Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 2 · Job · Chapter 4
CHAP IIII.
THen Eliphaz the Temanite answered and sayd. If we assay to commune Vers. 1. 2.with thee, wilt thou then be greived? But who can withhold himselfe from speaking?
Here before I begin to speak upon the words of Eliphaz, something would be said upon the signification of his Name, and the names of his other two Friends, upon which Gregory thus: These three set forth Hereticks, Gregory.who begin to speak smoothly at the first, as if they meant no hurt to him, to whom they speake, but only good, to purchase his benevolous attention, but soon come to speak words which much hurt the hearer, and greatly trouble him, that we may beware of them, and not be drawn by Note. the inticing words of their eloquence. Eliphaz signifieth The contempt of God, Bildad oldness alone, Zophar the dissipator of speculation: And by these three Names are aptly set forth three evill qualities in Hereticks, which were the grounds of all their wicked heresies: For first they are proud and despise the plain and simple Truth commonly taught according to the word of God, and so do in effect despise God. Secondly, they have only the old Man with his deceitful heart in them, and nothing of the new, guided by the Spirit of God. Thirdly, They disperse and scatter abroad their own speculations for truths, pretending sometime the light of Revelations to make them the more acceptable: according to all which Popish Hereticks proceed. for they despising the single word of God, the Canonicall Scriptures, as insufficient, adjoyn hereunto, to ground their Errors upon, Apocriphals, Traditions of men, and many Inventions, for the better setting forth of the publick Worship of God, which in the Ceremonies by them devised, would be naked and contemptible. Secondly, They are set a work thus to doe by their own deceitful hearts carrying them on through the covetousness and pride that is in them. Thirdly, How many revelations have been by them pretended to confirm their imaginary purgatory, their superstition about the invocation of Saints departed, and the adoration of Images, and the single life of Priests? Neither do the Anabaptists differ much from them herein; for they pretend new lights and revelations, and are manifestly led by the old man, making them to despise God and his waies, going in crooked waies of their own, and not in the known waies of the Church of God.
Touching the speech of Eliphaz, Some, saith Ferus, think, that he spake Ferus.but deceitfully, when he pretended his unwillingness to grieve Job by that which he should say, and his conscience inforcing him hereunto: But because it is not a friends part, when he heareth his friend in his misery breaking out into impatient speeches, as if God had dealt worse by him, then he deserved, Note. to hold his peace, but to tell him plainly of his fault, that he may repent, and use more patience: He rather thinketh, that Eliphaz spake in part as he ought to do, and as it is our part to do in the like case, that is, Not by the way of flattery to be silent, if we see cause of speaking by reproofe to our dearest friends; only in judging and charging him for his sufferings, not to be the man that he took him to be, but hypocriticall and wicked, what a shew soever he made, this is sinful and uncharitable, yea although, the person afflicted uttereth words of impatience, through the infirmity of the flesh, in the extremity of his pain: But for reproving any sin in our friends, we have a Precept. Math. 18, And Salomon saith, That the woundes of a loving Friend are better then the kisses of an Enemie: Moreover, our zeal for God, and to vindicate his justice in all his doings, ought to Prov. 27.be such, as not now to be silent, but to speak, least we be proved such as love men more then God. Thus Ferus and that rightly: But for somuch as Job sinned not by impatience any more now, then formerly, as hath been before shewed; Eliphaz did him wrong in all that he said, yet not wittingly: For he loved him dearely, and came out of love to comfort him; but through ignorance, and I doubt not, but by the instigation of Satan, to vex Job yet more, for which as for men sinning out of ignorance, the Lord commanded, that Sacrifices should be offered both for him and the rest of his friends: To proceed in the words of Eliphaz, V. 3.
Behold, Thou hast instructed many, and strengthened the weak hands, &c. Vers. 3.But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee and thou art troubled.
