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Commentary on Job 9 verses 1–13
Bildad began with a rebuke to Job for talking so much, Job 8:2. Job makes no answer to that, though it would have been easy enough to retort it upon himself; but in what he next lays down as his principle, that God never perverts judgment, Job agrees with him: I know it is so of a truth, Job 9:2. Note, We should be ready to own how far we agree with those with whom we dispute, and should not slight, much less resist, a truth, though produced by an adversary and urged against us, but receive it in the light and love of it, though it may have been misapplied. "It is so of a truth, that wickedness brings men to ruin and the godly are taken under God's special protection. These are truths which I subscribe to; but how can any man make good his part with God?" In his sight shall no flesh living be justified, Psa 143:2. How should man be just with God? Some understand this as a passionate complaint of God's strictness and severity, that he is a God whom there is no dealing with; and it cannot be denied that there are, in this chapter, some peevish expressions, which seem to speak such language as this. But I take this rather as a pious confession of man's sinfulness, and his own in particular, that, if God should deal with any of us according to the desert of our iniquities, we should certainly be undone.
I. He lays this down for a truth, that man is an unequal match for his Maker, either in dispute or combat.
1.In dispute (Job 9:3): If he will contend with him, either at law or at an argument, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. (1.) God can ask a thousand puzzling questions which those that quarrel with him, and arraign his proceedings, cannot give an answer to. When God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind he asked him a great many questions (Dost thou know this? Canst thou do that?) to none of which Job could give an answer, ch. 38, 39. God can easily manifest the folly of the greatest pretenders to wisdom. (2.) God can lay to our charge a thousand offences, can draw up against us a thousand articles of impeachment, and we cannot answer him so as to acquit ourselves from the imputation of any of them, but must, by silence, give consent that they are all true. We cannot set aside one as foreign, another as frivolous, and another as false. We cannot, as to one, deny the fact, and plead not guilty, and, as to another, deny the fault, confess and justify. No, we are not able to answer him, but must lay our hand upon our mouth, as Job did (Job 40:4, Job 40:5), and cry, Guilty, guilty.
2.In combat (Job 9:4): "Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered?" The answer is very easy. You cannot produce any instance, from the beginning of the world to this day, of any daring sinner who has hardened himself against God, has obstinately persisted in rebellion against him, who did not find God too hard for him and pay dearly for his folly. Such transgressors have not prospered or had peace; they have had no comfort in their way nor any success. What did ever man get by trials of skill, or trials of titles, with his Maker? All the opposition given to God is but setting briers and thorns before a consuming fire; so foolish, so fruitless, so destructive, is the attempt, Isa 27:4; Eze 28:24; Co1 10:22. Apostate angels hardened themselves against God, but did not prosper, Pe2 2:4. The dragon fights, but is cast out, Rev 12:9. Wicked men harden themselves against God, dispute his wisdom, disobey his laws, are impenitent for their sins and incorrigible under their afflictions; they reject the offers of his grace, and resist the strivings of his Spirit; they make nothing of his threatenings, and make head against his interest in the world. But have they prospered? Can they prosper? No; they are but treasuring up for themselves wrath against the day of wrath. Those that roll this will find it return upon them.
II. He proves it by showing what a God he is with whom we have to do: He is wise in heart, and therefore we cannot answer him at law; he is mighty in strength, and therefore we cannot fight it out with him. It is the greatest madness that can be to think to contend with a God of infinite wisdom and power, who knows every thing and can do every thing, who can be neither outwitted nor overpowered. The devil promised himself that Job, in the day of his affliction, would curse God and speak ill of him, but, instead of that, he sets himself to honour God and to speak highly of him. As much pained as he is, and as much taken up with his own miseries, when he has occasion to mention the wisdom and power of God he forgets his complaints, dwells with delight, and expatiates with a flood of eloquence, upon that noble useful subject. Evidences of the wisdom and power of God he fetches,
1.From the kingdom of nature, in which the God of nature acts with an uncontrollable power and does what he pleases; for all the orders and all the powers of nature are derived from him and depend upon him.
