Job 11:2-12

2 "Should an abundance of words go unanswered, or {a man full of talk} be vindicated?
3 Should your loose talk put people to silence? {And when you mock, shall no one put you to shame}?
4 For you say, 'My teaching [is] pure, and I am clean in your sight.'
5 But, {O that} God might speak, and [that] he would open his lips to you,
6 and [that] he would tell you [the] secrets of wisdom, for {insight has many sides}. And know that God {on your behalf} has forgotten {some of} your guilt.
7 "Can you find [out] the essence of God, or can you find [out] {the ultimate limits} of Shaddai?
8 {It is higher than the heaven}; what can you do? [It is] deeper than Sheol; what can you know?
9 Its measure [is] longer than [the] earth and broader than [the] sea.
10 "If he passes through and imprisons someone {and summons the assembly}, then who can hinder him?
11 For he knows {those who are worthless}; {when he sees} iniquity, {he will not consider it}.
12 But {an empty-headed person} will get understanding when a wild donkey's colt is born [as] a human being.

Job 11:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 11

In this chapter Zophar the Naamathite, Job's third friend, attacks him, and the with great acrimony and severity, and with much indecency; he charges him not only with loquacity, and vain babbling, but with lying, and with scoffing at God, and good men, Job 11:1-3; which he attempts to support by some things Job had said, misrepresented by him, Job 11:4; and wishes that God would take him in hand, and convince him of the wisdom of the divine proceedings with him, and of his lenity and mercy to him, Job 11:5,6; and then discourses of the unsearchableness of God in his counsels, and conduct; of his sovereignty, and of his power, and of the vanity and folly of men, Job 11:7-19; and as his friends before him, having insinuated that Job was guilty of some heinous sin, or sins, and especially of hypocrisy, advises him to repentance and reformation, and then it would be well with him; and he should enjoy much comfort, peace, and safety, even to old age, Job 11:13-19; and concludes it should go ill with the wicked man and the hypocrite, such as he suggests Job was, Job 11:20.

Footnotes 19

  • [a]. Literally "a man of lips"
  • [b]. Hebrew "should he be vindicated"
  • [c]. Literally "And you will mock there is not putting to shame"
  • [d]. Hebrew "And but"
  • [e]. Literally "who shall give"
  • [f]. Literally "double to sound wisdom"
  • [g]. Literally "for you"
  • [h]. Literally "from"
  • [i]. Literally "up to [the] limit"
  • [j]. Literally "heights of heaven"
  • [k]. Hebrew "and he imprisons"
  • [l]. Literally "and he summons"
  • [m]. Hebrew "and"
  • [n]. Literally "men of worthlessness"
  • [o]. Literally "And he will see"
  • [p]. Literally "and he will not consider"
  • [q]. Hebrew "And"
  • [r]. Literally "a man hollowed out"
  • [s]. Hebrew "and"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.