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NEW TRANSLATION
or
THE BOOK OF JOB
NEW TRANSLATION
OF
THE BOOK OF JOB,
WITH AN
INTRODUCTION,
AND
NOTES CHIEFLY EXPLANATORY.
By GEORGE R. NOYES
Secontr SStrition.
WITH CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS.
BOSTON:
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY.
1838.
Eateted according to Act of Congress, in tiie year 1838,
Bt James Museoe a^d Compact,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of MaasachoBetts.
Cambridge Press:
Metcalf, Torry, and Ballou.
TO
ANDREWS NORTON,
MY FORMER I>-STRUCTER AXD CONSTANT FRIEND,
THIS VOLUME
IS GRATEFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY
Unscxlbttj.
GEORGE R. NOYES.
SYNOPSIS.
L Historical introduction in prose. Ch* I., II.
II. Controversy in verse. Ch. III. — XLII. 7.
The speech of Job, in which he curses his birth-day, is succeeded by
I. The first series of controversy. Ch. IV. — ■ XIV.
1. Speech of Eliphaz. Ch. IV., V.
2. Answer of Job. Ch. VI., VH.
a Speech of Bildad. Ch. VIII.
4. Answer of Job. Ch. IX., X.
5. Speech of Zophar. Ch. XI.
6. Answer of Job. Ch. XII. — XIV.
II. Second series of controversy. Ch. XV. — XXI.
1. Speech of Eliphaz. Ch. XV.
2. Answer of Job. Ch. XVL, XVII.
3. Speech of Bildad. Ch. XVIII.
4. Answer of Job. Ch. XIX.
.5. Speech of Zophar. Ch. XX.
6. Answer of Job. Ch. XXL
III. Third series of controversy. Ch. XXII. — XXXI.
1. Speech of Eliphaz. Ch. XXII.
2. Answer of Job. Ch. XXIII., XXIV.
3. Speech of Bildad. Ch. XXV.
4. Answer of Job. Ch. XXVI. — XXXI.
IV. Speech of Elihu. Ch. XXXII. — XXXVII.
V. The speech of the Deity, which terminates the discussion.
CLXXXVIIL — XLII.7.
III. The conclusion in prose. Ch. XLII. 7. to the end.
INTRODUCTION
The work, which it is the design of the present volume to illus-
trate, is in many respects one of the most remarkable productions
of any age or country. It is, without doubt, in its general plan, as
well as in the rhythmical construction and high poetic character
of its language, a work of art. Deep thought and long continued
study must have been united with genius in its production. Yet
has it, in a much higher degree than most compositions, the fresh-
ness of an unstudied effusion of the soul of the author ; a soul
full of the sublimest conceptions of the Parent of nature and his
glorious works, and of true and deep sympathy with all that is
great and amiable in the character, and affecting in tlie condition,
of man. The imagination of the author seems to have ranged
freely through every part of the universe, and to have enriched
itself from almost every department of nature and of art. Whether
he attempt to describe the residence of Him " who maintaineth
peace in his high places," or " the land of darkness and the shadow
of death," the passions and pursuits of man, or the nature and
features of the animal creation, the phenomena of the air and the
heavens, or the dark operations of the miner, he is ever familiar
with his subject, and seems to tell us what our eyes have seen and
our ears have heard. And not more remarkable are the richness
and vigor of his imagination than his power in representing the
deep emotions and the tender affections of the soul. Admirable,
too, in a poem of so high antiquity, is the skill with which he
makes all the delineations of the human heart and all the de-
scriptions of external nature subservient to the illustration of
one important moral subject; thus uniting the attributes of the
poet and philosopher. It is true, that we miss the perfection of
Grecian art in the structure of this Avork ; and his plan required
him to set forth the general workings of the human heart, rather
b
X INTRODUCTION.
than to delineate the nicer shades of human character. It was in
harmony with the philosophical design of the work, that his char-
acters should make speeches, rather than converse. Yet no one
can fail to perceive the unity of design which pervades the work,
and the adaptation of the various parts to its completion.
The first place among the Hebrew poets has usually been as-
signed to Isaiah. But in what respect the Great Unknown, the
author of the book of Job, can be regarded as inferior to any
Hebrew poet, or any other poet, unless perhaps we except Shak-
speare, I am at a loss to conceive. In comprehensiveness of
thought, and richness and strength of imagination, he seems to me
to be unsurpassed, and in depth and tenderness of feeling incom-
parable, when we consider that female loveliness constitutes no
part of the interest of the work. But to delineate the excellences-
and beauties of the book of Job is a task far beyond my capacity.
They must be understood and felt, rather than described.
There has been nmch discussion in former times, in regard to
the particular department of poetry and literature, under which the
book of Job should be classed. Undue importance has, without
doubt, been attached to this question ; and the scope and spirit of
the work have in a degree been lost sight of, in the eagerness to
establish its claim to a particular name, or its place in a particu-
lar department of poetical composition. The truth is, that there is
nothing that bears an exact resemblance to it in Grecian, Roman,
or modern literature. It has something in common not only with
different forms of composition, but with different departments of
literature. Those, who have given it tlie appellation of an epic
poem, have applied to it a term the least suited to its character,
and the most unjust to its claims, as a work of art. They have
made unimportant circumstances in regard to its form of more
consequence than its substantial character, spirit, and design.
Nothing can be more evident than the fact, that to excite interest
in the personal fortunes of Job, as the hero of a poem, was not the
principal design of the writer. Still less was it his design to un-
fold characteristic traits in the other personages introduced into the
work. Some, it is true, have discovered, as they supposed, striking
characteristic traits in Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite,
and Zophar the Naamathite, and have pointed out the different de-
INTRODUCTION. xi
grees of severity which they exhibited towards their friend in his
distress. It appears to me that these writers have drawn largely
upon their own imaginations to make out their representations.
There is, no doubt, some diversity in the mamier and substance of
the discourses of the friends of Job. The author may have put
the longest and best speeches into the mouth of an inhabitant of a
city so famous for its wisdom as Teman * ; and to young Elihu,
whom some regard as an interloper, thrust into the place he occu-
pies by a later writer than the author, he certainly assigns the lan-
guage of a young man who has made rather an extravagant esti-
mate of his abilities and his consequence. But I seek in vain for
evidence that the author made it a principal object to excite an
interest in the actions or characters of the personages whom he
introduces.
There is more plausibility in the views of those who have re-
garded and named the book of Job a dramatic poem. For, undoubt-
edly, the character of Job has a tragic interest, and reminds one of
the most interesting characters of Grecian tragedy, suffering by
the will of the Gods, or the necessities of Fate. In regard to its
form, there is sometldng resembling dialogue, and something which
bears a distant resemblance to a prologue and epilogue. The
author has also skilfully introduced into various parts of the work
hints having reference to the final issue of the fortunes of Job,
similar to those which occur in the best of the Greek tragedies.
See Ch. viii. 6, 7 ; xvi. 19 ; xix. 25, &c., compared with Ch. xlii.
Still, to give the name of a drama or a tragedy to this production
is to give it a name from what is incidental to it, rather than from
its pervading spirit and prominent design. In fact to call it a poem
of any kind fails to suggest the characteristic feature of the work,
though it contains poetry, which, perhaps, has never been sur-
passed.
If we have regard to the main design, the substance and spirit
of the work, we shall refer it to the department of moral or reli-
gious philosophy. It contains the moral or religious philosophy of
the time when it was produced. It is rather a philosophical reli-
gious discussion in a poetical form, than an epic poem or a drama.
It is the effusion of the mind and heart of the author upon a moral
* Jer. xlix. 7.
xii INTRODUCTION.
subject which has agitated the human bosom in every age. Still,
the author was a poet, as well as a religious philosopher. In the
mode of presenting the subject to his readers, he aimed, like other
poets, to move the human feelings by exhibitions of passion and
scenes of distress, and to please the taste by the sublime flights of
his imagination. He aimed to give the highest interest to his sub-
ject by clothing his thoughts in the loftiest language of poetry, and
arranging them in the measured rhythm which is one of the char-
acteristics of Hebrew poetry.
The main subject of this unique production is the ways of Provi-
dence in regard to the distribution of good and evil in the world,
in connexion with the doctrine of a righteous retribution in the
present life, such as seemed to be contained in the Jewish religion.
It sets forth the struggle between faith in the perfect govermnent
of God, or in a righteous retribution in the present life, and the
various doubts excited in the soul of man, by what it feels or sees
of human misery, and by what it knows of the prosperity of the
contemners of God. These doubts the author expresses in strong
and irreverent language fi'om the lips of Job ; while the received
doctrine of retribution, which pei-vades the Jewish religion, is
maintained and reiterated from the personages introduced as the
friends of Job.
The subject is one which comes home to men's business and
bosoms. Even under the light of Christianity, perhaps there are
few who have not in peculiar seasons felt the strife between faith
in the perfect government of God, and the various feelings excited
in the mind by what they have experienced or witnessed of human
suffering. The pains of the innocent, of those who cannot discern
tlieir right hand from their left hand, the protracted calamities
which are often the lot of the righteous, and the prosperity
which often crowns the designs of the wicked, have at times ex-
cited Avonder, perplexity, and doubt in almost every thinking mind.
We, as Christians, silence our doubts, and confirm our faith, by
what experience teaches us of the general wisdom and benevolence
of the Creator, by the consideration that affliction comes from the
same merciful hand that is the source of all the good that we have
ever enjoyed, by the perception of the moral and religious influen-
INTRODUCTION. xiii
ces of adversity, and especially by the hope of the joy in a better
world set before those who endure to the end. The Apostle could
say, for the consolation of himself and his fellow-sufferers, " For I
reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared witli the glory which shall be revealed in us." And every
Christian knows that the Captain of his Salvation ascended to his
throne of glory from the ignominious cross. The cross is the great
source of the Christian's consolation. But let us suppose ourselves
to be deprived of those sources of consolation which are peculiar
to a disciple of Christ, and we may conceive of the state of mind
of the author of the book of Job, upon whom the sun of righteous-
ness had never dawned. Is it strange that the soul of a pious Jew,
who lived before " life and immortality were brought to light through
the gospel," should have been agitated by the conflict between
such a faith in reti'ibution as his religion seemed to require, and
the doubts and murmurings excited by what he felt and saw of the
calamities of the righteous, and Avitnessed of the prosperity of the
wicked ? One of the most enlightened of the Romans, when called
to mourn the early loss of the children of his hopes, was led, as he
says, almost " to accuse the gods, and to exclaim that no providence
governed the world." An Arabic poet, quoted by Dr. Pococke,*
writes :
Quot intellectu prsestantes in angustias rediguntur I
Et summe stolidos invenies prospere agentes!
Hoc est quod animos perplexos relinquit,
Et egregie doctos Sadducasos reddit.
How many wise men are reduced to distress !
How many fools will you find in prosperity!
It is this that leaves the mind in perplexity,
And makes Sadducees of" very learned men.
We think that many have stated too strongly tlie argument for the
immortality of the soul, draAvn from the apparent inequalities of the
present state. To maintain that there is little or no retribution in this
part of the Creator's dominions appears to me not the best way of
proving that there will be a perfect one in another part of them.
But the sentiments referred to may serve to illustrate the mental
condition of a pious man of exalted genius, who appears to have had
* Not. in Port. Mos. C. vii. 0pp. p. 214.
6*
xiv INTRODUCTION.
no conception, or at least no belief, of a state after death that was
desirable in comparison with the present life.
In Ps. Ixxiii. we have the thoughts which passed through the
mind of another upon the same subject:
Yet my feet almost gave way ;
My steps had well nigh shpped ;
For I was envious of the profane,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked, &c.
Ps. xxxvii. may also be considered as being upon the same sub-
ject, and, in fact, the book of Ecclesiastes, though a more skeptical
spirit seems to pervade the latter than either of those psalms, or the
book of Job.
Such being the subject which filled tlie mind of the author of
Job, the question arises, how he has treated it, or what he aimed to
accomplish in regard to it. That, in his own view, he had solved
all the difficulties which embarrass the understanding in regard to
it is not very probable. But that he proposed to establish some
truths in relation to it, as well as to inculcate the duty of entire
submission to God, and unreserved faith in him, is, I think, clear.
I do not believe, with De Wette, that he means to leave the sub-
ject an utter mystery, and merely to bring man to a helpless con-
sciousness of his ignorance. The most prominent part of the
author's design is, indeed, to enforce the duty of unqualified sub-
mission to the will of God. A part of it is, also, to illustrate the
truth, that moral character is not to be infeiTed from outward con-
dition ; tliat afflictions are designed as the trial of piety, and that
they lead in the end to higher good tlian would otherwise be ob-
tained, and thus to assert eternal providence, and justify the ways
of God to man. And while he enforces the duty of entire submis-
sion, he also plainly intimates that unfounded censures and unkind
treatment of a friend in distress are more offensive to the Deity
than those expressions of impatience which affliction may wring
from the lips of the pious.
The author aims to show that, in the distribution of good and
evil in the Avorld, God is sometunes influenced by reasons which
man can neither discover nor comprehend, and not solely by the
merit or demerit of his creatures ; that the righteous are often
INTRODUCTION. xv
afflicted, and the wicked prospered ; but that this course of provi-
dence is perfectly consistent with wisdom, justice, and goodness in
the Deity, though man is unable to discern the reasons of it ; that
afflictions are often intended as the trials of piety and the means
of moral improvement ; that man is an incompetent judge of the
divine dispensations ; that it is his duty, instead of rashly daring to
penetrate, or to censure, the counsels of his Creator, to submit to
his will, to reverence his character, and to obey his laws ; and that
the end will prove the wisdom as well as the obligation of such
submission, reverence, and obedience.
In this view, I have taken the whole book, as we now have it, to
be genuine. I think this supposition is attended with the fewest
difficulties. Those who discard the speech of Elihu, the twenty-
eighth chapter, and part of the twenty-seventh, and the prose in-
troduction and conclusion, must give, of course, an account of it
somewhat different.
In order to accomplish the design, or express the views, which I
have exhibited, in such a manner that his work should possess the
highest interest for his readers, tlie author employs a form of com-
position resembling that of the drama. He brings forAvard a per-
sonage, celebrated probably in the traditions of his country, as
distinguished for the excellence of his character, and the vicissi-
tudes through which he had passed. In the delineation of the
character and fortunes of tliis personage, he uses the liberty of a
poet in stating everything in extremes, or painting everything
in the broadest colors, that he might thus the better illustrate the
moral truth, and accomplish the moral purpose, which he had in
view.
He introduces to the reader an inliabitant of the land of Uz,
in the northern part of Arabia, equally distinguished by his piety
and his prosperity. He was pronounced by the Searcher of hearts
an upright and good man ; and he was surrounded by a happy
family, and was the most wealthy of all the inhabitants of the
East.
If virtue and piety could in any case be a security against ca^
lamity, then must Job's prosperity have been lasting. Who ever
had more reason for expecting continued prosperity, the favor of
xvi INTRODUCTION.
men, and the smiles of providence ? " But when he looked for good,
evil came." A single day produces a complete reverse in his con-
dition, and reduces him from the height of prosperity to the lowest
depths of misery. He is stripped of his possessions. His children,
a numerous family, for whom he had never forgotten to offer to
God a morning sacrifice, are buried under the ruins of their houses,
which a hurricane levels with the ground ; and finally he is afflict-
ed, in his own person, with a most loathsome and dangerous dis-
ease. Thus the best man in the world has become the most
miserable man in the world.
The reader is made acquainted in the outset with the cause of
tlie afflictions of Job. At an assembly of the sons of God, or the
inhabitants of heaven, in the presence of the Governor of the world,
an evil spirit, Satan, the adversary in the court of heaven, had come,
on his return from an excursion over the earth, to present himself,
or to stand in readiness to receive the commands of God. Jehovah
puts the question to Satan, whether he had taken notice of the
model of human excellence exhibited in the character of his ser-
vant Job, and sets forth the praises of the good man in terms so
emphatic, as to excite the envy and ill-will of that suspicious ac-
cuser of his brethren. Satan intimates that selfishness is the sole
motive of Job's obedience ; that it was with views of profit, and
not fi-om sentiments of reverence toward God, that he paid him an
outward service ; that if Jehovah should take away the possessions
of him whom he believed so faithful, he would at once renounce
his service. " Doth Job fear God for nought ? " To establish the
truth of what he had said in commendation of his servant, Jehovah
is represented as giving pei-mission to Satan to put the piety of Job
to the test, by taking away at once all his possessions and all his
children. But the evil spirit gains no triumph. Job remains true
to his allegiance. He sins not even with his lips. — There is yet
another assembly of the heavenly spirits, and here the hateful
spirit, the disbeliever in human virtue, will have it, that it is love
of life, the dearest of all possessions to man, which retains Job in
his allegiance. Satan therefore is represented as having permission
to take from Job all that can be called life, except the mere con-
sciousness of existence, and the ability to express his sentiments,
in the condition to which he is reduced, by the infliction of a most
INTRODUCTION. xvii
loathsome disease. And yet this good man, in this lowest point of
depression, is represented as remaining patient so long, that when
his wife, whom Satan appears to have spared to him for no good
purpose, tempted him to renounce his allegiance to God, he calmly
answers, " Shall we receive good at tlie hand of God, and shall we
not receive evil ? " Thus far, he did not sin with his lips.
But when the fame of Job's sufferings had spread abroad, and
had drawn around him a company of his friends, who had left their
distant homes to sympathize with him in his calamities, he is rep-
resented as giving vehement utterance to his long repressed im-
patience, and pouring out his complaints and doubts in rash lan-
guage, with which the reader is prepared to sympathize, only by
the account which has been given of the cause of his afflictions in
the introductory chapters.
But the friends of Job, who, of course, are not acquainted with
tlie cause of his sufferings in the occurrences of the heavenly as-
sembly, are thrown into amazement at the condition in which they
find tlieir friend, and the expressions uttered by him, whom they
had heretofore looked upon as a wise and good man. They are
silent while they Avitness only his dreadful sufferings ; but when
they hear the vehement and rash complaints which are extorted
from him by the severity of his distress, they refrain no longer
from expressing their sentiments respecting the cause of his ca-
lamities. Thus commences a discussion respecting the causes
of human sufferings between Job and his friends. They are repre-
sented as holding the doctrine of a strict and perfect retribution
in the present life; as maintaining that misery always implies
guilt ; and hence, instead of bringing hun comfort and consolation,
they accuse him of having merited his misfortunes by secret wick-
edness. They exhort him to repentance, as if he were a great
sinner, suffering the just punishment of his crimes.
Job repels their insinuations Avith indignation, and firmly main-
tains his innocence. He knov/s not-why he suffers. He complains
of severe treatment, and asserts that God afflicts equally the right-
eous and the wicked. His friends are offended at his sentiments,
and undertake to vindicate the conduct of the Deity towards him.
They repeat Avith greater asperity their charges of wickedness and
impiety, and even go so far as to accuse him of particular crimes.
xviii INTRODUCTION.
But the more they press their accusations, the more confident is he
in his assertions of his innocence, or of the justice of his cause.
He avows his conviction that God will one day manifest himself as
the vindicator of his character. He appeals to him, as the witness
of his sincerity ; denies the constancy, and even the frequency of
his judgments upon wicked men, and boldly asks for an opportunity
of pleading his cause with his Creator, confident that he should be
acquitted before any righteous tribunal. His friends are reduced
to silence, Bildad closing their remarks by a few general maxims
respecting the greatness of God and the frailty of man, and Zophar
not undertaking to say anything.
The spirit of Job is somewhat softened by their silence, and he
retracts some of the sentiments, which, in the anguish of his spirit,
and the heat of controversy, he had inconsiderately uttered. " He
proceeds with calm confidence, like a lion among his defeated ene-
mies." He shows that he could speak of the perfections of God,
and express all that was true in their positions, in a better style
than any of them. He now admits, what before he seemed to deny,
that wicked men are often visited by severe punishment. But from
his main position he does not retreat, that misery is not always the
consequence of wickedness, and that God has a hidden wisdom in
regard to the distiibution of happiness and misery, which it is im-
possible for man to fathom. He then proceeds, with a melting pa-
thos, to describe his present, in contrast with his former condition,
and to give a most beautiful picture of his character and life, very
pardonable in one of whom the reader knows what has been
said by the Governor of the Avorld before the angels of heaven.
From this he is led to renewed protestations of his innocence,
and of his desire to have his cause tried before tlie tribunal of his
Creator.
In this stage of the discussion, a new disputant is brought for-
ward, probably for the purpose of expressing some thoughts of the
author on the design of afflictions, and for the purpose of forming
a contrast, in respect to style and manner, with the manifestation of
the Deity which follows. Elihu is represented as a young man
coming forward with an air of great consequence, though in words
he ascribes the burden, with which his breast was laboring, to the
inspiration of God. " Like most inspired men of the same sort, he
INTRODUCTION. xix
is assuming, bold, and supercilious." He does, indeed, bring for-
ward some thoughts on the moral influence of afflictions which
had not been uttered by the friends of Job, maintaining that, though
they may not be the punishment of past offences, nor evidence of
guilt, they may operate as preventives of those sins which the best
of men sometimes conmiit, and as a salutary discipline, for the cor-
rection of those faults of which a man may be unconscious, until
his attention is awakened by adversity. Thus he gives a more ra-
tional conjecture than tlie three friends of Job, in regard to the
precise cause of his afflictions, but does not give the true account
of it, as it is stated in the introductory chapters. No one thinks it
worth while to reply to Elihu.
Human wisdom, the learned wisdom of age, and the unbiassed
genius of youtli have now been exhausted upon the subject. At
length, therefore, the Supreme Being himself is represented as
speaking fi'om the midst of a tempest, and putting an end to the
controversy ; tlie dignity of his introduction being rendered more
impressive by the almost ludicrous flourishes with which Elfliu had
entered into the contest.*
The Creator decides the controversy in favor of Job. Jehovah
does not, however, condescend to explain or vindicate to him the
ways of his providence ; but witli overpowering force convinces
him of his inability to fathom the divine counsels, produces in him
a sense of his weakness and ignorance, and leads him to profound
repentance on account of the rashness of his language ; and thus
prepares the way for the final vindication of his faithful servant
In a strain of sublime irony he requests him, who had spoken with
such confidence and boldness of the ways of God, to give an ex-
planation of some of the phenomena which were constantly pre-
sented to his view ; of the nature and structure of the earth, the
sea, the light, and the animal kingdom. If he were unable to
* " How vast the difference," says Herder, " between the words of
Jehovah and the language of EUhu ! It is but the feeble, prolix
babbling of a child, in comparison with the brief and majestic tones of
thunder in which the Crea!or speaks. He disputes not, but produces
a succession of hving pictures ; surrounds, astonishes, and overwhelms
the faculties of Job with the objects of his inanimate and animated
creation."
XX INTRODUCTION.
explain any of the common phenomena of nature, how could he x
expect to comprehend the secret counsels and moral government
of the Author of nature ?
But having shown the reasonableness of entire confidence in his
unsearchable wisdom, and submission to his darkest dispensations,
the Supreme Judge does decide the controversy in favor of Job.
He declares that he had spoken that which was right, that is, in
maintaining that his misery was not the consequence of his guilt, or
that character is not to be inferred from external condition ; and
that the friends of Job had not spoken that which was right, in
condemning him as a wicked man on account of his misery, or in
maintaining that suffering abvays implies guilt. The cause of
Job's afflictions has already been communicated to the reader in
the introductory chapters, namely, that they were appointed as a
temporary trial of his virtue, in order to vindicate the judgment of
Jehovah concerning him, and to prove against all gainsay ers the
disinterestedness of his piety. Finally, Jehovah bestows upon Job
double the prosperity which distinguished him before his affliction,
and thus compensates him for the calamities he had suffered, there-
by showing, for the consolation of all who endure affliction, that
the end of the good man will show his wisdoin.
