Rut thou hast hardened thy heart, and hast spread thy hands to him.

“Thou hast set firm thine heart, and stretched out thine hands towards Him. The heart is not here said to be 'set firm' by virtue but by insensibility, for every soul that submits itself to the consideration of the interior severity, is directly softened by the fear thereof; and the shaft of divine dread enters into him, in that he carries weak bowels through humility. But he that is hardened by obstinacy in insensibility, as it were sets his heart firm, that the darts of heavenly fear may not pierce it. Whence the Lord says mercifully to some by the Prophet, And I will take away the stony heart out of you, and I will give you a heart of flesh. For He 'takes away the stony heart,' when He removes from us the hardness of pride. And He 'gives us a heart of flesh,' when He thereupon changes that same hardness into sensibility. Now by 'hands' as we have often taught are denoted works. To stretch out the hands to God, then, with sin, is to pride ourselves upon the excellency of our works to the prejudice of the grace of the Giver. For he that, speaking in the presence of the Eternal Judge, ascribes to himself the good that he does, stretches out his hands to God in a spirit of pride. It is in this way truly that the lost ever let themselves loose against the Elect, and so heretics against Catholics; that when they are unable to abuse their doings, they set themselves to blame the good for pride in those doings, that those, whom they cannot upbraid for weak points in practice, they may charge with the guilt of high-mindedness. And hence the good things which are done outwardly, they now no longer reckon to be good, in that they are set forth as it were in the prosecution of swelling conceit. And these oftentimes with swelling thoughts rebuke lowly deeds, and know not that they are dealing blows against themselves by their words.”

“But Zophar the Naamathite answering said, etc. Above, Job had said, among the other evils that he was suffering, that he was marvelously tormented by his friends who rose up against him as witnesses on God's behalf; touched by this word, Zophar answered. Hence it says, "But Zophar the Naamathite answering said: shall not he who speaks much also hear?" As if to say: you have spoken much and inordinately, wherefore it is no wonder if you have been rebuked by your friends; for if a man who speaks much were not to be rebuked, this inconvenient consequence would follow, that men would be reckoned just from the very fact that they are talkative. Hence it follows, "or shall a man full of talk be justified?" that is, be reckoned just? And because Job could say that deference ought to be shown to him on account of his dignity, Zophar excludes this, adding, "shall men hold their peace to you alone, and when you have mocked others, shall you not be refuted by anyone?" For he understood both himself and others to have been mocked in this, that Job had called them witnesses of God, and in that he had said above, "why do you detract from the words of truth?" And therefore he says it is not to be wondered at if others too speak against him. But perhaps Job could say that they had nothing to say against him or against his words, and to exclude this Zophar adds: "for you have said: my speech is pure" — this he takes from what Job had said above, "you will not find iniquity in my tongue, nor will folly resound in my jaws"; "and I am clean in your sight" — this Job had not said expressly, but Zophar wished to take it from his words, because he had argued that he was not being punished for sin, or from what he had said, "know that I have done nothing wicked," or from what he had said above, "have I not dissembled? have I not kept silence?" Now it is to be considered that, since sin is a deviation from the law of God, sin, or its magnitude, cannot be fully known unless the law of God is known: for "the right is judge both of itself and of the oblique." Since, therefore, Job said himself immune from sin, or that he had not sinned so gravely as he was being punished, Zophar reckoned this to happen because Job did not perfectly know the law of God, and therefore he says, "and would that God would speak with you, and would open his lips to you." This he seems to say in derision of Job, because Job had said, "show me why you judge me thus." And it can be said that God simply speaks to man when he inspires something of his wisdom into his heart, according to that word of the Psalm, "I will hear what the Lord God speaks in me"; but he opens his lips when through certain effects he reveals something to men, for by the lips the exterior voices are formed by which we express the interior conceptions of the heart. Now it is to be considered that we fall short of the understanding of divine things for a twofold reason. First, indeed, because since