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Contemporary English Version

Job 18:4

You cut yourself in anger. Will that shake the earth or even move the rocks?

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Bildad;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bildad;   Job, Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You who tear yourself in anger—should the earth be abandoned on your account,or a rock be removed from its place?
Hebrew Names Version
You who tear yourself in your anger, Shall the eretz be forsaken for you? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?
King James Version
He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?
English Standard Version
You who tear yourself in your anger, shall the earth be forsaken for you, or the rock be removed out of its place?
New Century Version
You tear yourself to pieces in your anger. Should the earth be vacant just for you? Should the rocks move from their places?
New English Translation
You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, will the earth be abandoned for your sake? Or will a rock be moved from its place?
Amplified Bible
"You who tear yourself apart in anger, Is the earth to be abandoned for your sake, Or the rock to be moved out of its place?
New American Standard Bible
"You who tear yourself in your anger— Should the earth be abandoned for your sake, Or the rock moved from its place?
World English Bible
You who tear yourself in your anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for you? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou art as one that teareth his soule in his anger. Shall the earth bee forsaken for thy sake? or the rocke remoued out of his place?
Legacy Standard Bible
O you who tear yourself in your anger—For your sake is the earth to be forsaken,Or the rock to be moved from its place?
Berean Standard Bible
You who tear yourself in anger-should the earth be forsaken on your account, or the rocks be moved from their place?
Complete Jewish Bible
You can tear yourself to pieces in your anger, but the earth won't be abandoned just for your sake; not even a rock will be moved from its place.
Darby Translation
Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of its place?
Easy-to-Read Version
Your anger is hurting no one but you. Do you think this world was made for you alone? Do you think God should move mountains just to satisfy you?
George Lamsa Translation
Shall the earth be forsaken for your sake? And shall the mountain be removed out of its place?
Good News Translation
You are only hurting yourself with your anger. Will the earth be deserted because you are angry? Will God move mountains to satisfy you?
Lexham English Bible
"You who are tearing yourself in your anger, will the earth be forsaken because of you? Or will the rock be removed from its place?
Literal Translation
One tearing himself in his anger, shall the earth be forsaken for your sake? Or shall the rock move from its place?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Why destroyest thou thy self with anger? Shal ye earth be forsaken, or the stones remoued out of their place because of ye?
American Standard Version
Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?
Bible in Basic English
But come back, now, come: you who are wounding yourself in your passion, will the earth be given up because of you, or a rock be moved out of its place?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, shall the earth be forsaken for thee? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?
King James Version (1611)
He teareth himselfe in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rocke bee remooued out of his place?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He destroyeth him selfe with his anger: Shall the earth be forsaken, or any stone remoued out of his place because of thee?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Anger has possessed thee: for what if thou shouldest die; would the earth under heaven be desolate? or shall the mountains be overthrown from their foundations?
English Revised Version
Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, shall the earth be forsaken for thee? or shall the rock be removed out of its place?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
What leesist thou thi soule in thi woodnes? Whether the erthe schal be forsakun `for thee, and hard stoonys schulen be borun ouer fro her place?
Update Bible Version
You that tear yourself in your anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for you? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?
Webster's Bible Translation
He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of its place?
New King James Version
You who tear yourself in anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for you? Or shall the rock be removed from its place?
New Living Translation
You may tear out your hair in anger, but will that destroy the earth? Will it make the rocks tremble?
New Life Bible
You who tear yourself in your anger, will the earth be left alone because of you? Or will the rocks be moved from their place?
New Revised Standard
You who tear yourself in your anger— shall the earth be forsaken because of you, or the rock be removed out of its place?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
One tearing in pieces his own soul in his anger, - For thy sake, shall the earth be forsaken? or the rock be moved out of its place?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou that destroyest thy soul in thy fury, shall the earth be forsaken for thee, and shall rocks be removed out of their place?
Revised Standard Version
You who tear yourself in your anger, shall the earth be forsaken for you, or the rock be removed out of its place?
Young's Literal Translation
(He is tearing himself in his anger.) For thy sake is earth forsaken? And removed is a rock from its place?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"O you who tear yourself in your anger— For your sake is the earth to be abandoned, Or the rock to be moved from its place?

Contextual Overview

1 Bildad's Second Speech Bildad from Shuah said: 2 How long will you talk? Be sensible! Let us speak. 3 Or do you think that we are dumb animals? 4 You cut yourself in anger. Will that shake the earth or even move the rocks?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

teareth: Job 5:2, Job 13:14, Job 16:9, Jonah 4:9, Mark 9:18, Luke 9:39

himself: Heb. his soul

shall the: Job 40:8, Ezekiel 9:9

the rock: Job 14:18, Isaiah 54:10, Matthew 24:35

Reciprocal: Esther 5:13 - Yet all this Job 19:3 - ye reproached Job 34:33 - Should Psalms 37:8 - Cease

