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英文原文
Job owns here that he was full of confusion (Job 10:15), and as he was so was his discourse: he knew not what to say, and perhaps sometimes scarcely knew what he said. In this chapter, I. He complains of the hardships he was under (Job 10:1-7), and then comforts himself with this, that he was in the hand of the God that made him, and pleads that, Job 10:8-13. II. He complains again of the severity of God's dealings with him (Job 10:14-17), and then comforts himself with this, that death would put an end to his troubles, Job 10:18-22.
1-22
Job's Reply to Bildad (1520 BC)
約伯回答比勒達（主前1520年）
¹ 我厭煩我的性命；我要由自己述說我的怨言；因我心苦惱，我要說話。
² 對神說：不要定我為有罪；指示我，你為何與我爭辯。
³ 你手所造的，你又欺壓又藐視，卻照亮惡人的計謀，這事你以為美嗎？
⁴ 你的眼豈是肉眼？你查看豈像人查看嗎？
⁵ 你的日子豈像人的日子？你的年歲豈像人的年歲，
⁶ 以致你追問我的罪孽，細察我的罪過？
⁷ 其實你知道我沒有罪惡；並沒有能救我脫離你手的。
此處有：I. 持續申訴的衝動決心（伯10:1）。他因神威嚴的懼怕而不敢在他面前申訴案情，就決意藉傾吐心中的憤懣來使自己得到一些紓解。他以激烈的言辭開始：我厭煩我的性命，厭煩這身體，急於擺脫它，與生命翻臉，對它不滿，厭倦了它，渴望死亡。因著恩典的軟弱，他甚至違背了本性本身的指引。我們若行事更像聖徒，就會行事更像人。信心和忍耐能保守我們不厭煩生命（也不苛待生命，如有人所讀的），即使在護理使生命最為痛苦的時候也是如此；因為厭煩神的管教就是厭煩生命。約伯因厭煩生命且無法以其他方式得到紓解，決意申訴，決意說話。他不以暴力的手段發洩，卻要以激烈的言辭發洩心中的苦澀。失敗者以為自己有權說話；而不受約束的情感，如同不受約束的食慾一樣，容易以「不能自已」為藉口來為自己的放縱辯護：但我們有智慧和恩典是為了甚麼呢？豈不是為了如以嚼環勒住口舌嗎？約伯的敗壞在此說話，但恩典也插了一句。1. 他要申訴，但他要*由自己述說他的怨言。他不願控告神，不願指控他不義或不仁；但雖然他不特別知道神與他爭論的根據和緣由，他卻在總體上假設那在他自己身上，甘願承擔一切過失。2. 他要說話，但他要表達的是他心的苦惱，*不是他既定的判斷。我若說得不當，不是我們原本的人，而是住在我裡面的罪——不是我的靈魂本體，而是它的苦澀。
II. 向神的謙卑祈求。他要說話，但第一句話必是一個禱告，而如我所樂意理解的，這是一個好的禱告（伯10:2）。1. 他願被拯救脫離苦難的毒鉤——就是罪：不要定我為有罪；不要永遠將我與你隔絕。我雖然躺在十字架之下，求你不要讓我躺在咒詛之下；我雖然受父親杖責的痛楚，求你不要被審判官的刀劍剪除。你管教我；我願盡力忍受；但求你不要定我為有罪！那些在基督耶穌裡的人的安慰是：他們雖在苦難中，卻不被定罪（羅8:1）。不，他們受主的懲戒，免得和世人同被定罪（林前11:32）。因此這是我們在苦難中當最切切祈求避免的事。「主啊，不論你喜悅如何待我，求你不要定我為有罪；我的朋友定我有罪，求你不要。」2. 他願得知他苦難的真正原因——那也是罪：主啊，*指示我，你為何與我爭辯。*當神以苦難臨到我們，就是與我們爭論；當他與我們爭論時，總有原因。他從不無故發怒，我們卻常如此；知道原因是甚麼是可羡慕的，好使我們為神與我們爭論的緣故而悔改、治死、離棄那罪。在查究時，當讓良心盡其職分、以信實待我們，如創42:21所記。
III. 關於神待他的方式的暴躁詰問。如今他確實在心中苦惱中說話，其中不乏對他神的公義的一些不友善的影射。
1. 他認為如此嚴苛地待他的受造物、加給他超過他所能承受的，不符合神的良善和他性質的憐憫（伯10:3）：*你以這事為美嗎？*不，斷乎不是；他所不喜悅於人的（哀3:34-36），他自己也不會行。「主啊，在待我的事上，你似乎欺壓你的臣民，藐視你的傑作，又恩待你的仇敵。主啊，這是甚麼意思？你的本性如此，這不能使你得喜樂；你的名如此，這不能使你得榮耀。那你為何如此待我？我的血有何益處呢？」約伯絕不以為神虧待了他，但他完全不知道如何將神的護理與他的公義調和——正如敬虔的人常常不知道的一樣，必須等候直到那日顯明。因此讓我們現在不懷對神的剛硬念頭，因為到那時我們必看見沒有這樣做的理由。
2. 他認為將他的囚徒如此放在刑架上、以酷刑逼供，不符合神無限的知識（伯10:4-6）。(1.) 他確知神不像人那樣發現事情、判斷事情：他沒有肉眼（伯10:4），因為他是靈。肉眼看不清黑暗中的事物，但黑暗不能向神隱藏。肉眼一次只能在一個地方，而且只能看有限距離；但耶和華的眼目遍察全地，且往來奔跑在全地上。許多事對肉眼——即使最精細敏銳的肉眼——是隱藏的；就是禿鷹的眼也未曾見過的路徑；但沒有甚麼是、或能向神的眼隱藏的，萬物在他面前都是赤露敞開的。肉眼只看外貌，可能被感官的錯覺所蒙蔽；但神看萬物都是真實的。他的視覺不能被欺騙，因為他察驗人心，是人心思念和存心的見證人。肉眼逐步發現事物，當我們看到一件事物的時候，就失去了另一件事物的視線；但神一覽無遺地看見萬物。肉眼很快疲倦，每晚必須閉合；但保護以色列的主既不打盹也不睡覺，他的視力也永不衰退。神看人不如人看人，即他不像人那樣判斷——人至多只是根據所陳述和所證明的來判斷，根據事物的表面而非其本相，而且太常根據偏見、情感、成見和利益的偏倚；但我們確知神的判斷是按照真理的，而且他認識真理不是藉著別人的報告，而是藉著自己的鑒察。人藉著搜索、審問見證人、比較證據、作出推斷來發現隱秘的事，哄騙或強迫有關方面招供；但神不需要這些發現的方式：神看人不如人看人。(2.) 他確知神不像人那樣目光短淺，也不像人那樣短命（伯10:5）：你的日子豈像人的日子——又少又苦？它們是否如人的日子那樣接連流逝，或如人的日子那樣易於改變？不，絕不。人因經歷而更有智慧，因日常觀察而更加博學；對他們而言，真理是時間的女兒，因此他們必須花時間搜索，若一個實驗失敗，就必須嘗試另一個。但神不是如此；對他沒有過去，沒有將來，一切都是現在。用來衡量人一生的時間的日子，與包裹神生命的永恆年歲相比，就算不得甚麼。(3.) 因此他認為奇怪，神為何如此延長他的酷刑，使他持續在這苦難的禁錮之下，既不將他帶到審判台前，也不釋放他，彷彿他需要花時間追問他的罪孽、用盡方法細察他的罪過似的（伯10:6）。這不是說約伯以為神如此折磨他是為了找把柄對付他；但神待他的方式看起來如此，這對神是不榮耀的，會使人以為他是個嚴苛的主人。「主啊，你若不顧念我的安慰，也請顧念你自己的榮耀；為你的大名行事，不要玷污你榮耀的寶座」（耶14:21）。
