Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 2 · Job · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
IN this Chapter another time standing of the Sonnes of God before him, and Satans being amongst them to move the Lord to permit him to smite Job in his person, is set forth. For the three former verses, they are the same with Chap, 1. 6. 7. 8. And therefore need no Exposition, Vers. 4. Skin for Skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life.Vers. 4. Vers. 5.
But put forth thine hand now, and touch his Bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
And the Lord sayd unto Satan, behold he is in thine hand, but save his Vers. 6.life.
This is the reply of Satan to the Lord commending Job again, as before, and adding, Although thou movest me against him, to destroy him without cause. Ferus.What meaneth the Lord to say thus, is not he the just Judge of all the world, and will he then destroy any mans possessions, and take them away without cause?
To this Ferus answereth well, these words without cause, or in vain, may Ferus.be understood two wayes.
First, When any thing is done, but the end of doing it is not attained, so the Devill moved God against Job, and his Motion being granted, yet he attained not his end, to make Job through impatience to blaspheme. But yet on Gods part, this destruction came not upon Job without cause, for his end was attained, to make the patience of Job, and his Faith to shine the more, and so to make him the more illustrious, and by his example, suffering so patiently such greivous things to stir others of his Faithfull servants up to patience, and to make them confident and couragious against the devill in all his assaults and to confound him.
Secondly, When any thing is done in Judgment against a man he not deserving it: and thus Job was afflicted without cause; for although all men be sinners, and so God may justly lay his Judgments upon them, yet the Faithfull are by Faith justified from all their sinnes, and therefore there is nothing in them for which they can now be judged: But for the Tryall of their Faith and Patience, and consequently for their greater future good, and glorification, it is not strange for the righteous Judge of all to suffer Satan to winnow them. For the momentany afflictions of this life do work unto us a surpassing 2 Cor. 4. 17.weight of Glory that shall be revealed.
To this effect Ferus, a Fryer; To be noted the rather because the present Fryers and Preists do teach to the contrary, that the Faithfull have sufferings layd upon them to satisfy the Justice of God in respect of temporall punishments due for their sinnes, as Christ hath satisfied for the Eternall, and if this were so, how can it be sayd, that Job suffered without cause? Now to proceed to V. 4.
Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, he will give for his life.
It is as if he had sayd, thou hast hitherto touched him no further then he Vers. 4.may well patiently bear: there be more men then he, that suffering the losse of all their worldly Goods, have been very patient men in danger of drowning at sea, cast their Goods forth to lighten the ship, and save their lives, and being in their Enemies hands, will give all their substance for a Ransome, that their lives may be spared: neither are Children so deare unto them, but, their own lives are dearer; according to the saying, Proximus quisque sibi, every one is neerest to himselfe, and the skin and flesh of another, whether child or servant is not so much to him, but if his own skin and Body be untouched he may bear it: But herein the Devil shewed his malice and subtilty, for Job did not only bear all his losses patiently, as others, even naturall men, have sometimes done, but also praysed God therefore, as never any man before him did, so that herein Job was singular, as also the Apostles afterwards, who praised God, that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. The word rendred life here is foreign the Soul, but his life is herby Act. 4.meant, when the Lord permitted Satan to smite Job, in his Body; saying, but save his life.
A thing well to be noted, that although God sometime giveth Satan power over the Goods and Bodyes of his Children, their skin and bones, as is here sayd, yet that which is the principall thing, the life and Soule, he reserveth Note. to his own protection, not permitting him to have any power over this; that no righteous man be discouraged, when hee readeth of Jobs being given into Satans hands, for it is but to suffer in things lesser and transitory, but still to without danger of suffering the losse of the Soul which is eternall,
And Satan knowing, that God would not suffer him herein to touch Job, dareth not to move him any further then about his Bones and his skin. But Note. it is to be noted, that he was so malicious, that he is not satisfied with so great a blow given to Job in his Substance and Children, but he desireth to have him tormented to the uttermost, and that he is most subtill to accomplish this, that we may in nothing think ever to be beneficed by him, how well soever he seemeth to deal with us; sometime helping men to Moneys, sometime to recover things lost, and sometime to health in most dangerous sicknesses. And that not being ignorant of his subtiltyes, we may do all dilligence to learn out of the word to be Wise, that he may not circumvent us as the Serpent did Eve to our everlasting ruine.
