Job 11:3

Verse

Berean Standard Bible

Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke?

American Standard Version (1901)

Should thy boastings make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

Bible in Basic English

Are your words of pride to make men keep quiet? and are you to make sport, with no one to put you to shame?

Free Bible Version

Should all your babbling force people to keep quiet? When you mock, shouldn't someone make you feel ashamed?

King James (Authorized) Version

Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

Translation for Translators

Job, ◄should your babbling cause us to be silent?/your babbling should certainly not cause us to be silent.► [RHQ] When you make fun of us, shall no one rebuke you and cause you to be ashamed?

Unlocked Literal Bible

Should your boasting make others remain silent? When you mock, will no one make you feel ashamed?

Noah Webster Bible

Should thy falsehoods make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

World English Bible

Should your boastings make men hold their peace? When you mock, will no man make you ashamed?

Young's Literal Translation

Thy devices make men keep silent, Thou scornest, and none is causing blushing!

Context

Zophar Rebukes Job

²“Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated? ³Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke? ⁴You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’

Summary

In this verse, Zophar, one of Job's friends, questions Job's claim to wisdom and understanding. Zophar implies that Job's suffering is a result of his supposed sinfulness, suggesting that God's justice demands such punishment. This verse reflects the common belief in retribution theology, where suffering is seen as a direct consequence of personal sin. Zophar's words reveal a lack of compassion and understanding towards Job's plight, emphasizing the importance of speaking truth with love and humility in times of trial.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Should thy lies make men hold their peace? - This is a very severe reproof, and not justified by the occasion. And when thou mockest - As thou despisest others, shall no man put thee to scorn? Zophar could never think that the solemn and awful manner in which Job spoke could be called bubbling, as some would translate the term לעג laag. He might consider Job's speech as sarcastic and severe, but he could not consider it as nonsense.

John Gill Bible Commentary

Should thy lies make men hold their peace?.... By which he means, either lies in common, untruths wilfully told, which are sins of a scandalous nature, which good men will not dare to commit knowingly; and to give a man, especially such a man, the lie, is very indecent; and to charge a man falsely with it is very injurious: or else doctrinal ones, errors in judgment, falsehoods concerning God and things divine; which not only are not of the truth, for no lie is of the truth, but are against it; and indeed where the case is notorious in either sense, men should not be silent, or be as men deaf and dumb, as the word (u) signifies, as if they did not hear the lies told them, or were unconcerned about them, or connived at them: David would not suffer a liar to be near him, nor dwell in his house, Psa 101:7; a common liar ought to be reproved and rejected; and doctrinal liars and lies should be opposed and resisted; truth should be contended for, and nothing be done against it, but everything for it: it is criminal to be silent at either sort of lies; nor should the bold and blustering manner in which they are told frighten men from a detection of them, which perhaps is what may be hinted at here (w); some render the words (x), "should thine iniquity frighten men?" they are not so strong and nervous as to appear unanswerable, and deter men from undertaking a reply unto them: and, when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? here Job is represented as a mocker of God, which is inferred from Job 10:3; and at his friends, and the arguments they used, and the advice they gave, which is concluded from his words in Job 6:25; and as one hardened, who was not, and could not be made ashamed of what he had said against either, by anything that had been offered for his reproof and conviction: to make a mock of God, or a jest of divine things, or scoff at good men, is very bad; indeed it is the character of the worst of men; and such should be made ashamed, if possible, by exposing their sin and folly; and if not here, they will be covered with shame hereafter, when they shall appear before God, the Judge of all, who will not be mocked, and shall see the saints at the right hand of Christ, whom they have jeered and scoffed at: but this was not Job's true character; he was no mocker of God nor of good men; in this he was wronged and injured, and had nothing of this sort to be made ashamed of. (u) So Ben Melech. (w) "jactantias tuas", Cocceius. (x) "Tuane argumenta mortales consternabunt?" Codurcus.