Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 38:2
Who [is] this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
2. who is this that darkeneth counsel ] lit. who then is darkening counsel? The word then merely adds the emphasis of impatience or astonishment to the question, who ? The expression counsel suggests that the Lord had a plan or meaning in Job’s afflictions, which the perverse and ignorant construction put on them by Job obscured. The word might have a wider sense and refer to sound wisdom in general in reference to man’s life, which Job, by his particular utterances on God’s providence, only darkened. The participle darkening is thought by many to imply that the Divine Speaker broke in upon Job when in the act of darkening, that is, when speaking. If so, the speeches of Elihu are an interpolation. If is rather to strain the argument from the use of the participle to say that this must be the meaning.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Who is this – Referring doubtless to Job, for he is specified in the previous verse. Some have understood it of Elihu (see Schultens), but the connection evidently demands that it should be understood as referring to Job. The object was, to reprove him for the presumptuous manner in which he had spoken of God and of his government. It was important before God manifested his approval of Job, that he should declare his sense of what he had said, and show him how improper it was to indulge in language such as he had used.
That darkeneth counsel – That makes the subject darker. Instead of explaining the reason of the divine dealings, and vindicating God from the objections alleged against him and his government, the only tendency of what he had said had been to make his government appear dark, and severe, and unjust in the view of his friends. It might have been expected of Job, being a friend of God, that all that he said would have tended to inspire confidence in him, and to explain and vindicate the divine dealings; but, God had seen much that was the very reverse. Even the true friends of God, in the dark times of trial, may say much that will tend to make people doubt the wisdom and goodness of his government, and to prejudice the minds of the wicked against him.
By words without knowledge – Words that did not contain a true explanation of the difficulty. They conveyed no light about his dealings; they did not tend to satisfy the mind, or to make the subject more clear than it was before. There is much of this kind of speaking in the world; much that is written, and much that fails from the lips in debate, in preaching, and in conversation, that explains nothing, and that even leaves the subject more perplexed than it was before. We see from this verse that God does not and cannot approve of such words. If his friends speak, they should vindicate his government; they should at least express their conviction that he is right; they should aim to explain his doings, and to show to the world that they are reasonable. If they cannot do this, they should adore in silence. The Savior never spoke of God in such a way as to leave any doubt that his ways could be vindicated, never so as to leave the impression that he was harsh or severe in his administration, or so as to lend the least countenance to a spirit of murmuring and complaining.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Who is this that darkeneth counsel] As if he had said, Who art thou who pretendest to speak on the deep things of God, and the administration of his justice and providence, which thou canst not comprehend; and leavest my counsels and designs the darker for thy explanation?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Who is this? it is a question of admiration and reprehension, What and where is he that presumeth to talk at this rate? this language becomes not a creature, much less a professor of religion. The person here designed is not Elihu, who spoke last; but Job, who had spoken most, as is apparent from Job 38:1, and from Job 42:3, where Job takes the following reproof to himself, and from the following discourse, wherein God convinceth Job by divers of the same kind of arguments which Elihu had used against him.
That darkeneth counsel; either,
1. His own counsel, i.e. that expresseth his own mind darkly and doubtfully. But that was not Jobs fault. He spake his mind too plainly and freely. Or rather,
2. Gods counsel, which is called simply counsel by way of eminency, as the word and the commandment are oft put for the word and command of God. For the great matter of the dispute between Job and his friends was concerning Gods counsel, and purpose, and providence in afflicting Job; which being a wise, and just, and glorious action of God, Job had endeavoured to obscure, and misrepresent, and censure. And Gods decrees and judgments are frequently called his counsels, as Psa 32:11; Pro 19:21; Isa 28:29; Act 2:23.
By words; God doth not charge Job, as his three friends had done, with hypocrisy and wickedness in the course of life, nor with atheistical opinions of God or his providence, as some of the Hebrew writers do, but confines his reproof to his hard speeches.
Without knowledge; proceeding from ignorance, and mistake, and inconsiderateness; not from malice or rage against God, as his friends accused him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. thisJob.
counselimpugning Mydivine wisdom in the providential arrangements of the universe. Such”words” (including those of the friends) rather obscure,than throw light on My ways. God is about to be Job’s Vindicator, butmust first bring him to a right state of mind for receivingrelief.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Who [is] this,…. Meaning not Elihu the last speaker, as some think; and there are some who suppose not only that these words are directed to him, but all that is said in this and the following chapter: but it was Job the Lord spoke to and answered, as expressed in
Job 38:1; and these words are taken by Job to himself, Job 42:3. Concerning whom the Lord inquires, not as ignorant of him, who he was; but wondering that such a man as he should talk as he did; and as angry with him, and rebuking him for it;
that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? either his own counsel, his sense and sentiments of things, which were delivered in such an obscure manner as not to be intelligible by those that heard them; whereby they were led, as Job’s friends were, into some mistaken notions of him: or rather the counsel of God, his works of providence, which are done according to the counsel of his will, and were misrepresented by Job, as not being wise and good, just and equitable; see Job 34:3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) Who is this?The question may be answered by Jobs own words (Job. 14:1). It is a man as so described, a dying and enfeebled man, like Job himself, not even a man in his best estate, but one so persecuted and exhausted as Job: one, therefore, altogether unequal to the task he has undertaken.