3. 他認為這看起來像是濫用他的全能——將一個他所知道是無辜的可憐囚徒繼續關押，只因為沒有人能從他手中救出來（伯10:7）：其實你知道我沒有罪惡。他已經承認自己是罪人，在神面前有罪；但他在此堅持自己不是惡人——不是沉溺於罪中的人，不是神的仇敵，不是在信仰上虛偽的人，就是我沒有惡意離棄我的神（詩18:21）。*但沒有能救我脫離你的手的，*因此別無他法；我必須甘心躺在這裡，等候你的時候，將自己投靠你的憐憫，順服你的至高旨意。在此請看：(1.) 當使我們在苦難中安靜的——與全能者較力是徒然的。(2.) 當使我們大得安慰的——我們若能像約伯在此那樣向神申訴：「主啊，*其實你知道我沒有罪惡。*我不能說我沒有欠缺，或沒有軟弱；但靠著恩典，我能說：我沒有罪惡；你知道我沒有，因為你知道我愛你。」
⁸ 你的手創造我，造就我的四肢百體；你卻毀滅我。
⁹ 求你記念你造我如摶泥一般；你還要使我歸於塵土嗎？
¹⁰ 你不是將我傾出如奶，使我凝結如同奶餅嗎？
¹¹ 你以皮和肉為衣給我穿上，用骨和筋把我全體聯絡。
¹² 你將生命和慈愛賜給我，你的眷顧也保守了我的心靈。
¹³ 然而你這些事早已藏在你心裡；我知道你存這樣的心意。
在這些經文中我們可以觀察到：
I. 約伯如何看待神是他的創造主和保護者，並描述自己作為生命的創始者和維繫者如何倚靠他。這是我們所有人都當首先知道和思想的事。
1. 神造了我們——是他，不是我們的父母；他們不過是他權能和護理在我們出生過程中的器皿。他造了我們，我們不是自己造的。他的手造化和塑造了我們這些身體的每一部分（伯10:8），而且它們受造奇妙可畏。那賦予身體活力的靈魂也是他的恩賜。約伯在此注意到了兩者。(1.) 身體如泥造出（伯10:9），被塑造成形，塑成這個形狀——如同泥被陶工按照技巧和心意塑成器皿。我們是瓦器——出身卑微，容易破碎——如泥造成。因此*受造之物不可對造他的說：你為何這樣造我呢？*我們不可因身體而驕傲，因為其材質來自泥土；但也不可輕賤身體，因為其模樣和形狀來自神的智慧。人體在母腹中的形成以優美的比喻來描述（伯10:10：你將我傾出如奶，使它凝結如同奶餅），並列舉了一些具體細節（伯10:11）。我們雖然赤身來到世上，身體本身卻既有衣穿又有盔甲。皮膚和肌肉是它的衣服；骨骼和筋脈是它的盔甲——不是進攻性的，而是防禦性的。心肺等要害器官如此被遮蔽，不被人看見——如此被防護，不受傷害。人體奇妙的構造是造物主的智慧、權能和良善的明顯例證。這些本可以成為聖靈殿宇的身體，竟被用作不義的器皿，何等可惜！(2.) 靈魂是生命，靈魂就是人本身，這是神的恩賜：你將生命賜給我，將生命的氣息吹入我裡面——若沒有這氣息，身體不過是一具無用的屍骸。神是萬靈的父：他造我們成為有靈的活人，並賦予我們理性的能力；他賜我們生命和慈愛——生命就是慈愛，極大的慈愛，勝過飲食，勝過衣裳——也是分別的慈愛，是使我們能領受其他恩惠的慈愛。約伯此刻的心境比他先前將生命視為重擔而爭論時要好得多——那時他問：*我為何不出母胎而死？*或者，生命和慈愛可以指生命和生命的一切安慰，指他從前的昌盛。曾有一段時間他行在神恩寵的光中，如同大衛那樣認為因那恩寵他的山立得穩固。
2. 神維持我們。他既點燃了生命的燈，就不任憑它在自己原有的燈油上燃燒，而是持續供應新油：*你的眷顧也保守了我的心靈，*保存我的性命，保護我脫離那些與生命為敵的——就是我們身處其中的死亡和我們持續暴露於其中的危險——並以一切維持生命所必需的支持和每日所需的供應賜福給我。
II. 他如何以此向神懇求，以及他如何運用它。他提醒神記念（伯10:9）：*求你記念你造我如摶泥一般。*那又怎樣呢？1. 「你造了我，因此你對我瞭如指掌（詩139:1-13），不必以鞭打來審問我，也不必將我放在刑架上來發現我裡面的隱情。」2. 「你如泥一樣以主權的作為造了我；你也要以同樣主權的作為將我廢去嗎？若是如此，我必順服。」3. 「你要毀壞你手所做的工嗎？」這是聖徒在禱告中常用的懇求：我們是泥，你是窯匠（賽64:8）。你的手造化我、建立我（詩119:73）。照樣在此，你造了我；你要毀滅我嗎（伯10:8），你還要使我歸於塵土嗎？（伯10:9）。你不憐憫我嗎？你不饒恕、幫助我，扶持你手所做的工嗎？（詩138:8）。你造了我，知道我的力量；你還要任憑我被壓得過重嗎？我被造是為了受苦嗎？我被保存是為了被留到這些災難中嗎？我們若以此勸勉自己盡本分——「神造了我又維持我，所以我要事奉他、順服他」——就可以以此向神求憐憫：你造了我——求你重新造我；*我是屬你的，求你拯救我。*約伯不知道如何調和神從前的恩寵和現在的怒容，但他總結說（伯10:13）：*然而你這些事早已藏在你心裡。兩者都是照你自己旨意的計謀，因此毫無疑問是一致的——不論表面看來如何。當神如此奇妙地改變他的作為，雖然我們不能解釋，我們卻有義務相信他心裡藏有充分的理由——這些理由不久將會顯明。要指定原因不在我們的能力或範圍之內，但我知道你存這樣的心意。*神從始至終一切的作為，他都知道。
¹⁴ 我若犯罪，你就察看我，並不赦免我的罪孽。
¹⁵ 我若行惡，便有禍了！我若行義，也不敢抬頭，因為我心滿了恥辱。求你見我的苦情；
¹⁶ 因為我的苦楚加增。你追趕我如獅子一般；你又在我身上顯出奇事。
¹⁷ 你重立見證攻擊我，向我加增你的惱怒；如軍兵更換著攻擊我。
¹⁸ 你為何使我出母胎呢？不如我當時氣絕，無人得見我！
¹⁹ 這樣，就如沒有我一般；一出母胎就被送入墳墓。
²⁰ 我的日子不是甚少嗎？求你停手寬容我，叫我在往而不返之先——就是去黑暗和死蔭之地以先——可以稍得暢快；
²¹ 就是去那黑暗和死蔭之地，
²² 那地幽暗，是死蔭混沌之地，那裡的光如同幽暗。
在此我們看到：
