Job 13

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 13:1-2

The first two verses of Job 13:1-28 . are closely connected with Job 12:1-25 ; forming the natural termination to the first section of Job's argument, that all results, whether good or evil, must be referred to God. Job 13:1 is little more than a repetition of Job 12:9 and Job 13:2 of Job 12:3 . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 13:1-2

Trite sayings. Job's complaint is that there was nothing new in his friends' pretentious harangues. All their pompous airs of superiority and authority did not deceive the patriarch, and prevent him from detecting the essentially commonplace character of their ideas. I. MOST SAYINGS ARE TRITE . It is not often given to a man to discover a new truth. Even when a person makes a remark that is original in him, i.e. that he has not derived from any other man, the probability is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 13:1-12

Correction of the friends. I. TRANSITION IN JOB 'S ADDRESS . ( Job 13:1-3 .). He pauses for a moment before entering on a new course of thought. He asserts that his experience has not been without fruit. The eye , the ear , the mouth ( Job 12:11 ), are the physical symbols of living and actual experience. So St. John: "That which we have heard ,… seen with our eyes looked upon, and our bands have handled" ( 1 John 1:1 ). And in no particular is their knowledge, in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 13:1-16

Job to Zophar: 4. A wounded soul at bay. I. THE VOICE OF FIERCE RECRIMINATION . Transfixing on the spear-point of his remorseless logic the men who had mocked at his misery, and converted his very piety into a laughing-stock, with infinite scorn Job holds them up a spectacle to angels and to men, charging them with at least three most detestable offences. 1 . Ignoring of facts. They had favoured him with their views of how God conducted the affairs of the universe, citing... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 13:1-22

Man's injustice and the justice of God. Job proceeds to turn the tables upon these self-complacent friends, who are so disposed to moralize and find illustrations of their conceptions of the Divine righteousness at his expense. His friends, however, really do him a service; not, indeed, by manifesting the sympathy he craves, but by throwing him upon his own resources—still better, by throwing him upon his God. The tonic of opposition is sometimes far more needed in mental suffering than is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 13:2

What ye know , the same do I know also . Job's friends have claimed to instruct him and set him right, on the ground of their age and experience ( Job 4:8 ; Job 5:27 ; Job 8:8-10 ), He protests that, in the matters on which they have lectured him, they have no advantage over himself—he knows all that they know—in truth, the knowledge is open to all (see Job 12:3 ). I am not inferior unto you. An exact repetition of the second clause of Job 12:3 . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 13:3

Surely I would speak to the Almighty . It is not Job's wish to argue his ease with his three friends, but to reason it out with God. His friends, however, interfere with this design, check it, thwart it, prevent him from carrying it out. He must therefore first speak a few words to them. And I desire to reason with God . Compare God's own invitation to his people, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord" ( Isaiah 1:18 ), and again, "Put me in remembrance, let us plead... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 13:3-13

The second section of Job's argument is prefaced, like the first ( Job 12:2-5 ), with a complaint with respect to the conduct of his opponents. He taxes them with the fabrication of lies (verse 4), with want of skill as physicians of souls (verse 4), with vindicating God by reasonings in which they do not themselves believe (verses 7, 8), and consequently with really mocking him (verse 9). Having warned them that they are more likely to offend God than to please him by such arguments as... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 13:4

But ye are forgers of lies . A harsh expression, indicating that Job was thoroughly exasperated. The lies which his friends had forged were, partly, misrepresentations of what he had said, as for example Job 11:4 , but mainly statements, more or less covert, which implied that he had brought all his calamities on himself by a course of evil-doing (see Job 4:7 , Job 4:8 ; Job 8:13 , Job 8:14 ; Job 11:11 , Job 11:14 , Job 11:20 ). Ye are all physicians of no value . Job's... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 13:4

Physicians of no value. Job's friends were physicians of no value. They came to heal, but they only aggravated his complaint. I. CONSIDER WHERE WE MEET WITH PHYSICIANS OF No VALUE . 1 . In dealing with sorrow. How rare is a truly helpful friend in a time of great sorrow! Many wellwishers try their hand at consolation, but most of them bungle painfully. We endure their visits of condolence because we do not wish to be ungrateful and disagreeable, but we are relieved... read more

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