Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII.
Verſ. 2. THen was kindled the wrath of Elihu, the ſon of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram, &c.] This Elihu was, it ſeems, one of thoſe that ſtood by, and had heard all the dispute betwixt Iob and his three friends; & becauſe he miſliked what he had heard from both parties, when he perceived that Iob had made an end of ſpeaking, and that his friends were reſolved to make no farther reply upon him, he ſtepped up, and undertook to deliver his judgement, and as it were to determine and compremiſe the controverſie betwixt them. Now in ſetting down this, firſt this Elihu is deſcribed by the family from which he was deſcended, to wit, that he was the ſon of Barachel the Buzite, that is, of the family of Buz, who was the ſecond ſon of Nahor the brother of Abraham, by his wife Milcah, Gen. 22.20, 21. (for that I judge farre more probable, then that which ſome ſay, that Barachel ſhould be called the Buzite, becauſe he was of the province or city of Buz in Idumea mentioned Jer. 25.23.) and of the kindred of Ram, that is, of Abram; and this I hold too more probable, (becauſe he was the brother of Nahor, and for his eminency like to be expreſſed,) then that this Ram ſhould be, as others would have it, ſome obſcure man of the ſtock of Nahor: all which I conceive is thus punctually expreſſed, partly for the greater honour of Elihu, becauſe he ſpake more prudently concerning Jobs cauſe then his three friends had done; and eſpecially to make it the more evident, that the ſtory of Iob here related was a true, not a deviſed ſtory. Secondly, the cauſe of Elihu's ſpeaking is mentioned, to wit, that his wrath was kindled, namely againſt both parties. And thirdly, the reaſon hereof here is particularly expreſſed: againſt Iob was his wrath kindled, becauſe he juſtifyed himſelf rather then God: not becauſe he had maintained his own innocency and integrity againſt his friends, but becauſe, though not in expreſſe tearms, yet in effect, he had juſtifyed himſelf rather then God, that is, he had taken more care to juſtify himſelf, then to juſtify God; and in his eagerneſſe to juſtify himſelf, had charged God with injuſtice, to wit, in that he had, giving way to his paſſion, with much bitterneſſe complained of Gods dealing with him, charging him in a manner that he had laid upon him farre greater puniſhments then his iniquities had deſerved, and ſo had oppreſſed him with his majeſty and power; and in that he had over-peremptorily called God as it were to an account, and challenged him that he might be ſuffered freely to plead his cauſe, and that God would anſwer him. And then again ſecondly, verſ. 2. Alſo againſt his three friends was his wrath kindled, becauſe they had found no anſwer, and yet had condemned Iob; that is, becauſe they had condemned Iob for a wicked man and an hypocrite, and yet had proved nothing againſt him, nor had given any ſatisfactory anſwer to that which Iob had alledged to make good his innocency. It is evident therefore, that Elihu's aim was to ſhew both Iob and his friends too wherein they had erred; though indeed towards Iob he carries himſelf far more mildly and equally, then his three friends had done. Many Expoſitours, I know, hold that Elihu doth condemn Iob as ſharply and inſolently, as the other had; and accordingly they conceive, that for this God, when he began to ſpeak, checked Elihu, in thoſe words chap. 38.2. who is this that darkneth counſell by words without knowledge? But firſt, becauſe it will be found farre more probable, that God ſpake thoſe words to Iob, and not to Elihu, ſecondly, becauſe it is evident that Elihu no where chargeth Iob for being a wicked man and an hypocrite, as his friends had done, and thirdly, becauſe chap. 42.7. where the Lord condemns the three friends of Iob, he ſpeaks not the leaſt word againſt Elihu; therefore I rather conceive, that Elihu's ſpeech is full of gentleneſſe and prudence, and that he only blames him for his unadviſed ſpeeches in pleading his own innocency; and that though he ſeems to miſconſtrue ſome things that Iob had ſpoken, yet becauſe he did this alſo out of a holy zeal for Gods glory, therefore God did not ſo much as take notice of this, to charge it upon him.
Verſ. 4. Now Elihu had waited till Iob had ſpoken, &c.] That is, till Job had finiſhed his laſt long reply in the foregoing chapters, and ſo conſequently all the time that he and his friends had been arguing one againſt another; and therefore the reaſon that is added hath reference to them all, becauſe they were elder then he.
