Esther 4-10
4:1–17 Esther agrees to intercede
1–5 Mordecai had every reason to grieve at the edict of Haman because his refusal to acknowledge
Haman’s promotion had jeopardized the whole Jewish race. By wearing a mourning garb and making loud
wailing the Jews made known their plight, identified themselves and drew attention to the inexplicable
edict. Mordecai, however, could no longer make contact with Esther because sackcloth was not permitted
within the citadel. When Esther heard he was in mourning she sent him suitable clothing to replace his
sackcloth, but to no avail. Esther’s great distress indicates genuine love and concern. Her trusted attendant
Hathach went to find out the facts.
6–11 Mordecai had left no stone unturned in order to assemble all the relevant details, and he told
Hathach what he knew, including the exact amount of silver promised by Haman for the royal treasury.
Hathach took back a copy of the edict, so that Esther had the exact wording, and the urgent request that she
should approach the king for mercy. Esther’s response is revealing. She did not have right of access to the
throne, nor had she been summoned to the king for thirty days. Like everyone else, if she approached the
king without being summoned she would be put to death unless the royal sceptre was extended to her.
12–17 Mordecai still gave Esther her orders and told her that, though she was queen, she need not
think that she would escape death. If she failed to act, deliverance for the Jews would arise from another
place. Mordecai undoubtedly implied that God would protect his people and that he had purposed to use
Esther by causing her to be chosen as queen. This is a theological high point in the book. Mordecai
believed that God guides in political events and in individual lives, even though those in power do not
acknowledge him. Esther’s call for a three-day fast revealed that she shared the faith of Mordecai in the
God who answers prayer, though she did not mention his name. Her need was for courage to fulfil her
destiny by interceding for the life of her people, though it could cost her her own life. 1
5:9–14 Haman plots against Mordecai
Haman’s happiness was short-lived. The sight of Mordecai, scorning to make any acknowledgement of his
presence, turned his rapture to rage; he would have to get even with Mordecai. But first he boasted to his
friends of the honours bestowed on him at court, in addition to all the other signs of fortune’s special favour.
It is perhaps significant that Haman gave first place to his wealth. He was so convinced of his importance
that he never dreamt that Esther could have anything against him. Mordecai the Jew was his one enemy,
depriving him of satisfaction. Though Haman had already made certain of the death of all Jews, he readily
accepted the suggestion of his wife and friends that a gallows should be built especially for Mordecai (cf.
2:23). Haman assumed that the king would pass the death sentence on Mordecai, and his delight at the
thought completed his happiness. The exaggerated height of the gallows (75 ft) was in keeping with the
grand scale on which Persian building was done. 2
6:6 Haman did not have a chance to tell the king why he was there. The king immediately asked,
“What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” The king was wise in asking counsel of
Haman, for he expected Haman to explain how he himself would like to be honored. Haman’s own pride
caused his chagrin. He wanted public acclaim, and his prestige mattered above everything else.
As C. Moore notes, the verse is a masterful piece of dramatic construction. The king’s question to
Haman “creates instant dismay in the reader: how unfortunate that the king should consult Haman, of all
people, on the way to reward Mordecai!” Haman then suggested the highest honors, assuming they were
for himself. The narrative is full of irony and the reversal of expected outcomes.
6:7–8 To wear a robe that the king had worn and ride a horse that the king had ridden was the highest
mark of honor that could be shown to a subject. The horse was to have “a royal crest placed on its head.”
1
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Es
4:1–17). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
2
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Es
5:9–14). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
6:9 Haman did not realize what was about to happen. He was blinded by his own arrogance. Little did
he realize that he would be the prince to lead the horse on which Mordecai was honored. Proverbs 16:18
says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
6:10–11 “Go … do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew.” What a blow for Haman, who
had to obey! He had prepared his own doom. Now he had to lead the horse on which the resplendent
Mordecai rode, and he had to proclaim to all, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor.”
Apparently the king was not aware of the deep animosity between Haman and Mordecai, but the people
knew. It must have been an enigma to them and an extremely humiliating experience for Haman.
6:12 That is why Haman “rushed home with his head covered in grief.” Covering the head symbolized
grief, so Haman publicly showed his distress. In the meantime, “Mordecai returned to the king’s gate.” The
whole experience did not change his status. As Haman was beginning to learn, that kind of honor does not
have lasting value.
6:13 “Since Mordecai … is of Jewish origin, … you will surely come to ruin.” The author again
inserted his principal theme: God will take care of the Jews; their enemies will be confounded and
destroyed. Here it comes from the mouth of Zeresh, his wife, and Haman’s advisors. The “advisors” in
Hebrew are called “wise men.” That may be ironic because they were only wise after Haman started to fall;
earlier they advised him to make the gallows for Mordecai. They also must have been aware of the revival
of the Jewish people since the time of Cyrus. If they were sensitive to the signs of the times, perhaps they
were aware that divine providence was responsible for the Jews’ protection.