I. 約伯激烈的申訴。在這刺耳不悅耳的弦上他彈奏甚多，其中雖不能被稱義，卻可以被原諒。他不是無故申訴，如那些發怨言的以色列人，而是有理由申訴的。我們若覺得他表現不佳，就當以此為鑑戒，更好地控制自己的脾氣。
1. 他抱怨神判斷的嚴格和他對待自己的嚴厲，幾乎要稱之為*極致的公義——近乎嚴苛的公義。*他抓住一切機會對付他：我若犯罪，你就察看我（伯10:14）。(1.) 我只要走錯一步、說錯一句話、或目光稍有偏差，就必定聽見它的後果。良心——你的副手——必定以此責備我，告訴我這一陣疼痛、這一陣抽搐就是為此而懲罰我。神若真的如此追討罪孽，我們就全都滅亡了；但我們必須承認相反的事實——雖然我們犯罪，神並沒有以極端對待我們。(2.) 他將那些機會追討到底：*你並不赦免我的罪孽。*他在苦難中不能享受赦免的安慰，也聽不見那喜樂歡暢的聲音；當我們看見神面上帶著怒容、手中拿著刑杖時，要看出他心裡的愛是何等困難。(3.) 無論他的品格如何，他目前的處境非常不好受（伯10:15）。[1.] 他若行惡，他在來世必滅亡無疑：*我若行惡，便有禍了。*請注意：犯罪的狀態是禍患的狀態。這一點我們每個人都當像約伯在此那樣、以應用於自己的方式來相信：*我若行惡——*即使昌盛、活在享樂中——便有禍了。有些人若行惡，更有理由恐懼雙重的禍患。「我這有知識的、作了極大信仰宣告的、曾屢次受強烈感動的、作了許多美好應許的——我這生於如此好的父母的、蒙了良好教育的、曾在良好家庭中生活的、長久享受恩典之器的——*我若行惡，就有禍了，千萬個禍患臨到我。」[2.] 他若行義，卻也不敢抬頭，*不敢如從前那樣回答（伯9:15）。他因苦難的壓制和淹沒，不能以任何安慰或信心舉目。外有爭戰，內有恐懼；因此兩下夾攻之下，他滿了困惑——不僅因被貶低的羞辱和朋友的非議而满面羞愧，更是靈裡的混亂；他的心緒持續紛亂，幾乎要神志不清（詩88:15）。
2. 他抱怨執行的嚴酷。神（他以為）不僅為每一次失敗懲罰他，更以高度懲罰他（伯10:16-17）。他的苦難是：(1.) 沉重的、極其沉重的、奇妙的、極其奇妙的。神追趕他如獅子一般，如同少壯獅子追趕並追上獵物。神不僅對他陌生，更在他身上顯出奇事——將他帶入不同尋常的苦難中，使他成為奇談，成為許多人的驚奇。所有人都驚奇神竟然能施加如此重的苦難、約伯竟然能承受如此多。使他苦難最為沉重的是他在其中感受到神的惱怒；正是這使苦難嚐起來如此苦澀、壓得如此沉重。那些苦難是神攻擊他的見證，是他不悅的記號；這使他身體的瘡口成了他靈裡的創傷。(2.) 它正在增長，而且越來越糟。這一點他特別強調；當他以為潮水會轉向、開始退潮時，它卻漲得更高更高。他的苦難加增，神在苦難中的惱怒也加增。他發現自己沒有好轉，沒有任何方面好轉。這些見證被更新來攻擊他，好使一個不能定他罪的，另一個可以。如軍兵更換著攻擊他。他若有任何改變，也不是向好的方向；他仍被保持在戰爭狀態中。只要我們還在這世上，我們就當期望雨後雲彩返回，也許最痛最烈的試煉被保留到最後。神與他爭戰，這是一個巨大的改變。神通常不是這樣待他，這使苦難更加沉重、真正令人驚奇。神通常恩待他的百姓；他若任何時候不如此，那是他的奇事、他的奇妙作為，他確實在其中顯出奇妙。
3. 他抱怨自己的生命，抱怨自己竟被生到這一切苦難和悲慘中（伯10:18-19）：「如果這是為我定的分，你為何使我出母胎呢？為何不在那裡將我悶死，或在生產時將我窒息？」這是他激情的言語，是他從前所犯之罪的復發。他剛才還稱生命為慈愛（伯10:12），如今卻稱之為*重擔，*並為神賜予它而與神爭論——或者說是將它強加於他。卡瑞爾先生對此為約伯作了善意的解釋。「我們可以善意地設想，」他說，「使約伯苦惱的是他處在一種妨礙他生命主要目的的狀態中——那目的就是榮耀神。他的琴掛在柳樹上，完全走調了，無法讚美神。不，他恐怕他的苦難會反射損害神的榮譽、給仇敵褻瀆的機會；所以他願望：不如我當時氣絕！一個敬虔的人認為，他若不為讚美和榮耀神而活，就是白活了。」如果那是他的意思，那是建立在一個誤解上；因為我們可以在火中榮耀主。但我們可以這樣應用——不要太過迷戀生命，因為有時連智慧良善的人也會如此抱怨它。我們為何要恐懼斷氣，或渴望被人看見呢？因為時候可能來到，我們可能恨不得自己當時氣絕、無人得見。我們為何要過度哀悼嬰孩的夭折——那些如同沒有的一般、一出母胎就被送入墳墓的孩子呢？也許我們自己有時也會恨不得這是我們自己的分。
II. 約伯謙卑的懇求。他祈求：1. 神見他的苦情（伯10:15），留意他的案件，以憐憫的心加以考慮。大衛也如此禱告（詩25:18）：*求你看顧我的困苦和我的艱難。*我們在苦難中當如此將自己交託給神，並可以如此安慰自己：他知道我們在逆境中的靈魂。2. 神賜他一些紓解。他若不能求得苦難的挪去，難道不能得到一些間歇嗎？「主啊，不要讓我一直在刑架上，一直在極端中：求你停手寬容我，叫我稍得暢快！（伯10:20）。賜我一些喘息的時間，一些透氣的機會，對自己有一點小小的享受。」這他將視為極大的恩惠。那些對持續的安逸不夠感恩的人，當思想他們若在持續的疼痛中，一小時的安舒將何等受歡迎。他以兩件事作為理由：——(1.) 生命和它的光是何等短暫：我的日子不是甚少嗎？（伯10:20）。是的，確實甚少。主啊，不要讓它們全是痛苦的，全在極端的痛苦中度過。我活在世上的時間不多；讓我在還活著的時候對生命有一些安慰吧。這個理由抓住了神本性中的良善，這一點對受苦的心靈極其安慰。我們若要以此作為向神求憐憫的理由（我的日子不是甚少嗎？主啊，憐憫我），就當以此作為對自己的理由，激勵我們盡本分：我的日子不是甚少嗎？那麼我當愛惜光陰，把握機會，盡力做我手當做的，好使我預備好進入那將要來的、日子眾多的永恆。(2.) 死亡和它的黑暗已經很近，而且將會很長（伯10:21-22）：「主啊，在我死之前賜我一些安舒」——即「免得我因疼痛而死」。大衛也如此懇求（詩13:3）：免得我沉睡至死；那時再求拯救就太遲了；因為你豈能向死者行奇事呢？（詩88:10）。「讓我在死之前有一點安慰，好使我能平靜地告別這世界，而不是在我如今所處的混亂中離開。」我們對恩典也當如此懇切，如此懇求：「主啊，更新我裡面的人；主啊，在我死之前使我成聖，否則就永遠不能成就了。」請看他在此如何論到死人的狀態。[1.] 那是一個固定的狀態，我們不再歸回此世過如今這樣的生活（伯7:10）。死時我們必與這世界作最後的訣別。身體那時要被安放在它將長久躺臥的地方，靈魂被判定到它永遠所在的那種狀態中。一生只做一次、而且為永恆而做的事，必須做好。[2.] 那是一個非常陰鬱的狀態；在我們看來確實如此。聖潔的靈魂在死時遷移到一個光明之地，那裡沒有死亡；但他們的身體卻留給一個黑暗和死蔭之地。