(1.)When he pleases he alters the course of nature, and turns back its streams, Job 9:5-7. By the common law of nature the mountains are settled and are therefore called everlasting mountains, the earth is established and cannot be removed (Psa 93:1) and the pillars there of are immovably fixed, the sun rises in its season, and the stars shed their influences on this lower world; but when God pleases he can not only drive out of the common track, but invert the order and change the law of nature. [1.] Nothing more firm than the mountains. When we speak of removing mountains we mean that which is impossible; yet the divine power can make them change their seat: He removes them and they know not, removes them whether they will or no; he can make them lower their heads; he can level them, and overturn them in his anger; he can spread the mountains as easily as the husbandman spreads the molehills, be they ever so high, and large, and rocky. Men have much ado to pass over them, but God, when he pleases, can make them pass away. He made Sinai shake, Psa 68:8. The hills skipped, Psa 114:4. The everlasting mountains were scattered, Hab 3:6. [2.] Nothing more fixed than the earth on its axletree; yet God can, when he pleases, shake the earth out of its place, heave it off its centre, and make even its pillars to tremble; what seemed to support it will itself need support when God gives it a shock. See how much we are indebted to God's patience. God has power enough to shake the earth from under that guilty race of mankind which makes it groan under the burden of sin, and so to shake the wicked out of it (Job 38:13); yet he continues the earth, and man upon it, and does not make it, as once, to swallow up the rebels. [3.] Nothing more constant than the rising sun, it never misses its appointed time; yet God, when he pleases, can suspend it. He that at first commanded it to rise can countermand it. Once the sun was told to stand, and another time to retreat, to show that it is still under the check of its great Creator. Thus great is God's power; and how great then is his goodness, which causes his sun to shine even upon the evil and unthankful, though he could withhold it! He that made the stars also, can, if he pleases, seal them up, and hide them from our eyes. By earthquakes and subterraneous fires mountains have sometimes been removed and the earth shaken: in very dark and cloudy days and nights it seems to us as if the sun were forbidden to rise and the stars were sealed up, Act 27:20. It is sufficient to say that Job here speaks of what God can do; but, if we must understand it of what he has done in fact, all these verses may perhaps be applied to Noah's flood, when the mountains of the earth were shaken, and the sun and stars were darkened; and the world that now is we believe to be reserved for that fire which will consume the mountains, and melt the earth, with its fervent heat, and which will turn the sun into darkness.
(2.)As long as he pleases he preserves the settled course and order of nature; and this is a continued creation. He himself alone, by his own power, and without the assistance of any other, [1.] Spreads out the heaven (Job 9:8), not only did spread them out at first, but still spreads them out (that is, keeps them spread out), for otherwise they would of themselves roll together like a scroll of parchment. [2.] He treads upon the waves of the sea; that is, he suppresses them and keeps them under, that they return not to deluge the earth (Psa 104:9), which is given as a reason why we should all fear God and stand in awe of him, Jer 5:22. He is mightier than the proud waves Psa 93:4; Psa 65:7. [3.] He makes the constellations; three are named for all the rest (Job 9:9), Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and in general the chambers of the south. The stars of which these are composed he made at first, and put into that order, and he still makes them, preserves them in being, and guides their motions; he makes them to be what they are to man, and inclines the hearts of man to observe them, which the beasts are not capable of doing. Not only those stars which we see and give names to, but those also in the other hemisphere, about the antarctic pole, which never come in our sight, called here the chambers of the south, are under the divine direction and dominion. How wise is he then, and how mighty!