Zeresh stated an important truth that was observable even at that time. After the Babylonian conquest
the Edomites, for example, did not survive as a distinct people, even though they were not carried captive.
The words of the friends of Haman are a foreshadowing of things to come. They do not say that he might
not stand; they tell him that he “cannot stand.” They now realized that Mordecai had with him the God of
the Jews, and Haman would not survive his attack of Mordecai. The Persians realized the power of the God
of Israel and the importance of Israel’s election. Once when Martin Luther was asked what argument he
could use to prove the Bible was true, he answered, “The Jews.” 3
7:3 The king must have been startled and perplexed. Why was Esther’s life in danger? She did not tell
him in this verse who her people were. Esther realized that it was a life-and-death matter, and she risked her
life to do something about it. Esther must have remembered Vashti’s fate and thought of the possible
severity of her own actions. This did not stop her, but rather she continued her heroic actions.
7:4 Esther identified herself with her people not by their name, the Jews, but rather by their fate. Next,
she accused Haman of conspiracy. These announcements placed her in a dangerous position. She did not
know how the king would react. She was probably uncertain whether Haman or she would have more
influence. “Have been sold” is a phrase sometimes used for being handed over or betrayed; here Esther no
doubt was also making allusion to the money Haman offered the king. “For destruction and slaughter and
annihilation” are the same words that were used in Haman’s decree in 3:13. By now the king must have
remembered that decree and realized what Esther was talking about. 4
8:3 Not just the fate of Esther and Mordecai was at stake but that of the entire Jewish population of the
Persian Empire. Esther had saved the Jews from Haman, but not from his handiwork: the death document.
Still in force was Haman’s original edict, approved by the king and sent to all the provinces for the
destruction of the Jews on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. Esther did not stop with her personal
deliverance; she was concerned about her people—the whole Jewish community throughout the empire.
Her “falling at his feet and weeping” indicates her strong emotions as she collapsed. She could only plead
the king’s mercy.
8:4 “The king extended the gold scepter.” This happened before in 5:2. This time the scepter was not
raised to save Esther’s life but rather to show that she is more than welcome in the king’s presence. Some
understand that Esther again risked her life by going into the king’s presence without being called.
However, others suggest that v. 3 does not introduce a new scene; it is a continuation of the scene described
3
Breneman, M. (1993). Vol. 10: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed.). The New American Commentary (345–346). Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
4
Breneman, M. (1993). Vol. 10: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed.). The New American Commentary (348). Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
in vv. 1–2. Thus the king’s act of extending the scepter was simply an encouragement to Esther to rise and
speak.
8:5 Esther was extremely diplomatic in presenting this request. It was of utmost importance that the
king accept her request. He already was upset because Haman had tricked him into making the edict to
destroy the Jews, but reversing an edict the king had signed was a delicate matter.
Esther did not use the word “law,” for she knew that Persian laws could not be repealed. She put all the
blame on Haman and avoided blaming the king.
8:6 “How can I bear to see” is repeated in the parallel, almost poetic form of Esther’s request. She
adroitly used her own feelings and the king’s favorable disposition toward her (“if he is pleased with me”)
to secure his permission for her request.5
9:5 This passage is the climax of the narrative. The primary theme of the story is the survival of the
Jews. This passage presents the details of their survival. A people in a foreign land like the Jews in Persia
could never have survived without the grace and power of God, and yet God is still not mentioned
explicitly. The deliverance of the Jews, however, is a theme throughout the Bible because God was their
deliverer, and this incident is no different.
This emphasis on killing and destruction seems very harsh. The expression “they did what they
pleased,” however, should not be understood as a reference to cruelty but to the reversal of Haman’s plans.
The king had given him authority to “do with the people as you please” (3:11). That royal authorization,
however, had been overturned by a higher authority.
Verses 2–4 indicate that the majority of Persians refused to fight the Jews. This can lead to two
assumptions. First, it might be assumed that professional soldiers, that is, mercenaries, attacked in loyalty
to Haman. Second, if they were not mercenaries, they were people who hated Jews and stood to gain at
their losses. The retribution was limited to the enemies of the Jews and to those who hated them. It also was
limited to men. Again, many suppose that this is fiction; however, some events of modern history are
strikingly parallel. In 1907–1908, P. Haupt wrote: “If the authorities had allowed the Jews to organize
armed resistance, the numerous massacres in Russia during the past few years would have been nipped in
the bud.… But, as a rule, the assailants of the Russian Jews were supported by the governors, military
commanders, officers of the police.”
