1Eliphaz reproveth Job for want of religious trust: 7he remindeth him that God's judgments are not for the righteous, but for the wicked. 12His fearful vision, designed to humble the vain opinion of man's excellency in the sight of his Maker.
1THEN Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2If we 1assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be 2grieved? but 3who can withhold himself from speaking?
1 The Hebrew word nasah is used for to lift up, Psalm 4:6. Similar manner of speech there is in Num. 23:7; Job 27:1. Other, If we request a word unto thee, or on thee, namely, to speak.
2 Hebr. properly, wearied or become weary, that is, ill pleased. This they were afraid of, perceiving in Job some signs of impatience, of which they began to judge wrongfully.
3 Namely, which pays attention to the words that have gone out of your mouth, and to the honor of the Most High which we advocate. Eliphaz, under the pretext of a godly zeal, pronounces a wrong judgment on his friend, the upright Job.
3Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the 4weak hands.
4 Understand persons who were slack in the performance of their bounden duty, especially when a heavy cross and affliction had assaulted them. Compare Isa. 35:3. The hands are said to grow slack when one’s strength and courage fails. See 2 Sam. 4 on verse 1.
4Thy words have upholden him 5that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the 6feeble knees.
5 That is, who through unbelief, mistrust, impatience and murmuring, had stumbled and fallen in the way of godliness, that is, had sinned. See of such spiritual failings, Prov. 25:26; 1 Cor. 10:12; Gal. 6:1.
6 Which by reason of their great weakness stood in need to be supported by strong comforts, lest they would succumb under the cross. Compare Isa. 35:3.
5But now it is come 7upon thee, and thou 8faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
7 Namely, the evil of punishment, in which, when thou wast commonly used to see others, thou hast instructed, strengthened, exhorted, and comforted them; therefore it is a wonder, that thou dost not know how to practice it now on thyself.
8 Or, succumbest, namely, under the burden of suffering.
6Is not this thy 9fear, thy confidence, 10thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?
9 That is, thy piety and religion.
10 Namely, whereon thou didst rely, that is, a cause to hope and to enjoy the reward of thy piety. The sense is: Didst thou not hope that, as long as thou wouldest fear God, He would still do good unto thee? But now He has dealt otherwise with thee. Consider therefore that thy fear of God has not been upright, but a feigned hypocrisy. The Hebrew word is likewise taken for hope in Job 8:14; 31:24; Psalm 78:7; Prov. 3:26.
7Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
8Even as I have seen, theya that plow 11iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
a Job 15:35; Psalm 7:14; Prov. 22:8; Isa. 59:4; Hosea 10:13; Gal. 6:7, 8.
11 That is, those who live godlessly and do evil unto others, they shall be punished at last by God for their misdeeds. See the like manner of speaking Job 15:35; Psalm 7:14; Prov. 22:8; Isa. 59:4; Hosea 10:13; Gal. 6:7, 8.
9Byb the 12blast of God they perish, and by 13the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
b Isa. 11:4.
12 This is spoken of God by comparison to express His power and justice better. The blast of God signifies His power, which He uses and exercises according to His will, and is as easily able to execute His purpose as a man to let go forth his breath. Compare Job 33:4; 37:10; Isa. 30:33.
13 Understand His wrath and indignation. Compare Job 15:30, and the annotation.
1014The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
14 The meaning is: As God curbs and consumes the cruel and heinous animals, so He knows likewise how to bridle and to destroy the fierce tyrants and wicked men here compared to the lions. Other, By the roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion they perish, and by the teeth, etc., they are ground, namely, the wicked. The sense is: If God does not destroy them by themselves, or by others, or by some inanimate creatures, then He destroys them by wild animals.
1115The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.
15 That is, even as the lions, though they are mighty and courageous, Job 38:39, must yet perish at last by one means or another, so the wicked tyrants must come to their end through the righteous judgment of God.
12Now a 16thing was 17secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a 18little thereof.
16 That is, a doctrine and revelation from God, well-fitting this purpose.
17 Hebr. stolen or came stealthily, that is, conveyed privately and secretly, to be observed and to be kept securely by me.
18 Or, small portion.
13In 19thoughts 20from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
19 The Hebrew word properly signifies boughs or branches, as Isa. 17:6; 27:11, but here it is taken by way of comparison for thoughts, as Job 20:2. See likewise 1 Kings 18:21, and the annotation. For even as the branches come forth out of the trunk of the tree, so do the thoughts proceed from the mind or heart of man.
