Job 11:18

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 11:13-20

Zophar, as the other two, here encourages Job to hope for better times if he would but come to a better temper. I. He gives him good counsel (Job 11:13, 14), as Eliphaz did (Job 5:8), and Bildad, Job 8:5. He would have him repent and return to God. Observe the steps of that return. 1. He must look within, and get his mind changed and the tree made good. He must prepare his heart; there the work of conversion and reformation must begin. The heart that wandered from God must be reduced?that was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 11:18

And thou shall be secure ,.... From coming into like darkness, difficulties, and distress again, and from every evil and enemy; nothing shall come nigh to disturb and hurt, nothing to be feared from any quarter, all around: or "shalt be confident" F25 ובטחת "et confides", Mercerus, Piscator, Schmidt; "et habebis fiduciam", V. L. ; have a strong faith and full assurance of it, in the love of God, in the living Redeemer, and in the promises which respect the life that now is, and that... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 11:18

And thou shalt be secure - Thou shalt not fear any farther evils to disturb thy prosperity, for thou shalt have a well-grounded hope and confidence that thou shalt no more be visited by adversity. Yea, thou shalt dig - I believe this neither refers to digging his grave, nor to curiously investigating surrounding circumstances; but to the custom of digging for water in the places where they pitched their tents. It was a matter of high importance in Asiatic countries to find good wells of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 11:1-20

Zophar, the Naamathite, the third of Job's comforters ( Job 2:11 ), and probably the youngest of them, now at last takes the word, and delivers an angry and violent speech. He begins by accusing Job of having spoken at undue length, and at the same time, boastfully and mockingly (verses 2-4). He then expresses a wish that God would take Job at his word, and really answer him, since he is sure that the result would be to show that Job had been punished much less than he. deserved to be... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 11:1-20

Humble yourselves beneath the mighty hand of God. Zophar, the youngest of the friends, now comes forward once more to beat down the complaint of Job with the old arguments and commonplaces. To support his words, he does not appeal to a vision like Eliphaz, nor rely on the wisdom of the ancients like Bildad, but depends on his own understanding and zealous though narrow instinct for God. His whole speech is an example of the beauty and, at the same time, the defect of religious zeal. In... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 11:13-19

The invitation to repentance. All Job's friends would lead him to repentance. They see the judgments of God upon him in his afflictions. They know of no other cause for afflictions than as a punishment for wrong-doing. The conclusion is clear, "Thou hast sinned." This underlies all their speeches. But they have rightly seized the truth—God forgiveth the iniquity of the repentant. Therefore they urge their entreaty to their friend in one word, "Repent." And Zophar reveals to Job the method... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 11:13-19

The blessedness of returning to God. Zophar draws a beautiful picture of the joys and blessings of restoration to God, and, though its implied background must have spoilt it for Job by suggesting that the patriarch was a great sinner needing repentance, in itself the picture is true and helpful. I. THE PROCESS OF RETURNING TO GOD . 1 . By a right condition of the heart. The heart is first to be set right. We can only return to God with our heart. The heart wandered; the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 11:13-20

Zophar to Job: 3. An exhortation to repentance. I. THE ACTINGS OF PENTIENCE . 1 . Preparation of the heart. "If thou prepare [literally, 'direct'] thy heart '" i.e. towards God. True penitence is a heart-work, beginning in the heart, relating to the heart, and carried on by the heart, though not without Divine assistance ( Proverbs 16:1 ). 2 . Elevation of the soul. "If thou stretch out thine hands towards him," i.e. God; the lifting up and stretching forth of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 11:18

And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope . Job, entering on this second period of prosperity, would be and feel secure; safe, i.e. ' from any return of calamity, because hope would once more animate him and be his predominant feeling. No doubt "hope springs eternal in the human breast;" and when Job's prosperity was actually restored ( Job 42:12-16 ), these anticipations had their fulfilment; but, as uttered by Zophar, there is a ring of insincerity about them, and we cannot but... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 11:18

(first clause) The security of hope. I. IT IS OF THE NATURE OF HOPE TO GIVE A SENSE OF SECURITY . If a man thinks himself safe, he will go forward confidently; if he expects he can win, he will throw his energy into what he is doing; if he is sure of victory, he will not shrink from the foe. When hope has faded out of a man's life, he may still pursue his course with the doggedness of despair; but his step has lost its elasticity and his eye its fire. II. HOPE ... read more

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