Exposition of the Whole Bible

N this chapter is Bildad’s fecond reply to ¥ob,| erable ftate of a wicked man, fooner or later, which in which he falls with great fury upon him, very fharply inveighs againft him, and very highly charges him; the charges he brings againft him are talkativenefs and inattention to what was faid to him, y¥. 1, 2. contempt of his friends, impatience under his affliction, and pride and arrogance, as if the whole world, the courfe of nature and providence, and God himfelf, all muft give way to him, ¥. 3, 4. neverthelefs, he is affured of the mi- is defcribed by the extinction of his light of pro« fperity, ¥. 5, 6. by the defeat of his counfels, being enfnared in a net Jaid for him, ¥.7—10. by the terrible judgments of the fword, famine peftilence, by one or the other of which he is brought to death, the king. of terrors, ¥. 11—14. by the deftruétion of his habitation, and of his pofterity, fo that he has none to bear his name, or perpetuate his memory, ¥. 15—17. by his be-

-ing driven out of the world, leaving ho iffue behind him, to the aftonifhment of all that knew him, y.

18—20. and the chapter is clofed with this obfervation, that this is the common cafe of wicked and irreligious perfons, ¥. 21.

y¥. 1. Then anfwered Bildad the Shubite, and faid.) ‘Who, next to Eliphaz, fpoke before,’ and now in his turn attacks Fod a fecond time, and more roughly and feverely than before; now he gives him no advice or counfel, nor any inftructions and exhortations for his good, nor fuggefts that it might be better times with him again, as he had done before; but only heaps up charges againtft him, and deicribes the miferable circumftances of a wicked man, as near to ¥od’s as he could; thereby endeavouring to confirm his former pofition, that wicked men are punifhed of God, and to have this conclufion drawn from it, that fod mutt needs

-be a wicked man, fince he was fo greatly afflicted.

y. 2. How long will it be ere ye make an end of

words? &c.] Becaufe thefe words are exprefied in the plural number, fome think more perfons than one are addreffed, either Hiiphaz and Fod together, who are complained of as taking up all the time, and haying all the talk to themfelves, that another could fcarce put in a word; Bi/dad could fay this with a better grace, becaufe his difcourfes were but fhort; or elfé all his friends, whom he blames for not {topping 7od’s mouth at once, and for lengthening out the difpute with him; as if he fhould fay, why are you fo complaifant to him, to wait till he has done fpeaking, ere you reply? why don’t you without any ceremony interrupt him, and not fuffer him to go on with his prate, a man that is fo infufferably rude as to reckon us all as beafts? and to what purpofe is it, to talk to fuch a man that is fo hardened and incorrigible, fo proud and conceited? it is all labour in vain, and mere beating the air; it is high time to have done talking, and to put an end to the difpute, when things are at fuch a pafs with him as they are: or elfe the words are directed to od, and his friends that. were with him, who might how and then fpeak a word in his behalf, though their words are not recorded; or however by their looks or geftures might fhew their approbation of Yob’s defences: that there were others prefent befides Yod and his three friends, it is probable; yea, it is certain that Elihu was prefent all the while, but he was not altogether of ¥o2’s mind; nor does it appear that, he had any to take his part, for his brethren, acquaintance, kinsfolk, and familiar friends, ftood at,a diftance from him,.and his maids and men-fervants ufed him ill; and even his own wife was not very kind to him, as he declares in the following chapter; wherefore it feems beft of all to un; derftand thefe words as fpoken to od alone, the plural being uled for the fingular, according to the idiom of the tongue in which they were {poken; and fo are a charge of loquacity againft him for talking too much, and too long, unlefs it had been to better purpofe; and in like manner Bil/dad begins his firft reply to 70d, ch. viii. 2. a late interpreter renders the words, bow long will you lay fnares with qwords*? ufe cautious words, fet fnares with words to catch, lie upon the catch, and lay hold upon a word, and improve it to difadvantage, which is afterwards we will fpcak; or let us fpeak*; after we have well confidered things, got a right underftanding of them, and thoroughly digefted them, and have well concerted things, and have thought very clofely what reply to make to them; and fo the words are a tacit reflexion of Bil/dad’s on his other two friends, that they fpoke before they thought, and therefore fome things impertinently, which

