{"notes_id":"eng_tyndale","book":"job","verses":{"1":{"1":"The opening phrase, There once was a man, can introduce either a parable (2 Sam 12:1) or history (1 Sam 25:2). • Job is also mentioned in Ezek 14:14, 20 and Jas 5:11. • Uz is east of the Jordan, either in Edom to the south (Gen 36:28; 1 Chr 1:42; Jer 25:19-20; Lam 4:21) or in Aram to the north (Gen 10:23; 22:21; 1 Chr 1:17, 42). Job was not an Israelite—he lived before the nation was born and outside its later territory. • Job was morally blameless—a man of complete integrity (Job 1:8; 2:3; see Pss 25:21; 37:37; Prov 2:7; 20:11; 29:10). He did not claim to be perfect or sinless (Job 6:24; 7:21; see also Eccl 7:20; Rom 3:23; 1 Jn 1:8), but he was righteous; his suffering did not result from guilt. He feared God (see Ps 111:10; Prov 1:7; 9:10; 2 Cor 7:1) and did not appeal to any of the ancient Near Eastern gods (Job 9:8; 23:13; 31:26-28).","5":"Ritual washing and changing garments were common ways for individuals to purify themselves before offering a sacrifice (Gen 35:2; Exod 19:10, 14). • The common time for conscientious piety was early in the morning (see Gen 22:3; Ps 5:3; Mark 1:35). • cursed: The Hebrew term barak (literally blessed) is used here as a euphemism for cursing (cp. Job 1:11; 2:5, 9; 1 Kgs 21:10, 13; Ps 10:3). Job was concerned that his children might have committed this capital crime (Lev 24:10-16; 1 Kgs 21:9-13; cp. Job 1:11; 2:5, 9). Job understood that sinful attitudes in people’s hearts constitute sin (Jer 17:9-10; Mark 7:21-23).","8":"my servant: This title was used for the patriarchs (Gen 26:24; Exod 32:13), the prophets (2 Kgs 17:13; Jer 7:25; Zech 1:6), and David (e.g., 2 Sam 7:1-29; Pss 18:1; 36:1).","10":"wall of protection: See 1 Sam 25:16; Pss 5:12; 34:7; Zech 2:5; cp. Isa 5:5.","15":"The Sabeans were marauding bandit tribes from the desert (cp. Judg 6:3). By the 700s BC, the southern Sabeans would become a national power that traded in gold, precious stones, perfume, and slaves (Ps 72:10; Isa 43:3; 45:14; 60:6; Jer 6:20).","16":"The fire of God . . . from heaven (20:26) might have been lightning (Lev 10:2; 1 Kgs 18:38; 2 Kgs 1:10-14), wildfire (Num 11:1-3), or volcanic activity (Gen 19:24).","19":"That the wind . . . hit the house on all sides suggests that Job and his children were settled farmers living in houses rather than nomads living in tents.","20":"Job tore his robe and shaved his head; both were common Near East rituals that demonstrated grief. These actions sometimes substituted for self-mutilation as a physical response to shock, horror, or bad news (2:12; Gen 37:29, 34; Judg 11:35; Jer 16:6; Ezek 7:18; Amos 8:10). • He fell to the ground, not to wail in despair, but to worship in hope (1 Pet 5:6)."},"2":{"3":"The phrase without cause (Hebrew khinnam) is a wordplay on Satan’s question in 1:9.","5":"take away his health (literally strike his flesh and bones): Bones were thought to be the seat of health.","6":"spare (literally guard/watch over): God ironically made Satan responsible for guarding Job’s life (cp. 10:13-14; 13:27; 33:11).","7":"This term for terrible boils was used for any inflamed, running sores (Exod 9:10; Lev 13:18-20; Deut 28:27, 35).","8":"Job might have scraped his skin to relieve itching; the Greek Old Testament says that it was “to scrape away the pus.” • The ashes might refer to a place where lepers were quarantined, but Job was probably demonstrating his grief and dismay (30:19; Gen 18:27; 2 Sam 13:19; Isa 58:5; Jon 3:6).","9":"Job’s wife first summarized the essence of Job’s temptation by echoing God’s words (2:3); Job was trying to maintain his integrity. In her frustration and anguish, however, she then counseled Job to curse God and thus unknowingly fulfill Satan’s prediction (1:11; 2:5).","10":"Job’s acceptance of bad as well as good things from God’s hand demonstrates his righteousness and faith (cp. 1:21; 2 Sam 12:16-20; Luke 22:42). • By saying nothing wrong, Job controlled his tongue (Prov 13:3; 21:23; see Jas 3:2).","11":"It might have taken several months for Job’s friends (see study note on 6:14-27) to hear of his afflictions (see 7:3). • The text implies that Job’s friends were Edomites, a people who were famous for their wisdom (Jer 49:7; Obad 1:8). • Eliphaz the Temanite was probably a descendant of Esau’s grandson Teman (Gen 36:10-11, 15); his land was located in Edom (Ezek 25:13; Amos 1:11-12). • The Bil- element in Bildad would remind Hebrew readers of names like Bilhan, a descendant of Esau (Gen 36:27; 1 Chr 1:42). The -dad element would remind them of names like Bedad, father of the Edomite king Hadad (Gen 36:35; 1 Chr 1:46). • Shuhite: No place named Shuah is known, but Abraham’s son Shuah was sent to “a land in the east” (Gen 25:1, 6; 1 Chr 1:32). • The Greek Old Testament lists Zophar instead of Zepho as one of Esau’s grandsons (Gen 36:11, 15; 1 Chr 1:36). A Naamathite might reside in a town named Naamah, but no such location is known. Two Old Testament women are named Naamah, but neither is a likely ancestor of Zophar (Gen 4:22; 1 Kgs 14:21).","12":"they scarcely recognized him: This expression indicates the extreme suffering Job had experienced (cp. Isa 52:14; 53:3). • Job’s friends mourned by wailing loudly, just as they would have done for a dead man. • Throwing dust sometimes expressed anger or disdain (see 2 Sam 16:13; Acts 22:23), but here it signaled mourning (see Josh 7:6; 1 Sam 4:12; Neh 9:1; Lam 2:10).","13":"Job’s friends sat on the ground to identify with Job’s suffering (see 2:8). • The standard period for mourning the death of a notable person or for acknowledging other disastrous news was seven days and nights (Gen 50:10; 1 Sam 31:13; see also Ezek 3:14-15)."},"3":{"5":"Job longed for the sinister darkness of the underworld (Exod 10:22; Prov 4:19; Joel 2:2) and the gloom of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17) to claim the day of his birth.","8":"The expression experts at cursing refers to professional cursers such as Balaam (Num 22–24).","9":"Venus and Mercury, the morning stars, herald the dawn (38:7).","10":"shut my mother’s womb: Closing or opening the womb sometimes refers to conception (Gen 16:2; 20:18; 29:31; 30:22; 1 Sam 1:5-6), but here it refers to birth (see also Job 38:8).","14":"The dead were thought to continue their identities and social status after death. Perhaps Job wanted the world’s kings and prime ministers to acknowledge his own princely status (1:3).","15":"rich in gold, whose palaces were filled with silver: This might refer to treasure-filled tombs, but it more likely refers to the futile hoarding of wealth that ends in death (as in 3:14).","20":"Job equated light with life (33:30; see John 1:4; 8:12). • Bitter might mean “short-tempered” (Judg 18:25), “enraged” (2 Sam 17:8), “anguish” (Job 7:11), “distress” (Prov 31:6), or “discontented” (1 Sam 1:10; 22:2).","21":"People in misery long for death with the desperation of those who dig for hidden treasure."},"4":{"7":"Job probably counted his children among the innocent dead (1:5), and even Eliphaz must have known that innocent blood is sometimes shed (cp. Deut 19:10; Prov 6:17; Jer 7:6).","8":"The harvest metaphor illustrates the scriptural principle that behavior merits judgment (Prov 22:8; Hos 8:7; Rom 2:9-11; Gal 6:7-8). The New Testament describes the final judgment as a harvest (Matt 13:39). Jesus rejected simplistic attempts to analyze people’s lives by this principle (Luke 13:4; John 9:1-3).","9":"They vanish in a blast of his anger: Eliphaz understood the wind of 1:19 as divine judgment (cp. Isa 40:7; Hos 13:15).","13":"Eliphaz probably referred to the God-induced sleep associated with prophetic vision (33:15; Gen 15:12; Num 12:6; Isa 29:10).","14":"Fear is common in God’s presence (Gen 15:12; Dan 8:17-18; 10:8-10), but God tells his people not to be afraid (Gen 15:1; 26:24; Isa 40:9; 44:8). • Eliphaz’s bones trembled like those of a prophet with terrible news to deliver (Jer 23:9; Hab 3:16).","15":"A spirit (or wind) swept past my face: Wind is a physical display of God’s powerful presence (38:1; Nah 1:3; Acts 2:2; cp. 1 Kgs 19:11).","17":"As the characters in the book repeatedly acknowledge, no one is truly innocent or pure (see 9:2; 15:14; 25:4; 35:7) because all are depraved (Pss 14:3; 53:3; Rom 3:10-11). Eliphaz used these terms to mean that human beings are sinful creatures and God is the sinless Creator. Job and God used them to mean that Job had faithfully carried out the duties inherent in his relationship with God. Job and Eliphaz never agreed on the meaning of these terms. Later, God said that Eliphaz had spoken inaccurately (Job 42:7).","21":"A tent was a common symbol for mortal life (Isa 38:12; 2 Cor 5:1; cp. Eccl 12:6)."},"5":{"1":"The angels (literally the holy ones), probably a reference back to 4:18, are called “holy ones” because of their proximity to God, not because they were morally perfect (15:15; Dan 4:14; 8:13; Zech 14:5).","4":"The court (literally the gate) was the site of legal and commercial deliberations in which Job had participated (29:7; see Deut 21:19-21; Ruth 4:1-11).","8":"To go to God meant lodging a formal appeal with God for assistance, counsel, or vindication, sometimes by way of repentance (Amos 5:4, 6) and possibly through a prophetic oracle (Gen 25:22; 1 Sam 9:9; 1 Kgs 22:8). • Job wanted to present his case to God (Job 13:3, 15, 18; 23:3-8), and later he attempted to do so (29:1–31:40).","13":"God traps the wise in the cleverness of their words (Prov 12:13). Paul alluded to this verse in his rejection of worldly wisdom (1 Cor 1:19).","17":"the discipline of the Almighty: See Deut 8:5; Prov 3:11-12; Rev 3:19.","24":"nothing will be missing: See Deut 28:11-12; cp. Job 1:6-19.","25":"descendants . . . as plentiful as grass: See Gen 22:17; Lev 26:9; Deut 28:4, 11-12."},"6":{"6":"the tasteless white of an egg? Job’s riddle-like complaint probably refers both to Eliphaz’s weak counsel and the detestable situation God had allowed him to endure.","9":"At one time, both Moses and Elijah wished that God would kill them (Num 11:15; 1 Kgs 19:4).","19":"The city of Tema in the northern Arabian desert was at the junction of roads from Damascus to Mecca and from the Persian Gulf to Aqaba (Isa 21:14; Jer 25:23). It might have been named after one of Ishmael’s descendants (Gen 25:15). It was not the same as Teman, Eliphaz’s home in Edom. • Sheba, located in southwest Arabia, was a market city for precious commodities (Ps 72:10, 15; Isa 60:6; Jer 6:20; Ezek 27:22-23; 38:13).","27":"even send an orphan into slavery: Job, the former protector of orphans (31:17, 21), used a proverbial example of his counselors’ hard-heartedness toward the defenseless (see 17:5).","30":"Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong? (literally Can’t my palate discern malice?): Job might have been echoing his earlier comment about a tasteless, revolting diet (6:6-7)."