他在此堆疊了許多同義的表達，為要表明他對死亡和墳墓的恐懼，與其他人本性上的恐懼一樣，因此只是因為他所處的極度痛苦才使他渴望它。來吧，讓我們稍微窺探一下墳墓，我們必發現：第一，那裡沒有秩序：那是混沌之地——永恆的黑夜，沒有白晝的交替。那裡所有的人都躺臥在同一個平面上，君王和農夫之間沒有分別，僕人在那裡脫離主人的轄制（伯3:19）。將人帶入墳墓的順序沒有任何秩序——不是先最年長的，不是先最富有的，也不是先最貧窮的，然而每個人都在他自己的秩序中——生命之神所定的秩序中。*第二，*那裡沒有光。墳墓中有濃厚的黑暗——這黑暗雖不能被感知，卻不能不為那些享受生命之光的人所恐懼。墳墓中沒有知識、沒有安慰、沒有喜樂、沒有讚美神、沒有做成得救的工夫，因此沒有光。約伯如此羞於讓別人看見他的瘡口，又如此害怕自己看見它們，以致墳墓的黑暗——那會將它們遮掩、一筆勾銷的黑暗——從那個角度來看對他是受歡迎的。黑暗臨到我們；因此讓我們趁有光的時候行走做工。墳墓既是黑暗之地，我們被抬到那裡時雙目閉合是好的，那時一切都一樣了。墳墓對人而言是黑暗之地；我們認為已去到那裡的朋友被遷入了黑暗（詩88:18）。但它對神並非如此——這一點可以從以下事實看出：聖徒身體的塵土，雖然四散，雖然與別的塵土混合，卻一點也不會失落，因為神的眼目看顧每一粒塵土，它們在大日必被交出。
英文原文
Job's Reply to Bildad (1520 BC)
¹ My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
² I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; show me wherefore thou contendest with me.
³ Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
⁴ Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
⁵ Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,
⁶ That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
⁷ Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
Here is, I. A passionate resolution to persist in his complaint, Job 10:1. Being daunted with the dread of God's majesty, so that he could not plead his cause with him, he resolves to give himself some ease by giving vent to his resentments. He begins with vehement language: "My soul is weary of my life, weary of this body, and impatient to get clear of it, fallen out with life, and displeased at it, sick of it, and longing for death." Through the weakness of grace he went contrary to the dictates even of nature itself. We should act more like men did we act more like saints. Faith and patience would keep us from being weary of our lives (and cruel to them, as some read it), even when Providence has made them most wearisome to us; for that is to be weary of God's correction. Job, being weary of his life and having ease no other way, resolves to complain, resolves to speak. He will not give vent to his soul by violent hands, but he will give vent to the bitterness of his soul by violent words. Losers think they may have leave to speak; and unbridled passions, as well as unbridled appetites, are apt to think it an excuse for their excursions that they cannot help them: but what have we wisdom and grace for, but to keep the mouth as with a bridle? Job's corruption speaks here, yet grace puts in a word. 1. He will complain, but he will leave his complaint upon himself. He would not impeach God, nor charge him with unrighteousness or unkindness; but, though he knew not particularly the ground of God's controversy with him and the cause of action, yet, in the general, he would suppose it to be in himself and willingly bear all the blame. 2. He will speak, but it shall be the bitterness of his soul that he will express, not his settled judgment. If I speak amiss, it is not I, but sin that dwells in me, not my soul, but its bitterness.
