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BOOK OF JOB

1 TBAISLATIOH

FBOM THE OBIQINAIj REBBEW

ON TBI BAStB or

THE COMMON AND EARLIER ENGLISH VERSIONS.

WITH AN UfTEODUOTION AND EXPLANATOET N0TB8

ENOLISH READER.

TOB THE AMERICAN BIBLB tnnOH

BY THOMAS J. CONA^T D.D.

NEW YORK:

AMERICAN BIBLE UNION.

LOmsVILLI, KT.: BIBU UTISION ASSOOUTIOH. LONDON: TKOBNIB 4 00., 7ATIBH08TIE BOW.

1856.

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Entered, according to Act of CoogreM, in the jeu 1856, hy

THE AMERICAN BIBLE UNION,

In the Cleric's OfBoe of the District Court of the Southern Diatrict of Neir York.

UicLu & HoLUAM, Printen and StenolypMs, Naw YoA.

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ht the plan of thu work, the SACRED TEXT Rtandi l^ itaelf, wpatt frmn «U
humui additional that the Toader of the traiulatioD may have before him in EngliBh what
was gireD to the Jewiiih reader in Hebrew. Accordingly, the numbering of chapters and
Terses, marginal renderings, statementa of contents, etc are separated fixim the vendon of the
original text

The modem practice, of printing each verse in a paragraph by itseli^ was first inlro-
daced into the English Scriptures in the Qeneran Tendon of the Kew Testament (1667), and
of the whole Bible in 1360. This practice has greatly ohscnred the meaning of the sacred
text, by presenting it to the eye in minute fragments, thus dissevering parts the most
intimately connected, as though thc^ had no manner of relation to each other. A man
would be considered beside himself, who shoald treat in this way any human production
designed to be nnderstood. This has never been introduced into tiie Hebrew Scriptures, and
is now abandoned in critical editions of the G-reek New Testament.

Wherever there is good authority for a version of a word or phrase, differing from tiist
winch the translator regards as the true one, it is placed in the margin.

It is tiie primary object of the Notes to this Second Part, to give such information on
points of history and geography, dvil, religious and domestic antiquities, etc. as is necessary
for the fall understanding of an ancient book, abounding in allamons to the peculiar circum-
stances of the age and country to which it belongs. In the Bible, more than in any other
book, this information can be supplied from its own pages. The writer has aimed, by
numerous references made with careful discrimination, to render the Bible nts own interpreter.
—The dedgn and plan of the book, and the coarse of the argument, will be folly exhibited
in the Introduction and Notes. Y. B. (Variou$ Rtadistg) denotes a different form of the original
text.

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INTRODUCTION.

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VI INTRODUCTION.

§ 2.
WHAT IS TAUGHT IN THIS BOOK*

A qaesfion of far greater importaace and intereat respects the dengn of the book,
as a part of divine revelation. For what end was it given to us, as auch, hj its
Divine Author? What instruction is it intended to convey to asf In ,other words:
What is its place in a divine revelation ; and how is the purpose of its Author
effected ?

The following considerations will bring this question more clearly before the
mind of the reader.

We find, on a careful perusal, that very different and directly contradictory
opinions are maintained by the several speakers, in the discussion which forms the
principal part of the book. From them, therefore, nothing can be learned &a authori-
tatively asserted, since they directly controvert each other's views.

Again : when the Almighty al length speaks, near the close of the book, he
rebukes the leader in the discussion, as '* darkening counsel by words without know-
ledge" (38 : S), and condemns bis three friends as still more in error (4S : 7). He
does not declare, indeed, that all are equally in the wrong. Yet, he does not point
out wherein one is wrong and another right ; or wherein both are equally in error, so
that we might know what is approved by him and what is not.

Such is the testimony of the Divine Being, respecting the things asserted and
defended in this discussion. Moreover, Job himself makes the acknowledgment
(4S : 3) :

I have -therefore nttered vhtt I imderataad not ;
Things too hud for me, which I koow not.

Hence, we are not to regard the positions taken by Job as altogether right, and
fully approved of Gtoi ; much less, those of his opponents.

Again : in the discourses of the Almighty (cbs. 38-41), he asserts nothing affirm-
atively. He gives no positive instructioo in regard to the question in debate ; and
he lays down no principles by which the problem can be solved.

What then is the divine purpose in the gift of this book? An inspired Apostle
has said of all Scripture, that it "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction
in righteousness." Now what doctrine is taoght in this portion of the divine word ;
and what is the instruction here imparted f

The answer to the question mast be sought, where the questioD itself has arisen,
in the contents of the book.

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INTRODUCTION.

§ 3.
SUBJECT OF THE BOOK, AND MODE OF TBEATING IT.

The subject is:

Thb utstkrt of God's pbotidbntial qovbrnmbnt of mbn.
This subject is treated in two ways:

I. 3j an exMbitioD of the difficulties which it preseats to the finite mind ; of the
coaflicta and the erroneous conclusionB of the human spirit, in Btriving to reconcile
them with the eternal principles of justice and goodness.

n. By showing man's true position, in reference to the ways of the Eternal and
Infinite.

The first division presents a good man, one pronounced perfect and upright by
God himself, suffering under an accumulation of sudden and terrible misfortunes.
From the height of worldly happiness, rich, honored, surrounded by a numerous and
prosperous family, he suddenly finds himself poor, childless, the prey of a- loHthaome
and incurable disease, an object of contempt and insult to the meanest outcasts of
society. In this extremity, three of his former friends pay him a visit of condolence.
These meii, venerable in years and character, princes and sages of their tribes,
represent the traditionary vrisdom of the time, the views and maxims ■ based on the
limited experience of the early patriarchs respecting the government of God. Accord-
ing to these, the Omniscient who cannot be deceived, the Almighty who cannot
je resisted, and the infinitely Just who can do no wrong, must, by the laws of
his own nature, deal with every maa according to his deserts ; and his treatment is
therefore the true index of the man's moral character. Accordingly, their addresses
to Job assume his guilt as the cause of his sufferings. And since the degree of guilt
is the exact measure of punishment, these extraordinary judgments mark, him out aa
an eminent tr^sgressor. Though his crimes have escaped detection by man, tb^
cannot elude the searching eye of G^d, who has thus atript off his disguises, and
exposed him to deserved shame. Hence, their reproo& and exhortations all have it
for their object, to induce him to acknowledge and repent of his wickedness, and to
justify his righteous Judge.

Job, on the other hand, conscious of his rectitude, denies their inferences in
regard to himself, and condemns the stand-point from which they judge of men
as fiilse and nntenable. Their traditionary wisdom he confronts with the actual
observation of life, showing by examples fiimiliar to all, that the wicited are not
thus dealt with according to their deserts. The strong-handed preys on the weak ;
he wrongs the widow and fatherless; grows rich on the unrequited toil of the

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TUl t N T a O D U C T I O N .

poor ; desolates whole cities and possesses himself of thetr treasures. Yet God
suffers him to live uavisited by his judgments ; his children grow up wautoning in
luxury and pleasure; and at length he dies in ease and plenty, and is laid with
sumptuous obsequies in an honored grave. So fretjuent are these instances of
successful wrong, perpetrated in open and avowed defiance of the Almighty, as seem-
ingly to constitute a rule in favor of wickedness, and fully justify the challenge <tf
Job to his accusers :

How oft does tlie lamp of the nicked go out,

And Uieir destmctiOD come upon them,

Or He, in hia anger, diBtribate roitowbT

Or tbej MB H atobbla before the wind.

Or as ohftCF, which the vhtrlwiod matches awsy T

For himself lie can appeal, for the purity, uprightness and beneficence of his life, to
those who have been witnesses of his most private actions, to the servants reared in
his house, the laborers who tilted his soil, to the poor, the widow, and the father-
less, those whose relation of helpless dependence offered no check to the manifesta-
tion of his real character; and he dares appeal to the All-Seeing himself for the
integrity of his heart, the sincerity and constancy of his piety towards God. Yet
he is visited with unexampled judgments, and made the scorn and by-word of men.

In two respects, Job and his opponents hold the same ground. He recognizes,
equally with them, that the divine government rests on the immutable foundations
of truth and right. Nay, he exercises a higher trust in it than they. While they
demand retribution on earth as the condition of their trust, he trusts without hope
of being righted on earth ; but through his present misery and humiliation, antici-
pates with triumphant confidence his vindication in a future state of existence.
Though despuring of help from God on this ude the grave, God is still his only
refuge and hope.

" Eren now m^ witoea is in heaTon,

And m; attestor is on Ugh."
" I know my Bedemsr Uns."

But this certainty of ftitore right, though it sustains the sufferer, does not solve
the mystery of the present wrong. Why should the infinitely Just and Qtooi act
at variance with the eternal principles of his kingdom, in his present dealings with
men? Why should he thus seem to cast contempt on virtue and piety, and as it
were hold out a prize for rebellion against lus laws? Job does not indeed main-
tain, that impiety is the part of true wisdom. The prosperity, which is its fruit, has
no stable and permanent basis, and its end must on the whole be misery. If tiie
children of the wicked multiply (the Oriental image of the highest prosperity), it is

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INTRODUCTION. IX

only for subsequent destruction ; if he is himself " kept," it is for the day of future
wrath. In the great primal law, established by Ood when he Gied the order of the
material world, is hidden the profoundest secret of human happiness; a treasure for
man with which the gold and gems, for whose possession he counts no toil or danger
too great, are unworthy to be compared.

" Tbe Tear of the Lord, that is wisdom ;
And to depart from evil is nnderstandiog."

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X INTHODUOTION.

Bfand the fundamental principles of the divine government, but their 'necessary appli-
cation in all cases ; and hence, of deciding on the characters of men according to
God's outward dealings with them. Klihu's view, therefore, merely presents one
more aspect of God's providential government, true and valuable in itself, and necea-
Bary to a complete view of the subject ; but as far as that of the three friends from
solving the problem under discussion. Indeed it seems to be treated (judging from
the silence with which it is passed over)- as something aside from the main issue,
which respects simply the justice and equity of the divine government.

On these fundamental principles, Job, as has been already shown, lays even a
firmer grasp than his opponents-. He knows that, as Supreme Ruler of the world,
God is and must be on the side of right ; that in the depths of the Infinite mind
must dwell the eternal love of justice. Hence his appeal is to God himself. Could
be but obtain a hearing; could he penetrate to the tribunal of the Infinite and plead
there the cause of right! But he also takes a far more comprehensive and penetrating
view of human society, in its actual condition under the divine government. Its
mystery of successful wrong, and of helpless suffering, distracts him; he cannot recon-
cile it with what, even in his despair, he believes of God.

In studying the inspired book before us, attention is too commonly narrowed to
the individual case of suffering ; as if the confiict depicted in the mind of Job had
reference solely to himself. But the individual case is used by the sacred writer, to
' give to the discussion the power and freshness of living experience. The innocent
sufferer feels and expresses, as no mere observer can, the strangeness and the mystery
of God's dealings with men. The confiict in Job's mind, while it takes his personal
afflictions as the point of departure, sweeps in its progress over the whole held of
human life, as related to the providential government of God. The pious sufferer
weeps for himself as one of that great family of sufferers, whose humbler classes were
never sketched with such exquisite pathos, or with so tender a feeling of human
brotherhood, as in the language put into his lips. If the passionate vehemence of
his complaints seems inconsistent with the reverence characteristic of a pious man,
we must remember that it was the inspired writer's design, to exhibit the inmost
workings of the human heart in one of those great crises of spiritual experience,
through whose fiery tests the soul passes into a higher stage of faith. Those agoniz-
ing questionings of the love and truth and justice of God, those moments of wild
rebellion against his providence,* which silently surge and ebb in such a conflict, are
here interpreted for us into language, which is a perfect refiex of the inward strife.

The several speakers have now exhausted their arguments in defense of their
respective positions. Job, having silenced his opponents, is himself silent. Elibu has
contributed his suggestions, without advancing a step towards the solution of the

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1 T R O D U C

problem. For there is no place in his theory, any moro than in that of the three
friends, for the actual case presented ; a perfect and upright man, visited with judg-
ments of unexampled severity, such as the sense of right and justice in man appro-
priates to the high-haoded violater of the divine lavr. Human wisdom has proved
itself utterly at fault, in endeavoring to comprehend the mystery of the divine ways.
Thus we are brought to the conclusion of the first division of the subject.

The Sdpsehe now takes the question into his own hands; and his disposition
of it is to be studied with profound attention, as the key to the practical lesson of
religion, taught by this portion of inspiration.

The manifestation of the Divine Presence, in the awful grandeur and mystery of
the atonn, is not in accordance with Job's request. The Infinite One does not lay
aside the terrors of his majesty, and permit the creature of a day to reason with him
as with his fellow. Nor does he condescend to justify bis government, by unfolding
the reasons of his dealings with men. Nor does he vindicate his upright and faithful
servant, against the aspersions to which his providences have given occasion ; nor
appeal to a future state of compensation for the evils of the present. Of all which
the previous debate would naturally lead us to expect, we find absolutely nothing.
What then do we find ?

From the perplexed labyrinth of human life, which Job has vainly sought to
comprehend, he is taken into the serene order and grandeur of the material universe.
He stands as in the midst of the great fabric of Nature, and in the revealed presence
of its Maker. By a series of questions, unequaled in their sublime simplicity, his
thoughts are turned to its ancient date, ita measureless extent, ita unfathomable
wonders of power and skill ; and by contrast, to his own littleness and ignorance,
and bis incompetency to judge of the ways of the Almighty. Where was he when
the great Builder laid its foundations ? Had bis brief day witnessed the origin of
these vast and beneficent arrangements, by which earth is fitted for the abode of
sentient creatures ¥ Other Intelligences had exulted over the consummated work ;
those higher Sons of God, who shone as morning stars anterior to the birth of
earthly time ; but where then was he, the presumptuous questioner of God's ways ?
Or had he penetrated into the secret laboratory of Nature ; witnessed and compre'
hended the mysterious birth of the elements ; of the genial, food-producing dew and
rain ; of the light, imparting life, order and beauty ; of the lightning and hail, God's
celestial armory, executing his justice on the wicked? Had he descended into the
depths of the sea, and found its bidden springs t Had the dark interior of earth

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INTEODUCTION.

disclosed to him its secrets? Had he even surveyed the wide surface of earth, so as
to compreheDd its vastness and its plan ?

From this survey of inanimate Nature, he is now directed to the minute provi-
dence of God, over that portion of the animal creation which is least connected with
human interests. Wonderfully various in their structure, dispositions and instincts,
they roam the forest, or fly the air, or swim the waters, a world. of life apart from
man. All exhibit the consummate and lavish skill of the infinite Contriver ; and the
provision made for their sustenance and enjoyment, testifies to the ever-watchful super-
intendence of the Father of all. To each his paternal love assigns its hahitation,
and supplies its diuly sustenance ; and while he cares for the young Hon, and teaches
the eagle where to seek its prey, provides with tender vigilance against the extinc*
tion of the most timid and helpless. AU are impressed with a common aversion to
the service of man. To the wild-ass he gave the desert for his ahode ; he taught
the wild-oz to despise the yoke and the crih ; and even the stupid ostrich to laugh
at the horse and his rider. Here is a portion of Ood's inferior works, whose wonders,
and whose uses in the great plan of creation, it baffles the highest human wisdom
to comprehend. But in this whole system of Nature is seen a presiding and directing
Power; beneficent and wise, and caring alike for all.

Does human presumption question the supremacy of God, and his right to govern
as he will the world which he has made? Will man, to justify himself, condemn
God as unjust?

Wilt thou even anDol my right?

Wilt tiioa condeniD mc, that thoa loafest be righteoneT

Has he then a power, such as the Almighty wields for the repression of wrong, and
which he uses at bis pleasure, to abase the proud and tread down the wicked?
Then let him send out the floods of his wrath, and amend what he disapproves in
the government of God !

This challenge is followed by two signal illustrations of divine power, taken from
the animal creation j both far excelling man in size and strength. One of these
God has made mild and harmless in disposition ; but the same hand has made the
other the untameable enemy of man, and the terror of every living thing. The
creative and contriving skill lavished on this ferocious monster, the beauty of his
impenetrable armor, his rows of deadly teeth, fitting him to be the dread of man
and beast, declare alike the almighty power, and the unsearchable purposes of his
Maker. One of these purposes is indeed obvious; a lesson of humility to vain-
glorious man! Dares he not lay his hand on this creature of God? Is none so
fierce that he will rouse him up ? Who then can stand before Him who made him ?

Who may deny the rightful prerogative of the Creator, to do what he will with

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INTRODDCTION. XIU

his own? Who has laid him under obligation? Or who cao lay claim, of right,
to aught that God has made? " Uuder the whole heaven, it is mine!"

Here then, in the vast system of Nature and Providence ; in its evidences of
infinite power, wisdom and goodaess, of counsels unsearchable and ways past finding
out ; is furnished the answer to the rash questiooings of Job. Shall he, whose life is
a span, whose place in the Universe is but a point ; who cannot understand the laws
of the material world, nor fathom the mysteries of the least of Q-od's works; claim

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XIT IMTRODOCTION.

§5.

THE WHOLE BOOK IS TRUTH.

In the several positions, taken in the discussion between Job and his friends,
we have a true exhibition of the actual conflict of opinion, arising from the
observation of God'a dealings with men. Here also is a fiuthful expression of the
inward strife in the breast of the good man. Had the sacred writer simply described
all this, we should have acknowledged the trutli of Jiis description. Then why
should we not say the same of bis dramatic representation of it, far more truthful
and accurate than any mere description can bef

While, therefore, single views and sentiments, of Job and of his friends, may be
true or may be false in themselves, there is a sense in which the whole book ig
truth, and truth of the highest interest. It is a true picture of these aspects of
the iutemal life, in which every human being has its share. For wherever there is
thought and reflection, whether in the cottage or the palace, there this same history,
in its essential features, is refioacted in a living human experience.

The interest which the thoughtful must always feel, in the great topic of this
book, is manifest from the views expressed by ancient heathen writers. One who
had been led, by his own observation of human life, to a disbelief of any divine
government of the world, reasons against it thus -. " Either Qod wills to remove
evils and cannot ; or he can and will not ; or he neither will nor can ; or he both
can and will. If he will, and cannot ; then he is weak, which is not true of
God. If be can, and will not; then he is malicious, which is also foreign to the
nature of God. If be neither will nor can ; then he is both malicious and weak,
and therefore cannot be God. If he both can and will, which alone is consistent
with the nature of God ; then whence are evils, or why does he not remove them ?"
Thus reasoned one of the most acute of pagan philosophers,* about three hundred
years before the birth of Christ. Another, undertaking the defense of divine Provi-
dence, has left us an interesting treatise on " the delay of Providbnce in the
PDNisHMSKT OF THE WICKED •" showing wbat light unassisted reason can throw on
this difficult subject.t But all his reasonings only prove, how necessary for man
is the authoritative assertion of the doctrine of this book ; and that in no other view
of Providence can the human spirit find rest from its doubts and perplexities.

■ Epicoms, aa qaot«d by Loctantius, De Ire Dei (On the Anger of Ood), xiii.

t Dr. Hackett has given an anul]^ of the argument of this elegant tract, in his edition of " PlaUrch
on the delaj of the Dei^ in the paniahment of the wicked"; and also in the Bibllotheca Sacra for
JDI7, 1866.

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INTRODUCTION.

§ 6.

THE PSESORAGES AND ETENTS OP THE BOOK BEL0K8 TO HISTORY.

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INTEODUCTION.

§7-

COUNTRY AND AGE OP JOB AND HIS FRIENDS; ANCESTUY OF JOB.

The Land of Uz was io the northern part of Arabia ; bordering on IdumEea and
Palestine on the west, and Babylonia on the east. The people or races, mentioned in
immediate connection with it, are the Chaldeans (Job 1 : 17) who were on tbe east
of thia tract j the Sabseans (1 : 15) who were south of it ; and the Edomitea (from
whose land it is distinguished in Jer. 25 : 30, SI) to whom Etiphaz belonged, and
who are mentioned as " dwelling in the laud of Uz" (Lam. 4 : 31), i. e. in the
neighboring part of it, either subjugated by them, or more probably inhabited by
the posterity of Uz, one of the line of Esau (Q-ea. 36 : 28). The country was
occupied by descendants of Shem. Among his posterity are named Vz, the son of
Aram (Gen. 10:33); Uz (in Hebrew the same; common version, Huz) a son of
Nahor brother of Abraham (6en. 22 : Si), of the family of whose brother was EHhu
the Buzue (Job 32 : 2).

Eliphaz was of Teman in Idumasa. This was originally the name of a prince of
the posterity of Esau (Q-en. 36 : 11, 15) ; and then of the people descended from
him, and of their place of abode. See Gen. 36 : 42 (where the princes of Esau's line
are given "according to their habilalions", v. 43) ; Jer. 49 : 7, 20 ; Amos 1 : 11, 12 ;
Ob. 8, 9.

Bildad belonged to a people descended from Shuah, the last of the six sons of
Keturah (Gen. 25:2), all of whom were sent away to the "east country" (v. 6).
Of his residence no further intimation is given. But it was doubtless in the neigh-
boring region of Arabia, if not in this portion of it ; for here the descendants of
Midiao were found, Num. 22 : 7 ; Judges 6 : 1-6.

Zophar is here called the Naanatkiu ; and hence is supposed by some to have
been an inhabitant of the Naamah mentioned in Josh. 1& : 41. But there is
little probability in this opinion ; and his descent, or place of abode, is not other-
wise indicated.

The age in which Job lived is determined, on the one band, by what is said
of other persons named in the book. Bildad belonged to the tribe of Skuak, a son
of Abraham ; Elihu to the Buzius, descendants of a son of Kahor Abraham's brother
(G«n. 22 : 21) ; and Eliphaz to the Temaniies, descended from a son of Esau. He was,
therefore, at least three or four generations later than Abraham. On the other hand,
we cannot suppose him to have lived long after this last date ; for the term of life,
to which he must have attained, belongs to the closing period of the patriarchal
age.

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INTROD UCTION. XTll

With this accord all the circumstances related or referred to in the book. We
find here the simple manners of the patriarchal age and of the pastoral life. The
rank and power of Job are auch as were conferred by wealth, combined with a
reputation for wisdom and probity. Ko official rank is referred to.

There is no direct statement in regard to the ancestry of Job. But it is worthy
of notice, that he resided in that portion of the " east country" which waa probably
named from one of the sons of Nahor, and that an associate and friend was of the
tribe descended from another of his sons. To the "east country" were sent the six
sons of Abraham by Keturah ; and most probably to that part of it already occupied
by the family of his brother (compare Gen. 22 : 20-93, with 25 : 1-6), where the
descendants of Midian, as we have seen, were found. Idolatry waa then general.
Abraham was called to the service of the true God, from the bosom of a people
who " served other gods" (Josh. 24 : 2) ; and there is reason to believe, tliat in the
time of Job the knowledge of the true God was extinct, except among Abraham's
immediate descendants and those to whom they communicated it. So prevalent was
a false worship, that even Job thought it necessary (ch. 31 : 36-38) to affirm his own
innocence of the crime.

AVRITEB OP THE BOOK.

According to the oldest tradition, among Jewish and early Christian scholars,
the book was written by Moses. In support of this view, there are the following
reasons.

1. It is not invalidated by any opposing testimony from ancient times.

2. There is no other historical personage, who can with any probability be
regarded as the writer. By modern authors it has been ascribed to Job himself, to
Elihu, and to many others. But there is nothing in the circumstances of any of
them, that justifies the suppositioa.

3. The older tradition is confirmed by what we know of the circumstances of
Moaes' life, and their correspondence with what we should naturally expect in the
writer of this book. Of these, only the following need be specified :

First: Proximity in time and place, to the occurrences related and to the scene
of the story. Moaes lived not long after the date of these occurrences. Forty years
were spent by him in Arabia, after he had reached the maturity of his powers,
before he was divinely called to his public work, as leader and legislator of the
people of God. Here, in the retirement and seclusion of pastoral life, he had
leisure for those reflections on divine Providence, which are embodied in this book.

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XVIU INTEODUCTIOH.

Secood : We are told (Acts 7 : S3) that " Moses was learned in all the wisdom of
tbe Egyptians." The book, exhibita an intimate acquaintance with the range of
knowledge familiar to that people ; with the phenomena of Kature, in the heavens
and tbe earth ; with the habits of various classes of animals ; with the different
climates of the earth, and the aspects of the heavens in different latitudes. The
various operatiouB of mining, for which Egypt was celebrated, are represented with
tbe minuteness and precision of an eye-witness, and on the grandest scale on which
they have ever been conducted. Inhabitants of the Mile and other waters of Egypt
are described, with the most accurate knowledge of their structure and habits ; and
equal familiarity is shown with the vegetable products of that country.

If the inspiration of the writer should be objected to this argument, the answer
is obvious. For every service which Divine Wisdom requires, a fitUng instrument
is selected. Peter does not reason, like one "brought up at tbe feet of Gamaliel;"
nor does Paul speak, as if be had been bred among the fishermen of Qalilee.
There is nothing in the manner of the sacred writers, which can furnish an argn-
ment to tbe unbeliever, against the genuineness of the writings ascribed to them.

§9.
ITS PLACE IN THE INSPIRED LITERATURE OF THE CHURCH.

In the Sacred Scriptures, a collection of writings has been given to the church
of God, adapted to the various wants of the human spirit. They were intended,
not only to satisfy its first great want, by showing how man can be reconciled
with God ; but to furnish a culture for the whole intellectual and moral nature,
in harmony with the new spiritual life. The various compositions, which together
make up the sacred volume, written by chosen men through a long succession of
ages, grew out of the actual wants of living men ; taken as a whole, they cover
tbe great field of human interests, and make their appeal to every capacity of the
soul, which may become the avenue of moral truths. Kot only are these truths
inculcated by law and precept, but tbey are enforced by elaborate trains of
reasoning ; embodied in personal narrative and national history ; illustrated and
beautified, and made engaging to the imagination and the beart, by the charms of
poetry.*

The book of Job stands at- the head of the poetical portions of the Old Testa-
ment, in respect to unity of conception, and sustained dignity, beauty and power

* The fonn at Hebrew poetry in the book or Job \a so iimple, utd so »eily understood from the
book itself th»t it requires no explanation.

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INTRODUCTION. XIX

of execution. The BuMime religioua lesaoDS whicb it is designed to teach, take
form ID a dramatic poem ; whose strains of tragic gr&adenr and elegiac tenderness,
its magnificent pictures of Nature, and perpetually varied graces of imagery and
expression, claim for it a place among the brightest gems of literature. The
inexhaustible richness of poetic material must impress every attentive reader. All
along the main track of thought, the virgin soil throws up unnumbered flowers,
to delight and prolong the way. Such, in ch. 6 for example, is the illustration of
hollow friendship, loud in prosperity but failing at the hour of need, by the image

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THE BOOK OF JOB.

Therb was a man ia the l&od of Uz, whose name waa Job.
This man was perfect and npright, and one who feared Qod
and ehuoned enl. There were born to him seven sons and
three daughters. Hia substance was seven thousand sheep and
goats, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of
oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and very many servants. And
this m&a was great, above all the sons of the East.

Kow his BOOS went and held a feast, at the house of each, oa
>hi8 day ; and they sent, and invited their three sisters, to eat
and to drink with them. And when they had let the feast-
days go round, Job sent and purified them. And he rose early
in the morning, and offered bumt-ofieringa, according to the
number of them all : for Job sud, it may be that my sons
have sinned, and have forsaken God in their hearts. Thus did
Job continually.

TRISIUTIOKB IHD BXADIHOS.

'forsaken': renounced

T. 1. Uz! see Introd. 5 7. Job: ibid.

T. 2. Perfect and upright; i. e. complete in mil the qtuUtics
of A pious And just num. The meaiung of these words is
shown in the next dauM : one who feara Qod and ehnna evil
is a perfect and upright man.

T. 3. CameU wem kept for their milk, which was valued
as a cooling drink, and for traveling (Qen. 24 : 64, 1 Sam.
30 : 17, Eith. 8 : 10) ; but their chief use waa as beuU of
burden (1 E. 10 : 2, 2 K. 8 : 9), cspeciallr in the caravan
trade, for convejing merchandise between distant places
(Qen. 37 ; 25). The great number of these animals, belonging
to Job, in^cates a connection with that traffic, and the wealth
and consideration leanlting bom it. — SlU-a$te» (a much finer
and nobler animal than in moT« northern climates), were
usefOl for their milk, aa well as for carrring burdens, and for
ridii^, for whidi the female was [referred as being more
docUe; see Hum. 22: 21, 1 Sam. 25 ; 20, 2E.4:24, 2 Sam.
19 : 26, Judg. 5 : 10, in all which passages the female is
dengnated in the original. Hence the female ia apedall^r
mentioned In the enumeration of propertj' (Gen. 12 : 16,
1 Ohr. 27 : 30).— I7i< Eoft: a pan of Arabia is here meant,

occupied by the deaceodanU of Nahor (Gen. 22 : 21), of
bhmad (25 : 13, IS), and of Kttwah (25 : 2-6). It ia called
" the east country " (Qen. 25 : 6), and its inhabitants " children
of the east " (Ju(%. 6 : 3). The popuhtlion is termed, in
Jer. 25 ; 24, " a mingled people ", from the number of dififerent
races compo«ng it.

V. 4, In this beautiful picture of familyafTection, and of
domeatic eiyoyments sanctified by piety, and in the sudden
and total reverse which follows, the way is prepared for the
lessons of this book. Of the particular occasion, or occasions,
of tliese entertainments, no intimation is given. A birth-day
festival is mentioned among very ancient usages (Gen. 40:20),
and a new-moon feaat (1 Sam. 20 : S, 18, 24, 25, 27), and an
Bimual fiunily festival (1 Sam. 20 : 6, 29). Whatever was the
occasion, they were held at the booses of the several sons in
immetote succession, till Uie drcle was completed.

T. 6. PuTified: i. e. by the symbolical washing, emblematic
of that inward purity of heart required In approaching a
holy Qod, and without wluch the outward symbol availed
nothing. Tlua waa customary, as a preparation for ofibring
sacrifice; seo 1 Sam. 16 : 5. The outward form oonsisled in

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. I.

it tFu the dftf , wbea ' : it happened

at that time, that
'Satan': the Adveraai;

'toDch': smite I 'if he wiU not':

▼erilv, he will
' Sataa ' : the Adveraary

' it was the dar, that ' : it hi^ipened at
that time^ that

Now it was the day, when the Sons of God came to present
thetuBelvea before Jehovah ; and Satan also came among them.
And Jehovah said to Satan : From whence comeet thou ? And
Satan answered Jehovah and said : From roaming over the earth,
and from walking about upon it. And Jehovah said to Satan .
Hast thou observed my servant Job, that there is none like
to him on the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth
God and shuuDeth evil? And Satan answered Jehovah and
said : For naught, doth Job fear God 1 Hast not thou hedged
him about, and his house, and all that be hath, on every side ?
The work of his hands thou hast blessed, and his substance is
spread abroad in the earth. But, put forth now thy hand and
touch all that be hath, — if he will not renounce tbee, to thy
face ! And Jehovah said to Satan : I^o, all that he hath is in
thy power ; only, against himself do not put forth thy hand.
And Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah.

Now it was the day, that his sons and bis daughters were
eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their brother, the
first-born. And there came a messenger to Job, and said : The
cattle were ploughing, and the she-asses were grazing beside
them ; and Sabasana fell upon and took them ; and the servants

washing the body and the clothing ; compare Gen. 35 : 2, and
Ex. 19 : li.—Offereil ^., as the head of bis honeehold,
according to the patriarchal costoai, before the institution of
the levitical priesthood,— JJumi-o^erwif.- see it fully described
in Lev. 1 : 3~17, and mark the object of the ofifering as stated
in T. 4. — Early; before they should hate been exposed to
any defilement, unfitting them for the approaching sacrifice. —
Hiraaken. The Hebrew word means to bfess; and then, from
' its Dso as a partii^ salntation (like the correspondii^ English
fonns to bid good bye, to bid farewell) it roeanB to foraake,
and also to reneunce as in t. 11, and in 2:5. The pious
father might well fear that his sons, in the hoars of festiTity,
had forgotten Ood and been unthankful for his gifts ; or, ae
beantifully espressed in the sacred text, had forsaken him in
their hearts. In the eariy Engiish versions it is translated
(comedy as to the sense), "have been unthankful to Qod in
their hearts." So Corerdale ( 1536), Rogers ( TyndaU, 1537),
Cranmer (1540), and the Bishops' Bible (1568). The trans-
lation, to blaipheme (Oeneran Tersion, ISGO), and to eurie
(King James' revision), though &vored by good authorities,
is rqected by others of eqnal weight Even if clearly eatab-
lidied as one meaning of the word, this would not foe its
moat appropriate sense here; unless we assmne, that the
piously educated bmily of Job were more likely to ' blaspheme '
or 'cnne* Qod in their hearts, than to commit the too com-
mon ofbnae of forgetting him in the eigeyment of his gifts.

Y. 6. Son$ of God (implying a lUttnat to Qod as his
spritnal o&[nng) may be applied to pious men, as in Gen.
6 : 2, DmU 14 : 1, compare Pi. 73 : 15, Pror. 14 : 2S; and iJw>

to holy angels, in distinction from those ' who kept not their
first estate ' ( Jude 6), as in this passage, and in Pa. 2B : 1,
89:6, where the Hebrew in both is Sons of God.— Satan ;
properly, thk tDVEKsiRT (as given in the margin), but used
as a proper name ; and so in the N. T. as equivalent to the
more specific -name the Accuttr (Devil), who is also called
advereary in 1 Pet. & : 8. Compare what is there said of tills
malevolent spirit, and the Saviour's language In Luke 22 : 31.
See also 1 Ohron. 21 : 1, Zech. 3 : 1, 2.— On the presence of
THE AnvaasiAi among the Sons of God, see Introd. { &

T. 7. Roamiite ^. is explained by I Pet 5 : 8, "walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour."

v. 8. Perfect and upright: see remark on t. 1.

T. 12. All agencies, material and spiritual, are under the
divine control j and the one or the other may, with equal
reason, be made the instrument of Qod's will. A process
similar to the one here described, and with like reeults, is
recorded in the memorable passage Luke 22 : 31. The lessons
to be drawn from the course of Providence, in the present
stsl« of imperfection and trial, are fully set forth in Rom.
8 : 18-25, and in v. 28.

