Job 35

ELihu spake moreover and said,

Thinkest thou this to be right Canst thou in thy Conscience upon second Thoughts approve of what thou hast said?, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than Gods Not that Iob said this in express terms, but he said those things from which this might seem to follow, as that God punished him more than he deserved or expected, all things considered; and that if he might be admitted to debate his cause with or before God he did not doubt to carry it, and to obtain that ease and favour from God which otherwise God would not afford him. But this charge against Iob he proves in the next Ve... e.?

For thou saidst This Verse contains the proof of the foregoing charges: Iob had oft affirmed, that he was and still continued to be righteous, though he had no present benefit by it, but much bitterness with it: and God was not kind to Iob notwithstanding all his former and present Piety, but dealt with him as if he had been a most wicked Man: which was in effect to sa... that he was more righteous than God., what advantage will it To wit, his righteousness last mentioned. be unto thee i. e. Unto me, such changes of Persons being very frequent in the Hebrew Language.? and and what profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin Or, by the exp... ation of my sin: for the same Hebrew word signifies both to s... t and to purge out or ex... iate sin. Or, by it (to wit, by my righteousness) more than by my si.... So the sense is, I have no more present benefit by all my care to please and serve God than wicked men have by their sins against him. God regards my cries no more than theirs, and shows no more kindness or pity to me, than he does to the most pro... ligate wretches. But still remember Iob speaks not here of the future life, wherein he knew he should have much advantage, as he professed before, but only of this present state.?

I will answer thee, and thy companions i. e. Those who are of thy opinion, or with whom thou dost associate thy self in those speeches and carriages. Which seems to be meant not of Iob's three Friends (as many understand it, for their opinions were contrary to Iob's in this point) but of wicked men, with whom Iob is said to walk and go in company for this same opinion or assertion, Chap. 34. 8, 9. And these men he here calls Iob's companions, partly because they are very forward to harp upon the same string, and to accu... e God and justifie themselves upon all occasions; and partly, that he might awaken Iob to a more serious review of his former assertions by representing to him whose cause he pleaded and who were his consederates and colleagues in this Opinion. with thee.

Look unto the heavens, and see, and behold... he clouds which are higher than thou How much more is God who is far above all Heavens, higher than thou? And therefore God is out of the reach of all profit or loss by thy actions; if thy goodness do not profit thee, it is certain it does not profit him, and therefore does not lay any Obligation upon him to indulge or recompence thee for it, save only so far as he has graciously obliged himself; and therefore thou canst not accuse him of injustice for afflicting thee, nor pretend that thou hast deserved better usage from him. And this infinite distance between God and thee, should cause thee to think and speak more modestly and reverently of that glorious Majesty..

If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him Thy sins do him no hurt, and therefore thy righteousness brings him no benefit, as it follows.? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

If thou be righteous what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand He gaineth nothing by it, nor can indeed receive any good from thee, because all thy good comes from him. And therefore thou hast no reason to boast of, nor to upbraid God with thy Piety, which is much to thy advantage, but nothing to his.?

Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art If God were such an one as thou art, he might have benefit or hurt by thine actions: but being an infinite, independent and selfsufficient being, he is far exalted above all thy good or evil., and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

By reason of the multitude Or, greatness. This Verse is supposed to contain an argument to prove what he said, v. 8. that one Mans wickedness may hurt another. But he rather seems to begin a new matter, and having answered one of Job's Objections to proceed to another which may be either 1. that which Job had oft complained of, that he cried to God, and God did not hear his cry, which Elihu answers by a Parallel case of men, crying out for oppression; whom yet God does not hear, nor help, and that for just reasons. which he leaves to Job to apply to himself. Or, 2. that which Job had alledged, Chap. 24. 12. and which might seem to reflect upon God's Providence. This therefore Elihu repeats in this Verse, and answereth in the following. of oppressions, they make the oppressed to cry Not only to murmur and complain, but to cry out by reason of sore oppression, and to cry to the Oppressours, or others for pity and help.: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty Because their Oppressours are too strong for them..

But none Few or none (for few are oft can and accounted as none both in Scripture and other Authors) of the great numbers of Oppressed Persons. says To wit, seriously or sincerely and it may be not so much as in word and profession., where is God They howl and cry out of men, and to men, but they seek not after God they do not acknowledge him in all their ways: they praise him not for that ease, and liberty, and estate and other mercies which God gave them; and by this unthankfulness they forfeit their mercies; and therefore if God suffer Oppressoars to take them away, they have no cause to complain of God, but only of themselves: they will not vouchsafe to pray to God seriously and fervently, either to continue or to restore their lost mercies; and therefore if God do not hear, nor regard their brutish cries arising only from a natural sense of their misery, it is not strange nor unjust. my Maker Who alone made me, and whose power and providence preserveth me every day, and who only can protect and deliver me. All which were Obligations upon them to praise God and pray to him, and depend upon him, and aggravations of their gross neglect of God. Heb. my Makers, in the Plural number. Which being used not only here, but also, Ecclis. 12. 1. Isa. 54. 5. and that without any necessity, when it might aswell have been put in the singular number, yea though Elohim be Plural, at it is, Gen. 1. 1. plainly implies a Pl... rality of Persons in the Divine Essence, of which see on Gen. 1. 26.? who giveth songs i. e. Matter of Songs: great occasion to rejoyce and praise God. in the night Either I metaphorically taken, i. e. in the night of affliction imply ing that they want not cause to bless God even in their afflictions. Or rather 2. properly, as this word is always used in Job one place excepted which is doubtful, to wit, Chap. 36. 20. which he may mention rather than the day; either because oppressed Persons who in the day time are cruelly used by their Oppressours are permitted to rest in the night: or because the hand and mercy of God is more manifest in the preservation, and rest, and sleep of the night, than in the Blessings of the day which are procured by Mans industry: or because the day is the time of Action, the Night of contemplation, when we do and ought to remember God's Mercies with thanksgiving; compare Psal. 42. 8. & 119. 62.!

