Job 42

1 Job répondit à l'Eternel et dit:

2 Je reconnais que tu peux tout, Et que rien ne s'oppose à tes pensées.

3 Quel est celui qui a la folie d'obscurcir mes desseins? -Oui, j'ai parlé, sans les comprendre, De merveilles qui me dépassent et que je ne conçois pas.

4 Ecoute-moi, et je parlerai; Je t'interrogerai, et tu m'instruiras.

5 Mon oreille avait entendu parler de toi; Mais maintenant mon oeil t'a vu.

6 C'est pourquoi je me condamne et je me repens Sur la poussière et sur la cendre.

7 Après que l'Eternel eut adressé ces paroles à Job, il dit à Eliphaz de Théman: Ma colère est enflammée contre toi et contre tes deux amis, parce que vous n'avez pas parlé de moi avec droiture comme l'a fait mon serviteur Job.

8 Prenez maintenant sept taureaux et sept béliers, allez auprès de mon serviteur Job, et offrez pour vous un holocauste. Job, mon serviteur, priera pour vous, et c'est par égard pour lui seul que je ne vous traiterai pas selon votre folie; car vous n'avez pas parlé de moi avec droiture, comme l'a fait mon serviteur Job.

9 Eliphaz de Théman, Bildad de Schuach, et Tsophar de Naama allèrent et firent comme l'Eternel leur avait dit: et l'Eternel eut égard à la prière de Job.

10 L'Eternel rétablit Job dans son premier état, quand Job eut prié pour ses amis; et l'Eternel lui accorda le double de tout ce qu'il avait possédé.

11 Les frères, les soeurs, et les anciens amis de Job vinrent tous le visiter, et ils mangèrent avec lui dans sa maison. Ils le plaignirent et le consolèrent de tous les malheurs que l'Eternel avait fait venir sur lui, et chacun lui donna un kesita et un anneau d'or.

12 Pendant ses dernières années, Job reçut de l'Eternel plus de bénédictions qu'il n'en avait reçu dans les premières. Il posséda quatorze mille brebis, six mille chameaux, mille paires de boeufs, et mille ânesses.

13 Il eut sept fils et trois filles:

14 il donna à la première le nom de Jemima, à la seconde celui de Ketsia, et à la troisième celui de Kéren-Happuc.

15 Il n'y avait pas dans tout le pays d'aussi belles femmes que les filles de Job. Leur père leur accorda une part d'héritage parmi leurs frères.

16 Job vécut après cela cent quarante ans, et il vit ses fils et les fils de ses fils jusqu'à la quatrième génération.

17 Et Job mourut âgé et rassasié de jours.

Job 42 Commentary

Chapter 42

Job humbly submits unto God. (1-6) Job intercedes for his friends. (7-9) His renewed prosperity. (10-17)

Verses 1-6 Job was now sensible of his guilt; he would no longer speak in his own excuse; he abhorred himself as a sinner in heart and life, especially for murmuring against God, and took shame to himself. When the understanding is enlightened by the Spirit of grace, our knowledge of Divine things as far exceeds what we had before, as the sight of the eyes excels report and common fame. By the teachings of men, God reveals his Son to us; but by the teachings of his Spirit he reveals his Son in us, ( Galatians 1:16 ) , and ( 2 Corinthians. 3:18 ) deeply humbled for the sins of which we are convinced. Self-loathing is ever the companion of true repentance. The Lord will bring those whom he loveth, to adore him in self-abasement; while true grace will always lead them to confess their sins without self-justifying.

Verses 7-9 After the Lord had convinced and humbled Job, and brought him to repentance, he owned him, comforted him, and put honour upon him. The devil had undertaken to prove Job a hypocrite, and his three friends had condemned him as a wicked man; but if God say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, it is of little consequence who says otherwise. Job's friends had wronged God, by making prosperity a mark of the true church, and affliction a certain proof of God's wrath. Job had referred things to the future judgment and the future state, more than his friends, therefore he spake of God that which was right, better than his friends had done. And as Job prayed and offered sacrifice for those that had grieved and wounded his spirit, so Christ prayed for his persecutors, and ever lives, making intercession for the transgressors. Job's friends were good men, and belonged to God, and He would not let them be in their mistake any more than Job; but having humbled him by a discourse out of the whirlwind, he takes another way to humble them. They are not to argue the matter again, but they must agree in a sacrifice and a prayer, and that must reconcile them, Those who differ in judgment about lesser things, yet are one in Christ the great Sacrifice, and ought therefore to love and bear with one another. When God was angry with Job's friends, he put them in a way to make peace with him. Our quarrels with God always begin on our part, but the making peace begins on his. Peace with God is to be had only in his own way, and upon his own terms. These will never seem hard to those who know how to value this blessing: they will be glad of it, like Job's friends, upon any terms, though ever so humbling. Job did not insult over his friends, but God being graciously reconciled to him, he was easily reconciled to them. In all our prayers and services we should aim to be accepted of the Lord; not to have praise of men, but to please God.

Verses 10-17 In the beginning of this book we had Job's patience under his troubles, for an example; here, for our encouragement to follow that example, we have his happy end. His troubles began in Satan's malice, which God restrained; his restoration began in God's mercy, which Satan could not oppose. Mercy did not return when Job was disputing with his friends, but when he was praying for them. God is served and pleased with our warm devotions, not with our warm disputes. God doubled Job's possessions. We may lose much for the Lord, but we shall not lose any thing by him. Whether the Lord gives us health and temporal blessings or not, if we patiently suffer according to his will, in the end we shall be happy. Job's estate increased. The blessing of the Lord makes rich; it is he that gives us power to get wealth, and gives success in honest endeavours. The last days of a good man sometimes prove his best, his last works his best works, his last comforts his best comforts; for his path, like that of the morning light, shines more and more unto the perfect day.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 42

This chapter contains Job's answer to the last speech of the Lord's, in which he acknowledges his omnipotence, and his certain performance of his purposes and pleasure; owns his own folly and ignorance, and confesses his sins; for which he abhorred himself, and of which he repented, Job 42:1-6; it also gives an account of the Lord's decision of the controversy between Job and his friends, blaming them and commending him above them; and ordered them to take sacrifices and go to Job and offer them, who should pray for them and be accepted, which was done, Job 42:7-9; and it closes with a relation of the great prosperity Job was restored unto, in which he lived and died, Job 42:10-17.