2.From the kingdom of Providence, that special Providence which is conversant about the affairs of the children of men. Consider what God does in the government of the world, and you will say, He is wise in heart and mighty in strength. (1.) He does many things and great, many and great to admiration, Job 9:10. Job here says the same that Eliphaz had said (Job 5:9), and in the original in the very same words, not declining to speak after him, though now his antagonist. God is a great God, and doeth great things, a wonder-working God; his works of wonder are so many that we cannot number them and so mysterious that we cannot find them out. O the depth of his counsels! (2.) He acts invisibly and undiscerned, Job 9:11. "He goes by me in his operations, and I see him not, I perceive him not. His way is in the sea," Psa 77:19. The operations of second causes are commonly obvious to sense, but God does all about us and yet we see him not, Act 17:23. Our finite understandings cannot fathom his counsels, apprehend his motions, or comprehend the measures he takes; we are therefore incompetent judges of God's proceedings, because we know not what he does or what he designs. The arcana imperii - secrets of government, are things above us, which therefore we must not pretend to expound or comment upon. (3.) He acts with an incontestable sovereignty, Job 9:12. He takes away our creature-comforts and confidences when and as he pleases, takes away health, estate, relations, friends, takes away life itself; whatever goes, it is he that takes it; by what hand so ever it is removed, his hand must be acknowledged in its removal. The Lord takes away, and who can hinder him? Who can turn him away? (Margin, Who shall make him restore?) Who can dissuade him or alter his counsels? Who can resist him or oppose his operations? Who can control him or call him to an account? What action can be brought against him? Or who will say unto him, What doest thou? Or, Why doest thou so? Dan 4:35. God is not obliged to give us a reason of what he does. The meanings of his proceedings we know no now; it will be time enough to know hereafter, when it will appear that what seemed now to be done by prerogative was done in infinite wisdom and for the best. (4.) He acts with an irresistible power, which no creature can resist, Job 9:13. If God will not withdraw his anger (which he can do when he pleases, for he is Lord of his anger, lets it out or calls it in according to his will), the proud helpers do stoop under him; that is, He certainly breaks and crushes those that proudly help one another against him. Proud men set themselves against God and his proceedings. In this opposition they join hand in hand. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, to throw off his yoke, to run down his truths, and to persecute his people. Men of Israel, help, Act 21:28; Psa 83:8. If one enemy of God's kingdom fall under his judgment, the rest come proudly to help that, and think to deliver that out of his hand: but in vain; unless he pleases to withdraw his anger (which he often does, for it is the day of his patience) the proud helpers stoop under him, and fall with those whom they designed to help. Who knows the power of God's anger? Those who think they have strength enough to help others will not be able to help themselves against it.
“He removes mountains,” Job says, “and they do not know it.” The mountains, he says, and they do not notice it. And this is in perfect accordance with what David said: “He touches the mountains, and they smoke.” In this passage he speaks about the power of God by stating that God can do anything through his avenging power. In fact, Job has testified to his justice and, at the same time, testifies to his power.
6. Oftentimes in Holy Writ by the title of ‘mountains,’ the loftiness of Preachers is set forth. Of whom it is said by the Psalmist, The mountains shall receive peace for Thy people. [Ps. 72, 3] For the Elect Preachers of the eternal Land are not unjustly called ‘mountains,’ in that by the loftiness of their lives they leave the low bottoms of earthly regions, and are brought near to heaven. Now ‘Truth’ ‘removed the mountains’ when He withdrew the holy Preachers from the stubbornness of Judaea. Whence too it is rightly said by the Psalmist, The mountains shall be carried into the heart of the sea. [Ps. 46, 2] For ‘the mountains were removed into the heart of the sea,’ when the Apostles in their preaching, thrust off by the faithlessness of Judaea, came to the understanding of the Gentiles. Hence they themselves say in their Acts, It was necessary that the word should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and Judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. [Acts 13, 46] Now this same ‘removing of the mountains’ they themselves ‘knew nothing of, who were overthrown in the wrath of the Lord;’ for when the Hebrew people drove the Apostles from their coasts, they supposed that they had made gain, in that they had parted with the light of preaching, since as their deserts demanded, being struck with a just visitation, they were blinded by so great a delusion of the understanding, that their losing the light they accounted to be joy; but upon the rejection of the Apostles, Judaea is at once brought to destruction by the hands of the Roman Emperor Titus, and she is dispersed and scattered abroad among all nations.