we cannot know the invisible things of God except through the things that have been made, and the things that have been made fall far short of the power of their maker, it is necessary that many things remain to be considered in the maker which are hidden from us; and these are called the secrets of God's wisdom, concerning which he says, "that he might show you the secrets of wisdom." Second, because we cannot even fully comprehend the very order of creatures, as it is dispensed by divine providence; for it is one way in human government and another in the divine. For among men, the higher someone is in ruling, the more his ordinance extends only to universal matters, leaving particulars to be dispensed by lower rulers, and thus the law of government of a higher ruler is universal and simple; but the higher God is in ruling, the more his ordinance extends even to the smallest things. Wherefore the law of his government is not only secret, if we look to the height of the ruler exceeding the whole proportion of the creature, but is also manifold, dispensing even singular and the smallest things under a fixed order; and therefore he added, "and that his law is manifold." And this indeed is to be considered not only in natural things, insofar as they are subject to the divine government, but also in human affairs. For human laws, because their framers could not have regard to all singular things, have regard to certain universals which occur for the most part; but how universal human statutes are to be applied to singular deeds is left to the prudence of the one acting. Wherefore in many things a man can fall short of rectitude, in which nevertheless he is not contrary to the law humanly enacted; but the divine law, insofar as it is in the wisdom of God, extends to all particular and the smallest things, and thus it cannot happen that a man discords from rectitude in something and is not contrary to the divine law. Since, therefore, man cannot attain to the divine law itself, as it is to be looked into in the secret of God's wisdom, and consequently cannot recognize its manifoldness, it happens that sometimes he does not think himself to be acting against the law of God when nevertheless he is so acting, or thinks he transgresses little when he transgresses much. Wherefore he adds, "and you would understand" — namely, if the secrets of wisdom and the manifoldness of the law of God were shown to you — "that much less is exacted of you by him," namely in enduring punishments, "than your iniquity deserves," which you either do not know or reckon small. And in this he seems to rebuke what Job had said above: "would that my sins, by which I have deserved wrath, and the calamity that I suffer, were weighed in a balance; this would appear heavier than the sand of the sea." And because he had supposed that in the divine wisdom there is something secret which had not yet been shown to Job, lest this could be denied, he confirms it by what follows, saying, "perhaps you will comprehend the footsteps of God." "Footsteps" are signs along the way of one who proceeds; but the works of God are called his ways, and the production of creatures by God is understood as a certain procession of God into creatures, insofar as the divine goodness, from him in whom it exists simply and supremely, proceeds, derived by degrees to its effects, while the higher things are found better than the lower. The footsteps of God, therefore, are certain signs found in creatures, from which God can be known to some extent through them. But since the human mind cannot totally and perfectly know even the creatures themselves, much less can it have perfect knowledge of the Creator himself, and therefore, asking, he adds, "and will you find the Almighty unto perfection?" As if to say: if you cannot perfectly know creatures, much less can you know the Creator; and he says pointedly "find," because reason, by a certain inquiry, proceeds from effects to the cause, which, while it comes to know through the effects, we are said to find. Nor is it a wonder if, the creatures not being perfectly known, the Creator is not perfectly known, because even if the creatures were perfectly known, the Creator would still not be perfectly known: for the cause can be perfectly known through the effects only when the effects equal the power of the cause, which cannot be said of God. And therefore he adds, "he is higher than heaven, and what will you do? deeper than hell, and how will you know? his measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." These things are said under metaphor: for it must not be understood that God, who is incorporeal, is extended by corporeal dimensions, but he describes the greatness of his power under the likeness of corporeal greatness, because however great corporeal quantities appear to be, whether in height or depth or length or