John Trapp on Job 11:2

Verſe 2. Should not the multitude of words be anſwered] Should not he who ſpeaketh what he will,Nunquid qui multa loquitur, non & audiet? Vulg. hear what he would not? yes, Job ſhall now, or you'l want of your will: but if Job have talked more then his part came to (the truth is, his ſpeeches are longer then any of thoſe his three friends, which are all, except that firſt made by Eliphaz, chap. 4. and 5. comprehended in one chapter, whereas his take up two, three, or more) he may well be excuſed, conſidering the ſharpneſſe of his diſeaſe, the ungentleneſſe of his friends, and the ſenſe of Gods diſpleaſure, which his ſoul laboured under. Zophar and the reſt looked upon him as a wretched hypocrite, and were angry that he would not yeild himſelf ſo; they accuſed his former converſation as wicked; what way had he therefore to defend and aſſert his own integrity, but by words? and muſt he yet paſſe for a pratling fellow, a man of lips, a very wordy man, one that loveth to hear himſelf talk, becauſe he will not be by them out-talked, and over-born by their falſe charges? Moſt ſure it is, that profane and profuſe babblings are to be avoided, and to bring fulneſſe of matter in fewneſſe of words, it is very commendable. Quàm multa quàm paucis! ſaid Tully of Bru[illegible: 2 letters]s his Laconical Epiſtle; how much is here in a little! but 1. Every man cannot be a ſhort-ſpoken Spartan: It is reported that in Luthers houſe was found written, Melancthou hath both matter and words: Luther hath matter, but wants words; Eraſmus hath words at will, but wants matter. Every one hath his own ſhare: all are not alike-gifted. 2. He is to be accounted talkative, who uttereth unprofitable words, and far from the purpoſe, beſide the point: and ſo Zophar himſelf was to be blamed in this whole diſcourſe of his, wherein he talketh much, but ſpeaketh little. Concerning the infinite and unſearchable wiſedom of God, he argueth truly and gravely, but yet nothing fitly to convince Job, who himſelf had ſaid as much and more of the ſame ſubject. The counſel alſo that therehence he giveth Job, doth little or nothing concern him: it being the ſame in effect that Eliphaz and Bildad had ſaid before him: Zophar therfore was the locutuleius, the talkative man here mentioned, rather then Job, the lip[illegible: 1 letter]-man, adverſus ſua ipſius vitia facundus ſatis: and as Bion was wont to ſay, that the Grammarians of his time could diſcourſe wel of the errors of Ʋlyſſes, but not at all ſee their own; ſo it befell Zophar.

And ſhould a man full of talk be justified?] Heb. a man of lips, ſo called, as if he were made all of lips, and had no other members. Shall ſuch an one be ever a whit the better thought of? Not among wiſe men ſurely, what ever he may amongſt his fellow fools: for in multiloquio ſtultiloquium: Some gravel and mud paſſeth away with much water; ſome vanity with much talk: it is no wiſedom for a man to lay on more words then the matter will well bear. A good Orator, ſaith Plutarch, will ſee that his words and his matter be matches. And Heſiod ſaith, that words, as a precious treaſure, ſhould be thriftily husbanded, and warily waſted: eſpecially ſith an account is to be rendred, as our Saviour aſſureth us, Matth. 12.36. yea, by thy words (he ſaith not, for thy words) thou ſhalt be justified, and by thy words (if ſuperfluous and ſinful, waſt and wicked) thou ſhalt be condemned, verſe 37.