},"7":{"1":"Human life has been a struggle since the Fall (Gen 3:17; 5:29; Eccl 1:2, 13-14; 2:11, 17; Rom 8:20-22).","2":"A worker was to be paid at the end of each day (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:15), though this did not always happen (Jer 22:13; Mal 3:5; Jas 5:4).","3":"Job’s trial might already have gone on for months. • The Hebrew term (‘amal) that runs throughout Job is translated as “misery/miserable” (3:20; 11:16; 16:2; 20:22) or as “trouble” (3:10; 4:8; 5:6, 7; 15:35).","5":"Job’s reference to maggots signified mortality (25:6) and the rampant corruption of Sheol (17:14; 21:26; 24:20; see Isa 14:11).","7":"Those who call upon God to remember are typically seeking covenant mercy (Pss 35:6; 106:4). • Job’s declaration that life is but a breath (Hebrew ruakh) meant either that he was one breath away from death or that his life was like a passing wind (Ps 39:9, 11).","8":"You see me now, but not for long: The Greek Old Testament omitted this verse to avoid the implication that God would be unable to see Job in Sheol (see study note on 7:9).","9":"die (literally go down to Sheol): This is the first explicit mention of Sheol in Job. It is described as a place of rest from earthly pressures and distinctions (3:13-19) and as a dark dwelling place (10:21-22; 17:13) deep in the earth (11:8) that is covered in dust (17:16). It is the destiny of all the living (30:23) from which no one can return (10:21; see Gen 37:25; 2 Sam 12:12).","11":"I cannot keep from speaking: Job echoed Eliphaz’s inability to refrain from words (4:2).","12":"The sea monster (Hebrew yam) and dragon (Hebrew tannin) represent chaotic opposition to God’s orderly creation. In Canaanite mythology, Yam was the primordial sea god and Tannin was a sea monster (Jer 51:34) or a mythological deity of chaos (Ps 74:13-14). This kind of chaos is also represented in Job as Leviathan (Job 3:8; Isa 27:1) or Rahab (Job 9:13; 26:12; Isa 51:9). The Lord is sovereign over the sea and all that it represents (Job 26:12; 38:8-11; Ps 89:9-10; Jer 5:22).","16":"for my few remaining days: Literally for my days are a vapor (Hebrew hebel); see “All Is ‘Vapor’” Theme Note.","19":"Won’t you leave me alone (literally How long will you not look away from me): Job sought the opposite of the watchful care that faithful people usually seek (Num 6:25; Pss 27:9; 69:17; 80:3, 7, 19; Lam 1:9). • to swallow: This is equivalent to “a chance to catch my breath.”","20":"watcher of all humanity: Rather than praising God for his goodness expressed in watchfulness (Deut 32:10; Ps 25:21; Prov 24:12), Job blamed God for hostile surveillance, which actually characterizes Satan’s activity (Job 1:7). • Why is from the language of lament (see study note on 3:11-24). • your target: See 6:4; Lam 3:12."},"8":{"1":"Like Eliphaz, Bildad the Shuhite (see study note on 2:11) believed that Job’s sufferings were God’s retribution (8:3-6, 13; cp. 4:7-8; 5:2-3). This counselor revered the wisdom of the past (8:8-10; cp. 4:7) and addressed Job with a mixture of instruction (8:3-6, 8-10; cp. 4:12-21; 5:9-16) and encouragement (8:5-7, 20-22; cp. 4:6; 5:19-26). His point was that Job should quit blustering. He advised Job to repent and allow God’s justice to bring about restoration (8:1-7).","2":"How long? Bildad’s question might be an ironic parody of Job’s question in 7:19.","7":"you will end with much: Bildad’s words were more true than he realized (42:12; cp. 5:19-26).","9":"born but yesterday and know nothing: Bildad suggested that Job’s generation was either born too late to be acquainted with ancient wisdom or was too young to have accumulated it.","11":"Papyrus reeds grow as high as ten to fifteen feet."},"9":{"3":"If someone wanted to take God to court: Job later expressed the wish to meet God in court (13:3, 15, 23; 23:4).","9":"The Bear (also at 38:32) is commonly identified as Arcturus but might also refer to the constellations of Ursa Minor or Leo. • The Pleiades is a group of seven stars (38:31; Amos 5:8).","13":"monsters of the sea (literally the helpers of Rahab): Job personified demonic powers as creatures like this mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature (26:12; Ps 89:11; Isa 51:9).","17":"with a storm: Perhaps the words translated “with a storm” (bis’arah) are a double entendre with besa‘arah (“for a hair”; i.e., “for the littlest thing”), which would parallel without cause.","21":"Job was indeed innocent (1:1, 7; 2:3), and he maintained this claim throughout the debate (23:11-12; 27:5; 31:1-40).","28":"The word you makes it clear that this is a prayer, although the phrase O God is not explicit in the Hebrew.","30":"wash myself: Job spoke of cleansing himself with the strongest soap to represent ridding himself of all sin (1:5; cp. Ps 26:6; Matt 27:24).","31":"The muddy ditch (literally pit) can refer to the place of the dead (17:14; 33:18), so it might allude to the defilement of death. • The filthy clothing of guilt contrasts with the clean clothes of acquittal (Zech 3:3-5; see Isa 61:10; 64:6; Rev 19:8)."},"11":{"1":"Zophar the Naamathite (see study note on 2:11), the most severe of Job’s three friends, dealt only with the issue of sin.","4":"My beliefs are pure: Job was not defining doctrine but defending his own integrity.","7":"No one can discover everything about the Almighty (literally find out the limits of the Almighty), who is beyond the limits of the heavens, underworld, land, and sea (11:8-9)."},"12":{"9":"from the hand of the Lord: This is the only place in the dialogues (chs 3–27; 29–37) that the Hebrew Yahweh (“the Lord”) is used. For Job, the dispute was not about who caused his misery but why it happened.","11":"the mouth distinguishes between foods: See 6:6-7.","12":"Wisdom belongs to the aged: Job’s friends defended this opinion (8:8-10; 15:10; 32:6-9), but Job questioned it (12:20).","17":"stripped of good judgment: The NLT adds “of good judgment” for clarity. In this image, God metaphorically strips leaders of their abilities. It could also refer to being stripped of the symbols of office or to becoming naked captives (12:18-19).","18":"When God removes the royal robe of kings, he takes away the symbols of their authority (cp. 19:9). It could also be translated as “God loosens the bonds of kings,” referring to the bondage they have imposed on others.","19":"The priests are figuratively stripped of status (the NLT adds “of status” for clarity) or are actually stripped of priestly robes; they might even be naked captives (12:18).","21":"pours disgrace upon princes: Cp. Ps 107:40. • disarms (literally looses the belt of): The strong are no longer girded for battle.","22":"uncovers mysteries (literally uncovers the deeps): This phrase might allude to Zophar’s words that God’s knowledge is “deeper than the underworld” (11:8). • darkness . . . deepest gloom: The Old Testament often describes God as dwelling in darkness (1 Kgs 8:12; 2 Chr 6:1) and as manifesting himself through darkness (2 Sam 22:10, 12; Ps 18:9, 11), as when he gave the law at Sinai (Deut 4:11; 5:22-23) or when he comes in judgment (Zeph 1:15).","25":"Perhaps foolish counsel made the kings stagger like drunkards (12:17; see Isa 19:14); it resulted from “drinking” God’s wrath (Ps 75:8; Jer 25:15-27)."},"13":{"12":"Ashes are worthless (cp. Isa 44:20).","24":"God can turn away in wrath (Deut 31:18; Isa 54:8; Jer 33:5) or refuse to show friendship (Pss 30:7; 69:17; 102:2). • Job, perhaps playing on his own name (’iyyob), denied that he was God’s enemy (’oyeb).","25":"In the Old Testament, dry straw is a common image for what can be blown away (“chaff,” Ps 83:13; Isa 40:24; Jer 13:24) or burned (Exod 15:7; Isa 47:14; Mal 4:1; see also “dry grass,” Isa 5:24; 33:11), or for what is weak (Job 41:20-21) and trifling (Isa 41:2)."},"14":{"3":"keep an eye on: Job lamented God’s relentless surveillance (7:8, 17-20; 10:6, 14; 13:27).","12":"do not rise again: Job himself did not have even the minimal evidence of resurrection found in the Old Testament (2 Kgs 13:21; Isa 26:19; Dan 12:2; cp. Job 19:25). • Job was not focusing on the end of the universe when the heavens will be no more (Ps 102:25-26; Isa 34:4; 51:6; Heb 1:10-12) but on the eternity of the heavens (Ps 148:6; cp. Pss 72:5, 7, 17; 89:29, 37). His phrase refers to the permanency of death.","13":"Since the grave is a permanent abode (14:10-12, see 3:13-19; 7:6-10; 10:20-22), Job could not even fulfill his request from 13:20-21 by hiding temporarily in the grave.","16":"guard my steps: Here, Job refers to God’s providential care (10:12) rather than to his surveillance (13:27; 14:3).","17":"If sins are sealed in a pouch they do not await a time of reckoning (Deut 32:34-35; Hos 13:12)—they are hidden forever. Job was requesting acquittal.","22":"Job no longer saw Sheol as a haven (3:17-19; 14:13-17). The Old Testament usually depicts the dead as being without feeling (Ps 88:12; Eccl 9:5; cp. Isa 50:11; 66:24); the doctrine that the dead suffer painfully is clearer in the New Testament (Luke 16:23, 28; Rev 14:11)."},"15":{"6":"Your own mouth condemns you: Job feared that this would happen (9:20; see Matt 26:65).","8":"The book’s readers know about God’s secret council (1:6-12; 2:1-6; see 1 Kgs 22:19-20; Ps 89:5-7), but Job and his company did not.","12":"What has weakened your vision (literally Why do your eyes blink): This sentence might be a metaphor for unbelief, or it could indicate winking like a schemer or blinking in disbelief.","14":"Can any mortal be pure? Eliphaz repeated himself (4:17-19) and Job (7:17; 14:4). • anyone born of a woman: Both “mortal” and “born of woman” imply weakness.","15":"The heavens, traditionally associated with purity (Exod 24:10), were not absolutely pure; they had been defiled, perhaps by rebellious angels (Job 1:6-7).","21":"Although Eliphaz generalized the terror that the wicked experience, Job had undergone similar experiences (3:25; 6:4; 9:34; 13:11, 21; 23:15; 27:20; 30:15). Bildad (18:11, 14) and Zophar (20:25) spoke of more terror to come. • The Sabeans and Chaldeans were examples of the destroyer (1:13-17), but this could refer to any destructive agent (1:18-19). Destroyers might be agents of Satan (1 Cor 10:10; Rev 9:11) or divine agents that punish wickedness (Exod 12:23; 2 Sam 24:16; 2 Chr 32:21; Acts 12:23; Heb 11:28). Eliphaz meant the latter.","22":"for fear they will be murdered (literally he is marked for the sword): The wicked might be killed by murder or by the sword of God’s wrath.","23":"They wander around, saying, “Where can I find bread?”: Like the wicked (15:20), Job either experienced hunger (see 15:27) or (following the Greek Old Testament) had been “appointed to be food for a vulture,” which would parallel “marked for the sword” (15:22).","25":"Job had complained earlier that God was treating him like a formidable foe (7:19-21; 13:24).","30":"The burning sun (literally The flame) might be the scorching sun or a flame of judgment from God (15:34, see Num 16:31-35; Ps 106:17-18; Ezek 20:47). • The breath of God might be a desert wind or a more direct theophany (a manifestation of God’s presence) that caused the burning of Job 15:34.","34":"The flame of judgment (15:30) will burn the unjust gain of the godless."