Job 33

Chap. XXXIII. Ver. 1—33. Elihu reasons with Job himself on his presumption in finding fault with God.—Job had repeatedly wished for some one to be his advocate and mediator, or days-man, to lay his hand on both parties, ((Job 9:32), &c.; xvi. 3, &c.) and now, (says Elihu,) “Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I am also formed out of the clay.” He then reminds him of the very improper language he had used, both in justifying himself, and reflecting upon his Maker. In repeating these words in a poem, it is the sense, and not the exact words, that are expected to be quoted. We can hardly look for perfect consistency from a man in Job’s situation; but, in justifying himself against the charges of his friends, he certainly goes very far toward denying that he was a sinner, and so his friends seem to have understood him as well as Elihu; — from other passages it should seem that he meant only to deny his guilt in the crimes particularly engendered against him.

(Comp. (Job 7:20). with (Job 9:30). x. 7, &c.) Job, however, had said, “Behold, he findeth occasions against me: He counteth me for his enemy.” (See (Job 13:24-27).) “Behold: in this (saith Elihu) thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.” — “This is one of those modes of speaking,” says Scott, (the poet,) “which bear much more than is expressed. As if he had said, ‘you talk to God as if he were an equal: but methinks he is somewhat more than us.” Elihu adds, “Why dost thou strive against him?” — Why question the justice or propriety of his conduct? “He giveth not account of any of his matters:” he answereth no interrogatories. Yet God has secret ways of impressing the human mind.

Sometimes in a vision of the night, he admonishes men of danger, and withdraws them from it; or instructs them in the most important truths, as had been stated by Eliphaz, nearly in the beginning of the debate. ((Job 4:12), &c.) At other times he visits men upon the bed of affliction; teaches them to pray to him and confess their sins, and then accepts an atonement—forgives their sins, and restores their health. A passage here occurs of much interest, as it is (and we think justly) referred to the doctrine of atonement by sacrifice, with which it is evident Job was charged from the burnt-offerings which he offered for his children. ((Job 1:5).) We shall give a metrical translation of the two principal verses from Dr.

Boothroyd, with a few remarks. Ver. 23. “If there be sent to him a messenger, An interpreter, one among a thousand, 24. Then will God be gracious to him, and say,: Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have provided an atonement.” The word rendered messenger (literally angel) is, under the Old Testament, applied to prophets, ((Malachi 1:75) iii. 1.) and under the New, to ministers or pastors. ((Revelation 1:20).) The sense therefore appears to be, that when persons are visited with sickness, or any deep personal affliction, and God in his providence sends a prophet, or any man divinely taught, as Elihu represents himself to be, ((Job 32:8), &c,) to instruct him in the will of God, then it is the duty of such “to show unto man his uprightness.”

But this pronoun his, may, we conceive, be referred either to God or man: if the former, it means to justify the character of God, in visiting man with such afflictions, and so to “vindicate the ways of God to man;” or, if the pronoun be referred to man, then it means to point out his path of duty, to repent and humble himself before God. “Then he (God) is gracious,” and issues his command, “Deliver him…. I have found a ransom,”—or (as Dr. Boothroyd renders it,) “provided an atonement.” Recovery from sickness is here represented as the consequence of divine reconciliation: so it was in the case of Job; and though not generally the case, we know that peace of mind often contributes greatly to the restoration of health.

The penitent is here represented, first, as praying to God for pardon and recovery, and as then meeting God with joy and thanksgiving in the assemblies of his saints, for doubtless from the earliest ages saints did thus assemble. (See (Genesis 4:26).) But in the verse following, there is some doubt as to the person speaking: “He looketh upon men,” &c. Our translators, referring it to God, have inserted the words if any; but doubting the propriety of this, have also, in the margin, given a very different turn to the expression; and, taking the words to be those of the sick man himself, they read, “He shall look upon men and say, I have sinned,” &c. Also in the following verse, “He hath delivered my soul from the pit, and my life shall see the light.”

This is language certainly becoming a penitent, and consistent with the following remark of Elihu: “Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man!”—This address to Job concludes with calling upon him to reply, if he had any thing to object to this statement; and as he did not reply, we may fairly infer that it was admitted.