Proverbs 3:24-26(v18)When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet. Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of…
Isaiah 58:8-10(v17)Then your light will break out as the morning, and your healing will appear quickly; then your righteousness shall go before you, and…
Psalms 37:6(v17)he will make your righteousness shine out like light, and your justice as the noon day sun.
Proverbs 4:18(v17)But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
Isaiah 65:16(v16)so that he who blesses himself in the earth will bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth will swear by the God of…
Show all 74 cross-references
Job 22:26(v15)For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.
Psalms 3:5(v18)I laid myself down and slept. I awakened; for Yahweh sustains me.
Psalms 43:5(v18)Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him: my Savior, my helper, and my…
Isaiah 60:14(v19)The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you; and all those who despised you will bow themselves down at the soles of your…
Psalms 4:8(v18)In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you, Yahweh alone, make me live in safety.
Leviticus 26:6(v19)“ ‘I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one will make you afraid. I will remove evil animals out of the land,…
Psalms 45:12(v19)The daughter of Tyre comes with a gift. The rich among the people entreat your favor.
Ecclesiastes 5:20(v16)For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.
Isaiah 45:14(v19)Yahweh says: “The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you, and they will be…
Zechariah 14:6-7(v17)It will happen in that day, that there will not be light, cold, or frost. It will be a unique day which is known to Yahweh; not day, and…
Leviticus 26:5-6(v18)Your threshing shall continue until the vintage, and the vintage shall continue until the sowing time. You shall eat your bread to the…
Deuteronomy 28:65(v20)Among these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but Yahweh will give you there a trembling…
Isaiah 54:4(v16)“Don’t be afraid, for you will not be ashamed. Don’t be confounded, for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your…
Isaiah 54:9(v16)“For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth, so I have sworn…
Hosea 6:3(v17)Let’s acknowledge Yahweh. Let’s press on to know Yahweh. As surely as the sun rises, Yahweh will appear. He will come to us like the rain,…
Micah 7:8-9(v17)Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me. I will bear the…
John 16:21(v16)A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish…
Job 42:8-9(v19)Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and…
Psalms 112:4(v17)Light dawns in the darkness for the upright, gracious, merciful, and righteous.
Proverbs 19:6(v19)Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
Romans 5:3-5(v18)Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and…
1 John 2:28(v15)Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
1 John 3:19-22(v15)And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him, because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our…
Revelation 3:9(v19)Behold, I give some of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie—behold, I will make them to come…
Genesis 26:26-31(v19)Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army. Isaac said to them, “Why have you come…
Genesis 41:51(v16)Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, “For”, he said, “God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.”
1 Chronicles 29:10(v17)Therefore David blessed Yahweh before all the assembly; and David said, “You are blessed, Yahweh, the God of Israel our father, forever and…
Job 7:6(v18)My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
Job 17:5(v20)He who denounces his friends for plunder, Even the eyes of his children will fail.
Job 31:16(v20)“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
Job 42:11-17(v17)Then came there to him all his brothers, and all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, and ate bread with him…
Psalms 92:14(v17)They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green,
Proverbs 14:32(v18)The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.
Isaiah 12:1-2(v16)In that day you will say, “I will give thanks to you, Yahweh; for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you comfort…
Malachi 4:2(v17)But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. You will go out, and leap like calves of the…
1 Timothy 2:8(v15)I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting.
Revelation 7:14-17(v16)I told him, “My lord, you know.” He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great suffering.They washed their robes, and made them…
Genesis 4:5-6(v15)but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you…
Genesis 9:11(v16)I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood…
Leviticus 26:16(v20)I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to…
Job 6:15(v16)My brothers have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that pass away;
Job 8:13-14(v20)So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man will perish, Whose confidence will break apart, Whose trust is a…
Job 10:15(v15)If I am wicked, woe to me. If I am righteous, I still will not lift up my head, being filled with disgrace, and conscious of my affliction.
Job 18:14(v20)He will be rooted out of the security of his tent. He will be brought to the king of terrors.
Job 22:11(v16)or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
Job 22:27-29(v18)You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows. You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to…
Job 27:8(v20)For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?
Job 27:22(v20)For it hurls at him, and does not spare, as he flees away from his hand.
Job 34:22(v20)There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
Psalms 27:1(v15)Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalms 46:1(v15)God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalms 69:3(v20)I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail looking for my God.
Psalms 112:6-8(v15)For he will never be shaken. The righteous will be remembered forever. He will not be afraid of evil news. His heart is steadfast, trusting…
Psalms 119:6-7(v15)Then I wouldn’t be disappointed, when I consider all of your commandments. I will give thanks to you with uprightness of heart, when I…
Proverbs 10:24(v20)What the wicked fear, will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
Proverbs 14:26(v15)In the fear of Yahweh is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children.