So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore Vers. 7.boiles, from the sole of his foot unto his Crown.
And he tooke him a Potsheard to serape himselfe withall, and he sate down Vers. 8.among the Ashes.
He is sayd to go out from the presence of the Lord, that goeth about any malicious practises, as Cain is spoken of likewise: the Angells are sayd Gen. 14.to ascend to God, and to descend, and to stand before him, but no where to go out from his presence, for this is to go out full of Wrath, Malice, and Indignation, and the Good Angells never do; but both evill spirits and men do. And this is in this sense rightly spoken of them, because they have not God in their wayes; and wish themselves out of his presence the more licentiously to commit evill. Now that it is here meant thus, appeareth because he went and most cruelly smote Job with a sore disease, no part of his Body being spared, but both sore, and mattery, and so loathsome to behold, and full of extream paine; for the matterynesse of his sores, is implyed, in that it is said he scraped them with a Potsheard, by which circumstance also his misery is the more agravated, he hath no oyntments nor baths to lenifie his sorenesse, neither lay he upon a soft Bed, but upon the Ground in ashes, heavy and sorrowfull: for so men in sorrow strew ashes upon themselves, or dust of the Earth. That this suffering of Job and the greatnesse of it may be the better conceived, some compare it with that of Lazarus, touching which Chrisost. reckoneth up nine particulars aggravating Chrisost. de Lazaro.it.
First, His extream poverty.
Secondly, His Sores, of which he was full.
Thirdly, He was destitute of all humane help.
Fourthly, He lay upon the Ground.
Fifthly, He was sick and very weak.
Sixthly, He saw the plenty wherein Dives lived; for although he minded him not, yet it could not but greive him the more, when he compared together his Welfare and Pleasure, and his own sufferings.
Seventhly, He was unparrallel'd, no man being in that misery in this World, that he was in.
Eighthly, He was for this evill thought of, a varlet and wicked man, and unworthy of any mercy.
Ninthly, Which yet I cannot think, he knew not of the resurrection: So Job was most poore, full of soares, no man did help him, but he scraped himselfe, he also lay upon the Ground, and could not but be very Job 19. 25.weak, not being able to eat any thing in 7. dayes, three men of great wealth and Dignity were in his eye, censuring him as an Hypocrite, and for Parallel he had none, but he beleeved the resurrection, and herein his misery was yet greater then that of Lazarus; because he had been so opulent, and mighty, and blessed with Children, but now had lost all: his sufferings were also greater then those of the wicked Egyptians, whose not only boyles, but all their ten plagues one runneth through, and sheweth that Jobs Pineda,were yet greater.
Then sayd Iobs wise unto him, Dost thou still retain Integrity? Curse Vers. 9. Philo. Calde. paraph. Genebr.God, and dye.
Who Iobs Wife was, some take upon them to determine, as Philo Iudeus the Cald. Paraphr. and Genebrard in Chronol. and some Jews go further, saying, that Iob had a most faire Daughter by his Wife Dinah whom Potipher married, and that of her came Asenaz whom Ioseph married. But all these are but conjectures, and there is no certainty in them: It may seem strang, that when all his Children perished, that his Wife was preserved still alive: Touching this, diverse conjecture diversly. Some that God would have her spared, that being brought to so great poverty, she might beg for him: Some that she was spared, because she was one with him, from touching whose life Satan was restrained: but the most common received opinion was, that Satan spared her, that by her he might be yet further tempted to curse God. So Tertullian, Ciprian, August. Chrisost. Stephanus, Prosper, Gandentius: And this seemeth most probable, because his words so fitly agree, Tertull. Ciprian. August.with those of Satan before used, He will curse thee to thy face.
