PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Job
George Rawlinson [1812-1902] · 615,689 words · 663 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 481
Ver. 2L-Oharging God with croilty. At the first onset of hie afflictions it could be said of the patriarch, "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (c~ i. 22). But the aggravation or his troubles, followed by the vexatious advice of hie friends, has since then more than once forced unwise words from …
540 wordsSECTION 482The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 482
of theee peoplo have proeented H in a very ugly light. Whilst they have been dinning their formal precepts into men's ears on wha.t they rega.rd a.a the authority of revela- tion, they hnvo been rousing a spirit of revolt, till wha.t is most Divine in man, bis conscience, has risen up and protested age.inst their dogma…
866 wordsSECTION 483The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 483
man, part of t.a.e oommon fate of nature. How m!lny blossoms of spring fall to the ground frost-hitoon and fruitlellB I How many hopes of men are hut "castles in Spain" I If all we bad dN>amed of nttaining had become ours, .earth would uot be the world we know, but some rare p!W'adise. II. DISAPPOINTMENT AGGRAVATES…
1,117 wordsSECTION 484The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 484
EXPOSITION. Ver. 1.-I made II covell8.Jll with mine CHAPTER XXXI. eyes ; rather, for mine eges. The covenant The conclusion of Job's long speech (eh. must have been with himself. Job means that he came to a fixed resolution. by which uvi.,,-xx.xi,) is now reached. He winds it he thenceforth guided his conduct, not …
548 wordsSECTION 485The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 485
hi~ enemy (comp. Buxtorf, • Lexicon Hc- xxviii. 33, 51, etc.), Tbe exprel!Sion la hr11ic11m c-t. Oh11ldaicum,' who explllins i:,i proverbial. Yea, let m, ollipting be rooted by "11lien11tio;" 11nd thr comment of Sohul- out; 111ther, mr, J)l'Oduoe, or the p1-oduae of tene on c.h. xxxi. 3, "Neoer, a Deo alien- my fiel…
1,049 wordsSECTION 486The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 486
rally with harshness o.nd cruelty in his rela- special o}~im on ma.a'! benevolonco (ee6 tions towards those weaker tho.n himself Exod. xxu. 22; Deut. xiv. 20; xvi. 11 H, (ob. xxii. 6-9), but had not specio.lly pointed xxiv. 19; xxvi. 12, 13; Pd. cxlvi. !) ; Prov'. to this kind of oppressiveness. As, however, xv. 25;…
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th!' bone of the upper arm, nnd oome away Anoieut Egypt,' vol. I. pp. 842~64). In from it. the_ ~abylonian e.nd Aesytie.u religion the Ver. 28.-l'or de11truotion f'rom God was a position of the eun-god wee Ieee prominel\t, teJTOr to me. I tlOOld not, i.e., have eoted in but etill, e.e San, or Shamee, he held nn the…
1,029 wordsSECTION 488The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 488
mB11ter11.•• Moreover, to eet up two Inda. bable. The religious traditione or the Chal- pendent gods ls tb destroy the idea of God, d.eee, which note the war in heaven, the whioh itnplies suprem11oy over evf!rJ other Deluge, the building of the Tower of Babel, being. and the confusion of tongues, conte.in no Ver. 29.…
1,031 wordsSECTION 489The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 489
Job would he.ve me.ttel'8 brought to an ieane. Ver. 88.-It my land or, apinat me j ,.e. In def11t1lt of a 'Divine trie.l and sentence, if my land dieolaim my ownership, aa having "Which he cannot expect, it would suffice been acquired by wrong or robbery, It the for him th1tt bis 11rmi~er shonld formally furrow■ likewi…
878 wordsSECTION 490The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 490
(Oox), It was the calm, clear, deliberate conviction that such wickedness could not escBpo the just and righteously allotted punishment of Eloah, and that sooner or later if ha should enter on such a course of impiety, he would find himself overwhelmoo. by some strange, stnrtling, intolerable calamity; nny, that ho …
866 wordsSECTION 491The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 491
another of hl!! land, the comm.one~t and most valuable sort of pto~rly, then b.e deetri. that he himself may be ·made the 'rictim of a like 01ipression, ihat he ruay sow and another reap, and that his "things which spring up," tlot hi!! descendants or children, 11.a elsewhere the word is employed (eh. v. 25; xxi. 8;…
