성경 주석서

Then Job answered the LORD, and said,

Then Job answered the Lord, and said — After that he had been so plainly and plentifully convinced by Almighty God, 1. That he was far short of him in eternity, wisdom, power, providence, …; 2. That he could not stand before behemoth and leviathan, the works of his hands; Job yieldeth, submitting to God’s justice, and imploring his mercy: so effectual is the word of God’s grace in the hearts of his elect. It had need to be an elaborate speech that shall work upon the conscience, such as was this before going. Vide etiam quid afflictio faciat, saith Mercer. See here also the happy fruit of an affliction sanctified. "By this shall the iniquity of Jacob" (of Job) "be purged; and this is all the fruit, to take away his sin," Isaiah 27:9 . To make his works full, Revelation 3:2 . Job had repented before, Job 40:4-5 , but not so completely. Dico hic narrari poenitentiam Iobi plenam, saith Piscator. Here he doth it thoroughly, by a deep and downright repentance, such as was never to be repented of.

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I know that thou canst do every [thing], and [that] no thought can be withholden from thee.

I know that thou canst do everything — God’s power is either absolute or actual. By the former he can do everything, make a world, and unmake it in an instant; of stones raise up children to Abraham, … By the latter, whatsoever he willeth, that he doth both in heaven and in earth, and none can withstand him. This Job knew before, but now better, because by experience and unquestionable evidence given in by God’s own mouth. And although this be but a short acknowledgment of God’s power and justice, yet is it well accepted, as proceeding from a true sense of faith. Neque exigit Deus a nobis multa verba, sed multam fidem (Merlin).

And that no thought can be withholden from thee — Te non solum omnia posse, sed et omnia nosse, That thou art not only omnipotent, but omniscient, and that not so much as a thought of any man’s heart (which also is of thy making) can be hid from thee; since which way soever he turneth him, he shall find thee both potent and present. The words may be read thus, And that no thought of thine can be cut off or hindered. Having spoken of God’s power, he speaketh of his thoughts; to teach, saith Calvin, That God’s power and his will are things inseparable, his mind and hand agree together; the one to determine, the other to effect, Parem in eo esse voluntatem et facultatem (Mercer). ‘ Aδυνατει δε σοι ουδεν (Sept.).

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Who [is] he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? — Quis iste est, inquis. Who is he, saith thou, Job 38:2 , that hideth counsel, …, so Tremellius rendereth it. Is ego ipse sum, I am the very man that have done it, nempe ego (Tigurin.), and now would as gladly undo it again, by a humble confessing and disclaiming mine own folly therein, and by applying those words of thine to myself, with a holy indignation; for therein thou hast fully met with me, απογενομενοι , 1 Peter 2:24 .

Therefore have I uttered that I understood not — I have rashly and imprudently, yea, gracelessly and impudently, spoken of thy judgments, and desired to dispute with thee; daring to reprehend that which I did not comprehend, and to pass my verdict on things which I was not versed in, things too wouderful for me, which I knew not. Broughton reads thus, Therefore I tell that I had not understanding; that is, I confess I have sinned, but I did it ignorantly, Idcirco indico me non intellexisse (Merc.). And so he makes way to the ensuing petition, That God would hear him, and teach him better things.

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Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak — We have had his confession; follow now his petition here, his humiliation and reformation, Job 42:6 . These are the parts and properties of true repentance, that fair daughter of a foul mother, sin. But had not Job promised to speak no more, to proceed no farther? Job 40:4-5 . How then doth he say here, I beseech, and I will speak? The answer is easy; he would speak no more so rashly and unadvisedly as he had done, to God’s dishonour, and the offence of his best friends. But he would not spare to speak supplications, as here, and to set forth his humble docility, to give glory to God, and to take shame to himself, …; such a silence he knew would be sinful, and savour of a dumb devil. He therefore addresseth himself to God, 1. For audience and acceptance; 2. For advice and direction. In all which he renounceth his own wisdom, and delivereth himself up wholly to God, to be taught and led into all truth and holiness. The matter, we see, is well amended with Job, since, challenging God into the schools, he once said, "Then call thou me, and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer thou me," Job 13:22 . So afterwards Peter, when penitent, turned his crowing into crying; and Paul, his breathing out threatenings against the saints, into "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Acts 9:1 ; Acts 9:6 .

I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me — As a dutiful and docible scholar, who should be Zητητικος , I will ask thee questions, and hang upon thy holy lips for an answer.

