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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 33:19–28. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
God has spoken once to sinners by their own consciences, to keep them from the paths of the destroyer, but they perceive it not; they are not aware that the checks their own hearts give them in a sinful way are from God, but they are imputed to melancholy or the preciseness of their education; and therefore God speaks twice; he speaks a second time, and tries another way to convince and reclaim sinners, and that is by providences, afflictive and merciful (in which he speaks twice), and by the seasonable instructions of good ministers setting in with them. Job complained much of his diseases and judged by them that God was angry with him; his friends did so too: but Elihu shows that they were all mistaken, for God often afflicts the body in love, and with gracious designs of good to the soul, as appears in the issue. This part of Elihu's discourse will be of great use to us for the due improvement of sickness, in and by which God speaks to men. Here is,
I.The patient described in his extremity.
See what work sickness makes (Job 33:19, etc.) when God sends it with commission. Do this, and doeth it.
1.The sick man is full of pain all over him (Job 33:19): He is chastened with pain upon his bed, such pain as confines him to his bed, or so extreme the pain is that he can get no ease, no, not on his bed, where he would repose himself. Pain and sickness will turn a bed of down into a bed of thorns, on which he that used to sleep now tosses to and fro till the dawning of the day. The case, as here put, is very bad. Pain is borne with more difficulty than sickness, and with that the patient here is chastened, not a dull heavy pain, but strong and acute; and frequently the stronger the patient the stronger the pain, for the more sanguine the complexion is the more violent, commonly, the disease is. It is not the smarting of the flesh that is complained of, but the aching of the bones. It is an inward rooted pain; and not only the bones of one limb, but the multitude of the bones, are thus chastened. See what frail, what vile bodies we have, which, though receiving no external hurt, may be thus pained from causes within themselves. See what work sin makes, what mischief it does. Pain is the fruit of sin; yet, by the grace of God, the pain of the body is often made a means of good to the soul.
2.He has quite lost his appetite, the common effect of sickness (Job 33:20): His life abhorreth bread, the most necessary food, and dainty meat, which he most delighted in, and formerly relished with a great deal of pleasure. This is a good reason why we should not be desirous of dainties, because they are deceitful meat, Pro 23:3. We may be soon made as sick of them as we are now fond of them; and those who live in luxury when they are well, if ever they come, by reason of sickness, to loathe dainty meat, may, with grief and shame, read their sin in their punishment. Let us not inordinately love the taste of meat, for the time may come when we may even loathe the sight of meat, Psa 107:18.
3.He has become a perfect skeleton, nothing but skin and bones, Job 33:21. By sickness, perhaps a few days' sickness, his flesh, which was fat, and fair, is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; it is strangely wasted and gone: and his bones, which were buried in flesh, now stick out; you may count his ribs, may tell all his bones. The soul that is well nourished with the bread of life sickness will not make lean, but it soon makes a change in the body.
He who, before, had such a beauteous air,
And, pampered with the ease, seemed plump and fair
Doth all his friends (amazing change!) surprise
With pale lean cheeks and ghastly hollow eyes;
His bones (a horrid sight) start through his skin,
Which lay before, in flesh and fat, unseen.
- Sir R. Blackmore
4.He is given up for gone, and his life despaired of (Job 33:22): His soul draws near to the grave, that is, he has all the symptoms of death upon him, and in the apprehension of all about him, as well as in his own, he is a dying man. The pangs of death, here called the destroyers, are just ready to seize him; they compass him about, Psa 116:3. Perhaps it intimates the very dreadful apprehensions which those have of death as a destroying thing, when it stares them in the face, who, when it was at a distance, made light of it. All agree when it comes to the point, whatever they thought of it before, that it is a serious thing to die.
