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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry on Job 7:17-21
Job here reasons with God, I. Concerning his dealings with man in general (Job 7:17-18): What is man, that thou shouldst magnify him? This may be looked upon either, 1. As a passionate reflection upon the proceedings of…
The Address of Bildad. (b. c. 1520.)
THE ADDRESS OF BILDAD. (B. C. 1520.) Here, I. Bildad reproves Job for what he had said (Job 8:2), checks his passion, but perhaps (as is too common) with greater passion. We thought Job spoke a great deal of good sense…
Matthew Henry on Job 8:8-19
Bildad here discourses very well on the sad catastrophe of hypocrites and evil-doers and the fatal period of all their hopes and joys. He will not be so bold as to say with Eliphaz that none that were righteous were eve…
Matthew Henry on Job 8:20-22
Bildad here, in the close of his discourse, sums up what he has to say in a few words, setting before Job life and death, the blessing and the curse, assuring him that as he was so he should fare, and therefore they mig…
Job's Reply to Bildad. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S REPLY TO BILDAD. (B. C. 1520.) Bildad began with a rebuke to Job for talking so much, Job 8:2. Job makes no answer to that, though it would have been easy enough to retort it upon himself; but in what he next lays…
Matthew Henry on Job 9:14-21
What Job had said of man's utter inability to contend with God he here applies to himself, and in effect despairs of gaining his favour, which (some think) arises from the hard thoughts he had of God, as one who, having…
Matthew Henry on Job 9:22-24
Here Job touches briefly upon the main point now in dispute between him and his friends. They maintained that those who are righteous and good always prosper in this world, and none but the wicked are in misery and dist…
Matthew Henry on Job 9:25-35
Job here grows more and more querulous, and does not conclude this chapter with such reverent expressions of God's wisdom and justice as he began with. Those that indulge a complaining humour know not to what indecencie…
Job's Reply to Bildad. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S REPLY TO BILDAD. (B. C. 1520.) Here is, I. A passionate resolution to persist in his complaint, Job 10:1. Being daunted with the dread of God's majesty, so that he could not plead his cause with him, he resolves t…
Matthew Henry on Job 10:8-13
In these verses we may observe, I. How Job eyes God as his Creator and preserver, and describes his dependence upon him as the author and upholder of his being. This is one of the first things we are all concerned to kn…
Matthew Henry on Job 10:14-22
Here we have, I. Job's passionate complaints. On this harsh and unpleasant string he harps much, in which, though he cannot be justified, he may be excused. He complained not for nothing, as the murmuring Israelites, bu…
The Address of Zophar. (b. c. 1520.)
THE ADDRESS OF ZOPHAR. (B. C. 1520.) It is sad to see what intemperate passions even wise and good men are sometimes betrayed into by the heat of disputation, of which Zophar here is an instance. Eliphaz began with a ve…
Matthew Henry on Job 11:7-12
Zophar here speaks very good things concerning God and his greatness and glory, concerning man and his vanity and folly: these two compared together, and duly considered, will have a powerful influence upon our submissi…
Matthew Henry on Job 11:13-20
Zophar, as the other two, here encourages Job to hope for better times if he would but come to a better temper. I. He gives him good counsel (Job 11:13-14), as Eliphaz did (Job 5:8), and Bildad, Job 8:5. He would have h…
Job's Reply to Zophar. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S REPLY TO ZOPHAR. (B. C. 1520.) The reproofs Job here gives to his friends, whether they were just or no, were very sharp, and may serve for a rebuke to all that are proud and scornful, and an exposure of their fol…
Matthew Henry on Job 12:6-11
Job's friends all of them went upon this principle, that wicked people cannot prosper long in this world, but some remarkable judgment or other will suddenly light on them: Zophar had concluded with it, that the eyes of…
Matthew Henry on Job 12:12-25
This is a noble discourse of Job's concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering and disposing of all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of his own will, which none dares ga…
Job's Reply to Zophar. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S REPLY TO ZOPHAR. (B. C. 1520.) Job here warmly expresses his resentment of the unkindness of his friends. I. He comes up with them as one that understood the matter in dispute as well as they, and did not need to…
Matthew Henry on Job 13:13-22
Job here takes fresh hold, fast hold, of his integrity, as one that was resolved not to let it go, nor suffer it to be wrested from him. His firmness in this matter is commendable and his warmth excusable. I. He entreat…
Matthew Henry on Job 13:23-28
Here, I. Job enquires after his sins, and begs to have them discovered to him. He looks up to God, and asks him what was the number of them (How many are my iniquities?) and what were the particulars of them: Make me to…
Brevity and Frailty of Human Life. (b. c. 1520.)
BREVITY AND FRAILTY OF HUMAN LIFE. (B. C. 1520.) We are here led to think, I. Of the original of human life. God is indeed its great original, for he breathed into man the breath of life and in him we live; but we date…
Death Anticipated. (b. c. 1520.)
DEATH ANTICIPATED. (B. C. 1520.) We have seen what Job has to say concerning life; let us now see what he has to say concerning death, which his thoughts were very much conversant with, now that he was sick and sore. It…
Complainings of Job. (b. c. 1520.)
COMPLAININGS OF JOB. (B. C. 1520.) Job here returns to his complaints; and, though he is not without hope of future bliss, he finds it very hard to get over his present grievances. I. He complains of the particular hard…
Second Address of Eliphaz. (b. c. 1520.)
SECOND ADDRESS OF ELIPHAZ. (B. C. 1520.) Eliphaz here falls very foul upon Job, because he contradicted what he and his colleagues had said, and did not acquiesce in it and applaud it, as they expected. Proud people are…