},"16":{"4":"Job might have wanted to shake his head in mockery or in horror (2 Kgs 19:21; Pss 22:7; 109:25; Isa 37:22; Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15; Matt 27:39).","7":"Job’s family here means his extended household, including his servants (1:15-19).","12":"took me by the neck: This might refer to a wild animal with its prey (see 16:9), but it is more likely a military image that signaled defeat (Gen 49:8; Ps 18:40).","13":"pierce me: Literally pierce my kidneys. • my blood: Literally my gall. The picture is of wounds to vital organs.","14":"Again and again he smashes against me: Job pictures himself as a fortress that God is besieging. Job saw God as a warrior (cp. Exod 15:3; Ps 24:8) who did not defend him or offer him salvation (Jer 20:11; Zeph 3:17) but attacked him as though he were dangerous (Job 6:12; see Isa 42:13).","15":"Since Job insisted on his innocence, his wearing burlap (literally I sewed on burlap) was a sign of mourning, not penitence. Perhaps it was attached to indicate that he would never remove it because he could never be consoled (Gen 37:34-35). • My pride lies in the dust (literally I have buried my horn in the dust): A horn symbolized dignity and power (1 Sam 2:1; Pss 75:4-5; 89:17, 24; 92:10; 112:9; 148:14); cutting it off inflicted degrading humiliation (Ps 75:10; Jer 48:25; Zech 1:12).","17":"done no wrong (or done no violence; Hebrew lo’-khamas): If violence is the meaning, Job was possibly denying that he was a formidable warrior who should be attacked (16:12-14; see also Isa 59:6; Jon 3:8). • Contrary to Eliphaz’s charge (Job 15:4-5) and Bildad’s assumption (8:6), Job’s prayer was pure because he was innocent (Gen 20:5; Isa 59:3).","18":"Job’s blood would cry out that he had been innocent and that he had suffered undeservedly (cp. Gen 4:10-11; Isa 26:21; Ezek 24:7-8)."},"17":{"1":"My spirit is crushed: This can refer to a properly contrite attitude (Ps 51:17), but more often it connotes an unbearably sad heart (Prov 18:14).","2":"surrounded by mockers: Laments typically describe mockery as the response of the wicked to the distress of the righteous (Pss 22:7; 69:10-12; 89:50-52). In wisdom literature, mockery is directed against the right behavior (Prov 1:22; 9:7).","6":"To spit in someone’s face was even more insulting than a slap (16:10) because spit made the person unclean (Num 12:14).","13":"to the grave (Hebrew to Sheol): The realm of the dead was visualized as a house (30:23; Ps 49:11; Eccl 12:5).","14":"my father . . . mother . . . sister: This bitter parody of a family reunion in a graveyard shows how Job envisioned his impending death.","16":"the grave (literally the bars of Sheol): Sheol—the abode of the dead—was seen as having a barred gate, allowing no escape."},"18":{"5":"The light of the wicked will be snuffed out could be a metaphor for a life of confused darkness (Prov 4:19); more likely, it indicates an early death (Prov 13:9; 24:20).","7":"The stride that is shortened is the opposite of walking and running in the blessed life (Prov 4:12).","13":"death devours: Isaiah later reversed the figure and saw the Lord as swallowing up death (Isa 25:8; see 1 Cor 15:54).","15":"The image of burning sulfur recalls the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24) and suggests the fate of all the wicked (Ps 11:6; Rev 19:20; 21:8).","17":"Being forgotten by those who come later is a familiar curse against the wicked (see 18:19; Pss 34:16; 109:13; Prov 10:7).","19":"This curse of childlessness (see 18:16; Pss 109:13; Isa 14:21-22) and Bildad’s earlier cruelty (Job 8:4) show that he regarded Job’s condition as the just reward for his wickedness (1:18-19).","20":"in the west . . . in the east: These phrases might refer to people from times past and times to come or to people from various places.","21":"Bildad kept implying that Job had rejected God (15:4, 13, 25)."},"19":{"3":"The number ten did not represent a specific count but an indefinite large number (e.g., Gen 31:7; Lev 26:26; Num 14:22; Dan 1:20).","6":"Job was convinced that justice had been delayed (19:7) and that God had wronged him (19:8-12). Later, Elihu (34:12) and God himself (40:2) disagreed. • capturing me in his net: Job might have been responding to Bildad’s accusation (18:8-10).","7":"Help! (literally Violence!): Cp. Jer 20:8; Hab 1:2-3. • no one answers: See Ps 22:2; Lam 3:8; Hab 1:2-3.","8":"blocked my way: See 3:23; 13:27; Ps 88:8; Lam 3:7, 9.","9":"stripped me of my honor: See 12:17-19; 29:7-14, 20.","17":"my own family: Job might have been referring to his tribal line, his parents, his own children, or his siblings.","19":"Those I loved have turned against me: See 2:11; also 6:14-15, 21-23, 27; cp. Pss 41:9; 55:12-14, 20.","20":"escaped death by the skin of my teeth: This is an idiom for a narrow escape; the Hebrew could also mean that Job was reduced to a skeleton with a toothy skull.","21":"The hand of God had struck Job through the permission he gave to Satan (1:11; 2:5).","22":"persecute (literally pursue): Job complained that God had tracked him like a hunter (10:16) or a warrior (16:13).","23":"Job wanted his words . . . inscribed on a monument, not in a book; Job desired a permanent record of his claim to innocence in response to Bildad’s assertion that he would be forgotten (18:17).","25":"Job’s faith in a Redeemer could find fulfillment only in Christ; the same was true of his request for an advocate (9:33) and a witness in heaven (16:19). The term “Redeemer” (Hebrew go’el) comes from both criminal and civil law. An individual could redeem or avenge wrongful bloodshed (Num 35:12-18) or redeem lost property, perhaps by buying back a slave or marrying the heir’s widow (Lev 25:25, 47-49; 27:11-13; Ruth 3:13). The Old Testament knew the Lord as redeemer (Exod 6:6; Pss 19:14; 103:4; Prov 23:10-11; Isa 43:1 [“ransomed”]; Isa 54:5); New Testament believers know the Redeemer as the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:7, 14; Heb 9:12; 1 Pet 1:18). Job wanted his Redeemer to declare his innocence (see Job 1:1 and corresponding study note).","26":"Job had faith that he would be vindicated even if death came first.","27":"I will see him for myself: The thought is the same as the psalmist’s in “when I awake” (Ps 17:15). For Job, this hope could only be fulfilled in seeing God at the end of time (Matt 5:8; 1 Cor 13:12; 1 Jn 3:2; Rev 1:7) in transformed flesh (1 Cor 15:43-53; Phil 3:21).","29":"Given the biblical principles against bearing false witness (13:7-11; see Matt 7:1-2; Jas 4:11-12), Job warned his friends that they should fear God’s judgment. They did eventually face his judgment, but they also received mercy (Job 42:7-8)."},"20":{"7":"thrown away like their own dung: Cp. 1 Kgs 14:9-11; 2 Kgs 9:36-37; Ps 83:10; Jer 8:1-2.","10":"Because stolen riches are ill-gotten, they provide no lasting benefit (20:18-21).","17":"The streams of olive oil and rivers of milk and honey signify superabundant blessing (Exod 5:19; Deut 27:3; Joel 3:18).","20":"Like the grave or death (Prov 27:20; 30:15-16), the wicked are always greedy and never satisfied (Eccl 5:19; Isa 57:20-21; Hab 2:5).","24":"The wicked cannot escape trouble (cp. Isa 24:17-18; Jer 15:2-3; Amos 5:19; 9:1-2). When they try to escape one threat, they fall victim to another.","25":"terrors of death: Although the words “of death” are not in the Hebrew, they are implied because the arrowhead glistens with blood (literally with gall), indicating a deadly hit on a vital organ (6:4; 16:13; Ps 7:12).","26":"Images such as deepest darkness and wildfire are often associated with God’s presence (Deut 4:11; 5:22-23; Heb 12:18) and especially with his judgment (Exod 9:23-24; 10:21-29).","27":"heavens . . . will testify: Cp. Deut 4:26; 30:19; 31:28."},"21":{"2":"Job’s friends insisted that they were delivering God’s own message of comfort (15:11), but Job found no comfort in their words (16:2), so he asked for the consolation of their attentive silence (see 13:5).","6":"When I think about what I am saying: Job was dismayed by his horrible task of complaining against God (13:3, 15-16, 22; 23:1-5) and discussing his terrors (6:4; 27:20; 30:15). • My body trembles: This reaction resembles that of Habakkuk (Hab 1:5; 3:16), Ezekiel (Ezek 3:14), and Daniel (Dan 8:27; 10:8-9).","8":"In spite of assertions by Eliphaz (5:4), Bildad (18:19), and Zophar (20:10), Job noted that the wicked enjoy children and grandchildren, which should be the reward of the righteous (Prov 17:6) but was apparently not going to be his own reward (Job 1:18-19; but see 42:13-16).","17":"light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished: Job countered Bildad (18:5-6, 18) and standard wisdom (Prov 13:9; 20:20; 24:20; see God’s remarks, Job 38:15).","19":"you say: Job was quoting and rebutting his friends’ arguments. • God will punish their children: These were the words of Eliphaz (5:4) and Zophar (20:10), but Job thought God should punish the ones who sin (see Ezek 18:19-20).","22":"The rhetorical answer is that no one can teach a lesson to God (Isa 40:13-14; 45:9; Rom 11:34; 1 Cor 2:16). • The most powerful might refer to angels or demons (1 Cor 6:3; 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 1:6; Rev 20:1-3) or, more likely, to the powerful on earth (Job 34:17-19).","24":"vigorous and fit (literally the marrow of his bones [is] moist): Bones were thought to be the seat of health.","25":"in bitter poverty: Job repeatedly complained about the apparent futility of existence (3:20; 7:11; 9:18; 10:1).","26":"eaten by the same maggots: Cp. 17:14; Isa 14:11; see Job 19:26.","28":"houses have vanished because of their sins: Job was echoing Bildad (8:22), Eliphaz (15:34), and Zophar (20:26).","33":"the earth gives sweet repose: Job viewed death as a relief (3:17-18).","34":"They told lies about Job (13:4) and about God (42:7)."},"22":{"6":"Demanding clothing as security for lent money was forbidden by the law and condemned by the prophets (Exod 22:26-27; Deut 24:10-13; Ezek 18:7-8; Amos 2:8). In contrast, Job had provided clothing for the poor (Job 31:19-20).","9":"The Old Testament gives Israel the responsibility of caring for widows and orphans (Deut 10:18; 14:29) and repeatedly condemns their neglect as the worst of social evils (Exod 22:22-24; Deut 27:19). Job agreed that it was wicked (Job 24:3, 21) but claimed that he was innocent (29:12-13; 31:16-18, 21).","18":"I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking: Eliphaz threw Job’s words back at him (21:16b).","22":"The term instructions (Hebrew torah, “law,” Deut 17:11), used in Job only here, frequently refers to the Pentateuch (Genesis—Deuteronomy). • Listen . . . store: See Deut 4:1-2; 6:6-9; Ps 119:11; Prov 2:1-9. Job had done this (Job 23:12).","23":"return to the Almighty: Bildad (8:5-6) and Zophar (11:13-14) had already misapplied this biblical principle (Isa 55:6-7; Hos 14:1-2; Zech 1:3; Acts 26:20), and now Eliphaz also misapplies it.","24":"precious gold (literally Ophir): Ophir was probably located in southern Arabia (see 1 Kgs 9:28; 22:48). The gold of Ophir was the standard in fine gold (Isa 13:12); queens wore it at weddings (Ps 45:9).","25":"God promises to be his people’s treasure (Ps 16:5; Isa 33:6; Matt 19:21; Mark 10:21); although they possess nothing, they will be rich (2 Cor 6:10; Jas 2:5).","27":"Ironically, Job will pray, God will hear, and Eliphaz will reap the benefits (42:8). • you will fulfill your vows: Vows were often stimulated by repentance and forgiveness (Hos 14:2; Jon 1:16; 2:9) and when seeking divine intervention (Judg 11:29-40; 1 Sam 1:1-28). Vows are binding (Num 30:2; Deut 23:23; Pss 22:25; 61:5, 8; 116:14, 18; Eccl 5:4-5).","29":"This difficult text probably conveys the effectiveness of a righteous man’s prayer. The principle (Pss 34:15, 17; 145:18; Prov 15:8, 29; Jas 5:16) is illustrated throughout Scripture (see, e.g., Gen 18:23-32; 19:29; 20:7, 17; 32:28; Exod 9:28-32; 17:11; 32:10-14; Rom 5:19)."},"23":{"2":"Job dropped the doubt he had expressed earlier (9:14-20, 32) and here expressed confidence that he could successfully present his complaint.","4":"present my arguments: Job wanted to make his case with God (13:3, 18, 22; 16:21; 31:35); Abraham pled directly with God regarding Sodom (Gen 18:25-32), and Moses did the same for Israel (Exod 32:12-13; Num 14:13-19).","10":"tests me: Job did not want the kind of chastising that would cleanse him like a refiner’s fire (Prov 17:3; Zech 13:9; Mal 3:2-3). He wanted an examination that would prove that he had been as pure as gold and did not need to amend his life (Job 22:23)."