breadth, they nevertheless fall short of the greatness of God's power, which could make greater things; and therefore he pointedly named God "Almighty" beforehand. From this, therefore, he shows that he cannot be found perfectly in creatures, because, granted that all creatures were perfectly known, a power equal to him could not be known from them: what middle term, then, can be taken for knowing the power of God insofar as it exceeds every creature? And this he signifies when he says, "what will you do?" and "how will you know?" Now the divine power exceeds every creature not only in producing but also in preserving: for the preservation of a creature is from God alone, nor is there any power in a creature that could resist the divine will if it did not wish to preserve that creature any further. And therefore he adds, "if he overturns all things" — reducing them to nothing, namely by withdrawing being from them — "or gathers them into one" — bringing in confusion through the withdrawal of the order by which he distinguishes things — "who will contradict him?" that is, what power of a creature will be able to be contrary, preserving itself or other things in being against his will? But lest someone say that, although nothing could be preserved in being except through him, yet he preserves things in being as it were by debt, to exclude this he adds, "or who can say to him: why do you act thus?" as though demanding from him an account of a debt omitted. "For he knows the vanity of men," etc. After Zophar has shown that in the divine wisdom there is something secret which is incomprehensible to man, he proceeds to make manifest another thing that he had supposed earlier, namely that God exacts punishment from man for sin, and, to manifest this indeed, that God knows the deeds of men. Hence he says: I rightly say that less is exacted of you by God than your iniquity deserves, "for he knows the vanity of men," that is, the vain deeds of men. Now those things are usually called vain which are unstable because they are not made stable by their due ends; from this, therefore, comes the vanity of man, that his heart is not fixed in truth, by which alone it can be made stable, and from the fact that he withdraws from truth he works iniquity, inasmuch as he desires that which appears good in place of that which is good. Wherefore he adds, "and seeing" — namely, God — "iniquity," proceeding from the vanity of men, "does he not consider it?" namely, so as to punish it? For then a judge seems to let sin pass by inconsiderately when he dissembles and does not care to apply punishment, which does not seem to be said of God: since, therefore, he himself sees the vanity of men, he exacts punishment for iniquity. But just as it happens from vanity that a man declines toward iniquity, so from the same vanity it comes about that a man does not reckon himself subject to the divine judgment, and therefore he adds, "a vain man is lifted up into pride," namely so that he does not believe himself subject to his superior, and this is what he adds, "and thinks himself born free like a wild ass's colt." The wild ass is a forest ass, whose colt is born free from the dominion of man; but the colts of asses that are possessed by men are born into the servitude of men. Men, therefore, who do not think themselves subject to the divine judgment, reckon themselves as it were colts of the wild ass born free, although they see other men of the same condition constrained by divine judgment. This he seemed to say in derision of blessed Job, understanding from his words that he wished to contend as it were on equal terms with God, because he had said, "let him take his rod away from me, and let not his dread terrify me; I will speak and not fear him." And therefore he adds, "but you have hardened your heart," namely so as to defend your iniquity. And yet, with this hardening of heart, you have stretched out your hands to God in prayer, namely above, when he said, "I will say to God: do not condemn me"; and therefore your prayer is useless, for prayer is useful when a man first puts away his iniquity and afterward asks of God that he cease from punishing. And this is what he adds: "if you remove the iniquity that is in your hand from you," namely so that you cease from the wicked deed which you still have at hand, "and injustice does not remain in your tent," namely so that you restore what you have unjustly received and kept, or so that you correct your household, for whose offenses masters are sometimes punished on account of negligence in correcting them, "then you will be able to lift up," namely by praying to God, "your face without blemish," namely of guilt. And thus condemnation will cease, first indeed as regards the future, wherefore he adds, "and you will be steadfast," namely so that you are no longer shaken by tribulations, and you