Job 10:16
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
For it increases. You hunt me as a fierce lion: and again you show yourself marvelous on me.
American King James Version (AKJV)
For it increases. You hunt me as a fierce lion: and again you show yourself marvelous on me.
American Standard Version (ASV)
And if my head exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion; And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And that if there was cause for pride, you would go after me like a lion; and again put out your wonders against me:
Webster's Revision
For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou showest thyself wonderful upon me.
World English Bible
If my head is held high, you hunt me like a lion. Again you show yourself powerful to me.
English Revised Version (ERV)
And if my head exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvelous upon me.
Clarke's Job 10:16 Bible Commentary
For it increaseth - Probably this refers to the affliction mentioned above, which is increased in proportion to its duration. Every day made his escape from such a load of evils less and less probable.
Thou huntest me as a fierce lion - As the hunters attack the king of beasts in the forest, so my friends attack me. They assail me on every side.
Thou showest thyself marvelous - Thy designs, thy ways, thy works, are all incomprehensible to me; thou dost both confound and overpower me. Mr. Good translates thus: -
"For uprousing as a ravenous lion dost thou spring upon me.
And again thou showest over me thy vast power."
Barnes's Job 10:16 Bible Commentary
For it increaseth - Our translators understand this as meaning that the calamities of Job, so far from becoming less, were constantly increasing, and thus augmenting his perplexity and embarrassment. But a somewhat different explanation is given to it by many interpreters. The word rendered "increaseth" (גאה gâ'âh) means properly, to lift up, to lift up oneself, to rise; and Gesenius supposes that it refers here to "the head," and that the meaning is, "if it lift up itself (sc. my head), thou huntest me as a lion." It cannot be denied that the notion of pride, elation, haughtiness, is usually connected with the use of the word, but it is not necessary here to depart from the common interpretation, meaning that the increase of his affliction greatly augmented his perplexity. Jerome, however, readers it, "and on account of pride, thou dost seize me as a lioness." The idea is, "my affliction, as it were, exalts itself, or, becomes more and more prominent." This is a better interpretation than to refer it to the raising up of his head.
Thou huntest me as a fierce lion - On the meaning of the word here rendered "fierce lion" שׁחל shachal, see the notes at Job 4:10. The sense here is, that God hunted or followed him as a fierce lion pursued his prey.
And again thou showest thyself marvelous - Or rather, "thou turnest, and art wonderful toward me." The meaning is, that he did not at once spring upon his prey and then leave it, but he came back as if it had not been put to death when first seized, as if a lion should come back and torture his victim again. The meaning of the phrase "shewest thyself marvelous" is, that the dealings of God toward him were wonderful. They were wholly incomprehensible. He had no means of finding out the reasons of his doings. On the word used here, compare the notes at Isaiah 9:6.
Wesley's Job 10:16 Bible Commentary
10:16 Lion - Which hunteth after his prey with great eagerness, and when he overtakes it, falls upon it with great fury. Returnest - The lion tears its prey speedily, and so ends its torments; but thou renewest my calamities again and again, and makest my plagues wonderful both for kind and extremity, and continuance.