The Book of Job

Job 35

Chapter XXXV · Vol. II, pp. 976–978

1 Comparison is not to be made with God, because our good or evil cannot extend unto him. 9 Many cry in their afflictions, but are not heard for want of faith.

Margin referencesNotes ↓

1 Elihu spake moreover, and said,

2 Thinkest^a thou this to be right, that thou saidst, ^bMy righteousness is more than ¹God's?

a Ro.2.15. Lu.19.22.

b ch.16.12-17; 19.7; 27.2-6; 9.17,34.

1 I am righteous before God.—Septuagint.

3 For thou saidst, ^cWhat advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin?²

c ch.9.22; 10.15; 31.2. Ps.73.13. Pr.28.13. Is.55.7.

2 Or, by it more than by my sin.

4 I will answer thee,³ and thy companions with thee.

3 Heb. I will return to thee words.

5 Look^d unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds⁴ which are higher than thou.

d Ps.8.3,4. ch.22.12; 25.2-6. Da.4.35.

4 The original conveys the idea of conflicting clouds, tossed by the winds, and ever changing shape.—C.

6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou ^eagainst him? or if thy transgressions be ⁵multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

e Je.7.19. ver.8, with Ps.51.4.

5 Though thy sinful passions war and change and be multiplied as the clouds, they no more affect God than the clouds affect the sun.—C.

7 If^f thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

f ch.22.3. Ps.16.2,3. Ro.11.35. 1 Ch.29.14. Pr.9.12.

8 Thy wickedness may hurt ^ga man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

g Ec.9.18. Jos.22.18,20. Ge.6.18; 18.24-32. Ps.106.23,30. Eze.22.30. 1 Ti.4.8. Tit.3.8,14.

9 By^h reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry; they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty:⁶

h ch.24.12. Lu.18.7. Ps.12.5; 43.2; 55.2,3,9,10; 57.4; 56.1,2.

6 'By reason of the multitude of oppressions they raise a cry; they call for help by reason of the arm of the great' (Delitzsch).—P.

10 But ⁱnone saith, Where is God my ^kmaker, who ^lgiveth songs in the night;

i Ho.7.14. ch.36.13.

k Makers, Is.54.5. Ec.12.1. Ge.1.26.

l Ps.42.8; 119.62; 149.5. Ac.16.25.

11 Who ^mteacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

m ch.32.8. Ge.2.7. 1 Jn.5.20, with Is.1.3,4. Je.8.7-9.

**LIBRARY OF CÆSAR AUGUSTUS. [Job xxxv: 16.]** "He multiplieth words without knowledge." The above picture is of a scene on the Palatine hill, known as the Library of Cæsar Augustus. Reference is made in this sixteenth verse of the thirty-fifth chapter of Job to multiplying words without knowledge. It would be very interesting to go back through the centuries and look at the volumes in the library of Cæsar Augustus. We would find, however, by comparing his library with one of the modern period, that the difference between ancient books and modern books consists in the fact that ancient books, especially outside of the range of history, were made up of words without knowledge, while it is characteristic of the books of modern times, that the words they contain must be based upon accurate knowledge of the facts which they describe.

Vol. II, p. 978

12 There ⁿthey cry,⁷ but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

A.M. cir. 2484. B.C. cir. 1520.

n ch.27.9. Is.1.15. Pr.1.28; 15.29. Je.11.11. Jn.9.31.

7 They cry under oppressions, but the pride of their heart hindering them from crying to God, there is none that giveth answer.—C.

13 Surely God will not hear ^ovanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

o Pr.15.8; 21.27; 28.9. Ec.5.2. Ps.4.6. Ja.4.3. Is.1.15.

14 Although thou sayest ^pthou shalt not see him, yet ^qjudgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

p ch.9.11; 23.8,9.

q Ps.37.6; 62.5,8; 77.5-10. Is.30.18; 50.10; 8.17. Mi.7.7-9.

15 But now, ^rbecause it is not so, he⁸ hath visited in his anger; yet he⁹ knoweth it not in great^s extremity:¹

r Ps.37.5,7. Mi.7.9. Nu.20.12. Zep.3.2.

8 God.

9 Job.

s Ps.88.16. ch.4.3,4,20; xxx. Ho.11.8,9.

1 But now, because he hath not visited in his anger, nor noticed great arrogance.—Boothroyd.

16 Therefore doth Job ^topen his mouth in vain: he multiplieth words without knowledge.

t ch.34.5,6,35,37; 33.8-12; 42.3; 40.4,5; ver.3.

Notes

Ver. 9-13. Many, under terrible troubles and inhuman oppressions, cry to God for relief, and for vengeance on their oppressors: but as their prayers are mingled with no faith in God or kind sense of his goodness, but merely forced from them by the pressure of their distress and the haughty violence of their oppressors, God pays no regard to them. 14, 15. Therefore, although thou complainest that he hath not, and despairest that he will ever appear for thy relief, yet he still attends to wisdom and equity in every dispensation; therefore do thou patiently wait and earnestly look for him; and remember that it is because there is nothing of this in thy carriage that God has thus severely afflicted thee: and because of thy excessive pride he quite disregards thy former prosperity, and overlooks thy present extremity of trouble. 16. And it is owing to thy ignorance or thoughtlessness of this that so many foolish and wicked words have proceeded out of thy mouth.

Ver. 10. [To glory in afflictions, and to render thanks for disappointments and persecutions, are undoubtedly beyond the power of 'flesh and blood,' but are the constant evidences and products of divine grace. See Ps. 42. 8; 77. 6; Ac. 5. 41; Ro. 5. 3; Ep. 5. 20. C.]

Ver. 16. ['The sense is, And now, because his (God's) wrath hath not visited (the wicked), but sometimes leaves them unpunished in this world, and because he (God) does not clearly take cognizance of guilt, . . . therefore Job will open his mouth in vanity, and will multiply words, without knowledge' (Wordsworth). P.]

Reflections.—There is great need to be well rooted in the knowledge and faith of God's infinite greatness and goodness, in order to prevent many fatal mistakes in principle or practice. We can never make him our debtor. The best we do is unworthy of his notice; and the worst he dispenses to us is less than our iniquities deserve. Whatever trouble now attends his service, it will appear infinitely profitable at last. But many groan under their troubles who never show any humiliation for sin or desire after God. Yet irreligious poverty and suffering is, of all human miseries on earth, one of the most deplorable. It cannot be expected that such men's selfish prayers, without any regard to God or the good of their soul, should issue in help from him. While they are insensible of the most distinguishing mercies they enjoy, they cannot reasonably expect deliverance from the evils they feel, or the experience of those divine joys which overbalance every sorrow and pain. While our unhumbled hearts only murmur and groan under our troubles, it is a mercy to be denied the removal of them. But when God corrects his saints severely for their humiliation, Satan is ever ready to drive them to despair. The greatness of their sufferings makes them to overlook their unbelief, impatience, and rashness; by which means they lose the comforts and defer the removal of them. It is only strong faith in God that can guide us aright through temptations and trouble. Despair of relief is as high a reflection upon his power and grace as impatience is on his goodness and wisdom. And if our troubles are not removed but increased, it becomes us to look well if we have not provoked God by our insolent behaviour under them.