Job Expounded, Commentary on Job · Chapter 15
The summe and order of the xv. Chapter.
THis is the second encounter of Iobs friends, wherein they doe not offend as before through ignorance, but euen of plaine wilfulnesse and obstinacie. And Elephaz still marcheth first and giueth the onset, albeit he was the most graue and auncient of his companions. So hard a thing is it especiallie in disputing and reasoning to avoid selfelove, as euen in these times experience daily teacheth vsus. For it is God alone who can put into mens mindes, a true earnest desire of seeking the trueth, he onelyonly is able to perswade them that it is the best and most glorious kinde of victorie to giuegive place to the truth. Eliphaz therefore beginning with a taunting and bitter reproofe in the 2. and 3. verses, in the verie necke thereof wresteth in no reason, but a meere cauill, as though, whereas Iob had saide that the extreme miseries of this life, are common to the godlie and the wicked, it should thereupon necessarilie follow that the seruice & worship of God is vnprofitable, & that it is altogether in vain to poure out our prayers vntounto him: or else, whereas Iob through the bitternesse of his griefe, and vnreasonablenesse of his aduersaries, was somewhat caryed beyond the boundes of that reuerence, which is due vntounto God, and reasoneth the matter somewhat hotly with God, that therefore he bewrayed his manifest contempt of his maiestie, no otherwise then the most rascall and shamelesse sort of men vse to doe. But that Iob thought nothing lesse then this wherewith Eliphaz chargeth him, I hauehave shewed before. Nowe Eliphaz. the more he goeth forward, the farther is he caryed from the question which is in hand. And first of all in the verses 7.8.9.10. he carpeth at Iob, is if he did fondly take to him selfe the name of a wise man, making no account at all of his friends. Afterward he subtillie or at the least vnconsiderately vnderstandeth all that which Job had spoken in his owne defence, as if he cleared him selfe from all sinne, before the tribunall seate of God: whereas notwithstanding Iob in expresse wordes had witnessed that no man is cleare in Gods sight, and also asked pardon for his sinnes. Neither did he avouch his owne innocencie in any other sort, then to signifie that his friendes did him great iniurie, iudging of his former life by his present calamitie. In the 17. verse againe he vseth a short, but yet a loftie preface: and thence forwarde he verie liuelie setteth foorth the most iust and seuere iudgements of God against those who worke wickednesse, not obscurely applying and wresting them against Iob, from which notwithstanding he (as God him selfe giueth witnesse of him) was of all other men most free.
❧ CHAPTER XV.
1 BVt Eliphaz answered and said,
2 Shall a wise man speake (Is it the part of a wise man to bring foorth) the knowledge of the winde, and shall he fill (to fill) his bellie with the winde of the East.
3 (And) to reason in talke which is nothing woorth, and with wordes which profite him not (which can doe him no good.)
1 & 2. Then Eliphaz hearing all that Iob had spoken, what, saith he, doeth it become him who will seeme to be so wise and well aduised, to vtter words that are vaine and lighter then the winde it selfe, as if they conteined great wisedome? yea, like the East winde, to blowe them foorth out of his swelling breast? 3 For what should let me thus to terme your vaine babling, your frivolous speeches, & wordes poured foorth to small purpose.
4 Surely thou takest away feare and restrainest meditation before God.
5 For thy mouth teacheth iniquitie, and not J, seeing thou hast chosen the tongue of the craftie.
6 Thy owne mouth condemneth thee, and not J: and thy lips testifie against thee.
Yea, the things which thou speakest, are not onelyonly vaine and vnprofitable, but euen such as take away all reuerence due vntounto God, and leaue no place at al for prayer vntounto God, and heauenly meditations. 5 and 6. For thou hast vttered with thy mouth horrible impietie, and thou talkest euen as wilfull and outragious shamelesse persons vse to doe, so that not I, but thine owne mouth shall reprooue thee, neither neede I any other witnesses against thee, then thy selfe.
7 Art thou the first man that was borne? and wast thou made before the hilles?
8 Hast thou heard the secret of God, and hast thou restrained all wisedome to thee?
9 What knowest thou that we knowe not? and vnderstandest (which is) not with vsus?
10 Amongest vsus is the gray headed & the auncient man, who is of more yeares then thy father.
11. Are the consolations of God litle before thee (that is, not good enough for thee) and lieth there any thing hidden within thee?
7. Why; you that chalenge so great wisdome to your selfe aboue other men: was the world and you made in one and the same daie? were you fashioned before the hilles? so that you may not be taught of any, but all other men must learne of you? 8. HaueHave you alone bene a scholler in Gods schole, and learned the secrets, which are hidden from others, in so much that you hauehave drawne al wisdome to your selfe? 9. Nay, knowest thou anie thing, of which we are ignorant? Or hast thou anie thing which we want? 10. I tell thee, in this companie there are some with hoarie heares, and who in yeares come not anie whit behind thy father. 11. And yet forfooth, these comforts which wee bring thee, as it were, from God him selfe, they are too slender and not for thy liking: doubtlesse there lieth hidden in thee some greater and more profound wisedome, then eueryevery man knoweth.
12. Why doth thine heart carie thee away, and this winking with thine eies, what doth it meane?
13. That thy spirit answereth to God, and thou bringest wordes out of thy mouth?
14. What is man that he should be cleane, and he that is borne of a woman, that he should be iust?
15. Behold (God) relieth not vponupon those his holy ones, yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight (that is, beeing compared with him.)