II.The provision made for his instruction, in order to a sanctified use of his affliction, that, when God in that way speaks to man, he may be heard and understood, and not speak in vain, Job 33:23. He is happy if there be a messenger with him to attend him in his sickness, to convince, counsel, and comfort him, an interpreter to expound the providence and give him to understand the meaning of it, a man of wisdom that knows the voice of the rod and its interpretation; for, when God speaks by afflictions, we are frequently so unversed in the language, that we have need of an interpreter, and it is well if we have such a one. The advice and help of a good minister are as needful and seasonable, and should be as acceptable, in sickness, as of a good physician, especially if he be well skilled in the art of explaining and improving providences; he is then one of a thousand, and to be valued accordingly. His business at such a time is to show unto man his uprightness, that is, God's uprightness, that in faithfulness he afflicts him and does him no wrong, which it is necessary to be convinced of in order to our making a due improvement of the affliction: or, rather, it may mean man's uprightness, or rectitude.
1.The uprightness that is. If it appear that the sick person is truly pious, the interpreter will not do as Job's friends had done, make it his business to prove him a hypocrite because he is afflicted, but on the contrary will show him his uprightness, notwithstanding his afflictions, that he may take the comfort of it, and be easy, whatever the event is.
2.The uprightness, the reformation, that should be, in order to life and peace. When men are made to see the way of uprightness to be the only way, and a sure way to salvation, and to choose it, and walk in it accordingly, the work is done.
III.God's gracious acceptance of him, upon his repentance, Job 33:24.
When he sees that the sick person is indeed convinced that sincere repentance, and that uprightness which is gospel perfection, are his interest as well as his duty, then he that waits to be gracious, and shows mercy upon the first indication of true repentance, is gracious unto him, and takes him into his favour and thoughts for good. Wherever God finds a gracious heart he will be found a gracious God; and,
1.He will give a gracious order for his discharge. He says, Deliver him (that is, let him be delivered) from going down to the pit, from that death which is the wages of sin. When afflictions have done their work they shall be removed. When we return to God in a way of duty he will return to us in a way of mercy. Those shall be delivered from going down to the pit who receive God's messengers, and rightly understand his interpreters, so as to subscribe to his uprightness.
2.He will give a gracious reason for this order: I have found a ransom, or propitiation; Jesus Christ is that ransom, so Elihu calls him, as Job had called him his Redeemer, for he is both the purchaser and the price, the priest and the sacrifice; so high was the value put upon souls that nothing less would redeem them, and so great the injury done by sin that nothing less would atone for it than the blood of the Son of God, who gave his life a ransom for many. This is a ransom of God's finding, a contrivance of Infinite Wisdom; we could never have found it ourselves, and the angels themselves could never have found it. It is the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, and such an invention as is and will be the everlasting wonder of those principalities and powers that desire to look into it. Observe how God glories in the invention here, heurēka, heurēka, - "I have found, I have found, the ransom; I, even I, am he that has done it."
IV.The recovery of the sick man hereupon.
Take away the cause and the effect will cease. When the patient becomes a penitent see what a blessed change follows.
1.His body recovers its health, Job 33:25. This is not always the consequence of a sick man's repentance and return to God, but sometimes it is; and recovery from sickness is a mercy indeed when it arises from the remission of sin; then it is in love to the soul that the body is delivered from the pit of corruption when God casts our sins behind his back, Isa 38:17. That is the method of a blessed recovery. Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee; and then, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk, Mat 9:2, Mat 9:6. So here, interest him in the ransom, and then his flesh shall be fresher than a child's and there shall be no remains of his distemper, but he shall return to the days of his youth, to the beauty and strength which he had then. When the distemper that oppressed nature is removed how strangely does nature help itself, in which the power and goodness of the God of nature must be thankfully acknowledged! By such merciful providences as these, which afflictions give occasion for, God speaketh once, yea, twice, to the children of men, letting them know (if they would but perceive it) their dependence upon him and his tender compassion of them.
2.His soul recovers it peace, Job 33:26.
