Job 6:25
"How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?"

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

How forcible are right words!.... That are according to right reason; such as may be called strong reasons, or bony arguments, as in Isa 41:21 ; there are strength and weight in such words, reasonings, and arguments; they bring evidence and conviction with them, and are very powerful to persuade the mind to an assent unto them, and have great influence to engage to a profession or practice of what they are used for; such are more especially the words of God, the Scriptures of truth, the doctrines of the Gospel; these are right words, see Pro 8:6 ; they are not contrary to right reason,

although above it; and are agreeably to sanctified reason, and received by it; they are according to the perfections of God, even his righteousness and holiness, and according to the law of God, and in no wise repugnant to it, which is the rule of righteousness; and they are doctrines according to godliness, and are far from encouraging licentiousness; and they are all strictly true, and must be right: and there is a force and strength in those words; they come with weight, especially when they come in demonstration of the Spirit and power of God; they are mighty, through God, for the pulling down the strong holds of sin, Satan, and self, and for the bringing of men to the obedience of Christ; to the quickening dead sinners, enlightening dark minds, softening hard hearts; renewing, changing, and transforming men into quite another temper and disposition of mind they formerly had; for the comforting and relieving souls in distress, and saints under affliction; and have so very wonderful an influence on the lives and conversations of those to whom they come, not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost, as to teach them to deny all sin and ungodliness, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly: or, "how forcible are the words of an upright man!" (a) that is, sincere, impartial, and faithful; which Job suggests his friends were not: some think Job has respect to his own words, and render the clause, "what hardness", or "harshness", have "right words!" (b) Such as he believed his own were, and in which there were nothing hard and harsh, sharp and severe, or which might give just offence; such as his cursing the day in which he was born, or charging his friends with treachery and deceit: but rather he tacitly reflects upon the words and arguments of his friends; intimating, that though there is force and strength in right words, theirs were neither right nor forcible, but partial and unjust, and weak and impotent; which had no strength of reasoning in them, nor carried any conviction with them, as follows: but what doth your arguing reprove? their arguments they had used with him had no strength in them; they were of no avail; they did not reprove or convince of any evil he had been guilty of, or any mistake he had made; they were weak, impertinent, and useless, and fell with no weight upon him, nor wrought any conviction in him. (a) So Aquila apud Drusium. (b) "quid duritiei habent verba rectitudinis", Schmidt; so Luther.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (8 words)

H4100 מָה
Definition:

43;Joshua 22:16;Judges 8:1),מַהֿ,מַהּ,מֶה,מַּ(Exodus 4:2;Isaiah 3:15;Malachi 1:13;1 Chronicles 15:13; 2Chronicles 30:3),מָ(only inמָהֵםEzekiel 8:6Kt., Qr.מָה הֵם) — on the distinction in the use of th 43;Joshua 22:16;Judges 8:1),מַהֿ,מַהּ,מֶה,מַּ(Exodus 4:2;Isaiah 3:15;Malachi 1:13;1 Chronicles 15:13; 2Chronicles 30:3),מָ(only inמָהֵםEzekiel 8:6Kt., Qr.מָה הֵם) — on the distinction in the use of th

Possible Meanings:
  • what? (semantic_range)
H4834 מָרַץ
Definition:

25(but see below);ParticipleנִמְרָץMicah 2:10; feminineנִמְרֶ֫צֶת1 Kings 2:8; —חֶבֶל נִמְרָץMicah 2:10a sore, grievousdestruction (literallymade sick, compareמַכָּה נַחְלָהJeremiah 14:17);נִמְרֶצֶת קְ 25(but see below);ParticipleנִמְרָץMicah 2:10; feminineנִמְרֶ֫צֶת1 Kings 2:8; —חֶבֶל נִמְרָץMicah 2:10a sore, grievousdestruction (literallymade sick, compareמַכָּה נַחְלָהJeremiah 14:17);נִמְרֶצֶת קְ

Possible Meanings:
  • be sick (semantic_range)
  • what sickens thee (semantic_range)
H0561 אֵמֶר
Definition:

103, but here read probably Pluraln. compareᵐ5Ol Hi De Che) — constructאִמְרַתIsaiah 5:24+;אִמְרָתִיGenesis 4:23+ etc.;PluralabsoluteאֲמָרוֺתPsalm 12:7; constructאִמֲרוֺתib.; —utterance, speechGenesis 103, but here read probably Pluraln. compareᵐ5Ol Hi De Che) — constructאִמְרַתIsaiah 5:24+;אִמְרָתִיGenesis 4:23+ etc.;PluralabsoluteאֲמָרוֺתPsalm 12:7; constructאִמֲרוֺתib.; —utterance, speechGenesis

