He [is] green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.
Ver. 16. He is green before the sun] Succosus est, saith Tremellius, he is sappy and juicy, having a confluence of all kind of comforts and contentments, even more than heart could wish, as David expresseth it, Psalms 73:7. The hypocrite is all this; the height of whose happiness is here set forth by a third similitude, lest any should think that the two former did not reach home to the thing intended. Look how, saith Bildad, a great and tall tree, having many roots and branches, may be so cut up and thrown down, that no footstep, or sign of it, may any more appear; so may it fare with a wicked man: though he be as a tree green or juiceful before the sun, or when the sun shineth hottest upon him, the rush may then wither, but not the tree. See Psalms 37:35. A hypocrite may abound exceedingly in outward prosperity; yea, he may be green for a while before the sun of persecution, as was Alexander the coppersmith, Acts 19:32 2 Timothy 4:14. The thorny ground stood out the heat of the sunbeams, and shrank not in the wetting.
And his branch shooteth forth in his garden] Mr Broughton translates, His suckers sprout out over his orchard, that is, he grows luxuriously eminent in the place where he liveth, which he hath made to become a kind of a paradise, or garden of delight. By garden here we are to understand, saith Mercer, all those ways and means whereby a wicked man fenceth and increaseth his own greatness. Some of the Jewish doctors, and others also after them, think that Bildad here beginneth to speak of the godly man's happiness; and they read the text thus, But the perfect man (so they supply the text out of Job 8:20) is green before the sun, and his branches, &c. His roots are wrapped near the fountain, and he windeth himself about the stony building (that is, it spreadeth and twisteth its boughs round about the fountain vault, being strongly built with stone); shall he be taken out of his place, which may deny, saying, I have not seen thee? No, that cannot be, Lo, this shall be that joy of his way, even out of his mould shall others grow, i.e. his very dust shall live and grow up after him. Thus Beza, and after him Diodati; he is like an exquisite tree set in a pleasant garden in sight of his master's palace, sucking the sweet moistness of the quick springs, without ever fading or withering, Psa 1:3 Jeremiah 17:8. That is to say, he shall have a lively root of faith, continually nourished by God's grace; under his safeguard and favour he shall be strong in all assays, abundant in good works, and all manner of blessings. Uterque sensus egregius est, saith Mercer; this also is a good sense, but the former I conceive to be the better, and more agreeable to the letter of the text.