22:2 Can a man be a profitable unto God, as he that is wise
may be profitable unto himself?
(a) Though man was just, yet God could not profit from this
his justice; and therefore when he punished him, he had
no regard to his justice, but to his sin.
22:4 Will he reprove thee for fear b of thee? will he enter
with thee into judgment?
(b) Lest you should reprove or hurt him?
22:6 For thou hast taken a c pledge from thy brother for
nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
(c) You have been cruel and without charity, and would do
nothing for the poor, but for your own advantage.
22:8 But [as for] the mighty man, he d had the earth; and the
honourable man dwelt in it.
(d) When you were in power and authority you did not do
justice but wrong.
22:9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the e
fatherless have been broken.
(e) You have not only not shown pity, but oppressed them.
22:11 Or darkness, [that] thou canst not see; and f abundance
of waters cover thee.
(f) That is, manifold afflictions.
22:12 [Is] not God in the g height of heaven? and behold the
height of the h stars, how high they are!
(g) He accuses Job of impiety and contempt of God, as
thought he would say, If you pass not for men, yet
consider the height of God's majesty.
(h) That so much the more by that excellent work you may
fear God, and reverence him.
22:13 And thou sayest, How doth God i know? can he judge
through the dark cloud?
(i) He reproves Job, as though he denied God's providence
and that he could not see the things that were done in
this world.
22:15 Hast thou marked the old way k which wicked men have
trodden?
(k) How God has punished them from the beginning?
22:16 Which were l cut down out of time, whose foundation was
overflown with a flood:
(l) He proves God's providence by the punishment of the
wicked, whom he takes away before they can bring their
wicked purposes to pass.
22:18 Yet he m filled their houses with good [things]: but the
counsel of the wicked is far from me.
(m) He answers to that which Job had said, (Job 21:7)
that the wicked have prosperity in this world;
desiring that he might not be a partaker of the like.
22:19 The righteous see [it], and are glad: n and the innocent
laugh them to scorn.
(n) The just rejoice at the destruction of the wicked for
two reasons, first because God shows himself judge of
the world and by this means continues his honour and
glory: secondly because God shows that he had care
over his in that he punished their enemies.
22:20 Whereas o our substance is not cut down, but the remnant
of p them the fire consumeth.
(o) That is, the state and preservation of the godly, is
hid under God's wings.
(p) Meaning of the wicked.
22:21 Acquaint now thyself q with him, and be at peace:
thereby good shall come unto thee.
(q) He exhorts Job to repentance, and to return to God.
22:23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt r be built
up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
(r) God will restore to you all your substance.
22:24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as s dust, and the [gold] of
Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
(s) Which will be in abundance like dust.
22:28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be
established unto thee: and the t light shall shine upon
thy ways.
(t) That is, the favour of God.
22:29u When [men] are cast down, then thou shalt say, [There
is] lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
(u) God will deliver his when the wicked are destroyed
round about them, as in the flood and in Sodom.
22:30 He shall deliver the x island of the innocent: and it is
delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
(x) God will deliver a whole country from peril, even for
the just man's sake.
