Albert Barnes Commentary Job 11

Should not the multitude of words be answered?—As if all that Job had said had been mere words, or as if he was remarkable for mere garrulity.

And should a man full of talk be justified?—The margin notes the Hebrew as “of lips.” The phrase is evidently a Hebraism, meaning a great talker—a man of mere lips, or empty sound. Zophar asks whether such a man could be justified or vindicated. It will be recalled that taciturnity was a much greater virtue in Eastern cultures than it is with us, and that it was regarded as one of the proofs of wisdom. The wise man with them was he who sat down at the feet of age and desired to learn, who carefully collected the maxims of former times, who diligently observed the course of events, and who deliberated with care on what others had to say.

Thus, Solomon says, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise;” (Proverbs 10:19); so too, James 1:19: “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak.” It was supposed that a man who said much would say some foolish or improper things, and hence, it was regarded as a proof of prudence to be distinguished for silence. In Eastern countries, and it may be added also, in all countries then regarded as uncivilized, it is unusual and disrespectful to be hasty in offering counsel, to be forward to speak, or to be confident and bold in opinion (see the notes at Job 32:6-7).

It was for reasons such as these that Zophar maintained that a man who was full of talk could not be justified in it; that there was presumptive proof that he was not a safe man, or a man who could be vindicated in all that he said.

Should your lies - Margin, “devices.” Rosenmuller renders this, “should men bear your boastings with silence?” Dr. Good, “before you would mankind keep silence?” Vulgate, “tibi soli tacebunt homines?” “Shall men be silent before you alone?” The Septuagint renders the whole passage, “he who speaks much should also hear in turn; else the fine speaker (εὔλαλος eulalos) thinks himself just. - Blessed be the short-lived offspring of woman. Be not profuse of words, for there is no one that judges against you, and do not say that I am pure in works and blameless before him?”

How this was made out of the Hebrew, or what is its exact sense, I am unable to say.

There can be no doubt, I think, that our present translation is altogether too harsh, and that Zophar by no means designs to charge Job with uttering lies. The Hebrew word commonly used for lies is wholly different from that which is used here.

The word here (בד bad) properly denotes “separation;” then a part; and in various combinations as a preposition, such as “alone separate” and “besides.” Then the noun means empty talk, vain boasting; and then it may denote lies or falsehood. The leading idea is that of separation or of remoteness from anything, as from prudence, wisdom, propriety, or truth. It is a general term, like our word “bad,” which I presume has been derived from this Hebrew word (בד bad), or from the Arabic “bad.” In the plural (בדים badı̂ym) it is rendered “liars” in Isaiah 44:25 and Jeremiah 50:36; “lies” in Job 11:3, Isaiah 16:6, and Jeremiah 48:30; and “parts” in Job 41:12.

It is also often rendered “staves” (Exodus 27:6; Exodus 25:14–15; Exodus 25:28, and in other passages). That it may mean “lies” here I admit, but it may also mean talk that is aside from propriety, and may refer here to a kind of discourse that was destitute of propriety, empty, vain talk.

And when you mock - That is, “should you be permitted to use the language of reproach and of complaint, and no one attempt to make you sensible of its impropriety?” The complaints and arguments of Job he represented as in fact mocking God.

Shall no man make you ashamed? - Shall no one show you the impropriety of it, and bring your mind to a sense of shame for what it has done? This was what Zophar now proposed to do.

My doctrine is pure - The Septuagint instead of the word “doctrine” here reads “deeds,” ἔργοις ergois; the Syriac, “you say I have acted justly.” But the word used here (לקח leqach) means properly “fair speech” or “taking arguments,” that by which one is “taken” or captivated, from לקח lâqach — “to take.” Then it means doctrine, or instruction (Proverbs 1:5; Proverbs 9:9). Here it means the views which Job had expressed. Dr. Good supposes that it means “conduct,” a word which would suit the connection, but the Hebrew is not used in this sense.

And I am clean in your eyes - In the eyes of God, or in his sight. This was a false charge. Job had never maintained that he was perfect (compare the notes at Job 9:20); he had only maintained that he was not such a sinner as his friends maintained that he was, a hypocrite, and a man eminent for guilt. His lack of absolute perfection he was ever ready to admit and mourn over.

But oh that God would speak - Hebrew, “and truly, who will give that God should speak.” It is the expression of an earnest wish that God would address him, and bring him to a proper sense of what he justly deserves. The meaning is, that if God should speak to him he would by no means find himself so holy as he now claimed to be.

And that he would show you the secrets of wisdom - The hidden things that pertain to wisdom. The reference here is to the wisdom of God himself. The sense is this: “You now think yourself pure and holy. You have confidence in your own wisdom and integrity. But this apprehension is based on a short-sighted view of God, and on ignorance of him. If he would speak and show you his wisdom; if he would express his sense of what purity is, you would at once see how far you have come from perfection, and would be overwhelmed with a sense of your comparative vileness and sin”.

That they are double to that which is - Noyes renders this, “His wisdom which is unsearchable”. Dr. Good, strangely enough, “For they are intricacies to iniquity”. The expression, as it stands in our common version, is not very intelligible; indeed, it is difficult to attach any idea to it. Of the words used in the Hebrew, however, the sense is not difficult.

The word כפלים kı̂playı̂m — “double,” is from כפל kâphal, “to fold,” “to double;” and means a doubling (Job 41:5); and then two folds, or double folds. The sense here is that the wisdom of God is “double-fold;” that is, complicated, inexplicable, or manifold. It is not spread out and plain, but is infolded, so that it requires to be unrolled to be understood.

The word rendered “that which is” (תשׁיה tûshı̂yâh), means properly a setting upright, uprightness - from ישׁע yâsha‛.

Hence, it means help, deliverance (Job 6:13); purpose, undertaking (see the notes at Job 5:12); and then counsel, wisdom, understanding (Job 12:16; Isaiah 28:29). It means here, I suppose, “understanding;” and the idea is that the wisdom of God is “double of understanding;” that is, it is so infolded, so complex, that it greatly surpasses our comprehension. What we see is a small part of it; and the “secrets” of his wisdom - the parts of his wisdom which are not unfolded - are far above our grasp.

His wisdom is like a vast roll or volume, only the first and a very small part of which is unrolled so that we can read it. But who can look into that that remains unopened, and penetrate between the involutions, so as to perceive and read it all? It is but little that is now unrolled of the mighty volume - the remainder will be unfolded as years and ages shall pass on, and the entire unfolding of the book will be reserved for eternity.

Know, therefore, that God exacts of you less than your iniquity deserves - The word here rendered “exacteth” (ישׁה yasheh) more properly means “to forget” - from נשׁה nâshâh. It also means to loan on usury, or to borrow; but the sense here is rather that of forgetting. It is not used in the sense of exacting.

The true meaning is, “Know, therefore, that for you God has caused to be forgotten a part of your iniquity”. That is, he has treated you as if he had caused a part of your sins to be out of mind, or as if they were not remembered.

Instead of treating you, as you complain, with severity, he has by no means inflicted on you the calamities which you deserve. The ground of this unfeeling assertion is the abstract proposition that God is infinitely wiser than human beings; that he has a deeper insight into human guilt than people can have; and that if he should disclose to us all that he sees of the heart, we should be amazed at the revelations of our own sins. This sentiment is undoubtedly true, and accords almost exactly with what Job had himself said (Job 9:19–22), but there is something very harsh and severe in the manner in which Zophar applies it.