Job 6:4 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The terrors of God, &c.— The terrors of the Lord confound me. Houbigant. "This," says one, "is uttered by the patient man, when he would excuse his passion by the terror and agony that he was in. He had patience enough for the oppression and rapine of his enemies, for the unkindness and reproach of his friends, and for the cunning and malice of the devil; but he was so tormented with the sense of God's anger against him, that he could not bear that with temper: the apprehension that all those miseries, of so piercing and destroying a nature in themselves, fell upon him, not only by God's permission, to try and humble him, but proceeded directly from his indignation and resolution to destroy him, almost confounded him. When they appeared no more the arrows of his enemies levelled and shot at his greatness and prosperity, the enterprizes and designs of evil men suborned by the devil against him, but the artillery of God himself discharged upon him in his greatest displeasure and fury, he was able to stand the shock no longer, and thought he had some reason to pour out his complaints and lamentations with a little more earnestness; and that the grief and trouble of his mind might excuse the want of that order, and method, and deliberation, which the ease, and calm condition, and disputing humour of his friends, who were only healthy spectators of what he suffered, reproachfully required from him. Too many want this apprehension of God's anger, and the pious passion which would attend it; and find out a hundred reasons for any affliction which befalls them, in the pride, and envy, and injustice of men, before they resort to the least consideration that they flow from his displeasure towards us; and are so far from being terrified or perplexed with the sense of his anger, that they seem to be of opinion that he cannot be angry at all; otherwise they would use the same providence to prevent it, as we do towards the anger of those whom we think able or willing to do us good or harm."