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英文原文
Bildad here makes a very short reply to Job's last discourse, as one that began to be tired of the cause. He drops the main question concerning the prosperity of wicked men, as being unable to answer the proofs Job had produced in the foregoing chapter: but, because he thought Job had made too bold with the divine majesty in his appeals to the divine tribunal (Job 23:1-17), he in a few words shows the infinite distance there is between God and man, teaching us, I. To think highly and honourably of God, Job 25:2,3,5. II. To think meanly of ourselves, Job 25:4,6. These, however misapplied to Job, are two good lessons for us all to learn.
1-6
God Exalted and Man Abased (1520 BC)
约伯记第二十五章
神被高举、人被降卑（主前1520年）
¹ 书亚人比勒达回答说：
² 神有治理之权和威严；他在高处施行和平。
³ 他的诸军，岂可数算？他的光亮一发，谁不蒙照？
⁴ 这样在神面前，人怎能称义？妇人所生的，怎能洁净？
⁵ 在神眼前，月亮也无光亮，星宿也不清洁。
⁶ 何况如虫的人，如蛆的世人呢？
比勒达在此有两件事可称赞—— 1. 关于他与约伯不同意的题目，他不再多言。 也许他开始觉得约伯在理上；那么不再说此事便是公正——如那为真理而非为胜负相争的人，宁愿为寻得真理而失了胜负；或者，他若仍以为自己有理，他也知道何为足，不愿为最后的话无休止地争辩。也许他和其余的人之所以放下此辩，是因为他们看出约伯与他们的意见不如他们所想那样相远：他们承认恶人一时可以兴旺，约伯承认他们终必灭亡——差异何其小！若争辩的人能彼此更了解，他们或要发现自己比所想象的更接近。 2. 关于他和约伯所同意的事，他说得很好。 我们若都让心被对神的敬畏之念和对己的谦卑之念充满，便不至于那样易于在疑惑难辩的小事上相争——那些事或琐碎或繁复。
比勒达在此以两法高举神、降卑人：
一、他指出神何等荣耀，由此推论人在他面前何等有罪不洁（伯 25:2-4）
让我们看——
1. 此处论神所说的伟大之事，旨在使约伯存敬畏之心，并遏制他对神和对神待他的事的非议： 〔1〕神是万物的主宰，「在他那里有可畏的威严」（伯 25:2）。 那赐人存有的，有无争议的立法权，又能强施他所立之法。 那造万有的，有权按己意处置万有，具绝对的主权。他愿作的他都作、都可作；无人能向他说：「你作什么？」或「你为何如此作？」（但 4:35）。他既有主权（或作是 Dominus——主），便是万有的所有者和治理者。万有都是他的，也都在他的指导和处置之下。由此推论：他当受敬畏（即尊敬顺服）；凡认识他的都敬畏他（撒拉弗在他面前用翅膀遮脸）；迟早所有人都必被带去敬畏他。人的主权常是可鄙的、常被藐视，但神总是可畏的。 〔2〕上界的荣耀居民都完全听命于他、完全顺服他的旨意：「他在高处施行和平」（伯 25:2）。 他自己享受完全的宁静。 圣天使从不与他相争，也不彼此相争，完全顺服他的旨意，同心执行，毫无怨言、毫不争辩。如此，神的旨意行在天上；如此，我们祈求它也因我们和别人行在地上。日、月、星辰各守其轨，互不相撞；不，在这下层常因风暴扰动的区域，神一乐意便命令平安——「使狂风止息，波浪平静」（诗 107:29；诗 65:7）。 请留意：高处是*「他的」高处；因为「天，并天上的天」（诗 115:16）在特殊意义上是属耶和华的。平安是神的工；何处有平安，都是他所造的（赛 57:19）。