Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 2 · Job · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
HEre Job answering to Zophar, consenteth that all is true which he had sayd against the wicked, but many times they prosper wonderfully in this world, so that by prosperity or adversity here, it cannot be judged in what estate a man is to God-ward, but this shall appear when the day cometh, that all men shall be judged by God, till which time many wicked men are spared, living in all wealth and pleasure, but others better then they tasting much bitternesse, are by a corporeall death at length seized upon, as they be, so that in their end yet there appeareth no difference. V. 2. Heare diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations. The vulg. heare I pray Ver. 2you my speech, and repent, but the word foreign signifieth consolation, and the meaning is, by being silent and hearing me ye shall comfort me, who now by your galling speeches do greatly trouble and disquiet me.
Is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled? Ver. 4.The vulg. That I ought not worthily to be affected with greife, of which the sense is easy to be given, thus had I to do only with you, although yee lade▪ me with many calumnies, yet I would not thinke all this of force to make me sad, for ye cannot justly charge me with, the sinnes that yee object unto me, but I feare that I have spoken something that I have cause to be troubled at, in regard of God, before whom I may sinn unwittingly: And this rendring is the same in effect with the N. Translat. and Hebr. if it be not to God but to man, there is no cause why I should be troubled, but seeing it is with God and not with man, that I have communed, and complainingly argued, there is cause.
Mark me and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth. When I remember I am afraid, &c. Some inquiring what it is, that Job would have Ver. 5. Ver. 6. Cajetan. Philip.them to mark and be astonisht at, resolve, that it is at the words of the last judgment spoken by him, Chapt. 19. Some that it is at the things which he was now about to speake, but it was at both of them, wherein hee sheweth the great prosperity of the wicked, and at his stupendeous sufferings; into the causes whereof because men cannot dive, they may sit still in silence and and admire them, it being too great a secret for man to finde out, why the devout servants of God are oftentimes in extreame misery, and licentious proud wicked men injoy all worldly felicity, and herein he seekes to stirr, them to do no more then he himself did, for he was greatly affected with fear, and astonishment at it. He beginneth and goeth on much like unto David, Ps. 73. unto which the Reader may have recourse to see the exposition: Having thus prepared to heare and to be astonished at that which he was about to say, now speaketh it out, V. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. David in Ps. 73. is more bref in describing their prosperity, but larger in declaring the evill effects hereof in them, about which Job speaketh only, Vers. 14. 15. whereas V. 13. he saith, In a moment they go down to the grave: This saith Ver. 13. Gregory.Gregory, is not spoken of as their punishment, their sudden departing out of this life, for so may some Godly man depart also; but that without induring hard sufferings. First they go out of this world, this being a part of their worldly felicity, whereas the righteous many times indure much misery and pain first, so that if one could judge of them hereby, they would be counted more miserable, both in life and death. But yet a sudden death to a wicked man is a great Judgment, because he lamented not his sinnes before, but always took delight in them, and now being suddenly snatcht away, he hath no time to humble himself and to sorrow for them, and therefore he must needs go to the place of everlasting weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Therefore they say to God, depart from us, we care not for the knowledge of thy wayes. What are the wayes of God, sayth Gregory, but Humility and Ver. 14. Gregory.Peace, and therefore our Lord Jesus humbled himself, and patiently suffered all indignities, and taught us to do likewise, that by humbling our selves, and patiently suffering with him, and for him, we might come to peace, that peace of which the Apostle sayth, Being justified by faith we have peace with God: And finally that peace of God, which the Psalmist speaketh, Rom. 5. Psal. 37.Mark the just man, the end of that man is peace: But the wicked through their prosperity are so proud, that they despise to walk in these wayes, and so for temporall things which last but a moment, they despise and loose eternall.
What is the Almighty that we should serve him? And what profit should we have if we pray unto him? Because they see not God with their bodily eyes, Ver. 15.they think that there is no God, as the Psalmist saith, The Fool hath sayd in his heart that there is no God. They are therfore led only by such things, as they see, and sleight him whom they see not, yet some there are who though Psal. 14.they see him with the eye of the mind, are not lead by him, because they see no profit coming in here, by praying unto him, or serving him. Their bodily eyes therefore bear more sway with them, to draw them more after things which they herewith see, then the eyes of the minde to the things which they see not.
