Job Expounded, Commentary on Job · Chapter 24
¶ THE SVMME AND ORDER of the 24. Chapter.
IOB in the former CHAPTER hauing refuted those thinges, which Eliphaz had spoken partlie beside the purpose, and partlie particularlie against him, now commeth directlie to the question, in the first verse auouching that to be true, which he had vttered before in the 21. Chapter: namely, that God, as well in defending the righteous from the iniuries of the wicked, as also in punishing the sinnes of lewde and vngodlie persons, dealeth not alwaies openlie, but somtimes vseth a secret and altogether vnsearchable manner of proceeding, not giuing any man to know either the time when, or the reason why he doth this or that thing. For those who feare and serue the Lorde in trueth and sinceritie of heart, are not yet so much priuie vntounto the Lordes counsells, as that they doe know the daie and time, which he hath set and appointed for their deliuerance out of the tirannie and oppression of the wicked, in so much that if the opinion of Iobs friendes should take place, God might seeme either not to see, or seeing, not to regard this great disorder & confusiō, if we barely look into the present state & condition of this life. In this Chapter therefore especially are handled these two pointes: the first concerning Gods not redeeming the righteous out of their troubles, is most excellentlie discoursed in the thirteene former verses. The other point touching Gods forbearing of the wicked, is no lesse grauely and effectuallie set forth in the twelue verses next and immediatlie following: and at length in the last verse he shutteth vp the whole disputation. Now that is most true, which Iob doth maintaine against his aduersaries, to wit, that wee ought not to iudge either of Gods good will and fauour towardes anie man, by his prosperitie, nor of Gods hatred and displeasure towards him, by his aduersitie, partlie God himselfe doth afterward declare, and partlie the histories of all nations, and especiallie of the Church, doth sufficientlie testifie. And concerning this matter, the holie scripture doth almost euerie where determine, but in the Psalme 73. and 29. Ierem. 15. Habac. 1. this argument is principally and purposelie handled. Neither surely can it anie way more certenlie and manifestlie be collected and gathered, that there remaineth an other iudgement after this life, for which God hath set and prefixed a time, though the same bee hidden from vsus, it can not, I say, more manifestlie be collected, then by this, that we see none so flourish & prosper in this life, as the wicked and vngodlie, none to be all their life time so contemptible and miserable, as the best and the most virtuous men, so farre as concerneth the outward blessings and commodities of this life.
CHAPTER XXIIII.
1 HOwe should not the times be hidden which the Almightie hath appointed? seeing they that knowe him see not his dayes.
But to let al these things passe, which do peculiarly touch my selfe, I will come to the matter which is in hand: where first I would gladly demaunde this one question of you, by what reason it can be denied, that the times & seasons, which the Almightie, whose wisedome & power is infinite, & not to be resisted, hath appointed for al things, are by the wil of god hidden frō men: seeing euē they who acknowledge & rightly worship the true God, can not behold the day of their deliverance from the tiranny and oppression of the wicked.
2 They will passe ouer the land markes: they take flockes away by violence, and feede them.
3 They lead away the asse of the fatherlesse, and they take the goods of the widowe for pledge.
4 They make the poore to turne out of the way: the poore of the land hide them selues together.
5 Loe, they are wilde asses in the wildernesse: they goe foorth as it were to their businesse: earely in the morning they seeke their pray, the wildernesse (is) bread to them.
6 They reape his provision in the fielde, and the wicked gather the latter vintage.
7 They make (the poore) to lodge naked without garment: and (they) hauehave no covering in the colde.
8 Who being washed with the showres of the mountaines, and being without couering, imbrace the rocke.
9 They take the fatherlesse from the brest, and take them from the poore for a pledge.
10 They cause them to goe naked without a garment: and to depart naked, who hauehave caryed burdens.
11 (And) hauehave made oyle betweene their walles, & trode their winepresses: and they suffer thirst.
12 The men of the citie doe grone, & the soules of the slaine cry out, & God doth not set down (that is, doth not obserue or mark) their grosse dealing, (that is, this which they doe against all reason and equitie.)
13 (Yet) these oppose them selues against the light, they know not the wayes thereof, neither continue they in the pathes thereof.
