Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Zophar the Naamathite - Of this man and his friends, see Job 2:11. He is the most inveterate of Job's accusers, and generally speaks without feeling or pity. In sour godliness he excelled all the rest. This chapter and the twentieth comprehends all that he said. He was too crooked to speak much in measured verse.

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

JOB 11

ZOPHAR'S FIRST SPEECH:

ZOPHAR HAS THE SAME OLD THEORY BUT A WORSE ATTITUDE;

ZOPHAR CHARGES JOB WITH GROSS WICKEDNESS

Job 11:1-6

"Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said,

Should not the multitude of words be answered?

And should a man full of talk be justified?

Should thy boastings make men hold their peace?

And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure,

And I am clean in thine eyes.

But oh that God would speak,

And open his lips against the,

And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom!

For he is manifold in understanding.

Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less

than thine iniquity deserveth."

"Thou sayest, My doctrine is pure" (Job 11:4). Job had not promulgated any new doctrine, "But Zophar's point in this seems to be that, in rejecting the theology of his friends, Job was implicitly claiming to have superior understanding."[1]

With a friend like Zophar no man would need an enemy. These brutal words, addressed without feeling either of compassion or sympathy, to Job, of whom Zophar claimed to be a friend, are unsurpassed for sheer stupidity and cruelty. If his words had even been true, which they were not, he should have had the grace to keep his mouth shut instead of telling Job that his terrible sufferings were not only deserved, but that Job's wickedness demanded even worse sufferings than he was enduring.

Note progression in the speeches of the three friends. Eliphaz spoke only in generalities, implying that Job was a sinner but not actually saying so. Bildad went further and flatly declared that Job's children had been destroyed because of their sins. To all of this, Job replied emphatically that he was not wicked. Then here Zophar the third friend, "Made a direct attack against Job."[2] He called him a long winded talker that mocked God, accusing him of gross sin and wickedness.

Some scholars have viewed Zophar as "a profound theologian,"[3] but this writer finds no evidence whatever of any such excellence in Zophar. He was not wise, but ignorant. He pretended to know God's wisdom, but he didn't. As a personal representative of the devil in this encounter he adopted the guise of "the roaring lion," one of the masks of the evil one; and it is not hard to believe that his attack upon Job's integrity represented the worst that Satan could bring against God's "perfect man," Job.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite,.... The third of Job's friends, that came to visit him; see Gill on Job 2:11; and who perhaps might be the youngest, since his turn was to speak last; and he appears to have less modesty and prudence, and more fire and heat in him; than his other friends; though he might be the more irritated by observing, that their arguments were baffled by Job, and had no manner of effect on him, to cause him to recede from his first sentiments and conduct:

and said; as follows.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Job 11:1-20. First speech of Zophar.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

Then answered — How hard is it, to preserve calmness, in the heat of disputation! Eliphaz began modestly: Bildad was a little rougher: But Zophar falls upon Job without mercy. "Those that have a mind to fall out with their brethren, and to fall foul upon them, find it necessary, to put the worst colours they can upon them and their performances, and right or wrong to make them odious."

Scofield's Reference Notes

Zophar

Zophar is a religious dogmatist who assumes to know all about God; what God will do in any given case, why He will do it, and all His thoughts about it. Of all forms of dogmatism this is most irreverent, and least open to reason.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Job 11:1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

Ver. 1. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite] With a most bitter invective, savouring more of passion than charity. Zophar rejoineth, or rather revileth innocent Job, misinterpreting his meaning, Job 11:4, and laying to his charge, 1. Loquacity, or talkativeness; 2. Lying; 3. Scoffing at God’s good providence, and men’s good counsel; 4. Self-conceitedness and arrogance, besides rashness, boldness, &c. For want of better arguments against him, he falls foul upon him in this sort. And if the adversaries of the truth do the like by us (as our Saviour saith they will, Matthew 5:11, and as himself, after Job and many other of his members, had the experience of it), we must not be overly troubled. Zophar signifieth a watcher, he watched for Job’s halting, and took him up before he was down; he is styled the Naamathite from Naamah (a city in the land of Uz, eighteen miles from Job’s Pyramis, saith Adricomius), which signifieth fair. But he dealeth not so fair with his friend as had been fit, for he giveth him no honour or respect at all, but treateth him with singular sharpness and violence, or rather virulence, of speech: hear him else.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

CHAP. XI.

Zophar reproves Job for justifying himself: he declares God's wisdom to be unsearchable; but that it would be well with Job, if he would repent.

Before Christ 1645.