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SUMMARY
Job 9:5 profoundly articulates the immeasurable and unchallengeable sovereignty of God over all creation, particularly emphasizing His effortless ability to manipulate and even dismantle the most stable and enduring elements of the natural world, such as mountains. This verse serves as a powerful testament to divine omnipotence, underscoring that God's actions often transcend human comprehension and can be executed with both creative and judicial intent, thereby highlighting humanity's utter inability to contend with or fully grasp His majestic and often mysterious power.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is situated within Job's initial, poignant response to Bildad the Shuhite in Job 9. Bildad had just asserted a simplistic theology: God is just and only punishes the wicked, implying Job's suffering must be due to his sin. Job, while agreeing with God's absolute righteousness and overwhelming power, finds himself trapped in an impossible dilemma: how can a mere human being, even if innocent, contend with or justify himself before such an omnipotent and inscrutable God? Job 9:4-10 forms a poetic catalogue of God's awe-inspiring acts, ranging from cosmic creation to the subtle movements of the earth, all designed to underscore His unapproachable majesty and the utter futility of any human attempt to establish righteousness or argue a case before Him. Verse 5 specifically contributes to this overwhelming portrayal of divine might, focusing on God's absolute control over the very foundations of the earth, demonstrating that even the most formidable natural structures are subject to His will.
Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, mountains were universally perceived as symbols of permanence, stability, and often, divine dwelling places or sources of power. To "remove" or "overturn" mountains was an act reserved for the most powerful deities, signifying ultimate dominion over the cosmos and the elemental forces of nature. The imagery in Job 9:5 would have resonated deeply with an audience accustomed to understanding divine power through dramatic natural phenomena, such as earthquakes or volcanic activity, which could indeed reshape landscapes. Furthermore, the concept of divine anger ('aph) was a well-established theological motif, frequently associated with righteous judgment and the dismantling of creation or human structures as a consequence of sin or rebellion. Job's discourse reflects a worldview where God's power is not merely an abstract concept but is tangibly demonstrated in the world's order and occasional upheaval, shaping both human destiny and the natural landscape.
Key Themes: The central theme permeating Job 9 and particularly highlighted in Job 9:5 is the Divine Omnipotence and Sovereignty. God's ability to "remove" and "overturn" mountains without their awareness emphasizes His absolute, effortless control over even the most formidable aspects of nature, challenging any human notion of resistance or comprehension. This leads directly to the theme of The Incomprehensibility of God's Actions. The phrase "and they know not" can imply that God's workings are so vast and subtle that even the mountains themselves are unaware of their displacement, or more profoundly, that human understanding is utterly insufficient to grasp the full scope of His mysterious ways, as Job himself struggles to comprehend God's justice in his suffering (Job 10:2). Finally, the phrase "in his anger" introduces the theme of Divine Judgment and Righteous Anger. God's immense power is not merely a neutral force but is often directed by His moral character and judicial will, demonstrating His holy wrath against unrighteousness, a concept seen throughout the Old Testament, for example, in the Lord's judgment upon the nations in Isaiah 13:13.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 9:5 employs several potent literary devices to convey God's overwhelming and terrifying power. Imagery is central, painting vivid pictures of God effortlessly manipulating mountains, which are universal symbols of permanence and stability. This creates a striking contrast between the perceived immovability of the earth's foundations and the effortless ease with which God can alter them, evoking a sense of awe and dread. The phrase "and they know not" uses a form of Personification, attributing a lack of awareness or comprehension to inanimate mountains, which serves to emphasize the sheer scale and imperceptibility of God's actions from a human perspective. Furthermore, the description of God's power to "remove" and "overturn" mountains can be seen as Hyperbole, exaggerating a truth to emphasize the boundless nature of divine omnipotence, suggesting a power that literally reshapes the world beyond human comprehension or challenge. Finally, the mention of "his anger" introduces Anthropomorphism, attributing a human emotion (anger) to God, which helps the reader grasp the divine motivation behind such powerful, often destructive, acts of judgment, grounding His cosmic power in a moral and just character.