Job 33:17-27

17 In order that man may be turned from his evil works, and that pride may be taken away from him;

18 To keep back his soul from the underworld, and his life from destruction.

19 Pain is sent on him as a punishment, while he is on his bed; there is no end to the trouble in his bones;

20 He has no desire for food, and his soul is turned away from delicate meat;

21 His flesh is so wasted away, that it may not be seen, and his bones. ...

22 And his soul comes near to the underworld, and his life to the angels of death.

23 If now there may be an angel sent to him, one of the thousands which there are to be between him and God, and to make clear to man what is right for him;

24 And if he has mercy on him, and says, Let him not go down to the underworld, I have given the price for his life:

25 Then his flesh becomes young again, and he comes back to the days of his early strength;

26 He makes his prayer to God, and he has mercy on him; he sees God's face with cries of joy; he gives news of his righteousness to men;

27 He makes a song, saying, I did wrong, turning from the straight way, but he did not give me the reward of my sin.

Job 33:17-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 33

In this chapter Elihu addresses Job himself, and entreats his attention to what he had to say to him, and offers several things to induce him to it; and recommends himself as one that was according to his wish, in the stead of God, a man like himself, and of whom he had no reason to be afraid, Job 33:1-7; and then he brings a charge against him of things which he himself had heard, of words that had dropped from him in the course of his controversy with his friends; in which he too much and too strongly insisted on his own innocence and purity, and let fill very undue and unbecoming reflections on the dealings of God with him, Job 33:8-11; to which he gives an answer by observing the superior greatness of God to man, and his sovereignty over him, not being accountable to him for anything done by him; and therefore man should be silent and submissive to him, Job 33:12,13; and yet, though he is so great and so absolute, and uncontrollable, and is not obliged to give an account of his affairs to man, and the reasons of them; yet he condescends by various ways and means to instruct him in his mind and will, and even by these very things complained of; and therefore should not be treated as if unkind and unfriendly to men; sometimes he does it by dreams and visions, when he opens the ears of men, and seals instruction to them, and with this view, to restrain them from their evil purposes and doings, and to weaken their pride and humble them, and preserve them from ruin, Job 33:14-18; and sometimes by chastening and afflictive providences, which are described, Job 33:19-22; and which become teaching ones; through the interposition of a divine messenger, and upon the afflicted man's prayer to God, and humiliation before him, God is gracious and favourable to him, and delivers him; which is frequently the design and the use that he makes of chastening dispensations, Job 33:23-30; and the chapter is concluded with beseeching Job to mark and consider well what had been said unto him, and to answer it if he could or thought fit; if not, silently to attend to what he had further to say to him for his instruction, Job 33:31-33.