let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
Job ends his long self-defence in a strange place. Not with an appeal to people, or even to God, but to the soil he farmed. Then the narrator adds one flat line: his words are ended. Why does he end here, and what does it mean that a man can run out of words while still being sure he is right?
The Land as Final Witness
Job has already appealed to God and to people. Now he turns to the last witness left: the ground he worked.
Samuel RidoutThe conclusion seems almost tame. After the appeal to God and man, Job comes down to the lifeless earth. He appeals to his land to bear witness if he has acquired it unjustly, or used its yield as his own when it belonged to another. If he has taken property from another — as Ahab took the vineyard and the life of Naboth — then let the very furrows weep out their charge. Let the fertile soil yield thistles instead of wheat, tares instead of barley.
The idea of soil that speaks is not Job's invention. Land has told on its owners before.
William KellyNo violence or fraud lay within. Not a field could cry against Job, nor its furrows weep together, as the ground did where Abel fell. Many a plot of land has since testified against kings and queens, down to the lowest of men, throughout this world's sad history.
The Curse He Calls Down on Himself
This is an oath with teeth. Job is not just denying the charge. He is inviting ruin on his own fields if the denial is false. (Older translations say "thistles" and "cockle" where the ESV has "thorns" and "foul weeds.")
F. B. HoleLooking back over all these things, Job felt he could call down a curse on himself if he had not kept them. The curse was this: that on his land thistles might "grow instead of wheat, and cockle [tares] instead of barley." With this Job also fell silent.
Which weed did Job mean? The word itself is not certain.
Morrish Bible DictionaryJob asked that if he had done wrong, cockle might grow instead of barley. The margin reads "noisome weeds." Some think darnel is meant, as in Matthew 13:25.
A Defence Built on the Word "I"
The oath caps a long record of good deeds. Job can list them all and still find no peace.
Charles StanleyHe lets memory recount every good act of his life, but it all fails to give rest to his troubled spirit. I, I, I, I did this, I did not do that. But it is all of no use.
What made this wrong was not that the facts were false. It was that Job was full of himself, and God meant to free him from that.
William KellyThe friends were completely wrong, without excuse, and unkind. What Job says was true, but he does not yet know all the truth about himself... But Job was occupied and satisfied with himself. From this God would deliver him, and bless him more than ever. No flesh shall glory in His presence; and this Job must learn — to glory only in Him. We shall see later how he was taught it, humbly and graciously. But Job ended his words before it was even begun.
A Silence That Asks for Applause
Job stops talking, but he has not yet met God. Ridout hears his whole closing appeal as a call for applause.
Samuel Ridout"The words of Job are ended." He had called upon earth and man, yes, upon God, to declare his righteousness. He would have them all unite to sing his praise! How different from that happy time when all nature will speak out the praises of the Lord, the King.
Nor does the line mean the conversation is over. Job stops talking, and God has not yet started.
William Kelly"So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes." That was their idea, and there was some truth in it... "Against Job his anger was kindled, because he justified himself rather than God." That was true. He did justify himself. The chapter we have just read is self-justification from beginning to end.
The Words That Come After
This is a pause, not a full stop.
Charles Stanley"The words of Job are ended." Not so, Job — you will speak again, and though your words may be few, they will be full of meaning.
That later silence is of a different kind altogether.
A. J. PollockHow was Job's mouth stopped? Through long chapters in his book he argues out his own righteousness. He boasted that he was eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, a father to the poor... And it was no idle boast. At last he comes into God's presence and says, "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I will lay my hand on my mouth." In God's presence his mouth is stopped.
Summary
- Witness — Job calls his last and lowest witness: the land itself. Its furrows would weep against a man who stole their fruit, as the ground did where Abel fell.
- Wager — He stakes his harvest on his innocence, asking that weeds replace wheat and barley if he lied. The claim was true; the facts were on his side.
- Wall — True facts became a wall of self: "I did this, I did not do that." Job was satisfied with himself. God set out to remove that satisfaction, not to catch him in a lie.
- Wrong silence — His words end in self-praise. He called on earth, on people, even on God, to declare him right.
- Right silence — The second silence is the real one: hand over mouth in God's presence. Job's words truly end when he stops praising himself and praises the One who deserves it.