II. A humble petition to God. He will speak, but the first word shall be a prayer, and, as I am willing to understand it, it is a good prayer, Job 10:2. 1. That he might be delivered from the sting of his afflictions, which is sin: "Do not condemn me; do not separate me for ever from thee. Though I lie under the cross, let me not lie under the curse; though I smart by the rod of a Father, let me not be cut off by the sword of a Judge. Thou dost correct me; I will bear that as well as I can; but O do not condemn me!" It is the comfort of those who are in Christ Jesus that, though they are in affliction, there is no condemnation to them, Ro 8:1. Nay, they are chastened of the Lord that they may not be condemned with the world, 1Co 11:32. This therefore we should deprecate above any thing else, when we are in affliction. "However thou art pleased to deal with me, Lord, do not condemn me; my friends condemn me, but do not thou." 2. That he might be made acquainted with the true cause of his afflictions, and that is sin too: Lord, show me wherefore thou contendest with me. When God afflicts us he contends with us, and when he contends with us there is always a reason. He is never angry without a cause, though we are; and it is desirable to know what the reason is, that we may repent of, mortify, and forsake the sin for which God has a controversy with us. In enquiring it out, let conscience have leave to do its office and to deal faithfully with us, as Ge 42:21.
III. A peevish expostulation with God concerning his dealings with him. Now he speaks in the bitterness of his soul indeed, not without some ill-natured reflections upon the righteousness of his God.
1. He thinks it unbecoming the goodness of God, and the mercifulness of his nature, to deal so hardly with his creature as to lay upon him more than he can bear (Job 10:3): Is it good unto thee that thou shouldst oppress? No, certainly it is not; what he approves not in men (La 3:34-36) he will not do himself. "Lord, in dealing with me, thou seemest to oppress thy subject, to despise thy workmanship, and to countenance thy enemies. Now, Lord, what is the meaning of this? Such is thy nature that this cannot be a pleasure to thee; and such is thy name that it cannot be an honour to thee. Why then dealest thou thus with me? What profit is there in my blood?" Far be it from Job to think that God did him wrong, but he is quite at a loss how to reconcile his providences with his justice, as good men have often been, and must wait until the day shall declare it. Let us therefore now harbour no hard thoughts of God, because we shall then see there was no cause for them.