Is not this thy feare, thy confidence, the uprightness of thy waies, thy hope? Vers. 6.In reproving Job, He first beginneth with laying to his charge, his not following his own instructions, given to others in the time of their misery; in that he himself now was so faint-hearted, that he thought that the check, Physitian heal thy self, might rightly be given unto him: And Turpe est Doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum: It is a shame for him that reproveth, and teacheth others, to fault in the same thing himself. If Job had done so indeed, he might well have been blamed; or who soever doth so, as the Scribes and Pharisees, Note. that said and did not; for now thou art condemned out of thine own Math. 23. 1.mouth. But if Job had been impatient in such extreme misery, whereas in his health and prosperity, he comforted others, and happely reproved them, for their impatient speeches; that which rightly could have been gathered herefrom, were nothing else, but that a man in health and prosperity knoweth not his own weakness, although he truely feareth God, til he is brought to the tryall. For many think, as Peter, to be very couragious then: But coming to be tryed, their strength to stand is nothing, as it Note. was with him; yea and it is not to be doubted, but that these men themselves, if they had been tryed, as Job was, would have been much more impatient, then he seemed to be. They sinned therefore in this, that they dealt not with him, as considering themselves, and their own weakness; as is commanded: If any man be faln by infirmity, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thy self, least thou also be tempted. For the next word Gal. 6.V. 6. Is not this thy feare, thy confidence, &c. In saying thus, he doth as it were deride him, for the words last uttered by him, Chap. 3. 25. 28. Where he spake of his feare and confidence, and rest through hope, and quiet living, as if he had said, Art thou not ashamed to speak of these things and yet makest such impatient exclamations for being quiet, fearing God, and trusting in him, rather casting away his feare, living sinfully; so that thou mightst justly in stead of being confident, despaire now; and in stead of being quiet, be ful of trouble, as thou art. Herein then, Eliphaz sinned again by judgeing righteous Job to be a wicked man: And that this is his meaning, the next words, V. 7. doe declare.
Who ever perished being innocent? And where were the righteous cut off? Vers. 7.He committed then the great sin, of judgeing his Brother, of which it is said, Judge not, that yee be not judged. And how shalt, thou that judgest another, escape the judgement of God? For in regard of ones being smitten, Matth. 7. 7. Rom. 2. 1.to judge that hee is wicked, and not innocent and righteous; is to condemn many righteous men: As Abel, who was cut off by Cain, Ioseph, that was cast into a Dungeon, David, that was persecuted by Saul: And Abimeleck slain, with eighty Preists more by Doeg in one day. Here before I proceed any further, in the speeches of these men, it is necessary, that I resolve a question, in what account they are to be had, whether as divine and true, and to be grounded upon, as other sayings in the holy Scripture, or humane, as coming from wise men, who by their wit and study, had attained to the knowledge to speak thus: The reason of this question is, Because, in many things, they contrary Job, and are said by God himselfe not to have spoken so rightly as Job, and if not so rightly, then some things spoken by them were not true, and therefore not divine, nor spoken by the spirit, as it is said of all the canonicall Scriptures, that they were. To this it is to be answered by distinguishing: Some of their speeches came from 2 Tim. 3. 16.their own darkned understanding and blind reason: As namely these which are by Iob contradicted, and wherein they apply things truly spoken in the Thesis against him from hence to convince him of wickedness and hypocrisy. Some of them again set forth things concerning God and divinity aright: Some Philosophy, both moral and natural, the former of which are to be thought to have come from God, who put those words into their mouths, as he did many divine and propheticall sayings, into the mouth of Balaam: And afterwards it is said of Caiaphas, that in saying, it is necessary That one man should dye, and not all the Nation perish. That he spake not this of himself, but being high Priest, that yeare he prophesyed. The speeches uttered Joh. 11. 