Job 34

Job 34:2

Are - Are those comforts, which we have propounded to thee on condition of thy repentance, small and contemptible in thine eyes? Secret - Hast thou any secret and peculiar way of comfort which is unknown to us, and to all other men?

Job 34:3

Why - Why dost thou suffer thyself to be transported by the pride of thine heart, to use such unworthy expressions? Wink - Why dost thou look with such an angry, supercilious, and disdainful look?

Job 34:4

Against God - Eliphaz here does in effect give the cause on Satan’s side, and affirms that Job had done as he said he would, Curse God to his face.

Job 34:6

Saints - In his angels, chap.4:18, who are called his saints or holy ones, Deuteronomy 33:2 Psal 103:20. Who though they were created holy, yet many of them fell. Heavens - The angels that dwell in heaven; heaven being put for its inhabitants. None of these are pure, simply and perfectly, and comparatively to God. The angels are pure from corruption, but not from imperfection.

Job 34:7

Who - Who besides his natural proneness to sin, has contracted habits of sinning; and sins as freely, as greedily and delightfully, as men, especially in those hot countries, drink up water.

Job 34:8

I - I will prove what I have affirmed, that such strokes as thine are peculiar to hypocrites. Seen - I speak not by hear - say, but from my own experience.

Job 34:9

Hid - They judged it to be so certain and important a truth, that they would not conceal it in their own breasts.

Job 34:10

To whom - By the gracious gift of God: this he alleges to make their testimony more considerable, because these were no obscure men, but the most worthy and famous men in their ages; and to confute what Job had said, chap.9:24, that the earth was given into the hand of the wicked. By the earth he means the dominion and possession of it. Stranger - No person of a strange nation and disposition, or religion. Passed - Through their land, so as to disturb, or spoil them, as the Sabeans and Chaldeans did thee. God watched over those holy men so, that no enemy could invade them; and so he would have done over thee, if thou hadst been such an one.

Job 34:11

Pain - Lives a life of care, and fear, and grief, by reason of God’s wrath, the torments of his own mind, and his outward calamities. Hidden - He knows not how short the time of his life is, and therefore lives in continual fear of losing it. Oppressor - To the wicked man: he names this one sort of them, because he supposed Job to be guilty of this sin, in opposition of what Job had affirmed of the safety of such persons, chap.12:6, and because such are apt to promise themselves a longer and happier life than other men.

Job 34:12

A sound - Even when he feels no evil, he is tormented with perpetual fears. Come upon him - Suddenly and unexpectedly.

Job 34:13

Believeth not - When he falls into trouble, he despairs of deliverance, by reason of his guilty conscience. Waited for - Besides the calamity which is upon him, he is in constant expectation of greater; the sword is used for any grievous affliction.

Job 34:14

Knoweth - From his own guilty conscience.

Job 34:16

For - Now he gives the reason of all the fore - mentioned calamities, which was his great wickedness. Against God - He sinned against God with an high hand. The Almighty - Which aggravates the madness of this poor worm that durst fight against the omnipotent God.

Job 34:17

He - The wicked man. Neck - As a stout warrior who cometh close to his adversary and grapples with him. He acts in flat opposition to God, both to his precepts and providences. Bosses - Even where his enemy is strongest.

Job 34:18

Because - This is mentioned as the reason of his insolent carriage towards God, because he was fat, rich, potent, and successful, as that expression signifies, Deuteronomy 32:15 Psal 78:31 Jeremiah 46:21. His great prosperity made him proud and secure, and regardless of God and men. Fat - His only care is to pamper himself.

Job 34:19

But - This is fitly opposed to the prosperity last mentioned, and is the beginning of the description of his misery.

Job 34:20

Substance - What he had gotten shall be taken from him.

Job 34:21

Depart - His misery shall have no end. Flame - God’s anger and judgment upon him. Branches - His wealth, and power, and glory, wherewith he was encompassed, as trees are with their branches. His mouth - And this expression intimates, with how much ease God subdueth his enemies: his word, his blast; one act of his will is sufficient. Go - Heb. go back: that is, run away from God faster than he ran upon him, ver.26. So it is a continuation of the former metaphor of a conflict between two persons.

Job 34:22

Vanity - In the vain and deceitful things of this world, he subjoins a general caution to all men to take heed of running into the same error and mischief. Vanity - Disappointment and dissatisfaction, and the loss of all his imaginary felicity. Recompence - Heb. his exchange; he shall exchange one vanity for another, a pleasing vanity for a vexatious vanity.

Job 34:23

Accomplished - That vanity should be his recompence. Before - When by the course of nature, and common providence he might have continued much longer.

Job 34:29

Such things - These things are but vulgar and trivial. And so are all creatures, to a soul under deep conviction of sin, or the arrest of death.

Job 34:30

End - When wilt thou put an end to these impertinent discourses? He retorts upon him his charge, chap.15:2,3.

Job 34:34

He - God, as appears by the following words. Weary - Either of complaining, or, of my life. Desolate - Hast turned my society into desolation, by destroying my children and servants.

Job 34:36

Eyes - Looks upon me with a fierce, and sparkling eye, as enraged persons use to do.

Job 34:37

They - My friends. Gaped - Opened their mouths wide against me. In all this Job was a type of Christ. These very expressions are used in the predictions of his sufferings, Psal 22:13. They gaped upon me with their mouths, and Micah 5:1. They shall smite the judge of Israel upon the check.