Job 33:6-16

6 Zie, ik ben Godes, gelijk gij; uit het leem ben ik ook afgesneden.
7 Zie, mijn verschrikking zal u niet beroeren, en mijn hand zal over u niet zwaar zijn.
8 Zeker, gij hebt gezegd voor mijn oren, en ik heb de stem der woorden gehoord;
9 Ik ben rein, zonder overtreding; ik ben zuiver, en heb geen misdaad.
10 Zie, Hij vindt oorzaken tegen mij, Hij houdt mij voor Zijn vijand.
11 Hij legt mijn voeten in den stok; Hij neemt al mijn paden waar.
12 Zie, hierin zijt gij niet rechtvaardig, antwoord ik u; want God is meerder dan een mens.
13 Waarom hebt gij tegen Hem getwist? Want Hij antwoordt niet van al Zijn daden.
14 Maar God spreekt eens of tweemaal; doch men let niet daarop.
15 In den droom, door het gezicht des nachts, als een diepe slaap op de lieden valt, in de sluimering op het leger;
16 Dan openbaart Hij het voor het oor der lieden, en Hij verzegelt hun kastijding;

Job 33:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 33

In this chapter Elihu addresses Job himself, and entreats his attention to what he had to say to him, and offers several things to induce him to it; and recommends himself as one that was according to his wish, in the stead of God, a man like himself, and of whom he had no reason to be afraid, Job 33:1-7; and then he brings a charge against him of things which he himself had heard, of words that had dropped from him in the course of his controversy with his friends; in which he too much and too strongly insisted on his own innocence and purity, and let fill very undue and unbecoming reflections on the dealings of God with him, Job 33:8-11; to which he gives an answer by observing the superior greatness of God to man, and his sovereignty over him, not being accountable to him for anything done by him; and therefore man should be silent and submissive to him, Job 33:12,13; and yet, though he is so great and so absolute, and uncontrollable, and is not obliged to give an account of his affairs to man, and the reasons of them; yet he condescends by various ways and means to instruct him in his mind and will, and even by these very things complained of; and therefore should not be treated as if unkind and unfriendly to men; sometimes he does it by dreams and visions, when he opens the ears of men, and seals instruction to them, and with this view, to restrain them from their evil purposes and doings, and to weaken their pride and humble them, and preserve them from ruin, Job 33:14-18; and sometimes by chastening and afflictive providences, which are described, Job 33:19-22; and which become teaching ones; through the interposition of a divine messenger, and upon the afflicted man's prayer to God, and humiliation before him, God is gracious and favourable to him, and delivers him; which is frequently the design and the use that he makes of chastening dispensations, Job 33:23-30; and the chapter is concluded with beseeching Job to mark and consider well what had been said unto him, and to answer it if he could or thought fit; if not, silently to attend to what he had further to say to him for his instruction, Job 33:31-33.

The Dutch Staten Vertaling translation is in the public domain.