will also not fear future dangers. And because sometimes, although one does not fear the future, a man is nevertheless afflicted on account of the things he has lost or suffered, he adds, "you will also forget your misery," namely that which you have suffered up to now, on account of the abundance of goods that will come upon you; and he confirms this with an example when he adds, "and you will not remember it, like waters that have passed away," which he says because a man, after a rainstorm, when fair weather comes, forgets the preceding rains, or because the waters of rivers run very swiftly, and after they pass by no memory of them remains. But because Job had above raised two objections against the promise of prosperity in this life — namely, the devastation of his own body, when he said, "my flesh is clothed with rottenness," and the passing away of the days of his life, when he said, "my days have passed more swiftly," etc. — therefore, to exclude both objections, he adds, "and it will rise for you at evening like the brightness of noonday," as if to say: although it seems to you that your days have passed and your life is at its end, as it were toward evening, nevertheless so great a prosperity can come upon you that it will bring you back, as it were, to the joy of your youth; for just as by evening old age is understood, so by noonday youth, and he calls "brightness" the splendor of earthly prosperity. But against what he had said about the consumption of his own body, he adds, "and when you shall have thought yourself consumed" — namely on account of the infirmity you have suffered — "you shall rise like the morning star," that is, your body will return to its former beauty. And because Job had again said above that his days were consumed without any hope, he adds, "and you will have confidence, hope being set before you." And because Job had above disapproved the opinion of those who say that man, after death, after many ages have passed, returns again to this manner of living, Zophar says that this hope is not the one set before him, but rather the hope according to which man lives after death in the memories of men. This indeed happens from two things: in one way, from the tombs in which the bodies of the dead are laid up so that the memory of the departed may be preserved, whence they are also called monuments; and as to this he says, "and buried, you will sleep secure," as if no one will violate your sepulcher, nor will it even be feared that anyone will attempt it, wherefore he adds, "you will rest, and there will be none to terrify you." In another way, the dead live in the memories of men on account of the good deeds they did while alive, on account of which their life would be missed; and as to this he adds, "and many will entreat your face," that is, many will greatly desire your presence or will show reverence to your tomb, remembering your benefits. And because he had promised these things if Job wished to depart from iniquity, he consequently shows that these things are not given to the wicked, and therefore he adds, "but the eyes of the wicked will fail," because indeed the good things they desire they will not obtain: for then someone's eyes are said to fail when he looks to apprehend something that he is not able to attain. And just as the desired goods are not attained, so also the evils that they suffer or fear they cannot avoid, wherefore it follows, "and escape will perish from them," because indeed they will not be able to flee the evils. But after death they will not be in veneration or desire but in abomination on account of the evils they did, and this is what is added: "and their hope is the abomination of the soul," that is, that which can be hoped concerning them after death is that they be in abomination.”

“Zophar, as the other two, here encourages Job to hope for better times if he would but come to a better temper. I. He gives him good counsel (Job 11:13, Job 11:14), as Eliphaz did (Job 5:8), and Bildad, Job 8:5. He would have him repent and return to God. Observe the steps of that return. 1. He must look within, and get his mind changed and the tree made good. He must prepare his heart; there the work of conversion and reformation must begin. The heart that wandered from God must be reduced - that was defiled with sin and put into disorder must be cleansed and put in order again - that was wavering and unfixed must be settled and established; so the word here signifies. The heart is then prepared to seek God when it is determined and fully resolved to make a business of it and to go through with it. 2. He must look up, and stretch out his hands towards God, that is, must stir up himself to take hold on God, must pray to him with earnestness and importunity, striving in prayer, and with expectation to receive mercy and grace from him. To give the hand to the Lord signifies to yield ourselves to him and to covenant with him, Ch2 30:8. This Job must do, and, for the doing of it, must prepare his heart. Job had prayed, but Zophar would have him to pray in a better manner, not as an appellant, but as a petitioner and humble suppliant. 