49. 50.by them against Iob, by way of inference from the truths delivered by their mouthes, came altogether from themselves, and the instigation of Satan, that Iob might be the more greived, and, if it were possible, provoked to speak rashly and impatiently, and so to sin, which was the thing, that Satan endeavoured with all earnestness: For the approving of the truths of God which they uttered, to have come from the spirit of God make the citations of them by the Pen-men of the holy Scriptures, as V. 8. of this Chap. is cited, Prov. 22. 8, Hos. 10. 11. V. 18 2. Pet. 2. 4. And many sayings more throughout this book, as may be seen all along, by the quotations upon the Margin: For if they had not come from God, they should not have been alledged, as authoritative, or proving. Origen also to prove them to come from God, saith, That the sayings of Iobs faithfull friends should Origen.not certainly have been by Iob committed to writing in his sacred book, unless they had come from the spirit of God, and were profitable for us to read. Yea Moses himself citeth some passages of theirs: As namely, that of dwelling without feare, chap. 22. 19. Levit 26. 5. and that of resting, and none terrifying, chap. 11. 19. and that of not accepting persons, Iob 34. 19. Deut. 10. 17. whereby it also appeareth, that the book of Iob was written first of all other books of Scripture, and it is more confirmed, that he lived about the time of Iacob, whose daughter Dinah, he is said before to have married. Now to return again to Eliphaz the Temanite: the country, of which he was, had the name from Teman, the sone of Esan, of Gen. 36.whom Eliphaz came, and Ierom saith, that he was the King of the Temannites, in the land of the Gebalites, although in the Hebrew tongue all the Hieron. de locis Hebr.south parts were called Teman. To proceed according to the words of this Eliphaz. V. 8. 9. are plain V. 10.
The roring of the Lion, the voice of the fierce Lion, and the teeth of the young Lions are broken. For fierce Lion, the vulg. hath Lioness, and for young Vers. 10.Lions, Lions whelpes. But herein the sense is more respected, then the proper signification of the words: For the Lioness, when she hath whelpes, is noted to be more fierce then the Lion, and what are young Lions, but Lions whelpes? These words are by Eliphaz uttered further, to aggravate Jobs wickedness, for which he had said before, that although he pretended holiness, and had been hitherto blessed: Yet now a spirit from the Lord had blown upon him, V. 9. and that so powerfully, as that now he could play the Lion no more; either terrifying his Subjects, by his roring, or tearing of them with his teeth, which were now hereby broken: So that he could neither act the roaring Lions part himself, nor his wife the part of the fierce Lioness, nor his children, who were as young Lions, teare cruelly with their teeth: For they were broken by the fall of the house upon them, as was before shewed: And not ceasing here, he prosecuteth the same allegory of a Lion, further V. 11. Thus to the piercing of his heart, with bitter words he did insult over him.
Here Eliphaz to confirm his reproachfull speeches against Job, findeth Vers. 12.that he had a Revelation from God, as Ferus saith, so likewise Lyra, Isodor and Clarius. Some think that it was the Devill, who thus deluded Ferus. Lyra. Isidor.him; he thinking that God had whispered these things unto him, whilst he was by night thinking upon Jobs case, and why, he being so just a man suffered such greivous things: then Satan, that he might with the more authority, as from God, confound Job, appeared thus unto him pretending to be a good spirit.
Lastly, Some others will have it a true revelation from God, because the things spoken are most true, but by Eliphaz ill applyed against godly Job. So Gregory, Carthusianus, Burgensis contra Lyranum, and Calvin, who Gregory. Carthus. Calvin.saith that Eliphaz was an excellent man, and that God vouchsafed sometime to speak unto him, as appeareth by that which he here uttereth. And to this do I assent, for such speeches could not come from the Devill or from an ordinary but a prime man and inabled by God to instruct others in his truth. But what is it that he sayth? A thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received little thereof.
