Job Expounded, Commentary on Job · Chapter 6
¶ THE SVMME AND ORDER of the VI. Chapter.
IN the 2.3.4. verses Iobs answere is opposed to the accusation of Eliphaz in the 4. Chapter, verse 2. The summe of the answer is, that his complaintes were not simplie, and in them selues to be considered, but to be waighed together with the grievousnes & burden of his torments, to the ende they might well and rightly be iudged off, forasmuch as they were rather the wordes of one that sobbed, then that spake.
To the 3.4.5.6. verses of the said fourth Chapter, Iob answering in the 5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13. verses, saith, that it is no marvell, either that heretofore, no such wordes were euer heard to proceede from him, as who had continuallie liued in prosperitie: or that in time past comforting others, he can nowe finde no comfort in his owne miseries. For that his misfortune is not common and ordinarie, but such and so great, as that he may iustly despaire of his life: and yet neuerthelesse, that he shall finde in death it selfe, (though it be ioyned with neuer so great and immeasurable torments, such as the nature of man is not able to beare) the comfort of a good conscience.
In the rest of the Chapter vntounto the ende (all which thinges are opposed to that which Eliphaz had spoken from the seuenth verse of the 4. Chapter, to the beginning of the 8. verse of the 5. Chapter) he complaineth and findeth him selfe greeued with his friendes slaunderous, rather them comfortable speeches: avouching in few words his innocencie concerning that whereof he was accused, namely, of hypocrisie, and of an euill conscience, and withall shewing, that those things which Eliphaz had spoken, from the 8. verse of the 5. Chapter, to the ende of the same Chapter, did not at all touch & concerne him, and therefore were not agreeable to his purpose.
CHAPTER VI.
1 BƲT Iob answered and saide,
2 O that my griefe were well waighed, and my miseries were laid together in the ballance.
3 For it would be nowe heavier then the sand of the sea: therefore my wordes were swallowed vp.
4 For the arrowes of the almightie are vponupon me, the venime whereof doth drinke vp my spirite; and the terrours of God are set against me.
1. 2. AGainst these things Job replied in this manner. Yea but that my indignation & anger, as it pleaseth thee to terme it, (Chapter 5.2.) ought not thus simplie & alone to be considered, but to be compared with these miseries wherwith I am ouercharged and well neere broken in peeces, yea they ought as it were to be layed in the ballance, and wiselie to be weighed together, before thou shouldest in this manner condemne it. 3 If you would doe this, ye should finde, the waight thereof to be so great as the sands of the sea: so that it is no merueile, though it hath wrung from me, being scarse able to breath, rather sobbes, then wordes. 4 Neyther yet ought this, to seeme any straunge matter: For this my conflict is not with any humane or earthly miserie, such as is ordinarie to men; but I hauehave to doe with almightie God himselfe. With whose arrowes my very soule beeing perced thorough, doth still sucke from them deadly poyson. God him selfe, I say, as it were in battaile aray, leueleth & shooteth them al at me, which are able to destroy men & to break them al to peeces.
5 Doth the wild asse bray when he hath grasse, or loweth the oxe when he hath fodder?
I but, say you, heretofore you were not accustomed to crie out and lament: but to comfort and instruct other men. And who can iustly marueile, that no such thing was hard to proceede from me before, if so be he hath knowne in how great prosperity I hauehave alwaies liued? For who hath heard the wild asse, beeing otherwise a very sauadge beast, whoe I say hath heard him roare, when he hath gotten good pasture? or who hath heard the oxe low, hauing before him his racke full of fodder.
6 That which is vnsauerie is it eaten without salt? or is there any tast in the white of an egge?
And this by what reason standeth it, that ye seeing me so strong in comforting others, and so daunted and so cast down with mine own aduersitie, that therfore, I say, ye should iudge my former profession of godlines to hauehave bin but dissembled and altogither hypocritical, for on the contrarie side, who wil desire at any mans handes, that that which is in it selfe vnsauerie, should be sauerie to him, being at all not seasoned with salt? what? is there any tast in the white of an egge?
7 Such things as my soule abhorred to touch, are as it were the foode of my sorrowes.
And that I may not seeme to make my exceeding miserie greater then it is in deed, those things which my mind would heretofore hauehave lothed once to touch, in respect of their filth and vncleanes, as namely the putrified and corrupt matter of lothsome byles, whereof my whole bodie is full, are the very same which now feed vponupon me with horrible stinch & tormēt.
8 Who will graunt (me) that I may hauehave my desire: and that God would giuegive me the thing that I long for.
9 O that God would agree to me, and destroy me, and let his hand goe and cut me off.
Therefore I am not rashly and much lesse wickedly caried against God, as you falsly lay to my charge, but iudging as the thing it selfe constraineth me, that this my wound is mortal, I am so farre from hoping to be restored to my health & former estate, that cleane contrarie, that which I desired of god heretofore and which you also ought with me to hauehave desired, I wil againe desire of him, to wit, that this his hand, which holdeth me so streight and lyeth so hard vponupon me in this extremitie of my miseries, may quite dispatch me and make an end of all my troubles at once.
10 Neuerthelesse I hauehave comfort still, & I am strengthened in my griefe in which he spareth me not, because I hauehave not suppressed the words of the holy one.
Neuerthelesse, in this despaire of this life of mine, I want not wherewith to refresh & comfort my selfe, in this my calamitie in which he spareth me nothing at all: namely, that I hauehave alwaies outwardly professed & neuer denied true godlinesse, which the most holy God him selfe hath taught me.
