1Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: 2“Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated? 3Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke? 4You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’ 5But if only God would speak and open His lips against you, 6and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves. 7Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? 8They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know? 9Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. 10If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him? 11Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note? 12But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man! 13As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him, 14if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents, 15then indeed you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and unafraid. 16For you will forget your misery, recalling it only as waters gone by. 17Your life will be brighter than noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. 18You will be secure, because there is hope, and you will look around and lie down in safety. 19You will lie down without fear, and many will court your favor. 20But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”
Matthew Henry's Commentary
Zophar reproves Job. (1-6) God's perfections and almighty power. (7-12) Zophar assures Job of blessings if he repented. (13-20) 1-6 Zophar attacked Job with great vehemence. He represented him as a man that loved to hear himself speak, though he could say nothing to the purpose, and as a man that maintained falsehoods. He desired God would show Job that less punishment was exacted than he deserved. We are ready, with much assurance, to call God to act in our quarrels, and to think that if he would but speak, he would take our part. We ought to leave all disputes to the judgment of God, which we are sure is according to truth; but those are not always right who are most forward to appeal to the Divine judgment. 7-12 Zophar speaks well concerning God and his greatness and glory, concerning man and his vanity and folly. See here what man is; and let him be humbled. God sees this concerning vain man, that he would be wise, would be thought so, though he is born like a wild ass's colt, so unteachable and untameable. Man is a vain creature; empty, so the word is. Yet he is a proud creature, and self-conceited. He would be wise, would be thought so, though he will not submit to the laws of wisdom. He would be wise, he reaches after forbidden wisdom, and, like his first parents, aiming to be wise above what is written, loses the tree of life for the tree of knowledge. Is such a creature as this fit to contend with God? 13-20 Zophar exhorts Job to repentance, and gives him encouragement, yet mixed with hard thoughts of him. He thought that worldly prosperity was always the lot of the righteous, and that Job was to be deemed a hypocrite unless his prosperity was restored. Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; that is, thou mayst come boldly to the throne of grace, and not with the terror and amazement expressed in ch. #9:34|. If we are looked upon in the face of the Anointed, our faces that were cast down may be lifted up; though polluted, being now washed with the blood of Christ, they may be lifted up without spot. We may draw near in full assurance of faith, when we are sprinkled from an evil conscience, #Heb 10:22|.