Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Job
Book: Job
Chapter: 35
Overview:
Elihu speaks of
Man's conduct.
(1-8) Why those who cry out
under
Afflictions are not regarded.
(9-13) Elihu reproves
Job's
impatience.
(14-26)
1-8 Elihu reproves
Job for justifying himself more than
God,
and called his attention to the heavens. They are far above us,
and
God is far above them; how much then is he out of the reach,
either of our sins or of our services! We have
No reason to
complain if we have not what we expect, but should be thankful
that we have better than we deserve.
9-13 Job complained that
God did not regard the cries of the
oppressed against their oppressors. This he knew not how to
reconcile to the
Justice of God and his government.
Elihu solves
the difficulty. Men do not notice the mercies they enjoy in and
under their
Afflictions, nor are thankful for them, therefore
they cannot expect that
God should deliver them out of
affliction. He gives
Songs in the night; when our condition is
dark and melancholy, there is that in
God's
Providence and
promise, which is sufficient to support us, and to enable us
even to rejoice in
Tribulation. When we only pore upon our
Afflictions, and neglect the consolations of
God which are
treasured up for us, it is just in
God to reject our prayers.
Even the things that will kill the body, cannot hurt the soul.
If we cry to
God for the removal of an affliction, and it is not
removed, the reason is, not because the
Lord's
Hand is
shortened, or his
Ear heavy; but because we are not sufficiently
humbled.
14-26 As in prosperity we are ready to think our mountain will
never be brought low;
So when in adversity, we are ready to
think our
Valley will never be filled up. But to conclude that
to-morrow must be as this
Day, is as absurd as to think that the
weather, when either fair or foul, will be always
So. When
Job
looked up to
God, he had
No reason to speak despairingly. There
is a
Day of
Judgment, when all that seems amiss will be found to
be right, and all that seems dark and difficult will be cleared
up and set straight. And if there is Divine wrath in our
troubles, it is because we quarrel with
God, are fretful, and
distrust Divine
Providence. This was
Job's case.
Elihu was
directed
By God to humble
Job, for as to some things he had both
opened his mouth in vain, and had multiplied words without
knowledge. Let us be admonished, in our
Afflictions, not
So much
to set forth the greatness of our suffering, as the greatness of
the
Mercy of
God.