Loe their good is not in their hand, the counsell of the wicked is far from me. Vulg. Let the counsell of the wicked be far from me. That is, they have Ver. 16.not their worldly good under their power, but these goods have dominion over them: as it is not with the righteous, of whom many have been, and are rich, but they are not hereby kept under as servants to their wealth, but make it to serve them, when they take hereof to serve God, as David, who sayd, I will not sacrifices to God of that which cost me nothing. And of 2 Sam. 24. Isa 60. 6. Psal. 45.the Gentiles, brought into the faith by the preaching of the Gospel, The riches of the Gentiles shall come in hither: For then hath a man these worldly goods under, both when his heart is not oppressed by them through worldly cares, but if they be increased, he keepeth that still above them, not counting his happiness to ly herein: and also when he giveth freely hereof to God again, who gave them all unto him, by a right dispencing of part, Note. to the maintenance of his service, and a part to his poore members, and herein Gal. 6. 6. 2 Cor. 8.in is not sparing but liberall. And such are far from the counsell of the wicked, who think that they do most according to wise counsell, when they do herewith all good to themselves in this life, by living hereupon, as the rich glutton, as was before sayd.
How often is the candle of the wicked put out? how oft cometh their destruction Ver. 17.upon them? The vulg. An in undation or overflowing shall come upon them, For these words, How oft cometh their destruction upon them? Heb. And their Affliction, Contrition, Want, Ruine, and Vastity, shall come. For the word foreign signifieth all these, for which it may well be rendred, inundation of all sorts of miseries: It is as if hee had sayd, although some of these wicked ones live in all worldly felicity to the end of this mortall life, yet all of them do not, but they have their light often put out. For some loose their children, whom they love most dearly, and this is their light; some their honour, and some their riches, which are as a light unto them, for the great joy that they take herein, as a man in darknesse, to whom a light is brought. Neither is this all which they suffer, for God even overfloweth them here and hereafter, as it were, with a floud of sorrowes; And of these hee sayth, God distributeth sorrowes to them, whereby hee intimateth that in the losse of all before spoken of, and whatsoever else they suffer in this world, lyeth not all their sorrow, but part onelyonly, a greater part by farr being still to come in another world. Sorrowes are sayd to be distributed to the wicked, because their sufferings in this life are no Supersedeas to their sufferings in Hell, but now they receive onelyonly a smal portion, or part of their punishments, there they shall be payd to the full; for which the Psalmist saith, God shall raine upon them snares, fire, and brimstone, storm and tempest, this shall be the portion of their cup: It is not sayd, all their cup, Psal. 11. 6.but a portion thereof, implying more sufferings yet to come, as to the old world, destroyed by the floud, and to Sodom and Gomorrah, by fire and brimstone.
They are us stuble before the fire, and as the chaffe which the Winde carrieth away. The wicked oppressour, that increaseth in worldly wealth, seemeth to ver. 18.stand firmly and unmoveable, but before the great Judge, hee is but as a dry stubble, easily consumed, and as light chaffe carried away by the winde into the fire, that never goeth out, least any man hearing of the Judgements before threatned, should say, how can this be to them that are so firmly and strongly built.
God layeth up his iniquity for his Children, and rewardeth him, and hee shall know it. The vulg. When he shall reward; Exod. 20. Visiteth the sinnes of the ver. 19.Fathers upon the children: But Ezek. 18. The son shall not dye for the sin of his Father. These places are easily reconciled thus, Children, that when children are threatned with judgments for their Parents sinnes, it is meant, if they imitate them in sinning, as is also expressed, Ezek. 18. Whereunto it may be further added, according to Gregory, his iniquity is derived from him to his children by propagation, till that by baptisme it is done away, but if growing up to yeares of discretion, he after this, treadeth in his Fathers steps, he shall suffer, both for his own sinns and for his Fathers also. He shall reward or render it, hee shall know it; so it is Hebr. the meaning is, if he liveth long as some sinners do, to a hundred years, and seeth the children comming of him, to the third and fourth generation, whilst he liveth, this threatning shall take effect, to the making of him to pine away with sorrow in seeing it. And it is to be noted, that hee sayth after Gods rendring, he shall know it, his eyes were shut before the comming of this judgment, Note. but by the coming hereof they are opened, and he knoweth now, what a dangerous thing it was to live, and go on in sinn, which then he would not know, whereas the righteous see and know it now, and repent, but Fooles such as all the Wicked are, are wise too late, these know it now and avoyd it, they know it not till then, and must, notwithstanding indure it.
