Giobbe 10:9 Commento

Job owns here that he was full of confusion (Job 10:15), and as he was so was his discourse: he knew not what to say, and perhaps sometimes scarcely knew what he said. In this chapter, I. He complains of the hardships he was under (Job 10:1-7), and then comforts himself with this, that he was in the hand of the God that made him, and pleads that (Job 10:8-13). II. He complains again of the severity of God's dealings with him (Job 10:14-17), and then comforts himself with this, that death would put an end to his troubles (Job 10:18-22).

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 10 Job here declares the greatness of his afflictions, which made him weary of his life, and could not help complaining; entreats the Lord not to condemn him but show him the reason of his thus dealing with him, Job 10:1; and expostulates with him about it, and suggests as if it was severe, and not easily reconciled to his perfections, when he knew he was not a wicked man, Job 10:3; he puts him in mind of his formation and preservation of him, and after all destroyed him, Job 10:8; and represents his case as very distressed; whether he was wicked or righteous it mattered not, his afflictions were increasing upon him, Job 10:13; and all this he observes, in order to justify his eager desire after death, which he renews, Job 10:18; and entreats, since his days he had to live were but few, that God would give him some respite before he went into another state, which he describes, Job 10:20.

Hast thou not poured me out as milk,.... Expressing, in modest terms, his conception from the seed of his parents, comparable to milk, from being a liquid, and for its colour: and curdled me like cheese? that of the female being mixed with, and heated by the male, is hardened like the curd of which a cheese is made, and begins to receive a form as that, and becomes an embryo: and naturalists (k) make use of the same expressions when speaking of these things; and in this way most interpreters carry the sense of the words; but Schultens observes that milk is an emblem of purity and holiness, see Lam 4:7; and so this may respect the original pure formation of man, who came out of his Maker's hands a pure, holy and upright creature, made after his image and in his likeness, created in righteousness and holiness, and so, like milk, pure and white; or rather the regeneration and sanctification of Job personally, and which might be very early, as in Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and others; or however, he was filled and adorned with the gifts and graces of the spirit of God, was washed and cleansed, and sanctified and justified; and had his conversation in the world in all simplicity and godly sincerity, being preserved from gross enormities in life; was a man that feared God and eschewed evil, and had not only the form of godliness, but the power of it; and was established and confirmed in and by the grace of God, and was strong in the exercise of it; and from hence he argues with God, should such a vessel of grace, whom he had made so pure and holy, and had so consolidated and strengthened in a spiritual and religious way, be crushed and destroyed at once? (k) "Sic semen maris dicitur" Aristot. de Gen. Animal. l. 1. c. 20. "coagulum". Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 15. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 3. c. 16.

Remember, I pray Thee, that Thou hast made me as the clay. The spirits of the Angels did for this reason sin without forgiveness, because they might have stood the stronger in proportion as no mixture with flesh held them in bonds. But man for this reason obtained pardon after sin, that in a body of flesh he got that wherein he should be beneath himself. And hence in the eye of the Judge this frailty of the flesh alone is a ground for shewing pity; as where it is said by the Psalmist, But He is full of compassion, and will forgive their iniquity, and not destroy them; yea, many a time turned He His anger away from them, and did not stir up all His wrath, and remembered that they were but flesh. And so man was 'made as the clay' in that he was taken out of clay, for the making of him. For clay is made, when water is sprinkled in with earth. Therefore man is made as clay, in that it is as if water moistened dust, while the soul waters the flesh. Which name the holy man excellently represents to the pitifulness of the Judge, when he beseeches saying, Remember, I pray Thee, that Thou hast made me as the clay. As if he said in plain words; 'Consider the frailty of the flesh, and remit the guilt of my sin.' Where moreover the death of that flesh is openly added, in that the words are immediately brought in; And wilt Thou bring me unto dust again? As if he begged openly, saving, 'Remember, I pray Thee, that by the flesh I came from earth, and by the death thereof, I tend to earth, Thus regard the substance of my origin, and the penalty of my end, and be the readier to spare the sin of a transient being;' but as he has given out the sort and kind of man as created, he now subjoins the order of man as propagated, saying, MORAL INTERPRETATION For our interior man proves like clay, in that the grace of the Holy Spirit is, infused into the earthly mind, that it may be lifted up to the understanding of its Creator. For the thinking faculty in man, which is dried up by the barrenness of its sin, through the power of the Holy Spirit grows green, like land when it is watered. Now it very often happens that whilst we use without let or hindrance the endowments of virtue by gift from above, by being used to such uninterrupted prosperity we are lifted up to self-confidence. Whence it very often happens that the same Holy Spirit, Which had exalted us, leaves us for a time, in order to shew mere man to himself. And this is what the holy man immediately sets forth, when he adds, And wilt Thou, bring me into dust again? For as by the withdrawal of the Spirit the soul is left for a space under temptation, it is as if the ground were dried of its former moisture; that by being so forsaken it may be made sensible of its weakness, and learn how man was dried up without the infusion of heavenly grace. And he is fitly described as being 'brought into dust again,' in that when he is left to himself he is caught up by the breath of every temptation.

Since he had generally posited that he had been formed and created by God, he proceeds specifically to the manner of his creation comparing himself with someone who wants remind someone of something which he seems to have forgotten. He explains everything to him part by part so that even so it may be brought back to mind. For the God seems to forgot the benevolence which he had toward his creation when he exposes it to corruption. He acts like one who forgets and Psalm 12 expresses the same idea, "How long, O Lord, will you forget me forever." (v.1) Therefore he says, "Remember, I beseech you, that you have made me like clay." Consider that he recalls two productions of man. The first is the first institution of nature, which alludes to what Genesis says, "God formed man from the slime of the earth," (2:7) and so he says, "you made me like the clay." Here he also seems to refer to the composition of man from primary elements. Since it was also said to the first man, "You are dust and to dust you shall return," (Gen. 3:19) he says as a consequence, "and will you grind me to dust," which also befits the natural matter. For it follows that what is generated from earth according to nature is fittingly resolved back into the earth. From this someone might wonder, since it seems a greater work to form a man from the earth than to retain men already formed in being so that he does not revert to the earth, hence it is that God who formed man from the dust permits him to return to the dust. The question is whether this is only the result of the necessity of matter that man in this respect has not advantage over other things formed from the earth, or whether it is a result of divine providence punishing man for some fault.

Observations on wisdom and folly, Ecc 10:1-3. Concerning right conduct towards rulers, Ecc 10:4. Merit depressed, and worthlessness exalted, Ecc 10:5-7. Of him who digs a pit and removes a landmark, Ecc 10:8, Ecc 10:9. The use of wisdom and experience, Ecc 10:10. Of the babbler and the fool, Ecc 10:11-15. The infant king, Ecc 10:16. The well-regulated court, Ecc 10:17. Of slothfulness, Ecc 10:18. Of feasting, Ecc 10:19. Speak not evil of the king, Ecc 10:20.

Thou hast made me as the clay - Thou hast fashioned me, according to thy own mind, out of a mass of clay: after so much skill and pains expended, men might naturally suppose they were to have a permanent being; but thou hast decreed to turn them into dust!

JOB'S REPLY TO BILDAD CONTINUED. (Job 10:1-22) leave my complaint upon myself--rather, "I will give loose to my complaint" (Job 7:11).

clay--Job 10:10 proves that the reference here is, not so much to the perishable nature of the materials, as to their wonderful fashioning by the divine potter.