For the temptation of the Wife is of greatest force, as that old Serpent found once by experience. When by his instigation Eve tempted Adam to eate of the forbidden Fruit: Therefore Chrysost. calleth her the aptest and strongest Instrument, wherewith the Devil could fight against Iob, and Nazianzen Nazianzen.the hope of calamity. And of Wives in generall, Seneca saith, that they are kept by the councell of Megaera and the furies for the extream misery of Kings, and some to disgrace such women: the more say, that the same word which set forth Adams Wife without an aspiration signifieth a woman, but with an aspiration, a Serpent, which yet holdeth not, unlesse it be meant foreign being put for foreign and foreign for foreign for the word signifying a Beast or a Serpent is foreign But to let such speculations passe, and to come to her speech. Only we may first take notice: That Chrysost. saith, some think, that the Devill in the shape of Jobs Wife spake thus unto him, and not she: And if not Chrysost.yet he thinketh, that the Devil spake by her, for he stirred her up: As he did sometime by the Serpent to Eve, for he saith, that she was by a diabolicall fury stirred up, and as a strong Engine used to a Wal of Adomant, which Iob was. For the words of Iobs Wife, Curse God and dye. It is thought Vers. 10.that she used many more words, as that he saw now by experience, that he had no priviledge by his so constant serving of God, but that it besell him as to the most wicked, therefore she perswaded him now seeing there was no hope, that he should live long in such extremity of paine, to blaspheme and curse God by uttering all the virulent words that he could against him in way of revenge for dealing thus cruelly with him. Some seeing there cometh no more good of serving God, give this thy piety over, and Tho: Aquin. Lira.fall to another course of life more licentious, happily if thou dost so it will be better for thee, for it cannot be worse with thee, then now it is; Some, provoke God by blaspheming him, to kill thee out of Hand, that thou mayst instantly be rid of thy paine. Lastly, Some blaspheme God, that by the Law passing upon thee for it, thy life may be taken away, which now Chrisost. Apollonius. Basil.is irksome to thee: but this last way I cannot think it to be meant, because that although amongst the Jews, it was death to blaspheme or curse God, yet who knoweth that it was so amongst the Gentiles, who were idolators. Yea they commonly blaspheme the true God, as Pharaoh, Sennacherib and Benhad ad King of Syria. Neither is the second opinion more probable; for change the course of a mans life, one may do, and yet not blaspheme or curse God. Therefore the first and third are to be preferred, betwixt which, there is little difference, where as some will not have the words expounded curse; but Bless God, it is to be noted that although the word foreign signifieth to blesse, as well as to curse: yet it is the same that was used before by the Devil saying, He will curse thee to thy face: And therefore she seemeth in using Satans wrod to speak from his mouth, and not in a contrary sence. Yet Cajetan rendring it by blessing saith; it is ironically spoken, as Cajetan.if she had said, surely thou doest very worthily, to hold on in blessing God in the midst of all thy Sufferings, even go on still so to do until the death: But thou shalt but shew thy selfe a fool in so doing, blessing, and being rewarded with a tormenting death.
Calvin also seemeth to be for this, concluding, that which way soever Calvin.it be taken, all comes to one issue, she sought to drive him to despaire and to utter, in stead of blessing God, any words of impatience and discontent at Gods doings in way of revenge before he dyed. And this is implyed in his answer. Thou speakest as one of the foolish women.Vers. 10.
Where by this one, Ferus understandeth Eue tempting Adam, and bringing him and his Posterity to misery, as if he had said, this did Eve once Ferus.most foolishly, by the instigation of the subtle Serpent, move her Husband to sin, how is it then, that thou considerest not that the Devil now attempeth the like by thee against me?
