Job 36:7

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous,.... His eyes of providence are upon them to supply their temporal wants, and to protect and defend them from their enemies, and they are never off of

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.

He never ceaseth to care for and watch over the righteous, no, not when they are afflicted or persecuted, when he may seem to neglect them. Though they may be oppressed for a time, yet ofttimes he not only delivers them, but also raiseth them to the highest honour and happiness in this life; compare ,8; and their felicity is more stable and permanent than that of the wicked. Having mentioned the cause, that God did establish them; he now mentions the effect, that they are or continue to be exalted; they are not cast down from their dignity, as the wicked commonly are.

Job 36:7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings [are they] on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.Ver. 7. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous] He is so lost in love, as I may say, toward such that he cannot like to look beside them; he beholdeth them when afflicted with singular care and complacency. Then, if ever, the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears open to their cry, Psalms 34:15; then they may have anything of God, there being no time like that for heariug of prayers, Zechariah 13:9. Times of affliction are times of supplication, Psalms 50:15; Psalms 91:15. They are mollissima fandi tempora, Jeremiah 51:19-21. Then our hearts are largest, then God’ s ears are most open. Neither his ears only, but his eyes too, are busied about his suffering servants, as the goldsmiths are about the gold cast into the furnace, that no grain thereof be lost. He sits down by the fire, saith Malachi, and tends it, as a refiner and purifier of silver, Job 3:3. He refines them, but not as silver, Isaiah 48:10, that is, not exactly, and to the utmost, lest they should be consumed in that fiery trial: he seeth to it that the choice spirits of his people fail not before him, Isaiah 57:16, as they would do if he should bring upon them an evil, an only evil, Ezekiel 7:5, and not in the midst of judgment remember mercy. But with kings are they on the throne] i.e. He raiseth them to highest honours, as he did Joseph; whose fetters God in one hour changed into a chain of gold, his stocks into a chariot, his jail into a palace, his rags into fine linen, &c.; yea, as Jeremiah’ s rags helped to draw him out of the dungeon, so do afflictions work out to God’ s people an exceeding, eternal weight of glory. Here, perhaps, they may be held under, but to him that overcometh will the Lord Christ grant to sit with him in his throne, Revelation 3:21. The deluge of calamities may assault them, but it shall certainly exalt them. They shall have crowns on their heads, and palms in their hands, and walk arm in arm with angels. Some of the Hebrews by "kings" here understand angels, as if it were written ξμΰαιν, not Melachim, but Maleochim. Yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted] Or, when they are exalted. This no earthly prince can promise himself. Dionysius, who thought his kingdom had been tied to him with cords of adamant, was at length driven out of it. But Christ’ s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and he will not reign alone; if we suffer with him we shall also reign together, Romans 8:37.

(7) From the righteous—i.e., the righteous man. (Comp. Psalms 113:5-8.)

Verse 7. He withdraweth not his eyes] Exactly similar to those words of David, Psalms 34:15: "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous." But with kings are they on the throne] I think the words should be read thus:-"But with kings upon the throne shall he place them; and they shall be exalted for ever." The word וישיבם vaiyeshibem, he will establish or place them, should be added to the first clause, as I have done; and then the sense becomes much clearer. Instead of לנצח lanetsach, forever, perhaps to victory would be a better sense: "But with kings upon the throne will he place them; and they shall be exalted or triumph to victory." This is precisely the same idea, and conveyed in nearly the same words, as that of our Lord: - "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne;" Revelation 3:21. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory," c. Revelation 1:5-6.

7. The second half of the verse reads, But with kings upon the throne He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted. God’s careful providence especially keeps the righteous, whom He exalts to the loftiest stations, 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalms 113:7 seq.

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous - That is, he constantly observes them, whether they are in the more elevated or humble ranks of life.

7. But with kings… are exalted — Read, And (even) with kings on the throne he makes them sit forever, and they are exalted.