1And Job again took up the word and said, 2By the life of God, who has taken away my right; and of the Ruler of all, who has made my soul bitter; 3(For all my breath is still in me, and the spirit of God is my life;) 4Truly, there is no deceit in my lips, and my tongue does not say what is false. 5Let it be far from me! I will certainly not say that you are right! I will come to death before I give up my righteousness. 6I will keep it safe, and will not let it go: my heart has nothing to say against any part of my life. 7Let my hater be like the evil man, and let him who comes against me be as the sinner. 8For what is the hope of the sinner when he is cut off, when God takes back his soul? 9Will his cry come to the ears of God when he is in trouble? 10Will he take delight in the Ruler of all, and make his prayer to God at all times? 11I will give you teaching about the hand of God; I will not keep secret from you what is in the mind of the Ruler of all. 12Truly, you have all seen it yourselves; why then have you become completely foolish? 13This is the punishment of the evil-doer from God, and the heritage given to the cruel by the Ruler of all. 14If his children are increased, it is for the sword; and his offspring have not enough bread. 15When those of his house who are still living come to their end by disease, they are not put into the earth, and their widows are not weeping for them. 16Though he may get silver together like dust, and make ready great stores of clothing; 17He may get them ready, but the upright will put them on, and he who is free from sin will take the silver for a heritage. 18His house has no more strength than a spider's thread, or a watchman's tent. 19He goes to rest full of wealth, but does so for the last time: on opening his eyes, he sees it there no longer. 20Fears overtake him like rushing waters; in the night the storm-wind takes him away. 21The east wind takes him up and he is gone; he is forced violently out of his place. 22God sends his arrows against him without mercy; he goes in flight before his hand. 23Men make signs of joy because of him, driving him from his place with sounds of hissing.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
Job protests his sincerity. (1-6) The hypocrite is without hope. (7-10) The miserable end of the wicked. (11-23) 1-6 Job's friends now suffered him to speak, and he proceeded in a grave and useful manner. Job had confidence in the goodness both of his cause and of his God; and cheerfully committed his cause to him. But Job had not due reverence when he spake of God as taking away his judgment, and vexing his soul. To resolve that our hearts shall not reproach us, while we hold fast our integrity, baffles the designs of the evil spirit. 7-10 Job looked upon the condition of a hypocrite and a wicked man, to be most miserable. If they gained through life by their profession, and kept up their presumptuous hope till death, what would that avail when God required their souls? The more comfort we find in our religion, the more closely we shall cleave to it. Those who have no delight in God, are easily drawn away by the pleasures, and easily overcome by the crosses of this life. 11-23 Job's friends, on the same subject, spoke of the misery of wicked men before death as proportioned to their crimes; Job considered that if it were not so, still the consequences of their death would be dreadful. Job undertook to set this matter in a true light. Death to a godly man, is like a fair gale of wind to convey him to the heavenly country; but, to a wicked man, it is like a storm, that hurries him away to destruction. While he lived, he had the benefit of sparing mercy; but now the day of God's patience is over, and he will pour out upon him his wrath. When God casts down a man, there is no flying from, nor bearing up under his anger. Those who will not now flee to the arms of Divine grace, which are stretched out to receive them, will not be able to flee from the arms of Divine wrath, which will shortly be stretched out to destroy them. And what is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and thus lose his own soul?