18 He keepeth back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.
19 And he hath been reproved With pain on his bed, And the strife of his bones `is' enduring.
20 And his life hath nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food.
21 His flesh is consumed from being seen, And high are his bones, they were not seen!
22 And draw near to the pit doth his soul, And his life to those causing death.
23 If there is by him a messenger, An interpreter -- one of a thousand, To declare for man his uprightness:
24 Then He doth favour him and saith, `Ransom him from going down to the pit, I have found an atonement.'
25 Fresher `is' his flesh than a child's, He returneth to the days of his youth.
26 He maketh supplication unto God, And He accepteth him. And he seeth His face with shouting, And He returneth to man His righteousness.
27 He looketh on men, and saith, `I sinned, And uprightness I have perverted, And it hath not been profitable to me.
28 He hath ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life on the light looketh.'
29 Lo, all these doth God work, Twice -- thrice with man,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 33
Commentary on Job 33 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 33
Pompous prefaces, like the teeming mountain, often introduce poor performances; but Elihu's discourse here does not disappoint the expectations which his preface had raised. It is substantial, and lively, and very much to the purpose. He had, in the foregoing chapter, said what he had to say to Job's three friends; and now he comes up close to Job himself and directs his speech to him.
Job 33:1-7
Several arguments Elihu here uses to persuade Job not only to give him a patient hearing, but to believe that he designed him a good office, and to take it kindly, and be willing to receive the instructions he was now about to give him. Let Job consider,
Job 33:8-13
In these verses,
Job 33:14-18
Job had complained that God kept him wholly in the dark concerning the meaning of his dealings with him, and therefore concluded he dealt with him as his enemy. "No,' says Elihu, "he speaks to you, but you do not perceive him; so that the fault is yours, not his; and he is designing your real good even in those dispensations which you put this harsh construction upon.' Observe in general,
In these verses he shows how God teaches and admonishes the children of men by their own consciences. Observe,
Job 33:19-28
God has spoken once to sinners by their own consciences, to keep them from the paths of the destroyer, but they perceive it not; they are not aware that the checks their own hearts give them in a sinful way are from God, but they are imputed to melancholy or the preciseness of their education; and therefore God speaks twice; he speaks a second time, and tries another way to convince and reclaim sinners, and that is by providences, afflictive and merciful (in which he speaks twice), and by the seasonable instructions of good ministers setting in with them. Job complained much of his diseases and judged by them that God was angry with him; his friends did so too: but Elihu shows that they were all mistaken, for God often afflicts the body in love, and with gracious designs of good to the soul, as appears in the issue. This part of Elihu's discourse will be of great use to us for the due improvement of sickness, in and by which God speaks to men. Here is,
Job 33:29-33
We have here the conclusion of this first part of Elihu's discourse, in which,