Job 5:24

Translation
King James Version
And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And thou shalt know H3045 that thy tabernacle H168 shall be in peace H7965; and thou shalt visit H6485 thy habitation H5116, and shalt not sin H2398.
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Complete Jewish Bible
You will know that your tent is safe; you will look round your home and miss nothing.
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Berean Standard Bible
You will know that your tent is secure, and find nothing amiss when inspecting your home.
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American Standard Version
And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; And thou shalt visit thy fold, and shalt miss nothing.
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World English Bible Messianic
You shall know that your tent is in peace. You shall visit your fold, and shall miss nothing.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And thou shalt knowe, that peace shall be in thy tabernacle, and thou shalt visite thine habitation, and shalt not sinne.
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Young's Literal Translation
And thou hast known that thy tent is peace, And inspected thy habitation, and errest not,
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See also
Psalms 121:7Psalms 121:8Psalms 91:10Isaiah 4:5Isaiah 4:6Job 18:6Job 8:6
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In the KJVVerse 12,976 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Job 5:24, delivered by Eliphaz the Temanite, presents Job with a conditional promise of comprehensive peace and security for his domestic sphere and possessions. Within Eliphaz's rigid theological framework, this verse posits that if Job were to embrace divine correction and repent of his perceived sin, he would experience undisturbed tranquility within his home, find his affairs in perfect order, and be entirely free from loss or disappointment. It encapsulates the conventional wisdom of the ancient Near East, where righteousness was believed to be directly and invariably linked to material prosperity and divine protection.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse serves as the concluding promise within Eliphaz's first major discourse to Job, spanning Job 4-5. Eliphaz, the initial and arguably most prominent of Job's three friends, speaks in response to Job's profound lament in Job 3, where Job expresses his wish never to have been born. Eliphaz's core theological premise, articulated throughout his speech, is that suffering is a direct and inevitable consequence of sin, and conversely, that God justly rewards the righteous with prosperity. He earnestly urges Job to acknowledge his presumed transgressions, accept God's "chastening" (as seen in Job 5:17), and return to the Almighty, promising restoration and abundant blessing. Therefore, Job 5:24 functions as a hopeful, albeit strictly conditional, vision of the peace and security Job could reclaim if he were to heed Eliphaz's counsel and repent. It is a pivotal part of Eliphaz's attempt to explain Job's inexplicable suffering through a conventional, albeit ultimately insufficient, theological framework.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The narrative of Job is situated in the ancient Near East (ANE), a region where a deeply ingrained wisdom tradition firmly connected moral conduct with tangible, material outcomes. This "retribution theology" was a pervasive cultural and theological understanding, positing that the upright would invariably prosper, while the wicked would suffer calamity. Eliphaz's advice, therefore, is not idiosyncratic but deeply embedded in this widely accepted societal and religious worldview. The terms "tabernacle" (Hebrew: ʼôhel') and "habitation" (Hebrew: nâveh') are significant, reflecting a society where one's dwelling, whether a nomadic tent or a more permanent structure, was foundational to one's identity, security, and economic well-being. "Peace" (Hebrew: shâlôwm') in this context is a rich, comprehensive concept that extends far beyond the mere absence of conflict; it encompasses wholeness, prosperity, well-being, security, and completeness in all facets of life, including one's family, property, and personal health. The act of "visiting" one's habitation implies a diligent and regular inspection of one's property and livestock, which constituted the primary assets and measure of wealth in an agrarian or pastoral society.
  • Key Themes: This verse critically contributes to several profound themes woven throughout the book of Job and the broader Old Testament wisdom literature. Firstly, it prominently features the theme of Retribution Theology, which forms the bedrock of the friends' arguments: the unwavering belief that God unfailingly rewards the righteous with prosperity and punishes the wicked with suffering. Eliphaz presents this as an immutable, divinely ordained principle. Secondly, the verse underscores Conditional Blessing, where the promise of peace and security is explicitly contingent upon Job's repentance and his perceived alignment with God's will. Thirdly, it touches upon Divine Providence and Protection, as Eliphaz confidently asserts that God actively oversees and safeguards the homes and possessions of those who are righteous. Finally, while not explicitly stated as a theme in the verse itself, its very presence within Eliphaz's discourse contributes to the overarching and central theme of The Nature of Suffering, as Eliphaz's conventional explanation of Job's calamities through the lens of sin and retribution is ultimately challenged and found profoundly inadequate by the book's subsequent narrative and God's own declarations in Job 38-41.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Know (Hebrew, yâdaʻ', H3045): This term signifies more than mere intellectual apprehension; it implies an experiential, deeply personal, and certain knowledge. In this context, it suggests Job would not just believe but would perceive and experience the peace and security of his dwelling, a knowledge gained through direct observation and undeniable reality.
  • Tabernacle (Hebrew, ʼôhel', H168): This refers to a tent or dwelling, often conspicuous from a distance. While literally a tent, it broadly represents one's home, domestic sphere, and the locus of family life and security. It encompasses the private, personal space where one finds rest and safety.
  • Habitation (Hebrew, nâveh', H5116): This word denotes a dwelling place, a home, or even a pasture for flocks. It carries implications of being "at home" and a sense of satisfaction and loveliness. In the context of Job, it extends beyond the physical structure to include one's entire homestead, property, and livelihood, emphasizing a settled and prosperous existence.
  • Sin (Hebrew, châṭâʼ', H2398): While its primary meaning is "to miss the mark" or "to go astray" (moral transgression), in the specific phrase "and shalt not sin" when visiting one's habitation, it takes on a nuanced meaning. Here, châṭâʼ implies "to suffer loss," "to fail," "to find something amiss," or "to be disappointed." Therefore, "shalt not sin" means that upon inspecting one's property, one will find everything in order, secure, and intact, without any "failure" or "loss" having occurred, thus avoiding disappointment.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle [shall be] in peace": This initial clause offers Job a profound and experiential certainty regarding the state of his domestic life. The promise is not merely that his home will be peaceful, but that he will know it to be so, implying a deep, undeniable perception of security and well-being. The term "peace" (Hebrew: shâlôwm, H7965) is comprehensive, denoting a holistic state of undisturbed tranquility, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, and harmonious existence, free from external threats, internal anxieties, or any form of disruption to his household.
  • "and thou shalt visit thy habitation": This phrase describes a deliberate and regular action of returning to or inspecting one's property and dwelling. In the ancient world, a "habitation" (Hebrew: nâveh, H5116) represented one's primary assets—home, land, livestock, and family—which were the bedrock of their security and wealth. To "visit" (Hebrew: pâqad, H6485) implies a careful survey, an accounting, or an oversight of one's possessions, ensuring their welfare and integrity.
  • "and shalt not sin": In this specific context, following the act of visiting one's habitation, the phrase "shalt not sin" (Hebrew: châṭâʼ, H2398) carries a unique meaning of "not suffering loss" or "not finding anything amiss." It is a promise that upon inspecting his property, Job would find nothing damaged, stolen, or lost. This assurance speaks to material preservation and the absence of disappointment or failure concerning his possessions, rather than a moral failing on Job's part. It guarantees that his expectations of finding his property intact and secure would be fully met.

