Job Expounded, Commentary on Job · Chapter 16
The summe and order of the xvi. Chapter.
IN this whole Chapter, Iob seeing nothing in the speech of Eliphaz, wherunto he had not made answere before maketh a most grieuous and lamentable complaint, of the iniurie done vntounto him against all the lawes of friendship: acknowledging indeede that his miserie and affliction is great, and that it is laid vponupon him by the hand of God: yet denying himselfe to be guiltie of those crimes, wherwith Eliphaz had openlie charged him, in which behalfe he vseth a most earnest and a most fearefull imprecation. Now in the 17. Chapter, his minde beeing after his former speech somewhat eased and pacified, although he looked for nothing but death, and that out of hand: yet he doubteth not, trusting to the goodnesse of his cause, to challenge Eliphaz as it were vponupon a wager to the iudgement seat of God, to hauehave the matter tried and determined by God him selfe. By which thing beyond all hope and exspectation, he reaped a double benefite. For he was both acquitted by the iudgement of God himselfe appearing vponupon a suddaine (which thing, for asmuch as it could not be done without a miracle, he would not so much as hope that it euer would hauehave come to passe) and he had not onelie his health and his life restored to him, but his estate was made by many degrees better and more happy, then it was before.
❧ CHAPTER XVI.
Vers. 1. But Iob answeared and saide,
2 I hauehave heard many such things, miserable comforters (are yee) all.
3 Shall there be none end of wordes of wind? (that is, vaine) or what maketh thee bold to speake?
4 Should I speake as you doe, if your soule were in my soules steede? (and) should J heape vp words against you, and shake mine head at you?
5 (Nay) I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the mouing of my lips should asswage (your sorow.)
1 BVT Job made answeare to these things after this & 2 manner. Is it any new thing which thou speakest, or hauehave I not heard these things verie often? Is this which ye doe, euen all the sorte of you, is this, I say, to comforte your friend, or is it not rather to vexe and grieue him to the verie heart?
3 Will ye neuer leaue thus to babble to no purpose, & to poure out words which are lighter then the winde? and tell me, Eliphaz, what substantiall and sure groundes hast thou, which make thee thus boldlie to persist in answering? 4 Should I, if you were in my case, speake as you doe? should I multiplie words against you? or studie for bitter speeches to gaule you withall? should I thus in scorne and derision shake my head at you? 5 Surelie I would not doe it: but I would labour to strengthen you vvith comfortable speeches, and with gentle words to ease and asswage your griefe.
6 If I shall speake, my griefe will not cease? and though I leaue off (to speake) what shall depart from me?
What then shal I doe, or which way shal I turne my selfe? For if I speake, my torment wil not thereby at all be lessened: and although I held my peace, how much shall my miserie thereby be deminished?
7 But now (God) hath made me wearie (and thou) hast wasted all my congregation, (that is, all my substance.)
8 (In that) thou hast made me full of wrinkles, it is a witnesse thereof: and my leanenesse rising vp in me, shall in my face (that is, openle) I testifie the same.
9 His wrath hath torne me, & he striueth against me: he gnasheth vponupon me with his teeth: mine enemie hath sharpened his eyes against me.
10 They hauehave opened their mouthes against me: they hauehave smitten me on the cheeke with reproch: they are gathered together against me.
11 God hath shut me vp among the vngodlie, and hath made me to turne into the handes of the wicked.
12 I was at rest but he hath broken me, he hath catched hold vponupon my necke, and hath sorelie brused me: and set me as a marke for him selfe.
13 His archers compasse me round about, he hath cut my raines, and doth not spare, he hath poured my gall vponupon the ground.
14 He hath broken me with one breaking vponupon an other, and is fallen vponupon me like a Gyant.
7 For whatsoeuer it be, and whatsoeuer I am able to alleadge for my defence, God hath wearied me with miseries and euen ouerwhelmed me: thou, I say, O God hast wasted and destroied both my selfe and all that I had. 8 And this neither can I, neither will I denie; the vvrinkles in my whole countenance, doe sufficientlie witnes it, and the leannesse, which disfigureth all my bodie, doth manifestlie shew it. 9. The Lord hath sent the ministers of his anger, mightelie to assaile me, to take holde vponupon me, and to pull me in peeces: to gnash at me with their teeth, and to looke fiercely vponupon me with their eies, which cast foorth as it were sparkles of fire. 10. And they trulie hauehave leaped vponupon me violentlie with open mouthes, as if they would swallow me downe at one morsell; and setting vponupon me all at once with mockes & reuilings hauehave buffetted mee, and thumped mee about the face. 11. Thus it hath pleased God to deliuer me vp to peruerse and wicked men, & to make me, departing out of that plaine and easie waie wherein I walked, to turne into bye waies, and to fall into their hands. 12. I was in peace and prosper…tie, when he cast mee downe, and crushed me as it were in peeces: when he tooke me by the neck and shooke me, so that I was greatlie brused, and fet me against himselfe as a marke to shoote at: 13. he hath set his archers round about me on euerie side, and I in the midst of them am pearced and striken through: so that, all pitie being laid aside, my verie bowels traile vponupon the ground. 14. He hath giuen me one wound vponupon another: finallie he hath rushed vponupon me with al his strength, & hath shewed the vttermost of his power against me.
15. J hauehave sowed a sackcloth vponupon my skin, and hauehave abased my horne vntounto the dust.
16. My face is fouled as it were with durt by reason of my weeping: and the shadow of death (is) in mine eye lids.
15. And I for all this, Eliphaz, hauehave not swelled against God, as thou falsely chargest me: but I hauehave wrapped my skin in sackcloth, & straight way forgetting al my former worship & dignity, wherein I went before al others, I couered my selfe with dust and ashes. 16. Neither did I this for a vaine shew, as hipocrites doe (howsoeuer thou doest most vnworthelie account mee such a one) seeing this my face is with teares continuallie trickling downe my cheekes, be slubbered as it were with durt: and my eie lids falling downe & waxing dim do represent the verie image of death being neere at hand.
17. Not for anie iniurie in my hands: and my praiers are pure.
18. O erth, couer not thou my blood, & let my crying find no place.
19. Loe, euen nor my witnes (is) in heauen, and my witnesse is on hie.
17. Neither is there any cause vvhy you should inueigh against my former life. For these things are not befallen mee for any iniurie vvhichwhich I hauehave done to anie man; and as touching religion, I call vponupon God in the assurance of a good conscience. 18. And if I lie, thou, O earth, vvhichwhich hast born Iob all his life time, doe nor couer me being guiltie of blood or of anie vilanie committed against anie man, neither let these my cries be heard. 19. For doubtlesse there is a vvitnes in the heauens of mine innocencie, there is one, I say, aboue, vvho vvill beare sure record against your false accusations.
20. O my Rhetoricians, O my companions, mine eie powreth out teares vntounto God.
21. O that a man might dispute with God, as the sonne of man with his friend.
22. For the yeares of number (that is, vvhichwhich vvere assigned and appointed for me) are at hand, and I go the way, whence J shall not returne.
20 Neither doe I without cause call God to witnes. For I would you should know this, O ye most eloquent men, and my most worthie companions, that these mine eyes trickeling down with teares, looke directly not vponupon you, but vponupon God himselfe. 21. And I vvould to God vvhile I am yet aliue I might bee suffered to plead my cause against you before Gods tribunall seate, as the manner of men is one vvith an other. 22. But the terme of yeres vvhichwhich were appointed for mee to liue, are novv expired; and loe, novv I enter into the way, out of which, it is vnpossible for me to returne.