If the general design of this wonderful production be such as I
have described, the question, whether Job was a real, or a fictitious
character, becomes almost too unimportant to be discussed. Truth
was illustrated and duty enforced by parable as well as by history,
by him who spake as never man spake. Certainly some of the
circumstances of the life of Job have the air of fiction, and may
have been invented for the promotion of the moral and religious
design which we suppose the author to have had chiefly in view.
That the sentiments of Job, and of the different disputants, as
well as those which are represented as proceeding from the lips
of the Creator, must all be regarded as the effusions of the poet's
own mind, is also too plain to need argument. The whole structure
and arrangement, thoughts and language, form and substance of
the work must all have proceeded from one and the same mind.
The supposition, that so beautiful and harmonious a whole, every
part of which bears the stamp of the highest genius, was the
INTRODUCTION. xxi
casual production of a man brought to the gates of the grave by a
loathsome disease, and of three or four friends who had come to
comfort him in his affliction, all of them expressing their thoughts
in poetical and measured language ; that the Deity was actually
heard to speak half an hour from the midst of a violent storm ; and
that the consultations in the heavenly world were actual occurren-
ces, is too extravagant to need refutation.
On the other hand, it is against probability and against analogy,
to suppose that no such person as Job ever existed, and that the
work has no foundation in fact The epic and dramatic poets,
ancient and modern, have usually chosen historical rather than
fictitious personages as their principal characters, as being better
adapted to secure the popular sympathy. It is therefore probable
that Job was a real character, at least in the same sense in which
the Adam and Eve of Paradise Lost were real characters. It is
probable that tradition had handed down the name of such a person
as Job, distinguished for his piety and his trials, his virtue and its
reward. This tradition the author stated and embellished in a
manner adapted to promote the chief object of his work.
A more important question at the present day relates to the in-
tegrity of the work ; whether we have it as it came from the author,
or whether various additions have been made to it in later times.
The genuineness of the introductory and concluding chapters in
prose, of ch. xxvii. 7 — ch. xxviii., and of the speech of Elihu, has
been denied, with great confidence, by several German critics,
upon what I regard as very insufficient grounds. The latest and
most important writer who has maintained this opinion is De
Wette, a scholar of great learning and fine taste, but, as I think,
not of the most exact judgment upon every subject. His valuable
Introduction to the Old Testament having been announced as
prepared for publication in tliis country, it may be well to exam-
ine the arguments which he has adduced against the genuineness
of the above mentioned parts of Job.
Against the prologue and epilogue he urges, " that the perfection
of the work requires their rejection, because they solve the problem
which is the subject of the work, by the idea of trial and compen-
sation ; whereas it was the design of the author to solve the ques-
c
xxii INTRODUCTION,
tion through the idea of entire submission on the part of man to
the wisdom and power of God." Thus, from a part of the work,
De Wette concludes what was the whole design of the author, and
then rejects whatever is inconsistent with this supposed design.
But there is 'no necessity for the supposition of such an entire
unity of purpose as De Wette supposes. Much more probable is
it, that the author not only designed to establish the necessity of
unhesitating faith and unwavering submission, but also to throw
all the light in his power upon the subject, for the benefit of the
understanding. If he has not completely solved the question
which forms the principal subject of discussion, it does not follow
that he did not undertake to do it ; or, at least, to remove from it
all the difficulties which he could remove. If it were even ad-
mitted, which I do not admit, that there is not a perfect consistency
and unity in the vieAvs of a poet writing upon a very deep subject,
he would not be the only one who has written inconsistently on the
origin and design of evil. Would it be reasonable to reject as
ungenuine all those parts of Soame Jenyns's work on the origin of
evil which Dr. Johnson points out as inconsistent with its main
design, or with other parts of it ?
Far more reasonable is it to gather the author's design from a
view of the whole work ; especially as there is no inconsistency in
the supposition that he endeavored to clear up the subject in view
of the understanding, as well as to illustrate the necessity of the
entire submission of the heart to God's will.
Besides, the prologue is important, not only as containing, in
part, the solution of the subject, but as a preparation for the reader
in estimating the character and language of Job. We could
hardly sympathize with the imprecations with which he commences,
or with his irreverent language toward the Deity, or even with his
bold assertions of his innocence, unless we were assured, upon
higher authority than his own, that he was, what he professed to
be, an upright and good man. The whole takes a far deeper hold
upon our sympathy, when we know that he, who is in a state of
such extreme depression, suffering reproach and condenmation
from fallible men, has a witness in heaven and a record on high,
having received the praise of an upright and good man from the
Searcher of hearts before the angels in heaven.
INTRODUCTION. xxiii
The objection against ch. xxvii. and xxviii. is, that there is an
apparent inconsistency between tlie language of Job here assigned
to him, and what he has uttered in ch. xxi. This inconsistency is
obvious, and was long ago observed by Kennicott. See his note
on ch. xxvii. 7. And if the object of the poet was to represent
merely a persevering, unbending character, like the Prometheus of
iEschylus, there might be some force in the objection. But if the
design of the work be, as we have represented it, to throw all pos-
sible light upon a moral subject, it is well that Job should retract
what he had uttered in the heat of passion, and admit all that he
could admit with truth, and in consistency with his main position,
that he was innocent, or that misery is not always a proof of guilt
The great object of the poem is in fact advanced by such a course,
and by Job's anticipating in some measure, in ch. xxviii., the argu-
ments of the Supreme Judge. All that Job admits is not really
inconsistent with what he says in ch. xxix., xxx., xxxi., and does not
bring the subject to a crisis too soon.
In regard to the speech of Elihu, it is objected, that it differs in
style from that of the other speakers ; that it is weak, prolix, studied,
obscure ; that it is distinguished from the genuine parts of the book
by the use of favorite expressions, and by reminiscences from the
thoughts of some of the other speakers. That there is a difference
between the language of Elihu and that of the other speakers is
conceded ; but the answer is, that it was designed ; that a different
style was assumed by the author. There is some difference of
manner in the speeches of the other adversaries of Job. It is more
marked in the speech of Elihu, because he was a young man.
Youthful forwardness was more inconsistent with Eastern feel-
ings and manners than with ours. See ch. xxix. 8. And it
is not strange that the poet should not give the most respect-
able appearance to a young man appearing upon such an occa-
sion.
It is rather evidence of skill in the poet, that he renders the sub-
lime manifestation and language of the Deity more striking, by
contrast with the flourish and parade exhibited in the manner and
language of young Elihu. In regard to favorite expressions, and
the reminiscences of the language of the other speakers, I should
think they were circumstances of little importance. They may, at
xxiv INTRODUCTION.
any rate, be the result of design, as part of the manner of Elihu,
or they may be the result of inadvertence.
It is objected, secondly, that the speech of Elihu weakens the
speeches of Job and of the Deity, in ch. xxix., xxx., xxxi., xxxviii.,
&c., obscures the relation in which these stand to each other, and,
in part, anticipates what that of the Deity contains. We have
already replied to this in part, by the observation, that the majesty
of the Divine appearance is heightened by contrast with that of
Elihu. It may be observed, too, that all the speakers have antici-
pated more or less of the argument of the Deity, and could not
well say anything of the Creator, or his works, without doing it.
But, as a whole, the speech of the Deity is remarkably distinguished
from any of them. As to the interruption of the connexion betAveen
the speech of Job and that of the Deity, it is not very important.
But let it be conceded, for the sake of argument, that the omission
of the speech of Elihu would contribute to the perfection of the
work, or that it is in itself someAvhat inferior to other parts of it.
What then ? Do not tlie critics and reviewers imagine that they
can improve many of the productions of genius by the addition of
a part here, or the subtraction of a part there ? Besides, the author
does give one view of the cause of human suffering in this dis-
course, which is not distinctly stated elsewhere. Ch. xxxiii.
14-28.
It is objected, in the next place, that Elihu perverts the language
of Job, a thing which would have been done only by a person who
was not the author of the work. To this it may be replied, that,
though the particular passages, which Elihu pretends to quote, are
somewhat perverted, yet he hardly ascribes to Job worse sentiments
than he had elsewhere expressed, as in ch. xxi. Besides, it is not
unnatural in a disputant, especially a young one, to misapprehend
a question, or to pervert the language of an opponent.
It is said, again, that Elihu receives no answer. I apprehend
that it was agreeable to Eastern feelings that such a forward young
man should receive no answer.
It is said that Job is mentioned by name in the speech of Elihu,
and not elsewhere. But surely so unimportant a circumstance,
occumng in a speech where difference of manner was to be expect-
ed, affords very slight ground for suspecting its genuineness.
INTRODUCTION. xxv
Lastly, it is said, Elihu is not mentioned in the prologue and
epilogue. It is sufficient answer to this, to say, that the author
thought it proper to have but three speakers in the principal part of
the debate, and to give a special introduction to Elihu in ch. xxxii.
His judgment on this point may not have been as good as that of
some of the German professors ; but I see not why we should
alter his plan on that account. As to the fact that he is not men-
tioned in the epilogue, it may have been for the reason above
assigned for his receiving no reply from Job, or because nothing
occurred to the author which was particularly appropriate to be
said to him.
On the whole, if it were even admitted that the style of Elihu is
so diverse from that of tlie rest of the poem as to be some%vhat
remarkable, or not wholly explained by what has been said, yet,
when we consider the strong presumption that such a work as the
book of Job would not be tampered Avith by his countrymen, and
especially by a poet of no mean pretensions, I cannot help having
a strong persuasion of the genuineness of all the passages under
consideration. I can well conceive of additions being made to
annals or history. But one would think that a Jew, and especially
a Jewish poet, must have had a stronger motive than any of which
we can conceive, to induce him to tamper with such a production
as the book of Job, and that there must have been some obstacles
to the reception of his appendages to such a work, had he been
disposed to make them.
As to the country of Job, or, in other words, the scene of the
poem, tliere has been a diversity of opinion amongst distinguished
scholars. I was formerly inclined to adopt tlie opinion of those
who supposed it to be Idumea. I now think that Lam. iv. 21,
which, at first view, seems to favor this supposition, in fact indicates
that the land of Uz was not a part of Idumea, and that the prophet
speaks of the Edomites as having gained possession of a country
which did not belong to them. It appears to me, too, that Jer.
xxv. '20 is also decisive of the question ; else why does the prophet
speak of the kings of the land of Uz, and of Edom, in the next
verse, as separate nations, to whom he was to extend the cup of
indignation ?
xxvi INTRODUCTION.
I now think it more probable that the land of Uz was in the
northern part of Arabia Deserta, between Palestine, Idumea, and
the Euphrates. Ptolemy speaks of a tribe in this region, called
"Ataairai, which may perhaps have been written ^Avoirai ; (see
Ros. Com. in Job. p. 30 ;) and the Septuagint renders Uz, ' Avoir tg.
This country would then be near the Chaldeans and Sabeans, by
whose incursions the property of Job is said to have been lost. It
is more properly entitled to the appellation of the East than Idu-
mea, which was nearly south of Palestine. The beautiful valley
of Damascus, which Jahn supposes to have been the country of
Job, could hardly have been so extensive as to account for the
expression, " all the kings of the land of Uz," in Jer. xxv. 20.
A more interesting question remains to ba spoken of, namely, in
what country, and in what age, did the author live ?
I shall not enter into a discussion of the various conjectures
which have been offered in regard to the author of the book.
Why should we seek to form an opinion, where there are abso-
lutely no data on which to ground it ? To me it seems highly
probable that the author of this incomparable production was one
of whom we have no records and no other remains. The opinions
of those who have undertaken to name the author are widely di-
verse. Lowth attributes it to Job himself; Lightfoot and others,
to Elihu; some of the Rabbinical writers, as also Kennicott,
Michaelis, Dathe, and Good, to Moses ; Luther, Grotius, and
Doederlein, to Solomon ; while Warburton ascribes it to Ezra.
Respecting the age in which the author lived, it might seem, at
first view, that some judgment could be formed on internal grounds.
But, in consequence of our imperfect acquaintance with the state
of civilization, knowledge, opinions, and manners in ancient times,
it is difficult to form a satisfactory opinion upon the subject.
Some eminent scholars, as Lowth, Eiclihorn, and Ilgen, have
supposed that the author lived before the settlement of the Israel-
ites in tlie land of Canaan. The principal argument in favor of
this opinion is the absence of allusions to the institutions, rites,
and ceremonies introduced by Moses, and to remarkable events in
the history of the Jewish nation. This argument would be more
satisfactory, if the characters, as well as the author, of the work
INTRODUCTION. xxvii
had been Hebrews. But as they were Arabians, who had nothing
to do with the institutions of Moses, it is plain that a writer of
genius would not have been guilty of the absurdity of putting the
sentiments of a Jew into the mouth of an Arabian, at least, so far
as relates to such tangible matters as institutions, positive laws,
ceremonies, and history. To me it seems that tlie author has
manifested abundant evidence of genius and skill in the structure
and execution of the work, to account for his not having given to
Arabians the obvious peculiarities of Hebrews who lived under
the institutions of Moses, at whatever period it may have been
written. Even if the characters of the book had been Hebrews,
the argument under consideration would not have been perfectly
conclusive ; for, from the nature of the subject, we might have
expected as little in it that was Levitical or grossly Jewish, as
in the book of Proverbs or Ecclesiastes. The argmnent for the
Antemosaic origin of the book seems, therefore, wholly destitute
of weight. On the contrary, Ave find an argument against that
opinion in the abstruse nature of its subject, and its speculative
and philosophical spirit, Avhich seem to imply a different stage of
civilization, and a different state of society from what we suppose
to have existed among the wandering Jews to whom Moses gave
the law upon Sinai. It was agreeable to the spirit of Moses to
say, Thus saith Jehovah, Ye shall do tliis, and. Ye shall not do that ;
and to accompany these commands and prohibitions with the most
terrible sanctions, rather than to indulge in such bold speculations
as are contained in this book. A very different kind of poetry, if
any, seems also to be proper to the circumstances of the Jews in
and before the age of Moses. There is more uncertainty in regard
to particular religious conceptions. Those respecting angels,
contained in the following verses, are supposed by De Wette to
be inconsistent with the Mosaic age: — iv. 18 ; v. 1 ; xv. 15; xxi.
22 ; xxxiii. 23, &c. ; xxxviii. 7, comp. i. 7, ii. 2, &c. But it may
be doubted whether this argument is valid. The manners and
condition of society referred to or implied in some, at least, of the
following passages, adduced by De Wette, seem to point to a much
later period of Jewish history than the Antemosaic or Mosaic age.
It strikes me as rather inconsistent with the simplicity of the
patriarchal age, that Job should be represented as the ruler or
xxviii INTRODUCTION.
judge of a city, ch. xxix. 7, 8, 9 ; that there should be an allusion
to the written sentence of a judge, ch. xiii. 26 ; to the signing of a
bill of defence or complaint, to be brought into court, ch. xxxi. 35 ;
to the recording of facts in a register, or book-roll, or upon tablets of
stone, ch. xix. 23, 24 ; to the custom of holding courts in the gates
of walled cities, ch. v. 4, xxix. 7 ; to desolate cities, ch. xv. 28 ;
to cities, ch. xxiv. 12, xxxix. 7 ; to various kinds of armor, ch. xx.
24, 25, and to the war-horse, ch. xxxix. 21 - 25 ; to splendid palaces,
or tombs, ch. iii. 14 ; to the deposition of kings, ch. xii. 18 ; to the
laying up of Avealth in the form of money, c h. xx. 15, xxii. 24,
xxiii. 10, xxvii. 16, xxxi. 24 ; and to the mining operations, in ch.
xxviii. These allusions may not be perfectly conclusive ; but they
certainly do not harmonize with our notions of the life and manners
of the Hebrew patriarchs before the time of Moses. They suggest
to us a later age.
In regard to the age of Solomon, or the period which intervenes
between Solomon and the captivity, Avhich is assigned to it by some
writers, there is no very decisive objection. Even if the work is
supposed to have a national object, or to have been designed for
the encouragement and consolation of the Jewish people, as a
nation, while in a state of calamity, there are several periods be-
fore the captivity, when such a work Avould have been appropriate ;
for instance, the period of Habakkuk, whose expostulation with
the Deity, and what follows in his prophecy, have a resem-
blance to the subject and sentiments of the book of Job. There
is no necessity, however, for supposing the work to have a national
object If this had been the case, I think it would have been made
more distinctly to appear by the autlior. The subject is one which
the vicissitudes of individual experience render as interesting and
pertinent in the highest period of national prosperity, as at the
lowest point of national depression.
There is one consideration, however, which has inclined the best
Hebrew scholars, of late, to assign the period of the captivity at
Babylon as the age of the author of Job, namely, tlie Chaldaizing
character of the language ; for instance HJ^, to answer, applied to
T T
one who begins a discourse. The plural form of n^D, pbo ;
D''Knp, the holy ones, applied to angels ; inli/, xvi. 19 ; npn, xiv. 20,
INTRODUCTION. xxix
XV. 24; yQT}, xxi. 21, xxii. 3; n3D,viL3; nn, Tiof, xvi. 6, comp. xxxi.
1 ; ^XJp for ""ip, xviii. 2 ; pn for |n, xli. 4 ; ^ as a prefix, xix. 29, &c. ;
*1DX, ^0 command. From tliese and other instances, Gesenius, De
Wette, and Umbreit have referred the book of Job to the tune of
tlie captivity; a period assigned to it by Le Clerc, Warburton,
Heath, Garnet, and Rabbi Jochanan among the older critics. But
from tlie few remains of Hebrew literature that have come down to
us, and our imperfect acquaintance with the history of the language,
it follows, that it is by no means certain that the words and forms
above mentioned may not have been in use in some parts of Judea
before the time of the captivity. i:r as a prefix occurs in tlie book
of Judges ; see vi. 17.
The introduction of Satan, in the historical introduction in prose,
is certainly a strong argument against the high antiquity of the
work. For there is no mention of such a being, by the name of
Satan, or any other name, in any of the Hebrew writings com-
posed before the exile in Babylon ; and there is good reason for
believing that it was from tlie Chaldeans that the Jews derived the
conception of such a being This argument seems to be conclu-
sive against the high antiquity of the work. For it is hardly
credible tliat the Hebrews should have had the conception of an
evil spirit before the time of Moses, and that it should not once
occur in the writings Avhich preceded the exile. But it may be
doubted whether this argument be conclusive against the supposi-
tion that tlie book of Job was written a short time before the exile.
As to tlie opinion of Schultens, Herder, Dathe, Eichhorn, and
others, that the Satan of tlie book of Job was a good angel, it is
now universally rejected as untenable.
The question may be asked, Avhether the perfection of the work
is not inconsistent Avith the state of Hebrew literature during the
captivity. Notwithstanding the strong language of Bishop Lowth
on this point, I think it may justly be inferred from the Psalms
composed during this period, tliat tliis question should be answered
in the negative. See Ps. cxxxvii.
On the whole, it appears to me that there are no data upon
which one can form a very confident opinion in regard to the pre-
XXX INTRODUCTION.
cise age of the book of Job. The latest period assigned for it
appears to me far more probable than the earliest, and indeed the
most probable ; but that it may not have been written some time
between the age of Solomon and the captivity is more than any
one, who has surveyed the subject carefully, will confidently as-
sert.
One more point remains to be considered, namely, the country
of the author of Job. For it has been maintained that he was not
a Hebrew, but an Arabian, and tliat the work is a translation from
the Arabic.
In opposition to this opinion, it is to be observed, in the first
place, that there is no external evidence in favor of it. The
work is now found in Hebrew alone, in the collection of what
remains of ancient Hebrew literature, a collection which has been
held sacred by the Jews as far back as we can trace their
sentiments respecting it. Nor is there any history or tradition
which intimates that the work ever existed in a different language.
I doubt whether the spurious appendage to the Septuagint transla-
tion, worthless as it is, intimates that the book was translated from
the Syriac.
It is found, too, in the sacred literature of a people peculiarly
proud of their religious prerogatives, and regarding with coldness,
jealousy, and often with aversion and hatred, all other nations. It
is extremely improbable that any Jew would have had the inclina-
tion to transfer the production of a heathen into the Jewish litera-
ture, or that he would have been permitted to do it.
In the next place, the work is not only in the Hebrew language,
but in the best style of Hebrew composition. The parallelism is
uniform and well sustained ; the sentences are pointed ; the style
is fresh and vigorous, and bears not, in its general characteristics,
the slightest mark of a translation.
In opposition, then, to the external evidence, and to the general
style of the composition, what are the reasons which have induced
some distinguished men in modern times to regard the work as the
production of an Arabian, and as translated from the Arabic ?
They are, in tlie first place, the words, which occur in it more
frequently than in other books of the Old Testament, which are
INTRODUCTION. xxxi
regarded as Arabic in a Hebrew dress, or ■which may be illustrated
from the Arabic. But these words are very few in relation to the
whole work, and are not the less Hebrew because they may be
illustrated from the Arabic. With the exception of the few forms
which resemble the Aramaean, the book of Job is in as pure He-
brew as any other part of the Scriptures. It appears to me that
the remark of Jahn is perfectly just and satisfactory in regard to
this topic : " It is not at all surprising that in a lofty poem we find
many of the less common words and ideas, which the Hebrew,
tlirough the poverty of its literature, has lost, while they have been
preserved by the Arabic, the richest of the sister dialects." *
The other argument, in support of the opinion that an Arabian
was the autlior of the poem, is drawn from the various allusions to
Arabian manners and customs which are scattered through it In
regard to this argument, there are two things to be observed.
First, we have reason to believe that the manners of tlie Jews, in
some parts of Palestine, very much resembled those of the Arabs.
As they sprung from the same stock, why should this not be the
case, except so far as the Jews were distinguished by their relig-
ious institutions ?
We are apt to form our conceptions of the whole Jewish nation
from what we learn in the Scriptures of the inhabitants of cities,
of Jerusalem in particular. It is to be recollected that the He-
brews were originally and " essentially a nomadic people ; their
fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had ever been so ; they were
emphatically Bedouins, removing Avith their flocks and herds from
place to place, as occasion might require. In Egypt they had ever
been shepherds, — their province of Goshen was adapted to pastur-
age, and not to tillage ; and now, when they had come out into the
deserts, with their flocks and herds, they were still the nomadic
race they had ever been, — a people resembling those by whom
these desert plains, and valleys, and mountains are possessed to
this day." f It is not singular that the manners of Bedouins
should have been in a measure retained by those Hebrews who
dwelt out of cities.
* Jahn's Introduction, § 196.
t See Biblical Repository, No. YIII. p. 787.
sxxii INTRODUCTION.
It follows from the preceding consideration that the author of
Job, having determined to make his characters Arabians, and to
lay the scene of his work in Arabia, would find no difficulty in
suiting the manners and sentiments of his characters, and his local
allusions, to the scene which he had chosen ; so that his only diffi-
culty would be to exclude from his Avork obvious references to the
Jewish history and religion. If, in addition to this, we suppose,
what is perfectly reasonable, that the HebroAV philosopher had, like
Plato, travelled into Egypt, and through Arabia, for the purpose of
enriching his mind with all the knowledge of tliose countries, I
thinlv we shall find no difficulty in the supposition, that a Hebrew,
of such genius and skill as are manifested in this work, might have
been the author of it.