Literary Devices

Eliphaz's statement in Job 5:24 employs several effective literary techniques to convey his conditional message of restoration. A prominent device is Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism, observed in the close relationship between "thy tabernacle" and "thy habitation." Both phrases refer to one's dwelling place and domestic sphere, reinforcing the central idea of home and security through repetition of meaning. The structure of the verse also presents a clear cause-and-effect relationship within Eliphaz's theological framework: if Job aligns himself with God, he will know peace in his home, leading to the ability to visit his property without loss. The entire discourse of Eliphaz, and this verse as its capstone, functions as a conditional promise, where the blessings offered are explicitly contingent upon Job's acceptance of correction and his subsequent repentance. Furthermore, "tabernacle" and "habitation" can be understood as forms of metonymy, where these specific terms for dwelling places stand in for the broader concept of one's entire domestic life, family, possessions, and overall well-being and security.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Eliphaz's theological framework, while ultimately challenged and found incomplete by the overarching narrative of the book of Job, nevertheless reflects a pervasive and often true Old Testament theme: that a life lived in obedience to God frequently brings blessing, security, and prosperity. However, the profound message of Job ultimately critiques the simplistic, rigid application of this retribution theology, demonstrating unequivocally that suffering is not always, or even primarily, a direct consequence of personal sin. True peace and profound security, as progressively revealed throughout the broader tapestry of Scripture, emanate from a deeper, unconditional trust in God's sovereign wisdom and inherent goodness, even when circumstances defy human explanation or logic. This verse, therefore, serves as a poignant prompt for us to critically examine the true source of genuine peace—not merely the superficial absence of trouble or external hardship, but the profound, all-encompassing presence of God's shalom, a holistic well-being that transcends and sustains us regardless of external circumstances.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

