XXXV. (2) MY RIGHTEOUSNESS IS MORE THAN GOD’S. — See Job 19:6, &c. Job had not in so many words said this, but what he had said was capable of being so represented, and perhaps seemed to involve it. (Comp. Job 9:22; Job 10:15.) Here, again, there was a misrepresentation of what Job had said. He cer... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THY COMPANIONS. — Elihu professes to answer Job’s friends as well as himself, but what he says (Job 35:5, &c.) is very much what Eliphaz had said before (Job 15:14, &c., Job 22:3, &c., and Bildad in Job 25). It is indeed true that God is too high to be affected by man’s righteousness or unrighte... [ Continue Reading ]
BY REASON OF THE MULTITUDE OF OPPRESSIONS. — The argument seems to be that among men there may be oppression, but not with an almighty and just Judge. The right course, therefore, is to wait. “Men may, indeed, complain because of the oppression of an earthly tyrant; but how canst _thou_ say thou beh... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NONE SAITH. — Some render this, “But he who giveth songs in the night saith not, Where is God my Maker,” _i.e.,_ the selfish and luxurious oppressor, who spendeth the night in feasting and revelry. This is an intelligible meaning. On the other hand, though the phrase, “who giveth songs in the ni... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO TEACHETH US. — Or it may be, _Who teacheth us by, and maketh us wise by, &c._ Then the sense will be that the oppression is so severe that the victims of it forget that God can give songs in the night, and that He has favoured men more than the beasts of the field, and that, as not one sparrow c... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD WILL NOT HEAR VANITY. — Some understand this as part of the cry in Job 35:12 : “Seeing it is all in vain, God doth not hear, neither doth the Almighty regard it.”... [ Continue Reading ]
ALTHOUGH THOU SAYEST THOU SHALT NOT SEE HIM. — Rather, _Dost not behold Him. _... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW, BECAUSE IT IS NOT SO, is very obscure. The Authorised Version refers the first clause to God and the second to Job. Perhaps we may render, _But now, what His anger has visited upon thee is as nothing_ (compared with thy deserts); _yea, He hath not regarded the great abundance_ (of thy sin),... [ Continue Reading ]