Westminster Annotations, Job · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Vers. 2. SHould a wise man utter vain knowledge] Heb. knowledge of winde. Art not thou ashamed, who wouldst be counted a wise man, to speak empty words?
fill his belly] Chap. 6. 26.
with the east-winde?] Thy words are not onelyonly empty, like winde, but blasting and blustering, like the east-winde, Hos. 12. 1.
V. 3. Should he reason with unprofitable talk?] Or, To reason with talk will not profit, chap. 15. 3.
V. 4. Yea] Thou speakest not onelyonly words false and hurtfull, but blasphemous.
thou castest off fear] Heb. though makest void. He chargeth Job, that his talk caused men to cast off the fear of God and prayer: for what good comes by them, if God destroy good and bad, as Job had said.
prayer] Or, speech.
V. 5. thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity] Thou shewest it in blasphemous words. Or, thy wickednesse teacheth thy mouth, Matth. 12. 3, 4, 35. To wit, to speak such words against God, though thou do it craftily, as if thou spakest nothing amisse of God.
uttereth] Heb. teacheth.
and thou choosest] Or, though thou choosest.
V. 7. Art thou the first man] Most ancient, that hast had the experience of all ages?
before the hills] Wilt thou make thy self eternall? Psal. 90. 2. Prov. 8. 25.
V. 8. Hast thou heard the secret of God?] Rom. 11. 34. Hast thou been present in Gods eternall counsell, and heard it, that thou cuttest off wisedom from others; and attributest it onelyonly to thy self? Jer. 23. 18.
V. 9. What knowest thou that we know not?] Chap. 13. 2.
V. 11. Are the consolations of God small with thee?] Why dost thou despise those divine comforts we have propounded to thee from God?
is there any secret thing with thee?] Some secret conceit of thine own wisedom above ours?
V. 12. Why doth thine heart carry thee away?] Beyond the bounds of thy duty toward God?
what do thine eyes wink at] Why dost thou look sowre upon us, mocking what we say, by winking? Psal. 35. 19. Prov. 6. 13. and 10. 10.
V. 14. What is man, that he should be clean?] 1 Kings 8. 46. 2 Chron. 6. 36. Chap. 14. 4. Psal. 14. 3. Prov. 20. 9. 1 Joh. 1. 8. No man can justifie himself before God, nor the angels that fell, much lesse thou, that drinkest iniquity like water, v. 16. Chap. 34. 7.
V. 15. Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints] Chap. 4. 18.
V. 16. which drinketh iniquity like water?] That commits wickednesse as greedily as a thirsty creature drinks water? Ephes. 4. 19.
V. 17. that which I have seen, I will declare] 1 Joh. 1. 1. Perhaps seen for heard (as smelling for feeling, Job 14. 9.) for he saith he heard it, in the next verse. Or else he alludes to the vision before mentioned, chap. 4. 13.
V. 18. wise men have told from their fathers] V. 10. Chap. 8. 8.
V. 19. Ʋnto whom alone the earth was given] Who by their vertue and wisedom, through Gods blessing, kept their land from war, and so enjoyed it alone.
earth] Or, land.
V. 20. The wicked man travelleth with pain all his days] From hence, to the end of the chapter, Eliphaz repeats the words of the ancients.
is hidden to the oppressour] He knows not how little a while he may live, but is always in danger of death.
V. 21. a dreadfull sound] Heb. a sound of fears.
in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him] 1 Thess. 5. 3.
V. 22. out of darknesse] Out of that misery he is once fallen into.
V. 23. He wandereth abroad for bread] Psal. 59. 16 and 109. 10. God sends poverty upon him.
V. 24. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid] He sheweth what weapons God useth against the wicked, to wit, terrour within, v. 21. and trouble without, as in this verse, Rom. 2. 9.
V. 25. For] Or, Because.
he stretcheth out his hand] As a bold and open enemy, against God, Levit. 26. 21. Num. 15. 30.
V. 26. He runneth upon him] Either he means that God invadeth the wicked man by his judgements; or, the wicked man sets upon God by his notorious sins.
V. 27. with his fainesse] Because he lived deliciously in worldly pleasures, and glutted himself, he rebelled against God, Deut. 32. 15. Psal. 17. 10. and 73. 7. and 119. 70. He points at Jobs change of estate, and makes luxury and oppression the causes of his misery.
V. 28. he dwelleth in desolate cities] He dwelleth in places that he hath made desolate by oppression.
V. 29. He shall not be rich] Because he hath done all this evil, therefore his riches shall be taken away.
V. 30. by the breath of his mouth shall he go away] Of Gods mouth, who was spoken of, v. 25. He shall be destroyed by God in his anger, and that easily, chap. 4. 9.
V. 31. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity] Let not a wicked man trust in his wealth, for it shall be brought to nothing.
V. 32. It shall be accomplished before his time] His recompence of felicity shall end before his time: he shall die before he need by the course of nature, chap. 22. 16. Psal. 55. 24.
accomplished] Or, cut off.
V. 33. He shall shake off his unripe grape] Either he means, God shall, or, the wicked man himself.
V. 34. the tabernacles of bribery] Psal. 84. 10. Houses built and maintained by polling and bribery, as Eliphaz accuseth Job, chap. 22. 8.
V. 35. They conceive mischief] Psal. 7. 14. Isai. 59. 4. In Hebrew it is, By conceiving. He shews the means whereby their houses perish. He means, that they plot nothing within, nor execute without, but deceit and violence: and this proves the ruine of their families.
vanity] Or, iniquity.