As Christians and part of the new covenant, we are under the ethical teachings of Jesus. The Old
Testament is God’s Word and contains a wealth of teaching that is needed by all Christians. But our
application of it must always be within the framework of the whole Bible. We cannot apply anything in a
way that would contradict the teachings of Jesus. 6
5–10 Nevertheless bloodshed could not be altogether avoided, and the casualties are recorded. The
numbers are no doubt far less than would have been the case if the Jews had been the victims, or if there
had been no widespread sympathy for the justice of their cause. Haman evidently still had his loyal
followers, ready to back such leadership as his sons might provide. This core of potential resistance within
the citadel of Susa was the first to be eliminated. To list the names of Haman’s dead sons was to reinforce
Haman’s total defeat. Not one remained to support his cause. But the family property remained intact.
Three times the writer states, they did not lay their hands on the plunder (10, 15, 16). In accordance with
the example of Abraham they preferred not to enrich themselves through the fall of their enemy (Gn.
14:23). Such unusual self-restraint would not go unnoticed, and would commend the Jews in the estimation
of the people.
11–17 The matter-of-fact way in which the king referred to the loss of five hundred men, Haman’s
sons and an unknown number of men in the provinces, only to offer his queen the opportunity to extend the
bloodshed, is gruesome. Esther in turn proved to be an ‘iron lady’, concerned to demonstrate the demise of
Haman by having the bodies of his sons publicly hanged, and to complete the execution of further enemies
of the Jews in the city of Susa, beyond the acropolis. For this Esther requested one more day, on which
another three hundred men died. Elsewhere in the empire the total of 75,000 killed by organized Jewish
resistance fighters implies that Haman’s decree had been implemented. Assuming that all 127 provinces
5
Breneman, M. (1993). Vol. 10: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed.). The New American Commentary (352–353). Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
6
Breneman, M. (1993). Vol. 10: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed.). The New American Commentary (359–360). Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
were involved, each would have lost about six hundred men, less that the city of Susa alone. Thus the Jews
got relief from their enemies. Their deliverance from destruction had to be celebrated, hence the institution
of a holiday on the fourteenth day of Adar, when the dreaded thirteenth had safely passed. In Susa, however,
the fifteenth was celebration day because of Esther’s extra request. Everywhere there was joyour sharing of
festive meals, ensuring that no-one was excluded. Thus the intention of Haman to wipe out the Jewish race
had the effect of strengthening the bonds between its members, and increasing the communal spirit among
them as they remembered their shared danger and deliverance. 7
10:2 “The greatness of Mordecai” brings us to the real purpose of this section. The author wanted to praise
Mordecai as an example of one who put the welfare of his people before his own personal interests. 8
10:3 Why was Mordecai so highly esteemed? Two reasons are mentioned. First, “he worked for the
good of his people.” He did not think only of his own advancement or even of his own family. Second, he
“spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.” Many times it is dangerous to “speak up” in the midst of a
hostile environment. God needs servants today who will speak up when his people are in danger or when
injustice and corruption are rampant in society.
The book closes with a picture of peace and prosperity for the Jews. The author did not mention God
even one time in the book. But it is evident that he wanted his readers to see God’s hand in preserving the
Jews. The Feast of Purim celebrates a historical event and has been repeated many times over two thousand
years. Over that time period, the Jews have often been in danger of annihilation by their enemies, but God
has “miraculously” preserved them. In many cases, for example the Holocaust, many Jews died while
others were saved from such an end. God is still faithful to his promise to Abraham and his descendants: “I
will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be
blessed through you” (Gen 12:3). The challenge the Book of Esther presents is that we must recognize
when our “time” has come to act (Esth 4:14). Upon such recognition we must immediately proceed in
doing God’s will, trusting in God’s presence and favor.
There are few books of the Old Testament more relevant to life in a society hostile to the gospel.
Believers are scattered throughout the world, awaiting the Lord’s return. Although he is present and active
now as much as ever, he is usually “hidden” behind the events of life that he is directing for his own glory
and the benefit of his children. Although unbelievers can refuse to acknowledge him, those “who have eyes
to see” are able to recognize his hand at work in the affairs of life. “In a world in which hostility to the
household of faith seems to flourish naturally, and indeed in which atheistic explanations of the universe
grow more strident, ‘scientific’ and apparently convincing, it belongs to faith to ‘hold fast’ nevertheless to
our hope—now specifically in Christ—‘for he who promised is faithful’ (Heb. 10:23).”9
Job 1-12
Theological Themes
The book of Job concerns itself with the question of faith in a sovereign God. Can God be trusted? Is
he good and just in his rule of the world? Job will declare outright that God has wronged him (19:6–7). At
the same time, Job is certain that his “enemy” is actually his advocate and will vindicate him.
