alive · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
abhorreth
וְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּve.zi.ha.Ma.tu
H2092
to be rancid · conjunction + verb, piel sequential perfect, 3rd person feminine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
bread
לָ֑חֶםLa.chem
H3899
food (for man or beast) · noun, common masculine singular absolute
soul
וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹve.naf.Sho
H5315
properly · conjunction + noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
dainty
תַּאֲוָֽהta.'a.Vah
H8378
a longing · noun, common feminine singular absolute
meat
מַאֲכַ֥לma.'a.Khal
H3978
an eatable (includ. provender · noun, common masculine singular construct
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
Job 3:24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.
Psalms 107:17-18 Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she…
Jeremiah 3:19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, T…
Amos 5:11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye sha…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Job 33:19-28
God has spoken once to sinners by their own consciences, to keep them from the paths of the destroyer, but they perceive it not; they are not aware that the checks their own hearts give them in a sinful way are from God, but they are imputed to melancholy or the preciseness of their education; and therefore God speaks twice; he speaks a second time, and tries another way to convince and reclaim sinners, and that is by providences, afflictive and merciful (in which he speaks twice), and by the seasonable instructions of good ministers setting in with them. Job complained much of his diseases and judged by them that God was angry with him; his friends did so too: but Elihu shows that they were…
life--that is, the appetite, which ordinarily sustains "life" (Job 38:39; Psa 107:18; Ecc 12:5). The taking away of desire for food by sickness symbolizes the removal by affliction of lust, for things which foster the spiritual fever of pride.
soul--desire.
Adam Clarke on Job 33:20
His life abhorreth bread - These expressions strongly and naturally point out that general nausea, or loathing which sick persons feel in almost every species of disorder.
John Gill on Job 33:20
So that his life abhorreth bread,.... Through the force of pain he loses his appetite for food, and even a nausea of it takes place; he loathes it as the most abominable and filthy thing that can be thought of; even bread, so necessary to the support of human life, so strengthening to the heart of man, and what he every day stands in need of, and should pray for, and in health is never weary of; it may be put for all common and useful food:
and his soul dainty meat; the most rich and delicious; such as the tables of the great and rich are furnished with: "food of desire" (p); or desirable food, as it may be rendered; see Daniel 10:3; such as in the time of health the appetite craves and des…
"He can not take any food. No consolation in temporal goods.
These words mean that the soul of the wicked will never rejoice in the sins that it has committed or in the justice that it has never reached.
His bread becomes abominable to him in his lips, and to his soul the food which before it desired. As if he were to say in so many words; A mind under affliction believes that every thing which used easily to satisfy, and give it pleasure, is turned into bitterness. For by bread is understood in holy Scripture sometimes the Lord Himself, sometimes spiritual grace, sometimes the instruction of divine teaching, sometimes the preaching of heretics, sometimes sustenance for this present life, sometimes the agreeableness of worldly pleasure. The Lord is signified by bread, as He Himself says in the Gospel, I am the living Bread, Who came down from heaven. Again, by bread is understood the grace of spiritual gifts, as is said by the Prophet, Who stoppeth his ears, that he should not hear of blood, and shutteth his eyes that he should not see evil, he shall dwell in high places, his high place shall be the munitions of rocks, bread is given to him. For what is to close his ears, not to hear blood, except to refuse consent to those persuasive sins which spring from flesh and blood? or what to close his eyes, not to behold evil, but to disapprove of every thing which is contrary to uprightness? Such an one will dwell in high places; for though the flesh still confines him to things below, he has already fixed his mind on things above. His high place is the munitions of rocks, because he who tramples beneath his feet his longings for worldly conversation, raises himself to his heavenly country by the patterns of the fathers who have gone before. And because he is satisfied with spiritual grace through the gift of contemplation, it is rightly subjoined, Bread is given him; that is, he enjoys the refreshment of spiritual grace, because he has raised himself above the goods of the world, by hoping for those of heaven. Hence also the Lord says of Holy Church by David, I will satisfy her poor with bread; because the humble-minded who dwell therein are filled with the refreshment of spiritual gifts. Again, by bread is set forth the instruction of heavenly doctrine, as is said by the Prophet, Ye who dwell in the land of the South, meet with bread him that is flying away. For they dwell in the land of the South who, placed within Holy Church, are breathed upon by the love of the Spirit from on high. But he is flying, who is wishing to escape from the evils of this world. He…
Dictionary and topics
Agency · IN SALVATION OF MEN — IN SALVATION OF MEN
Diseases · Mentioned in scripture: Loss of appetite — Mentioned in scripture: Loss of appetite
Philosophy · provi — provi
Sickness · God: Often manifests saving grace to sinners during — God: Often manifests saving grace to sinners during
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Keil & Delitzsch on Job 33:19-22
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,
And with the unceasing conflict of his limbs;
20 And his life causeth him to loathe bread,
And his soul dainty meat.
21 His flesh consumeth away to uncomeliness,
And his deranged limbs are scarcely to be seen.
22 Then his soul draweth near to the grave,
And his life to the destroyers.
Another and severer lesson which God teaches man is by painful sickness: he is chastened with pain (בּ of the means) on his bed, he and the vigorous number of his limbs, i.e., he with this hitherto vigorous (Raschi), or: while the multitude of his limbs is still vigorous (Ew). Thus is the Keri ורב to be understood, for the interpretation: and the multitude of his…
from crossing over the river of death: This phrase may also be translated from passing [i.e., dying] by the sword. Both translations fit the context (cp. 36:12).
Rashi on Job 33:20
And his living spirit causes him to abhor food The soul and the life of the sick person cause him to abhor all food.
and his soul abhors all tasty food.