11 What strength (is) in me that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
But in the meane time as touching this life, what strength is remaining in me, to make me conceiue any hope? & beeing inuironed with these miseries, how may I thinke that my life can be prolonged?
12 Js my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brasse.
Therefore in the meane while how can I doe otherwise then I doe, bewailing this my wretched condition & desiring the death? For what? is my strength as the hardnes of stones, vtterly without feeling? is this my wretched bodie made of brasse or of steele?
13 Is there any help for me in my selfe? but all help is takē frō me.
Some man peraduenture will say that I am wanting to my selfe: as though there were any strength left in me to helpe my selfe: and surely if euer I had any such power in me, yet now is it quite taken away.
14 To him that is in sorow (is due) good will from his neighbour, otherwise he shall forsake the feare of the almightie.
But as concerning you, who will seeme to hauehave come hither for no other intent but to giuegive me comfort, what shall I say else, but that a friend is bound not to be wanting in any kinde of dutie towardes him whose hart is broken, and as it were resolued into sorow: and he that doth not this I say, he hath cast from him al feare and reuerence of almighty God?
15 My brethren are vnfaithfull to me as a brooke, and as the rising of the riuers, which doe hastilie goe away.
16 Which are blackish (that is, not to be seene) by reason of the yce, and vponupon which the snow is heaped.
17 But at such time as the heat commeth, they beginne to decrease, and if they feele the hot Sunne beames they are consumed out of their place.
18 They depart from the course of their wonted chanell to other places, they ascend into the ayre, and perish.
19 The multitude of the Themanits, looke after them and the troopes of the Sabaeans waited for them.
20 They were ashamed, because they trusted vponupon them, they came thither, and they blushed.
15 And trulie you my kinsmē, ought thus to hauehave done: But contrariwise, you hauehave so deceiued & beguiled me that I may well compare you to those brookes, which cary with thē as it were mountaines of waters, & with their violence & swiftnes doe great harme, but which neuerthelesse do immediatly decrease: 16 And in the winter time beeing hidden vnderunder the yee & couered with the snow lying thick vponupon them deceiue those, who tread vponupon thē: 17 But in the summer when the heat of the Sunne beames falleth vponupon thē, they waxe lesser, and begin to be dryed vp; 18 And being at it were cut in to diuerse small riuers running here & there by little & little beeing resolued into vapours, at length quite vanish away. 19. 20 Which thing caused great multitudes of the Themanits and the Shabeans to blush & to be ashamed, who going a great iourny vponupon hope to find water in those brookes, when they came thither, were disapointed of that they looked for.
21 For now (you hauehave beene to me) as nothing. You hauehave seene my horrible plague, and yee were afraid.
For surely you hauehave done me no more good, then if you had bin no where, or not at all, in so much as so soone as yee saw how I am broken & how horribly I am afflicted, for feare ye aboad without speaking any word.
22 Did I say, bring vntounto me, & giuegive me a reward of your substāce?
23 And to deliuer me from the enemies hand, and to redeeme me out of the hands of the mightie?
22 I hauehave lost all my goods. Did I in this my distresse require any thing at your handes, to releeue my want and necessitie? 23 Theeues & robbers hauehave violently set vponupon me. HaueHave I required help & succour at your hands, that I might by your meanes be deliuered from mine enemies and cruell oppressours? what impatiencie or what want of courage can ye charge me withall?
24 Teach me and J will hold my tongue; and cause me to vnderstand wherein I hauehave erred,
Neuerthelesse I heare you marueilously blame my life passed & vtterly to cōdemne it. But I beseech you, shew what wickednes, & what hainous crimes I hauehave committed. For I shalbe willing to heare and ready to be taught. OnelyOnly giuegive me to vnderstand wherein I hauehave in such manner transgressed, & what it is that you mislike in my doings.
25 How foreceable are the words of truth? But what doeth the reproofe (of any) of you reprooue?
Certenly true & wise speeches are of great force and very much auaileable? but what shall you Eliphaz, or any of you here present, get by such vniust reproofes?
26 Doe you imagine that words are (of you) to be reprooued, and the wordes of one that despaireth, to be winde?
For doubtlesse you are deceiued, if in this conference and reasoning you thinke, that you are to busie your selues about the confuting of a mad mans foolish & vnreasonable words, & of his vaine speeches, who is vtterly in despaire of his life.
27 Nay, you fall vponupon the fatherlesse, and you feast vponupon your companion.
Nay herein you doe all one, as if you should violently and iniuriously deale with the fatherlesse, & take delight or make your selues merry in the calamitie of your friendes, seeing I am in greater distresse and miserie then the fatherlesse.
28 And therefore vouchsafe now to looke vponupon me, and (consider) whether J hauehave made a lie before your face.
But now I beseech you hauehave some regard of me, & setting me before your eyes consider, whether euer I hauehave bin found a lyer and dissembler. For you hauehave knowne me this long time very neerely both within and without.
29 Returne J pray you, and there shalbe none iniquitie; returne I say, and my righteousnesse (shalbe apparant) in that behalfe.
Return I pray you from your error, & you shal find me free from these offences, leave off I say, falslie to accuse me, and in this matter you shall set me cleere.
30 (You shall see) whether there be any wickednesse in my tongue, whether my mouth doe not discerne wrong matters.
So it will come to passe, that you shall easilie perceiue, whether in the former times of my prosperitie, I thought one thing with my hart, and spake another thing with my mouth: and whether I could iudge and discerne right from wrong with the tast as it were of my minde.