Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Gmparison not to he made i nth God. JOB XXXV, XXXVI. God b Just in Ms Ways.
Job's words (ch. 19. 7; 30. 20). Judgment—?. e., thy cause, thy rigid; as in Psalm 9. 10; Proverbs 31. 5, 8. ti-nst— Rather, trait thou on Him, patiently, until He take up thy cau.se )Psalm 37. 7). 15. As it is, because Job waited not trustingly and patiently {v. 14; Numbers '20. 12; Zephaniah 3.2; Micah 7. 9), God hath visited, Ac, yet still he has not taken {severe) .cognizance of tlte great multitude (English Version wrongly, "extremity") of .sins; therefore Job should not complain of being pnnislied with undue severity (ch. 7. 20; 11. 6). Maubek translates, "Because His anger hath not visited (hath not immediately punished Job for his impious complaints), nor has He taken
Rather, men, !( i77 say to me. and the wise man (c. 2,
30) who liearlcens to nie (will say), " Job hath spoken," &c. 30. Maryin, not so wt ll, My father, Elihu addressing God. This title does not elsewhere occur in Job. tried—by ca.laniities. aiisivtrs for wicked men—(See note v. 8.) Trials ol the godly are not removed until they jiroduce the eirect designed. 37. clnppetli . . . liands—In scorn (cli. '.i7. 28; ICzekiel '21. 17). mii HiplietU . . . womIs—(ch.
11. 2; ;J.5. 10). To his original "sin" to correct which trials liave been sent, "he adds rebellion," i. e., words arraigning God's justice.
CHAPTER XXXV. sliict (great) cognizance of his folly (sinful speedies), therefore, Ac. For "folly," Umbkeit translates with the Riibbins, multitude. Geseniu.s reads with LXX. and Vulgate needlessly, "transgression." JG. Apodosis to 15. in Tain—Rashly.
Ver. J-lfi. 3. more tUaii—Rather as ch. 9. 2; 25. 4: "I am rigliteous {lit., my righteousness is) before God." Enylish Version, however, agrees with ch. 9. 17; 16. 12-17; 27.
2-6. Ch. 4. 17 is susceptible of either rendering. Elihu means Job said so, not in so many words, but vir UutUy.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
3. Itither, explanatory of " this" in v. 2, "That thou saj'-
Ver. 1-33. 1, a. Elihu maintains, that afflictions are to the godly disciplinary, in order to lead them to attain a higher moral worth, and that the reason for their continuance is not, as the friends asserted, on account of th« sufferer's extraordinary guilt, but because the discipline has not yet attained its object, viz., to lead him to humble himself penitently before God (Isaiah 9. 13; Jeremiah i est (to thyself, as if a distinct person) What advantage is it (thy integrity) to thee? What profit have I (by integrity) more than (I should have) by my sin?" i. e., more than if I had sinned (ch. .SI. 9). Job had said that the wicked, who use these very words, do not sufl Ter for it (ch.
21. 18-1.5); whereby he virtually sanctioned their sentiments. The same change of persons from oblique to direct address occurs (ch. 19. "28; 22. 17). 4. eompanlons— Those entertaining like sentiments with thee (ch. 34. 8, 86). 5-8. Klihu like Eliphaz (ch. 22. 2, 3, 12) sliows that God is too exalted in nature to be susceptible of benefit or hurt from the righteousness or sin of men respectively; it is themselves that they benefit by righteousness, or hurt by 3). This is Elihu's fourth speech. He thus exceeds the ternary number of the others. Hence his formula of politeness, v. 2. Lit., Wail yet but a little for me. Bear with me a little farther. / have pet (much, cii. 32. 18-20). There are Chaldeisms in this verse, agreeably to the view tliat the scene of the book is near the Euphrates and the Chuldees. 3. from afar— Not trite connnonplaces. but drawn from God's mighty works, ascribe rlgliteonsness—Whereas Job ascribed unrighteousness (cli. 34. 10, sin. I>eliold tlie clouds, wiiieh are higher than thon Spoken with irony. Not only are they higher than thou, but thou cannot even reach them clearly with the eye. Yet these are notashigh as God's .seat. God is therefore too