2. He thinks it unbecoming the infinite knowledge of God to put his prisoner thus upon the rack, as it were, by torture, to extort a confession from him, Job 10:4-6. (1.) He is sure that God does not discover things, nor judge of them, as men do: He has not eyes of flesh (Job 10:4), for he is a Spirit. Eyes of flesh cannot see in the dark, but darkness hides not from God. Eyes of flesh are but in one place at a time, and can see but a little way; but the eyes of the Lord are in every place, and run to and fro through the whole earth. Many things are hidden from eyes of flesh, the most curious and piercing; there is a path which even the vulture's eye has not seen: but nothing is, or can be, hidden from the eye of God, to which all things are naked and open. Eyes of flesh see the outward appearance only, and may be imposed upon by a deceptio visus—an illusion of the senses; but God sees every thing truly. His sight cannot be deceived, for he tries the heart, and is a witness to the thoughts and intents of that. Eyes of flesh discover things gradually, and, when we gain the sight of one thing, we lose the sight of another; but God sees every thing at one view. Eyes of flesh are soon tired, must be closed every night but the keeper of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, nor does his sight ever decay. God sees not as man sees, that is, he does not judge as man judges, at the best secundum allegata et probata—according to what is alleged and proved, as the thing appears rather than as it is, and too often according to the bias of the affections, passions, prejudices, and interest; but we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth, and that he knows truth, not by information, but by his own inspection. Men discover secret things by search, and examination of witnesses, comparing evidence and giving conjectures upon it, wheedling or forcing the parties concerned to confess; but God needs not any of these ways of discovery: he sees not as man sees. (2.) He is sure that as God is not short-sighted, like man, so he is not short-lived (Job 10:5): "Are thy days as the days of man, few and evil? Do they roll on in succession, or are they subject to change, like the days of man? No, by no means." Men grow wiser by experience and more knowing by daily observation; with them truth is the daughter of time, and therefore they must take time for their searches, and, if one experiment fail, must try another. But it is not so with God; to him nothing is past, nothing future, but every thing present. The days of time, by which the life of man is measured, are nothing to the years of eternity, in which the life of God is wrapped up. (3.) He therefore thinks it strange that God should thus prolong his torture, and continue him under the confinement of this affliction, and neither bring him to a trial nor grant him a release, as if he must take time to enquire after his iniquity and use means to search after his sin, Job 10:6. Not as if Job thought that God did thus torment him that he might find occasion against him; but his dealings with him had such an aspect, which was dishonourable to God, and would tempt men to think him a hard master. "Now, Lord, if thou wilt not consult my comfort, consult thy own honour; do something for thy great name, and do not disgrace the throne of thy glory," Jer 14:21.
3. He thinks it looked like an abuse of his omnipotence to keep a poor prisoner in custody, whom he knew to be innocent, only because there was none that could deliver him out of his hand (Job 10:7): Thou knowest that I am not wicked. He had already owned himself a sinner, and guilty before God; but he here stands to it that he was not wicked, not devoted to sin, not an enemy to God, not a dissembler in his religion, that he had not wickedly departed from his God, Ps 18:21. "But there is none that can deliver out of thy hand, and therefore there is no remedy; I must be content to lie there, waiting thy time, and throwing myself on thy mercy, in submission to thy sovereign will." Here see, (1.) What ought to quiet us under our troubles—that it is to no purpose to contend with Omnipotence. (2.) What will abundantly comfort us—if we are able to appeal to God, as Job here, "Lord, thou knowest that I am not wicked. I cannot say that l am not wanting, or I am not weak; but, through grace, I can say, I am not wicked: thou knowest I am not, for thou knowest I love thee."
⁸ Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
⁹ Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
¹⁰ Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
¹¹ Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
¹² Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
¹³ And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.
In these verses we may observe,
I. How Job eyes God as his Creator and preserver, and describes his dependence upon him as the author and upholder of his being. This is one of the first things we are all concerned to know and consider.
1. That God made us, he, and not our parents, who were only the instruments of his power and providence in our production. He made us, and not we ourselves. His hands have made and fashioned these bodies of ours and every part of them (Job 10:8), and they are fearfully and wonderfully made. The soul also, which animates the body, is his gift. Job takes notice of both here. (1.) The body is made as the clay (Job 10:9), cast into shape, into this shape, as the clay is formed into a vessel, according to the skill and will of the potter. We are earthen vessels, mean in our original, and soon broken in pieces, made as the clay. Let not therefore the thing formed say unto him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? We must not be proud of our bodies, because the matter is from the earth, yet not dishonour our bodies, because the mould and shape are from the divine wisdom. The formation of human bodies in the womb is described by an elegant similitude (Job 10:10, Thou hast poured me out like milk, which is coagulated into cheese), and by an induction of some particulars, Job 10:11. Though we come into the world naked, yet the body is itself both clothed and armed. The skin and flesh are its clothing; the bones and sinews are its armour, not offensive, but defensive. The vital parts, the heart and lungs, are thus clothed, not to be seen—thus fenced, not to be hurt. The admirable structure of human bodies is an illustrious instance of the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Creator. What a pity is it that these bodies should be instruments of unrighteousness which are capable of being temples of the Holy Ghost! (2.) The soul is the life, the soul is the man, and this is the gift of God: Thou hast granted me life, breathed into me the breath of life, without which the body would be but a worthless carcase. God is the Father of spirits: he made us living souls, and endued us with the power of reason; he gave us life and favour, and life is a favour—a great favour, more than meat, more than raiment—a distinguishing favour, a favour that puts us into a capacity of receiving other favours. Now Job was in a better mind than he was when he quarrelled with life as a burden, and asked, Why died I not from the womb? Or by life and favour may be meant life and all the comforts of life, referring to his former prosperity. Time was when he walked in the light of the divine favour, and thought, as David, that through that favour his mountain stood strong.