The book sets out from the beginning to show that the reasons for human suffering often remain a
secret to human beings. Indeed, Job’s sufferings come upon him because Satan accused him in the
heavenly courts, and the reader never learns whether these reasons were explained to Job. Probably they
were not. There is irony in the book of Job, due to the fact that God seems both too close and too far away.
On the one hand, Job complains that God is watching him every moment so that he cannot even swallow
7
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Es
9:1–19). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
8
Breneman, M. (1993). Vol. 10: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed.). The New American Commentary (369). Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
9
Breneman, M. (1993). Vol. 10: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed.). The New American Commentary (370). Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
his spit (7:19). On the other hand, Job finds God elusive, feeling that he cannot be found (9:11). Though
God is intensely concerned about humans, he does not always answer their most agonizing questions.
At the same time, Job’s friends offer no real help. They come to “comfort” him (2:11), but Job ends up
declaring them “miserable comforters” who would “comfort” him “with empty nothings” (21:34). These
friends represent an oversimplified “orthodoxy,” based on a misreading of the wisdom tradition to the
effect that all troubles are punishments for wrongdoing. Their “comfort” consists largely of applying this
message to Job, urging him to identify his sin and repent of it. In so doing, these friends serve as a mirror
for all readers who might be inclined to say similar things to people in distress.
Astonishingly, the Lord does not take Job to task over his words, instead calling them “right” (42:7).
The book as a whole illustrates that a full understanding of God’s reasons for events is not a prerequisite for
faithfulness amid terrible suffering. Further, Job’s deep perplexity and questioning are not a provocation to
God.10
1:1–5 Scene 1: Job and his integrity
Job is not an Israelite, he is one of the ‘people of the east’, that is, east of the Jordan (Uz is Edom, southeast of Israel). He is, however, a worshipper of the true God, though he calls him Elohim (God), not
‘Yahweh’, the personal name of God. Job is a blameless man; this means he is beyond reproach, not that he
is sinlessly perfect. A consequence of his goodness is that he has an ideal family: the numbers seven and
three, adding to ten, symbolically suggest completeness (the same symbolic numbers are found also in the
count of his possessions). In the patriarchal world, the female donkeys, valuable for their milk, and their
foals were more precious than male donkeys. It was a different story, however, with sons and daughters!
Job’s sons each live in their own house: for with a father as wealthy as Job they can live like royal princes.
When they gather for celebration on their birthdays, Job takes care that nothing improper happens among
all the partying. As head of the family, Job acts as priest, offering sacrifices in case his children had
accidentally said or done anything irreligious. The whole scene is of domestic harmony and tranquillity, but
the picture of extreme wealth, extreme comfort and extreme scrupulousness already carries a dark hint of
some violence that will soon disturb this perfection. 11
1:6–12 Scene 2: the heavenly gathering
Contrasted with these innocent family gatherings there is taking place in heaven a far more momentous
gathering, that of the sons of God. They are God’s courtiers, the angels (cf. also Is. 6:1; Je. 23:18, 22), and
among them is ‘the Satan’ (not just ‘Satan’). He is not the personal devil but one of the servants of God (the
name means ‘adversary’, see the NIV mg.). The Satan is certainly Job’s adversary, but in this scene he is not
an enemy of God; for everything he does is approved of by God, and he cannot act without God’s
authorization. His normal task is to act as God’s eyes and ears on earth.
Job is someone God can boast about; there are few in the OT who are called by the dignified title my
servant (e.g. 2 Sa. 7:5; Is. 42:1). The Satan does not doubt Job’s goodness; what he questions is whether
Job is righteous for the sake of righteousness or for the sake of the reward that comes from being
righteous.12
1:13–22 Scene 3: the first trial
In this central scene four messengers come to Job, announcing four disasters. The disasters (two natural,
two inflicted by humans) strike from all directions: the Sabeans (15) come from the south (Sheba); the
Chaldeans (17) from the north; the lightning (fire from God, 16) is from the storms that sweep in from the
10
Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (870). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Job
1:1–5). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
12
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Job
1:6–12). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
11
Mediterranean in the west; and the mighty wind (19) comes from the desert in the east. We see Job so
overwhelmed by the calamities that he has no time to recover from one shock before the next messenger
arrives.
Job’s reaction is not to blame natural events or human enemies (the LORD has taken away), not to
forget God’s blessing (the LORD gave), not to close his eyes to reality (has taken), but to praise the Lord for
both good and evil (21). Yahweh’s confidence in Job has proved justified.
Job’s mother’s womb to which he will return at death is probably to be understood as mother earth, out
of which humans were created.13
2:7–13 Scene 5: the second trial
The narrative hastens to its climax, as the fourth scene dissolves into the fifth. The Satan’s exit from the
presence of the LORD ends the fourth scene, and his afflicting Job begins the fifth; there is no interval of
time between God’s authorizing the suffering and the Satan’s afflicting Job.