3. He must amend what was amiss in his own conversation, else his prayers would be ineffectual (Job 11:14): "If iniquity be in thy hand (that is, if there be any sin which thou dost yet live in the practice of) put it far away, forsake it with detestation and a holy indignation, stedfastly resolving not to return to it, nor ever to have any thing more to do with it. Eze 18:31; Hos 14:9; Isa 30:22. If any of the gains of iniquity, any goods gotten by fraud or oppression, be in thy hand, make restitution thereof" (as Zaccheus, Luk 19:8), "and shake thy hands from holding them," Isa 33:15. The guilt of sin is not removed if the gain of sin be not restored. 4. He must do his utmost to reform his family too: "Let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles; let not thy house harbour or shelter any wicked persons, any wicked practices, or any wealth gotten by wickedness." He suspected that Job's great household had been ill-governed, and that, where there were many, there were many wicked, and the ruin of his family was the punishment of the wickedness of it; and therefore, if he expected God should return to him, he must reform what was amiss there, and, though wickedness might come into his tabernacles, he must not suffer it to dwell there, Psa 101:3, etc. II. He assures him of comfort if he took this counsel, Job 11:15, etc. If he would repent and reform, he should, without doubt, be easy and happy, and all would be well. Perhaps Zophar might insinuate that, unless God did speedily make such a change as this in his condition, he and his friends would be confirmed in their opinion of him as a hypocrite and a dissembler with God. A great truth, however, is conveyed, That, the work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever, Isa 32:17. Those that sincerely turn to God may expect, 1. A holy confidence towards God: "Then shalt thou lift up thy face towards heaven without spot; thou mayest come boldly to the throne of grace, and not with that terror and amazement expressed," Job 9:34. If our hearts condemn us not for hypocrisy and impenitency, then have we confidence in our approaches to God and expectations from him, Jo1 3:21. If we are looked upon in the face of the anointed, our faces, that were dejected, may be lifted up - that were polluted, being washed with the blood of Christ, may be lifted up without spot. We may draw near in full assurance of faith when we are sprinkled from an evil conscience, Heb 10:22. Some understand this of the clearing up of his credit before men, Psa 37:6. If we make our peace with God, we may with cheerfulness look our friends in the face. 2. A holy composedness in themselves: Thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear, not be afraid of evil tidings, thy heart being fixed, Psa 112:7. Job was now full of confusion (Job 10:15), while he looked upon God as his enemy and quarrelled with him; but Zophar assures him that, if he would submit and humble himself, his mind would be composed, and he would be freed from those frightful apprehensions he had of God, which put him into such an agitation. The less we are frightened the more we are fixed, and consequently the more fit we are for our services and for our sufferings. 3. A comfortable reflection upon their past troubles (Job 11:16): "Thou shalt forget thy misery, as the mother forgets her travailing pains, for joy that the child is born; thou shalt be perfectly freed from the impressions it makes upon thee, and thou shalt remember it as waters that pass away, or are poured out of a vessel, which leave no taste or tincture behind them, as other liquors do. The wounds of thy present affliction shall be perfectly healed, not only without a remaining scar, but without a remaining pain." Job had endeavoured to forget his complaint (Job 9:27), but found he could not; his soul had still in remembrance the wormwood and the gall: but here Zophar puts him in a way to forget it; let him by faith and prayer bring his griefs and cares to God, an leave them with him, and then he shall forget them. Where sin sits heavily affliction sits lightly. If we duly remember our sins, we shall, in comparison with them, forget our misery, much more if we obtain the comfort of a sealed pardon and a settled peace. He whose iniquity is forgiven shall not say, I am sick, but shall forget his sickness, Isa 33:24. 