2. That God maintains us. Having lighted the lamp of life, he does not leave it to burn upon its own stock, but continually supplies it with fresh oil: "Thy visitation has preserved my spirit, kept me alive, protected me from the adversaries of life, the death we are in the midst of and the dangers we are continually exposed to, and blessed me with all the necessary supports of life and the daily supplies it needs and craves."
II. How he pleads this with God, and what use he makes of it. He reminds God of it (Job 10:9): Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me. What then? Why, 1. "Thou hast made me, and therefore thou hast a perfect knowledge of me (Ps 139:1-13), and needest not to examine me by scourging, nor to put me upon the rack for the discovery of what is within me." 2. "Thou hast made me, as the clay, by an act of sovereignty; and wilt thou by a like act of sovereignty unmake me again? If so, I must submit." 3. "Wilt thou destroy the work of thy own hands?" It is a plea the saints have often used in prayer, We are the clay and thou our potter, Isa 64:8. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me, Ps 119:73. So here, Thou madest me; and wilt thou destroy me (Job 10:8), wilt thou bring me into dust again? Job 10:9. "Wilt thou not pity me? Wilt thou not spare and help me, and stand by the work of thy own hands? Ps 138:8. Thou madest me, and knowest my strength; wilt thou then suffer me to be pressed above measure? Was I made to be made miserable? Was I preserved only to be reserved for these calamities?" If we plead this with ourselves as an inducement to duty, "God made me and maintains me, and therefore I will serve him and submit to him," we may plead it with God as an argument for mercy: Thou hast made me, new—make me; I am thine, save me. Job knew not how to reconcile God's former favours and his present frowns, but concludes (Job 10:13), "These things hast thou hidden in thy heart. Both are according to the counsel of thy own will, and therefore undoubtedly consistent, however they seem." When God thus strangely changes his way, though we cannot account for it, we are bound to believe there are good reasons for it hidden in his heart, which will be manifested shortly. It is not with us, or in our reach, to assign the cause, but I know that this is with thee. Known unto God are all his works.
¹⁴ If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
¹⁵ If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;
¹⁶ For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.
¹⁷ Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
¹⁸ Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!
¹⁹ I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
²⁰ Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
²¹ Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
²² A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
Here we have,
I. Job's passionate complaints. On this harsh and unpleasant string he harps much, in which, though he cannot be justified, he may be excused. He complained not for nothing, as the murmuring Israelites, but had cause to complain. If we think it looks ill in him, let it be a warning to us to keep our temper better.
1. He complains of the strictness of God's judgment and the rigour of his proceedings against him, and is ready to call it summum jus—justice bordering on severity. That he took all advantages against him: "If I sin, then thou markest me, Job 10:14. (1.) If I do but take one false step, misplace a word, or cast a look awry, I shall be sure to hear of it. Conscience, thy deputy, will be sure to upbraid me with it, and to tell me that this gripe, this twitch of pain, is to punish me for that." If God should thus mark iniquities, we should be undone; but we must acknowledge the contrary, that, though we sin, God does not deal in extremity with us. (2.) That he prosecuted those advantages to the utmost: Thou wilt not acquit me from my iniquity. While his troubles he could not take the comfort of his pardon, nor hear that voice of joy and gladness; so hard is it to see love in God's heart when we see frowns in his face and a rod in his hand. (3.) That, whatever was his character, his case at present was very uncomfortable, Job 10:15. [1.] If he be wicked, he is certainly undone in the other world: If I be wicked, woe to me. Note, A sinful state is a woeful state. This we should each of us believe, as Job here, with application to ourselves: "If I be wicked, though prosperous and living in pleasure, yet woe to me." Some especially have reason to dread double woes if they be wicked. "I that have knowledge, that have made a great profession of religion, that have been so often under strong convictions, and have made so many fair promises—I that was born of such good parents, blessed with a good education, that have lived in good families, and long enjoyed the means of grace—if I be wicked, woe, and a thousand woes, to me." [2.] If he be righteous, yet he dares not lift up his head, dares not answer as before, Job 9:15. He is so oppressed and overwhelmed with his troubles that he cannot look up with any comfort or confidence. Without were fightings, within were fears; so that, between both, he was full of confusion, not only confusion of face for the disgrace he was brought down to and the censures of his friends, but confusion of spirit; his mind was in a constant hurry, and he was almost distracted, Ps 88:15.
2. He complains of the severity of the execution. God (he thought) did not only punish him for every failure, but punish him in a high degree, Job 10:16,17. His affliction was, (1.) Grievous, very grievous, marvellous, exceedingly marvellous. God hunted him as a lion, as a fierce lion hunts and runs down his prey. God was not only strange to him, but showed himself marvellous upon him, by bringing him into uncommon troubles and so making him prodigy, a wonder unto many. All wondered that God would inflict and that Job could bear so much. That which made his afflictions most grievous was that he felt God's indignation in them; it was this that made them taste so bitter and lie so heavy. They were God's witnesses against him, tokens of his displeasure; this made the sores of his body wounds in his spirit. (2.) It was growing, still growing worse and worse. This he insists much upon; when he hoped the tide would turn, and begin to ebb, still it flowed higher and higher. His affliction increased, and God's indignation in the affliction. He found himself no better, no way better. These witnesses were renewed against him, that, if one did not reach to convict him, another might. Changes and war were against him. If there was any change with him, it was not for the better; still he was kept in a state of war. As long as we are here in this world we must expect that the clouds will return after the rain, and perhaps the sorest and sharpest trials may be reserved for the last. God was at war with him, and it was a great change. He did not use to be so, which aggravated the trouble and made it truly marvellous. God usually shows himself kind to his people; if at any time he shows himself otherwise, it is his strange work, his strange act, and he does in it show himself marvellous.
