Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Verſ. 2. IF we aſſay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved &c.?] Hitherto Iobs friends had forborn ſpeaking to him, partly becauſe they were afraid they ſhould by ſpeaking encreaſe his grief, and partly becauſe by the extraordinary heavineſſe of Gods hand upon him they began to think, that doubtleſſe he had alwaies been a ſecret hypocrite and therefore now at length the vengeance of God was in this fearfull manner fallen upon him; But when now they had heard him in ſuch an impatient manner curſe the day of his birth and wiſh for death, to put an end to all his miſeries, but eſpecially when they heard him in his laſt words, as it were juſtifying himſelf, to wit, by affirming that he had not by his ſecurity in the time of his proſperity provoked God to deal thus with him, but rather had done what he could to prevent it, this confirmed them in their opinion, that his heart was not right with God. And therefore Eliphaz, as being haply the elder and the chief of them, begins now with him, reſolving to reprove him for his impatience, and to prove to him that God uſeth not to plague any but wicked men, as he was now plagued, and therefore it was fit that he ſhould repent and turn to God, and not juſtifie himſelf. Now becauſe he feared that this Iob would hardly take in good part, he begins with a profeſſion that he was loth to grieve him, but that he could not forbear; If we aſſay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? that is, I fear thou wilt, and it is that which hath made us forbear ſo long; but who can withhold himſelf from ſpeaking? that is, hearing thee thus diſhonour God and juſtifie thy ſelf, as if all were well with thee, when Gods fearfull judgements upon thee do manifeſt the contrary, it is not poſſible we ſhould hold our peace; if we have any care of thy ſoul, or be tender of Gods diſhonour, it muſt need conſtrain us to ſpeak.
Verſ. 3. Behold thou haſt inſtructed many, &c.] This is the firſt argument which Eliphaz uſeth, to condemn Iobs impatience, and to diſcover to him that he had only hitherto carried himſelf hypocritically in the profeſſion of religion, to wit, that he had been a great Inſtructer and comforter of others, yea many others, in time of their calamity, fear and ſorrow, and yet now when it came to be his portion to be in the like miſery, no man could be more faint-hearted nor more impatient and rebellious againſt God then he was. To ſtrengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees, and to uphold him that was falling, is to comfort thoſe that are ready to faint and ſink in deſpair, becauſe of any grievous calamities that lie upon them, or are unavoidably, as they conceive, coming towards them, as Eſa. 35.3, 4. Strengthen yee the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees, ſay to them that are of a fearfull heart, be strong, and ſo likewiſe Heb. 12, 12. 2 Sam. 4, 1. Ier. 6, 24. 1 Sam. 23, 16. Now becauſe Iob had done this to others, but minded not now to do himſelf what he had taught others to do, this Eliphaz preſſeth upon him, as an argument, that there was never in him that truly religious heart, which he made ſhew of to others.
Verſ. 6. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightneſſe of thy waies?] That is, having made ſuch a ſhew in thy proſperity of fearing God, of walking uprightly, of great hope and confidence which thou haſt in God, whereas now when Gods hand is fallen upon thee, thou carrieſt thy ſelf in a quite contrary manner to what thou madeſt a ſhew of, and didſt adviſe others to, doth not this plainly diſcover, that all this was counterfeit in thee? and that thou didſt but aime at thine own advantage in all that thou haſt done? wherein when thou findeſt that God would no longer ſatisfie thy aimes, now thou art ready to fly in Gods face and to ſpurn againſt him. This is the drift of theſe words: And perhaps in the firſt place he ſpeaks of his fear of God, becauſe Iob had in a manner boaſted of that in the two laſt verſes of the former chapter.
Verſ. 7. Remember I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? &c.] That is, call to mind whether thou haſt ever ſeen, or read, or heard of any one of Gods righteous ſervants, that have been deſtroyed by the avenging hand of God, and ſo utterly caſt off and forſaken by him? This is another argument whereby Eliphaz ſeeeks to proove him not to have been ſo fearfull to offend God, as he pretended, to wit, becauſe ſuch plagues God uſed not to lay upon the righteous, as were now poured upon him.