Possible Meanings:
  • lamb (semantic_range)
H3476 ישֶׁר
Definition:

21straightness, uprightness; —ישֶׁרProverbs 2:1311t.; suffixיָשְׁרוֺJob 33:23;Proverbs 14:2; —1straightness, evenness, of paths (with moral implication)Proverbs 2:13;Proverbs 4:11.2rightness, uprightn 21straightness, uprightness; —ישֶׁרProverbs 2:1311t.; suffixיָשְׁרוֺJob 33:23;Proverbs 14:2; —1straightness, evenness, of paths (with moral implication)Proverbs 2:13;Proverbs 4:11.2rightness, uprightn

H4100 מָה
Definition:

43;Joshua 22:16;Judges 8:1),מַהֿ,מַהּ,מֶה,מַּ(Exodus 4:2;Isaiah 3:15;Malachi 1:13;1 Chronicles 15:13; 2Chronicles 30:3),מָ(only inמָהֵםEzekiel 8:6Kt., Qr.מָה הֵם) — on the distinction in the use of th 43;Joshua 22:16;Judges 8:1),מַהֿ,מַהּ,מֶה,מַּ(Exodus 4:2;Isaiah 3:15;Malachi 1:13;1 Chronicles 15:13; 2Chronicles 30:3),מָ(only inמָהֵםEzekiel 8:6Kt., Qr.מָה הֵם) — on the distinction in the use of th

Possible Meanings:
  • what? (semantic_range)
H3198 יָכַח
Definition:

45t.;הֹכִיחַGenesis 24:44;הוֺכִחַGenesis 21:25; 2masculine singularחֹכַחְתָּGenesis 24:14; 1singular suffixהוֺכַחְתִּיו2 Samuel 7:14;ImperfectיוֺכִיחַIsaiah 11:35t.;יוֺכַחHosea 4:44t.;יוֺכָ֑ח1 Chronic 45t.;הֹכִיחַGenesis 24:44;הוֺכִחַGenesis 21:25; 2masculine singularחֹכַחְתָּGenesis 24:14; 1singular suffixהוֺכַחְתִּיו2 Samuel 7:14;ImperfectיוֺכִיחַIsaiah 11:35t.;יוֺכַחHosea 4:44t.;יוֺכָ֑ח1 Chronic

Possible Meanings:
  • decide (semantic_range)
  • adjudge (semantic_range)
  • prove (semantic_range)
  • decide (semantic_range)
  • judge (semantic_range)
H3198 יָכַח
Definition:

45t.;הֹכִיחַGenesis 24:44;הוֺכִחַGenesis 21:25; 2masculine singularחֹכַחְתָּGenesis 24:14; 1singular suffixהוֺכַחְתִּיו2 Samuel 7:14;ImperfectיוֺכִיחַIsaiah 11:35t.;יוֺכַחHosea 4:44t.;יוֺכָ֑ח1 Chronic 45t.;הֹכִיחַGenesis 24:44;הוֺכִחַGenesis 21:25; 2masculine singularחֹכַחְתָּGenesis 24:14; 1singular suffixהוֺכַחְתִּיו2 Samuel 7:14;ImperfectיוֺכִיחַIsaiah 11:35t.;יוֺכַחHosea 4:44t.;יוֺכָ֑ח1 Chronic

Possible Meanings:
  • decide (semantic_range)
  • adjudge (semantic_range)
  • prove (semantic_range)
  • decide (semantic_range)
  • judge (semantic_range)
H4480 מִן
Definition:

2; 2Chronicles 20:11) contracted toמִי(asמִידֵיfromמִיְּדֵי), before guttural andר, mostlyמֵ, occasionallyמִ(Ges§ 102, l R.; more fully Köii. 291ff),מִןbefore article in all books much commoner than - 2; 2Chronicles 20:11) contracted toמִי(asמִידֵיfromמִיְּדֵי), before guttural andר, mostlyמֵ, occasionallyמִ(Ges§ 102, l R.; more fully Köii. 291ff),מִןbefore article in all books much commoner than -

Possible Meanings:
  • out of (semantic_range)
  • by (semantic_range)
  • by reason of (semantic_range)
  • at (semantic_range)

Interlinear data not available for this verse yet.

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