Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII.
Verſ. 1. WHerefore, Iob, I pray thee, hear my ſpeeches, &c.] Having in the foregoing Chapter blamed Jobs three friends, here he turns his ſpeech to Job, whom principally he deſired to convince; and with much gentleneſſe and modeſty he begs audience of him, that ſo he might the more willingly attend to what he would ſay: and by preſſing him to hearken to all his words, he implyes, firſt, that he would not utter an idle frivolous word, nothing but what was worth his attending to; ſecondly, that if he did not attend to his whole diſcourſe, but only here and there a ſnatch, that would be no advantage to him; and thirdly, that he deſired he would not interrupt him, till he had fully declared his mind, and then he might anſwer freely what he had to ſay.
Verſ. 2. Behold, now I have opened my mouth, &c.] That is, now that upon due deliberation I have begun to ſpeak. See the Note chap. 3.1.
Verſ. 3. My words shall be of the uprightneſſe of my heart, &c.] That is, I ſhall ſpeak truly what I think, and with a ſincere deſire of your good, not out of hatred or partiality: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly; that is, I ſhall utter nothing but what I know to be true, and ſhall make it clear and evident to thee that it is ſo.
Verſ. 4. The ſpirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.] Some Expoſitours conceive that the drift of theſe words is, to ſatisfie Job, that there was no cauſe why he ſhould not carefully attend to what he had to ſay; The ſpirit of God hath made me, &c. that is, God hath made me, and given me a reaſonable underſtanding ſoul, as he hath to others, (in the expreſſion here uſed, there ſeems to be an alluſion to that which is ſaid of the firſt making of man, that the Lord breathed into his noſtrils the breath of life, Gen. 2.7.) and therefore you have no reaſon to deſpiſe my words, ſince to me, though young, God may reveal the truth, as well as to another. But I rather conceive the drift of the words to be this: Job had often wiſhed that he might plead his cauſe with God, as chap. 16.21. and chap. 23.3, 4, 5. and in other places; but yet ſtill upon this condition, that God would withdraw his hand, and not overbear, and daunt, and oppreſſe him with his Majeſty and power, as we may find it clearly expreſſed chap. 9.34, 35. and chap. 13.20, 21, 22. Now therefore Elihu tells him, that he would undertake, as in Gods ſtead, to plead with him; and ſaith he, I am a man as thou art, with whom thou mayſt plead upon equall tearms, and needeſt not be afraid: which is again expreſſed more fully verſ. 6. Behold, I am according to thy wish in Gods ſtead; I alſo am formed out of the clay; that is, according: to thine own deſire, I in Gods ſtead will undertake to maintain his cauſe, who am a poor earthly man, as thou art: and ſo verſ. 7. My terrour shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee; which are almoſt the very words that Job had uſed in the places before cited.
Verſ. 8. Surely thou haſt ſpoken in my hearing, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, I do not charge thee, as thy friends have done, with ſecret wickedneſſe and hypocriſie; that which thou haſt profeſſed concerning the holineſſe of thy life and converſation, I conceive is true: all that I lay to thy charge is, the unſeemly and unreverent ſpeeches that thou haſt uttered concerning God in my hearing, which I am ſure thou canſt not deny.
