Job 26:2

How hast thou helped [him that is] without power?.... This verse and Job 26:3 either are to be understood of God, as many do, by reading the words, "who hast thou helped? God" (r)?

How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength? Without power ... no strength ... no wisdom.

How hast thou helped? thou hast helped egregiously. It is an ironical expression, implying the quite contrary, that he had not at all helped. See the like, ,10. Him that is without power; either, 1. God, who it seems is weak and unwise, and needed so powerful and eloquent an advocate as thou art to maintain his fights and plead his cause. Or, rather, 2. Job himself: I am a poor helpless creature, my strength and spirits quite broken with the pains of my body and perplexities of my mind, whom nature, and humanity, and religion should have taught thee to support and comfort with a representation of the gracious nature and promises of God, and not to terrify and overwhelm me with displaying his sovereign majesty, the thoughts whereof are already so distractive and dreadful to me.

Job 26:2 How hast thou helped [him that is] without power? [how] savest thou the arm [that hath] no strength?Ver. 2. How hast thou helped him that is without power?] q.d. Full well hast thou done it, surely. (See a like irony Mark 7:9 1 Corinthians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 4:10) Thou art a very goodly comforter, and with a great deal of wisdom thou hast framed thy discourse to my present necessity. Thou lookest upon me as a poor, forlorn, strengthless, fruitless creature. Thou shouldest therefore have set thyself to support me and shore me up, by uttering not only commoda, sed et accommoda, things true and profitable, but things fit and suitable to my distressed condition. Thou hast spoken much of the majesty and purity of Almighty God (wherein I well accord thee), but these are words of terror, such as I can hardly bear. Of strong medicine we say, Quod nec puero, nec seni, nec imbecillo, sed robusto conveniat, that it is not for children, or old folks, or weak ones, but for the stronger sort; it is not for every complexion and state. So neither is every discourse for all sort of people. It is a singular skill to be able to time a word, Isaiah 50:4, and to set it upon its wheels, Proverbs 25:10, to declare unto a man his righteousness, which not one of a thousand can tell how to do it like him, Job 33:23, to seek to find out pleasant words, such as have both goads and nails in them, Ecclesiastes 12:10-11 (to prick them on to duty, and to fasten them to the right, as pales to their rails), to divide the word of God aright, 2 Timothy 2:15, and to give every one his portion in the due season, Matthew 24:45. Not as he in the emblem, who gave straw to the dog, and a bone to the ass. The good word of God, if well applied, is profitable to all things, as is here hinted; sc. to help the powerless, to save the strengthless, to counsel the ignorant, and to set forth things as they are, that there may be no manner of mistake; but then it must be wisely handled, and the help of God’ s Holy Spirit must be implored, Job 26:4, that it may be a word of reconciliation, a savour of life unto life, 2 Corinthians 2:16; 2 Corinthians 5:19, and whatsoever else is said in commendation of it, Psalms 19:7-10. Mercer interpreting this verse and the two following, Hoc de Deo accipio, saith he, These things I understand concerning God; and it is as if Job had said to Bildad, Oh, how bravely helpest thou him that is weak, and pleadest for him that is forlorn, as if God wanted thy patronage and defence! No question but thou art a man fit to advise him, and to set him in a course that he cannot otherwise hit on: this is a good sense also.

Verse 2. How hast thou helped him] This seems a species of irony. How wonderfully hast thou counselled the unskilful and strengthened the weak! Alas for you! ye could not give what ye did not possess! In this way the Chaldee understood these verses: "Why hast thou pretended to give succour, when thou art without strength? And save, while thy arm is weak? Why hast thou given counsel, when thou art without understanding? And supposest that thou hast shown the very essence of wisdom?"

2–4. Job sarcastically expresses his admiration of Bildad’s speech, and gratitude for the help it has been to him.

How hast thou helped him that is without power? - It has been doubted whether this refers to Job himself, the two friends of Bildad, or to the Deity. Rosenmuller.