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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Job 4:21

Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? They die, even without wisdom, literally, "Is it not torn away is their cord?" the picture being taken from the quick striking of a tent. Without having found true wisdom in their lives, having lived in short-sightedness and folly all their days, men die, they are cut off and taken away, Psalms 90:9. Remembering this, the Christian will at all times be constrained to pray: "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. "

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See also Job 4:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 4:21. _DOTH NOT THEIR EXCELLENCY - GO AWAY!_] Personal beauty, corporeal strength, powerful eloquence, and various mental endowments, pass away, or are _plucked up by the roots_; they are no...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    DOTH NOT THEIR EXCELLENCY ... - Dr. Good renders this, “Their fluttering round is over with them,” by a very forced construction of the passage. Translators and expositors have been very much divided...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER S 4-5 THE FIRST ADDRESS OF ELIPHAZ _ 1. He rebukes Job (Job 4:1)_ 2. The righteous are not cast off (Job 4:6) 3. An awe-inspiring vision (Job 4:12) 4. Experience and exhortation ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    This is what the vision said. Translate as _mg.:_ Shall mortal man be just before God, shall a man be pure before his maker? Even the angels are fallible, how much more man, who inhabits a house of cl...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _their excellency go away_ This verse is obscure. The word rendered _go away_means to _pull out_, as a pin or the posts of a gate, Judges 16:3; Judges 16:14 (English version, went away with), or the s...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Third, surely instead of despairing and murmuring under his afflictions Job should follow a very different way. I, says Eliphaz, putting himself in Job's place, would seek unto God, all whose doings a...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Turning to Job's murmurs against heaven, Eliphaz points to the unapproachable purity of God and the imperfection of all creatures, and warns Job against such complaints Having expressed his wonder th...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. The Visionno mortal can question God's just acts. (Job 4:12-21) TEXT 4:12-21 12 NOW A THING WAS SECRETLY BROUGHT TO ME, And mine ear received a whisper thereof. 13 In thoughts from the visions...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _DOTH NOT THEIR EXCELLENCY WHICH IS IN THEM GO AWAY? THEY DIE, EVEN WITHOUT WISDOM._ Their excellency - (Psalms 39:11; Psalms 146:4; 1 Corinthians 13:8). But Umbreit by an Oriental image from a bow u...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    4:21 tent-cord (e-4) Or 'glory.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FIRST SPEECH OF ELIPHAZ (JOB 4:5) Eliphaz is the principal and probably the oldest of the three friends: cp. Job 32:6. He is also the most considerate. But the complainings of Job in Job 3 had evi...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DOTH NOT, etc.] rather, 'Is not their tent-cord (or tent-peg) pulled up in them?' The falling tent is a figure of collapse and death. EVEN WITHOUT WISDOM] i.e. without having learnt the great lessons...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 4 ELIPHAZ’S FIRST SPEECH V...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    This is wrong. God knows when a man dies. And God cares about his people (Psalms 116:16). God even notices when a little bird dies (Matthew 10:29-31). A dead man will live again. Death is not the end...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    הֲ לֹא ־נִסַּ֣ע יִתְרָ֣ם בָּ֑ם יָ֝מ֗וּתוּ וְ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    VII. THE THINGS ELIPHAZ HAD SEEN Job 4:1; Job 5:1 ELIPHAZ SPEAKS THE ideas of sin and suffering against which the poem of Job was written come now dramatically into view. The belief of the three fr...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “SHALL MORTAL MAN BE MORE JUST THAN GOD?” Job 4:1 The first cycle of speeches is opened by Eliphaz. It must be remembered that he and the two others believed that special suffering resulted from and...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Now begins the great controversy between Job and his friends, which occupies the major portion of the Book. This controversy moves in three cycles. The first, commencing here, runs through chapter fou...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Doth not their excellency [which is] in them go away? they die, even without (q) wisdom. (q) That is, before any of them were so wise, as to think of death....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _And they. Hebrew, "doth not their dignity pass away with them? They die without wisdom." (Haydock) --- This is but too frequently the case of the great ones of this world, who never discern true from...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    REFLECTIONS MY soul! here are some very sweet instructions to be gathered from this chapter. In whatever light Eliphaz, the Temanite, be considered, still the HOLY GHOST can and will make his conduct...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (12) В¶ Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. (13) In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, (14) Fear came upon me, and trem...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    Eliphaz Relying on Experience I. INTRODUCTION A. Last week, in Chapter 3, Job was at the height of his deep, dark, depression! 1. In fact, he stated over and over again that he wished that he had n...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 THROUGH 31. As to the friends of Job, they do not call for any extended remarks. They urge the doctrine that God's earthly government is a full measure and...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    DOTH NOT THEIR EXCELLENCY [WHICH IS] IN THEM GO AWAY?.... Either the soul which is in them, and is the most excellent part of them; this, though it dies not, yet it goes away and departs from the body...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Doth not their excellency [which is] in them go away? they die, even without wisdom. Ver. 21. _Doth not their excellency which is in them go away?_] Journeyeth not their excellency with them? so Brou...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Doth not their excellency which is in them go away?_ Whatsoever is really, or by common estimation, excellent in men, all their natural, and moral, and civil accomplishments, as high birth, great ric...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    ELIPHAZ: COMMENDATION TWISTED INTO REBUKE (vv.1-6) The three friends of Job could only think of God's justice in reference to Job's sufferings, and had no idea of God's love. Eliphaz no doubt though...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "THEY DIE, YET WITHOUT WISDOM": "Job obviously is not. wise person according to Eliphaz" _(Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 726)._ "To die without ever finding wisdom was the ultimate disaster for. wise man o...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-21 Eliphaz relates a vision. When we are communing with our own hearts, and are still, Psalms 4:4, then is a time for the Holy Spirit to commune with us. This vision put him into very great fear....

