INTRODUCTION TO JOB 4 Job's sore afflictions, and his behaviour under them, laid the foundation of a dispute between him and his three friends, which begins in this chapter, and is carried on to the end of the thirty first; when Elihu starts up as a moderator between them, and the controversy is at... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE ANSWERED AND SAID. When Job was done cursing his day, and had finished his doleful ditty on that subject, then Eliphaz took the opportunity of speaking, not being able to bear any longer with Job and his behaviour under his afflictions; Eliphaz was one of Job's three friend... [ Continue Reading ]
[IF] WE ASSAY TO COMMUNE WITH THEE, WILT THOU BE GRIEVED?.... Eliphaz speaks in the name of himself and his two friends, who had doubtless consulted together, and compared their sentiments of Job; which appearing to be the same, they formed a plan and scheme in which they should attack him, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THOU HAST INSTRUCTED MANY,.... This is introduced with a "behold", either as a note of admiration, that such a man, who had instructed others, should act the part he now does; or as a note of attention to Job himself, and all others that should hear and read this, to observe it, and well con... [ Continue Reading ]
THY WORDS HAVE UP, HOLDEN HIM THAT WAS FALLING,.... Or "stumbling" m; that was stumbling at the providence of God in suffering good men to be afflicted, and wicked men to prosper; which has been the stumbling block of God's people in all ages; see Psalms 73:2; or that was stumbling and falling off... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW IT IS COME UPON THEE, AND THOU FAINTEST,.... The affliction and evil that he feared, Job 3:25; or rather the same trials and afflictions were come upon him as had been on those whom he had instructed and reproved, and whose hands and hearts he had strengthened and comforted; and yet now thou... [ Continue Reading ]
[IS] NOT [THIS] THY FEAR,.... The fear of God, that which is of him, comes from him, is a grace of his implanted in the hearts of his people at conversion, and is increased and encouraged, and drawn forth into fresh exercise through the grace and goodness of God displayed; for a slavish fear, or a f... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER, I PRAY THEE, WHO EVER PERISHED, BEING INNOCENT?.... Here Eliphaz appeals to Job himself, and desires him to recollect if ever anyone instance had fallen under his observation, in the whole course of his life, or it had ever been told him by credible persons, that an "innocent" man, by whom... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN AS I HAVE SEEN,.... Here he goes about to prove, by his own experience, the destruction of wicked men; and would intimate, that Job was such an one, because of the ruin he was fallen into: THEY THAT PLOW INIQUITY, AND SOW WICKEDNESS, REAP THE SAME; figurative expressions, denoting that such wh... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE BLAST OF GOD THEY PERISH,.... They and their works, the ploughers, sowers, and reapers of iniquity; the allusion is to the blasting of corn by the east wind, or by mildew, c. having used the figures of ploughing and sowing before and which is as soon and as easily done as corn, or anything el... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ROARING OF THE LION, AND THE VOICE OF THE FIERCE LION,.... Which Aben Ezra interprets of God himself, who is compared to a lion; who not only by his voice terrifies, but in his wrath tears the wicked in pieces, and destroys them, and so is a continuation of the preceding account; and others, as... [ Continue Reading ]
THE OLD LION PERISHETH FOR LACK OF PREY,.... Or rather "the stout" and "strong lion" e, that is most able to take the prey, and most skilful at it, yet such shall perish for want of it; not so much for want of finding it, or of power to seize it, as of keeping it when got, it being taken away from h... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW A THING WAS SECRETLY BROUGHT TO ME,.... From reason and experience, Eliphaz proceeds to a vision and revelation he had from God, showing the purity and holiness of God, and the frailty, weakness, folly, and sinfulness of men, by which it appears that men cannot be just in the sight of God, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THOUGHTS FROM THE VISIONS OF THE NIGHT,.... While Eliphaz was thinking of and meditating upon divine things, or while he was revolving in his mind some night visions he had, before this was made unto him, see Daniel 2:29; in meditation the Lord is often pleased to make known more of his mind and... [ Continue Reading ]
FEAR CAME UPON ME, AND TREMBLING,.... Not only a dread of mind, but trembling of body; which was often the case even with good men, whenever there was any unusual appearance of God unto them by a voice, or by any representation, or by an angel; as with Abraham in the vision of the pieces, and with M... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN A SPIRIT PASSED BEFORE MY FACE,.... Which some interpret of a wind q, a blustering wind, that blew strong in his face; and so the Targum renders it, a stormy wind, such an one as Elijah perceived when the Lord spoke to him, though he was not in that, 1 Kings 19:11; or such a whirlwind, out of w... [ Continue Reading ]
IT STOOD STILL,.... That is, the spirit, or the angel in a visible form; it was before going to and fro, but now it stood still right against Eliphaz, as if it had something to say to him, and so preparing him to attend to it; which he might do the better, it standing before him while speaking to hi... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL MORTAL MAN BE MORE JUST THAN GOD?.... Poor, weak, frail, dying man, and so sinful, as his mortality shows, which is the effect of sin; how should such a man be more righteous than God? who is so originally and essentially of himself, completely, perfectly, yea, infinitely righteous in his natu... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, HE PUT NO TRUST IN HIS SERVANTS,.... Some think the divine oracle or revelation ends in Job 4:17, and that here Eliphaz makes some use and improvement of it, and addresses Job, and argues with him upon it, with a view to his case and circumstances; but rather the account of what the oracle s... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW MUCH LESS [ON] THEM THAT DWELL IN HOUSES OF CLAY,.... Meaning men, but not as dwelling in houses, in a proper sense, made of clay dried by the sun, as were common in the eastern countries; nor in mean cottages, as distinguished from cedar, and ceiled houses, in which great personages dwelt, for... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE DESTROYED FROM MORNING TO EVENING,.... That is, those that dwell in houses of clay, before described; the meaning is, that they are always exposed to death, and liable to it every day they live; not only such who are persecuted for the sake of religion, but all men in common, for of such ar... [ Continue Reading ]
DOTH NOT THEIR EXCELLENCY [WHICH IS] IN THEM GO AWAY?.... Either the soul which is in them, and is the most excellent part of them; this, though it dies not, yet it goes away and departs from the body at death; and so do all the powers and faculties of it, the thoughts, the affections, the mind, and... [ Continue Reading ]