But this is not all. It seems to me, that, though Arabian man-
ners and scenes are the superficial characteristics of the work, yet
in its general spirit, and in many less obvious characteristics, the
author has manifestly shown himself to be a Hebrew poet. The
very subject of the work is just what might have been expected to
aiTest the attention of a Hebrew philosopher, educated in the re-
ligion of Moses. It is similar to that of other HebreAv composi-
tions, as has been observed before. In fact, if we regard the spirit
and scope of the work, the remark of De Wette appears not too
strong, that it is Hebrew through and through.
There are also many particular sentiments which we know to
be appropriate to a Hebrew, possessing an acquaintance with the
Hebrew literature and religion, which we do not know to have
been appropriate to an Arabian. Such are the following, which
are more or less satisfactory. Ch. ix. 5 - 9 ; xii. 10 ; xv. 7 ; xxvi.
5, &c. ; xxxviii. 4, &.c. ; — iv. 19 ; x. 9 ; xxvii. 3 ; — iv. 17, &c. ; viii.
9 ; ix. 2 ; xiii. 26 ; xiv. 4 ; xv. 14 ; xxv. 4, 6 ; — iv. 18 ; v. 1 ; xv. 15 ;
xxi. 22 ; xxxviii. 7 ; — xxxi. 26, 27 ; — vii. 7, &c. ; x. 21, &c. ; xiv.
10, &c. ; xvi. 22 ; xxx. 23 ; xxxviii. 17. Add to these the mention
of the Jordan as an instance of a great stream, ch. xl. 23, and the use
of the name Jehovah in the introduction and conclusion of the Avork.
The sentiments and some of the expressions, contained in the pre-
ceding references, are common in other parts of the Scriptures.
Some of the sentiments may, it is true, have been held by the
Arabians in common with the Hebrews ; but we do not know it.
INTRODUCTIOJS. xxxiii
The presumption, therefore, is, that they proceeded from one who
was familiar with Hebrew literature, that is, from a Hebrew.
The following instances of resemblance to passages in tlie
Psalms and Proverbs are also of weight with those who do not
believe that the work is of very high antiquity, and translated, and
incorporated into the Hebrew literature, so early, that the authors
of the Psahns and Proverbs borrowed from it. To me it seems more
probable that these common thoughts and peculiar expressions in-
dicate only tliat the books in which they occur belong to a common
literature, the literature of the same nation. Ch. v. 16, xxii. 19,
comp. Ps. cvii. 42. Ch. xii. 21, 24, comp. Ps. cvii. 40. Ch. xiii. 5,
comp. Prov. xvii. 28. Ch. xv. 16, xxxiv. 7, comp. Prov. xxvi. 6.
Ch. xxii. 29, comp. Prov. xvi. 18, xviii. 12, xxix. 23. Ch. xxvi. 5,
comp. Prov. ii. 18, xxi. 16. Ch. xxvi. 6, comp. Prov. xv. 11. Ch.
xxvii. 16, &c., comp. Prov. xxviii. 8. Ch. xxviii. 18, comp. Prov.
viii. 11. Ch. xxviii. 28, comp. Prov. i. 7. n^l^-in Ch. v. 12, vi. 13,
T •
xi. 6, xii. 16, xxvi. 3, xxx. 22, comp. Prov. ii. 7, iii. 21, viii.
14, xviii. 1. mn Ch. vi. 2, xxx. 13, comp. Prov. xix. 13. m'Sann
Ch. xxxvii. 12, comp. Prov. i. 5, xi. 14, and often.
On the whole, it appears to me that the internal evidence alone
makes it more probable that tlie author was a Hebrew than tliat
he was a foreigner; and when to this we add the external evi-
dence in favor of this opinion, there seems to be very little room
for doubt.
It may seem remarkable that the author of a work, which, for
reach of thought, richness of imagination, depth and tenderness of
feeling, and skill in its plan and execution, surpasses any produc-
tion of HebroAv literature which has come down to us, should yet
be unknown. But, when we consider the vicissitudes through
which the Jewish nation has passed, the wonder is that we retain
the work itself.
" But who," says the eloquent Herder, " shall answer our in-
quiries respecting him, to whose meditations we are indebted for
this ancient book, this justification of the ways of God to man,
and sublime exaltation of humanity, — who has exhibited them,
d
xxxiv INTRODUCTION.
too, in this silent picture, in the fortunes of an humble sufferer,
clothed in sackcloth, and sitting in ashes, but fired with the sublime
inspirations of his own wisdom ? Who shall point us to the grave
of him, whose soul kindled with these divine conceptions, to whom
was vouchsafed such access to the counsels of God, to angels and
the souls of men, who embraced in a single glance the heavens
and the earth, and who could send forth his living spirit, his poetic
fire, and his human afifections, to all that exists, from the land of
the shadow of death to the starry finnament, and beyond the stars ?
No cypress, flourishing in unfading green, marks the place of his
rest. With his unuttered name he has consigned to oblivion all
that was earthly, and, leaving his book for a memorial below, is
engaged in a yet nobler song in that world where the voice of
sorrow and mourning is unheard, and where the morning-stars sing
together.
" Or, if he, tlie patient sufferer, was here the recorder of his
own sufferings, and of his own triumph, of his own wisdom, first
victorious in conflict, and then humbled in the dust, how blest have
been his afflictions, how amply rewarded his pains ! Here, in this
book, full of imperishable thought, he still lives, gives utterance to
the sorrows of his heart, and extends his triumph over centuries
and continents. Not only, according to his wish, did he die in his
nest, but a phoenix has sprung forth from his ashes, and from his
odorous nest is diffused an incense which gives, and will forever
give, reviving energy to the faint, arid strength to the powerless.
He has drawn down the heavens to the earth, encamped their hosts
invisibly around the bed of languishing, and made the afflictions
of the sufferer a spectacle to angels, has taught that God, too, looks
with a watchful eye upon his creatures, and exposes them to the
trial of their integrity for the maintenance of his own truth, and
the promotion of his own glory. ' Behold, we count them happy
which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have
seen the end of the Lord, (the happy end which the Lord appointed
for him,) that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy.' " *
* Herders Spirit of Hebrew Poetry, Marsh's Translation, Vol. I.
p. 120.
INTRODUCTION. . xxxv
In regard to the use of this book, it is hardly necessary, after
what has been said of its character and design, to remind the
reader that the instruction which it contains is to be derived from
its general spirit and design, as a whole, and not from particular
verses or passages. Job was censured by the Deity for the rash-
ness of his language, and his friends were condemned by the same
unerring Judge, as not having spoken that which was right. If we
regard independent sentences or speeches, those uttered by the
friends of Job must be regarded as more consistent with divine
revelation, and more respectful to God, than much of the language
of Job. It was in the application of their general maxims that
they were wrong ; in endeavoring to prove by them that Job was a
bad man because he was miserable ; or, in general, tliat misery
is a proof of guilt
In this edition I have carefully revised the translation, adapted
the notes to it, and added a considerable number of illustrations.
In the preceding Introduction I have gone into a more extended
discussion of various questions relating to the book, than in the first
edition. Of the alterations in the translation, some have been made
for the sake of more literal exactness, of the importance of which
I have a deeper impression than when I began to translate. In
other words, I have yielded less to the besetting sin of a translator,
a disposition to paraphrase. In a few cases my judgment is some-
what different from what it was ten years ago, and in others I have
received new light from the later researches of German Hebraists.
I have derived some benefit, in tlie preparation of this edition, from
the German version of Umbreit,* the production of an original and
sharp-sighted critic, but, as a whole, not nearly equal to that of
De Wette.
Petersham, March 8, 1838.
* Das Buch Hiob. Uebersetzung und Auslegung, von D. Friedrich
Wilhelm Carl Umbreit, Professor, &c. zu Heidelberg. Heidelb. 1821.
JOB.
JOB.
Ch. I.
I.
Job's trials. — Ch. i., ii.
1 In the land of Uz lived a man whose name was Job.
He was an upright and good man, fearing God and de-
2 parting from evil. He had seven sons and three daugh-
3 ters. His substance was seven thousand sheep, three
thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hun-
dred she-asses, and a great number of servants ; so that
he was the most wealthy of all the inhabitants of the
East.
4 Now it was the custom of his sons to make a feast in
their houses, each on his day, and to send and invite
5 their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And
when the days of their feasting had gone round. Job
used to send for them and sanctify them, and to rise up
early in the morning and offer burnt-offerings according
to the number of them all ; for Job said. It may be that
my sons have sinned, and have renounced God in their
hearts. Thus did Job continually.
0 Now on a certain day the sons of God came to pre-
sent themselves before Jehovah, and Satan also came
7 among them. And Jehovah said to Satan, Whence
comest thou ? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said.
4 JOB. [Ch. I.
From wandering over the earth, and walking up and
3 down in it. And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou ob-
served my servant Job, that there is none like him in the
earth, an upright and good man, fearing God and depart-
9 ing from evil ? Then Satan answered Jehovah, Is it for
10 nought that Job feareth God ? Hast thou not placed a
hedge around him, and around his house, and around all
his possessions } Thou hast prospered the work of his
hands, and his herds are greatly increased in the land.
11 But only put forth thine hand, and touch whatever he
12 possesses, and to thy face will he renounce thee. And
Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy
power ; but upon him lay not thine hand. So Satan
went forth from the presence of Jehovah.
13 Now on a certain day the sons and daughters of Job
were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's
14 house, when a messenger came to Job, and said. The
oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them,
15 and the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away ;
the servants also they slew with the edge of the sword ;
16 and I alone am barely escaped to tell thee. While he was
yet speaking, there came also another, and said. The fire
of God hath fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the
sheep, and the servants, and consumed them ; and I
17 alone am barely escaped to tell thee. While he was
yet speaking, there came also another, and said. The
Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the cam-
els, and carried them away ; the servants also they slew
with the edge of the sword ; and I alone am barely es-
18 caped to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there
came also another, and said. Thy sons and thy daughters
were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's
19 house ; and, lo ! there came a great wind from the des-
ert, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell
Ch. II.] JOB. 5
upon the young men, and they are dead ; and I alone
20 am barely escaped to tell thee. Then Job arose, and
rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down
21 upon the ground, and worshipped ; and 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 Jehovah ! In all this
Job sinned not, and uttered nothing rash against Jeho-
vah.
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came
to present themselves before Jehovah ; and Satan came
also among them to present himself before Jehovah.
2 And Jehovah said to Satan, Whence comest thou ? And
Satan answered Jehovah, and said. From wandering
3 over the earth, and walking up and down in it. Then
said Jehovah to Satan, Hast thou observed my servant
Job, that there is none like him upon the earth, an upright
and good man, fearing God and departing from evil ?
And still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou
didst excite me against him to destroy him without a
4 cause. And Satan answered Jehovah, and said. Skin
for skin, yea, all that a man hath, will he give for his
5 life. But put forth now thine hand, and touch his bone
and his flesh, and to thy face will he renounce thee.
6 And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand ;
but spare his life.
7 Then Satan went forth from the presence of Jeho-
vah, and smote Job with sore biles from the sole of his
8 foot to his crown. And he took a potsherd to scrape
himself withal, and sat down among the ashes.
9 Then said his wife to him. Dost thou still retain thine
10 integrity ? Renounce God, and die. But he said to her.
Thou talkest like one of the foolish women. What !
shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall
1*
> JOB. [Ch. III.
we not receive evil ? In all this Job sinned not with his
lips.
11 And the friends of Job heard of all this evil that was
come upon him, and came each one from his home ;
Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and
Zophar the Naamathite ; for they had agreed to come
13 to mourn with him, and to comfort him. And they lift-
ed up their eyes at a distance, and knew him not ; then
they raised their voices and wept, and rent each one his
mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward
13 heaven. And they sat down with him upon the ground
seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word to
him ; for they saw that his grief was very great.
II.
Job's complaint. — Ch. hi.
1 At length Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day
2 of his birth. And Job exclaimed and said :
3 Perish the day in which I was born,
And the night which said, " A man child is conceived ! "
4 Let that day be darkness ;
Let not God seek it from above ;
Yea, let not the light shine upon it !
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death redeem it ;
Let a cloud dwell upon it ;
Let whatever darkens the day terrify it !
6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it ;
Ch. III.] JOB. 7
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year ;
Let it not come into the number of the months !
7 O let that night be unfruitful !
Let there be in it no voice of joy ;
8 Let them, that curse the day, curse it.
Who are skilful to stir up the leviathan !
9 Let the stars of its twilight be darkened ;
Let it long for light, and have none ;
Neither let it see the eyelashes of the morning !
10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb,
And hid not trouble from mine eyes.
11 Why died I not at my birth ?
Why did I not expire when I came forth from the womb ?
12 Why did the lap receive me.
And why the breasts, that I might suck ?
13 For now should I lie down and be quiet ;
I should sleep, then should I be at rest,
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth,
Who built up for themselves — ruins !
15 Or with princes that had gold.
And filled their houses with silver ;
16 Or, as a hidden, untimely birth, I had perished.
As infants which never saw the light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling ;
There the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners rest together ;
They hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and the great are there,
And the servant is free from his master.
20 Why giveth He light to him that is in misery,
And life to the bitter in soul,
21 Who long for death, and it cometh not,
8 JOB. [Ch. IV.
And dig for it more than for hid treasures ;
22 Who rejoice exceedingly,
Yea, exult, when they can find a grave ?
23 Why is light given to a man from whom the way is hid,
And whom God hath hedged in ?
24 For my sighing cometh before I eat.
And my groans are poured out like water.
25 For that which I dread cometh upon me ;
That, at which I shudder, happeneth unto me.
26 I have no peace, nor quiet, nor respite ;
Misery cometh upon me continually.
III.
First speech of Eliphaz. — Ch. it., v.
1 Then spake Eliphaz the Temanite, and said :
2 If one attempt a word with thee, wilt thou be offend-
ed .?
But who can refrain from speaking ?
3 Behold, thou hast admonished many.
Thou hast strengthened feeble hands ;
4 Thy words have upheld him that was falling,
And thou hast given strength to feeble knees.
5 But now affliction is come upon thee, and thou faintest ;
It toucheth thee, and thou art confounded !
6 Is not thy fear of God thy hope.
And the uprightness of thy ways thy confidence ?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being inno-
cent }
Ch. IV.] JOB. 9
Or where have the righteous been cut off.'*
8 According to what I have seen, they, who plough in-
iquity.
And sow mischief, reap the same.
9 By the blast of God they perish.
And by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed.
10 The roarino; of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion
are silenced.
And the teeth of the young lions are broken out.
11 The fierce lion perisheth for lack of prey.
And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.
12 An oracle was once secretly brought to me.
And mine ear caught a whisper thereof.
13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night.
When deep sleep falleth upon men,
14 A fear and a horror came upon me,
Which made all my bones to tremble ;
15 Then a spirit passed before my face ;
The hair of my flesh rose on end ;
16 It stood still, but its face I could not discern ;
A form was before mine eyes.
There was silence, and I heard a voice :
17 " Shall mortal man be just before God ?
" Shall man be pure before his Maker ?
18 " Behold, he putteth no trust in his ministering spirits,
" And his angels he chargeth with frailty ;
19 " What then are they who dwell in houses of clay,
" Whose foundation is in the dust,
" Who crumble to pieces, as if moth-eaten !
20 " Between morning and evening are they destroyed ;
" They perish forever, and none regardeth it.
21 " The excellency that is in them is torn away ;
" They die before they have become wise."
10 JOB. [Ch. v.
1 Call now, see if He will answer thee ;
And to which of the holy ones wilt thou look ?
9 Verily wrath destroys the fool,
And repining consumes the weak man.
3 I have seen an impious man taking root.
But soon I pronounced his habitation accursed.
4 His children are far from safety,
They are oppressed at the gate, and there is none to
deliver them.
5 His harvest the hungry devour,
Carrying it even through the thorns.
And a snare gapeth after his substance.
6 For affliction cometh not from the dust,
Neither doth trouble spring up from the ground ;
7 Behold, man is born to trouble,
As the swift birds fly upward.
8 I would look to God ;
And to God would I commit my cause ;
9 Who doeth great things and unsearchable ;
Yea, marvellous things without number ;
10 Who giveth rain upon the earth.
And sendeth water upon the fields ;
11 Who placeth the lowly in high places,
And restoreth the afflicted to prosperity ;
12 Who disappointeth the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands cannot perform their enterprises ;
13 Who taketh the wise in their own craftiness,
And bringeth to nought the counsels of the deceitful.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime ;
They grope at noon as if it were night.
15 So he saveth the persecuted from their mouth,
The oppressed from the hand of the mighty ;
Ch. v.] job. 11
16 So the poor hath hope,
And iniquity stoppeth her mouth.
17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth ;
Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Al-
mighty.
18 For he bruiseth, and bindeth up ;
He woundeth, and his hands make whole.
19 In six troubles will he deliver thee.
Yea, in seven shall no evil touch thee.
20 In famine he will redeem thee from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.
21 Thou shalt be safe from the scourge of the tongue.
And shalt not be afraid of destruction, when it cometh.
22 At devastation and famine thou shalt laugh,
And of the wild beasts of the land shalt thou not be
afraid,
23 For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field,
Yea, the beasts of the forest shall be at peace with thee.
24 Thou shalt find that thy tent is in peace ;
Thou shalt visit thy dwelling, and not be disappointed.
25 Thou shalt see thy descendants numerous.
And thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in full age,
As a shock of corn gathered in its season.
27 Lo ! this we have searched out ; so it is ;
Hear it, and lay it up in thy mind !
12 JOB. [Ch. VI.
IV.
Answer of Job. — Ch. vi., vii.
1 Then Job answered and said :
2 O that my grief were weighed thoroughly !
That my calamities were put together in the balance !
3 Surely they would be heavier than the sand of the sea ;
On this account were my words rash.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me ;
Their poison drinketh up my spirit ;
The terrors of God set themselves in array against me.
5 Doth the wild ass bray in the midst of grass ?
Or loweth the ox over his fodder ?
6 Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt .''
Is there any taste in the white of an egg ?
7 That which my soul abhbrreth to touch
Hath become my loathsome food.
8 O that I might have my request,
And that God would grant me that which I long for !
9 That it would please God to destroy me,
That he would let loose his hand, and make an end of
me !
10 Yet it should still be my consolation.
Yea, in unsparing anguish I would exult,
That I have not refused the commands of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should hope,
And what mine end, that I should be patient }
12 Is my strength the strength of stones .''
Or is my flesh brass ?
13 Alas, there is no help for me !
Deliverance hath fled from me !
Ch. VI.] JOB. 13
14 To the afflicted kindness should be shown by a friend,
Else he casteth off the fear of the Almighty.
15 But my brethren are faithless like a brook ;
They pass away like streams of the valley,
16 Which are turbid by reason of the melted ice,
And the snow, which hides itself in them.
IT After a time they become narrow, they vanish ;
When the heat cometh, they are dried up from their
place.
18 The caravans turn aside to them on their way,
They go up into the desert, and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema look for them.
The companies of Sheba expect to see -them ;
20 They are ashamed that they have relied on them ;
They come to their place, and are confounded.
21 So ye also are nothing ; ^
Ye see my calamity, and shrink back.
22 Have I said, Bring me gifts ?
Or, Give a present for me out of your substance ?
23 Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand ?
Or, Rescue me from the hand of the violent ?
24 Convince me, and I will hold my peace ;
Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
25 How powerful are the words of truth !
But what do your reproaches prove ?
26 Do ye mean to censure words.?
The words of a man in despair are but wind.
27 Truly ye spread a net for the fatherless ;
Ye dig a pit for your friend.
28 Look now upon me, I pray you ;
For before your eyes can I speak falsehood ?
29 Return, I pray, and let there be no unfairness ;
2
14 JOB. [Ch. VII.
Return again, and my righteousness shall still be mani-
fest.
30 Is there iniquity on my tongue ?
Cannot my taste discern that which is sinful .''
1 Is there not a hard service for man upon the earth ?
Are not his days as the days of a hireling ?
2 As a servant who panteth for the shade,
And as a hireling who looketh for his reward,
3 So am I made to possess months of affliction,
And wearisome nights are appointed for me.
4 If I lie down, I say.
When shall I arise, and the night be gone ?
And I am full of restlessness until the daviniing of the
day.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust ;
My skin heals, and breaks out anew.
6 My days are swifter than the weaver's shuttle :
They pass away without hope.
7 O remember that my life is wind ;
That mine eye shall no more see good !
8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no
more ;
Thine eyes shall look for me, but I shall not be.
9 As the cloud dissolveth and wasteth away,
So he that goeth down to the grave shall arise no more ;
10 No more shall he return to his house,
And his dwelling-place shall know him no more.
1 1 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth ;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea-monster.
That thou settest a watch over me ?
Ch. VIII.] JOB. 15
13 When I say, My bed shall relieve me,
My couch shall ease my complamt,
14 Then thou scarest me with dreams,
And terrifiest me with visions ;
15 So that my soul chooseth strangling,
Yea, even death, rather than these bones.
16 I am wasting away ; I shall not live alway ;
Let me alone, for my days are a vapor !
17 What is man, that thou shouldst make such account of
him,
And that thou shouldst fix thy mind upon him ?
18 That thou shouldst visit him every morning.
And prove him every moment ?
19 How long ere thou wilt look away from me,
And let me alone, till I have time to breathe ?
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to thee, O thou
watcher of men !
Why hast thou set me up as thy mark.
So that I have become a burden to myself.^
21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression,
And take away mine iniquity .''
22 Soon shall I sleep in the dust ;
Thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.
V.
First speech of Bildad the Shuhite. — Ch. viii.
1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said :
2 How long wilt thou speak such things ?
How long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong
wind ?
16 JOB. [Ch. VIII.
3 Will God pervert judgment ?
Or will the Almighty pervert justice ?
4 As thy children sinned against him,
He hath given them up to their transgression.
5 But if thou wilt seek early to God,
And make thy supplication to the Almighty,
n If thou wilt be pure and upright.
Surely he will yet arise for thee,
And prosper thy righteous habitation ;
7 So that thy beginning shall be small,
And thy latter end very great.
8 For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age.
And apply thyself to the examination of their forefa-
thers ;
0 (For we are of yesterday and know nothing.
Our days upon the earth being but a shadow ;)
10 Will not they instruct thee, and counsel thee,
And utter words from their understanding ?
11 " Can the paper-reed grow up without mire ?
" Can the bulrush grow without water ^
12 " While it is yet in its greenness, and is not cut down,
" It withereth before any other herb.
13 " Such is the fate of all that forget God ;
" So perisheth the hope of the ungodly.
H " His expectation shall come to nought,
" And his trust shall prove a spider's web.
15 " He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand ;
" He shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.
16 " He is in full green before the sun,
" And his branches shoot forth over his garden ;
17 " His roots are entwined about the heap,
" And he seeth the place of stones ;
18 " Yet shall he be utterly destroyed from his place ;
Ch. IX.] JOB. 17
" Yea, it shall deny him, saying, ' I never saw thee.'
19 " Lo ! such is the joy of his course !
" And another shall spring up in his place."
20 Behold, God will not cast away an upright man ;
Nor will he strengthen the hands of evil-doers.
21 While he filleth thy mouth with laughter.
And thy lips with gladness,
22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame.
And the dwelling-place of the wicked shall come to
nought.
VI.
Answer of Job. — Ch. ix., x.
1 Then Job answered and said :
2 Of a truth, I know that it is so ;
How can man be just before God ?
3 [£ he choose to contend with him,
He cannot answer him to one charge of a thousand.
