32:1-22 1So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. 3Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. 4Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. 5When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused.
6So Elihu, the son of Barachel the
Buzite, answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are
very old;
Therefore I
was afraid,
And dared
not declare my opinion to you.
7I said, ‘Age should speak,
And
multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
8But there is a spirit in man,
And the
breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
9Great men are not always wise,
Nor do the
aged always understand justice.
10“Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,
I also will
declare my opinion.’
11Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened
to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.
12I paid close attention to you;
And surely
not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered
his words—
13Lest you say, ‘We
have found wisdom’;
God will
vanquish him, not man.
14Now he has not directed his words
against me;
So I will
not answer him with your words.
15“They are dismayed and answer no
more;
Words
escape them.
16And I have waited, because they did
not speak,
Because
they stood still and answered no more.
17I also will answer my part,
I too will
declare my opinion.
18For I am full of words;
The spirit within me compels me.
19Indeed my belly is like wine that
has no vent;
It is ready
to burst like new wineskins.
20I will speak, that I may find
relief;
I must open
my lips and answer.
21Let me not, I pray, show partiality
to anyone;
Nor let me
flatter any man.
22For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my
Maker would soon take me away.
33:1-33
1“But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen
to all my words.
2Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue
speaks in my mouth.
3My words come from my upright
heart;
My lips
utter pure knowledge.
4The Spirit of God has made me,
And the
breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5If you can answer me,
Set your
words in order before me;
Take your
stand.
6Truly I am as your spokesman before
God;
I also have
been formed out of clay.
7Surely no fear of me will terrify
you,
Nor will my
hand be heavy on you.
8“Surely you have spoken in my
hearing,
And I have
heard the sound of your words, saying,
9‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am
innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
10Yet He finds occasions against me,
He counts
me as His enemy;
11He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches
all my paths.’
12“Look, in this you are not
righteous.
I will
answer you,
For God is
greater than man.
13Why do you contend with Him?
For He does
not give an accounting of any of His words.
14For God may speak in one way, or in
another,
Yet man
does not perceive it.
15In a dream, in a vision of the
night,
When deep
sleep falls upon men,
While
slumbering on their beds,
16Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals
their instruction.
17In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal
pride from man,
18He keeps back his soul from the
Pit,
And his
life from perishing by the sword.
19“Man is also chastened with pain on
his bed,
And with
strong pain in many of his bones,
20So that his life abhors bread,
And his
soul succulent food.
21His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his
bones stick out which once were not seen.
22Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his
life to the executioners.
23“If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator,
one among a thousand,
To show man
His uprightness,
24Then He is gracious to him, and
says,
‘Deliver
him from going down to the Pit;
I have
found a ransom’;
25His flesh shall be young like a
child’s,
He shall
return to the days of his youth.
26He shall pray to God, and He will
delight in him,
He shall
see His face with joy,
For He
restores to man His righteousness.
27Then he looks at men and says,
‘I have
sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it did
not profit me.’
28He will redeem his soul from going
down to the Pit,
And his
life shall see the light.
29“Behold, God works all these
things,
Twice, in
fact, three times with a man,
30To bring back his soul from the
Pit,
That he may
be enlightened with the light of life.
31“Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your
peace, and I will speak.
32If you have anything to say, answer
me;
Speak, for
I desire to justify you.
33If not, listen to me;
Hold your
peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”
34:1-37
1Elihu further answered and said:
2“Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to
me, you who have knowledge.
3For the ear tests words
As the
palate tastes food.
4Let us choose justice for
ourselves;
Let us know
among ourselves what is good.
5“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has
taken away my justice;
6Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is
incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7What man is like Job,
Who drinks
scorn like water,
8Who goes in company with the
workers of iniquity,
And walks
with wicked men?
9For he has said, ‘It profits a man
nothing
That he
should delight in God.’
10“Therefore listen to me, you men of
understanding:
Far be it
from God to do wickedness,
And from
the Almighty to commit iniquity.
11For He repays man according to his
work,
And makes
man to find a reward according to his way.
12Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will
the Almighty pervert justice.
13Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who
appointed Him over the whole world?
14If He should set His heart on it,
If He
should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15All flesh would perish together,
And man
would return to dust.
16“If you have understanding, hear
this;
Listen to
the sound of my words:
17Should one who hates justice
govern?
Will you
condemn Him who is most just?
18Is it fitting to say to a king,
‘You are
worthless,’
And to
nobles,
‘You are
wicked’?
19Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He
regard the rich more than the poor;
For they
are all the work of His hands.
20In a moment they die, in the middle
of the night;
The people
are shaken and pass away;
The mighty
are taken away without a hand.
21“For His eyes are on the ways of
man,
And He sees
all his steps.
22There is no darkness nor shadow of
death
Where the
workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23For He need not further consider a
man,
That he
should go before God in judgment.
24He breaks in pieces mighty men
without inquiry,
And sets
others in their place.
25Therefore He knows their works;
He
overthrows them in the night,
And they
are crushed.
26He strikes them as wicked men
In the open
sight of others,
27Because they turned back from Him,
And would
not consider any of His ways,
28So that they caused the cry of the
poor to come to Him;
For He
hears the cry of the afflicted.
29When He gives quietness, who then
can make trouble?
And when He
hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it
is against a nation or a man alone?—
30That the hypocrite should not
reign,
Lest the
people be ensnared.
31“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have
borne chastening;
I will
offend no more;
32Teach me what I do not see;
If I have
done iniquity,
I will do
no more’?
33Should He repay it according to
your terms,
Just
because you disavow it? You must choose, and not I;
Therefore
speak what you know.
34“Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men
who listen to me:
35‘Job speaks without knowledge,
His words
are without wisdom.’
36Oh, that Job were tried to the
utmost,
Because his
answers are like those of wicked men!
37For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps
his hands among us,
And
multiplies his words against God.”
35:1-16
1Moreover Elihu answered and said:
2“Do you think this is right? Do
you say,
‘My
righteousness is more than God’s’?
3For you say,
‘What
advantage will it be to You?
What profit
shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’
4“I will answer you,
And your
companions with you.
5Look to the heavens and see;
And behold
the clouds—
They are
higher than you.
6If you sin, what do you accomplish
against Him?
Or, if your
transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
7If you are righteous, what do you
give Him?
Or what
does He receive from your hand?
8Your wickedness affects a man such
as you,
And your
righteousness a son of man.
9“Because of the multitude of
oppressions they cry out;
They cry
out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10But no one says,
‘Where is
God my Maker,
Who gives
songs in the night,
11Who teaches us more than the beasts
of the earth,
And makes
us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
12There they cry out, but He does not
answer,
Because of
the pride of evil men.
13Surely God will not listen to empty
talk,
Nor will
the Almighty regard it.
14Although you say you do not see
Him,
Yet justice
is before Him, and you must wait for Him.
