(13) Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world? (14) If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; (15) All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust. (16) В¶ If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words. (17) Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just? (18) Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly? (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. (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. (21) For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. (22) There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. (23) For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God. (24) He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead. (25) Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed. (26) He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others; (27) Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways: (28) So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
This is a very striking account of the right of GOD'S sovereignty; and the scope of Elihu's argument, in these verses, is to show, that a sense of our creatureship, and more especially when connected with a due apprehension of our guilt and corruption, would induce in every man, even the very greatest and best of men, a patient and humble submission to the divine will in all things. And what Elihu hath observed upon this occasion, must be the cool determination of every enlightened mind: for, where sin sits heavy, sorrows will sit light. And a deep sense of our nothingness, as creatures, and our being worse than nothing, as sinful creatures, will cause every man to put his hand to his mouth, and say with the Church of old, Thou hast of afflicted us less than our sins deserve. Ezra 9:13.