An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

There is a two-fold rendering or translation of this 14th verse; First, Some connecting it with the former, and taking it in a dependence upon what Elihu had last affirmed concerning God, He heareth not vanity, ¹neither doth the Almighty regard it, translate thus, Much less will he hear thee, if thou sayest thou doest not lo•k to, or regard this; judge thy self therefore before him, and wait for him. As if Elihu should bring an argument from the less to the greater; God will not hear vanity, nor will the Almighty regard it, how much less will he hear thee, who sayest, (upon the matter) that thou regardest not him, or what he saith and doth. That word, which in the close of the 13th verse, we render regard, is the same with that in this 14th verse, rendered, see; as if the whole were a rebuke, or a conviction of Job for his stoutness, in not viewing and contemplating the power and prerogative of God as he ought, in laying his hand upon him; and therefore saith Elihu, if God will not hear those that pray vainly, how much less will he regard thee, who seemest not to regard him? that is, not to humble thy self before him as becomes thee to thy Sovereign Lord: And thereupon Elihu gives him counsel in the close of the verse; Judge thy self before him, and then wait for him, or trust him, as we render it. Mr Broughton seems to speak in his translation much to this sense, giving it thus; So, when thou sayest thou wilt not mark it, judge before him, and wait for him. As God will not regard vain prayer, so when thou sayest to him, thou wilt not mark it, that is, attend to providences as thou oughtest, he will not regard thee. There is a truth in this, and the Original word may fairly bear this translation; yet I shall not stay upon it; but rather take this Context as the beginning of a new argument, than as the enforcement of the former; understanding it so, the words have yet a reading different from ours.

THere is a two-fold rendring or translation of this 14th verse; First, Some connecting it with the former, and taking it in a dependance upon what Elihu had last affirmed concerning God, He heareth not vanity, ¹neither doth the Almighty regard it, translate thus, Much less will he hear thee, if thou sayest thou doest not lo•k to, or regard this; judge thy self therefore before him, and waite for him. As if Elihu should bring an argument from the less to the greater; God will not hear vanity, nor will the Almighty regard it, how much less will he hear thee, who sayest, (upon the matter) that thou regardest not him, or what he saith and doth. That word, which in the close of the 13th verse, we render regard, is the same with that in this 14th verse, rendered, see; as if the whole were a rebuke, or a conviction of Job for his stoutness, in not viewing and contemplating the power and prerogative of God as he ought, in laying his hand upon him; and therefore saith Elihu, if God will not hear those that pray vainly, how much less will he regard thee, who seemest not to regard him? that is, not to humble thy self before him as becomes thee to thy Soveraigne Lord: And thereupon Elihu gives him counsel in the close of the verse; Judge thy self before him, and then waite for him, or trust him, as we render it. Mr Broughton seems to speak in his translation much to this sense, giving it thus; So, when thou sayest thou wilt not mark it, judge before him, and waite for him. As God will not regard vaine prayer, so when thou sayest to him, thou wilt not mark it, that is, attend to providences as thou oughtest, he wil not regard thee. There is a truth in this, and the Original word may fairly bear this translation; yet I shall not stay upon it; but rather take this Context as the beginning of a new argument, than as the inforcement of the former; understanding it so, the words have yet a reading different from ours.