Cross-References

Genesis 18:5
Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you." "Thank you very much," they answered. "We accept your offer."
Genesis 18:15
Sarah was so frightened that she lied and said, "I didn't laugh." "Yes, you did!" he answered.
Genesis 19:2
and said, "Gentlemen, I am your servant. Please come to my home. You can wash your feet, spend the night, and be on your way in the morning." They told him, "No, we'll spend the night in the city square."
Genesis 24:32
Abraham's servant went home with Laban, where Laban's servants unloaded his camels and gave them straw and feed. Then they brought water into the house, so Abraham's servant and his men could wash their feet.
Genesis 43:24
The servant took them into Joseph's house and gave them water to wash their feet. He also tended their donkeys.
1 Samuel 25:41
She bowed down and said, "I would willingly be David's slave and wash his servants' feet."
Luke 7:44
He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Have you noticed this woman? When I came into your home, you didn't give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.
1 Timothy 5:10
She must also be well-known for doing all sorts of good things, such as raising children, giving food to strangers, welcoming God's people into her home, helping people in need, and always making herself useful.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He teareth himself in his anger,.... Or "his soul" l, meaning Job, and referring to what he had said in Job 16:9; Now, says Bildad, it is neither God nor man that tears you, it is you yourself; representing Job as a madman, rending his clothes, tearing his flesh, and even his very soul; for by his passion which he expressed, whether to God or his friends, it did himself the most hurt, he broke his peace, and spoiled his comfort, and ruined his health, and made himself the most unhappy of mankind, by giving vent to his passion, to his wrath and anger, which slays and a man, Job 5:2; here a charge of impatience is suggested, contrary to the character even of Job, James 5:11;

shall the earth be forsaken for thee? through fear of thee, because of thy rage and fury; dost thou think that the inhabitants of the earth will flee before thee, at thy storming, rage, and wrath? before God none can stand when he is angry: there is no abiding his indignation when his fury is poured out like fire, and persons of the greatest rank will flee to the rocks and mountains to hide them from his face and fury; but what dost thou think, or make thyself to be, to be as Deity, that the inhabitants of the earth should flee fore thee, and forsake it? or when thou diest, dost thou think that all the inhabitants of the earth will die with thee, and so it will be forsaken for thy sake? taking the hint from what Job had said, Job 17:16; or dost thou think thyself a man of so much importance and consequence in the earth that when thou diest there will not be a man left of any worth and notice, that all might as well die with thee? or will God drop the government of the world on thy account? will he no more employ his care and providence in concerning himself in the affairs of the world, but let all things go as they will, and so the earth, as to his providential regards to it, be forsaken for thy sake? will God neither do good to good men, nor punish bad men? which must be the case according to thy doctrine; but will God counteract this method of his providence, he has always taken in the earth, that thou mayest appear not to be an evil man, as might be concluded from thine afflictions, but a good man notwithstanding them?

and shall the rock be removed out of his place? which is not usual, nor can it be done by man; it may be done by God, who touches the mountains, and they smoke, and at whose presence they drop and move, as Sinai did, and as the mountains and hills will flee away at the presence of the Judge of all the earth, when he appears; but no such phenomenon can be expected upon the presence and sight of a man; much less can God himself, who is often called a Rock, and is immovable, unalterable, and unchangeable in his nature, perfections, purposes, and the counsels of his will, be made to act contrary to either of them,

Deuteronomy 32:4; nor will he do it for the sake of any man; he does all things after the counsel of his own will; he takes a constant course in Providence, in the government of the world, canst thou think that he will go out of his usual way for thy sake, in punishing wicked men, and rewarding good men? you may as soon imagine that a rock will be removed out of its place as the ordinary course of Providence will be altered on thy account; to suppose this is presumption, pride, and arrogance, which is what Bildad means to fasten upon Job.

l נפשו "animam suam", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He teareth himself - More correctly, “thou that tearest thyself in anger!” It is not an affirmation about Job, but it is a direct address to him. The meaning is, that he was in the paryoxysms of a violent rage; he acted like a madman.

Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? - A reproof of his pride and arrogance. “Shall everything be made to give way for you? Are you the only man in the world and of so much importance, that the earth is to be made vacant for you to dwell in? Are the interests of all others to be sacrificed for you, and is everything else to give place for you? Are all the laws of God’s government to be made to yield rather than that you should be punished?” Similar modes of expression to denote the insignificance of anyone who is proud and arrogant, are still used among the Arabs. “Since Muhammed died, the Imams govern.” “The world will not suffer loss on your account.” “The world is not dependent on anyone man.” T. Hunt, in Lowth’s Lectures on Hebrew Poetry. Rosenmuller’s Morgenland, in lec.

And shall the rock be removed out of his place? - “Shall the most firm and immutable things give way for your special accommodation? Shall the most important and settled principles of the divine administration be made to bend on your account?” These were not the principles and feelings of Job; and great injustice was done to him by this supposition. He was disposed to be submissive in the main to the divine arrangement. But this will describe the feelings of many a man of pride, who supposes that the divine arrangements should be made to bend for his special accommodation, and that the great, eternal principles of justice and right should give way rather than that he should be dealt with as common sinners are, and rather than that he should be cast into hell. Such people wish a special place of salvation for themselves. They are too proud to be saved as others are. They complain in their hearts that they are made to suffer, to lose their property, to be sick, to die - as others do. They would wish to be treated with special mercy, and to have special enactments in their favor, and would have the eternal laws of right made to bend for their special accommodation Such is the pride of the human heart!

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 18:4. He teareth himself in his anger — Literally, Rending his own soul in his anger; as if he had said, Thou art a madman: thy fury has such a sway over thee that thou eatest thy own flesh. While thou treatest us as beasts, we see thee to be a furious maniac, destroying thy own life.

Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? — To say the least, afflictions are the common lot of men. Must God work a miracle in providence, in order to exempt thee from the operation of natural causes? Dost thou wish to engross all the attention and care of providence to thyself alone? What pride and insolence!


 
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