Job 36

Elihu goeth on, demonstrating Gods righteousness, v.1. etc. Which he doth by the rehearsal of the rehearsal of other properties, and operations of God, 5. From the end of the same, 9. He applieth this relation to Jobs case, 16. Whom he reproveth and threateneth with the wrath of God, 17. Exhorteth him to repentance, 20. And to the magnifying of Gods works, 24. Whereof he produceth same, 27.

1. Elihu went of yet, and said;

2. Wait a little on me, and I shall shew thee, that there are yet reasons for God. [Or, words, containing strong reasons, to maintain Gods righteousness.]

3. I shall fetch up my sense from far: [i.e. from high or great matters, viz. From the nature, properties and works of God.] and assign [Heb. Give] righteousness to my Creator. [Heb. Worker, i.e. Creator or Maker, Comp.ab.4.on 17.]

4. For in truth my words shall be no falsehood: and he that is upright of opinion, is with thee. [Elihu understandeth hereby himself, speaking of himself in the third person, out of Civility, not to be suspected of arrogancy or presumption.]

5. Behold, God is powerful, yet he despiteth not: [viz. Without just cause, see the sequel. As if he had said, Although God be Almighty, that he can do what ever he will, Gen.17.1. and 18.14. Psalms 115:3. yet he is righteous withal, so that he will punish none wrongfully (as Jobs words seemed to infer; above 19.7. and 23.13. and 30.21.) and that because he is mighty not only in his deeds, but likewise in his heart as followeth.] he is mighty in power of the heart. [understand by Gods heart, his will and wisdom, which are of greatest perfection, or perfect in the highest degree.]

6. He suffereth not the wicked to live. [viz. Always, or forever, but putteth him at length to death, and destroyeth him either here or hereafter. Oth. He doth not keep (or preserve,) the life of the wicked.] and he redresseth [Hebrew, giveth] the right of the afflicted.

7. He doth not withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but they are with Kings in the Throne: [The righteous namely; The meaning is, That at last they shall be highly exalted; which is principally fulfilled in the life to come, Compare 1 Samuel 2:8. Psalms 113:7. Oth. With the Kings he (God namely) is by the Throne that he may set them there, etc.] there he setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.

8. And if, being bound in fetters, [Thus the chastisement are called, which God doth send upon the godly, by reason of their sins, to bring them to repentance and amendment. See above 13.27. and below here verse 13. Etc chap.42.10. Psal.107.10.] they are held fast with bonds of misery; [i.e. which bring miseries upon them.]

9. Then he giveth them their work, [i.e. their bad life, whereby they have brought the judgements of God upon them, as the next word declareth] to know [viz. By the same misery and chastisement, that is upon them.] and the same misery and chastiment, that is upon them.] and their transgressions because they have prevailed; [i.e. because they were grown great and manifold.]

10. And he revealeth it (before) their ear unto correction, [i.e. He openeth their understanding, instructeth and converteth them. So also below v.15. see above 33.on v.16.] and saith, [i.e. chargeth and exhorteth them. So above 9.7. See likewise 2 Chr.29.on v.24.] that they should convert themselves from unrighteousness.]

11. If they hear and serve (him) then they shall end their days in the good, [Compare ab.21. and the annotation on v.25.] and their years in pleasantnesses. [i.e. in all prosperity of soul and body. See Psa.36.8,9.]

12. But of they do not hear, then they pass through the sword, [See above 33.on verse 18.] and they give (up) the ghost without knowledge. [i.e. without faith and repentance.]

13. And those that are hypocritical with the heart, [i.e. Those that are unclean, unholy, and false in the spirit, and are not, what they make shew of Matth.23.27,28. Luke 16:15.] lay up wrath: [i.e. gather unto themselves a Treasure of Gods vengeance, Romans 2:5. the word wrath, by it self doth often signify the wrath of God. See 2 Chron.28.on verse 13.] they cry not [i.e. they do not call upon God. For his grace and deliverance: to cry; for earnestly and fervently to pray, Exodus 14:10, 15. Nehemiah 9:9. Psalms 22:3, etc.] when he hath bound them. [i.e. when God hath punished them. Compare above the annotation on verse 8.]