Job took the advantage of againft them3 whereforé it would be right for the future to mark and confider things well before-hand, and then {fpeak, as they then would with greater propriety, and more to the purpofe: public fpeakers efpecially, or fuch who are engaged in publi¢ fervice, or in a public difpute, fhould meditate before-hand what to fay, left they deliver what is crude and indigefted, and may be turned againft them. Our Lord indeed directed his difciples, when‘called before kings and governors for his’ fake, not to pfemeditate what they fhould anfwer; but that was an extraordinary cafe, and they were promifed to have extraordinary affiftance, whereby fome great ends were to be anfwered, the confufion of their enemies, and thé confirmation of the chriftian teligion. But the words feem rather directed to Fob, and to carry in them a charge of inattention to what was faid to him by his friends; and therefore Béi/dad exhorts him to mark dnd obferve what they faid to him, to liften attentively to that, and well confider it, and then it would be an encouragement to them to proceed in difcourfing with him. ‘od is reprefented like fome hearers that ftop their ears to.the voice of the charmer charming ever fo wifely; or that are carelefs and inattentive to what they hear, and let it pafs,: and never think of it more; whereas hearers of the word fhould be fwift to hear, and liften with attention, and take care that they let not flip what they have heard, and that they meditate upon it in order to get inftruction by it, and when they hear in fuch a manner, it is an en couragement to fpeak; or elfe the fenfe is, af wifely®, like an honeft man, and fhew yourfelf to be a wife man, a man of underftanding, that well weighs and confiders things, and rightly takes them in, and receives inftruction by them, and talks like a fenfible man: then afterwards we will fpeak; or otherwife if you go on to talk in the foolifh manner you do, it is to no purpofe to carry on the difpute; the beft way is to put an end to it at once.

¥. 3. Wherefore are we counted as beafts, &c.} This feems to refer to ch. xii. 7. where Fob fends them to the beafts, to get knowledge and inftruction; and therefore it was concluded he reckoned them as fuch, and put them on a level with them, yea made them inferior to them; orto ch. xvii. 4, 10. where they are reprefented as deftitute of wifdom and underftanding, and therefore it is fup~ pofed were counted by od no other than as beafts. Man by the fall is indeed become like them, and fome are more brutifh than they, and all are brutifh as to fpiritual knowledge and underftanding; and thofe that are moft fenfible of themfelves, are ready to acknowledge their ignorance, that they are more brutifh than any, and efpecially are as a beaft before God; and particularly with refpeét to knowledge of the methods of providence, in regard to his dealings with the righteous and wicked; fee imprudently or inadvertently dropped: mark, and Pf. \xxiii. 22. and which was the cafe in ciigred a Riad sy fod Bria “ oft. verfy n? which muft be the cafe according tothy verfy between ob and his friends; but yet felf-fufficient perfons don’t care to have their underftandings in any thing called in queftion, but like the Pbarifees fay, are we blind alfo? Fobn ix. 40. and take \ it very hard that they fhould be reckoned like beafts, void of underftanding, when they are the bad me doctrine; but will God counter-aét this method of his providence, he has always taken in the earth, that thou mayeft appear not to be an evil man, as might be concluded from thine affli€tions, but a good man notwithftanding them? and' foall the.

people, and wifdom will die with them: and reputed vile in your fight? as wicked and profligate perfons, the moft abandoned of mankind, fuch as are juftly defpifed by good men, fee Pf xv. 4. Dan. xi. 21. or unclean”, filthy, polluted and defiled, as all rnen are by nature, and as they are in al! the powers and faculties of their fouls; nor can they make themfelves clean, their hearts or their hands; nothing fhort of the grace of God, and blood of Chrift, can cleanfe from fin; yet felf-righteous perfons think themfelves clean and pure when they are not wathed from their fins, and take it ill of others to be reputed unclean perfons: or /out*, ftopped up, as the hearts of men are from God and Chrift, and the true knowledge of them, and divine things, until opened by him, who has the key of the houfe of David, and opens, and no man fhuts; or idden*, referring to ch. xvii. 4. having a covering over their hearts, and a vail over the eyes of their underftandings, fo that the things of providence were hid from them, as fometimes the things of grace are from the wife and prudent; but to be thought that this was their cafe, is refented by Bildad.

