Job 15:11

[Are] the consolations of God small with thee?.... Meaning either those which Eliphaz and his friends had administered, when, upon his repentance and reformation, they promised him great and good

Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

Are those comforts, which we in the name, and according to the mind, and by the direction, of God have propounded to thee, upon condition of thy true repentance, ,14, &c., small and contemptible in thine eyes? Hast thou any secret and peculiar ground or way of comfort which is unknown to us, and to all other men, except thyself; for which, or in comparison of which, thou despisest our consolations as mean and trivial? To pretend to this is vanity and impudence; and if thou hast not this, to despise and reject our comforts is horrible pride and stubbornness.

Job 15:11 [Are] the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?Ver. 11. Are the consolations of God] Sic fastuose suas consolationes appellat et sociorum, saith Mercer; so Eliphaz, with state enough, calleth the comforts that he and his fellows had ministered to Job, promising him mercy from God upon his sound repentance; but telling him withal, that unless he Would yield himself a hypocrite, those promises would profit him nothing at all. Had Job slighted the precious promises, those conduits of comfort, he had been much to blame, as he was, doubtless, who said, My soul refused comforts, Psalms 77:2; like some sullen child, that will not eat his milk because he hath it not in the golden dish. The soul is ready to turn the back of the hand, and not the palm, to the staff of divine consolations, saying, Oh my stubbornness, &c., and rather to shift and shirk in every by corner for comfort, than to suck it out of those breasts of consolation, and be satisfied, Isaiah 66:11. The apostle taxeth his Hebrews, that they had forgotten the consolation (so the words may be read) which spake unto them as unto children, saying, My son, &c., Hebrews 12:5-11 Wrangling with God by cavilling objections, when they should rather have wrestled with him by earnest supplications, putting the promises in suit, and drawing waters with joy out of those wells of consolation, Isaiah 12:3. Job was not altogether clear of this fault. He was so poor and sore without, and within so full of horror and terror, that he was ready, with Rachel, to refuse to be comforted. Mercies were offered unto him, but he was scarce in case to receive them. The ear, which tasteth words as the mouth doth meat, was so filled with choler, that he could hardly relish any comfort. The easiest medicines of waters are troublesome to sore eyes. The flesh with her roarings and repinings maketh such a din, that the voice of the comforter cannot well be heard in the best heart sometimes. The Spirit knocks, but there is none to open; hence he goes away grieving, and that should not be. Is there any secret thing with thee?] Hast thou food to eat that we know not of? Are there with thee consolations of thine own better than those of God, which we have ministered unto thee? Some render it, and lieth there any hidden thing within thee? that is, either some greater and more profound wisdom than every man knoweth; or else some secret sin which must be cast out ere comforts can fasten. For as the wound cannot close and heal as long as any part of the iron weapon remaineth in it; so here in the Cordiaea passio, or passion of heart, the heart is so oppressed and overly covered, that the most refreshing cordials cannot come at it, so that it is even suffocated with sorrow.

(11) Are the consolations of God small with thee?—This is one of the obscure phrases of Job upon which it is very difficult to decide. The Authorised Version gives very good sense, which seems to suit the context in the following verse; but it is susceptible of other phases of meaning: e.g., “or a word that dealeth gently with thee (2 Samuel 4:5), such as ours have been (?)”; or “the word that he hath spoken softly with thee” (but see Job 15:8); or, again, the consolations of God may mean strong consolations (Psalms 80:11), such as ours have been, spoken in strong language,” in which case the second clause would mean, “Was thine own speech gentle?” “Small with thee” means, of course, too small for thee.

Verse 11. Are the consolations of God small with thee?] Various are the renderings of this verse. Mr. Good translates the verse thus: "Are then the mercies of God of no account with thee?" or, "the addresses of kindness before thee?" The VULGATE thus: - "Can it be a difficult thing for God to comfort thee? But thou hinderest this by thy intemperate speeches." The SYRIAC and ARABIC thus: - "Remove from thee the threatenings (Arabic, reproaches) of God, and speak tranquilly with thy own spirit." The SEPTUAGINT thus: - "Thou hast been scourged lightly for the sins which thou hast committed; and thou hast spoken greatly beyond measure; or, with excessive insolence." Houbigant thus: - "Dost thou not regard the threatenings of God; or, has there been any thing darkly revealed to thee." Coverdale: - Dost thou no more regarde the comforte of God? But thy wicked wordes wil not suffre the. Scarcely any two translators or interpreters agree in the translation, or even meaning of this verse. The sense, as expressed in the Vulgate, or in our own version, or that of Coverdale, is plain enough: - "Hast thou been so unfaithful to God, that he has withdrawn his consolations from thy heart? And is there any secret thing, any bosom sin, which thou wilt not give up, that has thus provoked thy Maker?" This is the sense of our version: and I believe it to be as near the original as any yet offered. I may just add the Chaldee. - "Are the consolations of God few to thee? And has a word in secret been spoken unto thee?" And I shall close all these with the Hebrew text, and the literal version of Arius Montanus: - המעט ממך ינחומות אל hameat mimmecha tanchumoth el. ודבר לאט עמך vedabar laat immak. Nonne parum a te consolationes Dei? Et verbum latet tecum? "Are not the consolations of God small to thee? And does a word (or thing) lie hidden with thee?" Now, let the reader choose for himself.

11. small with thee] Rather, are the consolations of God too small for thee? do they seem to thee beneath thy deserts and notice? Numbers 16:9; Isaiah 7:13. is there any secret thing with thee] Rather, and a word that dealt gently with thee? The consolations or comforts of God are such as proceed from God and are authorized by Him. Eliphaz so describes his own teaching, e.g. the oracle, ch. Job 4:12 seq., which came directly from God; but also, no doubt, such consoling views of God’s providence as he shewed ch. Job 5:8 seq. In the phrase “a word that dealt gently with thee” he describes the gentle and conciliatory manner of his own first speech. He may include his friends with him in all this, but there runs throughout this discourse an under-current of references to himself.

Are the consolations of God small with thee? - The “consolations of God” here refer probably to those considerations which had been suggested by Eliphaz and his friends, and which he takes to be the

11. Consolations of God — Such as he and his friends administered. Small with thee — Too little for thee, great and “wise in thy own conceit.” Is there any secret thing with thee — Literally, and the word so gentle with thee.