Job 11:2

World English Bible

Contextual Overview

¹ Then Zophar, the Naamathite, answered, ² "Shouldn't the multitude of words be answered? Should a man full of talk be justified? ³ Should your boastings make men hold their peace? When you mock, shall no man make you ashamed? ⁴ For you say, 'My doctrine is pure, I am clean in your eyes.' ⁵ But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against you, ⁶ That he would show you the secrets of wisdom! For true wisdom has two sides. Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your iniquity deserves.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the multitude: Job 16:3, Job 18:2, Psalms 140:11, Proverbs 10:19, Acts 17:18, James 1:19

full of talk: Heb. of lips

Reciprocal: Job 8:2 - How long Job 12:2 - ye are the people Job 13:7 - General Job 15:2 - a wise man Job 16:2 - heard Job 16:4 - up words Job 24:25 - who will make Job 34:37 - multiplieth

Cross-References

Genesis 10:10
The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Genesis 11:9
Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because Yahweh confused the language of all the earth, there. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

Genesis 13:11
So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot journeyed east, and they separated themselves the one from the other.

Genesis 14:1
It happened in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim,

Isaiah 11:11
It shall happen in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, who shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Daniel 1:2
The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god: and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god.

Zechariah 5:11
He said to me, "To build her a house in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will be set there in her own place."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Should not the multitude of words be answered?.... Zophar insinuates, that Job was a mere babbler, a talkative man, that had words, but no matter; said a great deal, but there was nothing in what he said; that his words were but wind, yea, in effect that he was a fool, who is commonly full of words, and is known by the multitude of them; and whereas he might think to bear down all before him in this way, and to discourage persons from giving him an answer; this Zophar suggests should not be the case, nor would he be deterred hereby from giving one, which he now undertook: some supply it, as Bar Tzemach, "should not a man of a multitude of words" s, c. a verbose man, a dealer in many words, and nothing else, should not he be "answered?" if he uses nothing but words, and there is no argument in them, they seem not to deserve an answer, unless it be to show the emptiness of them, expose a man's folly, and pull down his pride and vanity:

and should a man full of talk be justified? or "a man of lips" t, an eloquent man, or one that affects to be so a man of a fine speech, who artfully colours things, and makes a show of wisdom and truth, when there are neither in what he says; is such a man to be justified? he would seem to be in his own eyes at least, if not in the eyes of others, if not answered; he would be thought to have carried his point, to have had the better of the argument, and to have got the victory by dint of words and power of oratory; for this is not to be understood of justification before God; for as no man is heard and accepted by him for his "much speaking", as was the opinion of the Heathens, so neither are any justified on account of their many words, any more than their many works; since, in a multitude of words there are often not only much folly and weakness, but vanities and sins, Proverbs 10:19; there is indeed a sense in which a man is justified by his words, Matthew 12:37; when he confesses Christ, and professes to be justified by his righteousness, and believes in that, and pleads it as his justifying righteousness; he is justified by that righteousness; which is contained in the confession and profession of his faith; but this is not here meant.

s הרב דברים "an abundans verbis", Beza; "an multus verbis", Mercerus, so Kimchi Ben Melech and most Hebrew writers take

רב for an adjective. t איש שפתים "vir labiorum", Montanus, Beza, Drusius, Vatablus, Mercerus, Bolducius, Cocceius, Schmidt, Michaelis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Should not the multitude of words be answered? - As if all that Job had said had been mere words; or as if he was remarkable for mere garrulity.

And should a man full of talk be justified - Margin, as in Hebrew “of lips.” The phrase is evidently a Hebraism, to denote a great talker - a man of mere lips, or empty sound. Zophar asks whether such a man could be justified or vindicated. It will be recollected that taciturnity was with the Orientals a much greater virtue than with us, and that it was regarded as one of the proofs of wisdom. The wise man with them was he who sat down at the feet of age, and desired to learn; who carefully collected the maxims of former times; who diligently observed the course of events; and who deliberated with care on what others had to say. Thus, Solomon says, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise;” Proverbs 10:19; so James 1:19, “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak.” It was supposed that a man who said much would say some foolish or improper things, and hence, it was regarded as a proof of prudence to be distinguished for silence. In Oriental countries, and it may be added also, in all countries that we regard as uncivilized, it is unusual and disrespectful to be hasty in offering counsel, to be forward to speak, or to be confident and bold in opinion; see the notes at Job 32:6-7. It was for reasons such as these that Zophar maintained that a man who was full of talk could not be justified in it; that there was presumptive proof that he was not a safe man, or a man who could be vindicated in all that he said.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 11:2. Should not the multitude of words be answered? — Some translate, "To multiply words profiteth nothing."

And should a man full of talk be justified — איש שפתים ish sephathayim, "a man of lips," a proper appellation for a great talker: he is "a man of lips," i.e., his lips are the only active parts of his system.