T. 15. The Sabaan* were a people of Arabia, descended
from Sh^M son of Joktan (Qen. 10 : 2G, 28). Their land was
rich in spices, precious stones, and gold (1 E. 10 : ^ Jer.
6 : 20, la. 60 : 0, Ps. 72 : 15) in which they traded witit other
countries (Esek. 27 : 22, Job 6 : 19, Joel 3 : 8). The ezpre»-
feQ upon', indicates that plundering hordes of
and wandering race were not nnfrequent at this-

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. II.

they have smitteo with the edge of the sword, and only 1 alone
escaped to tell thee.

Whilst he was still speaking, there came another, and said :
The fire of God fell from heaven, and horned the flocks and
the servants, and consumed them ; and only I alone escaped to
tell thee.

Whilst he was still speaking, there came another, and said :
Ghaldieans formed three bands, and set upon the camels and
took them ; and the servants they have smitten with the edge
of the sword, and only I alone escaped to tell thee.

Whilst he was still speaking, there came another, and said:
Thy sons and thy daughters were eating, and drinking wine, in
the house of their hrother, the first-born. And lo, there came
a great wind from beyond the wilderness, and struck upon the
four comers of the house, so that it fell on the young men, and
they died ; and only I alone escaped to tell thee.

Then Job arose, and rent his garment, and shaved his head ;
and he fell to the earth, and worshiped. And he said : Naked
came I forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return
thither. Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away ; blessed
be the name of Jehov^ !

In all this Job sinned not, nor uttered folly against GK>d.

Now it was the day, when the Sons of God came to
present themselves before Jehovah; and Satan also came among
them, to present himself before Jehovah. Then said Jehovah
to Satan: From whence comest thou? Satan answered Jeho-
jah, and said; From roaming over the earth, and fi^m walking
about upon it. Then said Jehovah to Satan: Hast thou
observed my servant Job, that there is none like to him on the

'fbU^ agifaut': u^ thing oflbnain to

'itwM the dftj, when': It happened

kt that time, that
' Sat«D ' : the Adversary

earty period, tod were a terror to those engaged in the more
aettled^and peaceful panuits of husbandry. One of these
predatory bands is meant here.

V. 16. Fire of God ie t natural uid obriouB expresaion for
the lighlTUng, and is so used in 1 K. 18 : 38, and 2 K. 1 : 12.

V. IT. Chaldaaiu : a hardy raoe of mountuneera, whose
onginal seat wts the mountainous region of Armenia. In
the later Biblical records (2 Chron. 36 : 17, compared with
2 K. 25 : 1, 4, 5) they become known to us as occupants and
masters of Babylonia, in which a colony of them had been
planted, and where in time a powerful Chsldtean dyuaety was
founded on the ruins of the Assyrian empire. But at this
eariy period, as tha expression in the text indicates, they
were known by their occauonat incursions for pkinder into the
lowland countries. — TTiree band*: they made the assault at
several points at once, to render defense more difficult, and pre-
vent escape by flight Of this mode of attack we find other
Axamjiles in Qen. 14 : 15, Jndg. 7 : 16, 21, 1 Sam. 11 : 11.

V. 19. Rum beyond ^c. .- that is, across the wide and levd
waste, with nothing to impede its progress and check its
force. — Wildenie**: tlie original word means, strictly, a place
to which cattle are driven for pastarage; and is ^)p1ied to
the open country, abandoned to its natural stAte, either for
want of occupants, or because unfitted f6r tillage. Oompare
1 Sam. 17 : 28, Job 24 : 5.

V. 20. The nwial ezpressionB of mourning ; oompare Gen.
S7 : 29, 34. 44 : 13. 2 Sam. 3 : 31. Jer. 16 : 6. 48 : 37. Eiek.
27 : 31. Am. 8 : lO.—Thither. Iwo thoughts are blended in
this beautifully condensed espresNon ; viz. Naked came I
forth from my metlier's womb ; and naked shall I return to
my mother's womb, — to the womb of the earth, the common
mother. Tlie general idea is the same u in Qen. 3 : 19 1 and
nearly the same eipreseion occurs in Scdes. 5 : 15.

T. 22. fi^y, in the sense of impiety, as it is often osed in
the Old Testament. Compare Ps. 14 : 1. Ill : 10.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. II.

lUnOIXlL nUNSLATION'H 11

'though ' te. : and thou didat move
me against bim, to destroj him, in

'Satan': the Adveraary

'if he wiH not': rerilj, he will
'renonnce': curse

'bl«aa': renounce — or, curse

earth, a man peifect and upright, one that feareth God and
BhuDDelh evil? And still he holds fast his integrity, thoagb
thou didst move me ag^nst him, to destroy bim without
cause.

Satan answered Jehovah, and said: Skin for skin; and all
that a man hath will he give for his life. But, stretch forth
now thy hand and touch his bone and his flesh-; if he will not
renounce thee, to thy face! And Jehovah said to Satan: Lo,
he is in thy hand ; only, spare his life.

And Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah, and
smote Job with grievous ulcers, from the sole of bis foot to
his crown. And he took a potsherd to scrape himself there-
with, as be sat among the ^es. Then said his wife to bim :
Dost thou still hold fast thy integrity? Bless God, and die!
And he said to her: Thou speakest as one of the foolish
women speaks. The good shall we receive from God, and
shall we not receive the evil? In all this. Job sinned not with
bis lips.

Ch. n. V. 3. Without cauie: the original word means also
(as do the corresponding terms in some other languages) in
vain, to no purpote, i. e. without the intended effbct ; as
given in the margin.

T. 4. Skin Jbr skin, is a prorerhial phrase, meaning like
/or likes and imports that one vill give for a thing what he
r^ards as of equal value. The application is made in the
next clause, viz. 'all tb>t a man hath will he gjve for his
life'; i.e. win freel; part with it all for his life, which he
regards as an equivalent for all.

T. 7. Compare remarks on 1 : 12. The malndf, with
which Job was afflicted, is now generallj believed to have
been the leproiy of the Arabti called also Elephantiasis,
from the swelling of the feet, and the thickeoiDg and roggh-
nees of the skin. In Deut. 28 : 27 and 35, it is called, in the
common version, the " botch of Egypt," and " a sore botch,
that cannot be healed." In this disease, small spots fint
appear on the skin ; then tumors, of the size of a pea at first,
increasing to that of a walnut or a hen's-egg, with deep
furrows between, covering the whole body. Finally, many of
these suppurate, and form ulcers, with a bloody and very
offensive discharge, which dries and hardens lo dark-colored
scales. The face becomes bloated and glistening, the eyes
feeble and watery, the breath offensive, the voice weak and
hoarse or entirely lost. The sufferer is subject to extreme
dejection ; his nights are aleepless, or harassed vdth frightful
dreams. In the last Stage of the disease, the extremities
perish and fall oS, the bones and ligaments being destroyed
by the ulceration. No cure has been found for this terrible
malady, though the patient may survive many years.

T. 8. Sat among the aihei, is expluaed by the expression

in Is. 58 : 5, "to spread eackdoth and ashes tmder him,"
(i. e. to make them his bed). Such ^as the custom, in times
of great afSicUon, and as an expression of deep self-abasement
and mortification. See Esther 4 ; 3, Jer. 6 : 26, Dan. 9 ; 3,
Jon. 3 : 6.—Potiherd: i.e. broken pieces of pottery, gathered
from the ashes spread around him.

y. 9. Blesa fc. A bitter, taunting reproach, for what she
deemed his groundless and fruitless trust in divine Providence.
The import of her language is: Blees God (if you will) and,
die; for that is all you will gain by it. It is the natural
feeling of the human heart, under the pressure of sudden and
hopeless calamity, when affliction has not wroogbt its intended
fruits (Heb. 12 : 11). The word might be translated as in
the matgin (renounce) ; but that meaning is less appropriate,
in connection with the words ' and die '.

V, 10. FixAith, i. e. impious, irreverent towards Qod ; com-
pare 1 : 22. He does not charge her with being such an one
herself, but with speaking as such are wont to speak. Hia
words are a grave and mild rebuke, without bitterness or
asperity.— Sftaii v>e lutt receive fc That is: shall we not
acknowledge God's sovereignty, in all that he bestows and
all that he inflicts, and his right to do it 1 This is the senti-
ment of true piety, of the heart that is reconciled to Ood and
trusts in him. The denial of it, is the dental of Ood's infinite
wisdom and goodness; and this Is impiety. To illustrate and
enforce the duty of this acknowledgment of the divine sove-
reignty, and the folly and impiety of every other explanation
of the ways of Providence, is the main object of this book.
See Introd. {4. .—With his lips: compare the sentiment in
James 3 : 2.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. m.

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10- THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. III.

Because it did not shut the doors of the womb that bore me,

and bide sorrow from my eyes.

Wherefore did I not die from the womb —
come forth from the womb, and expiref

12
13

Why were the knees ready for me,

and why the breasts, that I might suck?

For now, I had lain down and should be at rest;

I had slept, then would there be repose for me:
with kings, and counsellors of the earth,
who have built themselves ruins:

or with princes, who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver:

or like a hidden untimely-birth, I should not be;
as infants that never see light.

There, the wicked cease from troubling, ,
and there, the weary are at rest.

The prisoners all are at ease;

they hear not the taskmaster's voice.

■ both ue there': are there the ume

Small and great, both are there j

and the servant is free from hie master.

Wherefore gives He light to the vn-etched,
and life to the sorrowful in heart;

who long for death, and it comes not,

and search for it more than for hidden treasures;

22
23

who are joyful, even to exulting,
are glad, when they find the grave: —
to a man, whose way is bidden,
and God hedgeth about himt

For M fctod for me j or, For before my

For with my food, comes my sighing;

food

and my moans are poured forth as water.

V. 12. The ktues: nunelj of the uBiflt&nt, in whose l«p
the infant was received «t birth. Some refer, for illuatr*-
tion, to Gen. 30 : 3 j others to Gen. 50 : 23 (properly, were
bonu tad laid upon Joseph's hKe$) ; but neither is in point
here.

V. 14. BuiU themtelva ruins: n s»rcMtie reflection on
the vanity of all earthly good. Had he thus perished at
birth, be would now be on an equality with the most favored
of men; whose palaces are already crumbling to decay, and
of whom it can only lie said : Uute rwine (Aey buiU for them-

V. 15. Iknuea: by some understood to be their splendid
sepulchres (comp. 30 : 23). In these it was customary to de-
posit immeose treasures of gold and silver. But this is not
bTored by the form of expression in the two membera taken

together, dearly reforring to tiie accumulation of wealth in their
dwellings, while they lived.

y. 23. ' Compare the expression of the same thought in ch.
19 : 8, and such passages as Prov. 4 ; 18, 19; Ps. 119 : 105,
27 : 11, and 6 : 8, last clause.— (fa^ t* hidden: so that it can-
not be traced ; where all lies concealed in impenetrable dark-
ness. It aptly expresses here a state of trial and affliction,
the grounds and object of which the sufferer cannot compre-
hend. — To hedge about one, sometimes means, to protect bim
from outward annoyances and dangers, as in ch. 1 : 10. But it
also means, to obstruct one's way witb difSculties, so tbat he
can advance in no direction ; and hence is an image of a state
of belpleesnees, without hope of relief^ as In Lam. 3 : 7, Hoe
2:6.

T. 24. At food for me (margin), is explained by Ps. 42 : 3

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. IV.

For I feared evil, and it has overtaken me;
and that which I dreaded, is come upon me.
I was Qot at ease; Dor was I secure;
nor was I at rest; yet trouble came.

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
Should one venture a word to thee, vn\t thou he offended?
But who can forbear speaking!
Lo thou hast admonished many,
and hast strengthened the feeble hands.
Thy words have confirmed the faltering,
and the sinking knees thou hast made strong.
But now, it is come to thee and thou faintest;
it touches thee, and thou art confounded.

Is not thy fear thy confidence?
Thy hope, it is the uprightness of thy ways.
Eemember now, who that'was guiltless has perished?
and where were the righteous cut off?
Ajs I hare seen: they that plough iniquity,
' and that sow mischief, reap the same.
By the breath of God they perish;
and by the blast of his anger are they consumed.
The lion's cry, and the voice of the roaring Hon,
and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

For the evil which I fear overtftkes m
»Dd that which I'dreid comea upon m
I h»e uo ease, nor quiet ;
I have no rcet, fet trouble comes.

VV. 2&, 2G. A further reason whj he should have been spared
these suCferiogs. lie had not abused his days of prosperitj,
by a proud and presumptuous confidence, such as too of^en
attends worldly success (Ps. 73 ; 5, 6), and brings down the
just displeasure of Qod (Pb. T3 : 18, 19). A similar sentiment
is frequent in the Scriptures. Compare 2 Sam. 22 : 28 ; Dan.
!> : 20 ; Is. C6 : 2, 57 : 15. This view has been overlooked by
some; and hence they think it necessary to tnuislate as in the

There is a tender and subduing pathos in the tone of these
two verses, as translated in the text, which is free from all

weakness, and forms a beautiful close to the first introduction
of Job in this discussion.

All that can be objected to the language ascribed to Job in
this chapter (alter due allowance for the impassioned forms of
oriental expression), is his impatient wearinest of life. He
had been suddenly stripped of wealth, of hoiiseliold depend-
ents, and of children, and smitten with a losthsome and in-
curable disease ; and last of all, his nesrci^t friend and counsellor
had proved unequal to her part in the trial. For what had he
now to live'? Why should he not long for release from life's
burdens, in the qniet rest of the grave?

No complaint is made here against God, for having taken

what he gave. It is the sighing of the stricken and broken
spirit, for release from hopeless sufiering.

CIis. IV.— Vir. Eliphaz and Job. The following positions
are taken hy Eliphaz. 1. That Job's confidence in his own
integrity is not well grounded ; that temporal evils are awarded
according to tho desert of the sufferer (6-11); 2. that weak
and erring man may not arraign the wisdom and equity of
God's government (12-21) j 3. that the prosperity of the
wicked is only temporary (ch. 5 : 1-5) ; 4. that under the
afilictions incident to humanity, wo should seek help from
God (G-16) 1 5. that we should not repine at his chastise-
ments, intended for the correction of our faults, and blessed to
all in whom this end is attained (17-27).

V. 6. By fear is meant the fear of God (comp. ch. 1 ; 1 ) ;
his professed piety, it is intimated, was the ground of his con-
fidence.

V. 9. Brealh of God (more fully eipressed in the second
member by, blaxt of Idt anger) ; comp. Is. 11 ; 4.

V. 10. The wicked, and especially men of violence, are often
represented under the imi^ of wild and ferocious beasts ; e. g.
P«. 7:2, 10 : 0, 22 : 12. 13, 16, 20, 21, 35 ; 17, 58 r 6; Nah.
2:11,12.

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IS THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. V.

MiMBXii, TunuiKun un> uudikob.

The BtroDg lion perishes for lack of prey,
and the lioness' whelps are scattered.

Now a word was stealthily brought to me,

13
14

and my ear caught the whisper thereof.
'In thoughts from visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls upon men;
fear came upon me, and trembling,
which made all my bones to shake.

Then a spirit passed before me:
the hair of my flesh rose up.

It stood etill, but I could not discern its form;

an image was before my eyes;

there was silence; and I heard a voice: —

TOiCA

• more juit than ' : just before
'more pore th»n': purebefoie

Shall man be more just than God?

shall a man be more pure than his Maker?

Lo, he trustcth not in his servants.

and to his angels he imputeth folly.

Much more, they who dwell in houses of clay,

whose foundation is in the dust.

'enubedlike': connunedMbr

who are crushed like the moth.

' M> thftt unheeded ' ; becaoM none

From morning to evening they are destroyed,
so that, unheeded, they perish forever.

keedeth
l8 not their excelleDcj in them Uken

»w»y1— 0(A«rf.-
I> not their cord in them torn »w»y?

Is not their excellency taken away with them?
they die, and without wisdom.

Call now; is there any that will answer theef
and unto whom, of thfe holy, wilt thou turn?

T. 12. healthily t in » aeeret, ateftlthj manner, in the atill-
ucM Hid obeoority of night.

V. 18. FoUy (not the eune word in the unginil as in 1 : 22),
here in the aenee of wealmesH and liability to error. In com-
partson with Him who ia infinitely wise, tbeir finite wiarlom is
but folly and weakness. Hence he caonnt tnist in tlicin. na
able of themaolTeB to comprehend and execute Iiin iinfnthom-
abla designs.

T. SO. Aom morning to evening : in the brief npace of n
day. The morning finds them in all tbeir pride of eircngih ;
in the erening, they are cat down and are );one. Crimp, Pb.
90 : 5, 6. They are not sure of life even for a day ; and bo
suddenly an they remored, that no one marks tlieir fall.— ^?e
may also translate, as in the margin: Becauae none heedeth;
i. e. because none of them heeds such warnings, so as to turn
and lire.

T.21. Their exeeUenai : tfaMrgTandear,their wealth, power,
and honors, all in which thoy excelled others, paeees away with
them, and Is known no mor*.— By cord (in the maT^ln), some

understand the tent-cord, by which the tent is (astened to the
ground. When this is torn away from its fastenings, the tent
thrown down; an emblem t>{ the dissolution of the body,
nilnr to that in 2 Cor. 5 : 1. Others itnclerstanil by it the
life-cord, or thread of life ; and suppose thoy find a parallel in
Ecct. 12 : G. — And without wisdom.' i. e. without attaining to
it. Death surprises tliora, while still in ignorance of the true
ends of life.

■fntverthfe. Implies nn nflinnativc rtpponse, tiz.
rl fci'linpp txprcssed liy Job. — The hoty, ia
a dfflignntlmi of good iiicii, as in Ps. 10 ; 3 (com, ver., gainU),
34 : 9 ; Dent. 3:! : 3 ', and abo of angels, as in Dcut. 33 : 2.
Good men are hern roGint; who, it ia intimated, would give no
countenance to such complaints as Job had uttered. The
reference lo angele, ss understood by some, ia not pertinent ;
fur the question implies, that the appeal could be answered,
and a decision obtained. The idea of calling upon angels (or
saints) to i-ender help, or to intercede with God (as some in-
terpret), is wholly unknown to this book.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP

. V

For grief slayeth the foolish,

and envy killeth the simple.

I have myself seen the wicked taking rootj

but BOOD, I cursed his habitatioD.

Hia children are far from safety;

they are oppressed in the gate, and there is no deliverer.

Whose harvest the hungry shall devour,

and take it, even out from the thorns:

and the snare is gaping for their substance.

'the inare is gaping': the thirsty

For evil goes not forth from the dust,

long

nor does trouble sprout up from the ground;

for man is bom to trouble,

even as sparks fly upward.

'Bp«rk»': birds of prey

But I, to Qod would I seek;

and unto God commit my cause.

Who doeth great things, and unsearchable;

things wonderful, without number.

Who giveth rain on the face of the earth,

and sendeth water on the face of the fields.

He sets the humble on high.

and the mourning are raised to prosperity.

He breaks up the devices of the cr^y,

that their hands shall not do the thing parposed.

He ensnares the wise in their craftiness,

and the counsel of the cunning is made hasty:

by day, they meet darkness.

and grope at noonday, as in the night.

So he rescues the victim from their mouth.

(V. R.) So he rescues, from the sword

and the needy from the band of the strong.

from their mouth,—
and from the hand of the strong,—

Thus there is hope to the weak,

the needy.

and iniquity shuts her mouth.

Lo, happy is the man whom God correcteth;

For he woundeth, and bindeth up.

he smitetb, and his luuids make whole.

y. 2. The iotended appli»tion is: the foolish and the
pie, when justly chastised for their sins, like Job give way to
grief, and to envy of the happier lot of others ; thus making
their own destruction certain.

V, 3. Taking root : an image of prosperity ; see Is. 27 : 6,
and compare Ps. 1 : 3, 37 : 35 ; Jer. IT : 8.

V. 4. Tlu gait, was a place of public resort, where justice
was administered ; see Pror. 22 ; 22 ; Amos 5 : 12, 15 ; com-
pue Rath 4 : 1, 2, 10, 11 ; Is. 29 : 21 ; Amos 5 : 10 ; Job 31 : 21,
(and Temarki on it).

V. 5. Tham$: i. e. tbom-hedges, enclosing and protecting
cultiTated fields. They are mentioned, Prov. 15 : 19 ; Mic. 7 : 4.
—Share tfc. The dangers, to which their wealth is exposed,
are likened to a concealed snare, ea^r for the cipocted prej.

W. 6, 7. Affliction, and its cause, are not Bomcthing external
to the man himfielf; they belong to his nature as ui'ring and
einfhl, and are tlie lot of humanity, to wliicii all are born.
This (which no one could deny), is coosistent with the position
already Uken by Etiphaz (4 : 6-11).

V. 14. The figure is explained by Deut. 28 : 2ft, 29.

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THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. VI.

■UMniu. nuHUTioNs unt uiti

O thftt tny grief could bot be weighed,

In Bix troubles, be will deliver thee;

yea ia seven, there shaU no evil befall thee.

In famine, be will free thee from death,

and in war, from the power of the sword.

From the scourge of the tongue thoa shalt be hidden,

and shalt not be afraid of destruction w^en it cometh.

At destruction and at famine thoa shalt laugh;

and of the beasts of the eartb thou needst not be afrud.

For with the stones of the field ^alt thou be in league,

and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

So shalt thou know, that thy tent is in peace,

and sbalt visit thy pastures, and miss nothing.

And thou shalt know, that numerous is thy seed,

and thy ofispriog as the green herb of the earth.

Thou shalt come to the grave in hoary age,

OS the sheaf is gathered in, in its season.

Lo this, we have searched it out; bo it is:
hear it, and know thou, for thyself.

Thsk answered Job, and said:
that my grief could be fully weighed,
and all my calamity be laid in the balances.
For now, it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;
for this cause, my words have been rash.
For the arrows of the Almighty arc within me,
whose poison drinketh up my spirit:
the terrors of God array themselves against me.

V. 21. JVotb the lewTge of the tongue Ife. ; the meaning
is : thou shftlt be laTe from the Ush of calumny.

V. 22. Bea*U of the earth. Mid beatU of the fidd, ire fre-
quent expreuiona In the Scriptures, denoting such as roani the
cirth and the fields without reatraint (wild beasts), in dis-
tinction from domestic animals (cattle), which are connected
with man and subject to his care and restraint. So the two
are dlntinguished in Gen. 1 : 25, and 2 : 20 ; compare Deut.
28 : 26 ; Ps. 79 : 2, and Deut. 7 : 22 ; Ezek. 29 : 5. In some
instances, the latter phrafo does not necessarily exclude do-
mestic cattle (e. g. Ex. 23 : 11 ; llos. 4 : 3), and in others
obviously indudus them (e. g. Joel 1 : 20, 2 : 22; Dan.
4 : 25).

V. 23. With the tlontt tfe. : with the very stones, implying
that nothing shall be loft at variance with thee, to incommode
and annoy. All things, animate and inanimate, shall be at
peace with thee.

T. 2d. Thus doses this beautiful picture, founded on a

partial view of Ood's proridence, and admirably adapted lo
good men in pi-ospcrity. But Job had now reached a point,
not rare in the experience of the pious, demanding deeper
insight into the mysteries of the divine government j where all
such common-places (as declared, 6 : 5-7), are stale, flat, and
unprofititble.

Chs. VT and TIT. Job's reply. The admonitions of Eliphaz
were founded on the assumed guilt of the sufferer, and tccre
therefore unseasonable and unjust. Job replies: by appeal-
ing to his severe afflictions, and his need of symjuithy, con-
fessing that he had spoken rashly, under the pressure of over-
whelming calamity (1-7); repeating, hut in more guarded
terms, his desire to be at rest, and declaring his own innocence
(8-13) ; reproving the unkindness of his friends, in withholding
their sympathy (14-23), and demanding proof of the chaise
made against him, the justice of which he denies(24-30) ; closing
(ch. 8), with a description of his suSerings, in which he again
complains of the hardship of bis lot.

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THE BOOK or JOB. CHAP. VI.

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16 THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. VII.

KIBOIKAI. TBikKSLATIOSS AXO BtiDIKOa,

they were aahamed that they had trusted ; .
they came thither, and were confounded.

For now, ye are hecome nothing:
ye Bee a terror, and are dismayed.

Have I said: Give to me;

or, Bestow of your wealth for my sake:

or, Deliver me from an enemy's hand,

and from the hand of the violent set me free?

Teoch ye me, — and I will keep silence;
and make me know wherein I have erred.

How forcible are right words!

but what does your upbraiding provef

Do ye intend to censure words,

when the words of the despairing are as wind?

Ye would even cast loia for the orphan,
and dig a pit for your friend.

And now, consent to look upon me;

for it is manifest to jou, if I lie.

for I will not speak falsely to your face.

Return I pray; let there be no wrong:
yea return; I yet have a righteous cause.

Is there wrong in my tongue?

cannot my taste discern what is perverse?

Has riot man a term of warfare on the earth,
and are not bis days as the days of a hireling?

As the servant pants for the shadow,
and as the hireling longs for his wages;

60 I am allotted months of wretchedness,
and wearisome nights are appointed me.

When I lie down, I say:

• uid tlio night be gone ' : for long iB

when shall I arise, and the night be gone!

the nij-ht

and I am wearied with tosaings, till the morning.

' rottenneES ' ; worms

My flesh is clothed with rottenness, and clods of earth ;
my skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.

My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle,
and consume away, without hope.

Remember, that my life is a breath;
my eye shall not again see good.

V. 27. Cast lots tfc. ; vii. for the possession of those, who
ftro lelt tbux unprolected and helpless. Such inhnmanity, to
tlie weak and defenceless, is spoken of in Jod 3:3; and also,

as a great indignity, in Nah. 3 : 10.

V. 2t>. Wrong! viz. in their judgment of him.

Ch. VII.— T. 1. The meaning U: Man's earthly lift is

like a t«rni of s

I, the end of which is eagerly looked

T. 5. Compare the note on cb. il., 3,— With dod» of tarUt .
with scales like Inmps of hardened claj.

V. 6. My day» are tmjltr tfc. : are rapidly hastening to
their end. — Without hope: the sentiment is the same as to
ch. Ti., 1-13, and has reference only to this lifa.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP.

VIII. 17

The eye of him that seeth me, shall behold me no more ;

thine eyes will seek me, but I shall not be.

The cloud consumes away, and is gone;

80 he that goes down to the under-world, shall not comS up.

He shall not return again to his house.

and his place shall know him no more.

As for me, I will not restrain my mouth;

I will speak, in the anguish of my spirit;

I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

Am I a sea, or a monster of the deep,

that thou shouldst set a watch over mel

When I say: My bed shall comfort me.

my couch shall lighten my complaint;

then thou scarest me with dreams,

and terrifiest me by visions.

So that my soul chooseth strangling, —

death, rather than my bones !

I waste away ; I shall not always live ;

1 loathe it; I would not live tlvtys

cease from me ; for my days are a vapor.

'vftpor': breath

What is man, that thou shouldst magnify him,

and set thy thoughts upon him;

that thou shouldst visit him every morning,

shouldst, every moment, try himt

How long wilt thou not look away from me.

nor. let me alone, till I can swallow my spittle t

If I sin, what do I unto thee, thou observer of men?

If I rin in whM I do anto thee, thou

Wherefore hast thou made me thy mark,

observer of men,
whererore doet thou intko mo thy

that I should become a burden to myselff

mark,

And why wilt thou not pardon my transgression,

and remit my iniquity ?

For soon, I shall lie down in the dust ;

and thou wilt seek me, — but I shall not be.

Then answered Bildad, the Shuhite, and said:

How long wilt thou speak these things.

and the words of thy mouth be a strong wind ?

I, ia explained by the next Terse.
It return to earth ; hie life on earth

V. 9. ShaU not ainu
The meaning is : he shall
ie forever ended.

y. II. Am I a tea, tfc. : bo fierce and ungovernable, that
I need to be watched, and to be reatrained with euch severity.
The raging tea u an image of pride and insolent power, ii
again mentioned by Job in ch. xxvi., 12.

V. 15. My bones : this skeleton body, which is all that
disease has left me. " My life ", in the common version (margin,
my (o)M«, as in all thu earlier English versions), ia a mere con-
jecture, without any authority ; it ia found, as far aa I have

observed, in no other translation. — Slrangling! a frequuut
effect of his disease.

T. 19. Till I can ttoalUne m^ tjnttU is equivalent to the
English phrase, till I can take breath.

Ch. Ym. Bildad reproves Job for falsely arraigning tbe
justice of God, who had only visited upon his ions the desert
of their own sins ; and would restore Job himself to prosperi-
ty, if he should deserve it, at the hands of Qod (VT. 1-7).
He then shows, by three illustrations, how uncertain, unsta-
ble, and brief ia the boasted prosperity of the wicked man
(VV. 8-19).

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IS _ THE

BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. VIII.

MlttniWlI. TIU^'StJ.TtONS IKD BEADttJQ^

Will God pervert right,

or will the Almighty pervert justice t

When tlij BOM simwd sgaiuBt him,

Though thy eona have sinned against him,

heg»ye

and he hath given thera into the power of their tranegresaion

if thou thyself wouldat seek God,

and make supplication to the Almighty;

if thou wert pure and upright;

'^mkefor': watch over

surely even now, he would awake for thee,
and make thy righteous dwelling secure.

Then, though thy heginning be small,
thy end shall be exceeding great.

For enquire, I pray, of the former generation,
and note what their fathers have searched out.

For we are of yesterday, and know nothing,
and our days upon earth are a shadow.

Will not they instruct thee, and tell thee,
and utter words from their heart : —

Does the paper-rush shoot up, except in the marsh f
will the marsh-grass grow without water?

While yet in its greenness, and they cut it not,
it drieth up, sooner than any herb.

So are the ways of all who forget Ood ;
the hope of the impure shall perish.

For his confidence shall be cut off;
and his trust, it is a spider*s-web.

He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not abide;
he shall lay hold on it, but it shall not stand.

He, in the face of the sun, is green,

and his sprouts shoot forth over his garden.

Over a stone-heap are his roots entwined ;
he seeth the habitation of stones.

When he shall be destroyed from his place,
it shall deny him: I have not seen thee.

Lo, that is the joy of his way,
and from the dust ^all others sprout up.

V. 4. Into Ihe povjer of their Cratugration : to take effect
on tbem, in tbdr punishment, its lutunl consequence ; com-
t*re Is. 24 : 20.

V. 7. Awake for Otee : arouse himself for thy relief; com-
psre Ps, 7 : 6.

V. 10. From Ikdr heart: well considered words, deeply
pondt^red und matured.

V. 11. PapfT'Tush: a water plant, » species of rush which
springe up in marsbeR, to the height of eight or ten feet, above
the water. By unrolling its stalk, a thin firm sheet was ob-

tuned, much used for writinf . It was common in tbe marshes
of the Nile, and was known also in Palestine. Even in its
early rigor, before the time for cutting, it suddenly withers
away, when the waters are dried up around it

TV. 16, 17. Another illustration of the truth, that the
proapenty of a wicked man has no permanent and enduring
su[^rt. Re is here compared to a plant, which for a while
grows luxuriantly, but for want of depth of earth soon
perishes. — Hit garden : where he has taken root. — Habita'
tioa of stones! a place where stones abound. — Sett: in the
sense of perceive, feel.

Digitized by

Google

THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. IX.

Lo, God will not spum the upright,

lUBOKll. TRIMLITIOM AM. RBAWNOS.

nor take hold of the hand of the wicked.

While he fills thy mouth with laughter,

and thy lips with rejoicing,

they that hate thee shall he clothed with shame :

but the habitatioB of the wicked, — it comes to nought.

Then answered Job, and said:

Of a truth, I know that it is bo;

for bow can man be just with God ?

If he should desire to contend with him,

If He were pleased to contend with

he could not answer him, for one of a thousand.

him,

Wise in heart, and strong in power!

he could not uiawer Hioi,

who withstands him, and is secure?

He that removeth mountains, ere they are aware;

who overturneth them in his anger.

He that makes the earth to tremble from its place;

and the pillars tliereof are shaken.

He that bids the sun, and it sliineth not,

'Bhineth': riseth

and sealeth up the stare.

He spread out the heavens, alone.

'sprewiout': bowa

and treads upon the heights of the sea.

He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiads,

and the secret chambers of the South.

He doeth great things, beyond searching out,

and wonders, without number.

'. 29. Take hOd of the hand: to kid uid eiutun them,— W. 22-24), Qod nukeB n
n Is. 42 : 6 ; Pa. 73 : 23. of thia life.

Cha. IX, X. Job now enters into the diacuasion of the
points maintained bj his two friends, who had spoken. He
knew that he had been just in his dealings with men, and
faithful in the duties of religion ; and he could not comprehend,
therefore, why Qod should haTO singled him out from among
men, as the object of such special marks of his displeasure.
Hence, while he admits, 1st), that no one can be accounted
juBt ID the yiew of God (W. 2, 3) ; he asserts, 2illy), that in
Apportioning the evils of this life, no distinction ia mode be-
tween the righteous and the wicked (VV. 22-26). These are
the chief points ; the other topics of these two cbaptera need
not be suggested here.

V. 2. Ju*l v>ilh God: in the view of the infinilelr Wise
and Holy, who searches the heart Job does not claim for
himself this equality with God, in peraonul holineaa and purity ;
though he asserts, in opposition to hia friends, the rectitude
of his life. In r^ard to the former, all men are on a level
before God ; and it cannot account, therefure, for the
special Judgments inflicted on him ; of the latter (he asserts.

Q distributing the evils

TV. 6 and 6, describe the most terrible of the effects of earOi-
quakee ; in some of which even mountwna have been thrown
down, M stated by eye-witnesses.

V. 6. Tremble tfe. .■ compare Is. 13 : 13, 24 : 20 ; Nah. 1 : 5
(where,"u frurni " should he/'keavei"). — Shaken; compare
Is. 24 : 18, — Pillart (or foundations) of the earth : a i)oetical
image, frequent in the Scriptures (e. g. 1 Sam. 2 : 8 ; Pa. 75 : 3 ;
compare Job 38: 6i'Prov. 8: 29; Ps. 104 : 5) ; but as a Rgura
merely, as appears fhira Job 26 ; 7.