Shall we receive good things at the hands of God, and not receive Evill? If this be come upon me by Gods providence, as we are not to doubt, but it is, let us remember how much good we have received from him in the former part of our life; We had great store of Substance, upon which we lived plentifully from day to day; we had Children also to our greater comfort, and Servants to wait upon us, and lived in the best manner: if therefore now the wheel be turned, and we be made as low, as we were then high, let us weigh the one against the other, and not deale by God, as if he had never dealt favourably with us; Like Persons ungratefull to their Benefactors, who if they go not on continually to do them good, will declaim against them, as much as ever they have extolled them. Againe when I had the Goods of this World, we could not, unlesse we were fooles but acknowledg them to be momentany, and not such as could last alwaies with us: And as it is in respect of Goods, so in respect of bodily health; for, it is common to all men, sometime to injoy health, and then come grievous sicknesses and diseases to many. And as the one sort is momentany, so is the other, wherefore it were great folly as not to reioyce in the one, so not to be patient in the other, but to think alwaies in this transitory life to continue in one estate: Moreover it is a point of wisdome rather in this afflicted estate, to seek to the Lord, the great Moderator of all things, according to whose will they come to passe, to be again propitious and favourable to us, as he out of his goodnesse is inclinable, then to break out through impatience to the uttering of any words, whereby he may be further provoked. For if I having so duly served him and lived alwaies in his feare, suffer yet these grievous things at this time, by men or Devils, who have wrought me this mischeife by his permission, how can I but expect greater sufferings, if by cursing God, as thou wouldest have me, I provoke him to wrath against me? If such things be done to the green Tree, what shall be done to the dry? If to a man persisting in his integrity, being full of the Sapp and moysture of grace, much more in the case of having this grace dryed up, and becoming as wast wood, which is fit for nothing Note. but the fire: shall I be in danger of being made fewell, for the fire of Hel for evermore? Most worthy considerations to be had in the mindes of us all in the time of misery; that for no sufferings we break out through impatience to the dishonouring of God, that smites us by what Instruments soever, but rather the more we are afflicted, we be the more devoted to his service, turning and seeking to him, as the Prophet exhorteth, and then we may be in good hope of an happy issue out of all our trouble, as Job had, and is promised, Let us turne to the Lord, for he hath smitten us, and he will heale us.Hos. 6. 1.
Now when Jobs three Friends heard of all this evill that was come upon him, They came every one from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Vers. 17.Shuhite, and Zepher the Naamathite, for they had made an agreement together, to come to mourn with him, and to comfort him.
Having shewed, how he was tempted by his Wife; now the coming of his three Friends unto him, beginneth to be related, and afterward what they said further to vex him, and to try his patience, by laying hypocrisie to his charge, They shewed themselves indeed at the first to be friends in that they were moved with compassion, at the hearing of his misery, and took their journey with an unanimous consent unto him to comfort him. For they are true Fr…ends that shew themselves friendly in adversity, they that are friendly and come in prosperity, but not in adversity; are but trencher friends, who seek to the rich for their own good, not for his: when he hath not wherewith they may be any more benefited, they will no more come at him; according to the saying: Whilst thou art in prosperity, thou Dum sueris saelix mulios numerabis amicos: Nullus ad amissas ibit amicus opes.shalt have many Friends, &c. And this is the friendlinesse of most Christians, to our shame be it spoken, when there was such friendship even amongst Heathens, as shewed it selfe in adversity and poverty: But some make a question, whether they were true friends or no; because, when they had been a while with him, they fel so foule upon him; but they are called his friends, because they seemed such, as Herod is said to have been sorry, when the Head of John Baptist was asked by the Daughter of Herodias, because he seemed so; Olympiodorus, yet better saith, that they Olympiod.were true friends and kinsmen, being all of the posterity of Esau, as he was, and that coming with a good intention to comfort him, by the Divils temptation, they were carried a contrary way to speak against him: For their hearing of Jobs disease, Origen thinketh, that the Divil might declare Origen.it to them, to move them to go for his own ends, before touched upon; some that the good Angels made it known unto them, that they might go to comfort him, being wise and religious men also, as their speeches after following shew: For it is not likely, but that Job was choice in making friendship with men, as David professeth, that his delight was in the excellent: And Abraham is said to have had his three Friends that went to war with him against the enemies of Lot, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; It may be both; that the Divil, and good Angels also, for diverse respects, brought the news of this unto them: but without any such meanes, by common same, or report, which fleeth apace abroad; especially touching the ruine of great men, they might easily come to heare of it, hebeing known to be their friend: As Abraham was seen tould of Lots captivity that he might be an help to him. And indeed for true Friends to beare a part with a man in misery is no little lightning of the burthen, under which he groaneth, as when more shoulders bearing up the same weight, make it the lighter: For the time of the coming of these men nothing is said; but it is set down next in order, after his wives speaking as before: It is most probable, that so soon as they heard certainly of his miserable case, they appointed a time to go unto him together, but being, as it is conceived, Princes also sometime, must come between for their affaires at home, so that many daies of Jobs fore disease were past before they came unto him.