15And now, because He has not
punished in His anger,
Nor taken
much notice of folly,
16Therefore Job opens his mouth in
vain;
He
multiplies words without knowledge.”
1Elihu also proceeded and said:
2“Bear with me a little, and I will
show you
That there
are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
3I will fetch my knowledge from
afar;
I will
ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4For truly my words are not false;
One who is
perfect in knowledge is with you.
5“Behold, God is mighty, but
despises no one;
He is
mighty in strength of understanding.
6He does not preserve the life of
the wicked,
But gives
justice to the oppressed.
7He does not withdraw His eyes from
the righteous;
But they
are on the throne with kings,
For He has
seated them forever,
And they
are exalted.
8And if they are bound in fetters,
Held in the
cords of affliction,
9Then He tells them their work and
their transgressions—
That they
have acted defiantly.
10He also opens their ear to
instruction,
And
commands that they turn from iniquity.
11If they obey and serve Him,
They shall
spend their days in prosperity,
And their
years in pleasures.
12But if they do not obey,
They shall
perish by the sword,
And they
shall die without knowledge.
13“But the hypocrites in heart store
up wrath;
They do not
cry for help when He binds them.
14They die in youth,
And their
life ends among the perverted persons.
15He delivers the poor in their
affliction,
And opens
their ears in oppression.
16“Indeed He would have brought you
out of dire distress,
Into a
broad place where there is no restraint;
And what is
set on your table would be full of richness.
17But you are filled with the
judgment due the wicked;
Judgment
and justice take hold of you.
18Because there is wrath, beware lest
He take you away with one blow;
For a large
ransom would not help you avoid it.
19Will your riches,
Or all the
mighty forces,
Keep you
from distress?
20Do not desire the night,
When people
are cut off in their place.
21Take heed, do not turn to iniquity,
For you
have chosen this rather than affliction.
22“Behold, God is exalted by His
power;
Who teaches
like Him?
23Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has
said,
‘You have
done wrong’?
24“Remember to magnify His work,
Of which
men have sung.
25Everyone has seen it;
Man looks
on it from afar.
26“Behold, God is great, and we do
not know Him;
Nor can the
number of His years be discovered.
27For He draws up drops of water,
Which
distill as rain from the mist,
28Which the clouds drop down
And pour
abundantly on man.
29Indeed, can anyone understand the
spreading of clouds,
The thunder
from His canopy?
30Look, He scatters His light upon
it,
And covers
the depths of the sea.
31For by these He judges the peoples;
He gives
food in abundance.
32He covers His hands with lightning,
And
commands it to strike.
33His thunder declares it,
The cattle
also, concerning the rising storm.
37:1-24 1“At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps
from its place.
2Hear attentively the thunder of His
voice,
And the
rumbling that comes from His mouth.
3He sends it forth under the whole
heaven,
His
lightning to the ends of the earth.
4After it a voice roars; He
thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does
not restrain them when His voice is heard.
5God thunders marvelously with His
voice;
He does
great things which we cannot comprehend.
6For He says to the snow,
‘Fall on
the earth’;
Likewise to
the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
7He seals the hand of every man,
That all
men may know His work.
8The beasts go into dens,
And remain
in their lairs.
9From the chamber of the south comes
the whirlwind,
And cold
from the scattering winds of the north.
10By the breath of God ice is given,
And the
broad waters are frozen.
11Also with moisture He saturates the
thick clouds;
He scatters
His bright clouds.
12And they swirl about, being turned
by His guidance,
That they
may do whatever He commands them
On the face
of the whole earth.
13He causes it to come,
Whether for
correction,
Or for His
land,
Or for
mercy.
14“Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still
and consider the wondrous works of God.
15Do you know when God dispatches
them,
And causes
the light of His cloud to shine?
16Do you know how the clouds are
balanced,
Those wondrous
works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?
17Why are your garments hot,
When He
quiets the earth by the south wind?
18With Him, have you spread out the
skies,
Strong as a
cast metal mirror?
19“Teach us what we should say to
Him,
For we can
prepare nothing because of the darkness.
20Should He be told that I wish to
speak?
If a man
were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
21Even now men cannot look at the
light when it is bright in the skies,
When the
wind has passed and cleared them.
22He comes from the north as golden
splendor;
With God is
awesome majesty.
23As for the Almighty, we cannot find
Him;
He is
excellent in power,
In judgment
and abundant justice;
He does not
oppress.
24Therefore men fear Him;
He shows no
partiality to any who are wise of heart.”
Preamble Chapters 32-37
In
this section we are introduced to fourth speaker, Elihu, (who is the youngest of
them all), who throughout Job and his friends’ discourses remained completely silent,
though he listened very intently to them all. And so, with their discourses
ended he will now speak and act as a mediator between Job’s unjust words and
his friend’s groundless condemnation of him. It is to note that only his
discourse draws both parties’ attention to justifying God, and not their
theologies, nor their persons.
Commentary
32:1-9 1So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his
own eyes. 2Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the
Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused
because he justified himself rather than God. 3Also
against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no
answer, and yet had condemned Job. 4Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to
Job. 5When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth
of these three men, his wrath was aroused.
6So Elihu, the son of Barachel the
Buzite, answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are
very old;
Therefore I
was afraid,
And dared
not declare my opinion to you.
7I said, ‘Age should speak,
And
multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
8But there is a spirit in man,
And the
breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
9Great men are not always wise,
Nor do the
aged always understand justice.
Elihu having heard their reasonings, and having waited patiently for them all to finish speaking, will now speak to all that he has heard. Elihu then shows great reverence and wisdom in waiting for Job and his friends to finish their bitter back and forth declarations before he intercedes with his own, for they were his elders and although he did not like what he was hearing from them, (indeed his wrath was aroused because of what he was hearing), nonetheless he kept to proper decorum and waited for them all to finish before he spoke. And unlike Zophar, the second youngest to himself, who couldn’t wait to vent all of his wrath and feelings, and thus begin insulting Job, when his turn to speak finally came around. Elihu refuses to follow his folly, and instead he will first lay out the groundwork for his speaking to them all, by saying:
“I am young in years, and you are very old;
Therefore I
was afraid,
And dared
not declare my opinion to you.
7I said, ‘Age should speak,
And
multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
8But there is a spirit in man,
And the
breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
9Great men are not always wise,
Nor do the
aged always understand justice.” 32:6-9
Elihu’s words here are by far the profoundest that we have yet heard from either Job or his friends. Yes, age should speak first, and elders should teach wisdom; their lives should’ve acquired this for them, and yet that is not always so, as we have now seen. Length of days then does not always equate with having great understanding, nor does agedness automatically equate with understanding justice. For as Elihu rightly says these things are given to us (or not) by God. And so, in every generation there are great men who are not always wise simply because they hold power and authority or privilege over others (in both secular and religious circle's). Same with those revered for their agedness, these too can be very arrogant in their views, stubborn in their ways, and sadly completely unteachable when being advised by those younger in years than themselves, (who may have acquired the wisdom or knowledge that they in their length of days have not), and yet they will not listen to them or heed their counsels when it contravenes their own. Old age then does not inherently affirm one as being either wise or just, this is self evident in every generation, just as having riches does not equate with one being either wise or just.