It may seem to be no secret, that God only is perfectly righteous, sayth Calvin, and all men unrighteous in comparison of him, as here followeth, Calvin.Vers. 17. But he calleth it a secret, because it is hidden from many proud men, who if they outstrip other men, who live most wickedly, think themselves most righteous persons, that God should do them wrong, if he should lay his judgments upon them: and he saith he heard a little of it, he taketh not upon him any perfection of knowledge, although he were an eminent Note. man for this, yet he heard and understood but a littlerto the reproof of those, that knowing but little of the word of God, yet take upon them to Note. have Knowledge, yea enough to teach others and think, that they have no need now to learn any more, thus coming to despise all teaching. V. 14.
Fear came upon me, and Trembling, which made all my Bones to Vers. 14.shake.
And this he saith was in the Ʋisions of the night, vers. 13. Such terrour doth God strike into men in declaring his will unto them that it may be efficacions in them, as it is not, unless they feel the power of his Majesty that speaketh, as also was shewed by giving the Law to the so great terrour of Israell, and by the fear that came upon Moses himself, of whom it is sayd that Heb. 12. 21.he trembled and feared. And Daniel fell down as dead for fear; and Ezekiel and John who wrote the Revelation: and this is the course, that the Lord taketh under the Gospell for the converting of sinners, as we may see in Act. 9. Isa. 66. 2.Saul, he was smitten down to the ground and trembled, and then the Lord spake unto him by Ananias: and he cometh not nigh to any but to such as he makes to tremble at his word.
Then first beginneth grace to work, when a man is made to fear by Gods voice from heaven hearing his word, as it is sayd, that Josia did, and his heart melted within him, V. 15. 16.
Then a spirit passed before my face, but I could not discern the form thereof, Vers. 15. 16.an Image was before mine eyes, there was silence and I heard a voyce. The spirit here by some is thought to be an Angell, by others more probably a wind, as it befell Eliah, to whom after a strong winde came a soft and still voyce, and in such a winde the spirit came upon the Apostles Act. 2. The likeness 1 Kings 19.not to be discerned sheweth, that it is not Gods will, that he should by man be represented by an image, so that to do this is an abomination and instead of shewing himselfe wise that doth so, a shewing of himself a foole and in danger to be given over to a reprobate sence as the Apostle sheweth. Whereas he saith, There was silence, this is spoken to shew that he heard Rom. 1. 19.well so much as he here uttereth, that was then spoken in the silent night, there being no noise to hinder his hearing: And hereby we are taught in silence to harken to the word of God, or else we are likely to carry but little Note. of it away; or to profit little thereby, as it commonly hapneth to most hearers, when they are at a Sermon the world maketh such a noise in their hearts, speaking to them of other things, profits, businesses, pleasures of the World, or the Devill by his suggestions, that they cannot hear to remember, insomuch as that being asked, what was treated upon, they are able to say just nothing.
Shall a mortall man be more just then God? shall he be more pure then his Maker?Vers. 17.
Behold, he puts his trust in his servants, and his Angells be charged with Vers. 18.folly. The Vulg. Shall he be justified in comparison of God? And this indeed is the meaning, although a man be never so just, yet in comparison of Gods, his righteousness is nothing, and therefore God is to be acknowledged just and righteous in all his doings, when he proceedeth most severely against his most righteous servants. He hath no trust in his servants, Vulg. They that serve him, are not stable. That is, his good Angels that serve him, are not stable by their own strength, but by Gods stablishing of them to stand, when others fell, and for many of the very Angels they fel indeed, and are charged with folly, that is, Sin to eternity. Calvin will have nothing Calvin.spoken of the Angels, that fell here, but only of them that stood; because the word folly, is not significant enough, to set forth their horrible sinning, but because he maketh two sorts of them, the one of such as serve him stil, the other of these, that long ago were charged; I conceive it to be plain, that the evill Angells are meant by Angells, and as thus meant, Saint Peter seemeth to speak from hence, saying, God spared not the Angels 2. Pet. 2. 4.that sinned. For what was his not sparing of them, but charging them with sin, which is folly, as i… is he…e called; with Calvin standeth Vatablus and Cajetan; But Olympiodorus Ch…sostome, and Athanasius, and generally all ancient Olympiod. Chrysost. Athanas. Vers. 19. 2 Cor. 5.writers, both Latine and Greek, hold that the Angels which fel, are meant. How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, wh… a…e crushed before the moth? For out of the dust was man made; and his body, the house of his soul, is but of red earth or clay, for which the Apostle calleth them, earthly Tabernacles, which seemeth to be taken from hence and to a garment eaten by moths: that is, Man for his frailty, compared by David, which he took also from this place. And Hosea saith, in the name of the Lord, I will be a moth to the house of Judah, and Ephraim. Psal. 39.Whereby is intimated his being consumed, till that he be brought to dust for his sins, and the frailty of dealing with man by destroying him, as Hos. 5.having much less strength, when he sinneth to subsist.