Proverbs 20:20(v20)Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.
Proverbs 28:1(v15)The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
Proverbs 31:7(v16)Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
Lamentations 4:17(v20)Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
Amos 2:14(v20)Flight will perish from the swift; and the strong won’t strengthen his force; neither shall the mighty deliver himself;
Amos 5:19-20(v20)As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; Or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him. Won’t the…
Amos 9:1-3(v20)I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said, “Strike the tops of the pillars, that the thresholds may shake; and break them in…
Luke 16:23-26(v20)In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham,…
2 Corinthians 1:12(v15)For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of…
Hebrews 2:3(v20)how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation—which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those…
Job 6:11(v18)What is my strength, that I should wait? What is my end, that I should be patient?
Luke 2:26-32(v17)It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He came in the Spirit…
Colossians 1:27(v18)to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (16 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Geneva Bible translators1599 · Public DomainOn vv15, 20He declareth what quietness of conscience and success in…
He declareth what quietness of conscience and success in all things such shall have, which turn to God by true repentance.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp1656 · Public DomainOn vv15–20Job 11:15 For then shalt thou lift up thy…
Job 11:15 For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:
Ver. 15. For then shall thou lift up thy face without spot, &c.] Repentance must be performed in faith, or else it will prove to be poenitentia Iscariotica, a Judas like repentance. Lord (said that dying saint), cast me down as low as hell in repentance, and lift me up by faith into the highest heavens in confidence of thy salvation. Zophar, that he may move Job kindly and rightly to repent, promiseth him thereupon malorum ademptionem, bonorum adeptionem, freedom from evil and fruition of good. And, first, "Thou shalt lift up thy face without spot," i.e. Thou shalt be full of comfort and of confidence, not casting down thy countenance, as guilty Cain, but looking up boldly and cheerfully, as St Stephen did, Act 7:55-56, they saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
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Ibat ovans animis et spe sua damna levabat.
Yea, thou shall be stedfast] Or durable and compact as a molten pillar. Thy heart shall be established with grace, thy mind with peace, thine outward estate with a lasting felicity.
And shalt not fear] sc. The loss of those enjoyments. To be freed from the fear of evil is better than to be freed from evil; and a great part of the saints’ portion both on earth and in heaven lies in their deliverance from fear, Luk 1:74 Psa 112:7 Zep 3:13 Isa 17:2. Repent, and thou shall fear no more a revolution of any thy troubles.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole1685 · Public DomainOn vv15–20Then shalt thou lift up thy face; which notes…
Then shalt thou lift up thy face; which notes cheerfulness, and holy boldness and confidence; as a dejected countenance notes grief and shame. See Gen 4:5,6; 2Sa 2:22; Job 22:26; Luk 21:28.
Without spot; or, being without spot; so it is only an ellipsis of the verb substantive, which is most frequent. And this fitly follows as the ground of his confidence, because he should in this case have a clear and unspotted conscience, and a sense of his own innocency. Or, without blemish, as the word properly signifies, i.e. without any sense of guilt, or any shame consequent upon it, either from God or men. The ground of the expression is this, that when men’s faces are spotted with dirt, they are ashamed to show them. And Job was charged by his friends as having many spots upon him, yea, such as were not the spots of God’s children.