4 He is excellent in wisdom, mighty in strength ;
Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered ?
r> He removeth the mountains, and they know it not ;
He overturneth them in his anger.
G He shaketh the earth out of her place,
And the pillars thereof tremble.
~ He commandeth the sun, and it riseth not,
And sealeth up the stars.
8 He alone boweth down the heavens.
And walketh upon the high waves of the sea.
2*
18 JOB, [Ch. IX.
9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the secret chambers of the South.
10 He doeth great things past finding out,
Yea, wonderful things without number.
11 Lo ! he falleth upon me, but I see him not.
He rusheth against me, but I perceive him not.
12 Lo ! he taketh away, who can hinder him ?
Who will say to him. What doest thou ?
13 God will not turn away his anger ;
The proud helpers are brought low before him.
14 How much less shall I be able to answer him,
And to choose out words to contend with him ?
10 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him ;
I would cast myself on the mercy of my judge.
16 Should I call, and he make answer to me,
I could not believe that he had listened to my voice ;
n He, that falleth upon me with a tempest.
And multiplieth my wounds without cause !
18 That will not suffer me to take my breath,
But filleth me with bitterness !
19 If I look to strength, " Lo ! here am I," [saith he,]
If to justice, " Who shall summon me to trial ? "
20 Though I were upright, yet must my own mouth con-
demn me ;
Though I were innocent. He will prove me perverse,
ai Though I were innocent, I would not care for myself;
I would despise my life.
29 It is all one ; therefore I will affirm.
He destroyeth the righteous and the wicked alike.
23 When the scourge bringeth sudden destruction.
He laugheth at the sufferings of the innocent.
21 The earth is given into the hands of the wicked ;
He covereth the face of the judges thereof;
If it be not he, who is it .''
Ch. X.] JOB. 19
25 My days have been swifter than the courier ;
They have fled away ; they have seen no good.
26 They have gone by like the reed-skifFs ;
Like the eagle, darting upon his prey.
27 If I say, I will forget my lamentation,
I will change my countenance, and take courage,
28 Still am I in dread of the multitude of my sorrows,
For I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
29 I shall be found guilty ;
Why then should I labor in vain ?
30 If I wash myself in snow.
And cleanse my hands with lie,
31 Still wilt thou plunge me into the mire,
So that my own clothes will abhor me.
32 For He is not a man, as I am, that I may contend with
him.
And that we may go together into judgment ;
33 There is no umpire between us.
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him take from me his rod.
And not dismay me with his terrors,
35 Then will I speak, and not be afraid of him ;
For I am not so at heart.
1 I am weary of my life ;
I will give myself up to complaint ;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me !
Show me wherefore thou contendest with me !
3 Is it a pleasure to thee to oppress.
And to despise the work of thy hands,
And to shine upon the plans of the wicked ?
20 JOB. [Ch. X.
4 Hast thou eyes of flesh,
Or seest thou as man seeth ?
5 Are thy days as the days of man,
Are thy years as the days of a mortal,
6 That thou seekest after my iniquity.
And searchest after my sin,
7 Though thou knowest that I am not guihy.
And that none can deliver from thy hand ?
8 Have thy hands completely fashioned and made me
In every part, that thou mightest destroy me ?
9 O remember that thou hast moulded me as clay !
And wilt thou bring me again to dust ?
10 Thou didst pour me out as milk,
And curdle me as cheese ;
11 With skin and flesh didst thou clothe me, *
And strengthen me with bones and sinews ;
12 Thou didst grant me life and favor,
And thy protection preserved my breath ;
13 Yet these things thou didst lay up in thy heart ;
I know that this was in thy mind.
14 If I have sinned, thou keepest it in memory concerning
me,
And wilt not acquit me of my iniquity.
15 If I am wicked, — then woe unto me !
Yet if righteous, I dare not lift up my head ;
I am full of confusion, beholding my affliction ;
16 If I lift it up, like a lion thou huntest me,
And again showest thyself terrible to me.
17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me,
And increasest thine anger toward me ;
New hosts continually rise up against me.
Ch. XI.] JOB. 21
18 Why then didst thou bring me forth from the womb ?
I should have perished, and no eye had seen me ;
19 I should be as though I had not been ;
I should have been borne from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few ? O spare then,
And let me alone, that I may be at ease a little while,
21 Before I go, — whence I shall not return, —
To the land of darkness and death-shade,
22 The land of darkness, like the blackness of death-shade,
Where is no order, and where the light is as darkness.
VII.
First speech of Zophar the Naamathite. — Ch. xi,
1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said :
2 Shall not the babbler receive an answer .''
Shall the man of words be justified ?
3 Shall thy lies make men hold their peace .''
Shalt thou mock, and none put thee to shame .''
4 Thou sayest. My speech is pure ;
I am clean in thine eyes, [O God !]
5 But O that God would speak.
And open his lips against thee ;
6 That he would show thee the secrets of his wisdom,
His wisdom, which is unsearchable !
Then shouldst thou know that God forgiveth thee many
of thine iniquities.
22 JOB. [Ch. XI.
7 Canst thou search out the deep things of God ?
Canst thou reach the perfection of the Almighty ?
8 'T is high as heaven, what canst thou do ?
Deeper than hell, what canst thou know ?
9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth,
And broader than the sea.
10 If he apprehend, and bind, and bring to trial,
Who shall oppose him ?
11 For he knoweth the unrighteous ;
He seeth iniquity, when they do not observe it.
12 But vain man is without understanding ;
For man is born a wild ass's colt.
13 If thou direct thy heart,
And stretch out thy hands, toward him,
I'l If thou put away iniquity from thy hand,
And let not wickedness dwell in thy habitation,
15 Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot ;
Yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and have no fear.
16 For thou shalt forget thy misery.
Or remember it as waters that have passed away. "
17 Thy life shall be brighter than the noon-day ;
Now thou art in darkness, thou shalt then be as the
morning.
18 Thou shalt be secure, because there is hope ;
Now thou art disappointed, thou shalt then rest in safety.
19 Thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid ;
And many shall make suit to thee.
20 But the eyes of the wicked shall be wearied out ;
They shall find no refuge ;
Their hope is — the breathing forth of life.
Ch. III.] JOB. 23
VIII.
Answer of Job. — Ch. xii., xiii., xiy.
1 Then Job answered and said :
2 No doubt ye are the whole people !
And wisdom will die with you !
3 But I have understanding as well as you ;
I am not inferior to you ;
Yea, who knoweth not such things as these .''
4 I am become a laughing-stock to my friend ;
I, who call upon God, that he would answer me !
The innocent and upright man is held in derision !
5 He, that is ready to slip with his feet,
Is as a cast-away torch, in the eyes of the prosperous.
6 The tents of robbers are in prosperity,
And they who provoke God are secure,
Who carry their God in their hand.
7 For ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee ;
Or the fowls of the air, and they will tell thee ;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct thee ;
And the fishes of the sea will declare to thee ;
9 Who among all these doth not know
That the hand of Jehovah doeth these things ?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind.
11 Doth not the ear prove words,
As the mouth tasteth meat ?
12 With the aged is wisdom.
And with length of days is understanding.
13 With Him are wisdom and strength ;
With him counsel and understanding.
24 JOB. [Ch. XIII.
14 Lo ! he pulleth down, and it shall not be rebuilt ;
He bindeth a man, and he shall not be set loose.
15 Lo ! he withholdeth the waters, and they are dried up ;
He sendeth them forth, and they desolate the earth.
iG With him are strength and wisdom ;
The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leadeth counsellors away captive,
And judges he maketh fools.
18 He dissolveth the authority of kings,
And bindeth their loins with a cord.
19 He leadeth priests away captive.
And overthroweth the mighty.
20 He s^aleth up the lips of the trusty, ,
And taketh away judgment from the elders.
21 He poureth contempt upon princes.
And looseth the girdle of the mighty.
22 He revealeth deep things out of darkness,
And bringeth the shadow of death to light.
23 He exalteth nations, and destroyeth them ;
He enlargeth nations, and reduceth them.
24 He taketh away the understanding of the great men of
the earth.
And causeth them to wander in a wilderness, where is
no path ;
25 They grope in the dark without light ;
He maketh them stagger like a drunken man.
1 Lo ! all this mine eye hath seen ;
Mine ear hath heard and understood it.
2 What ye know, I know also ;
I am not inferior to you.
3 But O that I might speak with the Almighty !
O that I might reason with God !
Ch. XIII.] JOB. 25
4 For ye are forgers of lies ;
Physicians of no value, all of you !
5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace !
This, truly, would be wisdom in you.
6 Hear, I pray you, my arguments ;
Attend to the pleadings of my lips !
7 Will ye speak falsehood for God }
Will ye utter deceit for him .?
8 Will ye be partial to his person }
Will ye contend earnestly for God .?
9 Will it be well for you, if he search you thoroughly ?
Can ye deceive him, as one may deceive a man ?
10 Surely he will rebuke you.
If ye secretly have respect to persons.
11 Doth not his majesty make you afraid,
And his dread fall upon you }
12 Your maxims are words of dust;
Your fortresses are fortresses of clay.
13 Hold your peace, and let me speak,
And then come upon me what will !
14 I will count it nothing to bear my flesh in my teeth.
And put my life in my hand.
15 Lo ! he slayeth me, and I have no hope !
Yet will I justify my ways before him.
16 This also shall be my deliverance ;
For no unrighteous man will come before him.
17 Hear attentively my words,
And give ear to my declaration !
18 Behold, I have now set in order my cause ;
I know that I am innocent.
19 Who is he that can contend with me }
For then would I hold my peace, and die !
3
26 JOB. [Ch. XIV.
20 Only do not to me two things,
Then will I not hide myself from thy presence ;
21 Let not thy hand be heavy upon me,
And let not thy terrors make me afraid !
22 Then call upon me, and I will answer ;
Or I will speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins .-*
Make me to know my faults and transgressions.
24 Wherefore dost thou hide thy face,
And account me as thine enemy ?
25 Wilt thou break the driven leaf?
Wilt thou pursue the dry stubble ?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me,
And makest Tne inherit the sins of my youth.
27 Yea, thou puttest my feet in the stocks ;
Thou watchest all my paths ;
Thou hemmest in the soles of my feet.
28 And I, like an abandoned thing, shall waste away ;
Like a garment which is moth-eaten.
1 Man, that is born of woman,
Is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 He cometh forth as a flower, and is cut down ;
He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 And dost thou fix thine eyes upon such an one ?
And dost thou bring me into judgment with thee ?
4 Who can produce a clean thing from an unclean ?
Not one.
5 Seeing that his days are determined.
And the number of his months, with thee.
And that thou hast appointed him bounds, which he can-
not pass,
6 O turn thine eyes from him, and let him rest,
That he may enjoy, as a hireling, his day !
Ch. XIV.] JOB. 27
7 There is hope for a tree,
If it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that its tender branches will not fail ;
8 Though its root may have grown old in the earth,
And though its trunk be dead upon the ground,
9 At the scent of water it will bud,
And put forth boughs, like a young plant.
10 But man dieth, and he is gone forever !
Man expireth, and where is he ?
11 The waters fail from the lake.
And the stream drieth up, and disappears ;
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not ;
Till the heavens be no more, he shall not awake.
Nor be roused from his sleep.
13 O that thou wouldst hide me in the under-world !
That thou wouldst conceal me till thy wrath be past !
That thou wouldst appoint me a time, and then remem-
ber me !
14 If a man die, can he live again ^
All the days of my hard service would I wait.
Till my change should come !
15 Call upon me, and I will answer thee !
Have compassion upon the work of thy hands ! -
16 But now thou numberest my steps ;
Thou watchest over my sins.
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag ;
Yea, thou addest unto my iniquity.
18 As the mountain, which falleth, cometh to nought,
And the rock is removed from its place,
28 JOB [Ch. XV.
19 As the waters wear away the stones,
And the floods wash away the dust of the earth,
So thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou prevailest against him continually, and he per-
isheth ;
Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 His sons come to honor, but he knoweth it not ;
Or they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not.
22 But his flesh shall have pain for himself alone ;
For himself alone shall he mourn.
IX.
Second speech of Eliphaz the Temanite. — Ch. xv.
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said :
2 Should a wise man answer with arguments of wind ?
Or fill his bosom with the east wind ?
3 Should he argue with speech that helps him not.
And with words which do not profit him ?
4 Behold, thou makest the fear of God a vain thing,
And discouragest prayer before him.
5 Yea, thy own mouth proclaimeth thine iniquity,
Though thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6 Thy own mouth condemneth thee, and not I ;
Thy own lips testify against thee.
7 Art thou the first man that was born ?
Wast thou formed before the hills ?
Ch. XV.] JOB, 29
8 Hast thou listened in the council of God,
And drawn all wisdom to thyself?
9 What dost thou know, that we know not also ?
What dost thou understand, that is a secret to us ?
10 With us are the aged and hoary-headed ;
Much older than thy father.
11 Dost thou despise the consolations of God,
And words so full of kindness to thee ?
12 Why hath thy passion taken possession of thee ^
And why this winking of thine eyes ?
13 For against God hast thou vented thy passion,
And uttered such words from thy mouth.
14 What is man, that he should be pure,
And he that is born of woman, that he should be inno-
cent ?
15 Behold, He putteth no trust in his ministering spirits,
And the heavens are not pure in his sight ;
16 Much less, abominable and polluted man,
Who drinketh iniquity as water !
17 Hear me, and I will show thee.
And that which I have seen will I declare ;
18 Which the wise have related.
And have not kept concealed, having received it from
their fathers,
19 To whom alone the land was given.
And among whom not a stranger wandered.
•20 " All his days the wicked man is in pain ;
" And the number of his years is hidden from the op-
pressor.
21 " A fearful sound is in his ears ;
" In peace the destroyer cometh upon him.
3*
30 JOB. [Ch. XV.
22 " He hath no hope that he shall escape from darkness ;
" He is set apart for the sword.
23 " He wandereth about seeking bread ;
" He knoweth that a day of darkness is at hand.
24 " Distress and anguish fdl him with dread :
" They prevail against him, like a king ready for the
battle.
95 " Because he stretched forth his hand against God,
" And bade defiance to the Almighty,
26 "And ran against him with outstretched neck,
" With the thick bosses of his bucklers ;
27 " Because he covered his face with fatness,
" And gathered fat upon his loins ;
28 " Therefore shall he dwell in desolate cities,
" In houses that are deserted,
" That are ready to become heaps.
23 " He shall not be rich ; his substance shall not endure,
" And his possessions shall not be extended upon the
earth.
30 " He shall not escape from darkness,
" And the flame shall dry up his branches ;
" Yea, by the breath of His mouth shall he be taken
away.
31 " Let not man trust in vanity ; he will be deceived ;
" For vanity shall be his recompense.
32 " He shall come to his end before his time,
" And his branch shall not be green.
33 " He shall cast his unripe fruit like the vine,
" And shed his blossoms like the olive-tree.
34 " The house of the unrighteous shall be famished,
" And fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 " They conceive mischief, and bring forth misery,
" And their breast deviseth deceit."
Ch. XVI ] JOB. 31
X.
Answer of Job. — Ch. xvi., xvii.
1 But Job answered and said :
2 Of such things as these I have heard enough !
Miserable comforters are ye all !
3 Will there ever be an end to words of wind ?
What stirreth thee up that thou answerest ?
4 I also might speak like you,
If ye were now in my place ;
I might string together words against you,
And shake my head at you.
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the consolation of my lips should sustain you.
6 If I speak, my grief is not assuaged.
And if I forbear, it doth not leave me.
7 For now He hath quite exhausted me ; —
Thou hast desolated all my house !
8 Thou hast seized hold of me, and this is a witness against
me ;
My leanness riseth up and testifieth against me to my face.
9 His anger teareth my flesh, and pursueth me ;
He gnasheth upon me with his teeth ;
My adversaiy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
10 They gape for me with their mouths ;
In scorn they smite me on the cheek ;
With one consent they assemble against me.
11 God hath given me a prey to the unrighteous.
And delivered me into the hands of the wicked.
32 JOB. [Ch. xvn.
12 I was at ease, but he hath crushed me ;
He hath seized me by the neck, and dashed me in pieces ;
He hath set me up for his mark.
13 His archers encompass me around ;
He pierceth my reins, and doth not spare ;
He poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach ;
He rusheth upon me like a warrior.
15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin,
And covered my head with dust.
16 My face is red with weeping,
And upon my eyelids is deathlike darkness.
17 Yet is there no injustice in my hands,
And my prayer hath been pure.
18 O earth, cover not thou my blood.
And let there be no hiding-place for my cry !
19 Yet even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,
And he that knoweth me is on high.
20 My friends have me in derision.
But my eye poureth out tears unto God.
21 O that one might contend with God,
As a man contendeth with his neighbor !
22 For when a few years shall have passed,
I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
1 My breath is exhausted ;
My days are at an end ;
The grave is ready for me.
2 Are not revilers before me ?
And doth not my eye dwell upon their provocations ?
3 Give a pledge, I pray thee ; be thou a surety for me
with thee ;
Ch. XVII.] JOB. 33
Who is he that will strike hands with me ?
4 Behold, thou hast blinded their understanding ;
Therefore thou wilt not suffer them to prevail,
5 He that delivers up his friend as a prey,
The eyes of his children shall fail.
6 He hath made me the by-word of the people ;
Yea, I have become their abhorrence.
7 My eye therefore is dim with sorrow,
And all my limbs are as a shadow.
8 Upright men will be astonished at this.
And the innocent will rouse themselves against the wick"
ed.
9 The righteous will also hold on his way.
And he that hath clean hands will gather strength.
10 But as for you all, return, I pray !
I find not yet among you one wise man.
11 My days are at an end ;
My plans are broken off,
Even the treasures of my heart.
12 Night hath become day to me ;
The light bordereth on darkness.
13 Yea, I look to the grave as my home ;
I have made my bed in darkness.
14 I say to the pit. Thou art my father !
And to the worm, My mother ! and. My sister !
15 Where then are my hopes ?
Yea, my hopes, who shall see them ?
16 They must go down to the bars of the under- world ;
Yea, we shall descend together into the dust !
34 JOB. [Ch. XVIII.
XL
Second speech of Bildad the Shuhite. — Ch. xviii.
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said :
2 When will ye make an end of words ?
Understand, and then we will speak !
3 Why are we accounted as brutes,
And reputed vile in your sight .'*
4 Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger !
Must the earth be deserted for thee,
And ihe rock removed from its place ?
5 Behold, the light of the wicked shall be put out,
And the flame of his fire shall not shine.
6 Light shall become darkness in his tent,
And his lamp over him shall be extinguished.
7 His strong steps shall be straitened.
And his own plans shall cast him down.
8 He is brought into the net by his own feet,
And he walketh into the toils.
9 The springe layeth hold of him by the heel.
And the snare holdeth him fast.
10 A net is secretly laid for him on the ground.
And a trap for him in the pathway.
11 Terrors assail him on every side.
And harass him at his heels.
12 His strength is wasted by hunger,
And destruction is present at his side.
13 His limbs are consumed';
Yea, his limbs are devoured by the first-born of death.
14 His confidence is torn away from his tent ;
Terror pursues him like a king.
Ch. XIX.] JOB. 35
15 Terror dwells in his tent, so that it can be no more his ;
Brimstone is scattered upon his habitation.
16 His roots below are dried up,
And his branches above are withered.
17 His memory perishes from the earth,
And no name hath he in the land.
18 He is thrust from light into darkness.
And driven out of the world.
19 He hath no son, nor kinsman among his people.
Nor survivor in his dwelling-place.
20 They that come after him shall be amazed at his fate.
And his elders shall be struck with horror.
21 Yea, such is the dwelling of the unrighteous man ;
Such is the place of him that feareth not God !
xn.
Answer of Job. — Ch. xix.
1 But Job answered and said :
2 How long will ye vex my soul,
And break me in pieces with words ?
3 These ten times have ye reviled me ;
Ye stun me without shame !
4 And be it, indeed, that I have erred,
My error abideth with myself.
5 Would ye, indeed, show yourselves great against me.
Prove against me my reproach !
6 But know ye, that it is God, who hath brought me low ;
He hath encompassed me with his net.
36 JOB. [Ch. XIX.
7 Behold, I complain of wrong, but receive no answer ;
I cry aloud, but obtain no justice.
8 He hath fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass,
And hath set darkness in my paths.
9 He hath stripped me of my glory,
And taken the crown from my head.
10 He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone !
He hath torn up my hope like a tree.
11 He kindleth his anger against me.
And counteth me as his enemy.
12 His troops advance together against me ;
They throw up for themselves a way to me,
' And encamp around my dwelling.
13 My brethren he hath put far from me.
And my acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.
14 My kinsfolk have forsaken me.
And my bosom friends have forgotten me.
15 The foreigners of my house, yea, my own maid-servants,
regard me as a stranger ;
I am an alien in their eyes.
16 I call my servant, and he makes me no answer ;
With my own mouth do I entreat him.
17 My breath is become loathsome to my wife.
And my supplication to the children of my own mother.
18 Even young children despise me ;
I rise up, and they speak against me.
19 All my bosom friends abhor me,
And they whom I loved are turned against me.
20 My bones cleave to my flesh and my skin,
And I have scarcely escaped with the skin of my teeth.
21 Have pity upon me, O ye my friends, have pity upon
me.
For the hand of God hath smitten me !
22 Why do ye persecute me like God,
And not rest satisfied with my flesh ?
Ch. XX.] JOB. 37
23 O that my words were now written !
O that they were inscribed in a register !
24 That with an iron pen, and with lead,
They were engraven upon the rock forever ! —
25 Yet I know that my Vindicator liveth.
And will stand up at length on the earth ;
26 And though with my skin this body be wasted away,
Yet in my flesh shall I see God.
27 Yea, I shall see him my friend ;
My eyes shall behold him no longer an adversary ;
For this my soul panteth within me.
28 Since ye say, " How may we persecute him.
And find grounds of accusation against him ? "
29 Be ye afraid of the sword ;
For malice is a crime for the sword ;
Know ye that judgment cometh.
XIII.
Second speech of Zophar the Naamathite. — Ch. xx.
1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said :
2 Still do my thoughts teach me to reply,
On account of the ardor which is within me.
3 I have heard thy injurious rebuke.
And my understanding enableth me to answer.
4 Knowest thou not, that from the days of old,
From the time when man was placed upon the earth,
4
38 JOB. [Ch. XX.
5 The triumphing of the wicked hath been short,
And the joy of the impious but for a moment ?
6 Though his greatness mount up to the heavens,
And his head reach to the clouds,
7 Yet shall he perish forever, and be mingled with dust ;
They who saw him shall say, Where is he .''
8 He shall flee away like a dream, and shall not be found ;
Yea, he shall disappear like a vision of the night.
9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more.
And his dwelling-place shall never more behold him.
10 His sons shall seek the favor of the poor,
And their hands shall give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of youth.
But they shall sink with him into the dust.
12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth,
Though he hide it under his tongue,
13 Though he cherish it, and will "not part with it,
And keep it fast in his mouth,
14 Yet his meat shall be changed within him,
And become to him the poison of asps.
15 He hath glutted himself with riches,
And he shall throw them up again ;
Yea, God shall cast them out of him.
16 He shall suck the poison of asps ;
The tongue of the viper shall destroy him.
17 He shall never see the flowing streams.
And the rivers of milk and honey.
18 The fruits of his labor he shall give back, and shall not
enjoy them ;
It is substance to be restored, and he shall not rejoice
therein.
