Job 11 Zophar’s reproof: Job’s words too many, and false, even to mockery, in justifying himself, Job 11:1–4. Should God speak, his wisdom, and justice, and all his perfections would appear infinitely greater than what Job conceived of them Job 11:5–10.

Dost thou think to carry thy cause by thy long and tedious discourses, consisting of empty words, without weight or reason? Shall we by our silence seem to approve of thy errors? or shall we think thy cause the better, because thou usest more words than we do?

Thy lies, i.e. thy false opinions and assertions, both concerning thyself and thy own innocency, and concerning the counsels and ways of God, make men hold their peace; as if thy arguments were unanswerable.

My doctrine, concerning God and his providence. Pure, i.e. true and certain. I am clean in thine eyes; I am innocent before God; I have not sinned, either by my former actions, or by my present expressions. Thou standest wholly upon thy justification.

i.e. Plead with thee, according to thy desire, Job 9:32;c. He would soon put thee to silence and shame.

The secrets of wisdom, i.e. the unknown and unsearchable depths of God’s wisdom and counsels in dealing with his creatures. That they are double to that which is, i.e. that they are far more and greater (the word double being used indefinitely for manifold, or plentiful, as Isa. 40:2, Isa.

Find out God, i.e. discover all the depths of his wisdom, and the reasons of all his actions.

Thou canst not measure the heights of the visible heavens, much less of the Divine perfections. What canst thou do, to wit, to find him out? What canst thou know, concerning him and his ways, which are far out of thy sight and reach?

Longer than the earth, from one end to the other. Broader than the sea; which is called the great and wide sea, Ps. 104:25.

If he cut off, to wit, a person or a family. Shut up in a prison, or in the hands of an enemy. This shutting up is opposed to the opening of the prison doors, and to that enlargement which God is elsewhere said to give to men. Gather together; either, 1.

He knoweth vain men: though men know but little of God, and therefore are very unfit judges of all his counsels and actions; yet God knows man exactly, and his vanity, or falsehood, or folly, or rashness; for all these this word signifies.

Or, Yet, or But, vain or empty man (that foolish creature, that since the fall is void of all true wisdom and solid knowledge and judgment of the things of God) would be wise, i.e. pretends to be, and would be thought, wise, and able to pass a censure upon all God’s ways and works.

O Job, thy business is not to quarrel with thy Maker, or his works, but to address thyself to him. Prepare thine heart, to wit, to seek God, as it is expressed, 2 Chron. 19:3, 2 Chron. 30:19, Ps. 78:8.

Either, 1. If thou hast in thine hand or possession any good, got by injury or oppression, as it seems they supposed that he had. Or, 2. More generally, If thou allowest thyself in any sinful practices. The hand is put for action, whereof it is the instrument.

Then shalt thou lift up thy face; which notes cheerfulness, and holy boldness and confidence; as a dejected countenance notes grief and shame. See Gen. 4:5–6, 2 Sam. 2:22, Job 22:26, Luke 21:28.

Thou shalt be free from fear, because thy great and settled prosperity shall banish out of thy mind all those sad and irksome thoughts of thy former calamities, which naturally engender fears of the continuance or return of them.

Thine age, i.e. the remainder of thy life and time in this world. Shall be clearer, Heb. shall arise. Men are said to fall into troubles, and to arise out of them.

i.e. Thy mind shall be quiet and free from terrors, because thou shalt have a firm and well-grounded hope and confidence in God’s merciful and providential care of thee.

Desiring thy favour and friendship, because of thy great power, and riches, and eminent felicity: see Gen. 26:26;c.

Fail; or be consumed; either with grief and fears for their sore calamities; or with long looking for what they shall never attain, as this phrase is taken, Ps. 69:3, Jer. 14:6, Lam. 4:17. And this shall be thy condition, O Job, if thou persistest in thine impiety.