2 For what is it that these men dare not doe? For not regarding the land markes, which are set for the deuiding of one mans ground from another, and in keeping whereof, no small part of the publicke peace and tranquillitie consisteth, they incroche vponupon other mens groundes, and there feede heardes of cattell and flockes of sheepe, which they hauehave also violently and wrongfully taken from others. 3 Yea, they are so much delighted with tyrannie and oppression, that they spare not the heardes of the fatherlesse, but robbe and spoyle what it pleaseth them: by force they seaze vponupon the goods of the widowe, as if by good right and title they tooke them for pledge of such debtes as are due to them. 4 When these spoylers are abroade, they beset the wayes, and no traveller, be he neuer so poore and needie, can passe freely by them; in so much that they are constrained to leaue the broad beaten way, & eueryevery where to seeke out bye wayes and vnknowen passages to escape their handes. 5 For these are rather to be accompted wilde and savadge beasts, then men: not vnlike to the wilde asses, which keepe in the wildernesse, early in the morning they prepare and harnesse them selues and goe foorth vntounto the spoile, as if this were their trade and occupation, whereby they must needes get their living. Fieldes and tillage they hauehave none, but the wildernesse and desert places, in which they practise this their pillage, are to them in steade of great lands and possessions: out of which they gather no small revenues, & furnish them selues with all necessarie provision for this life. 6 In the time of haruest they reape downe other mens corne, and by force carie it away: and not being herewith contented, they robbe other mens orchardes and vineyardes, beguiling the poore of the latter vintage. 7. & 8 Those that come in their handes, they despoile of their garments, and leaue them naked in the open aire without shelter, making them to lye all night in the colde without taking any sleepe, and being washed with the moisture, that in the night season falleth from the mountaines, and being weake and feeble, they imbrace the rockes, and die miserable. 9 Loe, these are the outrages, which they commit abroade: nowe at home they shewe them selues no lesse savadge and cruell. For if so be that they are to deale with poore men, they wil not sticke to take the young infant from the mothers dugge, for a pledge of some smal debt which is owing them. 10. and 11 And as for the hirelings, whome they hauehave set about their necessarie businesse, to carrie burdens, to make oyle, to treade downe the winepresse, they are so farre from paying them their wages, which is due to them for their labour, that they dismisse and send them away both hungrie and thirstie, without one morsell of bread or a cuppe of drinke. 12 The miserable and languishing inhabitants within the citie complaine and grone vnderunder the burden of these injuries, and the blood of them that are slaine, cryeth to God for vengeance. Nowe then, what are we to thinke of God, if we shall esteeme of his iudgemēts as ye would hauehave vsus, by that present estate, in which we see eueryevery man to be in this life: this I am sure of, that if any will entertaine your opinion, he must of necessitie confesse, that God either seeth not, or seeing, regardeth not this disorder and confusion, and this contempt of lawes both humane and divine. 13 Neuerthelesse, these ought to hauehave bene defended from their tyrannie, who not onelyonly breake the lawes of nature, and extinguish the light of their owne conscience, which reprooveth these their doings, but also cast behinde their backes those sacred rules and ordinances, which our auncetours receiving from God, hauehave left vntounto vsus, for the framing of our liues to an honest and vertuous conuersation.
14 The murtherers rise earely, they slay the poore and needie: and in the night they (are) as theeves.
15 But the eye of the adulterer waiteth for the darkenesse, and saith, none eye shall see me, and he hideth his face.
16 (Theeues) digge through houses in the darke, which they marked out in the day time: they knowe not the light.
14 And this truely is the lot and portion of them, who in this life are thus oppressed. Nowe let vsus come to the oppressours them selues. Beholde, some of them liuing by the spoyle and slaughter of other men, rise out of their beds at the day breake, and goe foorth, slaying those whome they meete withall, and such as are not able to make resistance: others there are, who make choise of the night for their violence and robberies. 15 In the number of these, are adulterers, who going about to defile the marriage bed, looke for the twilight, and that they may not be descryed, they goe disguised and couered. 16 Others also in the night digge through houses, which they hauehave marked out for themselues, and surveyed in the day time. And all these flee the light, and are delighted with darkenesse.
