Westminster Annotations, Job · Chapter 34 – Chapter 35
CHAP. XXXIIII.
Vers. 2. O Ye wise men] Ye that think your selves wise; meaning Jobs friends. Or, if ye wise indeed, ye will get profit by my words, Prov. 1. 5.
V. 3. For the ear trieth words] Chap. 11. 12.
mouth] Heb. palate.
V. 4. Let us choose to us judgement] Let us lay aside prejudice, and try the matter uprightly.
V. 5. I am righteous] Chap, 13. 18. The second thing Elihu accuseth Job of, is, That he had maintained that he had a good cause, but God would not suffer him to plead it: which is, in effect, to accuse God of injustice.
God hath taken away my judgement] Chap. 27. 2.
V. 6. Should I lie against my right?] Should I confesse against my conscience that I am wicked, or an hypocrite? I will never do it, chap. 27. 4, 6.
my wound] Heb. nine arrow, chap. 6. 4.
without transgression] Chap. 9. 17. I am sorer punished then my sin deserveth.
V. 7. who drinketh up scorning like water?] Chap. 15. 16. Is full of scornfulnesse within, and vomits it out against God, chap. 10. 3. or, doth it as with a kinde of delight and greedinesse.
V. 8. Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquitie] Thinks, as wicked men do, That it is in vain to serve God, Mal. 3. 14.
V. 9. It profiteth a man nothing, that he should delight himself with God] The third thing Job is accused of, is, Discouraging men from piety. Job had not said so in terms, but he gathered it by consequence out of his words, chap. 9. 22. for if God destroy good and bad, what good comes by serving him?
V. 10. men of understanding] Heb. men of heart.
far be it from God, that he should do wickednesse] Deut. 32. 4. Chap. 8. 3. and 36. 23. Psal. 92. 15. Rom. 9. 14.
that he should do wickednesse] To punish men without a cause, or to punish good and bad alike.
V. 11. For the work of a man shall he render unto him] Psal. 62. 12. Prov. 24. 12. Jerem. 32. 19. Ezek. 33. 20. Matth. 16. 27. Rom. 2. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 17. Apoc. 22. 12.
V. 13. Who hath given him a charge over the earth?] God is supreme: his will is the rule of justice: how can he do wrong then? Gen. 18. 25. Job 8. 3. and 21. 22. Rom. 3. 5.
the whole world?] Heb. all of it.
V. 14. If he set his heart upon man] Psal. 104. 29. To destroy him.
upon man] Heb. upon him.
his breath] The breath of life which he gave man.
V. 15. All flesh shall perish together] Gen. 3. 19. Eccles. 12. 7.
V. 17. shall even he that hateth right govern?] If God were not just, why should he, or how could he govern the world? Rom. 3. 5, 6.
govern] Heb. binde.
V. 18. Is it fit to say to a king] Or, Who saith to a king.
Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked?] Wilt thou condemn God, who judgeth without partiality, and condemns wicked kings.
V. 19. How much lesse to him that accepteth not] Or, who accepteth not.
accepteth not the persons] Deut. 10. 17. 2 Chron. 19. 7. Acts 10. 34. Rom. 2. 11. Gal. 2. 6. Ephes. 6. 9. Coloss. 3. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 17.
V. 20. at midnight] When they look not for it, Exod. 12. 29.
the mightie shall be taken away] Heb. they shall take away the mightie.
without hand] Miraculously, and without means, Dan. 2. 45.
V. 21. For his eyes are upon the ways of man] 2 Chron. 16. 9. Chap. 31. 4. Prov. 5. 21. and 15. 3. Jer. 16. 17.
V. 23. more then right] God doth not afflict man beyond his desert, that he should have occasion to contend with him, or sue him for false judgement, Ezra 9. 13.
enter] Heb. go.
V. 24. without number] Heb. without searching out.
V. 25. Therefore] Hence it appears, that he knows their sins, because he destroys them.
destroyed] Heb. crushed.
V. 26. in the open sight of others] Heb. in the place of beholders. Openly, in the sight of all men, that others may beware.
V. 27. from him] Heb. from after him.
V. 28. So that they cause the crie of the poor to come unto him] God hears the prayers of the oppressed complaining of their persecutours, Exod. 2. 24. Psalm. 12. 5.
V. 30. That the hypocrite reign not] He puts down tyrants, that they may oppresse no more.
hypocrite] Or, profane.