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God will one day hold such a court of inquiry, in which masters and servants, rulers and ruled, will be judged, ie announced in Scripture (Pe. xcvi.13; Ecclelf. xi. 9; Acts x-vii. 31; 2 Cor. v. 10). Hence masters are responsible for their treatment or servants (Col. iv. 1); and this thought should deter them, as it did…
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confidence for time or for eternity to rest in the abundance of his ·gold. Probably money, in consequence of the seeming almightiness which belongs to it (Ecclea. vii. 2; x. 19), ie the most formidsble rival God encounter11 in his demands upon the human heart (Matt. vi. 24), which almost universally betrays a dispos…
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was 11rloring the sun 11nd kissing h11nds to the moon. A noble testimony to Job's spirituality of mind 11nd sincerity of heart I He could easily have offered homacre to tho host of heaven without exposing himself to observation by hie fellows; ~r if, wanting courage to risk detection, he had refrained from outward g…
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an opposite idea, viz. that, as be bad perpetrated no open crime, so neither wll.8 he hiding any Becret wickedness. In either case his words contain : 2. .An emphatic p,:o- le.station. He was not attempting, and never had attempted, to play the hypocrite by either denying his guiltiness in general, or concealing his…
1,143 wordsSECTION 496The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 496
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. • Vera. 1-40....,...Solemn assuranc~s of innocence. • Job can discover no connection between his present sufferings and those well-founded hopes of his former life to which he-ha.a .been _reforring; bu_t there rem a.ins the assumption of his guilt as an explanation. Jn his inten~e longi…
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chastity. (Yem. 9-12.) He had not boon befoolcd into any gross ein against the marriage-tie. Be expresses the utmost detestation of such ein. "It would bo a crime, e.nd II ein before the judges." It would be Re a devouring fire, resting not in Its couree until it bad brought the criminal to the pit of hell, and all his…
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required of thee;" "Take heed, and beware of coveto11Sneee;" are sayings that occur to us n.11, Thie is really the most fruitful source of all the darker crimes and sins; because there is no passion so unsocial, so anti-social. Men lose their souls to save their pelf. "Covetousness is the alphn. and ome~a of the devil'…
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villaii;e. The man went to the village of Nimra hard by, where he was taken in. The next morning a lake was fo,md where the neighbonl"ing village had Btood, The conditions of mod(lm life are different.. Tb.e place of hospitality in the scale of social duties is changed. But for all who have enough and to spare of th…
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and a hypocrite1 but my God knows otherwise." As Daniel, by trusting in God was secure from the mouths of the lions, so thou, by having faith in and drawinu co:nfort from God's omniscience, mayest defy the more cruel mouths of thy persecuto~. When a man is accused of treason to his prince, and knows that his prince is …
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we may be 11nxiolll! about, our first anxiety should be to tee that our ways ·are right. • II. 1TB ABBOLU'l'E THOROUGHNE88. Job speAke of God u oounting all hie etep,. Therefore God takes note of every one of them. No false step can escape his notice. The little slip is not unseen by God. He sees ue stumble when we…
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III. TBE tuB'l'IOE OP AN EVEN BALANCE IB l!'OUl'ID WITH Goo. 1. Pwre e2u.ity. He nllowe no prejudice to warp hie judgment, no eelf-interest to pervert his verdict. God is perfectly just in hie own character. Therefore he can judge men j11etly. Being righteous himeelf, he is never prompted to act otherwise than righteou…
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l. TlrE PA.a:111uTiow OP 'rRE l!:61"t oP oott>. • Thill Mlpe h&s e Wide: Influence b'ver men. It. \11 not by 11.ny me11.ns confi'fted t~ 'the owners of ~lth. The poor m11.'k:e too much of the hope of gold which they covet, while the rich. overvalul! the,t which ii within tbtlir -gnuip. 'l'he p11.ssion for gold goes …
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EXPosunE. Some men are r.o sunken in wickedness that they are beneath Rhame so familiRr with disgrace that they da not .feeUt. No doubt it would be a step upw~rd for such men to awake to a consciousness of their abject condition. But for those who are not lost to all sense of public decency, it cerfafoly is well to ho …