(1.)The patient, being a penitent, is a supplicant, and has learned to pray. He knows God will be sought unto for his favours, and therefore he shall pray unto God, pray for pardon, pray for health. Is any afflicted, and sick? Let him pray. When he finds himself recovering he shall not then think that prayer is no longer necessary, for we need the grace of God as much for the sanctifying of a mercy as for the sanctifying of an affliction.
(2.)His prayers are accepted. God will be favourable to him, and be well pleased with him; his anger shall be turned away from him, and the light of God's countenance shall shine upon his soul; and then it follows,
(3.)That he has the comfort of communion with God. He shall now see the face of God, which before was hid from him, and he shall see it with joy, for what sight can be more reviving? See Gen 33:10, As though I had seen the face of God. All true penitents rejoice more in the returns of God's favour than in any instance whatsoever of prosperity or pleasure, Psa 4:6, Psa 4:7.
(4.)He has a blessed tranquility of mind, arising from the sense of his justification before God, who will render unto this man his righteousness. He shall receive the atonement, that is, the comfort of it, Rom 5:11. Righteousness shall be imputed to him, and peace thereupon spoken, the joy and gladness of which he shall then be made to hear though he could not hear them in the day of his affliction. God will now deal with him as a righteous man, with whom it shall be well. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, even righteousness, Psa 24:5. God shall give him grace to go and sin no more. Perhaps this may denote the reformation of his life after his recovery. As he shall pray unto God, whom before he had slighted, so he shall render to man his righteousness, whom before he had wronged, shall make restitution, and for the future do justly.
V.The general rule which God will go by in dealing with the children of men inferred from this instance, Job 33:27, Job 33:28.
As sick people, upon their submission, are restored, so all others that truly repent of their sins shall find mercy with God. See here,
1.What sin is, and what reason we have not to sin. Would we know the nature of sin and the malignity of it? It is the perverting of that which is right; it is a most unjust unreasonable thing; it is the rebellion of the creature against the Creator, the usurped dominion of the flesh over the spirit, and a contradiction to the eternal rules and reasons of good and evil. It is perverting the right ways of the Lord (Act 13:10), and therefore the ways of sin are called crooked ways, Psa 125:5. Would we know what is to be got by sin? It profiteth us not. The works of darkness are unfruitful works. When profit and loss come to be balanced all the gains of sin, put them all together, will come far short of countervailing the damage. All true penitents are ready to own this, and it is a mortifying consideration. Rom 6:21, What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed?
2.See what repentance is, and what reason we have to repent. Would we approve ourselves true penitents? We must then, with a broken and contrite heart, confess our sins to God, Jo1 1:9. We must confess the fact of sin (I have sinned) and not deny the charge, or stand upon our own justification; we must confess the fault of sin, the iniquity, the dishonesty of it ( have perverted that which was right); we must confess the folly of sin - "so foolish have I been and ignorant, for it profited me not; and therefore what have I to do any more with it?" Is there not good reason why we should make such a penitent confession as this? For,
(1.)God expect it. He looks upon men, when they have sinned, to see what they will do next, whether they will go on in it or whether they will bethink themselves and return. He hearkens and hears whether any say, What have I done? Jer 8:6. He looks upon sinners with an eye of compassion, desiring to hear this from them; for he has no pleasure in their ruin. He looks upon them, and, as soon as he perceives these workings of repentance in them, he encourages them and is ready to accept them (Psa 32:5, Psa 32:6), as the father went forth to meet the returning prodigal.
(2.)It will turn to our unspeakable advantage. The promise is general. If any humble himself thus, whoever he be,
[1.]He shall not come into condemnation, but be saved from the wrath to come: He shall deliver his soul from going into the pit, the pit of hell; iniquity shall not be his ruin.
[2.]He shall be happy in everlasting life and joy: His life shall see the light, that is, all good, in the vision and fruition of God. To obtain this bliss, if the prophet had bidden us do some great thing, would we not have done it? How much more when he only says unto us, Wash and be clean, confess and be pardoned, repent and be saved?
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
These words mean that the soul of the wicked will never rejoice in the sins that it has committed or in the justice that it has never reached.