Ch. XX.] JOB. 39
19 Because he hath oppressed and abandoned the poor,
And seized upon the house which he did not build ;
20 Because his avarice was insatiable,
He shall not save that in which he delights.
21 Because nothing escaped his greediness,
His prosperity shall not endure.
29 In the fulness of his abundance he shall be brought low ;
Every calamity of the wretched shall come upon him.
23 He shall, indeed, have wherewith to fill himself;
God shall send upon him the fury of his anger,
And rain it down upon him for his food.
24 He fleeth from the iron weapon.
But the bow of brass shall pierce him through.
25 He draweth the arrow, and it cometh forth from his body,
Yea, the glittering steel cometh out of his gall.
Terrors are upon him ;
26 Calamity of every kind is treasured up for him.
A fire, unkindled, shall consume him ;
It shall consume whatever is left in his tent.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity.
And the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The substance of his house shall disappear;
It shall flow away in the day of His wrath.
29 Such is the portion of the wicked man from God,
And the inheritance appointed for him by the Almighty.
40 JOB. [Ch. XXI.
XIV.
Answer of Job. — Ch. xxi.
1 But Job answered and said :
2 Hear attentively my words ;
And let this be your consolation.
3 Bear with me, that I may speak ;
And after I have spoken, mock on !
4 Is my complaint concerning man ?
Why then should I not be angry ?
5 Look upon me, and be astonished !
And lay your hand upon your mouth !
6 When I think of it, I am confounded ;
Trembling taketh hold of my flesh.
7 Why is it that the wicked live.
Grow old, yea, become mighty in substance ^
8 Their children are established around them, like them-
selves,
And their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are in peace, without fear,
And the rod of God cometh not upon them.
10 Their bull gendereth, and wasteth not ;
Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock.
And their children dance.
12 They sing to the timbrel and harp,
And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
13 They spend their days in prosperity.
And in a moment go down to the grave.
14 And yet they say unto God, " Depart from us !
" We desire not the knowledge of thy ways !
Ch. XXI.] JOB. 41
15 " Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him ?
" And what will it profit us, if we pray to him ? "
16 [Thou sayest,] " Lo ! their prosperity is not secure in
their hands !
" Far from me be the conduct of the wicked ! "
17 How often happens it, that the lamp of the wicked is
put out,
And that destruction cometh upon them.
And that He dispenseth to them tribulations in his anger ?
18 How often are they as stubble before the wind,
Or as chaff, which the whirlwind carrieth away ?
19 " But," [say ye,] " God layeth up his iniquity for his
children."
Let him requite the offender, and let him feel it !
20 Let his own eyes see his destruction ;
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty !
21 For what concern hath he for his household after him,
When the number of his own months is completed ?
22 Who then shall impart knowledge to God,
To him that judgeth the highest ?
23 One dieth in the fulness of his prosperity.
Being wholly at ease and quiet ;
24 His sides are full of fat.
And his bones moist with marrow.
25 Another dieth in bitterness of soul,
And hath never tasted pleasure.
2*5 Alike they lie down in the dust,
And the worms cover them.
27 Behold, I know your thoughts.
And the devices by which ye wrong me.
4*
42 JOB. [Ch. XXII.
28 For ye say, " Where is the house of the oppressor,
" And where the dwelling-places of the wicked ? *'
29 Have ye never inquired of travellers.
And will ye not acknowledge their testimony,
;50 That the wicked is spared in the day of destruction.
And that he is gone to his grave in the day of wrath ?
31 Who will charge him with his conduct to his face,
And who will requite him for the evil he hath done ?
:i2 Even this man is borne with honor to the grave ;
Yea, he still survives upon his tomb.
33 Sweet to him are the sods of the valley,
And he draweth all men after him.
As multitudes without number have gone before him.
34 Why then do ye offer your vain consolations ?
Your answers continue false.
XV.
Third speech of Eliphaz the Temanite. — Ch. xxii.
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said :
2 Can a man, then, profit God ?
Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
3 Is it an advantage to the Almighty, that thou art right-
eous ?
Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly ?
4 Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee ?
Will he enter with thee into judgment ?
5 Hath not thy wickedness been great ?
Have not thine iniquities been numberless ?
Ch. XXII.] JOB. 43
6 Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly,
And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 Thou hast refused a draught of water to the weary,
And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But the man of power had the land,
And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty.
And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee.
And sudden fear confounds thee.
11 Or darkness, through which thou canst not see,
And floods of water cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven ?
And behold the stars, how high they are !
13 Hence thou sayest, " What doth God know ?
" Can he govern behind the thick darkness .?
14 " Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see ;
" And he walketh upon the arch of heaven."
15 Wilt thou take the old way.
Which wicked men have trodden,
16 Who were cut down before their time.
And whose foundations were swept away by a flood ?
17 Who said unto God, " Depart from us ! "
And, " What doth the Almighty do for us .? "
18 And yet he filled their houses with good things! —
Far from me be the conduct of the wicked !
19 The righteous see their fate, and rejoice.
And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 " Truly our adversary is destroyed,
" And fire hath consumed his abundance ! "
21 Be in friendship with him, and thou shalt have peace ;
Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
44 JOB. [Ch. XXIII.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth,
And lay up his words in thine heart.
23 If thou return to the Ahinighty, thou shalt be built up ;
If thou put away iniquity from thy tabernacle.
24 Cast to the dust thy gold,
And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook,
25 Theh shall the Almighty be thy gold,
Yea, treasures of silver unto thee ;
26 For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty,
And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee,
And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee,
And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When men are cast down, thou shalt say, " There is
exaltation ! "
And the humble person he will save.
30 He will deliver even him that is not innocent ;
The purity of thy hands shall save him.
XVI.
Answer of Job. — Ch. xxiii., xxiv.
1 Then Job answered and said :
2 Still is my complaint bitter ;
But my wound is deeper than my groaning.
3 O that I knew where I might find him !
That I might go before his throne !
4 I would order my cause before him,
And fill my mouth with arguments ;
Ch. XXIV.] JOB. 45
5 I should know what he would answer me,
And understand what he would say to me.
6 Would he contend with me with his mighty power ?
No ! He would have regard to me.
7 Then would an upright man contend with him,
And I should be fully acquitted by my judge.
8 But, behold, I go eastward, and he is not there ;
And westward, but I cannot perceive him ;
9 To the north, where he worketh, but I cannot behold
him ;
He hideth himself on the south, and I cannot see him.
10 But he knoweth the way which is in my heart ;
When he trieth me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 My feet have trodden in his steps ;
His way I have kept, and have not turned aside from it.
12 I have not neglected the precepts of his lips ;
The words of his mouth I have treasured up in my bo-
som.
13 But he is of one mind, and who can turn him ?
And what he desireth, that he doeth.
14 He performeth that which is appointed for me ;
And many such things are in his mind !
15 Therefore I am in terror on account of him ;
When I consider, I am afraid of him.
ifi For God maketh my heart faint ;
Yea, the Almighty terrifieth me ;
17 Because I was not taken away before darkness came,
And he hath not hidden darkness from mine eyes.
1 Why are not times of punishment reserved by the
Almighty,
And why do not they, who regard him, see his judg-
ments ?
46 JOB. [Ch. XXIV.
2 They remove landmarks ;
They take away flocks by violence, and pasture them.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless,
And take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 They push the needy from the way ;
All the poor of the land are forced to hide themselves.
5 Behold, like wild asses of the desert they go forth to
their work ;
In the morning they go in quest of prey ;
The wilderness supplieth them food for their children.
6 In the fields they reap the harvest,
An4 gather the vintage of the oppressor.
7 They lodge naked, without clothing,
And without covering from the cold.
8 They are drenched with the mountain showers,
Aud embrace the rock for want of shelter.
9 The fatherless are torn from the breast.
And the garment of the needy is taken for a pledge.
10 They go naked, without clothing,
And carry the sheaf hungry.
11 They make oil within their walls,
And tread the wine-vat, yet suffer thirst.
12 From the city the dying groan.
And the wounded cry aloud ;
And God regard eth not their prayer !
13 Others hate the light ;
They know not its ways.
And abide not in its paths.
14 With the light ariseth the murderer ;
He killeth the poor and needy ;
In the nio-ht he is a thief.
Ch. xxtv.] job. 47
15 The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight ;
He saith, " No eye will see me,"
And putteth a mask upon his face.
16 In the dark they break into houses ;
In the daytime they shut themselves up ;
They are strangers to the light.
17 The morning is to them the very shadow of death ;
They are familiar with the terrors of midnight darkness.
18 They are swift as the skiff upon the waters ;
They have a desolate portion in the earth ;
They come not near the vineyards,
19 As drought and heat consume the snow waters,
So doth the grave the wicked.
20 His own mother forgetteth him ;
The worm feeds sweetly on him ;
He is no more remembered ;
The unrighteous man is broken like a tree.
21 He oppresseth the barren, that hath not borne,
And doeth not good to the widow.
22 He taketh away the mighty by his power ;
He riseth up, and no one is sure of life.
23 God giveth them security, so that they are confident,
And his eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted ; — in a little while they are gone !
They are brought low, and die, like all others ;
And like the ripest ears of corn are they cut off.
25 If it be not so, who will confute me,
And show my discourse to be worthless ?
48 JOB, [Ch. XXVI.
XVII.
Third speech of Bildad the Shuhite. — Ch. xxv.
1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said :
2 Dominion and fear are with Him ;
He maintaineth peace in his high places.
3 Is there any numbering of his hosts ?
And upon whom doth not his light arise ?
4 How then can man be righteous before God ?
Or how can he be pure that is born of woman ?
5 Behold, even the moon is not bright.
And the stars are not pure in his sight.
6 How much less, man, a worm !
And the son of man, a reptile !
xvni.
Answer of Job. — Ch. xxvi.
1 Then Job answered and said :
2 How hast thou helped the weak,
And strengthened the feeble arm !
3 How hast thou counselled the ignorant I
And revealed wisdom to satisfaction \
4 For whom hast thou uttered these words .?
And whose spirit spake through thee ?
5 Before Him the shades beneath tremble ;
The waters, and their inhabitants.
Ch. XXVII.] JOB. 49
6 The under-world is naked before him,
And Destruction is without covering.
7 He stretcheth out the North over empty space,
And hangeth the earth upon nothing.
8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds,
And the cloud is not rent under them.
9 He covereth the face of his throne,
And spreadeth his clouds around it.
10 He hath drawn a circular bound upon the waters.
To the confines of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
And are confounded at his rebuke.
12 By his power he stilleth the sea,
Yea, by his wisdom he smiteth its pride.
13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens ;
His hand hath formed the fleeing Serpent.
14 Lo ! these are but the borders of his works ;
How faint the whisper we have heard of him !
But the thunder of his power who can understand ?
XIX.
Answer of Job to all three of his opponents. — Ch, xxvii., xxviii.
1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said :
2 As God liveth, who hath rejected my cause,
And the Almighty, who hath afflicted my soul ;
3 As long as I have life within me,
And the breath imparted by God in ray nostrils,
4 Never shall my lips speak falsehood,
Nor my tongue utter deceit.
5
50 JOB. [Ch. XXVII.
5 God forbid that I should acknowledge you to be just ;
' To my last breath will I assert my integrity.
6 I will hold fast my innocence, and not let it go ;
My heart reproacheth me for no part of my life.
7 May mine enemy be as the wicked,
And he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous !
8 For what is the hope of the wicked, when God cutteth
off his web.
And taketh away his life ?
9 Will he listen to his cry.
When trouble cometh upon him ?
10 Can he delight himself in the Almighty^
And call at all times upon God .?
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God ;
That which is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Behold, ye yourselves have all seen it ;
Why then do ye cherish such vain thoughts ?
13 This is the portion of the wicked man from God ;
The inheritance which oppressors receive from the Al-
mighty.
14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword ;
And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those of them that escape shall be buried by Death,
And their widows shall not bewail them.
16 Though he heap up silver as dust.
And procure raiment as clay, — ■
1? He may procure, but the righteous shall wear it,
And the innocent shall share the silver.
IS He buildeth his house like the moth,
Or like the shed which the watchman maketh,
19 The rich man falleth, and is not buried ;
In the twinkling of an eye he is no more.
Ch. XXVIII.] JOB. 51
20 Terrors pursue him like a flood ;
A tempest stealeth him away in the night.
21 The east wind carrieth him away and he perisheth ;
Yea, it sweepeth him away from his place.
22 God sendeth his arrows at him, and doth not spare ;
He would fain escape from His hand.
23 Men clap their hands at him.
And hiss him away from his place.
1 Truly there is a vein for silver.
And a place for gold, which men refine.
2 Iron is obtained from earth,
And stone is melted into copper.
3 Man putteth an end to darkness ;
He searcheth, to the lowest depths.
For the stone of darkness and the shadow of death.
4 From the place where they dwell they open a shaft ;
Unsupported by the feet,
They are suspended, they swing away from men.
5 The earth, out of which cometh bread.
Is torn up underneath, as it were by fire.
6 Her stones are the place of sapphires,
And she hath dust of gold for man.
7 The path thereto no bird knoweth,
And the vulture's eye hath not seen it ;
8 The fierce wild beast hath not trodden it ;
The lion hath not passed over it.
9 Man layeth his hand upon the rock ;
He upturneth mountains from their roots.
10 He causeth streams to break out among the rocks,
And his eye seeth every precious thing ;
11 He stoppeth the dropping of the streams,
And bringeth hidden things to light.
52 JOB. [Ch. XXVIII.
12 But where shall wisdom be found .?
And where is the place of understanding ?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof ;
Nor can it be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep saith, It is not in me ;
And the sea saith, It is not with me.
15 It cannot be gotten for gold,
Nor shall silver be weighed out as the price thereof.
16 It cannot be purchased with the gold of Ophir,
With the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Gold and crystal are not to be compared with it ;
Nor can it be purchased with jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of crystal,
For wisdom is more precious than pearls.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be purchased with the purest gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom ?
And where is the place of understanding ?
21 Since it is hidden from the eyes of all the living,
And kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 The realms of Death say.
We have heard only a rumor of it with our ears.
23 God alone knoweth the way to it ;
He alone knoweth its dwelling-place. "
24 For he seeth to the ends of the earth.
And surveyeth all things under the whole heaven.
25 When he gave the winds their weight,
And adjusted the waters by measure ;
26 When he prescribed laws to the rain.
And a path to the glittering thunderbolt ;
27 Then did he see it, and make it known ;
He established it, and searched it out ;
Ch. XXIX.] JOB, 53
28 But he said unto man,
Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil, that is understanding.
XX,
Job's review of his past life. — Ch. xxix. - xxxi,
1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said :
2 O that I were as in months past,
In the days when God was my guardian !
3 When his lamp shone over my head,
And when by its light I walked through darkness !
4 As I was in the days of my strength,
When God was the friend of my tent ;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me,
And my children were around me ;
6 When I washed my steps in milk,
And the rock poured me out rivers of oil I
7 When I went forth to the gate in the city.
And took my seat in the market-place,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves.
And the aged arose, and stood,
9 The princes refrained from speaking,
And laid their hand upon their mouth,
10 The nobles held their peace.
And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth,
11 The ear that heard me blessed me.
And the eye that saw me bore witness to me,
6*
54 ^OB. [Ch. XXX.
12 For I delivered the poor, when they cried,
And the fatherless, who had none to help him.
13 The blessing of him that was undone came upon me,
And I caused the heart of the widow to rejoice.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me ;
And justice was my robe and diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind.
And feet was I to the lame ;
16 I was a father to the poor.
And the cause of the unknown I searched out ;
17 And I broke the teeth of the wicked,
And plucked the spoil from his jaws.
18 Then said I, " I shall die in my nest ;
" I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 " My root is spread abroad to the waters,
" And the dew lodgeth on my branches.
20 '' My glory is fresh with me,
" And my bow gathers strength in my hand."
21 To me men gave ear, and waited,
And kept silence for my counsel.
22 To my words they made no reply.
When my speech dropped down upon them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain ;
Yea, they opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.
24 If I smiled upon them, they believed it not ;
Nor did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.
2". When I came among them, I sat as chief;
I dwelt as a king in the midst of an army ;
As a comforter among mourners.
1 But now they that are younger than I hold me in de-
rision.
Whose fathers I should have disdained to compare with
the dogs of my flock.
Ch. sxx.] job. 55
2 Of what use to me is the strength of their hands,
In whom activity is perished ?
3 By want and famine they are emaciated ;
They gnaw the wilderness,
The night of desolate wastes.
4 They gather purslain among the bushes,
And the root of the broom is their bread.
5 They are driven from the society of men ;
There is a cry after them as after a thief.
6 They dwell in awful valleys,
In caves of the earth and in rocks.
7 Among the bushes they utter their cries ;
Under the thorns are they gathered together.
8 An impious and low-born race.
They are driven out of the land.
9 And now I am become their song ;
Yea, I am their by- word !
10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me ;
They forbear not to spit before my face.
11 They let loose the reins, and afflict me ;
They cast off the bridle before me.
12 On my right hand rise up the brood ;
They trip up my feet ; ,
They raise up ways for my destruction.
13 They break up my path ;
They hasten my fall ; —
They, that have no helper ! ^.
14 They come upon me as through a wide breach ;
Through the ruins they rush in upon me.
15 Terrors are come against me ;
They pursue my prosperity like the wind.
And my welfare passeth away like a cloud.
16 And now my soul is poured out in grief;
Days of affliction assail me.
56 JOB. [Ch. XXX.
17 The night pierceth my bones ; it teareth them from me,
And my gnawers take no rest.
18 Through the violence of my disease is my garment
changed ;
It bindeth me about like the collar of my tunic.
19 He hath cast me into the mire,
And I am become like dust and ashes.
20 I call upon Thee, but thou dost not hear me ;
I stand up before thee, but thou regardest me not.
21 Thou art become cruel to me ;
With thy strong hand thou dost persecute me.
23 Thou liftest me up, and causest me to ride upon the
wind ;
Thou meltest me away ; thou terrifiest me.
23 I know that thou wilt bring me to death,
To the place of assembly for all the living.
24 When He stretcheth out his hand, prayer availeth noth-
ing;
When He bringeth destruction, vain is the cry for help.
25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble ?
Was not my soul grieved for the poor ?
26 But when I looked for good, then evil came ;
When I looked for light, then came darkness.
27 My bowels boil, and rest not ;
Days of anguish have come upon me.
28 I am black, but not by the sun ;
I stand up, and utter my cries in the congregation.
29 I am become a brother to the jackal,
And a companion to the ostrich.
so My skin is black, and falleth from me,
And my bones burn with heat.
31 My harp also is turned to mourning,
And my pipe to notes of grief.
Ch. XXXI.] JOB. 57
1 I made a covenant with mine eyes ;
How then could I gaze upon a maid ?
2 Yet what is my portion from God who is above,
And what my inheritance from the Almighty on high !
3 Is not destruction for the wicked,
And ruin for the workers of iniquity ?
4 Hath He not seen my ways.
And numbered all my steps ?
5 If I have walked with falsehood,
And if my foot hath hasted to deceit,
6 Let him weigh me in an even balance.
And let God know my integrity !
7 If my steps have turned aside from the way.
And my heart followed mine eyes,
Or if any stain have cleaved to my hand,
8 Then may I sow, and another eat.
And what I plant, may it be rooted up !
9 If my heart have been enticed by a woman.
Or if I have watched at my neighbor's door,
10 Then let my wife grind for another,
And let other men lie with her !
11 For this were a heinous crime,
Even a transgression to be punished by the judges ;
12 Yea, it were a fire, that would consume to destruction,
And root out all my increase.
13 If I have refused justice to my man-servant or maid-
servant,
When they had a controversy with me,
14 What shall I do when God riseth up.
And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him f
15 Did not he that made me make him }
Did not one fashion us in the womb ^
58 JOB. [Ch. XXXI.
16 Have I refused the poor their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail ?
17 Have I eaten my morsel alone,
And forbid the fatherless to partake of it ?
18 Nay, from my youth he grew up with me, as with a
father,
And I have assisted the widow from my mother's womb.
19 If I have seen any wretched one without clothing,
Or any poor man without covering ;
20 If his loins have not blessed me.
And he have not been warmed with the fleece of my
sheep ;
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
Because I saw my help at the gate,
22 Then may my shoulder fall from the blade.
And my arm be broken at the socket !
23 For destruction from God was a terror to me,
And before his majesty I could do nothing.
24 If I have made gold my trust,
Or said to the fine gold. Thou art my confidence ;
25 If I have rejoiced, because my wealth was great.
And my hand had found abundance ;
26 If I have beheld the sun in his splendor.
Or the moon advancing in brightness,
27 And my heart have been secretly enticed.
And my mouth have kissed my hand, —
28 This also were a crime to be punished by the judge ;
For I should have denied the God who is above.
29 Have I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me.
Or exulted when evil came upon him .?
30 Nay, I have not suffered my lips to sin.
By imprecating a curse upon his life.
Ch. XXXI.] JOB. 59
31 Have not the men of my tent exclaimed,
"Who is there that hath not been satisfied with his
meat ? "
32 The stranger did not lodge in the street ;
I opened my doors to the traveller.
33 Have I, after the manner of men, hidden my transgres-
sion,
Concealing my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Then let me be confounded before the great multitude !
Let the contempt of families cover me with shame !
Yea, let me keep silence ! let me never appear abroad !
35 O that He would yet hear me !
Here is my signature ; let the Almighty answer me.
And let mine adversary write down his charge !
36 Truly I would wear it upon my shoulder ;
I would bind it upon me as a crown.
37 I would disclose to tiim all my steps ;
I would approach him like a prince.
38 If my land cry out against me,
And its furrows bewail together ;
39 If I have eaten of its fruits without payment,
And extorted the life of its owners ;
40 Let thorns grow up instead of wheat,
And noxious weeds instead of barley.
The words of Job are ended.
60 JOB. [Ch. xxxii.
XXI.
Speech of Elihu. — Ch. xxxii. - xxxvii.
1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he
2 was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the
wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the
family of Ram ; against Job was his wrath kindled,
because he had pronounced himself righteous, rather
3 than God. Against his three friends also was his wrath
kindled, because they had not found an answer, and yet
4 had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited till Job
5 had spoken, because they were older than himself. But
when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth
6 of these three men, his wrath was kindled. Then spake
Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, and said :
I am young, and ye are very old ;
Therefore I was afraid.
And durst not make known to you my opinion.
7 I said, " Days should speak,
" And multitude of years should teach wisdom."
8 But it is the divine spirit in man,
Even the inspiration of the Almighty, that giveth him
understanding.
9 Great men are not always wise.
Nor do the aged always understand what is right.
10 Therefore, I pray, listen to me ;
I also will declare my opinion.
11 Behold, I have waited for your words,
I have listened to your arguments.
Whilst ye searched out what to say ;
Ch. XXXIII,] JOB. Qi
12 Yea, I have attended to you ;
And behold, none of you hath refuted Job,
Nor answered his words.
13 Say not, then, " We have found out wisdom ;
" God must conquer him, not man."
14 He hath not directed his discourse against me,
And with speeches Hke yours will I not answer him.
15 They were confounded ! they answered no more !
They could say nothing !
16 I waited, but they spake not ;
They stood still ; they answered no more !
17 Therefore will I answer, on my part ;
I also will shov>^ my opinion.
18 For I am full of matter ;
The spirit within constraineth me.
19 Behold, my bosom is as wine that hath no vent;
Like bottles of new wine, it is bursting.
20 I will speak, that I may be relieved ;
I will open my lips and answer.
