Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 7. After the Lord had spoken these words ] Those recorded at chap. xl. 7-14; he said to Eliphaz, who was the eldest of the three friends, and chief speaker: Ye have not spoken of me-right. Mr. Peters observes, "It will be difficult to find any thing in the speeches of Eliphaz and his companions which should make the difference here supposed, if we set aside the doctrine of a future state; for in this view the others would speak more worthily of God than Job, by endeavouring to vindicate his providence in the exact distribution of good and evil in this life: whereas Job's assertion, chap. ix. 22, 'This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked,' which is the argument on which he all along insists, would, upon this supposition, be directly charging God that he made no distinction between the good and the bad. But now, take the other life into the account, and the thing will appear in quite a contrary light; and we shall easily see the reason why God approves of the sentiments of Job, and condemns those of his friends. For supposing the friends of Job to argue that the righteous are never afflicted without remedy here, nor the wicked prosperous on the whole in this life, which is a wrong representation of God's providence; and Job to argue, on the other hand, that the righteous are sometimes afflicted here, and that without remedy, but shall be rewarded in the life to come; and that the wicked prosper here, but shall be punished hereafter, which is the true representation of the Divine proceedings; and here is a very apparent difference in the drift of the one's discourse, and of the others'. For Job, in this view, speaks worthily of God, and the rest unworthily. The best moral argument that mankind have ever had to believe in a life to come, is that which Job insists on-that good and evil are, for the most part, dealt out here promiscuously. On the contrary, the topic urged by his friends, and which they push a great deal too far, that God rewards and punishes in this world, tends, in its consequences, like that other opinion which was held by the stoics in after times, that virtue is its own reward, to sap the very foundation of that proof we have, from reason, of another life. No wonder, therefore, that the sentiments of the one are approved, and those of the other condemned."
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-9 - After the Lord had convinced and humbled Job, and brought him to repentance, he owned him, comforted him, and put honour upon him. The devil had undertaken to prove Job a hypocrite, and his three friend had condemned him as a wicked man; but if God say, Well done, thou goo and faithful servant, it is of little consequence who says otherwise Job's friends had wronged God, by making prosperity a mark of the tru church, and affliction a certain proof of God's wrath. Job had referre things to the future judgment and the future state, more than his friends, therefore he spake of God that which was right, better tha his friends had done. And as Job prayed and offered sacrifice for thos that had grieved and wounded his spirit, so Christ prayed for his persecutors, and ever lives, making intercession for the transgressors Job's friends were good men, and belonged to God, and He would not le them be in their mistake any more than Job; but having humbled him by discourse out of the whirlwind, he takes another way to humble them They are not to argue the matter again, but they must agree in sacrifice and a prayer, and that must reconcile them, Those who diffe in judgment about lesser things, yet are one in Christ the grea Sacrifice, and ought therefore to love and bear with one another. When God was angry with Job's friends, he put them in a way to make peac with him. Our quarrels with God always begin on our part, but the making peace begins on his. Peace with God is to be had only in his ow way, and upon his own terms. These will never seem hard to those wh know how to value this blessing: they will be glad of it, like Job' friends, upon any terms, though ever so humbling. Job did not insul over his friends, but God being graciously reconciled to him, he wa easily reconciled to them. In all our prayers and services we shoul aim to be accepted of the Lord; not to have praise of men, but to please God. (Job 42:10-17)
Original Hebrew ויהי1961 אחר310 דבר1696 יהוה3068 את853 הדברים1697 האלה428 אל413 איוב347 ויאמר559 יהוה3068 אל413 אליפז464 התימני8489 חרה2734 אפי639 בך ובשׁני8147 רעיך7453 כי3588 לא3808 דברתם1696 אלי413 נכונה3559 כעבדי5650 איוב׃347
