UYobhi 22:8

Izhibhalo Ezingcwele

8 Ke indoda enengalo, belilelayo ilizwe; Obekekileyo ubehlala kulo.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

But as: Job 29:7-17, Job 31:34, 1 Kings 21:11-15, Psalms 12:8, Micah 7:3

mighty man: Heb. man of arm

honourable: Heb. eminent, or, accepted for countenance. Job 13:8

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 24:17 - pervert

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But [as for] the mighty man, he had the earth,.... A large share and portion of it, which Job could not hinder him from the enjoyment of, because mightier than he, or otherwise he would have done it; or Job was content he should have what he had, and gave him more than what of right belonged to him; for when any cause came before him as a judge, or civil magistrate, between a rich man, and a poorer man, relating to a field, or piece of land he always gave the cause to the rich and mighty and so he had the land, as is suggested:

and the honourable man dwelt in it; peaceably, quietly, and undisturbed, though he had no just title to it; or "the man accepted of face" or "countenance" q, who was respected because of his outward circumstances, wealth and riches, power and authority; and so Job is tacitly charged with being a respecter of persons in judgment, which was not good; and in general these phrases denote partiality in him, that he was favourable to the mighty and powerful, and unkind and cruel to the poor and needy. Some r understand all this of Job himself, that because he was the mighty man, or "man of arms" s, he made use of his power and might, and stretched out his arm, and grasped and got into his possession, by force and violence, the houses, and lands, and estates of others, and became the greatest man in all the east, and the earth in a manner was his alone; and because he was respected for his greatness and riches, he was confirmed therein, and dwelt securely: or rather, taking the words in this sense, they may be considered as an aggravation of Job's sins, both before and after charged upon him; as that when he was the mighty and honourable man, and though he was such, and had it in the power of his hands to do a great deal of good to the poor and needy; yet took a pledge from his indigent brother, stripped those that were almost naked of their clothing, and would not give a poor weary traveller a cup of water, nor a morsel of bread to an hungry man; yea, abused his power and authority which he had, to the oppression of the widow and fatherless, as in Job 22:9.

q נשוא פנים "acceptus faciebus", Montanus; "vel facie", Vatablus, Beza, Junius & Tremellius, Drusius, Mercerus. r Jarchi, Ramban, Bar Tzemach, Sephorno. s איש זרוע "viro brachii", Pagninus, Montanus, Bolducius, Vatablus, Drusius, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But as for the mighty man - Hebrew as in the margin, “man of arm.” The “arm,” in the Scriptures, is the symbol of power; Psalms 10:15, “Break thou the arm of the wicked;” Ezekiel 30:21. “I have broken the arm of Pharaoh;” Psalms 89:13, “Thou hast a mighty arm;” Psalms 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 22:8. But 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 honourable 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 favour and flatter the rich and great.