Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.
Apodosis to 15.
In vain - rashly.
Remarks:
(1) God can have no possible inducement to act with injustice in His dealings toward us. He is exalted so far above man as to be altogether independent of man, as regards His own infinite glory and blessedness. When men sin, it is themselves, not God, that they hurt; when they practice righteousness, it is themselves, not God, that they benefit. When, therefore, He sends affliction on His people, it can only be the good of the sufferers that He has in view (Job 35:5-8).
(2) Doubtless there are cases of oppression by the mighty which we cannot account for, consistently with God's justice, except by reference to the coming judgment. But in the case of many comparatively innocent sufferers, as in that of Job so far, the reason for their being still left to suffer is, they do not humbly seek God for help.
(3) God will not regard the self-righteous cry of the proud. Instead of patiently looking up to God for deliverance in His own good time and way, even believers at times complain against His dealings as unjust, and give way to despair because deliverance is deferred for a time. When we only pore over our afflictions, instead of contemplating the love and power of Him "who giveth songs in the night," it is just that He should disregard the cry which is wrung from us by pain, not elicited by faith.
(4) When God does not remove our trials at once, it is not because His hand is shortened, or His ears heavy, but because we are not yet sufficiently humbled. If the sufferer would seek God in lowly penitence, He would turn the night of sorrow into the morning of joy, and put a new song into his mouth, even thanksgiving unto our God.
(5) Man is ever prone to extremes on either side: in prosperity even the believer is apt to think, "I shall never be moved; Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong" (Ps. 30:67). In adversity, on the other hand, he is apt to say, There is no hope; I shall never see good (Job 35:14). Yet the excellency of understanding which God has put upon us above the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven (Job 35:11) might teach us how great is God's good-will toward us, and how confidently we may commit ourselves and our cause to Him, waiting patiently on Him for relief and deliverance in His own good time (Job 35:14).