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off and knew him not, they lifted Vers. 12. 13.up their voyce and wept: And they rent every one his Mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads towards heaven. And they set down with him upon the ground seven daies and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him, &c.
All this shewed the greatnesse of theis griefe, and consequently the greatnesse of his misery affecting them so much, that by simpathyzing with him, they were so taken, that they never spake or took any sustenance in so long a time; but sate mourning upon the ground, to see their friend to be so greatly changed in his outward frame, that for the boyles upon him, they could not know him to be the man. Here was that of the Apostle fulfilled, Weep with them that weep: And this is indeed to comfort our friends and neighbours in misery, to beare a part of their sorrow with them. But as Calvin noteth, they fayled, in that through astonishment Calvin.they continued silent so long a time, and spake nothing to comfort him: And it seemeth by their speeches afterwards, that when they saw him in this case, they changed their opinion of him, thinking him, for all his shew of godlinesse to be a wicked man, and a castaway: So that all that time most probably, they meditated how to speak unto him; to the same effect, we ought contrariwise, when we come to visit and comfort the sick and afflicted, not only to be affected with sorrow, but also to study to Note. speake something whereby they may be comforted the better to beare their miseries; or to bring them into such a condition by repentance and godly sorrow wrought in them, that they may be capable of true comfort, if their life hath been such, that there is need thereof.
Morally, Gregory noteth hence: That as Satan put a space betwixt his first and second smiting of Job; so he dealeth with the saithfull in regard Gregory.of temptation: We must not think, when we have been tempted, and have once overcome, that henceforth we shall be assaulted no more: But after one, we must prepare for more encounters. He smiteth with boyles from the sole of the foot, to the crown, when from lesser temptations, he ascendeth and proceedeth to greater, to the corrupting of the Soule, so far forth as that it mattereth, by some corruption made to break, the life yet being saved, by the abiding of grace stil in the heart: Whereby a man scrapeth these sores, as it were with a potsheard, by strictly looking into his sins, and severely judging himselfe therefore, rigorously afflicting his Soule with sorrow and contrition: Then he also lyeth upon the ground in ashes, when he thinketh vilely of himselfe: As Abraham speaking to the Lord said, I am dust and ashes, for so much more should we do, even when Gen. 19.God graceth us most, as he did him, by vouchsafeing to talk with him, and to make him of his counsel: whereas some through the least measure of grace, are contrariwise puffed up, and have high thoughts of themselves; whereas Job was further tempted by his wife, this sheweth the temptation of fleshly cogitations also added to these of Satan, which yet he manfully resisteth: whereas wicked men having them, are taken with them, and overcome. Lastly, as Job was all these wayes tempted, and yet here was not an end, but his friends came under a colour to vex him yet more; So some vices seeming to be vertues, do more indanger the faithfull, if they take not heed thereof: as anger and revenge coming under the colour of justice, remissnesse under the colour of mercifulnesse, and the feare of men under the colour of humility, making a man to yeild obedience, and to submit unto them against Gods precepts. These three specially, as Jobs three friends, are apt to deceive us: but there be more also, as Elihu came also afterwards, of which we must likewise take heed; as hypocriticall outward performances of good duties pretending to be piety. But these masked vices coming to the faithfull in misery and sorrow, knew him not, that is, came without effect in him, yet they will comply with him, by rending their garments, by weeping, By sitting upon the ground, and putting dust upon their Heads: For Piety is set forth by weeping, Discretion by rending the garment, the affection of workes by dust upon their heades, and Humility by sitting upon the Ground.