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Stedfast; or, firm, or fixed; either,
1. As to his outward condition, which should be constantly prosperous. Or rather,
2. As to his mind, which should have strong and comfortable assurance of God’s favour, and of his own safety and happiness. For this steadfastness is opposed unto that fear which is incident to wicked men; who, even when they are free from actual miseries, yet ofttimes are tormented with the dread of them.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill1763 · Public DomainOn vv15–20For then shall thou lift up thy face without…
For then shall thou lift up thy face without spot,.... Either before men, being in all good conscience, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless, exercising a conscience void of offence towards God and men; and so be able to say as Samuel did, "whose ass have I taken?" &c. Sa1 12:3; or rather before God, as in Job 21:26; using an holy boldness and an humble confidence with him at the throne of grace, in the view of the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of his living Redeemer he had knowledge of, as every true believer may; who, though he is not without spot in himself, yet, being washed in the blood of Christ, and clothed in his righteousness, he is all fair, and without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; and may stand before the throne without fault, and appear before God, and in his sight, unblamable and irreprovable:
yea, thou shalt be steadfast: firm and solid, rooted and grounded in the love of God; having a firm persuasion of interest in it, and that nothing shall separate from it; being built on the foundation of Christ, and established in the exercise of faith on him; the affections being steady towards him, and fixedly set on divine and heavenly things; continuing steadfast in the doctrines of grace, and not carried about with strange doctrines, or every wind of doctrine; as well as constant and immovable in the work of the Lord, always employed in his service, and doing his will, from which nothing can move; not reproach, affliction, and persecution; and to be thus steady and fixed is a great privilege:
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and shalt not fear; evil tidings of evil times; of wars and rumours of wars, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, and other judgments; of changes and revolutions in kingdoms and states, or of what is coming upon the world, according to promise and prophecy, the heart being fixed and well established, trusting in the Lord; nor be afraid of evil men or devils, or any enemies whatever, nor of death, the king of terrors, that being one of the believer's blessings, and a friend of his; nor of hell and damnation, or the second death, or wrath to come; from all which the saints are secure.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley1765 · Public DomainOn vv15, 16, 17, 18, 20Lift up - Which denotes chearfulness, and holy boldness.…
Lift up - Which denotes chearfulness, and holy boldness. Without spot - Having a clear and unspotted conscience. Steadfast - Shall have a strong and comfortable assurance of God's favour.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke1810 · Public DomainOn vv16, 17, 18, 20Verse 16. Because thou shalt forget thy misery] Thou…
Verse 16. Because thou shalt forget thy misery] Thou shalt have such long and complete rest, that thou shalt scarcely remember thy labour.
As waters that pass away] Like as the mountain floods, which sweep every thing before them, houses, tents, cattle, and the produce of the field, and are speedily absorbed by the sandy plains over which they run, so shalt thou remember thy sufferings: they were wasting and ruinous for the time, but were soon over and gone.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson1811 · Public DomainOn vv15, 16, 17, 18, 20Job 11:15. For then shalt thou lift up thy…
Job 11:15. For then shalt thou lift up thy face — With cheerfulness and holy boldness. Without spot — Having a clear and unspotted conscience. Yea, thou shalt be steadfast — Shalt have a strong and comfortable assurance of God’s favour, and shalt be settled, without any fear of losing thy happiness.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes1834 · Public DomainOn vv15–20For then shalt thou lift up thy face without…
For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot - That is, thy face shall be bright, clear, and cheerful. Thus, we speak of a bright and happy countenance. Zophar undoubtedly designs to show what his appearance would be, contrasted with what it then was. Now his countenance was dejected and sad. It was disfigured by tears, and terror, and long continued anguish. But if he would put away iniquity, and return to God, his face would be cheerful again, and he would be a happy man.
Yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear - The word rendered “steadfast” (מצק mutsaq) is from יצק yâtsaq, to pour, to pour out, and is applied to liquids, or to metals which are fused and poured into a mould, and which then become hard. Hence, it is used in the sense of firm, solid, intrepid. “Gesenius.” Schultens supposes that the reference here is to metallic mirrors, made by casting, and then polished, and that the idea is, that his face would shine like such a mirror. But it may be doubted whether this interpretation is not too refined. The other and more common explanation well suits the sense, and should probably be retained.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Without. Septuagint, "as clean water, thou shalt pass away corruption, and shalt not fear."
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown1871 · Public DomainOn vv15–20Zophar refers to Job's own words (Job 10:15), "yet…
Zophar refers to Job's own words (Job 10:15), "yet will I not lift up my head," even though righteous. Zophar declares, if Job will follow his advice, he may "lift up his face."
spot-- (Deu 32:5).
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steadfast--literally, "run fast together," like metals which become firm and hard by fusion. The sinner on the contrary is wavering.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon1874 · Public DomainOn vv15–2015. Lift up thy face — He refers to…
15. Lift up thy face — He refers to Job’s remark, (Job_10:15,) “I will not lift up my head.”
Without spot — ממום. The Septuagint gives the sentence: “For thus shall thy countenance shine again as pure water.” In the Arabic the word is applied to fever spots and marks of cutaneous disease. There is, apparently, a cruel allusion to the effects of Job’s disease upon his countenance.
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Steadfast — The word in the original is used of metal that has been melted and consolidated.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1878 · Public DomainOn vv15–2015. for then shalt thou] Or, surely then shalt…
15. for then shalt thou] Or, surely then shalt thou, ch. Job_8:6.
lift up thy face without spot] The word lift up is selected to meet Job’s complaint that he must not lift up his head, ch. Job_10:15; and the words “without spot” meet his words “filled with shame.” Then he shall lift up his face in conscious innocence and disfigured with no signs of God’s anger on account of his guilt.