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Whatsoever is really or by common estimation excellent in men, all their natural, and moral, and civil accomplishments, as high birth, great riches, power, and wisdom, &c.; these are so far from prese...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 4:21 excellence H3499 away H5265 (H8738) die H4191 (H8799) wisdom H2451 excellency - Psalms 39:5

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Eliphaz's theory in regard to Job's suffering. CHARACTERS: God, Eliphaz, Job. CONCLUSION: Those who pass rash and uncharitable censures upon their brethren, do Satan's work. We should be c...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 4:1. _Eliphaz answered,_ being the eldest, or the more eloquent. Job 4:3. _Thou hast instructed many._ The holy patriarchs were all preachers of righteousness on the sabbath days, &c, He admits t...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _They die, even without wisdom._ DYING IN IGNORANCE “Alas! while the body stands so broad and brawny must the soul be blinded, dwarfed, stupefied, almost annihilated? Alas! This too was a breath of...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And His angels He charged with folly._ FOLLY IN ANGELS “His angels He charged with folly.” Revelation conveys to us the highly interesting information that there is between the great Spirit and man,...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said._ THE FIRST COLLOQUY At this point we pass into the poem proper. It opens with three colloquies between Job and his friends. In form these colloquies clos...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 4:12 Eliphaz reports that he had a vision (vv. Job 4:12) and then describes its content (vv. Job 4:17). The vision raises t

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _COMMENCEMENT OF THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN JOB AND HIS THREE FRIENDS_ First Course of the Speeches. First Dialogue,—Eliphaz and Job FIRST SPEECH OF ELIPHAZ _Eliphaz censures Job for his impatience, an...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION Job having ended his complaint, Eliphaz the Temanite, the first-named of his three friends (Job 2:11), and perhaps the eldest of them, takes the word, and endeavours to answer him. After a...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So Job has made his complaint, and so Eliphaz, his friend who came to comfort him, he said, If we attempt to talk to you, will you be grieved? [But really after what you've said] who can keep silent?...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Isaiah 14:16; Isaiah 2:22; James 1:11; Job 36:12; Luke 12:20;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE PHILOSOPHY OF ELIPHAZ Job 4:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We are now approaching a part of the Book of Job that is most interesting. Job's three friends have at last broken their silence, and Eliphaz th...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Excellency — Whatsoever is by common estimation excellent in men, all their natural, and moral, and civil accomplishments, as high birth, great riches, power and wisdom, these are so far from preservi...

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