Zophar the Barbarian (Job 11:1-20)

Zophar flunked “How To Be a Compassionate Counselor 101” in seminary. Francis I Anderson didn’t mince words when he wrote, “There is not a breath of compassion in his speech.” Hartley states, “In Zophar’s view, people are either contrite worshippers of God or arrogant sinners.”

Job 11:1 “Then Zophar the Naamathite answered, 2 ‘Shall a multitude of words go unanswered, and a talkative man be acquitted? 3 Shall your boasts silence men? And shall you scoff and none rebuke? 4 For you have said, 'My teaching is pure, and I am innocent in your eyes.' 5 But would that God might speak, and open His lips against you,’”

The phrase “talkative man” in verse 2 is literally “man of lips,” and means someone who is verbose. In Job’s culture wisdom was conveyed by talking little and listening much. So Zophar is literally saying in verses 2 & 5, “Hey Man-O-Lips…wait till God opens His lips against you!” Zophar charges Job with arrogance (“shall your boasts silence men?”), but reading between the lines you instead get a sense of Zophar’s arrogance, for Zophar the Barbarian thinks he knows what God would say to Job! And remember, Job never claims that his teaching or doctrine is pure; and he has never claimed that he is sinless. He does however hold tenaciously to his personal integrity, but that is far from claiming a spotless purity.

11:6 “And show you the secrets of wisdom! For sound wisdom has two sides. Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.”

The New Living Translation puts verse 6 this way, “If only he would tell you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom is not a simple matter. Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve!”

Two remarkable things are stated in verse 6. We will keep the first part of the verse until the conclusion. The second half of the verse reveals Zophar’s tactlessness and uncaring bluntness. He essentially says, “Look Job, you’re complaining because you think you’ve got it bad…but if you got what you truly deserved, things would be a LOT worse!”

11:7 “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? 8 They are high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? 9 Its measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. 10 If He passes by or shuts up, or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him? 11 For He knows false men, and He sees iniquity without investigating.”

Notice the fourfold “you” in verses 7 and 8: Can you…can you…can you…can you…” As per Z the B, the depths of God are outside of Job’s ability to discover them, but apparently not outside of Zophar’s! John Franklin Genung writes, “Zophar seems designed to represent the wrong-headedness of the odium theologicum.” (The Latin phrase Odium theologicum [literally meaning "theological hatred"] is the name originally given to the often intense anger and hatred generated by disputes over theology [from www.wikipedia.com]).

11:12 "And an idiot will become intelligent when the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.

“Idiot” (the King James Version has “vain”) is the Hebrew word “nabab” and is used only four times in the OT. Three of the times it’s used in reference to either the tabernacle or the temple and refers to hollow boards or a hollow pillar. In verse 2 Zophar disdainfully calls our hero, “Man-o-Lips.” And here in verse 12 he calls him “Hollow-Man.” In Zophar’s thinking Job was just an empty suit or “all hat and no cattle.” The New Living Translation has verse 12, “An empty-headed person won’t become wise any more than a wild donkey can bear a human child.” And The Message puts it this way, “Hollow men, hollow women, will wise up about the same time mules learn to talk.” Hartley writes, “Zophar says that there is no natural way for Job to be changed from a stupid man to a wise man.” The Vander Ark Paraphrased Version reads, “Job, you just can’t fix stupid!”

11:13 "If you would direct your heart right, and spread out your hand to Him; 14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and do not let wickedness dwell in your tents. 15 Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect, and you would be steadfast and not fear. 16 For you would forget your trouble, as waters that have passed by, you would remember it. 17 And your life would be brighter than noonday; darkness would be like the morning. 18 Then you would trust, because there is hope; and you would look around and rest securely. 19 You would lie down and none would disturb you, and many would entreat your favor. 20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and there will be no escape for them; and their hope is to breathe their last."

Translation? Job if you would think right and pray right (vs. 13), and if you would repent (vs. 14), your fear that you dreaded in 3:25 would go away (vs. 15), all your troubles would be like water under the bridge (vs. 16), instead of your empty headed talk in chapter 10 of how your light would become darkness, your darkness would become like the morning sunshine (vs. 17); and then you would trust and rest (18) and get your first good night’s sleep in a long, long time (19). But remember that the wicked (i.e. YOU!) won’t escape (20).

It’s a good thing there aren’t too many Pastor Zophars around.

Conclusion: I mentioned in an earlier devotional that not everything said by Job is correct and not everything stated by Eliphaz, Bildad & Zophar Incorporated is incorrect. The first part of verse 6 is one of those things stated by the comforters that, taken by itself, is not incorrect.

11:6 “And show you the secrets of wisdom! For sound wisdom has two sides.” Young’s Literal Translation puts it this way, “And declare to you secrets of wisdom, for counsel hath foldings.”

What does it mean that “God’s counsel (wisdom or purpose or design) is folded?”

Barnes writes, “The Hebrew word “kiplayim” (double) means "to fold.” The sense here is that the wisdom of God is "double-fold" – It is not UNFOLDED (spread out and plain), but is rather INFOLDED (complicated or inexplicable) so that it requires to be unrolled to be understood. The idea is that the wisdom of God is "double of understanding;" that is, it is so infolded, so complex, that it greatly surpasses our comprehension. What we see is a small part of it; and the "secrets" of his wisdom-- the parts of his wisdom which are not unfolded, are far above our grasp. His wisdom is like a vast roll or volume, only the first and a very small part of which is unrolled so that we can read it. But who can look into that which remains unopened, and penetrate between the involutions, so as to perceive and read it all? It is but little that is now unrolled of the mighty volume-- the remainder will be unfolded as years and ages shall pass on, and the entire unfolding of the book will be reserved for eternity."

Stated plainly? Our view of God is oftentimes just too small. He is able to solve the unsolvable!

Job 26:14 says this, “These are just the fringes of His ways…”