Verſ. 8. But there is a ſpirit in man, &c.] Some Expoſitours underſtand this of the holy ſpirit of God, to wit, that this it is, and not years, that makes men wiſe: which they ſay is again more clearly expreſſed in the following clauſe, and the inſpiration of the Almighty giveth them underſtanding: as if he had ſaid, I expected that multitude of years should teach wiſedome; but now I perceive that it is only the ſpirit of God in men that gives wiſedome where he pleaſeth, and that he gives it many times to the young and not to the aged. But becauſe the firſt clauſe is ſo generall, there is a ſpirit in man, I rather conceive it is meant of the reaſonable ſoul in man, thus, But there is a ſpirit in man, and the inſpiration of the Almighty giveth underſtanding; that is, Though age be an advantage for the getting of knowledge, yet there is a ſpirit of reaſon, underſtanding and judgement, in one man as well as another, and it is God that by the inſpiration of his ſpirit gives wiſedome, eſpecially in ſpirituall things, whereever he pleaſeth.
Verſ. 11. Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reaſons, whilſt you ſearched out what to ſay.] That is, I waited patiently all the time you were ſpeaking, expecting you would alledge ſomething againſt Job, that ſhould clearly prove what you had affirmed, to wit, that he was a wicked man, and that therefore God had laid his hand ſo heavily upon him; and finding that you ſtrained your inventions to the utmoſt, to find out what you might ſay againſt him, I diligently attended, and obſerved the reaſons and arguments that you brought againſt him. Now hence Elihu would inferre, that it was moſt equall that they ſhould patiently hear him, as he had heard them; and the rather, becauſe he had well weighed their ſpeeches, and had not raſhly judged that they had not convinced Job, as they ought to have done.
Verſ. 13. Leſt ye should ſay, We have found out wiſedome: God thruſteth him down, not man.] Theſe words, Leſt ye should ſay, I conceive, have reference to that he had ſaid in the foregoing verſe, there was none of you that convinced Iob, or that anſwered his words: and ſo the meaning is, either that Elihu had confidently affirmed, that none of them had convinced Iob, leſt they ſhould ſay, We have found out wiſedome; or that their not being able to anſwer Job, and ſo Iobs getting the better of them, was of God, to ſhew them the weakneſſe of that argument whereon they grounded their accuſation of Iob, leſt they ſhould ſay, We have found out wiſedome. And then for the wiſedome whereof he gives them warning not to boaſt, though ſome underſtand it of the wiſedome of keeping ſilence, and not replying any more upon Iob, Leſt ye should ſay, We have found out wiſedome; God thruſteth him down, not man, that is, Leſt ye ſhould ſay, We have done wiſely in giving over talking any farther with Iob; whereas you blame us, becauſe we did not anſwer, we ſay it was a point of much wiſedome, not to argue any farther with a man ſo obſtinate; and that becauſe God thruſteth him down, and not man, that is, Gods hand hath or will humble him ſufficiently, and ſo we need not farther preſſe upon him, ſo to adde affliction to the afflicted: yet I rather think it is meant of the wiſedome of his friends former arguing againſt Iob, Leſt ye should ſay, We have found out wiſedome; God thruſteth him down, not man; that is, Leſt ye ſhould ſay, However you, Elihu, deny it, yet we have ſufficiently enough convinced him, and that there is ſo much wiſedome in the argument we have alledged againſt him, that all the world is not able to anſwer it, namely, that God, who is omniſcient, and infinitely juſt and wiſe in all his waies, hath brought theſe miſeries upon him, and not man, who may be deceived, and may judge unjuſtly; and therefore were he not a wicked man, God would never have puniſhed him, at leaſt in ſuch an extraordinary manner.
Verſ. 14. Now he hath not directed his words againſt me, &c.] This might be alledged to imply, that it could not be therefore any diſcontent that he had taken againſt Job, that moved him to ſpeak, but that it was merely out of zeal for God and for the truth, and becauſe his friends had not anſwered him aright: to which purpoſe alſo is that which follows, neither will I anſwer him with your ſpeeches, that is, I will not anſwer him with railing, reviling and ſcornfull language, as you have done; nor will I take that courſe to convince him, that you have taken, to wit, by condemning him to be a wicked hypocrite, becauſe Gods hand is ſo heavy upon him. It is evident in the following Chapters, that Elihu urgeth many things that the other three had objected before: but this is only in the way of reproving him for his impatient murmuring againſt God, and not thereby to prove him an hypocrite, as the other had done. Neither was it doubtleſſe without the ſecret counſell of God, that when Iobs ſpirit was almoſt overwhelmed, with the rough uſage and the peremptory uncharitable cenſures of his other friends, he ſhould now be reproved by one in a juſter and more gentle way, that ſo he might be brought to ſee wherein he had indeed offended, and yet withall his ſorrows might be a little abated.
