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Commentary on Job 9 verses 22–24
Here Job touches briefly upon the main point now in dispute between him and his friends. They maintained that those who are righteous and good always prosper in this world, and none but the wicked are in misery and distress; he asserted, on the contrary, that it is a common thing for the wicked to prosper and the righteous to be greatly afflicted. This is the one thing, the chief thing, wherein he and his friends differed; and they had not proved their assertion, therefore he abides by his: "I said it, and day it again, that all things come alike to all." Now, 1. It must be owned that there is very much truth in what Job here means, that temporal judgments, when they are sent abroad, fall both upon good and bad, and the destroying angel seldom distinguishes (though once he did) between the houses of Israelites and the houses of Egyptians. In the judgment of Sodom indeed, which is called the vengeance of eternal fire (Jde 1:7), far be it from God to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked (Gen 18:25); but, in judgments merely temporal, the righteous have their share, and sometimes the greatest share. The sword devours one as well as another, Josiah as well as Ahab. Thus God destroys the perfect and the wicked, involves them both in the same common ruin; good and bad were sent together into Babylon, Jer 24:5, Jer 24:9. If the scourge slay suddenly, and sweep down all before it, God will be well pleased to see how the same scourge which is the perdition of the wicked is the trial of the innocent and of their faith, which will be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, Pe1 1:7; Psa 66:10.
Against the just th' Almighty's arrows fly,
For he delights the innocent to try,
To show their constant and their Godlike mind,
Not by afflictions broken, but refined.
- Sir R. Blackmore
Let this reconcile God's children to their troubles; they are but trials, designed for their honour and benefit, and, if God be pleased with them, let not them be displeased; if he laugh at the trial of the innocent, knowing how glorious the issue of it will be, at destruction and famine let them also laugh (Job 5:22), and triumph over them, saying, O death! where is thy sting? On the other hand, the wicked are so far from being made the marks of God's judgments that the earth is given into their hand, Job 9:24 (they enjoy large possessions and great power, have what they will and do what they will), into the hand of the wicked one (in the original, the word is singular); the devil, that wicked one, is called the god of this world, and boasts that into his hands it is delivered, Luk 4:6. Or into the hand of a wicked man, meaning (as bishop Patrick and the Assembly's Annotations conjecture) some noted tyrant then living in those parts, whose great wickedness and great prosperity were well known both to Job and his friends. The wicked have the earth given them, but the righteous have heaven given them, and which is better - heaven without earth or earth without heaven? God, in his providence, advances wicked men, while he covers the faces of those who are fit to be judges, who are wise and good, and qualified for government, and buries them alive in obscurity, perhaps suffers them to be run down and condemned, and to have their faces covered as criminals by those wicked ones into whose hand the earth is given. We daily see that this is done; if it be not God that does it, where and who is he that does it? To whom can it be ascribed but to him that rules in the kingdoms of men, and gives them to whom he will? Dan 4:32. Yet, 2. It must be owned that there is too much passion in what Job here says. The manner of expression is peevish. When he meant that God afflicts he ought not to have said, He destroys both the perfect and the wicked; when he meant that God pleases himself with the trial of the innocent he ought not to have said, He laughs at it, for he doth not afflict willingly. When the spirit is heated, either with dispute or with discontent, we have need to set a watch before the door of our lips, that we may observe a due decorum in speaking of divine things.
“The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.” With regard to the context of the passage, Job seems to state that his earthly part, that is, his body, is given to torments and vexations. The permission to afflict it is granted to the impious. Therefore, it certainly happens that those who see cannot express a fair judgment on the merits of the one who is afflicted. Passing to the prophetic aspect, that which vindicates the merits of the person, Job appears to wander from the context of the debate and to speak of future mysteries. The passion of the Lord is predicted. Job’s friends could not recognize this because the earthly vileness of Job’s external appearance is his internal dignity.
41. Who would not suppose that this was uttered in pride, unless he heard the sentence of the Judge, Who pronounces, For ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job hath. [Job 42, 7] Therefore it follows, that no one dare to find fault with the author's words, which it appears the Judge commends. But they must be sifted in their inner sense with the greater wariness and nicety, in proportion as they sound the harder on the outside. Thus the holy man surveying the woes of mankind, and considering whence they came, how that man, in consequence of the promise of his enemy, desiring to obtain the knowledge of good and evil, lost his very self too, so that he may say with truth, Though I were perfect, yet my soul shall not know it; how that after the punishment of exile he is further subject to the scourges of corruption, and even after being tormented is still tending to the death of the body, or indeed to the death of the soul, so that he may well say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked; in opposition to this he begs the grace of the Mediator, saying, If he scourge, let him slay once for all. For in that we have both in spirit departed from God; and that in flesh we return to dust, we are obnoxious to the punishment of a double death. But there came unto us One, Who in our stead should die the death of the flesh only, and join His single Death to our twofold death, and set us free from either kind. Concerning which it is said by Paul, For in that He died, He died unto sin once. [Rom. 6, 10] Thus let the holy man survey the ills of our state of corruption, and let him seek the one Death of the Mediator, which should cancel our two deaths, and in longing for this, let him say, If He scourge, let Him slay once for all.