Verſ. 8. Even as I have ſeen, they that plow iniquity, &c.] Wicked men are ſaid to plow iniquity and ſow wickedneſſe becauſe 1. They plot before hand how to accompliſh their injurious purpoſes, as husbandmen by plowing the ground make it ready for the ſeed. 2. They follow their plot with all poſſible pains and diligence, moving every ſtone, turning up every clod, aſſaying by all means they can think of, all kind of injuſtice, treachery and deceit, to effect what they have contrived. 3. They act their wicked devices cunningly and artificially, they are not bunglers in the waies of ſinning, as ſome men are, but manage their work with ſuch curious cunning, that nothing can be done with more exact skill for the accompliſhment of their curſed devices, and 4. They do all this in hope of ſome fruit and advantage that ſhall redound to them thereby. And then again they are ſaid to reap the ſame, becauſe in time they reap that which is the proper fruit of ſuch waies, that is, the wrath of God, as the juſt recompence of their evil courſes. Prov. 22.8. He that ſoweth iniquity shall reap vanity, and Gal. 6.8. He that ſoweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption: whence it is that the juſt reward and fruit of wickedneſſe is called wickedneſſe (and therefore it is clear that they thus reap the ſame) Ier. 4.18. Thy way and thy doings have procured theſe things unto thee; this is thy wickedneſſe. Wicked men may not be puniſhed for a time, but at laſt they ſhall have a harveſt anſwerable and proportionable to their deeds. Hoſ. 10.13. Ye have plowed wickedneſſe, ye have reaped iniquity, ye have eaten the fruit of lies; or becauſe others at length deal with them juſt as they dealt with others, and ſo God paies them in their own kind, and that double many times. Revelat. 18.6. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double: y…a ſeven-fold Pſal. 79.12. And tender unto our neighbours ſeven-fold into their boſome; their reproach wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord. So alſo Luke 6.38. For of ſuch unjuſt oppreſſours of others, Eliphaz chiefly here ſpeaks, as is evident by the following words verſ. 10.1….
Verſ. 9. By the blaſt of God they perish, &c.] That is, the Lords anger breaking forth againſt them, he doth with eaſe on a ſudden deſtroy them. Becauſe when men are filled with indignation their paſſion and wrath will diſcover it ſelf in the breathing and puffing of their noſtrils, the Lords anger is many times in the Scripture expreſſed by the breathing of his noſtrils, as Eſa. 30.33. and becauſe wicked men are oftentimes cut off in an inſtant and with eaſe, the Lord only as it were blowing upon them, Hag. 1.9. Ye looked for much, and lo it came to little: and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it; they are ſaid to be deſtroyed with a blaſt, even as when corn that comes up hopefully is on a ſudden blaſted (whereto we may the rather think that Eliphaz alludes becauſe of the foregoing metaphor of wicked mens ſowing wickedneſſe and reaping the ſame) or as a houſe by a blaſt of wind is ſuddenly blown down; and doubtleſſe at that diſmall death that befell Iobs children, Eliphaz doth in this expreſſion eſpecially aime.
