Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Job 2:10 - 2:10

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Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Job 2:10 - 2:10


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10 But he said to her, As one of the ungodly would speak, thou speakest. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not also receive evil?

The answer of Job is strong but not harsh, for the אחת (comp. 2Sa 13:13) is somewhat soothing. The translation “as one of the foolish women” does not correspond to the Hebrew; נָבָל is one wxo thinks madly and acts impiously. What follows is a double question, גַּם for הֲגַם. The גַּם stands at the beginning of the sentence, but logically belongs to the second part, towards which pronunciation and reading must hurry over the first, - a frequent occurrence after interrogative particles, e.g., Num 16:22; Isa 5:4; after causal particles, e.g., Isa 12:1; Pro 1:24; after the negative פֶּן, Deu 8:12., and often. Hupfeld renders the thought expressed in the double question very correctly: bonum quidem hucusque a Deo accepimus, malum vero jam non item accipiemus? גַּם is found also elsewhere at the beginning of a sentence, although belonging to a later clause, and that indeed not always the one immediately following, e.g., Hos 6:11; Zec 9:11; the same syntax is to be found with אַף, אַךְ, and רַק. קִבֵּל, like תֻּמָּה, is a word common to the book of Job and Proverbs (Pro 19:20); besides these, it is found only in books written after the exile, and is more Aramaic than Hebraic. By this answer which Job gives to his wife, he has repelled the sixth temptation. For 10b In all this Job sinned not with his lips.

Job 2:10

10b In all this Job sinned not with his lips.

The Targum adds: but in his thoughts he already cherished sinful words. בִּשְׂפָתָיו is certainly not undesignedly introduced here and omitted in Job 1:22. The temptation to murmur was now already at work within him, but he was its master, so that no murmur escaped him.