JOB CHAPTER 22 Eliphaz's answer: man's righteousness profiteth not God; nor can God fear man, JOB 22:1. He chargeth Job's misery on his sins, JOB 22:5; which God beheld, and knew, nor could they be hid from him, JOB 22:12. The wicked, and their misery, JOB 22:15. If they prospered, he would not hold... [ Continue Reading ]
BE PROFITABLE UNTO GOD, i.e. add any thing to his perfection or felicity, to wit, by his righteousness, as the next verse shows. Why then dost thou insist so much upon thy own righteousness, as if thou didst oblige God by it, or as if he could not without injury afflict thee? who supposest thyself t... [ Continue Reading ]
ANY PLEASURE, i.e. such a pleasure as he needs for his own ease and contentment, without which he could not be happy, as appears by the foregoing and following words; for otherwise God is oft said to delight in the good actions of his people, to wit, so far as to approve and accept them. THAT THOU M... [ Continue Reading ]
WILL, or _doth_, or WOULD HE REPROVE THEE, i.e. punish thee? For this word is frequently used of real rebukes or chastisements, as hath been oft noted. FOR FEAR OF THEE; because he is afraid, lest if he should let thee alone, thou wouldst grow too great and powerful for him, as princes ofttimes crus... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy great sins are the true and only causes of thy misery. The words may very well be rendered thus, _Is not thy evil_ (i.e. thy punishment or affliction, which is frequently expressed by this very word) _great, because_ (the particle _and_ being oft used causally, as it is GENESIS 18:13 GENESIS 22:... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOU HAST TAKEN, or, _surely thou hast taken_. He speaks thus by way of conjecture, or strong presumption. When I consider thy grievous and unusual calamities, I justly conclude thou art guilty of all or some of these following crimes; and do thou search thine own conscience, whether it be not s... [ Continue Reading ]
Surely thou hast been so hard-hearted as to deny a cup of cold water to those that needed and desired it. Water was ofttimes scarce and precious in those hot countries, and was appropriated to particular persons, without whose leave other persons might not take it. TO THE WEARY, i.e. to him who by r... [ Continue Reading ]
Heb. _And_, or _but, the man of arm_, or _strength_, or, _power_, _to him was the earth_, or _the land_. i.e. he had the firm possession or free enjoyment of it: which is meant either, 1. Of Job, of whom he speaks invidiously in the third person. The mighty man Job possessed, and enlarged, and enjo... [ Continue Reading ]
WIDOWS, whose helpless estate called for thy pity, EXODUS 22:22 DEUTERONOMY 24:17,19. AWAY EMPTY; either by denying them that relief which their poverty required, or that right which their cause deserved; or by spoiling them of their goods, because thou knewest them to be unable to oppose thee, or t... [ Continue Reading ]
For these and the like crimes. The cause of thy ruin is not secret from God's sovereign power, and unsearchable judgments, (as thou pretendest,) but plain and manifest, even thy own crying sins. SNARES ARE ROUND ABOUT THEE; thou art encompassed with dangers and calamities. SUDDEN FEAR: beside thy pr... [ Continue Reading ]
DARKNESS; either, 1. A darkness and confusion of mind so great that thou canst not discern the true cause and use of all thy sufferings. Or, 2. Grievous calamities, which are oft called darkness, which are such that thou canst see no way nor possibility of escaping. Either thou art troubled with f... [ Continue Reading ]
IS NOT GOD IN THE HEIGHT OF HEAVEN? Surely he is; and from that high tower _he looketh down upon men_, PSALMS 14:2, to behold, and govern, and recompense all their actions, whether good or bad. And therefore, O Job, thou art grossly mistaken, in thinking that all things in this lower world are manag... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, or, _therefore_; from this true and certain principle thou drawest this false and wicked conclusion. Or, _yet_, notwithstanding this undeniable argument. THOU SAYEST; thou reasonest thus within thyself, as it may seem by thy discourses. HOW DOTH GOD KNOW? i.e. God cannot discern, and therefore... [ Continue Reading ]
His conversation and business and delight is in the higher and heavenly world, which is worthy of his care, but he will not disparage nor burden himself with the care of this contemptible spot of earth; which was the opinion of many heathen philosophers, and, as they fancied, was Job's opinion also.... [ Continue Reading ]
Heb. _the way of antiquity_, i.e. of men living in ancient times, or former ages. By this way is here meant, either, 1. Their course or common practice; or, 2. Their end or success; as the WAY is taken, 1 SAMUEL 9:6,8; and as death, which is, and is called, _the end of all men_, ECCLESIASTES 7:2,... [ Continue Reading ]
