Because [there is] wrath
Either wrath in Job, so some; indignation and impatience under
the afflicting hand of God, expressed by cursing the day of his
birth, and by his angry pleadings with God: and therefore Elihu
advises him to beware of it, and check this impetuous spirit;
cease from his anger and forsake wrath, and fret not himself to
do evil, and provoke the Lord to take him away at once, and then
his case would be irretrievable. Or rather wrath in God, which is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men. His vindictive and punitive justice, to revenge and
punish wickedness, the effects of which are sometimes awful
judgments on men in this life; and eternal vengeance hereafter,
called wrath to come: this is laid up in store with him, and
sealed up in his treasures, prepared in his purposes and decrees,
is revealed in his law, and breaks forth in various instances;
see ( Numbers
16:46 ) . And there is an appearance of wrath, a little
wrath, which is no other than love displeased, in the afflictions
and chastisements of God's people, and might be perceived by Job:
and this being the case, Elihu advises him to
[beware];
which, though not expressed in the original, is well supplied;
and his meaning is, that he would be cautious of what he said,
and not go on to multiply words against God; speak unbecomingly
of him, arraign his justice, and find fault with his dealings
with him; as well as beware of his actions, conduct, and
behaviour, that his tongue and his doings be not against the
Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory;
lest he take thee away with [his] stroke;
out of the world by death, which is the stroke of his hand; and
is sometimes given suddenly, and in an awful manner, in wrath and
vengeance. Some render the last word, "with clapping of hands"
F25; either the hands of men, (
Job 27:23 ) ; or
of God; expressing his exultation and pleasure at the death of
such a person, laughing at his calamity, and mocking when fear
cometh; which is dreadful and tremendous;
then a great ransom cannot deliver thee:
there is no ransom on earth equal to the life or soul of man;
"what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" ( Matthew
16:26 ) ; see ( Psalms
49:6-8 ) . The great ransom of all is the ransom of Christ,
which Elihu had made mention of before, ( Job 33:24 ) ; and what
else could he have in his mind now? This is the ransom found by
infinite wisdom, which Christ came to give, and has given; and by
which he has ransomed his people from him that is stronger than
they, from the bondage of sin, of Satan, of the world, of hell
and death, and everlasting destruction: and this is a great one,
plenteous redemption, a great salvation; the ransomer is the
great God and our Saviour; the ransom price is not corruptible
things, as silver and gold, but the precious blood of Christ, his
life, yea, he himself. How great must this ransom be! and it is
given for great sinners, the chief of them; and is sufficient for
all the elect of God, both Jews and Gentiles: and yet, as great
as it is, it is of no avail to one that God has taken away by a
stroke out of this world, and sent to everlasting destruction;
not through want of sufficiency in this ransom, but by reason of
the final and unalterable state of such persons; as, even in the
present life, it is of no avail to the deniers and despisers of
it, ( Hebrews
10:26-29 ) .