Job 11:1. Then answered Zophar— Zophar, highly provoked that Job should dare to call in question a maxim so universally assented to as that urged by his friends, immediately charges him home with secret wickedness. He tells him, that he makes not the least doubt, were the real state of his heart laid open, it would be found that God had dealt very gently with him; Job 11:2-7. That he was highly blame-worthy for pretending to fathom the depths of divine Providence, a talk to which he was utterly unequal; that, however his wickedness might be concealed from men, yet it was open and bare to God's all-seeing eye. Could he, then, imagine that God would not punish the wickedness that he saw? Job 11:7-11. That it would surely be far more becoming in him to submit, and give glory to God, by making an ample confession and full restitution: in that case, indeed, he might hope for a return of God's goodness to him; but the way he was in at present was the common road of the wicked, whose only hope was annihilation; Job 11:12-20. Heath.

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

CONTENTS

We have in this Chapter the remonstrance of a third friend of Job, and much to the same purpose as the two former. Zophar the Naamathite takes up the subject against Job, and reasons on God's justice in Job's calamities.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

ZOPHAR’S FIRST ADDRESS.1.Then answered Zophar — Eliphaz had modestly confirmed his views by an appeal to the revelation of a spirit; Bildad, by recourse to the wisdom of the ancients; Zophar, the youngest of the three, relies upon himself. “At first,” says Jahn, “his discourse is characterized by rusticity; his second address adds but little to the first; and in the third dialogue he has no reply to make.” The other two friends had looked upon Job’s sufferings as the chastenings of God, rather than punishments. Zophar, on the other hand, regards them as solely punitive. The address opens with painful vituperation, but proceeds in noble language to describe the infinite wisdom of God — a wisdom that comprehends and arraigns the human heart. In contrast man at best is, as Zophar says, but hollow-headed and perverse from his birth. With beautiful imagery he portrays the happiness and security of the just, and concludes, like Bildad, with the doom of the wicked.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

Job 11:1. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite — How hard is it to preserve calmness in the heat of disputation! Eliphaz began modestly: Bildad was a little rougher: but Zophar falls upon Job without mercy. “Those that have a mind to fall out with their brethren, and to fall foul upon them, find it necessary to put the worst colours they can upon them and their performances, and, right or wrong, to make them odious.” Zophar, highly provoked that Job should dare to call in question a maxim so universally assented to as that urged by his friends, immediately charges him home with secret wickedness. He tells him that he makes not the least doubt, were the real state of his heart laid open, that it would be found God had dealt very gently with him, Job 11:2-7. That he was highly blameworthy to pretend to fathom the depths of divine providence, a task to which he was utterly unequal: that, however his wickedness might be concealed from me, yet it was open and bare to God’s all-seeing eye; could he therefore imagine that God would not punish the wickedness he saw? Job 11:7-11. It would surely be far more becoming in him to submit, and give glory to God, by making an ample confession and full restitution. In that case, indeed, he might hope for a return of God’s goodness to him; but the way he was in at present was the common road of the wicked, whose only hope was annihilation, Job 11:12-20. — Heath and Dodd.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Naamathite. Septuagint, "the Minean," in Arabia Felix, or rather of the Meonim, not far from the Themanites, Judges x. 11. Sophar was probably a descendant of Sepho, styled by Septuagint Sophar, (Genesis xxxvi. 11., and 1 Paralipomenon i. 36.) brother of Thaman, and grandson of Eliphaz, the son of Esau. (Calmet) --- He speaks with greater insolence than the two others, (Pineda) and inveighs against Job, insisting that he can be punished thus only for his crimes. (Calmet)

Mark Dunagan Commentary on the Bible

"Zophar was angered because Job was so talkative" (Zuck p. 53). "Like a leopard springing from ambush upon its unsuspecting prey, Zophar enters the debate clawing and scratching for Job"s jugular vein. As the youngest of the three friends, he has been biding his time and building his rage" (McKenna p. 99).

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

answered = spake. See note on Job 4:1.

Zophar. See note on Job 2:11.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

XI.

(1) Zophar, the third of Job’s friends, has a clearly defined character, distinct from that of the others; he is the ordinary and common-place moral man, who expresses the thoughts and instincts of the many. Eliphaz was the poet and spiritual man, who sees visions and dreams; Bildad was the man who rested on authority and appealed to tradition; Zophar is the man of worldly wisdom and common sense. In some respects he is the most offensive of the three. He is astonished that Job has not been silenced by the replies of the other two, and thinks he can do no less than help to silence him. Thus he at once begins with “a multitude of words,” and “full of talk,” and “lies,” and “mockery.” Zophar stands on a lower level, and drags Job down to it. He refracts his protestations of innocence against himself, and charges him with iniquity in making them. His longing also to come into judgment with God (Job 9:32) he turns back upon himself, being confident that it could not fail to convict him were he to do so.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Zophar

2:11; 20:1