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The NET Bible®

Job 40:5

I have spoken once, but I cannot answer; twice, but I will say no more."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Conviction;   God;   Humility;   Job;   Prayer;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Leviathan;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Job;   Providence;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Job, Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I have spoken once, and I will not reply;twice, but now I can add nothing.
Hebrew Names Version
I have spoken once, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."
King James Version
Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
English Standard Version
I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further."
New Century Version
I spoke one time, but I will not answer again; I even spoke two times, but I will say nothing more."
Amplified Bible
"I have spoken once, but I will not reply again— Indeed, twice [I have answered], and I will add nothing further."
New American Standard Bible
"I have spoken once, and I will not reply; Or twice, and I will add nothing more."
World English Bible
I have spoken once, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Once haue I spoken, but I will answere no more, yea twise, but I will proceede no further.
Legacy Standard Bible
Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;Even twice, and I will add nothing more."
Berean Standard Bible
I have spoken once, but I have no answer-twice, but I have nothing to add."
Contemporary English Version
I did speak once or twice, but never again.
Complete Jewish Bible
Yes, I spoke once, but I won't answer more; all right, twice, but I won't go on."
Darby Translation
Once have I spoken, and I will not answer; yea twice, but I will proceed no further.
Easy-to-Read Version
I spoke once, but I will not speak again. I spoke twice, but I will not say anything more."
George Lamsa Translation
Once I have spoken; but I will not answer; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further.
Good News Translation
I have already said more than I should.
Lexham English Bible
Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; even twice, but I will not proceed."
Literal Translation
Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yea, twice, but I will go no further.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Once or twyse haue I spoken, but I will saye nomore.
American Standard Version
Once have I spoken, and I will not answer; Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further.
Bible in Basic English
I have said once, and even twice, what was in my mind, but I will not do so again.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Once have I spoken, but I will not answer again; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further.
King James Version (1611)
Once haue I spoken, but I will not answere: yea twise, but I will proceed no further.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Once haue I spoken, but I wyll saye no more: yea twyse, but I wyl proceede no further.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Assume now a lofty bearing and power; and clothe thyself with glory and honour.
English Revised Version
Once have I spoken, and I will not answer; yea twice, but I will proceed no further.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y spak o thing, which thing Y wold, that Y hadde not seid; and Y spak anothir thing, to which Y schal no more adde.
Update Bible Version
Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.
Webster's Bible Translation
Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yes, twice; but I will proceed no further.
New King James Version
Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."
New Living Translation
I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say."
New Life Bible
I have spoken once, and I cannot answer; even twice, and I have no more to say."
New Revised Standard
I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Once, have I spoken, but I will not proceed, yea twice, but I will not add.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(39-35) One thing I have spoken, which I wish I had not said: and another, to which I will add no more.
Revised Standard Version
I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further."
Young's Literal Translation
Once I have spoken, and I answer not, And twice, and I add not.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add nothing more."

Contextual Overview

1 Then the Lord answered Job: 2 "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let the person who accuses God give him an answer!" 3 Then Job answered the Lord : 4 "Indeed, I am completely unworthy—how could I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth to silence myself. 5 I have spoken once, but I cannot answer; twice, but I will say no more."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

but I will not: Job 34:31, Job 34:32, Romans 3:19

twice: Job 33:14, 2 Kings 6:10, Psalms 62:11

but I will proceed: Jeremiah 31:18, Jeremiah 31:19

Reciprocal: Genesis 38:26 - And he knew Leviticus 13:23 - General Judges 18:19 - lay thine 1 Kings 18:21 - answered Job 6:26 - reprove Job 13:2 - General Job 13:15 - but I will Job 13:22 - General Job 31:35 - Oh Job 33:29 - oftentimes Psalms 39:9 - General Psalms 106:33 - he spake Isaiah 43:26 - Put Ezekiel 16:63 - and never Jonah 4:9 - I do well to be angry Zephaniah 1:7 - thy Matthew 15:27 - Truth Mark 14:31 - he spake Romans 9:20 - who art