天上有完全的平安；因那里有完全的圣洁，又有神——他就是爱。 〔3〕**他是不可抗拒的全能之神（伯 25:3）：「他的诸军，岂可数算？」* 君王的伟大和权能，是按其军兵来判断的。神自己不仅无所不能，且有无数无数的军兵受他调遣——常备军永不解散——正规军训练有素、从不短缺、从不为难、从不哗变——老兵在他麾下已久——常胜军从未失败、从未受挫。一切受造之物都是他的万军，天使尤其如此。他是万有之主、万军之主。他有无数的军兵，却仍「施行和平」。他本可向我们开战，却愿与我们和好；甚至天上众军也被差来传「地上平安、对人喜悦」（路 2:14）。 〔4〕*他的护理普及一切（伯 25:3）：「他的光亮一发，谁不蒙照？」 太阳的光传达给世界各处，一年算来，众人所得均等（诗 19:6）。那是神对全受造之物普世眷顾和看顾的微弱写照（太 5:45）。众人都被罩在他知识的光中，在他面前赤露敞开；众人都得享他良善的光——这话似乎特别指「那」*而言。他向一切受造之物都好；遍地满了他的良善。他既是 Deus optimus——神，众受造中至善的，也是 maximus——至大的：他有权能毁灭，他的喜悦却是施怜悯。一切受造之物都靠他的丰盛而活。
2. 此处论人所说的卑微之事——十分真实公正（伯 25:4）：「人怎能称义？怎能洁净？」 人不仅卑下，更可憎；不仅属土，更污秽。他不能称义、不能洁净—— 〔1〕与神相比。 人的义和圣洁，再好也是虚无，与神的相比（诗 89:6）。 〔2〕与神相争之时。 那要与神的话和护理相争的人，必不可避免地处于下风。神必称义，那时人必被定罪（诗 51:4；罗 3:4）。神的判断无错，因此对它不能提起异议，也不能从它上诉。 〔3〕在神眼前。 神既如此伟大荣耀，有罪不洁的人怎能在他面前站立？请留意： ① 人因其实际的过犯，伏在神的公义之下，在自己里面不能在他面前称义——他既不能辩称*「无罪」，也不能提出自己的功劳来抵销或减轻其罪。圣经「把众人都圈在罪中」（加 3:22）*。 ② 人因其本性的败坏——他既为妇人所生——在神面前是可憎的，在他眼中不能洁净。神看见他的不洁，且因这不洁他全然不能与神在恩中相交，也不能在荣耀中见他和享受他。所以我们极需从水和圣灵重生，又需一次又一次在基督的血中——那开通的泉源——得洗净。
二、他指出连天体在神眼前、与神相比也何其暗淡有缺，由此推论人是何等微小卑下无价值
1. 天上的光体虽是美丽的受造之物，在神眼前却如土块（伯 25:5）：「看哪，连月亮」——在光明中行走——「和星宿」——天上的荣耀明灯——外邦人曾为其光辉所迷而敬拜之——「在神眼前，也不光亮，也不清洁」——与神相比；它们全无荣耀——因那「极重无比」（林后 3:10）的荣耀；正如蜡烛虽燃，放在明朗日光中便不发光。 神的荣耀在他的护理中发出，便使最辉煌的受造之物之荣耀黯然失色（赛 24:23）：「月亮必蒙羞，日头要惭愧，因为万军之耶和华在锡安山作王。」 天体常被云遮；我们分明看见月中的斑点，借望远镜有时也能见到日上的斑；但神看见它们上面我们看不见的斑。那么约伯怎敢如此自信地向神上诉——神要在他身上发现他自己所不觉的过失？
2. 世人虽是高贵的受造之物，在神面前不过是地上的虫（伯 25:6）：「何况如虫的人」——他在尊荣上何其不如，他在义中何其不洁——「如蛆的世人」，无论他是谁，「他不过是虫」——或作害虫（有人如此译），不仅卑下可鄙，且有害可憎；或作螨虫（另有人如此译），最小的动物，肉眼不能见，须用放大镜才能看见。人正是如此—— 〔1〕如此卑下、微小、微不足道——与神和圣天使相比；如此无价值、可鄙——其源头出于败坏，又速速归于败坏。 人有何理由骄傲，又有何大理由谦卑！ 〔2〕如此软弱无能，又如此易被压碎——因此与全能的神极不相配。 人岂可如此愚昧，竟与造他的主相争——他践踏人，比我们践踏一条虫还容易？ 〔3〕如此污秽。 人不洁净——因为他是虫，孵于腐化之中，因此在神眼中可憎。让我们因此惊叹神的俯就——竟将我们这样的虫收入他的约和与他的相交；尤其惊叹神子的俯就——竟如此 虚己，以致说：「我是虫，不是人」（诗 22:6）。
英文原文
God Exalted and Man Abased (1520 BC)
¹ Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
² Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places.
³ Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?
⁴ How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
⁵ Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.
⁶ How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?
Bildad is to be commended here for two things:—1. For speaking no more on the subject about which Job and he differed. Perhaps he began to think Job was in the right, and then it was justice to say no more concerning it, as one that contended for truth, not for victory, and therefore, for the finding of truth, would be content to lose the victory; or, if he still thought himself in the right, yet he knew when he had said enough, and would not wrangle endlessly for the last word. Perhaps indeed one reason why he and the rest of them let fall this debate was because they perceived that Job and they did not differ so much in opinion as they thought: they owned that wicked people might prosper a while, and Job owned they would be destroyed at last; how little then was the difference! If disputants would understand one another better, perhaps they would find themselves nearer one another than they imagined. 2. For speaking so well on the matter about which Job and he were agreed. If we would all get our hearts filled with awful thoughts of God and humble thoughts of ourselves, we should not be so apt as we are to fall out about matters of doubtful disputation, which are trifling or intricate.
Two ways Bildad takes here to exalt God and abase man:—
I. He shows how glorious God is, and thence infers how guilty and impure man is before him, Job 25:2-4. Let us see then,
1. What great things are here said of God, designed to possess Job with a reverence of him, and to check his reflections upon him and upon his dealings with him: (1.) God is the sovereign Lord of all, and with him is terrible majesty. Dominion and fear are with him, Job 25:2. He that gave being has an incontestable authority to give laws, and can enforce the laws he gives. He that made all has a right to dispose of all according to his own will, with an absolute sovereignty. Whatever he will do he does, and may do; and none can say unto him, What doest thou? or Why doest thou so? Da 4:35. His having dominion (or being Dominus—Lord) bespeaks him both owner and ruler of all the creatures. They are all his, and they are all under his direction and at his disposal. Hence it follows that he is to be feared (that is, reverenced and obeyed), that he is feared by all that know him (the seraphim cover their faces before him), and that, first or last, all will be made to fear him. Men's dominion is often despicable, often despised, but God is always terrible. (2.) The glorious inhabitants of the upper world are all perfectly observant of him and entirely acquiesce in his will: He maketh peace in his high places. He enjoys himself in a perfect tranquillity. The holy angels never quarrel with him, nor with one another, but entirely acquiesce in his will, and unanimously execute it without murmuring or disputing. Thus the will of God is done in heaven; and thus we pray that it may be done by us and others on earth. The sun, moon, and stars, keep their courses, and never clash with one another: nay, even in this lower region, which is often disturbed with storms and tempests, yet when God pleases he commands peace, by making the storm a calm, Ps 107:29, Ps 65:7. Observe, The high places are his high places; for the heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's (Ps 115:16) in a peculiar manner. Peace is God's work; where it is made it is he that makes it, Isa 57:19. In heaven there is perfect peace; for there is perfect holiness, and there is God, who is love. (3.) He is a God of irresistible power: Is there any number of his armies? Job 25:3. The greatness and power of princes are judged of by their armies. God is not only himself almighty, but he has numberless numbers of armies at his beck and disposal,—standing armies that are never disbanded,—regular troops, and well disciplined, that are never to seek, never at a loss, that never mutiny,—veteran troops, that have been long in his service,—victorious troops, that never failed of success nor were ever foiled. All the creatures are his hosts, angels especially. He is Lord of all, Lord of hosts. He has numberless armies, and yet makes peace. He could make war upon us, but is willing to be at peace with us; and even the heavenly hosts were sent to proclaim peace on earth and good will towards men, Lu 2:14. (4.) His providence extends itself to all: Upon whom does not his light arise? The light of the sun is communicated to all parts of the world, and, take the year round, to all equally. See Ps 19:6. That is a faint resemblance of the universal cognizance and care God takes of the whole creation, Mt 5:45. All are under the light of his knowledge and are naked and open before him. All partake of the light of his goodness: it seems especially to be meant of that. He is good to all; the earth is full of his goodness. He is Deus optimus—God, the best of beings, as well as maximus—the greatest: he has power to destroy; but his pleasure is to show mercy. All the creatures live upon his bounty.
