Job 15

Job 15:2

SHould a wise man utter vain knowledge] Heb. knowledge of winde. Art not thou ashamed, who wouldst be counted a wise man, to speak empty words?

fill his belly] Chap. 6. 26.

with the east-winde?] Thy words are not onely empty, like winde, but blasting and blustering, like the east-winde, Hosea 12:1.

Job 15:3

Should he reason with unprofitable talk?] Or, To reason with talk will not profit, chap. 15. 3.

Job 15:4

Yea] Thou speakest not onely words false and hurtfull, but blasphemous.

thou castest off fear] Heb. though makest void. He chargeth Job, that his talk caused men to cast off the fear of God and prayer: for what good comes by them, if God destroy good and bad, as Job had said.

prayer] Or, speech.

Job 15:5

thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity] Thou shewest it in blasphemous words. Or, thy wickednesse teacheth thy mouth, Matth. 12. 3, 4, 35. To wit, to speak such words against God, though thou do it craftily, as if thou spakest nothing amisse of God.

uttereth] Heb. teacheth.

and thou choosest] Or, though thou choosest.

Job 15:7

Art thou the first man] Most ancient, that hast had the experience of all ages?

before the hills] Wilt thou make thy self eternall? Psalms 90:2. Proverbs 8:25.

Job 15:8

Hast thou heard the secret of God?] Romans 11:34. Hast thou been present in Gods eternall counsell, and heard it, that thou cuttest off wisedom from others; and attributest it onely to thy self? Jeremiah 23:18.

Job 15:9

What knowest thou that we know not?] Chap. 13. 2.

Job 15:11

Are the consolations of God small with thee?] Why dost thou despise those divine comforts we have propounded to thee from God?

is there any secret thing with thee?] Some secret conceit of thine own wisedom above ours?

Job 15:12

Why doth thine heart carry thee away?] Beyond the bounds of thy duty toward God?

what do thine eyes wink at] Why dost thou look sowre upon us, mocking what we say, by winking? Psalms 35:19. Proverbs 6:13. and Proverbs 10:10.

Job 15:14

What is man, that he should be clean?] 1 Kings 8. 46. 2 Chron. 6. 36. Chap. 14. 4. Psalms 14:3. Proverbs 20:9. 1 John 1:8. No man can justifie himself before God, nor the angels that fell, much lesse thou, that drinkest iniquity like water, v. 16. Chap. 34. 7.

Job 15:15

Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints] Chap. 4. 18.

Job 15:16

which drinketh iniquity like water?] That commits wickednesse as greedily as a thirsty creature drinks water? Ephesians 4:19.

Job 15:17

that which I have seen, I will declare] 1 John 1:1. Perhaps seen for heard (as smelling for feeling, Job 14:9.) for he saith he heard it, in the next verse. Or else he alludes to the vision before mentioned, chap. 4. 13.

Job 15:18

wise men have told from their fathers] V. 10. Chap. 8. 8.

Job 15:19

Ʋnto whom alone the earth was given] Who by their vertue and wisedom, through Gods blessing, kept their land from war, and so enjoyed it alone.

earth] Or, land.

Job 15:20

The wicked man travelleth with pain all his days] From hence, to the end of the chapter, Eliphaz repeats the words of the ancients.

is hidden to the oppressour] He knows not how little a while he may live, but is always in danger of death.

Job 15:21

a dreadfull sound] Heb. a sound of fears.

in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him] 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

Job 15:22

out of darknesse] Out of that misery he is once fallen into.

Job 15:23

He wandereth abroad for bread] Psal. 59. 16 and 109. 10. God sends poverty upon him.

Job 15:24

Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid] He sheweth what weapons God useth against the wicked, to wit, terrour within, v. 21. and trouble without, as in this verse, Romans 2:9.

Job 15:25

For] Or, Because.

he stretcheth out his hand] As a bold and open enemy, against God, Leviticus 26:21. Numbers 15:30.

Job 15:26

He runneth upon him] Either he means that God invadeth the wicked man by his judgements; or, the wicked man sets upon God by his notorious sins.

Job 15:27

with his fainesse] Because he lived deliciously in worldly pleasures, and glutted himself, he rebelled against God, Deuteronomy 32:15. Psalms 17:10. and Psalms 73:7. and Psalms 119:70. He points at Jobs change of estate, and makes luxury and oppression the causes of his misery.

Job 15:28

he dwelleth in desolate cities] He dwelleth in places that he hath made desolate by oppression.

Job 15:29

He shall not be rich] Because he hath done all this evil, therefore his riches shall be taken away.

Job 15:30

by the breath of his mouth shall he go away] Of Gods mouth, who was spoken of, v. 25. He shall be destroyed by God in his anger, and that easily, chap. 4. 9.

Job 15:31

Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity] Let not a wicked man trust in his wealth, for it shall be brought to nothing.

Job 15:32

It shall be accomplished before his time] His recompence of felicity shall end before his time: he shall die before he need by the course of nature, chap. 22. 16. Psalms 55:24.

accomplished] Or, cut off.

Job 15:33

He shall shake off his unripe grape] Either he means, God shall, or, the wicked man himself.

Job 15:34

the tabernacles of bribery] Psalms 84:10. Houses built and maintained by polling and bribery, as Eliphaz accuseth Job, chap. 22. 8.

Job 15:35

They conceive mischief] Psalms 7:14. Isaiah 59:4. In Hebrew it is, By conceiving. He shews the means whereby their houses perish. He means, that they plot nothing within, nor execute without, but deceit and violence: and this proves the ruine of their families.

vanity] Or, iniquity.