V. 8. Spread out tfc: compare Is. 40: 22. It may also be
translated : Bows the heavens (margin), in the same sense as
in the ninth verse of the eighteenth Psalm, where the whole
description ia drawn from the appearancea of a terriGc storm.
— Treads upon Ike heights of the tea : as Ita Lord ; so the
same phrase is u.sed in Deut. 33:29; Amos 4: 13; Mic. 1 : 3.

V. 0. These constellations, among the most conspicuous
in the heavens, are named as instancca of God's creative
power. See Am. 5 ; 8, and note on 38 : 31. — Chambers of the
South: the remote, southern quarters of the heavens. (37:0).

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. IX.

If it be of the might of the strong :—

LOj here am I ;
•nd if of right: — Who will appoint

me A time?

lilce Tobber-ahipa (V. R.)

Lo, he goes by me, but I see Mm not;
he passes along, but I do not perceive him.
Lo, he Beizes the prey ; who shall binder him ?
who will aay to him : What doest thou?
God will not turn away his anger;
proud helpers bow beneath it.
Should I then answer him, —
choose out my words against him?
Whom, though I be righteous, I would not answer;
I would make supplication to my judge.
If I called, and he answered me,
I would not believe that he listened to my voice.
For he dashes me in pieces with a tempest,
and multiplies my wounds without cause.
He will not sutler me to recover my breath;
but fills me with bitter plagues.
If it be of might, lo he is the Strong !
and if of right, who will appoint me a time?
Though I were righteons, my own mouth would condemn me ;
if I were perfect, he would show me perverse.
Thtugb perfect, I should take no thought for myself,
nor should I value my life.
It is all the same; therefore I say,
he consumes the righteous and the wicked.
When the scourge shall suddenly destroy,
he mocks at the distress of the innocent.
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked ;
the face of its judges he vails ;
if not, who then is it ?

My days are swifter than a runner;
they are fled, and have seen no good.
They have passed by, like the reed-skiffs;
as the eagle darts upon its prey.

V. 11. The mjateriouB preaence (.nd working of the divme
power ; ever near, yet perceived only in its effects.

V. IS. I would Dot deal with Lim tts on sdveraary ; but
would entreat him, as a judge, to declare my innocence.

V. 16. Call and artticeT, in this paEe&ge,Bro forensic terms
meaning to lummon to a trial, and to answer the call.

T. 19. inU appmnt me a time, viz. of trial; a forensic
phrue. It is so used in Jer. 49 : 19, where the question fol-
lowing it indicates tlie presumption and folly of thus arraign-
ing God. — If it be of might tfc. The meaning is; if might
alone is to decide, the power is all with him ; and if right is to
be taken into account, how shall I obtain a hearing 1 Margin :
the last clau»e of each member is language ascribed to God.

VV. 20, 21. Even if righteous, I could not igijuat him
afSrm it, nor make good the assertion of my innocence ; I
moat submit all, even life itself, to his decision.

VV. 22-24. This being true, that lie must suffer though
guiltless, he affirms thai it matters not,— Ihat it is all the
same, whether a man be guilty or innocent; since both euBbr
alike. — The scourge (compare Is. 10 : 26, 28 : 15) means any
calamity, as pestilence, war, or famine, in which all alike
perish.— Fill?*, so that they shall not distinguish between
right and wrong ; ascribing to God, what he permits or does
not prevent. — T, 25. A runner; see 2SMn, 18 : 19-26.

V. 26. Reed'tkifft: boats of the lightest material, made
of woven reeds covered with pitch ; still used on the Nile, and
noted for their lightness and sirifcness.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. X.

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THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. X.

though thou knoweat I am not wicked,
and none can deliver from thy hand.

Thy hands hare fashioned me, and made me,
in every part; and yet thou dost destroy me!

Remember now, that thou hast formed me, as with clay;
and wilt thou bring me to dust again?

Bidst thou not make me flow as milk,
and thicken like the curd;—

clothe me with skin and flesh,

with bones and sinews interweave met

Life and favor thou hast granted me,

and thy providence has preserved my epuit.

'hide': ]a.jup

Yet these things thou didst hide in tby heart;
I know that this was in thy mind.

If I sin, thou observeat me,
and wilt not absolve me from my guilt.

If I am wicked, woe unto me !

and if righteous, I may not lift my head,

filled with shame, and the sight of my misery!

If it lift itself up, thou dost bunt me, like the lion,
and show again thy wondrous power upon me.

Thou renewest tby witnesses against me,
and increasest thy displeasure towards me,
with host succeeding host against me.

Why then didst thou bring me forth from the womb?
I should have died, and no eye would have seen me.

I should be, as if I had not been ; —

should have been borne from the womb to the grave.

Forbear then (V. B.)

Are not my days few? Let him forbear!

withdraw from me (V. R.)

let hii^ withdraw from me, that I may rejoice a little while :

before I shall go, and not return;

to the land of darkness and of death-shade ;

a land of gloom like the thick darkness,
of death-shade, without order;
and the light is as thick darkness.

VV. 10-12. Does this congist with that divine wisdom and
power, ihown in the formation of the bcrdy througli all ita
stages, from its embrjo state to the perfected human being?
—V. 12. Spirii, here means the principle of life, the vital
spirit, as in Is. 38 : 16.

VV. 16, 17. The outward evils inflicted on him he connects
with his own inward conflicts, to which he aacribes every
renewal and aggravation of them. — Thy witneises: the evils
which he was suffering, regarded as evidences of God's die-
pleasure ; the fundamental error in his, as well as hie friends',
Tiew of God's dealings with him.

y. 22. Without order : where all is indistinct and confused.
— 'I%e light Ifc. : serving only to reveal the gloom of that realm
of death.

Evidences of an existence after death, and of the separate
oxietence of the soul when disunited from the body, are scat-
tered through the Old Testament. The manner of represent-
ing that future state, as, e. g. in this passage and in la. 14 : 9,
10, Is of course not to be taken literally, but as a figurative
representation of the moral truth, under aensible imagery. The
use of such imagery, in tiie expression of moral trutha, is
in the Scriptures.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP.

Then answered Zophar, the Naamatbite, and said:

WlEaOfiL TRlMLiTlOHB AMI WtiDfflOS

Shall the multitude of words not be answered?

or shall a man of talk be accounted right t

Shall thy boastings put men to silence,

that thou mayest mock, and none make thee ashamed;

and say: My doctrine is pure.

and I am clean in thy sight?

But, would that God would speak,

and open his lips against thee;

and would show thee the secrets of wisdom,

how manifold is understanding;

then shalt thou know, that God remembers not all thy

guilt agwnst thee. ^

Canst thou find out the deep things of God,

or find out the Almighty, to perfection?

or r«Mh the perfection of tlie Al-

It is high as heaven ; what canst thou do t

mighty

deeper than the under-world; what canst thou know?

longer than the earth, in its measure,

and broader than the sea!

If he pass by, and shall apprehend,

and call an assembly, who will answer him?

For he, he knows evil men ;

and sees iniquity, when he seems n(JJ to regard it.

But vain man is void of understanding ;

•tmb': empty

a foal of the wild-asa, is man from his birth.

And thou, if thou direct thy heart,

prepitre thy heart ; or, flnnly set tbj

and spread forth thy hands, unto him;—

heart

if iniquity is in thy hand, put it far away,

and let not^wrong abide in thy dwellings; —

(V. R.) dwelling

surely, then shalt thou lift thy face without spot,

and be steadfast, and shalt not fear.

For thou shalt forget sorrow ;

as waters passed away, shalt thou remember it.

Ch. XI, V. 4. jtfy doctrine : tib. hie riews of God'a goreru- ■
ment of the world, as it is shown in his treatment of the
righteous aod the wicked. — In Ihy right ,' thine eyes can detect
no fault in me.

V. 10. An imago borrowed from an ofBcer of itate, going
hia rounds, and apprehending a delinquent for trial. — Call an
atiembly .* vii. to witness the trial of the accused. Compare
the judicial process described in 1 K. 21 : 12, 13. The same
process is referred to in Ezek. 16 : 40 (properly, they »kaU
bring together an anemhly, vii. of the people, for the trial),
and in Ps. 7 : 6, 7. The recognition, at this early period, of
the right ufi the accused to a public hearing, is deserving of
notice, — WiU, answer hint: — him the Unerring, who cannot be

mistaken in the charge which he prefers j see the following
verse. Of what btuI is it then, to attempt an anawerl

T. 11. Seenu not to regard it : since the sentence ia Dot
speedily executed against every evil work (Heel. 8:11); vaa-
pare Acta 17:30. — (Margin): be detects it without effort:
the evil which men do he instantly knowa, without attentive
search and inquiry.

y. 14. In thy daelUngt! of which there had been many,
for the accommodation of his family and nnmerone depend-

T. 15. Without tpol! bright, and unstamed by disease or

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24 T

BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XII.

KiBoraiL TiussLinoNB Am MAMuoa.
should du-kneia come, it stuU be u
thedapni.

17
18

And brighter than nooD-day, shall life arise;
the darkness shall hecome ae the morning.
Then wilt thou trust, because there is hope ;
yea, thou wilt search, and lie down without fear.

Thou ahalt repose, and none make thee afraid;
yea, many shall make their court to thee.

But the eyes of the wicked shall waste away;

refuge vanishes from them;

and their hope, it is the breathing out of life.

Then Job answered and said :

Of a truth, ye are the people ;
and with you? wisdom will die !

I also have understanding, ae well as you ;

I am not inferior to you :

and who has not such things as these ?

I am become one, that is a mockery to his friends ;
who has called upon (Sod, and he answered him ;

a mockery is the just and the upright !

There is scorn for misfortune, in the thought of the secure,

ready for those who waver in their steps.
Peaceful are the tents of the spoilers.

he who brings God ia his hand.

and secure are they that provoke God, —

he into whose haud God bringeth.

But aak now the beasts, and they will teach thee ;

and the birds of heaven, and they will show thee.

'■peskto': the plwit of

Or speak to the earth, and it will teach thee ;
and the hshes of the sea will tell it thee.

'by'; wnong

' JebOTah' : God (V.R.) 1 ' does ' : h»e
mode

Who knows not, by all these,

that the hand of Jehovah does this ;

Y, 17. tShall life arise: like a new day, succeeding to the
present darkness and gloom. Compare Is. 58 : 10. — (Margin)'
then, if sffliction come, it shall be u darkness that fades into
the dawn.

T. 18. Without fear: the most carefu] search barbg de-
tected no cause of &Iarm.

V. 20. Wiule away: with disappomtment and griefi

Cbs. Xn.— XTV. Job's reply. RererseK in the fortunes of
the good, and the prosperity of the wicked, are both alike the
allotment of Qod, (0-10) ; every one may read for himself
the course of providence, in which God is seen controlling all
things by bis resistless Wisdom and Mi|^t (11-25); asser.
tion of the rectitude of his own cause, and expcstulstion wilJi
God for bis seTerity towards him (xiii) ; brerity or man's
earthly life, no more to be renewed when once terminated by
death (xiv).

V. 5. Ready f c .' compare the sentiment, and the expres-
sion, in Pa. 38 : 16. The ssme figure (firm footing for security
and prosperity), is found in Ps. 66 : 9, 121 : 3, and ProT. 3 : 23.

V, 6. Margin : whoae strong hand (or the weapon which be
bean in it), is his only tmst, and in that seoM is his Ood.
Compare Hah. 1 : 11, last clause, which ahould be Innslaled :
thU Kia might u hit God.

VY. 7-10. All nature, animate and inanimate, dedsres the
presence of Qod, and his providential care for every livii^
thing ; nor is man excluded ft«m this minute and universal
oversight.

Y. 8. The earth : stored by him with boundless wealth,
for the sustenance and enjoyment of bis creatures.

Y. 9. Whokntnet not: i.e. who can he ignorant of this, so
plain to all who will pve heed to it — By all theee: by the
study of them ; by the lessons which they fui-nish to the at-

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. Xn.

in whose hand is the breath of all liviDg, ^

MilWIMAI. TlLiMI^IlOKS IM. JiUatSM.

and the spirit of all the flesh of man t

Does not the ear try worda,

even as the palate tastes food for itself?

Among the aged, is wisdom ?

and is length of days understanding t

With Him are wisdom and might ;

to him helong counsel and understanding.

Lo, he casts down, and it shall not be built up;

he shuts up a man, and he shall not be set free.

Lo, he withholds the waters, and they dry avfay ;

and he sends them, forth, and they lay waste the earth.

With him are strength and counsel ;

the erring, and he that causes to err, are his.

He leads counselors captive,

and judges he makes fools.

The girdle of kings he looses.

'^rdla>: hmd; or, authori^

and binds a cord upon their loins.

Priests he leads captive ;

and the long established he overthrows.

The trusted he deprives of speech,

and takes away the wisdom of the aged.

He pours contempt upon nobles.

and looses the girdle of the strong.

tentive observer of Ood's works. — Jmong ihem, (mu^n) :
i. e. which of them does not know; but this, I think, is not
intendBd. — Doea thit : viz. what is referred to,iii vereea 5 and
6. AfflicUon sod proeperitj are hia allotment, aa is ebown bj
the evidences of hia presence and providential care, seen in
•U his works. The words maj also be translated (as in the
margiiu), hiu made this ; tie. this material unirerM, of inani-
mate and animated l>eiiigEi. But this is less to the point.

V. 10. OfaUtkeftahofman: i.e. of ereryhnmsn being;
flesh of man. for the bodj of mun, in distinction IVom that of
bea»tB. — The tpirit <^ man (compare Eccl. 12 : 7), is here
plainly distingnlshed from the breath of all living.

TV. II, 12. There is a capacity, in every man, to wei^ and
to Judge what he hears, even as the palate has a natural power
to test its food. Long life is not a proof of understanding,
nor is wisdom among the aged alone. From their sayings,
quoted against him by his friends, Job appeals to what we
see of the providence of Qod, as the true exposition of his
government of this world.

Y. 13. Wisdom and Might, — they belong to him ; and vain,
a^QBt him, are all the wisdom and might to which others lay
claim. — He proceeds to show, in the remainder of the chapter,
Ood's sovereignty in controlling both the povert of natwre,
and the purpota and plan* of men.

T. 14. SuiUvp: compate 11:10; aod«lso3:23.

T. 16. Strength and colinMl,—ia union ; oat a Uind foroe
exerted without end or aim, but one that is directed by an in-
telligent purpose and design. — Are hi*: they belong to him ;
he made them, and they are the instruments of bis will.

T. 17. CoUTuelort^tidga : viz. those most distiuguiebed
for sagacity and experience: to whom the interests of the
state, and the administration of justice are confided ; but tho
wisdom of both he confounds.

V. 18. (Margin); he looses the bond, by which they
bold others in sulyecUon, and reduces them to captivity and
servitude.

V. 19. The order of PrietU was every where one of the old-
est and most permanent of the inatitutlonB of the ancient
world. Compare Qen. 14:18; 47: 22, 26; Br. 2:16; 1 Sam.
6: 2; Acts 14 : 13.

T. 20. The trutted: men of tried wisdom, relied on in
cases of perplexity and peril ; they are deprived of speech,
having nothii^ to say in the emergency Uiat calls for their
counsel.

v. 21. To looee the girdle (vis. the prdle of the loinx),

eans ppperly, to nnflt for action (compare 38 ; 3, and la. fi :
27) ; and hence, to deprive of strength and activity.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XIII.

■UBODUi. TUNguiKun un BUMHoa.

Deep things he reveala, out of the datkneBs,
and the shadow of death he brings forth to light.

He gives the nations growth, and he destroys them ;

he extends the bounds of nations, and he leads them away.

The leaders of the people of the land he deprives

of under-

and makes them wander in a pathless waste.

[etanding,

They grope in darkness, and there is no light ;
he makes them reel like a drunken man.

Lo, my eye has seen it all ;
my ear has beard, and perceived it.

What ye know, I know also j
I am not inferior to you.

But I, to the Almighty will I speak ;
unto God I desire to make my pies.

But ye, — forgers of lies.

botchers of vanities, — are ye all.

Would that ye would be altogether silent;
for it would be your wisdom.

Hear now my defense j
and listen to the pleadings of my lips.

Will ye, for Ood, speak that which is wrong,
and for him will ye utter deceit?

Will ye regard his person,

or will ye contend for God t ^

Is it well, that he should search you out?

'deorived': mocked | 'decelre': mock

or, as a man is deceived, can ye debeive him ?

He will surely rebuke y6u,

if ye secretly have regard for persons.

Shall not his majesty make you afraid,
and the dread of him fall upon you t

Your wise sayings, — they are maxims of ashes ;
your towers of defense are towers of clay.

T. 22, IB bj Boma understood ool;^ in the general senee, that
there iB nothbg which is hidden from bis knowledge, and
which he cannot bring to the light ; compare Dan. 2 : 22 ;
Eod. 12 : 14 ; Rom. 2 : IG. Others refer it (more consietentlj
with the conoeclion), to the dieclosure of Ub own inscru-
table dcBigDB in the fkte of men and ULtions (boo next Terse),
which ire as the darkDeBS of the grare, till bis providence
brings them forth to light.

T. 23. AnepitomeofnniTOTaalhlatorr.— LcocfoMematPay,
— into ciptivitf.

Ch. 3Cin, T. 4. Botchenof vanitiM: of idle eajings (com-
pare T. 12), uoakilUUUy brought together without coherent^ or

point, and practically uselees. — Mar^n ; Phytidatu {to $e»
meaning also to mend, to repair, to heal) : prescribing for the
cure of evils, while ignorant of their nature and cause.

V. 8. Regard hie perton, — in distinction from hia couM ;
i. e. will je be parlial towards him, and hence speak for him,
without r^arding the merits of the case.

V. 9. Mar^o ; vtock, viz. by an attempted imposition, as
though he could be deceived, lilce man, by a merely specioua
defense of hhn.

V. 10. The pereon, viz. of one of the parties concerned,
in distinction from the merits of his cause.

V. 12, Maxima of tuhea; i. e. worthleas and distastefu),
as ashes proverbially were ; compare Is. 44 : 20; Fa. 102 : 9

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. Xm.

Keep silence before me, that I now may speak;

KABaKU. TUNtLlTlOMS AUD KUOIK OS.

and let come upon me what will.

Why do I take my fleBb in my teeth,

Wh7 thould I Uka

and put my life in my hand ?

Behold, he will slay me; I may not hope:

(V. R.) Though he aky me, I will

yet, in his presence, I will defend my ways.

traatintdm

And he too will be my deliverance;

And this too

for the impure shall not come before him.

tlutt tba impure

Hear attentively my speech,

and that which I declare in your ears.

Behold now, I bare made ready my cause;

I know that I am innocent.

Who is be that can contend with met

For then would I be silent, and die.

Only, two things do not thou unto me;

then will I not hide myself from thee.

Thy hand remove thou from upon me.

and let not thy terror make me afraid:

then call thon, and I will answer;

or I will speak, and answer tbou me.

How many are my iniquities and sins?

My transgression and my sin make known to me.

Wherefore dost tb«u hide thy face,

and regard me as thine enemy?

A driven leirf wilt thou put in fear,

and pursue the dry chaflF?

For thou writest hitier things gainst me,

and makest me inherit the sins of my youth :

T. 14 Take my fieah in my tetth. A somewhat similar
imtge IB found in Jer. 38 : 2, A« akall have hit life for a prey,
and shall live ; for a. prej, — i. o. for ft booty, with which one
mtlccB Mb eBcape throngh wrary danger. But here, the imftge
is that of a wild beut, enduToring to escape the purauing
shepherd, with the prey in its teeth. The paatoral life
famished msnj such incidents ; compare, e. g. 1 Sun. 17 ; 34,
35, and Amos 3 : 12. The other member expresses tlie same
thought without a figure. Pta my life in my hand, i. e. risk
my life ; as in Judg. 12 : 3 ; 1 Sam. 19 : 5, 28 : 21. The appli-
cation is: Why do I thus risk all on the assertion of my recti-
tude before God, unless sustained hy the consdousneas of its
truth 1 — The marginal tranalation is to the same effect ; though
some understand by it : Why should I be anzious to save my
life (to escape with life, as the hnnted wild beast with the
prey in its teeth) by suppressing, before Qod, what my own
consciousness impels me to utter.

V. 15. Sentiment: No hope of life is Ic^ me; but I will
not die without appealing to Qod in defense of my innocence.
Compare t, 3, and the note on 9 : 15. — Margin: ti-utt in him,
viz. OS the future assertor of ray innocence. This is a reading

found in ancient Tersions, and in some manuscripts ; but is
not in harmony with the connection.

V. 16 is not inconsistent witb 9 : 28, which has reference
only to this life; vis. to a declaraUon of his ionooence by the
restoration of temponl prosperity.

V. 17. In your ears, i. e. b your hearing; for what he says
is addressed not to them, but to Qod.

V. 19, Woidd I be tiknt tfc^ via. if there are grounds on
which this assertion of my innocence can be denied, — as im-
plied in the preceding question.

V. 22. Call and answer, forensic terms as in Ch. 9 : 16..

V. 24. To hide the face from one, is to turn away (torn him
is displeasure or disgust (DeuL 31 : 17, 32 : 20; Pa. 13 : 1,
22 : 24) ; as, on the contrary, to ceaue the face to thine upon
one, meana to regard him with a benignant aspect, to show
him fovor (Kum. 6 : 25, 26 ; Ps. 31 : 16, 80 : 3 ; comp. Ps.
4:6).

V. 20. Write is a forensic and judicial term, meaning either,
to set down in a written accusation, — or to render judgment

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28 THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XIV.

and putteet my feet in the stocka,

and watcheat all my paths;

thou settest a bound to the aolw of my feet.

And he, as rottenneas, shall waste away;
as a garment, which the moth consumes.

Man, of woman horn,
is of few days and full of trouble.

aadwiUMKth

Like a flower he goes forth, and is cut oS";
be fleeth as the shadow, and abideth not.

And on such an one openest thou thine eyes,
and me dost thou bring into judgment with theet

thkt % deui thing could come out

Who can show a clean thing, out of the unclean?

of thenndetnl Notonel

There is not one !

If his days are determined,

if the number of his months is before thee;

if thou hast set his bounds, that he cannot pase;

look, away from him, that he may rest.

tJnta iM Btudl h>n pud, u t hlnling,

BO that he may enjoy, as a hireling, his day.

liaiMj.

For there is hope for the tree,
if it be cut down, that it will flourish again,
and that iU sprout will not fail.

Though its root become old in the earth,
and its trunk die in the ground;

through the scent of water it will bud,
and put forth boughs like a sapling.

>Dd ia ftt aa end

But man dies, and wastes away;
yea, man expires, and where is he!

in « written deorae. Oompwe Pa. 149 : d ; Is. 10 : 1, 65 : 6 ;
Jer. 22 : 30.— Make$t foe iatterit if c. ; tiw bidb of joMtb are
not •offered to pug awaj witit tfaiA leuaii of weakoeBs and
Indiacretioii ; tbey are itUl imputed to me, and made aa it
were the inheritaoce of maturer years.

V. 27. tbi divine chaatisements leave him no way of escape.
He is Ulce one whose feet are niada faat in the stocks ; or aa
one whose every motion in watched, and a limit aet to hia
atepa.

V. 28. And he .- viz, the one bo dealt with,— referring to the
deaeription juat given of hia own condition. The transition
from the first to the third person, ia not more bold and abrupt
in ttnglinh than in the original. He contemplatea the picture
he bad drawn, and apeaka of it in the third peraoo.

OluXIT. T. 3. Opmttt (kou thine eyes: compare Zech.
12:4.

T. 4. Meaning: where can such an one be foondl As all
are thna weak and frul \>j natnre, why should any be dealt
with so (trictlf ? The form in the original baa of^ the

meaning expreeaed in the margin ; hut it ia laaa pertinent in
this

T. 6. Thai he may rett, via. from special and extraordinary
suffering ; from evils which are not the neceaaary reanit of the
condition of human life. What d^ree of rest and ecgofmeot
is conaiatent with man's earthly lot, ia indicated in the next
line. — Margin; tkall have paid. As the hireling owes t^
whole day of service to his employer, so man must abide his
term on earth, UJl it is ended.

W. 7-12. It is evident from the illustrations used, and
From the whole connection, that Job has reference here, as in
Cb. 7 : 10, to the renewal of man's life on earth. In that
passage it is a^d of man, when he dies : " he ahall not return
to his house, and his place shall know him no more." Here,
the same truth ia illuatrated, by contrasting him with a tree
which haa been felled, or which has died down to the ground
with age, and revives again upon the same spot Man, on the
contrary, is hke waters that dry away and return no more,
and their place will be occnpied by others.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP.

XIV. • a»

Waters fail from the pool,

'pool': sea

and the stream decays and dries ap:

80 man lies down, and will not arise;

till the heaTOas are no more, they will not awake,

nor be roused from their sleep.

that thou wouldst hide me in the under-world,

wouldit conceal me till thy wrath is past.

wouldst appoint me a time, and remember me.

If a man die, will he Live again ?

All the days of my warfare would I wait,

■wkrfare*: i^ipointed liiM

until my change come.

Thou wilt call, and I will answer thee;

■wilt': ironldBt | 'wiU': would

thou wilt yearn towards the work of thy hands.

<wUt': wooldat

For now, thou numbereat my steps;

But now

dost thou not watch for my ainf

My transgression is sealed up in a bag;

and thou sewest up my iniquity.

■nd thou dsTiM6t ^ditioiu to

But the mountain falling crumbles,

fiOUDg Um pootnto

and the rock is removed out of its place.

Water wears out the stones;

its floods sweep away the dust of the earth :

so thou destroyest the hope of man.

Thou assaileat him continually, and he goes hence;

thou chaogest his countenance, and sendest him away.

V. II. Hu^Iq; by Sua u meant an inland sea or lake, a
Urge collection of water, such as in hot countriea are some-
. times wholly dried up.

V, 12. TiU the heavens art no more, L e. while time en-
dures, — or nevermoTti his life, on earth, shall never retom.

T. 14. If a man die, viU fte live again? He means: what
other prospect have 1 7 WiU man's earthly life be renewed 1
Then what can I now loot for, but that dreary abode in the
shades of deatli, and the distant prospect of a happier state
beyond it? — Some nndentand the qneetion as an expression
of momentary doubt, or uncertunty, arising ftom a want of
deamesa and fUUness in the revelation then made of a fnture
life. By others it is understood as expressing a common
disbelief in the doctrine ; to which he opposes his own con-
viction of ita truth. But it is unnecessaiy to assonie either
of these points ; and the oonnection is decisive in fkvor of the
other view.

By warfare (in a figurative sense) is meant any state of ex-
treme privation and bardahip. So in Is. 40 : 2, it is applied
to those who had been, not in arms, bat in c^tivity and
bondage. Here is meant that stale of exislsoce described in
Ch. 10 : 21, 22. — Mt/ change: my transition from that gloomy
abode, to a happier state. When this would take place, and
a period, was unknown.

at how remote a

V. IS, expTeasee the believer's unshaken trust in God.
Neither life nor death," — " nor things present nor things to
ome," — " nor height nor depth," can separate him from the
infinite Heart of IxJve, and its yearnings towards the spirit
that still turns to Him with the oenflding love wUdi his ovm
has inspired^— The form given in the margin is of the same
import.

W. 16, 17. The reason why ho longs for this respite. -
SetUed up tfc Meaning : my sins are not remittod, and blotted
&om remembraiMe ; they are laid up agsinat me, as things
that are to be earefiilly preserred are sewed up in a bag and
sealed. Compare the expression in Dent. 32 : M ; Hob. 13 : 12.
— Mai^n: and thtm deviteH <fc, is the translation which
many give to this member. But it is incorrect, as 1 think ;
nor is luy such charge found elsewhere in the language ascribed

W. 18-20. The moat firm and enduring objects of nature
are overthrown and destroyed; so in human life, there is
nothing stsble and permanent. — Mountain failing : compare
ch.B:5.— IStfftojwo/man.- every earthly hope ; not merely,
as some suppose, his hope of another life.— Cftai«w( ^c. with
disease and death.

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IHE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XV.

His. sons come to honor, and he knows it not;
and they are brought low, but he heeds them not.

'itadf ; himaeif

Only, bis fieBh for itself shall hare pain,

'itself': hinueir

and his sou] for itself shall mourn.
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite and said:

Shall a wise man answer with windy knowledge,
and fill his breast with the east^wmd;

'reproring*: irguing

reproving, with speech that helps not,

whereby be is Dot profited

with words wherein is no profit?

'cMtoff': abolish

Yea, thou thyself dost cast off fear.

■vitbliddest': makeligbtof
'prmyer': derotion

and withholdeat prayer before God.

For thy mouth teaches thine iniquity,

although thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

Thy mouth condemns thea, and not I;
and thy lips testify againat thee.

Art thou the first man bom,
and before the hills wast thou brought forth?

Hast thou listened, in the council of God ;
and reservest thou wisdom to thyself?

What dost thou know, and we know it not,
or onderetand, and we have not the same?

The aged also, and the hoary-headed, is with us,
older than thy father.

Are the consolations of God too little for thee;
and the word that gently deals with thee 7

T. 21. Compare EccL 9 : 6, 6.

T. 22. Only.- this alone concerns him. HU flesh is said
(by a natural figure), to snfi^ the pains of dissolution,
whilst the beautiful fabric of the body is decaying, and
mooldering to dust.

It has been asserted, that Job could have had no expecta-
tion of a futnre life ; because that would have explained the
mystery of the divine goTemment, in the distribution of the
good and evil of this world. But this is an error. The doc-
trine of a future retribution, however clearly revealed, would
in itself be no satisAictory solution of the problem of the
present life. It is the design of the book, to vindicate the
government of Qod on higher grounds; and to nunieter to
wants of the human spirit, which such a consideration would
not satisfy.

Ch. XT. Second speech of Eliphat He reproves Job for
the violence and rashness of his language (1-6), his claim to
superior knowledge (7-10), his refusal of proffered consola-

tion, and his complaints agunst God (11-16) ; and describes
the insecurity and the miserable end of the wicked (17-35).

V. 2. Windy knowUdge: an empty, vain ostentation of
Itnowledge, uttering itself in swelling words without substan-
tial meaning. — The eatt-wind was peculiarly violent (Ps. 48 : 7 ;
Ssefc. 27:26; Job 27:21); hence one who utters, vehemently
and passionately, things that are without weight in them-
selves, may be sidd to be fiUed with the east-wind, — ftill of
idle and boisterous talk. Compare ch. 8 ; Z.

y. 4. So hr from profiting others, thou thyself art not
restrained by the fear of God, nor disposed to pray to him for
his f^vor and succor. — Margin: abolithfear (fear of God, or
piety ; compare cb. 4 : 6), which was the tendency of his
assertion, that God does not distinguish between the righteous
and the wicked, in the distribution of good and evil.

V. 6. Thy words betray thine inward depravity, though
chosen with such skill and cunning.

T. 11. Cbfuoloiion* ift., viz. in what Eliphai himself had
Bf^d, ch. 5 : 17-26.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP.

XV. 31

Why does thy heart carry thee away;

and why twinkle thine eyes;

that against G-od, thou dost turn thy spirit,

'thy spirit': thine meer

and utter words from thy mouth?

What is man, that be should be pure,

one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

ud tbftt he Bboold be rightaoiu, tiM

Lo He trusteth not in his holy ones,

iflbomof wontaol

and the heavens are not clean in his eyes.

Much more, the abominable and polluted;

man, that drinks in iniquity like water.

I will show thee; listen thou to me:

and that which I have seen I will declare;

what the wise make known.

and have not hidden, — from their fathers.

To whom alone the land was given.

and no stranger passed among them.

All the days of the wicked man, he is in pain,

and the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

Sounds of fear are in hie ears;

in peace, the destroyer comes upon him:

he trusts- not that he shall escape out of darkness;

and he is destined for the sword.

He wanders about 'for bread: Where is it?

he knows that a day of darkness is ready, at his hand.

Trouble and distress make him afraid —

overpower him, as a king ready for the battle.

Because he stretched out his hand against God,

and proudly set himself against the Almighty;

with the thick bosses of his bucklers.

y, 12. Heart is here nsed, flgnMtiTely, m the sett of pu-
aion and emotion (ctanpue Neb. 2:2; Is. IS : 5 ; Hos. 7 : 14) ;
eleewhere, of the reuon and nnderatandiiig, u in cb. 9 : 4.
He refers, in this rerse, to the strong feelings expressed by
Job, and the quickened action of the eye in the exci^nent
of paSHion.

T, 13. Spirit, in the same sense as in Fror. 25 : 2S.—VUer
vordt, in accordance with this feeling, as implied in the con-
nection of the two members.

T, 15. Hdgi see the references in the remarks on Ch. 5:1.
Angels are here meant, compare 4 : 18. — Ueorens ore not
cUatt: what is purest and most perfect, in its natOK, is not
withont blemish in his sight.

V. 16. Thai drinks in tmjutty ^. ; to whom it is as
natural, and as gratefol, as the element that aHays his physical
thirst.

TV. 18, 19. 7%nr faOters t;c. ; an ancient race, among
whom the leading principles of tme raligiwt bad been handed

down, from age to age. The patriarchal history, in Oenesia,
expluns the allusion. — The landi the territoij occupied by
this race.

V. 20. That are laid up .' whether few or many, it matters
not; since they bring him no enjoyment, and their whole
number is spent in miserable nncert^nty abont the future.

W. 21, 22, describe his exposure to violence, captJTity, and
death ; T. 23, his dread of approaclung want. — Darknete, a
ctMomon image of adversity, and of fearftil calamities, as m
Chs. 11 : 17, 23 : 17, and Nab. 1 ; 8.

TV. 25, 26. With itijened tuck : a common eipression of
pride, and of insolent defiance ; con^tare Ps. 75 : 5.~With the
rWci bottet ^c. ! i. e. with bucklers closely joined. The ex-
pression is t^en from a practice in-andent warfare ; a body
of soldiers joimng their shields t*^ther, and mshing in a
cMnpact mass upon the enemy. It means, to mah with all
bis force vpon Him.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XVI.

.™™.™^™»..

„^„„.

Because he covered his face with his fatneu,
and gathered fat upon the loin;

aod abode ia desolated cities,

Ikhwm where none dwell,

whose houses none inhabit,

'»«*; were

which are destined for stonebeaps.

'nor-Ac hia wealth ehall not meant up,

He shall not be rich, nor shall his wealth endure}

nor alwll their poasessions

bend down

nor shall their possessions spread abroad in the earth.

fold(V.R.) ■

He shall not escape out of darkness;

a flame shall dry up his branches;

and by the breath of His mouth shall he pass away.

