“Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.”
Thou hast comforted others in their afflictions, and canst not now comfort thyself.
“Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?”
This he concludeth that Job was but an hypocrite, and had no true fear nor trust in God.
“Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?”
He concludeth that Job was reproved, seeing that God handled him so extremely, which is the argument that the carnal men make against the children of God.
“Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.”
They that do evil, cannot but receive evil.
“By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. by the breath: that is, by his anger”
He showeth that God needeth no great preparation to destroy his enemies: for he can do it with the blast of his mouth.
“The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.”
Though men according to their office do not punish tyrants (whom for their cruelty he compareth to lions, and their children to their whelps) yet God both is able, and his justice will punish them.
“Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. secretly: Heb. by stealth”
A thing that I knew not before, was declared unto me by vision, that is, that whosoever thinketh himself just, shall be found a sinner, when he cometh before God.
“Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. came: Heb. met all: Heb. the multitude of”
In these visions which God showeth to his creatures, there is ever a certain fear joined, that the authority thereof might be had in greater reverence.
“It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, there: or, I heard a still voice”
When all things were quiet, or when the fear was somewhat assuaged, as God appeared to Elijah, 1 Kings 19:12 .
“Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?”
He proveth that if God did punish the innocent, the creature should be more just than the Creator, which were a blasphemy.
“Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: and his: or, nor in his angels, in whom he put light”
If God find imperfection in his Angels, when they are not maintained by his power, how much more shall he lay folly to man’s charge when he would justify himself against God?
“How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?”
That is, in this mortal body, subject to corruption, as 2 Cor. 5:1 .
“They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it. destroyed: Heb. beaten in pieces”
They see death continually before their eyes, and daily approaching toward them. No man for all this doth consider it.
“Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.”
That is, before that any of them were so wise, as to think on death.