Verſ. 9. I am clean without tranſgreſsion, &c.] We do not find that Job ever ſaid thus much in expreſſe tearms: but Elihu meant this doubtleſſe of thoſe words of Iob, which he took to be the ſame in effect, as thoſe chap. 10.7. Thou knoweſt that I am not wicked, and 13.18, 19, Behold, now I have ordered my cauſe, I know that I shall be juſtified: who is he that will plead with me? &c. and many others of the like kind, as we may find chap. 13.23. & 16.17. and 23.10, 11, 12. and 31.6. Now, however ſome. Expoſitours conceive that Elihu did miſinterpret Iobs words, making account that Iob did directly indeed maintain, that he was pure and free from ſin, whereas he only meant by thoſe ſpeeches to juſtifie himſelf thus farre, that he had not been a wicked man and an hypocrite, as his friends affirmed, and conſequently, that it was not for any ſuch grievous enormities of his life, that Gods hand had been ſo grievous upon him: yet becauſe Iob had ſo often in the hearing of Elihu clearly affirmed the contrary to this, to wit, that he was a vile unclean wretch in Gods ſight, and that he nor no man elſe could poſſibly be juſtified in this regard before God, nor could be able to anſwer one of a thouſand of that which God could charge upon him: (as we ſee chap. 9.1, 2, &c. and chap. 14.4. and in many other places,) I cannot think that Elihu meant to accuſe Iob for boaſting in this ſenſe, that he was void of all ſin, and that there was no iniquity in him: but only that out of an over-eager deſire to maintain his innocency againſt the calumnies of his friends, he had talked ſo much of that, in his expoſtulations with God for dealing ſo hardly with him, and in his frequent proteſtations how earneſtly he deſired that he might plead his cauſe with God, as if he thought himſelf perfectly pure and ſpotleſſe, and that God could not in juſtice puniſh him as he had done. So that it is not for thinking himſelf clear from ſin, or for maintaining his integrity againſt his friends, that Elihu here reproves Iob; but it is for his alledging of this in a way of impatience and murmuring, to the impeaching of Gods juſtice. And therefore though Iobs other friends did ſeem to object the ſame thing to Iob, that Elihu doth here, as we ſee in that of Zophar, chap. 11.4. Thou haſt ſaid, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes, and in many other places; yet they did it upon different grounds: For his three friends upbraided him for boaſting of his righteouſneſſe, becauſe they judged he played the hypocrite herein, being in truth a wicked man; but now Elihu expoſtulates with him for this, only becauſe by pleading his righteouſneſſe in that manner as he did, he did in effect charge God with injuſtice. Nor can it therefore be ſaid, but that Elihu ſtill holds to what he had ſaid to Iobs friends, chap. 32.14. neither will I anſwer him with your ſpeeches.
Verſ. 10. Behold, he findeth occaſions againſt me, &c.] This alſo which Elihu here chargeth Iob to have ſpoken, we find not any where in expreſſe tearms; but ſome paſſages there are, which he might take to be as much in effect, as if he had ſaid, Behold, he findeth occaſions againſt me: as where he ſaid chap. 10.6. thou enquireſt after mine iniquity, and ſearcheſt after my ſin; and chap. 14.16. thou numbreſt my ſteps: doſt thou not watch over my ſins? and ſome other ſuch like expreſſions. As for the next clauſe, he counteth me for his enemy, this we find that Job ſaid of God ſeverall times, as chap. 13.24. and chap. 19.11: and ſo alſo that which follows in the next verſe, He putteth my feet in the ſtocks, he marketh all my paths, we have it in expreſſe tearms chap. 13.27. However that which he condemns Job for in theſe ſpeeches of his is, that out of the opinion he had of his own righteouſneſſe, he durſt ſo preſumptuouſly complain of God, as if he had dealt cruelly with him.
