The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 218

CHAPTER XIII. Ver. 8.-Burely I would 1111eak to the Almighty. It is not Job's wish t.o argue Vere. 1, 2.-The first two verses of eh. his case with his three friends, but to reason xiii. are closely connected with eh. xii., it ont with God. His friends, however, forming the natural termination to the first interfere with this design, check it, thwart it, prevent him from carrying it out. He must section of Job's argument, that all results, therefore first speak a few words to them. whether good or evil, mnst be referred to And I desire to reason with God. Com- God. Ver. 1 is little more than a repetition pare God's own invitation t.o his people, of oh. xii. 9 and ver. 2 of eh. xii 3. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord" (Isa. i. 18), and age.in, Ver. 1.-Lo, mine eye bath seen all this, " Put me in remembrance, let us plead mine ear bath heard and understood it. All together; declare thou, that thou mayest the particulars mentioned concerning God's be jnstified" (Iaa. xllii. 26); which indicate government of the world. in ob. xii. ~-25 God's gmcioua willingness to allow men to are derived by Job from his own expenence. plead on their own behalf before him, and His eye has seen them or his ear has heard do their best to justify themselves. them. He is not indebted to others for Ver. 4.-But ye are forgers of lies. A information on these simple points, which harsh expression, indicating that Job was he regards as necessarily impressed by .~heir thoroughly exasperated. The lies which experience on e.11 grown men (see eh. xu. 9). his friends had forged were, partly, misre- Ver. 2.-What ye know, the same do I presentations of what he had said, as for know also. Job's friends have claimed to example eh. xi. 4, but mainly statements, instruct him and set him right, on the more or less covert, which implied that he ground of their age 1md experience (eh. iv. had brought all his calamities on himself 8; v. 27; viii. 8-10). He protests that, by a coUise of evil-doing (see eh. iv. 7, 8; in the matters on which they have lectured viii. 13, 14; xi. 11, 14, 20). Ys are all him they have no advantage over himself- physioians of no value. Job's friends had 110 knows e.11 that they know-in truth, the come to him to "comfort" him (eh. ii. 11), knowledge is open to all (see eh. xii. 3). and act as physicians of his soul. But they I am not inferior unto you. An exact re- had entirely failed to be of the lee.at ser- petition of the second clause of oh. xii. 3. vice, They bad not even understood hia Vera. 8-13.-The second section of Job's case. Ver. 5.-0h that ye would altogether hold argument is prefaced, like the first ( eh. xii. your peace ! The friends had " held their 2-5), with a complaint with respect to the peace " for seven days after their arrival conduct of his opponents. He taxes them (oh. ii. 13). Oh that they would have held with the fabrication of lies (ver 4), with it altoytrther ! Their words had done nothing want of skill as physicians of souls (ver. 4), but exasperate and goad almost to madness. There iiil a mournful pathos in Job's entreaties with vi11dicating God by reasonings in to them to be silent (comp. ver. 13). And it which they do not themselves believe (vers. should be your wisdom. "Speech," it has 7, 8), and consequently with really mocking been said, "is silvern, silence is golden." him (ver. 9). Hlwing warned them that No doubt" there is a time for everything ... they are more likely to offend God than to a time to keep silence, and a time to spea.k" ( Eccles. iii. J, 7) ; nor is the rule of La. please him by such argumeuts as those that Trappe altogether a wise one. But probably they have urged (ver8. 10-12), he ot11ls on ten times e.s rouoh harm is done in the world them te bold their pence, 11.nd allow him to by speu.king as by keeping silence. '' Worus pleall hie ce.uee with God (ver. IS). for God" need especiu.l care un<l caution. .JOB, Q  988 'l'BE BOOK OF JOB. [oH. xm. 1-28.