PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Job
George Rawlinson [1812-1902] · 615,689 words · 663 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 61
horror before troops of hlRck omen& continually occurring on it, euch as eclipees1 unnatural obecurations, pestilential vapours, dark storm-clouds ; meaning, let it be 11, day to inspire terror in all beholders. The human tioul is e~ily alarmed by, unusual phenomena; but why should it when God is in them (Ps. xcvii.…
947 wordsSECTION 62The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 62
Vera. 11-19.-The stricl,en patriarch's lament: 2. Bewailing his life. I. THE DESPISED GIFT-LIFE. In bitterness of soul, Job not only laments that ever he had entered on the stage of existence at all, but with the perverse ingenuity of grief which looks at all things crosswise, he turns the very mercies of God into occa…
821 wordsSECTION 63The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 63
aforesaid counsellors, kings, and princes, who, notwithstanding their l\mbitious great- ness, which had led them to construct gorgeous sepulchres and amaee untold hoards of wealth, were now lying cold and stiff within their desolate palaces. Behold the vanity of earthly greatness I-monarchs mouldering in the dust (I…
788 wordsSECTION 64The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 64
thought of it: "I fee.red e. fee.r, and it came upon tne" (ver. 25; cf. "He that but fenrs" etc., 'Henry IV.,' pt. 2, act i. sc. 1). (6) Superfluous trouble; i.e. his misery ha,l n~t sprung upon him revelling in sinful and luxurious ease, which might have afforrled some justification for so appalling a visitation as…
905 wordsSECTION 65The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 65
"Mnd from life's.history, Glad t.o deRth'e,mystery, Swift to be hurl'd, .. Anywhere, anywhere out of the world.• (Hood, 'Bridge of Sighs.') They who find life's calamities in any measure tolerable have reason to bless God for laying on them no heavier burden than they are able to bear, and for imparting 'to them…
916 wordsSECTION 66The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 66
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. l-26.-77ie eloquence of grief. This book, so entirely true to nature, presents here one of the darkest moods of the grief-stricken heart. The first state is that of paralyzed silence, dumbness, inertia. Were this to continue, den.th must ensue. Stag- nation will be fatal. The current…
686 wordsSECTION 67The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 67
Such a sentiment, Rgain, ie common to the expetience of aufl'er1u8 hearts, ie deeply embedded in the poetry of the world. But how far more common and frequent the he.ppy, hee.lthy mood which find11 & 11;est and relish in the mere sense of existence, in the simple, nature.I pleasures of every day I 'l'lte longing for…
1,243 wordsSECTION 68The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 68
Vers. 13-19.-The grave a rest. In the toil and sorrow of life men long for rest. They lighten the toils and brighten the darkness of the present by the hope of repose and gladness in the future, Without such a hope life's burdens would be much heavier than they are; and in some cases almost insupportable. As the wom …
1,145 wordsSECTION 69The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 69
hnsty, impatient mnn who rebelled aga.tnst the first sign of opposition to his wMI. The curse was wrung out of him by II most terrible conjunction of circumetances. 1. Unparalleled calamities. He had Jost nearly all-not property only, but children; not outside things only, but health and strength. He was bereft of almo…
840 wordsSECTION 70The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 70
world, and already of hoary antiquity when the nook of Job waa written. It le now cc,rtainly the mogt stupendous structnre that hae ever been built. 1. A sign qf patient toil. Thousands of poor slBves must have been sa.clificed to the construction of such 11 ~u)lding. There is sce.rccly any limit to_ the resulte tha…
881 wordsSECTION 71The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 71
of Christ. If wo are doing this, it is not for us to long for death, but to "work while it ls day; for the night cometh, wh•erein no ma.n can work."-W. F. A. Ver. 19.-Death, the leveller. No thought is more hackneyed tha.n the idea that the present inequalities of life end at death. Yet the practical significance of t…
1,266 wordsSECTION 72The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 72
Vers. 25, 26.-Fears confirmed by facts. Job complained thil.t he was not foolishly confident in his prosperity, and so courting a reverse of fortune by pride and presump- tion. On the contrary, he was anticipating the possibility of evil and walking in fenr. Eis action, as it appears. in the opening verses of the bo…
