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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)
神被高舉，人被貶低（主前1520年）
¹ 書亞人比勒遝回答說：
² 在他有權柄和威嚴，在他有平安。他在高處製造和平。
³ 他的諸軍豈能數算？他的亮光不仰照誰呢？
⁴ 這樣，人在神面前怎能稱義？婦人所生的怎能潔淨？
⁵ 看哪，在他眼前，月亮也無光輝，星宿也不清潔。
⁶ 何況如蟲的人，如蟲的世人呢？
比勒遝在此有兩件事值得稱讚：1. 關於他和約伯意見不同的事，他沒有再多說。也許他開始認為約伯是對的，那麼閉口不言就是公正的——作為一個為真理而非為勝利爭論的人，為了尋得真理，情願失去勝利；或者，即使他仍認為自己是對的，他也知道何時已經說夠了，不願為最後的發言權無休止地爭論。也許他和其餘的人之所以放下這場辯論，是因為他們察覺到約伯和他們在意見上並不如他們所想的那樣分歧：他們承認惡人可能興旺一時，約伯也承認惡人終必滅亡；那麼分歧何其小呢！若辯論者能更好地彼此理解，也許會發現彼此比想像的更接近。2. 關於他和約伯意見一致的事，他說得很好。我們若都把心充滿對神的敬畏之念和對自己的謙卑之念，就不會如此容易在可疑的爭論上起紛爭——那些爭論要麼瑣碎，要麼複雜。
比勒遝在此以兩種方式高舉神、貶低人：
I. 他指出神是何等榮耀，由此推論人在他面前是何等有罪和不潔（Job 25:2-4）。那麼讓我們看：
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此處論到神說了甚麼偉大的事，為要使約伯對他心存敬畏，遏制他對神和神的作為的反思：（1）神是萬有的至高主宰，在他有可畏的威嚴。在他有權柄和威嚴（Job 25:2）。賜人生命的那位有不可爭辯的權柄頒佈律法，也能強制執行他所頒佈的律法。造萬有的那有權按自己的旨意支配萬有，以絕對的主權。他要做的事無不成就，也可以成就；無人能對他說：你做甚麼？ 或 你為何如此行？（但 4:35）。他擁有主權（作為 主），表明他既是萬有的所有者，又是萬有的治理者。萬有都是他的，萬有都在他的指揮和支配之下。因此他當被敬畏（即被尊崇和順服），認識他的都敬畏他（撒拉弗在他面前掩面），而且遲早所有的人都必被使來敬畏他。人的主權往往可鄙，往往被人輕看，但神永遠可畏。（2）上界的榮耀居民都完全順服他，完全順從他的旨意：他在高處製造和平。 他自享完美的安寧。聖天使從不與他爭論，也不彼此爭論，而是完全順從他的旨意，一致地執行它，不發怨言，不爭辯。如此，神的旨意行在天上；我們也如此禱告：願他的旨意也行在地上，行在我們和別人身上。日月星辰各守其軌道，從不相撞：不但如此，即使在這下界——這裏常常被風暴和狂風所攪擾——神若願意，也能命令和平，使狂風止息，波浪就平靜（詩 107:29；詩 65:7）。請注意，高處是 他的 高處；因為 天，和天上的天，都是耶和華的（詩 115:16）——以特殊的方式。和平是神的工作；哪裏有和平，都是他造成的（賽 57:19）。在天上有完全的和平；因為那裏有完全的聖潔，那裏有神——神就是愛。（3）他是大有能力、不可抵擋的神：他的諸軍豈能數算？（Job 25:3）。君王的偉大和權力是按其軍隊來判斷的。神不僅自己全能，還有無數無數的軍隊聽他調遣、受他支配——常備軍永不解散——正規軍、訓練有素、從不缺席、從不困惑、從不嘩變——老兵久經服役——常勝軍從不失利、從不被擊敗。一切受造之物都是他的軍隊，天使尤其如此。他是萬有的主，萬軍之主。他有無數的軍隊，卻製造和平。他本可以向我們開戰，卻情願與我們和好；甚至天上的眾軍也被差遣來宣告 地上平安、喜悅歸於人（路 2:14）。（4）他的護理延伸到一切：他的亮光不仰照誰呢？ 太陽的光照到世界各地，一年合計下來，對所有的人都同等。見詩 19:6。這是神對整個受造界之無所不知和無微不至之眷顧的一個微弱寫照（太 5:45）。一切都在他知識的光照之下，在他面前赤露敞開。一切都有分於他良善之光：看來這裏特別指的是 這個。他善待萬物；地充滿了他的恩惠。他是 至善的神——最好的存有，正如他是 至大的神——最偉大的存有 一樣：他有毀滅的權能；但他卻喜悅施憐憫。一切受造之物都靠他的恩惠而活。