14. Their soul shall die in youth; [i.e. their life shall end in the flower of their years.] and their life among the unclean (or buggering) youth. [understand by this sort of abominable sinners, all the rest. See of these sinners, Deuteron. 23.17. and the annotation.]

15. He [God namely] shall deliver the afflicted in his affliction, and in the oppression shall he reveal it (before) their ear. [i.e. he shall instruct them of, and exhort them unto their duty, as ab.v.10.]

16. So he should likewise have turned the away from the mouth of distress, [i.e. from the violence and extremity of it. For even as wild beasts devour and swallow the prey with their mouths; so doth the violence of oppression a helpless man.] unto enlargement [i.e. unto a fair and open place, where he might have been, without any straightening; [i.e. no perplexity, nor pressure, whereby men are straightened.] and the mess of thy table should have been full of fatness, [i.e. full of varieties and dainties, Oth. Thy table should have been quiet, full of fatness.]

17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgement of the wicked; [i.e. the measure of thy sin, by thine evil and unadvised speaking; which hath merited punishment; Compare above 34.v.8. Judgement is taken here, for righteous punishment; and that for sin, which must be righteously punished.] The judgement, and the right hold thee fast [viz. As guilty of the punishment. Oth. Should the Judgement, and the right support (that)? i.e. maintain it, approve of it?]

18. Because there is indignation; [viz. With God; he being righteous.] (beware) that perhaps he thrust thee not away with a knock: [i.e. with some heavy punishment, to strike the down altogether. Others with clapping together of the hands.] so that a great ransom should not be able to bring thee off. [viz. From under the lash and weight of Gods righteous Judgement.]

19. Should he regard thy Riches, (that thou) shouldst not be in distress? [Oth. Not the gold (it self) nor any strengthenings of power, viz. Shall he regard] or any strengthening of power? [understanding whatsoever men might be able to gather or muster up, for to arm and fence themselves against Gods fierce wrath, and to escape the deserved punishment.]

20. Long not after that night, [Of which Elihu had spoken, above 34.20. i.e. be not desirous, so thoughtfully to enquire and search for the causes of Gods judgements, whereby he rooteth up whole nations sometimes in one night, the good and bad together. Understand thereby, that Job should not be over-curious, neither to pry, into Gods Counsel, why he had cast him, for a small time, out of his prosperity. Some do understand by the night the temporal death and that Job is exhorted not too long for that, seeing the wicked thereby pass over into the eternal. [(when) the nations are taken up from their place: [i.e. are destroyed, rooted out, perished and vanish away. Psalms 102:25.]

21. Beware and turn not thy self to unrighteousness; [or, vanity, iniquity; whereby to find fault with God about his Judgements.] for as much as thou hast chosen it, [i.e. seeing thou hast already embraced this iniquity, as appears by this thy debate, and all the discourses that came from thee.] by reason of the misery. [viz. Which God at this present hath sent thee. Oth. Hast chosen more then misery: i.e. more then the patience, which thou oughtest to have shewed in thy misery.]

22. Behold, God exalteth through his power: [viz. The afflicted i.e. he delivereth them out of their streights, exalt for deliver, Psalms 9:14. & 18.49. Otherw. God exalteth himself, viz. In the whole Government of the World, shewing and magnifying every where and in all kinds, his wonderful wisdom, almighty power, and dreadful Judgements therein] who is a teacher like him? [understand none; and therefore also none is able to teach him, how he should govern the world; which thou, O Job, doest seem to do, or go about by thy complaining against his government.]

23. Who hath set him over his way? [i.e. prescribed him, or set him rules, what he ought to do, the manner and way how he is to work and govern.] or who hast said, thou hast done wrong?