816 wordsSECTION 505The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 505
EXPOSITION. OHAPTER XXXD. Blihu. The name " Elihu " wa1 not u- common e.mong the Israelites. It ls found A new pen,onage is now introdnced upon among the ancestors of Se.muel (l Sam. l. the ecene, who speab in a new style and l), among the Korhite Levites of the time of David (l Ohron. xxvi. 7?!_ and e.s a Rl.mOl…
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Ver. 5.-Wheu Elihu 1aw that there was 10mething of propbetio stre.in." " One no anawer in the mouth of these three men, ought to give attention," so.ye Aristotle " to then his wrath wu kindled (oomp. ver. 8 the mare unproved assertions of wis.; and ond the oomment). e.ged men, as much a.a to the act-c"al demon- stra.t…
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EX.POSITION. CHAPTER XXXIl. Blih11.. The name " Elihu " wa11 not 1Ul• common among the Israelites. It le found A m,w penionage is now introduced upon among the anoestora of Samuel (1 Be.m. I. the eoone, who epeab in a new style and 1), among the Korhite Levites of the time of David (I Chron. xxvi. 7?!_ and as a a…
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Ver. 5.-When Elihu aaw that there was aomethlng of prophetio strain." " One no answer 1n the mouth of theae three men, ought to give attention," so.ya AriBtotle "to then his wrath wu kindled (oomp. var. 8 the mere unproved assertions or wis,; 11nd and the comment). o.ged men, RB much as to the actt;,al demon- stration…
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AJ'('echeE< of the three t'riende w&.s nil ; they to eBy. n.e ■pint wiWn me oonatraineth h"d entirely failed to a.newer Job's 11.rg,l- me; litt>l'll,IJy1 the spirtt:-of my belly; i.e. ments. "my inwwd toolings and emotions.'' , Oom. Ver. 18.-Leat ·ye 1hould ■ay, W,e have p0.ro Zophar's statements in oh. xx. 2, 3 ; …
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BOMILETICS. Vera. 1-5.-Th~ intervention of Elihu. I. THE DISCOMFITURE OF THE Jl'RIF:"llns. "So these three meb. ~'-Eliphe.z, Bil<lad, and Zophar-" ceased to answer Job;" i.e. did not respond to the lamentations o.nd protestations which he uttered in his parable. 1. The reason they perhaps assigned for their si?ence…
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!ffld h~s fri~nda, to _whioh alRO we oan euppoee the.t Elihu he.d list.ened, the oite.del of Job's rntegnty, 1f not rn de.nger of being o&ptured, waa at any rate rudely shaken, e.nd that victory, in the grand fundamental debate or controversy of the poem was inclining to the side of the devil. But as God never lee.v…
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Lenrn : 1. It is one IIiBrk of true wisdom to know when to be Hilent. 2. It 11 specially becoming in young men to be deferential towards their elders. 3. It is quite possible for good men to be righteous in their own eyes. 4. It is commonly the ca11e that of two controversialists both are wrong. 5. It is not unseemly f…
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to whiob he hai listened had painfully convinced. him it was, not necessarily B cbarnc- t.eristic of 11.ge Rt &ll. This witness is true. IC juvenile witlings aJ)ound ~mong a.II rnnks and cllll!ses of society, there is unfortunately no lack of aged dullards. Partly through lack of ea.pa.city, partly from defective ed…
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by some understood to contain an additional Ieason for Elihu's, i.nterposition, viz. that oontioued silence would evince such a mean and cowardly deference to merely human 1LUthority1 that he could not hope to escape punishment for it at the hands of God (' Speaker's Commentflry ;,' Cox); but it seems preferable to …
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new speaker are set before us. 1. His tlllU'9'II 7!'8ty, whioh could not tolerate the oonff• dence and the self-justifying spirit of Job. Hie senee of the grea.tneas of God and hie holiness is so profound that he oa.nnot endure what seems to be the bold and haughty attitude of the creature. Hie feeling seems to be, …
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bursting to tell forth all that experience and reflection have taught him concerning the tru the of life. " Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak.a." Let 118 harvest the inetrudiou of time, lay up a good store of heart-memories, that we me.y over he.ve a good and useful word to speak in sea.son. Let us t…
