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Translation
King James Version
He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.
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KJV (with Strong's)
He shall pray H6279 unto God H433, and he will be favourable H7521 unto him: and he shall see H7200 his face H6440 with joy H8643: for he will render H7725 unto man H582 his righteousness H6666.
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Complete Jewish Bible
He prays to God and is accepted by him, so that he sees [God's] face with joy, and [God] repays the man for his righteousness.
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Berean Standard Bible
He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man.
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American Standard Version
He prayeth unto God, and he is favorable unto him, So that he seeth his face with joy: And he restoreth unto man his righteousness.
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World English Bible Messianic
He prays to God, and he is favorable to him, so that he sees his face with joy. He restores to man his righteousness.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
He shall pray vnto God, and he will be fauourable vnto him, and he shall see his face with ioy: for he will render vnto man his righteousnes.
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Young's Literal Translation
He maketh supplication unto God, And He accepteth him. And he seeth His face with shouting, And He returneth to man His righteousness.
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Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Job 33:26, a pivotal statement from Elihu, powerfully articulates the transformative outcome for an individual who, having endured divine discipline, turns back to God in humble prayer. It promises that God will respond with profound favor, grant a joyful experience of His presence, and actively restore or affirm the individual's righteous standing. This verse underscores God's redemptive character, His deep desire for reconciliation, and the efficacy of sincere repentance in moving from suffering to spiritual restoration and intimate communion.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Job 33:26 is embedded within Elihu's third discourse (Job 33:1-33), a significant theological contribution that aims to correct the flawed perspectives of Job's three friends while also challenging Job's self-righteousness. Unlike the friends who rigidly adhere to a retribution theology (suffering is always punishment for sin), Elihu introduces the nuanced idea that God uses suffering as a pedagogical tool—a means of instruction, discipline, and correction designed to turn a person from destructive paths and preserve their life (Job 33:16-18). He highlights the role of a divine "messenger" or "interpreter" (Job 33:23) who can intercede on behalf of the afflicted, bringing God's grace to bear. The verses immediately preceding Job 33:26 describe God's deliverance of the man from the brink of death, restoring his physical health and vitality (Job 33:24-25). Thus, verse 26 serves as the climactic and joyful culmination of this redemptive process: the restored individual's grateful and humble response of prayer, God's favorable answer, and the complete restoration of relationship and righteousness.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The Book of Job is set in an ancient Near Eastern world where suffering was frequently and directly correlated with divine judgment for sin, and prosperity with divine blessing for righteousness. Elihu's discourse, while still acknowledging sin, significantly broadens this perspective by introducing the concept of suffering as a refining discipline. In this cultural milieu, "seeing the face" of a king or deity was a profound privilege, signifying acceptance, favor, and an intimate audience. Conversely, being denied access or having the face hidden implied disfavor, rejection, or judgment. The Hebrew concept of "righteousness" (tzedaqah, H6666) extended beyond mere moral uprightness to encompass social integrity, honor, and a right standing before both the community and God. Therefore, the restoration of righteousness meant the vindication of one's character and the return of their holistic well-being—social, spiritual, and often physical, as exemplified in Job's ultimate restoration (Job 42:10). The emphasis on prayer and divine intercession also resonates with broader ancient Near Eastern practices of seeking divine favor through petition, but Elihu elevates it to a deeply personal and transformative encounter with the living God.
  • Key Themes: Job 33:26 contributes profoundly to several overarching themes within the Book of Job and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it powerfully asserts The Efficacy of Prayer, demonstrating that humble, sincere, and repentant prayer to God elicits a positive and transformative divine response, affirming God's accessibility and His willingness to hear and act. Secondly, it highlights Divine Favor and Holistic Restoration, portraying God as merciful and gracious, eager to reconcile with those who turn to Him. This leads to comprehensive restoration—physical, emotional, and spiritual—aligning with God's character revealed throughout the Old Testament, such as His delight in mercy (Micah 7:18). Thirdly, the phrase "he shall see his face with joy" speaks to the profound Joy in God's Presence, signifying an intimate, approving encounter with God that brings deep peace and happiness, a theme beautifully echoed in the Psalms (Psalm 16:11). Finally, the promise that God "will render unto man his righteousness" introduces the crucial theme of God's Redemptive Justice and Justification. This suggests God's active role in restoring the individual's integrity and right standing before Him, foreshadowing the New Testament concept of God graciously declaring believers righteous through faith, as seen in the foundational doctrine of justification by grace (Romans 3:24).

