Job 1:11
Verse
Context
Satan’s First Attack
10Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.11But stretch out Your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Sermons
Thomas WatsonSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
But put forth thine hand - Shoot the dart of poverty and affliction against him. And he will curse thee to thy face - אם לא על פניך יברכך im lo al paneycha yebarechecca, "If he will not bless thee to thy appearances." He will bless thee only in proportion to the temporal good thou bestowest upon him; to the providential and gracious appearances or displays of thy power in his behalf. If thou wilt be gracious, he will be pious. The exact maxim of a great statesman, Sir Robert Walpole: Every man has his price. "But you have not bought such a one?" "No, because I would not go up to his price. He valued himself at more than I thought him worth; and I could get others cheaper, who, in the general muster, would do as well." No doubt Sir R. met with many such; and the devil many more. But still God has multitudes that will neither sell their souls, their consciences, nor their country, for any price; who, though God should slay them, will nevertheless trust in him; and be honest men, howsoever tempted by the devil and his vicegerents. So did Job; so have done thousands; so will all do, in whose hearts Christ dwells by faith.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
curse thee to thy face--in antithesis to God's praise of him (Job 1:8), "one that feareth God." Satan's words are too true of many. Take away their prosperity and you take away their religion (Mal 3:14).
John Gill Bible Commentary
But put forth thine hand now,.... With draw thine hand of providence, power, and protection, with which thou hast covered and screened him; and, instead of that, "send" (u) forth thine afflicting hand, not barely in a way of chastisement and correction, but in wrath and vengeance, consuming and destroying all he had; and this he desires might be done now, immediately, without delay, while Job was in the midst of his prosperity; for Satan was in haste to have mischief done to him, being an object of his great hatred and enmity: some, instead of "now", render it, "I pray thee" (w), as being an entreaty of Satan, and an importunate one, and which he was eagerly desirous of obtaining; well knowing that no hurt could be done to Job without leave from God, or his doing it himself: the Vulgate Latin version is, "put forth thine hand a little", as if its being exerted but a little, or a small touch of it, would be sufficient to discover Job's hypocrisy; but Satan doubtless knew Job better than this suggests, and that such was his integrity, that a small trial would not affect him; and besides, he immediately adds: and touch all that he hath; which was not a slight touch, but an heavy one, reaching to all his family and substance, and to his person too, and the health of it at least; as appears by the proviso or saving clause put in by the Lord afterwards, when he gave leave to smite him: and he will curse thee to thy face; or, if he does not curse thee to thy face (x); then, let it be so and so with me, worse than it now is; let me have my full damnation; for the words are an imprecation of the devil, wishing the worst of evils to himself, if Job, in such circumstances, did not "curse" God to his "face"; that is, not only openly and publicly, but impudently; signifying that he would fly in his face, like a man passionate, furious, and enraged, and like those wicked persons, hungry and hardly bestead, that would fret and curse their king and their God, Isa 8:21 or like those men, who, under their pains and sores, blasphemed him that had power over them, Rev 16:10, or like those carnal professors, whose words were stout against God, Mal 3:13 in suchlike passionate expressions Satan insinuates Job would break out against God, murmuring at and complaining of his providence, arraigning his wisdom, righteousness, and holiness, in his dealings with him: or, if "he does not bless thee to thy face" (y), as it may be rendered; that is, either he "will bid thee farewell" (z), and apostatize from thee; see Gill on Job 1:5 as sometimes nominal professors do, when affliction and tribulation come upon them, they are offended, and drop their profession, Mat 13:21 or, as others, "if he hath not blessed thee to thy face" (a); then let it be thus with me, that is, it will be then a clear case, that Job in times past had only blessed God to his face, or outwardly; he had only honoured him with his lips, but his heart was far from him, and his fear towards him taught by the precept of men, as is the character of hypocrites, Isa 29:13 this Satan wickedly insinuates; one of the Targums is, if he does not provoke thee to the face of thy Word; Ben Melech interprets "by thy life", and takes it to be the form of an oath. (u) "mitte", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Schmidt. (w) "quaeso", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Bolducius. (x) "si non", Schultens. (y) "Nisi in faciem tuam benedicet tibi", Piscator, Schmidt. (z) "Si non in faciem tuam valere te jussurus sit", Schultens. (a) "Si non super facies tuas benedixerit tibi", Montanus.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
1:11-12 reach out . . . test him . . . Do whatever you want: Satan was God’s agent; the hand he put forth was the Lord’s as well as Satan’s, for here they acted against everything Job possessed and later against Job himself (2:5-6). • Job later cursed the day of his birth (3:1, 8), but he did not curse God (31:30), even when his distraught wife urged him to do so (2:9). • God allowed Satan to test Job to prove that Satan’s cynicism was incorrect (1 Cor 10:11; see Jas 1:13; cp. Luke 22:31-32; John 19:11).