32:10-22 10“Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,
I also will
declare my opinion.’
11Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened
to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.
12I paid close attention to you;
And surely
not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered
his words—
13Lest you say, ‘We
have found wisdom’;
God will
vanquish him, not man.
14Now he has not directed his words
against me;
So I will
not answer him with your words.
15“They are dismayed and answer no
more;
Words
escape them.
16And I have waited, because they did
not speak,
Because
they stood still and answered no more.
17I also will answer my part,
I too will
declare my opinion.
18For I am full of words;
The spirit
within me compels me.
19Indeed my belly is like wine that
has no vent;
It is ready
to burst like new wineskins.
20I will speak, that I may find
relief;
I must open
my lips and answer.
21Let me not, I pray, show partiality
to anyone;
Nor let me
flatter any man.
22For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my
Maker would soon take me away.
Elihu laving laid the groundwork for his now speaking, now begins by declaring that he listened very attentively to all their words, that he thought about all their reasoning’s, he weighed them and tested them against what he knows to be true. And he so watched and listened to them go back forth with their arguments, until Job’s friends exhausted their own reasonings and they simply ran out of words.
And having patiently listened to them all, Elihu know feels compelled to speak (vs. 18), like Zophar the youngest before him, Elihu also feels compelled to speak, but unlike Zophar, he will not speak in the evil and unjust way as Zophar and his friends did. No Elihu will guide his tongue with wisdom, and he will not show partiality to anyone, to neither Job nor his friends, (simply because they have a greater standing in society then he), nor will he flatter anyone to try to win their favor, (or soften their potential wrath and rebuke), no, Elihu says he will not do so out of his reverent fear of God will not do so, “Else Else my Maker would soon take me away.”
33:1-7 1“But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen
to all my words.
2Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue
speaks in my mouth.
3My words come from my upright
heart;
My lips
utter pure knowledge.
4The Spirit of God has made me,
And the
breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5If you can answer me,
Set your
words in order before me;
Take your
stand.
6Truly I am as your spokesman before
God;
I also have
been formed out of clay.
7Surely no fear of me will terrify
you,
Nor will my
hand be heavy on you.
Elihu thus begins by addressing Job first, for he has observed how badly Job has been wronged by his friends, with their condemning him without any just grounds for their doing so. And so Elihu says to Job that he will speak with an upright heart and with pure knowledge, and thus not to defend a misguided and wrong theology as his friends so fiercely defended theirs which only led to their condemning Job, a blameless man. Rather Elihu will speak as one created by the Spirit of God who also has been give the breath of life by the Almighty, thus not as Job’s "superior" as Job's friends so arrogantly held their "wisdom" over him, nor will he speak as his "inferior", for his being younger than he, but as an equal, a man on par with himself. Therefore, Elihu then says to Job,
“If you can
answer me,
Set your
words in order before me;
Take your
stand.
6Truly I am as your spokesman before
God;
I also have
been formed out of clay.
7Surely no fear of me will terrify
you,
Nor will my
hand be heavy on you.” Vs.
5-7
Elihu than tells Job that he will give Job every chance to reply to him, for he will now speak as Job’s spokesmen before God, for Job longed for someone to intercede on his behalf to God, and so now Elihu says he will be that person, he will be his spokesmen, for he too has been formed out of clay like Job, he too is a mortal man, who sees Job’s pain and distress and thus he does sympathize with him. Therefore, he tells Job not to fear, for he will not be harsh and cruel on him as his friends were (vs. 7).
Vs. 8-33 8“Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have
heard the sound of your words, saying,
9‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am
innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
10Yet He finds occasions against me,
He counts
me as His enemy;
11He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches
all my paths.’
12“Look, in this you are not
righteous.
I will
answer you,
For God is
greater than man.
13Why do you contend with Him?
For He does
not give an accounting of any of His words.
14For God may speak in one way, or in
another,
Yet man
does not perceive it.
15In a dream, in a vision of the
night,
When deep
sleep falls upon men,
While
slumbering on their beds,
16Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals
their instruction.
17In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal
pride from man,
18He keeps back his soul from the
Pit,
And his
life from perishing by the sword.
19“Man is also chastened with pain on
his bed,
And with
strong pain in many of his bones,
20So that his life abhors bread,
And his
soul succulent food.
21His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his
bones stick out which once were not seen.
22Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his
life to the executioners.
23“If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator,
one among a thousand,
To show man
His uprightness,
24Then He is gracious to him, and
says,
‘Deliver
him from going down to the Pit;
I have
found a ransom’;
25His flesh shall be young like a
child’s,
He shall
return to the days of his youth.
26He shall pray to God, and He will
delight in him,
He shall
see His face with joy,
For He
restores to man His righteousness.
27Then he looks at men and says,
‘I have
sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it did
not profit me.’
28He will redeem his soul from going
down to the Pit,
And his
life shall see the light.
29“Behold, God works all these
things,
Twice, in
fact, three times with a man,
30To bring back his soul from the
Pit,
That he may
be enlightened with the light of life.
31“Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your
peace, and I will speak.
32If you have anything to say, answer
me;
Speak, for
I desire to justify you.
33If not, listen to me;
Hold your
peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Elihu now address Job directly, face to face, eye to eye, saying to him that he has heard all of Job’s words, all of his grievances, all that Job has said about how he is being wronged by God, that God counts him as his enemy, even though he has done nothing wrong (vs. 8-11). Now on the surface this is how one may interpret Job’s present circumstances, (for his friends certainly did), and it seems Job himself after his week-long introspection could come to no other conclusion, except that God has now turned on him, (but without cause, as Job only sees himself as being wronged by God), which is in fact his sin. For God wrongs no one. Thus, Job inadvertently, has only gone on to accuse God who is Most Just of being unjust towards him, and thus Job has exalted his own righteousness above His, all which is completely unjustifiable. Now Job did not do this out of irreverence towards God, but out of his own despair. And so, starting in verse twelve Elihu will seek to address this, to get Job to see that he is wrong in both is perception of how God is dealing with him, and how he has responded to His dealing with Him.
