Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 2 · Job · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
HEre Bildad taketh his turn again to speak against Job. First Bidding …o cease speaking, and to mark, V. 2. And then he beginneth thus, V. 3 Wherefore are we counted as Beasts, and reputed vile in your fight. He speaketh in the plural number, both here and V. 2. as some think, meaning Eugubin.both Job and Eliphaz, whose speeches were so long, that he was hereby, he thought, held too long from speaking; as also his fellow Zophar, whereby he lacked the words of Eliphaz, as well as Jobs, as if he had not spoken home enough unto him, but that he could speak better. Some, that for reverence to Job, he spake in the plural, as men use to do to great persons, Cajetan.as Kings. Some that he thought Job to be possessed by an evil spirit, whereby he spake so presumptuously, as he thought, both to God and to them: But Philip.it is rather to be thought, that he spake thus, as bending himself both against Job, and such as he counted him to be, hypocrites, which made a great shew of piety: Because he had spoken of upright and righteous men, chap. 17. 8. 9. Who though they seeing him in such misery, would not judge of him as they did, to be discouraged from walking, in the like righteous waies that he had done; Bildad therefore putting him, and them now together, most probably speaketh thus in the plural number; and whereas he saith, Wherefore are we counted as Beasts? He hath reference herein to that which Job had spoken of, understanding being taken from their heart, chap. 17. 4. for what is a man void of understanding, but as a bruit beast? Gregory saith, that Bildad in objecting to Job, that he counted them as Gregor.Beasts, that in him Hereticks are set forth, who stomake it much; that the faithful take upon them to reprove them, as carried away by errour, as if the knowledge of the truth resided in them only; and all they had no more understanding then Beasts: And in disdaining this they say, He teareth himself in his anger, shall the earth be forsaken for thee, and the rock be remeved Vers. 4.out of his place: that is, they who pretend that the Truth is with them only, being but a few, destroy their own souls, in this their mad mindedness, which they cal zeal for the truth, for so the vulg rendreth it, Why destroyest thou thy Soul in thy fury? shal the earth be forsaken for thee? That is, can it possibly be that God leaving all other men destitute of the truth, which fill with their numbers so many nations of the earth, should reveal it to thee, and to such as thou art: shal the rock be removed out of his place. That is, the foundation of the truth, of which Christ sayth, Ʋpon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it; Shall this be removed and faile from being any more? if Matth. 16. 16.it be absurd to averr such things, then that which thou arrogatest to thy self, certainly is absurd: that is, to be the only one, that knowest the truth And if we upon this ground, thus layd by Gregory, the Roman Catholicks, that now are, be most aptly set forth by Bildad and his fellowes, and consequently they are the most notorious hereticks of these times: For all these things most aptly agree to them; they say that such as have reformed themselves from their errours destroy their own Soules, being carried as it were by the spirit of fury, under the pretence of zeale, to seperate from them, and to declaime against them, as antichristian. For they say that in so doing they are gone from the Catholick Church and cannot be saved. Secondly, They reason against them from their own universality, the faith imbraced by them, spread into all Countries of the earth, whereas they of the reformed religion are but few in comparison of them. 3. From this that Christ hath built their Church upon a rock, that cannot be removed, and this they say is Peter, and the succession of Bishops of Rome after him these 1600. yeares, by the judgment then of this their own most learned Bishop, they must needs be the arch Hereticks of these times, that do so aptly answer to their tipe, Bildad speaking in his words, and seeking by his reasons to convince the true Church, and to justify themselves.
Yea the light of the wicked shal be put out, & the spark of his fire shall not shine. Vers. 5.The vulger, Nonne lux impij, shall not the light of the wicked be put out. In this and V. 6. he having as he thought convinced Job to be as a mad man for his opposing of that, which he and his fellowes had most truly taught, for he spake of him as one that thought to remove the rock out of his place, and to make the earth to be forsaken, now he falleth upon him, as notoriously wicked, threatning Gods judgments against him, whereby his prosperity meant by the …ight should be turned into adversity, and his life be ended by an untimely death, V. 7.
The steps of his strength shall be streightned, and his own counsell shall cast Vers. 7.him down. That is, the ways wherein he hath walked, bearing himself upon his own power, which in this world he hath attained, shall be made so streight, that he cannot walk in them any more oppressing others, as he in times past did, because his wealth and might shall faile him, and the counsell which he followed before to overthrow others shall turn to his own overthrow and undoing, God thus justly punishing him in his kinde.
He is cast into a net by his own feet, this is spoken of a man that used to go Vers. 8.to circumvent and catch others, as in a net or snare, when he is taken and destroyed, this is called the net of his own feet, because such a net as he went and layd for others, and caused thereby. For these Words, V. 9.
The robber shall prevaile against him. The Vulger, hath it, Sitis exardescet, Thirst shall burn in him: Wherein it is alluded to a wild beast in dry Vers. 9.places, taken and held in a Snare till he becometh extreamly thirsty, and the word foreign signifieth either thirsty or robbers, by which last it is rather to be rendred, both because it is a plurall foreign and because the Caldean Robbers had robbed Job, at which he doubtlesse aimed.
Terrours shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet. The vulg. Shall involve his feet, Hebr. His feet shall disperse him. That is, fear making him to flee, but uncertain whither, Vers. 13.
It shall devoure the strength of his skin, and the first born of death shall devour his strength. The vulg. For strength hath armes, and for strength of his Vers. 13.skin, the beauty of his skin, expounded by Gregory of his worldly glory, which when a wicked man being before in prosperity falleth, vanisheth away, and so doth his power and authority. By the first born of death sin is meant in generall, Gregory.and pride in particular, because this was the first sin in the world, and hereby most rich men are overthrow, who might have stood, if together with their riches they had had humility joyned, v. 14.
His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and bring him to the King of terrours: The vulg. rendreth both imparatively, Let his trust be roated Vers. 14.out, and let the King of destruction trample him under foote; That is death, which as a King subdueth and bringeth under all men, be they never so proud. V. 15. 16. &c. He sheweth other horrible effects of wickedness in the house of the wicked, in his family and all things that belong unto him, making all men astonished at it, V. 20. as Job had before spoken, of the astonishment of the righteous at the sufferings of such, Chap. 17. 8.