John Trapp on Job 42:7

Verſe 7. And it was ſo, that after the Lord had ſpoken theſe words to Job] And Job thoſe other again to God, it ſoon repented the Lord concerning his ſervant. Pro magno delicto parum ſupplicii ſat is eſt patri. A little puniſhment is enough to a loving father for a great fault. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, ſaith the Lord — for (alaſs) they have received of my hand double for all their ſins. Terent. Iſai. 40.1, 2. So it ſeemed to him who is all bowels, and who in all their afflictions is equally afflicted. God weeps on his peoples necks tears of compaſſion; they weep at Gods feet tears of compunction. Oh beautiful contention!

The Lord ſaid to Eliphaz the Temanite] Becauſe he was the ancienter man of greateſt Authority, and he that paſſed the heavieſt cenſures upon Job, doing enough to have driven him into deſperation.

My wrath is kindled againſt thee] Thus God paſſeth not ſentence on Jobs ſide, till he had firſt angerly repreſſed and reprehended thoſe three friends of his, who had aſſailed him without all right and reaſon. Let Gods ſervants hold out faith and patience: ſooner or later they ſhall be righted.

And againſt thy two friends Bildad and Zophar] Who ſtuck ſo cloſe to thee and chimed in with thee, againſt a better man then any of you all. As for Elihu, he is neither commended here, nor condemned. He ſpake well for the main, but many times took Job at the worſt, and miſconſtrued his ſpeeches. He is therefore puniſhed (as Ambaſſadors are uſed to be when they commit undecencies) with ſilence, which is the way royal to correct a wrong. The other three had great cauſe to be much troubled and terrified at that ſhort, but ſharpeſt ſpeech of God, My wrath is kindled againſt you: for, Who knoweth the power of Gods wrath, ſaith David: It is as the Meſſenger of death,Pſalm 90.11 and Harbinger of hell. God never ſaid ſo much to Job, in all thoſe long and large ſpeeches he made unto him, for he knew that milder words would do, and he loveth not to overdo. Ille dolet quoties cogitur eſſe ferox. By the way obſerve, That although theſe three had offended more then Job, yet he was afflicted, and they eſcaped free. Judgement beginneth at Gods houſe; neither have any out of hell ever ſuffered more then thoſe Worthies, of whom the world was not worthy, Heb. 11. For ye have not ſpoken the thing that was right] And yet they ſeemed to be all for God: and to plead his Cauſe againſt Job throughout. But as in ſome things they were much miſtaken, ſo they had their ſelf-reſpects, and were much byaſſed in their diſcourſes. Hypocrites and Heretikes (ſaith Gregory here) ſeem unto men more righteous; but God accepteth them not for all their plauſible pleas, and ſpecious pretences. Luke 16.15. Ye are they (ſaid our Saviour to the Phariſees) who juſtifie your ſelves before men, but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly eſteemed amongſt men is abomination in the ſight of God.

As my ſervant Job hath] They alſo were Gods ſervants, but becauſe they had lent Satan their ſervice againſt Job, and drawne from him many paſſionate ſpeeches, they are for a puniſhment ſet by after a ſort; as David alſo was when he had numbred the people, 2 Sam. 24.12. Go and ſay unto David. Now 'tis plaine David, who was wont to be my ſervant David, 2 Sam. 7.5. That Job is called Gods ſervant, (and that emphatically and excluſively) is a very great honour done him upon his repentance, and the like was done to David and Peter.