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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Mystery of Providence. (b. c. 1520.)
MYSTERY OF PROVIDENCE. (B. C. 1520.) Here, I. Job complains that he cannot understand the meaning of God's providences concerning him, but is quite at a loss about them (Job 23:8-9): I go forward, but he is not there, &…
Job's Comfort in His Integrity. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S COMFORT IN HIS INTEGRITY. (B. C. 1520.) Some make Job to complain here that God dealt unjustly and unfairly with him in proceeding to punish him without the least relenting or relaxation, though he had such incont…
Outward Prosperity of the Wicked. (b. c. 1520.)
OUTWARD PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED. (B. C. 1520.) Job's friends had been very positive in it that they should soon see the fall of wicked people, how much soever they might prosper for a while. By no means, says Job; thou…
Present Impunity of Transgressors. (b. c. 1520.)
PRESENT IMPUNITY OF TRANSGRESSORS. (B. C. 1520.) These verses describe another sort of sinners who therefore go unpunished, because they go undiscovered. They rebel against the light, Job 24:13. Some understand it figur…
Ultimate Ruin of the Wicked. (b. c. 1520.)
ULTIMATE RUIN OF THE WICKED. (B. C. 1520.) Job here, in the conclusion of his discourse, I. Gives some further instances of the wickedness of these cruel bloody men. 1. Some are pirates and robbers at sea. To this many…
God Exalted and Man Abased. (b. c. 1520.)
GOD EXALTED AND MAN ABASED. (B. C. 1520.) Bildad is to be commended here for two things:—1. For speaking no more on the subject about which Job and he differed. Perhaps he began to think Job was in the right, and then i…
Job's Reproof of Bildad. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S REPROOF OF BILDAD. (B. C. 1520.) One would not have thought that Job, when he was in so much pain and misery, could banter his friend as he does here and make himself merry with the impertinency of his discourse.…
The Wisdom and Power of God. (b. c. 1520.)
THE WISDOM AND POWER OF GOD. (B. C. 1520.) The truth received a great deal of light from the dispute between Job and his friends concerning those points about which they differed; but now they are upon a subject in whic…
Job's Protestation of His Sincerity. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S PROTESTATION OF HIS SINCERITY. (B. C. 1520.) Job's discourse here is called a parable (mashal), the title of Solomon's proverbs, because it was grave and weighty, and very instructive, and he spoke as one having a…
Condition of Hypocrites. (b. c. 1520.)
CONDITION OF HYPOCRITES. (B. C. 1520.) Job having solemnly protested the satisfaction he had in his integrity, for the further clearing of himself, here expresses the dread he had of being found a hypocrite. I. He tells…
Heritage of the Wicked. (b. c. 1520.)
HERITAGE OF THE WICKED. (B. C. 1520.) Job's friends had seen a great deal of the misery and destruction that attend wicked people, especially oppressors; and Job, while the heat of disputation lasted, had said as much,…
Extent of Human Discoveries. (b. c. 1520.)
EXTENT OF HUMAN DISCOVERIES. (B. C. 1520.) Here Job shows, 1. What a great way the wit of man may go in diving into the depths of nature and seizing the riches of it, what a great deal of knowledge and wealth men may, b…
The Excellency of Wisdom. (b. c. 1520.)
THE EXCELLENCY OF WISDOM. (B. C. 1520.) Job, having spoken of the wealth of the world, which men put such a value upon and take so much pains for, here comes to speak of another more valuable jewel, and that is, wisdom…
The Wisdom Hidden from Man; The Wisdom Revealed to Man. (b. c. 1520.)
THE WISDOM HIDDEN FROM MAN; THE WISDOM REVEALED TO MAN. (B. C. 1520.) The question which Job had asked (Job 28:12) he asks again here; for it is too worthy, too weighty, to be let fall, until we speed in the enquiry. Co…
Former Prosperity of Job. (b. c. 1520.)
FORMER PROSPERITY OF JOB. (B. C. 1520.) Losers may have leave to speak, and there is nothing they speak of more feelingly than of the comforts they are stripped of. Their former prosperity is one of the most pleasing su…
Matthew Henry on Job 29:7-17
We have here Job in a post of honour and power. Though he had comfort enough in his own house, yet he did not confine himself to that. We are not born for ourselves, but for the public. When any business was to be done…
Matthew Henry on Job 29:18-25
That which crowned Job's prosperity was the pleasing prospect he had of the continuance of it. Though he knew, in general, that he was liable to trouble, and therefore was not secure (Job 3:26, I was not in safety, neit…
Job's Humbled Condition. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S HUMBLED CONDITION. (B. C. 1520.) Here Job makes a very large and sad complaint of the great disgrace he had fallen into, from the height of honour and reputation, which was exceedingly grievous and cutting to such…
Job Complains of His Affliction. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB COMPLAINS OF HIS AFFLICTION. (B. C. 1520.) In this second part of Job's complaint, which is very bitter, and has a great many sorrowful accents in it, we may observe a great deal that he complains of and some little…
Job's Vindication of Himself. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S VINDICATION OF HIMSELF. (B. C. 1520.) The lusts of the flesh, and the love of the world, are the two fatal rocks on which multitudes split; against these Job protests he was always careful to stand upon his guard.…
Matthew Henry on Job 31:9-15
Two more instances we have here of Job's integrity:— I. That he had a very great abhorrence of the sin of adultery. As he did not wrong his own marriage bed by keeping a concubine (he did not so much as think upon a mai…
Job's Compassion to the Poor. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S COMPASSION TO THE POOR. (B. C. 1520.) Eliphaz had particularly charged Job with unmercifulness to the poor (Job 22:6-9, &c.): Thou hast withholden bread from the hungry, stripped the naked of their clothing, and s…
Job's Abhorrence of Idolatry. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S ABHORRENCE OF IDOLATRY. (B. C. 1520.) Four articles more of Job's protestation we have in these verses, which, as all the rest, not only assure us what he was and did, but teach us what we should be and do:— I. He…
Job's Protestation of His Integrity. (b. c. 1520.)
JOB'S PROTESTATION OF HIS INTEGRITY. (B. C. 1520.) We have here Job's protestation against three more sins, together with his general appeal to God's bar and his petition for a hearing there, which, it is likely, was in…