Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 33 · Verses 31-33
Verſe 31. Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me, hold thy peace, and I will ſpeak.
32. If thou hast any thing to ſay, anſwer me: Speak, for I deſire to juſtifie thee.
33. If not, hearken unto me: Hold thy peace, and I ſhall teach thee wiſdome.
Theſe Verſes, contain the Concluſion of Elihu's firſt Speech (after which it ſeems, he was ſilent awhile, to ſee if Job would make any Reply) and a preparation to his ſecond Speech. Wherein,
1. In general, he craves that Job would ſeriouſly remark what he had ſaid, and attend to what he was yet to ſay, v. 31.
2. He explains this his deſire, Shewing, That he deſired not, by ſpeaking on, to hinder him from ſaying what he could in his own defence, as the reſt had done. For he was neither engaged in this quarrel out of any malice againſt his perſon, nor was he a contentious man; but deſired to juſtifie and abſolve him, if he could ſhew him good grounds for it, v. 32. But if he had no more to ſay, he craves audience, and promiſeth to teach him wiſdome, v. 33. And ſo Job, finding that he ſpake to purpoſe, keeps ſilence, and he proceedeth in the following Chapter.
From theſe Verſes, Learn, 1. It concerns men ſo much to ſee how they entertain what men ſay unto them from God, wherein they have taken much pains; Therefore doth Elihu ſo often, in the beginning and cloſe of his diſcourſes, put Job to this task.
2 Afflicted men have need, eſpecially, to look how they entertain thoſe meſſages, which touch them nearly, and do point out their faults; For, afflicted Job is called to mark and hearken, unto what he had told, and would tell him, concerning his miſcarriages.
3. Simple audience is not enough, but ſerious attention and obſervation are required, when God by his Meſſengers ſpeaks to us, particularly, in affliction; For, ſaith he, Mark well, and heaken unto me.
4. Such as make conſcience of right hearing, will not in paſſion interrupt them who ſpeak; For, ſaith he, Hold thy peace, and I will ſpeak. It is not very certain, that Job was interrupting him till he forbad him; For, in the next Verſe, he gives him free leave to ſpeak. Yet, as it is certain, that Job was not yet fully convinced or ſatisfied, and therefore ſo much is ſaid to him after this; So, it may be that Job was offering to except or propound ſomewhat, till Elihu deſire him to hear him out; offering, notwithſtanding, to hear if he had any thing to ſay to the purpoſe, as being his true friend. Which kindneſs (among other things) poſſibly, did ſo work upon Job, that he gave over his purpoſe, and chooſed rather to hear, than to ſpeak. However, paſſionately to interrupt the Meſſengers of God, is a very great ſin; And however men do forbear that practice, yet they may interrupt their own edification, if they keep not their own Spirits compoſed, and be not as men dumb and deaf (as the word, Hear, ſignifieth) as to any thing they think irritating in the meſſage.
5. They who would refute and convince men, who are in an errour, ought to give them a fair hearing, however they interrupt their impertinencies; For, though he deſire he will hold his peace, yet, ſaith he, If thou hast any thing to ſay, anſwer me, either now, if thou pleaſe, or after I have ſpoken all my mind.
6. Men will never give others a fair hearing, nor ſpeak a right to a cauſe, ſo long as they are contentious, and do entertain prejudices againſt perſons, or, being once engaged, do ſtrive more for victory, than for truth, and ſo do caſt iniquity upon men, Pſal. 55.3. For, ſaith he, giving a reaſon of his offer, for I deſire to juſtifie thee, in ſo farr as is poſſible, or, if there were ground for it.
7. As men ſhould thus give a fair hearing to thoſe with whom they deal; So, upon the other hand, when men have no ſolid anſwer, they ſhould not jangle in their own defence; but hear and take reproof; For, ſaith he, If not, hearken unto me, hold thy peace.
8. It is their duty who deal with others, eſpecially thoſe in diſtreſs who give them an hearing, to teach them ſolid wiſdome, and not empty notions; For, ſaith he, I will teach thee wiſdome.
9. As there is no man ſo wiſe, but he needs to be more wiſe, and may need inſtruction to know God and himſelf, when he is in trouble; So, a juſt cauſe gives a weak man great advantage of a ſt…ng party: For, in all theſe reſpects he ſaith to Job, I will teach thee wiſdome, intimating, that Job, a great and wiſe man, needs inſtruction that he may be more wiſe; eſpecially now when he is in the dark through much perplexity and trouble; And though Job was a great Prince, and Elihu but a young man, yet he counts it no arrogance, having truth on his ſide, to ſay, that he is able to teach Job in this matter.
CHAP. XXXIV.
This Chapter contains Elihu's ſecond Speech; wherein he proceeds (as would appear, after ſome pauſe, to deal yet further with Job. For, Job (by not replying) evidencing that he liked him better than his other Friends, he goeth on to teach and improve him ye more. The Speech is much in ſubſtance like the former, as tending to reprehend Job unhappy expreſſions under trouble: Only, he is more ſharp in this, than in his forme diſcourſe. And having gained audience, he ſpeaks freely, and home to his faults; no denying him to be an honeſt man, but aſſerting that he had ſaid things which were no honest.
The Chapter may be taken up in the four parts, Firſt, A Preface, wherein he calls for attention from the judicious Auditory, v. 1 — 4. Secondly, A Charge, or, a Propoſition of thoſe expreſſions in Jobs diſcourſes, which, at this time, he intends to refute, v. 5, 6. Thirdly, A Refutation of theſe expreſſions, by ſhewing the abſurdities thereof, and the groſs conſequences which might juſtly be faſtened upon them, v. 7, 8, 9. And by Arguments taken from the Juſtice and Dominion of God; which he, Firſt, propounds to the Auditory, v. 10 — 15. and then preſseth them home largely upon Job himſelf, v. 16 — 30. Fourthly, A Concluſion, wherein he adviſeth Job, and reprehends him ſharply, deſiring that he may be yet further tryed, v. 31 — 37.