Bible Commentaries

Can a man be ^a profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

(a) Though man was just, yet God could not profit from this his justice; and therefore when he punished him, he had no regard to his justice, but to his sin.

Will he reprove thee for fear ^b of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

(b) Lest you should reprove or hurt him?

For thou hast taken a ^c pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

(c) You have been cruel and without charity, and would do nothing for the poor, but for your own advantage.

But [as for] the mighty man, he ^d had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

(d) When you were in power and authority you did not do justice but wrong.

Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the ^e fatherless have been broken.

(e) You have not only not shown pity, but oppressed them.

Or darkness, [that] thou canst not see; and ^f abundance of waters cover thee.

(f) That is, manifold afflictions.

[Is] not God in the ^g height of heaven? and behold the height of the ^h stars, how high they are!

(g) He accuses Job of impiety and contempt of God, as thought he would say, If you pass not for men, yet consider the height of God's majesty.

(h) That so much the more by that excellent work you may fear God, and reverence him.

And thou sayest, How doth God ⁱ know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

(i) He reproves Job, as though he denied God's providence and that he could not see the things that were done in this world.

Hast thou marked the old way ^k which wicked men have trodden?

(k) How God has punished them from the beginning?

Which were ^l cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

(l) He proves God's providence by the punishment of the wicked, whom he takes away before they can bring their wicked purposes to pass.

Yet he ^m filled their houses with good [things]: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

(m) He answers to that which Job had said, (Job 21:7) that the wicked have prosperity in this world; desiring that he might not be a partaker of the like.

The righteous see [it], and are glad: ⁿ and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

(n) The just rejoice at the destruction of the wicked for two reasons, first because God shows himself judge of the world and by this means continues his honour and glory: secondly because God shows that he had care over his in that he punished their enemies.

Whereas ^o our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of ^p them the fire consumeth.

(o) That is, the state and preservation of the godly, is hid under God's wings.

(p) Meaning of the wicked.

Acquaint now thyself ^q with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

(q) He exhorts Job to repentance, and to return to God.

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt ^r be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

(r) God will restore to you all your substance.

Then shalt thou lay up gold as ^s dust, and the [gold] of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

(s) Which will be in abundance like dust.

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the ^t light shall shine upon thy ways.

(t) That is, the favour of God.

^u When [men] are cast down, then thou shalt say, [There is] lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

(u) God will deliver his when the wicked are destroyed round about them, as in the flood and in Sodom.

He shall deliver the ^x island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

(x) God will deliver a whole country from peril, even for the just man's sake.