Starting in verse twelve Elihu then confronts Job with this, by saying to Job that in this he has not been righteous; (thus Elihu does not call into question the blameless Job’s integrity as his friends so readily and eagerly did); and yet the moment he decided to contend with God, Job went astray. For as Elihu says, God is greater than man, He does not give an accounting of any of His Words to us, for He is God, we are not! For we are accountable to Him, not He to us (vs. 13), something which Job has completely forgotten in his seeking justice for himself. Elihu then goes on to declare to Job how God speaks to men, and yet men may not always perceive it, until He opens their ears to understand and perceive His instruction to them (vs. 12-16). This then harkens back to Job's own complaint about not being able to find Him nor appear before Him, Nonetheless God will later give Job what he has desired but afterwards he will never desire to justify himself before Him again. Now God does this in order to turn man from his deed and kept them back from their pride, so that they do not die in their sins and transgressions, so that they don’t perish by their own foolish choices, or by someone else’s hands (vs. 17-18).
God then is not seeking to destroy people; (as Satan always is); He is in fact always reaching out to save people, and so Elihu reminds Job of this. Elihu goes on then describing the man who chastened with severe pain on his bed and strong pain in his bones; thus, is bound by terrible physical afflictions (as Job is), describing in vivid detail that person’s sufferings and their bodies wasting away as another means by which the Lord seeks to speak to people, yes even as they draw near to death (vs. 19-22); the Lord seeks to get their attention as it were, thus He sends them a messenger, a mediator, someone or something to show man His uprightness, for it is then, when they acknowledge His uprightness that He is then gracious to them and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’ (vs. 23-24); which for us all is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead. And so with that all the prayers for our healing, and all the cries for help will be fully answered. Indeed, Elihu foresees Job’s own restoration, describing his gravely marred flesh to being restored to that of a child’s, and his health and vitality to that like of his youth (vs. 25). Again, affliction in our lives is always meant to bring us to God, not to drive us away, however if we hardened ourselves towards God then we cannot have Him as our Savior. Elihu goes on to describe the restored person who now gladly prays to God, yes, they (we) now delight in Him, promising that they (we) shall see His face in glory. Its’ a wonderful picture and foretelling of the born-again child of God who as a new creation in Christ sees and has all things new! For as he says it is then that God restores His Righteousness to us, for it is only by His Righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ’s Righteousness, given freely to us by faith in His Person that we are restored and reconciled back to God. And thus, now stand justified in His sight (vs. 25-26).
And so, with a man’s repentance and his reconciliation to God,
“Then he
looks at men and says,
‘I have
sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it did
not profit me.” Vs. 27
For this is the way and testimony of everyone who repents
and believes, of everyone who has and experiences the grace of God. For it is
then that God not only spares our life, as Elihu previously stated, but He will
now keep our soul from going down to the Pit (i.e. hell). Our lives then shall
see light, not eternal darkness, as Job felt he was then heading for because of
his sufferings (vs. 28). Elihu goes on declaring that,
“Behold,
God works all these things,
Twice, in
fact, three times with a man,
30To bring back his soul from the
Pit,
That he may
be enlightened with the light of life.” vs. 29-30
31“Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your
peace, and I will speak.
32If you have anything to say, answer
me;
Speak, for
I desire to justify you.
33If not, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Elihu then makes God's grace abundantly clear, for God does not give up on us for our failures, no He works these things twice, three times with a man to bring back his soul from the Pit so that we maybe enlightened with the light of life! And so unlike Job's friends who saw failure (whether real or imagined) as grounds for punishment and condemnation. Elihu now makes it clear to Job that these things are done to bring about a person’s repentance, (not their judgment), so that they may not be condemned. Therefore he asks Job to hold his peace and be patient as he begins to explain to him the workings of God, for as Elihu says to Job he does not desire to condemn him, but rather justify him, but first he must justify God, and that he will do in the next chapters.
Job 34:1-37
1Elihu further answered and said:
2“Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to
me, you who have knowledge.
3For the ear tests words
As the
palate tastes food.
4Let us choose justice for
ourselves;
Let us know
among ourselves what is good.
5“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has
taken away my justice;
6Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is
incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7What man is like Job,
Who drinks
scorn like water,
8Who goes in company with the
workers of iniquity,
And walks
with wicked men?
9For he has said, ‘It profits a man
nothing
That he
should delight in God.’
10“Therefore listen to me, you men of
understanding:
Far be it
from God to do wickedness,
And from
the Almighty to commit iniquity.
11For He repays man according to his
work,
And makes
man to find a reward according to his way.
12Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will
the Almighty pervert justice.
13Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who
appointed Him over the whole world?
14If He should set His heart on it,
If He
should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15All flesh would perish together,
And man
would return to dust.
16“If you have understanding, hear
this;
Listen to
the sound of my words:
17Should one who hates justice
govern?
Will you
condemn Him who is most just?
18Is it fitting to say to a king,
‘You are
worthless,’
And to
nobles,
‘You are
wicked’?
19Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He
regard the rich more than the poor;
For they
are all the work of His hands.
20In a moment they die, in the middle
of the night;
The people
are shaken and pass away;
The mighty
are taken away without a hand.
21“For His eyes are on the ways of
man,
And He sees
all his steps.
22There is no darkness nor shadow of
death
Where the
workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23For He need not further consider a
man,
That he
should go before God in judgment.
24He breaks in pieces mighty men
without inquiry,
And sets
others in their place.
25Therefore He knows their works;
He
overthrows them in the night,
And they
are crushed.
26He strikes them as wicked men
In the open
sight of others,
27Because they turned back from Him,
And would
not consider any of His ways,
28So that they caused the cry of the
poor to come to Him;
For He
hears the cry of the afflicted.
29When He gives quietness, who then
can make trouble?
And when He
hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it
is against a nation or a man alone?—
30That the hypocrite should not
reign,
Lest the
people be ensnared.
31“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have
borne chastening;
I will
offend no more;
32Teach me what I do not see;
If I have
done iniquity,
I will do
no more’?
33Should He repay it according to
your terms,
Just
because you disavow it? You must choose, and not I;
Therefore
speak what you know.
34“Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men
who listen to me:
35‘Job speaks without knowledge,
His words
are without wisdom.’
36Oh, that Job were tried to the
utmost,
Because his
answers are like those of wicked men!
37For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps
his hands among us,
And
multiplies his words against God.”
Commentary
Vs. 1-6 1Elihu further answered and said:
2“Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to
me, you who have knowledge.
3For the ear tests words
As the
palate tastes food.
4Let us choose justice for
ourselves;
Let us know
among ourselves what is good.
5“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has
taken away my justice;
6Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is
incurable, though I am without transgression.’
Having addressed Job, Elihu now turns to Job’s friends and asks them to also give him a listening ear, to taste, i.e., discern his words and see that they are sound, and then choose justice for themselves and know what is good, for Job has basically said even though he has been righteous, God has taken away his justice, God has wronged him, even though he is without transgression.
Vs. 7-9 7What man is like Job,
Who drinks
scorn like water,
8Who goes in company with the workers
of iniquity,
And walks
with wicked men?