Cross-References

Genesis 20:3
But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else's wife."
Genesis 40:1
After these things happened, the cupbearer to the king of Egypt and the royal baker offended their master, the king of Egypt.
Genesis 40:3
so he imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard in the same facility where Joseph was confined.
Genesis 40:5
Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream the same night. Each man's dream had its own meaning.
Genesis 40:7
So he asked Pharaoh's officials, who were with him in custody in his master's house, "Why do you look so sad today?"
Genesis 40:8
They told him, "We both had dreams, but there is no one to interpret them." Joseph responded, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me."
Genesis 40:10
On the vine there were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes.
Genesis 40:13
In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you did before when you were cupbearer.
Genesis 40:14
But remember me when it goes well for you, and show me kindness. Make mention of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison,
Genesis 40:15
for I really was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Once have I spoken; but I will not answer,.... Some think this refers to what he had just now said of his vileness, he had owned that, and that was all he had to say, or would say, he would give no other answer; Jarchi says, some suppose he has respect to his words in Job 9:22;

yea, twice; but I will proceed no further; the meaning seems to be, that he who had once and again, or very often, at least in some instances, spoken very imprudently and indecently, for the future would take care not to speak in such a manner: for this confession was not quite free and full; and therefore the Lord takes him in hand again, to bring him to make a more full and ingenuous one, as he does in

Job 42:1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Once have I spoken - That is, in vindicating myself. He had once spoken of God in an irreverent and improper manner, and he now saw it.

But I will not answer - I will not now answer, as I had expressed the wish to do. Job now saw that he had spoken in an improper manner, and he says that he would not repeat what he had said.

Yea, twice - He had not only offended once, as if in a thoughtless and hasty manner, but he had repeated it, showing deliberation, and thus aggravating his guilt. When a man is brought to a willingness to confess that he has done wrong once, he will be very likely to see that he has been guilty of more than one offence. One sin will draw on the remembrance of another; and the gate once open, a flood of sins will rush to the recollection. It is not common that a man can so isolate a sin as to repent of that alone, or so look at one offence against God as not to feel that he has been often guilty of the same crimes.

But I will proceed no further - Job felt doubtless that if he should allow himself to speak again, or to attempt now to vindicate himself, he would be in danger of committing the same error again. He now saw that God was right; that he had himself repeatedly indulged in an improper spirit, and that all that became him was a penitent confession in the fewest words possible. We may learn here:

(1) That a view of God is fitted to produce in us a deep sense of our own sins. No one can feel himself to be in the presence of God, or regard the Almighty as speaking to him, without saying, “Lo I am vile? There is nothing so much fitted to produce a sense of sinfulness and nothingness as a view of God.

(2) The world will be mute at the day of judgment. They who have been most loud and bold in vindicating themselves will then be silent, and will confess that they are vile, and the whole world “will become guilty before God.” If the presence and the voice of God produced such an effect on so good a man as Job, what will it not do on a wicked world?

(3) A true penitent is disposed to use but few words; “God be merciful to me a sinner,” or, “lo, I am vile,” is about all the language which the penitent employs. He does not go into long arguments, into metaphysical distinctions, into apologies and vindications, but uses the simplest language of confession, and then leaves the soul, and the cause, in the hands of God.

(4) Repentance consists in stopping where we are, and in resolving to add no more sin. “I have erred,” is its language. “I will not add to it, I will do so no more,” is the immediate response of the soul. A readiness to go into a vindication, or to expose oneself to the danger of sinning again in the same way, is an evidence that there is no true repentance. Job, a true penitent, would not allow himself even to speak again on the subject, lest he should be guilty of the sin which he had already committed.

(5) In repentance we must be willing to retract our errors, and confess that we were wrong - no matter what favorite opinions we have had, or how tenaciously and zealously we have defended and held them. Job had constructed many beautiful and eloquent arguments in defense of his opinions; he had brought to bear on the subject all the results of his observation, all his attainments in science, all the adages and maxims that he had derived from the ancients, and from a long contact with mankind, but he was now brought to a willingness to confess that his arguments were not solid, and that the opinions which he had cherished were erroneous. It is often more difficult to abandon opinions than vices; and the proud philosopher when he exercises repentance has a more difficult task than the victim of low and debasing sensuality. His opinions are his idols. They embody the results of his reading, his reflections, his conversation, his observation, and they become a part of himself. Hence, it is, that so many abandoned sinners are converted, and so few philosophers; that religion spreads often with so much success among the obscure and the openly wicked, while so few of the “wise men of the world” are called and saved.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 40:5. Once have I spoken — See on Job 42:3, c.

I will proceed no farther. — I shall attempt to justify myself no longer I have spoken repeatedly; and am confounded at my want of respect for my Maker, and at the high thoughts which I have entertained of my own righteousness. All is impurity in the presence of thy Majesty.


 
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