21 I will not be partial to any man's person,
Nor will I flatter any man.
22 For I am afraid to flatter.
Lest my Maker should soon take me away.
1 Hear, therefore, my discourse, I pray thee, O Job,
And attend to all my words !
2 Behold, I am opening my mouth ;
My tongue is now speaking in my palate. *
3 My words shall be in the uprightness of my heart ;
My lips shall utter my thoughts sincerely.
4 The spirit of God made me.
And the breath of the Almighty gave me life ;
5 If thou art able, answer me ;
Set thyself in array before me ; stand up !
6
62 JOB. [Ch. XXXIII.
6 Behold, I, like thee, am a creature of God ;
I also was formed of clay.
7 Behold, my terror cannot dismay thee,
Nor can my greatness be heavy upon thee.
8 Surely thou hast said in my hearing,
I have heard the sound of thy words :
9 " I am pure, and without transgression ;
" I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 " Behold, he seeketh causes of hostility against me ;
" He regardeth me as his enemy.
11 " He putteth my feet in the stocks ;
" He watcheth all my paths."
12 Behold, in this thou art not right ; I will answer thee ;
For God is greater than man ;
13 Why dost thou contend with Him ?
For he giveth no account of any of his doings.
14 For God speaketh once.
Yea, twice, when man regardeth it not ;
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falleth upon men.
In slumberings upon the bed ;
16 Then he openeth the ears of men.
And sealeth up for them admonition ;
17 That he may turn man from his purpose,
And remove pride from man.
18 Thus he saveth him from the pit.
Yea, his^life from perishing by the sword.
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed.
And with a continual agitation of his bones,
20 So that his mouth abhorreth bread.
And his taste the choicest meat ;
Ch. XXXIII.] JOB. 63
21 His flesh is consumed, that it cannot be seen,
And his bones, that were invisible, are naked ;
22 Yea, his soul draweth near to the pit.
And his life to the destroyers.
23 But if there be with him a messenger,
An interpreter, one of a thousand,
Who may show unto man his duty,
24 Then will God be gracious to him, and say,
" Save him from going down to the pit,
" I have received the ransom."
25 His flesh shall become fresher than a child's ;
He shall return to the days of his youth.
26 He shall pray to God, and he will be favorable to him.
And permit him to see his face with joy.
And restore unto man his innocence.
27 He shall sing among men, and say,
" I sinned, I acted perversely,
" Yet hath he not requited me for it ;
28 " He hath delivered me from going down to the pit,
" And my eyes behold the light."
29 Lo ! all these things doeth God,
Time after time, with man,
30 That he may bring him back from the grave,
To enjoy the light of the living.
31 Mark well, O Job, hearken to me !
Keep silence, and I will speak.
32 Yet if thou hast any thing to say, answer me !
Speak ! for I desire to have thee appear innocent.
33 But if not, do thou listen to me !
Keep silence, and I will teach thee wisdom !
64 JOB. [Ch. XXXIV.
1 And Elihu proceeded, and said :
2 Hear my words, ye wise men !
Give ear to me, ye that have knowledge !
3 For the ear trieth words.
As the mouth tasteth meat.
4 Let us examine for ourselves what is right ;
Let us know among ourselves what is true.
5 Job hath said, " I am innocent,
" And God refuseth me justice.
6 " Though I am innocent, I am made a liar ; ^
" My wound is incurable, though I am free from trans-
gression."
7 Where is the man like Job,
Who drinketh impiety like water ;
8 Who goeth in company with evil-doers,
And walketh with wicked men ?
9 For he hath said, " A man hath no advantage,
" When he is in friendship with God."
10 Wherefore hearken to me, ye men of understanding I
Far be iniquity from God !
Yea, far be injustice from the Almighty !
11 For what a man hath done he will requite him.
And render to every one according to his deeds.
19 Surely God will not do iniquity.
Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
13 Who hath given him the charge of the earth ?
Or who hath created the whole world ?
14 Should he set his heart against man.
He would take back his spirit, and his breath ;
15 All flesh would then expire together ;
Yea, man would return to the dust.
Ch. XXXIV.] ' JOB. 65
16 If thou hast understanding, hear this !
Give ear to the voice of my words !
17 Shall he, that hateth justice, govern ?
Wilt thou then condemn the just and mighty One ?
18 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked ;'
Or to princes. Ye are unrighteous ?
19 How much less to him that is not partial to princes,
Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor ?
For they are all the work of his hands.
20 In a moment they die ; yea., at midnight
Doth a people stagger and pass away,
And the mighty are destroyed, without hand.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of men ;
He seeth all their steps.
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death.
Where evil-doers may hide themselves.
23 He needeth not attend long to a man.
To bring him into judgment before God ;
24 He dasheth in pieces the mighty without inquiiy,
And setteth up others in their stead.
25 For he knoweth their works ;
He bringeth night upon them, and they are crushed.
26 On account of their wickedness he smiteth them.
In the presence of many beholders ;
27 Because they turned away from him,
And had no regard to his ways,
23 And caused the cry of the poor to come before him ;
For he heareth the cry of the oppressed.
29 When he giveth rest, who can cause trouble ?
And when he hideth his face.
Who can behold him ?
30 So is it with nations and individuals alike !
So that the wicked may no more rule,
And may not be snares to the people.
6*
66 JOB. [Ch. XXXV.
31 Surely thou shouldst say unto God,
" I have received chastisement ; I will no more offend !
32 " What I see not, teach thou me !
" If I have done iniquity, I will do so no more.'"
33 Shall he recompense according to thy mind.
Because thou refusest, or because thou choosest, and not
he?
Speak, if thou hast knowledge !
34 Men of understanding.
Wise men, who hear me, will say,
35 " Job hath spoken without knowledge,
" And his words were without wisdom."
36 My desire is, that Job may be fully tried.
For answering like wicked men.
37 For he hath added impiety to his sin ;
He hath clapped his hands among us,
And multiplied words against God.
1 Moreover Elihu proceeded, and said :
2 Dost thou then think this to be right ?
Thou hast said, " I am more righteous than God."
3 For thou askest, "What advantage have I ?
" What have I gained, more than if I had sinned ? "
4 I will answer thee.
And thy companions with thee.
5 Look up to the heavens, and see !
And behold the clouds, which are high above thee !
6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against Him ?
If thy transgressions be multiplied, how dost thou injure
him ?
7 If thou art righteous, what dost thou give him .''
Or what receiveth he at thine hand ?
Ch. XXXVI.] JOB. 67
8 Thy wickedness injureth only a man like thyself;
And thy righteousness profiteth only the son of man.
9 The oppressed cry out on account of their wrongs ;
They cry aloud on account of the arm of the mighty ;
10 But none saith, " Where is God, my Maker,
" Who in the night of affliction giveth songs ;
11 " Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth,
" And maketh us wiser than the birds of heaven ? "
12 Then they cry aloud on account of the arrogance of the
wicked, v
But he giveth no answer.
13 For God will not hear the vain supplication,
Nor will the Almighty regard it ;
14 Much less, when thou sayest, " I cannot see him ! "
Justice is with him, only wait thou for him !
15 But now, because he hath not visited in his anger,
Nor taken strict note of transgressions,
16 Job hath opened his mouth rashly,
And multiplied words without knowledge.
1 Elihu also proceeded, and said :
2 Bear with me a little while, that I may show thee !
For I have yet arguments in behalf of God.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar.
And assert the justice of my Maker.
4 Truly my words shall not be false ;
A man of sound knowledge is before thee.
5 Behold, God is great, but despiseth not any ;
Great is he in strength of understanding.
6 He suffereth not the wicked to prosper,
But rendereth justice to the oppressed.
Qg JOB. [Ch. XXXVI.
7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous,
But, with kings upon the throne.
He establisheth them for ever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they be bound in fetters.
And holden in the cords of affliction,
9 Then showeth he them their deeds.
And how they have set him at defiance by their trans-
gressions ;
10 He also openeth their ears to admonition.
And commandeth them to return from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve him.
They spend their days in prosperity,
Alid their years in pleasures.
12 But if they obey not, they perish by the sword ;
They die in their own folly.
13 The corrupt in heart treasure up wrath ;
They cry not to God, when he bindeth them.
14 They die in their youth ;
They close their lives with the unclean.
15 But he delivereth the poor in their distress ;
He openeth their ears in affliction.
16 He will bring thee also from the jaws of distress,
To a broad place, where is no straitness.
And the provision of thy table shall be full of fatness.
17 But if thou lade thyself with the guilt of the wicked, —
Guilt and punishment follow each other.
18 For with Him is wrath ; beware lest he take thee away
by his stroke.
So that a great ransom shall not save thee !
19 Will He esteem thy riches ?
No ! neither thy gold, nor all the abundance of thy
wealth.
Ch. XXXVII.] JOB. 69
20 Long not for that Night
To which nations are taken away from their place.
21 Take heed, turn not thine eyes to iniquity !
For this hast thou preferred to affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power ;
Who is a teacher like him ?
23 Who hath prescribed to him his way ?
Or who can say to him, " Thou hast done wrong " ?
24 Forget not to magnify his work,
Which men celebrate with songs.
25 All mankind gaze upon it ;
Mortals behold it from afar.
26 Behold, God is great ; we cannot know him.
Nor search out the number of his years.
27 Lo ! he draweth up the drops of water,
Which distil rain from his vapor ;
28 The clouds pour it down.
And drop it upon man in abundance.
29 Who can understand the spreading of his clouds.
And the rattling of his pavilion?
30 Behold, he spreadeth around himself his light.
And he clotheth himself with the depths of the sea.
31 By these he punisheth nations.
And by these he giveth food in abundance.
32 His hands he covereth with lightning ;
He giveth it commandment against an enemy ;
33 He uttereth to him his voice,
To the herds also and the plants.
1 At this my heart tremblcth.
And is moved out of its place.
2 Hear, O hear, the thunder of his voice,
And the noise which issueth from his mouth !
70 JOB. [Ch. XXXVII.
3 He sendeth it through the whole heavens,
And his lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 After it the thunder roareth ;
He thundereth with his voice of majesty,
And restraineth not the tempest, when his voice is heard.
5 God thundereth with his voice marvellously ;
Great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
6 For he saith to the snow, " Fall thou on the earth ! "
To the shower also, even the showers of his might.
7 He sealeth up the hand of every man,
That all men whom he hath made may acknowledge
him.
8 Then the beasts go into dens,
And abide in their caverns.
9 Out of the South cometh the whirlwind.
And cold out of the North.
10 By the breath of God ice is formed.
And the broad waters become narrow.
11 He causeth the clouds to descend in rain,
And his lightning scattereth the mists.
12 They move about by his direction.
To execute his commands throughout the world ;
13 Whether he cause them to come for punishment.
Or for the land, or for mercy.
14 Give ear to this, O Job !
Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God !
15 Dost thou know when God gave commandment to them.
And caused the lightning of his cloud to flash ?
16 Dost thou understand the balancing of the clouds,
The wondrous works of him that is perfect in wisdom ?
17 How thy garments become warm.
When he maketh the earth sultry by his south wind ?
Ch. xxxviit.] job. 71
18 Canst thou like him spread out the sky,
Which is firm like a molten mirror ?
19 Teach us what we shall say to him !
For we cannot address him by reason of darkness.
20 If I should speak, would it be told him ?
Surely if a man should speak to him, he would be con-
sumed.
21 Men cannot look upon the light,
When it is bright in the skies.
When the wind hath passed over them, and made them
clear,
22 And a golden brightness cometh from the sky, —
But with God is terrible majesty !
23 The Almighty, we cannot find him out ;
He is excellent in power and justice.
Great also in mercy, he doth not oppress.
24 Therefore let men fear him !
Upon the wise in heart he will not look.
XXII.
Jehovah's reproof of Job. — Ch. xxxviii., xxxix.
1 Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and
said:
2 Who is this, that darkeneth my counsels by words
without knowledge ?
3 Gird up thy loins like a man !
I will ask thee, and answer thou me !
72 JOS- [Ch. XXXVIII.
4 Where wast thou, when I laid the foundations of the
earth ?
Declare, since thou hast such knowledge !
5 Who fixed its dimensions ? since thou knowest !
Or who stretched out the line upon it ?
6 Upon what were its foundations fixed ?
And who laid its corner-stone,
7 When the morning-stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy ?
8 Who shut up the sea with doors,
When it burst forth as from the womb ?
9 When I made the clouds its mantle.
And thick darkness its swaddling-band ;
10 When I appointed its bounds.
And fixed its bars and doors ;
11 And said. Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther !
Here shall thy proud waves be stayed !
12 Hast thou, in thy life, given charge to the morning,
Or caused the day-spring to know its place, —
13 That they should lay hold of the ends of the earth,
And shake the wicked out of it ?
14 It is changed as wax by the seal ;
And all things stand forth as in rich apparel.
15 But from the wicked their light is withheld,
And the high-raised arm is broken.
IG Hast thou penetrated to the springs of the sea,
And walked through the recesses of the deep ?
17 Have the gates of death been disclosed to thee,
And hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death ?
18 Hast thou surveyed the breadth of the earth ?
Declare, since thou knowest it all !
Ch. XXXVIII.] JOB. 73
19 Where is the way to the abode of light ?
And darkness, where is its dwelling-place ?
20 Thou, surely, canst lead them to their boundary,
And thou knowest the paths to their mansion !
21 Surely thou knowest ! for thou wast then born !
And the number of thy years is great !
22 Hast thou been at the store-houses of the snow,
Or seen the treasuries of the hail,
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
Against the day of battle and war ?
24 Where is the way by which light is distributed,
And the east wind spread abroad upon the earth ?
25 Who hath prepared channels for the rain.
And a path for the glittering thunderbolt,
26 To give rain to the land without an inhabitant,
To the wilderness, where is no man ;
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground.
And cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth ?
23 Who is the father of the rain ?
And who hath begotten the drops of the dew ?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice ?
And who hath gendered the hoar-frost of heaven ?
30 The waters are hid as under stone.
And the face of the deep becometh solid.
31 Canst thou fasten the bands of the Pleiades,
Or loosen the chains of Orion ?
32 Canst thou lead forth the Signs in their season.
Or guide the Bear with his sons ?
33 Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens ?
Hast thou appointed their dominion over the earth ?
7
74 JOB. [Ch. xxxix.
34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds,
So that abundance of waters will cover thee ?
35 Canst thou send forth lightnings, so that they will go.
And say to thee, " Here we are " ?
36 Who hath imparted understanding to thy reins,
And given intelligence to thy mind ?
37 Who numbereth the clouds in wisdom ?
And who poureth out the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust flows into a molten mass,
And the clods cleave fast together ?
39 Canst thou hunt prey for the lioness.
Or satisfy ihe hunger of the young lions,
40 When they couch in their dens.
And lie in wait in the thicket ?
41 Who provideth for the raven his food.
When his young ones cry unto God,
While they wander about without food ?
1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the
rock bring forth ?
Or canst thou observe the labor of the hinds ?
2 Canst thou number the months they fulfil ?
Knowest thou the season when they bring forth ?
3 They bow themselves ; they bring forth their young ;
They cast forth their pains.
4 Their young ones are strong ; they grow up in the fields ;
They go away, and return not to them.
5 Who hath sent forth the wild ass free ?
Who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass,
6 To whom I have given the wilderness for his house,
And the barren land for his dwelling-place ?
Ch. xxxix.] job. 75
7 He scorneth the tumult of the city,
And heedeth not the clamors of the driver ;
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture ;
He seeketh after every green thing.
9 Will the buffalo consent to serve thee }
Will he pass the night at thy crib ?
10 Canst thou bind the buffalo with the harness to the fur-
row
Or will he harrow the valleys after thee ?
11 Wilt thou rely upon him because his strength is great,
And commit thy labor to him ?
12 Wilt thou trust him to bring in thy grain.
And gather in thy harvest ?
13 The wing of the ostrich moveth joyfully ;
Hath she not the wings and feathers of the stork ?
14 Yet she layeth her eggs on the ground.
She warmeth them in the dust,
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them,
And that the wild beast may break them.
16 She is cruel to her young, as if they were not hers ;
Her labor is in vain, yet she feareth not ;
17 Because God hath denied her wisdom,
And hath not given her understanding.
18 Yet when she lifteth herself up,
She laugheth at the horse, and his rider.
10 Hast thou given the horse strength ?
Hast thou clothed his neck with his quivering mane ?
20 Hast thou taught him to. bound like the locust }
How majestic his snorting ! how terrible !
21 He paweth in the valley ; he exulteth in his strength,
And rusheth into the midst of arms.
76 JOB. [Ch. sl.
22 He laugheth at fear ; he trembleth not,
And turneth not back from the sword.
23 Against him rattleth the quiver,
The flaming spear, and the lance.
24 With rage and fury he devoureth the ground ;
He standeth not still, when the trumpet soundeth.
25 He saith among the trumpets, Aha ! aha !
And snufFeth the battle afar off;
The thunder of the captains, and the war-shout.
26 Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk flieth,
And spreadeth his wings toward the south ?
27 Doth the eagle soar at thy command,
And build his nest on high ?
28 He dwelleth and lodgeth upon the rock,
Upon the crag of the rock, and the mountain-top.
29 From thence he espieth his prey ;
His eyes discern it from afar.
30 His young ones suck up blood,
And where the slain are, there is he.
XXIII.
Jehovah's question, and Job's reply. — Ch. xl. 1-5.
1 Moreover Jehovah spake to Job, and said :
2 Will the censurer of the Almighty contend with him .?
Will the reprover of God answer ?
Ch. XL.] JOB YJ
3 Then Job answered Jehovah, and said :
4 Behold, I am vile ! what can I answer thee ? —
I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken, but I will not speak again ;
Yea, twice, but I will say no more.
XXIV.
Jehovah's continued reproof of Job. — Ch. xl. 6 - xli.
6 Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and
said :
7 Gird up now thy loins like a man !
I will ask thee, and do thou instruct me !
8 Wilt thou even disannul my judgment ?
Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayst appear right-
eous ?
9 Hast thou an arm like God's ?
Or canst thou thunder with thy voice like him ?
10 Deck thyself with grandeur and majesty,
And array thyself in splendor and glory !
11 Let loose the fury of thy wrath !
Look upon every proud one, and abase him !
12 Look upon every proud one, and bring him low ;
Yea, tread down the wicked in their place !
13 Hide them in the dust together ;
Cover their faces in darkness !
14 Then, indeed, will I give thee the praise,
That thine own right hand can save thee.
7*
78 JOB. [Ch. xli.
15 Behold the river-horse, which I have made, as well as
thyself ;
He feedeth on grass like the ox.
16 Behold, what strength is in his loins !
And what vigor in the muscles of his belly !
17 He bendeth his tail, like the cedar.
And the sinews of his thisrhs are twisted t02;ether.
18 His bones are pipes of brass.
And his limbs are bars of iron.
19 He is chief among the works of God ;
He that made him gave him his sword.
20 For the mountains supply him with food,
Where all the beasts of the field play.
iii He reposeth under the lote-trees,
In the covert of reeds, and in the fens.
22 The lote-trees cover him with their shadow,
And the willows of the brook compass him about.
23 The stream overfloweth, but he fleeth not ;
He is unmoved though a Jordan rush forth even to his
mouth.
24 Can one take him before his eyes.
Or pierce his nose with a ring ?
1 Canst thou draw forth the crocodile with a hook.
Or press down his tongue with a cord ?
2 Canst thou put a rope into his nose.
Or pierce his cheek with a ring ?
3 Will he make many entreaties to thee ? *
Will he speak soft words to thee ?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee ?
Canst thou take him for thy servant forever ?
5 Canst thou play with him, as with a bird ?
Or canst thou bind him for thy maidens ?
Ch. xli.] job. 79
6 Do men in company lay snares for him ?
Do they divide him among the merchants ?
7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons,
Or his head with fish-spears ?
8 Do but lay thy hand upon him, —
Attempt the battle !
Thou wilt not do it again !
9 Behold, his hope is vain !
Is he not cast down at the very sight of him ?
10 None is so fierce that he dare stir him up ;
Who then is he that can stand before me ?
1 1 Who hath done me a favor, that I must repay him ?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.
12 I will not be silent concerning his limbs.
And his strength, and the beauty of his armor.
13 Who can uncover the surface of his garment ?
Who will approach his jaws ?
14 Who will open the doors of his face ?
The rows of his teeth, how terrible !
1.^ His glory is his strong shields.
United with each other, as with a close seal.
iG They are joined one to another,
So that no air can come between them.
17 They cleave fast to each other.
They hold toge'her, and cannot be separated.
15 His sneezing sendeth forth light.
And his eyes are like the eyelashes of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go firebrands,
And sparks of fire leap forth.
20 From his nostrils issueth smoke, as from a seething pot,
or caldron.
80 JOB. [Ch. xli.
21 His breath kindleth coals,
And flames issue from his mouth.
22 In his neck dwelleth Strength,
And Terror danceth before him.
23 The dewlaps of his flesh cleave fast together ;
They are firm upon him, and cannot be moved.
24 His heart is solid like a stone ;
Yea, solid like the nether millstone.
25 When he riseth up, the mighty are afraid ;
Yea, they lose themselves for terror.
26 The sword of him that assaileth him doth not hold,
The spear, the dart, nor the javelin.
27 He regardeth iron as straw,
And brass as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee ;
Sling-stones become stubble to him ;
29 Clubs are accounted by him as straw ;
He laugheth at the shaking of the spear.
30 Under him are sharp potsherds ;
He spreadeth out his thrashing-sledge upon the mire.
31 He maketh the deep to boil like a caldron ;
He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 Behind him he leaveth a shining path ;
One would think the deep to be hoary.
33 Upon the earth there is not his like ;
He is made without fear.
34 He looketh down upon every high thing ;
He is king over all the sons of pride.
Ch. xlii.J job. 81
XXV.
Job's entire submission to Jehovah. — Ch. xlii. 1-6.
1 Then Job answered Jehovah, and said :
i2 I know that thou canst do every thing,
And that no purpose of thine can be hindered.
3 Who is he that darkeneth thy counsels by words with-
out knowledge ?
Thus have I uttered what I understood not ;
Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
4 Hear thou, then, I beseech thee, and I will speak !
I will ask thee, and do thou instruct me !
5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear,
But now hath mine eye seen thee ;
6 Wherefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.
XXVL
Jehovah's vindication of Job, and the happy issue of his trials. —
Ch. xlii. 7-17.
7 And when Jehovah had spoken these words unto Job,
he said to Eliphaz the Temanite : " My wrath is kin-
dled against thee, and against thy two friends ; for ye
have not spoken concerning me that which is right, as
8 hath my servant Job. Take ye, therefore, seven bullocks,
and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer
for yourselves a burnt-offering, and my servant Job shall
82 JOB. [Ch. xlii.
pray for you ; (for to him will I have regard ;) lest I
deal with you according to your folly. For ye have not
spoken concerning me that which is right, as hath my
servant Job."
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and
Zophar the Naamathite went and did as Jehovah com-
manded them ; and Jehovah had regard to the prayer of
10 Job. And Jehovah restored the prosperity of Job, when
he had prayed for his friends, and Jehovah gave him
11 twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all
his brethren, and all his sisters, and all his former ac-
quaintances, and ate bread with him in his house ; and
condoled with him, and comforted him over all the evil
which Jehovah had brought upon him ; and every one
gave him a piece of money, and every one a ring of gold.
12 Thus Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than
the beginning ; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six
thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thou-
13 sand she-asses. He had also seven sons, and three
14 daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemima,
of the second Kezia, and of the third Kerenhappuch.
