1Job reproveth his friends of false reasoning and partiality: 14though unable to account for his own afflictions, he professeth his confidence in God: 20he entreateth to know his sins, and the cause of his affliction.
1LO, mine eye hath seen all 1this, mine ear hath heard and 2understood it.
1 Namely, what I have declared now and taught heretofore of the wise and mighty government of God, not only by common experience, but especially by the revelation and instruction of the Lord.
2 Hebr. understood for itself, according to the speech of the Hebrew.
2What ye know, the same do I know also: 3I am not inferior unto you.
3 Hebr. I fall not before you. See Job 12:3, and the annotation.
3Surely I would speak to the Almighty, 4and I desire to reason with God.
4 Hereby he reflects upon that which Zophar had said in Job 11:5. He wants to say, that he would rather deal with God Himself than with these his friends. For, God, looking upon his conscience, would understand him better than they did, who, judging him to be an hypocrite, maintained God’s justice by wrongful arguments.
4But ye are 5forgers of lies, ye area all physicians 6of no value.
5 That is, you garnish and adorn lies (as Psalm 119:69), in that ye go about to plead for God’s justice with lies, urging that God does only punish the wicked and not the godly, and that I must needs be wicked because I am punished thus, yea, and that He would not be righteous, if He thus punishes me, being godly.
a Job 16:2
6 That is, incompetent comforters, who, instead of cheering and reviving me with God’s promises made for the godly, set before me nothing but severe judgments of God, and the just vengeances, which go against the wicked.
57Ob that ye would 8altogether hold your peace! and it should be 9your wisdom.
7 Hebr. Who shall give that ye, etc. See of this manner of wishing Job 6 on verse 8.
b Prov. 17:28.
8 Hebr. being silent were silent.
9 That is, it would be accounted for wisdom, Prov. 17:28.
6Hear now my 10reasoning, and hearken to the 11pleadings of my lips.
10 The Hebrew word signifies properly refutation or reproof. Understand here the defense or plea which he was ready to produce against their suggested charge. So the word is taken Job 23:4.
11 That is, the discourse of my arguments wherewith I want to defend my case against you.
7Willc ye speak 12wickedly 13for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
c Job 17:5; 32:21; 36:4.
12 Which was that God would deal unjustly if He punished the godly, even as if God had no right or liberty to do it.
13 That is, to please Him, or to defend Him, and so in the sequel. Job accuses them that they reviled him for a wicked hypocrite and dissembler, because they wanted to advocate God’s justice. For, they were not willing to understand, that in this life the punishments of God do fall commonly upon the good as well as upon the wicked. See Job 5:3, etc.; 8:11, etc.; 11:13, 20.
8Will ye accept his 14person? will ye contend 15for God?
14 That is, regard His person, because of His power and greatness, without duly considering and weighing the matter itself; implying, that God ought not to be defended in such a manner. Also verse 10. See Lev. 19 on verse 15.
15 Namely, in such a manner as ye do. The sense is: They needed not at all trouble themselves to plead for the justice of God, because He was sufficient in Himself to defend Himself.
916Is it good that he should search 17you out? or as one man 18mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
16 That is, shall it be honorable and profitable for you? He will say: No, but rather accompanied with disgrace and damage. It is a phrase which denies strongly. See Gen. 18 on verse 17.
17 That is, your hearts and understandings, which do not have a correct opinion of Him in this matter, to examine diligently; for judging Him unrighteous, if He in judging would punish the godly.
18 That is, shall ye deceitfully and by lying make Him believe that He is righteous for punishing only the wicked (as ye do imagine) and that I am wicked because I am punished by Him?
10He will 19surely reprove you, if ye do 20secretly accept 21persons.
19 Hebr. reproving reprove; that is, He shall assuredly convince you of hypocrisy and feigned holiness.
20 That is, covertly and craftily. For in outward show you seem to stand mainly for the justice of God against me, nevertheless I myself am sufficiently conscious of my uprightness, which should not be unknown to yourselves either.
21 See on verse 8.
11Shall not 22his excellency make you afraid? and his 23dread fall upon you?
22 That is, the greatness and excellence of His majesty.
23 Namely, wherewith God makes men afraid, or men ought to fear God.
1224Your remembrances are 25like unto ashes, your 26bodies to bodies of clay.
24 That is, whatever glorious or excellent things may be remembered of you, as your state, wealth, might, name, life.
25 Hebr. likenesses of ashes. The sense is: Whatsoever there may be counted great and excellent in you, is in comparison with God nothing but ashes, which are easily scattered and blown away, and like a lump of clay, which is but of small value. How is it then that ye are not afraid of God, and would He stand in need of these needless, weak and unreasonable intercession of yours?
26 Other, your backs, that is, bodies, as bodies of clay; that is, all of you, of one and the same earthly and miry substance; how then would ye not be afraid of God?
1327Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and 28let come on me what will.
27 Other, Be silent and cease from me; that is, hold your tongue and let me be at peace. The similar expression you have 1 Sam. 7:8; Psalm 28:1; Jer. 38:27.
28 That is, come what may come upon me; I must speak; I will adventure to do what I do at my own peril; for I trust that God will deal more reasonably with me than ye; yea, though God would punish me more severe, yet I cannot forbear to defend myself thus far, that I am no wicked wretch. See the like kind of speech 2 Sam. 18:23.
