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Commentary on Job 13 verses 1–12
Job here warmly expresses his resentment of the unkindness of his friends.
I. He comes up with them as one that understood the matter in dispute as well as they, and did not need to be taught by them, Job 13:1, Job 13:2. They compelled him, as the Corinthians did Paul, to commend himself and his own knowledge, yet not in a way of self-applause, but of self-justification. All he had before said his eye had seen confirmed by many instances, and his ear had heard seconded by many authorities, and he well understood it and what use to make of it. Happy are those who not only see and hear, but understand, the greatness, glory, and sovereignty of God. This, he thought, would justify what he had said before (Job 12:3), which he repeats here (Job 13:2): "What you know, the same do I know also, so that I need not come to you to be taught; I am not inferior unto you in wisdom." Note, Those who enter into disputation enter into temptation to magnify themselves and vilify their brethren more than is fit, and therefore ought to watch and pray against the workings of pride.
II. He turns from them to God (Job 13:3): Surely I would speak to the Almighty; as if he had said, "I can promise myself no satisfaction in talking to you. O that I might have liberty to reason with God! He would not be so hard upon me as you are." The prince himself will perhaps give audience to a poor petitioner with more mildness, patience, and condescension, than the servants will. Job would rather argue with God himself than with his friends. See here, 1. What confidence those have towards God whose hearts condemn them not of reigning hypocrisy: they can, with humble boldness, appear before him and appeal to him. 2. What comfort those have in God whose neighbours unjustly condemn them: if they may not speak to them with any hopes of a fair hearing, yet they may speak to the Almighty; they have easy access to him and shall find acceptance with him.
III. He condemns them for their unjust and uncharitable treatment of him, Job 13:4. 1. They falsely accused him, and that was unjust: You are forgers of lies. They framed a wrong hypothesis concerning the divine Providence, and misrepresented it, as if it did never remarkably afflict any but wicked men in this world, and thence they drew a false judgment concerning Job, that he was certainly a hypocrite. For this gross mistake, both in doctrine and application, he thinks an indictment of forgery lies against them. To speak lies is bad enough, though but at second hand, but to forge them with contrivance and deliberation is much worse; yet against this wrong neither innocency nor excellency will be a fence. 2. They basely deceived him, and that was unkind. They undertook his cure, and pretended to be his physicians; but they were all physicians of no value, "idol-physicians, who can do me no more good than an idol can." They were worthless physicians, who neither understood his case nor knew how to prescribe to him - mere empirics, who pretended to great things, but in conference added nothing to him: he was never the wiser for all they said. Thus to broken hearts and wounded consciences all creatures, without Christ, are physicians of no value, on which one may spend all and be never the better, but rather grow worse, Mar 5:26.
IV. He begs they would be silent and give him a patient hearing, Job 13:5, Job 13:6. 1. He thinks it would be a credit to them if they would say no more, having said too much already: "Hold your peace, and it shall be your wisdom, for thereby you will conceal your ignorance and ill-nature, which now appear in all you say." They pleaded that they could not forbear speaking (Job 4:2, Job 11:2, Job 11:3); but he tells them that they would better have consulted their own reputation if they had enjoined themselves silence. Better say nothing than nothing to the purpose or that which tends to the dishonour of God and the grief of our brethren. Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is accounted wise, because nothing appears to the contrary, Pro 17:28. And, as silence is an evidence of wisdom, so it is a means of it, as it gives time to think and hear. 2. He thinks it would be a piece of justice to him to hear what he had to say: Hear now my reasoning. Perhaps, though they did not interrupt him in his discourse, yet they seemed careless, and did not much heed what he said. He therefore begged that they would not only hear, but hearken. Note, We should be very willing and glad to hear what those have to say for themselves whom, upon any account, we are tempted to have hard thoughts of. Many a man, if he could but be fairly heard, would be fairly acquitted, even in the consciences of those that run him down.
