Job 4:3

Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

Behold, thou hast instructed {H3256} many {H7227}, and thou hast strengthened {H2388} the weak {H7504} hands {H3027}.

You have given moral instruction to many, you have firmed up feeble hands,

Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands.

Behold, thou hast instructed many, And thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

Commentary

Commentary on Job 4:3 KJV

Job 4:3 opens the first speech of Eliphaz the Temanite, one of Job's three friends who came to comfort him in his immense suffering. This verse sets the stage for Eliphaz's argument by acknowledging Job's respected past.

Context

After a week of silent mourning with Job, Eliphaz breaks the silence, beginning what will become a series of speeches from Job's friends, each attempting to explain the reason for Job's calamitous losses and physical affliction. Prior to his suffering, Job was a man of great righteousness and prosperity, renowned in the East. Eliphaz, seemingly trying to soften his impending critique, first reminds Job of his own former role as a wise counselor and source of strength to others. This acknowledgment serves as a rhetorical device, setting up the contrast with Job's current despair, which Eliphaz will later imply is due to some hidden sin.

Key Themes

  • Job's Past Influence: Eliphaz highlights Job's reputation as a sage and mentor. "Thou hast instructed many" indicates Job's role as a teacher of wisdom and righteousness.
  • Compassion and Encouragement: "Thou hast strengthened the weak hands" refers to Job's past actions of offering comfort, encouragement, and practical help to those who were disheartened, oppressed, or had lost their resolve. The imagery of "weak hands" (Hebrew: raphoth yadayim) vividly portrays a loss of strength or hope, often seen in passages like Hebrews 12:12 which speaks of lifting up the hands which hang down.
  • The Irony of the Situation: The verse subtly introduces the profound irony of the Book of Job. The one who once comforted and strengthened others is now in desperate need of comfort, yet his friends will ultimately fail to provide it effectively, instead offering accusations and theological platitudes.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "strengthened the weak hands" uses the Hebrew word chazaq (Χ—Χ–Χ§) for "strengthened," which implies to seize, be strong, or confirm. It denotes not just physical strength but also courage, resolve, and moral fortitude. "Weak hands" (raphoth yadayim) literally means "slack hands" or "feeble hands," a common idiom for discouragement, despair, or a lack of power to act.

Practical Application

Job 4:3 serves as a poignant reminder of our call to support and encourage those around us, especially in their times of weakness. However, it also highlights the challenge of ministering to others when we ourselves are suffering. True empathy and compassion, as exemplified by Christ, are essential, rather than offering easy answers or judgmental pronouncements. We are reminded that even those who are strong and wise may one day find themselves in need of the very comfort they once provided.

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Cross-References

  • Isaiah 35:3 (6 votes)

    Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

  • Job 16:5 (4 votes)

    [But] I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage [your grief].

  • Proverbs 10:21 (4 votes)

    The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

  • Luke 22:32 (4 votes)

    But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

  • Hebrews 12:12 (4 votes)

    Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

  • Deuteronomy 3:28 (3 votes)

    But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

  • Ephesians 4:29 (3 votes)

    Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.