What pleasure hath hee in his house after him, when the number of his moneths is cut off in the midst? After the recompence of his iniquity made to his Children, which he, if he lived long, should see, now because many ver. 21.wicked men are cut off sooner, he threatneth them with destruction in their own persons, v. 20. So that be it as is here sayd, that he careth not for his house after him, that is, his Posterity when hee is dead and gone, what becometh of them, as some wicked men do not, yet his own life is sweet unto him, and he would faine live as long as may be, therefore by threatning cutting off his life, so as that he shall not live past the midst of his months he seeketh to move him to repentance hereby, but speaks of him as desperatly set upon following his own wicked wayes, whatsoever cometh of it, either to his Children or to himselfe. It dampeth him haply a little for a time, when he seeth evill coming upon him or them, but it is soon forgotten, and nothing can so far prevail with him, as to make him amend his life: Whereas that may seem to make against this, that Dives being in hell had a care of his house, for he craved that one might be sent to his five brethren to warn them, that they might not come into that place of torment. I answer, The care of the wicked to prevent evill from their children and house haply may be in some of them; when they see and know what cometh of sinning, but before that, whilst they live in this world, they care not.
Shall any teach God knowledge, seeing he judgeth those that are high? Ver. 22.Having hitherto spoken of the blindnesse of the minds of wicked reprobates, which maketh them to go on obstinately in sinn, come what will come of it to them or their houses, now least any man should object and say, is it just with the Lord to leave any of his creatures thus in blindnesse, when hee giveth sight to others, so that they escape these dangers, and why doth he not open their eyes also, that they seeing may prevent them? to this he saith, Shall any teach God knowledge, &c. As if he had sayd, it becometh not any man to take so much upon him, as to reason thus, for it is as if he thought that God knew not what to do for the best. For he judgeth the excellentest or high ones, that is, the very Angells, making some to stand in everlasting glory, but suffering others to fall, and shutting them up in chains of darkness; for if he doth thus by those pure spirits, how dareth any man to challenge him for his dealing towards men made out of the earth, and that must return to the dust?
One dyeth in his full strength, being wholly at ease, &c. In this and v. 24. Ver. 23.25. Hereafter reasoning from Gods judging of high ones, he proceedeth to reason from that which is done amongst lower ones, that is, men, of whom some dy full and abounding with wealth, wherewith they have long fed and fatted up themselves, some again desiring to get wealth also as wel as they, but cannot, in regard of which they live and dy in much bitterness of spirit, being vexed at their poverty: And whence cometh this diversity of their living and dying, is it not from God? and who then shall be so bold as to say to him, Why dost thou thus? For he best knoweth how to deal with every man. But mark what followeth, they live and dy indeed diversly, but being dead they are all a like in the grave, for both sorts, Lye down alike in Vers. 26.the dust, and the wormes cover them: So that although there be a disparity betwixt worldly men in their life, which they live, and out of which they depart by a Corporeall-Death, yet being dead, it is not better with one then with another of them; which sheweth, that the difference is yet to come in another world, when if they that have lived in misery here, or any of them who are Righteous and holy, shall be in joy, and the Wicked living at so great ease in Torment, as it was with Lazarus and Dives. V. 27. Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devises which yee wrongfully imagine Vers. 27.against me; saying, Where is the house of the Prince and the dwelling places of the Wicked. Aske any of them that go by, and they will tell you. All which is as if he had sayd, now that I speak of some dying rich and full, Vers. 28.and of others in poverty and want, but yet after death being alike in the Grave, I know that ye imagine somewhat against me, as if I were one of those wicked worldlings, that would have kept my Goods if I could, and am now in bitterness of spirit, because I have lost them, and as being ready to say, where is my house now, and the dwellings of my children, whom yee count wicked because they dyed so as they did, but indeed yee judge amiss. For aske any of those that pass by the way, that is, who count themselves but passengers in this world, and therefore set not their hearts upon the Goods hereof, and of any of them ye shall learn, that this is a thing that imbittereth my Spirit, or the spirits of any that pass on as Pilgrims and strangers towards heaven, which only they count their country, and upon the good things whereof only their minds are set. For thus do all for