Verſ. 10. The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, &c.] That is, the Lord uſually abates the courage and power of the mightieſt of the wicked, even thoſe that have made a prey of others, no body daring to reſiſt them; yea, he many times deſtroyes them and brings them to periſh with hunger, both they and their whelps; That wicked powerfull tyrannicall oppreſſours▪ are uſually termed lions in the Scripture is manifeſt from many places; Ezek. 32.2. Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh King of Egypt, and ſay unto him, thou art like a young lion of the nations, and 38.13. Sheba and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof thall ſay unto thee, art thou come to take a ſpoil? and 2 Tim. 4.17. I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, that is, out of the mouth of Nero, and indeed oppreſſing great ones do reſemble lions in divers reſpects: as 1. in their pride and loftineſſe of ſpirit; for the lion is a proud and ſtately creature. 2. In regard of their ſtrength; for as the lion is the ſtrongeſt amongſt beaſts, and therefore there is no reſiſting or withſtanding the lion: So great men that are oppreſſours by reaſon of their power may doe what they pleaſe, and there is no contending with them. 3. In regard of the terribleneſſe of the lions roaring, and the ſterneſſe of his countenance; the very threatnings and looks of oppreſſing tyrants are dreadfull to thoſe that are ſubject to their power. 4. In regard of their bloud-ſucking cruelty; we ſee what the Prophet ſaith of ſuch men, Mich. 3.2. They pluck their skins from off them, and their flesh from off their bones, &c. and 5. In regard of their greedineſſe after the prey. They have ſet their eyes bowing down to the earth like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, Pſal. 17.11, 12. So that becauſe Iob was a great man, a man in authority, it may well be that Eliphaz intended in theſe words to give a hint to Iob that as he had dealt hardly and cruelly with others, ſo now the Lord had accordingly dealt with him; and that laſt clauſe concerning the breaking of the teeth of the lions whelps, or the young lions, may ſeem purpoſely added, becauſe of the deſtruction that fell upon Iobs children, when they were feaſting together.
Verſ. 12. Now a thing was ſecretly brought to me.] That is, in a viſion, and that too in the ſecrecy & ſolitarin…ſſe of the night, and perhaps alſo in a ſecret manner with a ſtill and low ſmall voice, not eaſily diſcernable; for here Eliphaz begins to relate a viſion he had formerly had, wherein amongſt other things this was revealed to him that it was a vain and audacious part for men to contend with God when he corrects them, as if they were juſter then God; and that to proove, that by Gods dealing with Iob it was evident enough that he had given the Lord juſt cauſe to proceed with ſuch ſeverity againſt him, and likewiſe to ſhew what a foul ſin it was in Iob to murmure ſo againſt God as he had done.
And mine ear received a little thereof.] Hereby is not ſo much meant that he only heard ſome little part of that which was ſpoken to him, as that by his ear he did receive into his mind, that is, underſtand and lay up in his heart, ſomewhat of that which in his viſion was imparted to him, acknowledging modeſtly that he did not fully and perfectly either comprehend or retain what God was pleaſed in this propheticall way to reveal unto him.
Verſ. 13. In thoughts from the viſions of the night, &c.] That Iob might not doubt but the viſion he now ſpeaks of was from God, and ſo the more regard what was then revealed to him, Eliphaz here deſcribes the manner of his viſion, to wit, that in the beginning of the night, when deep ſleep falleth on men, that is, when men uſed to be moſt ſoundly a-ſleep, in thoughts cauſed by a nightly viſion (but whether waking or ſleeping it is not expreſſed) a ſpirit verſ. 15. paſſed before his face, that is, an angel appeared and came to him, he being at the ſame time ſtricken with extreme terrour and fear, fear came upon me, ſaith he, and trembling, &c. which laſt is the rather mentioned, becauſe when God in former times appeared to men in dreams and viſions, he did alwaies thus humble and caſt them down with fear, that by thoſe impreſſions of terrour, cauſed by the apprehenſion of his Majeſty and glory, they might be aſſuredly perſwaded that the viſion was from God and ſo the more reverently receive and the more carefully obey what he then gave them in charge, as the prophet Daniel acknowledges of himſelf when he had ſeen a viſion, Dan. 10.17. As for me ſtraight way there remained no ſtrength in me, neither is there breath left in me.
Verſ. 16. It ſtood ſtill, but I could not diſcern the form thereof, &c.] That is, the ſpirit, the angel before ſpoken of (having at his firſt appearance approached towards him, or perhaps walked a turn or two in his ſight) did at length ſtand ſtill before him (either that he might preſent himſelf the more fully to his view, or as addreſſing himſelf to ſpeak to him) and ſo he ſaw it, though he could not fully and diſtinctly diſcern his ſhape.