They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever, without any regarding it. Here he further sheweth the misery of men that justifie themselves, Vers. 20,as not worthy to be so ill dealt withall, in regard of the righteousness, which they conceive to be in themselves; Gods judgements seazing upon them, they are made known to be vile, how excellent soever they seemed formerly to have been. For the moral observations of Gregory, first, from Eliphaz his Exordium, wherein he praiseth Job for teaching others, what an excellent man Job was, that he who was set to detract from him, yet gave Morals Gregory.him this high commendation, that being of so great dignity, implying much imployment, yet he took time to instruct and teach others; and the commendations of adversaries are most sure proofes, because by the power of the truth forced from their mouthes: And this doth greatly commend a man of wisdome indeed, that notwithstanding, all worldly incumbrances, he is intent to teaching and instructing of the ignorant, and confirming in faith and obedience to God, and patience. Secondly, From these words, Where is thy feare, thy fortitude, thy patience, the perfection of thy wayes? Vers. 6.That he was indued with four cardinall virtues, which in whom soever they are, makes him excellent indeed; fortitude founded upon the feare of God, being without it but rashness; and patience with hope added to fortitude, without which it cannot be durable; with all these uprightness concurring; the glory of God being in sincerity sought in all these, and not a mans own vain glory. Thirdly, That Hereticks speak some things truly, that they may be the better beleived in that, which they say erroneously.
Fourthly, From these words, They that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, Vers. 8.reape the same, &c. that God sometimes suffereth wicked men long, before that he proceedeth in Judgment against them: for plowing and sowing, and after that reaping, implyeth a long time as is betwixt sowing seed and the harvest, wherein it is reaped; but in the end a winde shall come to scatter them, as the Psalmist sayth, as the dust which the wind bloweth away. Sometimes God punisheth sooner in the acting of Wickedness, that he may not seem not to regard the evill doings of men; and sometimes he forbeareth to punish till sin is come to be full ripe, as in the Amorites, or Gen. 15.till the day of Judgment, that we might certainly expect that time, and be confirmed in our patient bearing the wrongs done to us by the wicked, being assured that they shall be reckoned with for all, and be judged accordingly. Fifthly, By the roaring of the Lyon, the austerity of the man being understood, by the Lyoness, the garrulity of the wise, and by the teeth of Lyons whelps, the edacity of Jobs Children, because they feasted one another so much, and by the Leopard, as he hath it, for the old Lyon, which is spotted, and variously coloured, that Hereticks exult great, if they can finde such vices mingled with virtues in the Orthodox, as tending much to their disgrace and giving them advantage, as they do indeed, that we may take heed of such mixtures of Almes-deeds with vain-glory, of zeale with merciless rigour, or of coveteousness with pious performances and temperance. Sixthly, upon these words, It was sayd to me in secret, that Hereticks to purchase the more credit to their erroueous teaching, find revelations which they have had secretly, whereof none else, but he alone that Vers. 11.teacheth, is a witness: and hereby they challenge unto themselves no ordinary, but extraordinary knowledge, exceeding that, which is in other men: and they also seek secret places, wherein they may vent their errours, there being none present, as in the publick place, whereby they may be confuted, and thus many simple soules are perverted by them, so that there are these three fignes of an Hereticall Teacher.