15 And in all the land were no women found so beautiful
as the daughters of Job ; and their father gave them an
16 inheritance among their brethren. And Job lived after
this a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and
17 his sons' sons, even four generations. Then Job died,
being old and satisfied with days.
NOTES
NOTES.
I.
In the first two chapters is contained a brief account of the excel-
lent character and flourishing condition of Job; — of the afflictions
decreed in heaven to be sent upon him, and the design of those
afflictions, namely, to prove the disinterestedness and firmness of
his integrity and piety; — of the actual occurrence of these afflic-
tions, and of Job's conduct under them ; — and of the visit of three
of his friends to mourn with him and comfort him.
The character of this introduction, so far as it relates to the upper
world, is thus given by Scott : " This is not history, but a piece of
allegorical scenery. The noble instruction which it veileth is, that
God governs the world by the instrumentality of second causes,
that the evils of human life are under his direction, and that the
afflictions of good men are appointed by him for the illustration of
their virtue, and for advancing, by that means, the honor of religion."
The learned Mr. Poole also observes : " You must not think that
these things were really done, . . , but it is only a parabolical
representation of that great truth, that God, by his wise and holy
providence, doth govern all the actions of men and devils to his
own ends." Considered as a part of the whole work, the design of
these chapters is, to suggest the subject of discussion, and, in part,
to illustrate it ; and also to dispose the reader to a favorable opinion
of Job. See Introduction, p. xvi.
Ch. I. 1. — Joh. The most probable meaning of the name is verse-
cuted, harassed. See Ges. ad verb.
3. — three thousand camels. The Arabs used these animals in war
in their caravans, and for food. One of their ancient poets, whose
hospitality grew into a proverb, is reported to have killed yearly,
in a certain month, ten camels every day, for the entertainment of
8
86 NOTES.
his friends. Scott^ from Schultens and Pococke. We have here the
description of the wealth of an Arab ruler, or chief, similar to those
who at the present day are called Emirs.
4. — each on his day : i. e. on the day in which it fell to him in
course to give a feast.
5. — sanctify : by ablutions and other observances. See Exod.
xix. 10, 14; Josh. vii. 13. — renounced God in their hearts : i.e.
been unmindful of him, dismissed him from their thoughts, or with-
held the reverence and homage which are his due. It is hardly
credible that Job suspected his children of cursing God. He was
only apprehensive lest the gayety of a festival had made them forget
God, and neglect his service and worship. The term T\^ generally
signifies to bless. It was the term of salutation between friends at
meeting and parting. See Gen. xxviii. 3, xlvii. 10. In the latter
use of it, it corresponded to the English phrase to bid farewell to,
and, like that, came to be used in a bad sense for to renounce, to
abandon, to dismiss from the mind, to disregard. It may imply
disregard, neglect, renunciation, or abhorrence, according to the con-
nexion in which it is used. Xaioen- in Greek, and valere in Latin,
are used in the same way. Thus Eurip. Med. 1044. : Ov dijr^ sywya-
XaiQiTo ^ov?.£r/iiaTa. And Cicero, in a letter to Atticus (VIII. 8.),
in which he complains of the disgraceful flight of Pompey, applies
to him a quotation from Aristophanes : noX?.i /aiq^iv dn^v tw y.aXw.,
bidding farewell to honor, he fled to Brundusium. Another instance
of this use of valere is in Ter. And. IV. 2. 14. : Valeant, qui inter
nos dissidium volunt. Also in Cic. de Nat. Deor. I. 44. near the
end: Deinde si maxime talis est Deus, ut nulli gratia, nulla homi-
num caritate teneatur, valeat !
6. — sons of God: i. e. the angels. See ch. xxxviii. 7 ; Dan. iii.
25, 28.
— Satan. There has been a question whether by the person de-
nominated Satan in this chapter is denoted the malignant spirit, the
enemy of God and man, otherwise called the Devil; or one of the
sons of God, a faithful, but too suspicious, servant of Jehovah.
The latter opinion is adopted by Dathe, Herder, Eichhorn, Hgen,
and others. Their views are briefly as follows : The Supreme Be-
ing is represented as holding a deliberative council for the purpose
of considering the state of his dominions. In accommodation to
ihe conceptions of the age, the representation is borrowed from the
NOTES. 87
patriarchal form of government, in which the patriarch was accus-
tomed to call together the leading members of the family, and to
assign them their duties and employments. Into this council Satan.
a zealous servant of Jehovah, to whom had been assigned the hon-
orable office of visiting different parts of the earth, for the purpose
of observing the conduct of Jehovah's subjects, and of bringing
information respecting the state of his dominions, makes his appear-
ance, with his brethren, on his return from his mission. Such is the
piety of Job that it has attracted the special regard of Jehovah ; so
that he is led to put the question to Satan, whether, in the course of
his journey, he had observed that illustrious example of human
virtue. Satan, who, from his recent observation of man's selfish-
ness and depravity, may be supposed to have lost all faith in the
reality and genuineness of any virtue of which man may exhibit
the appearance, replies, that he doubts whether Job himself serves
Jehovah from a disinterested motive ; that his integrity and piety
arose rather from the love of a good estate than from love of his Ma-
ker. The suspicious character ascribed to Satan, say these critics, is
a very proper attribute of a censor of morals, and necessary in order
that he may distinguish genuine piety from specious hypocrisy. In
regard to the calamities which he inflicted upon Job, he did nothing
contrary to the will of Jehovah, and is not more deserving of cen-
sure than any minister of state who executes the commands of his
sovereign.
This view of the subject has been defended by some critics, be-
cause they could not easily account for the presence of the Devil in
heaven amongst the angels of God, and for his free conversation
with Jehovah ; by others, because they regarded the belief in the
Devil as having had no existence amongst the Jews until their re-
turn from the Babylonish captivity, and, consequently, as inconsist-
ent with their opinion of the high antiquity of the book. But the
disposition ascribed to Satan in the narrative is not very consistent
with this view. Nor is there any strong argument to show that the
book of Job is of higher antiquity than the time of the captivity.
Satan appears, in this passage, in the office indicated by his name,
that of the adversary, the accuser, the office uniformly ascribed to
him by the later Jews. See Zech. iii. 1, 2; Rev. xii. 10. See also
Christian Examiner, for May, 1836, p. 236. It is observed by
RosenmOller, that, in the life of Zoroaster, (see Zendavesta, by J.
G. Kleukner, vol. iii, p. 11,) the prince of the evil demons, the
88 NOTES.
angel of death, called Engremeniosh, is said to go about the earth
for the purpose of opposing and injuring good men.
11. — will he renounce thee. The phrase is stronger here than in
verse 5. It imports an utter and public renunciation of religion as a
vain thing. Scott. ♦
15. — Sab cans : inhabitants of Sheba, a country of Arabia Felix,
abounding in spices, gold, and precious stones. 1 Kings x. 1, &c.j
Is. Ix. 6; Ps. Ixxii. 10, 15.
16. — fire of God : i. e. lightning; which has a similar appella-
tion in Eurip. Med. 144. :
Sahj.
Alas ! alas ! May the fire of heaven
Strike through my head !
17. — Chaldeans : a fierce and warlike people, who originally in-
habited the Carduchian mountains, north of Assyria, and the north-
ern part of Mesopotamia, portions of whom settled in Babylonia
and founded a mighty empire. They are described in Hab. i.
6-11.
20. — rent his mantle, and shaved his head. The custom of rend-
ing the mantle, as an expression of grief, is said to prevail at the
present day in Persia, and, like that of shaving the head, to have
been common amongst several nations of antiquity. Herodotus
(II. 26.) remarks, that the latter was the practice of all nations ex-
cept the Egyptians, in cases of mourning.
21. — my mother' s ivomb : i.e. the womb of the earth, the uni-
versal mother ; for he speaks of returning thither. The same figure
is found in several languages. See Cic. de Nat. Deor. II. 26. —
blessed be the name, S/-c. Here the contrast is observable between
the object of Satan, which was to induce Job to renounce God, and
the issue of the temptation, in which Job blesses God.
Ch. II. 4. Skin for skin, ^c. This is a proverbial expression, im-
porting, as is generally supposed, that any man will give the skin or
life of another, whether animal or man, to save his own. The observa-
tion of Satan will then imply that Job gave up all, without complaint,
from the selfish fear of exposing his own life to danger. Others under-
stand the term '' skin " to denote " the life." The proverb will then
be, " Life for life " ; i, e. Nothing is so precious as life. All other
NOTES. 89
calamities are light, compared with those which threaten one's own
life.
7. It is generally supposed that Job was afflicted with that species
of leprosy called elephantiasis, the elephant disease ; so called from
its covering the skin with dark scales, and swelling the mouth, legs,
and feet to an enormous size, although the body at the same time is
emaciated. See Deut. xxviii. 35. The pain is said not to be very
great, but there is a great debility of the system, and great uneasi-
ness and grief. See Jahn's Archaeology, § 189.
9. Renounce God, and die: i. e. since you must die. Since your
exemplary piety has been of no use to you, give it up ; renounce
God; desist from your idle prayers and praises, and look to death
as the only termination of your miseries, the only fruit of your
virtue which you will eA'er receive. Schultens. See i. 5, and the
note.
But, perhaps, the common meaning of the verb !p3, to bless, has
as good a claim to reception as that which we have adopted in the
text. According to this rendering, Job's wife ironically exhorts
him to go on blessing God, since he received such precious returns
for it. Bless God, and die .- i.e. Bless God ever so much, thou wilt
die after all. Or, as Poole has it, " I see thou art set upon blessing
God ; thou blessest God for giving, and thou blessest God for taking
away, and thou art still blessing God for thy loathsome and tor-
menting diseases, and he rewards thee accordingly ; giving thee
more and more of that kind of mercy for which thou blessest and
praisest him. Go on, therefore, in this thy pious and generous
course, and die as a fool dieth, and carry this reputation to thy
srave, that thou hadst not common sense in thee to discern between
good and evil, between thy friends and thy foes." So Ovid, Amor.
L. III. Eleg. ix. 35.:
Cum rapiant mala fata bonos, (ignoscite fasso,)
Sollicitor nullos esse putare Deos.
Vive pius, moriere pius. Cole sacra, colentem
Mors gravis a templis in cava busta trahet.
I am inclined to believe, however, that the term means here what
it does in i. 5, upon which see the note.
In the Septuagint version is inserted a passage, of which the fol-
lowing is a translation. Ver. 9. " And after much time had elapsed,
his wife said unto him, How long wilt thou persevere, saying, ' Be-
90 NOTES.
hold, I will wait a little while, cherishing the hope of my recove-
ry ' ? Behold, thy memorial hath disappeared from the earth.
The sons and the daughters, the pains and toils of my womb,
with these I have struggled to no purpose. Even thou thyself
sittest among loathsome worms, passing the night in the open air ;
while I, a wanderer and a drudge from house to house and from
place to place, watch the sun till his going down, that I may rest
from the toils and afflictions which now oppress me. Utter then
some blasphemy against the Lord, and die." Whence this passage
originated, it is impossible to say. Dathe, with astonishing sagaci-
ty, suggests that it might have been added by some person, who
thought it incredible that an angry woman could be content with
saying so little on the occasion, as in the Hebrew is ascribed to the
wife of Job. If, however, any should think this theory unsound,
they may suppose that it was written by some person, by way of
paraphrase, in the margin of his Bible, and that the transcriber of
the manuscript, seeing it in the margin, supposed it to be a part of
the text accidentally omitted, and so inserted it in the place where
it now stands.
10. In all this Job sinned not with his lips. The author repeats
this circumstance a second time, in order to excite the attention of
the reader to what follows, viz. the conduct of Job with respect to
his reverence for the Deity, and the changes which accumulated
misery might produce in his temper and behavior. Accordingly we
find that another still more severe trial of his patience yet awaits
him, and which, indeed, as the writer seems to intimate, he scarcely
appears to have sustained with equal firmness ; namely, the unjust
suspicions, the bitter reproaches, and the violent altercations of his
friends. Lowth.
11. — Temanite. Teman was one of the principal cities of Edom,
or Idumea, distinguished for its wise men. See Jer. xlix. 7; Obad.
8, 9 ; Amos i. 12. — Shuhite. Shuah, a son of Abraham by Ketu-
rah, was sent by him into the East country. Gen. xxv. 2, 6. From
him may have descended the Shuhites. Gesenius observes that the
country of the Shuhites was not improbably the same with the
.Jazxai'a of Ptolemy, 5, 15, eastward of Batanea. — JVaamathite :
an inhabitant of Naamah, a place whose situation is unknown.
It could not be the same which is mentioned in Josh. xv. 41.
12, 13. When they saw him, at the distance at which they
could formerly recognise him without difficulty, disease had so alter-
NOTES. 91
ed his appearance, that at first sight they knew him not. The
expression of his grief resembles, in several circumstances, that of
Achilles, when informed of the death of Patroclus. Iliad, xviii.
21-27.:
A sudden horror shot through all the chief,
And wrapt his senses in the cloud of grief;
Cast on the ground, with furious hands he spread
The scorching ashes o'er his graceful head ;
His purple garments, and his golden hairs,
Those he deforms with dust, and these he tears.
On the hard soil his groaning breast he threw,
And rolled and grovelled, as to earth he grew. Pope.
Seven days was the customary time of mourning among the
Orientals. See Gen. 1. 10 ; 1 Sam. xxxi. 13 ; and Ecclesiasticus,
xxii. 13. " Seven days do men mourn for him that is dead." It is
not meant that they remained in the same place and posture for the
space of seven days, but that they mourned with him during that
time, in the usual way. — and none spake a icord to him. Poole
remarks that the meaning probably is, that no one spake a word to
him about his afflictions, and the causes of them. The reason of
this silence was, partly, their grief and amazement on account of
his afflicted condition ; partly, because they knew not what to say
to him ; for, though they had ever esteemed him a good man, and
had come on purpose to comfort him, yet when they saw the great-
ness of his misery, they concluded that he was suffering the pun-
ishment of his sins, and that the displeasure of God was mani-
fested against him ; so that they could not comfort him as they
intended, and yet were unwilling to increase his sufferings by those
reproofs and exhortations which they thought that he needed.
Thus they kept silence, till the passionate exclamation of Job, in
the next chapter, gave them occasion to speak their minds.
II.
At the end of the seven days of mourning, when no hopes of
recovery from his afflicted condition were entertained by Job,
and not a word of consolation had been offered by his friends, he
unburdens his heart in the strongest language of complaint, lamen-
92 NOTES.
tation, and despair. He curses the day of his birth, and longs for
death, as the only refuge from his miseries.
The poet has secured the sympathy of the reader in favor of Job
by the introductory chapters upon the cause of his afflictions, and
by the declaration of Jehovah, that he was " an upright and good
man ; " so that in this place, and throughout the poem, we are
more inclined to pity him for his afflictions, than to censure him
for his irreverent language. It is evident, as Bishop Lowth remarks,
that, " the intemperate complaints, the vehement and perverse
attestations of his innocence, the murmurs against the divine provi-
dence, which his tottering virtue afterwards permits, are to be con-
sidered merely as the consequences of momentary passion, and not
as the ordinary effects of his settled character and manners. They
prove him, at the very worst, not an irreligious man, but a man
possessed of integrity, and too confident of it ; a man oppressed
with almost every imaginable evil, both corporal and mental, and
hurried beyond the limits of virtue by the strong influence of pain
and affliction." To which is to be added, that they were designed
by the author of the poem to give occasion to the subsequent dis-
cussion, and, as it were, to introduce it. See Introd., p. xvii.
Ch. III. 2. — exclaimed. The verb ptJJ^, used of a person begin-
T T
ning to speak, appears, says Gesenius, to be peculiar to the later
Hebrew.
3. — the day, SfC. The birth of a son was one of three great
occasions of festivity among the Arabians. The other two were
the birth of a foal of a valued race, and the rising up of a poetical
genius in any of their tribes. When an Arabian gave his daughter
in marriage to a person whom he approved, he used the benediction,
** Facilis sit tibi partus, et masculos parias, non foeminas ! " Pococke.
Spec. Hist. Arab. pp. 160, 337. — And the night, <^c. ; i, e. which
was privy to my conception ; a bold personification, as in verse 10,
and XXX. 17. The Arabic poets delight to personify the day and
ihe night in this way, as is shown by various quotations in
Schultens ad loc.
" We find an extraordinary similarity with the imprecations
which Job uttered upon the day of his birth, even to the particular
expressions, (see especially verses 10 - 14.) in the poem of a Ma-
hometan Arab of modern times, who had hardly read the book of
Job. Malek en Nasser Daud, prince of some tribes in Palestine,
NOTES. 93
from which he had, however, been driven, after many adverse for-
tunes, died in a village near Damascus in the year 1258. When
the Crusaders had desolated his country, he deplored its misfor-
tunes and his own in a poem, from which Abulfeda (Annals, p. 560)
has quoted the following passage : ' Oh that my mother had re-
mained single all the days of her life ! That God had determined
no lord or consort for her ! Or that, when he had destined her to
an excellent, mild, and wise prince, she had been one of those
whom he created barren ; that she might never have known
the happy intelligence that she had borne a man or woman ! Or
that, when she had carried me under her heart, I had lost my life
at my birth ; and if I had been born, and had seen the light, that,
when the congratulating people hastened on their camels, I had been
gathered to my fathers ! ' " Burder's Oriental Customs, No. 490.
4. — seek it. This is the primary meaning of the word U'TI,
» T
and admits of a good explanation. The poet seems to conceive of
the day as sunk beneath the horizon, or in the deep waters by
which he supposed the earth to be surrounded. He prays that God
may not seek it, and bring it from its dark abode. The secondary
meaning, regard, care for, though perfectly allowable, is less po-
etic.
5. — shadoro of death : i. e. thick darkness ; or, a black and dark
shadow, like that of the place of the dead. — redeem it : i. e. re-
sume their dominion over it, excluding the light. Thus the com-
mon meaning of 7J<J gives a highly poetical sense to the line.
— T
— whatever darkens the day : lit. obscurations of the day. This
secondary meaning of '•T'^D^ seems to be better suited to the con-
nexion and to the parallelism, than the primary meaning, which I
adopted in the first edition. See Lam. v. 10. By obscurations
of the day, I suppose he understands eclipses, dreadful storms, &c.
According to the primary meaning, the rendering will be deadly
heats of the day : i, e. intolerable sultriness, which causes pestilence.
Some writers suppose that there is a reference here to the poisonous
wind Samum, or Samiel, which is feared in the hottest months of
summer. " Men as well as animals are suffocated by this wind.
For, during a great heat, a current of air often comes which is still
hotter ; and when men and animals are so exhausted that they
almost faint away with the heat, it seems that this little addition
94 NOTES.
quite deprives them of breath. When a man is suffocated by this
wind, or, as they say, when his heart is burst, blood is said to flow
from his nose and ears two hours after death. The body is said to
remain long warm, to swell, to turn blue and green, and if the arm
or leg is taken hold of to raise it up, the limb is said to come off."
Burder's Oriental Customs, No. 176. But it appears from the testi-
mony of modern travellers that the injurious effects of this wind
have been very much exaggerated. See Robinson's Calmet, Art.
Wind. Otherwise, iAe bitterness, or the misfortunes of the day; 3
being considered only as the particle of emphasis, as it is often
used.
6. Let it not rejoice. "^TV the future, by Apocope, from mn.
7. 0 let that night be unfruitful ! i. e. May there be no births in
that night ! See Ch. xxx. 3, and the note. — no voice of joy : i. e.
on account of the birth of a son. See note on verse 3.
8. W7io are skilful to stir up the leviathan .' In all other parts of
the sacred wi-itings, in which the word |n''lS occurs, it denotes an
'tt:-
animal. Nearly all the ancient versions, and nearly all the modern
critics, consider it as the name of an animal here. It seems to be
a common name to denote monstrous animals of different kinds, as
a huge serpent, the crocodile, &c. Here it may denote a mon-
strous serpent. In Ch. xli. 1, the crocodile. See Ges. ad verb.
The verse probably refers to a class of persons who were supposed
to have the power of making any day fortunate or unfortunate, to
control future events, and even to call forth the most terrific mon-
sters from impenetrable forests, or from the deep, for the gratifica-
tion of their own malice, or that of others. Balaam, whom Balak
sent for to curse Israel, affords evidence of the existence of a class
of persons who were supposed to be capable of producing evil by
their imprecations. See Numb. xxii. 10, 11. Job calls upon the
most powerful of these sorcerers to assist him in cursing the day of
his birth.
9. JVeither let it see the eyelashes of the morning ! This is the
literal version, and contains an image too beautiful to be thrown
away. So Soph. Antig. 104. :
i(pav-9-7]g noT' , to ^QvOfag
af^iiQag ^XitpaQov, ^iQy.ai-
NOTES. 95
So in Milton's Lycidas :
" ere the high lawns appeared
Under the opening eyelids of the dawn,
We drove afield."
The sun, when above the horizon, is called by the poets the eye
of day ; hence his earliest beams, before he is risen, are the eyelids,
or eyelashes, of the morning. Schultens observes, that the Arabian
poets compare the sun to an eye, and attribute eyelashes to it. See
ad loc.
12. Why did the lap receive me P Why did the officious midwife
receive me, and lay me upon her lap, and not suffer me to fall to
the ground and perish .'' Or it may refer to the father, as it was
usual for him to take the child upon his knees as soon as it was
born, and thus to declare that it was his own, and that he intended
to bring it up. Gen. 1. 23. See Jahn's Archseol. § 161.
14. Who built up for themselves — ruins ! i. e. splendid palaces, or,
perhaps, tombs, destined soon to fall into ruins. See Is. xliv. 26.
In the form of expression, the line is similar to Hab. ii. 13 ; Jer.
li. 58.
That nations shall labor for fire,
And kingdoms weary themselves for nought.
i. e. for that which shall be burnt up, &c. I formerly rendered the
line. The repairers of desolated places ; a circumstance mentioned to
show their wealth, grandeur, and glory. See Is. Iviii. 12, Ixi. 4 ;
Ezek. xxxvi. 10. For themselves is so nearly pleonastic that it may
be omitted. See Stuart's Gram., § 210, n. 3.
18. With this description compare the passage in Seneca, ad
Marciam 20. : Mors omnibus finis, multis remedium, quibusdam
votum ; haec servitutem invito domino remittit ; hsec captivorum
catenas levat; haec a carcere reducit, quos exire imperium impo-
tens vetuerat ; haec exulibus, in patriam semper animum oculosque
tendentibus, ostendit, nihil interesse inter quos quisque jaceat; hsec,
ubi res communes fortuna male divisit, et aequo jure genitos alium
alii donavit, exaequat omnia ; haec est, quae nihil quidquam alieno
fecit arbitrio ; haec est, in qui nemo humilitatem suam sensit ; haec
est, quae nulli paruit.
23, — from whom the way is hid, <^c. : i. e. who knows not which
way to turn himself; who can see no way of escape from the mise-
96 NOTES.
ries, which, in the latter clause of the verse, are represented as
surrounding him, as with a high wall or hedge.
24. — my sighing cometh before I eat : i. e. it cometh on when I
begin to eat, and prevents my taking my necessary nourishment.
So Juv. Sat. xiii. 211. :
Perpetua anxietas, nee mensae tempore cessat.
Schultens renders the clause, My sighing cometh like my food.
See note on Ch. iv. 19.
25. For that which I dread, «^c. I understand this as referring to
continual fears caused by the disease, which fears are said not to be
greater than his actual miseries. See note on ii. 7, where uneasi-
ness and grief are said to be caused by the disease.