While Eliphaz's counsel, in its specific application to Job's unique and inexplicable suffering, proved to be misdirected, the underlying human yearning for peace, stability, and security within our homes and lives remains a universal and deeply felt desire. For believers today, Job 5:24 can serve as a powerful reminder of God's profound desire to bless His people with peace, though it is crucial to understand that this blessing is not always delivered in the simplistic, conditional terms Eliphaz proposed. We live in a fallen world where suffering, in its myriad forms, is an inevitable reality for all, regardless of our righteousness. However, we are unequivocally called to pursue a life of integrity, righteousness, and unwavering trust in God's ultimate care, sovereign provision, and boundless goodness. This understanding allows us to grasp that true peace—the profound shalom of God—is not contingent upon the absence of trials but is a divine presence that can guard our hearts and minds even amidst the most profound tribulations. It empowers us to cultivate an internal and external "habitation" that reflects divine order and God's blessing, enabling us to trust Him implicitly for protection and stability even when the world around us is chaotic and unpredictable.

Questions for Reflection

  • How do you personally define "peace" in the context of your home and personal life, moving beyond merely the absence of conflict or external trouble?
  • In what specific ways might our natural human pursuit of material security and stability inadvertently distract us from placing our ultimate trust in God's sovereign provision and comprehensive care?
  • Considering the complexities of life and suffering, how can we intentionally cultivate a profound sense of peace and divine order within our "habitation"—both our physical dwelling and our inner spiritual state—that genuinely reflects God's blessing, even amidst significant challenges and uncertainties?

FAQ

Was Eliphaz's advice completely wrong?

Answer: While Eliphaz's theology of retribution was a common and often valid understanding in the ancient world—that sin frequently carries negative consequences—his application of this principle to Job's specific situation was fundamentally flawed and incomplete. He failed to grasp that suffering can arise for reasons entirely unrelated to personal sin, such as divine testing, spiritual refining, or to bring greater glory to God, as the profound narrative of the book of Job ultimately reveals. His advice, though likely well-intentioned, lacked the full, nuanced scope of God's complex and multifaceted interaction with humanity. The book of Job stands as a powerful challenge to the simplistic notion that all suffering is directly proportional to sin, pointing instead to God's sovereign wisdom, which often transcends human comprehension (as powerfully articulated in Job 38 and subsequent chapters).

What does "shalt not sin" mean in this specific verse?

Answer: In Job 5:24, the phrase "shalt not sin" (Hebrew: châṭâʼ, H2398) is best understood not in the typical moral sense of committing a transgression or missing a moral mark. Instead, in the context of visiting one's property or "habitation," it carries the nuanced meaning of "not suffering loss," "not finding anything amiss," or "not being disappointed." It functions as a promise that upon inspecting one's possessions and home, everything will be found secure, intact, and free from damage, theft, or decay. This specific usage beautifully highlights the richness and versatility of Hebrew vocabulary, where a single word can convey different shades of meaning depending on its immediate context and surrounding phrases.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Eliphaz's conditional promise of peace and security, predicated upon human repentance and obedience, ultimately serves as a profound, albeit incomplete, foreshadowing of the complete, unconditional, and eternal peace offered exclusively through Jesus Christ. While Job desperately sought peace through intellectual understanding and self-justification, true and lasting shalom is not found in our perfect performance, the absence of suffering, or the meticulous ordering of our earthly affairs, but solely in the person and finished work of Jesus. He is our ultimate peace, who, through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, has reconciled us to God and irrevocably broken down the dividing wall of hostility between humanity and the divine. In Him, believers receive a peace that transcends all human understanding, a divine gift that powerfully guards their hearts and minds even amidst the most profound trials and tribulations of this fallen world. Our ultimate and eternal "habitation" is eternally secure in Christ, who has definitively overcome the world and promises us an everlasting dwelling with God. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, addressing the very root of all human "sin," loss, and brokenness, and guaranteeing a glorious future where there will be no more sorrow, crying, or pain, and where our true, perfect home is found in His glorious and eternal presence.