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Pray (Hebrew, ʻâthar', H6279): This verb (H6279) signifies "to burn incense in worship," which then extends to "intercede" or "listen to prayer." It implies a fervent, often humble and earnest supplication, suggesting a desire to draw near to God in worship and petition. In this context, it emphasizes the man's initiative in seeking God's face, not merely as a desperate cry but as an act of reverent devotion and turning.
  • Favourable (Hebrew, râtsâh', H7521): This primitive root (H7521) means "to be pleased with," "to satisfy a debt," or "to accept." When applied to God, it describes His benevolent disposition towards the one who prays. It signifies God's gracious acceptance of the individual's prayer and person, emphasizing His willingness to respond with kindness and compassion rather than strict judgment. It conveys an unmerited act of divine grace and approval.
  • Face (Hebrew, pânîym', H6440): This plural noun (H6440), always used as singular, literally means "the face" (as the part that turns). In this verse, combined with the verb "to see" (H7200, râʼâh), it forms a powerful idiom "to see his face." This idiom does not imply a literal viewing of God's physical form, which is often forbidden or deadly in the Old Testament (Exodus 33:20). Instead, it denotes a direct, intimate encounter with God's presence, characterized by His approval, blessing, and acceptance. It stands in sharp contrast to God hiding His face, which implies disfavor or judgment.
  • Righteousness (Hebrew, tsᵉdâqâh', H6666): This noun (H6666) signifies "rightness" (abstractly), "rectitude" (subjectively), "justice" (objectively), "virtue" (morally), or "prosperity" (figuratively). In this context, particularly with the possessive suffix "-ô" ("his"), it refers to the man's restored integrity, vindication, or right standing before God and the community. God "rendering" it means He actively restores it to him, or, more profoundly, makes him righteous in His eyes, affirming his innocence or accepting his repentance. This is God's gracious act of affirmation and acceptance, not necessarily a declaration of inherent sinlessness but of restored relationship and status.

Verse Breakdown

  • "He shall pray unto God": This initial clause establishes the human action that initiates the divine response. Following God's disciplinary process and the potential intervention of a divine messenger (as described in the preceding verses), the afflicted individual turns to God in humble and earnest supplication. This act of prayer signifies repentance, trust, and a deep desire for reconciliation, acknowledging God's sovereignty, mercy, and His role as the ultimate source of healing and restoration.
  • "and he will be favourable unto him": This is God's immediate, gracious, and reciprocal response to the man's prayer. The divine favor (from râtsâh) indicates God's merciful disposition, His willingness to listen attentively, and His readiness to act benevolently towards the repentant individual. It powerfully underscores God's character as a God who desires to save, accept, and restore, rather than to perpetually punish.
  • "and he shall see his face with joy": This phrase describes the profound and deeply personal outcome of God's favor. "Seeing God's face" signifies an intimate, approving encounter with the divine presence, denoting full acceptance, blessing, and restored communion. The accompanying "joy" (H8643, tᵉrûwʻâh, meaning "clamor," "acclamation of joy," or "shouting") indicates the deep relief, happiness, and spiritual peace that results from being reconciled with God, a joy that transcends the previous suffering, alienation, and despair. It is the joy of restored relationship.
  • "for he will render unto man his righteousness": This final clause provides the fundamental reason or basis for the preceding outcomes. God's act of "rendering" or restoring "his righteousness" (from shûwb, H7725, "to turn back," "restore") means He vindicates the individual, affirming their right standing before Him. This is not earned by human merit but graciously bestowed by God, reflecting His redemptive justice that seeks to make the afflicted whole and right in His sight, either by restoring their integrity in the eyes of others or by graciously declaring them righteous in His own eyes. It is an act of divine affirmation and restoration of status.