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be steadfast, and shalt not fear] Said in reference to Job’s fluctuating feelings and condition as he describes them, ch. Job_9:27-28.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers1878 · Public DomainOn vv17, 18, 20(17) Thine age shall be clearer than the noonday.—Rather,…
(17) Thine age shall be clearer than the noonday.—Rather, there shall arise for thee a lifetime brighter than the noonday; thou shalt soar on high; thou shalt be like the morning, which is conceived of as having wings (Psa_139:9). (Comp. Mal_4:2, of the Sun of Righteousness.) This is how we understand the word rendered thou shalt shine forth. Many take it as a substantive, meaning darkness, in which case we must render, though there be darkness, thou shalt be as the morning.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary1880 · Public DomainOn vv15–20For then; rather, surely then (see the Revised Version).…
For then; rather, surely then (see the Revised Version). Shalt thou lift up thy face without spot. At present, Zophar implies, he could not do so. The stain of many sins was on him (vers. 6, 11, 14). Yea, thou shalt be steadfast; literally, molten perhaps "pure as refined metal", (see Isa_1:25) perhaps "bright as a metallic mass." And shalt not fear. "Shalt be freed," i.e. ," from all the fears that disturb thee now". (see Job_3:26 Job_6:4 Job_7:14 Job_9:28, etc.)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator1887 · Public DomainOn vv16, 17, 18, 20Thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as…
Job_11:16
Thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away.
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Comfort from the future
Jobs misery was extreme, and it seemed as if he could never forget it. He never did forget the fact of it, but he did forget the pain of it. Nothing better can happen to our misery than that it should be forgotten in the sense referred to in our text; for then, evidently, it will be clean gone from us. It will be as it is when even the scent of the liquor has gone out of the cask, even when the flavour of the bitter drug lingers no longer in the medicine glass, but has altogether disappeared. If you look carefully at the connection of our text, I do not doubt that you will experience this blessed forgetfulness. When we are in pain of body, and depression of spirit, we imagine that we never shall forget such misery as we are enduring. And yet, by and by, God turns towards us the palm of His hand, and we see that it is full of mercy, we are restored to health, or uplifted from depression of spirit, and we wonder that we ever made so much of our former suffering or depression. We remember it no more, except as a thing that has passed and gone, to be recollected with gratitude.
I. I am not going to limit the application of the text to Job and his friends, for it has also a message for many of us at the present time; and I shall take it, first, with reference to the common troubles of life which affect believing men and women. These troubles of life happen to us all more or less. They come to one in one shape, and perhaps life thinks that he is the only man who has any real misery; yet they also come to others, though possibly in another form. The Lord of the pilgrims was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and His disciples must expect to fare even as their Master fared while here below; it is enough for the servant if he be as his lord. You, who are just now enduring misery, should seek to be comforted under it. Perhaps you will ask me, Where can we get any comfort? Well, if you cannot draw any from your present experience, seek to gather some from the past. You have been miserable before, but you have been delivered and helped. There has come to you a most substantial benefit from everything which you have been called to endure. Let us gather consolation also from the future. If, as the apostle truly says, No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, recollect how he goes on to say, Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away. How will that be?
1. Well, first, by the lapse of time. Time is a wonderful healer.
2. Ay, but there is something better than the lapse of years, and that is when, during a considerable time, you are left without trial. That is a sharp pain you are now enduring; but what if you should have years of health afterwards? Remember how Job forgot his misery when, in a short time, he had double as much of all that he possessed as he had before. There is wonderfully smooth sailing on ahead for some of you when you are once over this little stretch of broken water.
3. And besides the lapse of time, and an interval of rest and calm, it may be--it probably is the fact with Gods people--that He has in store for you some great mercies. When the Lord turns your captivity, you will be like them that dream; and you know what happens to men who dream. They wake up; their dream is all gone, they have completely forgotten it. So will it be with your sorrow. Be of good courage in these dark, dull times, for, mayhap this text is Gods message to thy soul, Thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away. It has bee so with many, many, many believers in the past. What do you think of Joseph sold for a slave, Joseph falsely accused, Joseph shut up in prison? But when Joseph found out that all that trial was the way to make him ruler over all the land of Egypt, and that he might be the means of saving other nations from famine, and blessing his fathers house, I do not wonder that he called his elder son Manasseh. What does that name mean? Forgetfulness--for God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my fathers house.
II. I should be greatly rejoiced if, in the second place, I might speak a cheering word to poor souls under distress on account of sin.
