Job 13:1-12

Job 13:1-2 Kings : . Job has shown that he can speak of God’ s working in the world; the friends, however, offer an apology for God, which He Himself must reject. “ I am not inferior to you in knowledge,” says Job ( Job 13:2). “ But I would speak and reason with God— this you do not understand” ( Job 13:3). The friends had failed to diagnose his case ( Job 13:4); his want is a fresh Divine revelation. They are “ plasterers of lies” in their zeal for God. Their best wisdom were silence ( Job 13:5) “ si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses.” God, however, will not approve their respect of persons, their partiality in becoming His advocate ( Job 13:8). “ It will not be a pleasant experience for them when God strips bare their paltry souls and shows that which masqueraded as pious reverence to be cowardly sycophancy ( Job 13:9). It is noteworthy as showing the conflict of feeling in Job, that while he attacks with the utmost boldness the unrighteousness of God’ s conduct he should have such deep-rooted confidence in His righteousness as to believe Him incapable of tolerating a lying defence even of Himself” (Peake). God’ s appearance will terrify the friends ( Job 13:11): how miserable their proverbs, their defences, are ( Job 13:12).