Four voices. I. THE VOICE OF FOLLY . "Curse God, and die." II. THE VOICE OF REBUKE . "Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh." III. THE VOICE OF GRATITUDE . "We receive good at the hand of the Lord." IV. THE VOICE OF SUBMISSION . "Shall we not receive evil?" read more
(along with Genesis 3:1-6 ). Job and Adam: a parallel and a contrast. I. A PARALLEL . 1 . Both were tempted. 2 . By Satan. 3 . Through their wives. 4 . To renounce their allegiance to God. II. A CONTRAST . 1 . In the times of their temptation. Adam when at the summit of felicity; Job when in the depth of misery. 2 . In the modes of their temptation. Adam, assailed by the thought that God had unjustly deprived him of good; Job, by the suggestion that God... read more
But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh ; rather, as one of the vile (or impious ) women speaketh. Nabal , the term used, is expressive, not of mere natural folly, but of that perversion of the intellect which comes on men when their hearts and understandings are corrupted and degraded.. (see 2 Samuel 13:13 ; Psalms 14:1 ; Isaiah 32:6 ). What? shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil? Job remembers all the good... read more
Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him . It is not to be supposed that Job had no more than three friends—indeed, Elihu the Buzzite appears later on as one of his friends ( Job 32:2-6 )—but he had three contemporaries with whom he was especially intimate, old men ( Job 32:6 ), with whom he was probably accustomed to confer from time to time, and who were in the habit of giving him their advice. All three, apparently, lived at a distance; and it seems... read more
The patriarch's third trial; or the coming of the friends. I. THE HONOURABLE NAMES THEY BORE . 1 . Eliphaz the Temanite. Probably a descendant of Teman, the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau by his wife Adah ( Genesis 36:10 , Genesis 36:11 ; 1 Chronicles 1:35 , 1 Chronicles 1:36 ); belonging to the race of Teman, which extended over a considerable portion of Arabia, about midway between Palestine and the Euphrates; very likely the oldest of the three friends. 2 . ... read more
A picture of friendship. In this short section we have a beautiful picture of true friendship in its prompt sympathy, its ready offices. The three intimate friends of Job, on hearing of his troubles, arrange to visit him and offer the comfort of their presence and condolence. We are reminded— I. OF THE BLESSING OF FRIENDSHIP . Sympathy is the indispensable need of the heart. It deepens the colour of all our pleasures; it throws a gleam of light athwart our deepest gloom.... read more
Human impotence in presence of great sorrow. The prompting of pure and faithful friendship leads Job's friends to hurry to his help. They "come to mourn with him and to comfort him." When yet afar off they lift up their eyes and behold their friend. But, alas! disease has wrought so great a change in him that they know him not. Then "they lifted up their voice, and wept." In their wild, ungoverned passionate grief "they rent every one his mantle," and seizing the dust of the ground they... read more
Job's comforters. We now enter on a new scene, one that prepares for the main action of the drama. Hitherto the court of heaven, the roving errands of Satan, the personal and domestic afflictions of Job, have engaged our attention. Now the light of the larger human world is let in on this scene. Job is not in purgatory, shut off from companionship of living men. Indeed, his greatest trouble is yet to come from the blundering conduct of that companionship. I. TROUBLE SHOULD COLLECT ... read more
As one of the foolish women speaketh - The word here rendered “foolish” נבל nâbâl from נבל nâbêl, means properly stupid or foolish, and then wicked, abandoned, impious - the idea of “sin” and “folly” being closely connected in the Scriptures, or sin being regarded as supreme folly; 1 Samuel 25:25; 2 Samuel 3:33; Psalms 14:1; Psalms 53:2. The Arabs still use the word with the same compass of signification. “Gesenius.” The word is used here in the sense of “wicked;” and the idea is, that the... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Job 2:9-10
Job and his wife. I. A FOOLISH WOMAN . II. A FAITHFUL HUSBAND . III. A THANKFUL SAINT . IV. A SUBMISSIVE SUFFERER . read more