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I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear — God hath ordained, that as death entered into the world at first by the ear, poisoned by that old man slayer, Genesis 3:14-19 , so life shall enter into the soul by the same door: for it is, "Hear, and your soul shall live," Isaiah 55:3 . And, The dead (in sins and trespasses) shall hear the voice of the Son of God (sounding in his ordinances); and shall live the life of grace here and of glory hereafter, John 5:25 . This great mercy Job had received, and he thankfully acknowledgeth it. But behold a greater.

But now mine eye hath seen thee — Not only in the tempest and whirlwind, those clear testimonies of thy presence, but by some other special glorious apparition (so some think), and by a spirit of prophecy (as the Hebrews would have it), by the inward teaching of thy Spirit howsoever, as Vatablus senseth it. Et quando Christus Magister, quam cito discitur quod docetur, saith Austin. When God by his Spirit taketh in hand to teach a man, he soon becometh a skilful scholar. Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia, saith Ambrose. The Spirit is not long in teaching those that commit themselves to his tuition. The hypocrite knows God but by hearsay, as a blind man knoweth colours: such may say as those in the Psalm, Audivimus famam, something we have heard, and some confused notions we have got concerning God and his will; but they are merely disciplinary, but not intuitive, id est, Per speciem propriam, …, such as transform the soul into the same image; it is not that claritas in intellectu quae parit ardorem in affectu, that light in the understanding that kindleth the affections. Job was such, witness his next words.

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Wherefore I abhor [myself], and repent in dust and ashes.

Wherefore I abhor myself — Aspernor illa, so Tremellius. I utterly dislike those my former base and bald conceits of thee, my hard and unsavoury speeches, mine impatient and imprudent carriages. Horreo quicquid de meo est, ut meus sim, as Bernard expresseth it. Reprobo meipsum, so Brentius; I do utterly reject myself, I condemn mine own folly: I eat those words of discontent at thy righteous proceedings. Digna sane quae per iugulum redeant. Abiecio vitam meam, so Mercer and Lavater render it. I cast away my life, and look upon it as lost, if thou shouldest take the forfeiture: I humbly put myself into the hands of justice, yet in hope of mercy, Displiceo mihimetipsi, ac pervelim ut aliter dixissem ae fecissem (Lavat.).

I repent in dust and ashes — As in an express and public penance. I throw myself here upon the ground, I put my mouth in the dust, Lamentations 3:24 Jeremiah 6:26 ; Jeremiah 25:34 . Canitiem immundo perfusam pulvere turpi (Virg. Aeneid, l. 12), I sprinkle dust and ashes upon mine head, in token that I have deserved to be as far underground as now I am above ground; I repent my presumptuous misbehaviour with as lowly a spirit as ever I sinned with a high. Lo, this was poenitentiam agere, quod est pro malo bonum reponere, saith Brentius. This was true repentance, to change evil for good; as piety for blasphemy, chastity for fornication, charity for envy, humility for pride, Christ for Satan. And reformation is the best repentance, saith Luther. Such as so repent are sure of comfort. The word here rendered I repent, signifieth also to take comfort, as Ezekiel 32:31 . It is repentance unto life, Acts 11:18 , and such as accompanieth salvation, Hebrews 6:9 . Neither is it wrought in any man but by a saving sight of Almighty God in his greatness and goodness; such as may make him at once to tremble and trust, as Job did here, as Isaiah, Isaiah 6:1 ; Isaiah 6:5 .

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And it was [so], that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me [the thing that is] right, as my servant Job [hath].

And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job — And Job those other again to God, it soon repented the Lord concerning his servant. Pro magno delicto parum supplicii saris est patri, A little punishment is enough to a loving father for a great fault (Terent.). "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord, … for (alas) they have received of my hand double for all their sins," Isaiah 40:1-2 . So it seemed to him who is all heart, and who in all their afflictions is equally afflicted. God weeps on his people’s necks tears of compassion; they weep at God’s feet tears of compunction. Oh beautiful contention!

The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite — Because he was the oldest man, of greatest authority, and he that passed the heaviest censures upon Job, doing enough to have driven him into desperation.

My wrath is kindled ayainst thee — Thus God passeth not sentence on Job’s side till he had first angrily repressed and reprehended those three friends of his, who had assailed him without all right and reason. Let God’s servants hold out faith and patience; sooner or later they shall be righted.

