Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? or is it gain to him, that you make your ways blameless?
Read Chapter 22
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Profit. God rules all with justice or with mercy: since, therefore, he punishes, it must be for some guilt, and not for his own advantage. But he might still chastise for the good of man, or to manifest his own power, John ix. 3. God also punishes the sinner for the wrong which he does to himself. (St. Augustine, Conf. iii. 8.) Any one may discover the sophism of Eliphaz. If God were indifferent with regard to our virtue, who would be able to advance one step towards him? (Calmet)
Man is unprofitable indeed to God, but he may reap great advantage from piety himself; and this is what God desires, as well as his own glory, Matthew v. 17. (Worthington)
2. For in all that we do well, we are doing good to ourselves and not to God. And hence by the Psalmist it is said, O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my God, seeing that Thou needest not my goods. [Ps. 16, 2] For He is truly ‘Lord’ to us, because He is also assuredly ‘God,’ Who needs not the good in him that serveth Him, but bestows the goodness which He receives, so that the goodness which is offered up should avail not Himself, but those that first receive and afterwards render back. For though the Lord, when He cometh for Judgment, saith, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me; it is with extraordinary pitifulness that He says this, by sympathy with His members. And He the same Being hereby, viz. that He is our Head, aids, Who by our good deeds in His members is aided. Yet further Eliphaz adds what there is no man but is aware of.
