Job 9:4-10 NIV

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:4

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength . The sense is strengthened if we omit "he is," and render, Wise in heart, and mighty in strength , who hath hardened ' etc.? God's combination of perfect wisdom with infinite strength renders it hopeless for any man to contend with him. Who hath hardened himself against him; and hath prospered? Job fully admits the wisdom of all that Eliphaz ( Job 4:17 ) and Bildad ( Job 8:3-6 ) have said, or hinted, with respect to his inability... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:5

Which removeth the mountains, and they know not; which overturneth them in his anger . Earthquakes are common in all the countries adjoining Syria and Palestine, and must always have been among the most striking manifestations of God's power. There are several allusions to them in the Psalms ( Psalms 8:8 , Psalms 104:32 ). and historical mention of them in Numbers 16:32 ; 1 Kings 19:1 ; Amos 1:1 ; Zechariah 14:4 , Zechariah 14:5 ; Matthew 24:7 . Josephus speaks of one which... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:5-10

Job to Bildad: 2. The majesty of God depicted. I. IN TERRESTRIAL PHENOMENA . 1 . Overturning mountains. "Which removeth," i.e. . uprooteth or overtumeth, "the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger" (verse 5). Whatever be the allusion intended, whether to the convulsions of nature which occurred at the Flood, or to those usually associated with earthquakes, the language suggests the absoluteness of God's control over nature, and in particular: 2 .... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:5-13

A magnificent description of the might and majesty of God, transcending anything in the Psalms, and comparable to the grandest passages of Isaiah (see especially Isaiah 40:21-24 ; Isaiah 43:15-20 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:6

Which shaketh the earth out of her place . This is a still more startling figure of speech; but comp. Psalms 46:2 ; Psalms 68:16 ; Psalms 114:4 , Psalms 114:6 . And the pillars thereof tremble . The earth is conceived of, poetically, as a huge edifice, supported on pillars (comp. Psalms 75:3 ), which in an earthquake are shaken, and impart their motion to the entire building. Rosenmuller's quotation of Seneca, 'Nat. Quaest.,' 6:20—" Fortasse ex aliqua parle terra veluti columnis... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:7

Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not . A magnificent idea of God's power, and, of course, quite true. All the movements of the earth and of the heavenly bodies are movements which God causes, and could at any moment suspend. The sun only rises upon the earth each day because God causes it to rise. If he were once to intermit his hand, the whole universe would fall into confusion. And sealeth up the stars . Either covers them with a thick darkness, which their rays cannot penetrate,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:8

Which alone spreadeth out the heavens (comp. Psalms 104:2 ; Isaiah 40:22 ). The heavens are regarded as spread out over the whole earth, like a curtain or awning over a tent, everywhere overshadowing and promoting it. This "stretching" or "spreading out" is felt to be one of the mightiest and most marvellous of the Creater's works, and is constantly put forward in Scripture as a special evidence of his omnipotence (see, besides the pasages above quoted, Isaiah 42:5 ; Isaiah 44:24 ; ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:9

Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades ; literally, which maketh ' Ash ' Kesil ' and Kimah. The rendering of the LXX . ( ὁ ποιῶν πλειάδα καὶ ἕσπερον καὶ ἀρκτοῦρον ), supported, as it is, by most of the other ancient versions and by the Targums, has caused the stellar character of these names to be generally recognized; but the exact meaning of each term is, to some extent, still a matter of dispute. On the whole, it seems most probable that 'Ash , or 'Aish ( ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:10

Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number . An almost exact repetition of the words of Eliphaz in Job 5:9 . The repetition may have been conscious or unconscious. Job may have meant to say, "My view of God embraces all that you can tell me of him, and goes further;" or he may simply have used words concerning the Divine unsearchableness which were common in the mouths of religious men in his time (comp. Psalms 72:18 ; and infra, Job 11:7 ). read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 9:4

He is wise in heart - Herder renders this,Even the wise and the powerful,Who hath withstood him and prospered?But the more common interpretation is to refer it to God. The meaning of Job appears to be, that God was a sagacious adversary; that he was able to manage his cause; that he could meet and refute all objections which could be urged; and that it would be in vain to engage in a litigation before him. He so well understood the whole ground of debate, and was so entirely skilled in the... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:5

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:5-10

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:5-13

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:6

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:7

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:9

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 9:10

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 9:4

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