y¥. 4. He teareth himfelf in his anger, &c.] Or bis foul’, meaning Fob, and referring to what he had faid in ch. xvi. 9. Now, fays Bi/dad, it is neither God nor man that tears you, it is you yourfelf; reprefenting 7od as a mad-man, rending his clothes, tearing his flefh, and even his very toul, for by his paffion which he expreffed, whether to God or his friends, it did himfelf the moft hurt, he broke his peace, and fpoiled his comfort, and ruined his health, and made himfelf the moft unhappy of mankind, by giving loofe to his paffion, to his wrath and anger, which flays and, kills a man, ch. v. 2. here a charge of. impatience is fuggefted, contrary to the character given of od, Hames v. 11. foall the earth be forfaken for thee? through fear of thee, becaufe of thy rage and fury doft thou think that the inhabitants of the earth will flee before thee, at thy ftorming, rage and wrath? before God none can ftand when he is angry; there is no abiding his indignation when his fury is poured out like fire, and perfons of the greateft rank will flee to the rocks and mountains to hide them from his face and fury; but what doft thou think, or make thyfelf to be, to be as deity, that the inhabitants of the earth fhould flee before thee, and forfake it? or when thou dieft, doft thou think that all the inhabitants of the earth will die with thee, and fo it will be forfaken for thy fake?. taking the hint from what. 70d had faid, rock be removed out of his place? which is not ufual, nor can it be done by man; it may be done_by God, who touches the mountains and they fmoke, ‘and at whofe prefence they drop and move, as Sinai did, and as the mountains and hills will flee away at the prefence of the judge of all the earth, when he appears; but no fuch phenomenon can be expected upon the prefence and fight ofa man; much lefs can God himfelf, who is often called a rock, and is immoveable, unalterable and unchangeable in his nature, perfections, purpofes and the counfels of his will, be made to act contrary to either of them; nor will he do it for the fake of any man; he does all things after the counfel of his own will; he takes a con{tant courfe in providence, in the government of the world, and canft thou think that he will go out of his ufual way for thy fake, in punifhing wicked men, and rewarding good men? you may as foon imagine that a rock will be removed out of its place, as the ordinary courfe of providence will be altered on thy account; to fuppofe this is prefumption, pride and arrogance, which is what Bi/dad means to faften upon Fob. ¥.5. Yea, the light of the wicked fhall be put out, 8c.) Or xeverthelefs*; notwithftanding all this difregard and inattention to us, and contempt of us, and all the rage, and wrath, and pride, and haughtinefs difcovered, as if the laws of nature, and ftated methods of providence, muft all give way to juftify a man in fuch circumftances as fhew him to be wicked; this will certainly be’ his cafe, his ight hall be put out; meaning not the light of his eyes, or his corporal light, which fometimes has been the cafe of wicked men, as was of the Sodomites, fince this, through accident, or old age, is Common to good and bad man; but rather moral light, the light of nature, with which every man is enlightened that comes into the world; by which he can difcern things natural and civil, and in fome degree things moral and religious, though in a very dim manner; and which, when it is abufed, may be taken away, and men be given up to judicial blindnefs, and to a reprobate mind, a mind void of fenfeand judgment. Cocceius thinks, light of doétrine may be intended, fpeculative and ‘notional light and knowledge of divine things, as of God, and his perfections, which may be more clearly difcerned by revelation than by the light of nat ture; and of Chrift, his perfon, offices and grace; ° and of the gofpel, and the feveral doétrines of it, which men may be enlightened into, and yet be wick« ed men, as Ba/aam, and others; which knowledge may be loft, and light put out, as in the man that ch, xvii. 16. or doft thou think thyfelf a man of had but one talent, and neglected it, and in the fo much importance and confequence in the earth, that when thou dieft there will not be a man left of any worth and notice, that all had as good die idol-fhepherd, Matt. xxv. 29. Zech, xi. 17. to which may be added the light of joy, or a flath of natural affections that fometimes is to be obferved with. thee? or will God drop the government of in hypocritical perfons, or notional profeffors, which the world on thy account? will he no more employ his care and providence in concerning. himfelf in the affairs of the world, but let all things go as they will, and fo the earth, as to his pro- in time is loft, and comes to nothing, as in Herod and the ftony ground-hearers, Mark vi. 20. t, xiii. 20. but as for the true fpiritual light, and experimental knowledge, that can never be loft or vidential regards to it, be forfaken for. will, God neither do good to good men, nor punifh thy fake?) put out, but fhines more and more unto the pers fect day; but it feems beft by /ight here to under- ftand outward profperity, for as darknefs is often put for adverfity, fo light for profperity in civil things, fee £/7/. viii. 16. but then, though this in wicked men is often put out, and they are reduced to diftrefled circumftances, yet not always; and it fometimes is the cafe of good men, and was the cafe of Fob, which Bildad had his eye upon, fee ch. xxix. 2, 3. and the fpark of bis fire foall not foine all his carnal reafonings, the effects of the light of nature, and all his {chemes, efpecially religious ones built upon them, fhall all come to nothing, and be of no effect or ufe unto him, fee If \.11. orthe fenfe is, that he fhall be reduced to fo low a condition in things civil, that he fhall have no light nor heat, nor joy and comfort, in this fenfe; no not fo much asa fpark of outward happinefs fhall be left him.

