3 What -- thou hast given counsel to the unwise, And wise plans in abundance made known.
Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom? What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou -- and it is not with us? Both the gray-headed And the very aged `are' among us -- Greater than thy father `in' days.
Lo, I have waited for your words, I give ear unto your reasons, Till ye search out sayings. And unto you I attend, And lo, there is no reasoner for Job, `Or' answerer of his sayings among you. Lest ye say, We have found wisdom, God doth thrust him away, not man.
To the Overseer. -- By sons of Korah. A Psalm. Hear this, all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world. Both low and high, together rich and needy. My mouth speaketh wise things, And the meditations of my heart `are' things of understanding. I incline to a simile mine ear, I open with a harp my riddle:
My mouth recounteth Thy righteousness, All the day Thy salvation, For I have not known the numbers. I come in the might of the Lord Jehovah, I mention Thy righteousness -- Thine only. God, Thou hast taught me from my youth, And hitherto I declare Thy wonders. And also unto old age and grey hairs, O God, forsake me not, Till I declare Thy strength to a generation, To every one that cometh Thy might.
Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips `is' uprightness. For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips `is' wickedness. In righteousness `are' all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse. All of them `are' plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 26
Commentary on Job 26 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 26
This is Job's short reply to Bildad's short discourse, in which he is so far from contradicting him that he confirms what he had said, and out-does him in magnifying God and setting forth his power, to show what reason he had still to say, as he did (ch. 13:2), "What you know, the same do I know also.'
Job 26:1-4
One would not have thought that Job, when he was in so much pain and misery, could banter his friend as he does here and make himself merry with the impertinency of his discourse. Bildad thought that he had made a fine speech, that the matter was so weighty, and the language so fine, that he had gained the reputation both of an oracle and of an orator; but Job peevishly enough shows that his performance was not so valuable as he thought it and ridicules him for it. He shows,
Job 26:5-14
The truth received a great deal of light from the dispute between Job and his friends concerning those points about which they differed; but now they are upon a subject in which they were all agreed, the infinite glory and power of God. How does truth triumph, and how brightly does it shine, when there appears no other strife between the contenders than which shall speak most highly and honourably of God and be most copious in showing forth his praise! It were well if all disputes about matters of religion might end thus, in glorifying God as Lord of all, and our Lord, with one mind and one mouth (Rom. 15:6); for to that we have all attained, in that we are all agreed.