},"24":{"1":"bring . . . to judgment (literally set times): The times for God’s judgment are set (Eccl 3:17; 8:6; Dan 2:21; Luke 21:22-24), but they are not known to us (Acts 1:7). They will be revealed at the proper moment (1 Thes 5:1-28; 1 Tim 6:15).","2":"The law, wisdom literature, and prophecy all condemned the moving of boundary markers (Deut 19:14; 27:17; Prov 22:28; 23:10; see study note on Hos 5:10).","3":"The law did not allow seizing necessary belongings as security or collateral for a loan (22:6-9; Deut 24:6, 10-13, 17-21).","6":"glean in the vineyards of the wicked: Job was depicting the desperate condition of the poor. If their fields had been stolen like Naboth’s vineyard (24:2; see 1 Kgs 21:1-29), the poor would harvest for the thieving owners what should have been their own crops; instead of owning the whole crop, they would get just the leftover pickings for themselves. Perhaps the point is that the poor were forced to glean from the fields of wicked people who left no gleanings (Lev 19:10; 23:22), instead of being able to glean from the righteous, who leave something for the poor (Lev 19:9-10; 23:22; Ruth 2:1-23).","7":"Unjust lenders sometimes left debtors without clothing or covering, which they had seized as collateral on loans (22:6; Exod 22:26-27; Deut 24:11-13; Amos 2:8).","9":"widow’s child . . . security for a loan: See 2 Kgs 4:1; Neh 5:1-5; Matt 18:25.","11":"without being allowed to taste it: These words, which are not in the original text, are implied by the parallel with starving and suffer from thirst. • To force workers to tread in the winepress as they suffer from thirst violates the principle of letting workers enjoy some of the produce they are harvesting (see Deut 25:4; cp. 2 Tim 2:6).","12":"ignores their moaning: It appeared to Job that contrary to God’s own character (Exod 2:23-24; Ps 12:5), God neither relieved the plight of the wronged (Job 24:2-12) nor hindered the wicked from harming their victims (24:13-17)."},"25":{"4":"Eliphaz had said that it is nearly impossible to be innocent or pure (4:17-19; 15:14-16), and then only after suffering (22:21-23). Bildad claimed that only the totally blameless could hope to be pure (8:20)."},"26":{"2":"Job’s friends had not helped him (12:2; 16:4). Bildad’s denial that acquittal was possible hit Job’s most sensitive nerve (10:1-7; 13:3, 13-19; 16:18-21; 19:23-27; 23:2-7).","4":"Eliphaz (4:15), Zophar (20:3), and Elihu (32:18; 33:4) all claimed to be prompted by the proper spirit (see Jer 29:8-9; 1 Cor 12:10; 1 Jn 4:1).","7":"The Hebrew tsapon (“north,” Gen 13:14) sometimes refers to the northern mountain of the Canaanite gods (the Canaanite equivalent of Olympus); here the NLT understands it to refer to the sky, stretched out over empty space (see Gen 1:6-8; Ps 104:2-3; Isa 40:22-23).","10":"created the horizon: See Gen 1:6-10; Ps 104:6-9; Prov 8:29.","11":"Mountains at the edge of the horizon might be the foundations (or “pillars,” Judg 16:25-26) of heaven or the earth (Job 9:6). They were thought to reach from below the waters of the sea (Jon 2:6) and up to the clouds to support the vaults of heaven.","12":"the sea grew calm (cp. Exod 14:21; Mark 4:39): Or the sea was stirred up (cp. Isa 51:15; Jer 31:35). In either interpretation, God performed a miracle on behalf of his people. • crushed the great sea monster: God’s dominance over the sea demythologized popular beliefs about the sea’s divinity. See also Pss 74:13-14; 89:9-10; Isa 27:1; 51:9-10.","13":"His Spirit (or wind): God’s authority clears the skies after a storm (26:12). • The gliding serpent corresponds to Yam and Rahab (see study note on 7:12); it provides background for the image of Satan as a dragon (Isa 27:1; also Ps 74:13-14; see Gen 3:15; Rom 16:20; Rev 12:9; 20:2)."},"27":{"1":"Job continued speaking, no longer responding to the three friends but returning to the themes of his opening statement (3:1-26).","2":"The Bible permits a vow by the living God (Ruth 3:13; 1 Sam 20:21; 25:26; 1 Kgs 17:1; 18:15; Jer 4:2), although sometimes it is done foolishly or falsely (1 Sam 14:39, 45; Jer 5:2). • Elihu later criticized Job for saying that God had taken away his rights (Job 34:5). • embittered . . . soul (7:11; 10:1; 21:25): Cp. Naomi (Ruth 1:20-21) and the widow from Shunem after the loss of her son (2 Kgs 4:27)."},"28":{"5":"Miners melted rock by burning a fire in a mine for days or even weeks to melt out the ore. Some alternated fire with cold water to split the rocks.","13":"Wisdom does not originate among the living. God is the source of true wisdom (28:23-28).","28":"fear of the Lord (Hebrew, ’adonay): In Job, this name for God appears only here, which might be one argument for understanding ch 28 as the narrator’s own poem."},"29":{"2":"Although elsewhere Job uses the Hebrew shamar to describe what he perceived as God’s oppressive surveillance (10:14; 13:27; 14:16), here it refers to God’s kindly care (“watch(es) over,” Ps 121:3-8).","7":"The city gate was a town’s administrative center (see Ruth 4:1-2, 11).","14":"Job described his righteousness in royal terms. A robe is a common biblical image for righteousness (Ps 132:9; Isa 59:17; 61:10; Rom 13:14; Rev 19:8).","16":"Job actively searched out and assisted strangers who needed help.","18":"after a long, good life (literally after I have counted my days like sand): Job thought the length of his years would signify God’s blessing, like the great number of Abraham’s offspring (Gen 15:5; 32:12) or the abundance of Joseph’s supplies in Egypt (Gen 41:49).","25":"In the past, Job had comforted those who mourned (4:3-4). This verse is a prophetic mandate closely associated with the work of the Messiah (Isa 40:1; 61:1-3; Luke 4:18-19; cp. 2 Cor 1:3-4)."},"30":{"9":"They taunt me! See also 17:6; cp. Ps 69:12; Lam 3:14, 63.","10":"won’t come near me: See also 19:13-15; cp. Ps 88:8; Prov 19:7; Matt 26:56. • To spit in someone’s face was to display revulsion or contempt (Deut 25:9; Isa 50:6; Matt 26:67; 27:30; Mark 14:65).","15":"terror: See also 6:4; 7:14; cp. Ps 88:15.","18":"God grabs . . . the collar of my coat: The Hebrew in this verse is difficult to translate; it could mean that Job feels like he is in a chokehold and is about to be thrown into the mud (cp. 30:19).","19":"dust and ashes: Earlier, Job was sitting “among the ashes” in anguish (2:8); later, he would “sit in dust and ashes to show . . . repentance” (42:6).","22":"Job felt tossed into the whirlwind and blown about like worthless straw or chaff (9:17; 21:18; 27:21; Ps 1:4; Isa 17:13).","28":"Before his testing began, Job had been respected in the public square (29:7-10, 21-25); he helped others who were in need (29:11-17).","29":"I am considered: Job might have been expressing what he thought of himself, how others viewed him, or both. • By claiming that he was a brother to jackals and a companion to owls, Job might have been describing himself as in the throes of lament (Mic 1:8). Jackals were associated with desolation or ruin (see Ps 63:10; Isa 13:22; 34:13; 35:7; Jer 9:11; 10:22; 49:33; 51:37; Lam 5:18; Ezek 13:4; Mal 1:3).","30":"The skin of a person who lived in comfortable circumstances was protected from the sun and wind; dark skin indicated physical and social decline (Lam 4:8; 5:10)."},"31":{"1":"Job’s covenant with his eyes included a self-cursing oath (cp. Matt 5:28-29). Perhaps lust of the eyes was at the head of Job’s list because the eye is the first instrument of sin (Gen 3:6). • To look with lust at a young woman violates the spirit of the seventh (Deut 5:18, see Matt 5:27-28), and potentially the tenth (Deut 5:21), commandment.","11":"The Hebrew term zimmah (shameful sin) is associated with sexual crimes such as incest (“wicked act,” Lev 18:17), gang-rape (“terrible . . . crime,” Judg 20:6), and prostitution (Ezek 23:49).","12":"The association of fire with hell or the grave is rare in the Old Testament (cp. Deut 32:22).","21":"knowing the judges would take my side: Job was respected and regarded as a member of the elite class (29:7-10).","24":"Have I put my trust in . . . my gold: Job left the consequence of this oath unstated because the if-then pattern was now established (31:5-23). He rejected Eliphaz’s implied judgment (22:24-25; see Pss 52:7; 62:10; 1 Tim 6:10, 17).","25":"gloated about my wealth: See Deut 8:17-18; cp. Isa 10:12-14; Dan 4:28-30; Hos 12:8.","26":"Have I looked at the sun . . . or the moon: This oath denies violation (cp. Jer 8:2; 44:17; Ezek 8:16; Acts 7:43) of the first commandment (Deut 5:7; see Deut 4:19; 17:2-7).","27":"secretly enticed in my heart: See 31:9. • throw kisses at them in worship: Cp. 1 Kgs 19:18; Hos 13:2.","28":"In Israel, the judges (see 31:11) were to punish idol worship by execution (Deut 17:2-7). • Denying the God of heaven violated the first commandment (Deut 5:7).","35":"sign my name: Job wanted to make the proceedings official (19:23-24).","36":"face the accusation proudly (literally carry it on my shoulder; cp. Exod 28:12; Isa 22:22): He would take full responsibility for his actions.","37":"A prince who had been wrongly accused had the right to come before his king to make an appeal.","38":"The land was the chief witness to crimes committed upon it (20:27; see Gen 4:10; cp. Jas 5:4).","40":"let thistles grow: Job’s curse on himself echoed God’s primal curse on Adam (Gen 3:17-18; cp. Isa 7:25; Zeph 2:9)."},"32":{"1":"Job’s three friends (see 2:11) failed to comfort him (6:14-30; 13:4; 16:2; 19:21; 42:10).","2":"the Buzite: Buz had connections with Aram (Gen 22:21) and Arabia (Jer 25:23), as did Uz (Job 1:1). • Elihu repeatedly stated that he was angry; he probably regarded his anger as righteous zeal (Ps 69:9)."},"33":{"1":"Listen: Elihu begged to be heard (33:1; 34:2, 16), which is what Job had also sought (13:6).","5":"By inviting Job to make his case, Elihu acted as though he were God, or at least the arbiter that Job had been seeking (9:32-35).","7":"you don’t need to be afraid of me (literally my terror shall not make you afraid): God’s terrors (6:4; 7:14; 9:34; 13:21; 23:15) had been thrown in Job’s face by Eliphaz (15:21, 24; 22:10), Bildad (18:11, 14), and Zophar (20:25). • Elihu promised not to come down hard on Job, but later he broke his word (34:7-9, 33-37).","9":"You said: Job claimed to be pure and without sin, using various terms (9:21; 10:6-7; 11:4; 13:23-24; 15:14-16; 16:17; 31:1-40).","11":"Job frequently complained about God’s surveillance (7:20; 10:14; 13:27); he wanted relief from having his every move scrutinized (14:16; 29:2).","13":"Job’s central complaint was that God does not respond (9:16; 19:7; 23:2-7).","15":"He speaks in dreams: See, e.g., Gen 15:12; 20:3; 31:24; 40:1–41:36; Dan 2:1-45; Joel 2:28; Acts 16:9-10.","18":"from crossing over the river of death: This phrase may also be translated from passing [i.e., dying] by the sword. Both translations fit the context (cp. 36:12).","22":"angels of death wait for them: Cp. Exod 12:23; 2 Sam 24:16; 1 Cor 10:10.","23":"An angel from heaven would intercede, taking the role of the mediator Job longed for (see 5:1; 9:33-34; 16:18-21).","24":"The ransom is ultimately found in Christ (Matt 20:28; Rom 3:24-25; 1 Tim 2:6; 1 Pet 1:18-19).","26":"God will receive him with joy: Cp. Num 6:24-26; Ps 67:1; Acts 2:28; Jude 1:24.","32":"For Elihu to say that he was anxious to see Job justified sounds ironic; he had entered the discussion in the first place “because Job refused to admit that he had sinned” (32:1-5)."