'evil': TWiityl 'he is deceived ■: the

Let him not trust in evil; he is deceived.

deceiTed one,
evil': matj

for evil shall be his reward.

Before his time, it is fulfilled ;'

and his Palm is no longer green.

He shall shake off, like the vine, his unripe grapes,
and, like the olive, cast away his blossoms.

is famished

For the household of the impure is desolate,
and a fire devours the tents of bribery.

They conceive mischief, aod bring forth vanity;
and their womb matures falsehood.

Thbn answered Job, and said :

I have heard many such things;
miserable comforters are ye all.

Is there any end to words of wind?

what proTokea

or what emboldens thee, that thou ahooldst answer?

woald apeak

I also could speak as ye do;
?ere your soul in place of mine,

would frame

I could frame words against you,

would Bhake

and could shake my head at you.

TT. 27, 28. A second reason, viz. becauas be pampered
himaelf on the tdonder and ruin of others. — Desolated cUiet .-
plundered and depopulated, to enrich himself.

T. 29. Tkeir pouettiota, appljing the statement to all of
lliia class. i

T. 30. Darknet: see remark on Y.22,—A jlame: a
scorching wind is probably meant. — Breatit tfc. Compare :
vUh tht brtalh of hit lipa shall he slay the wicked, la. 11 : 4.
— Atbunt up t(C. (Margin), as a strong and stetely tree, whoaa
branches bend to earth with the burden of ite frnit

V.Z2. B^bnhUHme. Compare EccL 7 : 17, and Ps. 55 ; 23.
— JI sAdU be fuelled; he efaall prematurely reap his fiill re-
ward, in misfortune and untimdj death.

The Palm-tTte, the noblest of the Tef;etabie products of
that region, its erect and stately traok rising sometimes to a
hundred feet, was proverbially an emblem of prosperity (Pa.
92 : 12). It floniiahee loxariantly when abondanlly auppiied

with water, without which its branches soon wither. Wa
Palm U greea expresses, therefore, all that is implied in a
prospereus condition.

y. 34. Tenia of bribery : dwellings of those who are coi^
rupted by briljes.

V. 35. They ocmtrive schemea of miaehief, tor their own
advantage, and bring about nothing but vanity and disappoint-
ment. — FaUekood: viz. that which preres, in the result, a
falsehood and a cheat, deceiving all their hopes.

Ch. XTI. V. 2. / have heard many mch thingi ; in the
course of this diaoussion, is his meaning. EUphas bad only
repeated what, in substance, had already been several times
asserted.

T. 4. Shalte my head at you ; a gestmv of assumed anperi-
oiity, — of one who affects to speak with an air of dictation.
It is also a gesture of derision and mockery, as in Ps. 22 : 7 ;
Ift.37:22; Lam. 2: 15.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XVI.

I would strengthen you with my mouth,

HiBODtu, r^i^m^Ttom im nuiHxa..

and the comfort of my lips 'should uphold! *

And f^A movinff

If I speak, my grief is uot assuaged;

ID7p.ii)

and if I forbear, does it at all depart from me?

But now, He hath wearied me out;

thou bast made all my household desolate ;

and me hast thou seized— it is become a witness;

and my leanness rises up against' me,

it bears witness, to my face.

Hifl anger renda, and it pursues me;

he gnashes on me with his teeth;

my enemy sharpeneth his eyes at me.

They gape upon me with their mouth;

with scorn, they smite me on the cheek;

together they combine against me.

God delivers me up to the unrighteous.

and casts me into the hands of the wicked.

he laid hold of my neck, and dashed me in pieces,

and_set me up for his mark.

His strong ones beset me round;

he cleaves my reins, and does not spare; .

and pours out my gall upon the earth.

He breaks me, with breach upon breach;

he runs upon me like a warrior.

I have sewed sa<j)L-cloth upon my skin,

and have thrust my horn into the dust.

My face ia inflamed with weeping.

and a death-shade is on my eyelids;

although no violence is in my hands,

and my prayer is pure.

V. S. Comfort of my lipn that which my lips (words)
would kdmiidBter. Suae nndersUDd thie-Tene ^m oonnectioii
with the nutrpiwl rMdinga of the preceding one), u ironical ;
bat tlte natonl constrncUon of the wordg is preferable.

The aamimption that v. 4 ia Job's aasertion of what he
vjotiid do (Marpn), were the relations betwe«a himself and
bis friends reversed, and that v. 5 is ironical merely, is not
roqaired by tho forms of eiprtesion, and destroys the e%ct
of this fine puetge. Job sometimes uses a catUng irony, in
the ezposnre of fUsehood and pretension ; bat the elevation
ftnd dignity of his character are everywhere maintsjned. His
■n^nanimity never yields to the low gratification of retaliating
a wrong.

V. 7. Weaned me out: either in tlrertgth, pover of tn-
duTtuut (compare Jer. 12 : 5), or in patienee (Is. 7 : 13;
Uic. 6 : 3).

Y. 8. Hail Aow teixed : compare 11 : 10.—^ wttiutt i this
fact itself witnesses against me ; compara 10 ; 17.

T. 9. It pmtuet me .- is not satisfied, bat stUI pnrsace me,
to inflict new evils.

V. 12. At rut. as in Dan. 4 ; 4, denotes a state of qniet,
and of tranquil eigoyment.— Sftattcred, as by a sndden and
violent Mow.

V. 13. PauTi otU my gall: i. e. gins me deadly wonnds;
compare cb. 20 : 25 ; Prov. 7 : 23.

y. 14. Breake mc : as tbe defenses of a dty are broken
down by invading forces.

V. 15. The hom was an emblem of power, of protperiiy,
andof jn^({e(DeDt33:17; Ps. 89 : 17,24; 75:4,6). "My
hom Is exalted " (1 Sam. 2:1)," his horn shall be exalted
with honor " (Pa. 112 : 9), are expresMone of prosperity and
of honorable distjnction. On the contnry, " I have thrust
my hom into the dust" expresses defeat and btuniliation.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XVlI.

lUMIlSlL TUKSUTIOHI AKD BSAIIIM<M.

the grave ia

Do not roockericB beset me 1

and does not my ey* dwell

that will strike huida with me

Earth, cover not thou my blood !
and let my cry have no resHng-place !
Even now, behold my witnees is in heaven,
and my attestor is on high.
My mockers, are my friends:
unto God my eye poureth tears;
that he would do justice to a man with God,
as a son of man to bis fellow.
For a few years will pass,
and I shall go the way that I return not

Mr breath is consumed,
my days are extinct;
the graves are my portion.
Of a truth, mockeries beset me;
and my eye must dwell on their provocstioni
Give a pledge, I pray thee;
be thou my surety with theej
who is there, that will give his hand for mine?
For their heart thou bast kept back from wisdom;
therefore, thou wilt not exalt them.
Whoso betrays friends for a prey,
even the eyes of bis children shall ML

T. 18. The allnsionB in this verse *re explained bj Gen.
4 : 10 (compare Is. 26 : 21 ; Ezek. 24 : 7, 8). Earth will not
cover tjie blood of the innocent, unrighteously slain ; its cry
will be heard. The language is so far applicable to the caee
of Job, as that he perishes innocently, and under the imputv
tion of goilL His prayer ia, that earth will not cover his
Mood, as it does that of the guilty, who ia justly cut off; that
his innocence may yet be openly declared and vindicated.

T. 19. The atnutge conflict in the mind of Job, it has been
well sud,* is nowhere more strikingly exhibited than here.
The enemy, who pursues him with anoh unsparing and incom-
preheuMble rigor, is the Ood to whom he atill tnrns with un-
ahakeQ oonfldenoe, uid againat whom no help or refbge Is
Bought bat in ttmBsLi.—AtUttor; one who atBrraa what he
knows ; who can attest it from personal knowledge.

y. 21. That he would do jitttiee Ife., i. e. would do jnstice
to a man, in the cause between him and God ; as a ion of
to hit fellow, viz. to those who are equals (to one another and
to him), and have eqnal cluma on his justice, — in other worBa,
aa roan does justice between man and man. Compare the eenti-
ment in ch. 9 : 32, 33.

Oh. XVIT. w, 1-3. The grave*, i. «. the place of burial j
no portion being now left him, but among the dtkd. In thia
hopeleas condition, such officea of professed friendship, aa had
been tendered him, were only a mockery of hie sufferings.
Compare the sentiment in ch. 6 : 14, 15, and ch. 16 : 2, 5, 20.
Against this unkindness he [Jeads (v. 3), that Ood would
"undertake for him", and beoome surety for hia inno-

T%at will gke hu hand for miner t. e. will become my
Burety. A man pledged himself to the fiilflllment of a promise,
the payment of a debt ic, by giving the right hand^ another
became surety for him, by giving his own hand in place of liis.
See Prov. 6 : 1 ; 17 : 18 ; 22 : 20. In like manner, one became
surety for another's innocence of an imputed crime.— (Margin),
will »trike handt with me : i. e. will pledge himself to me, to
be my surety, and to appear in my behalf.

T. 4. Will not exalt Iheta, expresses his confidence that
tbey, who now wrongfbtly accuse him, will in the end be
humbledi

V. 6. Betrays JHende for a prey : as hia companions had
done, by taking part ^lainst him in bis distresses, and repre-
senting all that had befallen him as even less than his just
desert. See ch. 1 1 : 6 ; compare ch. 6 1 27.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XVIII. 35

And me lias He set for the peoples' by-word;

I am become one to be spit upoo in the face.

My eye is bedimraed with grief,

and my members, all of them, are as the shadow.

The upright will be astonished at this,

and the innocent will be roused against the impure.

Yet will the righteous hold on his way,

and he that is of clean hands will increase in strength.

But as for them all, — come on again I pray;
for I find not a wise man among you.

My days are passed; my plans are broken off,
the treaBurea of my heart!

10
11

Bnt u for jon aU (T. R.)

Night ia joined to day;

light is just before darkness

Lo, I wait my abode in the under-world,

in th4 darkness have I spread my couch;

Night they make day
K'Iw»itmy»bodein the nnder-worid,

I have called to corruption, My father art thon;
to the worm, My mother and my sister!

e»y to the grave, My father art thou,
t« the TTorm, My motlier and my sister ;

And where then is my hope?

yea my hope, who shall see it!

It will go down to the bars of the under-world,

15
16

then where ii my hope?

BO soon as there is rest in the dust.

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:

How long vrill ye hunt for words?
understand; and afterward let us speak.

will ye Bet snarea for words. Others:
How long, ere yg make an end of worda

T. 6. PcopUi' : Bee note t« ch- 1 : 3, near the end. The
plnral {ptoplei) refers to the difierent racea or tribes, by which
" the Eaat " (as the country is there called), was peopled. —
fTo he spit upon: compare ch. 30 : 10; Num. 12: 14; la. S0:6j
Halt. 26 : 67.

TY. 8, 9. Such unlocked for onfferings of a pious servant of
.God, will confound upright men, while it increases their in*
dignation agvnat prosperous impiety. But the truly devout
and just man will not be turned aside fhnu the tnith, or be
weakened as to hia trust in Qod. Of this Job himseJf was an
example.

T. 10. Ctme <m again Ifc. : i. e. make yet another trial ;
for I find no proof of wiadom in your former diacourae.

V. 11. T%« trea*iire$ of my ktarl : my earthly hopes and
prospects, tiie plana and purposes most cherished in my heart.

TV. 12, 13. Night, the dose of life's brief day, to him is
near at hand ; so near that he can dready say : I have spread :
mp coach in the darkness of the under-world. — Margin : they |
(my frienda) make n^ht day ; namely is their intimations
of a posuble return of happier days on earth (compare
chs.5:17-26i 8:20-22; 11:13-19} when in truth the Eight I

(what ia left to me of lifb), is just ready to be lost i

T. 16. So torn at ikert it rut. With that longed for re-
pose of the grave, there will come also the end of all my
earthly hopes, and plans, and interests ; " for there is no work,
nor device, nor knowledge, nor wiadom, in the grave " (Eccles.
9 : 10). The meaning is : I can look for no rest, save that
with which all eartUy enjoyments cease. — Bart: compare
Is. 38 : 10, I thaU go to the gattt of the underieorld, as it
should he translated.

Ch. XVUI. T. 2. Hunt for vxrrdt: i. e. spend all your
skill and craft in hunting for xoordt merely, while the inaUer in
hand is not understood. He refers here to all the other
BpealcBrs ; each of whom, in his opinion, had been vainly
Bsarchiiig for words, by which Xiq BJlencc his opponent. Hence
the admonition in the next member. — (Hai^n) : set mare* for
words, i. e. lie iu wait for them ; or, seek to draw ftvm one
words that may be turned against him (compare Lnke 11 ^ 54).
But the meaning of the [^unse, as given in the text, accords
lietl«r with the following mcmher.

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36 THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XVIII.

Wherefore are we accoanted as the brute,
are impure in your eyeat

One that teareth himself in his rage !
for thee, shall the earth he forsakoD,
and the rock remove out of its place ?

Yes, the light of the wicked shall go out,
and the flame of his Are shall not shine.

The light darkens in his tent,
and his lamp above him goes out.

His strong steps become straitened,
and his own counsel casts him down.

For he is driven into a net by his own feet
and he walks upon snares.

The trap will seize by the heel,

the snare will take fast hold of himj

hidden is its cord in the earth,
and its noose upon the pathway.

On every side, terrors affright him,
and pursue him, at his footsteps.

His strength becomes famished;

and destruction is ready, at his side.

It devours the parts of his skin;

his limbs the first-bom of death devours.

He shall be torn from the security of his tent,
and be led away to the king of terrors.

There shall dwell in his tent they that are not his;
bnmstone shall be showered upon bis habitation.

Beneath, his roots shall dry up;

hiabiuwhaluUwitber

and above, his branch shall be cut ofi*.

His memory perishes from earth;

and he has no name on the face of the fields.

He shall be thrust forth from light into darkness,
and shall he driven from the habitable world.

He has no ofispring and no progeny among his people,
and no survivor in his dwellings.

They that come after are astonished at his day;
and they that were before are terror-stricken.

T. 3. In youT eye* ,* L e. in thj view, and in tlie view of all
who like thee impagn the divine government, which w« would
juitlfy.

TT. 6, 6. Tke Ught *c Compare cho. 21 : 17, 29 : S^Hit
lamp above Aim, m in di. 29 ; 3.

T. 13, 7%e partt of hU ilein, Yii., all portions of it, or the
whole turtkw at the body; m was the case with Job. — Firil-
hom of death : the head or chief of the &milj of death (vis.,
of mortal diacMM) ; by which the most fittal and terrible of
all is meant

V. 14. .From the eecurity of hit tent, — where he believed
himself aecare ft«m harm. Compare oh. 8 : IS.

T, IS. Britaitone Ife., is explained hy Oen. IS : 24. Coco-
pare Pa. 11 : 6.

V. 17. The field* ; the pasture-grounds, where his numerons
flocks and herds once roamed, and where his name aliall no
more be heard.

V. 20. They that inert before, and they that come after, are
his contemporaries of the generations preceding and following

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP.

XIX. 37

Such only are the habitations of the wicked,

MIBODUI. TRUIBUTIOHS ASO HKiBOtOB.

and Buch the place of him that knows not G-od.

Thbn answered Job, and said:

How long will ye vex my soul,

and break me in pieces with words 1

These tea times do ye reproach me;

without shame, ye stun me.

ye contend with me

And even if, in truth, I have erred,

my error abides with mysel£

If, indeed, against me ye will make your boast.

H indeed, ye wiU Mt proudly towwtU

then prove against me my reproach.
Know now, that God has wrested my cause;

me,
uid upbrud me with my ahame ;
know then, tbkt

and his net he has cast around me.

Lo, I cry out for wrong, and am not answered;

I call aloud, and there is no justice.

My way he has hedged up, that I canpot pass,

and has put darkness over my paths.

He has stripped me of my glory,

and taken the crown from my head.

He breaks me down, on every aide, and I perish ;

my hope he uproots like the tree.

He makes his anger bum against me;

as his enemies, does he regard me.

Together come all his bands;

they cast up their way to me,

and encamp around my tent.

My brethren he has removed far from me;

and they that know me are wholly estranged from me.

My kinsmen stand aloof;

and my acquaintances have forgotten me.

Sojourners in my house, even my maid-servants, count me a

I am become an alien in their eyes. [stranger;

I call to my servant, and he answers not;

with my mouth, I entreat him.

My breath is strange to my wife;

is loatiuome

I am ofTensive to the sons of the same womb.

Yea, children spurn at me;

if I would rise up, they speak against me.

Oil. XIX. T. 3. Ye ttun me.' with the riolence knd repeti-
tion of their repro&chea.

T.S. My reproach; wtiatlunreproaohed with, tik. that these
oakmitie* are the just desert, and the tnie measure, of my gnilt.

T. 6. Hat leretled my eaute. He means, by dealing with
Um at with the wicked, and not according to hie int^rity
. and uprightueM, which Qod had himself acknowledged

(1 : 8). Second member; he has snrrounded ma with cala-
mities, from which there is no escape (ch. 3 : 23 ; 13 : 27.

V. 12. Hit bmdt: compare ch. 10 : 17, 16 : 13, 14. The
terms here used describe the approach of a besieging anuy, for
the iDTCStment of a fortress.

V. 18, second member; they scoff at my weakness and
heliJessneas.

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THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XIX.

All my familiar friends abhor me;

and they whom I love are turned against me.

My bone cleaves to my skin and to my flesh;
BO that I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

Have pity on me, have pity on me, ye my friends;
for the hand of God bath touched me.

Why do ye pursue me as God,
and are not satiated with my flesh!

Ob that my words were written!
oh that they were inscribed in the book!

that with an iron stile, and lead,
they were graven in the rock forever!

my deliYerer ; or, my areiiger

But I, I know my redeemer Uvea,

will lUnd up on the earth; or, on the

and in after time will stand apon the earth;

diut

and after this my skin is destroyed.

■ndftom my flesh

and without my flesh, shall I see God.

Whom I, for myself, shall see,

and not as an enemy

and my eyes behold, and not another.

My rains consome within me I

when ray reins are consumed within me.

V. 20. With the tkin of my Uelh .* i. e^ with nothing ; which
is the nktoral import of this proverbial cxpreBBion. As the
teeth have no skin, one who eacftpes with that only, escapes
with nothing.

y. 21. Are tul latiaUd with my fietk. The tearing of the
flesh, by ferocious beasts, ia an image of cruel and relentleee
persecution (Pa. 27 : 2); and also of &lBe and slinderous
accusations, as in Dan. 3 : 8, and aeaued the Jeu>$ (m the
original, aU up the piece* of Ae Jews, i. e. ate tbem piecemeal).
Compare Qal. 6 : 15. -

W. 23, 24. InAe hook, where all may read them. Com-
pare Ezek. 13 : 9. Such r^Btriea were of great antiquity ;
and memorable occurrences of individual history were some-
times recorded in tbem, as in Qen. S : 24 and 29 ; 10 : 8-12.—
Arid lead, melted into the cavities of letters cut in stone.

y. 25. But I, I know tfc., ezpKises bis own unshaken
assurance, however the case might seem to others. — My re-
deemer. The game word ie used in Is. 49 : 7 and 26 ; 59 : 20 ;
60 : 16, Ac — SkaU ttand tipon the earth (Margin: upon the
dust, viz. of the earth), the scene of so much suffering and
wrong; in whose dust repose the faithAil dead, who perished
unavenged, and sustained only by this hope. Compare Dan,
3 : 18, (not verse 17, which expresses another senUment).

y. 26, Without my jUih ; i. e. separated from my mortal
body. — Shall I tee Qod; as the same assunmce is expressed
in Ps. 17 : 15. — (Margin), And from my fieth, as some trans-
late ; i. e. from my body recalled to life, at the resurrection
of the deed. But the other version is more consistent with
the preceding member of the verse. The translation, in my
fieih, in the early English versions, was adopted from the

Latin Vulgate, and is no e^iression of the Hebrew. It is now
nnivereally rejected.

T. 27. And not another ; i. e. I ehsll still, thovgh in a new
existence, be the same ; myself and not another in my place,
shall behold him. — The version in the maigin is preferred by
some ; but without snfBdent reason.

Third member. My reitu, either regarded as belonging to
the vital parts (Compare 16: 13), meaning: when the life of the
body ia extinguished, and its vital parts ttttmselves are vrasted
away; or taken in the more usual sense, viz., as the seat of
thought and emotion (Pa. 16 : 7 ; Prov. 23 : 16, Fe. 73 : 21)
meaning; when thought and feeling, in connection with the
body, shall have ceased. — (Margin) : My reint eonivme, with
longing for this sight 1

It is thought by some (Ustingnished interpreters, that the
assurance, which Job here expresses, could have no respect to
any thing beyond the present life ; that it must refer to some
divine interpotition before death, such as is recorded at the
close of the book. They explun the psesage thns: I know
that my deliverer (or avenger) lives, and will yet stand up on
the earth, aa jndge, asserting my right ; that after my skin
is consumed away, and without flesh (reduced to a mere
skeleton), I shall see Qod, — i. e. shall see biin mterpose for
me, and shall witness it with my own eyes, though my vitals
are consumed ; (or, — my reins are consumed with lon^ng for
it). Meaning of the whole: So great is my confidence in
Qod, I cannot doubt that he will do justice on earth, to thoae
who truat in him.

The reasons for the above opinion are :

1, That any reference, here, to a future state of retnbatioD,

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THE BOOK OF JOB.

CHAP.

XX. 38

If ye say: How will we parane him!

1UB9DUL rUKBLiXUUJa AHD KKUUXOB.

and the root of the matter ia found io me,

be ye afraid of the sword;

for wrath is a crime for the sword,

that ye may know there is a judgment.

Then aaswered Zophar the Naamathite and said:

For this, do my thoughts pve anawer to me,

and because of my eager haste within me.

ig incouiatent witli the whole course of ■rgumeDt in the
book ; fliuoe ■ach a reference would at once hare solred the
difficultiee, canaed by tbe a^wrentl; nnjaat dutribation of
good and eril in tlua life.

To this it maj be answered (as alreadj ranarked at tbe
close of di. 14), tbe doctrine of a futore retribation does not
explain the mjsteiy of tbe divine gOTernment. Tbu mast be
done on a higher prindpte, than that oi future eompauation
fifr a prettnl wrong.

2. That tbis belief of a future state is not taken into ac-
GOiuit in the discussian. It is not mentioned bj tbe other
speakers ; and Zophar, in replying to tbis speech of Job, takes
no notice of any reference made to it hj bim.

The reply is ; that this reference to a fUture state ia not a
part of Job's argumcTit ; the admisaion of its truth would
not strengthen his position, nor weaken that of hia opponents.
He merely conaolea himself with the aaaurance, that he shall
not forerer be cut off ftom the divine favor. Why ia it so
now, is tbe ade qneetion between Mm and hie ftienda.

3. No nee ia made of it as a ground of conai^tiott to the
adSicted, even by Elibn, whose views of the design and uses
of affliction are far more Juat than tboee of tbe three frienda.

Such a use of it would have been aaide from the whole
acope of tbe argument between Job and hia fHenda ; and it
would have contributed nothing to the aolution of the queation
diacnaaed in tbe book.

4. It ia at variance with other express declarationa of Job;
e. g. Che. 7 : 7, 8 ; 10 : 20-22 ; U : 7-12, and U ; 17 : 11-16.
The belief ofa future state of happineaa, had he held il, would
have been a oonstant solace in hia present sufferings.

A aolaca for preeent evils in aome future good, was not the
thing which Job sought, or which his case required. It waa
a solution of the mystery of Qod's dealings n'ith him, and
with other righteous men, in this life. Why should God
treat, as he does his enemies, one who loves him, confidea in
him, and still seeks refuge and help in him alone? (See ch.
16 : 19, and remarks on it). Thie question (if the voice of
snffering nature ia not misinterpreted), atill rises in roany a
dark hour of inward conflict i and it oalla for Juat the anawer
that was given to Job..:-Tbe import of the above piasages has
already hwn considered.

5. The reference to the Mes^ah, is too direct and clear, for
that early period of revelation.

Not nnleaa we make it more apedfic than the aacred writer
does. Moreover, it was of a still earlier believer, and a near
ancestor of Job, that the Saviour himself aays: Abraham re-
joiced to ate my day ; and he taw it, and vm* glad (John
8 : 56).

The common interpretation is, confessedly, the natural im-
port of the words; and they can speak notiiing less without
very oonaiderable abatement of tbeir proper force. Sine*
there ia nothing requiring auch abatement, we must take them
in their full meaning, as understood by many of the best inter-
preters, among scholars of our own and of former times.

V. 28. If ye lay: i. e. by your acts ; if ye show this apirit
in your treatment of me. — Second member. The language may
be underatood aa an assertion of hia friends ; vis. that the
root, or ground, of the matter in dispute (i. e. of his afflictions),
ia found in himself, in his own guilt Or it may be taken aa
Job's assertion, meaning: when the ground-principle, the
fundamental truth, is fbnnd in me j viz. in his principles and
life, as weU as in the positions which he maintains in the con-
troversy. The Utter view ia favored by the connection.

V. 29. Tie euioTd, viz. of divine juatice.— Second member:
by vrath is meant, tbeir onjoat and criminal aeverity towarda
him, in the heat of controversy. — A crime for the ivrnd: one
to be punished by it, riz, by tbe juatice of God. Compare
Matt. 5 : 22.

Ch. XX. Zophar, in thia reply, aaserts the following points :
the more proaperoua the wicked man may be, tbe more signal
is the doom that is certain to follow (4-11) ; though he may
revel for a time in the &ui(s of wickedness, his veiy food turns
to poison within him (nurturing fatal disease, is meant), and
his wealth and prosperity are tAen away (12-17) ; the law
of restitution and of retaliation is enforced upon him (18-23) ;
by the hand of man, or by the visitation of Ood, himself and
his treasures are consumed, and heaven and earth declare hia
guilt (24-29).
y. 2. For (hit, viz. what Job had just said, in verses 28 and
' of the preceding chapter. — Qive antieer la me : i. e. they
reapond to my desire for a auitable anawer ; they auggest the
'er required. — My eager batte, to meet and repel the charge.

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40 THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XX.

My shameful chastisement must I hear;

and the spirit, from my understandiDg, will answer for me.

Dost thou know this to have been from of old,
since man was placed upon the earth;

that the triumphing of the wicked is short,
and the joy of the impure for a moment?

Though liis height mount up to the heavens,
and his head reach to the clouds:

according to his greatness, so shall he perish forever;
they that saw him shall say: Where is he?

As a dream shall he fly, and not be found;
and be chased away, as a vision of the night.

The eye that saw him shall see him no more,
and his place shall no more behold him.

His SODS the weak shall oppress;

and his hands shall make restitution of his wealth.

His bones are full of his youth;

but they shill

but it shall lie down with him in the dust.

Though evil be sweet in his moutb,
though he bide it under his tongue;

though he be sparing of it, and will not let it go,
and hold it in his palate;

his food is turned in bis bowels,
the gall of asps within him!

He swallows down riches, but shall disgorge them;
God will dispossess them from his belly.

He shall suck in the poison of asps;
the tongue of the adder will slay him.

He shall not look on the water-courses,
the flowing streams of honey and milk.

The fruit of toil he restores, and shall not devour,
as his boiTowed possession, and shall not rejoice in it.

Because he oppressed, abandoned the weak,

the houses he has plundered he shall not build ap.

y. 3. Tlu tpint [meuiiDg the emotioDkl oature, the puaions
And desires, u in ch. 15 : 13, Prov. 25 : 28), is here diBtingnished
ttomtiieimderitandingjthefowBtotdiBctTiiagtnith. Thespirit
iinpek him to speak; the understandiDg supplies the answer.

v. 4 Meuiiiig: doat thoij know this truth (eet&blished hy
all experience), and jet canst speak as if ignorant of it?

V. 6. Compare Is. 14 : 13, 14.

V, 7. According to kit grealneu, A«. ; i. e. the greater his
eleration, the more signal shitl be his fall and ruin.

V. 10. Sktdl mdkt Tatitution of kh wetUth (cetnpare tt. 15,
16), leaving his sons imporerisbed; which expluns the state-
ment in the first member, that the;, in their tarn, become a
prey e»en to the weak.

r. 11. Are/uU of hit youth. Bis youth remains in them,
in all its f^hnees and vigor ; they are yet in the fullness of
youthful strength. But that too shall fail, and shall go down
with him to the dust. (Margin) : they too sluili fail, ix.

T. 17. 7%e leater^ourie* : the index of fertility ; compare
Dent, 8 : 7.

V. 18. The fntil of toil, i. e. of unrequited bbor, as the
connection shows. — Second member. At a borrotted pottettion,
and therefore subject to the rightful claim of another; for
such is the fruit of unpaid service.

V. 19. He lAaU not baild iip, i. e. shall not prosper i
posncssion of them ; they shall go to ruin in bis bands.

the

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP.

XXT, «

Becaase he knew no rest in hia bosom,

KisoDui. iBununoKS ahd misaaa.

of all bis delights he shall save nothing.

His greedy appetite nothing escaped;

therefore his prosperity shall not endure.

In the fuUnesa of hia superfluity, he shall be straitened;

every hand of the wretched shall come upon him.

HU belly shall be filled!

God shall cast on him the fury of his wrath,

and shall rain his food upon him !

If he flee from the iron weapon,

the bow of brass shall strike bim through.

He plucks it out ; it comes forth from his body.

the gleaming weapon, from bis gall!

terrors come upon bim!

All darkness is hoarded up for his treasnres;

a fire not blown shall consume atbem;

it shall devour the remnant in his teut.

Heaven shall reveal bis iniquity.

and earth stand up against bun.

The increase of bis house shall depart.

aball flow away, in the day of His wrath.

This is the portion of a vricked man from Qod,

and bis appointed lot from the Mighty One.

Tkbn answered Job, and said:

Hear ye attentively my speech;

and let your consolatioos be this.

Suffer me, that I may speak ;

and after I have spoken, mock on.

As for me, is my complaint to man?

ii n^ compluiit <a nua

Or wherefore should I not be impatient? "

Look upon me, and be astonished.

and lay the hand upon the mouth!

For when I remember, I am dismayed ;

and trembling seizes my flesh.

Wherefore do the wicked live,

grow old, yea become mighty in power?

T. 22, MCiond member; oompara ch. 6 ! 5.

T. 23. An expruaion of sUm irony. He who grup«d at til
things, and filled binuelf with others' goods, shall now eat of
the fruit of his own way, and be filled with his own derioes
(ProT. 1 : 31). The same thought Is expressed in Ps. 11 : 6.
l^xm the mcktd he viU rain tnaru, fire and brinulone, and a
korrMe tenpett ; Ihe portion of Ouir eup .'

V. 25. From his gall ; showing that a tnorUl wound has
been given. Compare the remark on ch. IS : 13.

V. 26. Darkneti ; pnt for ealamitiefl, as in ch. 15 : 22^-
A fire, not blown ,- c^ which no one knows the origin or

T. 28. Hit inereate of hit hovtt ; the aceamnlated wealth
of his &aiilyi the trearared giuna of jears and genera-

Oh. XXt T. 2. Your eoMolatiimti eompm ch. U : 11,
and 16 : 2.

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49 THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXI.

WiTffTFUi TBAltBUTIOira itID BUDIKOB.

Their seed with them is eetabliehed in their eight,
and their ofispriDg before their eyea.

Their houses are in peace, without fear;
and no scourge of God is upon them.

His cattle breed, and fail not ;

his kine bring forth, and miscarry not.

They send out their little ones like the flock,
and their children dance.

They shout, with tabret and harp,
and rejoice, to the sound of the pipe.

In prosperity they spend their daya,

and in a moment, go down to the under-world.

And they say unto Ood: Depart from ua;

for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
and what are we profiled, if we pray unto him i

Lo, their good is not in their hand I
Fat from me is the counsel of the wicked.

How oft, does the lamp of tba wicked go out,
and their destruction come upon them,
or He, in his anger, distribute sorrows!

or they are aa stubble before the wind,

and as chafi*, which the whirlwind snatches away!

Will God treasure up bis iniquity for his sons?
on him let him requite it, that he may know!

Let his eyea see hia destruction,

and let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

For what is his concern in his house after him,
when the number of his months is out oflF?

Shall one teach God knowledge,

ttotJndgBthonhigh

when it is he that judgeth the high?

One dies in his full prosperity;
he is wholly at ease, and secure.

ma folds ue foU of Dllk (T. B.)

His sides are full of fat,

and the marrow of his bones is moistened.

And another dies in bitterness of soul,
and has not tasted good.

Together they lie dowh in the dust,

uid lotUnmeeB coven them.

and the worm covers them.

Lo, I know your devices.

T. 16. Their good, L e. Ilwir real goi^ in the true and
higbeat aense, ia not in tbeir poawaaion or within their grmap.
Sentiment : though the wicked ma; have worldly pToepenty,
jwt imfietf ia toUj, and godlineas the only true wiadom.

T. 22. Shall one teadt God IcnowUdge : i. e. instruct him in

the gOTonunent of tba wta-ld; as Job's fiienda wonld do, by
laying down laws not recognised in dirine proTidence.

T. 24. It mmilened; is kept fresh and Tigorons) is not
dried np by puUacted disease, or by decay of the powen of
lutore.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXII.

For ye say : Where is the house of the Noble ;

and where the tent, in which the wicked have dwelt?

Have ye not aaked the wayfarers?

aod do ye DOt kaow their tokens?

That the wicked is kept unto the day of destruction;

they are brought on to the day of wrath.

Who, to hia face, will declare his way?

and what he has done, who will requite him?

And he, to the graves is he borne away,

and watch is held over the tomb.

iSweet to him are the clods of the valley;

and all men will draw after him,

aa before him, "without namber.

How then comfort ye me in vun,
when in your aoBwere there remains only deception !

Thbh aiiswered Eliphsz the Temanite, and said:
Can a man profit God?

for it is himself the wise man profits. [righteous,

Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou shouldst be
or a gain, that thoa shouldst make thy ways perfect?
Will he, for thy fear, rebuke thee,
enter into judgment with thee?
Is not thy wickedness great?
and there is no end to thy iniquities.
For thou bast taken a pledge of thy brother for naught,
and stripped off the garments of the naked.
The fainting thou gavest do water to dnuk,
and from the hungry thou hast withholden bread. .

uiaanm. TRixsLiTioHs u

Thftt tbe wioked is kept In the d»j of

deBtnictioD ;
tbeyftrebrooghtoninthedayofwTftth.

Cu k mui profit Ood,

when be wiady aeelu hie own profit?

T. 29. ne wiyfartrt .- those vhoM bvihieM reqalrea them
to trftrel ft'om piftoe to piece, end to viait difibrent lands, uid
who eee moch of the w%ja and of the &tee of iimd.

Vlteir lokem : Uut is, the fkcta which thej h»e witneesed
uid report, uid which serve ae UAeiu, or lignt, bj which the
truth maj be known. — Do ye nof Imoto t/c., i. e. do ye not
Dnderetud ti» true import of them ?

T. 30. The oonree of ProTidenee ahowe, that the wicked
man is not punished in this Ufe. He is kept, i. e. he is reserved,
for his doom. Be is brought on, or is led onwKrd, to the day
of wrath. The foUowiog vene shows, that a retribution this
elde the grtTe is not meant.

Some tnutslate as in the mu^gin. Meaning: the vAcked u
kept, L e. he is preserred, when the more weak and defenseless
perish ; they are brought on, i. e. are conducted safUj through.
But the tnie meaning is given in the text.

V. 31. So great ii his power, that no one ventnree to rebuke
hie injnstioe, or is able to punish it

V. 32. He is borne in state to the bmrial-place, and his
tomb is guarded from violation.

He thus follows the ungodly man through life, to the gmve,
and to the peaceftil, undieturbed repose of bis eepnldire ;
prorii^ ttuit no retribution overtakes him on earth,^(A(i( Ae if
kept to the day of destmetion.

Ch. XXn. T. 4. For thy fettr; that is. thy fear of God,
as in ch. 4 '. 6. The words can tie tnnalated as in the margin:
Will he, far faar of ihee, coi^iUt thee ; that is, show thee to
1m in the wroi^, and tikua rebuke or reprove thee. — Enter into
judgment vilh thee ; compare Pa. 143 ; 2.

V. 6. T^e naked means here (as in Is. 58 : 7, and James
2 : IS), one who has not clothing eufllcient for his own wants.
— Against such oppression of the poor, the Mosaic law was
very Btrict; see e. g. Deut. 24 : 17, and conqMre Es. 22 : 2d
Deat 24 : 12, 13, and 6.

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44 THE BOOK or JOB. CHAP. XXn.

mitnivii. TIUKaUTIOm IKD gJinmm

Bat the man of might, hia was the land;
and the honored one, he dwelt therein.

Widowa thou haat seat empty away,

and the arma of the orphans were broken.

Therefore snares are round about thee,
and fear suddenly confounds thee;

or darkness, that thou canst not see;
and the flood of waters covers thee.

Is not God in the height of heaven?
and behold the summit of the stars, how highl

And thou sayest: How does God know?
can he judge through the thick cloud?

Clouds are a covering to him, and he sees not;
and he walks upon the vault of heaven.

Doat thoD mark tlw old mj

"Wilt thou keep the old way,
which wicked men have trodden?

Who were seized before the time;

their foundation was poured away in a flood.

Such as aay unto Qtoi: Depart from ua;
and. What can the Almigh^ do to them?

When he their houses had filled with good:
but far from me ia the counsel of the wicked!

The righteouB look on, and rejoice;
and the innocent mock at them :

truly, our adversary is cut off;

and what is left to them a fire consumes.

Now acquaint thyself with him, and be at peace;
thereby shall good come upon thee.

Take now the law from his mouth,
and lay up hia words in thy heart.

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up,
if thou remove wickedness far from thy dwellings.

And cast to the duat the precious ore,

and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brooks ;

for the Almighty will be thy precious ores,
and silver, sought with toil, for thee.

For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty,
and ahalt lift up thy face unto God.

T. 9. T^e arnu of Ae orjAant! those by wUoh they are
defended, uid proriBioa U made for their wants. These were
broken (that U, made poverieu), by opprmtion, and by with-
holding the needed help.

T. 12. The ttimmit of At itarti that is, the bighert point
to which they ri«e, in mid beaTen.

T. 16. TV old way, iMeh viektd nttnhoM trodden; as
nlat«d ia Oen. 6 : 11-13.

T. 16, rerere to what is related in Gen. ch. 7. — Befim Ok
Hnu; in the same Benae as in Eccl. 7 : 17, Pa. 55 : 23.—
Second member ; their firm foundation, on which they rested
80 secare waa itself borne away in the overwhelming
flood.

V. 24. OphiTi Gen. 10 : 29; 1 K. 9 ! 28j 10 : llj la.
13 : 12. It was, moat probably, a region of Soutlwm

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. Xxm.

Thou wilt pray to him, and he will hear thee ;

and thou wilt perform thy vows.

For thou wilt purpose a thing, and it shall stand;

and tight will shiae upon thy ways.

When they are cast down, thou shalt say : There is lifting up !

Wben th«7 ue dep«iMd

and the meek-eyed he will save.

He will deliver one that is not guiltless;

and he shall be saved by the pureness of thy hands.

Then answered Job, and said:

Even to day, my complunt is frowardness!

ia bitter

The band upon me is heavier than my groaning.

that I knew bow I might find him,

might come even to his seat!

I would array my cause before him,

and fill my mouth with arguments.

I would know the words he would answer me.

and mark what he would say to me.

Would he, with great power, contend with met

no ! he surely would give heed to me.

There, the upright might reason with him ;

and 1 should be delivered for ever from my judge.

Lo, I go toward the eaat, but he is not there.

and toward the west, but I perceive him not;

toward the north where he worketh, but I behold him not,

he covers himself in the south, and I seQ him not.

V. 27. Wilt perform Ay vou>» ; compire Ps. 66 : 13, 14. The
ezpreuion meuifl, ihou vrilt obtain thy dttire ; for the tow wis
not to be performed, udIcm the object of deaire wu granted.
Forthefonn of mch k tow, Bee Qen.ZS: 20-22; 1 Sam. 1:11.

T. 2S. Whtn Aey are eatl dovn, tfc The Mme sentiment
as in Ps. 91 : 7, 8. When others are brought low, hj one ca-
Iainit7 or another, the eril " shall not nana nigh thee."— Some
sappoce that " Ay way* " (in the preceding Terse), are here
meant. When lh«y are depreued (Mai^in), that is, when thou
art htnnbled and cast down, it shall be for a Reason onlj ; and
thou shalt again a».j : There is lifting up ! Theso are thought,
bf some, to be the words which Job would address to others
in affiction and depression ; bat the connection does not fsTor
this explanation.

T, 30. For the sentiment of this Terse, compare Oen.
18 : 26-32, and oh. 42 : 8 of this book. Compare also Eiek.
14 : 14, 16, 16, 20.

The tone, in this third speech of Sliphai, i« percepUbljr loirer
than in the two former. Job had proTed, by undentaUe
IStcts, that the wicked hare not their Just reward in ibia life ;
and bad thus taken away the whole force ot the aignman{e
Diged against him. To this EUphas can only reply: that man
cannot lay the Almigh^ under obligation to him by a ri^tensi

life, by which he himself, and not Ood, is profited (1-3) ; that
Qod had not chastised tum for his piety, but for grieToos Bine,
of which he mentions sach as were most common among men
of Job's rank and relations to others (4-11); that in his
Tiews of Qod's treatment of the wicked, he followed in the
way of those sinners of old, of whom Qod bad made to ugnal
an example (12-20) ; that a retain to Ood would insure the
dlrine f^Tor, and the restoration of earthly prosperity (21-30).

Oh. XXm. T. 2. My complaint u fToaardnets : that is,
it is so accounted by my Mends, STen to this hour ; the sight
of my afflictions has not softened their feelings towards me.
Bnt (second member) my complaint is less than the affliction
I endure. — The hand upon me: compare Ps. 32 : 4. — Some
translate as in the margin {hUter) ; but it is not an aathoiized
use of the word, and the sense is not appropriate.

V. 3. His teat ; compare Fs. 9:7, Ht kalh prepared hi*
Anme for judgment.

TV. 8 and 9. Compare with these Terses, the sublime words
of the Psalmist (Ps. 139 : 7-12) : Whither AaU I go from %
^nrit tfc. Bnt in the darkness of affliction, the spirit that has
not yet leanied snbmiasion to the diTine will, seeks ereij-
where in rain for an eyerywhere present Qod.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXIV.

the w»y within me

But he knows the way that I take;

when he tries me, I shall come forth as the gold.

My foot has held fast to his step ;

his way have I kept, and not tamed aside.

The commandment of bis lips, I put it not away ;
ahove my own law, I prieed the words of his mouth.

But he is the same, and who can turn htm?
and what his soal desires he will do.

Truly, the purpose concerning me he will accomplish;
and many such things are with him.

Therefore do I tremble before him,
I consider, and un afraid of him.

And God makes my heart soft,
and the Almighty confounds me.

For I should not be dumb because of darkness,
because thick darkness covers me.

WhT tre timea not tnunred up br

t&aAlmightT,
and why do tfiey th»t know bim not

Why, if times are not hidden from the Almighty,

do they that know him not see his days?

■eehUdayil

Landmarks they remove;
flocks they seize upon, and feed.

The orphans' ass they drive a^ray;
they take the widow's ox for a pledge.

They turn aside the needy from the way;

all tho poor (V.R.)

all the oppressed of the land are made to hide themselves.

The ninth \ene refers to thoio manifeBt*tioiw of Qod's pn-
BtDce and power, which are most obvions to the sight in the
northern quarter of the heavens (compare ch. U : 9, 38 : 31,
32) ; while he corete himself in " the secret chambera of the
South "(ch. 9: 9).

V. 10. Oompai* Uie expression of thia confldenoe in
13 : IS, and 16 : 19.

T. 12. Above my own law ; Above anything which my own
natnre prescribes to me as law; above what my own will dictates.

y. 13. Ht M the lame : that is, he is without change, and
cannot be moved from hia purpose.

V. 17. Darkneti, for overwhelming calanutiea, as in cb.
IS : 22, 30.— Sentiment: it is not affliction, of itself, that so
overwhelms and confounds me ; bat the consciousness, that the
hand of God is in it

Ch. XXIV. T. 1. T^niM, namely of Judgment; the times
^(pointed to individuals and nations, when Qod will vliit them
in judgment. So tbe word is used in Is. 13 ; 22, htr time it
near to come, and ker dayt ikall not be prolonged ; Jer. 27 : 7t
vnUl the very time of hi* land come ; Eielc 22 : 3, 30 : 3.—
Are not hidden from ; that is, are known and reoognized by
bim, in his government of the world.

Hit dayi ; namely, in wUch be manifests htmaet^ either in
jadgment on the wicJced, or in tbe deliverance of the righteous.
Such a time is often called, emphatically, the day of Jehoeah ;
bis day in a special sense, as marking a special manifestation
of his presence and power. See, for example. Is.- 13 : 6, the
day of Jthovah u at hand ,■ it thaU come as a dettruetion from
theAlmightiiii:'l2; Jaak. W : 3, the day of Jehovah u near ;
it ihall be the time of the heatheit. Joel 2 : 1, Zeph. 1 : 7,
Zech. 14 : 1.

T, 2. Landmarki they remove; see Deut 27 : 17, cursed be
he that renovelh his neighbor's landmark ; and compare Deut.
19 : 14, Prov. 22 ; 28, 23 : 10, Hoa. 5 : 10.— Scite upon and
feed, ezpresaes the security with which they enjoy their
plunder. The flocks which they feed have been taken from
others, by violence or fraud ; and no one can disturb them in
the poBseasion of their ill-gotten wealth.

VT. 3-8 describe the oppressed and neglected poor; ooni'
pelled to iMnrn thur little wealth ; fobaiating on chanoe supplies
tt the wildemeas, or on the coarsest &re and tbe gleaninga o£
harvested fields.

Y. 4. T%«y (urn atide ifc. In the same sense it is said :
Amos 2: 7, and turn atide the way of (he meek; Amas 5 : IZ
they turn atide the poor (in Ae gale ,- see remark on ch. 6:4);

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXIV.

Lo, aa wild-asses ia the wilderDess,

Muumui miouTioHa akd biuokos.

they go forth to their toil, searching for the prey;

the desert to him is bread for the children.

In the field, they reap his fodder,

and glean the Tineyard of the wicked.

Naked they pass the night, without clothing,

and with no shelter in the cold.

and cling to the rock for want of refiige.

The orphan is torn from the breast,

and on the sufferer is imposed a pledge.

Naked they go about, without clothing;

and hungry they bear the sheaves:

prepare oil between their walls;

For anguish do the dying groan,

Domengro«i(T.R.). Olherti Frem
the dQr do the dying groM

and the aoal of the wounded cries out;

and God heeds not the prayer.

tha wrong (T. E.)

There are they who rebel against light;

they know not its ways.

and they abide not in its paths.

At the dawn, the murderer rises np ;

he slays the poor and needy :

and by night, he will be as the thief.

Ii. 29 : 21, turn tuide iHe jiut ; Pror. 18 : 5, to lu to (um atiJe
Ikt righta>it§ (u the words ahould be tnuiBl&ted). In all those
espreuioiiB, the ground ide» is, to htm me off the path ; by
Tiolence or fraud, to tnm him aride from liis w%j, — from the
mj wliich is his by right.

T. fl. /n the field S(e. Others, employed by the rich opprei-
sor ID the labora of the field, subsist on the fare of brute
beasts, and the gleanings of the harrest. — fit* fodder, which
he (the wicked) proridee for big cattle. It was a miztore of
diflbrent kinds of grain and pulse, sown together, and used as
food for beaata.

TV. ^13 deaoribe another olaaa of the oppresand, aamely,
tb« depandeiit labonr ; dqiriTod of infimt aBMfra^ taken aa a
pledge, briimg fiw superflnitiaa of the ri<di, and denied the
mtomury aopiiliee of nature's wanta.

V. 9. And on tAe nffferer u inrpoted a pledge : tlw inbnt
ofbpring is demauded aa a pledge, to l>e forfeited if not
redeemed by (iilfiUment of tlie promise.

Some suppose that indigent deblort are meant in this para-
graph ; that the widowed mother, separated tnta her InAuit
offtprin^ and bound to eerrice to satisfy a debt t^ daily toil,
IB meant in t. 9 ; and that the following verses describs the
condition of otlters, made bondmen for debt Compare the
case recorded in 2 K. 4 ; 1, and the law for the protecUon of
■nch, in Lent. 25 : 39>.43.

T. 11. Belvten their wtdlt, incloring their oliTeyards and
nneyarde.

T. 12. From the cily (Margin), where the population ii
more dense, and scenee of snffiring and wrong are more fre.
quent. — Third member: wfmg (Margin), aooording to a
different pronunciation of the original word ; just as tear (to
rend) and tear (the moisture of the eje) mean rery different
things in English.

TT. 13-20. With the wealthy and honorwl oBeadm, he hera
ocmtians the lower grades of erlminaU against society, and
their mineimblB lot ; showing that the measure of guQt is not
the meaenre of punisbomt, in this life.

V. 13. Who rebel agaiiut liffit ; i. e., who r^ect and shun
tite light of day, as the following Terses show. But this ne-
oeasarily inpliea the still higher senae, in which the Sariovr
lays: Every one Aat doetk enO. kauth the light; neither
emwA to Ike light, U»t hie deed* ehould he reprwed (John
3:20).

V. 14. At ihe dawn : with the first appearance of light,
when only thoee whom necessity compels are abroad, and
there are none to binder his crime. — Third member. WlU b«
tu the thief; that la, will foUow his secret and stealthy mode
of plnnder, in distinction from the open Tiolence Just de-

MtilMd.

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48 THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXIV.

And the eye of the adulterer watches for the twilight,
Baying: No eye shall see me!
and puts a veil orer the face.

They break through houses in the darkness:
by day they shut themselves up;
they know not the light. ,

For moraing ia death-shade to them all :

when one can discern, it is the terrors of death-shade!

know

Light is he on the face of the waters:
accursed is the portion of such in the earth;
be turns not into the way to fruitful fields.

Drought and heat bear off the anow-watet. —
the under-world them that sia.

The womb will forget him,

when the worm feeds sweetly on him;

and iniquity vrill be broken, as the tree.

He despoils the barren that beareth uot:
and shows no kindnesB to the widow.

And he removes the strong by his might ;
he rises up, and no one is sure of life:

he grants to them safety, and they are at rest;
and his eyes are upon their ways.

They rise high ; a little while, and they are gone !

they are brought low; like all are they gathered,

di«

and are cut off like the topmost ears of com.

And if it be not so, who then wilt prove me false,
and make my words of no eflfect?

y. IT. Deaik^liade, the du-kneaa of the world of death
beace put for the deepest night. So great is their dread of the
light, that morniDg is to them like the daikoeM of death.-
Seomid member. When out can diteem: that i«, when there
ii light enough to ditttngaiah otyects. The words maj alio
be tianelatcd aa in the mar^ : meamng ; tho^ bare no dread
of the night, — its terron are known and familiar to them. Bnt
tbe sense is not so pertinent.

V. 16, flrst member. Compare Hoe. 10 : 7, A«r king ii cut
iif,iuAe /bam upon Ae vMer. Here, the meaning is : he has
no firm foundation, no stabiiitf, like that of the rich and
powerful oppressor. He is like the light sabstanoe that floats
on the wat«r, and which the current bears whither it will.

Third member: his Mepa are nerer directed in the mj
which leads to fnutfiil fields; fbr be has no such poueasions
of tbe wealthy tnn^reeeor.

V. 19. As melting si
■0 snch transgressors a

WB disappear in the'dronght and heat,
I swept away to the under-worU.

V. 20. Sren maternal fondness cannot cherish the memoiy

of such outcasts from sode^, and fivm social laws. The
tree, broken and prostrated, is tbe emblou of their &te.
Contrast the end of the eril man of wealth, described in
ch. 21 : 32, 33.

yy. 21-24, describe the oppressions of the man in power.
He robs the childless and tbo widow, who have none to
sustain and protect them ; and eren the strong have no eecori^
bnt in lus &Tor (21-2S). Bowerer high inch may rise in
power, they are soon bronght down by doith to tbe common
level (24).

y. 24. Art Aey gathered .- see Numb. 20 : 2S, and compare
y. 24.-(Margin) : compare Qen. 49 : 33, kt gathered up hit
feet inUi the bed, ami uptr«f.^Ihird member : in the barreat
of d««th, all are gathered alike, without regard to rank or

The ground thought of the chapter is this: Tbe wrongs
committed bj those, wh<Hn only a higher than human power
can reach, escape tbe punishment which society visits on
humbler offenders.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXV, XXVI.

Then aaswered Bildad the Shuhite, and said :

UBantu. TKunuTiost unt uaiuk<m.

DomiDioD and fear are with him;

he maketh peace in hia high plaoes!

Is there any number to hia armies!

and oo whom doea not his light arise?

How then ahall man be just with God,

and how shall he be pure that is bom of woman t

Lo, even the moon, it shines not,

and the stars are not pure in his eyes.

How much less man, a grub!

and the son of man, a worm '.

Then answered Job, and said:

How hast thou helped the powerless.

succored the feeble arm!

How hast thou counseled the unwise i

and understanding thou has taught abundantly!

By whom hast thou uttered words,

To wham

and whose breath has come forth from thee?

mAwhoMtfMt

The shades tremble.

beneath the waters and their inhabitants!

Cb. ZXT. Withont atUmptinf to diapron the statmituitB
of Job, BUdftd nukes the sppesl once mora, m had been dOM
faj Eliphu (ch. 4 : 17-21), to the m^festj aod ropnniftcy
of Qod, and the comperaUTe weftkneea and worthlessneBS of

V. 2. In him are oomUoed, dominion and liMri a ligfatAil
•orereign^, and tbe dread it iupirea. His right to reign, is
upheld hy power to enforce obedieoM.— He maktih ptaee tto. ;
sabordination, order, and hannony , be main^^ini; in tbo bearena

T. 3. The question of course implies a negative answer ;
there is no number to his arraiea, — that is, thej are without
number.

Tbe meaning of this verse is fuHj ezphined bj Is. 40 : 26.
Attenbon is there directed to the heavenlj bodies ; and God,
it is said, '-bTingelk out Aeir hott by numier" (as the com-
mander of an army doea hia forces) ; "A« etUUA^Aen all by
namet " (they are mustered, each by name) ; " iy (fce grealnat
of kit might, for that he ii ttnmg in pover, not one faileth"
(not one is suffered to rem^n behind). The prophet refers to
the beautiful and unvarying order, with which the heavenly
bodies follow each other in successive seasons of the year, and
in their him overspread the sky like an embattled host. That
this is the meanii^ of armiet here, alio, seems to be bdtc^ted
by the expression in the next member ; on whom ^i not hit
light arue ; that is, on whom do they not shine, in obedience
to his oommand 7 Compare ch. 38 : 31-33.

There are many alhisions, in tlw Old Testament, to beinga

of higher tntelligenm and power than man ) miniitoring iidrits
withont number, who acknowledge the aoveimgnty of Qod and
do hie pleaeore. See, for example, Qen. 32 : 2, Deut 33 : 2^
(properly, Ite eanu wiA ten Avutand* <f holy oitet)i 1 Ohrm.
12 : 22 ; and many other passages of like import. To thesa
we should naturally refer thia question (is Aere any nnmber la
U« amiff /), if it stood by itselt alone; bat the connection
with the following words seems to require the above referenee^
suggested by the passage in Isaiah. Oompare Fa. 38 ; 6, and
Is. 45 : 12.

Ch. ZXVL Job's reply. He rabnkee hia opponent's weak
pretensions to superior wisdom (2-4) ; deelares tbe power and
tbe grandeur of Qod, as shown in tbe realm of death (5-6),
and in the itmotore and govemmant of the material uuv«rM
(7-13) ; of which all that we observe is to tiw reali^, aa a
whispered word to the voice of the thunder (14).

T. 5. TV thadet ; that is, tbe spirits <^ the dead. So tb^
are called in the Old Testament; la. 14 : 9; 26 : 14, 19;
Prov. 2: 18; 9:1S; 21: 16; Ps.e8 :10, Sifmembsr. In ill
of these passages, aa well as here, the word dtad is improperly
need in the oommoo version. In the first member of Ps. 88 :
10, the original word meana the dead; and should be die-
tingnished, in the tnuulation, from the word meaning tkade*.
in the second member.

Of tbe mode af existmee in that separate state, and of ita
loeaHly (matters of apeenlation merely, aod of no practical
utility), the Bible givea us no information, its r^«e«itui(»B

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXVI.

lUSOIKlL TUNSUTIOHS 1X0 UASDCOS.

Naked is the under-world before him,
and destruction has no covering.

He stretched out the north over empty space}
he hanged the earth upon nothing.

He binds up the waters ia his thick clouds,
and the cloud is not rent under them.

He shuts up the face of the throne}
he spreads upon it his cloud.

A circling bound he drew on the face of the waters,

•zactlf dividing light u)d dufaiesa

unto the limit of light with darkness.

The pillars of heaven tremble,
and are astonished, at his rebuke.

By his power be quells the sea;

and by bis wisdom he smites down pride.

By his spirit are the heavens adorned;
his band formed the fleeing Serpent

Lo, these are the borders of his wap;
and what a whisper of a word is that we hear !
But the thunder of his power who can comprehend ?

of them being wholly fignntiTe; while, on the contnuy, the
moral preparation for that st&te, in which done we *re con-
cerned, is clearly and folly taught.

Second member. BeJteath the tcatert and iktir inhabitant* ;
namely in the manaions of departed Bpirits, beneath the earth
and lower than the ocean depths. (Compare Deut. 5 ; 8, or
Ikal i* in the waleri beneath the earth.) These, and all that
dwell in them, cannot acreen from his view, and oppose no
barrier to his power.

T. 6. DeitneHon : bo that state of existence is called, be-
cause in it is swallowed np and lost all that waa known and
cheriahed on earth.

V. 7. He itretehed mU the norAf compare la. 45 : 12, /,
even my hand*, have itrelched out the heaveni. — Hie north
means the northern part of the heavens : namely, the part
Tisible in the country of the speaker, or writer, and hence put
for the beaTCDB above.

T. 9. 7^e throne ; the throne of God, namely the heavens
(Is. 60 : 1). He veils at pleasure the fiue, or front, of the
throne with clouds, and shuts it up from the riew of mortals.

T. 10. Compare Is. 40 i 22, 7t w As that rituA upon the
eireU of the earOt ; and Prov. 8 : 27, vhen ht traced a circle
on ihe face of the de^ (as it should be translated). Theae
expressions are drawn from the apparent figure of the earth,
and of the vaolt of heaven suspended over it. Beyond tlua
bonndary was the r^on of dariuMas. See remarka at the end
of the cbsptcr.

y. 11. The piiian of heaven : figuratively, for the supports
DO which it rests. The allusion is to the rolling thnnder, by
which the vault of heaven seems to be shaken.

V. 12. He not only baa power to still the ra^ng sea j his
superior wisdtxo snbduea and humbles pride in every fonn.

V. 13. His ^vine power formed the constellations, which
adorn the heavens by night. One of the largest of these (the
Serpent), ia mentioned as an examine of his creative power.
Compare ch. 9:9, and 38: 31, 32. — Fleeing: a common epithet
of tbe serpent, and part of the name of the constdlation.

V. 14. What a vMtper t/c. It is but a word, and not a
spoken but a whispered word, in comparison with the voka
of tbe thunder.

It is tbe object of the sacred writer, in this chapter, to show
tbe power and grandeur of God, as seen in his works. The
structure of the material univerae, and tbe processes of nature,
are represented as they appear to the eye, and by the impces-
sions which they make on the common mind. So these sub-
jects are everywhere treated in tbe Bible ; and the lessons thus
given require no other knowledge of nature, than what is ap-
parent to every eje. Any other mode would not have answered
the design of the Holy Scriptures, the religious and moral
instraction of men in every stage of culture and knowle<^.

By this exhibition of the power and sovereignty of Qod, in
nature and over all created intelligenoea, tbe way is prepared
for tbe topics of the next two chaptois.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXVII.

And again Job took up his discourBe and Baid:
As Qod livetb, who has taken away my right,
and the Almighty, who has afflicted my soul ;
BO long aa my breath is in me,
and the spirit of Q^od is in my nostrils ;
my lips shall not speak wickedness,
and my tongue shall not utter'deceit.
Far be it from me, that I should justify yon;
till I die, X will not put away my integrity from me.
My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go ;
my heart reproaches none of my days.
Let my enemy be as the wicked,
and he that rises tip against me, as the unrighteona.
For what is the hope of the impore, though he despoil,
when God shall take away his soult
Will Q-od hear his cry,
when distress shall come upon him?

HiBaiKlIi TOAKELLTIOHS AlOt READINaa.

Cha. XXVn ftDd XXVUI. The opponeiits of Jol> are now
rilanced. Zophar, whose turn it is next to speilc, has nothing
to reply.

Job h4B fulljr prored, in answer to the false charges of the
three friends, that indiTidual transgression does nA receive its
jnst ptinishmeiit in this life. Is there no choice, then, between
the lot of the righteous and tlie wicked, in the present woHdT
Is the way of transgression, yiewed mereljr with reference to
woHdly intereals, the way of true wisdom and undersUnding 1
This Job had not asserted; nor was it necessary to his argu-
ment. HsTing refuted the &lse poaitjons of his opponents, he
now takec up this question, showing the general law of the
divine goTemment, and what God himself has declared to be
the true wisdom of man, in his earthly relations.

The principle itself^ on which tho wicked act in the pursuit
of worldly good, is a law of mutual destruction. One guns hy
another's low ; and becomes, in turn, the prey of a third. A
necMsai^ result of this principle, is individual insecurity ;
and tlie certainty that, sooner or later, success will b« followed
by disister and ruin.

The instances, in which the wicked prosper and the right-
eous suffer, are indeed numerous enough to disprove the
assertion, that the good and evil of this life are distributed
according to perBoual merit. But still the course of Provi-
dence ahoiVB, and Qod himself declares, tliat the only law
which makes individual prosperity sure, is that by wluch men
mutually help and strengthen each other, the Law of Right,
the prmclple of obedience to Ood. This Job coutd assert, a.i
the general law of Providence, in terms no less strong than
his friends had used ; though witliout conceding the special
application which they claimed for it, and on which they
grounded their accusations against bim.

This is, clearly, the only sense in which his words con he

nndaratood, couaistently with what he has sud before. As
thus understood, they are essential to the completeness of his
view ; for his confidence in the principles which had governed
his life remains unshaken, and he can stiU say (ch. 28 : 28) :

Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom ;

and to depart fVom evil is imderatanding.

T. 2. Ha* taken away ny riglu i as expluned in the note

V. 3. The tpirit of God ; namely, that which he imparts.
The vital tpirit is meant ; the living prindple, or principle of
animal life. As this ia dependent on the breath, it is said in
Gen. 7 : 22 (as the words should bo translated), all in lehoK
noitriU was the breath of a living spirit; that is, the breath
by which the living spirit, or spirit of life, is sustained. This
principle of animal life is, therefore, figuratively represented
by the breath in the nostrils (Qen. 2 : 7, and breathed into Au
n/MtriU the brtalh of life), as It is also by the blood iu the
veins (Gen. 9 : 4, fiah mlh the lift thereof, toftii-A « tie blood
thereof) ; both being essential to its roiuntenancc. Hence it
is said. Is. 2: 22 (as property translated) : cease ye from man,
in loAoft noilriU is breath ; that is, nothing but breath ; so
feeble a principle of life, and so easily extinguished !

V. 5. Shovid juetify yon ; in these falee accusations, is
meant — I will n*l put ateay my iniegrily : either by departing
kom rectitude, or by yielding my cl^m to Innocency.

T. T is a common form of expression, meaning ; this is the
worst that I coutd desire for an enemy. It is not to be re-
garded aa an imprecation ; but aa expressing Job's estimate
of the real (not the merely outward and apparent) condition
and prospects of the wicked man. The sentiment is : could I
desire to be such an one 1 *

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THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XXVH.

Kuoixu. TumunoHs ikb kudikos.

If Ug tUUnn grow 19

Will he delight himself in the Almighty ?

will he call on Ood, at all times?

I will teach joa, concerning Gk>d'a hand;

what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

Lo, all ye yourselves have seen it;

and why then speak, ye what is utterly Tain?

This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
and the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the
If his children multiply, it is for the aword ; [Almighty,
and his offspring ahall not be satisfied with bread.
In the pestilence shall they that remun to him be buried,
and hia widows shall not bewul !
If he heap up silver, as the dust, .
and prepare rument, aa the clay;
he may prepare, but the just sfaali put it on,
and the silver shall the innocent divide.
He builds, like the moth, hia house;
and as a booth, which the watchman makes.
The rich man shall lie down, and shall not be gathered;
he opens his eyes, and he is gone !
Terrors, like the waters, shall overtake him;
by night, the whirlwind snatches him away.
The East-wind carries him away, and he is gone;
yea, it hurls him out of his place.
For He shall cast at him, and will not spare;
he would fain flee out of his hand.
They clap their hands at him,
and hiss him out of his place.

V. 10. WUt hteallon Owi J Job on the contntry, though
In the deepest •ffliction, uid ftppkrent ftbtndonmeiit on the
part of Ood, coatd still My, / lenow my Rtdeemtr lines (19 : 25) :
Even tuna, behold my vritnett it <m high ; unto Ood my eye
■poaTtOi lean (16 : 19, 20). Hia own purity of heart and life
is thereby made manifeet, as well m the miaarable end of the
widced man, for whom there is no refbge in God.

T. 11. l^e hand Is the iostrunient with which one effects
his purpose. Oaneeming GoePt hand means, therefore, oon-
cerning the tue A« maicet of his ptnaer.— I vntl not conceal :
that is, I will not refuse to acknowledge and openly assert it,
<m aecoont of the false and peirerted use already made of it.

T. 1^ nte eotirse of Providence had been open to them,
and tbey had witneaaed for th«aael*ea God's dealings with
men ; but the lessons whieh they had drawn therefrom were
vain, and practically of no tiooount.

V. 13. With God ! namely, in the mind of God, in his pui^
pose, aa dereloped in the course of Prondence.— 7^ Amfd^e
ifc.; the possession wliich they receiTe and transmit to

YT. 14, IS. fFar, with famine and putilmee in iu trun,

are often mentioned as the threefold sconrge of Qod (Eiek.
5: 12, 17; 6: 11; Jer. 42 : 17).— H« wiiiw* (called his, be-
cause the widows of bis own deceased oflepring), tJuiU not
beuraili that is, the dead "shall he eait forth in tUence"
(Amos 8 : 3), with no f^eral rit«s, and with no lamentation
over thwn.

Y. 16. For the same comparison, see Zedi. 9 : 3.

Y. 18. A» a booth: the temporary shelter for one who
watches over a garden or Ttueyard. Such a lodge is alluded
to in Is. 1 : 8. — Ilis splendid mansion Is no more secure, than
the web of the tiny moth, or the watchman's fragile hut.

Y. 19. And thail not be gathered; that is, he shall lie
neglected and unburieO. Ho shall not be gathered; namely
to his fathers, in the burial-place where their remains repos&
Compare ch. 24 : 24, and £K>k. 29 : 5, Jer. 6 : 2.

He opens hit eyet, and he it gone ; so saddenly does de-
struction follow the first alarm of danger.

T. 20. Like the viattrt : the ruBhing, overwhelming floods,
frequent in those countries during the rainy season.

Y. 21. The East-vmd: see the references on ch. 15 : 2.

Y. 23. 7%<y cltip thexT haitdt : an szpression of lodicnatiam

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXVm.

For there is a vein for the silver,

aod a place for the gold, which thejr refine.

Iron is taken oat of the dast.

and stone is fused into copper.

And stone ponn out copper

He pats an end to the darkness;

and he searches out, to the very end,

and peritetty be Beuches out

atones of thick darkness and of death-shade.

He drives a shaft away from man's abode;

forgotten of the foot,

they swing suspended, far from men!

The earth, out of it goes forth bread;

and under it, ia destroyed as with fire.

A place of sapphires, are its stones;

and it has clods of gold.

The path, no bird of prey has known it,

nor the falcon's eye glanced on it;

nor proud beasts trodden it,

nor roaring lion passed oyer it

Against the flinty rock he puts forth his hand ;

he overturns mountains, from the base.