2. What low things are here said of man, and very truly and justly (Job 25:4): How then can man be justified with God? Or how can he be clean? Man is not only mean, but vile, not only earthly, but filthy; he cannot be justified, he cannot be clean, (1.) In comparison with God. Man's righteousness and holiness, at the best, are nothing to God's, Ps 89:6. (2.) In debate with God. He that will quarrel with the word and providence of God must unavoidably go by the worst. God will be justified, and then man will be condemned, Ps 51:4, Ro 3:4. There is no error in God's judgment, and therefore there lies no exception against it, nor appeal from it. (3.) In the sight of God. If God is so great and glorious, how can man, who is guilty and impure, appear before him? Note, [1.] Man, by reason of his actual transgressions, is obnoxious to God's justice and cannot in himself be justified before him: he can neither plead Not guilty, nor plead any merit of his own to balance or extenuate his guilt. The scripture has concluded all under sin. [2.] Man, by reason of his original corruption, as he is born of a woman, is odious to God's holiness, and cannot be clean in his sight. God sees his impurity, and it is certain that by it he is rendered utterly unfit for communion and fellowship with God in grace here and for the vision and fruition of him in glory hereafter. We have need therefore to be born again of water and of the Holy Ghost, and to be bathed again and again in the blood of Christ, that fountain opened.
II. He shows how dark and defective even the heavenly bodies are in the sight of God, and in comparison with him, and thence infers how little, and mean, and worthless, man is. 1. The lights of heaven, though beauteous creatures, are before God as clods of earth (Job 25:5): Behold even to the moon, walking in brightness, and the stars, those glorious lamps of heaven, which the heathen were so charmed with the lustre of that they worshipped them—yet, in God's sight, in comparison with him, they shine not, they are not pure; they have no glory, by reason of the glory which excelleth, as a candle, though it burn, yet does not shine when it is set in the clear light of the sun. The glory of God, shining in his providences, eclipses the glory of the brightest creatures, Isa 24:23. The moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Sion. The heavenly bodies are often clouded; we plainly see spots in the moon, and, with the help of glasses, may sometimes discern spots upon the sun too: but God sees spots in them that we do not see. How durst Job then so confidently appeal to God, who would discover that amiss in him which he was not aware of in himself? 2. The children of men, though noble creatures, are before God but as worms of the earth (Job 25:6): How much less does man shine in honour, how much less is he pure in righteousness that is a worm, and the son of man, whoever he be, that is a worm!—a vermin (so some), not only mean and despicable, but noxious and detestable; a mite (so others), the smallest animal, which cannot be discerned with the naked eye, but through a magnifying glass. Such a thing is man. (1.) So mean, and little, and inconsiderable, in comparison with God and with the holy angels: so worthless and despicable, having his original in corruption, and hastening to corruption. What little reason has man to be proud, and what great reason to be humble! (2.) So weak and impotent, and so easily crushed, and therefore a very unequal match for Almighty God. Shall man be such a fool as to contend with his Maker, who can tread him to pieces more easily than we can a worm? (3.) So sordid and filthy. Man is not pure for he is a worm, hatched in putrefaction, and therefore odious to God. Let us therefore wonder at God's condescension in taking such worms as we are into covenant and communion with himself, especially at the condescension of the Son of God, in emptying himself so far as to say, I am a worm, and no man, Ps 22:6.
比勒达在此对约伯最近一篇言论作了很简短的回答，仿佛他对这争端已开始厌倦。他放下了关于恶人兴旺的主要问题，因他无法回答约伯在上一章所举出的论证；但他以为约伯在上诉于 神的审判台时（约伯记 23:1-17）对 神的威严太过放肆，便用寥寥数语指出 神与人之间相隔的无限距离，教导我们：I. 当对 神存高尚而恭敬的思想，约伯记 25:2-3、5。II. 当对自己存谦卑的看法，约伯记 25:4、6。这些话虽然用得对约伯不合适，对我们众人却是两条该学的良好教训。