But [there is] a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
Ver. 8. But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty] Or, Surely there is a spirit in man, but the inspiration, &c. Man hath a reasonable soul and a natural judgment, whereby he differeth from brute beasts; and not only so, but some there are that do animam excolere, as Cicero and Aristotle; they improve their natural abilities by art, and so go far beyond others in worth; differing from the unlearned as much almost as a man doth from a beast. Lo, such a spirit there is in some men; which yet amounteth not to wisdom without the concurrence of God's good Spirit to sanctify all, as the altar sanctifieth the gold of the altar. If this be not attained unto, the wiser any man is the vainer he proveth, Romans 1:22. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of those wise (even of the choicest and most picked men among them) that they are vain, 1 Corinthians 3:20. And to such we may say, as Austin once wrote to a man of great parts, Ornari abs te diabotus quaerit, the devil desireth to be tricked up by thee.
And the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding] He is the wise man, when all is done, whom, whether old or young, the Spirit of God, who acteth most freely, is pleased to imbreathe. And although arts and age be good helps to knowledge, yet they must be all taught of God that shall be wise unto salvation; and such as these, the older they grow the wiser they are, for the most part; and if young saints, they become old angels. True it is, that God is debtor to none; neither doth a longer life of itself deserve anything at God's hands; because the longer they live the more sins they commit. But yet the promise is, that to him that hath shall be given, and he shall abound. "The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean bands shall be stronger and stronger," Job 17:9. Howbeit, some good men's first days have been their best days; and they have suffered no small decays in their spiritual intellect; as did Solomon, Asa, Joash, and perhaps these three friends of Job, to whom this speech is directed. Certain it is that he is a rare and a happy man of whom it may be said, in a spiritual sense (as it was said of Moses), that, after long profession of religion, his sight is not waxed dim, nor his holy heat abated. The heathen sages have cause to admonish us to take heed of old age; as that which cometh not alone, but is itself a disease, and ever accompanied with many maladies, both of body and mind. Elihu seemeth to take this here for granted (experience sealing to it), that true wisdom dependeth not upon any man's authority, power, learning, experience, or old age; but upon the inspiration of the Almighty, 2 Peter 1:21 2 Timothy 3:16. And, therefore, the Holy Scriptures must needs be the storehouse of wisdom, the statute book of heaven, as being θεοπνευστος, imbreathed by God, as Paul speaketh, the very heart and soul of God, as Gregory.