4. A comfortable prospect of their future peace. This Zophar here thinks to please Job with, in answer to the many despairing expressions he had used, as if it were to no purpose for him to hope ever to see good days again in this world: "Yea, but thou mayest" (says Zophar) "and good nights too." A blessed change he here puts him in hopes of. (1.) That though now his light was eclipsed it should shine out again, and more brightly than ever (Job 11:17), - that even his setting sun should out-shine his noon-day sun, and his evening be fair and clear as the morning, in respect both of honour and pleasure. - that his light should shine out of obscurity (Isa 58:10), and the thick and dark cloud, from behind which his sun should break forth, would serve as a foil to its lustre, - that it should shine even in old age, and those evil days should be good days to him. Note, Those that truly turn to God then begin to shine forth; their path is as the shining light which increases, the period of their day will be the perfection of it, and their evening to this world will be their morning to a better. (2.) That, though now he was in a continual fear and terror, he should live in a holy rest and security, and find himself continually safe and easy (Job 11:18): Thou shalt be secure, because there is hope. Note, Those who have a good hope, through grace, in God, and of heaven, are certainly safe, and have reason to be secure, how difficult soever the times are through which they pass in this world. He that walks uprightly may thus walk surely, because, though there are trouble and danger, yet there is hope that all will be well at last. Hope is an anchor of the soul, Heb 6:19. "Thou shalt dig about thee," that is, "Thou shalt be as safe as an army in its entrenchments." Those that submit to God's government shall be taken under his protection, and then they are safe both day and night. [1.] By day, when they employ themselves abroad: "Thou shalt dig in safety, thou and thy servants for thee, and not be again set upon by the plunderers, who fell upon thy servants at plough," Job 1:14, Job 1:15. It is no part of the promised prosperity that he should live in idleness, but that he should have a calling and follow it, and, when he was about the business of it, should be under the divine protection. Thou shalt dig and be safe, not rob and be safe, revel and be safe. The way of duty is the way of safety. [2.] By night, when they repose themselves at home: Thou shalt take thy rest (and the sleep of the labouring man is sweet) in safety, notwithstanding the dangers of the darkness. The pillar of cloud by day shall be a pillar of fire by night: "Thou shalt lie down (Job 11:19), not forced to wander where there is no place to lay thy head on, nor forced to watch and sit up in expectation of assaults; but thou shalt go to bed at bedtime, and not only shall non hurt thee, but none shall make thee afraid nor so much as give thee an alarm." Note, It is a great mercy to have quiet nights and undisturbed sleeps; those say so that are within the hearing of the noise of war. And the way to be quiet is to seek unto God and keep ourselves in his love. Nothing needs make those afraid who return to God as their rest and take him for their habitation. (3.) That, though now he was slighted, yet he should be courted: "Many shall make suit to thee, and think it their interest to secure thy friendship." Suit is made to those that are eminently wise or reputed to be so, that are very rich or in power. Zophar knew Job so well that he foresaw that, how low soever this present ebb was, if once the tide turned, it would flow as high as ever; and he would be again the darling of his country. Those that rightly make suit to God will probably see the day when others will make suit to them, as the foolish virgins to the wise, Give us of your oil. III. Zophar concludes with a brief account of the doom of wicked people (Job 11:20): But the eyes of the wicked shall fail. It should seem, he suspected that Job would not take his counsel, and here tells him what would then come of it, setting death as well as life before him. See what will become of those who persist in their wickedness, and will not be reformed. 1. They shall not reach the good they flatter themselves with the hopes of in this world and in the other. Disappointments will be their doom, their shame, their endless torment. Their eyes shall fail with expecting that which will never come. When a wicked man dies his expectation perishes, Pro 11:7. Their hope shall be as a puff of breath (margin), vanished and gone past recall. Or their hope will perish and expire as a man does when he gives up the ghost; it will fail them when they have most need of it and when they expected the accomplishment of it; it will die away, and leave them in utter confusion. 2. They shall not avoid the evil which sometimes they frighten themselves with the apprehensions of. They shall not escape the execution of the sentence passed upon them, can neither out-brave it nor outrun it. Those that will not fly to God will find it in vain to think of flying from him.”