},"34":{"6":"Eliphaz had accused Job of being a liar (15:5), fulfilling Job’s earlier worry (6:28-29). • My suffering (literally My arrow): For the link with the Lord’s arrows, see 6:4; 16:13; Jer 10:19; 15:18; 30:12, 15; Lam 3:12; Mic 1:9; Nah 3:19.","9":"Elihu later repeated this accusation (35:3; cp. Ps 73:13; Zeph 1:12; Mal 3:14), but he misrepresented Job’s words (Job 9:22-23; 21:15). Job had actually condemned those who held this view (21:14-16).","11":"according to their deeds: Cp. Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; Jer 32:19; Ezek 33:20; Matt 16:27; Rom 2:6; Gal 6:7-8; 1 Pet 1:17. The ultimate harvest will take place at the end of time (2 Cor 5:10; Rev 2:23; 22:12).","17":"The implied answer was that God could not govern if he hated justice (cp. Rom 3:4-7; 7:7, 13; 9:14; Gal 2:17; 6:14). • Later, God also asked if Job was going to condemn the almighty judge (Job 40:8).","19":"doesn’t care how great a person may be: Impartiality flows from God’s justice (Acts 10:34; Rom 2:11; Gal 2:6; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; 1 Pet 1:17).","22":"The wicked might try to hide in darkness (Jer 23:24), but they will fail (Ps 139:11-12; cp. Amos 9:2-3). God brings everything to light (1 Cor 4:5).","23":"We don’t set the time: Elihu rejected Job’s wish for a quick (21:19), published time of judgment (24:1).","24":"God knows everything without asking anyone (34:25). • sets up others in their place: Dan 2:21; 5:28-30.","26":"When God renders justice openly, it leads to proper fear among the wicked (Deut 21:21; 1 Tim 5:20) and to public rejoicing among the righteous (cp. Exod 14:30-31).","31":"Why don’t people say? Elihu was indirectly asking, “Job, why won’t you admit it?”","36":"deserve the maximum penalty: Zophar had also said that Job was being punished less than he deserved (11:6)."},"35":{"16":"Elihu echoed his earlier accusation (34:35); later, God would agree (38:2)."},"36":{"4":"I am a man of great knowledge (literally one who is perfect in knowledge is with you): Elihu was probably claiming to be completely sincere or saying that his logic was flawless.","7":"The biblical principle that God never takes his eyes off the innocent (2 Chr 16:9; Pss 33:18; 34:15; 1 Pet 3:12) answered Job’s frustration about divine surveillance (Job 7:17-21).","11":"If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed: This is a valid biblical principle of repentance (see 11:13-19; 22:21-25; Deut 4:30; Jer 7:23; 26:13).","12":"dying from lack of understanding: See also 4:21; Prov 5:23; 10:21.","31":"The Hebrew yadin can mean he governs or he nourishes, which parallels food in abundance (38:26; Pss 65:9-13; 104:13-15, 27-28). The more common meaning for yadin is “judge,” which would mean that God does all things to bless his people and judge his enemies (Job 37:11-13; 38:22-23; see Gen 6:17; 19:24; Exod 9:23-25; Josh 10:11-14; 1 Sam 12:18)."},"37":{"2":"The Old Testament often associates thunder with God’s voice (36:29, 33; 37:5; 38:1; Exod 19:16-19; Ps 104:7).","7":"everyone stops working . . . watch his power: The ending of the agricultural work season gave people time to meditate on God’s providential control.","13":"The same act by God can serve more than one function, such as storms that both destroy enemies and give God’s people victory (Josh 10; Judg 4; 1 Sam 7:10-11; Pss 18:7-15; 105:32-33).","17":"The hot south wind caused the sweltering conditions.","20":"speak when they are confused? Or speak without being swallowed up? Punishment as severe as death might result from contesting God’s judgment (cp. 13:14).","22":"the mountain of God (Hebrew from Zaphon): In the literature of the ancient city of Ugarit, Zaphon was the northern mountainous abode of Baal; here it figuratively refers to God’s lofty home in the heavens (see Isa 14:13-14).","23":"cannot imagine the power of the Almighty: Cp. 11:7; 26:14; Rom 11:33; 1 Tim 6:16. • he is just and righteous: Cp. Job 9:4, 19; 12:13; Pss 62:11; 66:3; 93:1; 99:4."},"38":{"2":"questions my wisdom: God’s accusation sounds like a charge made by Eliphaz (15:2) and Elihu (34:35; 35:16) to which Job eventually admitted guilt (42:3).","7":"The morning stars are personified in parallel construction with the angels (1:6; 2:1).","14":"it is robed in brilliant colors: The rising sun brings out the colors, shapes, and textures of things.","21":"you were born before it was all created: Cp. Prov 8:25. This sarcasm resembles that of Eliphaz (Job 15:7).","36":"heart . . . mind: These words can also be translated ibis . . . rooster. The Egyptians thought the ibis was wise about the flooding of the Nile, the most important seasonal event in Egypt; and Israel’s rabbis thought the rooster could forecast rain or that its crow distinguished day from night. The idea would then be Who taught the ibis and the rooster? See also Ps 51:6; Prov 2:6; Jas 1:5, 17."},"39":{"18":"passes (literally scorns) the swiftest horse with its rider: See 39:7, 22; 41:29.","24":"The ram’s horn was sounded in combat to call for the charge (Josh 6:4-6).","30":"Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it—feeding on the remains (Ezek 39:17-19; Matt 24:28; Luke 17:37)."},"40":{"4":"I am nothing (cp. 42:6): Job was not repenting from sin; like Abraham, he recognized his unworthiness (Gen 18:27). • Job had asked his comforters to cover their mouth to acknowledge shock (21:5); here he does so himself in reaction to his own rash words.","5":"Job had nothing more to say; he had no further charges against God, nor would he make a rebuttal.","8":"Job’s words (10:7; 27:2; 31:35-37) had angered Elihu (32:2; 34:5); now God himself challenged them."},"41":{"1":"Unlike the peaceful Behemoth (40:15-24), Leviathan was menacing (see also 3:8; Pss 74:14; 104:26; Isa 27:1). Most commentators identify Leviathan with the crocodile, with its terrible jaws (Job 41:14) and armored hide (41:15-17, 23), thrashing the water (41:31-32). But Leviathan is a fire-breathing dragon (41:18-21) that wraps its coils around the sun to cause an eclipse (3:8-9). The background for Leviathan is the seven-headed sea monster that represents chaos in ancient Near Eastern mythology. In the biblical record, this unruly maritime monster is a frequent biblical image for chaos and wickedness, whose head the Lord crushes (Ps 74:14; Isa 27:1; cp. Job 9:13; 26:12; Ps 89:9-10; Isa 30:7; 51:9). Later in the Bible, Satan is linked to the ancient serpent (Gen 3) and unruly dragon (Rev 12:9; 20:2), whose head Christ and his followers crush (Rom 16:20)."},"42":{"5":"now I have seen you: Up to this point, Job had not seen God (see 23:8); now, like Isaiah, he had been in God’s presence and was overwhelmed by God’s holiness (Isa 6:1).","7":"Eliphaz the Temanite was the spokesman for the friends, which probably indicates his seniority. Eliphaz had falsely implied that his advice originated in prophetic visions (4:12-16); now God did speak to him, but not to affirm his message. • Unlike his three friends (cp. 13:7-10), Job had spoken accurately about God. Job’s blunt questions were better suited to arriving at the truth about God than the friends’ superficial orthodox doctrine.","10":"Job’s fortunes probably included his health (42:16-17). God created humans in order to bless them, not curse them.","11":"Although Job was restored, he still needed to be consoled and comforted for the loss of his children. Following Job’s own earlier practice (4:4; 16:5), his family and former friends took up where the three other friends left off (2:11; cp. 2 Cor 7:6). • The gift of money was not so much charity to provide a financial basis for Job’s restored fortune as it was to honor and seek the favor of an influential man (e.g., Prov 18:16), and perhaps even to assuage disfavor (e.g., Gen 32:20; 33:10; 43:11; 1 Sam 25:27). • A gold ring was worn in a woman’s nose (Gen 24:47; Prov 11:22; Isa 3:21) or on the ears of either men or women (Gen 35:4; Exod 32:2-3; Judg 8:24).","12":"When God blessed Job, it ironically fulfilled Bildad’s promise (8:7).","14":"The beautiful names of Job’s new daughters spoke of Job’s renewed and pleasant good fortunes. • Jemimah means “dove” (see Song 2:14). • Keziah means “cassia” or “cinnamon flower” (see Ps 45:8). • Keren-happuch means “horn of antimony,” which refers to a lustrous container for cosmetics.","15":"their father put them into his will: Daughters normally inherited only when there were no male heirs (Num 27; 36). Perhaps Job’s unusual action expressed his superabundant prosperity; only a wealthy man could afford to pass some of his wealth to the families into which his daughters would marry.","16":"140 years was twice the normal life span (Ps 90:10). If the analogy of double restoration holds (Job 42:10), Job might have been 70 already and then lived another 140 years. A life span of 210 years would not be out of keeping with the patriarchal setting of the book (see Gen 25:7; 35:28; 47:28; 50:26; Deut 34:7; Josh 24:29). • living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren: Job’s blessing extended to watching his multigenerational family grow (Gen 50:23; Ps 128:6).","17":"Like Abraham and Isaac, who also died at a ripe old age (Gen 25:8; 35:29), Job lived a long, full life, fulfilling Eliphaz’s promise (Job 5:26), which was based on God’s general promise (Deut 6:2; Ps 91:16). • At the end of the book, the Greek Old Testament adds a note declaring that Job will rise from the dead at the resurrection. It goes on to provide information about where and when Job and his descendants lived."}},"ranges":[{"start_chapter":1,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":2,"end_verse":13,"contents":"God and Satan agree to a test that would bring about Job’s troubles and confirm his integrity (1:20-21; 2:10). None of the book’s characters ever learn of this heavenly council."},{"start_chapter":1,"start_verse":2,"end_chapter":1,"end_verse":3,"contents":"Job was prosperous in sons, daughters, livestock, and servants (cp. Gen 30:43; Deut 7:13; Ps 107:38). • Numbers such as seven and three (and 7,000 and 3,000) indicate the completeness of the blessing Job experienced (see Job 42:13; see also Pss 127:3-5; 128:3). • the richest person in that entire area: The figures that catalogue Job’s wealth might not be exact, but they are realistic for a wealthy man of that time (cp. Nabal’s wealth, 1 Sam 25:2)."},{"start_chapter":1,"start_verse":6,"end_chapter":1,"end_verse":7,"contents":"The members of the heavenly court are heavenly beings; they may be either holy angels or rebellious demons (Gen 6:2, 4). They join God in his deliberations, including at creation (Gen 1:26) and in his rule over creation (Job 1:6; Gen 3:22; 2:1; 1 Kgs 22:19-22; Pss 82:1; 89:5, 7-8; Dan 3:13, 17, 23, 25; 7:9-14). • The account remains unclear as to whether Satan usually came with other members of the heavenly court to make a report or whether he was intruding as Job’s adversary. • Where have you come from? The question was God’s sovereign demand for a report from a subordinate (see Gen 3:9). • Satan was not patrolling to implement God’s judgments (cp. 1 Chr 21:1-14; 2 Kgs 19:35 // Isa 37:36; Ezek 1:5-9) but to oppose God’s purposes (2 Tim 2:26; 1 Pet 5:8)."