokiach</em>, מוֹכִיחַ) means arbiter, umpire, or mediator—one who can adjudicate disputes between parties. Job recognizes the vast gulf between himself and God: he cannot ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
Read full commentary →Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
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KJV Study Commentary
Job's longing for an umpire/mediator: 'Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both' perfectly anticipates Christ's mediatorial role. The Hebrew word 'daysman' (mokiach) means arbiter or mediator who can bridge the infinite gap between God and humanity.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
Read full commentary →Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me. it is: Heb. I am not so with myself
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Then would I speak, and not fear him</strong> (אֲדַבְּרָה וְלֹא אִירָאֶנּוּ, adab'rah v'lo ira'ennu)—Job longs for conditions allowing honest dialogue with God without terror. The verb 'speak' (dabar, דָּבַר) implies reasoned discourse, not mere complaint. 'Not fear him' (lo ira, לֹא אִירָא) expresses desire for conversation without dread. Job wants a courtroom where he can present his cas...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(35) **It is not so with me.**—Literally, *I am not so with me. *The words are variously understood: “It is not so with me,” *i.e.*, “I am not thus without fear,” as the former part of the verse supposes; or, “I am not so as ye suppose,” *i.e., *guilty, but innocent; or, “Am I not right with myself?” *i.e., *inwardly conscious of my integrity and innocence (Job 10:1).
Ellicott's Commentary for Eng...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God,...
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