576 wordsSECTION 73The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 73
OHAPTER. IV. point of falling, has been stopped in time by thy wise words and good advice to him. Job having ended his complaint, Eliphe.z This is a strong testimony to Job's l1inclli- the Temanite, the first-named of bis three ness of heart, and active sympathy with friends (eh. ii. 11), e.nd perhaps the eldest auff…
747 wordsSECTION 74The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 74
prooedeni wiokoon01!11, If he doee ·not Admit rather, by tM breath of God, as in oh. uxvii thie, be ie oballcnged to bring fo1·ward ex- 10. The word used (i"l~'V'~) means alwa11, amples, or even a eingle example, of suffer- as Professor Lee observes," a slight or gentlo ing innocence. If he does admit it, he ie b!'9…
979 wordsSECTION 75The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 75
Ver11, 12-21,-Eliphaz prooeeda to m1r- not distinct to Elipbaz'a eyes (ver. 16), 80 ra.te a spiritual experience of a. ,ery strange neither wero the words whioh were utte~ed and striking oba.rncter. It was night, a.nd distinct to hie ears. He thinks himselr e.ble, however, to give the sense of them ho hod f11llen asle…
911 wordsSECTION 76The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 76
An image WM before mine ey911; (Jf, a" a'P"' founchtioll i1 in th, aut ; i.e. " whtlee origin pearnMe (LXX., µop.,,,). There W88 lil-e; wae the dust of the ground," which were or, a Aush-" etutlll! aerie nnll.o motn tnr- fom,ed from it and must return to it, ac- ·b&ti, et tmnquillil!l'imoe" (S~.hnltens). And cording…
974 wordsSECTION 77The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 77
on the part of the giver. If to hear and accept rebuke be a sign of gra.ce (Prov. xv. 5) and a pothwo.y to wisdom (Prov. xv. 32) and honour (Prov. xiii. 18), i,t is much more a inil.rk of lender piety and fine Christian sagacity to be able to speak the truth in love (Eph. iv. 16), o.nd to rebuke with long-suffering (2 …
907 wordsSECTION 78The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 78
(1) Perhaps implying that Job had been previously resting with compla.cent satisfaction on his religious cbnracter, and deriving hope of Divine favour from the elevation of hie piety, which, if Job bad been doing, he had been living in egregious error, sinoe "by t.bi, deeds of the Law shall no flesh living be justif…
866 wordsSECTION 79The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 79
2, Positively, (1) It comes from withiu ma.n himself; it is the fruit of his own s:n. (2) It comes in accordnnco with universal moral law, which connects sin and suffering together o.s cause and effect. (3) It comes as e.n inseparable concomitant of man's nature. Man, when he is born, finds himself introduced into a sc…
869 wordsSECTION 80The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 80
spheni wit.h which the ch&mber W&S filled, moving steadily up till it came in full view ot the dreamer's open eye, it stood I The eleeper ~aw and WM perfectly conscious of its presence, could discern there was an image, I\ dim shadowy nebulous appearance, but felt altogether incompetent to anRlyze its features. Yet …
1,106 wordsSECTION 81The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 81
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vera. 1-11.-Eliphaz and Job: forgotten truths called to mind. However misap- plied to his particular case may have been the speeches of Job's friends, there can be no dispute concerning the purity and the sublimity of the great truths for which they here appear as spokesmen. If not well di…
1,087 wordsSECTION 82The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 82
Ver. 12--ch. v. i.-The orac'le in a dream of the night. Here we have the narration_ of one of those revelations in visions of the night, through which man so frequently learned in the elder time to know the will of the Eternal Every line of the description is significant and impressive. .. I. 'l'HE ASSOCIATIONS oF THE…
440 wordsSECTION 83The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 83
to the agitation of the eoul in preeen1:e of the Unseen. There ia a trembling and quivering of the whole frame in every limb. The hair stands on end. A materialistic philosophy, which either denies or ignores man's relation to the U nsecn, can never explain sway these phenomena. They are involuntary witnesses to the re…
1,169 wordsSECTION 84The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 84
Vers. 1-6.-fie teacher tested. Throughout the words of Job's friends uiany truths are to be found both accurately stated and beautifully illustrated; but in many case- almost generally-a wrong application of them is made. The friends designing· to be comforters do, through imperfect views of the mystery of human suffe…
