INTRODUCTION TO JOB 33 In this chapter Elihu addresses Job himself, and entreats his attention to what he had to say to him, and offers several things to induce him to it; and recommends himself as one that was according to his wish, in the stead of God, a man like himself, and of whom he had no re... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE, JOB, I PRAY THEE, HEAR MY SPEECHES,.... In the preceding chapter, Elihu directed his discourse to the three friends of Job chiefly, here to Job himself, and that by name; which none of his friends in all their discourses ever used; and in an humble suppliant manner entreats his attention... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, NOW I HAVE OPENED MY MOUTH,.... Begun to speak in order to give vent to the fulness of matter within him, which made him, like bottles of new wine, ready to burst; and since he had opened his lips, that he might speak and be refreshed, he desires Job to listen to him, and offers same things... [ Continue Reading ]
MY WORDS [SHALL BE OF] THE UPRIGHTNESS OF MY HEART,.... Not that the uprightness of his heart, or his own personal integrity, should be the subject of his discourse; but what he should say would be in or out of the uprightness of his heart, with all sincerity and faithfulness; what would be the real... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT OF GOD HATH MADE ME,.... As a man; so every man is made by God, and not by himself; Father, Son, and Spirit, are his Makers or Creators, as we read of them in the plural number, Psalms 149:2; and this is a proof of the deity of the Spirit, who was not only concerned in the creation of all... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU CANST ANSWER ME,.... That is, when he had done speaking, after he had heard him out; if he thought he could make a reply to him, he gave him full liberty so to do, and tacitly suggests that he should give him an attentive and candid hearing, as he had requested of him: SET [THY WORDS] IN OR... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I [AM] ACCORDING TO THY WISH IN GOD'S STEAD,.... So some persons are, as civil magistrates, the ministers of the word, the prophets of the Old Testament, and the apostles of the New; see 2 Corinthians 5:20; and so in some sense was Elihu; he undertakes to be an advocate for God, to vindicate... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, MY TERROR SHALL NOT MAKE THEE AFRAID,.... To come near, join issue in a debate, and speak freely; this Job had wished for, and desired of God that his fear might not terrify him, and his dread not make him afraid, and then he could talk and reason freely with him, Job 9:34; now Job had nothi... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY THOU HAST SPOKEN IN MINE HEARING,.... After the above preface, Elihu proceeds to the point in hand, and enters a charge against Job; which he took up, not upon suspicion and surmisings, nor upon report, nor upon accusations received from others, but what he had heard with his own ears, unless... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM CLEAN WITHOUT TRANSGRESSION,.... This with what follows is supposed to be gathered from Job 10:6; for this is nowhere said by Job in express words; though I rather think, since Elihu so peremptorily affirms that they were spoken in his hearing, that these words and the following did drop from J... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, HE FINDETH OCCASIONS AGAINST ME,.... That is, sought in order to find them; so Job in some places suggests, that God inquired after his sins, and sought diligently after them, that he might have something to bring against him; and because he could not find great sins, gross enormities, he so... [ Continue Reading ]
HE PUTTETH MY FEET IN THE STOCKS,.... This also he had said, Job 13:27; by which he would suggest not only that his afflictions were painful and disgraceful, and from which he could not extricate himself, being close fettered by them; but that they were inflicted on him as punishments, and he was t... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, [IN] THIS THOU ART NOT JUST,.... Here begins Elihu's answer, who does not deny that Job was a just man, both before God in an evangelic sense, and before men in a moral sense; he did not go about to detract from Job's general character, as a man that lived soberly, righteously, and godly in... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY DOST THOU STRIVE AGAINST HIM?.... A creature against the Creator, a man against his Maker, the clay against the potter; how absurd and stupid is this! and a piece of weakness and folly it was in him to desire to litigate the point with God, and dispute with him, as he often did, when men cannot... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR GOD SPEAKETH ONCE, YEA, TWICE,.... Or, "but God speaketh" i; though he is not bound to give an account of his matters, and the reasons of his proceedings in a way of providence or grace; yet such is his condescension and goodness, that he makes use of various ways and means to make known his min... [ Continue Reading ]
IN A DREAM, IN A VISION OF THE NIGHT,.... That is, God speaks to men in this way, and which in those times was his most usual way; see Job 4:12; sometimes he spake to a prophet, a person in public office, and made known his mind and will in this manner to him, that he might deliver it to others, Num... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE OPENETH THE EARS OF MEN,.... Not the ears of his body, which remaining shut while things are presented to his mind in a dream or vision, but his internal ears; it is the same with opening the heart or understanding to attend to and receive the things delivered in this visionary way: AND SEA... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT HE MAY WITHDRAW A MAN [FROM HIS] PURPOSE,.... Or "work" m, his wicked work, as the Targum; either which he has begun upon, or which he designed to do. Thus Abimelech and Laban were restrained from their intentions by a divine admonition in a dream, the one from taking Abraham's wife, as he inte... [ Continue Reading ]