whom Heaven is prepared, and therefore come prosperity or adversity, they stand firm and unmoveable: That the truly Godly are as passengers, Gregory Gregory. Psal. 37.sheweth from the saying of David, speaking of the wicked in prosperity, I passed by and his place was no where to be found: Passing he saw this, that worldly prosperity is nothing, because it fadeth away, and so is as nothing, whereas if he had not passed from beholding things temporall to look up to things eternall, hee could not have so sayd. Hebr. Have ye not asked them that passe by the way, and have ye not known their tokens? Calvin saith, that the Exposition before going is too much strained, and will have the meaning Calvin.to be, any stranger that goeth by, if he were to spend his Judgment of the things, which I have sayd, would say, they are true, Viz. That by bodily sufferings there is no judging of men, because the wicked may injoy great prosperity here, and yet be severely judged in the end, when the time cometh, to which they are reserved, as followeth, V. 29. Graeca Catena Catena Graeca.sayth, that this is spoken by way of similitude, as travellers by marks know the way wherein they are to go and so miss not, but go right; in like manner when one seeth an Oppressour in great prosperity a long time, he may easily know to what he shall come in the end, even as Job sayd before, but the like judgment cannot be given of a just man in adversity, unless it be by the prejudice of those that judge, as these friends of Job most wickedly judged of him. Some others by passengers understand the Hebrews who are Hebr. called foreign signifying such as passe, they by experience could tell that men greatly oppressed may yet be favoured of God, and at length be delivered, as they were out of Egypt, Pharaoh and his Egyptians being destroyed. This indeed agreeth very well, but the Hebrews passed not out of Egypt, till long after Jobs time, unlesse the Experience that Jacob had of this he alluded, who after many sufferings in Padan Aram returned to Canaan in the end greatly blessed. This seemeth to be further fetcht, but I take that before going to be literall meaning, and the allegory of Gregory is not to be rejected, being of good use, and a further improving this passage to spirit-instruction. That the wicked is reserved to the day of judgment, Ver. 30. Ver. 31. Gregory.&c. Who shall declare his way to his face? who shall repay him what he hath done? This is by Gregory referred to Antichrist, that was to come, but it is not only true touching him, but verified in all great Tyrants; They are reserved for the day of Judgment; but in the meas season such is their power and cruelty, that he is a rare man, that to their face durst tell them of their sins, yea he must be indued with extraordinary courage and zeale, as Elijah, that Ier. 1. 17.dareth to do it. But reproved they ought to be by Gods Ministers at their own perill, as the Lord sayd to Jeremiah. But this is verified in Antichrist above all, that no man dareth to reprove him, yea his Parasites teach, that although the Pope leadeth innumerable Soules to hell, yet no man may, say unto him, Lord Pope, why dost thou so? As there was a law amongst the Egyptians, that none should dare to say, that Serapis was a man, upon pain of death; for which at the entrance of his Temple there stood an Image, laying his finger upon his mouth, to shew that all men must keep August. L. 18. de civit. c. 5. Vers. 32.silence in this respect, as Augustine relateth.
Yet he shall be brought to the grave, &c. That is, he shall dye that is thus stern and terrible and ly in his tomb rotting and unable now to do any thing, yea being contemptible to all men.
The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall d… after him, as there are inumerable before him. The vulg. Dulcis fui… glareis cocyti. Expounded by some of the River, whereby the Poets fained, that the Soules of the wicked were carried down to Hel by the River Stix in Charons boat, where being arived his coming is sweet to the damned, that were there before: But the words are according to the Hebrew a… hath been said, and seem plainly to meane thus much. The wicked being dead and buried; the clods of the grave, under which he lieth, are so sweet unto him, and so well pleased would he be, if he might for ever lye hidden there, and never rise up again to come to the judgment before spokes of. And as it is with one wicked man departed, so it is with all others; whether they dyed before or shall dye after: Thus also Catena Graeca Caten. Gr.although some expound it of the pompous burial of rich wicked men, who are accompanied with many going before and after them, to bring him to the Grave with more state.
Gregory makes an allegory of the clods, that are sweet unto him, thus, They be the sinnes wherein he hath delighted, and to which by his evil Gregor.example he hath drawn many more, as many, who were before, him have also done: But forsomuch as this spoken of him after death, not before; it is not here shewed what he did in the time of his life, but in what a case he shall be afterwards.