Job 6

Job 6:1-7

Elphias concluded his discourse with an air of affluence, as if what he had said was in plain and pertinent, that nothing could be objected in answer to it. But Job, dissatisfied with all he had said, still inflict himself in his complaints, and condense him for the weakness of his arguing. 1. He shews that he had just only to complain, ver. 1-7. 2. He continues his judgment with, to be eased of all his miseries by death, ver. 8-13. 3. He reproves his friends for their uncharitable censures of him, and the unkind treatment they gave him, ver. 14-30. It must be warned that Job in all this spoke a deal of reason, but with a mixture of passion and human infirmity: And in this context, as indeed in most contexts, there was fault on both sides.

4 Hab. Lifted up. 6 Prov. serv. 7. 8 Phil. Dated: 4. Or holden. 1 Deed. 2ard. 15. Phil. served. 3. 4 Ibid. Dated: 15. 16.

1. BUT Job answered and said, 2. Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity said in the balances together! 3. For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words are swallowed up. 4. For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my Spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in aray against me. 5. Doth the wild as bray when he hath grass? or howeth the ox over his fodder? 6. Can that which is unfavoury be castes without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg? 7. The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

Having heard with patient attention the discourse of Elphias, however piercing and unjust some of the reflections must appear, Job, far from being convinced by his reasoning, replies with warmth to his argument.

1. He willers for a more impartial balance than his censorious friends seemed inclined to afford him; who lighted the weight of those calamities they did not feel, and blamed him as aggravating his troubles, the heaviness of which, words were wanting to express, and the half of it he could not tell, whilst fighting and tears flopped his utterance, or as the expression, v. 3. may be rendered, therefore my words boil up, through the anguish he felt within. Nate, (1.) They who are at each themselves, are often partial judges of others complaints. (2.) We recommend that advice as easy and obvious to others, that, if in their case, we might ourselves find exceeding difficult, if not impracticable.

2. He complains of what they could not see, v. 4. the inward anguish of his soul. His outward trials were heavy as the sand, and as numerous, but his inward pangs far more deadly. Like poisoned arrows, the wrath of God, which he read in these afflictions, drank up his Spirit, and sunk him almost into despair, whilst what he feared added to what he felt; he saw God marshalling his terrors against him, and who could tell where they would end. Nate, (1.) Of all our evils, a sense of God’s wrath is most intolerable: a wounded spirit who can bear? (2.) If in the agonies of pain a hasty expression may not be justified, they should plead with us its excuse.

3. He vindicates himself in his complaints; under which, to be silent, would prove him more infirmable than the most stupid animals. Doth the wild as bray when he hath grass? or howeth the ox over his fodder? no; but when deprived of these, the very health will complain. Now all his comforts were perished; the food that in time past he would not have designed to touch, was become his sorrowful meat, inflict, without a grain of salt, and tasteless as the white of an egg, or his spirits; or more probably he means, the admonitions and reproof of Elphias were so cautious to him, as the bitter mouth he touched; and more unfavoury than the most inflicted food, being so way suited to his case and condition, and therefore disinclined and rejected. Nate, (1.) There is no virtue in infirmability. (2.) When we know not to what strain we may be reduced, it is

good betimest to avoid all nicety of dies, which tends only to hamper the appetite, and will add peculiar bitterness in any day of future want.

8. O that I might have my request! and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! 9. Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand and cut me off. 10. Then should yet have comfort, yea, I would harden myself in sorrow; let him not spare, for I have not concealed the words of the holy One. 11. What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? 12. Is my strength the strength of it stones? or is my flesh of brash? 13. Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?

Job 6:6

16. Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid: 17. What time they was warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. 18. The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish. 19. The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them. 20. They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither and were ashamed. 21. For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.

17. 14—21. Eliphas, in the name of the left, had accused him of hypocrisy: with greater evidence he retorts the charge, from their cruel conduct, who, instead of friendly conductors, had turned accusers and tormentors.

