Unto whom alone the earth was given
Who were intrusted with the government of whole kingdoms and
nations; and therefore not mean men, but persons of great
consequence, and to be credited; being such as were appointed by
God, and by him put into such an high office, for which they were
qualified by him; and being observed to be such by men, were made
choice of by them to take the government of them: this is not to
be restrained to the land of Canaan, and to Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, to whom it was given, and to their posterity; and who it
is very probable at this time did not yet enjoy it; but it
respects more and larger tracts of land, and the rulers of them,
and at a greater distance of time, and very likely Noah and his
sons, to whom the whole earth was given, and by whom it was
replenished, and among whom it was divided; this seems opposed to
what Job had said, ( Job 9:24 ) ;
and no stranger passed among them;
either there was no wicked man among them, a stranger to God and
godliness; or an enemy that invaded them, passed through them,
disturbed and dispossessed them of their power and substance;
which shows how wise and good men are regarded by the Lord, and
not distressed and afflicted as wicked men be; as well as serves
to strengthen the credit of their character, and the report
received and derived from them by tradition, and tacitly glances
at Job's distress and disturbance by the Chaldeans and Sabeans;
next follows the account of the things either seen by Eliphaz, or
handed down from such credible persons now described.