INTRODUCTION TO JOB 35 Is this chapter Elihu goes on to charge Job with other unbecoming speeches, which he undertakes to refute; as that he had represented his cause more just than God's, and religion and righteousness as things unprofitable to men, only to God; to which Elihu takes upon him to ma... [ Continue Reading ]
ELIHU SPAKE MOREOVER, AND SAID. Elihu very probably paused awhile, and waited to observe whether any of the company would rise up, and either contradict and refute what he had said, or declare their assent unto it and approbation of it; or rather to see whether Job would make any reply or not; but p... [ Continue Reading ]
THINKEST THOU THIS TO BE RIGHT,.... Elihu appeals to Job himself, to his conscience and reason; who as a natural man, guided by the light of nature and reason only, and judging according to the dictates of a natural conscience, and especially as a good man, one that feared God, and had so much knowl... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOU SAIDST, WHAT ADVANTAGE WILL IT BE UNTO THEE?.... Meaning that his righteousness, his holy life and conversation, were of no avail to him: he received no more benefit by being righteous than if he was wicked, since God destroyed one as well as another; and since his righteousness did not sec... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL ANSWER THEE, AND THY COMPANIONS WITH THEE. Meaning not his three friends, as the Septuagint version expresses it; for they were not on the side of Job, and of the same sentiment with him, but rather on the side of Elihu; especially Eliphaz, who expresses much the same sentiment he does, Job 2... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOK UNTO THE HEAVENS, AND SEE,.... The firmament of heaven, in which are the sun and moon and stars: AND BEHOLD THE CLOUDS [WHICH] ARE HIGHER THAN THOU; the clouds of the air or sky, which are lower than the starry heavens, yet these were higher than Job, and much more the starry heavens: but beca... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU SINNEST, WHAT DOST THOU AGAINST HIM?.... Sin is expressly said to be against God, Psalms 51:4; it is contrary to his nature, as any opposites can be to each other: it is against his law, a breach and violation of it; and so against his supreme legislative power and authority, and a contempt... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU BE RIGHTEOUS, WHAT GIVEST THOU HIM?.... All righteousness is of God that any creatures have. What the angels in heaven have, or Adam had in a state of innocence; or what believers in Christ have in and from him; his righteousness imputed to them is of God; the grace of righteousness, or holi... [ Continue Reading ]
THY WICKEDNESS [MAY HURT] A MAN AS THOU [ART],.... But not God: a man may hurt himself by his wickedness; his body, by bringing various diseases upon it, through debauchery and intemperance; his family and estate, by wasting it; his soul, for every sin is a wrong and injury to a man's soul, and expo... [ Continue Reading ]
BY REASON OF THE MULTITUDE OF OPPRESSIONS, THEY MAKE [THE OPPRESSED] TO CRY,.... Which is either an illustration by an instance of what is before said, that wickedness hurts men, as particularly oppression does, which makes then cry; or this refers to something new, to another complaint of Job, or a... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NONE SAITH, WHERE [IS] GOD MY MAKER?.... Or "Makers" y, as in Psalms 149:2; for there are more concerned in the formation of man, Genesis 1:26; even the Father, Son, and Spirit, who are the one God that has made all men, Malachi 2:10. Now not one of the oppressed ones that cry by reason of their... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO TEACHETH US MORE THAN THE BEASTS OF THE EARTH?.... Who are taught and know much, especially some of them; but not so much as man, see Isaiah 1:3; AND MAKETH US WISER THAN THE FOWLS OF HEAVEN? who are wise to provide food and nests for themselves and their young; and such as are birds of passage... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE THEY CRY,.... As brutes do, and as in, Job 35:9; by reason of their oppressions, but not under a due sense of the hand of God upon them, nor of his being their only helper, and saviour, and deliverer; BUT NONE GIVETH ANSWER; to them, either God or men, and they lie groaning and howling under... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY GOD WILL NOT HEAR VANITY,.... Or "a lie" z, than which nothing is more an abomination to him; if men come to him with a lie in their mouths, they cannot expect to be heard by him; he is only nigh to those who call upon him in truth: or that which is "rash" a; which is rashly uttered, and in a... [ Continue Reading ]
ALTHOUGH THOU SAYEST THOU SHALL NOT SEE HIM,.... Which is another expression of Job's taken notice of by Elihu, and to which he makes answer; he seems to refer to Job 23:3. God is indeed invisible in his nature and essence, but is to be seen in his works of creation and providence; which Job was acq... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW, BECAUSE [IT IS] NOT [SO],.... Because there was not such trust, hope, patience, and quiet expectation in Job that God would appear for him, and do him, justice openly and publicly; for though he had hope and confidence of an interest in his living Redeemer and Saviour, and of eternal life a... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE DOTH JOB OPEN HIS MOUTH IN VAIN,.... In uttering such unbecoming expressions, observed, and refuted, in his loud complaints of God, and of his dealings with him, and in defence of himself; HE MULTIPLIETH WORDS WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE; both against God and in answer to others; being in a great m... [ Continue Reading ]