Job 15:25

For he stretched out his hand against God,.... Being an hater of him, an enemy to him, yea, enmity itself against him; an enemy in his mind, which appears by his wicked works, which are so many acts

For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. Stretcheth ... hand - wielding the spear as a bold rebel against God (Job 9:4; Isaiah 27:4).

Now he gives the reason of all the forementioned calamities which befell him, which was his great wickedness in the time of his peace and prosperity. He stretcheth out his hand against God, i.e. he commonly and customarily sinned against God with a high and out-stretched hand, i.e. boldly and presumptuously, as one that neither desired his favour, nor feared his anger. Strengtheneth himself, i.e. he putteth his forces in array, as if he would fight with him. Against the Almighty; which aggravates the madness of this poor contemptible worm that durst fight against the omnipotent God.

Job 15:25 For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.Ver. 25. For he stretcheth out his hand against God] Worthy therefore to have a dead palsy transfused into it, or dried up, as Jeroboam’ s was, when but stretched out against a prophet; and as Valens the emperor’ s hand was made unable to hold a pen, when he would have subscribed a warrant for the banishing of Basil. Such a giant-like generation there are to this day among men, as face the heavens, cast down the gauntlet against God, Erecto collo valido impetu, arrogantia incurva cervice, saith Brentius upon the text, with stiff necks, full force, and insufferable insolence, as it were on purpose to cross the Almighty, and to wrestle a fall with him; they sin with a high hand, Leviticus 26:21 Numbers 15:30, and do as wickedly as they can, Jeremiah 3:5, yea, with both hands earnestly, Micah 7:3; persecuting his people who are unto him as the apple of his eye, and resisting the Holy Ghost always, Acts 7:51. Surely he would even destroy God if he could, for he hateth him, Romans 1:30, with a hellish hatred, as the word θεοστυγεις there signifieth, such as striketh at God’ s very essence, Psalms 18:40; confer 1 John 3:15. And strengtheneth himself against the Almighty] Sed vanae sine viribus irae. To his sinews of iron he hath added brows of brass, Isaiah 48:4. To his natural crossness habitual hardness and hardiness; so that now, like a stout warrior, he bends all his strength against the Almighty, but with no better success than to be broken in pieces, Isaiah 8:9, with his iron mace, Psalms 2:9, Sennacherib for instance.

(25) For he stretcheth out his hand.—It is instructive to note the difference in time indicated here. “Because he hath stretched out his hand against God. and behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty. He runneth upon Him with haughty neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers; “fully protected as he supposes against the vengeance of the Most High. (Comp. Psalms 10:6; Psalms 10:11, &c.) The English version, with less probability, represents the armour as being God’s; on the contrary, it is the wicked man’s prosperity which hath thus blinded and hardened him. (See Deuteronomy 32:15; Psalms 17:10.)

Verse 25. He stretcheth out his hand against God] While in power he thought himself supreme. He not only did not acknowledge God, by whom kings reign, but stretched out his hand-used his power, not to protect, but to oppress those over whom he had supreme rule; and thus strengthened himself against the Almighty.

17–35. Eliphaz instructs Job regarding the troubled conscience And the Disastrous Fate of the Wicked Man Having sufficiently rebuked Job’s presumption and irreverence Eliphaz proceeds to take up his principles, which “did away with the fear of God,” Job 15:4. They are such principles as Job gave forth ch. Job 9:22 seq., Job 12:6. The passage has two parts:— First, Job 15:17-19, a brief preface, in which Eliphaz states that his doctrine is that of the wise of all times among the pure-blooded races of men, who have never been contaminated by mixture with foreign tribes, and whose traditions are uncorrupted. Second, Job 15:20-35, the doctrine regarding the wicked man itself, in which there are three points: (1) the troubled conscience and presentiments of coming evil that continually haunt the evil man, Job 15:20-24; (2) the cause of this, his defiance of God and sensual life, Job 15:25-28; and (3) finally, a picture of his punishment and disastrous end, Job 15:29-35.

For he stretcheth out his hand against God - The hand is stretched out for battle. It wields the spear or the sword against an enemy. The idea here is, that the wicked man makes God an adversary.

Second strophe — Titans in impiety, they not only rushed madly against God, but fattened themselves upon the ruin of the innocent. If their punishment be aggravated it springs from aggravated sin, Job 15:25-30.25.