Literary Devices

Job 33:26 employs several literary devices to convey its profound message of divine restoration. The phrase "he shall see his face with joy" is a powerful Idiom, signifying a direct, approving, and intimate encounter with God's presence rather than a literal visual perception. This idiom contrasts sharply with the concept of God hiding His face, which implies judgment or abandonment. The verse also exhibits a clear form of Parallelism, where the human action of prayer is met with a series of harmonious divine responses (favor, joyful presence, restoration of righteousness). This creates a powerful cause-and-effect relationship that highlights God's responsiveness to genuine repentance. Furthermore, the entire verse functions as a rich Theological Metaphor for spiritual restoration and justification. The physical healing and restoration described in the preceding verses (Job 33:24-25) serve as a tangible, earthly representation of the deeper spiritual reconciliation and renewed righteousness that God graciously grants.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Job 33:26 offers a profound theological insight into the very character of God and His merciful interaction with humanity, especially in the crucible of suffering and sin. It reveals a God who is not merely a distant, punitive judge but a compassionate and active Father, eager to restore those who turn to Him. The verse anticipates the broader biblical theme of divine grace and justification, where God, in His sovereign mercy, takes the initiative to mend a broken relationship and declare a repentant individual righteous. This act of "rendering righteousness" is not predicated on human merit but on God's gracious disposition and His overarching redemptive plan, foreshadowing the ultimate means of justification found in the New Testament. It underscores that true joy, peace, and flourishing are found in a right relationship with God, characterized by His favor, His manifest presence, and His active restoration of our standing before Him.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Job 33:26 stands as an enduring beacon of hope and a practical guide for navigating life's inevitable trials. It profoundly reminds us that suffering, though intensely painful, can serve as a divine instrument for drawing us closer to God, prompting essential self-examination, and leading to genuine repentance. The verse powerfully affirms the unwavering accessibility of God through prayer, assuring us that a humble, sincere cry for help will never be ignored by our merciful Creator. It encourages us to embrace the process of spiritual discipline, trusting that God's ultimate desire is our holistic restoration and profound joy. To "see God's face with joy" is to experience the deep peace, affirmation, and intimate communion that comes from being in right relationship with Him—a joy that far surpasses any earthly comfort or temporary relief. This passage calls us to cultivate a life of persistent and heartfelt prayer, confident in God's boundless favor and His transformative power to restore our righteousness and bring us into His joyful, life-giving presence, regardless of our past failures or present circumstances.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does Elihu's perspective on suffering in Job 33:26 challenge or affirm your own understanding of why God allows hardship in our lives?
  • What does "seeing God's face with joy" mean to you personally, and how can you cultivate a deeper sense of His approving presence in your daily life?
  • In what specific ways does the concept of God "rendering unto man his righteousness" provide comfort or challenge your understanding of justification and divine grace?
  • Considering the pivotal role of prayer in this verse, how might you deepen your prayer life to experience more of God's favor and profound restoration?

FAQ

Does Elihu's teaching in Job 33 align with the overall message of the Book of Job?

Answer: Elihu's discourse in Job 33 offers a more sophisticated theological perspective than Job's three friends, who rigidly adhered to a simplistic retribution theology (suffering equals sin). While Elihu still connects suffering to sin, he introduces the crucial nuance that God uses suffering as a disciplinary and corrective tool, a means of instruction and purification, rather than solely as punishment. His emphasis on God's desire for restoration and the role of an "interpreter" or "messenger" (Job 33:23) foreshadows the concept of mediation and grace. This more nuanced view partially aligns with the book's broader message that God's ways are complex and often beyond human comprehension, moving beyond simplistic cause-and-effect explanations for suffering, even if Elihu himself doesn't fully grasp the depth of Job's unique trial or the full scope of God's sovereignty.

