Job 6

Notes

But Job replied to Eliphaz: 2. O that my oppressive trouble, allotted me in God's indignation, and my extensive, unavoidable, and sinking calamity and sorrow, were but impartially and thoroughly weighed! 3. It would be found so heavy as to hinder and far surpass complaints: therefore are my words full of burning rage and tossing disquiet. 4. For grievous pains in my body, and impressions of God's wrath on my conscience, by their violence, quite dispirit my soul and waste my life. His terrible judgments shut me up on every side and set themselves as in battle array against me. 5. You do no more than brute beasts when you are easy and unconcerned amidst your prosperity. But if these animals complain in their distress, why should I be hindered? 6. Can ever such empty and unsavoury discourse as yours, without any seasoning of grace, prudence, and moderation, be either acceptable or edifying to one in such distress! 7. Those grievous afflictions, which I was once afraid to touch, I must now in anguish endure; and yet I have nothing afforded me for comfort but your loathsome and empty discourses. 8. O that God would quickly fulfil my request for death, and grant me that which I earnestly hope and long for! 9. Even that, without leaving me to languish in this miserable condition, he would, with one effectual stroke, put an end to my present life. 10. The near views of this would comfort my spirit and strengthen me to endure the severest pains; to obtain this I would gladly endure what he pleases; as I am conscious that I have not hypocritically denied, disregarded, or concealed his truths. 11. My strength is so spent that I can neither hold out nor expect recovery. I neither have nor hope for comfort in this life that I should desire it; nor do I apprehend any hurt in death that I should fear it. 12. My strength is quite incapable of bearing such troubles; nor can I but feel their terrible pressure. 13. And though I cannot deliver myself, am I therefore destitute of solid reason and true virtue? Have not I the testimony of a good conscience? Do not I know my own integrity, and the nature and degree of my sufferings, better than you? 14. Surely he who is in distress should meet with pity and compassion! and he who, instead of pitying a friend under great affliction, censures and reproaches him, shows that he has not the true fear of God, and is in a fair way to apostatize from his service. 15-20. My dearest friends promised me help and comfort; but failed me in a time of need; as torrents, which in winter make a great noise, and run with a violent stream when the melted ice and snow fall thick into them; but in the summer, when water is much needed in these hot and parched countries, are quite dried up; the water is so diverted into other channels, exhausted by the dry desert, or exhaled into the empty air, that one can scarcely tell where they ran: and the Arabian travellers who expected to refresh themselves with the water find themselves shamefully and miserably disappointed. 21. Just so are ye deceitfully disappointing me in my adversity, when I most need your help. Instead of comforting me, you, seeing my distress, shrink from me, as if you were afraid I should prove burdensome or disgraceful to you. 22, 23. But since I never asked aught of you for either my subsistence or deliverance, can you not afford me a few comfortable words! 24. If you can convince me of any mistake, I shall submit, cease my complaints, and hearken to your counsels: 25. For solid arguments have a marvellous power to convince and persuade; but your reproofs are to no purpose, as they proceed wholly on mistakes. 26. To what purpose rail ye at words, or critically censure the speeches of a man desperate with trouble? 27. Mean ye to oppress me, when so helpless and destitute, with your bitter calumnies and revilings; and designedly to add to my misery? 28-30. Consider therefore my case and words more deliberately and impartially: you can easily detect me if I speak false or maintain a bad cause. Fairly try my cause over again, and you will find me innocent of the hypocrisy and wickedness which you have laid to my charge. Have I uttered aught that is false or wilfully wicked? or am I so stupid that I cannot distinguish that which is vain, false, or impious, from that which is true, gracious, and edifying?

Ver. 5-7. [May not ver. 5-7 be paraphrased thus: —The onager and the ox never complain while they have the food of their choice. Give them other food unsuited to their taste, and their braying or lowing will soon give proof of hunger. Even so, before me is set a table covered with sorrowful meat which my soul refuses to touch. I have lost all taste and relish for the world, the world is become insipid and unsavoury to me; why should I not then complain if the lower animals are so privileged? If their Maker indulge their craving appetites, why may I not call upon the death that I long for? See ver. 8. C.]

Ver. 13. [The Hebrew may be rendered:—'Or am I then not utterly helpless, and continuance (or succour) is driven from me?' The meaning is that he was now without hope. P.]

Ver. 14. [Or, 'otherwise he might forsake the fear of the Almighty;' i.e. despair will drive him altogether from God. P.]

Ver. 17. [The imagery is thoroughly oriental. In western Asia there are very few perennial streams. Torrents flow while rain is falling, or at most during a few months in winter. On the return of summer the water disappears; the torrent-beds are dry and parched; the streams are literally 'consumed out of their place.' P.]

Ver. 19. [Troops of Tema. The companies of Tema, a city of Arabia, so called from Tema a son of Ishmael (Ge. 25. 15), searched for these brooks in their thirst, but they had vanished, leaving nothing but a dry channel, a circumstance frequent even with considerable rivers in warm climates like Edom. C.——In travelling once across the Arabian desert my Arab guides had determined to spend the night at a well-known watering-place—a desert streamlet. Our water was exhausted. We had had none from early morning; we suffered in silent hope of a refreshing draught in the evening. We reached the spot weary and almost fainting.—It was dry! I can never forget the look of dismay—of blank despair, that in a moment was pictured on every face. Then for the first time I realized the words of ver. 20:—'They were confounded because they had hoped.' P.]

Ver. 29. ['Try again; let there be no injustice; try again, my righteousness still stands.' The sense is: Turn back to the way of reason and charity, and do not deal with me rashly and unjustly. P.]

Reflections.—How insupportable is inward trouble, either felt or feared; and of all our evils none more intolerable than a sense of God's wrath! They, in general, are partial judges of other men's troubles who live in ease and plenty themselves. And it adds greatly to afflictions to meet with nothing under them but uncharitable censures and insipid comforts from our Christian friends. It is difficult to keep either heart or lips aright under such complicated troubles. Ungoverned passion grows more violent when it meets with rebukes and checks. But it is most unbecoming when it gets into our very prayers to God, and by our folly turns them into sin. There is great need of always living faithful for God, since we know not how soon troubles may render us weary of our life. And those who are by grace prepared for another world, can see little in this to make them fond of staying in it. But it is not self-hardening, but humility under trouble, that makes us ripe for deliverance. Alas! how often dejected spirits preach despair to themselves, and refuse to be comforted; forgetting how God can strengthen or recover for his own glory as he pleases! It is a mercy then to have wisdom and grace that will remain with us in the very worst of times. Unjust, yea, impious, is the want of compassion to those who are under heavy afflictions. And it is bitter to find the friends on whom we depended prove faithless. Yet created comforts commonly disappoint us, and become gall and wormwood when we come to have most need of their encouraging and supporting influence. Upright souls are averse to be a burden to their friends. And the importunity of want often provokes the abuse of the uncharitable. But how contrary to sense—to reason—to pity—to patience—to equity—to a desire after truth—do friends act when God makes them scourges to us! Truth is a mighty weapon when wielded by the weakest arm. And they who have truth on their side will never shun the light, but court inquiry; and nothing then can be more unreasonable than to refuse them a patient hearing.