(Nnmb. 24 : 10), and also of detiaion sod ooatempt (Lem.
iil&).~-Hi$$ him wt of hi* place: that is, follow him with
hiues of derision and hate, as be Tanisbee awa; from bis
place.

Ch. XXYin. Hen dig into the depths of the earth, shnii-
niiig no toils or dangers, and orercotnlng all obetaoles, in the
aearcb for its hidden treasures (1~11) ; bat wnnoM is not to
bt toand there; nor can it l>e got in exchange for aU the
treasmea so eagerly sought (12-19); to God only is trie
waDojt known, and he alone liaa disclosed what it ia (20-28).

The chapter contuna a minnte and glowing deooription of
the Tsrions operaticKis in oHiHitf, as practiced in andent time* i
and its accnracj has been attested by those who are most
Ikmiliar wilb the sotgeot.

T. 1. For i(e. : the whole chapter b^ng a oonflnuation and
proof of tiw truth imj^ad in the prece^i^ one; namely, Omt
tone wisdom lies not in the pnrsnit of wotUlj good, nor is
implied in its possession. — Wkiek thty refine. The natiTe
gold in tbe ore is meant, which moat be refined Qrom its im-
purities.

V. 2. Stone, tn which the natira mineral is imbedded. —
(Margin) : povr* out, when melted hj heat

TT. 3-11, describe tbe operations of mining, and the labors
and hatarda endured in searohiiig for the mineral wealth of
tbe earth.

V. 3. He putt an end to darkntee .- tbe darkness of tbe In-
terior of the earth, where men bare penetrated for its hidden
riches. — Stone* of Ihiek darhnet* : such as Ua eoncaaled in
the deep and dark recesses of the earth.

T. 4. Hie minei'e afto/t ia driTen into tbe d^tbs of the
earth, fitftber and fiu-tber Gram human abodes. An ancient
writer thus describes the msoner of workiog tbe £g7ptian
goldminee: "And thsy cnt through the rock nomeroaa shafts ;
at one time directed upward and at another downward ; and
sg^n toward tbe left, and sometimes obliqnely and trans-
Tersely." — Ot,meayfrom <(A«re men dtaeU may mean,in tbe wild
and mountainous tracts adapted for minii^. But tbe foimer
is tbe more proliable meaning. — Forgotten ofthejbot : that is,
not supported by it, and in that sense not cared for or remm.
bered, ^e meaning is: ha*ing no use for the feet, while
tnspended on ropes ttam abore. Othere explain it : forgotten
of Ae foot, that treads the ground abore them. Hen walk
above, nnconsdous of what ia done bnieath their feet : which
is less to tbe point (as it leas oonoems the miner), and is a less
natural explanation of the words.

y. S. A* with fire : aa though a ragmg fire was consuming
its interior treasures.

TT. 6-8. The precious stores bud np within the earth ; the
way to wbich (7, 8), none but man baa found. The moet hr-
^hted and powerful, among birds and beasta of prey, have
not discerned or trodden it.

TT. 9-11, describe tbe obstacles whidi man orerecoues, in
obtaining these treasures for hims^

T. 9. The solid rock is broken in pieces and remored out of
bis way ; Hid whole monntaina are undermined and proatrated.
—Overturn* mountain*. An andent writer, describing this
operation in mining, says; With shafts, driren through
long distances, they hollow out monntains by the light of
lamps. . . . Columns are left, at abort intervals, to support the

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M THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXVm.

lUKQiiUi. TKiMHunotn im uuDDigs,

In tbe rocks he cleaves out rirers;
and his eye sees every precious thing

He binds up streams, that they drip not;
and the hidden he brings out to light.

But wisdom, whence shall it be found !

Man knows not its price;

nor is it found in the land of the living.

The deep saith: It is not in me;
and the sea saith: It is not with me.

Choice gold shall not be given in exchange for it;
nor shall silver be weighed for its price.

0«ld ftitd aryrtal

It cannot be weighed with gold of Ophir,
with the precious onyx and sapphire.

Gold and glass shall not be con^ared with it,
nor vessels of fine gold be an exchange for it.

Corals and crystal shall not be named;

and the possession of wisdom is more than pearls.

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared with it;
it shall not be weighed with pure gold.

But wisdom, whence comes it?
and where is the place of understanding?

since it is hidden from tlie eyes of all living,
and covered from the fowls of heaven.

Destruction and death say:

with our ears have we heard the fame of it.

Ood understands the way to it,
and he knows the place of it.

For he, to the ends of the earth he looks;
and he sees under the whole heaven:

to make the weight for the wind;

and he meted out the waters by measure.

veight above. . . . The work being flniebed, the supports «re
then cut aw&j. The mountain itself ^tw the eignal of its
All, perceived only by the watchman on its euininit. He, with
a shout or a Uow, commands the workmen to be recalled, and
betakes himself to flight. The shattered mountiun falls, with
a prolonged crash which no mind can conceive, and with an
■DCredible blast of wind. The victors gaze on the wreck of
nature ! (Pliny, Natural History, chap. XXXHI.)

TV. 10, 11. Precautions against the flooding of the nines
by subterranean waters. He cuts out channels in the rock,
by which the water is conducted off firom the mines. — Ht
bind* up the ttreami : namely, the apiinge opened in the pro-
cess of mining. He obstructs their coarae with harriers so
firm, that no wat«r can escape through them. — By snch pre-
cautions, he is enabled to "tee erery predoiu thing," and
" bring the hidden out to light."

T.14. Thede^! the abyss of waters beneath (Deut. 5: 8)
supposed to be the source of springs and streams, the chief
blessing of a country (Qen. 49:25; DeuL 33 : 13, and 8 : 7).

Y. 16. It cannot be v/eighed (its value expressed by wei^t)
Kith gold tfc— Ophir : see remark on ch. 22 : 24.

T. 17. Ootd and glait. Glass, in ancient times, wm s very
predous and costly material, used only in artii:^ of tlM
greatest luxury and splendor. It is probable, from the next
member, that vessels composed of both these predous ma-
terials are meant

y. 22. DettntcHon : see ch. 26 : 6, and the remark on it.—
DtaA is nut, in like manner, for the realm of death.

VV. 23-27. Corapare Pror. 8 : 27-29.

TT. 25, 26, are insUaces of the intelligence and wisdom

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXIX.

When he made a decree for the ruD,

aod a track for the thundera' flash;

thea he saw, and he declared it;

he established it, yea and searched it out.

And to man he sud:

Behold, the feu of the I^rd, that is wisdom ;

and to depart from evil is uaderstanding.

And again Job took, up his discourse, and said:

that I were as -in months past,

as in days when Ood preserred me:

when his lamp abined over my bead;

by bia light I walked through darkness.

As I was in my autumn days.

when the favor of God was over my dwelling;

while yet the Almighty was with me.

my children were round about me;

when my steps were bathed in milk,

and the rock poured oat by me streams of oil.

When I went forth to the gate by the city,

by tbe gate up to the city; oUlew

and placed my seat by the broad way;

to the gat« up to the dty

diaplftyed in the Rtmcture of the earth and elements, and in
tbe skillful and harmoniona adjustment of tbun aa by ve^ht
and measare. All things in natnre, casual aa th«r occurrence
may seeni, obey a lav from God. The rain follows his decree ;
and the ligbtnii^ tbe track muked out by him.

T. 27. Ht tan: it was present to his view, before any
manifestation of it in the creation ; and declared it, in the
beautiftil order and liarmony of the Qnireree. He ettahUthed:
founded and settled it, in that perpetual and nuTaiying order
of tbe material world; learched il out: namely, when be
devised what was best and fittest for the accomplishment of
bis ends.

T. 28. He, whose own infinite Intelligenoe and wisdom are
thus manifest in bis worka. has declared to man what Is for
him the way of wisdom and underatandii^. By these prjnci-
ples Job had goTemed his own life, fbr be was one who "feared
Qod and thMtmed evil " (1:1)) and he here shows that his
confidence in them is itiU unshaken.

Cbs. XXIX-XXXI, Job resumes tbe disoossion, with a calm
rcTlewofhispastlifeandpreBent afflictions, and with renewed
protestations of bis integrity.

Ch. XXIX. r. 3 ; ihined over my head, refers to tne prsc-
tioe of Buependii^ a lamp from the highest part of the tent. —
fly hit light, 4c. My way was lighted by bia feyor, in tbe |
moat adverse seasons. Compare the more full expression of -.
this sentiment in Ps. zxiii. I

T. 4. In nty aulwnn day» : namely, in my greatest pros-
perity ; autumn being the season of tii* ingathering of fruits,
wh-tai the products of the earth are enjoyed in greatest pro-
fusion.

V. 6, expresses overfiowing abundance. Compare, " a land
flowing vriih mUk and honey," Ex. 3 : 8, tc — My ttept were
bathed in milk; compare Deut 33 : 24, "and Ut him dip hit
foot in oil.'" Both are figurative expressions of a anpentbun-
dant supply. — The rock poured out oil .- compare Dent. 32 : 13,
"he made him to tuck honey out of the roek, and oU out of the
J(inty rock." These expressions denote exuberant fertiti^ ;
the very rocks yielding the richest products of nature. — By
me : namely, wherever I went.

T. 7. Gate, Sfe. Compare the note on ch. 6 : 4.

It appears from the circumstances related in cbs. 14 2, that
Job had resided in the open eotintry, surrounded by his family
and dependants. But he was accustomed, as this verse indi-
cates, to attend tbe public assemblies of tbe neighboriiig <Atj
for judicial trials, Ac. ; where he was received by tbe poor sg
their friend and protector, sJid by all classes with tbe respect
and deference due to his wisdom and virtues, and to his rank
as " (^ greatest among oU Ae Som of the Eatt."

He is thought by some to have been a magistrate of the
city. But all that is sud can be explained, with more proba-
bility, on the ground of his personal weight of character and
consequent influence with the magistracy, and hb ample means
for detecting and rousting ereiy fonn of ii^ostice to ^e

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66 THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXlX.

««nu.»*«^t««^«*«,«.

youDg men saw me, and hid themselves,
and old men rose, and stood up.

Princes refrained from words,

and Ifud the hand upon their mouth.

The voice of Nobles was hushed,

and their toogue cleaved to their palate.

For the ear heard, and hlessed me;
and the eye saw, and witnessed for me.

Because I delivered the poor that cried,
and the orphan, and him that bad no helper.

The blessing of the perishing came upon me,

and the heart of the widow I made to sing for joy.

I put on righteousaess; and it clothed itself with me*
as a mantle and a turban, was my rectitude.

I was eyes to the blind,
and feet was I to the lame.

I was a father to the needy;

ud the CUM which I knew not

and the cause of him I knew not, I searched it out

And I broke the f&uga of the wicked,
and from his teeth I dashed the prey.

And I said: Surely, I shall expire in my nest;
and as the sand, shall I multiply days;

my root is open to the waters,

and the dew lies all night on my branch i

my glory is fresh upon me,

and my bow is renewed in my hand.

To me they gave ear, and waited;
they were silent for my counsel. •

After my word, they spoke not again;
and my speech distilled upon tiiem.

Yea, they waited for me as for the rain,

and opened wide their mouth, as for the latter rain.

T. 14. And it doAed iUd/witk mc It wu not ft men ont-
wsrd BeMDing, put on for ibow) it dwelt within me m one
does within hts gwmente, an inward life no leu thftn an ont-
ward ornament.

T. IS. The came qf him I knew not: thecanseof thestran*
ger ) of bkn whose onl j claim ia that of a Han and a BroUier. —
The worda may be tranalated u id the mai^j but the
thought is teas pertinent.

T. 18. In my netl: in undlatorbed Mcuritj and repose.

T. 10. Open to the leatert; compare Fi. 1 : 3. — Second
member ; the heavy night dews of that region are neceesarj to

rotation, during the long season of iummer heat and drought.

V. 20. Tho relaxed bow is an apt emblem of decaying power,

as the fenewal of its Btrengtii is of continued prosperity aad
Tigor. Gompan Gen. 40 : 24.

V. 22. DuUlUd; •• the dew, or as soft showers ofreftvih-
ing rain. Omnpara DeuL 33 : 3.

T. 23. A* for Iht rain. The raitty teaton, in that region, is
in the latter part of aotomn and b^inning of winter. Thi< is
called ^ti former rain, and prepares the ground for the recep-
tion of seed. The latter rain fklle near the vernal Equinox,
at the time of harrest, and continues bat a few hours, or at
most a few days at a time. If It ia witbeld, or is deficient in
quantity, the kernel of the grain sbrivcJIe and decays. Hence
the impwtaDoe attached to the latter row, especially, which
was looked for with gnat anxiety. Compare Deat. U : 14;
Jer. 5 : 24 ; Hos. 6:3; Zech. 10 : 1 ; Jer. 3 : 3 ; Pror. 16 : 15.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXX. 67

I Bmiled upon them, they believed it nut;

KikoiHiL TRununon uni hudukw.

nor let the light of ray countenance fall.

Their way I chose, and sat as chief,

and dwelt as king in the host.

as one who comforts the mourning.

Bdt now, they mock at me.

they who are inferior to me in years;

whose fathers I disdained,

to set with the dogs of my flock.

Even the strength of their hands, what is it to me.

they in whom old age is perishing^

with want and with hunger famished!

who feed on the desert, the darkness of utter desolation (

who fend on tibs desert, of old ui nttM

who pluck the salt-plant by the bushes,

and broom-roots are their food.

From the midst are they driven forth;

they cry out against them, as against the thief;

to dwell in gloomy gorges,

in holes of the earth and rocks.

They bray among the bushes;

stretch themselves beneath the brambles.

Sons of the foolish, yea, sons of infamy !

they are beaten out of the land.

T. 24. Tbef could not beliere that each condetcenslon ind
hTor wu shoim tbem. — LetnolAe Ught of nty eowitenattee
fail. Compsre Pi. 4 ; 6, UJl tkou vp Ou light of Ay ootinle-
nanee upon lu. The meaning here it: thej care&iUy Bhanned
ererfthing that mrald incur mj displaaaure, that would c
the light of my eoumteHanee to fall. The alluBion is to the
pleaMut and lienign aepMt, wiUi which a aaperior regards
those whom he &Ton,

V. 25. He is spealdiig, in this paragraph, of that oU«> who
looked up to him as their friend and protector. Tlttir w
dune, S(e., means : I mado myself one with them ; was among
them as their head and' director, as one whose office it was
minuter nomfbrt to the moitrmng.

Ch. XSX. r. 1, fourth member. {Ditdaintii to let mlh the
dogt of my fioek, ai being iacompetent even for such a sei-
vice as t i (next Terse), was

tfaeir odI :d bj vicious habits,

and by t their condition.

The ci owing Tcrses (as far

as T. 8), liatinct from the one

which al country. It is not

improba' . st interpreters, that

they were the aborif^nal inhabitants ; a people given to idola-
try (▼. 6), and enfeebled by its debasiug iofluenceH on succea-
An gMteratioDB, and at length supplantAd in their home by a

stroDi^r and more enlightened race.* It Is thonght by tata^
bat with less probability, that these were " the oppreaaed of the
land " (24 : 4), whose miaeries are described with sncli startling
vividnesa in ch. 24 : 4-^. There is the same tone of melancholy
interest in the fate of the wretched ontcaaf here described.

V. i. Second member : the effects of prifation and exposure,
for sncceMive generations, had made their whole life a premv
tnre and decaying old age.

T. 3. Feed m the desert ; compare ch. 24 : 5, " T%e detert to
him ii bread for the ehildren." — Thedarknu*,^ Sotheforest
wilderness is described, in Jer. 2:31, as " a land ^ darkneti."

V. 4. The ttdt-^ant .• a low i^ant growmg among foreat
shcTibs or in hedges; the juicy kaves and buds have a
saltish taste (hence the name}, and are gathered by the poor

for food. The root of the broom is extremely bitter, and

would be used for food only in the greatest necessity.

VV. 6, 7. Tbey are driven to the mountain gorges, to dwell
in caves and in tlie shelter of bnshes, their inarticulate cries
resembling those of wild lieasts, whoM mode of Ufa tbey share.

T. 8. FoclUh, in the sense of impiatu (see tbe remari: on
ch. 1 : 22, and ch. 2 : 10), q^ied here to tbe idolatrona race
to which they belonged.

out by Esau and his deecendanta, who " succeeded them and
dwelt in th«r stead" (Dent 2 : 22).

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXX.

And now, I am become their Boog;
yea, I am become a bye-word for them.

They abhor me; they stand aWf from me;
they forbear not to apit before my face.

iua nlkzed mj rein (V, R.)

Because He has let loose his rein and humbled me,
they also cast off the bridle before me.

On the right hand rieea up a brood j
my feet they thrust aside;
they cast up against me their ways of destractioD.

They break up my path;
they aid on my fall;

•mongthem

there is no helper against them!

As at a wide breach, they come in;

they roll on with ft erub

they roll on beneath the ruin.

■

Terrors are turned against me;

they chase away, like the wind, my princely state,

and my prosperity has passed like the cloud.

And now, my soul Is poured out within me;
the daya of trouble have taken hold of me.

my bones are bored oat from me

By night, my bones are pierced and severed from me,
and my gnawers take no rest.

By sore violence, my covering is disfigured;
like my inner garment it girds me round.

He has cast me into the mire,

and I am become like the dust and ashes,

TV. 9-11. Compare ch. 19 : 15-13.

T. iO. To ipil he/are my face ; r^uded by the orientals as
a great indignity; aa it ii ererywhere a serionB oETense against
propriety, in the presence of a snperior.

V. 11. Itai let looae ki$ rein, and humbled ne >* that ie, has
done it without check or restraint — (Har^n) hat relaxed
my ran: nimely, the restraints which my authority once
Impoaed.

TT. 12-15. The place of the accoser was on the right of the
accused. Hence, to ttand up at the right hand of one means
the same as to accute hm. See Pa. 109 : 6 ; Zech. 3 : 1.

7%« brood (as the accuflen spoken of in this paragnph are
coDtemptaoasiy called), are suppoeed by some to be of the de-
graded class just described ; hnt without any probabUity.
They were persons of more consequence ; and if not the three
friends (whose pereerering assaTdts on his rectitude and hon-
or might be flgnratJTely described as in this paragraph), they
were another setof defamers, of whom this is the only record.
There is, apparently, reference here to a judicial process.
Compara ch. 16 : II, Ood delivert me up to the Hnrighteout,
tfe. Some suppose that there is here the same alloMon u in
ch. 19 : 12 (see the note). But it seema rather to be oat of
place in this connection, and aome of the ozpreMiona used do
not &Tor it

y. 12. Second member. My feet thetf thruit atide, is the
same figure as in ch. 24 : 4, where its meaning is ez|dained.

Third member. They east up, ifc., a military phrase, as in
ch. 19 : 12. — Their way* of destruction, refers to the ways
thrown up by an invading army, for approaching and dee&oy-
ing a besieged place.

T. 14. They rush in upon me, like a iM>llii]g flood, as besi^
ers ti>rce their way through a breach in the walL

y. 15. My prineely ttaU : the nnk, and the reapect, which
I once enjoyed.

y. 16. My tend it poured out ; namely, witb grief and Bor-
row. Compare the expressions : God makes my heart soft,
ch. 23 : 16 ; I am poured out like naler ; my heart is like aax,
it is melUd, tfe., Pb. 22 : 14.

V. IT. Piercing and racking pains are meant, seeming to
wrench the limbs from the body. — (Margin), to the same
effect; sharp paine, as of the boring or digging out of the
bones. Onamert: doubtless the gnawing pains joat spoken
of; no other reference is neceesaiT, or probable.

y. 18. My covering ; the akin, the corering of the body.—
IH^figured .• * false corering is formed, by the hard incmsta-
tion diat wraps me round like a closely fitting garment See
the note on ch. 2 : 7.

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THE BOOK OF JOB.

CHAP. XXXI. 59

I crjr unto tbee, aad thou answerest me not;

I Btaod, and thou observest me.

Thou art become cruel to me;

with thy strong band thou liest in wait for me.

Thou dost lift me to the wind, and let me be borne

away,

and be dissolved in the tempest's crash.

For I know thou wilt bring me to death,

and to the house appointed for all the living.

Yea, there is no prayer, when He stretches out the hand;

nor, when He destroys, can they cry for help.

Verily, I hare wept for him whose lot is hard,

Have I not wept

and my soul has sorrowed for the needy.

and taj boqI sorrowed

When I looked for good, then evil came;

For I looked for good, and there cama

and I waited for light, but there came darkness.

evil;
•nd 1 waited Ibr ligtit bat darkneu

My bowels are made to boil, and have no rest;

the days of trouble hare overtaken me.

I go blackened, but not with sun-beat:

I stand up in the congregation, I implore help.

I am become a brother to Jackals,

and a companion to the Ostrich-brood.

My skin blackens and falls from me,

and my bones are dried up with heat

And my harp is turned to mourning,

and my pipe to sounds of the weeping.

I MADE a covenant for my eyes;

how then should I look upon a maid?

For what is the portion God assigns from above,

and the allotment of the Almighty, from on high?

Is not destruction for the wicked.

and calamity for the workers of iniquity?

T. 20. Ittand, waiting for tbe sought and expected aid. —
Hioti obtenut me, m toj poetnre of waiting au^licalioD ; look-
ing coldly on, aomOTod hj my diatreea.

T. 24. There it no prayer: that is, prayer avails nothing,
and it IB useless to offer it. So in the next member : nor can
Aey try means, that it is not permitted or encouraged ; they
cry in Tain. Of the incorrectness of this rash sentiment, tbe
Scriptures furnish abundant proob.

V. 27. My hovieU ore node to boU .* an expression of
violent mental agitatioo and suffering. A phrase of the same
meaning occurs id Lud. 1 : 20, and 2 : 11, translated in the
common venion "my bowelt are Irmtbled" {ptaperlj, are made
to boil). Similar expressions occur in other ancient languages.
The figure is a natural one, founded on the physical agitation
and pain, experienced In seasons of great mental anguish.
Compare Jer. 31 : 20.

v. 29. Jackal: the wild dog, common tn all the warm re-
gitMis of the old world. Its wailing cry often resembles that
of a child. Tbe Oitrick also utters a plaintive cry. Hence it
is said, Micah 1 : 8, IviiUmalce avxtiliag like the JaekaU, and
a moiiming liie the Ottrick-brood — / am become a brother
la them means, I am become as one of them.

V. 30. Compare the note on ch. 2 : 7.

Ch. XXXI. v. 1, A covenant for tny eyw,— for them to
obey. I bound them, by a corenant, to refrain even from
the glance that betrays an unlawful desire. This form of
expression is used, when one party dictates the terms of a
compact to the other, who consents te and ia hound by it.
Another form (to make a eovenanC wilh), is used when the
parties mutually enter into a covenant with each other, and
each ia bound by its conditions.

VT. 2-4. Compare the introductory remarks to chs. XXVII.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXXI.

lUXaDIiJ. TBl^ISUTIONB u

n> BEunxoB.

He, does he not aee my waya,
and number all. my steps?

If I have walked with falsehood,

and my foot has hastened towards deceit;

He will weigh me in scales of justice,
yea, God will know my innocence.

If my step has turned aside from the way,
and my heart has gone after my eyes,
and a stain has cleaved to my hands;

Let me sow, and anolher eat,

and let my products be rooted up!

If my heart has been enticed towards a woman,
and I have Iwn in wait at my neighbor's door;

let my wife grind for another,
and let others lie with her. '^

For that is wickedness;

yea, that Js a crime for the judges.

For it is a fire; to destruction will it consume,
and root out all my increase.

Iflreftae.

If I spurn my servant's and my handmaid's right,
in their controversy with me;

then what shall I do, when God ariseth?

and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

Did not he, who made me in the womb, make him?
and has not One formed us in the womb?

If I keep back the weak from their desire,

and make the eyes of the widow consume away;

and eat my morsel alone,

and the orphan hath not eaten of it;

(for from my youth, he grew up to me as to a father,
and I have been her guide, from my mother's womb):

If I see one perishing for want of clothes,
and that the needy hath no covering;

and XXYin. These and timilar aisertioiu show that he
codd nerer, with euch views of God and his goTernment,
hare vioUted aoj difine law with the hope or impunity.

VV, 5-12 describe one dua of offensca ; namely the frauds
and treachery, by which others are robbed of property and
domestic peace.

V. 5. If I kaoe walked vnA falaekood, means : if I have
been conTeraant with it, if it hu been my companion in my
dealings with others.— i/ my /uj ha* htuieiud Uneardi deceit ;
that is, if I have esigerly sought after it, when it could be used
to my own advautage.

V. 0. JFill Ictune «ty innocence means, that he will know
for hinwetf whether I am innocent; he will put this to the
tMt, by his own unarriiig standard of right.

V. 10. Corn was groond by women in hand-mills, the lowest
and most laborious of menial offices; see Ex. 11 : 5, and com-
pare Matt 24 : 41, and Lam. 5 : 13.

T, 11. A crime Jot Atjudgett one for them to take ao-
coant of, and punish it.

VV. 13-15. Another class of oObusea, pertaining to the
relation of master and servant.

Tltdr controversy milh me. By this he plainly means one,
in which he is the judge ; the decision, between himself and
them, depending on bis own fear of God and regard for right.
— V. 15. No other language could so bring home to the hearts
of men, the doctrine of their essential equality, and common
accountability to God.

VV. 16-23. Wrongs committed, through neglect orviolenc^
against the weak, the defenseless, and the destitute.

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THE BOOK OF JOa CHAP.

SXXI. 61

if his loins have not blessed me,

■UBamii. nuMunon Mm uuorai.

and he has not been warmed from the fleece of my lambe:

If I have shaken my band at the orphan,

because I saw my helper in the gate:

when I wr

let my sboalder fall from its shoulder-blade,

and my fore-arm be broken from its bone !

For to me, destruction from Gtod is a terror;

and before his majesty I am powerless.

If I made gold my hope.

and aaid to the fine goMi My trust!

If I rejoiced, because my wealth was greats

and because my hand hath gotten much:

If I saw the sun, how it shined,

and the moon walking in majesty;

and my heart in secret was beguiled.

and my hand my mouth hath kissed:

This too were a crime to be judged;

for I should have been false to God on high.

If I rejoiced ia my enemy's calamity,

and triumpheii when evil befell him;

(yea, I su^red not my mouth to sin,

to ask, with cursing, for his Hfe):

If the men of my tent have not said.

where is one, that with hia meat has not bem filled!

(the stranger passed not the night without;

my doors I opened to the traveler) :

If I have covered like Adam my transgression,

lilumen

to hide my iniquity in my bosom:

Then let me dread the great assembly.

and let the contempt of the toribes confound me;

and let me hold my peace, nor go forth at the door!

T. 21. If I hate thaJcen my kand: a, geatan of deflMtoe
and mmaoe. Gomp»r« Ih. 10 : 32. — In &e gait : the broad
op«n ipua ftt ttia gate of tbe city (ch. 39 : 7), when tlw
mag^Btnte ut for tlw sdminiatntion of jiutioe; see r«&renoea
In the note oo ch. 5 : 4 — My helper, mvf be b corrupt Judge,
willing to accept a bribe traai the vealthier partj ; but more
probably, either a powerful fKeod mi whose inflnenoe he
conid rely, or. a witneu hj whose partial teBtimony jnatice
oonid be perverted. To the idd of a powerflil iriend and
■Hj, there is a similar allusion in ch. 9 : 4, and dt. 20 : 12, and
16, 17.

TV. 24^28. Another claas of ofienaea, namely Idolatrr;
lat of gold, and otber temporal poseessions (tt. 24, 25 ; com-
pare OoloBs. 3:5); and 2d of the celestial bodies (2&-28).

TV. 36, 27. The adoiation <it the beaTonlf bodies was ttie
first departnrs from the worship of the Sternal Qod, tbetr

Creator ; Idola, afterwards worsluped, being onlj represeota-
Urea of tbe Sun, Moon, and Stars or Planets. Compare Deut
4 : 19, 2 K. 83 : 5, Ink. 8 ; 16.

T. 27. Wa* beguiled; was sednoed to tbe folly of wor-
abiping these glorious luminaries, through which their Cre-
ator ministers hie hlessings to earth and ila inhabitants.

SeccMid member. It was cnstomary to kiss tbe idol, as a
form of adoration ; 1 K. 19 : 18, Hoa. 13 : 2. Bat in the case
of remote objects, as tbe son and moon, tbe hand touched
the mouth, and wared to them a Iriss as a token of homage.

T. 28. A erinie lo be judged ! compare Dent 17 ; 3-7,

TV. 29-34. Oflier ofibnses, namdy: the spirit of retalia-
tion and revenge, (w. 29, 30) ; neglect of hospitality to the
hungry, and to tbe houseless stranger (vr. 31, 32) ; disomula-
tion of consdons guilt (r. 33).

T. 29. If I reyrietd 4^- ; a morally that reaches to the

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXXII.

that I iuwi one who would hew me,

that I bad one who would hear me!

(behold my sign i let the Almighty
SDiwer me)

behold my sign; let the Almighty answer me,

and my adverBary write a charge.

writtMi.

Verily, on my shoulder would I bear itj
I would bind it on, as a crown for me!

All niy steps would I show him,

UftpriDoe

as to a prince would I go near him.

If my land cries out against me,
and all its furrows weep;

if I have eaten ita fruits without pay,
and made its tenants sigh out their breath:

let thorns come forth, in place of wheat,
and weeds, in place of barley.

The words of Job are ended.

was righteous in his own eyes.

Then was kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the
Buzite, of the family of Ram. Against Job was his anger
kindled, because he accounted himself more just than Ood :

and against his three friends was his anger kindled; because

tikonghts Bod inteots of tbe heart; md by wUch He, who
looks oo the faeart, will Judge.

T. 31. fFhtre it om tfc. The men of hiB household h&d
■een and attested his hospitality ; they knew not one who
had gone hungry bom his door.- — Some understand these
words to be a customary invitation, prodaimed aloud firoia
the door of the wealthy man, that all who needed might
come and partake of hia food. But there is little probability
in this, compared with the nDoatentatious simphcity of the
other view.

y. 34. Compare with this verse the deacripUon, giren in cb.
29 : 7-13, of Job's reception io the aaeemblj of the people.

T. 35. One that would hear me ; compare oh. 23 ; 3-5 and
7. — JMy $ign ; namely, the seal, or signature, or other token,
by which one identifleB and attests an act as his own, and also
Unda himself to abide by iu— Behold my sign, means, there-
fore: I bind myself to all that I have said ; I am pledged for
ita truth and bound to maintain it The language here is
derived from the usage in judicial proceedings.

y. 36. He means, that be would not seek to evade or sup-
press the charge ; on the contrary, he would expose it openly
to the view of all, and near it as conspicaousty as men do a
crown of honor. By this be asserts his own confidence, that
the charge would be found untrue.

y. 38. And all ill /urroms leeep: a beautiful and natural
figure; attribnUog to the soil, the sorrows and tears of those

who are plnndered of the ^fta with whi<A it rewards th^
care.

Chs. XXXn-XXXYH, make another diviidon of the book.
A new speaker is now introduced, who is represented as listen'
ing to the preceding discussions without taking any part in
them. He does not attempt an answer to the diCBcolt qnesUon
which had been under discussion; but presents such views of
the nature and design of afBiction as should recondle the
good man to the endurance of it, though he may not see tha
justice of God in the infliction. The part which he bears in
the discussion Is suited to his age, as the youngest of all the
speakers ; and his manner is in harmony with it.

y. 1. Wat righteout in hit own eyet ; that is, would not ao<
knowledge himself guilty of the offenses charged upon him.

y. 2. TV Btaite. Buz, the ancestor of the tribe, was a son
of Nahor (Abraham's brother) and brotbei- of Uz fn»i whom
the country of Job was named. See Qen. 22 : 21, and com-
pare Jer. 25 ; 20, 23. Family. A tribe (the descendants of
one common ancestor) was subdivided into familiei, and these
again into houteholdt. See Josb. 7 : 14, — 3^e jutt cAon Ood:
as Implied in every expression, where Job had complained of
Qod's dealing with him. He who comj^ins of the course of
Providence, virtually daims to be more just than God whose
government he thus censures.

y. 3. Becaiue they had found no anJio«r ^e. The meaning

: because they persisted in their preconceived condemnation

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP.

XXXII. 63

they had foand no answer, and yet bad condemned Job.

But

MiRODUL ISAHIIATlOm UIB BIXDWaS.

EUhu bad delayed aasweriag Job, because tbey were

older

tbao ho. And Elihu saw that there waa no answer in the

mouth of the three men, and hia anger waa kindled.

Then answered Elihu, son of Barachel the Buzite

and

8ud:

Young am I in yearsi

and ye are men of sgei

therefore I was afraid,

and feared to show you my opinion.

I said: Daya abould apeak,

and the multitude of years teach wisdom.

But a spirit there ia in man j

But the Bpirit is It, In msn,
eren the bnatb of the Almighty, thftt
giTM them uaderatMidug.

Kot the great are wise,

nor do the old understand the right.

Therefore I said: Hearken to me;

I will ahow, I also, my opinion.

Behold, I have waited for your words j

have given ear to your reaaoninga.

whilst ye searched out words.

tiU 70 should MMXsh tnit words

And unto you I gave heed;

and lo, Job has none that confutes him.

•

none of you that anawers bis words.

That ye may not say: We have found out wisdom;

S»7iiot: We hara foand out wiidom;

that God may thrust him down, not man.

Ood ihalt thrnat him down, notmu.

For be has not directed words against me;

nor with your words .will I answer him.

They were confounded; they answered no more:

words were taken away from them.

And I waited, because they spoke not;

because they stood still, and answered no more.

I, I also on my part will answer;

I will show, I also, my opinion.

For I am filled with words i

the spirit within me constrains me.

of Job, though thej could nuke no aatu&ctoi; utawor to his
wgnments in Tindication of ium«el£

T. 8. Sentiment: there is in mui b dirine gift, ■ power
dl*inel7 bestowed of apprehen<Ung truth, which i» independ-
ent of age, and of the authoritj wluch age confera.

V. 9. Grtat, namely, in authocitj and influence ; hero prob-
ablj derived from superior age, and the rank which this con-
ferrod in orienta) communities. Hit meaning is, that such
distinction of ^e and rank doea not, in itaelC confer wisdom.
This ia a gift of God.

