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Selected Verse: Job 23:10 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Job 23:10	Strong Concordance	But he knoweth [03045] the way [01870] that I take [05978]: when he hath tried [0974] me, I shall come forth [03318] as gold [02091].
	King James	But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
But--correcting himself for the wish that his cause should be known before God. The omniscient One already knoweth the way in me (my inward principles: His outward way or course of acts is mentioned in Job 23:11. So in me, Job 4:21); though for some inscrutable cause He as yet hides Himself (Job 23:8-9). when--let Him only but try my cause, I shall, &c.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

But--correcting himself for the wish that his cause should be known before God. The omniscient One already knoweth the way in me (my inward principles: His outward way or course of acts is mentioned in Job 23:11. So in me, Job 4:21); though for some inscrutable cause He as yet hides Himself (Job 23:8-9).

when--let Him only but try my cause, I shall, &c.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
But he knoweth the way that I take - Margin, "is with me." That is, "I have the utmost confidence in him. Though I cannot see him, yet he sees me, and he knows my integrity; and whatever people may say, or however they may misunderstand my character, yet he is acquainted with me, and I have the fullest confidence that he will do me justice." When he hath tried me - When he has subjected me to all the tests of character which he shall choose to apply. I shall come forth as gold - As gold that is tried in the crucible, and that comes forth the more pure the intenser is the heat. The application of fire to it serves to separate every particle of impurity or alloy, and leaves only the pure metal. So it is with trials applied to the friend of God; and we may remark (1) That all real piety will bear "any" test that may be applied to it, as gold will bear any degree of heat without being injured or destroyed. (2) That the effect of all trials is to purify piety, and make it more bright and valuable, as is the effect of applying intense heat to gold. (3) There is often much alloy in the piety of a Christian, as there is in gold, that needs to be removed by the fiery trial of affliction. Nothing else will remove it but trial, as nothing will be so effectual a purifier of gold as intense heat. (4) A true Christian should not dread trial. It will not hurt him. He will be the more valuable for his trials, as gold is for the application of heat. There is no danger of destroying true piety. It will live in the flames, and will survive the raging heat that shall yet consume the world.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
10 For He knoweth the way that is with me: If He should prove me, I should come forth as gold. 11 My foot held firm to His steps; His way I kept, and turned not aside. 12 The command of His lips - I departed not from it; More than my own determination I kept the words of His mouth. 13 Yet He remaineth by one thing, and who can turn Him? And He accomplisheth what His soul desireth. That which is not merely outwardly, but inwardly with (אם) any one, is that which he thinks and knows (his consciousness), Job 9:35; Job 15:9, or his willing and acting, Job 10:13; Job 27:11 : he is conscious of it, he intends to do it; here, Job 23:10, עם is intended in the former sense, in Job 23:14 in the latter. The "way with me" is that which his conscience (συνείδησις) approves (συμμαρτυρεῖ); comp. Psychol. S. 134. This is known to God, so that he who is now set down as a criminal would come forth as tried gold, in the event of God allowing him to appear before Him, and subjecting him to judicial trial. בּחנני is the praet. hypotheticum so often mentioned, which is based upon the paratactic character of the Hebrew style, as Gen 44:22; Rut 2:9; Zac 13:6; Ges. 155, 4, a. His foot has held firmly (Note: On אחז, Carey correctly observes, and it explains the form of the expression: The oriental foot has a power of grasp and tenacity, because not shackled with shoes from early childhood, of which we can form but little idea.) to the steps of God (אשׁוּר, together with אשּׁוּר, Job 31:7, from אשׁר Piel, to go on), so that he was always close behind Him as his predecessor (אחז( ro synon. תּמך, Psa 17:5; Pro 5:5). He guarded, i.e., observed His way, and turned not aside (אט fut. apoc. Hiph. in the intransitive sense of deflectere, as e.g., Psa 125:5). In Job 23:12, מצות שׂפתיו precedes as cas. absolutus (as respects the command of His lips); and what is said in this respect follows with Waw apod. (= Arab. f) without the retrospective pronoun ממּנּה (which is omitted for poetic brevity). On this prominence of a separate notion after the manner of an antecedent. The