17 Therefore so soone as (it is) morning, (it is) to them the shadowe of death: therefore (I say, so soone as) knowledge may be had (that is, men can knowe) and discerne one another, (they are) in the terrours of the shadowe of death.
18 They are light vponupon the face of the waters, their portion is cursed in the earth, he turneth not into the way of the vines.
19 Drinesse and heate consume the snowe waters: (so) the graue those, who sinne.
20 The wombe forgetteth him, he is sweete vntounto the worme, he shal no more be remembred, but the wicked shalbe broken like a tree.
21 He hath afflicted the barren, that she might not be fruitfull: neither hath he done good vntounto the widowe.
22 And also he hath drawen the mightie by his strength, he hath risen vp, and eueryevery man misdoubted his owne life, (that is, when he did rise vp, no man was assured of his owne life.)
17 And this truely is their order and manner of liuing. But here I hauehave heard some of you obiecting against me, that howsoeuer these men doe liue, as they list, without lawe or reason, yet neuerthelesse they escape not scotfree and altogether vnpunished. For the day light is a death to them: yea, so soone as by the benefit of the light, one man may discerne another, they are no lesse afraid and amased, then if they were alreadie at deathes doore. 18 And albeit they prosper & continue for a time, yet their estate is very tickle, and they are caryed this way and that way with eueryevery small blast of winde, they wauer and flote vp and downe, as if they were swimming vponupon the waters: and besides, a curse lyeth both vponupon them selues, and vponupon all whatsoeuer they possesse, till they depart this life, being altogether vnlike to the vine, which by cutting and pruining sprowteth out, and becommeth more profitable. 19 But it falleth out with them quite contrarie: For as through drouth and heat the snowe is straightway melted, and appeareth not any where: so these, that giuegive them selues to worke wickednesse, the graue suddenly swalloweth them vp, and taketh them from among the companie of men. 20 And being once dead, neither their mothers, nor their wiues doe bewayle and lament their deathes, but they become daintie and pleasaunt foode for the wormes: their name is blotted out of the remembraunce of men, being like a tree which is cut from the stocke, and will neuer budde nor bring foorth fruite. 21 And this truely is Gods iust iudgement against them, who rewardeth them according to their desertes, and sheweth them the like favour, as they shewed to others: as who hauehave hardly and cruellie vsed their barren wiues, vponupon purpose to keepe them from bearing children: and hauehave not had any care to releeve their mothers being poore and desolate widowes: no marvaile then, if the wife coulde not bewayle so vnkinde an husbande, nor the mother so vnnaturall a sonne. 22 Moreouer, these hauehave by force brought mightie men vnderunder their girdle, and compelled them to doe them homage and seruice: in so much, that if they were displeased, no man coulde assure him selfe of his life.
23 (God) giueth them for their assurance, and (whereunto) they may leane: and his eyes (are) vponupon his wayes.
24 They are exalted for a little, and they are not: but they are brought downe euen as others: they are stopped, but they are cut off as the toppe of an eare of corne.
23 But to this obiection of yours, I oppose that answer, which I hauehave vsed before, and which as yet ye hauehave not disprooved, neither indeede can you: namely, that God neuertheles bestoweth plentifully vponupon these lewde & wicked mē, whatsoeuer belongeth to the maintenance & preseruation of this life, so that they feare no dāger, but liue euē as thēselues list: as if Gods eyes were continually fixed vponupon them, to see that they should wāt nothing, but that all things shold fal out with them according to their heartes desire. 24 For although, as the life of man is indeede very short, they are exalted only for a time, and are by and by gone, yet death doth no otherwise ouertake them and bring them downe, then it doeth any other: and howbeit that when they dye, their mouthes are also stopped, yet are they not cut downe by any violent and vntimely death, but in their olde age, when as they are farre stricken in yeeres, euen as the wheate, when the corne field is white to the haruest.
25 But if not nowe (that is, goe to) who will prooue me a lyar? and bring my wordes to nothing?
Nowe if there be any man of a contrarie opinion in this point, goe to, let him come foorth and reprooue me of falsshood, let him disprooue this mine answer, and shewe that it is vaine and to no purpose.