9For he has said, ‘It profits a man
nothing
That he
should delight in God.’
Elihu now wastes no time in getting to the heart of the matter, and that is that Job in defending himself has been saying some very indefensible things. Thus, Elihu now charges Job with drinking scorn like water, with going in the company of the workers of iniquity, and walking with wicked men, because Job has said:
‘It
profits a man nothing
That he
should delight in God.’
Which is a very serious to accuse God of not distinguishing between the righteous and the wicked. Job’s testimony there then is not one that anyone would ever want to take up on their lips, because in accusing God of doing unjustly towards him, he has been completely false and wrong!
Vs. 10-15 10“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
Far be it
from God to do wickedness,
And from
the Almighty to commit iniquity.
11For He repays man according to his
work,
And makes
man to find a reward according to his way.
12Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will
the Almighty pervert justice.
13Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who
appointed Him over the whole world?
14If He should set His heart on it,
If He should
gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15All flesh would perish together,
And man
would return to dust.
Elihu having briefly made his case for Job’s repentance, now asks them to listen carefully and consider what he is about to say. Elihu thus begins his defense of God's Character by asserting to them all that God will never do wickedness towards anyone, nor has He ever committed iniquity when He deals with any of us,
“For
He repays man according to his work,
And makes
man to find a reward according to his way.” Vs. 12
Indeed, Elihu rightly asserts that God Almighty will never
do wickedness, nor does He pervert justice, For God is the God of all justice,
for He created it all, and rules over it all, and He owns and sustains it all, who then can ever justly charge Him with
doing wrong? For if He set His heart on it, He could withdraw His Spirit and
His breath from us all, and all flesh, every living thing would perish and we would
return to the dust from which we were created. God then does not owe us anything, but He gives us everything,
what is man then that he should complain about Him, or His dealings with him?
Vs. 16-19 16“If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to
the sound of my words:
17Should one who hates justice
govern?
Will you
condemn Him who is most just?
18Is it fitting to say to a king,
‘You are
worthless,’
And to
nobles,
‘You are
wicked’?
19Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He
regard the rich more than the poor;
For they
are all the work of His hands.
Elihu continues, asking Job and his friends to hear the wisdom of his words, for he now says, 17Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you
condemn Him who is most just?
18Is it fitting to say to a king,
‘You are
worthless,’
And to
nobles,
‘You are
wicked’?
For essentially that is what Job has done, by charging God with dealing unjustly with him he has inadvertently been charging Him who is Most Just with doing wrong. Job then has been exalting his own judgments and understanding above His. Elihu then strengthens this thought in verse eighteen, by bringing it down to our earthly level by saying,
“Is it
fitting to say to a king,
‘You are
worthless,’
And to
nobles,
‘You are
wicked’?” vs. 18
His question needs no answer, for God Himself is Most Holy, Most Noble, and Most Righteous, therefore to call His Works, His ways, His dealings in our lives into question, is only par with saying such things.
Vs. 20-30 20In a moment they die, in the middle of the night;
The people
are shaken and pass away;
The mighty
are taken away without a hand.
21“For His eyes are on the ways of
man,
And He sees
all his steps.
22There is no darkness nor shadow of
death
Where the
workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23For He need not further consider a
man,
That he
should go before God in judgment.
24He breaks in pieces mighty men
without inquiry,
And sets
others in their place.
25Therefore He knows their works;
He
overthrows them in the night,
And they
are crushed.
26He strikes them as wicked men
In the open
sight of others,
27Because they turned back from Him,
And would
not consider any of His ways,
28So that they caused the cry of the
poor to come to Him;
For He
hears the cry of the afflicted.
29When He gives quietness, who then
can make trouble?
And when He
hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it
is against a nation or a man alone?—
30That the hypocrite should not
reign,
Lest the
people be ensnared.
God’s Sovereign works in dealing with mankind are now described, His dealings with both individuals and nations are always done in justice and truth (vs. 29). His Works then which we do not always see, nor observe, nor take note of unless they draw near to us, do let the wicked escape. For in every hour of every day God is working justice in the earth. And so Elihu begins by describing how God Himself brings men’s lives to an end, even the mighty has no defense when God says its over (vs. 20). For God observes all of our ways, and He sees all of our steps, no one then is hidden from Him, no workers of iniquity can hide themselves from Him (vs. 21-22). Rest assured then there is a day appointed for them, and it will come to them when He commands it. Therefore Elihu rejects Job’s claim that he needs to come before God to get justice for himself (vs. 23), for it is God Himself who breaks mighty men without inquiry and sets others in their place, He overthrows them in the night and they are ruined (vs. 24-25). For it is God Himself who strikes them in the open sight of others, because they turned back from Him and would not consider any of His ways, because they themselves caused the cry of the poor and afflicted to come to Him, for He hears them and will repay those that use and abuse them (vs. 26-28). Those then who govern unjustly towards the poor, who oppress those under them, are only storing up great wrath on their own heads. For God hears us when we cry to Him! Elihu goes to declare the Sovereignty of God as a warning to us all, for “When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? And when He hides His face, who then can see Him, Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?— 30That the hypocrite should not reign, Lest the people be ensnared.” Vs. 29-30
Vs. 31-37 31“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have
borne chastening;
I will
offend no more;
32Teach me what I do not see;
If I have
done iniquity,
I will do
no more’?
33Should He repay it according to
your terms,
Just
because you disavow it? You must choose, and not I;
Therefore
speak what you know.
34“Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men
who listen to me:
35‘Job speaks without knowledge,
His words
are without wisdom.’
36Oh, that Job were tried to the
utmost,
Because his
answers are like those of wicked men!
37For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps
his hands among us,
And
multiplies his words against God.”
Elihu now also rejects Job’s appeal that God must show him how he has done wrong, that God must deal with him according to his terms, according to his own understanding of himself and his circumstances, as if we ourselves can teach God, or can define how God will deal with each one of us (vs. 31-33). Therefore, Elihu turns from Job and cries out for men of understanding to hear him, to listen to him, for Job has been speaking without knowledge, without words of wisdom by his judging God and saying that He has been treating him unjustly (vs. 34-35). Elihu then sees the extreme wickedness of doing so, and now wishes that Job were tried to the utmost, because his answers are like wicked men! (vs. 36). For with all of Job’s begging for a day in court before the Lord, Job has completely forgotten that with his words and cries for justice, he has only been condemning God who is Most Just. Thus, Elihu sees such things as equating with rebellion against God, as one who even claps their hands among men to stir them up to their own cause, even when their words have been spoken against God (vs. 37).
Job 35:1-16
1Moreover Elihu answered and said:
2“Do you think this is right? Do
you say,
‘My
righteousness is more than God’s’?
3For you say,
‘What
advantage will it be to You?