Verſ. 15. They were amazed, they anſwered no more, &c.] Here Elihu turns himſelf on a ſudden from ſpeaking to Iobs friends, to ſpeak to Iob himſelf concerning them, or rather to the ſtanders by: and by their being amazed may be meant, either that indeed they were amazed to hear Iob ſo confidently ſtill to maintain his integrity, or only that they were ſilent, as men that ſtand aſtoniſhed are wont to be. Neither doth Elihu ſpeak this by way of a vain-glorious inſulting over the other three friends of Iob, but only to ſhew how he was driven to ſpeak: They were amazed, they anſwered no more; as if he ſhould have ſaid, I appeal therefore to all that ſtand by, whether it be not very ſtrange, that ſuch wiſe men ſhould have nothing to ſay to one ſo faulty as Iob hath been, and whether I be not now at laſt neceſſitated to ſpeak.
Verſ. 16. They ſpake not, but ſtood ſtill, &c.] That is, They proceeded no farther.
Verſ. 17. I will anſwer alſo my part, &c.] That is, Having afforded them, out of reſpect to their years, liberty to ſpeak, as long as they had any thing to ſay, now I ſhall alſo, as I hope I well may, take my turn to ſpeak.
Verſ. 18. For I am full of matter, the ſpirit within me constraineth me.] That is, I have much to ſay, and inwardly my ſpirit is moved with ſuch vehemency to ſpeak, that I can no longer forbear. Neither yet doth Elihu here in a youthfull arrogancy oppoſe his fulneſſe to their emptineſſe, that had no more to reply upon Job; but only to juſtifie himſelf for ſpeaking, he affirms that by his zeal for God and for the truth, yea and perhaps by an extraordinary inſpiration of Gods holy Spirit, he was ſo ſtrongly moved to ſpeak, that he could hold no longer. He compares himſelf to a woman in travel, that is pained to be delivered, or to bottels that are filled with wine, as it follows in the next verſe.
Verſ. 19. My belly is as wine which hath no vent, it is ready to burſt like new bottels.] That is, like bottels filled with new wine; or, like bottels which new wine will burſt aſunder, yea though they be new bottels, (for indeed the older the bottels are, the liker they are to burſt aſunder, when they are filled with new wine; according to that of our Saviour, Matth. 9.17. Neither do men put new wine into old bottels; elſe the bottels break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottels perish: but they put new wine into new bottels, and ſo both are preſerved.) However, the meaning is, that he did inwardly in his mind even ſwell as it were with a deſire to ſpeak, ſo that he could forbear no longer. Uſually in the Scripture what is done inwardly in a man, to wit, in his mind, it is ſaid to be done in the belly, as before chap. 15.35. their belly prepareth deceit: and ſo it is here, My belly is as wine which hath no vent, that is, my mind is ready to burſt with a deſire to utter what I have to ſay, even as wine which hath no vent.
Verſ. 20. I will ſpeak, that I may be refreshed.) That is, to eaſe my mind.
Verſ. 21. Let me not, I pray you, accept any mans perſon; neither let me give flattering titles unto man.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Do not deſire I ſhould, or do not think I will, out of fear or favour to either ſide, ſpeak any thing but the downright truth. By giving flattering titles unto man may be meant, firſt, the applauding of men with the fawning tearms of holy, wiſe, juſt, only to curry favour with them, when we know they no way deſerve ſuch titles: and ſecondly, the going about the buſh, as we uſe to ſay, when we are to reprove any man, or any evil that we diſcern in man, the doing of this covertly, and by ſecret inſinuations, rather then with plain and expreſſe tearms; as when Jobs friends would not directly tell Job that he was a wicked hypocrite, and that therefore God had ſo deſtroyed him, but only expreſſing themſelves in generall tearms, This is the place of him that knoweth not God, and, This is the portion of a wicked man from God, did yet intentionally ſtrike at him: and thirdly, the mincing of the matter, when we come to tell men of their faults, uſing favourable tearms, and not ſetting forth their ſins in their proper colours; as when Eli did ſo gently reprove the horrible villany of his ſons, 1 Sam. 2.24. Nay, my ſons; for it is no good report that I hear. Now in all theſe reſpects Elihu proteſts againſt this giving of flattering titles.
Verſ. 22. For I know not to give flattering titles.] That is, I am not skilled in the way of flattery; I never uſed to take this courſe, but have been alwaies wont to ſpeak my mind clearly and plainly.