“If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands towards him. In this and the following verses Zophar proceeds to give some advice to Job; which, if taken, would issue in his future happiness, but otherwise it would be ill with him; he advises him to pray to God with an heart prepared for such service; so some render the last clause in the imperative, "stretch out thine hands (w) towards him"; that is, towards God; for, though not expressed, is implied, whose immensity, sovereignty, and omniscience, Zophar had been discoursing of; and, though stretching out the hands is sometimes a gesture of persons in distress and mournful circumstances, thereby signifying their grief and sorrow, and of others in great danger, in order to lay up anything for safety; and of conquered persons resigning themselves up into the hands of the conqueror; and of such who are desirous of being in friendship, alliance, and association with others; yet it is also sometimes used as for the whole of religious worship, Psa 44:20; so particularly for prayer, Psa 88:9; and this was what all Job's friends advised him to, to humble himself before God, to pray for the forgiveness of his sins, and for the removal of his afflictions and deliverance from them; see Job 5:8; in order to which it is proper the "heart should be prepared"; as it is requisite it should be to every good work by the grace of God so to this: and then may it be said to be prepared for such service, when the spirit of God is given as a spirit of grace and supplication, whereby the heart is impressed with a sense of its wants, and so knows what to pray for; and arguments and fit words are put into the mind and mouth, and it knows how to pray as it should; and is enabled to approach the throne of grace with sincerity, fervency, and in the exercise of faith, being sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Jesus, and resigned to the divine will, in all its petitions it is directed to make: now this is the work of God, to prepare the heart; the preparation of the heart, as well as the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord; he is prayed to for it, and it is affirmed he will do it, Pro 16:1; but it is here represented as if it was man's act, which is said not to suggest any power in man to do it of himself; at least this is not the evangelic sense of such phrases; for Zophar might be of a more legal spirit, and not so thoroughly acquainted with the evangelic style; but this might be said, to show the necessity of such a preparation, and to stir up to a concern for it, and to expect and look for it from and by the grace of God. (w) "Expande ad eum manus tuas", De Dieu.”

“13 But if thou wilt direct thy heart, And spread out thy hands to Him - 14 If there is evil in thy hand, put it far away, And let not wickedness dwell in thy tents - 15 Then indeed canst thou lift up thy face without spot, And shalt be firm without fearing. The phrase הכין לב signifies neither to raise the heart (Ewald), nor to establish it (Hirz.), but to direct it, i.e., give it the right direction (Psa 78:8) towards God, Sa1 7:3; Ch2 20:33; it has an independent meaning, so that there is no need to supply אל־אל, nor take וּפרשׂתּ to be for לפרושׂ (after the construction in Ch2 30:19). To spread out the hands in prayer is כּפּים (פּרשׂ) פּרשׂ; ידים is seldom used instead of the more artistic כפים, palmas, h.e. manus supinas. The conditional antecedent clause is immediately followed, Job 11:14, by a similarly conditional parenthetical clause, which inserts the indispensable condition of acceptable prayer; the conclusion might begin with הרהיקהוּ: when thou sendest forth thy heart and spreadest out thy hands to Him, if there is wickedness in thy hand, put it far away; but the antecedent requires a promise for its conclusion, and the more so since the praet. and fut. which follow אם, Job 11:13, have the force of futt. exact.: si disposueris et extenderis, to which the conclusion: put it far away, is not suited, which rather expresses a preliminary condition of acceptable prayer. The conclusion then begins with כּי־אז, then indeed, like Job 8:6; Job 13:19, comp. Job 6:3, with עתּה כּי, now indeed; the causal signification of כי has in both instances passed into the confirmatory (comp. Sa1 14:44; Psa 118:10-12; Psa 128:2, and on Gen 26:22): then verily wilt thou be able to raise thy countenance (without being forced to make any more bitter complaints, as Job 10:15.), without spot, i.e., not: without bodily infirmity, but: without spot of punishable guilt, sceleris et paenae (Rosenmller). מן here signifies without (Targ. דּלא), properly: far from, as Job 21:9; Sa2 1:22; Pro 20:3. Faultless will he then be able to look up and be firm (מצּק from יצק, according to Ges. 71), quasi ex aere fusus (Kg1 7:16), one whom God can no longer get the better of.”