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Commentary on Job 5 verses 17–27

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points(1.) (2.) Details

Eliphaz, in this concluding paragraph of his discourse, gives Job (what he himself knew not how to take) a comfortable prospect of the issue of his afflictions, if he did but recover his temper and accommodate himself to them. Observe,

I. The seasonable word of caution and exhortation that he gives him (Job 5:17): "Despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. Call it a chastening, which comes from the father's love and is designed for the child's good. Call it the chastening of the Almighty, with whom it is madness to contend, to whom it is wisdom and duty to submit, and who will be a God all-sufficient (for so the word signifies) to all those that trust in him. Do not despise it;" it is a copious word in the original. 1. "Be not averse to it. Let grace conquer the antipathy which nature has to suffering, and reconcile thyself to the will of God in it." We need the rod and we deserve it; and therefore we ought not to think it either strange or hard if we feel the smart of it. Let not the heart rise against a bitter pill or potion, when it is prescribed for our good. 2. "Do not think ill of it; do not put it from thee (as that which is either hurtful or at least not useful, which there is not occasion for nor advantage by) only because for the present it is not joyous, but grievous." We must never scorn to stoop to God, nor think it a thing below us to come under his discipline, but reckon, on the contrary, that God really magnifies man when he thus visits and tries him, Job 7:17, Job 7:18. 3. "Do not overlook and disregard it, as if it were only a chance, and the production of second causes, but take great notice of it as the voice of God and a messenger from heaven." More is implied than is expressed: "Reverence the chastening of the Lord; have a humble awful regard to this correcting hand, and tremble when the lion roars, Amo 3:8. Submit to the chastening, and study to answer the call, to answer the end of it, and then you reverence it." When God by an affliction draws upon us for some of the effects he has entrusted us with we must honour his bill by accepting it, and subscribing it, resigning him his own when he calls for it.

II. The comfortable words of encouragement which he gives him thus to accommodate himself to his condition, and (as he himself had expressed it) to receive evil at the hand of God, and not despise it as a gift not worth the accepting.

1.If his affliction was thus borne, (1.) The nature and property of it would be altered. Though it looked like a man's misery, it would really be his bliss: Happy is the man whom God correcteth if he make but a due improvement of the correction. A good man is happy though he be afflicted, for, whatever he has lost, he has not lost his enjoyment of God nor his title to heaven. Nay, he is happy because he is afflicted; correction is an evidence of his sonship and a means of his sanctification; it mortifies his corruptions, weans his heart from the world, draws him nearer to God, brings him to his Bible, brings him to his knees, works him for, and so is working for him, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Happy therefore is the man whom God correcteth, Jam 1:12. (2.) The issue and consequence of it would be very good, Job 5:18. [1.] Though he makes sore the body with sore boils, the mind with sad thoughts, yet he binds up at the same time, as the skilful tender surgeon binds up the wounds he had occasion to make with his incision-knife. When God makes sores by the rebukes of his providence he binds up by the consolations of his Spirit, which oftentimes abound most as afflictions do abound, and counterbalance them, to the unspeakable satisfaction of the patient sufferers. [2.] Though he wounds, yet his hands make whole in due time; as he supports his people, and makes them easy under their afflictions, so in due time he delivers them, and makes a way for them to escape. All is well again; and he comforts them according to the time wherein he afflicted them. God's usual method is first to wound and then to heal, first to convince and then to comfort, first to humble and then to exalt; and (as Mr. Caryl observes) he never makes a wound too great, too deep, for his own cure. Una eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit - The hand that inflicts the wound applies the cure. God tears the wicked and goes away; let those heal that will, if they can (Hos 5:14); but the humble and penitent may say, He has torn and he will heal us, Hos 6:1. This is general, but,

2.In the following verses Eliphaz addresses himself directly to Job, and gives him many precious promises of great and kind things which God would do for him if he did but humble himself under his hand. Though then they had no Bibles that we know of, yet Eliphaz had sufficient warrant to give Job these assurances, from the general discoveries God had made of his good will to his people. And, though in every thing which Job's friends said they were not directed by the Spirit of God (for they spoke both of God and Job some things that were not right), yet the general doctrines they laid down expressed the pious sense of the patriarchal age, and as St. Paul quoted Job 5:13 for canonical scripture, and as the command Job 5:17 is no doubt binding on us, so these promises here may be, and must be, received and applied as divine promises, and we may through patience and comfort of this part of scripture have hope. Let us therefore give diligence to make sure our interest in these promises, and then view the particulars of them and take the comfort of them.