Job had gone to sit on the ash-heap outside his city to perform his rituals of mourning. To express his
sense of desolation and isolation, he had removed himself from society and identified himself with the
rubbish. While he is sitting there painful sores are inflicted upon him (7), and he uses broken pieces of
pottery from the rubbish heap to scratch himself to relieve the irritation. These sores are obviously some
skin disease (cf. 7:5; 30:30); more specific identifications like elephantiasis or leprosy cannot be proved.
Job has many other symptoms as well, such as loss of weight (19:20), fever (30:30), nightmares (7:14) and
sleeplessness (7:4), but these may well be psychosomatic expressions of his depression rather than effects
of the skin disease. Other references to his suffering are probably metaphorical, as when he complains that
his bones are rotting (30:17) or burning (30:30).
Job’s wife must have felt herself terribly wronged by her husband, for the result of all his piety has
only been to rob her of her ten children, her social standing and her livelihood. And she is expected to
maintain her loyalty to him despite the guilt by association that now attaches to her. Whether out of hatred
of God for what he has done to Job, or out of a desire that her husband’s misery should be soon ended, she
urges Job to curse God (9) and so bring death upon himself. Job does not reproach her for suggesting
blasphemy, but for speaking like a foolish woman (see the NIV mg.). By this he probably means low-class,
irreligious women, unable to understand the truth behind events. Job is something of an aristocrat, and
though he is at this moment deprived of his wealth, he has little real understanding of the plight of the
permanently poor (cf. 30:2–8). Job’s response to his wife is that God is as free to send good and trouble as
he is both to give and to take away (cf. 1:21). This is not fatalistic resignation to the will of an unknowable
God, but a kind of trustfulness that God knows what he is doing. In saying that Job did not sin in what he
said (10), the narrator does not mean that he sinned in what he thought; he means that Job has disproved the
claim of the Satan that he would sin with his lips by cursing God if he was physically struck down.
Job, being a chieftain of great importance (1:3), has friends in various countries, though we cannot
with certainty identify their homelands. Their intentions towards Job are kindly, we need not doubt; but
strangely enough, when they see how badly he is suffering they do not offer him any consolation. They do
not address a single word to him, but begin to treat him as if he were already dead. They believe they are
expressing their sympathy (and our silent listening to someone in trouble can be very beneficial), but their
silent mourning for seven days and seven nights (13) is inevitably alienating. As their later words will show,
they cannot believe that Job does not deserve, in some degree, the suffering that he is now enduring. They
uncritically accept the orthodox theology that attributes all suffering to human sinfulness. 14
3:1–26 Job: Despair for the Day of His Birth. After the prose introduction (vv. 1–2), Job curses the day of
his birth (vv. 3–10), expanding on this theme with two sequences of “why?” questions: the first expresses
longing for rest (vv. 11–19); the second laments his anxious suffering (vv. 20–26). Job’s opening lament
plays off the vocabulary of light and darkness in relation to both questions of the section: “Why did I not
die at birth?” (v. 11) and “Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?” (v.
13
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Job
1:13–22). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
14
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Job
2:7–13). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
23). Job is mystified by his current circumstances, and here he wonders whether he would have been better
off in the darkness of never being born at all rather than having the light of life result in such suffering and
grief. The vocabulary of Job’s lament is the beginning of a theme throughout the dialogue with his friends
in which darkness and light will be used to refer to both death and life as well as to what is hidden and what
is revealed.15
4:1–5:27 Eliphaz’s first speech: ‘Be patient; all will be well’
Eliphaz, like all Job’s friends, intends to sustain him in his suffering, and no-one brings a more comforting
message than this friend. But there is also an irony here, as with all the speeches of the friends; for the
author does not accept their dogmatic view that suffering is always deserved, and he means to portray their
so-called comfort as cruelty.
The essence of Eliphaz’s first speech to Job is: You are a pious man, as we know well. There is,
therefore, no need to lose heart; for the innocent never finally suffer. You are suffering now because you
are not perfect and you need some ‘correction’ and ‘discipline’ (5:17); but that will soon come to an end
because you are basically a good man (4:6). In brief, his message to Job is, ‘Only be patient; all will be
well.’16
6:1–7:21 Job’s second speech: ‘God, leave me alone’
Eliphaz’s speech has not touched Job’s problem at all. So Job ignores it, on the whole. This is quite a
typical feature of the book, with the various contributors speaking past one another, and it is obviously
something the book is wanting to say about the difficulties of bringing theology into communication with
real life.
In this powerful speech there are three movements. In the first (6:1–13), which is a soliloquy addressed
to no-one in particular, Job goes well beyond his position in ch. 3. There he had wished that he had never
been born, and asked why, since he has been born, he is compelled to go on living. But now he yearns for
immediate death (6:8–9). In the second movement (6:14–30), Job addresses the friends, complaining they
have cheated him of the one thing he might have expected from them: an understanding sympathy. In the
third movement of the speech (7:1–21), he surprisingly directs himself to God. For the moment, he asks of
God nothing except that he should leave him alone so that he can live out his remaining days free from pain.
