The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 378

EXPOSITION. cessible. It needed revefatio11 to let man OHAPTER XXIII. know that God is not far off', but very near Vera. 1-ch. xxiv. 25.-Job replies to Eli- to each one of us; that" in him we live, and pbaz in 11, speech or' no great length, which, move, and have onr being" (Acts xvii. 28). though it occnpies two chapters, rune to That 1 might come even to his seat! Job's icleo. of bricl~ng the distance between him- oii_ly forty::two verses. He begius by jus- self and God is that he should rise to tl ,e tifying the _vehemence o_f his complaints, region where God\ is, not that God should first,' on the ground of the sev~rity of bis condescend to .come down to him. He suft'eringe (ver. 2), _!md secondly, on the wishes to " come to God's seat "-to that ground of his conviction- that, if God would awful throne ill the heaven of heavens, where God sitteth, surrounded by his hosts bring him to· an open ·trial befo~ his tri- of ang_els, dealing out justice anJ judgmcnt bunal, he would acquit him (vers. 8----'12). to mortal men (comp. Pa. ix. 4, 7; xi 4; By the way; he complains' that •God bides xlv. 6; Isa. vi. l). himself, and cannot be found (vers,, 3, 8, 9). Ver. 4.-I would order my cause before He then further complains that God is not him. Job has put away the feelings of to be bent from his purpose, which ·is set shame.and diffidence, which were predomi- nant with him when he ea.id, "How should, against Job (vers. 18:-17). In eh. :u:iv. h_e man be just witl1 God? If he will contend goes over ground Mready trodden, 'main- with him, he cannot answer him one of a taining the general pro~perity of the wicked, thousand" ( eh. ix. 2, 3); and again, "How and. their exemption from any - sp·ecial mnoh less shall I answer him, and choose earthly punishment (vers. 2-24). He winds out my words to reason with him? Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I 11ot up, finally, with a challenge to his oppo- answer; but I would make ruy supplication nents to disprove the truth of what he ho.a to my Judge" (eh. ix. 14, 15). He now said (ver. 25). wishes- to contend and argue and reason. Thie is quite in -accordauce with our ex- Verii. 1, 2.-Then J'ob answered and said, perience. Many are the moods of man- Even to-day is my complaint bitter; i.e._ various and conflicting his desires ! His eve11 to-day, notwithstanding all that has mind nev:er continues long in one stay. And been said by mypppo,nentii against my right fill my mouth with arguments (comp. Ps. to complain, I do complain, and as bitterly xxxviii. 14, where our transt,tors ren· ler the as ever. And I justify my complaint on. the same word by "reproofs" but where -~ar~u- following ground-my.stroke is heavier than ments" or "pleadings" ~ouhl be more appro- my groaning. If I complain bitterly, I suft'er priate). Tbo LXX. has there J,\,eyu.ol, and even more bitterly (comp. eh. vi. 2). in the present passage l"'-.-YX"'• The word Ver, 3.-0h that I knew where l might is forensic. find him! This is the cry of the desolate Ver. 5.-1 would know the words which human soul, feeling its need of God, o.nd yet he would answer me. It would be. e. si<tis- not knowing how to approach him. God fe.otion to Job ill his present mood to know seems to be very far removed from us. _He is exactly how God would answer him, what in, heaven, and we are on. earth ; nay, he is reply he would make to his '· arguweuts." i~ the_ highest heaven, or outside it, walking The tone of thought-is too bold for i< creature, on its circumference (eh. xxii. 14). How and would certainly not be becomillg in o.re, we. to ~pproach neo.r to him, so. near as Christians. And understand what he would to bo sure that he can hear. us ? How are BRY unto me. Here we have another of the we to "find" him? So, in all ages, has the redundant second clauses, which merely echo humo.n heart gone out to God, aspiring the idea contained in the previous clause. towards him, seeking after him, but, for the Ver. 6.-Will he plead against me with most part, baffled and disappQinted. Job, his great power 1 rather, Would he co11te11,l like most other men in the olden times, against me in the g1·eatness of his powe-r 1 tho11gh.he hns faith in Goel, though he serves (see the Revised Version). 'l'lrn,t is, "Woul<l him 11nd 1irays to him, lms yet the feeling ho crush me by mcru strength aud force? tho.i ho is remote, disto.nt, well-nigh iua.c- Woulu he use a.gaillst me that overw h~lru-  892 THE BOOK OF JOB, [en, xxm. 1-17,