1,017 wordsSECTION 517The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 517
Ver. 1.-Siknce after the sform. The three friends first comforted Job with seven days of silence (eh. ii. 13). They relapse into silence after their painful controversy with the suffering man. We feel a sense of relief, and breathe freely now that their dogmatic delusions are done wit-h, and we have silence after the…
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'find the grand ,work nlive with Divine inspimtion and rich ia spiritual lesson&. Let ·UII consider the· pharo.oter of ElihtL Mo!Jt contradictory opinions have been expressoo about him. ,. i 11. A YOUNG lllAN. The elders hav& spoken;. now is the time for youth. Wisdom doee not wholly reRide with e.ge. Jn: the presen…
1,055 wordsSECTION 519The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 519
Ver. 8.-The common impiration of man. Elihu here utters a great and daring thought. He turns from the dogmas of the ancients to the present Divine inspira- tion ; from the teaching of authority to the voice of truth in the heart of man. I. THERE IBA DrvIKE INSPIRATION OF MAN. Elihu affirms its existence. The old me…
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I. TnE BENSE OF BELIEF, 1. In utterance of what is strongly felt. It ia difficult to restrain powerful emotions. Passion inspires Rpeech. We long to tell out what burns in our hearts. Difficulty of utterance often arises from deadneRs of soul-often, but not alwl\ys, for many of the best men have no facility of speech…
1,150 wordsSECTION 521The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 521
EXPOSITION. OHAPTER XXXIII. ob. iii. 1.) Ky tongue hath spoken in DI.)' mouth; literally, inmy pala.t.e (comp. eh. vi: Veni. 1-SS.-In this chapter Elibu, turn- 80). Each word has been, as it were: tasted; ing away from the .. comforters," proceeds the.t is, seriously oolisideretl and exo.min•ed to address Job hims…
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Vor. 7.-111.y terror shall not make thee aga~llt me. This charge may perhape be o.fraid. Thou canst foe) no o.lnrm o.t ,rn,; I justified by reference to Job's comploints cannot terrify thee, BB God would (eh. vi. 4; in oh. vii. 17-19 and x. 3-6; but tho vii. 14; ix. 84, eto.). Neitherehall my hand exact words II.re not…
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in tbie t1ile1Jt teBCbing of hie. Mall witnte By theae interpnsitiona God mity evr,n l!Bve l!Omething more etttrtling, more seneationttl. a m&n from utter ruin, when, but for them, In our Lord's time, the ,Tews deme.nded "e. he would he.ve rushed upon it. He me.y @ign "-" e. sign from b011ven;" but no sign caul!8 a …
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speak of himself 118 an " angel-Interpreter, Ver. 28.-He will deliver hie aoul from one e.mong a thouennd;" nm! it is not pro- going into the pit, and his lile ah&ll aee the be.ble the.t he intends o. reference to 1my light j rather, as in the margin, he hath merely hume.n helper. To show unto man delivered my soul …
1,150 wordsSECTION 525The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 525
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-13.-Elihu'sfii-st address to Job: 1. .An e:i:posure of Job's sin, I. ELm'IJ nESPEAKS JoB'S ATTENTION. This be doe.son four distinct grounds. 1. That what he was about to say had been deliberately, thoroughly, and impartially weighed. (Ver. 2.) He was not about to open bis mouth at random or under a…
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he.nd upon both (eh. ix. 33). In reply, EI!hu s!'ys, "Behold, I am accordin~ to thy mouth to [' of/ 'for,' or' by'] God," meaning either (1) I am according to thy wish unto, i.e. for or instend of God (Authorized Version); or (2) I am like thee (sc. created) by God (Gesenius), or what o.ppears preferable, I am as th…
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informed concerning all the transgreasions of tb011e for whom he intercedes, 6, That one of the greatest mistakes a human soul can 001nmit is to say tbat God regards him as an enemy. 6. The.t the deepest folly e. finit,e cree.ture can perpetrate la to strive age.inst God. 7. The.t the highest tribunal before which a…
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determines that one to be the Angel of Jehovah, who alone among the myriad hosts l)f 1\Dgels stands without a peer. That a young Arabian prophet of Aram.aia.n extrac- tion should be familiar with the angel-interpreter is no more remarkable than that the Ani;el of the Lord should be known to the patriarchs. II. 'l'R…
