Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 30 · Verse 2
Verſe 2. Yea, whereto might the ſtrength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was periſhed?
From this to v. 9. Job inſiſts to clear what he had ſaid, v. — 1. of the baſeneſs of their Parentage who derided him; which he inſiſts upon, Partly, that he may clear how juſtly he had upbraided them, as men, in ſome reſpects, below very doggs; partly, that he may clear how much baſer theſe ſcorners of him were, who were come of, and bred by, ſuch Parents; And ſo this whole deſcription of their Parents baſeneſs, and wretched life, may be underſtood of themſelves alſo (as ſome do ſo take it) who were ſo like them, and (be-like) did drive the ſame trade of life with them. Partly, that he may intimate a reaſon why their Children took him now at this advantage, when he is under affliction. For it ſeems they were ſo inſolent toward him, not only becauſe of their wicked diſpoſition, but becauſe he, being a Magiſtrate, had ſo purſued their vitious Parents, that they were neceſſitated to flee from among men, as it is recorded, v. 5. &c. Which they looking upon as great cruelty, do endeavour now to repay him by their inſolent deriding of him.
This deſcription of their Parents baſeneſs and vileneſs may be taken up in four Branches. And,
Firſt, (in this Verſe) he declares, more generally, that it was no wonder he did thus undervalue them, ſeeing they were unuſeful for any good work, and could not be ſo profitable to him as very Doggs. This he further confirms from a reaſon, that old age was periſhed in them. Whereby he doth not condemn age ſimply as a crime in men; nor doth he mean, that it is a ſufficient reaſon to eſteem of men as dogs, or worſe than doggs, becauſe they cannot be ſteadable by reaſon of their age; For, in ſuch caſes, men ought to be relieved, who cannot be employed, by us. But the meaning is, That they had ſpent their time ſo, and became ſuch in their old age, that they could neither be employed, nor deſerved pity. For they had ſpent their youth ſo vitiouſly and idely, without being employed in, or fit for, any good work, that when they came to old age (when mens villanous pranks, as well as their ſtrength, uſe to leave them, and they become more ſage and ſerious) that time of their life was periſhed, or loſt as uſeleſs, through the idleneſs of their youth. The word rendred, Old age, is conceived by divers skilled in the Original, to ſignifie chiefly mens more vigorous and freſh old age, when their wits are yet freſh and ripe, and their ſtrength not utterly decayed. Which adds to their crime, that they ſhould ſo have debauched their youth, as rendred them uſeleſs, even before decrepit old age ſeized upon them, when by the courſe of nature mens ſtrength and parts are debilitate and exhauſted. And it is true, there are other words made uſe of in the Original, elſewhere, which more clearly ſignifie mens being worn our, and decrepit, and gray headed, through age. Bu… I ſee no… how that Emphaſis of the word here will agree with Job 5.26. (the only place, beſides this, where it is uſed) where Eliphaz promiſeth to Job, upon his repentance, that he ſhall come to his grave in a full age (for ſo it is there tranſlated) but doth not mean (as would appear, nor agreeth it with his ſcope) that he ſhould dye in his more vigorous and freſh old age. But whatever be the force of the word, if we take the strength of their hands, in the beginning of the Verſe, not ſtrictly, for that great bodily vigour and ſtrength which may be expected in young, but not in old perſons, but more largely, for dexterity to goe about affairs, the whole Verſe will import this in ſumm, That their ill ſpent youth had not only loſt that part of their life to them, but their old age alſo; So that they neither would, nor could employ that part of their ſtrength, which yet remained, in any honeſt employment; nor had they learned any prudence or experience, how to direct or manage any buſineſs, notwithſtanding they had lived ſo long, but were very fools, even in their old age.
Doct. 1. Men are juſtly accounted to be baſe, or of worth, according as they are profitable in their ſtation and generation, in the uſe of a lawful calling; For, ſo Job argues, that he juſtly vilipended theſe men as baſe, becauſe the ſtrength of their hands could not profit him, nor any, but they wanted both skill and willingneſs to goe about any employment.
2. It is a ſad matter, when old age cometh upon men, and they have profited nothing in their time, but they are ready to dye fooliſh and vitious; For, thus old age is periſhed in ſome, who can be only uſeleſs in it.
3. An ill ſpent youth will make a deſpicable and uſeleſs old age, unleſs mercy prevent it; For, by that mean it was that their old age periſhed, and they had nothing of old age but its ſhameful infirmities, and evidences of an ill ſpent youth.
4. Whatever compaſſion ſhould be ſhewed to the indigent, or to thoſe who are infirm through age; Yet none is due to idle perſons, and to theſe who have ſpent their lives ſo viciouſly, that they are vo… of all vertue, and unwilling to be employed in any good work; For, though Job was compaſſionate, and did relieve thoſe who were indeed objects of charity, as he elſewhere declareth, yet not onelyonly could he not employ theſe baſe men in any profitable work, but he had no pity nor charity for them. It is true, how vicious ſoever perſons have been, it were inhumanity to ſuffer them to ſtarve and periſh, when they are really unable to relieve themſelves; yet, if idle vagabonds have any ſtrength left, as it ſeems theſe had, it is an act of charity, as well as of juſtice, to force them to work, and to puniſh them if they will not. For they who work not, being able, ſhould not eat; to feed ſuch, is to feed their vices, and cheriſh them in them; and it is not an act of true charity, but of an irregular tenderneſs of minde, to do it.
5. Such as ſpend their life-time unprofitably, do leave a foul ſavour and memorial behinde them; As Job here doth largely inſtance in the manners and lots of theſe vicious and idle perſons.