12 I was at rest, but he hath shattered me; he hath taken me by the neck and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. 13 His arrows encompass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. 14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach; he runneth upon me like a mighty man. 15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and rolled my horn in the dust. 16 My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 16:12-17
Commentary on Job 16:6-16
(Read Job 16:6-16)
Here is a doleful representation of Job's grievances. What reason we have to bless God, that we are not making such complaints! Even good men, when in great troubles, have much ado not to entertain hard thoughts of God. Eliphaz had represented Job as unhumbled under his affliction: No, says Job, I know better things; the dust is now the fittest place for me. In this he reminds us of Christ, who was a man of sorrows, and pronounced those blessed that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Commentary on Job 16:17-22
(Read Job 16:17-22)
Job's condition was very deplorable; but he had the testimony of his conscience for him, that he never allowed himself in any gross sin. No one was ever more ready to acknowledge sins of infirmity. Eliphaz had charged him with hypocrisy in religion, but he specifies prayer, the great act of religion, and professes that in this he was pure, though not from all infirmity. He had a God to go to, who he doubted not took full notice of all his sorrows. Those who pour out tears before God, though they cannot plead for themselves, by reason of their defects, have a Friend to plead for them, even the Son of man, and on him we must ground all our hopes of acceptance with God. To die, is to go the way whence we shall not return. We must all of us, very certainly, and very shortly, go this journey. Should not then the Saviour be precious to our souls? And ought we not to be ready to obey and to suffer for his sake? If our consciences are sprinkled with his atoning blood, and testify that we are not living in sin or hypocrisy, when we go the way whence we shall not return, it will be a release from prison, and an entrance into everlasting happiness.