Hiph. המישׁ, like הטּה, Job 23:11, and הלּיז, Pro 4:21, is not causative, but simply active in signification. In Job 23:12 the question arises, whether צפן מן is one expression, as in Job 17:4, in the sense of "hiding from another," or whether מן is comparative. In the former sense Hirz. explains: I removed the divine will from the possible ascendancy of my own. But since צפן is familiar to the poet in the sense of preserving and laying by (צפוּנים( y, treasures, Job 20:26), it is more natural to explain, according to Psa 119:11 : I kept the words (commands) of Thy mouth, i.e., esteemed them high and precious, more than my statute, i.e., more than what my own will prescribed for me. (Note: Wetzstein arranges the significations of צפן as follows: - 1. (Beduin) intr. fut. i, to contain one's self, to keep still (hence in Hebr. to lie in wait), to be rapt in thought; conjug. II. c. acc. pers. to make any one thoughtful, irresolute. 2. (Hebr.) trans. fut. o, to keep anything to one's self, to hold back, to keep to one's self; Niph. to be held back, i.e., either concealed or reserved for future use. Thus we see how, on the one hand, צפן is related to טמן, e.g., Job 20:26 (Arab. itmaanna, to be still); and, on the other, can interchange with צפה in the signification designare (comp. Job 15:22 with Job 15:20; Job 21:19), and to spy, lie in wait (comp. Psa 10:8; Psa 56:7; Pro 1:11, Pro 1:18, with Psa 37:32).) The meaning is substantially the same; the lxx, which translates ἐν δὲ κόλπῳ μου (בּחקי), which Olsh. considers to be "perhaps correct," destroys the significance of the confession. Hirz. rightly refers to the "law in the members," Rom 7:23 : חקּי is the expression Job uses for the law of the sinful nature which strives against the law of God, the wilful impulse of selfishness and evil passion, the law which the apostle describes as ἕτερος νόμος, in distinction from the νόμος τοῦ Θεοῦ (Psychol. S. 379). Job's conscience can give him this testimony, but He, the God who so studiously avoids him, remains in one mind, viz., to treat him as a criminal; and who can turn Him from His purpose? (the same question as Job 9:12; Job 11:10); His soul wills it (stat pro ratione voluntas), and He accomplishes it. Most expositors explain permanet in uno in this sense; the Beth is the usual ב with verbs of entering upon and persisting in anything. Others, however, take the ב as Beth essentiae: He remains one and the same, viz., in His conduct towards me (Umbr., Vaih.), or: He is one, is alone, viz., in absolute majesty (Targ. Jer.; Schult., Ew., Hlgst., Schlottm.), which is admissible, since this Beth occurs not only in the complements of a sentence (Psa 39:7, like a shadow; Isa 48:10, after the manner of silver; Psa 55:19, in great number; Psa 35:2, as my help), but also with the predicate of a simple sentence, be it verbal (Job 24:13; Pro 3:26) or substantival (Exo 18:4; Psa 118:7). The same construction is found also in Arabic, where, however, it is more frequent in simple negative clauses than in affirmative (vid., Psalter, i. 272). The assertion: He is one (as in the primary monotheistic confession, Deu 6:4), is, however, an expression for the absoluteness of God, which is not suited to this connection; and if הוא באחד is intended to be understood of the unchangeable uniformity of His purpose concerning Job, the explanation: versatur (perstat) in uno, Arab. hua fi wâhidin, is not only equally, but more natural, and we therefore prefer it. Here again God appears to Job to be his enemy. His confidence towards God is again overrun by all kinds of evil, suspicious thoughts. He seems to him to be a God of absolute caprice, who punishes where there is no ground for punishment. There is indeed a phrase of the abiding fact which he considers superior to God and himself, both being conceived of as contending parties; and this phase God avoids, He will not hear it. Into this vortex of thoughts, as terrible as they are puerile, Job is hurried forward by the persuasion that his affliction is a decree of divine justice. The friends have greatly confirmed him in this persuasion; so that his consciousness of innocence, and the idea of God as inflicting punishment, are become widely opposite extremes, between which his faith is hardly able to maintain itself. It is not his affliction in itself, but this persuasion, which precipitates him into such a depth of conflict, as the following strophe shows.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

10 For He knoweth the way that is with me:

If He should prove me, I should come forth as gold.

11 My foot held firm to His steps;

His way I kept, and turned not aside.

12 The command of His lips - I departed not from it;

More than my own determination I kept the words of His mouth.

13 Yet He remaineth by one thing, and who can turn Him?

And He accomplisheth what His soul desireth.