52. For when every outward pleasure is worn away by the pressure of the rod, the bones of inward firmness are laid bare. For what is meant in this place by the word flesh, but fleshly pleasure itself? Or what by bones, but the virtues of the soul? The flesh therefore wastes away, and the bones are laid bare, because while carnal pleasure is brought to nought by the reproof of scourges, those sturdy virtues are laid open, which had long been concealed, as it were, beneath the flesh. For no one learns what progress he has made, except in adversity. For in prosperity, the evidences of strength cannot be discerned. Whence it is written elsewhere, The Lord commanded His loving kindness in the day time, and declared it in the night. [Ps. 42, 8] Because, in truth, it is in tranquil rest that each man obtains the grace of the heavenly gift, but it is in trouble and adversity that he gives proof how much he has received. Let our flesh then waste away, that our bones may be laid bare. Let us be smitten with the reproofs of a father, that we may know what progress we are making. For by the scourge of the Lord the rankness of carnal pleasure is worn down, but the bones of our virtues are laid bare. Our outward beauty is tarnished by this world’s sufferings, but that which was concealed within is made manifest. For when the Apostles had been scourged, they were directed to speak no more in the Name of Jesus. [Acts 5, 40, 41] But they rejoiced with exceeding joy, that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Jesus: and they confidently replied to their adversaries, We ought to obey God rather than man. [Acts 5, 29] See how the strength of their faith shone forth more vigorously in adversity. See how the soundness of the flesh was cut through, but the bones of their virtues were laid open. It is hence said of them by Wisdom, God proved them, and found them worthy for Himself. [Wisd. 3, 5] For, though tried by the blows of adversity, they are found worthy by the laying bare of their bones. For that the trial of their scourging is here meant, is plainly declared by what follows, As gold in the furnace He tried them, and received them as a victim of a burnt offering. [ib. 6] Because, then, each man’s strength is made known only by adversity, it is well said, His flesh shall waste away, and his bones which were covered shall be laid bare. For the flesh wastes away, while every thing which is perishable and weak is worn away by the scourge. The bones are laid bare, while by these means our latent strength is also made manifest. As we have before said, not merely is the strength of our resolution made known, but also the weakness of our nature laid bare, by the very trials of adversity; and every one shows indeed under trial the progress he has made through God, but also confesses under the very inflictions of the scourges, how weak he is in himself; because not only are the bones laid bare, but the flesh also wastes away.
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Summary
Job 33:21 offers a stark and visceral depiction of severe physical deterioration, portraying a person so emaciated that their flesh has wasted away, revealing protruding bones. This graphic imagery is employed by Elihu, the youngest of Job's interlocutors, to illustrate his theological argument: that God can use intense physical affliction not as a punitive judgment for specific sin, but as a merciful, corrective discipline intended to humble, instruct, and ultimately lead an individual to repentance and spiritual restoration, thus averting a greater calamity or eternal ruin.