There was ſilence, and I heard a voice.] This clauſe may be read, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, I heard a ſtill voice or a ſilent voice, that is, a low whiſpering voice: for as we uſe to call an imperfect obſcure light a dark light, ſo a low ſoft voice we uſe to call a ſilent ſtill voice; and the reaſons given by Expoſitours why the angel ſpake with ſo low a voice are, 1. That hereby might be implyed that it was a ſecret which God would now whiſper, as it were, into his ear, and 2. That Eliphaz might thereby be ſtirred to receive with reverence and attention what was ſpoken, and that becauſe a man muſt needs ſet himſelf with earneſtneſſe to hear that which is ſpoken in ſuch a manner. But according to that Tranſlation that is in our Text it cannot be meant of the ſilence of the voice, but of a ſilence, foregoing the voice, to wit, either the ſilence of Eliphaz, that he ſpake never a word, but waited to hear what would be ſpoken, or elſe the ſilence generally that was in the place; whereas haply at firſt the angel appeared with ſome noiſe, the more to encreaſe his terrour, at length all things were huſht, and there was a ſtill ſilence, and thereupon, ſaith Eliphaz, I began to recover my ſelf out of my fear, and being attentive I heard a low ſtill voice ſpeaking as followeth.
Verſ. 17. Shall mortall man be more juſt then God? &c.] That is, it is not poſſible: and this Eliphaz alledgeth. 1, Becauſe when men in their troubles do expoſtulate with God, as if he had dealt too hardly with them, and eſpecially if they plead their own integrity and righteouſneſſe, as if thereby they had deſerved better at Gods hands, they do hereby make man to be more juſt then God, and that becauſe a juſt righteous man will not puniſh any one cauſeleſſely or unjuſtly; yea they do hereby as it were profeſſe themſelves to be more juſt and pure then God their creatour, who hath ſo cauſeleſſely puniſhed them: and 2. Becauſe he conceived that Iob by expoſtulating ſo with God, and eſpecially by alledging chap. 3.23, 26. how humbly and warily he had walked and that purpoſely to avoid Gods diſpleaſure, the bitter effects whereof were yet notwithſtanding now fallen upon him, had in effect made himſelf more juſt then God.
Verſ. 18. Behold he put no trust in his ſervants; and his angels he charged with folly:] Theſe words, as it is moſt probable, are added by Eliphaz for the better clearing of that before in the former verſe, which was declared to him in a viſion by an angel; the ſervants of God here meant are the angels, as it is expreſſed in the ſecond clauſe (for that men, who are Gods faithfull ſervants, are not included, is clear by the oppoſition in the following verſe, How much leſſe on them that dwell in houſes of clay, &c.) and that, as they were all at firſt created in a holy and glorious eſtate and condition; and of them it is here ſaid, that God put no truſt in them, that is, that they are not firmly and unchangeably righteous in themſelves, God could not truſt nor reſt upon their righteouſneſſe, being mutable creatures ſubject to ſin and to fall from their eſtate, as ſome of them did, and the reſt alſo might do, had not God by Chriſt eſtabliſhed them in this bleſſed and perfectly holy condition, wherein they now ſerve God, Col. 1.19, 20. For it pleaſed the father, that in him should all fulneſſe dwell. And (having made peace through the bloud of his Croſſe) by him to reconcile all things to himſelf; by him, I ſay, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven, and 2. That he charged them with folly, which may be meant not only of thoſe Apoſtate angels, who abode not in the truth, and ſo were caſt to hell, but alſo of the holy angels, who though they be not in the leaſt degree tainted with ſin, yet before God they are chargeable with folly, not only comparatively in regard of his infinite wiſdome and purity, even as the moon and ſtars have no light, when the Sun appears, but alſo in regard of their vanity and weakneſſe, as they are mutable creatures, becauſe they are like enough in themſelves to fall away, and to forſake their own happineſſe, if God ſhould not ſupport them.
