collapse all  

Text -- Job 15:4 (NET)

Strongs On/Off
Context
15:4 But you even break off piety, and hinder meditation before God.
Parallel   Cross Reference (TSK)   ITL  

Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Dictionary Themes and Topics: Uncharitableness | Pride | Prayerlessness | Job | ELIPHAZ (2) | DEVOTION; DEVOTIONS | more
Table of Contents

Word/Phrase Notes
Wesley , JFB , Clarke , TSK

Word/Phrase Notes
Barnes , Poole , Haydock , Gill

Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes , Geneva Bible

Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis , MHCC , Matthew Henry , Keil-Delitzsch , Constable

collapse all
Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: Job 15:4 - -- Heb. thou makes void fear; the fear of God, piety and religion, by thy unworthy speeches of God, and by those false and pernicious principles, that Go...

Heb. thou makes void fear; the fear of God, piety and religion, by thy unworthy speeches of God, and by those false and pernicious principles, that God makes no difference between good and bad in the course of his providence, but equally prospers or afflicts both: thou dost that which tends to the subversion of the fear and worship of God.

Wesley: Job 15:4 - -- Thou dost by thy words and principles, as far as in thee lies, banish prayer out of the world, by making it useless and unprofitable to men.

Thou dost by thy words and principles, as far as in thee lies, banish prayer out of the world, by making it useless and unprofitable to men.

JFB: Job 15:4 - -- Reverence for God (Job 4:6; Psa 2:11).

Reverence for God (Job 4:6; Psa 2:11).

JFB: Job 15:4 - -- Meditation, in Psa 104:34; so devotion. If thy views were right, reasons Eliphaz, that God disregards the afflictions of the righteous and makes the w...

Meditation, in Psa 104:34; so devotion. If thy views were right, reasons Eliphaz, that God disregards the afflictions of the righteous and makes the wicked to prosper, all devotion would be at an end.

Clarke: Job 15:4 - -- Thou castest off fear - Thou hast no reverence for God

Thou castest off fear - Thou hast no reverence for God

Clarke: Job 15:4 - -- And restrainest prayer - Instead of humbling thyself, and making supplication to thy Judge, thou spendest thy time in arraigning his providence and ...

And restrainest prayer - Instead of humbling thyself, and making supplication to thy Judge, thou spendest thy time in arraigning his providence and justifying thyself. When a man has any doubts whether he has grieved God’ s Spirit, and his mind feels troubled, it is much better for him to go immediately to God, and ask forgiveness, than spend any time in finding excuses for his conduct, or laboring to divest it of its seeming obliquity. Restraining or suppressing prayer, in order to find excuses or palliations for infirmities, indiscretions, or improprieties of any kind, which appear to trench on the sacred limits of morality and godliness, may be to a man the worst of evils: humiliation and prayer for mercy and pardon can never be out of their place to any soul of man who, surrounded with evils, is ever liable to offend.

TSK: Job 15:4 - -- castest off : Heb. makest void, Job 4:5, Job 4:6, Job 6:14; Psa 36:1-3, Psa 119:126; Zep 1:6; Rom 3:31; Gal 2:21 restrainest : Job 5:8, Job 27:10; 1Ch...

castest off : Heb. makest void, Job 4:5, Job 4:6, Job 6:14; Psa 36:1-3, Psa 119:126; Zep 1:6; Rom 3:31; Gal 2:21

restrainest : Job 5:8, Job 27:10; 1Ch 10:13, 1Ch 10:14; Hos 7:14; Amo 6:10; Luk 18:1

prayer : or, speech.

collapse all
Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Job 15:4 - -- Yea, thou castest off fear - Margin, Makest void. Fear here means the fear or reverence of God; and the idea is, that Job had not maintained a ...

Yea, thou castest off fear - Margin, Makest void. Fear here means the fear or reverence of God; and the idea is, that Job had not maintained a proper veneration or respect for his Maker in his argument. He had defended principles and made assertions which implied great disrespect for the Deity. If those doctrines were true; if he was right in his views about God, then he was not a being who could be reverenced. No confidence could be placed in his government; no worship of such a being could be maintained. Eliphaz does not refer here so much to what was personal with Job, as to his principles. He does not mean so much to affirm that he himself had lost all reverence for God, as that his arguments led to that. Job had maintained that God did not in this life reward and punish people strictly according to their deserts. If this was so, Eliphaz says, then it would be impossible to honor him, and religion and worship would be at an end.

The Hebrew word rendered "castest off"- more accurately rendered in the margin "makest void"( תפר tāpēr ) - implies this. "And restrainest prayer before God."Margin, "speech."The Hebrew word שׂיחה śı̂ychâh means properly "meditation"- and particularly meditation about divine things: Psa 119:97. Then it means "devotion"- as to meditate on divine things is a part of devotion. It may be applied to any part of devotion, and seems to be not improperly rendered "prayer."It is that devotion which finds utterance in the language of prayer. The word rendered "restrainest"- תגרע tı̂gâra‛ - means to shave off - like the beard; then to cut off, to take away, detract, withhold; and the idea here is, that the views which Job maintained were such as "to sap the very foundations of religion."If God treated the righteous and the wicked alike, the one would have nothing to hope and the other nothing to fear.