What profit
shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’
4“I will answer you,
And your
companions with you.
5Look to the heavens and see;
And behold
the clouds—
They are
higher than you.
6If you sin, what do you accomplish
against Him?
Or, if your
transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
7If you are righteous, what do you
give Him?
Or what
does He receive from your hand?
8Your wickedness affects a man such
as you,
And your
righteousness a son of man.
9“Because of the multitude of
oppressions they cry out;
They cry
out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10But no one says,
‘Where is
God my Maker,
Who gives
songs in the night,
11Who teaches us more than the beasts
of the earth,
And makes
us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
12There they cry out, but He does not
answer,
Because of
the pride of evil men.
13Surely God will not listen to empty
talk,
Nor will
the Almighty regard it.
14Although you say you do not see
Him,
Yet justice
is before Him, and you must wait for Him.
15And now, because He has not
punished in His anger,
Nor taken
much notice of folly,
16Therefore Job opens his mouth in
vain;
He
multiplies words without knowledge.”
Commentary
1Moreover Elihu answered and said:
2“Do you think this is right? Do you say,
‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3For you say,
‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’
4“I will answer you,
And your companions with you.
5Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.
6If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
7If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.
Vs. 1-8 Elihu now questions Job, asking him to consider his own ways, for Job has been exalting his own righteousness above Gods! As well Job has also complained that he has no reward for living righteously, (thus forgetting all that God gave him, how He greatly enriched and exalted him), indeed Job has completely forgotten the most blessed life that God gave him, and now wrongly says my life would have been no better off even if I had sinned (vs. 1-3). Elihu though does not wait for Job’s reply, for he has more to say on this, and in this he points to the observable sky and clouds as being higher than Job (vs. 4-5); the thought being that God is even higher than these, and we ourselves are under them, and thus under Him. Elihu then asks Job, and so what if you sin, what will you accomplish against Him? or if you your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? God is Sovereign, He is far above us all, He is not affected by anything that we do, or don't do, for He does He need anything from us, living righteously or wickedly only affects us and those around us, not Him. Which is why God wants us all to live righteously, so that we all can have the best possible lives, and ultimately the best eternities with Himself.
Vs. 9-16 9“Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry
out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10But no one says,
‘Where is
God my Maker,
Who gives
songs in the night,
11Who teaches us more than the beasts
of the earth,
And makes
us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
12There they cry out, but He does not
answer,
Because of
the pride of evil men.
13Surely God will not listen to empty
talk,
Nor will
the Almighty regard it.
14Although you say you do not see
Him,
Yet justice
is before Him, and you must wait for Him.
15And now, because He has not
punished in His anger,
Nor taken much
notice of folly,
16Therefore Job opens his mouth in
vain;
He
multiplies words without knowledge.”
Elihu now addresses the oppressed who cry out for help because the arm of the mighty is set against them, and yet no one says where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night. His point is that during oppression people quickly forget God who gave them their joy and delight in their lives, who also gave them their knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. For it is He who teaches us, for He has exalted us above all the beasts of the field and the birds of the air, and yet in our trouble people do not use their God given abilities and discernment to turn to Him (vs. 9-11). Therefore, when they cry out, He does not hear them, because of their pride, because of evil in their lives (vs. 12). Elihu continues by saying that, “Surely God will not listen to empty talk, Nor will the Almighty regard it.” (vs. 13) as a clear rebuff of Job and his friends’ words. Elihu then addresses Job’s complaint that He could not find God; that is physically see Him, or speak with Him, to get justice from Him. Thus, Elihu wisely says that though we do not see Him, yet we must wait for Him, for justice is always with Him (vs. 14). Elihu then cautions Job that God has already been very patient with him, that if He wanted too, He could’ve already justly punished Job in His wrath for his words against Him, but since He has not been taken notice of folly, Job has been very regrettably forgetting reverence and multiplying his words without knowledge (vs. 16), something that is not unique to Job, as we all to often forget that our words bear an accounting to God as well.
Job 36:1-33
1Elihu also proceeded and said:
2“Bear with me a little, and I will
show you
That there
are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
3I will fetch my knowledge from
afar;
I will
ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4For truly my words are not false;
One who is
perfect in knowledge is with you.
5“Behold, God is mighty, but
despises no one;
He is
mighty in strength of understanding.
6He does not preserve the life of
the wicked,
But gives
justice to the oppressed.
7He does not withdraw His eyes from
the righteous;
But they
are on the throne with kings,
For He has
seated them forever,
And they
are exalted.
8And if they are bound in fetters,
Held in the
cords of affliction,
9Then He tells them their work and
their transgressions—
That they
have acted defiantly.
10He also opens their ear to
instruction,
And
commands that they turn from iniquity.
11If they obey and serve Him,
They shall
spend their days in prosperity,
And their
years in pleasures.
12But if they do not obey,
They shall
perish by the sword,
And they
shall die without knowledge.
13“But the hypocrites in heart store
up wrath;
They do not
cry for help when He binds them.
14They die in youth,
And their
life ends among the perverted persons.
15He delivers the poor in their
affliction,
And opens
their ears in oppression.
16“Indeed He would have brought you
out of dire distress,
Into a
broad place where there is no restraint;
And what is
set on your table would be full of richness.
17But you are filled with the
judgment due the wicked;
Judgment
and justice take hold of you.
18Because there is wrath, beware lest
He take you away with one blow;
For a large
ransom would not help you avoid it.
19Will your riches,
Or all the
mighty forces,
Keep you
from distress?
20Do not desire the night,
When people
are cut off in their place.
21Take heed, do not turn to iniquity,
For you
have chosen this rather than affliction.
22“Behold, God is exalted by His
power;
Who teaches
like Him?
23Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has
said,
‘You have
done wrong’?
24“Remember to magnify His work,
Of which
men have sung.
25Everyone has seen it;
Man looks
on it from afar.
26“Behold, God is great, and we do
not know Him;
Nor can the
number of His years be discovered.
27For He draws up drops of water,
Which
distill as rain from the mist,
28Which the clouds drop down
And pour
abundantly on man.
29Indeed, can anyone understand the
spreading of clouds,
The thunder
from His canopy?
30Look, He scatters His light upon
it,
And covers
the depths of the sea.
31For by these He judges the peoples;
He gives
food in abundance.
32He covers His hands with lightning,
And
commands it to strike.
33His thunder declares it,
The cattle
also, concerning the rising storm.
Commentary
Vs. 1-4 1Elihu
also proceeded and said:
2“Bear with me a little, and I will
show you
That there
are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
3I will fetch my knowledge from
afar;
I will
ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4For truly my words are not false;
One who is
perfect in knowledge is with you.
