Wesley Corpus

Chapter XXXI Job's protestation of his innocence, with regard to wantonness, ver. 1 - 4. Fraud and injustice, ver. 5 - 8. Adultery, ver. 9 - 12. Haughtiness and severity toward his servants, ver. 13 - 15. Unmercifulness to the poor, ver. 16 - 23. Confidence in his wealth, ver. 24, 25. Idolatry, ver. 26 - 28. Revenge, ver. 29 - 31. Neglect of poor strangers, ver. 32 Hypocrisy, or not reproving others, ver. 33, 34. He wishes God would answer and that his words might be recorded, ver. 35 - 37. Protests his innocence, as to oppression, ver. 38 - 40. I made - So far have I been from any gross wickedness, that I have abstained from the least occasions and appearances of evil. For - What recompence may be expected from God for those who do otherwise. Above - How secretly soever unchaste persons carry the matter, so that men cannot reprove them, yet there is one who stands upon an higher place, whence he seeth in what manner they act. Walked - Dealt with men. Vanity - With lying, or falsehood. Deceit - If when I had an opportunity of enriching myself, by wronging others, I have readily and greedily complied with It. Let me - I desire nothing more than to have my heart and life weighed in just balances, and searched out by the all - seeing God. That God - Or, and he will know; (upon search he will find out: which is spoken of God after the manner of men:) Mine integrity - So this is an appeal to God to be witness of his sincerity. Heart - If I have let my heart loose to covet forbidden things, which mine eyes have seen: commonly sin enters by the eye into the heart. A blot - Any unjust gain. Increase - All my plants, and fruits, and improvements. Then - Not as if Job desired this; but that if God should give up his wife to such wickedness, he should acknowledge his justice in it. This - Adultery. It is - Heb. an iniquity of the judges; which belongs to them to take cognizance of, and to punish, even with death; and that not only by the law of Moses, but even by the law of nature, as appears from the known laws and customs of the Heathen nations.