Job 15:18-28

18 Wise men acknowledge, and hide (it) not their fathers. (The wise acknowledge it, and their forefathers hide it not.)
19 To which wise men alone the earth is given, and an alien shall not pass by them. (To whom alone the land was given; and no foreigner lived among them.)
20 A wicked man is proud in all his days; and the number of his years and of his tyranny is uncertain.
21 The sound of dread is ever[more] in his ears, and when peace is, he supposeth ever[more] treasons. (A fearful sound is forever in his ears, and even when there is peace, he always expecteth an attack.)
22 He believeth not that he may turn again from darknesses to light; and he beholdeth about on each side (for) a sword.
23 When he stirreth him[self] to seek bread, he knoweth, that the day of darknesses is made ready in his hand (he knoweth that the day of darkness is at hand).
24 Tribulation shall make him afeared, and anguish shall (en)compass him, as a king which is made ready to battle. (Tribulation shall make him afraid, and anguish shall surround him, like a king who is made ready for battle.)
25 For he held forth his hand against God, and he was made strong against Almighty God. (For he put forth his hand against God, and he made himself strong against Almighty God.)
26 He ran with his neck raised up against God, and he was armed with a fat noll. (He ran with his head raised up against God, and he was armed with a stiff neck, or he was stubborn.)
27 Fatness, that is, pride of temporal abundance, covered his face, or understanding, and outward fatness, that is, unshamefastness, hangeth down of his sides (hangeth down on his sides). [Fatness covered his face, and of his sides grease hangeth. (Fatness covered his face, and grease hangeth down on his sides.)]
28 He shall dwell in desolate cities (He shall live in empty cities), and in deserted houses, that be turned into burials.

Job 15:18-28 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.