Job 11:13

¶ If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;

If thou prepare {H3559} thine heart {H3820}, and stretch {H6566} out thine hands {H3709} toward him;

If you will set your heart right, if you will spread out your hands toward him,

As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him,

If thou set thy heart aright, And stretch out thy hands toward him;

Commentary

Job 11:13 is part of Zophar the Naamathite's first speech to Job, where he offers his rigid theological perspective on suffering and God's justice. While Zophar's overall assessment of Job's situation was mistaken, this particular verse articulates a timeless principle of approaching God.

Context

In this chapter, Zophar, one of Job's three friends, vehemently argues that Job's immense suffering must be due to some hidden sin. He asserts that God is just and always punishes the wicked while rewarding the righteous. Zophar challenges Job to repent and seek God, promising that if he does, his prosperity will be restored. Verse 13, along with subsequent verses, outlines Zophar's prescribed path to divine favor and restoration, emphasizing a return to righteousness as the key to ending Job's affliction.

Key Themes

  • Heartfelt Repentance and Seeking God: The phrase "If thou prepare thine heart" speaks to an internal, sincere turning towards God. It suggests that genuine spiritual change begins with an intentional readiness of one's inner being.
  • Earnest Supplication: "And stretch out thine hands toward him" describes a physical posture of prayer and earnest appeal. This gesture signifies humility, dependence, and a fervent desire to connect with the divine. It's a common biblical depiction of intense prayer or surrender.
  • Divine Accessibility (from Zophar's View): Zophar implies that God is ready to respond to those who genuinely seek Him, offering a clear path from distress to peace through sincere devotion.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "prepare" (כּוּן, kun) in "prepare thine heart" conveys the idea of establishing, directing, or making firm. It suggests a deliberate act of aligning one's inner self towards God. The "heart" (לֵב, lev) in Hebrew thought encompasses not just emotions, but also intellect, will, and the core of one's being. To "stretch out" (פָרַשׂ, paras) the hands is a common biblical posture of prayer or appeal, symbolizing an outward expression of inward longing or surrender.

Related Scriptures

While Zophar's counsel was ultimately flawed in its application to Job, the principle of preparing one's heart for God is foundational throughout Scripture. This echoes the call to turn wholeheartedly to the Lord, as seen in 1 Samuel 7:3. The act of stretching out hands in prayer is also a consistent theme, symbolizing earnest supplication and seeking God, as depicted in Psalm 28:2 and elsewhere. The larger narrative of Job ultimately reveals that God's ways are often beyond human comprehension, as highlighted in Isaiah 55:8.

Practical Application

Regardless of the immediate context of Job's suffering, Zophar's words in Job 11:13 offer valuable insight into the nature of true spiritual seeking. It reminds believers that approaching God requires both an internal readiness—a willingness to align one's heart and mind with Him—and an outward expression of devotion, such as prayer and supplication. This verse encourages a posture of humility and earnestness in our relationship with the Divine, inviting us to genuinely seek the Lord with all our heart, trusting in His ultimate wisdom and grace.

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Cross-References

  • Psalms 143:6

    I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul [thirsteth] after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

  • Psalms 88:9

    Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

  • Psalms 78:8

    And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation [that] set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

  • 1 Samuel 7:3

    ¶ And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, [then] put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

  • Job 8:5

    If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

  • Job 8:6

    If thou [wert] pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

  • Job 5:8

    I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: