Job 22:23

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 motives, and without any respect or love to God,) but also unto God, so as to love him, and cleave to him, and sincerely devote a man's self to his fear and service. And he expresseth it in this manner, because he thought Job to be a hypocrite, and therefore counselleth him to turn to God in another and better manner than he had done, to wit, with all his heart, and not feignedly. Thou shalt be built up; God, who hath pulled thee down in thy estate, and honour, and children, will repair thy ruins, and give thee more children, which is oft called building; Genesis 16:2 Exodus 1:21 Ruth 4:11; and bless thee with prosperity and happiness, as building signifies, Jeremiah 42:10, Jeremiah 31:4. Thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles: this may be either,

1. A condition, upon which God makes the following promises, If (which particle may be repeated out of the former part of the verse) thou shalt put away, &c., i.e. if thou shalt effectually purge thyself and family from all sin, and keep thyself and them, as far as thou canst, from all appearances and occasions of sin, which is the duty of all, and the practice of true penitents; whereby he seems to reflect upon Job, as if he had been faulty and negligent in the government of himself or children, notwithstanding his sacrificing for them, Job 1. Or rather,

2. A promise, because the conditions required had been expressed together, Job 22:21,22, and in the beginning of this verse, after which he comes to the promises, and begins with this, thou shalt be built up, and so proceeds to other promises; and therefore it seems not probable that he should return to the conditions again, and mix the conditions and promises together, which he hath so carefully separated in these verses. And so it is either,

1. A spiritual promise, If thou dost sincerely repent, God will give thee more grace effectually to reform thyself and family, according to that rule, To him that hath shall be given. Or,

2. A temporal promise, Thou shalt put away iniquity, or injury, or perverseness, (i.e. either perverse and injurious men; or God's judgments, or the punishments of thy sins; as iniquity is very oft used,) far from thy tabernacles, i.e. from all thy dwellings, and tents, and possessions; no hand of violence shall come near them, no evil plague shall come upon thy own habitation, or upon the habitations of thy children, as lately it did for thine and their sins.