Job 35:1-16 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

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Bible Comments

Job 35:2. My righteousness is more than God's. The LXX react as the Hebrew, “Thou saidest, I am righteous before God.” Elihu makes too strong an inference from Job's words, when he said, Job 33:9, “I am clean without transgression: I am innocent” of all those things with which you tacitly charge me.

Job 35:5. Look unto the heavens. Elihu in the rest of his speech refers Job to the grandeur of God in the heavens, to humble him before his Maker.

Job 35:10. Who giveth songs in the night. God inspires good men with good thoughts and dreams; and while they meditate on their beds, he satisfies their souls as with marrow and fatness. Psalms 63:5. The LXX, “Who appoints [his angels] keepers of the night:” or as the Chaldaic, “Before whose presence the highest angels are ordained to praise in the night.” The sybils, pythonesses, or virgins, while guarding the holy fire in their temples, are mentioned as passing away the watches of the night in sacred songs. Gregory turns this to the joys with which God inspires his saints in the gloom of persecution. David says that God satisfied his soul when he remembered him in the night, as with marrow and fatness. Such should be our employment, especially when sleep is denied us in the night.

Related Commentaries of Job 35:1

Job 35:1-16

1 Elihu spake moreover, and said,

2 Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

3 For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

4 I will answera thee, and thy companions with thee.

5 Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

10 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

12 There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

15 But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:

16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.