For he maketh sore, and bindeth up
Or, "though he maketh sore, yet he bindeth up" F4; as a
surgeon, who makes a wound the sorer by probing and opening it,
to let out the matter and make way for his medicine, and then
lays on the plaster, and binds it up: so God causes grief and
puts his people to pain, by diseases of body, or by making
breaches in, their families and estates, and such like cutting
providences; and then he binds up their breach, and heals the
stroke of their wound, and in the issue makes all whole again: so
in spiritual things; he cuts and wounds, and gives pain and
uneasiness, by the sharp twoedged sword of the word, and by his
Spirit making use of it; and lays open all the corruption of
nature, and brings to repentance and humiliation for all
transgressions; and then pours in the oil and wine of pardoning
grace and mercy, and binds up the wounds that are made:
he woundeth, and his hands make whole;
or "heal" F5; the same thing is meant, expressed
by different words; and the whole suggests, that every afflicted
man, and particularly Job, should he behave well, and as he
ought, under the afflicting hand of God, would be healed, and
become sound and whole again, in body, mind, family, and estate;
for, though God for the present caused grief, yet he would have
compassion, since he did not willingly grieve the children of
men; did not do it for his own pleasure, but for their good; as a
skilful surgeon cuts and wounds in order to heal; see ( Deuteronomy
32:39 ) ( Hosea 6:1 ) ( Lamentations
3:32 Lamentations
3:33 ) .