Verſ. 12. Behold, in this thou art not juſt, &c.] As if he had ſaid, I deny not but that thou art a holy, juſt man, and haſt lived ſo ſtrictly and exactly as thou haſt ſpoken; nor do I blame thee generally for all that I heard came from thee; that thou ſhouldeſt bemoan thy ſelf for thy miſeries, is not ſtrange at all; and in many things I acknowledge thou haſt ſpoken very well, both concerning God and concerning man: but in this, that becauſe of thy righteous life thou haſt thus murmured againſt God, in this, I ſay, I am ſure thou canſt not be juſtified: and to all thy pleas concerning thine own righteouſneſſe and Gods ſevere dealing with thee, I will anſwer thee, and this one anſwer may well ſerve for all, that God is greater then man, that is, infinitely greater in majeſty, wiſedome, power, juſtice, mercy, and in every other reſpect. And indeed this did neceſſarily imply how unreaſonable a thing it was, that man ſhould contend with God, and quarrel againſt God; firſt, becauſe there muſt needs therefore be more wiſedome, juſtice and mercy in God, then there can be in man, whereas he that complains of Gods dealings with him, doth in effect conclude, that there is more wiſedome, and juſtice, and goodneſſe in him, then there is in God; ſecondly, becauſe man therefore cannot comprehend the waies of God, and ſo there may be much wiſedome, and juſtice, and mercy in his proceedings, which we cannot diſcern; thirdly, becauſe there being ſuch an infinite diſproportion betwixt God and man, it muſt needs be great arrogance in man to contend with God, as if he were his equall; if he had to do with a man as himſelf, he could doe no more; and fourthly, becauſe this greatneſſe of God implyes his ſoveraignty over man as his creature, in regard whereof he may doe with man what he pleaſeth; and it muſt needs argue boldneſſe in man to contend with God, as if he had no ſuch power and authority over him. Now whereas it may be ſaid that Jobs three friends had often preſſed Job with this greatneſſe of God, and the baſeneſſe of man in compariſon of God: to this I anſwer, that they alledged this, to inferre from thence, that therefore Job was certainly a wicked man; God being ſo infinitely wiſe and juſt, would not elſe have puniſhed him ſo ſeverely: but now Elihu alledgeth it upon a better ground, only to convince him of his fault in murmuring againſt God, and pleading ſo peremptorily with him as he had done.
Verſ. 13. Why doſt thou ſtrive againſt him? for he giveth not an account of any of his matters.] That is, He is not to be called to give a reaſon of what he doth: his will is a law moſt righteous, and it is reaſon ſufficient, that it is his pleaſure it ſhould be ſo. And thus he covertly reproves Job for complaining ſo often, that God had not made known to him why he uſed him ſo hardly; as chap. 10.2, I will ſay unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me: and in many other places.
Verſ. 14. For God ſpeaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.] As if he had ſaid, For the truth is, that God doth ſufficiently make known to men, ſometimes by one means, ſometimes by another, why he puniſheth them, and what it is he would have them doe, though men, through the ignorance, or pride, or ſecurity of their hearts, perceive it not. It cannot therefore be ſaid, that God forewarns them not; God ſpeaketh once, yea twice, that is, again and again, by ſeverall waies and means. We have the ſame phraſe Pſal. 62.11. God hath ſpoken once, twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God.
Verſ. 15. In a dream, in a viſion of the night, &c.] This is mentioned, as one of the waies whereby God warns men of their ſins, either before, or when he afflicts them. Indeed in thoſe daies of Iob, before God had given men his written word, ſuch divine revelations were the chief way whereby he made known his will unto men: and beſides, it is probable that Elihu hath reſpect herein to that which Iob had ſaid, chap. 7.14. thou ſcareſt me with dreams, and terrifieſt me with viſions.
Verſ. 16. Then he openeth the ears of men, &c.] That is, Then he revealeth his will to men, by ſhewing them their ſins, and what he would have them doe; and cauſeth them to attend to what is diſcovered to them, as coming from God. As for the following clauſe, and ſealeth their inſtruction, I conceive the meaning of it to be plainly this, that he cauſeth that inſtruction which he affords them in ſuch dreams and viſions, to be ſurely imprinted upon their minds. Yet I know many Expoſitours do otherwiſe underſtand it: as firſt, that when God hath thus declared to them his will, and warned them of their ſins by dreams and viſions, then he ſealeth thoſe inſtructions by following corrections, that is, he confirms and makes good what he had ſo ſpoken, he makes them ſee the certain truth of that which he had ſo revealed to them; or ſecondly, that he drives home the inſtruction given them, by aſſuring them in the ſame divine revelations, as certainly as if he gave it them under his hand and ſeal, that if they will not receive inſtruction, judgement ſhall follow.
