to hear intelligently (often with implication of attent… · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine plural
diligently
שָׁ֭מוֹעַSha.mo.a'
H8085
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attent… · verb, qal infinitive absolute
speech
מִלָּתִ֑יmi.la.Ti
H4405
a word · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix
consolations
תַּנְח֥וּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽםtan.Chu.mo.tei.Khem
H8575
compassion · noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine plural
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
Judges 9:7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hear…
Job 13:3-4 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
Job 15:11 Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?
Job 16:2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
Job 18:2 How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.
Job 33:1 Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.
Job 33:31-33 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Job 21:1-6
Job here recommends himself, both his case and his discourse, both what he suffered and what he said, to the compassionate consideration of his friends. 1. That which he entreats of them is very fair, that they would suffer him to speak (Job 21:3) and not break in upon him, as Zophar had done, in the midst of his discourse. Losers, of all men, may have leave to speak; and, if those that are accused and censured are not allowed to speak for themselves, they are wronged without remedy, and have no way to come at their right. He entreats that they would hear diligently his speech (Job 21:2) as those that were willing to understand him, and, if they were under a mistake, to have it rectified; an…
Hear diligently my speech,.... The following oration or discourse he was about to deliver concerning the prosperity of wicked men; to which he desires their closest attention, that they might the better understand the force of his reasoning, the evidences and proof of fasts he should give; whereby, if their minds were open to conviction, they would clearly see their mistake, and that truth lay on his side:
and let this be your consolations; or "this shall be your consolations" (k); meaning, either that they would receive instruction and benefit by his discourse, which would yield them pleasure and comfort; and to an ingenuous mind, to be convinced of an error, to have mistakes rectified, an…
1 Then began Job, and said:
2 Hear, oh hear, my speech,
And let this be instead of your consolations.
3 Suffer me, and I will speak,
And after I have spoken thou mayest mock.
4 As for me, then, doth my complaint concern man,
Or wherefore should I not become impatient?
5 Turn ye to me and be astonished,
And lay your hand upon your mouth.
6 Even if I think of it I am bewildered,
And my flesh taketh hold on trembling - :
The friends, far from being able to solve the enigma of Job's affliction, do not once recognise the mystery as such. They cut the knot by wounding Job most deeply by ever more and more frivolous accusations. Therefore he entreats them to be at least willing to listen (שׁמעוּ wi…
The Church Fathers
"I have no consolation from you," which makes you happy in temporal goods, common to the ungodly and the righteous, and say that if anyone were wicked, he would be punished. Job, on the contrary, says that the wicked preserve these temporal goods until death, and that consequently they are not punished in this world. 4, "Hey what! Is my punishment inflicted upon me by men? It is God who chastises me, he too can. comfort me and not you. "Why should not I be irritated? Do not give me these consolations, for I see in them the happiness of the wicked.
Ver. 2. Hear I pray you my speech, and practise penitence. 40. For he that when he said Hear, added, I pray you, shews how humbly he speaks, whilst he entreats persons, swelling with pride against him, to bring back their thought to the teaching of saving truth. But whereas holy men, within the pale of the Universal Church, are not only ready to teach what is right, but also to undergo things that are done against them, they do not dread being laughed at. Hence it is added; Suffer me that I may speak; and after my words, if it shall seem so, laugh. 41. For when good men speak, there are two points, which they regard in their discourse, viz. that they should be of use to themselves and their hearers, or to themselves alone, if they are unable to be of use to their hearers. For when the good things they deliver are heard to good purpose, they benefit both themselves and their hearers; but when they are turned to ridicule by the hearer, doubtless they were of use to themselves, whom they made quit of the sin of silence. And so let blessed Job, that he might serve both himself and his hearers, speak the words; Hear I pray you my speech, and practise repentance. But that he may discharge himself of the obligation which he owes, even if he is unable to avail his hearers, he adds, Suffer me that I speak; and after my words, if it shall seem so, laugh. I observe that whereas he added, and practise repentance, he first premised, Hear, but when he added the words, and after my words, if it shall seem so, laugh, he premised, Suffer me that I may speak; for 'hearing' is of one who acts of free will, but 'bearing' of one who acts against his own inclination. And so if his friends desire to be taught, let them 'hear,' but if they are ready to mock, let them 'suffer' the things that are said; seeing that to a proud mind, instruction in humility is a grievous and onerous weight.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Job’s friends insisted that they were delivering God’s own message of comfort (15:11), but Job found no comfort in their words (16:2), so he asked for the consolation of their attentive silence (see 13:5).
Rashi on Job 21:2
Job’s answer and this shall be your consolations The fact that you will keep your peace and listen to me this will be my consolation from you.