1,211 wordsSECTION 85The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 85
Vers. 12-21.-The condemnation of man in presence of the Divine holiness. With a figure of great boldness and grandeur Eliphe.z urges his words upon Job. He is trying to illustrate the great princiµle of the righteous retributions of the Divine government. In the visions of the night there appeared a spirit to pa.qs bef…
1,007 wordsSECTION 86The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 86
I. lnREPREBBIDLE SPEEOH SPRINGS FBOM VARIOUS INFLUENCES, Sometimes it ia difficult to find words. What, then, are the things that break open the fountains of speech? 1. Natural temperament. Some are naturally loquacious, others as natnrally taciturn. No man is responsible for his original constitution; his responsibili…
1,152 wordsSECTION 87The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 87
Ver. 8.-.A tnu fpri1n.ciplefalsel,y applied. We have now reached the kernel of the controversy with which Job and his friends are t.o be engaged. While-as the pro- l~crue shows-the primary purpose of the Book of Job is to refute Satan's low, sneering insinuation implied in. the words, "Doth Job serve God for nought?…
567 wordsSECTION 88The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 88
but Satan, who brought it. It was not the husbandman, but an enemy, who sowed tares in the field. 3. They mistoolc the 'TIAI,ture of the harvest. The man who sows iniquity will not nece·a~arily reap temporal calamity. He will get his natural harvest, which is corruption, but he may have wealth and temporal, external…
802 wordsSECTION 89The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 89
how they applied to Job. Eliphaz assumed that Job'8 position was thereby condeml:led• Leaving t.his out of account, however, we may see how lofty, true, and important the words that came in the Temanite's vision were. I. 'l'nE oBvrnus FAOTI>. One would hnve thought that no ghost WBS wanted to make such ~elf-evident…
845 wordsSECTION 90The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 90
of individual members of the angelic host, lot with those whom Misfortune has marked auoh as Miohael, Gabriel, Raphael, etc., as her own. &hough we have no mention of any names Ver. 5.-WhoH harvest the hungry eateth of angels in Boripture until the time of up. Covetone men rush in and "eat up" Daniel (viil. 16; ix.…
974 wordsSECTION 91The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 91
marvels. When for months and months while the godly, their intended prey, "eace.pe togethn the sun hlLll blazed e.ll de.y long out them." And •his is God's doing-it la hie of a clou,ilees sky, when the hee.ven that is providence whioh bringa it to paee. And over his hee.d has been brass, e.nd the earth the oounnl of…
1,014 wordsSECTION 92The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 92
the man [or, • blessings on the m11n '] They are covered with his feothers, and sore whom God correcteth I" (comp. Prov. iii. 11, under his wings (Ps. xci. 4). 121; Ps. xoiv. 12; I Cor. xi. 32). He Ver. 21.-Thou ■halt be hid from the suggests to Job the idea that hie sufferings scourge of the tongue (comp. Ps. xxxi. 20…
981 wordsSECTION 93The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 93
ROl'cnmiillor, "Thou Bh< not miM thy in in his see.aon; literally, is lifted up. The muk." shocks of corn wero lifted up, and plo.ced Ver. 25.-Thou ahalt know Blllo that thy on n Mrt, for transfer to the barn or the 1eed shell be great. Little by little Eliphnz threshing-floor. The emphasis, however, is paeses fr…
890 wordsSECTION 94The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 94
Divine security against, nnd Divine contempt for, the sinner. 2. Unaesi.,ted by hi., fellow-creatwres. "To which of the holy ones," saints or more proba:Oly angels, " wilt thou turn?" i.e. in order to procure help in thine outrageous suit against the Almighty. Eliphaz o.ssumee that wicked men aod fallen aogels could …
1,084 wordsSECTION 95The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 95
Ven.. S--16.-.Elipha.z to Job: 4. The saint's confidence in God. I. TBE SAIN'l''s CHARACTER DESCRIBED. 1. Negatfrely. By way of contrast to the ungodly, who are depicted as (I) crafty, i.e. persons who cunningly concoct schemes against either God, Christ, or their neighbours (Ps. ii. 2; Acts iv. 25-28); (2) strong, …
1,164 wordsSECTION 96The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 96
Ver. 8.-Seeking unto God. I. WHAT IT PBESUPPOSE3, 1. Belief in the existence of God (Heb. xi. 6). 2. Consciousness of need (Jas. i. 5). 3. Desire for Divine assist- ance (Ps. lxiii. 1). II. W;J.AT IT IMPLIES.. 1. A realization ofGod's nearness to the soul (Ps. c:tlv. 18). 2. A solicitation of God's help for the soul (…
1,035 wordsSECTION 97The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 97