HE KEEPETH BACK HIS SOUL FROM THE PIT,.... Or, "that he may keep back" n; for this is another end and use of God's speaking unto men; it is to preserve them for the present from going down to the grave, the pit of corruption and destruction; so called because the bodies of men, being there laid, cor... [ Continue Reading ]
HE IS CHASTENED ALSO WITH PAIN UPON HIS BED,.... This seems to be another way, in which God, according to his eternal purposes, speaks unto men, as the word "also" intimates; namely, by afflictions, and sometimes painful ones; which have a voice in them, and men of wisdom will hearken to it, Micah 6... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THAT HIS LIFE ABHORRETH BREAD,.... Through the force of pain he loses his appetite for food, and even a nausea of it takes place; he loathes it as the most abominable and filthy thing that can be thought of; even bread, so necessary to the support of human life, so strengthening to the heart of m... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS FLESH IS CONSUMED AWAY, THAT IT CANNOT BE SEEN,.... All being gone, none left to be seen, nothing but skin and bones; and this partly through the vehemence of strong pain, and partly through the nausea of food; not being able to take anything for nourishment and the support of the fluids, and so... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, HIS SOUL DRAWETH NEAR UNTO THE GRAVE,.... Not the soul, strictly and properly speaking, for that does not, nor is it laid in the grave at death, but returns to God that gave it; rather the body, for which it is sometimes put, and of which what is here said is true, see Psalms 16:10; or the pers... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THERE BE A MESSENGER WITH HIM,.... Or angel, either with God, as some think; or rather with the sick man; by which messenger is meant not an angel by nature, a created angel, though sometimes such are God's messengers, sent by him on errands to men, are interpreters of things to them, as Gabriel... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE IS GRACIOUS TO HIM,.... To the sick man; either the messenger or the minister that is with him, who pities his case and prays for him; and by some the following words are supposed to be a prayer of his, "deliver me", c. since one find in the Gospel there is a ransom for such persons. Rather... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS FLESH SHALL BE FRESHER THAN A CHILD'S,.... Being recovered from illness and restored to health, through the gracious dealings of God with him. This is to be understood not simply and absolutely, but comparatively, or with respect to his former condition; that he, who before was reduced to skin a... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL PRAY UNTO GOD,.... As the former verse expresses the condition of the body of the man recovered from sickness, this the frame of his soul, and the spiritual blessings enjoyed by him: some understand this of his praying in the time of his affliction, and consider it as one means of his recov... [ Continue Reading ]
HE LOOKETH UPON MEN,.... According to our version, and other interpreters, the sense is, God looks upon men as he does on all men in general, their ways and their works; and particularly he takes notice of men under affliction, and observes how they behave; if they are penitent and confess their sin... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WILL DELIVER HIS SOUL FROM GOING INTO THE PIT,.... Into the pit of the grave; and then the soul is put for the man or for the body; or into the pit of hell or perdition: AND HIS LIFE SHALL SEE THE LIGHT; or he shall live and enjoy outward prosperity here, and the light of eternal happiness herea... [ Continue Reading ]
LO, ALL THESE [THINGS] WORKETH GOD OFTENTIMES WITH MAN. This is a summary or recapitulation of what goes before, from Job 33:15; God is an operating Being, he is always at work in a providential way: "my father worketh hitherto", John 5:17; sometimes on the minds of men in dreams and visions; and so... [ Continue Reading ]
TO BRING BACK HIS SOUL FROM THE PIT,.... From the pit of the grave; at the mouth or on the brink of which he seemed to be in the apprehension of his friends, and having the sentence of death in himself; see Psalms 90:3. Or "to turn away" x, or "stay his soul from the pit", as Mr. Broughton; prevent... [ Continue Reading ]
MARK WELL, O JOB,.... Consider and weigh well what has been said; or rather attend to what is further to be said: HEARKEN UNTO ME; to what he was about to say; for he was full of matter, and had not yet vented all he had to utter: HOLD THY PEACE, AND I WILL SPEAK; be silent and do not interrupt, a... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU HAST ANYTHING TO SAY, ANSWER ME,.... Any thing to object to what he had delivered, or any answer to return to what he had charged him with: SPEAK, FOR I DESIRE TO JUSTIFY THEE. Elihu was a fair antagonist, and gave free liberty, time and space, to make whatsoever reply he thought fit, and w... [ Continue Reading ]
IF NOT, HEARKEN TO ME,.... If he had no objection to make, nor answer to return, then he desires he would attend and listen to what he had further to lay before him: HOLD THY PEACE, AND I SHALL TEACH THEE WISDOM. For though Job was a wise and good man, he might become wiser and more knowing; and in... [ Continue Reading ]