Job 33:4-26

4 El Espíritu de Dios me ha hecho, y el aliento del Todopoderoso me da vida.

5 Contradíceme si puedes; colócate delante de mí, ponte en pie.

6 He aquí, yo como tú, pertenezco a Dios; del barro yo también he sido formado.

7 He aquí, mi temor no te debe espantar, ni mi mano agravarse sobre ti.

8 Ciertamente has hablado a oídos míos, y el sonido de tus palabras he oído:

9 "Yo soy limpio, sin transgresión; soy inocente y en mí no hay culpa.

10 "He aquí, El busca pretextos contra mí; me tiene por enemigo suyo.

11 "Pone mis pies en el cepo; vigila todas mis sendas."

12 He aquí, déjame decirte que no tienes razón en esto, porque Dios es más grande que el hombre.

13 ¿Por qué te quejas contra El, diciendo que no da cuenta de todas sus acciones?

14 Ciertamente Dios habla una vez, y otra vez, pero nadie se da cuenta de ello.

15 En un sueño, en una visión nocturna, cuando un sueño profundo cae sobre los hombres, mientras dormitan en sus lechos,

16 entonces El abre el oído de los hombres, y sella su instrucción,

17 para apartar al hombre de sus obras, y del orgullo guardarlo;

18 libra su alma de la fosa y su vida de pasar al Seol.

19 El hombre es castigado también con dolor en su lecho, y con queja continua en sus huesos,

20 para que su vida aborrezca el pan, y su alma el alimento favorito.

21 Su carne desaparece a la vista, y sus huesos que no se veían, aparecen.

22 Entonces su alma se acerca a la fosa, y su vida a los que causan la muerte.

23 Si hay un ángel que sea su mediador, uno entre mil, para declarar al hombre lo que es bueno para él,

24 y que tenga piedad de él, y diga: "Líbralo de descender a la fosa, he hallado su rescate";

25 que su carne se vuelva más tierna que en su juventud, que regrese a los días de su vigor juvenil.

26 Entonces orará a Dios, y El lo aceptará, para que vea con gozo su rostro, y restaure su justicia al hombre.

Job 33:4-26 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.