But of course there is more to this than meets the eye; for in the very act of begging God to desert him he is
in fact approaching him. 17
8:1–22 Bildad’s first speech: ‘If you are innocent you will not die’
Bildad, like all the friends, believes that suffering is punishment and that the death of Job’s children is
proof of their sin. Eliphaz assumed that Job was essentially a righteous man, though one being temporarily
chastised by God for some fault such as mortals cannot avoid. But Bildad has less confidence in Job’s
righteousness. All of his encouragement to Job depends on the condition ‘if you are pure and upright’ (6).
Bildad is not hostile to Job, but he urges him to search his conscience; for it is only through innocence that
Job can be delivered from his calamities.
Most of Bildad’s speech (8–19) develops the theme that there is no effect without a cause; the death of
the wicked illustrates the theme. The speech concludes on a comparatively cheerful note (20–22), and his
message to Job is: ‘If you are innocent, you will not die.’ 18
15
Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (876). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Job
4:1–5:27). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
17
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Job
6:1–7:21). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
18
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Job
8:1–22). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
16
9:1–10:22 Job’s third speech, in which he acknowledges he cannot compel God to be
just
In these chapters we reach a deeper level of intensity. In them we hear the strongest statement Job has made
so far of his feeling of powerlessness (e.g. 9:3–4, 14–20, 30–31) and his sense of being trapped (9:15, 20,
27–31). Above all we see his belief that all God’s apparent concern for him throughout his life has not
really been for his benefit but in order to fasten guilt upon him: ‘this is what you concealed in your heart …
[that] If I sinned, you would be watching me’ (10:13–14). Not surprisingly, Job concludes this speech by
repeating his wish that he had never been born (10:18–19; cf. 3:3–13) and by calling upon God to leave him
alone in the few days that remain before his death (10:20–22; cf. 17:16).
Yet this speech is no mere repetition. For here Job also begins to open up the question of how he is to
be vindicated, i.e. shown publicly to be in the right after all. He admits it is a quite hopeless task to make
God declare him innocent (9:2), and the hopelessness of it throws him, by the end of the speech, into black
despair (10:15–16). But it has become an ambition that he will not now reject, and its attraction for him
only grows stronger as the book progresses (cf. 13:13–23; 16:18–21; 19:23–27; 23:2–14).
Job does not mean that God is unjust, though some lines could be read that way (9:16, 20, 22, 24, 30–
31; 10:15). Rather he means that it is hopeless to compel God to do anything—even to give him the
vindication that he is owed. His present suffering is a silent proof to his neighbours that he must be a
terrible sinner; for they, like the friends, believe in the doctrine of retribution, that suffering is due to guilt.
So the vindication that Job needs, and desires, is not some verbal proclamation that he is innocent after all,
but a public restoration of his place in society, healing from his illness and the return of his possessions. 19
11:1–20 Zophar’s first speech: ‘Repent!’
Zophar is the least sympathetic of the three friends. His message to Job is simple: you are suffering because
God knows that you are a secret sinner (6), therefore repent (13–14)!20
12:1–14:22 Job’s fourth speech: the friends’ ‘wisdom’ and God’s justice
This important speech of Job stands at the end of the first cycle of the speeches, after each of the friends
has addressed him. There are two main sections: in the first, Job addresses his friends (12:2–13:18), and in
the second, God (13:19–14:22). The movement of thought, even within the first section, is constantly away
from the friends and towards God. The essence of the whole speech is: I want nothing to do with you
worthless physicians (13:4); I desire to speak to the Almighty (13:3).21
PROVERBS 29 - 31
29:3–4 This pair of proverbs creates a parallel between the son who squanders his family estate and a ruler
who squanders the wealth of his nation through corruption. In both cases lust or greed destroys a heritage. 22
29:5–6 The idea of the trap or snare links these proverbs together. Verse 6 should be translated, “There is a
snare in an evil man’s iniquity, but a righteous man runs on75 and rejoices.” Flattery is a trap, but it is one
the righteous can see and avoid.23
19
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Job
9:1–10:22). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
20
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Job
11:1–20). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
21
New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Job
12:1–14:22). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
22
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (228). Nashville: Broadman
& Holman Publishers.
23
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (228–229). Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
29:7 The righteous recognize the rights of the poor. Instead of “have no such concern” read “do not
understand knowledge,” a more literal rendition of the Hebrew of v. 7b. McKane rightly compares Jer
22:15–16 and comments that the Hebrew can be understood as is. To “understand knowledge” is to know
right from wrong, especially in the treatment of the poor, and to know Yahweh’s ways. The setting for this
proverb, in conjunction with the following verses, probably is the court. 24
29:8–11 Verse 7, since it concerns justice for the weak, may serve as a heading to this set of proverbs.