First, That he pretendeth revelations.
Secondly, He challengeth to himselfe more knowledg then in other men.
Thirdly, He lurketh in secret places, in private houses, in corners, as the Prophet sayth, that thy teachers shall not be. 7. Upon the same words, A word came to me in secret, what is this word, saith he? but that of which it is Isa. 30 21. Joh. 1.said, In the beginning was the word & that word was God, and tooke flesh. And this word cometh in the night, when there is no noise, but all things are quiet, to shew, that he must cease from worldly things that would receive this word into his Heart: and he sayth, that he heard a little thereof, to intimate the defectiveness of our knowledge in this great mystery of Christs incarnation: and by the fear coming upon him is set forth, as I touched before, how the word first works in the heart towards conversion: and the same word was an Image, yet not distinctly to be discerned, because the Son is the Image of the Father, but till the spirit cometh, of which he speaketh next, not so well to be discerned, by which spirit is meant the Holy Ghost coming down at the feast of Pentecost, compared to a gentle aire, because bringing great tranquility into the minds of those that receive him. 8. Upon these words, His Angells he charged with folly. These Angells may be also expounded of his Ministers according to Revel. 1. and Mal. 2. 7. even Vers. 18.these are not without sin, as James saith, In many things we sin all, James 4. Phil. 3. 8.and Paul, Not as though I were perfect: and they dwel in clay houses that are weak in respect of grace: and are founded upon the dust, that is, have hearts dustied with evill cogitations, from which they can never in this life be clean swept: and what is the moth, but that which is bred in the garment, and then corrupteth it, the sin bred in the flesh, whereby destruction cometh. Dangerous then is the case of the fleshly, and unregenerate, that is, they, in whom sin increaseth daily in stead of being mortified: For of such it is added further, They are destroyed from morning to evening, they perish for ever without any regarding it. They are said to be destroyed from morning Vers. 20.to evening, When by the daily increasing of their sins they lay a foundation of everlasting destruction, Heaping up (as it were) wrath against the day of wrath. And none of them is said to regard it: That is, in great security they goe on thus to do, till the foresaid inevitable destruction cometh upon them, to declare which further, it is added, vers. 21. They dye without wisdome, being without all providence, as fooles, till their fatall blow cometh, so that they may enjoy the present pleasure, or profit of sin, not regarding what sufferings attend them afterwards.
Lastly, For these words, Doth not their excellency which is in them goe away? He following the Vulg. But they which shall remain shall be taken out of them, Expounds them thus; When they are thus destroyed, the Elect who are as the left and neglected ones of them, shall be taken out from amongst them, and carryed up to remain ever with the Lord. For these are, as the rejected servant of the Amalekite, upon whom David lighted in his way, who was weake and almost dead, but by …im refreshed, he went with David as a guide, who came upon the …host of the Amalekites, and slew and spoiled them. So the elect of God are dealt with here as most despicable, but Christ takes and saveth them, and useth them as Guides, by setting them up for Preachers and Leaders, as it were in their Sermons, denouncing this judgment to come amongst them, after which he followeth, and adjudgeth them all to destruction. Thus he, and the Heb. will beare this reading, the word being foreign signifying first to remain, and then to excell: whereas it may seem to make against this, that these words are inserted amongst the other, as tending all to set forth one matter: He answereth, it is not unusuall in holy Scripture in speaking of one thing, suddenly to interpose some-what touching another, and then to return again to speak more of that which went before; to prove which, he instanceth in 1 Tim. 5. 22, 23, 24. Thomas Aquinas followeth him, but Lyra understandeth it as meant, that none of Tho: Aquinas.them shall finally escape: But as some here are destroyed, so all the rest at the last day shall be. Calvin and some others will have the excellency of the same men meant, which at the last vanisheth all: And that of being destroyed Calvin.from morning to evening of this life, waxing shorter every day till wee dye.