the Second Week after Easter
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New Century Version
Job 4:6
Bible Study Resources
Dictionaries:
- CharlesEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
Isn’t your piety your confidence,and the integrity of your life your hope?
Isn't your piety your confidence, The integrity of your ways your hope?
Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?
Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
Is not your piety your confidence, and your blameless ways your hope?
"Is not your fear of God your confidence, And [is not] the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope?
"Is your fear of God not your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope?
Isn't your piety your confidence, The integrity of your ways your hope?
Is not this thy feare, thy confidence, thy pacience, and the vprightnesse of thy wayes?
Is not your fear of God your confidence,And the integrity of your ways your hope?
Is your reverence not your confidence, and the uprightness of your ways your hope?
You respect God and live right, so don't lose hope!
Isn't your fear of God your assurance, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
Hath not thy piety been thy confidence, and the perfection of thy ways thy hope?
You worship God. You trust him. You are a good man, so let that be your hope.
Behold, your fear is to be blamed, and your trust in the integrity of your way.
You worshiped God, and your life was blameless; and so you should have confidence and hope.
Is not your fear in God your confidence? Is not your hope even the integrity of your ways?
Is not your reverence your hope; your hope the uprightness of your ways?
Where is now thy feare of God, thy stedfastnesse, thy pacience, and the perfectnesse of thy life?
Is not thy fear of God thy confidence, And the integrity of thy ways thy hope?
Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?
Was not thy feare according to thy hope? and the perfectnesse of thy wayes according to thy expectation?
Is not thy fear of God thy confidence, and thy hope the integrity of thy ways?
Is not this thy feare, thy confidence; the vprightnesse of thy wayes and thy hope?
Is not thy fear founded in folly, thy hope also, and the mischief of thy way?
Is not thy fear of God thy confidence, and thy hope the integrity of thy ways?
Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
Isn't your fear [of God] your confidence, [And] the integrity of your ways your hope?
[Is] not [this] thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?
Is not your reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope?
Doesn't your reverence for God give you confidence? Doesn't your life of integrity give you hope?
Is not your fear of God what gives you strength and your good ways that give you hope?
Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
Is not, thy reverence, thy confidence? And is not, thy hope, the very integrity of thy ways?
Where is thy fear, thy fortitude, thy patience, and the perfection of thy ways?
Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
Is not thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope -- the perfection of thy ways?
"Is not your fear of God your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope?
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
thy fear: Job 1:1, Job 1:9, Job 1:10, 2 Kings 20:3
thy confidence: Job 13:15, Proverbs 3:26, Proverbs 14:26
thy hope: Job 17:15, 1 Peter 1:13, 1 Peter 1:17
the uprightness: Job 1:8, Job 16:17, Job 23:11, Job 23:12, Job 27:5, Job 27:6, Job 29:12-17, Job 31:1-40
Reciprocal: Job 8:6 - thou wert Job 15:4 - castest off Job 19:3 - ye reproached
Cross-References
Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Eve said, "With the Lord 's help, I have given birth to a man."
Later, Cain brought some food from the ground as a gift to God.
Abel brought the best parts from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift,
but he did not accept Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry and felt rejected.
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out into the field." While they were out in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
And now you will be cursed in your work with the ground, the same ground where your brother's blood fell and where your hands killed him.
Then Cain said to the Lord , "This punishment is more than I can stand!
Anger kills the fool, and jealousy slays the stupid.
The Lord says, "Come, let us talk about these things. Though your sins are like scarlet, they can be as white as snow. Though your sins are deep red, they can be white like wool.
