Sometimes people set forth something common knowledge and generally accepted, so obvious that it needs no proof. Who, indeed...
Sometimes people set forth something common knowledge and generally accepted, so obvious that it needs no proof. Who, indeed, would argue that God is all-knowing and that man is limited in his knowledge? And from this premise it is not hard to arrive at that conclusion of everyday, ordinary religiosity: if that is so, it is better to sit quietly and keep your mouth shut. A person is born like a young donkey, no smarter than that, and still he takes it upon himself to reason about the works of God, and even to make claims against God.
Here, of course, we have not conscious aggression, but the simple nervous reaction of a religious common person disturbed in his religious serenity. But it becomes an integral element of the religious picture against which the existential catastrophe experienced by Job in this particular text unfolds. His friends, in general, do not care how the argument ends; what matters to them is that their world not collapse the way Job's world has collapsed. And therefore it matters that Job behave more calmly and with more restraint, that he not generalize and draw far-reaching conclusions. In the world, everything is simple, and there is no need to complicate anything.
Job is advised to live more simply: find what in his life had been wrong until now and what he may not have noticed, reconsider everything anew, shake out his own life, so to speak - and then, perhaps, everything will change, the problems will disappear, and everything will again be as before. As the saying goes, it is easy to sort out someone else's trouble. But it is not only this: here there is also the confidence, characteristic of popular religiosity, in the saving and healing power of established forms of life (including religious life) in themselves.
Do everything as one ought, as the fathers did; simply begin again the way it is customary to begin, and everything will be fine. Somewhere there was a failure - well, let us try to restart the machine. In this way, a modern person sometimes reboots a computer in the hope of getting rid of the problems that have arisen, counting on the problems disappearing by themselves after the reboot. With computers, it should be noted, this sometimes happens, but only if the problems are not too serious. But a human being is not a computer. A reboot will not help here.
11 Zophar charges Job with falsehood and pride, Job 11:1-4.
Wishes that God would convince him of his wisdom, justice, and unsearchable perfections, Job 11:5-9.
Of his sovereignty, power and the cognisance he takes of men, Job 11:10-12.
He assures him, that on his repentance, God would restore him to prosperity, but that the wicked should perish, Job 11:13-20.
11:1 Then answered - How hard is it, to preserve calmness, in the heat of disputation! Eliphaz began modestly: Bildad was a little rougher: But Zophar falls upon Job without mercy. "Those that have a mind to fall out with their brethren, and to fall foul upon them, find it necessary, to put the worst colours they can upon them and their performances, and right or wrong to make them odious."
11:2 Answered - Truly, sometimes it should not. Silence is the best confutation of impertinence, and puts the greatest contempt upon it.
11:3 Lies - Both concerning thy own innocency, and concerning the counsels and ways of God. Mockest - Our friendly and faithful counsels, Job 6:14-15, Job 6:25-26.
11:4 Doctrine - Concerning God and his providence. Clean - I am innocent before God; I have not sinned either by my former actions, or by my present expressions. But Zophar perverts Job's words, for he did not deny that he was a sinner, but only that he was an hypocrite.
11:5 Speak - Plead with thee according to thy desire: he would soon put thee to silence. We are commonly ready with great assurance to interest God in our quarrels. But they are not always in the right, who are most forward, to appeal to his judgment, and prejudge it against their antagonists.
11:6 Secrets - The unsearchable depths of God's wisdom in dealing with his creatures. Double - That they are far greater (the word double being used indefinitely for manifold, or plentiful) than that which is manifested. The secret wisdom of God is infinitely greater than that which is revealed to us by his word or works: the greatest part of what is known of God, is the least part of those perfections that are in him. And therefore thou dost rashly in judging so harshly of his proceedings with thee, because thou dost not comprehend the reasons of them, and in judging thyself innocent, because thou dost not see thy sins; whereas the all - knowing God sees innumerable sins in thee, for which he may utterly destroy thee.
11:7 Find out - Discover all the depths of his wisdom, and the reasons of his actions?
11:10 Cut off - A person or family. Shut - Its a prison, or in the hands of an enemy. Gather - Whether it pleaseth God to scatter a family, or to gather them together from their dispersions. Hinder - Or, who can contradict him, charge him with injustice in such proceedings?
11:11 Knoweth - Though men know but little of God, yet God knows man exactly. He knoweth that every man in the world is guilty of much vanity and folly, and therefore seeth sufficient reason for his severity against the best men. Wickedness - He perceiveth the wickedness of evil men, though it be covered with the veil of religion. Consider - Shall he only see it as an idle spectator, and not observe it as a judge to punish it?
11:12 Man - That since the fall is void of all true wisdom, pretends to be wise, and able to pass a censure upon all God's ways and works.Colt - Ignorant, and dull, and stupid, as to divine things, and yet heady and untractable.
11:13 Heart - To seek God; turning thy bold contentions with God into humble supplications.
11:15 Lift up - Which denotes chearfulness, and holy boldness.Without spot - Having a clear and unspotted conscience.Steadfast - Shall have a strong and comfortable assurance of God's favour.
11:16 As waters - Thou shalt remember it no more, than men remember a land - flood, which as it comes, so it goes away suddenly.
11:17 Shine - Light in scripture commonly signifies prosperity and glory. Thy comfort, like the morning - light shall shine brighter and brighter, until the perfect day.
11:18 Secure - Thy mind shall be quiet and free from terrors, because thou shalt have a firm and well - grounded confidence in God. Dig - Either to fix thy tents, which after the manner of the Arabians were removed from place to place: or to plough the ground, as he had done, chap.Job 1:14, or to make a fence about thy dwelling.
11:20 Fail - Either with grief and tears for their sore calamities: or with long looking for what they shall never attain. Their hope - They shall never obtain deliverance out of their distresses, but shall perish in them. Ghost - Shall be as vain and desperate as the hope of life is in a man, when he is at the very point of death.