},{"start_chapter":1,"start_verse":9,"end_chapter":1,"end_verse":11,"contents":"Job has good reason (Hebrew khinnam; see study note on 2:3) to fear God: The wisdom tradition links piety with prosperity. Satan went a step further by suggesting that Job’s piety was contingent upon his affluence."},{"start_chapter":1,"start_verse":11,"end_chapter":1,"end_verse":12,"contents":"reach out . . . test him . . . Do whatever you want: Satan was God’s agent; the hand he put forth was the Lord’s as well as Satan’s, for here they acted against everything Job possessed and later against Job himself (2:5-6). • Job later cursed the day of his birth (3:1, 8), but he did not curse God (31:30), even when his distraught wife urged him to do so (2:9). • God allowed Satan to test Job to prove that Satan’s cynicism was incorrect (1 Cor 10:11; see Jas 1:13; cp. Luke 22:31-32; John 19:11)."},{"start_chapter":1,"start_verse":13,"end_chapter":1,"end_verse":19,"contents":"These attacks destroyed the blessings enumerated in 1:2-3; Job was left alone with the four ominous messengers who came to report and a wife who offered misguided counsel. • The repetition of while he was still speaking emphasizes the relentlessness of the attacks (see Jer 51:31). The repetition of I am the only one who escaped to tell you emphasizes the total obliteration of Job’s resources."},{"start_chapter":2,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":2,"end_verse":3,"contents":"This scene is an exact repetition of the scene presented in 1:6-8."},{"start_chapter":3,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":3,"end_verse":26,"contents":"Job’s outburst did not mean that his integrity had cracked under the strain (42:7-8; Jas 5:11). Elijah and Jeremiah, both godly men, used the same hyperbolic language (1 Kgs 19:4; Jer 20:14-18)."},{"start_chapter":3,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":3,"end_verse":10,"contents":"Job spoke and thus put at risk his refusal to sin with his mouth (1:21; 2:10). • Job cursed the day of his birth in great detail. However, his words sound more like pitiful complaints. Job didn’t curse God as his creator, but he lamented the conditions of his existence."},{"start_chapter":3,"start_verse":11,"end_chapter":3,"end_verse":24,"contents":"Job’s language turns from curse to lamentation. Job alternates between repugnance for life and a romance with death. Seven times, Job laments his situation by asking why (3:11, 12, 16, 20, 23; see Pss 10:1; 22:1; Jer 20:18; Lam 5:20)."},{"start_chapter":4,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":14,"end_verse":22,"contents":"This section begins three rounds of speeches by each of Job’s three comforters, each with a response from Job (4:1–27:23). In this first round, Job’s friends exhort him to seek God so that he can again enjoy prosperity."},{"start_chapter":4,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":4,"end_verse":2,"contents":"Eliphaz the Temanite (see study note on 2:11) was the most prominent and probably the oldest of Job’s friends; his speeches are longer and more ornate than the others. • who could keep from speaking out? Eliphaz mimicked the urgency of a prophetic revelation (4:12-16; see Jer 20:9; Amos 3:8)."},{"start_chapter":4,"start_verse":3,"end_chapter":4,"end_verse":4,"contents":"People . . . who were weak were depressed and suffered from low morale (Isa 13:7; 35:3; Ezek 7:17)."},{"start_chapter":4,"start_verse":12,"end_chapter":4,"end_verse":16,"contents":"Eliphaz posed as a prophet, implying that God spoke to him in secret (Num 12:6); later God did speak to him, but not to affirm his counsel (Job 42:7)."},{"start_chapter":4,"start_verse":18,"end_chapter":4,"end_verse":21,"contents":"The concept that God does not trust his own angels and that he charged his messengers with foolishness is otherwise unknown (but see Gen 6:1-4)."},{"start_chapter":5,"start_verse":9,"end_chapter":5,"end_verse":16,"contents":"Eliphaz’s doxology praised God as the wonder-working Creator and Sustainer of the universe (5:9-10) and as the righteous Judge who brings down the powerful and lifts up the poor (5:11-16)."},{"start_chapter":5,"start_verse":9,"end_chapter":5,"end_verse":10,"contents":"Job’s region depended upon rain rather than irrigation (see 36:27-28)."},{"start_chapter":5,"start_verse":19,"end_chapter":5,"end_verse":26,"contents":"six disasters . . . even in the seventh: This wisdom formula reflects a sense of completeness (cp. Prov 30:15-31). • This list reflects Mosaic covenant blessings and curses (Lev 26; Deut 28). Eliphaz thought that people in right relationship with God would be free from famine (Job 5:20, 22; see Lev 26:4-5, 10; Deut 28:4-6, 8, 11-12), war (i.e., death, Job 5:20) and the destruction it causes (5:21, 22; see Lev 26:6-8; Deut 28:7, 48), and slander. They will even be at peace with wild animals (Job 5:23; see Lev 26:6) and the stones of the field. This peace might indicate fertile rather than stony fields (2 Kgs 3:19, 25; Matt 13:5), or it might symbolize wider harmony with the natural world (see Ps 91:11-12)."},{"start_chapter":6,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":7,"end_verse":21,"contents":"Job’s response attacks his counselors (ch 6) and challenges God (ch 7). He excuses his passionate words by referencing the depths of his misery (6:2-3; 7:11). Job says that Eliphaz has failed to offer comfort or sympathy as a friend, having chosen instead to haggle over stale theological precepts."},{"start_chapter":6,"start_verse":3,"end_chapter":6,"end_verse":4,"contents":"In the Old Testament, arrows are associated with supernatural peril, pestilence, and destructive ills (7:20; 16:12-13; Deut 32:23-24, 42; Pss 7:12-13; 38:2; 64:7; 91:5-6; Lam 2:4; 3:12-13; Ezek 5:16)."},{"start_chapter":6,"start_verse":14,"end_chapter":6,"end_verse":27,"contents":"Job and his friends might have been bound by a covenant of loyalty and faithfulness (Hebrew khesed; see Gen 21:23; Exod 15:13; 1 Chr 16:34) that made them like brothers (Job 6:14-15), protectors (6:21-23), and trusted friends (6:27). If this was the case, Job was accusing his friends of violating their covenant with him."},{"start_chapter":7,"start_verse":6,"end_chapter":7,"end_verse":21,"contents":"Job cried out to God, complaining that life was too brief (7:6-10). This complaint contrasts ironically with his earlier desire that God end it all (6:9)."},{"start_chapter":7,"start_verse":13,"end_chapter":7,"end_verse":14,"contents":"Job’s sickbed dreams and visions echoed those of Eliphaz (4:12-16)."},{"start_chapter":7,"start_verse":17,"end_chapter":7,"end_verse":18,"contents":"that you should make so much of us: Cp. Ps 8:4-5, which treats the same thoughts positively. • examine (Hebrew paqad): In Ps 8:4, the same term means “to honor or care for”; Job used the term ironically, meaning “to be pestered” (cp. “attacked,” Isa 26:14)."},{"start_chapter":8,"start_verse":3,"end_chapter":8,"end_verse":4,"contents":"According to Bildad, God does not twist justice, so the death of Job’s children proved that they had sinned against God. Bildad divided people into the blameless (Hebrew tam, 8:20a; see 1:1) and the secretly wicked (Hebrew khanep, 8:13b). He believed that they could be differentiated by watching what God did to them."},{"start_chapter":8,"start_verse":8,"end_chapter":8,"end_verse":10,"contents":"Bildad made the case for traditional wisdom by appealing to ancient tradition and history (Deut 4:32; Jer 18:13)."},{"start_chapter":8,"start_verse":12,"end_chapter":8,"end_verse":13,"contents":"To forget God does not mean to have a lapse of memory but to act as if God did not exist (see Pss 10:4; 14:1; Zeph 1:12) or cannot see (see Job 22:13-17; Ps 94:7)."},{"start_chapter":8,"start_verse":16,"end_chapter":8,"end_verse":17,"contents":"In this parable, a plant with roots that grow down through a pile of stones gains stability by becoming entwined with the rocks."},{"start_chapter":9,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":9,"end_verse":35,"contents":"Job responded to Bildad by describing God’s cosmic and judicial power. His speech sounds like a complicated legal case, with a summons and response (9:3, 14-16, 19b, 32), the possibility of self-incrimination (9:20), an arbiter (9:33-34), an accusatory question (9:12), a legal sentence (9:22), and a declaration of guilt (9:28-30)."},{"start_chapter":9,"start_verse":5,"end_chapter":9,"end_verse":6,"contents":"When God moves the mountains and when the foundations of the earth tremble, it is a sign of his presence as lawgiver (Exod 19:18), judge (Jer 4:24), or rescuer (Ps 18:7; Isa 13:13; 29:6)."},{"start_chapter":9,"start_verse":32,"end_chapter":9,"end_verse":33,"contents":"A mediator would not judge God and man but would work to bring them together (see 16:19-21)."},{"start_chapter":10,"start_verse":8,"end_chapter":10,"end_verse":11,"contents":"A succession of images describes God’s role in creating Job. • You formed me with your hands . . . made me from dust: This was how a potter made a vessel (Isa 45:9; Jer 18:1-12). Although the potter has incontestable sovereignty over the clay (Isa 45:9; Jer 18:5-12; Rom 9:20-25), Job was questioning God. • back to dust: This common motif in Job represents the temporary nature of life (Job 4:19; 7:9-10, 21; 14:1-2, 10; see Gen 3:19). • You guided my conception and formed me in the womb: The Hebrew terminology (literally You poured me out like milk and curdled me like cheese) evokes graphic images of a newborn baby still covered with the creamy substance called vernix."},{"start_chapter":10,"start_verse":20,"end_chapter":10,"end_verse":22,"contents":"Earlier, Job had painted a fairly pleasant picture of Sheol (3:13-19); now he describes it as a land of darkness and utter gloom (see also 7:9-10; 14:7-22)."},{"start_chapter":11,"start_verse":2,"end_chapter":11,"end_verse":3,"contents":"this torrent of words: Verbosity is characteristic of fools (Prov 10:8, 14) and sinners (Prov 10:19), but Job was innocent. • mock God: Zophar viewed Job’s words about God’s justice as sinfully sarcastic (Job 10:2-7, 13-15)."},{"start_chapter":11,"start_verse":5,"end_chapter":11,"end_verse":6,"contents":"punishing you . . . less than you deserve: Zophar believed that calamity indicated divine retribution for sins (cp. 34:36)."},{"start_chapter":11,"start_verse":13,"end_chapter":11,"end_verse":14,"contents":"Zophar laid out three conditions for restoration (11:15): (1) prepare your heart, in an inward act that is not just a ritual; (2) lift up your hands, a symbolic gesture of prayer, appeal (Exod 9:29; Prov 1:24; Isa 1:15), or surrender; (3) leave all iniquity, not by sacrifice and remorse, but by quitting the sin (cp. Heb 11:6; Jas 4:8; 5:16)."},{"start_chapter":12,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":14,"end_verse":22,"contents":"In his longest speech thus far, Job addresses not only Zophar’s remarks but the entire first round of speeches."},{"start_chapter":12,"start_verse":7,"end_chapter":12,"end_verse":9,"contents":"A switch from you (plural in 12:2-3) to you (singular here) probably indicates that Job is directing his comments to Zophar."},{"start_chapter":12,"start_verse":7,"end_chapter":12,"end_verse":8,"contents":"ask the animals . . . birds . . . earth . . . fish: Job believed that the reason for his misery was obvious and that even nature would understand it (Prov 6:6). Later, God directed Job’s attention to the animal kingdom to convince Job that he did not understand (Job 38–40)."