Job 33:10

Job 33:10 Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,

Ver. 10. Behold, he findeth occasions against me] Or, breaches; he picks quarrels with me, and would fain find out somewhat in my carriage wherefore to break friendship with me, and to break me in pieces. But did Job ever say in this sort? Not expressly so; but by consequence, and to the same purpose, Job 9:17; Job 13:24; Job 14:17; Job 16:9; Job 19:11.

He counteth me for his enemy] This indeed he had said, and somewhat more, Job 13:24; Job 16:9; Job 30:21, as if God, of his mere pleasure, had made cruel wars upon him, and exercised all kind of hostility against him, as a vanquished enemy. {See Trapp on "Job 13:24"} {See Trapp on "Job 19:11"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

occasions--for hostility; literally, "enmities" (Job 13:24; Job 16:9; Job 19:11; Job 30:21).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(10) Behold, he findeth occasions against me.—See Job_13:24; Job_13:26-27; Job_19:11.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. See ch. Job_10:13 seq., Job_13:24, Job_19:11, Job_30:21.

he findeth occasions] lit. enmities, i. e. grounds of enmity or hostility; he “findeth” is almost equivalent to He “invents.” Coverdale quaintly, “he hath pyked a quarell agaynst me.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Behold, he findeth occasions against me,.... That is, sought in order to find them; so Job in some places suggests, that God inquired after his sins, and sought diligently after them, that he might have something to bring against him; and because he could not find great sins, gross enormities, he sought after lesser sins; so some render the word, "staggerings", "totterings" (h); frailties, failings, and infirmities; and because he could find none of late of a very heinous nature, he went back as far as the sins of his youth; see Job 10:6; and this in order to pick a quarrel with him; and so Mr. Broughton renders the words, "lo, he picketh quarrels against me"; or that he might have just reason to depart from him, or to break from him, or to break off friendship with him, or to break him to pieces in his estate, family, and health; all which senses some observe the words will bear: but it would be needless for God to seek in order to find occasions against men; there is enough ready at hand, the sins that are about them; and to represent the Lord as dealing thus with good men is to represent him as acting contrary to the declarations and methods of his grace; yea, as doing what wicked men do to good men, as the enemies of David, Daniel, and Jeremiah, did to them; nay, even as Satan himself does, who goes about and seeks for, and picks up accusations against the saints; this must be owned to be a very irreverent and unbecoming expression of Job's, and for which he deserved to be sharply rebuked, as well as for some following ones, and for which he afterwards was thoroughly humbled:

he counteth me for his enemy; this he had often said, but very wrongly; See Gill on Job 13:24, and See Gill on Job 16:9, and See Gill on Job 19:11.

(h) "vacillationes", Cocceius; "aut mutationes", Michaelis.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Behold, he findeth occasions against me - That is, God. This is not exactly the language of Job, though much that he had said had seemed to imply this. The idea is, that God sought opportunity to oppose him; that he was desirous to find in him some ground or reason for punishing him; that he wished to be hostile to him, and was narrowly on the watch to find an opportunity which would justify his bringing calamity upon him. The word rendered “occasions” - תנואה tenû'âh, is from נוא nû', in the Hiphil, הניא hāniy' - to refuse, decline; to hinder, restrain, Num 30:6, Num 30:9,Num 30:12; and hence, the noun means, a holding back, a withdrawal, an alienation; and hence, the idea is, that God sought to be alienated from Job. The Vulgate renders it, “He seeks complaints (querales) against me.” The Septuagint, μέμψιν mempsin - accusation. Umbreit, Feindshaft, enmity. So Gesenius and Noyes. “He counteth me for his enemy.” This is language which Job had used; see Job 19:11.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Complaints. Something similar had indeed come from Job’s lips; (chap. xiv. 17., and xx. 21.) not that he pretended that God sought to find him guilty without cause; but he meant that He treated him as an enemy, for some secret purpose. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He picketh quarrels with me, and watcheth over and searcheth after all my errors and frailties, as Job said, Job 10:6; 14:16,17; severely marking what is amiss in me, that thence he may take occasion to punish me worse than mine iniquities deserve. Though I have endeavoured to be his friend and faithful servant all my days, yet he treats me like an enemy. This Job said Job 13:24; 19:11.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. Occasions — Rather, enmities, hostilities.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Behold, he findeth occasions against me. This charge may perhaps be justified by reference to Job"s complaints in Job_7:17-19 and Job_10:3-6; but the exact words are not Job"s. He counteth me for his enemy. Certainly, Job had said this more than ones. (see Job_16:9) But he cannot really have believed it, or his trust in God must have failed. The fact that to the last he clung to God, appealed to him, hoped to receive judgment from him, (Job_31:2, Job_31:6, Job_31:28, Job_31:35-37) is proof sufficient that he knew God was not really alienated from him, but would in the end acknowledge him and vindicate his character.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Elihu continues quoting what he heard Job say.

See

The speaker uses this word here to draw attention to what he says next. AT: "Listen"

He puts my feet in stocks

"Stocks" are wooden blocks a jailer puts around a prisoner's feet to restrict his movement. Job speaks of feeling like he is a prisoner by saying that he is in stocks. AT: "I feel he has made me a prisoner" (See: Metaphor)

my paths

These words refer to where he goes. Here where he goes represents what he does. AT: "everything that I do" (See: Metonymy)

I will answer you

Elihu is speaking to Job.

translationWords

God

adversary

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

pretenses Heb. תאונות, pretenses to turn away from the Omnipresent, an expression of (Jud. 14: 4), “that he sought a pretense (תאנה).”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.