12). A man, in Inquiring Intc God's ways, should at the outset presume they are all just, be willing to find them so, and expect that the result of investigation will prove thent to be so; such a one will never bo disappointed. [Baunes.] 4. I will not "speak wickedly for God," as the friends (ch. 13. 4, 7, 8)—i. c, vindicate God by unsound arguments. l»e that is perfect, Ac.—Rather, as the parallelism requires, "a man of integrity in sentii.ienta e.'cnlted to be dependent on man. Therefore he has no inducement to injustice in his dealings with man. When He afflicts, it must be from a different motive; viz., the good of the sufferer. 6. wliat does*—How canst thou affect him? unto liim—That can hurt Him? (.Jeremiah 7. 19; Proverbs g. 3in. 7. (Psalm Ifi. 2; Proverbs 9. 12; Luke 17. 10.) 9. (Ecclcsiastes I. 1.) Elihu states in Job's words (ch. J4. 12 is witli thee" (is he with wliom thou liast to do). Elihu means hiui.self, as opposed to the dishonest reasonings of the friends (ch. 21. 31). 5. Rather, st7-ength of understanding (heart) the force of the repetition of "miglity;" as "mighty" as God is, none is too low to be "despised" by Him; for His "might" lies especially In "His strength of understanding,'' whereby He searchesout the most minute things, so as to give to each his right. Elihu contlrms hl.s exhortation (ch. 3>. 14). 6. right . . . poor—He espouses the cause of the affilcted. 7. (1 Peter 3. 12.) Goil does not forsake the godl.y, as Job Implied, but "establislies," or makes them sit on the throne as kings (1 .Samuel 2. 8; P.salni
8(1. 20) the difficulty; the "cries" of "the oppressed" not being heard might lead man to think that wrongs are not punished by Him. 10-13. Hut the reason is, that the innocent sufferers often do not humbly seek God for succour; so to their "pride" is to be laid the blame of their ruin ; also l)ccause (13-10) they, as Jol), instead of waiting God's time in pious trust, are prone to despair of His justice, when it Is not Immediately visible (ch. 19-20). If the sull'erer would apply to God with an humbled, penitent spirit. He would hear. Where, Ac.—(Jeremiah
2. 0, 8; Isaiah .'51. 13.) songs—Of joy at deliverance (Psalm 42.8; 119. .0; Acts 10. &>). in tine n\f!,i\tUneirpected!y
11.'!. 7, 8). True of believers in the highest sen.se, already
34. 20, 2')). iffilher, in ccdamity. 11. Man's spirit, which distinguishes him from the brute. Is tlie strongest proof of God's l)cuellcence; by the use of It we may understand
In part, 1 Peter 2.9; Revelation 1.0; hereafter fully, Revelation .'>. 10; ch. '22. !). ami tliey are— That they may be. 8-
10. If they bo all Ucted, It is no proof that they are hypojhat God Is the Almighty helper of all sufferers who humlily seek him; and that they err who do not .so seek hlin. fowl.>*—(ch. '2H. 21; Note). 13. Tlierc—Uather, r/icn (when none huml)ly casts himself on God, v. 10). They cry prou<lly (tr/ninst fiod, rather than humbly to God. Ho, as the design of allllctlon is to humble the sufferer, there can be no answer until "pride" gives place to humble, penitent prayer (Psalm 10. 4 ; Jeremiah 1.3. 17). 13. Vanity, crites, as the friends maintain, or that God disregards them, and is IndllVerent whether men are good or bad, as Job asserts: God is tliereby "disciplining tliem," and "showing tliem their sins," and If they bow In a right spirit under God's visiting hand, the greatest blessings ensue. 9. work—Transgression, that . . . exceeded "In that they behaved themselves mightily, lit., great; i. e., presumptuously, or, at least, self-contldently. lO. i. e., cries utt(!reil in an unliunibled spirit, t). 12, which applies in somc <legree to Job's cries; still more to those of the wicked (eh. 27. 9; Proverlis Vi. 29). 14. Although thou miyest, thou shall not see Him (as a temporal deliverer; ((•h. .'t!. I('>-18, '23.) 11. «erve—I. e., ?(•(«,«/( i;),- as in Isaiah 19.
2;i. <;od Is to be supplied (cf. Isaiah 1. 19, '20). Vi. (ch. 3'!. 18.) -tvithoiit Itnowledgr In, i. e., on account of their foolis/iness (eh. 4. '20, 21). 13-16. Same sentiment as v. 11, I'i, expanded. 13. hypocrites—Or, the ungodly [MauukkJ; bai " hypocrites" is i>erhaps a distinct da.ss from the opet\ly wicked (v. 12). lieap up wratli—Of God against tlu'inselves (Romans '2. .'>). UMititniT trttnslates, " uinir\s]\ their wrath against God," Instead of "crying" unto Him. This suits well the parallelism and the Hebrew. Wwl Kuglijh Vcrsimi gives a good parallelism, "hypocrites" auswerlug for he<lld look for a Ufdeemer after death (ch. 19. '2.5-27); which passage cannot consistently with EUhu's assertion here l)c Interpreted of "seeing" a temporal " Redeemer,") ch. 7. 7; 9. 11 ; 23. ."5, 8, 9, y<'t, judgment, Ac, therefore trust, &(:. Hut the Ilebrmv favours JlAUliicu, "How much less (will (iod—regard, r. J.3)j since thou sayest, that He does J»«t legard tlK.'C " 8o in ch. I. 19. Thus Elihu alludes to