SEV Biblia, Chapter 23:17
¿Por qué no fui yo cortado delante de las tinieblas, y cubrió con oscuridad mi rostro?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Job 23:17
Verse 17. Because I was not cut off ] "O, why can I not draw darkness over my face? Why may not thick darkness cover my face?" Mr. Good. This verse should be read in connection with the preceding; and then we shall have the following sense. Ver. 16: "The Lord hath beaten down my strength, and my soul has been terrified by his fear." Ver. 17: "For it is not this deep night in which I am enveloped, nor the evils which I suffer, that have overwhelmed me; I sink only through the fear which the presence of his Majesty inspires. This is my greatest affliction; sufferings, diseases, yea, death itself, are nothing in comparison of the terror which my soul feels in the presence of his tremendous holiness and justice." NOTHING can humble a pious mind so much as Scriptural apprehensions of the majesty of God. It is easy to contemplate his goodness, loving-kindness, and mercy; in all these we have an interest, and from them we expect the greatest good: but to consider his holiness and justice, the infinite righteousness of his nature, under the conviction that we have sinned, and broken the laws prescribed by his sovereign Majesty, and to feel ourselves brought as into the presence of his judgment- seat, - who can bear the thought? If cherubim and seraphim veil their faces before his throne, and the holiest soul exclaims, I loathe myself when God I see, And into nothing fall; what must a sinner feel, whose conscience is not yet purged from dead works and who feels the wrath of God abiding on him? And how without such a mediator and sacrifice as Jesus Christ is, can any human spirit come into the presence of its Judge? Those who can approach him without terror, know little of his justice and nothing of their sin. When we approach him in prayer, or in any ordinance, should we not feel more reverence than we generally do?
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 13-17 - As Job does not once question but that his trials are from the hand of God, and that there is no such thing as chance, how does he account for them? The principle on which he views them is, that the hope and rewar of the faithful servants of God are only laid up in another life; an he maintains that it is plain to all, that the wicked are not treate according to their deserts in this life, but often directly the reverse. But though the obtaining of mercy, the first-fruits of the Spirit of grace, pledges a God, who will certainly finish the wor which he has began; yet the afflicted believer is not to conclude tha all prayer and entreaty will be in vain, and that he should sink int despair, and faint when he is reproved of Him. He cannot tell but the intention of God in afflicting him may be to produce penitence an prayer in his heart. May we learn to obey and trust the Lord, even in tribulation; to live or die as he pleases: we know not for what goo ends our lives may be shortened or prolonged __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
כי 3588 לא 3808 נצמתי 6789 מפני 6440 חשׁך 2822 ומפני 6440 כסה 3680 אפל׃ 652
