13 Surely God H410 will not hear H8085 vanity, H7723 neither will the Almighty H7706 regard H7789 it.
Receive, H3947 I pray thee, the law H8451 from his mouth, H6310 and lay up H7760 his words H561 in thine heart. H3824 If thou return H7725 to the Almighty, H7706 thou shalt be built up, H1129 thou shalt put away H7368 iniquity H5766 far H7368 from thy tabernacles. H168 Then shalt thou lay up H7896 gold H1220 as H5921 dust, H6083 and the gold of Ophir H211 as the stones H6697 of the brooks. H5158 Yea, the Almighty H7706 shall be thy defence, H1220 and thou shalt have plenty H8443 of silver. H3701 For then shalt thou have thy delight H6026 in the Almighty, H7706 and shalt lift up H5375 thy face H6440 unto God. H433 Thou shalt make thy prayer H6279 unto him, and he shall hear H8085 thee, and thou shalt pay H7999 thy vows. H5088
For what is the hope H8615 of the hypocrite, H2611 though he hath gained, H1214 when God H433 taketh away H7953 his soul? H5315 Will God H410 hear H8085 his cry H6818 when trouble H6869 cometh H935 upon him?
Keep H8104 thy foot H7272 when thou goest H3212 to the house H1004 of God, H430 and be more ready H7138 to hear, H8085 than to give H5414 the sacrifice H2077 of fools: H3684 for they consider H3045 not that they do H6213 evil. H7451 Be not rash H926 with thy mouth, H6310 and let not thine heart H3820 be hasty H4116 to utter H3318 any thing H1697 before H6440 God: H430 for God H430 is in heaven, H8064 and thou upon earth: H776 therefore let thy words H1697 be few. H4592 For a dream H2472 cometh H935 through the multitude H7230 of business; H6045 and a fool's H3684 voice H6963 is known by multitude H7230 of words. H1697
Israel H3478 shall cry H2199 unto me, My God, H430 we know H3045 thee. Israel H3478 hath cast off H2186 the thing that is good: H2896 the enemy H341 shall pursue H7291 him.
And G1161 he said G2036 unto her, G846 What G5101 wilt thou? G2309 She saith G3004 unto him, G846 Grant G2036 that G2443 these G3778 my G3450 two G1417 sons G5207 may sit, G2523 the one G1520 on G1537 thy G4675 right hand, G1188 and G2532 the other G1520 on G1537 the left, G2176 in G1722 thy G4675 kingdom. G932 But G1161 Jesus G2424 answered G611 and said, G2036 Ye know G1492 not G3756 what G5101 ye ask. G154 Are ye able G1410 to drink G4095 of the cup G4221 that G3739 I G1473 shall G3195 drink of, G4095 and G2532 to be baptized G907 with the baptism G908 that G3739 I G1473 am baptized with? G907 They say G3004 unto him, G846 We are able. G1410
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 35
Commentary on Job 35 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 35
Job 35:1-16.
2. more than—rather as in Job 9:2; 25:4: "I am righteous (literally, my righteousness is) before God." The English Version, however, agrees with Job 9:17; 16:12-17; 27:2-6. Job 4:17 is susceptible of either rendering. Elihu means Job said so, not in so many words, but virtually.
3. Rather, explanatory of "this" in Job 35:2, "That thou sayest (to thyself, as if a distinct person) What advantage is it (thy integrity) to thee? What profit have I (by integrity) more than (I should have) by my sin?" that is, more than if I had sinned (Job 34:9). Job had said that the wicked, who use these very words, do not suffer for it (Job 21:13-15); whereby he virtually sanctioned their sentiments. The same change of persons from oblique to direct address occurs (Job 19:28; 22:17).
4. companions—those entertaining like sentiments with thee (Job 34:8, 36).
5-8. Elihu like Eliphaz (Job 22:2, 3, 12) shows that God is too exalted in nature to be susceptible of benefit or hurt from the righteousness or sin of men respectively; it is themselves that they benefit by righteousness, or hurt by sin.
behold the clouds, which are higher than thou—spoken with irony. Not only are they higher than thou, but thou canst not even reach them clearly with the eye. Yet these are not as high as God's seat. God is therefore too exalted to be dependent on man. Therefore He has no inducement to injustice in His dealings with man. When He afflicts, it must be from a different motive; namely, the good of the sufferer.
6. what doest—how canst thou affect Him?
unto him—that can hurt Him? (Jer 7:19; Pr 8:36).
7. (Ps 16:2; Pr 9:12; Lu 17:10).
9. (Ec 4:1.) Elihu states in Job's words (Job 24. 12; 30. 20) the difficulty; the "cries" of "the oppressed" not being heard might lead man to think that wrongs are not punished by Him.
10-13. But the reason is that the innocent sufferers often do not humbly seek God for succor; so to their "pride" is to be laid the blame of their ruin; also because (Job 35:13-16) they, as Job, instead of waiting God's time in pious trust, are prone to despair of His justice, when it is not immediately visible (Job 33:19-26). If the sufferer would apply to God with a humbled, penitent spirit, He would hear.
Where, &c.—(Jer 2:6, 8; Isa 51:13).
songs—of joy at deliverance (Ps 42:8; 149:5; Ac 16:25).
in the night—unexpectedly (Job 34:20, 25). Rather, "in calamity."
11. Man's spirit, which distinguishes him from the brute, is the strongest proof of God's beneficence; by the use of it we may understand that God is the Almighty helper of all sufferers who humbly seek Him; and that they err who do not so seek Him.
fowls—(see on Job 28:21).
12. There—rather, "Then" (when none humbly casts himself on God, Job 35:10). They cry proudly against God, rather than humbly to God. So, as the design of affliction is to humble the sufferer, there can be no answer until "pride" gives place to humble, penitent prayer (Ps 10:4; Jer 13:17).
13. vanity—that is, cries uttered in an unhumbled spirit, Job 35:12, which applies in some degree to Job's cries; still more to those of the wicked (Job 27:9; Pr 15:29).
14. Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him—(as a temporal deliverer; for he did look for a Redeemer after death, Job 19:25-27; which passage cannot consistently with Elihu's assertion here be interpreted of "seeing" a temporal "redeemer"), Job 7:7; 9:11; 23:3, 8, 9; yet, judgment … ; therefore trust … But the Hebrew favors Maurer, "How much less (will God … regard, Job 35:13), since thou sayest, that He does not regard thee." So in Job 4:19. Thus Elihu alludes to Job's words (Job 19:7; 30:20).
judgment—that is, thy cause, thy right; as in Ps 9:16; Pr 31:5, 8.
trust—rather, "wait thou" on Him, patiently, until He take up thy cause (Ps 37:7).
15. As it is, because Job waited not trustingly and patiently (Job 35:14; Nu 20:12; Zep 3:2; Mic 7:9), God hath visited … ; yet still he has not taken (severe) cognizance of the great multitude (English Version wrongly, "extremity") of sins; therefore Job should not complain of being punished with undue severity (Job 7:20; 11:6). Maurer translates: "Because His anger hath not visited (hath not immediately punished Job for his impious complaints), nor has He taken strict (great) cognizance of his folly (sinful speeches); therefore," &c. For "folly," Umbreit translates with the Rabbins, "multitude." Gesenius reads with the Septuagint and Vulgate needlessly, "transgression."
16. Apodosis to Job 35:15.
in vain—rashly.