Job 33:29

Lo, all these [things] worketh God oftentimes with man. This is a summary or recapitulation of what goes before, from Job 33:15; God is an operating Being, he is always at work in a providential way:

Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, Hebrew margin, etc., twice (and) thrice, alluding to Job 33:14 : once by visions, Job 33:15-17; secondly, by afflictions, Job 33:19-22; now by

All these ways and methods doth God use to awaken, and convince, and save sinners. Oftentimes with man; either severally, one way with one, and another way with another; or with the same man, trying several means one after another to bring him to repentance, and prepare him for deliverance.

Job 33:29 Lo, all these [things] worketh God oftentimes with man,Ver. 29. Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes] Heb. twice, thrice; such is his patience, that he trieth all conclusions, as it were, and beareth long with men’ s evil manners; one while casting them down, and making them believe he will pitch them into hell; and another while raising them up again, and restoring them, that if nothing will do he may pay them all at once for the new and the old, as he did Ahab, and Pharaoh, and Nineveh, because they despised "the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing," or not weighing, "that the goodness of God should have led them to repentance," Romans 2:4-5. Woe be to him that will not be warned at the first, second, or third time! See Amos 1:3; Amos 2:1, &c., R. Solomon would thence infer, That God pardoneth a man only thrice; and then if he take not warning, to hell he must; and this he thinketh to be Elihu’ s meaning here. But this is to limit the Holy One of Israel, who multiplieth pardon, as we multiply sin, Isaiah 55:7, and further addeth, for our comfort, Job 33:8, that his thoughts are not our thoughts, nor his ways our ways; but as the heavens are higher than the earth, &c. We are apt to measure God by our models, to cast him into a dishonourable mould, and to think him like ourselves in mercy, power, and other of his attributes. Xenophanes was wont to say, that if the creatures were put to paint the Creator, they would surely conceit him to be like themselves, because a creature cannot think of anything higher than a creature. So deal we for the most part with Almighty God. But he is God and not man; he is Jehovah that changeth not, neither is there any God like unto him for pardoning iniquity, not once, but often, Micah 7:18-19; see the note there. He who commandeth us to forgive an offending brother seventy times seven times in a day, if he say, It repenteth me, what will not himself do in such a case?

Verse 29. Lo, all these things worketh God] God frequently uses one, or another, or all of these means, to bring men, גבר gaber, stout-hearted men, who are far from righteousness, to holiness and heaven. Oftentimes] פעמים שלש paamayim shalosh, "three times over;" or as פעמים paamayim is by the points in the dual number, then it signifies twice three times, that is, again and again; very frequently. Blessed be God!

29, 30. Elihu sums up his doctrine regarding the gracious purpose and effect of God’s methods of speaking unto man.

Lo, all these things worketh God - That is, he takes all these methods to warn people, and to reclaim them from their evil ways. Oftentimes - Hebrew as in the margin, twice, thrice.

The Conclusion — ELIHU THE END OF ALL DIVINE TO BE THAT IN THE SECOND OF THE THREE MODES HE HAS . This section serves not only as an epilogue, but as a transition to the second discourse, Job 33:29-33.29.