},{"start_chapter":12,"start_verse":23,"end_chapter":12,"end_verse":24,"contents":"Cp. Dan 2:21. • strips kings of understanding: See Job 12:18; cp. Dan 4:23, 32-33. • He . . . leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland like the princes in Ps 107:40 (see Job 12:21)."},{"start_chapter":13,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":13,"end_verse":2,"contents":"Job appealed to experience, as his comforters had done (3:12-17; 5:2)."},{"start_chapter":13,"start_verse":7,"end_chapter":13,"end_verse":10,"contents":"defending God with lies: False witnesses were forbidden even if speaking on God’s behalf (Exod 20:16)."},{"start_chapter":13,"start_verse":20,"end_chapter":13,"end_verse":21,"contents":"Job had contemplated finding an arbiter to remove God’s heavy hand (9:33-34). Eliphaz had urged Job to accept God’s chastening (5:17)."},{"start_chapter":13,"start_verse":22,"end_chapter":13,"end_verse":23,"contents":"Job wanted God to summon him, and then Job would answer in his own defense; or Job would speak to God, and then God would reply to substantiate the charges against Job. Since God did not take the first option, Job initiated the second one (13:23). Eventually, God did summon Job (38:1-3; 40:1-2), and Job was unable to reply (40:3-5)."},{"start_chapter":14,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":14,"end_verse":2,"contents":"The flower is an image of life’s brevity (Pss 90:5-6; 103:15-16; Isa 40:6-7). • A shadow passes swiftly (1 Chr 29:15; Ps 102:11)."},{"start_chapter":15,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":21,"end_verse":34,"contents":"In this second round of speeches, Job’s friends focus on the fate of the wicked and imply that Job’s condition shows he has sinned."},{"start_chapter":15,"start_verse":2,"end_chapter":15,"end_verse":3,"contents":"You are nothing but a windbag (literally You fill your belly with the east wind): Since the east wind was hot, it might represent heated (Exod 14:21; Hos 13:15; Jon 4:8) or violent (Job 27:21; Jer 18:17) speech."},{"start_chapter":15,"start_verse":7,"end_chapter":15,"end_verse":8,"contents":"When the Lord himself later issued a similar challenge, Job found it convicting (38:1-11)."},{"start_chapter":15,"start_verse":9,"end_chapter":15,"end_verse":10,"contents":"Aged, gray-haired men claim a monopoly on wisdom (8:8-10; 12:20; see 12:2)."},{"start_chapter":15,"start_verse":17,"end_chapter":15,"end_verse":19,"contents":"before any foreigners arrived: Eliphaz’s contempt for foreign ideas is ironic because wisdom literature has a more international flavor than is characteristic of other Old Testament writings."},{"start_chapter":15,"start_verse":20,"end_chapter":15,"end_verse":35,"contents":"The wicked also suffer everything that happened to Job (see 1:16-19)—attacks by marauders (15:21), loss of possessions (15:29), crumbled houses (15:28), and fire (15:30, 34)."},{"start_chapter":16,"start_verse":9,"end_chapter":16,"end_verse":10,"contents":"jeer and laugh at me: Job was the subject of mockery (cp. Ps 35:21; Isa 57:4; Lam 2:16; 3:46). • To slap the cheek was less an act of violence (Ps 3:7; Mic 5:1) than an insult (1 Kgs 22:24; Isa 50:6; Lam 3:30; Matt 26:67)."},{"start_chapter":16,"start_verse":18,"end_chapter":16,"end_verse":22,"contents":"Job expected his suffering to prove fatal (7:7, 21; 10:20-22); he pleaded with God to reveal his innocence even if he died first."},{"start_chapter":16,"start_verse":19,"end_chapter":16,"end_verse":21,"contents":"my witness is in heaven: Job wished for a benevolent third party who would mediate between him and God (see 9:32-35). Job wanted an advocate from heaven (16:19; cp. Zech 3:1) who would eventually stand on the earth (Job 19:25; cp. 1 Sam 24:15; John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; 1 Jn 2:1)."},{"start_chapter":17,"start_verse":3,"end_chapter":17,"end_verse":5,"contents":"defend my innocence, O God (literally please keep my pledge with yourself): A pledge (Hebrew ‘erabon) can be a deposit guaranteeing payment (Gen 38:17-20; Exod 22:26-27; Deut 24:10-14; see Prov 20:16; 27:13), so this might suggest atonement. It might also be another reference to Job’s desire for an advocate to plead his case (see study note on Job 16:19-21)."},{"start_chapter":17,"start_verse":8,"end_chapter":17,"end_verse":9,"contents":"Some scholars view these verses as being out of place, but perhaps Job was ironically quoting his opponents’ words."},{"start_chapter":17,"start_verse":10,"end_chapter":17,"end_verse":16,"contents":"Job gave up on his comforters (6:15-21; 13:4-5; 16:2-3; cp. 12:2) and believed he would die a hopeless death."},{"start_chapter":18,"start_verse":2,"end_chapter":18,"end_verse":3,"contents":"How long before you stop talking? Bildad addressed Job in the plural, perhaps meaning “people like you.”"},{"start_chapter":18,"start_verse":8,"end_chapter":18,"end_verse":10,"contents":"A series of hunting devices illustrates the biblical principle of retribution (see study note on 34:11)."},{"start_chapter":18,"start_verse":11,"end_chapter":18,"end_verse":13,"contents":"Bildad applies the biblical principle of retribution (18:8-10) to Job, as do Eliphaz (15:21-23) and Zophar (20:25)."},{"start_chapter":20,"start_verse":14,"end_chapter":20,"end_verse":16,"contents":"poisonous venom . . . cobras . . . viper: In the end, the wicked are no longer deadly to others (Matt 3:7; Rom 3:13) but only to themselves (Prov 23:29-35)."},{"start_chapter":22,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":26,"end_verse":14,"contents":"In this third round of speeches, Job’s friends explicitly accuse Job of being among the wicked and sharing their fate."},{"start_chapter":22,"start_verse":2,"end_chapter":22,"end_verse":3,"contents":"Eliphaz did not understand that God would gain pleasure from Job’s righteousness (1:8; 2:3), as he does from every righteous person (1 Chr 29:17; Ps 147:10-11; Prov 11:1, 20; 12:22). God would also gain glory from Job’s steadfast faith, which emphasized the lie behind Satan’s challenge (Job 1:9-12; 2:4-6). • Job steadfastly claimed that he was perfect (23:10-12), as did God himself (1:1, 8; 2:3)."},{"start_chapter":22,"start_verse":12,"end_chapter":22,"end_verse":14,"contents":"That’s why: Job had not claimed that God can’t see, but others have (Pss 10:11; 73:11; 94:7)."},{"start_chapter":22,"start_verse":19,"end_chapter":22,"end_verse":20,"contents":"The righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed: They will be glad to see justice done and injustices avenged (see also Ps 58:10-11; Rev 19:1-4). Eliphaz’s sentiment neglected God’s desire that sinful people repent (see Ezek 33:11)."},{"start_chapter":23,"start_verse":6,"end_chapter":23,"end_verse":7,"contents":"Earlier, Job had believed that God was too strong for him to summon (9:19), so he had requested an arbiter (9:33-34) and asked God not to terrify him (13:21). Here he expressed more hope that God would grant him a fair hearing. • acquitted: Job did not want to be pardoned as a guilty man but to be declared innocent (13:18; see Pss 17:2-3; 26:1-3)."},{"start_chapter":23,"start_verse":13,"end_chapter":23,"end_verse":14,"contents":"No one can change God’s mind (9:12-13; 11:10; 12:14; 34:29; Num 23:19-20; Jas 1:17)."},{"start_chapter":23,"start_verse":15,"end_chapter":23,"end_verse":17,"contents":"terrified in his presence: See Pss 77:3; 88:16; 119:120. • Job had complained earlier of being plunged into darkness (Job 19:8); Eliphaz (15:22; 22:1) and Bildad (18:6, 18) ascribed this fate to the wicked."},{"start_chapter":24,"start_verse":2,"end_chapter":24,"end_verse":17,"contents":"This inventory of criminal behaviors focuses first on crimes against the weak (24:2-12) and then on the criminals themselves (24:13-17)."},{"start_chapter":24,"start_verse":18,"end_chapter":24,"end_verse":24,"contents":"These sentiments appear to oppose Job’s observations, so some scholars suggest that they were the words of Bildad or Zophar. However, Job might have been pronouncing curses on the wicked, sarcastically quoting his friends’ views, or saying that the fate of the wicked presented by Eliphaz (5:2-7; 15:17-25), Bildad (8:8-19; 18:5-21), and Zophar (20:4-29) also overtakes the righteous (21:23-26)."},{"start_chapter":26,"start_verse":5,"end_chapter":26,"end_verse":6,"contents":"The underworld (Hebrew Sheol), the abode of all the dead, is located beneath the waters of the sea. • The place of destruction (Hebrew Abaddon) existed specifically for the wicked."},{"start_chapter":27,"start_verse":5,"end_chapter":27,"end_verse":6,"contents":"Job considered it profane and reprehensible to concede that his friends were right. Condemning the innocent, as they were doing to him, was an abomination (Exod 23:7; Prov 6:16-19; 17:15)."},{"start_chapter":27,"start_verse":9,"end_chapter":27,"end_verse":23,"contents":"Some interpreters see a new speech here and ascribe it to Zophar because otherwise Zophar has no speech in this cycle."},{"start_chapter":28,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":28,"end_verse":28,"contents":"This section is a self-contained speech. No speaker is listed, so it could be a continuation of the preceding words. However, some consider this a poetic interlude by the author of Job that sums up the argument to this point, emphasizes the failure of human wisdom, and lays the foundation for the Lord’s speeches."},{"start_chapter":28,"start_verse":16,"end_chapter":28,"end_verse":19,"contents":"The metals, gemstones, and glass listed here were precious in the ancient world, but the speaker says that wisdom is much more precious than wealth."},{"start_chapter":28,"start_verse":23,"end_chapter":28,"end_verse":27,"contents":"When God looks throughout the whole earth (28:23), he sees his own wisdom expressed in his creation. God later showcased his wisdom for Job when he took him on a cosmic tour (chs 38–41)."},{"start_chapter":29,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":31,"end_verse":40,"contents":"Job contrasts his former happiness, honor, and wealth (ch 29) with his loss of social dignity and divine friendship (ch 30). He concludes his speech with wide-ranging oaths of innocence (ch 31)."},{"start_chapter":30,"start_verse":2,"end_chapter":30,"end_verse":3,"contents":"In the past, the most honorable members of society spoke well of Job (29:11); now, the least honorable mocked him (30:1) and spit in his face (30:10). Cp. Pss 35:15; 69:12; Mark 14:65; 15:17-20."},{"start_chapter":30,"start_verse":5,"end_chapter":30,"end_verse":6,"contents":"live in frightening ravines, in caves and among the rocks: The wretched life of Job’s mockers resembled Israel’s situation under Midianite oppression (Judg 6:2), David’s life as he fled from Saul (1 Sam 22:1-2), and Elijah’s life as he awaited the Lord’s instruction (1 Kgs 17:3-8)."},{"start_chapter":30,"start_verse":12,"end_chapter":30,"end_verse":14,"contents":"The series of images presented here is drawn from a military advance against a fortified city. Job had already used this image for God’s attack on him (19:10-12). • The word translated traps might refer to siege ramps raised against a city’s walls."},{"start_chapter":30,"start_verse":20,"end_chapter":30,"end_verse":21,"contents":"you don’t answer: This was Job’s frequent complaint (9:16; 19:7; 23:2-9; 31:35), which God soon answered (38:1)."