Giobbe 15:23-33

23 Egli va tapinando per cercar dove sia del pane; Egli sa che ha in mano tutto presto il giorno delle tenebre.
24 Angoscia e tribolazione lo spaventano; Lo sopraffanno come un re apparecchiato alla battaglia.
25 Perciocchè egli ha distesa la sua mano contro a Dio, E si è rinforzato contro all’Onnipotente;
26 E gli è corso col collo fermo, Co’ suoi spessi e rilevati scudi;
27 Perciocchè egli ha coperto il suo viso di grasso, Ed ha fatte delle pieghe sopra i suoi fianchi;
28 Ed è abitato in città desolate, in case disabitate, Ch’erano preste ad esser ridotte in monti di ruine.
29 Egli non arricchirà, e le sue facoltà non saranno stabili, E il suo colmo non si spanderà nella terra.
30 Egli non si dipartirà giammai dalle tenebre, La fiamma seccherà i suoi rampolli, Ed egli sarà portato via dal soffio della bocca di Dio.
31 Non confidisi già nella vanità, dalla quale è sedotto; Perciocchè egli muterà stato, e sarà ridotto al niente.
32 Questo mutamento si compierà fuor del suo tempo, E i suoi rami non verdeggeranno.
33 Il suo agresto sarà rapito come quel d’una vigna, E le sue gemme saranno sbattute come quelle di un ulivo.

Giobbe 15:23-33 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 15

Job's three friends having in their turns attacked him, and he having given answer respectively to them, Eliphaz, who began the attack, first enters the debate with him again, and proceeds upon the same plan as before, and endeavours to defend his former sentiments, falling upon Job with greater vehemence and severity; he charges him with vanity, imprudence, and unprofitableness in his talk, and acting a part unbecoming his character as a wise man; yea, with impiety and a neglect of religion, or at least as a discourager of it by his words and doctrines, of which his mouth and lips were witnesses against him, Job 15:1-6; he charges him with arrogance and a high conceit of himself, as if he was the first man that was made, nay, as if he was the eternal wisdom of God, and had been in his council; and, to check his vanity, retorts his own words upon him, or however the sense of them, Job 15:7-10; and also with slighting the consolations of God; upon which he warmly expostulates with him, Job 15:11-13; and in order to convince him of his self-righteousness, which he thought he was full of, he argues from the angels, the heavens, and the general case of man, Job 15:14-16; and then he declares from his own knowledge, and from the relation of wise and ancient men in former times, who made it their observation, that wicked men are afflicted all their days, attended with terror and despair, and liable to various calamities, Job 15:17-24; the reasons of which are their insolence to God, and hostilities committed against him, which they are encouraged in by their prosperous circumstances, Job 15:25-27; notwithstanding all, their estates, riches, and wealth, will come to nothing, Job 15:28-30; and the chapter is closed with an exhortation to such, not to feed themselves up with vain hopes, or trust in uncertain riches, since their destruction would be sure, sudden, and terrible, Job 15:31-35.

The Giovanni Diodati Bible is in the public domain.