1429Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put 30my life in mine hand?
29 He wants to say: If God only punishes the wicked, how is it that He punishes me who am not wicked? Yea, that He punishes me in such a manner, that I could even tear off my skin and flesh with my teeth by piecemeal, being so rankled and rotten through the sores; or, punishes in such a manner, that I, like raging men, would be able to damage my own limbs through despair and desperation, and would thereby put my soul into extreme hazard. Or, Should I take my flesh into my teeth?, that is, I would in a manner tear myself in pieces, and die most miserably, if I would be forced to hold my peace. Compare verse 13 and 19.
30 That is, expose the same to a thousand dangers. See this kind of speaking Judges 12:3, and in the annotation.
1531Though he slay me, yetd will I trust in him: 32but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
31 Or, Though, that he slay me, namely, God. The sense is: It is so far from me that I would despair, that I will not give over trusting God, although He would even take me away out of this life in this misery. Other, if he put me to death, I will trust in him. The sense is the same.
d Psalm 23:4; Prov. 14:32.
32 That is, although I know that God shall ever be my Refuge in life and death, nevertheless I cannot forbear to defend the right of my cause against the opinion of these friends.
1633He also shall be my salvation: for an 34hypocrite shall not come before him.
33 Namely, God.
34 Namely, such an one as you take me to be, though wrongfully, as God knows my heart, and my conscience bears witness unto me. Compare Job 8:13, and the annotation.
1735Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
35 Hebr. Hearing hear.
18Behold now, I have ordered my 36cause; I know that I 37shall be justified.
36 Namely, my right. Understand the dispute and cause, wherein he declared that he was not such as his friends drew his picture.
37 Namely, by God, in this dispute which I have against my friends.
19Who is he that will plead with me? for now, 38if I hold my tongue, I shall give up 39the ghost.
38 That is, if I, when I am so vilely represented by my friends, might not be zealous in the defense of my innocence now, I would die being in sorrow and fear.
39 Or, pine away by degrees and perish by death at last.
20Only do not twoe40things unto me: 41then will I not hide myself from thee.
e Job 9:34; 33:7.
40 Namely, which are set down in the next verse; the one being, that He would not press him continually with the plague which was now upon him; the other, that He would not terrify him continually with His majesty, before which he was not able to exist to maintain his cause. These two things he has also related previously in Job 9:34. They are also mentioned by Elihu, Job 33:7.
41 That is, I shall not hide myself or be unsearchable before Thee, but I shall cheerfully show myself to plead my right.
21Withdraw 42thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.
42 That is, punishment, plague. Also Judges 2:15; Ruth 1:13; 1 Sam. 5:6, 7, 11; Psalm 81:14; Lam. 2:8, etc.; Acts 13:11.
22Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
2343How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
43 As if he said: I know it well enough that I am a poor sinner, but how many and what manner are my sins for which I am to be so grievously punished; while my friends do judge that, according the plagues being so great, the sins must needs be also proportioned.
24Wherefore 44hidest thou thy face, and 45holdest me forf thine enemy?
44 God is said to hide His face from the godly when He does not seem to take notice of them in the distress, nor to hear their prayers, and to deny them all help. See Deut. 31 on verse 17. The same expression we have in Psalm 13:1; 69:17; 102:2; Isa. 54:8; Micah 3:4.
45 That is, dealest so severely with me by all the plagues, which befall me, that it would seem Thou holdest me for Thy enemy; although I am nevertheless Thy child and servant.
f Job 16:9; 19:11; 33:10; Lam. 2:5.
2546Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
46 That is, shall Thy most high and almighty Majesty employ concerning me such violence in punishing, who is but a withered leaf and dry stubble in comparison?
26For 47thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess 48the iniquities of myg youth.
47 This is said according to the manner of judges, who cause their sentences and decrees about the transgressors to be recorded in writing. Therefore to write is as much as to say here, to determine, to ordain, and to secure the decree.
48 That is, the punishments, which I have deserved by my misdeeds from the time of my youth. Also is iniquity taken for the punishment of iniquity. See Lev. 5 on verse 1.
g Psalm 25:7.
2749Thou puttesth my feet also in the stocks,i and 50lookest narrowly unto all my paths; 51thou settest a print upon 52the heels of my feet.
49 That is, as criminals are imprisoned, so I am confined, surrounded and shut up by all my vexations, that I cannot avoid them, and see no way of escape out of my misery. Compare Job 36:8, and the annotation.
h Job 33:11.
i wooden block or log*
50 That is, I am not only enclosed round about, but Thou hast likewise environed me as with a guard, that by no means I might be able to escape. Compare Job 7:12.
51 That is, Thou hast not only set a guard upon me at a distance, but Thou comest also so close up to me, that Thy footsteps, that is, the testimonies of Thy severe judgments, stand printed or manifested next to my feet, that is, as near as possibly as they can be.
52 That is, the lowermost parts of my feet. Implying, that God could not oppress him closer, than He did, holding him fast by the heels as it were, that he was not able to stir one foot out of his sufferings.
2853And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.
53 Here he means himself, pointing with the finger to his own body. The sense is: that God, notwithstanding his weakness and pining away, did not cease to distress him to the utmost. Others understand it of his body or of people in general, as follows in Job 14:1.