},{"start_chapter":31,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":31,"end_verse":40,"contents":"Job called down curses on himself if he were guilty of the accusations made against him. Except for his mention of idolatry (31:26-27), Job addressed his fidelity to God in terms of the second half of the Ten Commandments, summarized by the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18; Rom 13:9)."},{"start_chapter":31,"start_verse":5,"end_chapter":31,"end_verse":8,"contents":"If Job had lied to anyone as part of a business deal, it would violate the eighth commandment (Deut 5:19); if it occurred in court, it would violate the ninth (Deut 5:20). This sin would merit fiery judgment (Rev 21:8). • If Job lusted for what his eyes had seen, he would violate the tenth commandment (Deut 5:21). • then let someone else eat: This was a self-curse."},{"start_chapter":31,"start_verse":9,"end_chapter":31,"end_verse":10,"contents":"Whether she seduced him or he waited for her (24:15-16), if Job lusted for his neighbor’s wife he would break the seventh (Deut 5:18, Matt 5:27-28) and tenth (Deut 5:21) commandments. • serve: Literally grind for. This might refer to servitude (Exod 11:5) or to sexual intercourse."},{"start_chapter":31,"start_verse":13,"end_chapter":31,"end_verse":15,"contents":"unfair to . . . servants: This might refer to violations of the fourth commandment (Deut 5:12-15). • God created both me and my servants: Job extended the implications of being created in God’s image to the poor (Prov 14:31; 22:2) and even to slaves."},{"start_chapter":31,"start_verse":22,"end_chapter":31,"end_verse":23,"contents":"If an arm was used in sinful action (31:21), having it torn from its socket would be a fitting punishment and better than facing God’s judgment (cp. Matt 5:28-30)."},{"start_chapter":31,"start_verse":26,"end_chapter":31,"end_verse":28,"contents":"Like adultery (cp. 31:1, 9-12), worshiping the sun and moon was a capital crime. Both were sins of the eye that enticed the heart, and both types of sin were tried before judges."},{"start_chapter":31,"start_verse":29,"end_chapter":31,"end_verse":30,"contents":"rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies: See Prov 24:17-18; cp. 2 Sam 16:5-8. • Cursing anyone violated the spirit of the sixth commandment (Deut 5:17; see Matt 5:21-22). • It was against God’s will to ask for revenge (Matt 5:43-44; Rom 12:14; Jas 3:6-10; 1 Pet 3:9)."},{"start_chapter":31,"start_verse":31,"end_chapter":31,"end_verse":32,"contents":"never turned away a stranger: The Old Testament values hospitality (Gen 18:1-13; 19:2-3; Judg 19:20-21), and the New Testament commands it (Matt 25:35; Rom 12:13; 1 Tim 3:2; Heb 13:2; 1 Pet 4:9)."},{"start_chapter":32,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":37,"end_verse":24,"contents":"Having completed three cycles of speeches between Job and his three friends, we now hear from a new voice. Elihu has not been previously introduced, but he is a young man who has listened to everything the others have said."},{"start_chapter":32,"start_verse":4,"end_chapter":32,"end_verse":7,"contents":"Elihu’s deference to elders followed a well-known principle (see also 12:12; 15:10; Lev 19:32; 1 Tim 5:1; 1 Pet 5:5)."},{"start_chapter":32,"start_verse":8,"end_chapter":32,"end_verse":9,"contents":"The spirit within people might not be the prophetic Spirit that Elihu later appeals to (33:14-15), as Eliphaz had done (4:12-17; cp. 32:18-20). This spirit might simply exist by virtue of creation (33:4; Gen 2:7; Acts 17:25)."},{"start_chapter":32,"start_verse":15,"end_chapter":32,"end_verse":16,"contents":"As translated, the phrase you sit there . . . you are silent is addressed to Job’s friends. An alternate translation is they sit there . . . they are silent, in which case Elihu is speaking to Job about his friends."},{"start_chapter":32,"start_verse":18,"end_chapter":32,"end_verse":20,"contents":"The length of Elihu’s speech (32:1–37:24) demonstrates that he truly was full of pent-up words. • Elihu probably thought the spirit (Hebrew ruakh) within him was prophetic urgency (32:8, 19-20; Ps 39:3), but the reader might find him full of wind (Hebrew ruakh; see study note on Job 15:2-3). • Like Zophar, Elihu must speak to find relief (cp. 20:2)."},{"start_chapter":34,"start_verse":3,"end_chapter":34,"end_verse":4,"contents":"ear tests . . . mouth distinguishes: Elihu echoed Job’s earlier complaint about the other counselors’ weak argument that “wisdom belongs to the aged” (12:11-12; see 6:30; Heb 5:14)."},{"start_chapter":34,"start_verse":5,"end_chapter":34,"end_verse":6,"contents":"Job had claimed to be innocent: See 9:20-21; 13:18; 27:6."},{"start_chapter":34,"start_verse":10,"end_chapter":34,"end_verse":15,"contents":"The passage attaches three ideas to the truth that God can do no wrong (34:10, 12): (1) God pays back all people according to their behavior (34:11); (2) as the Creator, God is not answerable to anyone (34:13); and (3) every living being depends upon God for its existence, and God can withdraw that gift without doing anything wrong (34:14-15; cp. Rom 9:19-29)."},{"start_chapter":35,"start_verse":4,"end_chapter":35,"end_verse":8,"contents":"Elihu attempted to answer his own question (35:2), but his answer did not add to what Zophar (11:8-9), Eliphaz (22:12), Bildad (25:5-6), and Job (9:8-10) had already said. Elihu failed to recognize that all sin wrongs God (Gen 39:9; Matt 25:41-46; cp. Prov 19:17)."},{"start_chapter":35,"start_verse":15,"end_chapter":35,"end_verse":16,"contents":"Elihu echoed and then rejected Job’s words (9:24; 12:6-10; 21:7-15, 17)."},{"start_chapter":38,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":42,"end_verse":6,"contents":"Finally, the Lord answered Job. In this final section, the Lord challenges Job’s overreaching self-defense with a display of his works that remind Job of God’s transcendent greatness."},{"start_chapter":38,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":40,"end_verse":5,"contents":"God challenges Job, who acknowledges his inability to judge the moral world by demonstrating his ignorance of the natural world’s cosmic (38:4-21) and meteorological elements (38:22-38), animals, and birds (38:39–39:30)."},{"start_chapter":38,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":38,"end_verse":3,"contents":"God challenged Job from out of the whirlwind. The Old Testament commonly associates storms with God’s presence (2 Kgs 2:1, 11; Ezek 1:4; Nah 1:3). Job finally had an audience with God (Job 13:22-23)."},{"start_chapter":38,"start_verse":10,"end_chapter":38,"end_verse":11,"contents":"locked it behind barred gates: The sea is depicted as a dangerous creature kept under control."},{"start_chapter":38,"start_verse":22,"end_chapter":38,"end_verse":23,"contents":"Snow and hail are kept in divine storehouses such as those for the deep seas and winds (Pss 33:7; 135:7; Jer 10:13; 51:16). God uses these elements as weapons (Job 36:32; Isa 30:30; Ezek 13:11-13; Rev 16:21) in the storms he sends on the day of battle and war (e.g., Josh 10:11; Judg 5:20-21; 1 Sam 7:10)."},{"start_chapter":38,"start_verse":24,"end_chapter":38,"end_verse":27,"contents":"The east wind blows off the desert to scorch crops (Gen 41:6, 23, 27; Jer 4:11; Jon 4:8) and dry up seas (Exod 14:21; Isa 11:15). It is an arid contrast to the torrents of rain that cause flooding. • Beneficial rain to satisfy the parched ground (Pss 104:10-11; 107:35; Isa 35:7; 58:11) stands in contrast to both scorching winds (Job 38:24) and flooding rains (38:25)."},{"start_chapter":39,"start_verse":5,"end_chapter":39,"end_verse":7,"contents":"wild donkey . . . hates (literally scorns) the noise of the city: This is the first in a series of animals that scorn others who are their inferiors in some way (cp. 39:18, 22; 41:29). These images illustrate how God scorns the opposition of a man like Job (see Ps 2:4)."},{"start_chapter":39,"start_verse":9,"end_chapter":39,"end_verse":12,"contents":"Now extinct and already rare by Moses’ time, the wild ox was the most powerful land animal in early Canaan. This Old Testament symbol of strength (Num 23:22; 24:8; Deut 33:17; Pss 29:6; 92:10) was never tamed (cp. Gen 1:28; 9:2; Ps 8:5-6)."},{"start_chapter":39,"start_verse":13,"end_chapter":39,"end_verse":18,"contents":"In the ancient Near East, the ostrich had a reputation as a bird that God had deprived of wisdom."},{"start_chapter":39,"start_verse":14,"end_chapter":39,"end_verse":16,"contents":"The ostrich is a symbol of neglect for her young (Lam 4:3) because she (1) lays her eggs on top of the earth; (2) appears to leave her eggs to die when a predator approaches them (although she is probably attempting to lure the predator away from the nest); and (3) lays her eggs with several other hens in one nest, so most of the eggs are not her own."},{"start_chapter":40,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":40,"end_verse":2,"contents":"The Greek Old Testament omits this conclusion to God’s first speech."},{"start_chapter":40,"start_verse":3,"end_chapter":40,"end_verse":5,"contents":"Job’s brief and humble response does not acknowledge guilt, but it does admit his insignificance (40:4). He had previously thought that he could approach God like a prince (31:37) or even cross-examine him (13:22-23)."},{"start_chapter":40,"start_verse":6,"end_chapter":40,"end_verse":7,"contents":"The Lord repeated his earlier challenge (see 38:1-3)."},{"start_chapter":40,"start_verse":11,"end_chapter":40,"end_verse":12,"contents":"Job could not do God’s work of humbling the proud (Isa 2:11-12, 17; Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5-6) apart from God’s authority (Mal 4:3; Rom 16:20)."},{"start_chapter":40,"start_verse":15,"end_chapter":40,"end_verse":24,"contents":"Following a list of natural animals (39:1-30), God described Behemoth (40:15-24) and Leviathan (41:1-34) as creatures that man cannot tame. Job couldn’t tame the wild donkey or ox (39:5-12), let alone Behemoth and Leviathan (40:15-24), but God created them and could control them, and Job had to acknowledge it (41:2). • Here Behemoth seems to be a natural creature: (1) It is an animal that God made, just as he made Job (40:15); (2) it is not a dreadful predator but eats grass like an ox (40:15); and (3) it is in a poem describing God’s creation of the natural order, rather than in a mythological story of the world’s formation. Most commentators identify Behemoth with the hippopotamus, a huge, grass-eating animal (40:15-19) that lies in the river among the lotus plants and reeds (40:21). Like the wild ox, Behemoth is powerful (40:16-18, 24; 39:11), yet is essentially peaceful (40:20-23)."},{"start_chapter":42,"start_verse":1,"end_chapter":42,"end_verse":6,"contents":"Job understood the message of God’s speeches: I know that you can do anything. Nothing is too hard for God (Gen 18:14; Jer 32:17; Matt 19:26) and nothing can stop his plan (Job 23:13; Isa 14:27; 46:10). Job realized how unlike God he was."},{"start_chapter":42,"start_verse":8,"end_chapter":42,"end_verse":9,"contents":"The Lord made Job the mediator that Job had hoped to find for himself (9:33; 16:19-21; 19:25) and that Elihu desired to be (32:1–37:24). • go to my servant Job: God wanted Job’s friends to be reconciled with Job before they presented their offerings (Matt 5:23-24). • My servant Job will pray for you; he had also prayed for his children (1:5; cp. Jas 5:16; 1 Jn 5:16). • When the Lord accepted Job’s prayer, it ironically fulfilled Eliphaz’s promise (Job 22:26-30)."}]}