1. Well, now, I exhort you, first of all, to look to Christ, and lean on Christ. Trust in His atoning sacrifice, for there alone can a troubled soul find rest. There was never a man yet who, with all his heart, did seek the Lord Jesus Christ, but sooner or later found Him; and if you have been long in seeking, I lay it to the fact that you have not sought with a prepared heart, a thoroughly earnest heart, or else you would have found Him. But, perhaps, taking Zophars next expression, you have not stretched out your hands toward the Lord, giving yourself up to Him like a man who holds up his hands to show that he surrenders. Further, you may and you shall forget your misery, provided you fulfil one more condition mentioned by Zophar, and that is, that you are not harbouring any sin: If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. Oh! you say, but how am I to do it? Christ will help you. Trust Him to help you. Oh, do see that you let not wickedness dwell in your tabernacles, you who are the people of God, and you who wish to be His, if you would have Zophars words to Job fulfilled in your experience, Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away.
III. Now let me tell you how sweetly God can make a sinner forget his misery.
1. The moment a sinner believes in Jesus Christ with true heart and repentant spirit, God makes him forget his misery, first, by giving him a full pardon.
2. Next, he rejoices in all the blessings that God gives with His grace.
IV. This text will come true to the sickening, declining, soon-departing believer. If thou hast believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and if thou art resting alone upon Him, recollect that, in a very short time, thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away. In a very, very, very short time, your suffering and sadness will all be over. I suppose the expression, waters that pass away, signifies those rivers which are common in the East, and which we meet with so abundantly in the south of France. They are rivers with very broad channels, but I have often looked in vain for a single drop of water in them. Then, perhaps you ask, what is the use of such rivers? Well, at certain times, the mountain torrents come rushing down, bearing great rocks, and stones, and trees before them, and then, after they have surged along the river bed for several days, they altogether disappear in the sea. Such will all the sorrows of fife and the sorrows even of death soon be to you, and to me also. They will all have passed away, and all will be over with us here. And then, you know, those waters that have passed away will never come back again. Thank God, we shall recollect our sorrows in heaven only to praise God for the grace that sustained us under them; but we shall not remember them as a person does who has cut his finger, and who still bears the scar in his flesh. We shall not recollect them as one does who has been wounded, and who carries the bullet somewhere about him. In heaven, you shall not have a trace of earths sorrow; you shall not have, in your glorified body, or in your perfectly sanctified soul and spirit, any trace of any spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0On vv15, 18, 20lift up your face without a sign of shame
lift up your face without a sign of shame
"Lifting up your face" represents the attitude of a person who is confident and brave. (See: Metonymy and Idiom)
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you would remember it only like waters that have flowed away
Zophar is comparing misery with water that flows downstream and it is gone. AT: "You would remember it, but the misery will be gone, like waters that have flowed away" (See: Simile)
Your life would ... like the morning.
Zophar repeats the same idea for emphasis. (See: Parallelism)
Your life would be brighter than the noonday
Brightness represents being prosperous and happy. AT: "Your life would be prosperous and happy like the noonday" (See: Metaphor)
though there were darkness
Darkness represents troubles and sadness. AT: "Though there were dark troubles and sadness" (See: Hypothetical Situations)
it would become like the morning
The morning represents light, which represents prosperity and happiness. AT: "it would be prosperous and happy like the morning" (See: Metaphor)
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv15, 20 He declareth what quietness of conscience and success in…
He declareth what quietness of conscience and success in all things such shall have, which turn to God by true repentance.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv15–20 Job 11:15 For then shalt thou lift up thy…
Job 11:15 For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:
Ver. 15. For then shall thou lift up thy face without spot, &c.] Repentance must be performed in faith, or else it will prove to be poenitentia Iscariotica, a Judas like repentance. Lord (said that dying saint), cast me down as low as hell in repentance, and lift me up by faith into the highest heavens in confidence of thy salvation. Zophar, that he may move Job kindly and rightly to repent, promiseth him thereupon malorum ademptionem, bonorum adeptionem, freedom from evil and fruition of good. And, first, "Thou shalt lift up thy face without spot," i.e. Thou shalt be full of comfort and of confidence, not casting down thy countenance, as guilty Cain, but looking up boldly and cheerfully, as St Stephen did, Act 7:55-56, they saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
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Ibat ovans animis et spe sua damna levabat.
Yea, thou shall be stedfast] Or durable and compact as a molten pillar. Thy heart shall be established with grace, thy mind with peace, thine outward estate with a lasting felicity.
And shalt not fear] sc. The loss of those enjoyments. To be freed from the fear of evil is better than to be freed from evil; and a great part of the saints’ portion both on earth and in heaven lies in their deliverance from fear, Luk 1:74 Psa 112:7 Zep 3:13 Isa 17:2. Repent, and thou shall fear no more a revolution of any thy troubles.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv15–20 Then shalt thou lift up thy face; which notes…
Then shalt thou lift up thy face; which notes cheerfulness, and holy boldness and confidence; as a dejected countenance notes grief and shame. See Gen 4:5,6; 2Sa 2:22; Job 22:26; Luk 21:28.