The proverbs of this collection parallel each other as follows:
A
A
Mockers create havoc; the wise restore order (v. 8).
B´ The wise have decorum at court; fools do not (v. 9).
Violent men hate the good; the just seek justice for them (v. 10).
B´ The wise have self-control; fools do not (v. 11).
The unity of this text is indicated by the presence of catchwords arranged in a chiastic sequence.
Verses 8, 10 describe how principled people try to turn society upside down. They inflame others (v.
8a) and are not averse to resorting to violence (v. 10a). The wise, however, restore order to the streets and
the justice system (vv. 8b, 10b). Verse 10b should be translated, “But the upright avenge him [the man of
integrity who is abused].” The point here, as in v. 8b, is that the just set things right.
The setting of v. 9 is the court, in which the recklessness of the fool is given full vent. In v. 11 the wise
man controls himself in any confrontation with a fool. If the context is still that of v. 9, one can assume he
also restores order to the courtroom and brings a case to its proper conclusion. 25
29:12–14 Two proverbs on integrity in royal government sandwich a proverb on the poor and their
oppressors here. In turn there is a kind of progression. A proverb that mentions wicked officials is followed
by one that refers to the oppressors of the poor, which in turn is followed by a third on the need of the king
to protect the poor from oppression.
A king, a president, or any chief executive officer must set a high standard and rigorously maintain it
or face the consequences of corruption running rampant in his administration (v. 12). Verse 12 is much the
same as 22:2. In this context the proverb should be read with an emphasis on the duty of the powerful to
respect and protect the rights of the weak (contrast the context of 22:2). The poor are no less created in the
image of God than the rich, and they have God as their avenger should the rich fail in their duty. For this
reason the security of a king’s reign depends on equitably dispensing justice (v. 14). 26
29:15–17 Discipline must be maintained at home and in society at large. In this parallel text vv. 15, 17
concern the former, and vv. 16, 18 concern the latter. Verses 15, 17 set up a simple contrast: those who do
not discipline their children suffer grievous embarrassment; those who do will be at ease (able to trust their
children) and delighted with the children’s growth and accomplishments. 81
Verse 16a, literally, “When the wicked increase, rebellion increases,” repeats the notion that as ruthless
people come to the forefront, society begins to experience widespread moral decay. Verse 16b, however,
gives the assurance that those who stay in the right way will yet see the fall of evildoers. A contrast
between immoral society and the moral individual is more pronounced in v. 18, which establishes the need
for people to submit to the word of God. It implies that people at large may cast off restraint when free of
prophetic sermons, but one can still follow the law.
29:18 Verse 18 is remarkable for being a wisdom verse that alludes to both the prophetic movement
and the law. The word for “revelation” is commonly associated with the visions of the prophets and stands
for the importance of prophetic exhortation to the community here. Verse 18b, however, pronounces a
blessing on whoever keeps the law. The teachers of wisdom did not oppose either prophecy or the law.
Social harmony and restraint cannot be achieved without the exhortations of the prophets and the teaching
24
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (229). Nashville: Broadman
& Holman Publishers.
25
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (229–230). Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
26
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (230–231). Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
of the law.27
29:19–22 Verses 19, 21, on controlling one’s servant, seem to have nothing to do with vv. 20, 22, on
self-control. The link is the issue of control and discipline with the implication being that one must give as
much attention to governing one’s own passions as to governing one’s servants.
Verse 21b is obscure in the Hebrew; the NIV appears to be following the LXX here. 84 Even so, v. 21a
indicates that this proverb has something to do with failing to exercise strict control over slaves, as v. 19
obviously does. In this democratic age the idea that one should have this kind of authority over someone is
perhaps offensive, but in any age workers can become undisciplined and unreliable if some kind of
authority and discipline procedure is not established.
People who are quick to speak and lose their tempers are all but hopeless cases. They also cause
problems wherever they go (vv. 20, 22).28
29:23 The arrogant will be brought down, and the humble will be lifted up. The reversal of fortunes here
recalls Jesus’ saying that the first shall be last and the last first (Matt 19:30; and see Prov 30:21–23).29
29:24 According Lev 5:1, if someone has direct knowledge of the circumstances of a crime, hears a public
call to come and give testimony about that crime, but fails to do so, then the silent witness will himself be
culpable (at least before God even if his deed is unknown to the people). The call to testify is actually a
curse pronounced on anyone who will not testify. This proverb, using the same word for oath or curse,
describes someone who has befriended a thief, becomes aware of his wrongdoing, but remains silent when
he hears a call to come forward and give evidence. He has brought a curse down on his own head. 30
29:25–26 The “fear of man” (v. 25) describes any situation in which one is anxious about not
offending another person. For example, someone might be afraid to oppose the unethical actions of a
superior out of fear of losing a job. This verse tells the reader to do what is right and trust the outcome to
Yahweh.