V. He endeavours to convince them of the wrong they did to God's honour, while they pretended to plead for him, Job 13:7, Job 13:8. They valued themselves upon it that they spoke for God, were advocates for him, and had undertaken to justify him and his proceedings against Job; and, being (as they thought) of counsel for the sovereign, they expected not only the ear of the court and the last word, but judgment on their side. But Job tells them plainly, 1. That God and his cause did not need such advocates: "Will you think to contend for God, as if his justice were clouded and wanted to be cleared up, or as if he were at a loss what to say and wanted you to speak for him? Will you, who are so weak and passionate, put in for the honour of pleading God's cause?" Good work ought not to be put into bad hands. Will you accept his person? If those who have not right on their side carry their cause, it is by the partiality of the judge in favour of their persons; but God's cause is so just that it needs no such methods for the support of it. He is a God, and can plead for himself (Jdg 6:31); and, if you were for ever silent, the heavens would declare his righteousness. 2. That God's cause suffered by such management. Under pretence of justifying God in afflicting Job they magisterially condemned him as a hypocrite and a bad man. "This" (says he) "is speaking wickedly" (for uncharitableness and censoriousness are wickedness, great wickedness; it is an offence to God to wrong our brethren); "it is talking deceitfully, for you condemn one whom yet perhaps your own consciences, at the same time, cannot but acquit. Your principles are false and your arguings fallacious, and will it excuse you to say, It is for God?" No, for a good intention will not justify, much less will it sanctify, a bad word or action. God's truth needs not our lie, nor God's cause either our sinful policies or our sinful passions. The wrath of man works not the righteousness of God, nor may we do evil that good may come, Rom 3:7, Rom 3:8. Pious frauds (as they call them) are impious cheats; and devout persecutions are horrid profanations of the name of God, as theirs who hated their brethren, and cast them out, saying, Let the Lord be glorified, Isa 66:5; Joh 16:2.
VI. He endeavours to possess them with a fear of God's judgment, and so to bring them to a better temper. Let them not think to impose upon God as they might upon a man like themselves, nor expect to gain his countenance in their bad practices by pretending a zeal for him and his honour. "As one man mocks another by flattering him, do you think so to mock him and deceive him?" Assuredly those who think to put a cheat upon God will prove to have put a cheat upon themselves. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. That they might not think thus to jest with God, and affront him, Job would have them to consider both God and themselves, and then they would find themselves unable to enter into judgment with him.
1.Let them consider what a God he is into whose service they had thus thrust themselves, and to whom they really did so much disservice, and enquire whether they could give him a good account of what they did. Consider, (1.) The strictness of his scrutiny and enquiries concerning them (Job 13:9) "Is it good that he should search you out? Can you bear to have the principles looked into which you go upon in your censures, and to have the bottom of the matter found out?" Note, It concerns us all seriously to consider whether it will be to our advantage or no that God searches the heart. It is good to an upright man who means honestly that God should search him; therefore he prays for it: Search me, O God! and know my heart. God's omniscience is a witness of his sincerity. But it is bad to him who looks one way and rows another that God should search him out, and lay him open to his confusion. (2.) The severity of his rebukes and displeasure against them (Job 13:10): "If you do accept persons, though but secretly and in heart, he will surely reprove you; he will be so far from being pleased with your censures of me, though under colour of vindicating him, that he will resent them as a great provocation, as any prince or great man would if a base action were done under the sanction of his name and under the colour of advancing his interest." Note, What we do amiss we shall certainly be reproved for, one way or other, one time or other, though it be done ever so secretly. (3.) The terror of his majesty, which if they would duly stand in awe of they would not do that which would make them obnoxious to his wrath (Job 13:11): "Shall not his excellency make you afraid? You that have great knowledge of God, and profess religion and a fear of him, how dare you talk at this rate and give yourselves so great a liberty of speech? Ought you not to walk and talk in the fear of God? Neh 5:9. Should not his dread fall upon you, and give a check to your passions?" Methinks Job speaks this as one that did himself know the terror of the Lord, and lived in a holy fear of him, whatever his friends suggested to the contrary. Note, [1.] There is in God a dreadful excellency. He is the most excellent Being, has all excellencies in himself and in each infinitely excels any creature. His excellencies in themselves are amiable and lovely. He is the most beautiful Being; but considering man's distance from God by nature, and his defection and degeneracy by sin, his excellencies are dreadful. His power, holiness, justice, yea, and his goodness too, are dreadful excellencies. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness. [2.] A holy awe of this dreadful excellency should fall upon us and make us afraid. This would awaken impenitent sinners and bring them to repentance, and would influence all to be careful to please him and afraid of offending him.
