Job 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.