That which is not merely outwardly, but inwardly with (אם) any one, is that which he thinks and knows (his consciousness), Job 9:35; Job 15:9, or his willing and acting, Job 10:13; Job 27:11 : he is conscious of it, he intends to do it; here, Job 23:10, עם is intended in the former sense, in Job 23:14 in the latter. The "way with me" is that which his conscience (συνείδησις) approves (συμμαρτυρεῖ); comp. Psychol. S. 134. This is known to God, so that he who is now set down as a criminal would come forth as tried gold, in the event of God allowing him to appear before Him, and subjecting him to judicial trial. בּחנני is the praet. hypotheticum so often mentioned, which is based upon the paratactic character of the Hebrew style, as Gen 44:22; Rut 2:9; Zac 13:6; Ges. 155, 4, a. His foot has held firmly

(Note: On אחז, Carey correctly observes, and it explains the form of the expression: The oriental foot has a power of grasp and tenacity, because not shackled with shoes from early childhood, of which we can form but little idea.)

to the steps of God (אשׁוּר, together with אשּׁוּר, Job 31:7, from אשׁר Piel, to go on), so that he was always close behind Him as his predecessor (אחז( ro synon. תּמך, Psa 17:5; Pro 5:5). He guarded, i.e., observed His way, and turned not aside (אט fut. apoc. Hiph. in the intransitive sense of deflectere, as e.g., Psa 125:5).

In Job 23:12, מצות שׂפתיו precedes as cas. absolutus (as respects the command of His lips); and what is said in this respect follows with Waw apod. (= Arab. f) without the retrospective pronoun ממּנּה (which is omitted for poetic brevity). On this prominence of a separate notion after the manner of an antecedent. The Hiph. המישׁ, like הטּה, Job 23:11, and הלּיז, Pro 4:21, is not causative, but simply active in signification. In Job 23:12 the question arises, whether צפן מן is one expression, as in Job 17:4, in the sense of "hiding from another," or whether מן is comparative. In the former sense Hirz. explains: I removed the divine will from the possible ascendancy of my own. But since צפן is familiar to the poet in the sense of preserving and laying by (צפוּנים( y, treasures, Job 20:26), it is more natural to explain, according to Psa 119:11 : I kept the words (commands) of Thy mouth, i.e., esteemed them high and precious, more than my statute, i.e., more than what my own will prescribed for me.

(Note: Wetzstein arranges the significations of צפן as follows: - 1. (Beduin) intr. fut. i, to contain one's self, to keep still (hence in Hebr. to lie in wait), to be rapt in thought; conjug. II. c. acc. pers. to make any one thoughtful, irresolute. 2. (Hebr.) trans. fut. o, to keep anything to one's self, to hold back, to keep to one's self; Niph. to be held back, i.e., either concealed or reserved for future use. Thus we see how, on the one hand, צפן is related to טמן, e.g., Job 20:26 (Arab. itmaanna, to be still); and, on the other, can interchange with צפה in the signification designare (comp. Job 15:22 with Job 15:20; Job 21:19), and to spy, lie in wait (comp. Psa 10:8; Psa 56:7; Pro 1:11, Pro 1:18, with Psa 37:32).)

The meaning is substantially the same; the lxx, which translates ἐν δὲ κόλπῳ μου (בּחקי), which Olsh. considers to be "perhaps correct," destroys the significance of the confession. Hirz. rightly refers to the "law in the members," Rom 7:23 : חקּי is the expression Job uses for the law of the sinful nature which strives against the law of God, the wilful impulse of selfishness and evil passion, the law which the apostle describes as ἕτερος νόμος, in distinction from the νόμος τοῦ Θεοῦ (Psychol. S. 379). Job's conscience can give him this testimony, but He, the God who so studiously avoids him, remains in one mind, viz., to treat him as a criminal; and who can turn Him from His purpose? (the same question as Job 9:12; Job 11:10); His soul wills it (stat pro ratione voluntas), and He accomplishes it. Most expositors explain permanet in uno in this sense; the Beth is the usual ב with verbs of entering upon and persisting in anything. Others, however, take the ב as Beth essentiae: He remains one and the same, viz., in His conduct towards me (Umbr., Vaih.), or: He is one, is alone, viz., in absolute majesty (Targ. Jer.; Schult., Ew., Hlgst., Schlottm.), which is admissible, since this Beth occurs not only in the complements of a sentence (Psa 39:7, like a shadow; Isa 48:10, after the manner of silver; Psa 55:19, in great number; Psa 35:2, as my help), but also with the predicate of a simple sentence, be it verbal (Job 24:13; Pro 3:26) or substantival (Exo 18:4; Psa 118:7). The same construction is found also in Arabic, where, however, it is more frequent in simple negative clauses than in affirmative (vid., Psalter, i. 272). The assertion: He is one (as in the primary monotheistic confession, Deu 6:4), is, however, an expression for the absoluteness of God, which is not suited to this connection; and if הוא באחד is intended to be understood of the unchangeable uniformity of His purpose concerning Job, the explanation: versatur (perstat) in uno, Arab. hua fi wâhidin, is not only equally, but more natural, and we therefore prefer it.

