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BerianAardvark -> RE: please help me on Job 2:9 (5/20/2008 2:15:07 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: tucole
Hello bible scholars! I need your help to help me understand Job 2:9 Okay Jobs wife says to him curse God and die. Okay we all know the story, when i use the strongs KJV its says the word curse in hebrew is pronounce baw-rak but the definitions it gives are to bless to kneel and bless and so on. At the very last line it says to curse by euphemism. Ok this is where its confusing how can one word me 2 diff things? when so many definitions mean to bless. I checked crosswalks other translations and only youngs literal translation says that she said "bless God & die" Hoping anyone wih insight into this can really help me with this one. God bless you all
Some times a commentary is more useful than a dictionary, as commentaries are scholarly expositions on the verses. To avoid copyright issues I will cite only public domain works. But as the language is somewhat archaic (from the 1800s), I will do some paraphrasing.
Albert Barnes (writing in the early to mid 1800s) points out that the word for curse in Job 1:11 is the same as is translated as curse in Job 2:9.
He cites some scholars who propose different translations, "“And yet dost thou hold fast thine integrity, blessing God and dying?”, “Renounce God, and die,” , “Bid farewell to God, and die.” and “Give thanks to God and die.” Holding more closely to the more common translations of בּרך (bârak).
But he then points out:
"The response of Job, however Job_2:10, shows that he understood her as exciting him to reject, renounce, or curse God." The sense is, she wished Job to express this and be relieved from his misery.
As to the "and die", Barnes suggests:
Probably she regarded God as a stern and severe Being, and supposed that by indulging in blasphemy Job would provoke him to cut him off at once. She did not expect him to lay wicked hands on himself. She expected that God would at once interpose and destroy him. The sense is, that nothing but death was to be expected, and the sooner he provoked God to cut him off from the land of the living, the better.
Barnes also points out that: The Septuagint has introduced a remarkable passage here, of which the following is a translation. “After much time had elapsed, his wife said unto him, How long wilt thou persevere, saying, Behold, I will wait a little longer, cherishing the trope of my recovery? Behold, the memorial of thee has disappeared from the earth - those sons and daughters, the pangs and sorrows of my womb, for whom I toiled laboriously in vain. Even thou sittest among loathsome worms, passing the night in the open air, whilst I, a wanderer and a drudge, from place to place, and from house to house, watch the sun until his going down, that I may rest from the toils and sorrows that now oppress me. But speak some word toward the Lord (τι ῥῆμα εἰς κύριον ti rēma eis kurion) and die.”
John Gill (writing in the late 1600s- late 1700s) suggests that: " the words may be rendered, "bless God and die"; and may be understood either sarcastically, go on blessing God till thou diest; if thou hast not had enough of it, take thy fill of it, and see what will be the issue of it; nothing but death; wilt thou still continue "blessing God and dying?" so some render the words, referring to what he had said in Job_1:21; or else really and sincerely, as advising him to humble himself before God, confess his sins, and "pray" unto him that he would take him out of this world, and free him from all his pains and sorrow; or rather the sense is, "bless God": take thy farewell of him; bid adieu to him and all religion, and so die; for there is no good to be hoped for on the score of that, here or hereafter; or at least not in this life: and so it amounts to much the same as before; and this sense is confirmed by Job's answer, which follows.
But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2:10)
John Wesley takes a some what different stand:
Job 2:9 Then said his wife - Whom Satan spared, to be a troubler and tempter to him. It is his policy, to send his temptations by the hands of those that are dear to us. We must therefore carefully watch, that we be not drawn to any evil, by them whom we love and value the most. Die - I see thou art set upon blessing of God, thou blessest God for giving, and thou blessest God for taking away, and thou art still blessing God for thy loathsome diseases, and he rewards thee accordingly, giving thee more and more of that kind of mercy for which thou blessest him. Go on therefore in thy generous course, and bless God, and die as a fool dieth.
It is important to remember that commentaries are not inspired, but are the opinions and insights of Biblical scholars and others who were well respected enough to get published.
But as you can see commentaries can frequently be helpful in examining scripture.
You mentioned checking out some different translations, here are a couple I have access to that may have a useful angle.
It can be enlightening to see how Old Testament Books and passages are translated by the Jewish people themselves, this is from a Bible (old Testament only) from the Jewish Publication Society (1917).
Then said his wife unto him: 'Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? blaspheme God, and die.' But he said unto her: 'Thou speakest as one of the impious women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?' For all this did not Job sin with his lips. (Job 2:9-10 JPS)
One final citation, this from Complete Jewish Bible An English Version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B'rit Hadashah (New Testament) by David H. Stern © 1998 (who is a Messianic Jew.):
His wife asked him, "Why do you still hold on to your integrity? Curse God, and die!" But he answered her, "You're talking like a low-class woman! Are we to receive the good at God's hands but reject the bad?" In all this Iyov did not say one sinful word. (Job 2:9-10 CJB)
So as you can see, using several translations can also be helpful.
There are quite a few more tools for studying scripture than Strong's. ;-)
Hope this helps,
Tim
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