OUT OF TIME, i.e. before their time; who died a violent and untimely death. WHOSE FOUNDATION WAS OVERFLOWN WITH A FLOOD; who, together with their foundation, to wit, the earth, and all their supports and enjoyments in it, were destroyed by the general deluge; which doubtless was very well known to t... [ Continue Reading ]
He reports Job's words, JOB 21:14,15, (where they are explained,) but to a contrary purpose. Job alleged them to show that they prospered notwithstanding their professed wickedness, and Eliphaz produceth them to show that they were cut off for it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet it is true that for a time God did prosper them, as he did thee; which also was the aggravation of their sin, and that which hastened their ruin: but at last, and in due time, God cut them off in a tremendous and exemplary manner; as he will also do thee, if thou dost not repent. BUT THE COUNSEL... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RIGHTEOUS SEE IT; whom God oft spares in common calamities, and makes them to survive and see the destruction of the wicked; as Noah, Lot, &c. ARE GLAD; not that they insult over or rejoice in the ruin of any men, but because they delight in the vindication of God's honour, and justice, and holi... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREAS; or, _when_; or, _seeing that_; or, _because_; for this Hebrew particle _im_ is oft used for _chi_. And so the following words may contain the reason of the joy and laughter of the innocent, mentioned JOB 22:19, because when wicked men are destroyed, they are preserved; because OUR SUBSTANCE... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH HIM, i.e. with God, as appears both from JOB 22:23, where he is expressed, and from the nature of the thing, there being no other way to happiness. Renew thy acquaintance and converse with God by prayer, which thou hast restrained, JOB 15:4. and repentance for all thy sins, and true humiliation... [ Continue Reading ]
Take the law and rule whereby thou governest thy thoughts, and words, and whole life, not from profane heathens, whose opinion concerning God's providence thou hast embraced, nor from thy own vain imaginations or violent passions, which have led thee into thy present errors and miscarriages, but fro... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE ALMIGHTY; or, _home to the Almighty_; or, _so as to reach to the Almighty_, and be joined to him. The Hebrew phrase is extraordinary, and emphatical, and implies a thorough and effectual turning not only from sin, (which a hypocrite may do in great part, at least for a time, upon carnal motiv... [ Continue Reading ]
GOLD; solid or choice gold, as the word signifies. AS DUST, i.e. in great abundance. Or, _upon the dust_, or ground; it shall be so plentiful, and therefore vile, that thou shalt not lock it up in chests and treasuries, but scatter it any where, and let it lie even upon the ground. AS THE STONES OF... [ Continue Reading ]
God by his special and watchful providence shall protect thee from all dangers and calamities. Heb. THY DEFENCES, or _munitions_. One God shall keep thee as safely as many munitions. PLENTY OF SILVER, Heb. _silver of strength_, i.e. which by God's blessing shall be thy defence, ECCLESIASTES 7:12. Or... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR; so this verse contains a reason why he might confidently expect all those former outward blessings, because he should have God's favour, which is the spring and foundation of them. Or, _surely_, or, _yea, moreover_; for this particle _chi_ is sometimes used by way of aggravation, or amplificati... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR THEE, i.e. answer thy prayers, and not disregard them, and hide himself from thee, as now he doth. THOU SHALT PAY THY VOWS, i.e. thou shalt obtain those blessings for which thou didst make vows to God, and therefore, according to thy obligation, shalt pay thy vows to him. The antecedent is here... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy purposes and designs shall not be disappointed, but effected and ratified by God; which is a great satisfaction. In all thy counsels, and courses, and actions, God shall give thee the light of his direction and governance, and of comfort and success; and thou shalt not be in such a dark, and dou... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN MEN ARE CAST DOWN, Heb. _When they_ (i.e. they who do this work. It is an indefinite and impersonal speech, which is very common in the Hebrew language) _shall cast down_ or _overthrow_; either, 1. Proud and wicked men, as may be guessed by the opposition of the humble and innocent, who should... [ Continue Reading ]
HE, i.e. God, as JOB 22:29, whose prerogative it is to give deliverances. SHALL DELIVER, to wit, upon thy request, as the following clause showeth: God will hear thy prayers even for others, which is a great honour and comfort; and much more for thyself. THE ISLAND OF THE INNOCENT; not only thyself,... [ Continue Reading ]