Advanced Commentary

Texts -- Job 11:2-20 (NET)

Context
11:2 “Should not this abundance of words be answered , or should this talkative man be vindicated ? 11:3 Will your idle talk reduce people to silence , and will no one rebuke you when you mock ? 11:4 For you have said , ‘My teaching is flawless , and I am pure in your sight .’ 11:5 But if only God would speak , if only he would open his lips against you, 11:6 and reveal to you the secrets of wisdom – for true wisdom has two sides – so that you would know that God has forgiven some of your sins . 11:7 “Can you discover the essence of God ? Can you find out the perfection of the Almighty ? 11:8 It is higher than the heavens – what can you do ? It is deeper than Sheol – what can you know ? 11:9 Its measure is longer than the earth , and broader than the sea . 11:10 If he comes by and confines you and convenes a court, then who can prevent him? 11:11 For he knows deceitful men ; when he sees evil , will he not consider it? 11:12 But an empty man will become wise , when a wild donkey’s colt is born a human being . 11:13 “As for you, if you prove faithful , and if you stretch out your hands toward him, 11:14 if iniquity is in your hand – put it far away , and do not let evil reside in your tents . 11:15 For then you will lift up your face without blemish ; you will be securely established and will not fear . 11:16 For you will forget your trouble ; you will remember it like water that has flowed away . 11:17 And life will be brighter than the noonday ; though there be darkness , it will be like the morning . 11:18 And you will be secure , because there is hope ; you will be protected and will take your rest in safety . 11:19 You will lie down with no one to make you afraid , and many will seek your favor . 11:20 But the eyes of the wicked fail , and escape eludes them; their one hope is to breathe their last .”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Zophar

    [isbe] ZOPHAR - zo'-far (tsphar, meaning doubtful, supposed from root meaning "to leap"; Sophar): One of the three friends of Job who, hearing of his affliction, make an appointment together to visit and comfort him. He is from the...
    [nave] ZOPHAR, one of Job's three friends, Job 2:11; 11; 20; 42:7-9.

  • Job

    [nave] JOB 1. A man who dwelt in Uz, Job 1:1. Righteousness of, Job 1:1, 5, 8; 2:3; Ezek. 14:14, 20. Riches of, Job 1:3. Trial of, by affliction of Satan, Job 1:13-19; 2:7-10. Fortitude of, Job 1:20-22; 2:10; Jas. 5:11. Visite...

  • Heathen

    [nave] HEATHEN Under this head are grouped all who are not embraced under the Abrahamic covenant. Cast out of Canaan, Lev. 18:24, 25; Psa. 44:2; and their land given to Israel, Psa. 78:55; 105:44; 135:12; 136:21, 22; Isa. 54:1-3. ...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • JOB, BOOK OF

    [isbe] JOB, BOOK OF - || I. INTRODUCTORY 1. Place in the Canon 2. Rank and Readers II. THE LITERARY FRAMEWORK 1. Setting of Time, Place and Scene 2. Characters and Personality 3. Form and Style III. THE COURSE OF THE STORY A) To Jo...

  • Righteous

    [nave] RIGHTEOUS. Index of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Contrasted with the Wicked; Described; Promises to, Expressed or Implied. Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics Compared with: The sun, Judg. 5:31; Matt. 13:43; sta...

  • Wisdom

    [isbe] WISDOM - wiz'-dum: 1. Linguistic 2. History 3. Religious Basis 4. Ideals 5. Teaching of Christ 6. Remainder of the New Testament (1) James (2) Paul 7. Hypostasis LITERATURE 1. Linguistic: In the Revised Version (British and ...
    [nave] WISDOM Of Joseph, Gen. 41:16, 25-39; Acts 7:10. Of Moses, Acts 7:22. Of Bezaleel, Ex. 31:3-5; 35:31-35; 36:1. Of Aholiab, Ex. 31:6; 35:34, 35; 36:1; of other skilled artisans, Ex. 36:2; of women, Ex. 35:26. Of Hiram, 1 K...

  • Afflictions and Adversities

    [nave] AFFLICTIONS AND ADVERSITIES. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Benefits of; Benefits of, Illustrated; Consolation in; Deliverance from; Design of; Despondency in; Dispe...

