The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 358

doee not ookno'!fledge, Eliphaz Hye, either persons " the old way," either with 111lusion the µmjesty or the ! ornnisoienoe of God. to the seed of Cain before the Flood, who Hero he hl'le, ot ony rate, some to.ngible "corrupted their way" (Gen. vi. 12), or ground for his reproaohes. Job's words ho.ve perhaps with reference to the desocnda.nts been over-bold, over-venturesome, He hoe of Nimrod after it (see Professor Lee's seomc,1 to forgot the dis to nee between God 'Book of Job,' p. 361). and mon (eh. ix. 30-33; x. 2, 3; xiii. 3, Ver. 16.-Whioh were out down (rather, etc.), o.nd to oall in question either God's awept or 1111atched away) out of time; i.e. bef<Yre omnisoionoo or his regard for moral dis- their time, prematurely. Who■e foundation tinctions (eh. ix. 22, 23; xxi. 7-13, 23-26). wu overflown with a flood. Some suppose Hence Eliphoz is one.bled to to.ke o. high o.n allusion to the general destruction or tone o.nd e.sk, "Hast thou forgotten the.t mankind by the Noachian Delage; but per- God is in the height of heaven, far up e.bove haps no more is meant than that the sup- o.11 us poor wretched mortals ? Dost thou ports of the wicked ore ordinarily loosened need to be reminded of this? He is above a.ad carried a.way by a. flood of calamity. the sto.rs, and yet behold the height of the No single event need be referred to. lltars, how high they are! Even they are Ver. 17.-Who so.id nnto God, Depart in.finitely above men, yet how far below from UI (comp. ob. xxi. 14). Eliphaz tries, him I" (comp. oh. xxxv. 5). though with no very great success, to turn Ver. 13.-And thou sayest, B:ow doth God Job's words against him. And, What can know1 Job had not said this in so many the Almighty do for them l i.ll. and a&lc what words, bnt, by oqualizing the godly o.nd the the Almighty can do f<Yr them. A change wicked (oh. ix. 22; xxi. 23-26), he might from the second to the third person. with- be supposed to mean that God took no note out any change of subject, is not unusual in of men's conduct, and therefore hod not Hebrew. The wicked renounce God, and o. perfect knowledge of all things. The bid him depart from them-conduct which pse.lmist implies that many men so thought they justify by asking what good he could (Ps. x. 11; Ix.xiii. 11 ;. xciv. 7). Can he do them if they acted otherwise. Tile idea. judge through the dark aloud 1 rather, is the same as that of oh. xxi. 15, though through the thick darkness. God was sup- not expressed so pointedly. What Eliphe.z posed to dwell remote from man, in the thinks to gain by echoing Job's words is highest heaven, and, according to many, not very apparent 'folouds and darkness were round about him" Ver. 18.-Yet he Jllled their houses with ~Ps. xovii. 2i--he "dwelt in the thick dark- good things. The "he" is emphatio (~m). ness" (l Kings viii. 12)-he "made dark- Translate, Yet it was he that filled their ness his secret place; his pa vii ion round houses with good thingB; and comp. eh. about him was waters, and thick oloods of x.xi. 16, where the prosperity of the wicked the skies" , (Pe. •xvili. 11 ). The imagery is so.id not to have proceeded from tliem- was, no doubt, o.t first used iu reference to eelves. But the oounsel of the wicked is me.n's iQability to see and know God; but far from me ; or, but let the counsel of the when men ·beoe.me fe.milior. with it, they wicl,ed be far from me. Again, Job's words turned. the mete.phor round, e.nd questioned in oh. xxi. 16 are echoed, perhaps that Eli- God's ability to see and know anything phaz may show himself to l>e at least e.s o.bout man. Job hod not ree.llyever shared pious e.s Job. in these doubts; but it suits Eliphe.z's pur- Ver. 19.-The righteous see it, and a.re pose to malign and misrepresent him. glad; i.e. "the righteous see both the Ver. U.-Thick olonda are a oovering to short-lived prosperity (ver. 18) e.nd the ulti- him, the.t he aeeth not (see the oomment me.te destruction (ver. 16) of the wicked, on the preceding verse); and he walketh in and rejoice over them, espeoie.lly over the the oirouit of heaven; or, on the circumfer- latter" (comp. Pe. Iviii. 10; cvii. 40---42; ence of the heavens. The hee.vene are re- Prov. xi. 10). And the lllll.ooent laugh them ge.rded e.s a eolid ve.ult, outside which is the to soom ( oomp. Ps. ii. 6). Soom e.nd derision ple.oe where God dwells. e.re the just portion of the wicked, and in Ver. Ili.-B:ast .thou ma.rked the old way Old Tcsto.meot times even saints did not; wbioh wioked •men ho.ve trodden 1 rather, scruple to pour them out on those who lVilt thou keep the old way, eto.? (see the deserved them. But the gospel spirii is Revised Version). Eliphll.Z assumes tho.t it different. is Job's intention to oa.st in his lot with Ver. 20.-Whereas our substance is not those persons whose prosperous wickedness cut down. It is best to te.ke these e.s the he he.a desoribed in the preoeding chapter words of the righteous iu their triumph over (vers. 7-15). And this notwithstanding the wioked; but they can sce.rcely bear the Job's tlnal protest,. " Be the counsel of the interpretation given them iu the Authorized wieked far· from me" (ver. 16). He calls Ver.ion. The clause is not ree.lly negt\tive t.he mode of life pursued by these wioked but affirmative, and the word C'P. does not  THE BOOK OF JOB. ( OH, XXII, 1-30