Job 11:13-18

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 11:13

If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands towards him. In this and the following verses Zophar proceeds to give some advice to Job; which, if taken, would issue in his future happiness, but otherwise it would be ill with him; he advises him to pray to God with an heart prepared for such service; so some render the last clause in the imperative, "stretch out thine hands F23 "Expande ad eum manus tuas", De Dieu. towards him"; that is, towards God; for, though not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 11:14

If iniquity be in thine hand ,.... For, as the heart must be prepared for the stretching out of the hand in prayer to God, so it is not any hand that is to be stretched out or lifted up unto God; not hands full of blood, or defiled with sin, but holy hands; see Isaiah 1:15 , 1 Timothy 2:8 ; it is not said, if iniquity be in thine heart, or on thy conscience, put it far away ; for sin cannot be put away out of the heart, it will have a place there as long as we live; though it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 11:15

For then shall thou lift up thy face without spot ,.... Either before men, being in all good conscience, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless, exercising a conscience void of offence towards God and men; and so be able to say as Samuel did, "whose ass have I taken?" &c.; 1 Samuel 12:3 ; or rather before God, as in Job 21:26 ; using an holy boldness and an humble confidence with him at the throne of grace, in the view of the blood, righteousness, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 11:16

Because thou shall forget thy misery ,.... Former afflictions and distresses; having an abundance of prosperity and happiness, and long continued; and so, in process of time, the miseries and distresses before endured are forgotten; thus it was with Joseph in his advanced state, and therefore he called one of his sons Manasseh, Genesis 41:51 ; and as it is with convinced and converted persons and believers in Christ, who, under first convictions and awakenings, are filled with sorrow and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 11:17

And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday ,.... That is, the remainder of his days; the latter part of his life, which was yet to come, should be no more attended with the darkness of adversity; but the light of prosperity should shine upon him, and exceed the light of the sun at noonday: the phrase is expressive of the wonderful change there should be in his state and circumstances; see Isaiah 58:10 ; thou shall shine forth ; like the rising sun, or as when it breaks forth out... 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 11:13

If thou prepare thine heart - Make use of the powers which God has given thee, and be determined to seek him with all thy soul. And stretch out thine hands toward him - Making fervent prayer and supplication, putting away iniquity out of thy hand, and not permitting wickedness to dwell in thy tabernacle; then thou shalt lift up thy face without a blush, thou wilt become established, and have nothing to fear, Job 11:14 , Job 11:15 . There is a sentiment in Proverbs 16:1 , very... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 11:16

Because thou shalt forget thy misery - Thou shalt have such long and complete rest, that thou shalt scarcely remember thy labor. As waters that pass away - Like as the mountain floods, which sweep every thing before them, houses, tents, cattle, and the produce of the field, and are speedily absorbed by the sandy plains over which they run, so shalt thou remember thy sufferings: they were wasting and ruinous for the time, but were soon over and gone. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 11:17

Thine age shall be clearer than the noonday - The rest of thy life shall be unclouded prosperity. Thou shalt shine forth - Thou shalt be in this unclouded state, as the sun in the firmament of heaven, giving light and heat to all around thee. Thou shalt be as the morning - Thus the sun of thy prosperity shall arise, and shine more and more unto the perfect day. This is the image which the sacred writer employs, and it is correct and elegant. read more

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