Albert Barnes Commentary Job 4:5

"But now it is come unto thee, and thou faintest; It toucheth thee, and thou art troubled." — Job 4:5 (ASV)

But now it has come upon you - That is, calamity; or, the same trial which others have had, and in which you have so successfully exhorted and comforted them. A similar sentiment to that which is here expressed, is found in Terence:

Facile omnes, cum valemus, recta consilia aegrotis damus.

And. ii. i. 9.

It touches you - That is, affliction has come to yourself. It is no longer a thing about which you can coolly sit down and reason, and on which you can deliver formal exhortations.

And you are troubled - Instead of evincing the calm submission which you have exhorted others to do, your mind is now disturbed and restless. You vent your complaints against the day of your birth, and you charge God with injustice. A sentiment resembling this, occurs in Terence, as quoted by Codurcus:

Nonne id flagitium est, te aliis consilium dare,

Foris sapere, tibi non posse te auxiliarier?

Something similar to this often occurs. It is an easy thing to give counsel to others, and to exhort them to be submissive in trial. It is easy to utter general maxims, and to suggest passages of Scripture on the subject of affliction, and even to impart consolation to others; but when trial comes to us, we often fail to realize the power of those truths to console us.

Ministers of the gospel are called officially to impart such consolations, and are enabled to do it. But when the trial comes on them, and when they ought, by every solemn consideration, to be able to show the power of those truths in their own case, it sometimes happens that they evince the same impatience and want of submission which they had rebuked in others; and that whatever truth and power there may have been in their instructions, they themselves felt little of their force. It is often necessary that he who is appointed to comfort the afflicted, should be afflicted himself.

Then he can weep with those who weep; and this is why ministers of the gospel are called, quite as much as any other class of people, to pass through deep waters. Hence, too, the Lord Jesus became so pre-eminent in suffering, that he might be touched with the feelings of our infirmity, and be qualified to sympathize with us when we are tried (Hebrews 2:14, Hebrews 2:17–18, Hebrews 4:15–16).

It is exceedingly important that when those whose office it is to comfort others are afflicted, they should exhibit an example of patience and submission. That is the time to test their religion; and then they have an opportunity to convince others that the doctrines which they preach are adapted to the condition of weak and suffering man.