Ver. 1. Then the Lord answered Job] God himself, taking the word out of Elihu’s mouth (who bad spoken well, but lacked majesty to set it forth), became his own patron, et huius disputationis sequester, and decider of this long controversy, vindicating his own authority, and teaching that truth in the four following chapters, which St Paul briefly compriseth in these words, Romans 11:33,34, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” Why then should any one require an account of his proceedings, or question his justice? Job had often desired that God would take knowledge of his cause. His friends also had desired the same, Job 11:5. Here therefore he appeareth in person, not as out of an engine devised for that purpose, after the manner of some partial tragedy, for the whole narration testifieth that this is a true story of things done indeed, and afterwards faithfully recorded (Beza). Which history is highly to be esteemed as an incomparable treasure, if it were for nothing else, yet for the right knowledge of natural philosophy here laid open, in these four following chapters, together with the chief and principal end thereof, which is, that in these visible creatures we may behold the invisible things of God. Out of the whirlwind] That is, out of a cloud whence issued a whirlwind or a storm, as a testimony of his heavenly majesty, and to procure attention. See the like Deuteronomy 4:12 1Ki 19:11 Eze 1:4 Na 1:9 Heb 12:18. God loves to be acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience, yet he takes state upon him in his ordinances, and will be trembled at in his word and judgments. And said] With much more mildness and moderation than Elihu or any of them had used in reprehending Job, and yet with such plenty and efficacy of words and arguments, Ut facillime omnes omnium orationes superet, that no such oration can anywhere else be read. Well might Lavater say, Hoc postremum colloquium est admodum suave et utile, This conference of God with Job is very sweet and profitable; for it teacheth us, among other things, how gently God dealeth with his offending servants, and how hardly the best are brought to confess their sins, and truly to repent of them.
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] My counsel, by misconstructions; his own, by rash and unskilful expressions; for which Elihu also rightly blamed him, and his other friends took great offence at him; who should rather have said, as Cruciger did of Luther, Eum commodius sentire quam loquitur, dum effervescit, that he thought not so ill as he spoke in his heat. By words without knowledge] This is the worst that God chargeth Job with; words of folly and ignorance: not with malice, falsehood, blasphemy, &c. Counsel also he attributeth to him, though not wisely managed. If there be any good in us, he noteth and noticeth it; passing by our defects and failings; as when Sarah called her husband lord, she is much commended for it; though there was never another good word in all that sentence, Genesis 18:12 1Pe 3:6 Job 35:16.
Ver. 3. Gird up now thy loins like a man] As men did use to do when they went to fight, 1 Kings 20:11. Stand to thy ward, and see to thyself; for I mean to assail thee and to try thy manhood. Plato hath observed, that the best fencers are the worst soldiers. Many can brave it beforehand, as that Thrasonical Gaal did, Judges 9:29, who yet cannot look their enemy in the face with blood in their cheeks. For I will demand of thee, and answer thou me] I will be thy opponent, since thou hast challenged me into the schools, as it were, and given me my choice, and prove thee with hard questions; whereunto if thou canst give no good answer, see thine own folly, and be satisfied.
Ver. 4. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?] q.d. Thou wast nowhere, a mere nonens; thou wast no companion or counsellor of mine; nay, not so much as an onlooker, for thou art but of yesterday. Thou understandest not the reason of this fair fabric; much less of my dark and deep counsels. Declare, if thou hast understanding] Heb. if thou kuowest understanding. An irony, but friendly, and free from all bitterness; the better to convince Job of his folly and faultiness; for which end, also, multis eum interrogationibus onerat, God loadeth him with many deep questions, the least whereof he could not answer. (Mercer).
Ver. 5. Who hath laid the measures thereof] In that circumference and diameter that it holdeth? If thou knowest] Or, For thou knowest; quandoquidem scitus es, a tart irony. Geometricians take upon them to know the various dimensions of the earth; and Archimedes boasted, that if he had but where to set his foot from off the earth he could shake the whole body of it. As also, that he could number all the sands that were in the whole world, habitable and inhabitable. But these were vain boasts. Or who hath stretched the line upon it?] A metaphor from masons and other master builders, who work by line and by rule. Vitruvius in his 7th book saith thus, Longitudines ad regulam et lineam, altitudines ad perpendiculum, anguli ad normam respondentes exigantur.