20 Or, out of the visions, that is, which do proceed out of the visions of the night. Other, according to the visions of the night. Understand, such visions as are shown or made to appear unto men by night, either in their sleep or without it. See of visions Gen. 15 on verse 1; Gen. 46 on verse 2.
14Fear 21came upon me, and trembling, which made 22all my bones to shake.
21 Such as usually happens to those to whom God appears either by Himself or by His angels to prepare them for attention and reverence. Compare Exod. 3:6, and the annotation.
22 Or, the multitude of my bones.
15Then a 23spirit 24passed before my face; the hair 25of my flesh stood up:
23 That is, a good angel of the Lord, to declare unto him what follows in verse 17.
24 Thus the Hebrew word is likewise taken Job 9:11, 26; 11:10.
25 That is, of my head.
1626It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was 27silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
26 Namely, the spirit.
27 Compare with this 1 Kings 19:12, 13, and the annotation upon it.
17Shall mortal 28man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than 29his maker?
28 The Hebrew word properly signifies a man who is full of weakness and wickedness and subject to many miseries, after which at last follows death.
29 That is, God, Who made and created him. Also Deut. 32:15; Job 35:10; Prov. 14:31; 22:2; Isa. 17:7; Hosea 8:14.
18Behold, he 30put no trust inc his 31servants; 32and his angels he charged with folly:
30 That is, He would not rely upon the courage and the gifts which are created in them, if they were separated from the continual care and custody whereby He maintains them in their state. The same manner of speech is in Job 15:15.
c Job 15:15; 2 Peter 2:4.
31 Understand the holy angels, who stand before Him to execute His will and pleasure, Psalm 103:20, 21.
32 Whereby is understood the perfection of the gifts and virtues which God has created in the holy angels. For, although they be extraordinary, yet they are not to be compared with the perfection of the Creator, forasmuch as without His continual grace and power, they would be subject to change and alteration in themselves. In which sense also Eliphaz says in Job 15:15, that the heavens are not clean in his sight, namely, being compared with His infinite perfection. Other, and he should charge folly upon his angels, that is, He would count them foolish if they would think themselves more righteous than God, so as Eliphaz thought Job had said of himself. Or, He might well be able to lay folly to their charge, if He would judge of them according to their nature without His gift, whereby He does continually maintain them in their state and condition; otherwise He finds that they might easily fall away to foolishness and madness; or, He might be able to charge them with folly in comparison to His infinite wisdom and majesty.
19How much less 33in them that dwell in houses of 34clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which 35are crushed 36before the moth?
33 Namely, trusts He, namely God. Other, How much the more doth he not, or, how much the more doth he lay folly upon those, etc.
34 Hebr. houses of the clay. Understand by these the bodies of men, who originally are made of earth and clay, Gen. 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:47. And so those bodies are likewise compared to houses and dwellings, 2 Cor. 5:1. Some understand it of the earthly dwellings of men, in opposition to the celestial habitations of the angels.
35 Hebr. bruise, that is, are bruised. Also Job 7:3, have appointed to me, for are or be appoint to me. Job 34:20: take away, for is or be taken away, Prov. 6:30: despise, for is despised. Luke 12:20: shall require, for shall be required, etc.
36 Hebr. before the face of a moth, that is, very suddenly, sooner and more easily than a moth is consumed, which is bruised by the least rubbing. The words before the face do not signify the place here, but the time, as Gen. 27:7; 29:26; 36:31. Others understand thereby of the moths.
20They are destroyed 37from morning to evening: they perish for ever 38without any regarding it.
37 That is, they are continually wasted and destroyed, by all kinds of plagues and miseries, all the days of their life.
38 That is, without anyone’s observation of it, or any application is brought to it. Hebr. because there is not, that sets his heart to them. Compare Job 23:6, and see this manner of speaking in its totality Job 1:8, and in the annotation.
21Doth not their 39excellency which is 40in them go away? they die, even 41without wisdom.
39 Understand hereby all that wherein or whereby men use to excel one above the other, and be exalted and magnified above the rest.
40 Or, which is with them.
41 That is, without the true knowledge and fear of God, which is the beginning, yea the whole sum and main substance of true wisdom. Prov. 1:7. Compare Psalm 49:20.