This and the following chapter contain Job’s answer to the speech of Eliphaz in the two foregoing; he first excuses his impatience by the greatness of his afflictions, which, if weighed by good and impartial hands, would be found to be heavier than the sand of the sea, and which words were wanting…

But Job answered and said. ] Though Eliphaz thought his speech was unanswerable, being, as he and his friends judged, unquestionably true, and the fruit of strict, laborious, and diligent search and inquiry; or, “then Job answered” [[18]], as the same particle is rendered, ; after he had heard…

Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed Or, “in weighing weighed” [[19]], most nicely and exactly weighed; that is, his grievous affliction, which caused so much grief of heart, and which had been shown in words and gestures; or his “wrath” and “anger” [[21]], as others render it: not his anger…

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea Or “seas” [[24]]; all sand is heavy in its own nature, ; especially the sand of the sea, that which is immediately taken out of it; for that on the shore is lighter, being dried by the winds and heat of the sun, but the other is heavier, through…

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me Which are a reason proving the weight and heaviness of his affliction, and also of his hot and passionate expressions he broke out into; which designs not so much outward calamities, as famine, pestilence, thunder and lightning, which are called the…

Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? ] No, they neither of them do, when the one is in a good pasture, and the other has a sufficiency of provender; but when they are in want of food, the one will bray, and the other will low, which are tones peculiar to…

Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? &c.] As any sort of pulse, peas, beans, lentiles which have no savoury and agreeable taste unless salted, and so many other things; and are disagreeable to men, and not relished by them, and more especially things bitter and unpleasant; and…

The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat. ] Meaning either the above things, that which is unsavoury, and the white of an egg, of any other food, which in the time of his prosperity he would not touch with his fingers, much less eat, but now was glad of, and were his…

And that I might have my request Or that it “might come” [[11]]; that it might go up to heaven, enter there, and come into the ears of the Lord, be attended to, admitted, and received by him, see ; or come to Job, be returned into his bosom, be answered and fulfilled; the same with the desire that…

Even that it would please God to destroy me Not with an everlasting destruction of body and soul; for destruction from the Almighty was a terror to him, ; but with the destruction of the body only; not with an annihilation of it, but with the dissolution of it, or of that union there was between…

Then should I yet have comfort Either before death, and in the midst of all his pains and sorrows, being in view of it as near at hand, and sure and certain; could he but be assured of its near approach, he could exult in his afflictions; it would be an alleviation of his trouble, that he should be…

What is my strength, that I should hope? &c.] For a perfect restoration of health, suggested by Eliphaz; since it was so sadly weakened by the present affliction, which made death more desirable than life lengthened out in so much weakness, pain, and sorrow; or “that I should bear” [[21]], such a…

Is my strength the strength of stones? &c.] Is it like such especially which are foundation and corner stones that support a building? or like a stone pillar, that will bear a prodigious weight? no, it is not: or is my flesh of brass? is it made of brass? or is it like to brass for hardness, or for…

Is my help in me? &c.] Or “my defence” [[23]], as some; is it not in my power to defend myself against the calumnies and reproaches cast upon me? it is; and, though one have no help in myself to bear my burdens, or extricate myself out of my difficulties, yet I have the testimony of a good…

To him that is afflicted pity should be showed from his friend An “afflicted” man is an object of pity, one that is afflicted of God; either inwardly with a wounded spirit, with a sense of God’s displeasure, with divine desertions, with the arrows of the Almighty sticking in him, the poison thereof…

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook Meaning his three friends, represented by Eliphaz, who were of the same sentiments with him, and behaved towards Job as he did: these were his brethren not by birth by blood nor by country, but by the profession of the same religion of the one true and…

Which are blackish by reason of the ice When frozen over, they look of a blackish colour, and is what is called a black frost; and these either describe Job and his domestics, as some [[7]] think whom Eliphaz and his two friends compared to the above streams water passed away from, or passed by and…

What time they wax warm they vanish The ice and the snow, which, when the weather becomes warm, they melt away and disappear; and in like manner, he suggests his friends ceased to be friends to him in a time of adversity; the sun of affliction having looked upon him, they deserted him, at least did…

The paths of their way are turned aside That is, the waters, when melted by the heat of the sun, and the warmth of the weather, run, some one way, and some another in little streams and windings, till they are quite lost and the tracks of them are no more to be seen; denoting that all appearance of…

The troops of Tema looked A city in Arabia, so called from Tema a son of Ishmael, ; these troops or companies were travelling ones, either that travelled to Tema, or that went from thence to other places for merchandise, see (Isa. 21:13, Isa.

And they were confounded because they had hoped When they came to the places where they hoped to find water, finding none were ashamed of their vain hope, and reflected upon themselves for being so foolish as to raise their expectations upon such a groundless surmise: they came thither, and were…

For now ye are nothing Once they seemed to be something to him; he thought them men wise, good, and religious, kind, bountiful, and tenderhearted; but now he found them otherwise, they were nothing to him as friends or as comforters in his distress; the “Cetib”, or Scripture, is, as we read, and is…

Did I say, bring unto me? &c.] Or, “give unto me” [[1]]; did I invite you to come to me, and bring in your hands presents for me, to support me under my necessitous circumstances? or give a reward for me of your substance? did I ever ask anything of you? if I had, it would have been but your duty…

Or, deliver me from the enemies’ hand? &c.] Or, “out of the hand of straitness” [[2]]; out of tribulation and difficulties with which he was pressed on every side: or redeem me from the hand of the mighty? fetch back his cattle out of the hands of the Sabeans and Chaldeans, either by force of arms,…

Teach me, and I will hold my tongue Job having made his defence, and which he thought a sufficient one to acquit him of the charge against him; yet to show that he was not stubborn and flexible, but was open to conviction, and ready to attend and hearken to what might be further said, desires to be…

How forcible are right words! &c.] That are according to right reason; such as may be called strong reasons, or bony arguments, as in ; there are strength and weight in such words, reasonings, and arguments; they bring evidence and conviction with them, and are very powerful to persuade the mind to…

Do ye imagine to reprove words Or with words; with bare words, without any force of reasoning and argument in them? put a parcel of words together without any sense or meaning, or however without any cogency in them, and think to run me down with them? or is your scheme and device only, and which…

Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless Meaning himself; who was like a fatherless child, stripped of all his mercies, of his children, his substance, and his health; and was in a most miserable, helpless, and forlorn condition; and, moreover, deprived of the gracious presence and visible protection of…

Now therefore be content Or, “may it now please you” [[5]]; Job addresses them in a respectful manner, and entreats them they would be so kind as to look favourably on him, and entertain better thoughts of him; and give a fresh and friendly hearing of his case, when he doubted not he should be…

Return, I pray you From the ill opinion you have of me, and from your hard censures, and entertain other sentiments concerning me: or it may be, upon these words of Job his friends might be rising up as usual to take their leave of him, and break off conversation with him; and therefore he entreats…

Is there iniquity in my tongue? &c.] Meaning in his words; either those which he uttered when he cursed the day on which he was born, or in charging his friends with unkindness and falsehood; otherwise the tongue is a world of iniquity, and the best of men are apt to offend both God and men in…