John Gill Commentary Job 18:4

"Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?" — Job 18:4 (ASV)

He tears himself in his anger
Or "his soul" ^F12 , meaning Job, and referring to what he had said in (Job 16:9) ; Now, says Bildad, it is neither God nor man that tears you, it is you yourself; representing Job as a madman, rending his clothes, tearing his flesh, and even his very soul; for by his passion which he expressed, whether to God or his friends, it did himself the most hurt, he broke his peace, and spoiled his comfort, and ruined his health, and made himself the most unhappy of mankind, by giving vent to his passion, to his wrath and anger, which slays and a man, (Job 5:2) ; here a charge of impatience has suggested, contrary to the character even of Job, (James 5:11) ;

shall the earth be forsaken for you ?
through fear of you, because of your rage and fury; do you think that the inhabitants of the earth will flee before you, at your storming, rage, and wrath? before God none can stand when he is angry: there is no abiding his indignation when his fury is poured out like fire, and persons of the greatest rank will flee to the rocks and mountains to hide them from his face and fury; but what do you think, or make yourself to be, to be as Deity, that the inhabitants of the earth should flee before you, and forsake it?

or when you die, do you think that all the inhabitants of the earth will die with you, and so it will be forsaken for your sake? taking the hint from what Job had said, (Job 17:16) ; or do you think yourself a man of so much importance and consequence in the earth that when you die there will not be a man left of any worth and notice, that all might as well die with you?

or will God drop the government of the world on your account? will he no more employ his care and providence in concerning himself in the affairs of the world, but let all things go as they will, and so the earth, as to his providential regards to it, be forsaken for your sake? will God neither do good to good men, nor punish bad men? which must be the case according to your doctrine; but will God counteract this method of his providence, he has always taken in the earth, that you may appear not to be an evil man, as might be concluded from your afflictions, but a good man notwithstanding them?

and shall the rock be removed out of his place ?
which is not usual, nor can it be done by man; it may be done by God, who touches the mountains, and they smoke, and at whose presence they drop and move, as Sinai did, and as the mountains and hills will flee away at the presence of the Judge of all the earth, when he appears; but no such phenomenon can be expected upon the presence and sight of a man;

much less can God himself, who is often called a Rock, and is immovable, unalterable, and unchangeable in his nature, perfections, purposes, and the counsels of his will, be made to act contrary to either of them, (Deuteronomy 32:4Deuteronomy 32:15Deuteronomy 32:18Deuteronomy 32:30Deuteronomy 32:31) (2 Samuel 23:3) (1 Corinthians 10:4) ; nor will he do it for the sake of any man; he does all things after the counsel of his own will; he takes a constant course in Providence, in the government of the world,

can you think that he will go out of his usual way for your sake, in punishing wicked men, and rewarding good men? you may as soon imagine that a rock will be removed out of its place as the ordinary course of Providence will be altered on your account; to suppose this is presumption, pride, and arrogance, which is what Bildad means to fasten upon Job.

---

FOOTNOTES:

• F12: (wvpn) "animam suam", Pagninus, Montanus