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 9:5 is a profound statement on God's absolute sovereignty and unchallengeable power, a theme echoed throughout Scripture from creation to consummation. It underscores that God is not merely powerful, but His power is limitless, incomprehensible, and often exercised with a divine purpose that transcends human understanding. This verse contributes to the broader biblical narrative of God as the ultimate Creator and Sustainer, who also holds the power of righteous judgment. It invites profound awe and humility before a God whose ways are higher than our ways, and whose might can reshape the very foundations of the earth, whether for creative purposes or for righteous judgment. The "anger" mentioned is not capricious but holy and just, reflecting His perfect nature and His righteous response to sin and rebellion.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 9:5 calls us to a posture of profound awe and humility before the Almighty God. In a world that often exalts human achievement, seeks absolute control, and struggles with perceived limitations, this verse powerfully reminds us that there is a power infinitely greater than our own, one that can effortlessly move mountains—both literal and metaphorical. It encourages us to trust in a God who is capable of anything, even when the obstacles in our lives seem as insurmountable as the highest peaks. This divine power is not arbitrary; when exercised "in his anger," it reminds us of God's perfect justice, His unwavering holiness, and the seriousness of sin. Therefore, our appropriate response should be one of deep reverence, recognizing our utter dependence on Him and the futility of contending with His sovereign will. It encourages us to surrender our limited understanding, anxieties, and perceived impossibilities to the One who holds all power, finding peace and security in His unchallengeable sovereignty even amidst life's most perplexing trials and unanswerable questions.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "and they know not" mean God's actions are random or unperceived?
Answer: The phrase "and they know not" in Job 9:5 does not imply that God's actions are random or without purpose. Rather, it profoundly emphasizes the overwhelming and often imperceptible nature of His power from a human perspective. It can be interpreted in two primary ways: first, that the mountains themselves (as inanimate objects) are unaware of their own displacement, highlighting the effortless and subtle manner in which God enacts His will, operating on a scale far beyond any creature's comprehension. Second, and more significantly for human understanding, it suggests that God's workings are so vast, profound, and beyond human comprehension that we often do not perceive or understand the full scope of His actions until after they have occurred, if at all. This underscores God's transcendence and the mystery of His sovereign ways, reinforcing the idea that His wisdom and power are far beyond our grasp, as also suggested in Isaiah 55:8-9.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The unchallengeable power and absolute sovereignty of God described in Job 9:5 find their ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the very embodiment of the God who "removes the mountains" and "overturns them in his anger." Jesus demonstrated this divine power over creation by calming furious storms with a word (Mark 4:39), walking on the turbulent sea as if on dry land (Matthew 14:25), and miraculously multiplying a few loaves and fish to feed thousands (John 6:11), showing that the Creator's power was fully present and active in Him. Furthermore, the "anger" of God against sin is perfectly executed and satisfied in Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross, where He, as the Lamb of God, bore the full wrath of God for humanity's transgressions (Romans 5:9). Through His resurrection, Christ definitively "overturned" the dominion of death and sin, removing the greatest spiritual "mountains" that separated humanity from a holy God (Colossians 2:14-15). Thus, the terrifying and incomprehensible power of God in Job is revealed in Christ as a redemptive, saving power, establishing His ultimate authority as King of kings and Lord of lords, before whom every knee will ultimately bow and every tongue confess (Philippians 2:10-11).