Job 15:6

15:1-16 Eliphaz begins a second attack upon Job, instead of being softened by his complaints. He unjustly charges Job with casting off the fear of God, and all regard to him, and restraining prayer. See in what religion is summed up, fearing God, and praying to him; the former the most needful principle, the latter the most needful practice. Eliphaz charges Job with self-conceit. He charges him with contempt of the counsels and comforts given him by his friends. We are apt to think that which we ourselves say is important, when others, with reason, think little of it. He charges him with opposition to God. Eliphaz ought not to have put harsh constructions upon the words of one well known for piety, and now in temptation. It is plain that these disputants were deeply convinced of the doctrine of original sin, and the total depravity of human nature. Shall we not admire the patience of God in bearing with us? and still more his love to us in the redemption of Christ Jesus his beloved Son?

Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I,.... Or shows thee to be a wicked person, guilty of things charged upon thee; out of thine own mouth thou art convicted, there needs no other evidence to be brought against thee, that is sufficient: and thou savest me, and any other, the trouble of passing the sentence of condemnation upon thee; thou hast done it thyself, thine own mouth is judge and jury, and brings in the verdict, and pronounces it, as well as is the witness, as follows, and is instead of a thousand witnesses, Job 9:20 ; yea, thine own lips testify against thee; and therefore there were no need of producing any other testimony; what he had said showed that his talk was vain and unprofitable, unbecoming a wise man, and tending to make null and void the fear of God among men, to discourage all religious exercises, and particularly prayer before God.

6 . But in truth such utterances of his mouth clearly suggested the source which inspired them, other proof of his guilt than they was not needed. Thus in Job 15:5 Job’s language and sentiments are explained by his guilt, and in Job 15:6 his guilt is proved by his language; and both verses support the charge in Job 15:4 that he was doing away, breaking with, the fear of God.

Verse 6. - Thine own mouth condemneth thee . So of a greater than Job it was said, "He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death" ( Matthew 26:65, 66 ). Malevolence delights in misunderstanding and misinterpreting the utterances of the righteous. And not I . A weak disclaimer! As if Job's supposed guilt did not depend on the construction put upon his words . Yea, thine own lips testify against thee. Therefore, "what further need of witnesses?" Job 15:6

כּי is not affirmative: forsooth (Hirz.), but, confirmatory and explicative. This opinion respecting him, which is so sharply and definitely expressed by אתּה, thrusts itself irresistibly forward, for it is not necessary to know his life more exactly, his own mouth, whence such words escape, reveals his sad state: docet (אלּף only in the book of Job, from אלף, discere, a word which only occurs once in the Hebrew, Proverbs 22:25 ) culpam tuam os tuum, not as Schlottm. explains, with Raschi: docet culpa tua os tuum, which, to avoid being misunderstood, must have been חטאתך תאלף, and is a though unsuited to the connection. אלּף is certainly not directly equivalent to הגּיד, Isaiah 3:9 ; it signifies to teach, to explain, and this verb is just the one in the mouth of the censorious friend. What follows must not be translated: while thou choosest (Hirz.); ותבחר is not a circumstantial clause, but adds a second confirmatory clause to the first: he chooses the language of the crafty, since he pretends to be able to prove his innocence before God; and convinced that he is in the right, assumes the offensive (as Job 13:4 .) against those who exhort him to humble himself. Thus by his evil words he becomes his own judge (ירשׁיעך) and accuser (יענו בך after the fem. שׂפתיך, like Proverbs 5:2 ; Proverbs 26:23 ).

No pious man would utter such sentiments. 7. That is, Art thou wisdom personified? Wisdom existed before the hills; that is, the eternal Son of God (Proverbs 8:25; Psalms 90:2). Wast thou in existence before Adam? The farther back one existed, the nearer he was to the Eternal Wisdom. 8. secret —rather, "Wast thou a listener in the secret council of God?" The Hebrew means properly the cushions of a divan on which counsellors in the East usually sit. God's servants are admitted to God's secrets (Psalms 25:14; Genesis 18:17; John 15:15). ## restrain —Rather, didst thou take away, or borrow, thence (namely, from the divine secret council) thy wisdom? Eliphaz in this (Job 15:8, 9) retorts Job's words upon himself (Job 12:2, 3; 13:2). 9. in us —or, "with us," Hebraism for "we are aware of." 10. On our side, thinking with us are the aged. Job had admitted that wisdom is with them (Job 12:12). Eliphaz seems to have been himself older than Job; perhaps the other two were also (Job 32:6). Job, in Job 30:1, does not refer to his three friends; it therefore forms no objection. The Arabs are proud of fulness of years. 11. consolations —namely, the revelation which Eliphaz had stated as a consolatory reproof to Job, and which he repeats in Job 15:14. secret —Hast thou some secret wisdom and source of consolation, which makes thee disregard those suggested by me? (Job 15:8). Rather, from a different Hebrew root, Is the word of kindness or gentleness addressed by me treated by thee as valueless? [U MBREIT ]. 12.

## away the tyranny of the law, of sin, death and Satan. See Isaiah 9:4,6 . Sin is put for sinners , Isaiah 1:18 , "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool," that is, the sinners by having their iniquities pardoned, shall be cleansed and purified from the guilt and condemnation of sin, for sin properly and in itself cannot be made clean, Psalms 2:9; Matthew 8:3 , "His leprosy was cleansed," that is, the leprous man was healed, Psalms 25:11; Exodus 14:4; Genesis 34:29; Deuteronomy 8:17; Job 15:29; Proverbs 31:29; Isaiah 10:14; 30:6; Revelation 18:3; Proverbs 15:6; Jeremiah 20:5 , etc, Job 6:22; Proverbs 5:10, etc. 2. The Thing contained is put for the Thing containing, and a Thing in a Place for the Place.