Elihu continues by asking Job to bear with him, for there are more words to speak on God’s behalf, and so Elihu says he will not fetch his knowledge from afar; but not to try to justify himself or his doctrine, as Job and his friends were doing; but only to ascribe righteousness to our Maker. For truly all righteousness begins with, has its origins in, God our Maker. Therefore, Elihu is confident that his words will not be false, for when God and His truth is put forth, perfect knowledge is the result! Elihu saying then that he is perfect in knowledge is his speaking by the Spirit of the Lord, God’s Word to Job.
Vs. 5-6 5“Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
He is
mighty in strength of understanding.
6He does not preserve the life of
the wicked,
But gives
justice to the oppressed.
Elihu then in one swift blow refutes all of Job’s previous complaints that God despises him; because he was being so afflicted; that God prolongs the years of the wicked; for as he says, and the Word of God reveals, God does not preserve the life of the wicked, rather he gives justice to the oppressed! Any life span that wicked enjoy is only so that they may repent, or serve His purposes for a season, or even fill themselves to full with all their sins and transgressions etc., which will all be repaid fully at the Resurrection of the Just and the Unjust.
7-16 7He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But they
are on the throne with kings,
For He has
seated them forever,
And they
are exalted.
8And if they are bound in fetters,
Held in the
cords of affliction,
9Then He tells them their work and
their transgressions—
That they
have acted defiantly.
10He also opens their ear to
instruction,
And commands
that they turn from iniquity.
11If they obey and serve Him,
They shall
spend their days in prosperity,
And their
years in pleasures.
12But if they do not obey,
They shall
perish by the sword,
And they
shall die without knowledge.
13“But the hypocrites in heart store
up wrath;
They do not
cry for help when He binds them.
14They die in youth,
And their
life ends among the perverted persons.
15He delivers the poor in their
affliction,
And opens
their ears in oppression.
16“Indeed He would have brought you
out of dire distress,
Into a
broad place where there is no restraint;
And what is
set on your table would be full of richness.
Elihu continues by refuting another of Job’s complaints that God has withdrawn His eyes from him; that God does not observe him in his miseries; which could not be further from the truth. For God’s eyes are always on the righteous, for it is He who seats them on the throne with kings, for He has seated them there forever (vs. 7). That said, being exalted because one lives righteously does not mean that one will never experience God’s chastening. Thus, when God binds us in fetters, or we held by the cords of affliction, He does so that He may reveal our sin to us and give us opportunity to repent of it (vs. 8-10). For the stubborn nature of man is always needing to be broken, so that it can be replaced with gentle nature of God. Therefore, when God commands that we turn from iniquity, we all have a choice to either obey Him and serve Him; and thus experience His blessings and peace in our lives (vs. 11); or we can harden our hearts against Him and not have His life and grace and peace, and in the end only perish by the sword (i.e. die violently) or without knowledge, without having ever known Him (vs. 12). Elihu then goes on to reveal how the hypocrite though hearing these things will never believe Him, nor obey Him in faith; for they do not cry out to God when He binds them, (instead they harden their hearts towards Him), and so they die in their youths and their lives end among the perverted persons. Thus, Elihu is warning Job (and us all) not to be like that and end like that! For God indeed delivers the poor in their affliction, God opens our ears in oppression, so that we will know what we must do (vs. 15).
Vs. 16-19 16“Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
Into a
broad place where there is no restraint;
And what is
set on your table would be full of richness.
17But you are filled with the
judgment due the wicked;
Judgment
and justice take hold of you.
18Because there is wrath, beware lest
He take you away with one blow;
For a large
ransom would not help you avoid it.
19Will your riches,
Or all the
mighty forces,
Keep you
from distress?
Elihu continues by telling Job that God would’ve already delivered him and brought him back out of all of his troubles to all richness and fulness had he not been so bent on defending himself, had he not been so wicked and wrong by accusing God of wronging him! Therefore, Elihu warns Job that he is due the judgment and justice due the wicked, and so he tells Job he should be very careful how he speaks to God now, lest he arouse His wrath and God take him away with one blow, for neither his riches, nor all his mighty forces could keep back God’s wrath, if it becomes aroused against him.
Vs. 20-21 20Do not desire the night,
When people
are cut off in their place.
21Take heed, do not turn to iniquity,
For you
have chosen this rather than affliction.
Elihu further cautions Job not to desire the night and take the pathway of those who are cut off in their places; as if there is some sort of consolation or comfort in running with sinners when one is so gravely afflicted, for that is where the dead are, whose lives end without life and light, therefore don’t desire that, instead turn too, or return to God!
Vs. 22-23 22“Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches
like Him?
23Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has
said,
‘You have
done wrong’?
Elihu once again magnifies God, reminding Job that God is exalted by His power, indeed who teaches like Him? Or who tells Him this is the way to do this or that? Or who tells Him that He has done wrong in what He has done. And yet all these things Job has inadvertently been doing, as if God needs instruction from him on how to deal with him. Or God needs to be told that He has been wronging him!
Vs. 24-25 24“Remember to magnify His work,
Of which
men have sung.
25Everyone has seen it;
Man looks
on it from afar.
Therefore, Elihu tells Job to get his eyes of himself and onto God, and remember to magnify His Work which cause men to sing in every generation. For God’s magnificent Works are seen by everyone, both far and near, and yet sadly not all of mankind praises God for what He does, for us, and for all. If we did just imagine how much better this world would be.
Vs. 26-33 26“Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him;
Nor can the
number of His years be discovered.
27For He draws up drops of water,
Which
distill as rain from the mist,
28Which the clouds drop down
And pour
abundantly on man.
29Indeed, can anyone understand the
spreading of clouds,
The thunder
from His canopy?
30Look, He scatters His light upon
it,
And covers
the depths of the sea.
31For by these He judges the peoples;
He gives
food in abundance.
32He covers His hands with lightning,
And
commands it to strike.
33His thunder declares it,
The cattle
also, concerning the rising storm.
Elihu continues to magnify God to Job, now by declaring just some of His marvelous works and ways. But first he says that God is great and we do not know Him (that is know Him as He is known to Himself). And so just as Job seems unable to understand God’s dealings with him, so too are all the innumerable things that God does in His Providence in all of creation, that though we do not understand fully, yet we must trust Him for, for He knows what and why He does everything. And so Elihu marvels at how God first draws up water into the clouds and then dispels it as rain on the earth (vs. 27-28); how does He know how and when to do this? And yet He alone does this according to His own Will and Wisdom. Same with the spreading of the clouds, God dispenses then in innumerable formations and with them He brings forth His rain and lightening and thunder; and who can understand all of these? For He scatters His light upon it and covers the depths of the sea with it. His storm clouds then are judgment for the one, and blessings for the other, for by His wind, rain and fire He judges one and blesses another, flooding and destroying one and watering and replenishing the other. Both His lightening and His thunder then declare His awesome Power and Might to all of creation, even the cattle of the field fear Him, with the rising storm.