Without spot; or, being without spot; so it is only an ellipsis of the verb substantive, which is most frequent. And this fitly follows as the ground of his confidence, because he should in this case have a clear and unspotted conscience, and a sense of his own innocency. Or, without blemish, as the word properly signifies, i.e. without any sense of guilt, or any shame consequent upon it, either from God or men. The ground of the expression is this, that when men’s faces are spotted with dirt, they are ashamed to show them. And Job was charged by his friends as having many spots upon him, yea, such as were not the spots of God’s children.
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Stedfast; or, firm, or fixed; either,
1. As to his outward condition, which should be constantly prosperous. Or rather,
2. As to his mind, which should have strong and comfortable assurance of God’s favour, and of his own safety and happiness. For this steadfastness is opposed unto that fear which is incident to wicked men; who, even when they are free from actual miseries, yet ofttimes are tormented with the dread of them.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv15–20 For then shall thou lift up thy face without…
For then shall thou lift up thy face without spot,.... Either before men, being in all good conscience, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless, exercising a conscience void of offence towards God and men; and so be able to say as Samuel did, "whose ass have I taken?" &c. Sa1 12:3; or rather before God, as in Job 21:26; using an holy boldness and an humble confidence with him at the throne of grace, in the view of the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of his living Redeemer he had knowledge of, as every true believer may; who, though he is not without spot in himself, yet, being washed in the blood of Christ, and clothed in his righteousness, he is all fair, and without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; and may stand before the throne without fault, and appear before God, and in his sight, unblamable and irreprovable:
yea, thou shalt be steadfast: firm and solid, rooted and grounded in the love of God; having a firm persuasion of interest in it, and that nothing shall separate from it; being built on the foundation of Christ, and established in the exercise of faith on him; the affections being steady towards him, and fixedly set on divine and heavenly things; continuing steadfast in the doctrines of grace, and not carried about with strange doctrines, or every wind of doctrine; as well as constant and immovable in the work of the Lord, always employed in his service, and doing his will, from which nothing can move; not reproach, affliction, and persecution; and to be thus steady and fixed is a great privilege:
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and shalt not fear; evil tidings of evil times; of wars and rumours of wars, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, and other judgments; of changes and revolutions in kingdoms and states, or of what is coming upon the world, according to promise and prophecy, the heart being fixed and well established, trusting in the Lord; nor be afraid of evil men or devils, or any enemies whatever, nor of death, the king of terrors, that being one of the believer's blessings, and a friend of his; nor of hell and damnation, or the second death, or wrath to come; from all which the saints are secure.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv15, 16, 17, 18, 20 Lift up - Which denotes chearfulness, and holy boldness.…
Lift up - Which denotes chearfulness, and holy boldness. Without spot - Having a clear and unspotted conscience. Steadfast - Shall have a strong and comfortable assurance of God's favour.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv16, 17, 18, 20 Verse 16. Because thou shalt forget thy misery] Thou…
Verse 16. Because thou shalt forget thy misery] Thou shalt have such long and complete rest, that thou shalt scarcely remember thy labour.
As waters that pass away] Like as the mountain floods, which sweep every thing before them, houses, tents, cattle, and the produce of the field, and are speedily absorbed by the sandy plains over which they run, so shalt thou remember thy sufferings: they were wasting and ruinous for the time, but were soon over and gone.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv15, 16, 17, 18, 20 Job 11:15. For then shalt thou lift up thy…
Job 11:15. For then shalt thou lift up thy face — With cheerfulness and holy boldness. Without spot — Having a clear and unspotted conscience. Yea, thou shalt be steadfast — Shalt have a strong and comfortable assurance of God’s favour, and shalt be settled, without any fear of losing thy happiness.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv15–20 For then shalt thou lift up thy face without…
For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot - That is, thy face shall be bright, clear, and cheerful. Thus, we speak of a bright and happy countenance. Zophar undoubtedly designs to show what his appearance would be, contrasted with what it then was. Now his countenance was dejected and sad. It was disfigured by tears, and terror, and long continued anguish. But if he would put away iniquity, and return to God, his face would be cheerful again, and he would be a happy man.
Yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear - The word rendered “steadfast” (מצק mutsaq) is from יצק yâtsaq, to pour, to pour out, and is applied to liquids, or to metals which are fused and poured into a mould, and which then become hard. Hence, it is used in the sense of firm, solid, intrepid. “Gesenius.” Schultens supposes that the reference here is to metallic mirrors, made by casting, and then polished, and that the idea is, that his face would shine like such a mirror. But it may be doubted whether this interpretation is not too refined. The other and more common explanation well suits the sense, and should probably be retained.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv15, 17, 18, 19, 20 Without. Septuagint, "as clean water, thou shalt pass away…
Without. Septuagint, "as clean water, thou shalt pass away corruption, and shalt not fear."
