The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 535

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 "men of under- - sion, already used by Job in the clia.logne standing" (ver. I 0). Whether these a.re (eh. xii. 11). "It is as much the business Job's three specie.I friends, or others among of the ear to discriminate between wise and the oompany which had perhaps gathered to foolish words, as of the pa.late to distinguish between wholesome and unwholesome food." hear the debate, is unoertain. He makes Ver. 4.-Let us ohoose to us judgment; the subject of his addre~s to them Job's i.e. "Let us seek to come to a right couclu• conduct-soarcely a polite thing to do in sion (mishphat) on each subject that comes Job's presence. Job, be says, has scorned before us for oousideration." Let us know God and charged him with injustice (vers. among ourselves that which is good. "Let us know, discern, and recognize that which 5-9). He will vindicate him. This he pro- is right and good." Excellent sentiments, fl88ds to do in vers. 10-30. He then points but somewhat pompously put forth by a out what Job's course ought to be (vers. young mun addressing elder ones. 81-83), and winds up by an appeal to the Ver. 5.-l!'or Job hath said, I am righteous. " men of understanding" to endorse his Job bad m11inta.ined his "righteousness" in a certain sense, i.e. his integrity,his houesty, his oondemnation of Job as a sinner and a rebel conviction that God would ultimately 11cquit (vers. 34-37). him ; but he had not maintained his sinless- nese (see the comment on oh. xxxiii. 9). He Vera. 1, 2.-Fnrthermore Elihu ILJIBWered had not even said, in so many word a, "I E\lil and said, Hear my words, 0 ye wise men. righteous." The nearest that he had come Having, as he may have thought, reduced to saying it was when (in eh. xiii. 18) he Job to silence by the force of his reasonings, had exclaimed, "I know that I shall be held Elihu, wishin 6 to carry with him the general righteous," or "j:.1stified." And God hath consent of his audience, makes an appeal to taken away my judgment. Job haJ said them, or, at uny rate, to the wise among this (oh. xxvii. 2), but in the sense tha.t them, to judge Job's conduct and pronounce God had withheld from him the j llllgment upon it. It is probable, as Schultens re- ou his cause which he desired, not that he marks, th11t a considerable number of influ- had perverted judgment, and wrongfully ential persons hnd by this timo collected coudemned him (see the 'Speaker's Com- together to hear the discussion whioh was mentary,' vol. iv. p. 97).  550 THE BOOK OF JOD. [err, XXXIV, 1--,-;n,