1And Elihu made answer and said, 2Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say, 3What profit is it to me, and how am I better off than if I had done wrong? 4I will make answer to you and to your friends: 5Let your eyes be turned to the heavens, and lifted up to see the skies; they are higher than you. 6If you have done wrong, is he any the worse for it? and if your sins are great in number, what is it to him? 7If you are upright, what do you give to him? or what does he take from your hand? 8Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on a son of man. 9Because the hand of the cruel is hard on them, men are making sounds of grief; they are crying out for help because of the arm of the strong. 10But no one has said, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night; 11Who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heaven? 12There they are crying out because of the pride of the evil-doers, but he gives them no answer. 13But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it; 14How much less when you say that you do not see him; that the cause is before him, and you are waiting for him. 15And now ... ; 16And Job's mouth is open wide to give out what is of no profit, increasing words without knowledge.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
Elihu speaks of man's conduct. (1-8) Why those who cry out under afflictions are not regarded. (9-13) Elihu reproves Job's impatience. (14-26) 1-8 Elihu reproves Job for justifying himself more than God, and called his attention to the heavens. They are far above us, and God is far above them; how much then is he out of the reach, either of our sins or of our services! We have no reason to complain if we have not what we expect, but should be thankful that we have better than we deserve. 9-13 Job complained that God did not regard the cries of the oppressed against their oppressors. This he knew not how to reconcile the justice of God and his government. Elihu solves the difficulty. Men do not notice the mercies they enjoy in and under their afflictions, nor are thankful for them, therefore they cannot expect that God should deliver them out of affliction. He gives songs in the night; when our condition is dark and melancholy, there is that in God's providence and promise, which is sufficient to support us, and to enable us even to rejoice in tribulation. When we only pore upon our afflictions, and neglect the consolations of God which are treasured up for us, it is just in God to reject our prayers. Even the things that will kill the body, cannot hurt the soul. If we cry to God for the removal of an affliction, and it is not removed, the reason is, not because the Lord's hand is shortened, or his ear heavy; but because we are not sufficiently humbled. 14-26 As in prosperity we are ready to think our mountain will never be brought low; so when in adversity, we are ready to think our valley will never be filled up. But to conclude that to-morrow must be as this day, is as absurd as to think that the weather, when either fair or foul, will be always so. When Job looked up to God, he had no reason to speak despairingly. There is a day of judgment, when all that seems amiss will be found to be right, and all that seems dark and difficult will be cleared up and set straight. And if there is Divine wrath in our troubles, it is because we quarrel with God, are fretful, and distrust Divine Providence. This was Job's case. Elihu was directed by God to humble Job, for as to some things he had both opened his mouth in vain, and had multiplied words without knowledge. Let us be admonished, in our afflictions, not so much to set forth the greatness of our suffering, as the greatness of the mercy of God.