Job 33

1 "But now, hear my speech, O Job, and listen to all my words.

2 See, I open my mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks.

3 My words declare the uprightness of my heart, and what my lips know they speak sincerely.

4 The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5 Answer me, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand.

6 See, before God I am as you are; I too was formed from a piece of clay.

7 No fear of me need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy on you.

8 "Surely, you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the sound of your words.

9 You say, "I am clean, without transgression; I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me.

10 Look, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy;

11 he puts my feet in the stocks, and watches all my paths.'

12 "But in this you are not right. I will answer you: God is greater than any mortal.

13 Why do you contend against him, saying, "He will answer none of my words'?

14 For God speaks in one way, and in two, though people do not perceive it.

15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on mortals, while they slumber on their beds,

16 then he opens their ears, and terrifies them with warnings,

17 that he may turn them aside from their deeds, and keep them from pride,

18 to spare their souls from the Pit, their lives from traversing the River.

19 They are also chastened with pain upon their beds, and with continual strife in their bones,

20 so that their lives loathe bread, and their appetites dainty food.

21 Their flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen; and their bones, once invisible, now stick out.

22 Their souls draw near the Pit, and their lives to those who bring death.

23 Then, if there should be for one of them an angel, a mediator, one of a thousand, one who declares a person upright,

24 and he is gracious to that person, and says, "Deliver him from going down into the Pit; I have found a ransom;

25 let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor';

26 then he prays to God, and is accepted by him, he comes into his presence with joy, and God repays him for his righteousness.

27 That person sings to others and says, "I sinned, and perverted what was right, and it was not paid back to me.

28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and my life shall see the light.'

29 "God indeed does all these things, twice, three times, with mortals,

30 to bring back their souls from the Pit, so that they may see the light of life.

31 Pay heed, Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.

32 If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you.

33 If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

Job 33 Commentary

Chapter 33

Elihu offers to reason with Job. (1-7) Elihu blames Job for reflecting upon God. (8-13) God calls men to repentance. (14-18) God sends afflictions for good. (19-28) Elihu entreats Job's attention. (29-33)

Verses 1-7 Job had desired a judge to decide his appeal. Elihu was one according to his wish, a man like himself. If we would rightly convince men, it must be by reason, not by terror; by fair argument, not by a heavy hand.

Verses 8-13 Elihu charges Job with reflecting upon the justice and goodness of God. When we hear any thing said to God's dishonour, we ought to bear our testimony against it. Job had represented God as severe in marking what he did amiss. Elihu urges that he had spoken wrong, and that he ought to humble himself before God, and by repentance to unsay it. God is not accountable to us. It is unreasonable for weak, sinful creatures, to strive with a God of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness. He acts with perfect justice, wisdom, and goodness, where we cannot perceive it.

Verses 14-18 God speaks to us by conscience, by providences, and by ministers; of all these Elihu discourses. There was not then, that we know of, any Divine revelation in writing, though now it is our principal guide. When God designs men's good, by the convictions and dictates of their own consciences, he opens the heart, as Lydia's, and opens the ears, so that conviction finds or forces its way in. The end and design of these admonitions are to keep men from sin, particularly the sin of pride. While sinners are pursuing evil purposes, and indulging their pride, their souls are hastening to destruction. That which turns men from sin, saves them from hell. What a mercy it is to be under the restraints of an awakened conscience!

Verses 19-28 Job complained of his diseases, and judged by them that God was angry with him; his friends did so too: but Elihu shows that God often afflicts the body for good to the soul. This thought will be of great use for our getting good from sickness, in and by which God speaks to men. Pain is the fruit of sin; yet, by the grace of God, the pain of the body is often made a means of good to the soul. When afflictions have done their work, they shall be removed. A ransom or propitiation is found. Jesus Christ is the Messenger and the Ransom, so Elihu calls him, as Job had called him his Redeemer, for he is both the Purchaser and the Price, the Priest and the sacrifice. So high was the value of souls, that nothing less would redeem them; and so great the hurt done by sin, that nothing less would atone for it, than the blood of the Son of God, who gave his life a ransom for many. A blessed change follows. Recovery from sickness is a mercy indeed, when it proceeds from the remission of sin. All that truly repent of their sins, shall find mercy with God. The works of darkness are unfruitful works; all the gains of sin will come far short of the damage. We must, with a broken and ( 1 John. 1:9 ) confess the fact of sin; and not try to justify or excuse ourselves. We must confess the fault of sin; I have perverted that which was right. We must confess the folly of sin; So foolish have I been and ignorant. Is there not good reason why we should make such a confession?

Verses 29-33 Elihu shows that God's great and gracious design toward the children of men, is, to save them from being for ever miserable, and to bring them to be for ever happy. By whatever means we are kept back from the we shall bless the Lord for them at least, and should bless him for them though they be painful and distressing. Those that perish for ever are without excuse, for they would not be healed.

Footnotes

• [a]. Traditional rendering of Heb [Shaddai]
• [b]. Compare Gk: Heb [his]
• [c]. Heb [he]
• [d]. Syr: Heb [to be lighted with the light of life]

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 33

In this chapter Elihu addresses Job himself, and entreats his attention to what he had to say to him, and offers several things to induce him to it; and recommends himself as one that was according to his wish, in the stead of God, a man like himself, and of whom he had no reason to be afraid, Job 33:1-7; and then he brings a charge against him of things which he himself had heard, of words that had dropped from him in the course of his controversy with his friends; in which he too much and too strongly insisted on his own innocence and purity, and let fill very undue and unbecoming reflections on the dealings of God with him, Job 33:8-11; to which he gives an answer by observing the superior greatness of God to man, and his sovereignty over him, not being accountable to him for anything done by him; and therefore man should be silent and submissive to him, Job 33:12,13; and yet, though he is so great and so absolute, and uncontrollable, and is not obliged to give an account of his affairs to man, and the reasons of them; yet he condescends by various ways and means to instruct him in his mind and will, and even by these very things complained of; and therefore should not be treated as if unkind and unfriendly to men; sometimes he does it by dreams and visions, when he opens the ears of men, and seals instruction to them, and with this view, to restrain them from their evil purposes and doings, and to weaken their pride and humble them, and preserve them from ruin, Job 33:14-18; and sometimes by chastening and afflictive providences, which are described, Job 33:19-22; and which become teaching ones; through the interposition of a divine messenger, and upon the afflicted man's prayer to God, and humiliation before him, God is gracious and favourable to him, and delivers him; which is frequently the design and the use that he makes of chastening dispensations, Job 33:23-30; and the chapter is concluded with beseeching Job to mark and consider well what had been said unto him, and to answer it if he could or thought fit; if not, silently to attend to what he had further to say to him for his instruction, Job 33:31-33.