The Book of Job
Job 11
Chapter XI · Vol. II, p. 952
1 Zophar sharply reproveth Job for justifying himself. 7 God's counsels are unsearchable. 13 The assured blessing of repentance.
1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
3 Should thy lies2 make men hold their peace?3 and when thou bmockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?
2 Or, devices
3 Bildad had accused Job of hypocrisy or profligacy (chap. 8. 13), Zophar surpasses him in uncharitableness, and rudely accuses him of lying; the charge of which is ordinarily most insulting and provoking, as it is the meanest and most cowardly of all the vices—the sin by which Satan blighted paradise—the sin by which he peoples the hopeless regions of darkness, Re. 22. 15.—C.
b ch.6.14,15,25,26; 13.9; 17.2.
4 For thou hast said, cMy doctrine is pure, and I dam clean in thine eyes.
c ch.6.10,30; 42.7,8.
d ch.10.7; 9.22; 34.5,6; 35.2.
6 And that he would show thee the fsecrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is!3 Know therefore that God gexacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
f Da.2.28. Ps.25.14. Ep.3.10. Mat.13.11. Ro.11.33,34.
3 That is, doubly more than what is imagined possible; including not only all that we know, but all we have forgotten, together with those errors and secret faults that eluded our own discovery and comprehension. Ps.19.12.—C.
g Ezr.9.13. La.3.22,39. ch.33.27. Ps.103.10.
7 Canst thou by searching hfind out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
A.M. cir. 2484. B.C. cir. 1520.
h Ec.3.11. Is.40.28. Ro.11.33. ch.26.14; 36.26. 1 Co.2.9. Ep.3.18,19.
8 It is4 as high ias heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
4 Heb. the heights of heaven.
i Ps.92.5; 147.5. Ro.11.33. Ep.3.18,19.
9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
10 Ifk he cut off,5 and shut up, or gather together, then lwho can hinder him?
k ch.12.14. Re.3.7. Ps.41.8; 76.7. De.32.30,39. Ex.18.11.
5 Or, make a change.
l Heb. who can turn him away? ch.9.4,12.
11 For he mknoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?
m Je.17.10. He.4.13. Re.2.23. Ps.10.14. Jn.2.24,25.
13 If thou oprepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;
o ch.5.8; 22.21. 2 Ch.12.14; 19.3. Ps.143.6. 1 Sa.7.3.
14 If iniquity be pin thine hand, qput it far away, and let not wickedness rdwell in thy tabernacles.
15 For then shalt thou slift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear:
17 Andu thine age shall be clearer than the noon-day;7 thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.
18 And xthou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig8 about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.
Notes
Then Zophar the Naamathite replied, 2. Dost thou think to stop our mouths with a multitude of words, or by thy talkativeness to persuade us thou art innocent? 3. Must no one confute thy false allegations concerning thine own innocence or God's dispensations of providence? And when thou hast so insolently scoffed at God and thy friends, must none expose thee to shame, by pointing forth thy wickedness? 4. Wilt thou dare pretend to God himself that thou art quite pure and unspotted in thy principles and practice? 5. Truly my earnest wish is that he would fully and freely debate the cause with thee, and confute thy mistakes; 6. And that he would show thee the hidden methods of his providence, and reasons of his wise counsels, which infinitely transcend thy conceptions, and make thee to know that thou hast deserved far more affliction than has been laid upon thee. 7. Darest thou pretend, by thy inquiries, fully to know the secrets of his providence, or the reasons of his procedure! 8, 9. Thou mayest sooner measure the height of heaven, or fathom the depth of hell, and describe the surfaces and boundaries of the earth and sea. 10. If he attack a person or family, and shut them up in chains or nets of affliction, or bring them to his public tribunal, who can resist or refute him; or cause him to restore them to liberty? 11. For he knoweth the lovers of, and dealers in, falsehood and vanity. He exactly observes and understands what emptiness and wickedness takes place, however unimportant it appears to us, and thus hath reasons for inflicting trouble that men overlook. 12. Let then the dull and self-conceited pretender to knowledge, who just now spoke, be endued with solid wisdom; and let him who appears as rude and blockish as an ass be formed into a man of understanding. 13. If thou art truly wise, forbear disputing; and in the exercise of faith and hearty repentance, apply thyself to humble supplication. 14. Reform thyself and family from whatever wickedness thou hast indulged. 15. Thus shalt thou be quickly delivered from thy loathsome disease and lamentable condition, and be firmly established in holiness and happiness. 16. The greatness of thy prosperity shall make thee forget all thy present trouble as if it had never been. 17. The remainder of thy life shall be filled up with the most glorious and ever-increasing felicity. Thy present labour, under confounding trouble, shall issue in a fresh, clear, and pleasant morning of prosperity. 18. Thy mind shall be quiet and free from terrors, in the well-grounded confidence of God's favour and protection. Thou shalt dig thy wells of water, or intrench thyself for security, and nothing shall disturb thee or thine. 19. And whilst thou art in perfect peace, without anything to disquiet thee, many, even of the great, shall humbly court thy favour and friendship. 20. But wicked men shall never enjoy the happiness they desire or expect; their refuge from, help under, or escape out of misery is utterly perished. Their firmest hope of happiness is as the giving up of the ghost, a noisy puff of breath, all on a sudden leaving them miserable and desperate.
Ver. 15. [Without spot. Without consciousness of sin, which is as the spot of leprosy, Le. 13. 2, 4, 19; Ep. 5. 27; He. 9. 14. C.]
Reflections.—It is highly indecent and sinful to be abusive and passionate in religious controversy; and cruel to deal harshly with them whose spirits the Lord has wounded. Harsh censures readily exceed the bounds of truth. Such as are forward in giving the lie to others are ordinarily too guilty of falsehood themselves; and none are more forward in making their appeals to God than they whose cause is bad. How little we know of God's unbounded excellencies, or of the mysteries of his wisdom and will! men often talk well concerning them to serve a bad purpose. But surely it is very unreasonable to complain under troubles, when we have not only a God of deep counsels and unsearchable perfections to deal with; but, in providence, have a mixture of undeserved mercy in the most severe afflictions we meet with. Men often proudly imagine they know much when they are amazingly ignorant: and the more ignorant they are, so are they the more unsettled and ungovernable. But in trouble there is need of a thorough reformation of ourselves and families. Yea, to have our nature changed, our heart lifted up to God in holy desires and self-dedication, and our practice rectified. And the most holy confidence towards God; holy composure in our own mind; comfortable reflection on troubles; and joyful expectation of peace, joy, and honour, attend upon sincere and gospel repentance. If God establish us we shall not fail; nor need we fear what all the powers of hell and earth can do against us. Though we may for a little suffer an eclipse, we shall at last, without spot, shine forth in the kingdom of our Father. If the anchor of our hope be fixed on the faithfulness of God, no storms can hurt or endanger our security.—But unavoidable misery awaits the impenitent; and if not before, the hope of the wicked always expires in death.