Verse 26 does not forbid seeking relief from injustice through the legal system, but it does state that
one should place more faith in Yahweh than in human institutions. These two verses, coming near the end
of so many proverbs on corruption and injustice in society, call the reader back to the reality that the Bible
after all is not a book about social reform but calls for committed faith in Yahweh. 31
30:18–20 What is there about an eagle in the sky, a snake on a rock, a ship on the sea, and a man with
a young woman that mystifies the author? What do these four have in common? Once again the reader is
confronted with a riddle. Kidner argues that the common element of the four items of v. 19 is “easy
mastery.” It is difficult to see, however, how a ship can be said to “master” the sea, and it is especially
doubtful that this text means that a man will master a young woman (as if she were a horse or a dog).
McKane argues that the “marvel and grace” of these four tie them together, but he has a problem linking
the fourth to the other three.23 More fundamentally, one does not solve the problem by saying that the four
are wonderful because they are marvelous.
A better solution is that the eagle, the snake, and the ship can cross the sky, a rock, or the sea and leave
no tracks. No trace of their passing through remains. The link between these three and the way of a man
with a young woman is in v. 20, which serves as a clue. Wiping her mouth after eating means that the
adulteress treats sexual liaisons the same way she does eating: she just finishes up and goes home without a
care and certainly without a sense of guilt.
The marvel of the way of a man with a young woman is therefore that they can have a sexual
27
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (231). Nashville: Broadman
& Holman Publishers.
28
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (232). Nashville: Broadman
& Holman Publishers.
29
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (232). Nashville: Broadman
& Holman Publishers.
30
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (232–233). Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers.
31
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (233). Nashville: Broadman
& Holman Publishers.
encounter and walk away from it without a pang of conscience and perhaps even without another thought
for each other. For them the encounter was no more significant than a meal, and it no more leaves an
impression on their psyches than an eagle leaves a trail in the sky. It is important to recognize that this text
is not saying that there are no repercussions to illicit sex, nor is it saying that the immoral couple believe
that they can keep their encounter secret from God or other people. If anything, the woman of v. 20 does
not care if anyone else knows about her sexual liaisons. Therefore matters of pregnancy, detection in
society, and modern concerns such as venereal disease do not enter this discussion. It is the attitude of the
couple, their moral indifference, that astounds the writer. How can two people involve themselves in
something as intimate as sexual union and then think nothing of it. 32
30:24–28 The text describes the four animals as small, weak, lacking in authority structure, or easily caught
in order to emphasize their frailty relative to humans. Despite their weaknesses, however, they survive and
provide four distinct lessons in survival. The lesson of the ant is to provide for bad times during good
times; the lesson of the coney is to provide for personal security; the lesson of the locust is to cooperate.
The lesson of the lizard, which is slightly more difficult to extract, is that one can succeed despite
disadvantages. The lizard is relatively defenseless; lacking in significant claws or teeth as it is, even a child
can grab it without fear. Even so, it can attain residence in a palace. This, to be sure, has no meaning to a
lizard; but in the literary (not scientific) context of the proverb, living in a royal palace implies having made
it to the highest circles of society.33
Psalm 87 - 88
87:4–6 There were people from the countries that oppressed Israel, especially Egypt (called here by the
mythological name Rahab), who came to faith by acknowledging the Lord. They were therefore recorded
as “born” in Zion, and were numbered as citizens of the city of God. This passage is the background for
Paul’s statement that “the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother” (Gl 4:26); it is spiritual birth, not
ethnic descent, that determines who belongs to the people of God.34
88:15–18 The suffering psalmist attributed his life-long affliction to God (“Your wrath,” “Your terrors”).
This is the realism of the faith—God is sovereign, even over difficult circumstances His people must
endure. Everything has a purpose in the outworking of God’s plan, even though in the time of pain it is
hard to appreciate this. If the psalm seems to end on a negative note, two considerations apply. First,
however much the speaker felt God had deserted him, he was still talking to Him. Second, the psalm, as it
is given, may not reproduce the entire scene; when it was used in worship, another speaker not quoted here
(e.g., a priest or a prophet) may have responded with an answer affirming the Lord’s help. There are many
places in Ps that suggest there was an unrecorded response from another speaker, in the Lord’s name. 35
32
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (241). Nashville: Broadman
& Holman Publishers.
33
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs. The New American Commentary (242). Nashville: Broadman
& Holman Publishers.
34
Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J., & Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real
Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (863). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
35
Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J., & Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real
Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (864). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.