Verſ. 17. That he may withdraw man from his purpoſe, and hide pride from man.] That is, that he may take man off from thoſe ſinfull courſes upon which he was fully bent, and cure him of his pride, to wit, that pride which is the root of all evil, that makes men exalt themſelves to the contempt of God, as if they might doe what they pleaſed themſelves. For then may pride be ſaid to be hid from man, when he ceaſeth to be proud, & there is no more pride to be found in him, but he is humbled, being as one that is aſhamed and confounded in himſelf, and bluſheth even to hold up his face before God.
Verſ. 18. He keepeth back his ſoul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the ſword.] That is, And thus by bringing him to repentance, he ſaves him from that temporall and eternall deſtruction, which otherwiſe would have fallen upon him: for by the pit may be meant both the grave and Hell; and by the ſword, the ſword of Gods vengeance, both here and hereafter.
Verſ. 19. He is chaſtned alſo with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with ſtrong pain.] This is mentioned, as another way whereby God ſpeaks to man, as he had ſaid before, verſ. 14. to wit, by the rod of correction, when God ſtrikes a man with ſome ſore ſickneſſe; ſo that the multitude of his bones, that is, every bone in his body (as many as they are) is tortured with pain. And this Elihu the rather mentions, becauſe this was Jobs caſe, who had often complained that his very bones were pierced with pain, as we may ſee chap. 30.17, and in many other places.
Verſ. 20. So that his life abhorreth bread, &c.] That is, his ſoul, as it is expreſſed in the next clauſe, and his ſoul dainty meat; and the ſoul, we know, is uſually put for the whole man: and ſo the meaning is only this, that the poor ſick man abhorres all meat, even the daintieſt that can be brought him.
Verſ. 22. His ſoul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the deſtroyers.] Some by the deſtroyers underſtand thoſe paroxyſms and pangs that ſeiſe upon men when they are dying, and are uſually counted the forerunners of death; others, the angels, whom God many times imployes in cutting off men by deadly plagues, as in that peſtilence wherewith ſo many were ſo ſuddenly deſtroyed in Davids time, 2 Sam. 24.16; others, the worms, or whatever elſe there is in the grave, that conſumes the dead bodies that are laid there; and others again conceive it is meant of the devils, who are wont to drag the ſouls of wicked men to hell, when they die, and to torment them there. But I conceive it is beſt to comprehend therein all that in death tends to the deſtroying of men.
Verſ. 23. If there be a meſſenger with him, an interpreter, one of a thouſand, &c.] Some underſtand this of an angel ſent from heaven to this ſick man, (and indeed in thoſe times God did uſually make known his mind to men by his holy angels,) to wit, that if of thoſe thouſands of angels that attend upon God, there be any one ſent to him as a meſſenger, and interpreter of Gods will, to shew unto man his uprightneſſe, then he will be gracious unto him, &c. But it is farre better underſtood of a prophet or man of God, ſent unto him from God, an interpreter, that is, one whoſe office and work it is to declare the will of God to men, and that is then accordingly to make known to the ſick man the purpoſe of God in laying that affliction upon him, one of a thouſand, that is, one that will skilfully and faithfully deal with him, (and amongſt a thouſand ſuch a one is hardly to be found,) to shew unto man his uprightneſſe, that is, to ſhew to the poor ſick man, how he muſt come to be preſented righteous and upright in the ſight of God, to wit, that he muſt acknowledge his ſins, lay hold upon the promiſes of mercy made unto him in Chriſt, and ſo repent and turn unto the Lord. I know there are ſome that do otherwiſe expound the laſt clauſe, namely thus, to shew unto man his righteouſneſſe, that is, to clear it to the ſick man, that God hath dealt juſtly and equally with him. But our Tranſlation will hardly bear that Expoſition.
