Job 16

Job 16:1-5

This chapter begins Job’s reply to the discourse of Eliphas, 1. He upheards his friends with their united allege of love, ver. 1—5. 2. He represents his own wife at very deplorable upon all accounts, ver. 6—16. 3. He still holds fast his integrity, concerning which he appeals to God’s righteous judgment, from the unrighteous confuses of his friends, ver. 17—22.

1. THEN Job answered and said, 2. I have heard many such things: ‘miserable comforters are ye all. 3. Shall ye vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? 4. I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and ‘shake mine head at you. 5. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief.

Such arguing as Eliphas offered, produced little conviction and less comfort; no wonder therefore Job, insulted and afflicted, retorts sharply the charges his opponent had cast upon him. It was as hard to be patient under such provocation, as to be silent under his sufferings.

1. He is tired of such vain repetition. It was crumple repetition, the bone having strong thrust with the false rough hand. He complains of them all, as miserable comforters, that heightened his anguish by unjust reproaches, instead of pouring in the kind balm of friendly sympathy. He thought it high time for such vain talkers to have done, and counts it insistent and provoking, to have such answers obtruded upon him. Note. (1.) They who send wounded consciences to better obedience, and their own duties for a cure, like Job’s comforters, but exasperate the pain. (2.) All creatures can afford no satisfaction to the soul under a sense of sin, till God speak the pardoning word. (3.) To censure men for sins we cannot prove, and perish in repeating accusations which have been confused and answered, deserves a sharp rebuke.

2. He suggests to them how different a conduct he would have shown them, had they been in his circumstances; and therein justly upheards their cruelty and unkindness. I also could speak, or ought I to speak? ought I to heap up words against you, and shake now head at you, if you were under my calamities? No: far other should be my conduct. ‘I were easy indeed, as you do, to transpire on the miserable, and insult the afflicted, but I would strengthen you with my mouth, suggesting every kind alleviation, mimicking the soft balm of friendly sympathy and consideration, and do enough of my lips should assuage your grief. Note. (1.) Though we cannot remove the afflictions of our friends, we may kindly suggest to them arguments to support them, and by tender sensibility with them, alleviate their sorrows. (2.) If we placed our souls in other’s stead, under their temptations and afflictions, it would teach us both to judge of them more favourably, and to treat them with greater tenderness.

3. Though I speak, my grief is not assuage: and though I forbear, what am I eased? 7. But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company. 8. And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me, beareth witness to my face. 9. He teareth me in his wrath, who haiereth me: he graffeth upon me with his teeth: mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me. 10. They have ‘gaped upon me with their mouth, they have finished me upon the cheek reproachfully, they have gathered themselves together against me. 11. God hath ‘delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. 12. I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and ’let me up for his mask. 13. His archers compels me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. 14. He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon

me like a giant. 15. I have fewed fackcloth upon my skin, and ‘defiled my horn in the stuff. 16. My face is ‘foul with weeping, and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death:

Job 16:6-16

Job’s complaints are still uppermost, and all methods to assuage them are vain: whether he spoke, or was silent, he got no ease from God or man; his prayers returned unanswered: his friends misconstrued his words into guffon, and seem disposed to call his silence fullness. He therefore speaks in the bitterness of his soul.

1. He was weary of his life, deprived now of every comfort, desolate and solitary, bereaved of his family, and forsaken of all those who used to assemble at his house for the worship of God, and his hand evident in his suffering, added bitterness to the cup, v. 7.

2. His body, emaciated with pain and grief, looked like decrepit age, and he appeared a kind of living skeleton; witnesses these of his deep affliction, but cruelly pleaded against him, as proofs of guilt and sin.

3. His enemy, who hated him, with piercing eyes observed him, full of indignation, and tearing him in fury. 7. This enemy may be underflowed of Eliphas, or Nixon, or as the context seems best to suit, of God himself, who appeared in such a terrible character, and of whom he was ready to entertain such hard thoughts. Note. They who have God indeed for their enemy, will be torn in pieces, whilst there is none to deliver them.

4. He was become the object of scorn and contempt, v. 10. and herein a type of Joke. But though like him in scorn, how inferior to him in resignation?

5. He was delivered into the hands of the wicked; the Chaldeans, who robbed him; and his friends, who seemed so set against him; or the wicked one, the devil, whose power to torment him, appeared so absolute.

6. The wrath of God seemed let loose upon him. When at ease a little moment, again saddest the stroke broke into shivers all his comforts; ticked as a child in a giant’s arms, and shook him from limb; set up as the butt of God’s poisoned arrows, and the mark for the world’s country; tremested with the most acute pains, and no intermission of his agonies; living as in the pangs of death, pierced through the liver with a sword, and the gall flowing through the wound; and daily aggravated, and increasing troubles succeeding as breach upon breach, whilst with a giant’s fury, refillish and cruel, God appeared to delight in crushing him under his feet; such sad thoughts his afflicted heart suggested.

7. His humiliation was deep as his affliction; fackcloth was his garb, his glory all departed, his horn in the dust, and tears night and day flowed, till his eyes grew dim with sorrow, as if the shadow of death hung on his eyelids. Note. (1.) It becomes us to humble ourselves, when God’s heavy hand is upon us. (2.) Though we sow in tears as the flowers in seed-time, the harvest of patient suffering shall be joy.

8. ‘Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure. 18. O earth, ‘cover not thou my blood, and ’let my cry have no place. 19. Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high. 20. My friends ‘scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. 21. ‘O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour. 22. When ‘a few years are come, then ‘I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

Job 16:17-22

Though his passionate expressions are to be condemned, Job’s uprightness in general deserves the highest approbation.

1. He can appeal to God that these afflictions came not upon him for any injustice in his hands, as his friends suggested; or for any impiety, in restraining prayer before him, for God knew his integrity to man, as also the purity of his intentions, and the fervency of his devotions, v. 17—19. Note. It is an unspeakable comfort, whatever we suffer, if we can still keep a clear conscience, and take God to record the simplicity of our souls before him.

2. He supports his appeal to God, by a solemn imprecation: If what I say be not true, O earth, cover not thou my blood, let it be shed for dogs to lick; or if there be any secret crime, let it be laid open to the day; and let my cry have no place with God or man. I am content to be condemned of both without mercy.

3. He makes God his recourse in his afflictions, v. 20: a-mind the scorn and insult of his friends, he poured out tears unto him; tears that bespoke his compaillions, tears that pleaded against the unkindness of his accusers. Note. The tears of God’s people are not forgotten, and they who cruelly cauld these tears to fall, shall be recompened.

4. He longs to have an opportunity to plead his cause before God, without dread of the Divine Majority, as a man should for his neighbour, with freedom and unselfish; then he doubted not

Before Christ he should obtain a verdict in his favour, and silence his consortious friends.

5. He comforts himself that the time is short, v. 22. and however now unjustly censured, his character would by and by be cleared up: when the few years of life ended, he should go the way whence he should not return, never come back again to a miserable world, nor be exposed to any of those calamities under which he now groaned. Note, (1.) Death is a journey into a far country, whence we are no more to return; the moments we depart from earth, our eternity is determined for hell or heaven. (2.) The time here is short; happy they who employ it in getting ready for their removal, that when the hour comes, they may have nothing to do but to die.