Context
Literary Context
Job 33:21 is situated within Elihu's first major speech, which spans from Job 32 to Job 37. Elihu intervenes after Job and his three friends have exhausted their arguments, presenting himself as a younger, more enlightened voice claiming to speak for God with impartiality. Unlike the previous friends who largely adhered to a rigid retribution theology—asserting that Job's suffering must be a direct consequence of his sin—Elihu introduces a nuanced perspective. He suggests that God's discipline, including severe illness, can be a form of merciful instruction, a warning designed to draw a person away from pride or unacknowledged sin and toward repentance and a deeper relationship with God. This verse serves as a vivid, almost clinical, example of the kind of severe affliction Elihu believes God might use to capture a person's attention and facilitate their spiritual growth, setting the stage for his subsequent arguments about God's justice and wisdom.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, severe illness and physical decay were often interpreted as direct signs of divine displeasure or punishment for sin. There was a limited understanding of disease etiology, leading to theological explanations for suffering. Elihu's description of extreme emaciation would have been a familiar and terrifying reality in a world without modern medicine, where chronic illness often led to such visible wasting. This condition would have also carried significant social and ritual implications, often leading to isolation and ostracization. Job's own suffering, characterized by painful boils and physical deterioration (as described in Job 2:7-8 and Job 19:20), would have made Elihu's graphic portrayal particularly resonant and relatable to Job's immediate experience, even if Elihu's theological framework for it differed from Job's own understanding.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within the book of Job and broader biblical wisdom literature. Firstly, it underscores the theme of human frailty and mortality, vividly illustrating the vulnerability of the human body to disease and decay, emphasizing our dependence on God for health and life. Secondly, and central to Elihu's argument, is the theme of divine discipline as instruction or refinement. Elihu posits that suffering, even as severe as that described in Job 33:21, is not always punitive but can be a corrective measure from God, a painful but ultimately redemptive lesson intended to bring about repentance and prevent spiritual ruin. This aligns with wisdom literature that speaks of God's corrective hand, as seen in Proverbs 3:11-12 and later echoed in the New Testament in Hebrews 12:5-11. Finally, the verse implicitly touches upon the theme of God's sovereignty and justice, as Elihu attempts to defend God's character and actions even in the face of profound human suffering.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term refers to the soft tissue of the body, including muscle, fat, and skin. In this context, its consumption signifies extreme emaciation and physical wasting, indicating a severe state of illness or starvation where the very substance of the body is diminishing.
A primitive root meaning "to end," "to cease," "to be finished," or "to consume." Here, it vividly describes the process of complete deterioration and dissolution of the flesh, emphasizing the extent to which the body's healthy tissue has wasted to the point of near disappearance, suggesting a profound and irreversible physical decline.
A primitive root meaning "to abrade" or "to bare." In this context, it conveys the idea of bones becoming prominent, exposed, or protruding. This word choice highlights the grotesque and unnatural visibility of the skeletal structure, which would normally be covered by flesh, making the suffering palpable and visually striking.
Verse Breakdown
"His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen"
This clause paints a graphic picture of extreme emaciation. It describes a severe wasting of the body's soft tissues—muscle, fat, and skin—to such an extent that they seem to vanish. The phrase "that it cannot be seen" is hyperbole, emphasizing the near-total disappearance of healthy flesh, leaving the body skeletal and gaunt. This condition signifies profound illness, starvation, or a combination thereof, leading to a state of extreme vulnerability and weakness.
"and his bones [that] were not seen stick out"
This second clause provides a stark contrast and further amplifies the horror of the first. Normally, bones are internal structures, covered and cushioned by flesh, and thus "not seen." However, due to the consumption of the flesh, these bones now "stick out," becoming painfully and grotesquely prominent. This imagery underscores the severity of the affliction, where the very framework of the body is laid bare, a visible and undeniable testament to profound suffering and the body's breakdown. It echoes Job's own lament in Job 19:20, "My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh."
Literary Devices
Job 33:21 is rich in Imagery, employing vivid and visceral descriptions to evoke a powerful sense of physical decay and suffering. The phrases "flesh is consumed away" and "bones... stick out" create a gruesome mental picture of extreme emaciation, bringing the severity of the affliction to life for the reader. A strong sense of Contrast is also at play, highlighting the stark difference between a healthy body, where flesh covers bones, and the diseased state where the flesh is gone and the bones are exposed. This contrast emphasizes the severity of the affliction. The language also borders on Hyperbole, as "cannot be seen" suggests an almost complete disappearance of flesh, intensifying the portrayal of the suffering and underscoring the severity of the physical deterioration. Finally, the verse elicits Pathos, evoking pity, horror, and a sense of vulnerability in the reader or listener, thereby underscoring Elihu's point about the gravity of the divine discipline he describes.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Elihu's description in Job 33:21, while graphically portraying physical suffering, is fundamentally theological in its intent. He uses this vivid imagery to support his argument that God's ways are just and that affliction can serve a redemptive purpose. Unlike Job's other friends who rigidly adhered to a retribution theology (suffering equals sin), Elihu introduces the concept of suffering as a pedagogical tool—a means by which God instructs, corrects, and draws individuals to repentance, thereby preventing greater spiritual ruin. This perspective highlights God's active involvement in human lives, not merely as a judge, but also as a loving, albeit sometimes stern, disciplinarian. It challenges the simplistic cause-and-effect understanding of suffering and introduces the idea that even profound physical trials can be part of God's sovereign plan for spiritual growth and refinement, ultimately aiming for the individual's good and God's glory.
