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Texts -- Job 4:1-11 (NET)

Context
Eliphaz Begins to Speak
4:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered : 4:2 “If someone should attempt a word with you, will you be impatient ? But who can refrain from speaking ? 4:3 Look , you have instructed many ; you have strengthened feeble hands . 4:4 Your words have supported those who stumbled , and you have strengthened the knees that gave way . 4:5 But now the same thing comes to you, and you are discouraged ; it strikes you, and you are terrified . 4:6 Is not your piety your confidence , and your blameless ways your hope ? 4:7 Call to mind now : Who , being innocent , ever perished ? And where were upright people ever destroyed ? 4:8 Even as I have seen , those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same. 4:9 By the breath of God they perish , and by the blast of his anger they are consumed . 4:10 There is the roaring of the lion and the growling of the young lion , but the teeth of the young lions are broken . 4:11 The mighty lion perishes for lack of prey , and the cubs of the lioness are scattered .

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Bible Dictionary

  • 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...

  • Eliphaz

    [nave] ELIPHAZ 1. Son of Esau, Gen. 36:4, 10-16; 1 Chr. 1:35. 2. Friend of Job, Job 2:11; 4; 5; 22; 42:7-9.

  • Presumption

    [nave] PRESUMPTION. Ex. 5:2; Ex. 14:11, 12; Ex. 17:7; Num. 15:30; Num. 16:41; Num. 21:5; Deut. 29:19, 20; 1 Kin. 20:28; 1 Kin. 22:24; Job 15:25; Psa. 19:13; Psa. 131:1; Prov. 18:12, 13; Prov. 25:6, 7; Isa. 5:18-25; Isa. 10:15; Isa...

  • 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. ...

  • ELIPHAZ (2)

    [isbe] ELIPHAZ (2) - The first and most prominent of the three friends of Job (Job 2:11), who come from distant places to condole with and comfort him, when they hear of his affliction. That he is to be regarded as their leader and...

  • Faith

    [nave] FAITH. 2 Sam. 22:31; Psa. 5:11; Psa. 7:1; Psa. 9:9, 10; Psa. 18:30; Psa. 32:10; Psa. 33:18, 19; Psa. 34:8, 22 vs. 1-8;; Psa. 2:12. Psa. 36:7; Psa. 40:4; Psa. 64:10; Psa. 78:7 vs. 5-7.; Psa. 84:5, 12; Psa. 112:5, 7, 8; Psa. ...

  • Doubting

    [nave] DOUBTING. Job 4:3-6; Job 9:16-23; Job 30:20, 21 Job 3; 16; 17; 23:15-17. Psa. 22:2; Psa. 31:22; Psa. 42:5, 6; Psa. 49:5; Psa. 73:13-17; Psa. 77:3, 7-9; Prov. 24:10; Isa. 40:27, 28 Isa. 50:2. Isa. 49:14, 15; Jer. 8:18; Jer. ...

  • Lion

    [isbe] LION - li'-un: (1) Occurring most often in the Old Testament is 'aryeh, plural 'ardyoth. Another form, 'ari, plural 'arayim, is found less often. 1. Names: Compare 'ari'el, "Ariel" (Ezr 8:16; Isa 29:1,2,7); char'el, "upper a...
    [nave] LION King of beasts, Mic. 5:8. Fierceness of, Job 4:10; 28:8; Psa. 7:2; Prov. 22:13; Jer. 2:15; 49:19; 50:44; Hos. 13:8. The roaring of, Psa. 22:13; Prov. 20:2. Strength of, Prov. 30:30; Isa. 38:13; Joel 1:6. Instincts o...

  • 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...

  • Lintel

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. mashkoph, a projecting cover (Ex. 12:22, 23; ver. 7, "upper door post," but R.V. "lintel"); the head-piece of a door, which the Israelites were commanded to mark with the blood of the paschal lamb. (2.) Heb. kaphta...

  • 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...

  • Blight

    [nave] BLIGHT 1 Kin. 8:37. Sent as a judgment, Deut. 28:22; 2 Kin. 19:7; Isa. 37:7; Amos 4:9; Hag. 2:17. Figurative Ex. 15:8; 2 Sam. 22:16; Job 4:9; Psa. 18:15.

  • Breath

    [nave] BREATH Of life, Gen. 2:7; 7:22; Acts 17:25. Of God, 2 Sam. 22:16; Job 4:9; 15:30; 33:4; 37:10; Psa. 18:15; 33:6; Isa. 30:33. Figurative Ezek. 37:9.

  • Wisdom

    [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...

  • Sin

    [nave] SIN. Index of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to, Defining, and Illustrating; Confession of; Consequences of, Entailed Upon Children; Conviction of; Forgiveness of; Fruits of; Kn...

  • 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...

  • REAPING

    [isbe] REAPING - rep'-ing (qatsar; therizo): Reaping in ancient times, as at present, consisted in either pulling up the grain by the roots or cutting it with a sickle (see SICKLE), and then binding the stalks into bundles to be ca...

  • CONFIDENCE

    [isbe] CONFIDENCE - kon'-fi-dens (baTach, and forms, kecel; parrhesia; peitho, pepoithesis, hupostasis): The chief Hebrew word translated "confidence" (baTach, and its forms) means, perhaps, radically, "to be open," showing thus wh...

  • FEEBLE KNEES

    [isbe] FEEBLE KNEES - fe'-b'-l nez: The expression. is found in three places (one being a free quotation of another): Job 4:4, "Thou hast made firm the feeble (kara`, "bending," "bowing") knees," and Heb 12:12, "Wherefore lift up t...

  • BREATH; BREATHE; BREATHING

    [isbe] BREATH; BREATHE; BREATHING - breth, breth, breath'-ing: In the English Versions of the Bible of the Old Testament "breath" is the rendering of neshamah, and of ruach. These words differ but slightly in meaning, both signifyi...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 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...
  • Eliphaz's first speech has a symmetrical introverted (chiastic) structure that emphasizes the central section."AOpening remark (4:2)BExhortation (4:3-6)CGod's dealings with men (4:7-11)DThe revelation of truth (4:12-21)C'God'...
  • Eliphaz began courteously but moved quickly to criticism. He commended Job for having encouraged others in the past but rebuked him for not encouraging himself in the present. He did not offer encouragement to his distressed ...
  • This is one of the clearest expressions of Eliphaz's view of why people suffer and his view of the basis for the divine human relationship (v. 7). He believed good people always win and the bad always lose. He was asserting t...
  • Bildad agreed with Eliphaz that God was paying Job back for some sin he had committed, and he believed God would show Job mercy if he confessed that sin. However, Bildad built his conclusions on a slightly different foundatio...
  • Perhaps Eliphaz wanted to scare Job into repenting with these words. As before, Eliphaz's authority was his own observations (v. 17; cf. 4:8). To this he added the wisdom of their ancestors (vv. 18-19; cf. 8:8). Probably vers...
  • Job said his visitors had said nothing new to help him (v. 1). He picked up Eliphaz's word (translated "mischief"in 15:35) and used it to describe him and his companions as "sorry"comforters (v. 2). Eliphaz's words had not br...
  • 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...
  • "Obadiah's discussion nicely interweaves the themes of divine intervention and human instrumentality."21v. 8 The repetition of "declares the Lord"(cf. v. 4) reemphasizes Yahweh's initiative in this judgment. "That day"points ...
  • 13:1 Luke linked this incident chronologically with the preceding one. Apparently messengers from Jerusalem had just arrived with news about Pilate's act. This is the usual force of the Greek verb apaggello, translated "repor...
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