V. 11. Ye teari^ed out wtrdt: were endearoring to find)

Bometfali^ to aaf, in refiitation ot Job's Tindioation of himself.
Compan ch. 18 : 2.

T. 13. May not tay S(c., as -they well might, if, by the wis-
dom of age and long experience, they had baiBed Job in hia
attempted vindication of bimself. On the contrary, Eliha claims
only the wisdom directly imparted by God (n, 8); and therefbrs
his triumph orer Job would not be that of man, but of God.

Some translate as in the margin, meaning: we have now
discovered the wisdom of leaving him to Ood, who alone can
subdue and humble so obstinate a sinner. But the true form
and sense of the oripnal are ^ven in the t«xt.

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TBS BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXXni.

MlBaUUL TBlKBUnONB Am BUBDiaB.

Behold, my breaat ia as wine that hu no ventj
like new bottlea that are buretiDg.

I will speak, and be relieved;

I will open my lips, and will answer.

Let me not regard the peraon of man;
nor will I give flattery to a man.

22
1

For I know not how to flatter:
■peedily would my Maker take me away!

But hear now, Job, my aayinga,
and give ear to all my words.

I'D now, I have opened my mouth,
my tongue has spoken in my palate.

My words, they are the integrity of my heart,
and my lips epeak knowledge purely.

The Spirit of God made me,

and the breath of the Almighty giv« me life.

If thou art able, answer me;

array thyself agunat me, take thy stand.

to, I am of God as thou art;
I too was taken from the clay.

Lo, the dread of me will not make thee a&aid,
nor my burden be heavy upon thee.

But thou hast said in my ears,
and the sound of the words I heard: t

I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean, and have no guilt.

Lo, he devises quarrels against me,
be regards me as bis enemy.

He puts my feet in the stocks;
he watches all my paths.

Lo, in this thou art not just; I will answer thee:
for God is greater than man.

Wherefore dost thou contend with him?

ftr of none of hlB words; Other* i for

for of none of his aflairs will he give account

none of his words will He answer

For once does God speak,

yea twice, — ^when one heeds it not:

in a dream, a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls on men,
in slumbers upon the bed.

T. 19. Bottlea being nude of sldns rod strongest when
nmr (Mat. 9 : 17), tlielr bursting shows the tiolenee <tf the
pressure within.

Ch. XXXnL T. 1. Tbe mesoing is: I liftve now broken
throngli all restr^nt, and have b^;un to give nttennoe to my
thoughts ; the decistre step is taken.

T. 3. My words are the utUnmoe of an npright heart i no-
thing conntsriiNtod, and nothing dlsBemblad.

TV. 6, 7. I am, Iik« thjseU; & creature of Qod and formed
(Vom the dust He refers to what had b«en said bj Job tn
chB. 9 : 32, 34, 35. and 13 : 21, 22.

T. 10. Lo, ke dtnitu tfc. ; referring to Job's language in
ch«. 10 : 6, and 14 : 16. Compare 18 : X.—Rtgardi me at
hi* eneny : as Job had said in chs. 13 : 24 and 19 : 11.

r. 11. See cb. 13 : 27.

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THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XXXin. M

Then opena he the car of men,

and seals up their inBtmctioa:

that mao may put away a deed,

and he may cover pride from man;

may keep back his soul from the pit,

aod Ilia life from perishing by Hbe dart.

And be is chastened with pain upon his bed ;

aod with a strife in his bones continually.

ud the itrife In hii! baaet U eontiiuMl

And his qpirit abhorreth bread,

and his soul dainty food.

His flesb wastes away from sight;

and naked are bis boues, that were not seea.

And his bouI comes nigh to the pit.

and his life to the destroyen.

If there be a messenger with him,

an interpreter, one out of a tiioosand.

to show unto man his right way:

to ihov auto mui Hia rwtitnde

then will He have mercy on him, and lay :

deliver him from going down to the pit;

I have found a raMom.

His flesb becomes fresher than in childhood;

he shall return to the days of his youth.

He shall pray to Oodj and He will accept him.

and cause him to behold His face with joy,

and will render back to man his righteousness.

He will chant it before men, and say:

I have sinned, and have perverted the right;

and it was not requited me.

iDd it avuled me not

y. 16. Jjid teaU up d«ir ifutrNction ,* nwkM it eure to
them, \>j impressions that cannot be eSkced.

V. 17. May put avjay a dud : namely, any one, against
which be is thus admoniBhed. — May ctmtr pride Jrotn nui-^ :
ma; that out from him the ezerdee at pride, hj t^ng awaj
e*ei7 ground for a hau|^tj Hlf-reliaaoe aad ooBtonpt of tbe
divine authority.

y. 18. By pil is here auaat the gmwe, u in Pa. SO : 9.— By
the dart: the inBtruraent of divine justice, as tlie word noord
la used in ch. 19 : 29; here probably the weapon of death,
by which juatjce is executed.

y. 22. Pit, at in T. \&.-~DMttMj«n! the pma of death,
the mortal agoniea, at the expression is most naturally inter-
preted. But some explain it, by reference to 2 Sam. 24 : 16,
1 Chron. 21 : 15, Ps. 78 : 49, 50.

y. 23. A, ntt*t»gtr! ene who has important tidings or

infonaation to impart, though be may not be commisaioned

and tent for thit purpose, as in eti.l -.H^^.—An inUrprtUr:

OM who is qualified to explain the pnrpoaes and nqninmente

of another. — One out %J a thmuimd i namely, of tbe ftw who
ara able to do this.— ffu rectititde (Uargio) : to show hia
(Qod'e) rectitude in his dealings with men, and thus convinoa
man of his own b)d and guilt.

EUbu it here supposed to mean one, who is diTioely enalaled
li1<e bimseir (cb. 32 : 6), to explain the prindples of God'a
goTemment, and thua to act as tbe interpreter of hia will to

in.

V.a. A rantoot. The meaning of this word will be beat
understood, by examining the passagea of tbe Old Testament in
which it is fband, namely, Ex. 21 : 30, 30 : 12 ; Num. 3A : 31, 32
(oommoB Teraion, ntii^Mtiotii \ Piov. 6 : 35 j IS : 8 ; U : 18 ;
It. 43 :3i Ps. 49 :7| J«b»:18.

y. 26. Ha Tighlttmtneii : in what sense, is sofBciently ex*
pbJned by tbe preoediBg aad followi^ Tersei.

T. 27. Hate ■fcr9erud tigkli in tke Hcrae toee aa tte
corresponding phrase in Hie 3 : 9.— (Margin) : It avaHtd ma
nol ; there was no profit or adTftntage i> it. The opposite is
of course implied; instead of turning to my account, it has
proved ffi; ndn.

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THE BOOK or JOB. CHAP. XXXIV.

He has redeemed my soal from goiog iato tbe pit,
and my life, tbat it may behold the Ught.

Lo, all these things dotb <3od,
twice, yea thrice, with man:

to bring back hi» bouI from the pit,

that he may be lightened with the light of life.

Attend, Job ; hearken unto me :
keep silence, that I may speak.

If there are words, answer me;
Bpeak, for I desire to justify thee.

If not, do thou hearken unto me;

keep silence, and I will teach thee wisdom.

And Elihu answered, and said :

Hear ye wise men my words;

and ye knowing ones give ear to me.

For the ear trieth words,

even as the palate tastes to eat.

Lettuchooae

Let UB examioe for ourselves tbe right,
let us know among us what is good.

For Job baa said: I am righteous;
and God has taken away my right:

against my right, shall I speak false!
my arrow ia fatal, without transgression.

Who is a man like Job,

that drinks in scoffing, like water;

and walks in company with eril-doers,
and goes with wicked men?

For he has said: a man is not profited,
when he takes delight with (Jod.

Therefore, men of understanding, hearken to me:
far from God be wickedness,
and iniquity from the Almighty!

For man's work will he requite to him,
and let each one reoeive according to his way.

Tea, of a truth, God will not do evil,
nor will the Almighty pervert justioe.

V.82. If tJure are vnrdt! tl»t is, if there is aoTtliii^ to
be nid,— iiaiDel7, by Job in lua own behftlf.

Cb. XXXIT. T. 1. Jimoereil! Me note on cb. 3 : 1. Tbe
rapooM, in thU ctM, is to tbe Mient given t^ the nlence of
Job.

V.5. Seecba. 13:18; 16 : 17; 19: 6; 27:2.

T. 0. Compare cb. 27 : 4, 5. — (Mitrgin) ■.lama iiar, in tbe

view <^ Qod who reiiues to Mknowledge mj itmocotce, and
of men who will not bdlere mj uaertion of it.

y. 7. Like Job : a man of such iategritj and tratb as he,
who jet can join with eooSera in reproaching tbe divine gOT-
emment — Drinkt ia lei^ng, Wee water : as one drinks water }
tbat if, indolgee in it greedily and without restraint, as one
allays bis thirst with water. Compare ch. 15 : 16.

V. e. See, for example, ch. : 22.

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THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XXXIV.

Who baa committed to him the earth t

and who founded the whole habitable world?

Should He set hia thoaghta upon him,

withdraw to himself his apirit and his breath ;

all flesh would expire together,

and man return to dust.

If now there is nnderBtanding, hear thou this;

give ear to the voice of my words.

Can he indeed hear rule, that hateth right?
or wilt thou condemn the Just, the Hightyt
Shall one say to a king: O Worthloas!
O 'Wicked ! unto princes ;

to Him who regards not the persona of prioces,
nor knows the rich more than the poor!
for thej are all the work of hia hands.
In a moment they die;

at midnight, the people are smitten and pass away,
and the mighty ia removed without hand.
For hia eyes are on each one's ways,
and he sees all his steps.
There is no darkness, and no death-ahade,
where the workers of iniquity can hide themselves.
For not again does He set hu thoughts upon one,
that he may go to Qoi in judgment;
he breaks the mighty, without inquisition,
and seta up others in their stead.
He therefore knows their works;
and in a night he overturns, and they are destroyed.

the people qukke ; or, the peopkt reel

BeoHue be beholdi

TV. 13-15. He rnlM not by del«gttad power, over t, world
of which the rightfal sovereigntj belong! to aoother. How
tben cao he, from whom aU proceed. Hid in whose hand Is the
bre«th of ^ be chugeaUe with injnslaoe or eereritj 7

V. 14. Should ht tet hit IhoughU upon him, in the uune
MDM u in ch. 7 : 17 ; that U, should he oburre all hii ways,
to mark Au iniquUie* (Pb. 130 : 3).— Some tnnslate aa in the
Hafgin; meaning: ahonld he deal with his creatiiree,u selfish
and nnjnat men are acctutomed to treat others.

V. 17. The sentlmeDt is the same aa in Oen. 18 : 25, tioti
mot At Judge of ail Ae ear A do right T But it ia also implied
In the queclion as here ezpreaaed, that hatred of right is in-
oompaUble with saprenie and abs<dute soTersigntj ; that the
two cannot be conodved aa existing together.

T. 18. If this would be accounted « crime against the
mqeaty of an earthlj monarch, how mach more, when spoken
ot the Eternal and the Supreme.

T. 20. WiAout hand ; that is, without soy Tiaible agencj

or instromeatalitf, as the expresrion is used also in Dan.
2 : 34, 45 ; 8 : 25. It is the efibct of an unseen, divine power.

V. 23. For not again ftc. As there is no place of conceal-
ment from the eje of Ood (t. 20), so he needs not repeated
and laborious scmtinj to discern the gailt of man, in order
that he auy come before Qod in Judgment.

V. 24. IfiAout inquitilion. He does this without entering
into any formal inquiry and investigation of their conduct,
such as Job bad repeatedly cUimed of Ood as his right; for
all is known to him beforehand, and be gives account of his
ways to none (cL 33 : 13). Comp. Dan. 4 : 17.

T. 25. He Aerefare hwwi fft<ir loorki : that is, he takes
note of them, and deals accordingly, — 7%eTefare: namely for
the reason already given (w. 21, 22), because bis eyes are on
the ways of all, and no darkness can hide from his view. —
(Margin), leanue he behold* their worht : the reason why he
needs no a^er investigation ; namely, becMise " his eyes an in
every place, beholding the eril and the good" (Prov. 15 : 3).

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68 THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XXXV.

■Axoncii. TtLAyaunoNs ihd uuhkos

As the wicked does he smite them,
in the place where meB look. od.

Because they turoed from after him,
and regarded none of his ways;

that tiuj nu«ht bring

to bring up to him the cry of the weak,
and that he may hear the cry of the afflicted.

ahiUartorb

For he gives reet, and who shall oODdema!
he hides the face, and who ■hall behold it!
toward a nfttion, and toward a man, alike;

from the ruling of corrupt men,
from snarts of the people.

Surely, to God it should be said:
I hare borne it; I will not be perverse.

Beyond what I see do thou teach me;
if I have done evil, I will do it no more.

Shall he according to thy mind requite it,
that thou dost refuse,—
that thou thyself wUt choose and not I!
then what thou knowest speak.

Men of understanding will say to me,
even the wise man who listens to me:

Job speaks without knowledge,
and his words are without wisdom.

Ivooldthat

My desire is, that Job may be tried to the end,
for answers in the manner of evil men.

37
1

For he adds rebellion to his sin;

in the midst of us he mocks,

and multiplies his words against Qui.

And Elihn answered, and sud:

This dost thou r^ard as right, —

my righteousness, thou sudst, is more than Qod's?

T. 26. It IB M tnacgrsMon he thus daala with fbaia, while
othen look on wid " bm U» reward of the wicked."

Or the meaning may be; aa he amitea the wicked, ao he
■mites them) that ia, be deah with them aa with all other

Y. 29. He giiKt rut: namelj from outward evilaj aa, for
example, from the oppreawon of wicked rulers (t. 30), or from
any other calamity. — Who shall eotuUmn; alloding to Job's
oomplaiDts, that he waa oondwuited on the ground of God's

Second member ; If he hldea bit bee, — that ia, if be cbooaeg
to withhold his favor, who can turn him from his purpose?
OompbuDtfl and reproadtea art of no arail,

T. 30. Pnm tnaret Ifc. i Oram thoa» devices of men in
power, by which the weak ar« made tha prvy of tint strong.

The sentEment of these two venea (29, 30) is, that God
interpoaea or tioi in behalf of suffering hnmanity, according to
hiB own pleaaare ; and does it when and how he will.

V. 31. / have borne it : namely what is appointed me; the
eril which God has seen fit to inflict.

y. 33. Rtqaiu it : the evil just spoken of. — And not /.■ aa
if speaking, for the moment, in the person and on behalf of
God.

T. 37. Rtlelli^m ; that is, direct and avowed oppoaUion to
the divine govenuneot, which was now added to all hii former

Ch. XXXV. V. 1. Antuered tfc. ;
divisiOD of bit Kply.

commencing another

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXXVI.

For thoQ sayest: What will it profit thee;

MiiWlWll, TMBBUTWM AMD BBADIKM

what ahall I gain raore than by my ain?

I will make answer to thee,

and to thy friends, with thee.

Look to ibe heavens, and see;

and survey the skies, that are high above thee.

If thou bast sinned, what dost thou against him)

and are thy offenses many, what doat thou unto him?

If thou art righteous, what givest thou to himt

or what will he take from thy handt

For a man, like thyself^ is thy wrong;

and for a son of man, thy righteousness.

For the multitude of oppreBsions they cry out;

they cry for help, because of the arm of the mighty.

But they bi^ not: Where is Qod my Maker,

who giveth songs in the night!

who has taught us more than the beasts of the earth,

and made us wiser than the birds of heaven.

There cry they and he answers not.

because of the pride of evil men.

Surely, vanity will Qod not hear,

nor will the Almighty regard it.

Much less when thou sayest: Thou regardest him not!

Them beholdMt him not

the cause is before him; and wait thou for him.

But now, because his anger visits not,

nor does he strictly mark the offense;

tI»foUri«-,theprid6

therefore, Job fills his mouth with vanity,

be multiplies words without knowledge.

And Etihu added, and said:

Wait for me a little, that I may show thee;

for there are yet words for God.

T. 3. Compm chg, 34 : 9, uid 9 : 22. Elihu doei not usert
ben whkt hid been directly a^d b; Job, but hu oim infer.
eDoe from Job's lengosge.

VT. 5-12. He anairen by ehowiug; first, the follj of c<xi-
necting ttie idesfl of personal profit and low with our relations
to God ; sod B««mdl7 (9-13) that the oty erf the wronged is
nnheaid, because the; are tbeBudree fbrgetfiil of Gtod, thov^
created in his image and endowed with the pow«r, denied to
the lower soimala, of knowing and adcnowledgtsg him tbelr
Hskw.

V. 10, Who giveth tongs in the night ; who restorOi joy in
tines of sufi'ering and sorrow. Darkntu and -niglU are often
pat for seaaona of adreraty and affliction. •

V. 12. Beeavtt of Ae pride of tvil men ; their self-con-
fidence, which leads tbem to forget God, and to tmat in them-

selTBB and in one another. Or, these words may be taken
with the first part of the preoeding member. 7%«y cry on
aocoQot ot the wicked, who, in the arrogance of human pride,
neither fear Qod nor regard man.

T. 13. Fantty.- what is empty and nneDbstantial ; the mere
outward cry for help, without any real trust in Him to whom
it is made.

T. 14. 7Tu>u regardeit kim not. This assertion, that when
the anffbrer cries out for wrong God heeds him not, has been
several times made or implied withont the proper qualifica-
tion. See, fbr example, ch. 24 : 12.

Ohsp. XXX7L T. 2. There are yet loordi 3[e. There is yet
more to be said on behalf of Qod ; the aigumeutB in his fiiTor
— lot yet exhausted.

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70 THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXXVI.

■----™-»>-»-

I will bring my knowledge from afar;
and will render justice to my Maker.

For verily, my words are not falsehood;
one perfect in knowledge is before thee.

Lo, God is mighty, but he contemns not;

He will not prosper the wicked;

and the right of the suffering be will grant.

His eyes he withholds not from the righteous;

and with kings on the throne,

he makes them Bit forever, and they are exalted.

And when, bound with chuns,

they ar« held in the bonds of affliction;

ndbeihowt

then he shows to them their deed,

and their transgressions, that they deal proudly;

and opens their ears to the instruction.

frmu iniquity;

and commands that they turn from iniquity.

if they

If they hear and obey,

their days they shall spend in prosperity,

and their years in pleasures.

But if they hear not, by the dart they perish,
and expire without knowledge.

So the impure in heart lay up wrath;
they cry not for help when he binds them.

Their breath shall expire in youth,
and their life with the unclean.

The sufferer he delivers in hU affliction,
and in distress he opens their ear.

Thee too he lures from the jaws of the strwt,
to a broad place with no narrows beyond it;

and the prorision of tliy table

and thy table in peace, filled with fatness!

But if thon fill np tha guUt ol the

But if thou art filled with the judgment of the wicsed»

wicked,

judgment and justice will lay hold of thee.

eMhotW.

V. 3. From afar: From the whole realm of Nature and of
PrOTidenoe, where God diiplaja his power and lore.

T. 7. Compare 1 Sam. 2 : 8 ; Ps. 113 : 8.

TT. 8-10. The design and nse ofafficljona. By these God
would torn tho thoughts of men upon their own ways, that
they may learn wherein they haie departed from him, and
made his cbaBtisements neoegsary for their recoveiy.

T. 12. By On darl : in the eame sense a« in cb. 33 : 18.—
Withovi krunoUdge : compare the closing remark on ch. 4 : 21.

V. 13. Lay up wraA : either in their own hearts, where
they cherish a rankling hatred of Qi>i ; or in the same sense as
in Rom. 2:5," treasurest np to thyself wrath against [proper-

ly, in) the day of wrath,"— ffinA tkem : the bonds of afflic-
tion are meant, as in v. 8.

T. 14. With the uncUam that is, in like manner with
themj they are numbered with the moat Tile and p<dluted.
The same principle is stated in James 2 : 10. He who offbnds,
even in one point, is guilty of all ; for be violates tbe holy law
of Ood in its nature and sabstanoe, showing himself aA Kttof
to the law and to Him whose will it eipreases.

TT. 16-21. He repeats in substance what is sud in Terse
II, in order to apply to Job himself the principle stated In
verses 8-10.

V. 17. The judgment of the toieked : the censure which

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXXVI.

and a great ranBom Bhall not deliver thee.

nor let the great nuuom lead tbee

Will* be value thj riches without itint,
and all the might of wealth f

WiUho regard thy riobeal

not predoua ore, nor all the might of

Long not for that night,

where the nations are gathered to the world below them.

Take heed, turn not to iniqoityj.

for this thoQ choosest rather than affliction.

Lo, God shows himself great in his power;
who is a teacher like to him?

Who appoints to blm bis wayf

and who says: Thou hast done wrong?

Remember, that thoa magnify bis woA,

23
24

which men do sing.
All men gaze thereon;

which men surrey

man beholds from afar.

Lo, God is great, and we know him not;

2«

the number of his years, it is unsearchable.

For he draws op the wateinlrops;
rain, of bis vapor, they refine:
with which the skies flow down;

27
28

they distill on man abundantly.

Tea, can one comprehend the bursting of the cloud,

fbe crash of bis pavilion?

tbe wicked caat upon Qod and hia governmeiit, and In wluch
Job had allowed hiauelf to take part

Second member. JvdgmaU and jiutiet (in union, a jndg-
tnent in harmony with Juatioe) wiU lay hold ; that is, will not
yield dmr claim or relax their hold on the ofifander.
• T. 20. Compare ch. 14 : 13, and similar paaaagea.

T. 21. The MDtiment of the Mcond member ia : inatead of
BnbmiasiTely receiring the chastdiement and profiting by it,
thou chooaett the guilt of retieting and spurning it.

T. 22. From whom else can we learn those lessons of wis-
dom, which He hu taught in his woriu, where his power is
exhibited?

y. 23, refers to Job's conduct in arraigiui^ the proridenoe
of God, as though he himself had assigned to Him his duties,
and oonld therefore oall Him to account.

T. 20. InthisandthetbUowiQgTarse8,aBfaraach.37il3,
be shows wtiat groiUMls there are, for this praise to Qod, in tua
works which men bebtdd.

We know not Him, Um Eternal One, wboae yean are un-
aoarchable I But irom the displays of his power, in finite space
and time, we may learn of Him what we are most concerned
to know, and are aUe to comprehend.

TV. 27-33. An example is given of this power, and at the
same time of the beneficence and the fearful mqesty of God,

in the formation of clouds and nun, and in the terrors of tlw
thunder-storm.

V V. ^, 28. I}raie$ vp the uiaier-dropt (what afterward*
fidls in water-drope), by the continual ascent of vapora, out of
which the nun is formed. — By maUr-dropt, in the opinion of
some, are meant the light watery particles that aacend in va-

Tbe gross and unwholesome vapor is refined to crystal drops
of rain ; and thus purified, ia poured down in refreshing and
abondant showers.*

V. 29. 7%c bunting of the dovd ; the explosion in its
mysterioos depths.— Ilargin: out^eading, (tom the ground-
idea of expaimon common to both renderings ; but the tme
sense is given in the text.

Second member : hU pavilion, as it ia called also in Ps.
18 : II.

7%ey rdtfu may, by a Hebrew itUom, express merely wAot
it done. wiQioat reference to the a^nt or agents (as in Eng-
lish : thty lay, for it u taid). This I suppose to be the most
probable meaning. But some think, that the vraier-dropi are
poetically aaid to refine At vapor into rain, because they are
intermediate between the two ; the murky vapor t>eing refined
through them into the clear, filling shower.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXXVH.

MABOIKAt, THi.NStATION'a IKD MlDIKQi.

Lo, he spreads thereon his light,
■nd coren over the ocean-deptbe.

against the object
who ftscends oa high

and flatters out of its place

He senda it forth under

Fall tboa on the earth

Lo, srouod him he apreads bia light,

and covers over with ooean-deptha.

For therewith rutea he ofttionq, •

gives food ia abundance.

The palms of the hands he covers over with light.

and grv«B it a cammand against the enemy.

His thunder tells of him ;

to the herds, even oi Him who is oo high.

Yea, at this my heart trembles,
and starts up from its place.
Hearken attentively to the roar of his voice,
and the rumbliog that goes forth from his mouth.
He directs it under the whole heavens,
and bia light over the margins of the earth.
After it a sound roareth ; '
he thunders with his Toioe of majesty;
Dor leta them linger when hia voice is heard.
God thunders marreloualy with his voice;
great things does he, and we understand not.
For to the snow he says: Be thou on the earth;
and to the pouring rain,
even the pouring of hia mighty raiits.
The hand of every man he seals up,
that all the mea he has made may know;

Y. 30. Bf tight is meant that of the lightnlng-doud, flash-
ing forth at int^rals throi^ the dark waters that envelope
blm. — Oeean-depHu is a netaptiar in place of a oompariaon ;
he surrounds himself with a dense tuts of waters, l&e a
fltthomlBM sea.

Some translate as in the margin, meaning : his power ia
ritown in the heavens above and in the depths beneath ; the
dear light of tJie one, and the thick darkness of the other, are
both from lum. But neither the words nor the conoecUon
will, I think, justify this construction.

T. 31. Thtrmeilh ; the storm-cloud is meant, Including
both ita terrors aad its blesalngs. With the former (compare
Ps. 18 : 13, 14), he temfles and subdoes bis enemies ; with
the latter he makes the earth fhiitful, and provides food for
all

y. 32. He covert over (fllle) the falmt of the himd$ wtik Ught.
The connection shows that the lighining is meant, which is
read; to be " shot out" (aa «z|ireased in Ps, U : 14) gainst
the enemy.

T. 33. Not only do men fed the preaenee of God in the
storm ; bnite beasts are made eonscious ot an unknown power
above. He refers to the dread inspired in brute animals hj the
indications of a storm. Comp. Ps. 29 : 9.

Chap. XXXTn. V. I. SlarU t^fivn iU platx. It ia com-
pared to one who ia M rrct, in quiet aeouiit; , and ttarta up at
the alarm of danger. — ^Tbe same thought ia exprasaed in the
margin, bj die imi^ of a timid bird fr^fatened from ita re-
pose.

W. 3, 4. Jjigklt the conuectioD shows that here also the
Ughliii'ig ia maant, followed (v. 4) by the roaring sound of the
thunder.— JVor Utt Aem Unger .- they are quick to execute his
will, when hia voice announce* his presence. The lightning is
fnentioned as part of his armory in Ps. 16 : 14 already quo-
ted ; and in Hah. 3 : 11 it Is called hit jittering ipear.

TT. 6-S; the winter season. What is called the rainy
ttamm (the/onner and latter rain) commenoes late in October or
early in November; the rain at first GtUing moderately and
at intervals, preparing the ground for seed (the former rain),
tt falls heavily daring Norember and Deoenber ; aflerwarda
more moderately and at longer iiriervds, through the wmtw.
It contiunea to taU occasionally through the mi»^ ef Ifaicfa
(rarely after that), and is then called Ou latter roM. See the
leferences in the note to eh. 29 : 23. The heavy winter niaa
are referred to here.

V. 7. Seal* up 1 in winter, when the tabors of the Insbaad-
man are suspended, and bis baods as it were sealed up.

Second member. 71i£ men ht hat mad* t that is, who are

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THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XXXVII.

and beasts go into the> lair,

and in their dens abide.

Out of the secret chamber comes the whirlwind,

and cold out of the nonh.

By the breath of God there is ice,

and the breadth of the waters ia straiteoed.

Tea, with moisture he loads the thick cloud,

he apreada his lightniog^clond abroad ;

and it turna with bis guidance every way,

that they may do all he commands,

over th« face of the habitable earth ;

whether as a acourge, for its land,

or as a kindness he allots it.

Give ear to thia, O Job}
stand and consider the wonders of God.
Doat thou know, when God s^ts hia thoughts upon them,
and the light of his cloud biases forth?
Understandest thou the balancing of the clouds ;
the wonders of the Perfect in knowledge?
What time thy garments are hot,
when he lulls the earth with the south wind ;
dost thou with him spread out the akies,
firm as the molten mirror?
Teach ns what we shall say to him ;
for we cannot order it because of darkness.
Shall it be told him, that I would speak?
or does one say a thing, that he may be swallowed up ?

and firom the nortb-vindB oold

aocM^ng u the; do
forbiaeirQi

when God gini them the charge

themBalTe* his workmanahip, no laaa then tbe fields they cal-
tn^B. — MayknotB! may undenUnd that thej are subject to
bit laws, in Nature and PrOTideoce, did camiot lererae them.

T. 9. ne *tertt chamber i called ia cb. 9 : 9, Ae tceret
<Aamher» of Ute Sotlk. The remote soutbem qnartera of tbe
heavens (on the opposite side of the equator), were so called
because they wore concealed from yiew, aud known ontj from
reports of travelers. Those who trareled to the south dis-
covered constellations in the heavens, which were Invisible in
more northern latitudes. — Violent whirlwinds were freqaent
in the south (compare Is. 21 : 1).

T. 10. IiilrmUned: is narrowed and compressed within
aa nnjielding belt of ioe.

VT. 11-13, dose this division with a general exiveaBiDn of
God's •genoj', in the formation and distribution of tbe douds
fw diflerent pnrpoeee of many and judgment. He freights
tlte elovd with its stares of moisture aud armoij of light-
nings; bedircctsit to whatquarterofthe world he wills; and
there it folfilla his purpose, is blesting or in chastisement.

T. 12. TTial lh«y may de Sfc. ; namelj the donds (or the

Ughtnings). Others, less profcsbljr, suppose that men an
meant ; who are subdued, by these cbastiaDmentB, to obedience.
—Margin : aocording as men obe; him, or not. But tbe t«xt
gives the true sense.

T. 13. lu land : the land over which It ia luapended, aud
which for the time ia subjected to its povrar. — Hai^ : for hit
(God's) tarlh; of which he is tiie Maker, and rigfatftil pro-

t of God, so as to know Ua pnr-
ise of tlaeae inatruments ofohas.

T. IS, Art thou in tbe seen
poee when be resolves on the
lisementl

V. 16. Tlu balancing of the doudi i how, with thdr vast
extent and weight, thej are sostsined snd balanced in ur.

TT. 17, 18. In tbe summer heats, when all nature is lulled
to deathlike stillness bj the sultry southwind, dost thou shue
with him the worit of einesding out tbe skies like » burnished
mirror? Compare Deut. 2S : 23.

V. 20, refers to Job's rseh desire for s bearing before God
(r<H- example, ch. 23 : 3-7) ; the gratification of which would
be certain destmction.

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THE BOOK Of JOB. CHAP. XXXVIII.

For now, they look Dot on the light,

wheD it is shining in the skies,

and the wind has passed over and cleared them.

Out of the north cornea gold;
with God there is terrible majesty.

■The Almighty, we cannot find him out;

great in power and rectitude,

and in fullness of justice ; he will not oppress.

Therefore do men fear him ;

he regards not any of the wise ia heart.

Then Jehovah answered Job out of the storm; and he
said:

Who is this, that darkens counsel,
by words without knowledge!

Qird up now thy loins liie a man;

and I will demand of thee, and inform thou me.

Where waat thou, when I founded the earth?
declare, if thou hast understanding.

Who Bxed its mcMures (for thou

Who fixed its measures, that thou shouldst know?

knoirMt)!

or who stretched the line upon it?

Whereon were its foundations sunken?
or who laid its corner-stone;

when the morning-stars sang together,
and all the sons of Gk>d shouted for joyi

T. 21. There isftn implied compariaon. If men cannot gaxe
on the dear sunlight in the clondleas sky, how much less can
tbef bear the more glorions Bplendor, that aurronnds the
Ahnightj. (Comp. 1 lim. 6 : 16.)

T. 22. Out of fhe north ; that ia, from r^ona fkr remote
tnddifBcnlt of accesa. Some northern countriea were famed
for gold, and were eo represented in manj earl; writings and
trends ; for example, the andent Oolchis, called HaoUah in
Oen. 2 : 11.

VT. 22-24. The probable meaning is : Men can penetrate
to the bttheat bounds of earth, and trace out for themselves
whatever is richest and most glorious in its treasures; but
Qod is unapproachable ; hie majesty, power and justice none
can comprehend, and therefore do men fear him &c.

It Is thought hy some, that gold ia put here for what it
golden in appearsuce.* In this sense, some nnderstaod by it
the golden light of day ; which is said to come out of the
north, because the north-winds disperse the clouds and vapors
from the ekiee and bring iair weather. Others think the

* So in Zech. 4 : 12 it ia said. literallj : empty the gold out <f
themtelvet ; that is, what ia golden in appearance, namely the
golden ml.

golden brightness of the Northern Lights is meant. Bnt th«
interpretation above g^ven is now generally adopted.

T. 24. "Hie wtMt in heart: such as are so in their own
esteem ; those who pride themselves on thetr fonded wisdom,
and presume to judge of Qod and his ways.

Ohap. XXXVIII. T. 1. Out of the *torm. It is supposed
by many interpreters, that there is reference to this atorm in
ch. 37 : 2, aa then conunendng or in progress. Bnt there is
little probability that such was the meaning of the sacred wri-
ter. On this and umilar points, see the Introduction to the
book.

The change of tone, in the noble and majeatie language of the
follovring chapters, must deeply impress the attentive reader.
No less grand in conception is this manifeetation of the Di-
vine ; a present Power, visible only in the terrors of the storm.

V. 4. ijTlAou htut andertlanding : a true and full under,
atandmg of things, in reforenoe to their origin or cause, and the
manner in whidi they are brought into bung.

V. 7. The morning ttari .- the brightest and most g^orioos
of the starry hosts.

The expression Is commonly understood, in a flgnratiTC
ttaae, to denote the leadera of the angelic hosts j as, in tbt

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXXVni. 7f

And he shut up the sen with doors,

lUBaiHAL TRlKBLinON-S IKD IIK1DIKG3.

when it hurst forth, came out from the womb.

When I made the cloud its garment,

and the thick cloud its swathing-band j

and appointed it mj bound,

and Bet bars and doors;

and Bud : Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther,

and here shall thy proud waves he stayed!

Hast thou, smce thy days, commanded the morning.

made the daysprmg to know its place;

that it might take hold on the margins of the earth,

and the wicked be shaken out of it?

It is changed like the signet-clay;

and they stand forth as in gay apparel.

knd Huj Btand forth m « veatment

And from the wicked is their light withheld;

anA the uplifted arm is broken.

