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Are the consolations of God small with thee? - Various are the renderings of this verse. Mr. Good translates the verse thus: "Are then the mercies of God of no account with thee?" or, "the addresses of kindness before thee?"
The Vulgate thus: - "Can it be a difficult thing for God to comfort thee? But thou hinderest this by thy intemperate speeches."
The Syriac and Arabic thus: - "Remove from thee the threatenings (Arabic, reproaches) of God, and speak tranquilly with thy own spirit."
The Septuagint thus: - "Thou hast been scourged lightly for the sins which thou hast committed; and thou hast spoken greatly beyond measure; or, with excessive insolence."
Houbigant thus: - "Dost thou not regard the threatenings of God; or, has there been any thing darkly revealed to thee."
Coverdale: - Dost thou no more regarde the comforte of God? But thy wicked wordes wil not suffre the.
Scarcely any two translators or interpreters agree in the translation, or even meaning of this verse. The sense, as expressed in the Vulgate, or in our own version, or that of Coverdale, is plain enough: - "Hast thou been so unfaithful to God, that he has withdrawn his consolations from thy heart? And is there any secret thing, any bosom sin, which thou wilt not give up, that has thus provoked thy Maker?" This is the sense of our version: and I believe it to be as near the original as any yet offered. I may just add the Chaldee - "Are the consolations of God few to thee? And has a word in secret been spoken unto thee?" And I shall close all these with the Hebrew text, and the literal version of Arius Montanus: -
אל ינחומות ממך המעט
hameat mimmecha tanchumoth el .
עמך לאט ודבר
vedabar laat immak .
Nonne parum a te consolationes Dei? Et verbum latet tecum?
"Are not the consolations of God small to thee? And does a word (or thing) lie hidden with thee?"
Now, let the reader choose for himself.
Are the consolations of God small with thee? - The “consolations of God” here refer probably to those considerations which had been suggested by Eliphaz and his friends, and which he takes to be the “consolations” which God had furnished for the afflicted. He asks whether they were regarded by Job as of little value? Whether he was not willing to take such consolations as God had provided, and to allow them to sustain him instead of permitting himself to inveigh against God? The Septuagint renders this, “thou hast been chastised less than thy sins deserve. Thou hast spoken with excessive haughtiness!” But the true idea seems to be, that Eliphaz regarded the considerations adduced by him and his friends, as the gracious consolations which God had provided for people in affliction, and as the results of all former reflections on the design of God in sending trial. He now represents Job as regarding them as of no value, and maintaining sentiments directly at variance with them. “Is there any secret thing with thee?”
Noyes renders this,” and words so full of kindness to thee,” that is, are they of no account to you? So Dr. Good and Wemyss, “or the addresses of kindness to thyself?” Luther translates it, “but thou hast, perhaps, yet a secret portion with thee.” Rosenmuller, “and words most guilty spoken toward thee.” The Septuagint renders it, “and thou hast spoken proudly beyond measure” - μεγάλως ὑπερβαλλόντας λελάηκας megalōs huperballontas lelalēkas The word which occurs in the Hebrew - לאט lâ'aṭ when it is a single word, and used as a verb, means to wrap around, to muffle, to cover, to conceal, and then to be “secret” - whence the Greek: λάφω lathō and λανθάνω lanthanō and the Latin: lateo. In this sense it is understood here by our translators. But it may be also a compound word - from אט 'aṭ - a gentle sound, murmur, whisper; from where it is used adverbially - לאט le'at and לאט lâ'aṭ - gently, softly, slowly - as of the slow gait of a mourner, 1 Kings 21:27; and of water gently flowing, as the water of Siloam, Isaiah 8:6. And hence, also, it may refer to words flowing kindly or gently toward anyone; and this seems to be the meaning here. Eliphaz asks whether Job could despise or undervalue the words spoken so gently and kindly toward him? A singular illustration, to be sure, of kindness, but still showing how the friends of Job estimated their own remarks.