Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Hast thou heard the secret of God? - "Hast thou hearkened in God's council?" Wert thou one of the celestial cabinet, when God said, Let Us make man in Our image, and in Our likeness?

Dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? - Dost thou wish us to understand that God's counsels were revealed to none but thyself? And dost thou desire that we should give implicit credence to whatsoever thou art pleased to speak? These are all strong sarcastic questions, and apparently uttered with great contempt.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Hast thou heard the secret of God? - literally, “in the secret of God hast thou heard” - הסוד hasôd The word rendered “secret” (סוד sôd ) means properly a “couch” or “cushion,” on which one reclines - whether for sleep or at a table, or as a divan. Hence, it means a divan, or circle of persons sitting together for familiar conversation, Jeremiah 6:11; Jeremiah 15:17; or of judges, counsellors, or advisers for consultation, as the word “divan” is now used in Oriental countries; Psalm 89:7; Jeremiah 33:18. Then it means any consultation, counsel, familiar conversation, or intimacy; Psalm 55:14; Proverbs 15:22. Here God is represented in Oriental language as seated in a “divan,” or council of state: there is deliberation about the concerns of his government; important questions are agitated and decided; and Eliphaz asks of Job whether he had been admitted to that council, and had heard those deliberations; and whether, if he had not, he was qualified to pronounce as he had done, on the plans and purposes of the Almighty.

And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? - Having obtained the secret of that council, art thou now keeping it wholly to thyself - as a prime minister might be supposed to keep the purposes resolved on in the divan? “Hast thou listened in the council of yahweh, and dost thou now reserve all wisdom to thyself?”

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Hast thou heard the secret of God?.... Or, "in the secret of God"^F1בסוד אלוה "in secreto Dei", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius. Schultens. , in his cabinet council, what was said and done there? hast thou stood in the council of God? hast thou been one of his privy council, or counsellors, and been let into all the secrets of God, of his purposes and providence, and into the reasons of all his administrations, that thou talkest so freely, and boldly, and confidently as thou dost? Indeed Christ, the son of God, was the Angel of the great council; the counsel of peace was between him and his Father; yea, he was in his bosom, and privy to all his thoughts, designs, and decrees, and knew everything, what would be, and the reasons thereof; as well as the nature of his Father, his perfections, mind, and will, which he has declared: but could Job pretend to this, or anything like it? no, surely. Indeed there are some secrets of God which he makes known to his people, and no doubt, in some measure, Job was acquainted with them; such as the secrets of God's love, and of the covenant of his grace, which are with them that fear him; and such an one Job was, and with whom, in times past at least, the secret of God was, even his everlasting love in the open manifestation of it to him; which is a secret in the heart of God, till revealed and shed abroad in the hearts of his people; and so the "mysteries" of God, as some render the word, the doctrines of the Gospel, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, the knowledge of them, is given to the sons of men; Job was acquainted with them, with the incarnation of Christ, redemption by him, and the resurrection of the dead; the secrets of Providence, though they may not always be known now, they will be hereafter; yea, God does nothing but he reveals his secrets to his servants the prophets Amos 3:7, as he did to Abraham his friend; and as for the purposes of God, which are the secret things that belong to him, and can never be known unless revealed, and when fulfilled, even those, such as relate to the election of men, their redemption by Christ, and the effectual calling, are made known by God's saving and calling them according to them:

and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? not keep it to himself without communicating it to others, which to do is to imprison the truth, and detain it in unrighteousness; as men have freely received, they should freely give; but he arrogated and ascribed wisdom to himself, monopolized it, and would allow no man to have any share of it but himself; he reckoned so highly of himself, as if he was the only wise man in the world; thus what he charged his friends with Eliphaz retorts upon himself, Job 12:2; as he does his own words in Job 15:9.

Geneva Study Bible

(f) Are you only wise?

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

secret — rather, “Wast thou a listener in the secret council of God?” The Hebrew means properly the cushions of a divan on which counselors in the East usually sit. God‘s servants are admitted to God‘s secrets (Psalm 25:14; Genesis 18:17; John 15:15).

restrain — Rather, didst thou take away, or borrow, thence (namely, from the divine secret council) thy wisdom? Eliphaz in this (Job 15:8, Job 15:9) retorts Job‘s words upon himself (Job 12:2, Job 12:3; Job 13:2).

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Job 15:8 Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

Ver. 8. Hast thou heard the secret of God?] Thus he goes on to jeer Job, and to accuse him of insolent arrogance, as if he had taken himself to be of God’s cabinet council, and so to have known more of his mind than any other. Now this never came into Job’s heart; but these hot spirited people, Biliosi et bellicosi, when their choler is once up, will not stick to say anything against another whom they desire to gall, and to make the worst of his words, when as themselves cannot take a reproof, though never so just.

And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?] Hast thou engrossed all the wisdom in the world? and must it needs live and die with thee? Is every man a fool presently, who is not of thy mind and make? An solus sapis, ita ut te pereunte sit ipsa sapientia peritura? (Vatabl.) Epicurus indeed had such a conceit; and Pulaemen, in Suetonius, and Laurentius Valla, with some others of late: but Job was far from it, as appeareth by his many self-abasing expressions; and it had been well for him if his three friends had taken out that lesson in Wisdom’s school; viz. to judge those certain good things found in another better than they are; and certain evils, less; doubtful good things, certain; and doubtful evil things, none.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

Job 15:8. Hast thou heard the secret of God?— Decrees from God and his council? Heath. See on ch. Job 29:4.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Hath God acquainted thee with all his secret counsels, whereby he governs the world, that thou dost pass so bold a censure upon all his designs and actions? Art thou the only wise man in the world, and we and all others but fools?

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

8.Hast thou heard — Literally, Hast thou heartened in the council of God. “Wast thou present at the secret council of God at the creation.” (Targum.) After the manner of an Oriental monarch, God is represented as engaged in consultation with his counsellors upon important questions relative to his moral government. The intensest irony introduces Job as a listener, a kind of eavesdropper.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

His. Hebrew, "dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? Septuagint, "or has wisdom come to thee?" (Haydock)

Mark Dunagan Commentary on the Bible

"Does he think he, like wisdom, existed before the creation of the long-enduring mountains (Proverbs 8:25)? Does he suppose he has access to God"s secret counsels? Does he think only he is wise?" (Zuck p. 70). Does Job have some kind of inside track to God"s council chambers? Actually, this is an unfair accusation, for Job had not claimed that he was wiser than his friends, but simply their equal (12:3; 13:2).

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Hast . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.

heard = overheard.

secret. Hebrew. sod = secret counsellings, used of two or more in council. GOD. Hebrew Eloah. App-4. secret = concealed. Hebrew. la"at. Rendered by Theodotion (R. Sept.), musterion (= secret); Aquila (R. Sept.), aporrheta (= forbidden); Symmachus (R. Sept.), homilia (= intercourse).

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

Secret - rather, 'Wast thou a listener in the secret council [ b

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the secret

11:6; Deuteronomy 29:29; Psalms 25:14; Proverbs 3:32; Jeremiah 23:18; Amos 3:7; Matthew 11:25; Matthew 13:11,35; John 15:15; Romans 11:34; 16:25,26; 1 Corinthians 2:9-11,16

thou restrain

12:2; 13:5,6