to be bound up and healed are those lncer11ti1ms of spirit, painrul and deep, which have been previously inflicted by the hand of God through the sharp instrument of affliction. Thllt these wounds, however keen llnd incisive, llre not designed to be mortal or suffered to continue open, but, llfter llccomplishing their …
1,037 wordsSECTION 98The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 98
HOMILIES BY VA RIO US AUTHORS. Vers. S-~7.-Refage from trouJJle in the thought ef God. Conclusion of l11iphaz'a address. His language suddenly changes into a gentler strain. It is like the clearing of a dark sky, revea.ling once more the deep blue; or the bend of a stream which baa been flowing through a stern gorg…
730 wordsSECTION 99The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 99
evidences of the beneficence of God, we come down to one special and peculiar form ol it. He is good to us in our pains as well as in our ple&eures. His power is exercised to purify and chasten as well 119 to destroy. The recognition of this truth is one o{ the leading features of Scripture revelation. How different fr…
1,111 wordsSECTION 100The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 100
Vera. 1-5.-~ lot of the foolish. By a skilful turn of thought, Eliphaz exhibits the• consequences of human folly- . .. I. As TREY AFFECT THE LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL FOOLISH ONE. "Wrath killeth· and envy slayeth" him. By his folly he excites the wrath or the envy of others, or: hb folly leads him into deadly courses. ' …
1,273 wordsSECTION 101The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 101
afflicts, or in eque.l mercy takes up the evils and ills of life, 11.Dd, using them ae his own instrument,s, transmutes them into means of grace and blessing, will, after he has ·tried bis servants by their exposure to the storms and pains of )ife, give them •• a desired end." Sooner or !at.er they s.ee •• the end o…
884 wordsSECTION 102The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 102
Ing thei_r p~eition a~d draw!ng nourishment ~ t~emselvee. Still, at beet, it is only the rooting 1n the BOIi that 1s thought of. This 1s but. the first stage. Eliphaz waH quite right in his surmise that the last stage would be very different, although he was in error ns to tbe time, circnmstanceR, an<l character o( the…
897 wordsSECTION 103The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 103
utilize trouble BB discipline, and ultimateiy to conquer it, BO that "our light affliction which is but for 11, moment, worketh for us a far more exoeediug and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. iv. 17).-W. F. A. Vers. 8-16.-Seeking unto God. As usual, the advice of Eliphaz ie excellent in the abstr&ct. The error is in…
870 wordsSECTION 104The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 104
fore, BHbough he Wll!I applying those truthe in an irritatingly mistaken way, he, rightly enough from hie standpoint, urged Job to seek God's mercy in penitence that he might thue benefit by hie chastisement. To be purged from sin is better than to be made rich, comfortable, externally happy. It is true blessedness,…
852 wordsSECTION 105The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 105
THE LTFE oF NA1'URE. The l'IOphistry of s~lled naturalism tells us that we Oll.n, Dnt it is dereptive, christening bestiality with the name of natul'e. The nature to be imitated is Vi'ordsworth's nature, not z,,]a's. But Wordsworth's nature is the type and prophecy of the spiritual that is higher than nature. Merely to…
930 wordsSECTION 106The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 106
EXPOSITION. CHAPTER VI. thine annws stick fliat in me"). So Bhsk~- epeare speaks or " the slings anrl arrn,n• of Oh. vi. ond vii. contain Job's reply to outrageous fortnne" for cal11mitieA generlllly. Eliphoz. In eh. vi. he confines himself The metaphor is ll. very common one (see Ueut. xxxii. 23, 42; Pe. vii. 13; …
933 wordsSECTION 107The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 107
lo ~h them; they are as watl,~ome meat t-0 eaid to be implied in sll willingness to die, me. The doubt remains whether Job is since it me.y be argued that even tho most speaking of the arguments of Elipbaz, or of wretobcd Ii fe possible would be preferred the aeries of itffliotions which ba'l"e befallen by any man to n…
1,077 wordsSECTION 108The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 108
la to oomp11esionnte hie afflicted friend, to summer it is dried up. Nor is it merely condole with him, 1md show his sympathy useless; it deceives, alluring the tre.veller with hia sufferings. This is what every one by the e.ppeare.nce of verdure, promising re- looks for and expects as II me.tter of course. freshment, …
1,015 wordsSECTION 109The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 109