This is what the Lord says: "I was fair to your ancestors, so why did they turn away from me? Your ancestors worshiped useless idols and became useless themselves.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
[Is] not [this] thy fear,.... The fear of God, that which is of him, comes from him, is a grace of his implanted in the hearts of his people at conversion, and is increased and encouraged, and drawn forth into fresh exercise through the grace and goodness of God displayed; for a slavish fear, or a fear of punishment, of wrath and damnation, is not the true grace of fear, which maybe in unregenerate men, and even in the devils; but this lies in a reverential affection for God on account of his goodness, and in a carefulness not to offend him on that account; in an hatred of sin, and a departure from it; in an attendance on the worship of God, and is sometimes put for the whole of it; and is accompanied with faith in God, joy in the Holy Ghost, humility of soul, and holiness of heart and life: now Job professed to have this fear of God in his heart, and was thought to have it; this was his general character, Job 1:1; but, in his present case and circumstances, Eliphaz asks what was become of it, where it was now, and in what it appeared? and jeers him about it, as if he should say, does it lie in this, in fainting and sinking under afflictions, in being troubled and terrified, and thrown into a consternation by them, and in breaking out into such rash expressions of God and his providence? is it come to this at last, or rather to nothing at all? for he suggests either that Job never had the true grace of fear in him, contrary to the character given of him, and confirmed by God himself, Job 1:1; or that he had cast it off and it was gone from him, and left, Job 15:4; which can never be, where it once is, it being the great security against a final and total apostasy from God,
Jeremiah 32:40; or that what he had was merely hypocritical, like that which is taught by the precept of men, was only in appearance, and not in reality, as his conduct now showed; for had he had the true fear of God before his eyes, and on his heart, he could never have cursed the day of his birth, nor arraigned the providence of God, and charged him with injustice, as he supposed he did; whereby his fear, his piety, his religion he had professed, appeared to be just nothing at all c: it follows,
thy confidence; that is, in God; for Job professed none in any other, in any creature or creature enjoyment, Job 31:24; this when right is a strong act of faith and trust in the Lord, a thorough persuasion and full assurance of interest in him as a covenant God, and in his love and favour, and in Christ as the living Redeemer, and of the truth of the work of grace upon the heart, and of the certainty of the performance of it; also a holy boldness in prayer to God, and a firm and assured belief of being heard and answered; as well as an open and courageous profession of him before men, without any fear of them; for all this Job had been famous, and now he is asked, where it all was? and what was become of it? how it appeared now? and intimates he never had any, or had cast it away, and that it was come to nothing; as was concluded from the rash expressions of his lips, and from the sinkings of his spirit under his present afflictions; but Job's trust and confidence in God and in Christ still continued; see Job 13:15;
thy hope; which also is a grace wrought in the heart, in regeneration; is of things unseen and future, yet to be enjoyed either here or hereafter; and that which is right has Christ for its object, ground, and foundation, and is of singular use to keep up the spirits of men under afflictive providences: and Eliphaz observing Job to be very impatient under them, inquires about his hope; and intimates that what he had professed to have was the hope of the hypocrite, and not real, and was now come to nothing; hope that is true, though it may become low, it cannot be lost; nor was Job's, especially with respect to spiritual and eternal things; see Job 14:7;
and the uprightness of thy ways? before God and men, walking uprightly in the ways of God, according to the revelation of his will made unto him, and acting the just and upright part in all his dealings with men; and for which he was celebrated, and is a part of the character before given of him, Job 1:1; but it is insinuated by Eliphaz that there was nothing in it; it was only in show, in appearance, it was not from the heart; or it would not be thus with him as it was, nor would he behave in the manner he now did: some read the words as in the margin, and in some copies of our Bible, "is not thy fear thy confidence? and the uprightness of thy ways thy hope?" and with some little variation Mr. Broughton; "is not thy religion thy hope, and thy right ways thy confidence?" that is, didst thou not hope and expect, and even wert thou not confident of it, that because of thy fear of God, and of the uprightness of thy ways before men, that thou shouldest not only be increased in thy worldly substance, but be preserved and protected in the enjoyment of it? and were not these the reasons which induced thee to be religious, and make such a show of it? suggesting, that he was only religions from mercenary views and selfish principles, and so tacitly charges him with what the devil himself did, Job 1:9; and this way go many Jewish and Christian interpreters d: some render the words much in the same way, but to a better sense, and more in favour of Job, and by way of instruction and comfort to him: "should not thy fear be thy confidence, and thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?" e shouldest thou not take encouragement from thy fear of God, and the uprightness of thine heart and ways, to expect deliverance and salvation, and not faint and sink as thou dost? or is not this the cause of all thine impatience, thy fear of God, trust and hope in him, and thine integrity? concluding thou shouldest have been dealt with after another manner for the sake of these things, and therefore art ready to think thou art hardly dealt with by God, having deserved better treatment; thus making Job to think highly of himself, and to entertain wrong notions of God; so Schmidt; but the first sense I have given of the words seems best.
