Job 40:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Job 40:4

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

Behold

What

I will

General references

Bible References

Behold

“Therefore I retract [my words and hate myself]
And I repent in dust and ashes.”

Abraham answered, “Now behold, I who am but dust [in origin] and ashes have decided to speak to the Lord.

I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and compassion and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant. With only my staff [long ago] I crossed over this Jordan, and now I have become [blessed and increased into these] two groups [of people].

But David’s heart (conscience) troubled him after he had counted the people. David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the sin of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

But he himself traveled a day’s journey into the wilderness, and he came and sat down under a juniper tree and asked [God] that he might die. He said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

and I said, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our wrongdoings have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has grown to the heavens.

“However, You are just and righteous in everything that has come upon us;
For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.

Against You, You only, have I sinned
And done that which is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak [Your sentence]
And faultless in Your judgment.

Then I said,

“Woe is me! For I am ruined,
Because I am a man of [ceremonially] unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

All of us like sheep have gone astray,
We have turned, each one, to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]
To fall on Him [instead of us].

For we all have become like one who is [ceremonially] unclean [like a leper],
And all our deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags;
We all wither and decay like a leaf,
And our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing], like the wind, takes us away [carrying us far from God’s favor, toward destruction].

we have sinned and committed wrong, and have behaved wickedly and have rebelled, turning away from Your commandments and ordinances.

But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest [in humility and repentance], saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!’

This is a faithful and trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance and approval, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost.

What

You would still plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would hate me [and refuse to cover my foul body].

“Oh, that a man would mediate and plead with God [for me]
Just as a man [mediates and pleads] with his neighbor and friend.

“I would present my cause before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.

“I would count out to Him the number of my steps [with every detail of my life],
Approaching His presence as if I were a prince.

I will

“Look at me and be astonished and appalled;
And put your hand over your mouth.

The princes stopped talking
And put their hands on their mouths;

They said to him, “Keep quiet, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be a priest to a tribe and family in Israel?”

“I am mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who has done it.

If you have foolishly exalted yourself,
Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth.

The [pagan] nations shall see [God’s omnipotence in delivering Israel] and be ashamed
Of all their might [which cannot be compared to His].
They shall put their hand on their mouth [in silent astonishment];
Their ears shall be deaf.

“But the Lord is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth hush and be silent before Him.”

“Be still before the Lord, all mankind; for He is roused (raised up) from His holy habitation [in response to His persecuted people].”

General references

Then Abraham said [to Him], “Oh, may the Lord not be angry, and I will speak; suppose thirty [righteous people] are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

But if the bright spot remains where it is and does not spread, it is the scar of the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

“But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips [to speak] against you,

“What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.

“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have endured my chastisement;
I will not offend anymore;

“I am mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who has done it.