Behold, I have refined thee, but not with
silver
But it is not usual to refine with silver; not silver with
silver, nor any other metal with it; that itself is what is
refined; this therefore cannot be the sense of the words;
wherefore they are, by others, differently rendered; by some,
"not in silver" F4; not in a furnace of silver, as Aben
Ezra; "but in a furnace of poverty", as the Septuagint, Vulgate
Latin, and Syriac versions render the next clause; and to the
same sense the Targum; that is, I have tried, and purified, and
refined thee, not by prosperity, but adversity; not with riches,
which has its snares, temptations, trials, and exercises, but
with poverty, which also has the same, or greater; and therefore
Agur desired neither, ( Proverbs
30:8 Proverbs
30:9 ) . By others, "but not into silver" F5, so as
to make silver of them, whereby all the labour was lost; but this
is contrary to the following clause: by others, "not for the sake
of silver" F6; so the Septuagint version; or for
the gain of it, as the Arabic; which sense suggests that God was
no gainer by their afflictions; what he did was freely, without
money or price, and all the use and profit were to themselves;
see ( Psalms
44:12 ) . Others think, that instead of "beth", "in", it
should be "caph", "as", a note of similitude, and be rendered,
"but not as silver" F7: but that the text is corrupted, and
ought to be thus altered, there is no authority for it, and
besides is contrary to several express passages of Scripture, (
Psalms
66:10 ) ( Zechariah
13:9 ) ( Malachi 3:3 ) . Rather
therefore it should be rendered, "but not among silver"
F8; along with that, which requires a
fierce fire, is kept in the furnace or melting pot until all the
dross is consumed: but if God was to afflict his people to such a
degree, they would not be able to bear it; and if they were to
continue under his afflicting hand till all their dross, sin, and
corruption were removed, they would be utterly consumed; was he
to contend, or be wroth for ever, the spirit would fail before
him, and the souls that he has made; wherefore he does not
afflict in this fierce and furious manner, but gently and
gradually, in measure, in mercy, and not in strict justice, (
1
Corinthians 10:13 ) ( Isaiah 27:8 Isaiah 27:9 ) (
57:16
) ( Jeremiah
10:23 ) ( 30:11 ) and
by such gentle means he refines and brightens the graces of his
people, tries and proves their principles and profession, and
reforms their manners: I have chosen thee in the furnace of
affliction; such was the affliction of Israel in Egypt, called
the iron furnace, ( Deuteronomy
4:20 ) and as God has his furnace to punish and consume his
enemies, so he has his furnace to try, purge, and purify his
people, ( Isaiah 31:9 ) , and
which is a fiery one, and very grievous and distressing,
especially when the wrath of God is apprehended in it, though
fury is not in him: when he afflicts, it is all in love, and
therefore is said to choose his people at such a time; which is
to be understood not of their election to grace and glory; for
that is not done in time, but in eternity, and is of them, not as
transgressor, or as in the corrupt mass, but as in the pure mass
of creatureship: rather of calling, which is the fruit, and
effect, and evidence of election, and is expressed by choosing, (
John 15:19 ) (
1
Corinthians 1:26 ) , and sometimes afflictions have been the
means of it; or God has in them, or by them, brought them to
himself, as he did Manasseh: but it seems best of all to
understand it of the manifestation of election; God sometimes
under afflictive providences appears to his people, and tells
them that he has loved them with an everlasting love, and assures
them that they are his chosen ones; he knows their souls, and
owns them as his own in their adversities; besides, in afflicting
them, he deals with them as his children and chosen ones; and
because they are so, he takes the pains he does with them, which
he does not with others, to purge and purify them, ( Psalms 31:7 ) (
Hebrews
12:7 ) . Moreover, he makes them choice and excellent persons
by afflictions; they come forth out of them as choice silver and
pure gold; they gain thereby many choice experiences of the love
and grace of God, and of the truths of the Gospel, and of the
promises of it: afflicted saints are commonly the choicest
believers; they become thriving and flourishing Christians,
humble and Holy Ones; more fit for their master's use, more
weaned from the world, and wrought up for heaven and happiness.
Some, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra, render the words, "I have chosen
for thee the furnace of affliction" F9, or "thee for the
furnace of affliction"; afflictions are chosen and appointed for
the people of God, and they are chosen for and appointed unto
affliction, ( Job 23:14 ) ( 1
Thessalonians 3:3 ) . Some, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi observe,
by the change of a letter, read "bachantica", "have proved thee",
or "tried thee", instead of "bachartica", "I have chosen thee";
but without any reason.