Job 5:15

15 But he saves the fatherless from their mouth, the needy from the hand of the mighty.

Job 5:15 Meaning and Commentary

Job 5:15

But he saveth the poor
Who are so in a literal sense, and whom the Lord saves with a temporal salvation; these being the butt of the crafty, wise, and cunning, on whom their eyes are, for whom they lay snares, and lie in wait to draw them in; and these being helpless and without friends, God takes notice of them, appears for them, and arises for their help, and saves them:

from the sword;
of their enemies, drawn against them and ready to be sheathed in them:

from their mouth;
from their reproaches, calumnies, detraction, and evil speaking; or "from the sword, their mouth" ^F23, as some; or "from the sword of their mouth" ^F24, as others; or which comes out of it; whose mouths and tongues are as sharp swords, which destroy their credit and reputation, and threaten them with ruin; the Targum is,

``from the slaughter of their mouth:''

and from the hand of the mighty;
their mighty enemies, that, are mightier than they; the Targum is,

``from the hand of a mighty king;''

such an one as Pharaoh, which the same paraphrase makes mention of in ( Job 5:14 ) , and from whom the poor Israelites were delivered: this may be applied to the poor in a spiritual sense, who are poor in spirit, and are sensible of their spiritual poverty, whom the Lord looks unto, has a regard for, and saves them from "the sword" of avenging justice; that being awaked against the man, his fellow, and so warded off from them, and from the mouth of a cursing and condemning law, and from Satan the accuser of the brethren; and of wicked men, whose tongue rising up in judgment against them, he condemns; and from the "hand" of Satan the strong man armed, and who is stronger than they; and of all their spiritual enemies.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 So some in Michaelis.
F24 "A gladio oris eorum", V. L. "a gladio qui ex ore eorum", De Dieu, Schultens.

Job 5:15 In-Context

13 He takes the wise in their own craftiness; and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.

14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as in the night.

15 But he saves the fatherless from their mouth, the needy from the hand of the mighty.

16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.

17 "Behold, happy is the man whom God reproves; therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty.