John Trapp on Job 11:3

Verſ. 3. Should thy lyes make men hold their peace?] Or, Thy toyes, toilſome toyes, hammered in thine own head, hatcht in thine own heart, which is deceitful above all things, and ſo a fit ſhop to frame lies in: but ſhould we be ſilent at the hearing of them, and ſo become guilty of thy ſin by a tacit conſent? Can any mortall wight hear what thou haſt ſaid in behalf of thine own imaginary innocency? chap. 6.29, 30. And how bold an appeal thou haſt made to God as a witneſſe thereof chap. 10.7. and not reply upon thee, and reprove thee? The truth is, had Job been a liar, as Zophar would make of him, (even mendaciorum loquaciſſimum, as Tertullian ſaith of Tacitus, one that fearing his many words would not carry his cauſe, had intermixed divers untruths the better to grace the buſineſſe) he ought not to have been forborn by Zophar or any elſe, that wiſhed well to his ſoul: But it was far from good Job to be guilty of this foul ſin, ſo hated of God, ſo like the divel, ſo inconſiſtent with religion. Christianus eſt, non mentietur, he is a Chriſtian, you may be ſure he will not lie, was the old argument; he will rather die then lie; Davia indeed in a diſtreſs, roundly told two or three lies together to Abimelech the high-prieſt, who ſuſpected that he fled as a proſcribed perſon 1 Sam. 21.2, 8. So 1 Sam 27.10. But that he allowed not this ſin in himſelf it appeareth in that 1. He had choſen the way of truth, his election was truth Pſalm 119.30. And 2. He prayed againſt the contrary evil, Remove from me the way of lying, Pſalm 119.29. He was not one of thoſe that took faſt hold of deceit, as Jeremiah phraſeth it chap. 8.5. Much leſſe was Job; however Zophar was miſtaken in him, as he was much more in his next charge, wherein he maketh him a ſcoffer of God and good people.

And when thou mockeſt, ſhall no man make thee aſhamed?] Job is made a mocker here; yea, a ſcorner, and derider, as the word ſignifieth, ſuch as David deſcribeth, Pſalm 22.6. and the Author to the Hebrewes, chap. 11.36. where he ſpeaks of cruel mockings, ſuch as the Scripture every where (but eſpecially in the Proverbs) brandeth for the worſt ſort of ſinners: See Pſalm 1.1. where the Septuagint tranſlate for ſcorners, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Peſts: as elſewhere Incorrigible, Prov. 21.1. Naught, Prov. 9.12. Proud, Prov. 3.34. Workers of iniquity Pſalm 119.51. But where did Job mock in Zophars judgment? Firſt, he ſpoke contemptuouſly (as he thought) of God, as chap. 10.3. Is it good unto thee that thou ſhouldſt oppreſſe? &c. And whereas he ſpake better ſometimes of Gods wiſdom and righteouſneſſe, Zophar thought it was but from the teeth-outward: but poor Job had little lift or leiſure to mock and jear: next, he mocked his friends for ſaying that he was juſtly afflicted; ſaying, that they were cold comforters, void of Gods fear, mercileſſe men &c. This they took in very ill part, and Zophar thinks to make him aſhamed of it: for ſaith he,

Shall no man make thee aſhamed?] ſc. By refuting thee, and by bringing thee to a due ſight of thine error: this good office he that ſhall undertake to do for another, muſt be ſure that he be able to do it effectually, elſe better not to attempt it. When Carolostadius oppoſed Luthers Conſubſtantiation but weakly and inſufficiently, Zuinglius ſaid,Non ſatis humerorum haberet. he was ſorry, that ſo good a cauſe wanted ſhoulders.