Job 1:11
Satan’s First Attack
10Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.11But stretch out Your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
But put forth thine hand - Shoot the dart of poverty and affliction against him. And he will curse thee to thy face - אם לא על פניך יברכך im lo al paneycha yebarechecca, "If he will not bless thee to thy appearances." He will bless thee only in proportion to the temporal good thou bestowest upon him; to the providential and gracious appearances or displays of thy power in his behalf. If thou wilt be gracious, he will be pious. The exact maxim of a great statesman, Sir Robert Walpole: Every man has his price. "But you have not bought such a one?" "No, because I would not go up to his price. He valued himself at more than I thought him worth; and I could get others cheaper, who, in the general muster, would do as well." No doubt Sir R. met with many such; and the devil many more. But still God has multitudes that will neither sell their souls, their consciences, nor their country, for any price; who, though God should slay them, will nevertheless trust in him; and be honest men, howsoever tempted by the devil and his vicegerents. So did Job; so have done thousands; so will all do, in whose hearts Christ dwells by faith.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
curse thee to thy face--in antithesis to God's praise of him (Job 1:8), "one that feareth God." Satan's words are too true of many. Take away their prosperity and you take away their religion (Mal 3:14).
John Gill Bible Commentary
But put forth thine hand now,.... With draw thine hand of providence, power, and protection, with which thou hast covered and screened him; and, instead of that, "send" (u) forth thine afflicting hand, not barely in a way of chastisement and correction, but in wrath and vengeance, consuming and destroying all he had; and this he desires might be done now, immediately, without delay, while Job was in the midst of his prosperity; for Satan was in haste to have mischief done to him, being an object of his great hatred and enmity: some, instead of "now", render it, "I pray thee" (w), as being an entreaty of Satan, and an importunate one, and which he was eagerly desirous of obtaining; well knowing that no hurt could be done to Job without leave from God, or his doing it himself: the Vulgate Latin version is, "put forth thine hand a little", as if its being exerted but a little, or a small touch of it, would be sufficient to discover Job's hypocrisy; but Satan doubtless knew Job better than this suggests, and that such was his integrity, that a small trial would not affect him; and besides, he immediately adds: and touch all that he hath; which was not a slight touch, but an heavy one, reaching to all his family and substance, and to his person too, and the health of it at least; as appears by the proviso or saving clause put in by the Lord afterwards, when he gave leave to smite him: and he will curse thee to thy face; or, if he does not curse thee to thy face (x); then, let it be so and so with me, worse than it now is; let me have my full damnation; for the words are an imprecation of the devil, wishing the worst of evils to himself, if Job, in such circumstances, did not "curse" God to his "face"; that is, not only openly and publicly, but impudently; signifying that he would fly in his face, like a man passionate, furious, and enraged, and like those wicked persons, hungry and hardly bestead, that would fret and curse their king and their God, Isa 8:21 or like those men, who, under their pains and sores, blasphemed him that had power over them, Rev 16:10, or like those carnal professors, whose words were stout against God, Mal 3:13 in suchlike passionate expressions Satan insinuates Job would break out against God, murmuring at and complaining of his providence, arraigning his wisdom, righteousness, and holiness, in his dealings with him: or, if "he does not bless thee to thy face" (y), as it may be rendered; that is, either he "will bid thee farewell" (z), and apostatize from thee; see Gill on Job 1:5 as sometimes nominal professors do, when affliction and tribulation come upon them, they are offended, and drop their profession, Mat 13:21 or, as others, "if he hath not blessed thee to thy face" (a); then let it be thus with me, that is, it will be then a clear case, that Job in times past had only blessed God to his face, or outwardly; he had only honoured him with his lips, but his heart was far from him, and his fear towards him taught by the precept of men, as is the character of hypocrites, Isa 29:13 this Satan wickedly insinuates; one of the Targums is, if he does not provoke thee to the face of thy Word; Ben Melech interprets "by thy life", and takes it to be the form of an oath. (u) "mitte", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Schmidt. (w) "quaeso", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Bolducius. (x) "si non", Schultens. (y) "Nisi in faciem tuam benedicet tibi", Piscator, Schmidt. (z) "Si non in faciem tuam valere te jussurus sit", Schultens. (a) "Si non super facies tuas benedixerit tibi", Montanus.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
1:11-12 reach out . . . test him . . . Do whatever you want: Satan was God’s agent; the hand he put forth was the Lord’s as well as Satan’s, for here they acted against everything Job possessed and later against Job himself (2:5-6). • Job later cursed the day of his birth (3:1, 8), but he did not curse God (31:30), even when his distraught wife urged him to do so (2:9). • God allowed Satan to test Job to prove that Satan’s cynicism was incorrect (1 Cor 10:11; see Jas 1:13; cp. Luke 22:31-32; John 19:11).