24. Remember that thou magnify his work, [viz. By praising the same, instead of carping or cavilling at any part there of] which men do look upon. [viz. With admiration.]

25. All men look upon it, [viz. Which have any understanding, and make good use thereof.] man beholdeth (it) afar off. [i.e. not perfectly, so that he is able to comprehend but a part of the work, and of the reasons thereof.]

26. Behold, God is great [viz. In his Being, properties and Works; yet here his works are chiefly implied.] and we comprehend it not; [especially in this life where we know but in part, 1 Corinth.13.10.12. Heb. We his years. [viz. Whereby his eternity and infiniteness, might be found out and comprehended by us.]

27. For he draweth up the drops of the water: [Here he produceth some instances of Gods works, whereby to prove his great wisdom and power. By the drops of water, he meaneth those here below, and especially in the Sea. Those God draweth upwards by the damps and vapours that ascend from it into the air, where they gather together, and are turned into clouds: See Gen.2.on v.6.] which power out the rain after his damp: [i.e. after Gods damp, viz. After that God hath made clouds of those vapours, which he had drawn up out of the waters into the air, or according thereafter the damp is, which God drew up out of the waters to be turned into clouds.]

28. Which the clouds power out, [i.e. which rain.] (and) drop down over man abundantly.

29. Can one likewise understand the spreading of clouds, [i.e. How far in length and breadth, and over what places they extend themselves, when they are powering out the rain.] (and) the crackings of his Tent? [viz. Of the Tent of God. Understand thereby the Clouds again, which are called Gods tent or Pavillion. Psalms 18:12. because he seemeth to inhabit there, when he worketh in and by them, through mighty noises, sounds and roarings, that is to say, winds, thunderings tempests, The clouds are likewise for that reason, called Gods chariots, Psal.104.3.]

30. Behold he, [God namely] spreadeth forth his light. [understand the lightening, which God causeth to break forth thorough, and to shoot forth out of the clouds; So below 37.3.15. Some render the word light here rain; and so below 37.11.] over him [viz. Man. Oth. Over that, viz. Cloud.] and he covereth the roots of the Sea. [i.e. the bottom of the Seas, which God maketh the lightening to shine, thorough, that they seem covered over with it in a manner.]

31. For thereby doth he judge the Nations; [i.e. by the clouds, the rain, thundering, lightening, and the like operations in the air, doth he both execute his punishments, and also dispense benefits.] he giveth food in abundance.

32. He [viz. God] covereth the light, [viz. The Sun compare above 17.on v.12. Others understand the lightening] with hands; [understand the clouds, which are compared to flat and open hands or palms, in regard that when first they get up into the clear sky, they do somewhat resemble hands spread abroad. Compare 1 Kings 18:22.] and maketh inhibition to the same, [i.e. forbiddeth the same light of the Sun to shine, i.e. God ordereth and maketh, that the Sun must with-hold her light for time. The Hebrew word in the construction is taken for, forbidding, i.e. commanding, that a thing be not done, Gen.2.16. and 28.6. Isa.5.6. Through that which passeth between. [understand the cloud, which getting between the body of the Sun, and our sight taketh away from us the light or splendour of the Sun. Others read this verse thus. He hideth the flame (viz. Of the lightening) in the palms of his hands, and commandeth the same, what it is to meet with, viz. For to smite, or otherwise to annoy the same.]

33. Thereof, [viz. Of the rain, spoken of above verse 27. And which is chiefly likewise treated of in this place.] his clashing (or rattling) [i.e. Gods thunder, which he causeth many times to be heard, when there is some extraordinary rain at hand.] declareth; [i.e. gives token or warning] (and) the cattle; [as in whom there are some fore-tokens to be observed against stormy or showering weather.] also of the rising damp. [viz. Doth the cattle declare, or giveth tokens of it.]