Job 15:11

THESE are the words of Eliphaz, one of those three friends of Job who blundered dreadfully over his case. Their words are not to be despised. For they were men in the front rank of knowledge and experience. Eliphaz says, "With us are both the gray-headed and very aged men, much elder than your father." Their errors were not the superficial mistakes of fools but the profound reasoning of men of light and leading. Their utterances are, at least, equal to anything our own learned men may have to say on the same problem.

consolations--namely, the revelation which Eliphaz had stated as a consolatory reproof to Job, and which he repeats in Job 15:14. secret--Hast thou some secret wisdom and source of consolation, which makes thee disregard those suggested by me? Rather, from a different Hebrew root, Is the word of kindness or gentleness addressed by me treated by thee as valueless? [UMBREIT].

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THESE are the words of Eliphaz, one of those three friends of Job who blundered dreadfully over his case. Their words are not to be despised. For they were men in the front rank of knowledge and experience. Eliphaz says, "With us are both the gray-headed and very aged men, much elder than your father." Their errors were not the superficial mistakes of fools but the profound reasoning of men of light and leading. Their utterances are, at least, equal to anything our own learned men may have to say on the same problem. However wrong Eliphaz may have been in reference to Job—and in reference to him his remarks were grossly unjust—yet many of them are correct in themselves and may usefully be applied to our own hearts. Inasmuch as Eliphaz, in this verse, teaches no doctrine but only asks two searching questions, he cannot mislead us. In fact, he may do us good service. May God the Holy Spirit enable us to consider these questions that we may be profited by them! The text is in the form of a question, and its sense I shall endeavor to bring out by other questions, each of which will have a practical relation to ourselves. The passage in the original has proved hard to translate. But I think that in four questions I can set forth the essence of the meanings which has been found. If we are, indeed, Believers in the Gospel and are living near to God, our consolation should be exceedingly great. Passing through a troubled world we have need of consolations. But these are abundantly provided by our God and their influence upon us should be exceedingly great. We ought not to be unhappy. For we have joy urged upon us by the precept, "Rejoice in the Lord always." And that precept is in substance often repeated. It is both the duty and the privilege of Christians to be of good cheer.

Are the consolations of God small with thee? - Various are the renderings of this verse. Mr. Good translates the verse thus: “Are then the mercies of God of no account with thee?” or, “the addresses of kindness before thee?” The Vulgate thus: - “Can it be a difficult thing for God to comfort thee? But thou hinderest this by thy intemperate speeches.” The Syriac and Arabic thus: - “Remove from thee the threatenings (Arabic, reproaches) of God, and speak tranquilly with thy own spirit.” The Septuagint thus: - “Thou hast been scourged lightly for the sins which thou hast committed; and thou hast spoken greatly beyond measure; or, with excessive insolence.” Houbigant thus: - “Dost thou not regard the threatenings of God; or, has there been any thing darkly revealed to thee.” Coverdale: - Dost thou no more regarde the comforte of God? But thy wicked wordes wil not suffre the. Scarcely any two translators or interpreters agree in the translation, or even meaning of this verse. The sense, as expressed in the Vulgate, or in our own version, or that of Coverdale, is plain enough: - “Hast thou been so unfaithful to God, that he has withdrawn his consolations from thy heart? And is there any secret thing, any bosom sin, which thou wilt not give up, that has thus provoked thy Maker?” This is the sense of our version: and I believe it to be as near the original as any yet offered. I may just add the Chaldee - “Are the consolations of God few to thee? And has a word in secret been spoken unto thee?” And I shall close all these with the Hebrew text, and the literal version of Arius Montanus: - המעט ממך ינחומות אל hameat mimmecha tanchumoth el. ודבר לאט עמך vedabar laat immak. Nonne parum a te consolationes Dei? Et verbum latet tecum? “Are not the consolations of God small to thee? And does a word (or thing) lie hidden with thee?” Now, let the reader choose for himself.