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv15–20 Zophar refers to Job's own words (Job 10:15), "yet…
Zophar refers to Job's own words (Job 10:15), "yet will I not lift up my head," even though righteous. Zophar declares, if Job will follow his advice, he may "lift up his face."
spot-- (Deu 32:5).
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steadfast--literally, "run fast together," like metals which become firm and hard by fusion. The sinner on the contrary is wavering.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv15–20 15. Lift up thy face — He refers to…
15. Lift up thy face — He refers to Job’s remark, (Job_10:15,) “I will not lift up my head.”
Without spot — ממום. The Septuagint gives the sentence: “For thus shall thy countenance shine again as pure water.” In the Arabic the word is applied to fever spots and marks of cutaneous disease. There is, apparently, a cruel allusion to the effects of Job’s disease upon his countenance.
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Steadfast — The word in the original is used of metal that has been melted and consolidated.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv15–20 15. for then shalt thou] Or, surely then shalt…
15. for then shalt thou] Or, surely then shalt thou, ch. Job_8:6.
lift up thy face without spot] The word lift up is selected to meet Job’s complaint that he must not lift up his head, ch. Job_10:15; and the words “without spot” meet his words “filled with shame.” Then he shall lift up his face in conscious innocence and disfigured with no signs of God’s anger on account of his guilt.
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be steadfast, and shalt not fear] Said in reference to Job’s fluctuating feelings and condition as he describes them, ch. Job_9:27-28.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv17, 18, 20 (17) Thine age shall be clearer than the noonday.—Rather,…
(17) Thine age shall be clearer than the noonday.—Rather, there shall arise for thee a lifetime brighter than the noonday; thou shalt soar on high; thou shalt be like the morning, which is conceived of as having wings (Psa_139:9). (Comp. Mal_4:2, of the Sun of Righteousness.) This is how we understand the word rendered thou shalt shine forth. Many take it as a substantive, meaning darkness, in which case we must render, though there be darkness, thou shalt be as the morning.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv15–20 For then; rather, surely then (see the Revised Version).…
For then; rather, surely then (see the Revised Version). Shalt thou lift up thy face without spot. At present, Zophar implies, he could not do so. The stain of many sins was on him (vers. 6, 11, 14). Yea, thou shalt be steadfast; literally, molten perhaps "pure as refined metal", (see Isa_1:25) perhaps "bright as a metallic mass." And shalt not fear. "Shalt be freed," i.e. ," from all the fears that disturb thee now". (see Job_3:26 Job_6:4 Job_7:14 Job_9:28, etc.)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv16, 17, 18, 20 Thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as…
Job_11:16
Thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away.
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Comfort from the future
Jobs misery was extreme, and it seemed as if he could never forget it. He never did forget the fact of it, but he did forget the pain of it. Nothing better can happen to our misery than that it should be forgotten in the sense referred to in our text; for then, evidently, it will be clean gone from us. It will be as it is when even the scent of the liquor has gone out of the cask, even when the flavour of the bitter drug lingers no longer in the medicine glass, but has altogether disappeared. If you look carefully at the connection of our text, I do not doubt that you will experience this blessed forgetfulness. When we are in pain of body, and depression of spirit, we imagine that we never shall forget such misery as we are enduring. And yet, by and by, God turns towards us the palm of His hand, and we see that it is full of mercy, we are restored to health, or uplifted from depression of spirit, and we wonder that we ever made so much of our former suffering or depression. We remember it no more, except as a thing that has passed and gone, to be recollected with gratitude.
I. I am not going to limit the application of the text to Job and his friends, for it has also a message for many of us at the present time; and I shall take it, first, with reference to the common troubles of life which affect believing men and women. These troubles of life happen to us all more or less. They come to one in one shape, and perhaps life thinks that he is the only man who has any real misery; yet they also come to others, though possibly in another form. The Lord of the pilgrims was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and His disciples must expect to fare even as their Master fared while here below; it is enough for the servant if he be as his lord. You, who are just now enduring misery, should seek to be comforted under it. Perhaps you will ask me, Where can we get any comfort? Well, if you cannot draw any from your present experience, seek to gather some from the past. You have been miserable before, but you have been delivered and helped. There has come to you a most substantial benefit from everything which you have been called to endure. Let us gather consolation also from the future. If, as the apostle truly says, No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, recollect how he goes on to say, Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away. How will that be?