(1.)It is here promised that as afflictions and troubles recur supports and deliverances shall be graciously repeated, be it ever so often: In six troubles he shall be ready to deliver thee; yea, and in seven, Job 5:19. This intimates that, as long as we are here in this world, we must expect a succession of troubles, that the clouds will return after the rain. After six troubles may come a seventh; after many, look for more; but out of them all will God deliver those that are his, Ti2 3:11; Psa 34:19. Former deliverances are not, as among men, excuses from further deliverances, but earnests of them, Pro 19:19.

(2.)That, whatever troubles good men may be in, there shall no evil touch them; they shall do them no real harm; the malignity of them, the sting, shall be taken out; they may hiss, but they cannot hurt, Psa 91:10. The evil one toucheth not God's children, Jo1 5:18. Being kept from sin, they are kept from the evil of every trouble.

(3.)That, when desolating judgments are abroad, they shall be taken under special protection, Job 5:20. Do many perish about them for want of the necessary supports of life? They shall be supplied. "In famine he shall redeem thee from death; whatever becomes of others, thou shalt be kept alive, Psa 33:19. Verily, thou shalt be fed, nay, even in the days of famine thou shalt be satisfied, Psa 37:3, Psa 37:19. In time of war, when thousands fall on the right and left hand, he shall redeem thee from the power of the sword. If God please, it shall not touch thee; or if it wound thee, if it kill thee, it shall not hurt thee; it can but kill the body, nor has it power to do that unless it be given from above."

(4.)That, whatever is maliciously said against them, it shall not affect them to do them any hurt, Job 5:21. "Thou shalt not only be protected from the killing sword of war, but shalt be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, which, like a scourge, is vexing and painful, though not mortal." The best men, and the most inoffensive, cannot, even in their innocency, secure themselves from calumny, reproach, and false accusation. From these a man cannot hide himself, but God can hide him, so that the most malicious slanders shall be so little heeded by him as not to disturb his peace, and so little heeded by others as not to blemish his reputation: and the remainder of wrath God can and does restrain, for it is owing to the hold he has of the consciences of bad men that the scourge of the tongue is not the ruin of all the comforts of good men in this world.

(5.)That they shall have a holy security and serenity of mind, arising from their hope and confidence in God, even in the worst of times. When dangers are most threatening they shall be easy, believing themselves safe; and they shall not be afraid of destruction, no, not when they see it coming (Job 5:21), nor of the beasts of the field when they set upon them, nor of men as cruel as beasts; nay, at destruction and famine thou shalt laugh (Job 5:22), not so as to despise any of God's chastenings or make a jest of his judgments, but so as to triumph in God, in his power and goodness, and therein to triumph over the world and all its grievances, to be not only easy, but cheerful and joyful, in tribulation. Blessed Paul laughed at destruction when he said, O death! where is thy sting? when, in the name of all the saints, he defied all the calamities of this present time to separate us from the love of God, concluding that in all these things we are more than conquerors, Rom 8:35, etc. See Isa 37:22.

(6.)That, being at peace with God, there shall be a covenant of friendship between them and the whole creation, Job 5:23. "When thou walkest over thy grounds thou shalt not need to fear stumbling, for thou shalt be at league with the stones of the field, not to dash thy foot against any of them, nor shalt thou be in danger from the beasts of the field, for they shall all be at peace with thee;" compare Hos 2:18, I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field. This implies that while man is at enmity with his Maker the inferior creatures are at war with him; but tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia - a reconciled God reconciles all things. Our covenant with God is a covenant with all the creatures that they shall do us no hurt but be ready to serve us and do us good.