Job 37:1-24
1“At
this also my heart trembles,
And leaps
from its place.
2Hear attentively the thunder of His
voice,
And the
rumbling that comes from His mouth.
3He sends it forth under the whole
heaven,
His
lightning to the ends of the earth.
4After it a voice roars; He
thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does
not restrain them when His voice is heard.
5God thunders marvelously with His
voice;
He does
great things which we cannot comprehend.
6For He says to the snow,
‘Fall on
the earth’;
Likewise to
the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
7He seals the hand of every man,
That all
men may know His work.
8The beasts go into dens,
And remain
in their lairs.
9From the chamber of the south comes
the whirlwind,
And cold
from the scattering winds of the north.
10By the breath of God ice is given,
And the
broad waters are frozen.
11Also with moisture He saturates the
thick clouds;
He scatters
His bright clouds.
12And they swirl about, being turned
by His guidance,
That they
may do whatever He commands them
On the face
of the whole earth.
13He causes it to come,
Whether for
correction,
Or for His
land,
Or for
mercy.
14“Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still
and consider the wondrous works of God.
15Do you know when God dispatches
them,
And causes
the light of His cloud to shine?
16Do you know how the clouds are
balanced,
Those
wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?
17Why are your garments hot,
When He
quiets the earth by the south wind?
18With Him, have you spread out the
skies,
Strong as a
cast metal mirror?
19“Teach us what we should say to
Him,
For we can
prepare nothing because of the darkness.
20Should He be told that I wish to
speak?
If a man
were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
21Even now men cannot look at the
light when it is bright in the skies,
When the
wind has passed and cleared them.
22He comes from the north as golden
splendor;
With God is
awesome majesty.
23As for the Almighty, we cannot find
Him;
He is
excellent in power,
In judgment
and abundant justice;
He does not
oppress.
24Therefore men fear Him;
He shows no
partiality to any who are wise of heart.”
Preamble: Elihu now brings home his declaration of the Wise, Magnificent, and Almighty Works of God, which will only be surpassed by God Himself, his whole point in declaring these things to Job is to get Job to see that we are accountable to Him, not He to us. For we can teach Him nothing!
Commentary
Vs.
1-4 1“At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps
from its place.
2Hear attentively the thunder of His
voice,
And the
rumbling that comes from His mouth.
3He sends it forth under the whole
heaven,
His
lightning to the ends of the earth.
4After it a voice roars;
He thunders
with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.
Elihu having told Job to listen to him now tells Job to give an attentive ear to God, to hear the sound of His voice, which Elihu attributes to God’s works in creation, the sound of thunder and rumbling of it in the skies we all hear. For it is God Himself who sends it forth under the whole of heaven, who sends His lightening to the ends of earth so that there is no place where He cannot be perceived and heard. For God reveals Himself to one and to all through all His Works in creation, and to ignore the revelation of His Person given us is to miss out ones whole purpose and point in being created by Him which is to be in a everlasting relationship with Himself.
Vs. 5-8 5God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does
great things which we cannot comprehend.
6For He says to the snow,
‘Fall on
the earth’;
Likewise to
the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
7He seals the hand of every man,
That all
men may know His work.
8The beasts go into dens,
And remain
in their lairs.
God’s voice in the thunder truly is then the sound of Someone exceedingly greater and wiser than ourselves. For it is He who commands the snow to fall on the earth, same with both the gentle and heavy rains, God is the One who makes all of these things happen or not. Man then is not the “master” of his own destiny, as foolish people always think they are (vs. 7). And so it is that even the wild beats (animals) of the field take note of His Works and fear and head to the safety of their lairs.
Vs. 9-13 9From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold
from the scattering winds of the north.
10By the breath of God ice is given,
And the
broad waters are frozen.
11Also with moisture He saturates the
thick clouds;
He scatters
His bright clouds.
12And they swirl about, being turned
by His guidance,
That they
may do whatever He commands them
On the face
of the whole earth.
13He causes it to come,
Whether for
correction,
Or for His
land,
Or for
mercy.
God Himself then directs the whirlwind and the storm of the southern winds, the cold and blistering winds of the north (vs. 9). For it is by the breath of God that ice is given, and even the largest land locked bodies of water are frozen by Him (vs. 10). For it is God who fills the clouds with the moisture then He directs them to dispense their water on earth, just as He scatters or unleashes the bright clouds, the storm clouds, He makes whirl about, all at His command (vs. 12). Now this He does either for correction or for mercy. Thus, people are wise when they take note of these things happening in their lives. The point is since He knows how to do these things while sustaining all of the earth, He knows what He is doing in our lives.
Vs. 14-16 14“Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still
and consider the wondrous works of God.
15Do you know when God dispatches
them,
And causes
the light of His cloud to shine?
16Do you know how the clouds are
balanced,
Those
wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?
Elihu now questions Job by asking him if he can understand the wondrous works of God; for only if he could explain how God does all these things, would he even begin to be qualified to question Him about His Works and doings in His life. And so Elihu confronts Job with some more questions now pertaining to how God causes His light to shine, and how He balances the clouds in the sky, for these are the works of the One who is Perfect in Knowledge, these are the Works of God, not man.
Vs. 17-19 17Why are your garments hot,
When He quiets
the earth by the south wind?
18With Him, have you spread out the
skies,
Strong as a
cast metal mirror?
19“Teach us what we should say to
Him,
For we can
prepare nothing because of the darkness.
Again, do any us understand how God radiates heat from the south wind by which our clothing becomes hot, do we know how and why He spreads out the clouds and makes them as strong as a cast metal mirror, making them seemingly immovable until He Himself decides to change the face of the sky. Elihu then is confronting Job with his own finite understanding and abilities, “For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.”
Vs. 20-24 20Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man
were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
21Even now men cannot look at the
light when it is bright in the skies,
When the
wind has passed and cleared them.
22He comes from the north as golden
splendor;
With God is
awesome majesty.
23As for the Almighty, we cannot find
Him;
He is
excellent in power,
In judgment
and abundant justice;
He does not
oppress.
24Therefore men fear Him;
He shows no
partiality to any who are wise of heart.”
Elihu in concluding now confronts Job about his own forwardness and arrogance in thinking that he has the “right” to speak to God, for as he says, “If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.” (vs. 20). To strengthen this he draws Job’s attention to the light in sky which we cannot look at it because of its brightness (vs. 21), how much brighter and more awesome than is the Everlasting Presence of God, whom Elihu describes as coming out of the north with golden splendor (vs. 22). And so by His Will we cannot find (i.e. see) Him, so that we are preserved by Him (consider Ex. 33:20-21). Nonetheless He is always excellent in Power, in Judgment, and bringing forth abundant justice, for He does not oppress anyone as Job has charged God with doing to him (vs. 23),
“Therefore men fear Him;
He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart.” Vs. 24
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.
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