Job 22:8
in Job 22while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.
KJV
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
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This verse in Job 22
Commentary
8 notes on this verseBut as for the mighty man, he had the earth - איש זרוע ish zeroa, the man of arm. Finger, hand, and arm, are all emblems of strength and power. The man of arm is not only the strong man, but the man of power and influence, the man of rapine and plunder. The honorable man - Literally, the man whose face is accepted, the respectable man, the man of wealth. Thou wert an enemy to the poor and needy, but thou didst favor and flatter the rich and great.
This site's exposition
the land belonged to a mighty man
on Job 22:8-9
The indictment continues with the powerful man who holds the land. Job later describes himself as the opponent of this figure at 29:15 and 16. Clarke reads the charges as a stock picture of the oppressor drawn from the wisdom tradition and attached to Job without ground in his conduct.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
He next speaks about sins which relate to things given into his rule. Among these he places first that he obtained his dominion not by justice, but by violence, and so he says, "You gained possession of your land by the strength of your arm," …
In the might of thine arm thou didst possess the land, and as the most powerful thou didst hold it. ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION And her greatness also because heretics envy, because she keeps the companies of people every where in the true faith, when they meet with a season of earthly prosperity, they launch out against her in terms of pride, and by their upbraiding disclose how greatly before they secretly envied her power. Thus it follows; For in the might of thine arm, thou didst possess the earth, and as the most powerful thou didst hold it.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The poor were not fed at thy door, while the rich were feasted at thy table." Contrary to this is Christ's rule for hospitality ( Luke xiv. 12-14 ); and Solomon says, He that gives to the rich shall come to poverty. He attributes all his present troubles to these supposed sins (
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But as for the mighty man, he had the earth,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
mighty--Hebrew, "man of arm" (Ps 10:15; namely, Job). honourable--Hebrew, "eminent, or, accepted for countenance" (Isa 3:3; 2Ki 5:1); that is, possessing authority. Eliphaz repeats his charge (Job 15:28; so Zophar, Job 20:19), that it was by violence Job wrung houses and lands from the poor, to whom now he refused relief (Job 22:7, 9) [MICHAELIS].
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1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But as for the mighty man - Hebrew as in the margin, “man of arm.” The “arm,” in the Scriptures, is the symbol of power; Psa 10:15, “Break thou the arm of the wicked;” Eze 30:21. “I have broken the arm of Pharaoh;” Psa 89:13, “Thou hast a mighty arm;” Psa 97:1, “His holy arm hath gotten him the victory.” The reason of this is, that the sword and spear were principally used in war, and success depended on the force with which they were wielded by the arm. There can be no doubt that this is intended to be applied to Job, and that the meaning is, that he had driven the poor from their possessions, and he had taken forcible occupancy of what belonged to them. The idea is, that he had done this by power, not by “right.” Had the earth - Took possession of the land, and drove off from it those to whom it belonged, or who had an equal right to it with him. And the honorable man - Margin, “eminent,” or “accepted of countenance.” Hebrew: “Lifted up of countenance;” that is, the man whose countenance was elevated either by honor or pride. It may be used to describe either; but, perhaps, there is more force in the former, in saying that it was the great man, the man of rank and office, who had got possession. There is, thus, some sarcasm in the severe charge: “The great man ... the man of rank, and wealth, and office, has got possession, while the humble and poor are banished.” Job had had great possessions; but this charge as to the manner in which he had acquired them seems to be wholly gratuitous. Eliphaz takes it for granted, since he was so severely punished, that it “must have been” in some such way.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִ֣ישׁ | veish | and a person of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| זְ֭רוֹעַ | zeroa' | arm | H2220 → | 91 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | [belongs] to him | ||
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וּנְשׂ֥וּא | unesu' | and [one] uplifted of | H5375 → | 656 times |
| פָ֝נִ֗ים | fanim | face | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יֵ֣שֶׁב | yeshev | he dwells | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בָּֽהּ׃ | bah | in it |
וְאִ֣ישׁand a person of
veishH376 →1663 times
זְ֭רוֹעַarm
zeroa'H2220 →91 times
ל֣וֹ[belongs] to him
lo
הָאָ֑רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וּנְשׂ֥וּאand [one] uplifted of
unesu'H5375 →656 times
פָ֝נִ֗יםface
fanimH6440 →2123 times
יֵ֣שֶׁבhe dwells
yeshevH3427 →1079 times
בָּֽהּ׃in it
bah
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 12:8The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men.
it leads to
- Mark 14:63–65
At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “Why do we need any more witnesses?
- Proverbs 29:12
If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.
- Psalms 55:10–11
Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.
- Isaiah 32:4–6
The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.
- Mark 14:63–65
Through
Isaiah 9:15The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.
it leads to
- Matthew 24:24
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
- Isaiah 29:10
For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers.
- Isaiah 3:2–3
the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the soothsayer and the elder,
- Matthew 24:24
Through
Isaiah 3:3the commander of fifty and the dignitary, the counselor, the cunning magician, and the clever enchanter.
it leads to
- Judges 8:18
Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”
- Judges 8:18
About Job
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVI; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.