c ××× ×ר××ª× "adeone nihil pietas tua?" Schultens. d Montanus, Mercerus, Piscator, some in Vatablus; so Ben Gersom and Bar Tzemach. e So some in Michaelis.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Is not this thy fear, thy confidence? - There has been considerable variety in the interpretation of this verse. Dr. Good renders it,
Is thy piety then nothing? thy hope
Thy contidence? or the uprightness of thy ways?
Noyes renders it,
Is not thy fear of God thy hope,
And the uprightness of thy ways the confidence?
Rosenmuller translates it,
Is not in thy piety and integrity of life
Thy confidence and hope?
In the Vulgate it is translated, âWhere is thy fear, thy fortitude, thy patience, and the integrity of thy ways?â In the Septuagint, âIs not thy fear founded on folly, and thy hope, and the evil of thy way?â
Castellio translates it,
Nimirum tanturn religionis, quantum expectationis;
Quantum spei, tanturn habebas integritatis morum;
And the idea according to his version is, that he had as much religion as was prompted by the hope of reward; that his piety and integrity were sustained only by his hope, and were not the result of principle; and that of course his religion was purely selfish. If this be the sense, it is designed to be a reproach, and accords with the charge in the question of Satan Job 1:9, âDoth Job fear God for naught?â Rosenmuller adopts the opinion of Ludovicus de Dieu, and explains it as meaning,â You seemed to be a man fearing God, and a man of integrity, and you were led hence to cherish high hopes and expectations; but now you perceive that you were deceived. Your piety was not sincere and genuine, for the truly pious do not thus suffer. Remember therefore that no one perishes being innocent.â Codurcus renders it, âAll thy hope was placed in thy religion, and thy expectation in the rectitude of thy ways; consider now, who perishes being innocent?â The true sentiment of the passage has undoubtedly been expressed by Good, Noyes. and Codurcus. The Hebrew rendered thy fear ×ר××ª× yaÌreÌ'tek means doubtless religious fear, veneration, or piety, and is a word synonymous with ÎµÏ ÌλαÌβεια eulabeia, ÎµÏ ÌÏεÌβεια eusebeia, religion. The sentiment is, that his confidence or hope was placed in his religion - in his fear of God, his respect and veneration for him, and in reliance on the equity of his government. This had been his stay in times past; and this was the subject which was naturally brought before him then. Eliphaz asks whether he should not put his trust in that God still, and not reproach him as unequal and unjust in his administration.
The uprightness of thy ways - Hebrew, The perfection of thy ways. Note Job 1:1. The idea is, that his hope was founded on the integrity of his life, and on the belief that the upright would be rewarded. The passage may be rendered,
Is not thy confidence and thy expectation
Founded on thy religion,
And on the integrity of thy ways?
This is the general sentiment which Eliphaz proceeds to illustrate and apply. If this was a just principle, it was natural to ask whether the trials of Job did not prove that he had no well grounded reason for such confidence.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Job 4:6. Is not this thy fear — I think Coverdale hits the true meaning: Where is now thy feare of God, thy stedfastnesse, thy pacience, and the perfectnesse of thy life? If these be genuine, surely there is no cause for all this complaint, vexation, and despair. That this is the meaning, the next words show.