Verſ. 24. Then he is gracious unto him, and ſaith, Deliver him from going down into the pit, I have found a ranſome.] This ſome underſtand of the meſſenger, the interpreter mentioned in the foregoing verſe, to wit, that he is gracious to the ſick man, and ſaith, namely in his prayer to God for him, Deliver him from going into the pit; I have found a ranſome. For though the laſt words can hardly be applyable to man, yet the meaning they ſay is only this, that the man of God alledgeth, that knowing by the revelation of Gods ſpirit, that there is a ranſome in the bloud of the promiſed Mediatour for poor ſinners, he knew alſo that God would be pleaſed to accept of this ranſome in the behalf of this penitent ſick man. But I conceive it is farre better underſtood of God, to wit, that he is gracious to this ſick man, when his meſſenger hath brought him to repent, and believe in Chriſt: and that thereupon he ſaith, Deliver him from going down into the pit; the meaning whereof may be, either firſt that God determines, that he ſhall be delivered from the grave whereinto he was dropping, and withall from the pit of eternall deſtruction; or ſecondly, that he gives charge to the angel ſent to him, that he ſhould deliver him from his dangerous ſickneſſe; or thirdly, that he enjoynes the man of God to deliver him, that is, to aſſure him, that he ſhall be delivered, both from his preſent ſickneſſe, and from hell hereafter; and that becauſe God hath found out a ranſome for him, which can be meant of no other but the bloud of Chriſt.
Verſ. 25. His flesh shall be fresher then a childs, &c.] To wit, By reaſon of the cure of his ſickneſſe, and the reviving of his ſpirit by his aſſurance of Gods love to him in Chriſt.
Verſ. 26. He shall pray unto God, &c.] Whether this be meant of the ſick mans praying before or after his recovery, (which is queſtionable, though the laſt be more probable) it is mentioned, doubtleſſe, as a comfortable effect of the ſick mans reconciliation with God, to wit, that then he can go with confidence to the throne of Gods grace, which before he could not; and that then God ſhall be favourable unto him in hearing his prayers, which before he regarded not. And to the ſame purpoſe is the following clauſe, and he shall ſee his face with joy; that is, he ſhall with boldneſſe and comfort look God in the face, who before was a terrour to him: (though ſome I know underſtand it otherwiſe, to wit, that God ſhall look chearfully and favourably upon him.) And then the laſt words alledge again the cauſe of this comfortable change: for he will render unto man his righteouſneſſe; that is, the righteouſneſſe which he had loſt by ſin, ſhall be reſtored in Chriſt; or rather, God ſhall deal with him according to that preſent righteouſneſſe of his, when upon his faith and repentance he is reconciled unto God.
Verſ. 27. He looketh upon men, &c.] That is, God looketh upon men, as deſiring, longing, and waiting for mens repentance and ſalvation: and if any ſay, I have ſinned, &c. and it profited me not, that is, all the good I got by it was, that I provoked God to lay his hand in great diſpleaſure upon me; then (as it follows verſ. 28.) he will deliver his ſoul from going into the pit, and his life shall ſee the light: the meaning whereof is principally, that God will deliver ſuch a man from the grave, that he may again live comfortably here in this world; though it may be alſo extended to the deliverance of his ſoul out of hell, and bringing him to the light of Gods glory in heaven. But now if we read theſe verſes as they are in the margin of our Bibles, He shall look upon men, and ſay, I have ſinned, &c. He hath delivere my ſoul from the pit, &c. then they contain the ſick mans confeſſion of Gods dealing with him; to wit, that being recovered, he looks upon others with pity, and out of a deſire of their converſion ſhould acknowledge how he had ſinned, and did thereby bring Gods hand upon him, and how upon his repentance God ſhewed him mercy again.
Verſ. 29. Lo, all theſe things worketh God oftentimes with man, &c.] That is, all theſe means doth he uſe, many times bringing man to the grave, and then raiſing him up again; and all this he doth to ſave him from death temporall and eternall, as it follows in the next verſe, To bring back his ſoul from the pit, &c.
Verſ. 31. If thou haſt any thing to ſay, anſwer me, &c.] Having in the foregoing verſe deſired liberty, that he might yet farther ſpeak his mind to Job, he interpoſeth this, that notwithſtanding, if Job had any thing to anſwer to what he had ſaid, he was very willing he ſhould ſo doe: Speak, ſaith he, for I deſire to juſtifie thee; that is, I had rather thou ſhouldeſt be juſtified, then condemned, if thou art able to clear thy ſelf.