Giobbe 15:8-18

8 Hai tu sentito quel che s’è detto nel Consiglio di Dio? Hai tu fatto incetta della sapienza per te solo?
9 Che sai tu che noi non sappiamo? Che conoscenza hai tu che non sia pur nostra?
10 Ci son fra noi degli uomini canuti ed anche de’ vecchi più attempati di tuo padre.
11 Fai tu sì poco caso delle consolazioni di Dio e delle dolci parole che t’abbiam rivolte?
12 Dove ti trascina il cuore, e che voglion dire codeste torve occhiate?
13 Come! tu volgi la tua collera contro Dio, e ti lasci uscir di bocca tali parole?
14 Che è mai l’uomo per esser puro, il nato di donna per esser giusto?
15 Ecco, Iddio non si fida nemmeno de’ suoi santi, i cieli non son puri agli occhi suoi;
16 quanto meno quest’essere abominevole e corrotto, l’uomo, che tracanna l’iniquità come l’acqua!
17 Io voglio ammaestrarti; porgimi ascolto, e ti racconterò quello che ho visto,
18 quello che i Savi hanno riferito senza nulla celare di quel che sapean dai padri,

Giobbe 15:8-18 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.

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