Verse 27. — Thou shalt pray to him, and he will hear thee. In vain do they pray to God who despise his precepts. — They do indeed pray to the Lord, but by no means deserve to be heard, who despise the precepts of the commanding Lord. Whence it is written: He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, his prayer shall be an abomination (Proverbs 28[:9]). So long, therefore, as Eliphaz believed that blessed Job was not heard, from this indeed he judged that he had gone astray in his work. Whence too he still adds: In the same place. — And thou shalt pay thy vows. He who has vowed a vow, but through weakness is not able to fulfill it, has it wrought upon him, out of the punishment of sin, that the power is withdrawn from him who wills the good.
But when, in the sight of the inmost Judge, the guilt that stands in the way is wiped clean, it forthwith comes to pass that the power follows the will. There follows: