Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
Ver. 30. Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin] Heb. my palate; which is one of the nine instruments of speech. I have not so much as broken out into any passionate word against him; but when I was raging ripe I refrained, and forbore boisterous and blustering expressions, whereby some would have vented their choler in such a case. Nothing is more easy and ordinary than to curse an enemy; by prayer at least to turn him over to God to be punished; as David did Nabal, and it was soon done. But Job, out of private revenge, dared not do this, whatever David did out of a zeal of God's glory, which wicked men sought to deface.
By wishing a curse to his soul] Heb. by asking his life by a curse. Job knew that cursing men are cursed men, Psalms 109:18. If the prophets cursed their enemies at any time, as Elisha did the children at Bethel, and David oft in the Psalms, it was not livore vindictae, sed zelo iustitae, not out of a vindictive spirit, but by the instinct of God's Holy Spirit, and out of zeal for God's glory (Gorran.). Our rule is, "Bless them that persecute you: bless, and curse not," Romans 12:14. Render not evil for evil, or railing for railing; but contrariwise bless, knowing that we are thereunto called, that we should inherit a blessing, 1 Peter 3:9. Epiphanius and Chrysostom falling out about Origen's writings, wished a curse to one another; and it ocurred accordingly; the one died ere he came home, and the other was unbishoped.