Who teacheth us more then the beasts This is mentioned as a further aggravation of Mens neglect of God in their misery. God has given to men those gifts which he has denied to Beasts, Reason and Religion, Wisdom to know God and themselves, and their Obligations to God, and their dependance upon him. And therefore it ill becometh them to lye like Brute-creatures, roaring and crying out in their miseries without taking any notice of God in way of Prayer or Praise; and if they do so, it is no wonder if God takes no notice of them. of the earth, and maketh us wiser then the fowls of heaven.

There Or, Then, as this Particle is used, Psal. 14. 5. Eccles. 3. 17. Zeph. 1. 14 In that time or condition. they cry, (but none giveth answer) because of the pride of evil men Either 1. of the Oppressours. So this is the reason not of the last Clause, why none answereth, but of the former why they cry, the latter Clause being therefore shut up within a Parenthesis, and the words thus are to be transposed; as some place them; There they cry, because of the pride of evil men, but none giveth answer. The reason whereof followeth in the next Verse. Or rather 2. of the oppressed Persons. And so there is no need of any Parenthesis, or transposition. And so these words contain one reason of the words immediately foregoing, which is most natural and easie, and usual, to wit, why none giveth answer, i. e. why God does not answer nor regard their cries, because of their Pride, &c. because they are both evil, wicked and impenitent, and proud, unhumbled for those sins for which God brought these miseries upon them, and unsubdued to the Obedience of God..

Surely God will not hear vanity Either 1. vain and light Persons, that have no true Wisdom or solid Piety in them, but are wholly addicted to vain and worldly things, rejoycing immoderately when they have them, and crying out for want of them, as here they do. Or 2. vain cries, which proceed not from Faith or Piety, but only from self-love and a natural sense of their misery; which is common to them with brute-beasts. The abstract is here put for the concrete as wickedness is oft put for wicked men, and pride for proud Persons, and the like., neither will the Almighty Though God be able to help them, as this title of God implies, and though he be the Judge of the World, as the former Name of God signifies, to whom therefore it belongs to right the Oppressed against the Oppressour, yet in this case he justly re... useth to help them. regard it.

Although thou sayest, thou shalt not see him Or, thou canst not see him, the future Tense of the Indicative Mood being oft put poten... lly, i. e. Thou canst not have thy desire in appearing and pleading thy cause before him. So this is a new matter, and Elihu answers another Objection of Iobs: of which see, Chap. 23. 8, 9. and tells him that he is not to judge of God by present appearance; because though God may for a season hide his Face, and delay to give him an answer, yet he will certainly do him right., yet judgment is before him i. e. Before God, or in his presence or at his Tribunal, or in all his ways and administrations: And judgment is put for Justice or just judgment as it is Job 8. 3. Psal. 37. 28. & 99. 4. and oft elsewhere. So the sense is, God is and will show himself to be just in all his ways, and therefore thou dost wickedly in reflecting upon God justice. Or, yet judge thy self before him, instead of accusing God, condemn thy self, acknowledge thy sins, and then thou mayst hope for Mercy. Compare 1 Cor. 11. 31., therefore trust thou in him In stead of murmuring against him, put thy trust in him. Repent of what is past, and humble thy self under God'... hand, and do not despond for the future, but wa... t upon God patiently in his way till deliverance come to thee; for it will certainly come if thou dost not hinder it..

But now because it is not so i. e. Because Iob does not acknowledge God's justice and his own sins, and wait upon God in his way for Mercy, according to the last advice given to him, v. 14., he To wit, God, to whom this great work of visiting is ascribed every where in Scripture. has visited in his anger i. e. Has laid grievous afflictions upon him; all which is too little to bring Job to compliance with God., yet he knoweth it not Job is not sufficiently sensible of it, so as to be humbled under God's hand. in great extremity Or, though (which Particle is sometimes understood of which examples have been before) in great extremity, or ab... dance, to wit, of afflictions. Though Job has hitherto been and still is exercised with very sore Calamities, yet they have not brought Job to the knowledge of God and of himself. But this Verse is and may be rendred thus; A... d now know that his (i. e. God's) ang... r has visited thee little or nothing, (to wit, in comparison of what thou hast deserved and mightest reasonably expect) neither has known (i. e. judged or punished, as this word is used, Prov. 10. 9. and elsewhere) thee in or according to (as the prefix is sometimes used) great ab... dance, to wit, of thy sins. And therefore thy complaints against God are very unrighteous and un... easonable..

Therefore Hence it is manifest. does Job open his mouth in vain i. e. Four forth his complaints without any success, and gets no... ase by... hem.: he multiplieth words without knowledge Thereby discovering his ignorance of God and of himself..