| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Furthermore Elihu answered and said, |
Elihu – The youngest of four friends of Job who called upon him in his adversity to comfort him. R5878:2
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| 2 Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. |
My words – As wise, or wiser, than any spoken by Job's comforters, but they were merely human wisdom. R5402:6, R5878:2
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| 3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat. |
Ear trieth words – The ear is the mouth of the mind by which it receives the word. R2949:2*
Mouth tasteth meat – Meat that goes no further than the mouth cannot nourish. R2949:2*
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| 4 Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good. |
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| 5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment. |
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| 6 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression. |
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| 7 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? |
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| 8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. |
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| 9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. |
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| 10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. |
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| 11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. |
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| 12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. |
Not do wickedly – God is responsible for evil (calamity, trouble) in the sense of permission and arrangements as the penalty for violating his laws; but not in the sense of being the author of it. R871:6
Pervert judgment – The punishment must have some relation to the enormity of the offense--a principle out of harmony with the eternal torment theory. R523:4*
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| 13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world? |
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| 14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; |
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| 15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust. |
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| 16 If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words. |
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| 17 Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just? |
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| 18 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly? |
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| 19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands. |
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| 20 In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand. |
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| 21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. |
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| 22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. |
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| 23 For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God. |
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| 24 He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead. |
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| 25 Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed. |
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| 26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others; |
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| 27 Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways: |
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| 28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted. |
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| 29 When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only: |
When he – Jehovah; the "God of all comfort." (2 Cor. 1:3) R2058:2*, R5403:1
Although these words (of Elihu) are not inspired, they are very wise. R5403:1
Giveth quietness – The children of God take these words in a very different sense from that suggested to Job by Elihu. We have quietness and rest of heart even in severe trouble. R5879:1
The Lord's people have a peace and rest of mind through the knowledge of God's plan and his justice, mercy and love. R5403:2
Precious balm of Gilead for wounded spirits on the battlefield of life; the gentle whisper of hope and love and courage when heart and flesh are almost failing. R5803:1
Knowing that when our hearts are loyal and true, our God does not mark against us the unavoidable blemishes of our earthen vessel. R5802:5
There is a cry which never fails to bring this quietness. It is the prayer for sweet, trustful, loving acquiescence to the will of God. R2058:3*
When God purposes to give peace, the whole universe will be in obedience to his laws and none can make trouble. R5403:1
Can make trouble – Job's calamity was not accidental. R5878:3, R5403:1
God permitted trial to come to test his servant, just as he permits trouble to come upon his Church. R5878:6
While the world is troubled, God's children have a peace that the world knows not of and can neither give nor take away. R5403:3
Trouble is not necessarily a sign of the disfavor of God. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous." (Psa. 34:19) R5879:4
God did not always give our Lord Jesus quietness, but allowed trouble, like a great flood, to sweep over his soul. Some of the Lord's followers may have similar experiences. R5403:4
He will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear (1 Cor. 10:13). R5878:6
To the world it might appear that the trials, testings, scoffs, to which faithfulness to the Lord exposes, would rob life of all its pleasures. But not so. R4103:1
The spirit which once tossed restlessly in chafing winds of lesser trials sinks in sweet submission under heavier griefs. R2058:6*
Against a man – Satan could not have sent all those calamities unless God had permitted it. Similarly we are under special divine care. R5403:1
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| 30 That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared. |
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| 31 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: |
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| 32 That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more. |
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| 33 Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest. |
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| 34 Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me. |
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| 35 Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom. |
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| 36 My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men. |
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| 37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God. |
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