If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?
Ver. 7. If thou be righteous, what givest thou him?] Nothing, since he is self sufficient, and independent. He needeth us not, neither doth our righteousness reach him, Psalms 16:2. The Pharisees dreamed of an over-doing of the law, and making God beholden to them. The Papists also, those modern Pharisees, talk of works of supererogation, and of merit of congruity, and merit of condignity. But these are mere fictions, chimaeras, absurd doctrines, such as Elihu never heard of. "He that doeth righteousness is righteous," 1 John 3:7, but he addeth nothing thereby to God, let him do his utmost. Indeed who so offereth praise glorifieth God, Psalms 50:23, so he is pleased to account it, and call it; but his glory is, as himself is, eternal, infinite, immense. The sun would shine in its own brightness though all the world were blind, and should wilfully wink: so here. God accepts not our presents, but to return them us back with interest, as the rain ascends in thin vapours, but comes down again in thick showers.
Or what receiveth he of thine hand?] If anything, it is of his own, as David thankfully acknowledgeth, 1 Chronicles 29:14, and besides that, our sweetest incense smelleth strong of the hand that offereth it.