Here again God appears to Job to be his enemy. His confidence towards God is again overrun by all kinds of evil, suspicious thoughts. He seems to him to be a God of absolute caprice, who punishes where there is no ground for punishment. There is indeed a phrase of the abiding fact which he considers superior to God and himself, both being conceived of as contending parties; and this phase God avoids, He will not hear it. Into this vortex of thoughts, as terrible as they are puerile, Job is hurried forward by the persuasion that his affliction is a decree of divine justice. The friends have greatly confirmed him in this persuasion; so that his consciousness of innocence, and the idea of God as inflicting punishment, are become widely opposite extremes, between which his faith is hardly able to maintain itself. It is not his affliction in itself, but this persuasion, which precipitates him into such a depth of conflict, as the following strophe shows.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Gold - Which comes out of the furnace pure from all dross.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
But he knoweth the way that I take - He approves of my conduct; my ways please him. He tries me: but, like gold, I shall lose nothing in the fire; I shall come forth more pure and luminous. If that which is reputed to be gold is exposed to the action of a strong fire, if it be genuine, it will lose nothing of its quality, nor of its weight. If it went into the fire gold, it will come out gold; the strongest fire will neither alter nor destroy it. So Job: he went into this furnace of affliction an innocent, righteous man; he came out the same. His character lost nothing of its value, nothing of its lustre.

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⁸ Behold, I go [01980] forward [06924], but he is not there; and backward [0268], but I cannot perceive [0995] him:
⁹ On the left hand [08040], where he doth work [06213], but I cannot behold [02372] him: he hideth [05848] himself on the right hand [03225], that I cannot see [07200] him:

²¹ Doth not their excellency [03499] which is in them go away [05265]? they die [04191], even without wisdom [02451].

¹¹ My foot [07272] hath held [0270] his steps [0838], his way [01870] have I kept [08104], and not declined [05186].

⁴ Hear [08085], O Israel [03478]: The LORD [03068] our God [0430] is one [0259] LORD [03068]:

⁷ The LORD [03068] taketh my part with them that help [05826] me: therefore shall I see [07200] my desire upon them that hate [08130] me.

⁴ And the name [08034] of the other [0259] was Eliezer [0461]; for the God [0430] of my father [01], said he, was mine help [05828], and delivered [05337] me from the sword [02719] of Pharaoh [06547]:

²⁶ For the LORD [03068] shall be thy confidence [03689], and shall keep [08104] thy foot [07272] from being taken [03921].

¹³ They are of those that rebel [04775] against the light [0216]; they know [05234] not the ways [01870] thereof, nor abide [03427] in the paths [05410] thereof.

² Take hold [02388] of shield [04043] and buckler [06793], and stand up [06965] for mine help [05833].

¹⁹ God [0410] shall hear [08085], and afflict [06030] them, even he that abideth [03427] of old [06924]. Selah [05542]. Because they have no changes [02487], therefore they fear [03372] not God [0430].

¹⁰ Behold, I have refined [06884] thee, but not with silver [03701]; I have chosen [0977] thee in the furnace [03564] of affliction [06040].

⁷ And now, Lord [0136], what wait [06960] I for? my hope [08431] is in thee.

¹⁰ If he cut off [02498], and shut up [05462], or gather together [06950], then who can hinder [07725] him?

¹² Behold, he taketh away [02862], who can hinder [07725] him? who will say [0559] unto him, What doest [06213] thou?

²³ But [1161] I see [991] another [2087] law [3551] in [1722] my [3450] members [3196], warring against [497] the law [3551] of my [3450] mind [3563], and [2532] bringing [163] me [3165] into captivity [163] to the law [3551] of sin [266] which [3588] is [5607] in [1722] my [3450] members [3196].

