Job 4 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Bible Commentaries - StudyLight.org (2024)

Lectionary Calendar

Thursday, November 28th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

Attention!

For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Introduction

CHAPTER 4

:-. FIRST SPEECHOF ELIPHAZ.

Verse 1

1. Eliphaz—the mildest ofJob's three accusers. The greatness of Job's calamities, hiscomplaints against God, and the opinion that calamities are proofs ofguilt, led the three to doubt Job's integrity.

Verse 2

2. If we assay to commune—Rather,two questions, "May we attempt a word with thee? Wilt thou begrieved at it?" Even pious friends often count that only a touchwhich we feel as a wound.

Verse 3

3. weak hands— Isaiah 35:3;2 Samuel 4:1.

Verse 5

5. thou art troubled—rather,"unhinged," hast lost thy self-command ( :-).

Verse 6

6. Is not this thy fear, thyconfidence, c.—Does thy fear, thy confidence, come to nothing?Does it come only to this, that thou faintest now? Rather, bytransposition, "Is not thy fear (of God) thy hope? and theuprightness of thy ways thy confidence? If so, bethink thee, who everperished being innocent?" [UMBREIT].But Luke 13:2 Luke 13:3shows that, though there is a retributive divine governmenteven in this life, yet we cannot judge by the mere outwardappearance. "One event is outwardly to the righteous andto the wicked" (Ecclesiastes 9:2);but yet we must take it on trust, that God deals righteously even now(Psalms 37:25; Isaiah 33:16).Judge not by a part, but by the whole of a godly man's life, and byhis end, even here (James 5:11).The one and the same outward event is altogether a different thing inits inward bearings on the godly and on the ungodly even here. Evenprosperity, much more calamity, is a punishment to the wicked (James 5:11- :). Trials are chastisements for their good (to the righteous)(Psalms 119:67; Psalms 119:71;Psalms 119:75). See Preface on theDESIGN of this book (seePsalms 119:75- :).

Verse 8

8. they that plough iniquity . . .reap the same— (Proverbs 22:8;Hosea 8:7; Hosea 10:13;Galatians 6:7; Galatians 6:8).

Verse 9

9. breath of his nostrils—God'sanger; a figure from the fiery winds of the East (Job 1:16;Isaiah 5:25; Psalms 18:8;Psalms 18:15).

Verse 10

10, 11. lion—that is, wickedmen, upon whom Eliphaz wished to show that calamities come in spiteof their various resources, just as destruction comes on the lion inspite of his strength (Psalms 58:6;2 Timothy 4:17). Five different Hebrewterms here occur for "lion." The raging of the lion (thetearer), and the roaring of the bellowing lion and theteeth of the young lions, not whelps, but grown upenough to hunt for prey. The strong lion, the whelps of thelioness (not the stout lion, as in English Version)[BARNES and UMBREIT].The various phases of wickedness are expressed by this variety ofterms: obliquely, Job, his wife, and children, may be hinted at bythe lion, lioness, and whelps. The one verb, "are broken,"does not suit both subjects; therefore, supply "the roaring ofthe bellowing lion is silenced." The strong lion dies ofwant at last, and the whelps, torn from the mother, are scattered,and the race becomes extinct.

Verse 12

12. a thing—Hebrew, a"word." Eliphaz confirms his view by a divine declarationwhich was secretly and unexpectedly imparted to him.

a little—literally, "awhisper"; implying the still silence around, and that more wasconveyed than articulate words could utter (Job 26:14;2 Corinthians 12:4).

Verse 13

13. In thoughts from the visions ofthe night—[So WINER].While revolving night visions previously made to him ( :-). Rather, "In my manifold (Hebrew, divided)thoughts, before the visions of the night commenced";therefore not a delusive dream ( :-) [UMBREIT].

deep sleep— (Genesis 2:21;Genesis 15:12).

Verse 16

16. It stood still—At firstthe apparition glides before Eliphaz, then stands still, but withthat shadowy indistinctness of form which creates such an impressionof awe; a gentle murmur: not (English Version): there wassilence; for in 1 Kings 19:12,the voice, as opposed to the previous storm, denotes a gentle, stillmurmur.

Verse 17

17. mortal man . . . a man—TwoHebrew words for "man" are used; the first implyinghis feebleness; the second his strength. Whether feeble or strong,man is not righteous before God.

more just than God . . . morepure than his maker—But this would be self-evident without anoracle.

Verse 18

18. folly—Imperfection is tobe attributed to the angels, in comparison with Him. The holiness ofsome of them had given way ( :-), and at best is but the holiness of a creature. Folly is thewant of moral consideration [UMBREIT].

Verse 19

19. houses of clay— ( :-). Houses made of sun-dried clay bricks are common in theEast; they are easily washed away ( :-). Man's foundation is this dust ( :-).

before the moth—rather,"as before the moth," which devours a garment (Job 13:28;Psalms 39:11; Isaiah 50:9).Man, who cannot, in a physical point of view, stand before the verymoth, surely cannot, in a moral, stand before God.

Verse 20

20. from morning toevening—unceasingly; or, better, between the morning andevening of one short day (so Exodus 18:14;Isaiah 38:12).

They are destroyed—better,"they would be destroyed," if God withdrew Hisloving protection. Therefore man must not think to be holy beforeGod, but to draw holiness and all things else from God(Job 4:17).

Verse 21

21. their excellency— (Psalms 39:11;Psalms 146:4; 1 Corinthians 13:8).But UMBREIT, by anOriental image from a bow, useless because unstrung: "Theirnerve, or string would be torn away." MICHAELIS,better in accordance with Job 4:19,makes the allusion be to the cords of a tabernacle taken down(Isaiah 33:20).

they die, even withoutwisdom—rather, "They would perish, yet not according towisdom," but according to arbitrary choice, if God were notinfinitely wise and holy. The design of the spirit is to show thatthe continued existence of weak man proves the inconceivable wisdomand holiness of God, which alone save man from ruin [UMBREIT].BENGEL shows fromScripture that God's holiness (Hebrew, kadosh) comprehends allHis excellencies and attributes. DEWETTE loses the scope, inexplaining it, of the shortness of man's life, contrasted with theangels "before they have attained to wisdom."