Job 22:23

If thou return to the Almighty,.... Which supposes a departure from him; and that is by sinning against him, which should be repented of, confessed, and pardoning grace and mercy be implored, by all

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. Built up - anew, as a restored house. Thou shalt put away - rather, if thou put away (Michaelis).

To the Almighty; or, home to the Almighty; or, so as to reach to the Almighty, and be joined to him. The Hebrew phrase is extraordinary, and emphatical, and implies a thorough and effectual turning not only from sin, (which a hypocrite may do in great part, at least for a time, upon carnal motives, and without any respect or love to God,) but also unto God, so as to love him, and cleave to him, and sincerely devote a man’ s self to his fear and service. And he expresseth it in this manner, because he thought Job to be a hypocrite, and therefore counselleth him to turn to God in another and better manner than he had done, to wit, with all his heart, and not feignedly. Thou shalt be built up; God, who hath pulled thee down in thy estate, and honour, and children, will repair thy ruins, and give thee more children, which is oft called building; ; and bless thee with prosperity and happiness, as building signifies, 31:4. Thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles: this may be either, 1. A condition, upon which God makes the following promises, If (which particle may be repeated out of the former part of the verse) thou shalt put away, &c., i.e. if thou shalt effectually purge thyself and family from all sin, and keep thyself and them, as far as thou canst, from all appearances and occasions of sin, which is the duty of all, and the practice of true penitents; whereby he seems to reflect upon Job, as if he had been faulty and negligent in the government of himself or children, notwithstanding his sacrificing for them, Job 1. Or rather, 2. A promise, because the conditions required had been expressed together, ,22, and in the beginning of this verse, after which he comes to the promises, and begins with this, thou shalt be built up, and so proceeds to other promises; and therefore it seems not probable that he should return to the conditions again, and mix the conditions and promises together, which he hath so carefully separated in these verses. And so it is either, 1. A spiritual promise, If thou dost sincerely repent, God will give thee more grace effectually to reform thyself and family, according to that rule, To him that hath shall be given. Or, 2. A temporal promise, Thou shalt put away iniquity, or injury, or perverseness, (i.e. either perverse and injurious men; or God’ s judgments, or the punishments of thy sins; as iniquity is very oft used,) far from thy tabernacles, i.e. from all thy dwellings, and tents, and possessions; no hand of violence shall come near them, no evil plague shall come upon thy own habitation, or upon the habitations of thy children, as lately it did for thine and their sins.

Job 22:23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.Ver. 23. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up] By sin men run from God, by repentance they return to him. Break off thy sins by repentance, and put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle (for iniquity and repentance cannot cohabit, and he is no true penitentiary that reformeth not his family, that setteth not up God wherever he hath to do), so shalt thou be built up; that is, thou shalt be restored, and all thy losses in wealth and children shall be made up again; prorsus erigeris qui iam collapsus es; thou, who art now down on all fours, shalt be new set up, and made to stand in thy former strength. Only thou must return usque ad Omnipotentem, all out as far as to the Almighty, thou must not give the half turn only, as hypocrites do, but with thy whole heart; and as Joe 2:12. Thus Eliphaz discourseth very well and handsomely of the business in hand; only he was out in this, that he looked upon Job as an impenitent person, and upon his family as ill ordered. As, also, in that he conceived that true repentance is ever rewarded with outward and inward prosperity; whereas a penitent person may continue under crosses, though God will surely save the humble, as he saith afterwards, Job 22:29, and repentance can turn crosses into comforts; and, like the philosopher’ s stone, make golden afflictions, 1 Peter 1:7. As scarlet pulls out the teeth of a serpent, so this takes away the sting of a judgment. As wine draweth a nourishing virtue from the flesh of vipers, &c.

(23) Thou shalt put away iniquity.—All this implies the imputation of apostasy and iniquity to Job.

Verse 23. Thou shalt be built up] God will restore thee to thy wonted state of prosperity; and thou shalt again have a household, not only of servants, but of children also. So much may be Implied in the words, Thou shalt be BUILT UP. See my sermon on Job 22:21-23.

23. built up] i. e. probably rebuilt, or, restored. thou shalt put away] Or, if thou put away. The words take up “if thou return” of the first clause.

If thou return to the Almighty - Assuming that he was an impenitent sinner, and wholly unreconciled to him.

23. To the Almighty — òã; even to — close up to. “Job need not despair of coming, through penitence, again close up to his offended Creator.” — Bernard.