Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
Verſ. 1. THen anſwered Bildad, &c.] Eliphaz having replyed the third time upon Job, chap. 22. it was now Bildads turn, who ſtill ſpake next after Eliphaz, to reply again upon him; which therefore he doth in this Chapter, but very briefly: either as finding Job too ſtrong for them; or as not having any thing in a manner to ſay, but what he and his friends had ſaid before; or rather, as concluding that, becauſe of Jobs obſtinacie, it was in vain indeed to talk any farther to him, there having been abundantly enough already ſaid to him, but that nothing would convince him; which may be the cauſe alſo why Zophar, who ſhould have replyed in the third place upon Job, ſpake no more at all.
Verſ. 2. Dominion and fear are with him, &c.] Becauſe of theſe words with him, ſome limit this to the Lords exerciſing of his Sovereigntie, and the manifeſtation of his dreadfull Majeſtie in the heavens, his dwelling-place, to wit, that he rules the Angels in heaven, and that his preſence there is ſo full of Majeſtie, that thoſe holy ſpirits out of reverence and fear do cover their faces before him. But I conceive the words muſt be underſtood more generally; Dominion and fear are with him, that is, God is the Sovereign Lord over all, he it is that governs all things, and hath abſolute power over all things in heaven and in earth; yea & in regard of this his Majeſtie and power a terrible God he is, and juſtly to be feared of all. But why doth Bildad ſpeak of this here? I anſwer: Some conceive, that becauſe Job had affirmed, that many wicked men run on in their leud courſes even to their dying day, and are never puniſhed, therefore Bildad, as apprehending this to be in effect a deniall of the power, juſtice, and providence of God, doth here ſet forth with what unreſiſtable authoritie and power God doth rule and govern the whole world; thereby to intimate, that it is not therefore poſſible that he ſhould ſuffer ſuch wicked wretches to paſſe alwaies unpuniſhed. But I conceive there are two other waies, wherein Expoſitours do better ſet forth the aim of Bildad in theſe words: to wit, firſt, that he doth here ſet forth the infinite power, and Majeſtie, and goodneſſe of God, that having afterward therewith compared the baſeneſſe and weakneſſe of man, he might thence inferre, how impoſſible it was that ſo poor a wretch ſhould be found juſt before ſuch a glorious God, and thereby condemns Job for juſtifying himſelf: or 2. that Bildad doth here ſpeak of Gods ſupreme Sovereigntie, and dreadfull power and Majeſtie, thereby to diſcover the folly and arrogance of Job, in deſiring ſo earneſtly that he might plead his cauſe before God. Job had indeed in the beginning of his laſt anſwer proteſted, with a little too much confidence and boldneſſe, that there was nothing he deſired more, then that he might anſwer for himſelf before Gods Tribunal, chap. 23.3, 4, 5. O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his Seat: I would order my cauſe before him, and fill my mouth with arguments; I would know the words which he would anſwer me, &c. Now though after this Job ſaid much alſo, to prove that the wicked many times live and die in a flouriſhing condition, whilſt the righteous are ſorely oppreſſed and diſtreſſed; yet when Bildad came now to reply upon him, not being able to anſwer what he had ſaid concerning the proſperitie of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous, he gives not the leaſt touch upon that, but as flying upon him for his confidence in deſiring to plead his cauſe before God, as not doubting but that there he ſhould be able to juſtifie himſelf, he tells him here of the Sovereigntie and dreadfull Majeſtie of God, and ſeeks thereby as it were to ſtrike Job with the fear of his glorious Majeſtie and abſolute power; and to intimate how ſtrange it was, that he ſhould dare ſo fearleſly to challenge God, as it were, to anſwer him, or that he ſhould hope that God would lay by his Majeſtie and glory, that he might come and plead his cauſe before him, alluding to that which Iob had ſaid chap. 23.6. Will he plead againſt me with his great power? No, but he would put ſtrength in me. As for the next clauſe, he maketh peace in his high places, either firſt, it muſt be meant of the heavens, and thoſe that inhabite thoſe heavenly places, as oppoſed to the world here below, to wit, that whereas here, by reaſon all things are corruptible and ſubject to change, and by reaſon of the wickedneſſe of the devils and men, the elements and thoſe things that are made thereof ſeem to be oppoſite one to another, and to fight one againſt another, and there is continually much rebellion againſt God; in the heavens it is quite otherwiſe, there is nothing but quietneſſe and peace. And this too may be ſpoken, firſt, with reſpect to the Angels; of whom though there be a numberleſſe number, and though they have differing miniſtries and imploiments, yet they are by the mighty power of God ſo eſtabliſhed and order'd, that they all ſweetly agree amongſt themſelves, and doe all unanimouſly the will of their creatour; they neither contend one with another, nor much leſſe dare any of them contend with God: and hereby Bildad might imply, what an arrogancy it was in Job to think of conteſting with God, which the Angels themſelves dare not do. 2. It may be ſpoken with reſpect to the ſtars and heavenly Orbs: though the heavens be of ſuch an incomprehenſible vaſt bigneſſe, and are whirled about daily with ſuch a ſtrange ſwift violence, though the ſtars be infinite in number, and though the orbs have their different and contrary motions, ſome moving far faſter then others, ſome going one way and ſome another; yet they all obſerve the order, both for time and place, that God hath ſet them, in ſo much that there is not the leaſt jarring amongſt them, they do not in the leaſt croſſe or hinder one another, but move all with one ſweet conſent according to the courſe that the Almighty hath preſcribed them. Or 2. it may be meant of the upper regions of the aire, to wit, that when all things are there tempeſtuous and ſtormy, God, when he pleaſeth, doth preſently quiet them, & make all calm. Or 3. it may be meant of the conſtant accompliſhment of Gods will by all the creatures in the world: he maketh peace in his high places, that is, God in his dwelling-place doth rule all things in a ſtedfaſt order; yea even here below, where there ſeems to be moſt confuſion and rebellion againſt God by reaſon of ſin, yet all things are ſo overruled by him, that nothing is done but according to his determinate counſell and will, and all is carried on for his glory. And this is added to make good the former clauſe, that Dominion and fear are with him, that is, to ſhew that God ruleth all things, and that this all-wiſe and almighty God is therefore to be reverenced and feared of all.