3. He complains of his life, and that ever he was born to all this trouble and misery (Job 10:18,19): "If this was designed for my lot, why was I brought out of the womb, and not smothered there, or stifled in the birth?" This was the language of his passion, and it was a relapse into the same sin he fell into before. He had just now called life a favour (Job 10:12), yet now he calls it a burden, and quarrels with God for giving it, or rather laying it upon him. Mr. Caryl gives this a good turn in favour of Job. "We may charitably suppose," says he, "that what troubled Job was that he was in a condition of life which (as he conceived) hindered the main end of his life, which was the glorifying of God. His harp was hung on the willow-trees, and he was quite out of tune for praising God. Nay, he feared lest his troubles should reflect dishonour upon God and give occasion to his enemies to blaspheme; and therefore he wishes, O that I had given up the ghost! A godly man reckons that he lives to no purpose if he do not live to the praise and glory of God." If that was his meaning, it was grounded on a mistake; for we may glorify the Lord in the fires. But this use we may make of it, not to be over-fond of life, since the case has been such sometimes, even with wise and good men, that they have complained of it. Why should we dread giving up the ghost, or covet to be seen of men, since the time may come when we may be ready to wish we had given up the ghost and no eye had seen us? Why should we inordinately lament the death of our children in their infancy, that are as if they had not been, and are carried from the womb to the grave, when perhaps we ourselves may sometimes wish it had been our own lot?
II. Job's humble requests. He prays, 1. That God would see his affliction (Job 10:15), take cognizance of his case, and take it into his compassionate consideration. Thus David prays (Ps 25:18), Look upon my affliction and my pain. Thus we should, in our troubles, refer ourselves to God, and may comfort ourselves with this, that he knows our souls in adversity. 2. That God would grant him some ease. If he could not prevail for the removal of his trouble, yet might he not have some intermission? "Lord, let me not be always upon the rack, always in extremity: O let me alone, that I may take comfort a little! Job 10:20. Grant me some respite, some breathing-time, some little enjoyment of myself." This he would reckon a great favour. Those that are not duly thankful for constant ease should think how welcome one hour's ease would be if they were in constant pain. Two things he pleads:—(1.) That life and its light were very short: "Are not my days few? Job 10:20. Yes, certainly they are, very few. Lord, let them not be all miserable, all in the extremity of misery. I have but a little time to live; let me have some comfort of life while it does last." This plea fastens on the goodness of God's nature, the consideration of which is very comfortable to an afflicted spirit. And, if we would use this as a plea with God for mercy ("Are not my days few? Lord, pity me"), we should use it as a plea with ourselves, to quicken us to duty: "Are not my days few? Then it concerns me to redeem time, to improve opportunities, what my hand finds to do to do it with all my might, that I may be ready for the days of eternity, which shall be many." (2.) That death and its darkness were very near and would be very long (Job 10:21,22): "Lord, give me some ease before I die," that is, "lest I die of my pain." Thus David pleads (Ps 13:3), "Lest I sleep the sleep of death, and then it will be too late to expect relief; for wilt thou show wonders to the dead?" Ps 88:10. "Let me have a little comfort before I die, that I may take leave of this world calmly, and not in such confusion as I am now in." Thus earnest should we be for grace, and thus we should plead, "Lord, renew me in the inward man; Lord, sanctify me before I die, for otherwise it will never be done." See how he speaks here of the state of the dead. [1.] It is a fixed state, whence we shall not return ever again to live such a life as we now live, Job 7:10. At death we must bid a final farewell to this world. The body must then be laid where it will lie long, and the soul adjudged to that state in which it must be for ever. That had need be well done which is to be done but once, and done for eternity. [2.] It is a very melancholy state; so it appears to us. Holy souls, at death, remove to a land of light, where there is no death; but their bodies they leave to a land of darkness and the shadow of death. He heaps up expressions here of the same import to show that he has as dreadful apprehensions of death and the grave as other men naturally have, so that it was only the extreme misery he was in that made him wish for it. Come and let us look a little into the grave, and we shall find, First, That there is no order there: it is without any order, perpetual night, and no succession of day. All there lie on the same level, and there is no distinction between prince and peasant, but the servant is there free from his master, Job 3:19. No order is observed in bringing people to the grave, not the eldest first, not the richest, not the poorest, and yet every one in his own order, the order appointed by the God of life. Secondly, That there is no light there. In the grave there is thick darkness, darkness that cannot be felt indeed, yet cannot but be feared by those that enjoy the light of life. In the grave there is no knowledge, no comfort, no joy, no praising God, no working out our salvation, and therefore no light. Job was so much ashamed that others should see his sores, and so much afraid to see them himself, that the darkness of the grave, which would hide them and huddle them up, would upon that account be welcome to him. Darkness comes upon us; and therefore let us walk and work while we have the light with us. The grave being a land of darkness, it is well we are carried thither with our eyes closed, and then it is all one. The grave is a land of darkness to man; our friends that have gone thither we reckon removed into darkness, Ps 88:18. But that it is not so to God will appear by this, that the dust of the bodies of the saints, though scattered, though mingled with other dust, will none of it be lost, for God's eye is upon every grain of it and it shall be forth-coming in the great day.
約伯在此承認自己滿了混亂（Job 10:15），而他的講論也正如其心境：他不知該說甚麼，有時或許幾乎不知道自己說了甚麼。在本章中：I. 他抱怨自己所受的艱難（Job 10:1-7），隨後以此安慰自己——他乃是在造他的神手中，並以此向神懇求（Job 10:8-13）。II. 他再次抱怨神待他的嚴厲（Job 10:14-17），隨後以此安慰自己——死亡將終結他的苦難（Job 10:18-22）。