  • Uncharitableness

    [nave] UNCHARITABLENESS. Isa. 29:20, 21; Matt. 7:1-5 Luke 6:37-42. Luke 12:57; John 7:24; John 8:7; Rom. 2:1; Rom. 14:1-15; 1 Cor. 4:3-5, 7; 1 Cor. 13:1-6; Jas. 4:11, 12 See: Accusation, False; Charitableness; Slander; Speaking, E...

  • Ignorance

    [nave] IGNORANCE. Job 8:9; Job 11:7, 8, 12; Job 28:12, 13, 20, 21; Job 36:26, 29; Job 37:5, 15, 16, 19, 23 Job 38; 39. Psa. 139:6; Prov. 7:6-23; Prov. 8:5; Prov. 9:14-18; Prov. 19:2; Prov. 20:24; Prov. 22:3 Prov. 27:12. Prov. 27:1...

  • Repentance

    [nave] REPENTANCE Attributed to God, Gen. 6:6, 7; Ex. 32:14; Deut. 32:36; Judg. 2:18; 1 Sam. 15:11, 29, 35; 2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Chr. 21:15; Psa. 106:45; 110:4; 135:14; Jer. 15:6; 18:8, 10; 26:3; 42:10; Joel 2:13; Amos 7:3, 6; Jonah 3:9...

  • UNCHANGEABLE; UNCHANGEABLENESS

    [isbe] UNCHANGEABLE; UNCHANGEABLENESS - un-chanj'-a-bl, un-chanj'-a-bl-nes: I. UNCHANGEABLENESS OF GOD A TRUTH OF NATURAL THEOLOGY II. SCRIPTURAL DOCTRINE OF THE UNCHANGEABLENESS OF GOD 1. Not Lifeless Immobility 2. As Contrasted w...

  • Self-righteousness

    [nave] SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. Num. 16:3; Deut. 9:4-6; 1 Sam. 2:9; Job 6:13; Job 11:4-6; Job 12:2; Job 13:3, 13, 15, 19; Job 16:17, 18; Job 18:2-4; Job 21:27-29; Job 22:2, 3; Job 32:1, 2; Job 33:8, 9; Job 35:2, 7, 8; Psa. 10:5, 6; Pro...

  • COMPARATIVE RELIGION

    [isbe] COMPARATIVE RELIGION - kom-par'-a-tiv: I. THE SUBJECT IN GENERAL 1. Universality of Religion 2. Theories of Its Origin and Growth of Religion 3. Evolution II. RELATION OF CHRISTIANITY TO ETHNIC FAITHS AND THEIR TENETS 1. Kar...

  • KNOW; KNOWLEDGE

    [isbe] KNOW; KNOWLEDGE - no, nol'-ej (in Hebrew chiefly yadha`, noun da`ath; in Greek ginosko, oida' "to know fully," epiginosko, noun gnosis epignosis): Knowledge strictly is the apprehension by the mind of some fact or truth in a...

  • Hell

    [ebd] derived from the Saxon helan, to cover; hence the covered or the invisible place. In Scripture there are three words so rendered: (1.) Sheol, occurring in the Old Testament sixty-five times. This word sheol is derived from a...
    [nave] HELL The word used in the King James Version of the O.T. to translate the Hebrew word sheol, signifying the unseen state, in Deut. 32:22; 2 Sam. 22:6; Job 11:8; 26:6; Psa. 9:17; 16:10; 18:5; 55:15; 86:13; 116:3; 139:8; Prov....

  • Wicked

    [nave] WICKED Compared with: Abominable branches, Isa. 14:19; ashes under the feet, Mal. 4:3; bad fishes, Matt. 13:48; beasts, Psa. 49:12; 2 Pet. 2:12; the blind, Zeph. 1:17; Matt. 15:14; bronze and iron, Jer. 6:28; Ezek. 22:18; br...

  • ASS

    [ebd] frequently mentioned throughout Scripture. Of the domesticated species we read of, (1.) The she ass (Heb. 'athon), so named from its slowness (Gen. 12:16; 45:23; Num. 22:23; 1 Sam. 9:3). (2.) The male ass (Heb. hamor), the c...
    [isbe] ASS - as (chamowr or chamor, compare Arabic chamar, apparently connected with Arabic root 'achmar, "red," but referred by some to root hamal, "to carry"; also, but less commonly, both in Hebrew and in Arabic, 'athon, Arabic ...