42. But mark how that seems as though it were at war with humility, which is immediately introduced, And not laugh at the trial of the innocent. And yet we shall easily perceive this to be a very great piece of humility, if we consider it in a humble spirit. For it is plain to all persons that desire, when deferred, is in every case a pain; as Solomon bears witness, who says, Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. [Prov. 13, 12] Now for God to ‘laugh,’ is His refusing to take pity upon the suffering of man. Hence the Lord saith again, by Solomon, to the children of perdition continuing in sin, I also will laugh at your calamity [Prov. 1, 26]; i.e. ‘I will not compassionate you in your distress with any pity.’ Thus before the coming or our Redeemer, the Elect had all of them their pain, in that with ardent longing, they desired to behold the mystery of His Incarnation, as He Himself bears record, when He says, For I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see these things which ye see, and have not seen them; [Luke 10, 24] and so the ‘pains of the innocent’ are the desires of the righteous. For so long then as the Lord, taking no pity, deferred the wishes of His Elect, what did He else, but ‘laugh at the pains of the innocent?’ Therefore let the holy man, considering the gifts of the Redeemer that should come, and enduring with pain the delay of his wishes, express himself in the words, If He scourge, let Him slay once for all, and not laugh at the pains of the innocent. As if he besought in plain words, saying, ‘Whereas our life is every day bruised with the scourge of vengeance on account of sin, let Him now appear, Who for our sake may undergo death once for all, without sin, that God may no more ‘laugh at the pains of the innocent,’ if He Himself come subject to suffering in the flesh, in desire of Whom our soul chastens itself.’
43. Or indeed if He uses the expression of God's ‘laughing’ for His joy, the Lord is said ‘to laugh at the pains of the innocent,’ in that the more ardently He is sought of us, the more graciously He rejoices over us. For we as it were cause a kind of joy to Him by our pain, when by holy desires, we chasten ourselves for the love of Him. Hence the Psalmist saith, Appoint a solemn day in frequency, even unto the horns of the altar. [Ps. 118, 27. Vulg.] For he ‘appointeth a solemn day to the Lord in frequency,’ whosoever is continually chastening himself in the desire of Him; and it is enjoined that this same day of solemnity be carried even to the horns of the altar, in that it is necessary that every man chasten himself for so long time, until he attains to the height of the heavenly sacrifice, i.e. unto eternal bliss. Thus the holy man, for that he longs to have his desire fulfilled and no longer deferred, says with humility, Nor laugh at the pains of the innocent. As if he said, ‘Let Him, gladly welcoming our petitions, no longer defer, but by manifesting bring to light Him, who chastens us in the expecting of Himself.’ Now that blessed Job prayed that He in particular might be slain once for all, Who at ‘the end’ of the world underwent for our sake the death of the flesh alone, he immediately makes appear, in that he at the same time subjoins the very course of His Passion.