What is the significance of God "rendering unto man his righteousness" in the Old Testament context?

Answer: In the Old Testament, "righteousness" (tzedaqah, H6666) encompasses more than just moral purity; it refers to one's right standing, integrity, and vindication before God and the community. When God "renders unto man his righteousness" in Job 33:26, it signifies God's active role in restoring the individual's honor, health, and proper relationship with Him. This is not necessarily about declaring a sinless state, but about God's gracious act of accepting the repentant, restoring their status, and bringing them back into favor. It highlights God's redemptive justice, where He is not only just in punishing sin but also just in forgiving and restoring those who turn to Him, affirming their place in His covenant and community.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Job 33:26, though spoken by Elihu in the Old Testament, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The verse speaks of a man praying to God, receiving favor, seeing God's face with joy, and having his righteousness rendered to him. Christ is the perfect embodiment of the "messenger" or "interpreter" Elihu vaguely alludes to in Job 33:23. He is the one and only mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5), through whom we can now boldly approach God's throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). It is through Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross that God's favor is fully extended to us, allowing us to "see His face with joy" not merely as a temporary blessing, but as an eternal reality. Indeed, through faith in Jesus, we are not merely restored to a previous state but are declared righteous by God Himself, for Christ "became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30). He, who knew no sin, became sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Thus, the hope of restored righteousness and joyful communion with God, dimly perceived in Job 33:26, is fully realized and freely given to all who believe in the redemptive work of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

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Commentary on Job 33 verses 19–28

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

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?