³² The wicked [07563] watcheth [06822] the righteous [06662], and seeketh [01245] to slay [04191] him.

¹⁸ And they lay wait [0693] for their own blood [01818]; they lurk privily [06845] for their own lives [05315].

¹¹ If they say [0559], Come [03212] with us, let us lay wait [0693] for blood [01818], let us lurk [06845] privily for the innocent [05355] without cause [02600]:

⁷ Shall they escape [06405] by iniquity [0205]? in thine anger [0639] cast down [03381] the people [05971], O God [0430].

⁸ He sitteth [03427] in the lurking places [03993] of the villages [02691]: in the secret places [04565] doth he murder [02026] the innocent [05355]: his eyes [05869] are privily set [06845] against the poor [02489].

¹⁹ God [0433] layeth up [06845] his iniquity [0205] for his children [01121]: he rewardeth [07999] him, and he shall know [03045] it.

²⁰ The wicked [07563] man travaileth [02342] with pain all his days [03117], and the number [04557] of years [08141] is hidden [06845] to the oppressor [06184].

²² He believeth [0539] not that he shall return [07725] out of darkness [02822], and he is waited [06822] for of the sword [02719].

²⁶ All darkness [02822] shall be hid [02934] in his secret places [06845]: a fire [0784] not blown [05301] shall consume [0398] him; it shall go ill [03415] with him that is left [08300] in his tabernacle [0168].

¹¹ Thy word [0565] have I hid [06845] in mine heart [03820], that I might not sin [02398] against thee.

⁴ For thou hast hid [06845] their heart [03820] from understanding [07922]: therefore shalt thou not exalt [07311] them.

¹² Neither have I gone back [04185] from the commandment [04687] of his lips [08193]; I have esteemed [06845] the words [0561] of his mouth [06310] more than my necessary [02706] food.

²¹ Let them not depart [03868] from thine eyes [05869]; keep [08104] them in the midst [08432] of thine heart [03824].

¹¹ My foot [07272] hath held [0270] his steps [0838], his way [01870] have I kept [08104], and not declined [05186].

¹² Neither have I gone back [04185] from the commandment [04687] of his lips [08193]; I have esteemed [06845] the words [0561] of his mouth [06310] more than my necessary [02706] food.

⁵ As for such as turn aside [05186] unto their crooked ways [06128], the LORD [03068] shall lead them forth [03212] with the workers [06466] of iniquity [0205]: but peace [07965] shall be upon Israel [03478].

⁵ Her feet [07272] go down [03381] to death [04194]; her steps [06806] take hold [08551] on hell [07585].

⁵ Hold up [08551] my goings [0838] in thy paths [04570], that my footsteps [06471] slip [04131] not.

⁷ If my step [0838] hath turned out [05186] of the way [01870], and mine heart [03820] walked [01980] after [0310] mine eyes [05869], and if any blot [03971] hath cleaved [01692] to mine hands [03709];

⁶ And one shall say [0559] unto him, What are these wounds [04347] in thine hands [03027]? Then he shall answer [0559], Those with which I was wounded [05221] in the house [01004] of my friends [0157].

⁹ Let thine eyes [05869] be on the field [07704] that they do reap [07114], and go [01980] thou after [0310] them: have I not charged [06680] the young men [05288] that they shall not touch [05060] thee? and when thou art athirst [06770], go [01980] unto the vessels [03627], and drink [08354] of that which the young men [05288] have drawn [07579].

²² And we said [0559] unto my lord [0113], The lad [05288] cannot [03201] leave [05800] his father [01]: for if he should leave [05800] his father [01], his father would die [04191].

¹⁴ For he performeth [07999] the thing that is appointed [02706] for me: and many [07227] such [02007] things are with him.

¹⁰ But he knoweth [03045] the way [01870] that I take [05978]: when he hath tried [0974] me, I shall come forth [03318] as gold [02091].

¹¹ I will teach [03384] you by the hand [03027] of God [0410]: that which is with the Almighty [07706] will I not conceal [03582].

¹³ And these things hast thou hid [06845] in thine heart [03824]: I know [03045] that this is with thee.

⁹ What knowest [03045] thou, that we know [03045] not? what understandest [0995] thou, which is not in us?

³⁵ Then would I speak [01696], and not fear [03372] him; but it is not so with me.