VBin hope. In the s11me WII)', Job implies, Point out, t,he.t ia, in what tny assumed guilt he is ashamed of heving looked for oomp&B- consists. You mai11te.in that my affliction ■ eion and kindneBB from his friends. He are deserved. Point out what in lily con- should have been meer and have known duct has deserved …
1,149 wordsSECTION 110The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 110
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-13.-Job to Eliphaz: 1. Apologies ana prayers. I. A DESPERATE MAN'S DEFENCE. 1. Job's calamities surveyed. (1) Their weight. Heavier than the sand of the seas. Employed elsewhere to depict what fa innumerable (Gen. xxii. 17; P.;. lxxviii. 27) and immeasurable (1 Kiugs iv. 29; Jer. xxxiii. 22), the s…
691 wordsSECTION 111The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 111
(eh. iii. 13); Elij&b, under &llen~e of we&rinellB and dill&ppointment (1 Kings xix. 4); Jon&h, in &fit of rage and self-conceit (Jonah iv. 8); St. Paul, through ardent longing for heaven (Phil. i. 23); Christ, through vehement desire after m&n's salv&tion (Luke xii, 60). 2. Job's pitiful entreaty. "Even that it wou…
901 wordsSECTION 112The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 112
eelf, 11.nd, 11.e II. consequence, on his integrity before 11.nd confidence in God ( cf. Ps. xxxviii. 6; lxix. 2). The withholding of sympathy from one in his co11aition was a deplorable dereliction of duty nnd a manifest token of unfeeling barLarity. 2. lnconBislent. Besides being 11, dictate of nnturc, the 111.w of k…
864 wordsSECTION 113The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 113
Ungenerol/,/J, While words of uprigbt?ess, i.e. honest spe~h, plain del\ling, even reproof when nec,•si,ary, had a force which Job could not resist, a pertinency he oould not challen~e, and a punirency be could not fail to feel and acknowledge, their )l\nguago had been "'holly mean and contemptible, fastcnin~ as it …
799 wordsSECTION 114The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 114
ma"ellous changes t~at pass over th? surface of II lake benee.th ~ tempestuou~ sky.· And such e.re the re.p1d che.ngcs of pmn that. now pass. over the mind of Job,_ relieved here and there l>y flashes of calmer reflectwn, of faith and hope. The picture i8 instructive, teo.ching us how feeble and unstable a thing _ls th…
831 wordsSECTION 115The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 115
been true to God. This consciouaneee is still a kind of strength in weakness, and enables him to BBk this last boon at God's hands-a speedy death.--J, Vers. 14--21.-The illusiom of /nffl<lship. Oh, how sweet and bleBSed at this bout would the ministries of true friendship be! Job, in the shipwreck of fortune and of he…
851 wordsSECTION 116The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 116
own, appropriate all its sorrc,wful experiences, and think and speak and feel towards others, as well as do unto them, as we would they should do unto us? But the~ demands for an Ideal friendship are not, after all, to be satisfied by frail human nature. Let us, then, think: 4. These qualities of friendship can be only…
1,000 wordsSECTION 117The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 117
Ven;. 1-13.-.A true estimate of grief U'flder the sewrities of afftiction. Even the 11trong man cries for help and releMe.. Job, in his extreme sufferings, desires that a fair judgment may be formed of them and of his complaint. Put this into one sea.le, and them into the other~ a.nd behold which of them is the lighter…
1,203 wordsSECTION 118The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 118
Ver. 25,-The power of right words; or, complaining stayed by instruction. Job has hitherto met with no comfort from those who came "to mourn with him, and to comfort him." From the inutility of their powerless words he turns a.side with the bitter reflection on his lips, "How forcible are right words!" Words charged wi…
1,218 wordsSECTION 119The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 119
Ver, 4,-" The arrows of the .A.lmlghty." The first thought that occurs to ,Job when he attempts to describe hie trouble to hie misjudging friend ie that that trouble has been produced by ehafte from heaven. Here ie the exceeding bitterness of his grief. He regards hie calamities ae more than natural mischances; such a …
1,241 wordsSECTION 120The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 120
Vers. 8, 9.-The prayer of despair. This is an awful prayer. Job longs for death1 attd prays God to crush him. Then there will be an end to bis agonies. He h&S rejected his wife's temptation to suicide ( eh. ii. 9) ; but he begs that God will take bis life. L IT 16 WELL TO BRING THE DESPAIR OF THE SOUL TO GoD. The de…
1,279 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.