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此處論到人說了甚麼卑微的話，而且非常真實、非常公正（Job 25:4）：這樣，人在神面前怎能稱義？ 或 怎能潔淨？ 人不但微不足道，而且卑鄙；不但屬地，而且污穢；他不能稱義，不能潔淨，（1）與神相比。人的公義和聖潔，充其量與神的相比也算不得甚麼（詩 89:6）。（2）在與神的爭論中。那要與神的道和護理爭論的人，必定一敗塗地。神必被稱為義，那時人必被定罪（詩 51:4；羅 3:4）。神的判斷沒有錯誤，因此不能對它提出異議，也不能從它上訴。（3）在神面前。神若如此偉大、如此榮耀，有罪和不潔的人怎能站在他面前？注意：[1] 人因他的實際過犯，在神的公義之下，在自己裏面不能在他面前稱義：他既不能辯稱 無罪，也不能提出任何自己的功勞來抵消或減輕他的罪。聖經已經 把眾人都圈在罪中。[2] 人因他本源的敗壞——因他是婦人所生的——在神的聖潔眼中是可憎的，不能在他眼中潔淨。神看見他的不潔，而且確定無疑的是，因這不潔他完全不能與神有恩典中的相交和團契（在今世），也不能在榮耀中得見他、享受他（在來世）。因此我們需要從水和聖靈重生，需要一次又一次在基督的血中——那 opened 的泉源——洗淨。
II. 他指出連天體在神眼中、與他相比也是如此暗淡和有缺陷，由此推論人是何等渺小、卑微和無價值。1. 天上的光體雖然美麗，在神面前卻如同土塊（Job 25:5）：看哪，在他眼前，月亮 在光明中行走，和那些 星宿——天上榮耀的燈——異教徒曾為它們的光彩如此著迷以至於敬拜它們——然而在神眼中、與他相比，它們 也無光輝、也不清潔；它們沒有榮耀，因為那更大的榮耀把這榮耀蓋過去了——正如蠟燭雖然燃燒，放在太陽的清輝中卻不能發光。神的榮耀在他的護理中彰顯出來，使最明亮的受造之物的榮耀黯然失色（賽 24:23）：月亮必蒙羞，日頭必慚愧，當萬軍之耶和華在錫安山作王的時候。 天體常常被雲遮蔽；我們可以清楚看見月亮上有斑點，借助儀器有時也能看出太陽上的斑點：但神看見我們看不見的斑點。那麼約伯怎敢如此自信地向神上訴——神會在他身上發現連他自己都沒有察覺的問題呢？2. 世人雖然是高貴的受造之物，在神面前卻不過如地上的蟲（Job 25:6）：何況如蟲的人——在尊榮上何等不發光，在公義上何等不潔——和如蟲的世人，無論他是誰！——一隻害蟲（有人如此認為），不僅微不足道、被人輕看，而且有害可憎；一隻蟎蟲（另有人如此認為）——最小的動物，肉眼看不見，要借助放大鏡才能看見。人就是這樣的東西。（1）與神和聖天使相比，如此微不足道、如此渺小、如此不值一提：如此無價值、如此可鄙，他的本源在敗壞中，又走向敗壞。人驕傲的理由何其少，謙卑的理由何其多！（2）如此軟弱無能，如此容易被壓碎，因此在與全能的神較量時是何等不相稱的對手。人竟要如此愚昧地與他的造物主爭論嗎——造物主要碾碎他，比我們碾碎一條蟲還容易？（3）如此污穢骯髒。人是不潔的，因為他是蟲——在腐爛中孵化出來的，因此在神眼中是可憎的。那麼讓我們為神的俯就感到驚奇——他竟把我們這樣的蟲收納在他的約和與他的相交中，尤其是為神兒子的俯就感到驚奇——他如此倒空自己，甚至說：我是蟲，不是人（詩 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.
比勒達在此對約伯最後的講論作了極簡短的回答，像是一個開始對這樁案子感到厭倦的人。他放下了關於惡人昌盛的主要問題，因為無法回答約伯在前一章所提出的證據；但由於他認為約伯在向神的法庭上訴時，對神的威嚴過於放膽（Job 23:1-17），他便用幾句話指出神與人之間無限的距離，教導我們：I. 對神當有崇高而恭敬的思想（Job 25:2,3,5）。II. 對自己當有卑微的看法（Job 25:4,6）。這些教訓雖然誤用在了約伯身上，卻是我們眾人都當學習的兩個好功課。