Job 33:28 Kommentar

Pompous prefaces, like the teeming mountain, often introduce poor performances; but Elihu's discourse here does not disappoint the expectations which his preface had raised. It is substantial, and lively, and very much to the purpose. He had, in the foregoing chapter, said what he had to say to Job's three friends; and now he comes up close to Job himself and directs his speech to him. I. He bespeaks Job's favourable acceptance of what he should say, and desires he would take him for that person whom he had so often wished for, that would plead with him, and receive his plea on God's behalf (Job 33:1-7). II. He does, in God's name, bring an action against him, for words which he had spoken, in the heat of disputation, reflecting upon God as dealing hardly with him (Job 33:8-11). III. He endeavours to convince him of his fault and folly herein, by showing him, 1. God's sovereign dominion over man (Job 33:12, Job 33:13). 2. The care God takes of man, and the various ways and means he uses to do his soul good, which we have reason to think he designs when he lays bodily afflictions upon him (Job 33:14). (1.) Job had sometimes complained of unquiet dreams, Job 7:14. "Why," says Elihu, "God sometimes speaks conviction and instruction to men by such dreams," (Job 33:15-18). (2.) Job had especially complained of his sicknesses and pains; and, as to these, he shows largely that they were so far from being tokens of God's wrath, as Job took them, or evidences of Job's hypocrisy, as his friends took them, that they were really wise and gracious methods, which divine grace took for the increase of his acquaintance with God, to work patience, experience, and hope (Job 33:19-30). And, lastly, he concludes with a request to Job, either to answer him or give him leave to go on (Job 33:31-33).

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 33 In this chapter Elihu addresses Job himself, and entreats his attention to what he had to say to him, and offers several things to induce him to it; and recommends himself as one that was according to his wish, in the stead of God, a man like himself, and of whom he had no reason to be afraid, Job 33:1; and then he brings a charge against him of things which he himself had heard, of words that had dropped from him in the course of his controversy with his friends; in which he too much and too strongly insisted on his own innocence and purity, and let fill very undue and unbecoming reflections on the dealings of God with him, Job 33:8; to which he gives an answer by observing the superior greatness of God to man, and his sovereignty over him, not being accountable to him for anything done by him; and therefore man should be silent and submissive to him, Job 33:12; and yet, though he is so great and so absolute, and uncontrollable, and is not obliged to give an account of his affairs to man, and the reasons of them; yet he condescends by various ways and means to instruct him in his mind and will, and even by these very things complained of; and therefore should not be treated as if unkind and unfriendly to men; sometimes he does it by dreams and visions, when he opens the ears of men, and seals instruction to them, and with this view, to restrain them from their evil purposes and doings, and to weaken their pride and humble them, and preserve them from ruin, Job 33:14; and sometimes by chastening and afflictive providences, which are described, Job 33:19; and which become teaching ones; through the interposition of a divine messenger, and upon the afflicted man's prayer to God, and humiliation before him, God is gracious and favourable to him, and delivers him; which is frequently the design and the use that he makes of chastening dispensations, Job 33:23; and the chapter is concluded with beseeching Job to mark and consider well what had been said unto him, and to answer it if he could or thought fit; if not, silently to attend to what he had further to say to him for his instruction, Job 33:31.

He will deliver his soul from going into the pit,.... Into the pit of the grave; and then the soul is put for the man or for the body; or into the pit of hell or perdition: and his life shall see the light; or he shall live and enjoy outward prosperity here, and the light of eternal happiness hereafter; and so the Targum interprets it of superior light, or the light above, even the inheritance of the saints in light. These words have a double reading; the "Keri", or marginal reading, is what we follow; but the "Cetib", or textual reading, is, "he hath delivered my soul from going into the pit, and my life sees the light"; and which seems to be the better reading; and so the words are a continuation of the address of the man recovered from illness to his friends; setting forth and acknowledging, with joy and thankfulness, the great goodness of God unto him, that he had delivered him from the grave, and spared his life, and given him to enjoy great prosperity, both temporal and spiritual.

For he hath delivered his soul from going onwards to destruction. Because when Divine Grace goes before us in good works, our free will follows it, we, who yield our consent to God Who delivers us, are said to deliver ourselves; and hence Paul when saying, I laboured more abundantly than they all, [1 Cor. 15, 1] for fear he should seem to ascribe his labours to himself, immediately added, Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. For since he had followed with his free will the preventing grace of God in him, he properly adds, with me, that he might neither be unthankful for the Divine gift, nor yet remain a stranger to the merit of free-will. But of him, who by gaining a knowledge of himself consented to Him Who set him free, he rightly says [al. 'it is rightly said.'], He hath delivered his soul from going onwards to destruction. It follows, But that it should live, and see the light. That is to say, the light of truth, which he could not see when dead in heart. Or certainly, because the Lord has said, I am the Light of the world, [John 8, 12] even the dead also shall behold the light, when all the ungodly shall have seen Him coming to judgment in the form of Manhood. But he lives, or beholds the light at that time, who has the eyes of his heart set free, and beholds Him in the form of the Godhead.

He shows the fruit of humility saying, "For he freed my soul," in confessing his sin, "from going to destruction," which refers to death, corporeal or spiritual. He also wants to attain further goods and so he says, "but in living my soul will see the light," which is either the corporeal light or the spiritual light of wisdom.

Elihu offers himself in God's stead to reason with Job in meekness and sincerity, Job 33:1-7. Charges Job with irreverent expressions, Job 33:8-12. Vindicates the providence of God, and shows the various methods which he uses to bring sinners to himself: - By dreams and visions, Job 33:13-15; by secret inspirations, Job 33:16-18; by afflictions, Job 33:19-22; by messengers of righteousness, Job 33:23; and by the great atonement, Job 33:24. How and from what God redeems men, and the blessings which he communicates, Job 33:25-30. Job is exhorted to listen attentively to Elihu's teaching, Job 33:31-33.

He will deliver his soul - He will do that to every individual penitent sinner which he has promised in his word to do for a lost world - he will deliver his soul from going down to the pit of hell. And his life shall see the light - He shall walk in the light, as Christ is in the light; always enjoying a clear sense of his acceptance through the blood of the Lamb. See another mode of paraphrasing these verses at the end of the chapter.

ADDRESS TO JOB, AS (Job 32:1-22) TO THE FRIENDS. (Job 33:1-33) mouth--rather, "palate," whereby the taste discerns. Every man speaks with his mouth, but few, as Elihu, try their words with discrimination first, and only say what is really good (Job 6:30; Job 12:11). hath spoken--rather, "proceeds to speak."

(See on Job 33:24); rather, as Hebrew text (English Version reads as the Margin, Hebrew, Keri, "his soul, his life"), "He hath delivered my soul . . . my life." Continuation of the penitent's testimony to the people. light-- (Job 33:30; Job 3:16, Job 3:20; Psa 56:13; Ecc 11:7).