Verſ. 3. Is there any number of his armies? &c.] Whether we underſtand this particularly of the Angels, or of the ſtars (which are both ſometimes ſtiled Gods armies or hoſt, as Gen. 32.2. and Deut. 4.19. and are indeed innumerable) or elſe of all the creatures in generall, which are all Gods hoſt (of which ſee the Note Gen. 2.1.) doubtleſſe it is alledged to ſet forth the glorious Majeſty of Gods Dominion, who is thus magnificently attended with ſuch numberleſſe armies, and likewiſe his incomprehenſible wiſedome in the governing of them; and withall to diſcover the deſperate boldneſſe of thoſe that dare contend with him, who hath ſuch innumerable armies at his command, to fight againſt them, and deſtroy them.
And upon whom doth not his light ariſe?] The meaning of this may be, that 1. God cauſeth the Sun to ſhine upon all, according to that, Matth. 5.45. He maketh his Sun to riſe on the evil and on the good; or 2. that he doth behold and know all things, that nothing is covered in darkneſſe in regard of God, but all things are light and manifeſt before him; or 3. that the light of his wiſedome ſhines upon all, in that the waies of Angels and men, yea the operations of all the creatures are admirably directed and ordered thereby; or 4. that God is good unto all, in that all the good the creatures enjoy doth proceed from Gods favourable goodneſſe ſhining down upon them: Angels and men have the light of their reaſon and underſtanding from God, and both they and other creatures have their life (which is their light Joh. 1.4.) and their being from him; neither have they any thing from themſelves, but all is derived unto them from him, who is the father of lights, Jam. 1.17. This laſt I conceive is chiefly here intended. But however this is doubtleſſe added, to ſet forth Gods dominion over all things, how wonderfull, dreadfull, and unqueſtionable it is, and conſequently how deſperate a thing it muſt needs be for any man to contend with him.
Verſ. 4. How then can man be juſtifyed with God? &c.] That is, Seeing God is ſo dreadfull in all theſe regards, how can man hope to juſtifie himſelf before God, by pleading with him, or to maintain that his ſins deſerve not ſo heavy puniſhments as God hath inflicted on him? Thus Bildad it ſeems underſtood Jobs words, chap. 23.10, 11, 12. and thence he preſſeth him with this abſurdity. See the Note, chap. 9.20. How can he be clean that is born of a woman? See the Notes chap. 14.14. and 15.1, 4.
Verſ. 5. Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea the ſtars are not pure in his ſight.] Some underſtand theſe words thus: that if God give a charge to the moon and the ſtars that they ſhould not ſhine, they ſhall be ſtraight quite void of light; and therefore much more is the Lord able eaſily to cruſh man, whatever he is, if he ſhould offer to contend with him, man having no power but what he hath from God. But I rather conceive it is meant of the tranſcendent purity, and brightneſſe, and glory of God above that of the moon and ſtars, and ſo is parallel with that, chap. 15.15. yea the heavens are not clean in his ſight, of which ſee the Note there: And then this expreſſion, Behold even to the moon, &c. muſt be underſtood as if he had ſaid, Look up to the moon, and you ſhall ſee it shineth not, to wit, in compariſon of God: or thus, Pitch your thoughts upon any of the creatures that have any ſhining brightneſſe in them, beginning with thoſe things that are below, gold, and ſilver, and precious ſtones, &c. and ſo aſcending up even to the moon (which is particularly mentioned, and not the Sun, either becauſe it is the loweſt of the planets, and ſurpaſſing man in glory, or becauſe we can better behold her brightneſſe, and was therefore for her brightneſſe uſually called the Queen of heaven, Ier. 7.18.) and ſo from thence upward to the ſtars, which are in an orbe above all the planets (and ſo even the Sun is comprehended too) and, alas, the brightneſſe of all theſe is infinitely ſhort of the purity and reſplendency of God: Or laſtly thus, Behold, take all the bright ſhining lamps of heaven, deſcending from the higheſt even to the moon, the laſt and loweſt of all the planets, (and ſo alſo the Sun is included too) and their brightneſſe and purity is nothing to that of Gods; they ſhine not, but are unclean, if compared with God. Some indeed adde that the ſtars may be ſaid to be unclean, becauſe by the fall of man even they have contracted defilement, and ſo are blemiſhed, and not wholly free from pollution in Gods ſight. However the drift of theſe words is, to ſhew how fooliſh a thing it was in Iob, in the confidence of the brightneſſe of his converſation, to contend with God, before whom the heavenly lights are no other then as clouds and darkneſſe.
Verſ. 6. How much leſſe man, that is a worm? &c.] That is, How much leſſe can man be compared with God, who is ſo far inferiour to thoſe heavenly lights for purity and brightneſſe? even no better then a worm, eſpecially if compared with God, a weak, baſe, unclean thing, made of corruption, and ſure at laſt to become worms meat, ſubject continually to dangers, as worms, whom every foot may cruſh, and of themſelves utterly unable to defend themſelves. See the Note, chap. 4.19.