V. 31. surely it is meet to be said unto God] The one and thirtieth verse may be thus translated: surely thou shouldest addresse thy self to God, saying, I have born chastisement, I will not offend any more. He turns his speech to Job: In stead of striving against Gods justice, thou shouldst seek for mercy from him.
I will not offend any more] Shew me my secret sins, that I may repent of them, Psal. 19. 12.
V. 33. Should it be according to thy minde?] Heb. Should it be from with thee? The three and thirtieth verse may be read thus, Should he reward it according to thy minde? though thou have despised the one, and chosen the other, yet will not I: therefore speak what thou knowest. That is, why should God reward thy goodnesse or sin, how and when thou wouldest? though thou hast rejected to submit to Gods mercy, and callest for justice, yet I dare not do so: if thou know better, teach me.
V. 34. Let men of understanding tell me] The four and thirtieth verse may be read thus; Men of understanding will say as I, and a wise man will hearken unto me. That is, they will like my way better then thine: meaning Jobs.
of understanding] Heb. of heart.
V. 35. Job hath spoken without knowledge] Or, That Job. They will consent with me, that Job hath spoken foolishly.
without knowledge] Chap. 35. 16.
V. 36. My desire is that Job may be tried] Or, My father, let Job be tried.
unto the end] That he may speak as much as he can, that we may answer him, and all the wicked that shall use such arguments.
V. 37. For he addeth rebellion unto his sin] If this be done, he will maintain that errour out of rebellion, that now he maintains out of ignorance.
For he addeth] Or, For else he will adde.
clappeth] Or, will clap.
clappeth his hands] In token of victory over us, Psal. 47. 1. and 98. 8.
multiplieth] Or, will multiply.
CHAP. XXXV.
Vers. 2. THat thou saidst] To wit, by consequence; for he proveth it out of other words. And this is the fourth accusation, That Job had disparaged God, affirming, by consequence, That he regarded not righteous men, because Job had said, Good men gained no more by piety, then ill men by sinne.
V. 3. What advantage will it be unto thee] Chap. 9. 22. and 10. 15.
if I be cleansed from my sin] Or, by it more then by sin.
V. 4. I will answer thee] Heb. I will return to thee words.
thy companions with thee] Either he means his three friends that had disputed with him before, or some others present, that favoured Jobs cause. See Notes on chap. 18. 2.
V. 5. which are higher then thou] If thou canst not darken the heavens by thy sin, nor cleer them by righteousnesse, because they are far above thee, much lesse canst thou hurt God by the one, or help him by the other, who is farre above the heavens.
V. 6. If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him?] Thou canst take nothing from God by thy wickednesse, nor adde any thing to him by thy righteousnesse.
V. 7. If thou be righteous, what givest thou him?] Chap. 22. 3. Psal. 16. 2. Rom. 11. 35.
V. 8. thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art] Either he means, Thy wickednesse may hurt thy self, and goodnesse profit thy self: or else, The one may hurt other men, and the other do them good.
V. 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions, they make the oppressed to crie] By thy wickednesse thou mayest hurt men, and cause them to complain of thee.
V. 10. But none saith, Where is God] Men are more ready to take notice of wrongs done by others, then to praise God for good received from him, and therefore God will not hear their prayers. It may be he means, God heard not Job, because he was more ready to complain, then to praise God.
my maker] He alludeth to the Trinity: or, he speaketh of God in the plurall number for honour sake, Isai. 54. 5.
who giveth songs in the night] Matter of praise, Psal. 42. 8. and 149. 5.
V. 12. There they crie] See Notes on v. 9.
V. 13. Surely, God will not hear vanity] Chap. 27. 9. Prov. 1. 29. Isai. 1. 13. Jer. 11. 11. Vain men when they pray.
V. 14. thou shalt not see him] Chap. 23. 8, 9. A fifth accusation of Job, that he had complained, That God came neer to him in his works, but would not appear to him, that he might plead his cause with him. His answer is, That he may boldly trust, that God will do him right in the end; for God is just, however he judged of him.
V. 15. because it is not so] Because thou trustest not in him, nor expectest righteous judgement from him.
be] That is, God.
be] That is, Job.
he knoweth it not in great extremitie] Though God have greatly afflicted him for his errour.
V. 16. Therefore] It appears by all that I have said, that Job is in an errour.
he multiplieth words without knowledge] Chap. 34. 35.