Matthew Henry

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?

“The dragon fights, but is cast out, Rev. xii. Wicked men harden themselves against God, dispute his wisdom, disobey his laws, are impenitent for their sins and incorrigible under their afflictions; they reject the offers of his grace, and resist the strivings of his Spirit…”

If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’

“He takes away our creature-comforts and confidences when and as he pleases, takes away health, estate, relations, friends, takes away life itself; whatever goes, it is he that takes it; by what hand so ever it is removed, his hand must be acknowledged in its…”

God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.

“13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him. Bildad began with a rebuke to Job for talking so much, ch. viii.”

God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.

“Men of Israel, help, Acts xxi. If one enemy of God's kingdom fall under his judgment, the rest come proudly to help that, and think to deliver that out of his hand: but in vain; unless he pleases to withdraw his anger (which he often…”

How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?

“No, let all flesh be silent before him. He durst not insist upon his own justification before God.”

For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

“"I dare not put myself upon that issue, lest God should charge that upon me which I did not discover in myself."”

Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.

“In the judgment of Sodom indeed, which is called the vengeance of eternal fire ( Jude 7 ), far be it from God to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked ( Gen. xviii.”

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

“(they enjoy large possessions and great power, have what they will and do what they will), into the hand of the wicked one (in the original, the word is singular); the devil, that wicked one, is called the god of this world, and boasts that…”

If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’ I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit…

“It is easy to preach patience to those that are in trouble, and to tell them they must forget their complaints and comfort themselves; but it is not so soon done as said.”

Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust?

“"Thou hast made me, as the clay, by an act of sovereignty; and wilt thou by a like act of sovereignty unmake me again? If so, I must submit." 3. "Wilt thou destroy the work of thy own hands?"”

Should I hold my head high, You would hunt me like a lion, and again display Your power against me.

“God was not only strange to him, but showed himself marvellous upon him, by bringing him into uncommon troubles and so making him prodigy, a wonder unto many. All wondered that God would inflict and that Job could bear so much.”

before I go—never to return—to a land of darkness and gloom, to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”

“Secondly, That there is no light there. In the grave there is thick darkness, darkness that cannot be felt indeed, yet cannot but be feared by those that enjoy the light of life.”

Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens—what can you do?

“His judgments are a great deep. Paul attributes such immeasurable dimensions to the divine love as Zophar here attributes to the divine wisdom, and yet recommends it to our acquaintance.”

But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!

“He is a foolish creature, has become like the beasts that perish ( Ps. xlix. 22 ), an idiot, born like an ass, the most stupid animal, an ass's colt, not yet brought to any service.”

then indeed you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and unafraid.

“If we are looked upon in the face of the anointed, our faces, that were dejected, may be lifted up--that were polluted, being washed with the blood of Christ, may be lifted up without spot.”

Your life will be brighter than noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.

“Note, Those that truly turn to God then begin to shine forth; their path is as the shining light which increases, the period of their day will be the perfection of it, and their evening to this world will be their morning to a better.”

“Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!

“When wise men and good men die it is a comfort to think that wisdom and goodness shall not die with them. Some think Job here reflects upon Zophar's comparing him (as he thought) and others to the wild ass's colt, ch. xi.”

Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.

“But it is to be found only with some few, with the ancient, and those who are blessed with length of days, who get it by long experience and constant experience; and, when they have got the wisdom, they have lost their strength and are…”

Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.

“What is the wisdom of ancient men compared with the wisdom of the ancient of days! It is but little that we know, and less that we can do; but God can do every thing, and no thought can be withheld from him.”

If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.

“Great droughts are sometimes great judgments: He withholds the waters, and they dry up; if the heaven be as brass, the earth is as iron; if the rain be denied, fountains dry up and their streams are wanted, fields are parched and their fruits are…”

True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.

“When Jacob by a fraud got the blessing the design of God's grace was served; when Ahab was drawn by a false prophecy into an expedition that was his ruin the design of God's justice was served; and in both the deceived and the deceiver…”

He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.

“The counsel of Ahithophel, one in whom this scripture was remarkably fulfilled, became foolishness, and he, according to his name, the brother of a fool.”

They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.

“Note, God can soon nonplus the deepest politicians and bring the greatest wits to their wits' end, to show that wherein they deal proudly he is above them. Thus are the revolutions of kingdoms wonderfully brought about by an overruling Providence.”

Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him like a man?

“It is good to an upright man who means honestly that God should search him; therefore he prays for it: Search me, O God! and know my heart. God's omniscience is a witness of his sincerity.”

Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.

“This is a high expression of faith, and what we should all labour to come up to--to trust in God, though he slay us, that is, we must be well pleased with God as a friend even when he seems to come forth against us…”