18. He pleads his just expectations from them. Pity, at least, he might have expected; and if they could not remove his forerow, their friendly compositions, in sympathising with his griefs, should have bought at least to alleviate them. Note, The bosom of true friendship is the seat of tenderness. Though relief is not in our power, the kind enquiry, the oblivious attention, the soft look of pity, and the sympathetic tear, speak the desires of the faithful heart.

19. He charges Eliphas and his abettors with cruel unkindness, and disappointing his just expectations, wherein they shewed as much disregard to the fear of God, as faithlesses to their friend. Like brooks swish by the melted snow and ice in winter, their professions in the days of his prosperity were great; but now the scorching sun is risen, their dreams deceitfully disappear. The travellers that eyed before the rolling flood, came, roared with journeying, eager to quench their raging thrift: the troops of Tema and Sheba, the caravans of merchants, expected with earnest solicitude to discover the welcome event, and waited patiently, in hope that there at least they should find water for themselves and fainting eames; but lo! there hope is vanished; no drop remains amidst the burning sands; the brook is dry, and terrible disappointment covers them. Such were the friends of Job, falling him when he wanted their kind help, and deceitful as these vanishing streams. For now ye are nothing, afford me not the least relief in my distress: ye for my rafting deurs under these afflictions, and are afraid to patronize my cause, as if these strokes bespoke the judgments of the Almighty; or that he should burthen them for a maintenance, or should infect them with his disease, or offend them with its nauseous smell. Note, (1.) It is a bitter trial to find a friend, on whom we depended, faithless. (2.) The world is full of disappointments; the more we cease from man, and expect our whole comfort from the friend of sinners, the furor will be our portion. (3.) We shall, sooner or later, find all creature-condience nothing, yea, less than nothing, and vanity; and when we are thus allured, what folly to place our hope on any thing below!

20. Did I say, Bring unto me? or give a reward for me of your substance? 23. Or deliver me from the enemies hand? or redeem me from the hand of the mighty? 24. Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. 25. How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove? 26. Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind? 27. Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and you dig a pit for your friend. 28. Now therefore be content, look upon me, for it is evident unto you, if I lie. 29. Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it. 30. Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?

21. 22—30. Job goes on to vindicate himself, and to upbraid the unkindness of his friends.

22. Reduced as he was, he had not been troublesome or impetuous with them, either to relieve him out of their abundance, or to vindicate his conduct, or to make reprisals for him on the Sabreans and Chaldeans; and having given no provocations to use him ill, their accusations were the more aggravated. Note, (1.) The impetunity of want often provokes the abode of the uncharitable. (2.) Though a good man, when God so pleases to reduce him, is not too proud to beg, yet, whilst he is able to work, or a pittance remains, he will not be hurtless, and rather will decline the proffers of his friends, than weary out their generosity.

23. Though he could not call folly wisdom, he professes himself, however unkindly treated, open to conviction if he had erred, v. 24, and humbly ready in silence to attend the soror of right words; but theirs were neither right nor hopeless, nor did their arguing fix on him reproof or conviction: their supplications were groundless, and their conclusions false. Note,

(1.) They are the truly wise, who are open to reason, and are not ashamed to see wherein they have erred. (2.) It is a bad cause that needs abude to support it; and it weakens a good one, to use heat or ill language. Arguments clothed with kindness, like the razor set in oil, cut deepest with least pain.

3. He urges the cruelty of catching at a passionate word, which in his pretext desperate situation might drop from him, yet was far from proving him infremes or wicked. In his deloade situation they not only bore him down, already as the fatherless overwhelmed with sorrow, but digged a pit for their friend; pretended to come to comfort him, and seemed to labour only to reassign him in his talk, and to watch for a raft expression, on which to spend their unkind reproof. Note, (1.) We must make allowances for a man’s situation, and not be severe censurers of every baby word, or wrong step. (2.) To add oppression and insult to the afflictions of the poor, is doubly criminal.