That darkeneth counsel.That is, probably, my counsel, which was the matter under debate. The words, however, are often used proverbially in a general sense. Such discussions, carried on, as they cannot but be, in entire ignorance by blind mortals, must to Gods omniscience seem thus, and cannot be otherwise than the darkening of counsel by words without knowledge.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Introduction By a pertinent question Jehovah singles Job out as the object of special address, and recognizes him as the leader in arraigning the divine counsel, and proceeds to summon him to prepare for the divine adjudication he has so often invoked, (Job 9:34-35; Job 13:18; Job 23:3; Job 31:35,) and more especially to meet the conditions of his own challenge, (Job 13:22🙂 THEN CALL THOU, AND I WILL ANSWER, Job 38:2-3.
2. Who is this that darkeneth, etc. A more pertinent and mortifying rebuke for the victor in debate could hardly be conceived.
Counsel In the sense of plan, of which the sufferings of Job were a part an idea which God proceeds more fully to illustrate by the additional design or plan which appears in the formation of the world. The quaint old divine, Thomas Brooks, citing this text, says: “Men of abstract conceits and wise speculations are but wise fools: like the lark that soareth on high, peering and peering, but at last falleth into the net of the fowler. Such persons are as censorious as curious, and do Christ and his Church but very little service in this world.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 38:2. Who is this that darkeneth counsel, &c. Nothing can be conceived more awful, than this appearance of Jehovah; nothing more sublime, than the manner in which his speech is introduced. Thunders, lightnings, and a whirlwind, announce his approach: All creation trembles at his presence: At the blaze of his all-piercing eye, every disguise falls off; the stateliness of human pride, the vanity of human knowledge, sink into their original nothing. The man of understanding, the men of age and experience; he who desired nothing more than to argue the point with God; he that would maintain his ways to his face, confounded and struck dumb at his presence, is ready to drop into dissolution, and repents in dust and ashes. With a single question the Almighty shews the absolute emptiness of human abilities, and puts an end to the dispute: “Canst thou give account of any one of my works? How then, presumptuous creature, darest thou attempt to censure my conduct in the government of the world; with the various relations of all whose parts thou art so far from being acquainted, that thou art not able to account for any one of them?” The present verse might be rendered, Who is this that maketh a great display of wisdom about reasoning above his comprehension? See Heath.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
(2) Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? (3) Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Observe, it is to Job the LORD directeth his speech, Job had, in the haste of his desire to be delivered, said, he would that GOD would speak to him . Here it is granted. Job 23:3-7 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Job 38:2 Who [is] this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
Ver. 2. Who is this that darkeneth counsel ] Who is this that talketh thus? saith God, stepping forth, as it were, from behind the hangings; how now? What is to do here? Some ancients think it meant of Elihu; but Job is the man. See Job 42:3 , where he takes it to himself; and it may be God here pointed to him with a Quis est iste Iob?
That darkeneth counsel
By words without knowledge
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Who is this . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
darkeneth. Hebrew. hashak. See note on Job 3:6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Job 12:3, Job 23:4, Job 23:5, Job 24:25, Job 26:3, Job 27:11, Job 34:35, Job 35:16, Job 42:3, 1Ti 1:7
Reciprocal: Job 6:26 – reprove Job 11:5 – General Job 33:3 – my lips Job 37:19 – we Psa 106:33 – he spake Psa 139:4 – there is not Rom 9:20 – who art Col 2:18 – intruding Jam 4:12 – who
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
FINITE CREATURE V. INFINITE CREATOR
Who is this? Where wast thou?
Job 38:2; Job 38:4
I. Humility should be one grace which springs up in my heart as I think of the majesty and might of my God.Where was I when He laid the foundations of the earth, when He determined the measures thereof and stretched the line upon it? And who am I that, face to face with Him, I should exalt and uplift myself?
II. But trustfulness should be another grace which flourishes in the soil of my heart, as I think of the greatness and glory of my God.He who shuts up the sea with doors, He who stays its proud waves, He who commands the morning and causes the dayspring to know its placeHe is my Father, my Saviour, my Comforter. When such a Lord is mine, I should not go careworn through the day nor lie sleepless during the hours of the night. I should live at ease. Since He is my Shepherd I will fear no evil, I will go from strength to strength.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Job 38:2. Who is this, &c. What and where is he that presumes to talk at this rate? That darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Words proceeding from ignorance, mistake, and want of consideration. Who is this that disparages my counsels, and darkens the wisdom of my dispensations with his ignorant discourses about them? This language becomes not a creature, much less a professor of the true religion. The person here intended is not Elihu, who spoke last, but Job, who had spoken most, as is manifest from the former verse, in which it is said, The Lord answered Job; and from Job 42:3, where Job takes the following reproof to himself, as also from the following discourse, wherein God convinces Job by divers of the same kind of arguments which Elihu had used against him. With a single question God shows the absolute emptiness of human abilities, strikes Job to the heart, and puts an end to the dispute.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
38:2 Who [is] this that {b} darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
(b) Which by seeking out the secret counsel of God by man’s reason, makes it more obscure, and shows his own folly.