Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 31 · Verse 38-40
Verſe 38. If my land cry againſt me, or that the furrows likewiſe thereof complain:
39. If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have cauſed the owners thereof to loſe their life:
40. Let thiſtles grow inſtead of wheat, and cockle inſtead of barley. The words of Job is ended.
In theſe Verſes, Job cloſeth all this diſcourſe and apology with the profeſſion of a Thirteenth Vertue, which is, his equity toward all thoſe with whom he had to doe in the matter of his Land, whether former Poſſeſſours, Tenants, or Labourers for himſelf; for to all theſe it may be extended. In general, he profeſſeth that he was not an oppreſſor, whoſe very land might cry out for vengeance upon him, when men durſt not, v. 38. In particular, He profeſſeth, that he did not eat the fruit of his land without money, either to the former owners, from whom he had it; or preſent labourers, who manured it for him; nor did he make the owners thereof to loſe their life, that is, he did kill none (as Ahab did) that he might poſſeſs their land; nor did he rack his rents, to the undoing of the Tenants; nor did he oppreſs and wear out the ſpirits of poor labourers, by withholding their wages. Or, (as ſome, though without clear ground, underſtand it) of poor widows, and ſtrangers (who were owners, in ſo far as ſomewhat of his increaſe was due to them in charity) whom he did not kill by defrauding of them, v. 39. All this he confirmes by an imprecation, or conſenting to it as equitable, that, in that caſe, his land ſhould bear no fruit, but what is evil and noyſome, ſuch as thiſtles, and cockle, or, noyſome weeds, v. 40. Unto all which a concluſion is added by the writer of the Hiſtory, that Jobs words here ended, both what he hath ſpoken in the whole diſpute, and particularly, this his large Apology; So that he ſpeaks nothing after this, but onelyonly have ſome few words to God, towards the cloſe of the Booke, v.—40.
From theſe Verſes, Learn, 1. It is not enough that men be juſt in their publick actings in Judicatories, unleſs they be juſt alſo to theſe who are under them, in their more private relations; For, as Job was couragious in the publick adminiſtration of Juſtice, v. 34. So here he makes conſcience alſo of juſtice in his dealing with his inferiours.
2. Albeit oppreſſed men dare not mutter againſt oppreſſours, becauſe they are mighty; yet their oppreſſions will cry to God, and the very creatures will get a mouth to witneſs and complain to God againſt them; For, if he had been an oppreſſour, he intimates that the very Land would cry, and the furrows thereof complain, or, weep. See Exod. 3.7. Hab. 2.10, 11. Which imports that the ſins of men, eſpecially when not puniſhed, are a burden under which the creatures do groan.
3. It is a crying oppreſſion to wrong righteous poſſeſſours, to enlarge our heritage, or to wrong labourers, or tenants; For, Job would not eat the fruits thereof without money. See, Jer. 22.13. Ma…. 3.5. Jam. 5.4.
4. As oppreſſours may become ſo cruel, as even to wring the life out of their inferiours, if not alſo to cut them off; 1 King. 21.19. So this is a very heynous ſin; For, ſo Job accounts it, to cauſe the owners thereof to loſe their life.
5. Albeit men think to enrich themſelves by oppreſſion; Yet it is juſt they be plagued, that God change the very natural courſe of things to them, and that he defeat all their expectations of advantage, and take that (and much more) from them, which they have withheld from others: For, Job ſubſcribes to it as juſt, if he had been an oppreſſor, that, contrary to the courſe of Nature, and to his expectations, thiſtles grow inſtead of wheat, and cockle in ſtead of barley.
6. When men have ſaid enough in defence of a good cauſe, it is meet to give over, and not to trouble themſelves with every calumny and aſperſion; For, after Job hath thus vindicated himſelf, it followeth, The words of Job are ended.