Verſ. 19. How much leſſe on them that dwell in houſes of clay? &c.] From that which is ſaid in the former verſe concerning the inſtability of the angels, Eliphaz inferres how much leſſe likely it is, that men ſhould be found ſo unblameably juſt, that nothing ſhould be found in them reproovable and for which God may juſtly puniſh them, who dwell in houſes of clay, that is, in earthly bodies whoſe foundation is in the duſt and are crushed before the moth, that is, are cruſhed and molder to nothing, if God laies his hand upon them, more ſuddenly and eaſily, then a moth is cruſhed and rubbed to duſt between a mans fingers. And thus he maketh the earthly and frail condition of man the ground of this inference. 1. Becauſe the angels, Gods choice ſervants, do continually behold the face of God, Matth. 18.10. attending alwaies upon him, as the Peeres of heaven, in the glorious Palace of the heavenly Ieruſalem, and men that dwell here below and behold him only afarre off, darkly and obſcurely, cannot be thought to be ſo righteous and holy as they are, 2. Becauſe in regard of their earthly condition they are ſo addicted to earthly things, that hereby they are often inſnared in ſin, and 3. Becauſe by reaſon of their frailty, they are ſubject to many miſeries, and ſo in danger to be carried away with their paſſions and to forget God.
Verſ. 20. They are deſtroyed from morning to evening:] That is, they are gone on a ſudden, well in the morning and dead before night, Pſal. 90.5, 6. In the morning they are like graſſe which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up: in the evening it is cut down and withereth; or, all the day long they decay and wax old inſenſibly by degrees, and approach ſtill nearer to their end, and have every moment ſomewhat ſpent of their life: yea they are ſubject to ſudden deſtruction from morning to evening every moment, and hence are thoſe expreſſions, I die daily. 1 Cor. 15.31. in deaths often. 2 Cor. 11.23. we are killed all the day long. & Rom. 8.36. they perish for ever without any regarding it; that is, they are taken away never more to live in this world; and yet ſcarce any amongſt the living they leave behind them do ever regard this or lay it to heart; This I conceive is the true meaning of the place; for they are ſaid to periſh for ever that dye, only becauſe they are gone for ever, in regard of the comforts of this life, according to that chap. 14.14. If a man dye shall he live again? and that, Pſal. 103.16. As for man his dayes are as graſſe; as the flower of the field ſo he flourisheth; for the wind paſſeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more; and it is doubtleſſe the living that ſee this and make not good uſe of this periſhing condition of thoſe that dye, concerning whom that clauſe of complant is added without regarding it yet ſome I know underſtand this otherwiſe, to wit, thus; whereas the conſideration of this mortality of man might and ſhould (one would think) make men the more carefull to walk righteouſly before God, naturally it is otherwiſe, they never regard this, and ſo as others before them, they die in their ſins and periſh for ever.
Verſ. 21. Doth not their excellency which is in them, go away? they die, even without wiſedome.] Some underſtand the firſt clauſe thus, that when men die, their ſoul, which is the excellency and glory of man, goeth away; but I rather underſtand it thus, that even thoſe men that have any excellencies above others, whether naturall or acquired, they periſh and their excellencies with them vaniſh and come to nothing, and then they die even without wiſdome, that is, either firſt they die like fools, men that had not the wiſedome by the mortality of men to conſider before-hand of their end, but run on in their ſins and never provide for a better eſtate; or 2. They die, as if they had no wiſedome, they have no more priviledge againſt the ſtroke of death, then fooles have, according to that, Eccleſ. 2.16. How dieth the wiſe man? as the fool; or 3. They cannot carry their wiſedome away with them, but that, as all other their excellencies, vaniſheth away.