then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness.
Elihu has been describing how God brings a man back to Himself. Here he shows what that recovery looks like: prayer, God's welcome, and joy. Two questions follow. Whose righteousness does God restore? And how does a man reach this place at all?
Prayer That Has Confidence Again
The verse describes a man God has ransomed. One writer sees here the result of that work: a voice restored in prayer, and a righteousness that came from someone else.
Samuel RidoutNow we see the blessed results of this work of the Interpreter in the ransomed man. He can now pray with confidence, rejoice in God's favour, and see His face with joy. He has found a righteousness — not from his own goodness but from Another — "the righteousness from God that depends on faith." No doubt this includes God recognising faithfulness in a child of God, as in Job's case. But the principle carries us much further.
Whose Righteousness Is Restored
The last clause raises a question. Older translations read it as "He will render to man His righteousness." One writer hears there a righteousness God gives, and points to what had to happen first before God could give it.
George DavisonElihu speaks of God showing man what was righteous. That came to light in the path our Lord walked. But he adds, "He will render to man His righteousness." That could only be as a result of the work upon the cross (Job 33:23-26).
Commentators differ here. Another writer applies the same word to Job himself, and to the change of attitude Job still had to make.
W. H. WestcottHe would never surrender his integrity. He would never let go his righteousness. But, as Elihu puts it, his "righteousness," or his "uprightness" (see Job 33:23, 26) would now mean something different. It would mean bowing under God's hand. It would mean trusting the searching work of His discipline, and learning the lesson God would teach. In short, it would mean looking away from himself to God, and living on that new principle before Him — centred in God and no longer in self.
The Mark of New Life
Prayer here is the overflow of new life. One commentator links the verse to what God said about Saul of Tarsus.
Leslie M. GrantThe freshness of that new life will overflow in thankful prayer to God. Take Saul of Tarsus. God's grace woke him and saved him, and he had the distinction of having God say of him, "Behold, he is praying" (Acts 9:11). That is the result of being born again: "then man prays to God, and He accepts him" (v.26). More than that, "he sees His face with a shout of joy" — a wonderful honour given to every believer, because God has rendered to him His righteousness (v.26). We throw away our own righteousness as filthy rags, and the believer's confidence is now in God's righteousness.
How A Soul Gets There
Verse 26 is the end of a sequence, not the start of one. Something comes first: a conscience that agrees with God about the sin.
J. N. DarbyHe takes notice of every departure from Him. But the door is always open for "repentance." When a man judges his sin, and sees it in the light in which God sees it, nothing stands in the way of immediate restoration. The moment the conscience bows under the sin and confesses it, it comes into an upright position... So the church of God, or an individual soul, must come into this state of uprightness before God, so that He can restore it; Job 33:23-26. Judge sin in the conscience, and then God reveals His unfailing love to meet the need.
A Clear Conscience In Prayer
The same order holds today. One writer shows how simple the way back is.
The Bible TreasuryThe way to be cleared is so simple. Why should anyone walk with a burdened conscience? Make an upright and honest confession, and we are not only forgiven but cleansed. Elihu says the same of the soul that has come to judge itself: "then man prays to God, and He accepts him; he sees His face with a shout of joy."
Summary
- Sin judged. God notices every departure from Him, but the door stays open. When the conscience bows and owns the sin, restoration comes at once.
- Righteousness given. The righteousness here is not the man's own goodness but Another's. Only the work of the cross could secure it.
- Prayer returns. The ransomed man prays with confidence; new life shows itself first in prayer, as it did with Saul of Tarsus.
- Joy restored. He sees God's face with joy. That honour belongs to every believer, because God's righteousness, not ours, is now our confidence.
- Two readings. Commentators differ on "his righteousness." Some take it as God's righteousness given to man. Others take it as the uprightness of a man who stops defending himself and bows under God's hand.