16. How much lesse, an abhominable and vile man, which drinketh iniquitie like water?
12. & 13. Now tell me I pray thee, what the reason is, that thy mind in this sort is caried beyond all bounds of modestie? and what meane these ayming eyes? that with so proude and loftie a spirite thou shouldest dare to reason with God himselfe, and chalenge him with thy wordes? 14. For what is man, that he may be accounted pure? man, I say, borne of a woman, that he dare to avouch his owne righteousnes? 15. Beholde, God is so perfit, that he needeth not the helpe of those his blessed spirits, neither trusteth hee to their might or industrie, but onelyonly to himselfe, when soeuer he emploieth them in his seruice; nay, the verie heauens themselves are not pure, if they be compared to him, howsoeuer they are free from this earthlie drosse and contagion. 16. And shal man presume to esteeme him selfe pure and cleane, beeing a creature of him selfe filthie and abhominable, who drinketh in wickednes as it were waters, euen til he swelleth therwith.
17. I will tell thee, (I therefore will be thy guide or teacher) heare me: I will declare that which J hauehave seene.
18. Which wise men hauehave told, and hauehave not hid being receiued from their fathers,
19. To whom alone the land was giuen, and no straunger passed through them.
17. Therefore let it seeme no shame to thee, to take mee for thy guide and teacher, and to giuegive care to that which I shall speake. For I shall tell thee such things as both my selfe hauehave seene; 18. and which also men of excellent wisdome hauing heard and taken the same from their ancetours, hauehave not hidden from vsus. 19. I meane those, of all other moste worthy to be called wise, who both at home hauehave ruled the people vnderunder their gouernment most wiselie: & abroad hauehave most couragiously defended thē, against strāgers & forriners.
20. A wicked man tormenteth himselfe all the daies of his life, and number of yeares, which are laid vp for the violent (man.)
21. A sound of terrours is in his eares, in peace the destroier shall come vponupon him.
22. He beleeueth not to returne (that he shall returne) out of darkenes: for the sword looketh vponupon him.
23. He wandreth for bread (seeking) where (it is) he knoweth that the day of darkenes is readie at hand.
24. Anguish and distresse doe make him affraid (which) shall preuaile against him, as a king readie to the siege.
25. Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, & made himselfe strong against the almightie.
26. (God) shall runne vponupon him, vponupon his necke: vponupon the thicknes of his shields.
20 To make few words, Iob thus it is, as both heretofore I hauehave told thee, and now thou findest and feelest in thy selfe, that a wicked man is most miserable. There is not one day goeth ouer his head, in which he doth not marueilouslie vex & torment him selfe, euen as the woman that is in trauaile: yea, & for that whol space of yeeres, which God in his heauenlie wisedome, hath set and appointed for tyrants & wicked cormorants. 21 His cares ring continuallie with horrible and fearefull sounds, and when he shall thinke himselfe to be in greatest safetie, euen then shall the enemie come vponupon him, vtterlie to destroie him. 22 In aduersitie he hath no hope at all to be deliuered, but despaireth as if the sword alwaies hung ouer his head. 23 How soeuer he hath praied vponupon other mens goods, he shall wander vp and downe to seeke his owne meat, knowing that the day is nere and euen harde at hand, in which he shall receiue iust punishment for his wickednes. 24 Beeing brought into great straightes, he shall remaine in continuall feare and anguish, as if some mightie king should compasse him in on euerie side, so that there were no waie for him to escape. 25 For that he durst with violent hands assaie, as it were, to pul God out of his seat, and rebelliouslie take armes against the almightie. 26 But God shall violentlie rush vponupon him, and breaking his shields, how many or how thicke so euer they be, shall dragge him by the necke as a miserable vanquished wretch.
27 Although he hath couered his face with his fatnes: & hath made mouthes (that is, wrinkles) vponupon his flankes.
28 And hath dwelt in cities (hauing before beene) rased, and houses which were not inhabited, but were turned into heapes of stones.
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their perfection be prolonged vponupon earth.
30 He shall neuer depart out of darkenes, the flame shall drie vp his branches, and they shall goe away with the breath of his mouth (namelie, of God.)
31 He will not beleeue, beeing deceiued through vanitie, that vanitie shall be his change.
32 He shall be cut off before his daie, and his boughes shall not be greene.
33 His fruite shall be plucked off, as a sowre grape from the vine: and shall be cast off, as the flowre of the oliue.
27 For be it that he giuegive him selfe to gluttonie, and in such sort pamper himselfe, that his face be puffed vp and swell with fatnes, and he carrie about collops in his flanks. 28 And to get him a name and renowne amongst men, hath reedified and built anew desolate and wasted cities, forsaken of the inhabitants, and so wel nere become a heap of stones. 29 Neuerthelesse he shall not be rich, but his goods shall go from him suddenlie, he shall not know how, neither shall his glorie and renowne be spread farre vponupon the earth, as these men dreamed it would come to passe. 30 For miseries trulie shall ouertake him, from which he shall neuer rid him selfe: God shall raise a flame with the breath of his mouth to destroie his familie. 31 And he himselfe in his vanitie deceiuing him selfe, shall die an vntimelie death. 32 & 33 His ofspring shalbe cut off before it come to any ripenes, as a storme pulleth the sowre grapes from the vine, or as the flowres of the oliue fall vponupon the ground.
34 For the congregation of the hipocrite shalbe desolate, and fire shall deuoure the houses of bribes.
35 For they conceiue mischiefe, and bring forth vexation, and their entralls hauehave prepared deceit.
34 For whosoeuer maketh a counterfeit shew of vertue and godlines, his habitation shalbe made solitarie, his familie though neuer so great, and his clyents though neuer so manie, shall become as a desolate wildernesse, and the fire shall consume the houses builded with bribes. 35 Forasmuch as these men doe nothing else but conceiue and imagine mischiefe against others, and bring foorth nought else but trouble and affliction, and their whole studie is, howe they may cunninglie deceiue others.