There could be no ground of encouragement, to pray to him. How could the righteous pray to him, unless there was evidence that he was the friend of virtue? How could they hope for his special blessing, if he were disposed to treat the good and the bad alike? Why was it not just as well to live in sin as to be holy? And how could such a being be the object of confidence or prayer? Eliphaz mistook the meaning of Job, and pressed his positions further than he intended; and Job was not entirely able to vindicate his position, or to show how the consequences stated by Eliphaz could be avoided. "They both wanted the complete and full view of the future state of retribution revealed in the gospel, and that would have removed the whole difficulty."But I see not how the considerations here urged by this ancient sage of the tendency of Job’ s doctrine can be avoided, if it be applied to the views of those who hold that all people will be saved at death. If that be the truth, then who can fail to see that the tendency must be to make people cast off the fear of God and to undermine all devotion and prayer? Why should people pray, if all are to be treated alike at death? How can people worship and honor a Being who will treat the good and the bad alike? How can we have confidence in a being who makes no distinction in regard to character? And what inducement can there be to be pious, when all people shall be made as happy as they can be forever whether they are pious or not? We are not to wonder, therefore, that the system tends every where to sap the foundations of virtue and religion; that it makes no man better; and that where it prevails, it banishes religion and prayer from the world.

Poole: Job 15:4 - -- Heb. Thou makest void fear , i.e. the fear of God, as the word is oft used for the word of God or piety and religion, which oft cometh under the ...

Heb. Thou makest void fear , i.e. the fear of God, as the word is oft used

for the word of God or piety and religion, which oft cometh under the name of fear. This may be understood either,

1. Of Job himself; that he cast off all reverence to God, by uttering such bold and reproachful expressions concerning God and his providence. Or,

2. With respect to others; that by his insolent and unworthy speeches of and carriage towards God, and by those false and pernicious principles which he had laid down; as that God dealt with men in way of absolute sovereignty, not of justice; and that he made no difference between good and bad in the course of his providence, but did equally prosper or afflict both of them; he did that which tended to the subversion of the fear and worship of God.

Restrainest prayer as this Hebrew word signifies also, Psa 102:1 . Or, meditation or speech ; which well agrees to prayer, which is accompanied with serious thoughts and expressions. The sense is, either,

1. Instead of humble and fervent prayer to God, which thy condition calleth for, thou breathest forth false and blasphemous speeches against him. Or,

2. Thou dost by thy words, and examples, and principles, as far as in thee lies, banish prayer out of the world, by making it useless and unprofitable to men.

Haydock: Job 15:4 - -- God. Another, after thy example, will assert his own innocence under affliction, and will not fear, nor have recourse to God by humble prayer. Beho...

God. Another, after thy example, will assert his own innocence under affliction, and will not fear, nor have recourse to God by humble prayer. Behold the dangerous consequences of thy principle. (Calmet)

Gill: Job 15:4 - -- Yea, thou castest off fear,.... Not of man; a slavish fear of man is to be cast off, because that brings a snare, deters men from their duty, and lead...

Yea, thou castest off fear,.... Not of man; a slavish fear of man is to be cast off, because that brings a snare, deters men from their duty, and leads into sin; though there is a fear and reverence of men which ought to be given to them, "fear to whom fear", Rom 13:7; but here the fear of God is meant, which is to be understood of the grace of fear, of which Job was possessed; that could not be cast off, for this is not what is in a man naturally, or is by the light of nature, and arises from natural conviction, which may be cast off, as was by Pharaoh; but this is a blessing of the covenant of grace, sure and firm, and is one of the gifts of grace that are without repentance; it is a part of internal grace, which can never be lost; it is improved and increased by fresh discoveries of the grace and goodness of God, and is an antidote and preservative against apostasy: perhaps the whole worship of God may be meant, external worship, or outward religion in the form of it, which is sometimes signified by the fear of God: Ecc 12:14; and it is cast off when it is neglected and not attended to, or when men become profane, after they have made a profession of religion; but as neither of these can be thought to be the case of Job, rather the meaning of Eliphaz may be, that Job did not show that reverence to God he should, as his words may seem, in Job 13:20; or that by his way of talk and reasoning, and by the notions he had imbibed and gave out, and the assertions he laid down, all religion would be made void among men; for if, as he had said, God "destroys the perfect and the wicked, and the tabernacles of robbers prosper, and the just men are laughed to scorn", Job 9:22; who would fear God? it might be inferred from hence, that it is a vain thing to serve him, and there can be no profit got by keeping his ordinances, and walking before him; this is the way to put an end to all religion, as if Eliphaz should say, and discourage all regard unto it:

