Job 23:12

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary [food].

Ver. 12. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips] i.e. Ab ipsissimo Dei verbo, from the very word of God, that sure cynosura, which he that holdeth straitly to may truly say, Lord, if I be deceived, thou and thy word hath deceived me. But of that there is no danger, since the Scripture is the invariable canon or rule of truth, saith Irenaeus, the cubit of the sanctuary, the touchstone of error, the divine beam, and most exact balance, as Austin and Chrysostom style it, Kανων της αληθειας ακλινης, yea, the very heart and soul of God, as Gregory. And if Job lived before the word was written, yet not before the law of nature and the traditions of the patriarchs; which while they remained uncorrupted, were the commandment also of God's lips, as having been received from his very mouth; and might far better be called ipsissimum Dei verbum the very word of God itself, than the pope's pronunciata, which Cardinal Hosius profanely and blasphemously pronounceth to be the very word of God.

I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food] I have preferred Heb. I have hid, or laid up, as men do precious things, as housekeepers do provision for their family them before my bodily food, my daily bread; and we see what pains men take, what shift they make, Ut bene sit ventri, ut lateri, for food and raiment, and other things requisite to the preservation of this present life. Now Job knew that God's holy word is ψυχης προφη, as Athanasius calleth it, the soul's nourishment; and that the promises are pabulum fidei, the food of faith, as another calleth them; that we may better lack bread than that bread of life. Hence he esteemed it more, not only than his dainties or superfluities, but than his substantial food, without which he could not live and subsist; more than his appointed portion (so some render it) set out for him by the Divine providence, which cutteth out to every man his allowance. I would rather be without meat, drink, light, anything, everything, saith one, than that sweet text, "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden," &c. (Selneccer). I would not for all the world, saith another, than that one verse, John 17:24 ("Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world"), had been left out of the Bible (Mr Baxter's Saints' Everlasting Rest, p. 24). And again, There is more worth (saith the same author) in those four Chapter s, John 14:1,31; John 15:1,27; John 16:1,33; John 17:1,26, than in all the books in the world besides. Luther said, He would not live in Paradise without the Word; as with the Word it were no hard matter to live even in hell itself (Tom. 4, Oper. Lat. p. 424). Of old they were wont to say, It were better for the Church that the sun should not shine than that Chrysostom should not preach to the people. The Jews in this day will not omit prayers for their food or labour. They divide the day, even the working day, in three parts, the first ad Tephilla, for prayer; the second ad Torn, for the reading of God's law; and the third ad Malacca, for the works of their calling (Weemsc.). And when they have read one section they begin another, lest they should seem to be weary of their task. Whereas if we read but a chapter (not a quarter so long as one of their sections or paragraphs), Oh what a weariness is it! neither begin we till we have looked over the leaf to see how long it is; so soon sated are we with this heavenly manna.