2.Let them consider themselves, and what an unequal match they were for this great God (Job 13:12): "Your remembrances (all that in you for which you hope to be remembered when you are gone) are like unto ashes, worthless and weak, and easily trampled on and blown away. Your bodies are like bodies of clay, mouldering and coming to nothing. Your memories, you think, will survive your bodies, but, alas! they are like ashes which will be shovelled up with your dust." Note, the consideration of our own meanness and mortality should make us afraid of offending God, and furnishes a good reason why we should not despise and trample upon our brethren. Bishop Patrick gives another sense of this verse: "Your remonstrances on God's behalf are no better than dust, and the arguments you accumulate but like so many heaps of dirt."
“If he follows your traces,” Job says. Therefore you, who speak so now would have not spoken so, if you were directly involved in the case that is judged. That is, if you were in my place and God were judging your matters with severity, you would have not judged my words as you do now. Or, to say things in a different manner, you, who speak so, would have not been judges of my words. In fact, Job says, even if you speak more, and you do everything to speak in God’s favor, he will not confound you any less and will ask you for explanations.
40. This part, wherein He declares that ‘the face of God is taken in secret,’ may be understood in two ways. For there be some, who at one and the same time perceive truth in their hearts, and yet utter outwardly concerning God things that are false. For lest they should appear to be subdued, they both know the truth within, and yet assail it without. Hence it is well said in this place, He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly take His face. As if it were expressed in plain words; ‘Ye are the more to be blamed in His sight for falsehood, as ye see in yourselves what is true.’ And there become, who when they turn back into the interior, contemplate the justice and righteousness of God, and in praying and weeping tremble with fear, but after the hour of contemplation has passed by, they return with as much boldness to their wickednesses, as if, being placed behind His back, they were not seen by the light of His righteousness. And so these with themselves in secret ‘take God’s face’ as if it saw with a bodily sight, in that both, when they are present to Him, they flatter Him with their tears, and, when they are as it were gone from His sight, they make slight of Him by their practices. And these deserve to be beaten more for their evil doings, even in proportion as in the secret of their hearts they know the righteous judgments of God.
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SUMMARY
Job 13:10 delivers a profound and unyielding warning from Job to his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, declaring that God Himself will unequivocally rebuke them if they persist in their subtle yet deeply ingrained partiality. This reproof is directed particularly at their misguided attempts to defend divine justice by condemning Job, underscoring God's absolute impartiality and omniscient awareness of even the most concealed biases, revealing that any "secretly accepting persons" will inevitably incur His righteous judgment.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 13:10 employs several potent literary devices to convey its powerful message. The most prominent device is Admonition, as Job delivers a direct, stern, and prophetic warning to his friends, shifting from a defensive stance regarding his own suffering to an offensive challenge against their flawed counsel. There is also a profound element of Irony at play; Job's friends sincerely believe they are defending God's honor and justice by condemning Job, yet Job warns them that God Himself will reprove them for their method of defense, subtly implying that their "defense" is, in fact, an offense to God's true character and righteousness. The phrase "secretly accept persons" utilizes Idiom (nāśā' pānîm), which carries a rich cultural, legal, and theological meaning of showing partiality, making the warning particularly impactful and immediately understandable to an ancient Near Eastern audience. Furthermore, the verse establishes a powerful Contrast between human attempts at hidden partiality and divine omniscience and impartial judgment, thereby highlighting God's unparalleled ability to see and judge the true intentions of the heart, even those meticulously concealed from human view.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The warning articulated in Job 13:10 resonates deeply with the consistent biblical theme of God's absolute impartiality and His unwavering demand for justice from humanity. God is consistently portrayed throughout Scripture as one who cannot be bribed, manipulated, or swayed by human biases, social status, or external appearances. His righteousness is utterly untainted, and He judges all people fairly, without the slightest hint of favoritism. This divine characteristic serves as the ultimate standard for human conduct, particularly for those entrusted with positions of judgment or authority. To "accept persons" is to fundamentally usurp God's righteous judgment and to introduce human corruption into divine principles. Job's friends, by showing partiality against him under the guise of defending God's honor, were essentially misrepresenting God's character, falsely believing that He would approve of their unrighteous methods. This verse serves as a timeless reminder that God desires truth in the inward parts and that genuine righteousness extends even to our most hidden motives and subtle biases, calling us to align our hearts with His perfect justice.