4. He maintains warmly his integrity, to his vindication of which he begs them to give a patient hearing. Be extinct to stay a moment; And upon me; does my countenance betray the consciousness of shame, or blush of guilt? For it is evident to you, if I lie; you would soon discover it, if it were to. Return, I pray you, to kinder sentiments of me; or perhaps they rose to depart, and he begs a patient audience: let it not be iniquity, or, there is no iniquity, none such as they charged him with; you, return again, my righteousness is in it. In the whole of his cause, and the pretext controversy, he doubted not but to prove himself blameless of every accusation. Is there iniquity in my tongue? No; I have spoken the truth. Cannot my taste discern perverse things? Yea; he had the clearest exercise of his reason, was able to maintain his uprightness, and discover the fallacy of their arguments. Note, (1.) We are bound to give every man a patient hearing. (2.) Truth is a mighty weapon, when weighed by the weakest arm. (3.) They who have a good cause will never shun the light, but court enquiry.

Job 6:8-13

These are among the words that Job will wish unsaid, and deserve all the rebuke of impatience that Elphias hath bestowed: so hard it is, when the spirit is ruffled, for a good man to refrain from the speech of perverseness. We have here,

1. Job’s impatient wish and prayer for his immediate dissolution, O that I might have my request! as if the boon was wondrous great; and what is this thing he longs for? why, that God would make an end of him, let loose his arm, and by one stroke put a period to his days of misery: a bad wish, and a worse prayer; but God is kinder to us than we are to ourselves, and therefore mercifully refuses to grant our sinful and hasty requests. Nate, (1.) However irksome our present state may be, we may not think of ridding ourselves of our troubles, but wait till our change comes. (2.) Through our folly at times, our very prayers are turned into sin.

2. Though he is wrong in his raft desire, he expresses a gracious hope in death, Then should I have comfort, the prospect of its approach should be my joy, and after death I should enter into everlasting felicity. Yea, could I be this wished-for hour, though death approached with all its terrors, I would harden myself in sorrow, and stand unmoved under the shock; or as the words may be rendered, though I should be burnt with pain, and every soul burts forth into a desire to continue me, let him not spare; so he slay me, I am content to suffer every excruciating pang of torment: surely this also is his infirmity. His faith in the prospect of death is commendable; his defiance of suffering, and hardening himself in sorrow, is blamable: thus corruption is apt to mix with all we say and do. Nate, (1.) Death to a believer is a consummation devoutly to be wished for; only though willing to be gone, let him contentedly wait the Lord’s leisure. (2.) To harden ourselves against affliction, is to disappoint the design of God’s corrections, and would prove not our fortitude but oblivious.

3. He produceth the reason why he wished to die: I have not concealed the words of the holy One; far from being conscious of unfaithfulness or hypocrisy, as was suggested, his conscience bore him witness in the Holy Ghost, that he had ever embraced, profaned, and propagated, even in the midst of that idolatrous generation, those doctrines of truth which God had revealed to him, and therefore he dared appear at his bar, unterrified at the fears of judgment, and humbly confident of gracious acceptance. Nate, (1.) A good conscience gives boldness in the day of judgment. (2.) The truths we know and believe, we must profete, own, and seek to inculcate, however such profession and zeal for God may make us obnoxious to a wicked world.

4. He rejects the consolations Elphias proposed to him, as what in his present state were vain chimneys; what is my strength, that I should hope to see a restoration of my health and vigour? or what is my end, what purpose would it answer, now all my comforts are gone, that I should prolong my life? Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh brass? to bear up under a weight of troubles in numerous, and inappropriately heavy. Nate, (1.) Dejected hearts are ready to preach to themselves despair, and refuse to be comforted. (2.) Though our own strength is very weakneck, yet there is help said on one mighty to save, and we can do or suffer all things, Christ strengthening us. (3.) Whilst God is pleased to prolong our lives, we may be assured he hath some end for his own glory to answer, though we may think ourselves useless.

5. He desires them not to despair his reasoning, as if his misfortunes had affected his understanding: Is not my help in me, we defame? am I not still able to maintain my cause? and is wisdom driven quite from me? No: Though my body suffers, my faculties are unimpaired, and I can support myself in the consciousness, that reason and argument are on my side. Nate, It is a mercy under every affliction, that our understanding continues unclimated.

6. To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. 15. My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away:

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