y. 6. The light fhall be dark in his tabernacle, &c.} Not the light of the eye, in the tabernacle of his body, rather the light of nature and reafon in him; and when that 4gé¢ that is zz a man becomes darkne/s, as our Lord fays, bow great is that darknefs! Matt. vi. 23. but beft of all, it defigns the light of profperity in bis houfe and family, which fhould be quite obfcured: and bis candle foall be put out with bim, which fometimes fignifies the fpirit of man, his rational foul, called the candle of the Lord, Prov. xx. 27. which, tho’ it dies not when man dies, yet its light is. extinét with refpect to the things of this life, and all its thoughts and reafonings are no more about civil matters, and the affairs of this world; in that fenfe this light is put out, and thofe thoughts perifh with, him, Pf. cxlvi. 4. but more frequently. it is uled for outwardiprofperity, which if it continues with a mah as long as he lives, as it often does, yet when he dies, it ceafes and is no more; it does not defcend with him into the grave, and he cannot earry i¢ into another world, but it is put out in ob{cure darknefs; fee ch. xxi.17. Prov. xx. 20.

¥.7. The freps of his firength foall be ftraitened, &c.] As a man in health can take large and ftrong ftcps, and travel in the greatnefs of his ftrength; fo in profperity he can, and does take large fteps in obtaining fame and reputation among men, in amaffing fubftance to himfelf, and towards fettling his family in theworld; he is like one in a large place, and walks at liberty, goes in and out at pleafure, and none can controul him; he walks in pride, and with an high and lifted up head, and with contempt of others, and his will is his law, and he does as he pleafes; but in adverfity, as his ftrength is weakened in the way, he cannot take the ftrides he did, his way is hedged up with thorns, he is preffed on every fide, and furrounded with troubles, fo that let him turn himfelf which way he will, he can find no way to efcape: and his own counfel fhall caft him down; as Abitopbel’s and Haman’s did, which iffued in their ruin; what wicked men fometimes plot and devife, with a view to their own good, and the injury of others, proves the deftruction of themfelves; when they have contrived to ‘raife themfelves upon the ruins of others, it has been the means of cafting them down from the ftate and condition they were in, inftead of raifing to an higher, even down to defolation, and into the moft miferable circum- ‘tances., 54 y. 8. For he is caft into a net by bis own feet, &c.} He goes into it of himfelf, incautious and n yor. nea ndus ‘3 nam it cum reti in pedibus fuis, Cocceius.? LOY fitibundos, Montanus; fitibundus, Tigurine verfion.