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 13:10 stands as a timeless mirror, inviting us to engage in profound self-examination regarding our own hearts and actions for any subtle forms of partiality or hidden biases. In a world frequently driven by status, wealth, or social connections, the biblical call to impartiality is profoundly counter-cultural and challenging. This verse compels us to cultivate a Christ-like perspective that values every individual equally, irrespective of their background, influence, or perceived standing in society. It prompts us to honestly consider how we might "secretly accept persons" in our daily lives—perhaps unconsciously, or out of a desire for social acceptance, or even to maintain a comfortable narrative. This could manifest in our relationships, workplaces, or even within our faith communities, by favoring those who agree with us, those who are more outwardly successful, or those who belong to our preferred social circles. Furthermore, it serves as a crucial warning against attempting to defend God or His truth through unrighteous means, reminding us that God does not require our lies, our biased judgments, or our uncharitable assumptions to uphold His glory. True integrity demands that our words and actions, especially when speaking about or on behalf of God, are consistently grounded in truth, justice, and genuine love, rather than in human traditions, convenient falsehoods, or subtle prejudices that distort His character.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "accept persons" mean in a biblical context?
Answer: In a biblical context, "accepting persons" (Hebrew: nāśā' pānîm, literally "to lift up the face") is a crucial idiom that refers to showing favoritism, partiality, or undue deference to someone based on external factors such as their wealth, social status, influence, or personal connections, rather than judging them impartially based on truth, merit, or justice. It fundamentally implies a perversion of justice, where one's judgment is swayed by bias or external considerations rather than by objective truth and righteousness. This concept is consistently and strongly condemned throughout Scripture, from the foundational laws of the Old Testament (e.g., Leviticus 19:15) to the explicit teachings of the New Testament (e.g., James 2:1-4).
Why does Job warn his friends about this specific sin?
Answer: Job warns his friends about "secretly accepting persons" because he acutely perceives them as doing precisely that in their counsel to him. They are demonstrating profound partiality against Job by presuming his guilt based solely on his suffering, aligning themselves with a rigid, traditional theology that simplistically posits suffering as direct punishment for sin. In their fervent zeal to defend God's justice (as they understood it), they are effectively condemning Job without truly hearing his case, acknowledging his integrity, or considering the complexities of divine providence. Job implies that they are attempting to curry favor with God or appear righteous by condemning him, even if their arguments are logically flawed or based on false assumptions about his character. He is emphatically telling them that God neither needs nor desires such a biased defense; in fact, God will "reprove" them for it, as it fundamentally misrepresents His true character of perfect impartiality and justice.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 13:10, with its stark warning against partiality and its profound affirmation of God's impartial judgment, finds its ultimate fulfillment and perfect embodiment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament repeatedly condemns "accepting persons," it is in Christ that we witness divine impartiality perfectly lived out in human form. Jesus consistently demonstrated a radical disregard for human distinctions, social hierarchies, and ingrained biases, engaging with the marginalized, the outcast, and the despised with the same profound love and unwavering truth as He did with the powerful and respected. He welcomed tax collectors and sinners to His table (Luke 5:29-32), ministered intimately to the Samaritan woman (John 4:7-26), and boldly challenged the hypocrisy of the religious elite (Matthew 23:1-36)—all without a hint of favoritism or prejudice. He is the perfectly righteous judge who "does not judge by appearance but judges with righteous judgment" (John 7:24), embodying the very impartiality Job proclaimed. Furthermore, Christ's atoning work on the cross addresses the very root of human partiality—sin—and provides the means for believers to be transformed into His likeness, enabling us to live impartially through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, breaking down the dividing walls of hostility (Galatians 3:28). He is the ultimate "reprover" who exposes sin, not through human bias, but through perfect truth, and the one who perfectly reveals God's righteous and impartial character to all humanity.