(7.)That their houses and families shall be comfortable to them, Job 5:24. Peace and piety in the family will make it so. "Thou shalt know and be assured that thy tabernacle is and shall be in peace; thou mayest be confident both of its present and its future prosperity." That peace is thy tabernacle (so the word is); peace is the house in which those dwell who dwell in God, and are at home in him. "Thou shalt visit" (that is, enquire into the affairs of) "thy habitation, and take a review of them, and shalt not sin." [1.] God will provide a settlement for his people, mean perhaps and movable, a cottage, a tabernacle, but a fixed and quiet habitation. "Thou shalt not sin," or wander; that is, as some understand it, "thou shalt not be a fugitive and a vagabond" (Cain's curse), "but shalt dwell in the land, and verily, not uncertainly as vagrants, shalt thou be fed." [2.] Their families shall be taken under the special protection of the divine Providence, and shall prosper as far as is for their good. [3.] They shall be assured of peace, and of the continuance and entail of it. "Thou shalt know, to thy unspeakable satisfaction, that peace is sure to thee and thine, having the word of God for it." Providence may change, but the promise cannot. [4.] They shall have wisdom to govern their families aright, to order their affairs with discretion, and to look well to the ways of their household, which is here called visiting their habitation. Masters of families must not be strangers at home, but must have a watchful eye over what they have and what their servants do. [5.] They shall have grace to manage the concerns of their families after a godly sort, and not to sin in the management of them. They shall call their servants to account without passion, pride, covetousness, worldliness, or the like; they shall look into their affairs without discontent at what is or distrust of what shall be. Family piety crowns family peace and prosperity. The greatest blessing, both in our employments and in our enjoyments, is to be kept from sin in them. When we are abroad it is comfortable to hear that our tabernacle is in peace; and when we return home it is comfortable to visit our habitation with satisfaction in our success, that we have not failed in our business, and with a good conscience, that we have not offended God.

(8.)That their posterity shall be numerous and prosperous. Job had lost all his children; "but," says Eliphaz, "if thou return to God, he will again build up thy family, and thy seed shall be many and as great as ever, and thy offspring increasing and flourishing as the grass of the earth (Job 5:25), and thou shalt know it." God has blessings in store for the seed of the faithful, which they shall have if they do not stand in their own light and forfeit them by their folly. It is a comfort to parents to see the prosperity, especially the spiritual prosperity, of their children; if they are truly good, they are truly great, how small a figure soever they may make in the world.

(9.)That their death shall be seasonable, and they shall finish their course, at length, with joy and honour, Job 5:26. It is a great mercy, [1.] To live to a full age, and not to have the number of our months cut off in the midst. If the providence of God do not give us long life, yet, if the grace of God give us to be satisfied with the time allotted us, we may be said to come to a full age. That man lives long enough that has done his work and is fit for another world. [2.] To be willing to die, to come cheerfully to the grave, and not to be forced thither, as he whose soul was required of him. [3.] To die seasonably, as the corn is cut and housed when it is fully ripe; not till then, but then not suffered to stand a day longer, lest it shed. Our times are in God's hand; it is well they are so, for he will take care that those who are his shall die in the best time: however their death may seem to us untimely, it will be found not unseasonable.