And against thy two friends — Bildad and Zophar who stuck so close to thee, and chimed in with thee, against a better man than any of you all. As for Elihu, he is neither commended here nor condemned. He spake well for the main, but many times took Job at the worst, and misconstrued his speeches. He is therefore punished (as ambassadors are used to be when they commit indecencies) with silence, which is the way royal to correct a wrong. The other three had great cause to be much troubled and terrified at that short, but sharpest speech, of God, My wrath is kindled against you; for, Who knoweth the power of God’s wrath? saith David, Psalms 90:11 . It is as the messenger of death and harbinger of hell. God never said so much to Job in all those long and large speeches he made unto him, for he knew that milder words would do, and he loveth not to over do.

By the way observe, that although these three had offended more than Job, yet he was afflicted, and they escaped free. Judgment beginneth at God’s house; neither have any out of hell ever suffered more than those worthies of whom the world was not worthy, Hebrews 11:38

For ye have not spoken the thing that is right — And yet they seemed to be all for God; and to plead his cause against Job throughout. But as in some things they were much mistaken, so they had their self respect, and were much biassed in their discourses. Hypocrites and heretics (saith Gregory here) seem unto men more righteous; but God accepteth them not for all their plausible pleas and specious pretences. Luke 16:15 , "Ye are they," said our Saviour to the Pharisees, "which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."

As my servant Job hath — They also were God’s servants, but because they had lent Satan their service against Job, and drawn from him many passionate speeches, they are for a punishment set by after a sort; as David was also when he had numbered the people, 2 Samuel 24:12 , "Go and say unto David." Now it is plain David, who was wont to be my servant David, 2 Samuel 7:5 . That Job is called God’s servant (and that emphatically and exclusively) is a very great honour done him upon his repentance; and the like was done to David and Peter.

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Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you [after your] folly, in that ye have not spoken of me [the thing which is] right, like my servant Job.

Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks — God reproveth not his for any other end, but that he may reduce them, and be reconciled unto them. The Sun of righteousness loveth not to set in a cloud.

Enecat, ut possit vivificare Deus.

Seven bullocks and seven rams — A great sacrifice, whether we look to the greatness of the cattle, or the number (especially if each of them were to bring seven of each sort, as some understand it), to show the greatness of their sin, in not speaking right things of God and Job, though of a good intention, and with a very fair pretence. Seven of each they were to bring, which is noted for a number of perfection; and this pointed them of old (for the ceremonial law was their gospel) to the complete perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, every way sufficient to expiate their sins, and to save them from the wrath to come. It is assured them, also, that God was through Christ perfectly satisfied and pacified toward his faithful people.

And go to my servant Job — Who was to do the honourable office of a priest for them (as before the law Abraham did, and Melchisedek and others), and is thrice in this verse called God’s servant, for honour’s sake; to the end that his friends might the more respect him, whom before they had vilipended (critised), and be reconciled unto him, whom before they had wronged.

And offer up for yourselves a burnt offering — Holocaustabitis holocaustum, a whole burnt offering. Where we must not imagine that God took delight in the smell or rather stench of the burnt beasts, hides and all, but in the faith of those that offered them, who also were hereby reminded of their sins (for which they had deserved to be burnt in hell) and of their duties, to mortify their earthly members, and to present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, Romans 12:1 .

And my servant Job shall pray for you — Which, as he could do very well, Ezekiel 14:14 , so he should now do, to show his hearty reconciliation; but should have little availed for them had not they repented, and believed, and prayed for themselves. For the just shall live by his faith; and it is a great vanity in some great Papists, who presume to live loosely and basely, because they have hired some hedge priest to say a certain number of prayers for them daily.

For him will I accept — sc. Through the office and person of my Son, which herein he resembleth. The high priest’s office was, 1. To expiate the sins of the people. 2. To intercede and make request for them. Christ is the High Priest of the New Testament; in whom the Father is well pleased, and through whom he will deny nothing to his humble suppliants, for themselves or others.

Lest I deal with you after your folly — Heb. Lest I work foolishness with you; that is (saith Beza), lest I so behave myself toward you as your foolishness doth deserve. Or, lest I so handle you, that you may think me no wiser than I should be since you have seemed so to roughly hew Job out of zeal to me. Thus to the froward God seemeth to deal frowardly, Psalms 18:27 . Tremellius rendereth it not folly, but heinous offence; others, disgrace, flagitium, ignominia.

In that ye have not spoken, … — And if for hard words and ill language good men may suffer, what shall become of such as, both with virulent tongues and violent hands, set against such as fear God?

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