and restrainest prayer before God; prayer is to be made to God and to him only, it is a part of religious worship, directed to by the light of nature, and ought to be performed by every man; it is a special privilege of the saints, who have a covenant God on a throne of grace to go to, and can pray in a spiritual manner for spiritual things; and especially is to be observed in times of trouble, in which Job now was, and never to be disused; now this charge either respects Job himself, that he left off praying, which can hardly be supposed; or that he drew out prayer to a great length, as some understand the words w, like the tautologies of the Heathen; or he diminished prayer, as others x, lessened the times of prayer, and the petitions in it: or rather it may respect others; not that it can be thought he should lay his injunctions on those over whom he had any authority, forbidding his servants, or those about him, to pray; but that by his manner of reasoning he discouraged prayer, as Eliphaz thought, as an useless thing; for if God laughs at the trials and afflictions of the innocent, and suffers wicked men to prosper, who would pray to him, or serve him? see Job 9:23.

expand all
Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Job 15:4 The word שִׂיחָה (sikhah) is “complaint; cry; meditation.” Job would be influencing people to ch...

Geneva Bible: Job 15:4 Yea, thou castest off ( c ) fear, and restrainest prayer before God. ( c ) He charges Job as though his talk caused men to cast off the fear of God a...

expand all
Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Job 15:1-35 - --1 Eliphaz reproves Job for impiety in justifying himself.17 He proves by tradition the unquietness of wicked men.

MHCC: Job 15:1-16 - --Eliphaz begins a second attack upon Job, instead of being softened by his complaints. He unjustly charges Job with casting off the fear of God, and al...

Matthew Henry: Job 15:1-16 - -- Eliphaz here falls very foul upon Job, because he contradicted what he and his colleagues had said, and did not acquiesce in it and applaud it, as t...

Keil-Delitzsch: Job 15:1-6 - -- 1 Then began Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: 2 Doth a wise man utter vain knowledge, And fill his breast with the east wind? 3 Contending with wo...

Constable: Job 15:1--21:34 - --C. The Second Cycle of Speeches between Job and His Three Friends chs. 15-21 In the second cycle of spee...

Constable: Job 15:1-35 - --1. Eliphaz's second speech ch. 15 Job's responses so far had evidently convinced Eliphaz that Jo...

Constable: Job 15:1-16 - --Job's attitude rebuked 15:1-16 Specifically Eliphaz accused Job of speaking irreverently...

expand all
Introduction / Outline

JFB: Job (Book Introduction) JOB A REAL PERSON.--It has been supposed by some that the book of Job is an allegory, not a real narrative, on account of the artificial character of ...

JFB: Job (Outline) THE HOLINESS OF JOB, HIS WEALTH, &c. (Job 1:1-5) SATAN, APPEARING BEFORE GOD, FALSELY ACCUSES JOB. (Job 1:6-12) SATAN FURTHER TEMPTS JOB. (Job 2:1-8)...

TSK: Job (Book Introduction) A large aquatic animal, perhaps the extinct dinosaur, plesiosaurus, the exact meaning is unknown. Some think this to be a crocodile but from the desc...

TSK: Job 15 (Chapter Introduction) Overview Job 15:1, Eliphaz reproves Job for impiety in justifying himself; v.17, He proves by tradition the unquietness of wicked men.

Poole: Job 15 (Chapter Introduction) CHAPTER 15 Eliphaz’ s reproof: Job’ s knowledge and talk vain; he feareth not God, nor prayeth to him; but his own mouth uttered his iniq...

MHCC: Job (Book Introduction) This book is so called from Job, whose prosperity, afflictions, and restoration, are here recorded. He lived soon after Abraham, or perhaps before tha...

MHCC: Job 15 (Chapter Introduction) (v. 1-16) Eliphaz reproves Job. (v. 17-35) The unquietness of wicked men.

Matthew Henry: Job (Book Introduction) An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Book of Job This book of Job stands by itself, is not connected with any other, and is therefore to...

Matthew Henry: Job 15 (Chapter Introduction) Perhaps Job was so clear, and so well satisfied, in the goodness of his own cause, that he thought, if he had not convinced, yet he had at least si...

Constable: Job (Book Introduction) Introduction Title This book, like many others in the Old Testament, got its name from...

Constable: Job (Outline) Outline I. Prologue chs. 1-2 A. Job's character 1:1-5 B. Job's calamitie...

Constable: Job Job Bibliography Andersen, Francis I. Job. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series. Leicester, Eng. and Downe...

Haydock: Job (Book Introduction) THE BOOK OF JOB. INTRODUCTION. This Book takes its name from the holy man, of whom it treats; who, according to the more probable opinion, was ...

Gill: Job (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO JOB This book, in the Hebrew copies, generally goes by this name, from Job, who is however the subject, if not the writer of it. In...

Gill: Job 15 (Chapter Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO JOB 15 Job's three friends having in their turns attacked him, and he having given answer respectively to them, Eliphaz, who began ...

Advanced Commentary (Dictionaries, Hymns, Arts, Sermon Illustration, Question and Answers, etc)


TIP #05: Try Double Clicking on any word for instant search. [ALL]
created in 0.06 seconds
powered by
bible.org - YLSA