3.In the last verse he recommends these promises to Job, (1.) As faithful sayings, which he might be confident of the truth of: "Lo, this we have searched, and so it is. We have indeed received these things by tradition from our fathers, but we have not taken them upon trust; we have carefully searched them, have compared spiritual things with spiritual, have diligently studied them, and been confirmed in our belief of them from our own observation and experience; and we are all of a mind that so it is." Truth is a treasure that is well worth digging for, diving for; and then we shall know both how to value it ourselves and how to communicate it to others when we have taken pains in searching for it. (2.) As well worthy of all acceptation, which he might improve to his great advantage: Hear it, and know thou it for thy good. It is not enough to hear and know the truth, but we must improve it, and be made wiser and better by it, receive the impressions of it, and submit to the commanding power of it. Know it for thyself (so the word is), with application to thyself, and thy own case; not only "This is true," but "this is true concerning me." That which we thus hear and know for ourselves we hear and know for our good, as we are nourished by the meat which we digest. That is indeed a good sermon to us which does us good.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 17–27. Public domain.
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Gregory the DialogistAD 604
MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 6.53
In holy Scripture complete peace is described in one way and initial peace in another. For “Truth” gave to his disciples peace from the beginning, when he said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you.” And Simeon desired to have perfect peace. He sought it saying, “Now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word.” Our peace begins in longing for the Creator, but it is perfected by clarity of vision. Our peace will be perfect when our mind is neither blinded by ignorance nor moved by the assaults of the body. Forasmuch as we touch upon its first beginnings, when we either subject the soul to God or the flesh to the soul, the “tabernacle” of the righteous person is said to “have peace.” The body he inhabits through his mind is restrained from the evil motions of its desires under the controlling hand of righteousness. But what advantage is it to restrain the flesh by continence if the mind has not been taught to expand itself through compassion in the love of our neighbor? For the body’s chasteness is worth nothing if not recommended by sweetness of spirit.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
53. In holy Scripture full peace is described in one way, and peace in its beginning in another. For ‘Truth’ gave to His Disciples peace in its beginning, when He said, Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you. [John 14, 27] And Simeon desired to have perfect peace, when he besought saying, Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word. [Luke 2, 29] For our peace begins in longing for the Creator, but it is perfected by a clear vision. For it will then be perfect, when our mind is neither blinded by ignorance, nor moved by the assaults of its fleshly part. But forasmuch as we touch upon its first beginnings, when we either subject the soul to God or the flesh to the soul, the ‘tabernacle’ of the righteous man is said to ‘have peace,’ in that his body, which he inhabits by his mind, is held in from the froward motions of its desires under the controlling hand of righteousness. But what advantage is it to restrain the flesh by continence, if the mind is uninstructed to expand itself by compassion in the love of our neighbour? For that chasteness of the flesh is as nothing, which is not recommended by sweetness of spirit. Whence after the ‘peace of the tabernacle’ it is fitly subjoined,
And thou shalt visit thy likeness, and shalt not sin.
54. For the likeness of man is another man. For a fellow-creature is rightly called our ‘likeness,’ in that in him we discern what we ourselves are. Now in the visiting of the body we go to our neighbour by the accession of steps, but in the spiritual visiting, we are led not by the footstep but by affection. He then ‘visits his likeness,’ whoever direct his way to one, whom he sees to be like to himself in nature, by the footsteps of love, so that by seeing his own case in another, he may collect from himself how to condescend to another's weakness. He ‘visits his likeness,’ who, that he may remodel another in himself, takes account of himself in another. For hence ‘Truth,’ in telling by the mouth of Moses what had been done, denoted what was to be done, saying, And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, each one bearing seed after his kind. [gen. 1, 12] For ‘the tree produces seed after its kind’ when our mind gathers from itself thought for another, and produces the fructification of well doing. Hence the wise man saith, Do not that to any, which thou wouldest not have done to thyself. [Tob. 4, 15] Hence the Lord saith in the Gospel, Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even to them. [Matt. 7, 12] As if He said in plain words, ‘Visit your likeness in another man, and from your own selves learn what conduct it behoves you to exhibit to others.’ Hence Paul says, And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ.) [1 Cor. 9, 20. 21.] And soon after, I am made all things to all men, that I might save all. [ib. 22] Not indeed that the great Preacher, to become like a Jew, broke away into faithlessness; nor, that he might become ‘as one under the law,’ did he turn back to the fleshly sacrifice; nor, that he might become ‘all things to all men,’ did he change his singleness of mind into variety of deceit; but by lowering himself, not by falling, he drew near to the unbelievers, to this end, that by taking each one into himself and transforming himself into each one, by sympathizing with them, he might gather what it was, that, if he himself were like them, he would justly have desired should be bestowed upon him by others; and might go along with every erring person so much the more to the purpose, in proportion as he had learnt the method of his salvation by the consideration of his own case. Well then is it said, And thou shalt visit thy likeness, and shalt not sin. For sin is then perfectly conquered, when everyone sees from the likeness of himself, how to expand in the love of his neighbour. But when the flesh is kept in check from evil practices, when the mind is exercised in virtuous habits, it remains that every one should by word of mouth reach the life, which in his own ways he observes. For he gathers abundant fruits of his preaching, who sows before the seeds of welldoing. Whence after the ‘peace of the tabernacle’ and the ‘visiting of our likeness,’
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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