  • Vanity

    [nave] VANITY A consequence of the fall, Rom. 8:20. Every one is, Psa. 39:11. Every state of mankind is, Psa. 62:9. Mankind in his best estate is, Psa. 39:5. Mankind is like to, Psa. 144:4. The thoughts of mankind are, Psa. 94...

  • ASTRONOMY, I

    [isbe] ASTRONOMY, I - as-tron'-omi: I. THE HEAVENLY BODIES 1. The Ordinances of Heaven 2. The Sun (1) The Names for the Sun (2) The "City of the Sun" (3) The Greater Light-Giver (4) The Purpose of the Sun (5) The Sun as a Type 3. T...
more

Questions

  • I've heard and read the same statement a number of times, but have never troubled myself to look up each passage. I'm not surprised that looking up "heaven" and "hell" in a concordance would give you contradictory results. T...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's two dreams faithfully. This led to God elevating Joseph in the government and demonstrating His sovereign control over economic life in Egypt as He prepared to preserve Israel through the coming f...
  • What this book is all about has been the subject of considerable debate. Many people think God gave it to us to provide His answer to the age-old problem of suffering. In particular, many believe it is in the Bible to help us...
  • I. Prologue chs. 1-2A. Job's character 1:1-5B. Job's calamities 1:6-2:101. The first test 1:6-222. The second test 2:1-10C. Job's comforters 2:11-13II. The dialogue concerning the basis of the divine-human relationship 3:1-42...
  • The writer composed the prologue and epilogue of this book in prose narrative and the main body (3:1-42:6) in poetry. The prologue and epilogue form a frame around the main emphasis of the revelation, the poetic section, and ...
  • The two soliloquies of Job (chs. 3 and 29-31) enclose three cycles of dialogue between Job and his three friends. Each cycle consists of speeches by Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar in that order interspersed with Job's reply to e...
  • Zophar took great offense at what Job had said. He responded viciously with an aggressiveness that outdid both Eliphaz and Bildad. Zophar was a dogmatist."He . . . attempted heavy handed shock treatment to get through to Job....
  • Four things about Job bothered Zophar: his loquacity (v. 2), his boasting (v. 3), his self-righteousness (v. 4), and his ignorance (v. 5). Verses 5 and 6 are full of sarcasm. Zophar believed Job deserved much worse punishment...
  • Eliphaz and Bildad had spoken mainly of God's justice. Zophar extolled His wisdom. He rightly explained that God's wisdom is unfathomable, but he inadvertently claimed to fathom it by saying Job deserved more punishment than ...
  • Three steps would bring Job back to where he should be, said Zophar: repentance (v. 13), prayer (v. 13), and reformation (v. 14). He also painted the fruits of conversion for Job. These benefits were a clear conscience, faith...
  • Verse 2 is irony; his companions were not as wise as they thought. Job pointed out that much of what they had said about God was common knowledge (cf. 5:9-10; 8:13-19; 11:7-9). Nonetheless their conclusion, that the basis of ...
  • "Therefore"(v. 2) must refer to what Job had said. Job had previously asked why his friends answered him (16:3). Zophar replied that the spirit of his understanding made him answer (v. 3b). Again he seems to be claiming innat...
  • Elihu began by voicing his respect for Job's three friends (vv. 6-10). They were older than he, and for this reason he said he had refrained from speaking until now. However he had become convinced that advancing age does not...
  • Baal worship fascinated the Israelites, but it was futile.2:20 The Lord had broken the yoke of Egypt off His people at the Exodus and had set them free, but being ungrateful they refused to yield themselves to Him in covenant...
Back to Commentary Page
Display Bible



Universal Search:

NET Only
Exact Search
Commentary
Study Dictionary
Word Study
Lexicon
Study Maps System
Sermon Illustrations
Expository
Arts
Resource
Daily Bible Reading
Training Video
Classic NET Bible
iPhone NET Bible
Mobile Bible
TIP #06: On Bible View and Passage View, drag the yellow bar to adjust your screen. [ALL]
created in 0.05 seconds
powered by
bible.org - YLSA