1. Well, first, by the lapse of time. Time is a wonderful healer.
2. Ay, but there is something better than the lapse of years, and that is when, during a considerable time, you are left without trial. That is a sharp pain you are now enduring; but what if you should have years of health afterwards? Remember how Job forgot his misery when, in a short time, he had double as much of all that he possessed as he had before. There is wonderfully smooth sailing on ahead for some of you when you are once over this little stretch of broken water.
3. And besides the lapse of time, and an interval of rest and calm, it may be--it probably is the fact with Gods people--that He has in store for you some great mercies. When the Lord turns your captivity, you will be like them that dream; and you know what happens to men who dream. They wake up; their dream is all gone, they have completely forgotten it. So will it be with your sorrow. Be of good courage in these dark, dull times, for, mayhap this text is Gods message to thy soul, Thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away. It has bee so with many, many, many believers in the past. What do you think of Joseph sold for a slave, Joseph falsely accused, Joseph shut up in prison? But when Joseph found out that all that trial was the way to make him ruler over all the land of Egypt, and that he might be the means of saving other nations from famine, and blessing his fathers house, I do not wonder that he called his elder son Manasseh. What does that name mean? Forgetfulness--for God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my fathers house.
II. I should be greatly rejoiced if, in the second place, I might speak a cheering word to poor souls under distress on account of sin.
1. Well, now, I exhort you, first of all, to look to Christ, and lean on Christ. Trust in His atoning sacrifice, for there alone can a troubled soul find rest. There was never a man yet who, with all his heart, did seek the Lord Jesus Christ, but sooner or later found Him; and if you have been long in seeking, I lay it to the fact that you have not sought with a prepared heart, a thoroughly earnest heart, or else you would have found Him. But, perhaps, taking Zophars next expression, you have not stretched out your hands toward the Lord, giving yourself up to Him like a man who holds up his hands to show that he surrenders. Further, you may and you shall forget your misery, provided you fulfil one more condition mentioned by Zophar, and that is, that you are not harbouring any sin: If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. Oh! you say, but how am I to do it? Christ will help you. Trust Him to help you. Oh, do see that you let not wickedness dwell in your tabernacles, you who are the people of God, and you who wish to be His, if you would have Zophars words to Job fulfilled in your experience, Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away.
III. Now let me tell you how sweetly God can make a sinner forget his misery.
1. The moment a sinner believes in Jesus Christ with true heart and repentant spirit, God makes him forget his misery, first, by giving him a full pardon.
2. Next, he rejoices in all the blessings that God gives with His grace.
IV. This text will come true to the sickening, declining, soon-departing believer. If thou hast believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and if thou art resting alone upon Him, recollect that, in a very short time, thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away. In a very, very, very short time, your suffering and sadness will all be over. I suppose the expression, waters that pass away, signifies those rivers which are common in the East, and which we meet with so abundantly in the south of France. They are rivers with very broad channels, but I have often looked in vain for a single drop of water in them. Then, perhaps you ask, what is the use of such rivers? Well, at certain times, the mountain torrents come rushing down, bearing great rocks, and stones, and trees before them, and then, after they have surged along the river bed for several days, they altogether disappear in the sea. Such will all the sorrows of fife and the sorrows even of death soon be to you, and to me also. They will all have passed away, and all will be over with us here. And then, you know, those waters that have passed away will never come back again. Thank God, we shall recollect our sorrows in heaven only to praise God for the grace that sustained us under them; but we shall not remember them as a person does who has cut his finger, and who still bears the scar in his flesh. We shall not recollect them as one does who has been wounded, and who carries the bullet somewhere about him. In heaven, you shall not have a trace of earths sorrow; you shall not have, in your glorified body, or in your perfectly sanctified soul and spirit, any trace of any spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv15, 18, 20 lift up your face without a sign of shame
lift up your face without a sign of shame
"Lifting up your face" represents the attitude of a person who is confident and brave. (See: Metonymy and Idiom)
Read full note →
you would remember it only like waters that have flowed away
Zophar is comparing misery with water that flows downstream and it is gone. AT: "You would remember it, but the misery will be gone, like waters that have flowed away" (See: Simile)
Your life would ... like the morning.
Zophar repeats the same idea for emphasis. (See: Parallelism)
Your life would be brighter than the noonday
Brightness represents being prosperous and happy. AT: "Your life would be prosperous and happy like the noonday" (See: Metaphor)
though there were darkness
Darkness represents troubles and sadness. AT: "Though there were dark troubles and sadness" (See: Hypothetical Situations)
it would become like the morning
The morning represents light, which represents prosperity and happiness. AT: "it would be prosperous and happy like the morning" (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
face
sign
shame
fear
life
darkness
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.