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Mark Dunagan Commentaries

Job 4:3

"Behold you have admonished many, and you have strengthened weak hands, your words have helped the tottering to stand, and you have strengthened feeble knees, but now it has come to you, and you are impatient"

Eliphaz commends Job for helping and comforting others in the past, but in this compliment there is. rebuke, that is, Job is refusing to listen to his own type of advice. He had advised others to be patient under trial, but he is unwilling to take his own medicine. It is easy for. man to give sound advice, but much harder to take that same advise when one is suffering.

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See also Job 4:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 4:3. _THOU HAST INSTRUCTED MANY_] Thou hast seen many in affliction and distress, and thou hast given them such advice as was suitable to their state, and effectual to their relief; and by...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    BEHOLD, THOU HAST INSTRUCTED MANY - That is, thou hast instructed many how they ought to bear trials, and hast delivered important maxims to them on the great subject of the divine government. This is...

  • 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

    Eliphaz is provoked to reply, in spite of his unwillingness, by the tone of Job's speech, which seems to him altogether irreverent. He wonders that Job, who had comforted so many others in trouble, sh...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    First, Eliphaz wonders that Job, who had comforted so many in trouble, and who was a righteous man, should fall into such despair under his afflictions, forgetting the great principle that the righteo...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _the weak hands_ lit. the hands hanging down, a sign of helplessness and despondency, 2 Samuel 4:1; Isaiah 13:7. Comp. Job's words of himself, ch. Job 29:15-16....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT 4:1-11 4 THEN ANSWERED ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE, AND SAID, 2 If one assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking? 3 Behold, thou hast instructed man...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _BEHOLD, THOU HAST INSTRUCTED MANY, AND THOU HAST STRENGTHENED THE WEAK HANDS._ Weak hands - (Isaiah 35:3; 2 Samuel 4:1)....

  • 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...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    At first, Eliphaz believed that Job was a good man. (Later, Eliphaz would change his opinion (Job chapter 22).) Perhaps Eliphaz heard about Job’s good deeds (Job 29:11-17). Perhaps Job had even helped...

  • 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...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    BEHOLD, THOU HAST INSTRUCTED MANY. — There is a conspicuous want of feeling in Eliphaz. Without any true sympathy, however, he may have given the outward signs of it (Job 2:12). He charges Job with in...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    הִ֭נֵּה יִסַּ֣רְתָּ רַבִּ֑ים וְ יָדַ֖יִם רָפֹ֣ות...

  • 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

    Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou (b) hast strengthened the weak hands. (b) You have comforted others in their afflictions but you cannot now comfort yourself....

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (2) If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? (3) Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. (4) Thy words...

  • 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

    BEHOLD, THOU HAST INSTRUCTED MANY,.... This is introduced with a "behold", either as a note of admiration, that such a man, who had instructed others, should act the part he now does; or as a note of...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Ver. 3. _Behold, thou hast instructed many_] _sc._ To do each day's duty with Christian diligence, and to bear each day's...

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

    _Behold, thou hast instructed many_ It is well known thou hast given good counsel unto others, teaching them those lessons which, it appears, thou hast not thyself learned, and wilt not practise, name...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Behold, thou hast instructed many, namely, with words of loving reproof and admonition, AND THOU HAST STRENGTHENED THE WEAK HANDS, causing the slack hands to take up their tasks with new vigor....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Job having thus given way to his impatience, his friends thought it their duty to correct him. But instead of showing him in what respect his position was wrong, they proceed according to the assumpti...

  • 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...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-6 Satan undertook to prove Job a hypocrite by afflicting him; and his friends concluded him to be one because he was so afflicted, and showed impatience. This we must keep in mind if we would under...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THOU HAST INSTRUCTED MANY; teaching them those lessons which thou hast not learned, and wilt not practise, to wit, patiently to bear afflictions, and to submit to God's will and providence in all thin...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 4:3 instructed H3256 (H8765) many H7227 strengthened H2388 (H8762) weak H7504 hands H3027 Behold -...

  • 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

    _Thou hast strengthened the weak hands._ PREACHING EASIER THAN PRACTISING Behold, thou hast instructed many, etc. To do each day’s duty with Christian diligence, and to bear each day’s crosses with C...

  • 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 4:1 The Friends and Job: Can Job Be Right before God? The main section of the book contains the dialogue between Job and the three friends. It opens with Job’s initial lament (Job 3:1) and then al...

  • 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

    Colossians 4:6; Deuteronomy 3:28; Ephesians 4:29; Ezekiel 13:22;...

  • 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...

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Old Testament