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SUMMARY
Job 9:23 encapsulates Job's profound and agonizing perception of God's interaction with human suffering. In the crucible of his undeserved pain, Job struggles to reconcile God's immense power and sovereignty with the indiscriminate nature of widespread calamity. He expresses a desperate conviction that God appears indifferent, or even mockingly detached, when the innocent are swept away by disaster alongside the wicked. This verse is a raw, emotional cry from a man grappling with the problem of evil and divine justice, reflecting his personal anguish rather than a definitive theological statement about God's character.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 9:23 is a potent expression of Job's despair, employing several literary devices to convey his anguish. The most prominent is Hyperbole, as Job exaggerates God's perceived indifference by stating He "will laugh" at the innocent's suffering. This is not a literal theological claim but an intense, emotional expression of Job's feeling of abandonment and the perceived injustice of his situation. The phrase "scourge slay suddenly" uses Metonymy, where "scourge" stands for the devastating effects of a widespread calamity or plague, representing the instrument for the disaster itself. There is also a strong element of Irony in Job's statement, as it starkly contrasts with the traditional understanding of a just and benevolent God, highlighting the profound theological tension Job experiences. Furthermore, the verse functions as a form of Lament, a common biblical genre where an individual expresses deep sorrow, complaint, and questioning to God in the midst of suffering, giving voice to Job's profound spiritual crisis.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 9:23 encapsulates the profound theological struggle at the heart of the Book of Job: the problem of suffering, particularly innocent suffering, in a world governed by an omnipotent and supposedly just God. Job's raw accusation reflects his inability to reconcile God's absolute power with the apparent randomness and cruelty of widespread disaster. He perceives God as detached and indifferent, making no distinction between the righteous and the wicked when calamity strikes. This challenges the simplistic retribution theology prevalent in his day and among his friends, forcing a deeper inquiry into the nature of divine justice, sovereignty, and human understanding. While Job's perception here is born of deep pain and is not the book's final word on God's character, it powerfully articulates the human cry for meaning and justice in the face of inexplicable pain.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 9:23 provides a profound validation for the raw, unvarnished honesty of lament in our spiritual lives. It teaches us that it is not only permissible but sometimes necessary to voice our deepest pain, confusion, and even our most challenging perceptions of God when we are engulfed by suffering. Job's words, though born of a skewed perspective, demonstrate a desperate yearning for justice and understanding from the very God he accuses. For us, this means embracing the full spectrum of human emotion in our prayers, knowing that God can handle our anger, our despair, and our questions. While God never truly "laughs" at the innocent's pain, He does permit trials that, from our limited perspective, can seem indiscriminate. This verse invites us to move beyond simplistic answers to suffering and to trust in God's ultimate wisdom and goodness, even when His ways are inscrutable. It challenges us to hold onto faith not because we understand everything, but because we trust the character of the One who holds all things together, even in the midst of chaos and pain.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job 9:23 mean God literally laughs at human suffering?
Answer: No, Job 9:23 does not mean God literally laughs at human suffering. This verse is a powerful expression of Job's profound anguish and despair, reflecting his perception of God's actions and character in the midst of overwhelming, inexplicable suffering. It's a hyperbolic lament, a desperate cry from a man who feels utterly abandoned and misunderstood by the very God he knows to be all-powerful. The Book of Job, as a whole, ultimately corrects this skewed perception, revealing a God who is sovereign, wise, and compassionate, even when His ways are beyond human comprehension. Other scriptures consistently portray God as deeply concerned with justice and compassion, not indifference or cruelty (e.g., Psalm 34:18 or Isaiah 63:9).
How does Job's view in this verse relate to the overall message of the Book of Job?
Answer: Job's view in Job 9:23 is a critical part of the Book of Job's central argument against simplistic retribution theology. His friends insist that suffering is always a direct result of sin, implying that Job must be guilty. Job's experience, however, defies this explanation. This verse highlights his struggle to reconcile his perceived innocence with his immense suffering, leading him to question God's justice and character. While Job's accusations are extreme and born of his pain, they force a deeper theological exploration. The book ultimately affirms God's sovereignty and wisdom, even when His ways are mysterious, and challenges the notion that humans can fully comprehend divine justice. It validates the right to lament and question, while ultimately calling for trust in God's character, as seen in Job 42:1-6.
Is it okay to question God like Job did?
Answer: Yes, the Book of Job, particularly verses like Job 9:23, powerfully demonstrates that it is indeed acceptable and even vital to bring our raw questions, doubts, and laments to God. The Bible is filled with examples of individuals, from Job to the psalmists (e.g., Psalm 22:1), who pour out their hearts to God in confusion, anger, and despair. God is big enough to handle our honest emotions and our deepest struggles. While Job's perception of God was flawed in his suffering, his honesty in expressing it was not condemned. The book encourages a relationship with God that is authentic, even in the midst of profound theological struggle, ultimately leading to a deeper, more refined faith.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job's agonizing cry in Job 9:23, expressing a perception of God's indifference to innocent suffering, finds its ultimate and profound answer in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Job struggled to understand why a powerful God would allow the innocent to suffer, the New Testament reveals a God who, in Christ, does not stand aloof but enters into human suffering in its most acute form. The innocent one, Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, endured the ultimate "scourge" of the cross, not because of His own sin, but for the sins of humanity. On the cross, Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), echoing Job's own sense of abandonment. Yet, this was not God laughing at the trial of the innocent, but God Himself, in Christ, bearing the full weight of sin and suffering, demonstrating ultimate solidarity with the afflicted. Through Christ's innocent suffering and resurrection, the problem of evil is not merely explained but overcome, offering not just understanding but redemption and the promise that God will ultimately wipe away every tear and make all things new (Revelation 21:5). Thus, the cross transforms Job's lament into a profound revelation of God's compassionate justice and redemptive love.