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t.ion into which Hezekiah fookrd (fs11. xxxvi1i. 18)-the latter being the consequence as well as the liign of the former. III. THE REBtl'LT8 OF Dr,·r:i-"E !NSTRUCTION. 1. Em11,'Mipation. When the putpose aimed at by the Divine wRrnings, nfllictions, nod teachings is accomplished, the penitent i's liberated like II …
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rightoous!' ( Prov. xv. 29). Greater encouragement to '' continue instant in prayer" can scarcely lie imngined. (3) Filial joy in God's preser.ce. "He," i.e. the pa.rdoned Binner, "shall see hie," i.e. Go,l's, "face with joy." Now by faith coming before him as a happy child exulting in a father's love (Eph. ii. 18); an…
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how in our pbysica,l constitution we are never without warnings, forebodings, timely hints, of coming pain and disease; how in our moral constitution in like manner coming events of retribution cast their shadows before, and rouse us Crom the stupor of guilt and shame. A kindly voice is ever calling us in these ways…
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Ver. 4.-17.e inspiration of creati011,. Elihu assures Job that he is a. man, made by God, and by his very creation having the Spirit of God in him. There is some pretentiousness in the manner of Elihu. Yet what he says is important, because it is not true of him a.lone, but of every man. I. Mur 18 HADE BY THE SPIBIT O…
1,204 wordsSECTION 533The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 533
Ven;. 14"--17.-Divine voices. L THE ADVENT OY THE DIVINE VOIOEB. Elihu reminds us of Eliphaz, yet -with a. difference. Both men believe in superhuman influences, in God-sent messages. But Elipba.z tells of a stately vision, an awful e.nd o-.-erwhelming apparitj.on ; Elihu, on the -other band, is satisfied- with drea…
1,048 wordsSECTION 534The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 534
Help me to trust thee, then, I pray; We.it in the dark and tearfully obey." W.F.A. Vel"ll. 23-26.-The messenger and the ransom. Elihu shows that God has three wa~'s of speaking to man-by inward voices (vers. H--18), by the experience of che.s- tisement (vers. 19-22), and now lastly by a living messenger (vers. 23-…
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EXPOSITION. going on. To these Elihu ~pecially addressee OHAPTER XXXIV. himself: Give aar unto me, ye that have Vere. 1-37.-In this chapter Elihu turns knowledge. Ver. 3.-l!'or the ear trieth words, as the from Job to those whom he 11ddresses BB month tasteth meat. A proverbial expre,- " wise men'' (ver. 2), or "me…
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Ver. 6.-Bhould I lie against my right 1 to it ia to be found in oh. Ix, 22, where thia This Wl!.B a.n ellllentil'1 portion of Job's o.rgu- pMSO.ge occurs: "It is all one; therefore I m<'nl (see eh. xxvii. 4). Againet the theory say, He destroyeth the pertect and the nf his 11eoret heinous wickedness pnt forward wick…
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he11thon ne.tione, he might have an interest it :fittin~ to accuee his sovereign of wiclied 11part from th11t of those whom he governs, and nnj ust c<>nd'uct? Would he even tax nud eo be tempted to be unjust; but ne he those who stood next to the king-the ie tlio Author of 1Lll and the sole Ri1 !er of princes 1Lnd g…
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unjustly. He knom exaotly e11ch m11n'e him. (On the sin of "turning bll.ck," see powers, oop&0itiee, temperament, tempt11tions, 2 Kings xvii. 15, 16; Prov. nvi. 11; 2 Pet. cil'('nmstancee. He oan eXBOtly m011sure ii. 22.) And wonlcl not oon1ider &DJ of hil eneh man's due, and will assuredly mete it waya(oomp. Pe. xx…
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Ver. 80.-That the bypoorite reign not, ahoose; and not I; rather, wt thl)U mud le1t the people be ensnared ; rather, that an choose, and not I. It is Job who tnnst deter ungodly man reign not, thaC a peopl.8 be not a mine how he will act. Elihu, a friend, can ,nare. (Bo Schultene, Profeeeor Lee, and only point ont a…
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~ecret.ion-" wise " and II knowing -ones " (ver. 2), 11 men •of understanding," literally, "men of bee.rt," i.e. pel'llOns of intelligence and ripe experien~ onpable of forming a judgment upon so high a matter as that about to be submitted to them. 3. The protJecv,f.or. Elihu. Details of his personality have been gi…
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.