Hast thou come to the springs of the sea,

Have the gates of death been opened to thee;

and the gates of death-shade dost thou behold 1

Hast thou surveyed even to the breadths of earth ?

declare, if thou knowest it all.

What is the way to where light dwells ;

and darkness, where is its abode?

That thou shouldst bring it to its bounds,

For thou dost bring it to its bounda

and that thou shouldst know the paths to its house!

Thou knowest; for then wast thou born,

and the number of thy years is great!

next member, " «o>u ofOod" is applied to them all. la t. eimi-
Itr muiner, "Lucifer sod of the morning" (the moming star)
is applied (Is. 14 : 12) to the chief or leader among earthly
potentates, as a title of superior rank and dignitj. So " the
BsioHT AND MoaHiHc stir" IS bIbo applied, in Rer. 22 : 16. —
Soiu of Ood : compare the references, on ch. 1 ; 6,

TV. 8, 9. The oripn of the in&nt ocean is poetically repre-
sented under the Image of a birth ; and its enveloping mists
and clouds as the usual sppoiDtmeuts of the new-bom wonder.

VV. 12-15. The alternation of day and night By thy
power has the sun ever revisited the earth ; to light up agun
its snr&ce, and drive from it the wicked whose shelter was the
darkness I

T. 13. Siaken out of it : as a blanket is Uken hold of by
its edges, and its contents shaken from it So the wicked
are driven out (h>m the bee of day.

V. 14. The earth, when the sun rises upon it, takes form
and beauty to the eye, as the shapeless clay from the pressure
of the teal,~~Signet-clay ; a firm and adhedve day, used in
taking impressions from the sesL

I Second memt>er. Thty stand forth: the connection shows
clearly, that the objects on the earth' s surface are meant.
These stand forth to view in the sun's light, as if adorned
with gay apparel. — Uai^n : as a vettmtnt, in which the earth
is arrayed. So its forests, atroams, and verdant fields appear,
when revealed in the sunlight

V. 15. According to ch. 24, 13, 16, " they know not the
light" Darkness to them is light] in it all their work is done,
and ceases when it ia withdrawn.

yV. 16-18. He who directs and controls all things, must
himself be everywhere " in all places of his dominion." Dost
thou then visit the depths beneath, and the realm of death ; or
doca thy survey comprehend even the wide extent of earth 1

V. 10. Spnngio/lhesea; ita aecret sources of supply.

V. 17. Death : for the realm of death, as in oh. 28 : 22.—
Death-shade : compare ch. 10 : 21.

T. ID. The question ia put in a form adapted to the time
(as well as to the poetic style) ; but in its spirit and intent is
aa unanswerable now as then.

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THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XXXVIH.

Hast thou come to the treasuries of snow,
and the treasuries of hail dost thou behold ;

which I have reserved for the time of distress,
for the day of conflict and war?

What is the way to where light is dispensed,
and the east-wind spreads over the earth?

Who divided channels for the rain,
and a track for the thunders' flash;

to cause rain on a land without mes,
a wilderness wherein is no man;

to satisfy the wilds and wastes,

and cause the springing grass to grow?

Is there a father to the rain?
or who has begotten the drops of dew?

Out of whose womb came forth the ice?

and the hoar-frost of heaven, who has begotten it?

As in stone are the waters hidden,

and the face of the deep cleaves fast together.

Dost tbon bind the soft influences of the Pleiads,
or loose the hands of Orion?

Dost thou lead forth the Signs in their season;

and the Bear with her young, dost thou guide them?

T. 23. For the flnt uember, comptre Ex. : 23-25 ; H«g.
2 : 17 ; Ps. 78 : 47, 48. Seeond member ; compare Josh. 10 ':
11 ; Eiek. 38 : 22.

y. 24. The topic, id t. 19, ia th« abode o( light ; here, lU
diffimon OTer the earth, and hence its connectioD with the
wind from the bum quarter.

VV. 25-27. Divided channdi. The ezpresaioii is flgnnitiTe ;
derired froin the practice, common in those countries, of con-
Tey ing water through channels to different parts of a garden,
or pleasure grounds. So the treasures of run are distributed,
and even to wilds and wastes without human inhabitant (tt.
26, 27) ; showing that Nature's blessings are not dispensed by
mm, and for his convenience alone ; that they ore the gift of
Him who cares dike for all.

T. 30. The thought is eqoallj beautiful in eonception and
expression. The liquid substance, congealed as it were to
■tone, lies hidden in the solid mus. — The deepi here applied
to ponds, or other inland collections of water.

V. 31. Bind, in the sense to make fait, to make Unding
(opposed to loott, in tho next member).

Bj the tojl injlueneet ofQu Pleiads are meant those of tbe
spring season, or opening of the year, when this beautiful clus-
ter of Stan rose before or with the sun, and heralded the
return of Spring.* — By the hand* i^ Orion are meant the icy

* In the early ages of the world, men were dependent on the
rising and 'setting of certain constellations, or of particular
■tars, for their knowledge of the progreea of the year, and of

fetters of Winter (compare cb. 37 : 7, 8), when this coustella-
tJon was tbe most conspicuous object among the stan of

The meaning is : dost thou break the chains of Winter, and
restore the sofl influences of Spring? Is it thy power that
efiects this gce«t change in Nature, on which the well-being
of all depends T

r. 32. The drcnit of the year is meant.— 7^ aijiM.- the
twelve signs of the Zodiac. These " are led forth," each in its
season, appearing one after another in the east, and oompleting
their round in tbe course of the year ; thus markii^ its com-
mencement, prepress, and close.

This is also done, though less observably, by the varying
position of the great northern constellation fTVie Bear) at
sunset. In its diuniat circuit of the Pole, it marks also tbe
prioress of the oigbt. Her young : the stars in her train. —
Dott thou guide ihtm: as they move in unbroken and unvary-
ing order round the Pole, and mark as on a dial tho passing
years.

the near approach of tlie great changes uf Nature (from Winter
to Spring, for example), on which all the interests of life were
suspended. At that {wriod, the reappearance of tbe Pleiads
In the cast before tbe morning sun (after being lost from sight,
for a short time. In the west), announced his approach to the
vernal point and the coming on of Spring. By the precession
of tbe Equinoxes, this relation ceased to be apparent to the
eye; but the rising of the sun with this cluster of stars was
still known, and for many centuries they were traditionally
called tbe SeittineU of Spring.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXXIX.

Knoweat thou the ordinances of the heavens;
or dost thou establish their dominion over earth?
Doat thou lift thy voice to the clouds,
and a Sood of waters shall cover thee?
. Dost thou send forth lightnings, and tbej go;
and say to thee: Here are we!
Who pat wisdom in the reins,
or who gave to the spirit understanding?
Who numbers the clouds by wisdom,
and who inclines the bottles of the heavens;
when dust is poured into a molten mass,
and clods cleave fast tt^etherf

Dost thou hunt the prey for the lioness,
and the craving of the young lions dost thou fill;
when they crouch down in the dens,
lie in amhush in the covert?
Who provides for the raven its prey,
when its young ones cry unto Qod,
wander without food!

Dost thou know the time the wild rock'goats bear,
observe when the hinds are in labor?
Dost thou number the months they fulfill,
and know the time of their bringing forth?
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young,
they cast away their pains.
Their young mature, grow up in the field,
go forth, and return not to them.

or who gave undentuidiiig to the heart

y. 33. OrdinttncetoftheheaBtnt! the laws which regulate
the BaoceaaioQ of daj and night, of months and years, and of
theeaaeoiuofthe year. — TTttir dommwinnier earth : M CKaKog
Ute alternation of da; and night, " seod-time and harvest, cold
and heat, siunmer and winter," and marking th« succeasion of
months and years. They are thos the great R^olatora of
hnman life, and govern all the changes of earth on which life
is dependent.

VV. 34, 35. The allusion is to the power which God exer-
cises over these elements, as described in ch. 3fl : 27^3.

TV.-36, 37. The Etbbkal Mind, the source of all wisdom
and intelligence in finite beings, determines hj his own wis'
dom the number of the clouds, and when their contents shall
be poured on the «arth-

The clouds ara called, by a happy figure, (Ac boUUs of Uut
Jutnetu. As bottles are emptied by tndtittnf Attn, the ex-
pression means, who pouri out Ikei' eonUntt 7

Thus br, the illustrations are drawn from tbe material uni-
Teroe ; showing in its structure and management the power,
wisdom, and love of tbe gr««t Architect, who reared it f(Hr the
abod# of his sentient creatures.

In the next division, the examples are taken from the ani-
mal creation, illustrating these and still other points, trom the
various endowments and capacities of living beings.

VV. 39-41. The Itoncu «nd the raoen are named, as repre-
sentatives of beasta and birds of prey. Who gave to these the
instincts and powers, which enable them to miUce provision for
themselves and their young 7

Chap. XXXIX. VV. 1-4. The vtild roek-goaU are timid and
inofiensive animals, the same as the mountain-goats of tbe
Swiss and Tyrol Alps. They pasture together in small
flocks ; and are still numerous on the mountains in the penin-
sula of Sinai, and to the east and south of the Dead Sea (the
ancient Mount Stir). They are extremely shy of man j and
their senses are so acute, that the huntsman finds great diffi-
culty in approaching near enough to fire upon them.

y. 2. Doat thou number tfc. Tbe meaning is : are these
stated times, in the order of Nature, appointed by thee i and
does tby oversight and care extend to each one of these wild
inhabitants of the rock 7

Vy. 3, 4. The can of the All-Seeii^ suffices for them ; and

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76 THE tOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XXXIX.

lUBOISiL TBIMLITIOSS iSD nBiDISOfl.

Who aent out the wild-aes free,
and who looaed the wanderer's bands j

whose house I made the desert,
and the barren waste his abodes?

He mocks at the clamor of the city;
the driver's shouts he hears not.

The range of the mountains is his pasture,
and be searches after every green thing.

Will the wild-ox be willing to serve thee,
or abide at thy cribf

Wilt thou bind the wild-ox with his cord in the furrow,
or will he harrow the valleys after thee ?

Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great,
and commit to him thy labors?

Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed,
and gather into thy threshing-floor?

The wing of the ostrich waves exulting;

with pinion mi plnmige of the piouH

with pious pinion and plumage?

bird?

Nay, she abandons lier egga to the earth.

tnd lets them be wumed in the doat

and warms them in the dust;

this purpose of nature is efibcted u surely in them, *a in ani-
mals tenderly housed and watched hj man. — Catt away their
paw ! by the hirth of their young, which brings them relief.
— Tknr young also grow up, in the open fields ; and are soon
dismissed Stom them, as able to provide for themselves.

TT. &-12 illustrate the general truth in another point of
view, \ij a comparisoD of animals belonging to the same class,
and having the same outward structure and capacities, but
diffbring widely in natural disposition and coosequent habits
of life. Whence this mysterious difference of inward disposi-
tion, in animals otherwise essentially the same 1

The examples of the wild-ass and the wild-ox (which are
only representatives of other like cases) prove 1st : that there
is, in animals of the same class, a natural and essenlial difi^
ence of disposition, for which no reason can be given except
that such is the divine pleasure ; and 2d : that in the struc-
ture and relations of animals, Qod uas*purposes to accomplish,
of which he gives no account to man.

There is allusion to the habits of the wild-ass in ck 24 : 5,
Jer. 2 : 24, Bos. 8 : 9, Is. 32 : 14, Dan. 5 : 21. It has always
been celebrated for fleetness (exceeding that of the swiftest
horse), and fondness for its wild, migratory life.

V. 9. Tht vriid-ox i an animal of the ox kind, bat larger
and stronger than the domestic ox, very fierce and uatractable,
and never domesticated. It is supposed to be extinct in the
natural state.

Many think that by the wild-ox is meant the Orienlat hvffalo
(not the animal known as the American buffalo); and that at
this early period, it was known only in its natural, wild state.
Bnt the traits of the animal described here do not accord with

those of the Oriental buCUo ; tiie latter having been employed
in the East, for many centuries, in the same domestic labors as

W. 13-18 fiimish another illustration, in the pecnliarities
of one of the most remarkable of the feathered tribes. While
other birds are distinguished for the most tender and watchful
care of their eggs and their young, the ostrich is neglectful of
both ; " is hard towards her young, as not her own." What
reason is there for this, except that " Qod has made her fbrget-
fal of wisdom, " bestowed on others ; and in thus " maifin g
them to difier, " has done what seemed good to himself?

V. 13. Wave* exulUng. "I had several opportunities of
amnsing myself with the actions and behavior of the Ostrich.
It was very diverting, to observe with what dexterity and
equipoise of body it wonid plsy and fHsk about on aH ooat-
sions. In the heat of the day, particnlarly, it would strut
along the sunny side of the bouse with great majesty. It
would be perpetually fonning and priding itself with its quiver-
ing expanded wii^ and seem at every turn to admire and be
in love with its own shadow." (Dr. Shaw's Travels in the East)

Second member. Piout: tliat is, kindly and affectionate.
The tlork, from her well known characteristics, is called in
Hebrew the pious bird. In allusion to this it is asked, whether
the ostrich thus prides beTBel£,uiithpiotu pinion and pluntage ;
that is, with pinions and plumage accustomed to render snch
pious ofDces to her own young.

TV. 14-16. Compare Lam. 4 : 3.— The ostrich hollows a
place in the sand for her eggs, which she warms with her body
at night, bnt often leaves them by day to be warmed in the
sun. It is not said here, as some have objected, that she takes

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XXXIX. 79

and forgets that the foot may crush them,

UlBOmAl. TOiJMLATIOKB INT REIDIXCM.

and the beast of the field trample them.

She is hard towards her young, aa not her own j

in vain her pains, without fear!

For <3od hag made her forgetful of wisdom,

and given her no share in understanding.

When she lashea herself on high,

she mocks at the horse and hia rider.

Dost thou give strength to the horse?

dost thou clothe his neck, with terror?

Dost thou make him bound like the locust?

his proud snorting is terrible!

They paw in the valley, and exult in strength;

he goes forth to meet the weapon.

He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed;

and turns not back for the sword.

The quiver rattles against him,

the flaming spear and the dart.

With trembling and rage he swallows the ground;

he believes not that it is the trumpet's voice!

With every trumpet he says: Aha!

and scents from afar the battle.

the thunder of the captains and the shouting.

By thy understanding does the hawk mount upward,

spread his wings toward the souti) ?

Or soars the eagle at thy command,

or sous tb« nltiu*

and builds his nest on high?

The rock he inhabits; and abides

on the tooth of the rock and the stronghold.

From thence he searches out food;

his eyes behold afar off.

Hia young ones suck up blood)

and where the slain are, there is he.

no chuge of her eggs or young \ bnt that >he is wanting in
the vigilukce and csre shown hy other fowls, 1st in the (elec-
tion of a safe pUoe for s nest, and 2d in watching over it, and
orer her jtmof till tbej can talie care of themselves.

T. 16. WilhoM fear : without apprehension of danger,
•ludety about her eggs or jroung. Uence, her paint (such gm«
u she bestows) are often fruitless.

T. 18, Yet ie she endowed with wonderful powers of self
preserration. The speed of the ostrich, in flight, &r exceeds
that of the swifleat bom.— When she lathet herielftM high:
when she is startled from the neat, and beating her powerful
wings stretches up to her full stature in the eagerness of Sight

W. 19-2S. It will be observed that, in the other iuBtancea,
the aniroals aelecled for illustration are not those formed for
the use and benefit of man. The reason is suggested abore ;

Tix. that in the creation of animals, and in their stnieture and
habits, Qod has purposes to accomplish of whidi he renders
no account to man. Aocordlnglj, It is the war-harte that is
here described ; and not tiie asefiil dooestlc drai^e, which man
might clidm as crested for him.

VV. 26-30. The division closes with two of the noblest of
the feathered tribes, distii^uished for their powers of flight,
and for their sagacity, coarse, and strength.

T. 26. la it by thy intelligence he is winged, and taught
the power to flj ; and hast thou imparted the wonderful
instinct, by which in winter he seeks, with birds of passage,
the Bttnny south 1

The second member applies only to smaller species of the
dass, of which several are known to be migratory.

But wonderfU as are these endowments, they are not ii^-

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THE BOOK OP JOB. CHAP. XL.

UXOIKII. TBiMLiTHWS *»» RBAOrifOS.

And Jehovah answered Job, and said:

Will the reprover contend with the Almighty?
he that censures God, let him answer it.

And Job answered Jehovah, and said:

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer theet
I lay my hand upon my mouth!

I have Bpoken once, aod will not answer;
and twice) but I will not again.

Then Jehovah answered Job out of the storm j and he
said:

Gird up now thy loins like a manj
I will demand of thee, and inform thou me.

eren do »wmy my joBtJoe

Wilt thou even annul my right!

wilt thou condemn me. that thou mayeat be righteous)

Or hast thou an arm like God;

and canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

Deck thyself now with grandeur and majesty,
and array thyself in splendor and beauty.

Send out the floods of thy wrath;

and behold all that is high, and abase it.

Behold all that is high, and bring it low;

the wicked to th« ground.

and tread down the wicked in their pl(^.

Hide them in tiie dust together;
bind up their faces in darkness.

Then I too will praise thee,
that thy'right hand can save thee!

Behold now the river-ox, which I have made with thee;
he eateth grass like the herd.

BtmmentB bj which the UniTeraal Father conreys blessingB to
his childrao. Theae Instincta and powers ue strong onlj to
deetroj | and the; prey on eveiy liriog thing.

Hhel

How nin then U the philosophy, that affects to compre-
hend God's ways ; to ikthom the eternal purpose of Him, who
worketh all things after the counsel of his own wilt How
unions the judgment that ceneares Hiu, who alone can com-
prehend hie own wondroos plan, who brings good out ofappa-
nut enl, and will make sU his works praise him I

Who abt thoo, that refliest ioaikbt God 1

Obap. XL. V. 4. Tammlt; worthless, and of no account.

V.5. jliu^untinDtoMuier.- totherefhtatlonof myeharges,

V. 6. Wilt thou question my right, as the Supreme, to govern
the world which I have made, as my own wisdom shall direct ?
Must I be condomued, that thou mayest appear righteous t

W. 9~14. Verse ninth is connected with the following
terses, and not with the preceding one. The sentiment ts;

canst thou wield a power like mine, in redressing wrong, and
humbhng the proud oppressor ? If so, then deck tl^self ftc. —
The words, Auruler with a voict like Jam, refer to the vat of
this power spoken of in ch. 36 : 31, 32.

TV. 15-24. The illustration of God's soTerelgnty, in the
creation and gOTeroment of the world, is closed with the d^-
scription of two animsle, of great size and strength, and no less
remarkahle for the difference of their dispositions and habits.

The RiTer-ox (commonly called the kippopotanuuX deecribed
in thoM verses, is an inhabitant of tbe Nile and its tribu-
taries, and of other riTcrs in Africa. In retired and uo&e-
qnented districts, where it is not roidested by man, its babila
are each as are here described. It is of enormous bnlk, being
■ometlmea seventeen feet in length, with a body as large aa
that of the elephant, though from the shortness of its legs it
does not equal the elephant in height. Its tusks are two feet
in length, of flbty hardness, striking fire with eteet ; and it*
Jaws and teeth are of great size and power. But with all this
formidable armament, it eubaiete wholly on vegetable food, and
is a slu^ek, inoffensive animal, except when irritated by pro-

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XLI.

Behold DOW his strength in his loins,

and his force Id the einewB of hia belly.

He bends his tail like a cedar;

the sinews of his thighs are knit together.

His bonas are pipes of brass;

his bones are as bars of iron.

He is the chief of the ways of G-od;

He who made him gives his sword.

For mountains yield him produce,

and all beasts of the field play there.

He lies down beaeath the lotuses;

in the covert of reeds, and marshes.

Lotuses weave for him his shade;

willows of the brook surround him.

Lo the stream swells, he startles nol;

is fearless, though Jordan rush forth to his mouth.

Before his eyes do they take him,

pierce through the nose with snares.

' Wilt thou draw out the crocodile with a hook,

and press down his tongue with a cordt

TocktioD.* It bu not, like the elephant, been eabdued to the
•errice of man.

v. 17. LikeateJar: u a cedaris benl; referring to the
Btrangth of thii, the smallest of all the members of his body.

Second member : are kniC togethsr. His Umbs are tbicklj'
oorered with a dose, compact net-work of mnscles.

TT. 19,20. He who made him hu also armed him, that he
maj seek his food where all beasts of the field resort. The
Becurity and the harmlessness of the monster-beast are both
expressed in these words.

TT. 21, 22. The lolui is the S^yptJia lily, a beautifiil wa-
ter-plant, with broad floating leares, wtuch form a thick net-
work 00 the surbce of the water.

T. 23. The swollen, rushing streaoi bu no terrors for him.
The Jordan waa a familiar name, and an object of interest, to
all the deacendutts of Abraham ; and among them would most
naturall; be named, as the reprosentative of any large and
powerful stream. It is not implied, therefore, that the river'
ox was an inhabitant of the Jordan.

* It is well known that whole olaMes of animals are made
irritable and feroeiouB by frequent annoyance and persecution ;
which accoonts for what is related of the rirer-os by some
tiavelerB. It never feeds on flesh, and has no natural impulse
to harm others. ■'These animala" (says one who is well
acqounted with their habits), " in their undisturbed lakes and
pools are generally timid, and will flee at the approach of
man ; bat when they have been hunted and wounded from
year to year, they become very dangerous. " Moffa&» Mu-
nonary t<Aori and Scena in Sl>uA«ni AJHea, Ch. XI.

T. 24. This naturally slugpeh and inofienslTe creature, not-
withstanding its prodigious force and its means of defense, is
oaptnred, and led with hooks placed in the nostrils.

The words can also be read with the intenc^Uve tone (do
thty fake him ? Ifc.), equivalent to a deniaL This accords with
tho statements of modem travelers, who have witnessed the
captnre of the river-ox, and represent it as attended with ex-
treme difScnlty and danger.

On the contrary it is said, that the monuments of ancient
Egypt refvesent the capture of the river-ox as a fiivorite re-
creation of sportsmen. In tiie pictorial exhibitions which
have come down to us on these monuments, the animal is
attacked with spears, and at the same tJm« entangled with
nooses, and is thus captured and destroyed.

In both these cases, ir should l>e observed, the animal is
assailed with deadly weapons in its own element ; the dlfBooI-
ties and hazards of an open . attack being the ohief excite-
ment of the sport. But the sacred writer seems rather to say,
that the dull and slug^h beast is taken openly by skilUU
address, (enticed with food or other means), iritkoot bdng
irritated or alarmed.

Chap. XLI. Here is contrasted anothu- m<»« formidable
monster, equal in strength but differing in its habits ; feeding
on flesh only, and the enemy and destroyer of every other liv-
ing thing.

T. I, second member. Preit dotan Jut tatgtK ; with the
noose, drawn round the lower jaw.

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88 THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XLI.

MIKOWU. nUNSLlTIONS ASD B£iDIK03.

WiU thou put a rush-cord in hU nose,
and bore through his jaw with a hook?

Will he make many supplications to thee,
or will he speak soft things to thee?

Will he make a covenant with thee?
wilt thou take him for a servant forever?

Wilt thou play with him as with a bird,
and bind him for thy maidens?

Wm putoere tHU-KUn for him

Will partners dig a pit for him,
divide him among the merchants?

Wilt thou fill his skin with darts,
and his head with fish-spears?

Lay thy hand upon him !

of battle thou shalt think no more.

Lo, his hope i^ belied;
is he cast down even at the sight of him?

None HO fierce that he will rouse him up!
then who is he that will stand before me?

Who has first given me, that I should repay?
under the whole heavens, it is mine!

I will not pass his limha in silence,
and bruited strength, and beauty of his equipment

Who haa uncovered the face of hia garment?
his double jaws, who enters in?

The doors of his face who has opened?

AU arouDd his teeth is terror

the circuits of his teeth are terrible.

The strong shields are a pride;
shut with a close seal.

They join one upon another,

and no breath can come between them.

Each is attached to its fellow,

they hold fast together, and cannot be sundered.

With his sneezings shines a light;

and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

T. 2. Put a rath-eord {% cord nude <A twisted niahes) m
hu note ; to hold him secure, for future use.

y. 6. Parlnert : Msociates in the same business, ss this
word is used also in Lulce S : 7, 10.

T. 9. Hit hope ! the hope of him who vantorea the unequsl
conflict. Is his courage sulidned even at the sight? How
then shall he abide tlie actual trial of strength 7

TV. 10, II. He dreads ttie superior force of this creature
of Qcd ; and jet will be resist the power of its Maker ?— The
sentiment of the eleventh verse is : who has laid me under
obligation to him, or can of right Uj claim to aught that 1
have made ? It is, therefore, Job's assertion of his own rights

TV. 12,13. Beautyo/huequipmetUi his armorjr of scales,
which protect the hoAj, and are so disposed, that "the
whole animal appears as if covered with the moat K^ular and
curioms carved work." — Who hat tmcovered Sfc; who has
removed this stirbc«-eovering, this armory of scales that
serves him as a gannent '!

T. 18. This seems to refer to a habit of the animal, of in-
flating the hoAj to its full capacity, and then forcing the heat-
ed air and steam through the nostrils. — Like the eyelid* ofOu
TTtorning! a beautiful imige, suggested probably by tYieir
a;^>earanae as he emerges from tite water ; or as he lies under

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THE BOOK OF ^OB. CHAP. XLI.

From bis mouth go flames,

and sparks of fire escape.

From his nostrils goes forth smoke,

like a kettle with kindled reeds.

His breath enkindles coals,

and flame goes forth from his mouth.

In his neck abideth strength,

and terror dances before him.

The flakes of his flesh cleave fast;

firm upon him, it is not shaken.

His heart is firm as stone;

yea, firm as the nether mill-stone.

At his rising up the mighty are afraid;

they lose themselves for terror.

If one assail him ivith the sword, it shall not hold;

the spear, the dart, and the mail.

Iron he accounts as straw;

brass as rotten wood.

The arrow cannot make him flee;

to him, sling-stones are turned to chaflT.

Clubs are accounted as stubble;

and he laughs at the shaking of the spear.

Shard-points are under him ;

he spreads a threshing-sledge over the mire.

it, with only the nostiile and projectiog eyes above the Burfoc«.
Hence, it ia stud, the E^yptUns represented the morning by
the eyes of the crocodile, fts first appeuing when be comes to
the sur&ce of the water.

VT. 19-21. He is here described ss emerging from the wa-
ter, and violently forcing out the heated breath and steam,
which glisten in the suoligbt [versea 12 and 13) like smoke
and flame from burning coals. These strong expressions are
not mere poeUc exaggeration. They are such as an eye-wit-
ness might use in communicating to others the actaal Impres-
ions made upon himself; and are therefore the most suitable
for conveying the same impressions to ua.

y. 22. A bold and striking personification of the two
closely related qualities, ttrength and the dread it inspires.—
His Deck is the abode of strength; for there resides the force
which wields his powers of destruction. — Danca before him,
aptly describes the imbecility of terror.

V. 30. Siard-point* (sharp bite of broken pottery) ; so the
scales of the belly aro here called. In dragging himself over
the mire he leaves a trail, as if a threshing-aledge had been
drawn over it. — Of the threshing instrument here alluded to,
and still used in the East, the following description is given
by an eye-witne*B ;

" We now ascended the hill towards the West, and cams
soon to the threshing'floors of the village. They were still in
AiIl operation; although the harvest seemed to be chiefly
gathered in. Here we first fell in with the sled or sledge, as
used for threshing. It consiste simply of two piknks, fiistened
together side by side, and bent upwards in' front; precisely
like the common stone-sledge of New England, though less
heavy. Many holes are bored in the bottom underneath, and
into these are fixed sharp fragments of hard stone. The
machine is dragged by the oxea as they are driven round upon
the grain ; sometimes a man or boy aits upon it ; but we did
not see it otherwise loaded. The effect of it is, to cut np the
straw quite fine. We afterwards saw this instrument ft«-
quently in tlie North of Palestine. "*

An instrument of another form consieted of large wooden or
iron rollers with teeth, fitted into a heavy frame, and drawn
in like manner by oxen over the grain. See tho allusions to
these instramenU in Is. 41 : 15 ; and-28 : 27, 28 (where by
"cart" is meant the threshing-dray just mentioned). There is
also an allusion to the latter instrument in Prov. 20 : 26,
where by " the wheel" is meant the wheel of the threshing-

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THE

BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XLH.

HIMHIL

m SRADIHGe.

31
32

He causes the deep to boil like the pot;
he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
Behind him he makes a glistening path;
one would think the deep hoar with age.

there ia n

rae tike him

33
34

1
2

5
6

On earth there is none that rules him;

he is made without fear.

He looks on all that is high;

he, the king over all the sons of pride.

Then Job answered Jehovah, and said:
I know that thou canst do all things;
and from thee no purpose can be withheld.
Who is this that obscures counsel without knowledge?
I have therefore uttered what I understand not;
things too hard for me, which I know not.
Hear now, and I will epeak;
I will demand of thee, and inform thoa me.
' I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear;
but now my eye seeth thee.
Therefore do I abhor it,
and repent in dust and ashes.

Now after Jehovah had spoken these words to Job, Jehovah
said to Elipbaz the Temanite : My anger is kindled agfunst thee,

drxy ; uid the expreseion is uied flgurativelj for the enUre
deBtniction, or rooting out, of the wicked from the land.

Thftt the ingenuity and art of mui orten triumph over far
■□perior phjsical force in brute animalB, does not invtilidate
the stAtements made in tbia c)iapter. They are founded, not on
exceptional and occasional, but on natural laira and relatione ;
and their truth and force are a« fullj felt non-, as when they
were Bret uttered.

Ohap. XLIT. V. 3. He repeats the words of the Almighty
(ch. 38 ; 2), applying them to himself. — / have therefore vlter-
ed ; namely, because I am such an one as these words de-

V. 4, is also a repetition of the worda of the Almighty (ch.
38 : 3) ; and as such, tbe form is not irreverent. The idea ia :
Much rather let me deinand of tkee, and be onlightooed and
corrected !

He thus ackowledgcs, that his proper position is that of the
humble enquirer ; and that the spirit he had before shown is
justly rebuked. The cxpressiou of this seatiment is all that
is intended by the repetition of the words.

VV. S, 6. All tny paat knowledge of thee is to the preaont.

as the report of another is to sight. Now I see for myself
what before I have only heard from others.

Does he mean then, that these truths were new ; that be
now, for tbe first time, understood these relations of the Crea-
tor and Sovereign to the world which he has made ^ Not
merely this. The form of ezpression forbids it : I have heard
it, already ! Or is it meant, that he now peroeived them more
clearly and fully than ever before 7 It is true, indeed, that so
vivid and powerful an eipression of these relations had never
been made, and is nowhere else to be found. But this is
not all. Even more than this, is the immediate maniiestatioo
of the Divine; the consciousness of a present God. Now my
eye seeth thee !

The power of this conaciousness, over the religious convic-
tions of men, is often witnessed ; giving preternatural effect
to long familiar truths. -

/ abhor it ■• namely, what I have thus rashly and pre-
sumptuously spoken, of things which 1 understand not.

T. 7. Aa my servant Job : referring to tbe principal point
of controversy (whether the good and evil of this life are al-
ways distributed according to personal merit), on which they
had misrepresented the government of God, and had done his
servant wrong.

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THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAP. XUI.

and agfunst tby two friends; becaiiBe ye have not spoken of me
what is right, as my servant Job. Kow then, take ye seven
bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer
np a bumt-ofiering for you. And Job my servant will pray for
you. But him will I accept, that I visit not the folly upon you ;
for ye have not spoken of me what ta right, as my servant Job.

Then went Elipbaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite,
Zophar the Naamathite, and did as Jehovah had spoken to
them ; and Jehovfdi accepted Job.

And Jehovah turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed
for his friends. And Jehovah increased all that Job had, two-
fold. And there came to him all his brethren and all bis sisters,
and all who before had known him ; and they ate bread with
him in his house, and mourned with him, and comforted him
for all the evil which Jehovah had brought upon him. And
they gave him each a kesita, and each a ring of gold.

And Jehovah blessed the end of Job more than his begin-
ning. And he had fourteen thousand sheep and goats, and
six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a
thousand she-asses. And he had seven sons and three
daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemima, and
the name of the second Kezia, and the name of the third
Keren-happuch. And there were found no women fair as the
daughters of Job, in all the land ; and their father gave them
an inheritance among their brethren.

And Job lived, after this, a hundred and forty years; and he
saw hia sons, and the sons of his sons, four generatioiis. And
Job died, old and full of days.

restored the prosperitf of Job

V. 8. ButkimifC. The impliciktioa is : jour own prayer I
would not heed ; but him will I &ocept Compare tbe refer-
ences on ch. 22 : 30.

V. 10. TuTntd the captivity of Job : th»t is reversed hie
condition ; brought him out from the bondage of afSiction tnd
diatreBB, into his former state of prosperity. Compare the
expression in ch. 36 : 8, Captivity was then no unusual cala-
mity ; and the phrase naturallj became a proverbial one, for
restoration (hnu deep affliction to former prosperitj.

T. 11. A Kesita. TbAn was a certun weight of gold, or
silver, current as mooej in tbe patriarchal age. It is mentioned
as such in Oen. 33 : 19 (common version, piteet of money),
and Josh. 24 : 33 (common version, piteet of tilver). From
a comparison of Gen. 33 : 19 with 23 : 16, it is supposed to
have been about four times the value of the ikekel ; but this
is not certain. A comparison with tbe passage in Qenesis

shows that this transaction belongs to tbe patriarchal age : for
this denomination of money is never mentioned afterwards.
Josh. 24 : 32 being only a statement of the purchase recorded
in Oen. 33 : 19.

V. 14. These names, as nsnal in Hebrew, are significant of
certain qualities in temper or person. The first name means
dove, tbe second cmiia (a spicy plant), the third paint-hom
(a delicately wrought vessel for the female toilet, contun-
ing a cosmetic much used in the East).

T. IS. Gave them an inheritance i(c. This is perhaps re*
oorded as a worthy example ; for by the usage of those times,
retained in the Mosaic institutions, the daughters did not in-
herit with the sons (compare Num. 27 : 8) except by special
&vor of the father.

Y. 16. This tenn of life belongs to the later period of the
patriarchal age. Compare Gen. II: 10-36; 25:7, 8; 3&:28, 20.

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