An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

Eliphaz having given an account of his observation, in general, that he had often seen wicked men perish, ver. 8. In these three verses, he illustrates his observation, by an elegant description of the manner how, or the power by which wicked men perish and are cut off; namely, by the blast of God, ver. 9. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed; and least any should think, that this blast of God carries away only straws and feathers, light and weak persons into perdition; he adds the weightiest and the strongest; The roaring of the Lion, the teeth of the young Lions are broken: God by his blast can take away or break, the strongest, the mightiest; Lion-like men, men fierce like Lions, and stout like the Lions whelp. Under the shadow of which allusions, he closely strikes at Job, who was once a great man, the greatest of all the men in the East; a fierce spoiling Lion (in the apprehension of his friends) and yet God brought him down. This in brief, is the illustration of the argument, in these three verses, By the blast of God they perish, &c.

ELiphaz having given an account of his observation, in generall, that he had often seene wicked men perish, ver. 8. In these three verses, he illustrates his observation, by an elegant description of the manner how, or the power by which wicked men perish and are cut off; namely, by the blast of God, ver. 9. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed; and least any should think, that this blast of God carries away onely strawes and feathers, light and weake persons into perdition; he adds the weightiest and the strongest; The roaring of the Lion, the teeth of the young Lions are broken: God by his blast can take away or breake, the strongest, the mightiest; Lion-like men, men fierce like Lions, and stout like the Lions whelpe. Under the shadow of which allusions, he closely strikes at Job, who was once a great man, the greatest of all the men in the East; a fierce spoiling Lion (in the apprehension of his friends) and yet God brought him downe. This in briefe, is the illustration of the argument, in these three verses, By the blast of God they perish, &c.

Eliphaz (having in the former verse, by the metaphor of ploughing, sowing, and reaping, set forth the actings and expectations, the issues and successes of wicked men) here (as some conceive) continues the metaphor or the Allegory by this expression of blasting, which (we know) is often used in reference to the seed sown; As if Eliphaz had said, when these men have ploughed and sowed, when they are in expectation of a fruitfully and plentiful harvest, then God blasteth the seed and the seeds-man too; he sendeth forth his rough wind, which drieth up and withereth stalk and ear, the counsel and the counsellors: And though blasting spoil or prevent reaping in an ordinary sense, yet blasting may be reaping (as here) in a figurative sense: They who sow iniquity, are often punished by reaping disappointments, which is the blasting