20 If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! -- it declareth me perverse.
Job -- not with knowledge doth he speak, And his words `are' not with wisdom.
For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile. Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.
for we all make many stumbles; if any one in word doth not stumble, this one `is' a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body;
wranglings of men wholly corrupted in mind, and destitute of the truth, supposing the piety to be gain; depart from such;
Not that I did already obtain, or have been already perfected; but I pursue, if also I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by the Christ Jesus; brethren, I do not reckon myself to have laid hold; and one thing -- the things behind indeed forgetting, and to the things before stretching forth -- to the mark I pursue for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. As many, therefore, as `are' perfect -- let us think this, and if `in' anything ye think otherwise, this also shall God reveal to you,
and he said to them, `Ye are those declaring yourselves righteous before men, but God doth know your hearts; because that which among men is high, `is' abomination before God;
And he, willing to declare himself righteous, said unto Jesus, `And who is my neighbour?'
And I say, `Wo to me, for I have been silent, For a man -- unclean of lips `am' I, And in midst of a people unclean of lips I am dwelling, Because the King, Jehovah of Hosts, have my eyes seen.'
A man there hath been in the land of Uz -- Job his name -- and that man hath been perfect and upright -- both fearing God, and turning aside from evil.
And enter not into judgment with Thy servant, For no one living is justified before Thee.
If iniquities Thou dost observe, O Lord, who doth stand?
Surely -- thou hast said in mine ears, And the sounds of words I hear: `Pure `am' I, without transgression, Innocent `am' I, and I have no iniquity. Lo, occasions against me He doth find, He doth reckon me for an enemy to Him, He doth put in the stocks my feet, He doth watch all my paths.' Lo, `in' this thou hast not been righteous, I answer thee, that greater is God than man. Wherefore against Him hast thou striven, When `for' all His matters He answereth not?
And these three men cease from answering Job, for he `is' righteous in his own eyes, and burn doth the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram; against Job hath his anger burned, because of his justifying himself more than God;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 9
Commentary on Job 9 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 9
In this and the following chapter we have Job's answer to Bildad's discourse, wherein he speaks honourably of God, humbly of himself, and feelingly of his troubles; but not one word by way of reflection upon his friends, or their unkindness to him, nor in direct reply to what Bildad had said. He wisely keeps to the merits of the cause, and makes no remarks upon the person that managed it, nor seeks occasion against him. In this chapter we have,
Job 9:1-13
Bildad began with a rebuke to Job for talking so much, ch. 8:2. Job makes no answer to that, though it would have been easy enough to retort it upon himself; but in what he next lays down as his principle, that God never perverts judgment, Job agrees with him: I know it is so of a truth, v. 2. Note, We should be ready to own how far we agree with those with whom we dispute, and should not slight, much less resist, a truth, though produced by an adversary and urged against us, but receive it in the light and love of it, though it may have been misapplied. "It is so of a truth, that wickedness brings men to ruin and the godly are taken under God's special protection. These are truths which I subscribe to; but how can any man make good his part with God?' In his sight shall no flesh living be justified, Ps. 143:2. How should man be just with God? Some understand this as a passionate complaint of God's strictness and severity, that he is a God whom there is no dealing with; and it cannot be denied that there are, in this chapter, some peevish expressions, which seem to speak such language as this. But I take this rather as a pious confession of man's sinfulness, and his own in particular, that, if God should deal with any of us according to the desert of our iniquities, we should certainly be undone.
Job 9:14-21
What Job had said of man's utter inability to contend with God he here applies to himself, and in effect despairs of gaining his favour, which (some think) arises from the hard thoughts he had of God, as one who, having set himself against him, right or wrong, would be too hard for him. I rather think it arises from the sense he had of the imperfection of his own righteousness, and the dark and cloudy apprehensions which at present he had of God's displeasure against him.
Job 9:22-24
Here Job touches briefly upon the main point now in dispute between him and his friends. They maintained that those who are righteous and good always prosper in this world, and none but the wicked are in misery and distress; he asserted, on the contrary, that it is a common thing for the wicked to prosper and the righteous to be greatly afflicted. This is the one thing, the chief thing, wherein he and his friends differed; and they had not proved their assertion, therefore he abides by his: "I said it, and say it again, that all things come alike to all.' Now,
Job 9:25-35
Job here grows more and more querulous, and does not conclude this chapter with such reverent expressions of God's wisdom and justice as he began with. Those that indulge a complaining humour know not to what indecencies, nay, to what impieties, it will hurry them. The beginning of that strife with God is as the letting forth of water; therefore leave it off before it be meddled with. When we are in trouble we are allowed to complain to God, as the Psalmist often, but must by no means complain of God, as Job here.