Reflection and Application
Job 33:21, through Elihu's lens, compels us to consider the multifaceted nature of suffering. While we must resist the simplistic conclusion that all suffering is a direct punishment for sin, Elihu's perspective offers a valuable insight: that God can indeed use difficult circumstances, including physical affliction, as a catalyst for spiritual introspection, humility, and a deeper reliance on Him. This verse serves as a powerful reminder of human fragility and the preciousness of health, encouraging compassion for those who are gravely ill. It prompts us to examine our own lives: could there be areas where God is seeking to get our attention, to refine our character, or to draw us closer to Him through trials? Ultimately, it directs our gaze to God as sovereign over all circumstances, inviting us to seek His wisdom and comfort even amidst profound physical or emotional trials, trusting that He works all things for the good of those who love Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job 33:21 imply that all severe illness is a direct punishment for sin?
Not necessarily, according to Elihu's full argument. While Elihu, like Job's other friends, operates within a framework where God's justice is paramount, his unique contribution is to emphasize that suffering is not always punitive for specific, known sins. Instead, he proposes that God uses affliction as a form of merciful discipline or instruction, a warning designed to draw a person away from pride or unacknowledged sin and toward repentance. It's a preventive measure, a "chastening" to avert greater harm or spiritual ruin. The book of Job as a whole ultimately reveals that suffering is far more complex than simple sin-punishment, as seen in God's vindication of Job and Jesus' teaching in John 9:1-3 that a man's blindness was not due to his sin or his parents' sin, but "that the works of God might be displayed in him."
How does Elihu's view of suffering differ from Job's other friends?
Elihu's view marks a significant departure from the rigid retribution theology espoused by Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. The other friends consistently argued that Job's immense suffering must be a direct consequence of his hidden, grievous sins, urging him to confess. Elihu, while still affirming God's justice and sovereignty, introduces the concept of suffering as a corrective and instructional tool rather than solely a punitive one. He suggests that God uses affliction to warn, refine, and humble individuals, preventing them from falling into greater sin or pride, and ultimately leading them to repentance and restoration. He portrays God not just as a judge, but as a divine teacher and physician, using even severe physical deterioration (as described in Job 33:21) as a means of grace to bring about spiritual good.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Job 33:21 vividly portrays the physical decay brought by severe illness, a Christ-centered understanding reveals how Jesus fully entered into and ultimately triumphed over such human frailty and suffering. The Lord Jesus, though without sin, experienced profound physical and emotional suffering, culminating in the cross. He was described as having "no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him" and was "a man of suffering, and familiar with pain" (Isaiah 53:2-3). His body, scourged and crucified, would have displayed extreme physical degradation, far beyond the emaciation described in Job, as He bore the weight of humanity's sin and its consequences, including sickness and death. His suffering was not for His own correction but was a substitutionary act, a perfect sacrifice by which "by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). Moreover, Jesus demonstrated His power over sickness and physical decay through His many miracles of healing (Matthew 8:16-17), foreshadowing the ultimate restoration of all things. His resurrection from the dead is the definitive victory over physical decay and death, promising a future where believers will receive glorified bodies, free from the ravages of illness and suffering (Romans 8:18-23). Thus, while Elihu points to God's use of suffering for instruction, Christ embodies the ultimate answer to suffering, offering not just instruction but redemption, healing, and eternal hope beyond the grave.