Matthew Poole and continuators on Job 8:5

5. If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes , and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

But God hath spared thee, whom he might justly have destroyed with thy Children, and thou art yet capable of his favour if thou seek for it: And therefore cease from these causeless and unthankful complaints.

Heb. rise early to seek him, i. e. if thou wouldest seek him speedily, early and diligently. See Ch. 5. 8. & 7. 18, 21. But this may be understood of the time past; and this verse being connected with the next, may be thus rendred and understood; If thou hadst sought (for the future tense in the Hebrew is ost put for the past) unto God b[illegible: 1+ letters]tivies (as thou didst seem to do, Ch. 1. 5.) and made supplication to the Almighty; If withal thou hadst been pure and upright, i. e. If thy prayers had been accompanied with purity and uprightness of heart and life, they should have been heard and answered. But because thou didst regard iniquity in thy heart, therefore God would not hear, and did not answer thy prayers, but answered thee with a curse instead of a blessing, as he useth to deal with Hypocrites.

Marginal references: Chap. 11. 13. & 22. 23.