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 19–28. Public domain.
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Gregory the DialogistAD 604
9. He says that the Messenger implores first, and man afterwards; for did not the Lord first intercede with the Father through His Incarnation, and pray for our life, our insensibility would never rouse itself to ask for those things which are eternal. But the entreaty of His Incarnation came first, that our awakening from sloth might afterwards follow. But because the light of truth bursts forth with secret joy in our hearts, after temptations, and frequently after great griefs, it is rightly added of this man thus tempted, and imploring God,
And he shall see his face in exultation.
10. It was stated above, how God bears us down [‘afficit’] by manifesting Himself to us. But it is now stated how He cheers us, while He thus makes Himself known. For a man hath compunction in one sort, when on looking within he is frightened with dread of his own wickedness, and in another when on looking at heavenly joys he is strengthened with a kind of hope and security. The one emotion excites tears of pain and sorrow, the other tears of joy. For it is called exultation [‘jubilum’], when joy unspeakable is conceived in the mind, a joy which can neither be concealed, nor yet expressed in words. It betrays itself however by certain motions, though not expressed in any suitable words. And hence David the Prophet, on seeing that the souls of the Elect conceive a joy too great for them to bring out in words, declares, Blessed is the people that knoweth exultation. [Ps. 89, 15] For he says not “that speaketh,” but “that knoweth,” because exultation can be known in the understanding, though it cannot be expressed in words. For that which is too high for feeling, is felt therein. But since the mind of him who feels it is scarce sufficient for its contemplation, how can the tongue of the speaker suffice to tell of it? Because, then, when the light of truth pierces our hearts, it makes us at one time full of sorrow, from its display of strict justice, and delights us at another by disclosing inward joys: after the bitternesses of temptations, after the sorrows of tribulations, it is fitly subjoined, He shall see his face in exultation.
11. For the fire of tribulation is first darted into our mind, from a consideration of our own blindness, in order that all rust of sins may be burnt away. And when the eyes of our heart are purged from sin, that joy of our heavenly home is disclosed to them, that we may first wash away by sorrow that we have done, and afterwards gain in our transports a clearer view of what we are seeking after. For the intervening mist of sin is first wiped away from the eye of the mind, by burning sorrow; and it is then enlightened by the bright coruscations of the boundless light swiftly flashing upon it. At which sight, seen after its measure, it is absorbed in a kind of rapturous security; and carried beyond itself, as though the present life had ceased to be, it is refreshed in a manner by a kind of new being. The mind is then besprinkled with the infusion of heavenly dews from an inexhaustible fountain. It there discerns that it is not sufficient for that enjoyment, to which it has been hurried, and from feeling the truth, it sees that it does not discern how great that truth is. And it counts itself to be further removed from this truth, the nearer it approaches to it, because unless it beheld it in a certain degree, it would never feel that it was unable really to behold it.
12. The effort therefore of the mind is driven back, when directed towards it, by the bright encircling of its boundless nature. For filling all things with itself, it encircles all things; and our mind does not expand itself to comprehend that boundless object which encircles it, because the imperfection of its own circumscribed state keeps it within narrow bounds. It accordingly falls back at once to itself, and having seen as it were some traces of truth before it, is recalled to a sense of its own lowliness. But yet this unsubstantial and hasty vision, which results from contemplation, or rather, so to speak, this semblance of a vision, is called the face of God. For we, who recognise a person by his face, not unnaturally call the knowledge of God, His face. Whence Jacob says, after he had struggled with the Angel, I have seen the Lord face to face. [Gen. 32, 30] As though he were to say, I know the Lord, because He Himself has deigned to know me. But Paul declares that this knowledge will take place most completely in the end, when he says, Then shall I know, even as I am known. [1 Cor. 13, 12] Because then, after the contests of labours, after the waves of temptations, the soul is often caught up in rapture, in order that it may contemplate a knowledge of the Divine Presence, (a Presence which it can feel, but which it can never fully enjoy,) it is well said of this man who is tempted, after his many labours, He will see His face in exultation. But because the more a man contemplates heavenly things, the more does he amend his earthly doings, after the grace of contemplation he fitly adds the righteousness of his doings.
And He will render to man his righteousness.
13. It is called our righteousness, not as being of ourselves, but as made ours by the Divine bounty: as we say in the Lord’s prayer, Give us this day our daily bread. [Matt. 6, 11] See we both call it ours, and yet pray for it to be given us. For it becomes ours, when we receive it: but yet it is God’s, because it is given by Him. [Luke 11, 3] And it is therefore God’s, as of His gift, and it becomes truly ours, by virtue of our accepting it. It is in this way then that God in this place renders to man his righteousness: not that which he had of himself, but that which he received, having been so created as to have it; and in which, having fallen, he would not continue. God therefore will render to man that righteousness unto which he was created, that he may take delight in clinging to God, that he may dread His threatening sentence, that he may no longer trust the alluring promises of the crafty serpent.
14. For our ancient enemy ceases not daily to do the very same thing which he did in Paradise. For he endeavours to pluck out the words of God from the hearts of men, and to plant therein the false blandishments of his own promising. He day by day softens down the threatenings of God, and invites to the belief of his false promises. For he falsely promises temporal blessings, to soften down in men’s minds those eternal punishments which God threatens. For when he promises the glory of this life, what else does he do but say, Taste, and ye shall be as gods? [Gen. 3, 5] As if he said plainly, Lay hold on worldly desires, and appear lofty in this world. And when he endeavours to remove the fear of the Divine sentence, what else does he say but the very words he used to our first parents, Why hath God commanded you that ye should not eat of every tree of paradise? [Gen. 3, 1] But because man has, by the Divine gift, recovered on his redemption that righteousness, which he lost long since after his creation, he exerts himself more vigorously against the allurements of crafty persuasion, because he has learnt by experience how obedient he ought to be; to the Divine command. And him whom sin then led to punishment, his own punishment now restrains from sin: in order that he may be the more fearful of offending, the more, through the fear of punishment, he blames the evil he has done.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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