III.
In the fourth and fifth chapters, Eliphaz, one of the three friends
who had come to comfort Job, is represented as constrained by his
intemperate language to express those sentiments, and vent those
suspicions, which the view of his miserable condition had suggested,
and which, from pity and delicacy, had been hitherto suppressed.
The inhumanity of Eliphaz and the other friends of Job, which by
many is thought unnatural, serves to introduce and help forward the
discussion of the moral question which it was the main design of
the poem to illustrate.
He reproves Job's impatience, and exhorts him not to give way
to grief and despondency, but to put in practice those lessons which
he had so often recommended to others. He then advances the
doctrine which he and his friends maintain throughout the poem,
that misery implies guilt; and insinuates that the wickedness of Job
was the cause of his present afflictions. Ch. iv. 2-11. In support
of his views he brings forward a revelation which he professes to
have formerly received in a vision. This revelation asserts the
exceeding imperfection of human vii'tue, the absolute rectitude of
God, and the impiety of arraigning the justice of his moral govern-
ment. The oracle itself is therefore excellent. It is the application
of it in which Eliphaz is mistaken. He has erroneous notions of
what the justice of God requires. He supposes that it implies that
all sufiering must be the punishment of sin ; and he seems to con-
demn Job not only for his actual complaints, but also for not regard-
NOTES. 97
ing and acknowledging his afflictions to be the merited punishment
of his transgressions. 12-21.
In the fifth chapter he is more direct, as well as more severe, in his
censures, and exhorts Job to humble himself before God, and repent
of his sins. He assures him that, by such a course, he may regain
his former prosperity.
Ch. IV. 5. But noio affliction is come, <^c. I have thought it best
to supply the word affliction, instead of using the pronoun it with-
out an antecedent. The sentiment is similar to that in Terence,
And. II. i. 9. :
Facile omnes, cum valemus, recta consilia aegrotis damns.
6. Is not thy fear, «^c. These words may be understood as a
friendly admonition to Job to recollect his religious principles, and
to support himself by the clearness of his conscience. On the other
hand, they may import that no good man would fall into despair
under affliction, as he had done. There is an appearance of art in
this ambiguity. Scott.
As the substantive verb is understood, some critics prefer to ren-
der it thus :
Was not thy fear of God thy hope .''
And the uprightness of thy ways thine expectation .''
i. e. Did not thy piety and integrity spring from the hope of reward,
from a regard to thine own interest, rather than from the love of
God.'' So Mercier, and Castalio, whose version is,
Nimirum tantum religionis, quantum expectationis ;
Quantum spei, tantum habebas integritatis morum.
This corresponds with the question of Satan, " Is it for nought
that Job feareth God9" Rosenniilller and Le Clerc adopt the ver-
sion of Mercier, but suppose the meaning to be, " You were led, it
seems, by your opinion of your piety and integrity, to cherish high
hopes and expectations. But you were deceived. Your piety and
integrity were not genuine, as is proved by your present afflictions.
For rememher,''' &c.
7, 8. These expressions, also, may be understood as a consolatory
argument to confirm the hope which conscious integrity should in-
spire : '' Good men are sometimes chastised severely for their crimes,
but not destroyed ; calamities which end in destruction are the por-
tion of the wicked only." On the other hand, his meaning may
9
98 NOTES.
be : ^' Calamities like yours being the lot of wicked men only, some
wickedness of yours must needs have brought these calamities upon
you." Here, then, we have another instance of artful ambiguity.
Scott.
10. Unjust and rapacious men are in Scripture frequently called
lions. See Ps. xxxiv. 10 ; Iviii. 6. I was obliged to supply the
verb are silenced, because in the original, by an incorrect use of
language, the verb are broken out applies to roaring and voice as
well as to teeth. So in Exod. xx. 18, it is said, that the people saw
the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet.
19. Who crumble to pieces, as if moth-eaten ! Lit. They crum-
ble them to pieces, as the moth a garment. So Ros., who re-
marks, after Schultens and Noldius, that the particle ""JS? often has
the meaning as, like, tanquam. Thus, 1 Sam. i. 16, " Regard not
thy servant as a daughter of Belial." The Sept. has it, oj^tos t^o-
TTov, and the old Y\x\g., tanquam tinea; the Vulg., sicut a tinea.
Comp. ch. xiii. 28 ; Is. 1. 9, li. 8.
20. Between morning and evening, &/-c. The meaning is, They live
scarcely a single day. See Ex. xviii. 14 ; Isa. xxxviii. 12. It is
not the frequent occurrence of death in the course of a day, but the
shortness of man's life, that is meant to be expressed. So Pindar,
Pyth. viii. 135. :
^Etiuubqoi. li df rig ; il S' ov rig ;
2xiag oraQ ar-dQwuoi.
Beings of a day ! What is man .'' What is he not ?
He 's the dream of a shadow !
- — and none regardeth it. The destruction of mankind by death
is not regarded, or minded, by the rest of the creation. This is
only a rhetorical way of representing how insignificant a creature
man is, compared with the higher orders of beings.
Ch. V. 1. Here, as elsewhere in this book, call and answer seem
to be law terms, the former denoting the action of the complainant,
the latter that of the defendant. — Call now : i. e. In jus voca;
call the Deity to account, bring thy action against him. — see if
He will answer thee : i. e. see if the Deity will condescend to enter
into a judicial controversy with thee, and give an account of his
dealings towards thee. The name of the Supreme Being is often
NOTES. 99
omitted in this book, and the pronoun made to supply its place. In
such cases the pronoun is printed, in this version, with a capital
letter. This corresponds to the custom in Scotland, where they
say, ''' May His will be done ! " '- May His name be praised!"
without an antecedent to the pronoun. So in Scott's Black Dwarf,
near the end of Chap. VH. :
" O, my child, before you run on danger let me hear you but
say, ' His will be done ! ' "
'' Urge me not, mother — not now." He was rushing out, when,
looking back, he observed his grandmother make a mute attitude of
affliction. He returned hastily, threw himself into her arms, and
said, '' Yes, mother. I can say, ' His will be done ! ' since it will com-
fort you."
" May He go forth — may He go forth with you, my dear bairn ;
and O, may He give you cause to say, on your return, ' His name be
praised ! ' "
— to ichich of the holy ones wilt thou look? i.e. whom amongst
the heavenly host wilt thou persuade to be thine advocate,
or to take thy part, in a controversy with the Almighty .'' The
words call and ansicer are used in this judicial sense in ch. xiii.
22, xiv. 15, and in other places. Grotius and others suppose that
Eliphaz, having triumphantly produced a divine revelation in
support of his views respecting the conduct of Job, calls upon him
to bring forward something of the same kind in his defence, if he
could, — to call and see if any of the heavenly spirits would an-
swer him, and give a revelation in his favor.
2. Verily wrath destroys the fool. Wrath and repining hasten the
destruction of the foolish man, either by preying upon his spirits,
or by drawing down upon him severe punishment from the Al-
mighty. His sufferings are the fruit of his own criminal passions.
The terms foolish and weak are often, in Scripture, applied to im-
pious and wicked men.
3. — I pronounced his habitation accursed: i. e. I predicted his
downfall. See Gerard's Inst., § 882. Or, I actually witnessed the
sudden ruin of his fortunes, and pronounced his habitation ac-
cursed. This would make the passage similar to that in Ps. xxxvii.
35, 36.
4. — at the gate : i. e. in the courts of justice, which used to be
held at the gates of cities. See Jahn's Archseol., § 247.
100 NOTES.
5. — the thorns: i.e. the hedge of thorns. — As D''?3]f is evidently
used as a noun denoting snare, figuratively destruction, in ch. xviii.
9, and as it is here connected with a singular verb, I am inclined to
the present rendering. Otherv^rise, thirsty: D''SV for D"'i<DV> from
KDV, according to most of the ancient versions.
6. For affliction cometh not, <^c. The meaning appears to be,
The afflictions of life are not to be ascribed to chance, or to merely
natural causes, but to the will of Heaven.
7. Behold, man is horn to trouble : i.e. men are born under a law,
or with a constitution, which subjects them to sorrow as soon as
they become transgressors. Bishop Patrick's paraphrase is, " God
hath made it as natural for man to suffer, (having offended him,) as
it is for the sparks to fly upward." '^'^ "ij^, sons of lightning,
may well denote swift birds. So in Ps. Ixxvi. 3, arrows are called
the lightning of the how. It appears to me more probable that man
is compared to birds, living creatures, than to sparks. It is a com-
mon thing with the author to refer to the lower animals for illus-
tration.
15. — oj}2)ressed. This version is obtained by altering the points
ysn"!^ (from the sword) to y^T\'0, hophal participle from DIPl- This
amendment of the text is adopted by Durell, Michaelis, Dathe,
Doederlein, Eichhorn, and others.
16. —iniquity stoppeth her mouth: i. e. unrighteous and insid-
ious oppressors are confounded and struck dumb, when they see
their schemes frustrated, and find themselves entangled in the
snares which they have laid for others. See Ps. cvii. 41, 42.
23. For thou shalt he in league with the stones of the field : i. e.
thou shalt be secure from injury from the stones in walking, jour-
neying, &c. See Ps. xci. 11, 12. Dr. Shaw observes : "The cus-
tom, which still continues, of walking either barefoot or with
slippers, requires the ancient compliment of bringing water, upon
the arrival of a stranger, to wash his feet." — " The feet, being thus
unguarded, were every moment liable to be hurt and injured ; and
from thence perhaps the danger, without the divine assistance,
which ever protects us from the smallest misfortunes, of dashing
them against a stone, Ps. xci. 12, which, perhaps may further illus-
trate that difficult text. Job v. 23, of heing in league with the stones
NOTES. 101
of the field:' Shaw's Travels, &c. Vol. I. p. 428. Or, Thy field
shall be free from stones, which would make it barren.
24. — tent. There is some doubt whether ^HX should be ren-
dered tent, according to its primary meaning, or house, habitation,
its secondary meaning. For in ch. xxix. 7, and other passages,
Job is represented as dwelling in a city. — and not he disap-
pointed. Lit. miss ; used of slingers, Judg. xx. 16 : i. e. thou shalt
find all thy household afiairs in such a condition as meets thy best
wishes and expectations. ?T1J, here rendered thy dwelling, may
denote thy fold or pasture. It occurs in the Scriptures in both
senses.
IV.
In reply to the harsh censures and insinuations of Eliphaz, Job
justifies the boldness of his complaints by the severity of the afflic-
tions which extorted them from him. Ch. vi. 2-13. He complains of
the unkindness of his friends in pronouncing him guilty because he
was miserable, and in coming to him with reproaches instead of
consolations. 14 - 23. He requests them to treat him with fair-
ness ; to examine his case, and not to condemn him on account of
his miserable condition. 24-30. He proceeds to speak of the
miseries and of the shortness of human life, from which he passes
to his own condition, and expostulates with the Deity upon the
greatness of his afflictions, and their long continuance. Ch. vii.
Ch. VI. 2. — my grief : i. e. Tny distress, or my affliction. He
wishes that his afflictions, together with the distress of mind caused
by them, might be put into one scale, and weighed against the sand
of the sea in the other. This is only a poetical way of saying that
they were insupportable.
3. — rash. See Ges. Lexicon, upon T\)n.
T T
4. For the arrows. His distress, arising from his other afflictions
as well as his disease, is compared to that of a person shot with
poisoned arrows. He exaggerates his distress by the circumstance
that these arrows are hurled by the arm of the Almighty. —
drinketh up my spirit. So Soph. Trachin. 1061, thus translated by
Cic. Tusc. Disp. II. 8. :
9*
102 NOTES.
Haec me irretivit veste furiali inscium,
Quae, lateri inhaerens, morsu lacerat viscera,
Urgensque graviter pulmonum haurit spiritus ;
Jam decolorem sanguinem omnem exsorbuit.
See also Luc, Phars. IX. 741. In the poem of Zohair, the third
of the Moallakat, or those transcribed in golden characters, and
suspended from the temple at Mecca on account of their excellence,
we meet with the same image : " Their javelins had no share in
drinking the blood of Naufel." Burder.
5. Doth the wild ass hraij, ^c. As the lower animals do not com-
plain by braying and lowing, when they have plenty of food, so
neither should I complain, were it not for the insupportable
weight of my afflictions.
6. Can that which is unsavory, S^c. Men usually complain of
their food, when it is unsavory ; but how much greater reason
have I to complain, when I am obliged to bear those afflictions
at the very thought of which I used to shudder ! Some critics,
however, suppose that he here lashes Eliphaz for his harangue on
the blessings of patience, and characterizes his discourse as insipid,
impertinent, and disgusting.
7. — tchite of an egg. It may be that the term n^D^rij which
occurs not elsewhere in the Scriptures, rather denotes purslain, an
herb which was proverbial for its insipidity among the Arabs,
Greeks, and Romans. The literal meaning will then be. Is there
any taste in purslain saliva ? a contemptuous expression for purs-
lain broth. But as the comparison is more expressive to the English
reader according to the common version, and has the support of
the Rabbins and Targums, I retain it.
9. — let loose his hand. Lat. loose?i his hand, which, when inac-
tive, is figuratively regarded as bound, and when exerted, as set
free. — make an end of me! a metaphor, which seems to be borrow-
ed from the practice of a weaver, who cuts off the web, when it is
finished, from the thrum, by which it was fastened to the beam.
10. — I would exult: lit. leap. "|7D occurs only once in the Scrip-
tures, except as a proper name. I now prefer the rendering exult, as
better supported by tradition, and rather better suited to the paral-
lelism and the connexion, than the former rendering, be consumed,
lit. burn. The Sept. has it ij?J.6uyjv ', the old Latin, saliebam ; the
Chald. exultarem. It is also supported by a similar word in the
Arabic. See Ges. Lex. in verb.
NOTES. 103
11. — And what mine end, that I should he patient? i. e. How dis-
tant mine end .'' How long have I to live .'' Quantus est vitse meae
modus ? Am I not so much exhausted, and brought so near my end, as
to have reason to be impatient .'' Mercier. For the rendering, That I
should be patient, see Schultens, who has ably defended this mean-
ing of the phrase, or Ges, upon T^ii. So also the Vulg., Syr., and
Arab, versions, Quis finis mens, ut patient er agam? Others explain
the question, JVhat is mine end? as meaning. What is the limit of
my strength ? How long will my strength last ? Others, What end
is there to be to my miseries ? &c.
13. DNH is used as an adverb of exclamation in this and other
passages. See Ges. In the Vulg. ecce .' For the rendering (ZeZi?;er-
ance, see Ges. So the Sept., ^otl-d^sia Se ctc" iiiov uTCBariv. Arab.
salus.
14. Else : The particle 1 is so rendered in the common version,
in Ps. li. 16 : Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it. — he :
i. e. the friend who does not show kindness to the afflicted.
15 - 20. But my brethren, <^c. This simile is exquisitely beautiful,
considered as a description of a scene of nature in the deserts of Ara-
bia. But its principal beauty lies in the exact correspondence of all
its parts to the thing it is intended to represent. The fulness, strength,
and noise of these temporary streams in winter answer to the large
professions made to Job in his prosperity by his friends. The dry-
ing up of the waters, at the approach of summer, resembles the
failure of their friendship in his affliction. And the confusion of
the thirsty caravans, on finding the streams vanished, strongly illus-
trates his feelings, disappointed as he was of the relief he expected
in these men's friendly counsels. Scott. Schultens observes that
the Arabs compare a treacherous friend to one of these torrents,
and hence say, '' I put no trust in the flowing of thy torrent; " and,
'' O torrent, thy flowing subsides." In " Anastasius " a severe dis-
appointment is illustrated by a similar comparison. '' Once, on my
homeward journey from the eternal desert — oppressed with heat,
and in vain soliciting my cruise for a drop of water to wet my
parched lips — I had, when on the point of fainting with exhaustion,
beheld in a valley before me the semblance of a limpid lake, ready
to slake my raging thirst, and to lave my wearied limbs — had col-
lected my last strength to reach its winding banks — and when near
the delusive spot, had found the vision a mere mockery, and nothing
104 NOTES.
real around me save sands more dry and burning than those I had
left behind; but what was this disappointment of the sense — even
with life at stake — compared with that which struck my inmost
mind at this dreadful moment ! " Vol. II. Ch. xvii. p. 260.
16. Which are turbid, S/'C. I have here supplied the word melted,
and somewhat altered the structure of the verse. — hides itself in
them: i. e. melts and flows into them. Scott observes that these
streams are first formed by the autumnal rains. The warmth and
rains of the spring, melting the ice and snow on the mountains,
increase them. They then rush down into the valleys, in a large
body of turbid water, and assume the appearance of deep rivers.
The beds of these winter rivers are also called torrents. Bishop
Pococke saw several of them perfectly dry, in his journey to Mount
Sinai in the month of April. See Pococke's Description of the East,
Vol. I. pp. 139-141.
17. Jlfter a time: viz. in the time of heat. I regard Hj^S as
parallel to JVJien the heat cometh, in the following line.
18. The caravans, S/-c.: i.e. The caravans turn aside to them
with the expectation of finding a supply of water, but are disap-
pointed, and obliged to pursue their journey without a supply in
the desert, where they perish with thirst. Thus it agrees, in its
general meaning, with the following verses. — go up into the
desert: which, like the sea, seems to rise to him that beholds it.
20. — their place : i. e. the place or channel of the streams, where
they flowed before they were dried up.
22. — a present : i. e. to the judge, to secure his good-will by a
bribe.
25. — 2chat do your reproaches prove? i. e. what guilt do they
convict me of.''
26. Do ye mean to censure words 9 i. e. Do ye think it reasonable
to carp at mere words, extorted from me by extreme misery ? You
ought to consider that a man in the extremity of misery utters many
inconsiderate expressions, which ought not to be severely repre-
hended, but rather laid to the account of human infirmity, and re-
garded as idle wind.
27. Truly ye spread, <^c. The expressions in this verse are pro-
verbial, and refer to the cruelty of his friends in bringing unfounded
charges against his moral character.
NOTES. , 105
28. Look now upon me, I pray you. He may be understood liter-
ally, as requesting them to look in his face, and see if he betrayed
any signs of falsehood or guilt; or figuratively, as requesting them
to be more favorable to him, and to give him a hearing, to judge
from his appearance whether he was false or guilty.
29. Return, <^c. : i. e. to the discussion.
30. Is there iniquity, ^c. : i. e. Is there any falsehood or wickedness
in what I have said, or am about to say ? Have not I the capacity
of distinguishing right from wrong, and truth from falsehood, as
well as yourselves ; and if I had said or done anything wrong,
should I not be conscious of it .''
Ch. VII. 1. Is there not a hard service. The word X^V is -endered
warfare, in Is. xl. 2, in the common version. The Vulg., Syr., and
Arab, render it so in this verse. But I think, with Mercier and
Ges., that the more general signification agrees better with the
context. At any rate, if the allusion is to the military life, it has
particular reference to the hard and wearisome service which it
required. The same word is used to denote the service of the Le-
vites. Numb. iv. 3
5. My flesh, SfC. Maundrell, describing ten lepers whom he saw
in Palestine, says : " The whole distemper, indeed, as it there ap-
peared, was so noisome, that it might well pass for the utmost cor-
ruption of the human body on this side the grave." Maundrell's
Journey, p. 252, &c. Amer. edit.
7. 0 remember, «^c. He here turns to the Deity, and pleads the
shortness of life as a reason why he should be relieved from his
sufferings. In ver. 9, 10, he urges, for the same reason, the certainty
that he should not return to life.
8. Thine eyes shall look for me. See note on ver. 22.
12. Am I sea, &/-€. He complains that God treated him as though
he were some furious tyrant, whom only the most severe inflictions
could restrain from exceeding the bounds of justice, and spreading
destruction among mankind. " Am I as fierce and dangerous as the
raging sea, or as some strong and ungovernable sea-monster, both of
which must be restrained by great exertions, and watched with
unceasing vigilance, lest they should spread destruction and death .' "
Michaelis thinks that by the sea Job meant the Nile, which, when
it rises beyond a certain height, becomes an inundation, and causes
106 NOTES.
immense damage. Schultens quotes Arabsjab, an Arabic poet, who
calls Tamerlane " a vast sea, swallowing up everything." Burder
observes : " Crocodiles are very terrible to the inhabitants of Egypt ;
when, therefore, they appear, they watch them with great attention,
and take proper precautions to secure them, so that they may not be
able to avoid the deadly weapons afterwards used to kill them. To
these watchings and those deadly after-assaults I apprehend Job
refers."
14. — scarest me with dreams. So Ovid. Ep. ex. Pont. I. ii. 43. :
At puto, cum, requies medicinaque publica curaB,
Somnus adest, solitis nox venit orba malis.
Somnia me tertent, veros imitantia casus,
Et vigilant sensus in mea damna mei.
15. ■^- rather than these bones. Lit. rather than jny hones: i. e-
than the wretched skeleton which is nearly all that is left of me.
16. / am wasting away. The Hebrew word, thus rendered, is
translated melt away, in the common version, in Ps. Iviii. 7. The
Arab., according to Walton, is, Jam viribus defectus sum.
17. 18. Job suggests that it was beneath the character of the
infinite God to bestow so much time and attention, and such vigi-
lant inspection, upon so insignificant a being as man; and this for
no other purpose than to mark and punish all his defects and
failures.
19. — look away from me: i. e. turn away thine angry counte-
nance from me, or cease to afflict me. So xiv. 6. " This is a meta-
phor drawn from combatants, who never take their eyes off from
their antagonists." Schultens. — till I have time to breathe. I have
substituted this for the proverb, which is literally rendered in the
common version, and which has been retained in Arabia to the present
day, by which they understand, " Give me leave to rest after my
fatigue." There are two instances (quoted by Schult. in loc.) in
Harriraes's Narratives, entitled the Assembly. One is of a person
who, when eagerly pressed to give an account of his travels, an-
swered with impatience, " Let me swallow down my spittle, for
my journey hath fatigued me." The other instance is of a quick
return made to one who used that proverb; " Suffer me," said the
person importuned, " to swallow down my spittle;" to which his
friend replied, " You may, if you please, swallow down even the
NOTES. 107
Tigris and Euphrates;" that is, You may take what time you
please. Burder.
20. If I have sinned, S^c. : i. e. "Suppose, for a moment, that I
have sinned, yet as I can have done thee no injury, as my sins
cannot have affected thy safety or happiness, I see not why I should
be treated with such severity, and even set up for a mark at which
thou mayst shoot thine arrows." The particle DJ<, if, is often un-
derstood. The Sept. has supplied it here : d ly^ j/uk^tov. So the
Arab, and Syr. — xohat have I done to thee? i. e. what injury have I
done to thee ? The verb TW}^ signifies to do an injury, in Exod. xiv,
T T
11 ; Gen. xix. 8, xxii. 12. This sentiment agrees better with the
context, and is also found in ch. xxxv. 6. — 0 thou watcher of men!
i. e. O thou that watchest men strictly, and markest all their sins.
The word is undoubtedly used in an invidious sense, and not merely
to express the general truth that God takes notice of human actions.
See ver. 12, and xiv. 16. Dr. Kennicott renders it, O thou spy upon
men! The word y^}, inspector, is rendered watchman, in 2 Kint's
xvii. 9, in the common version; and in ch. xxvii. 18, of this poem
it denotes the watchman of a vineyard. The Sept. has it, 6 tmoTuu-
evog rov vovv twv uvd^owictjv. The same sentiment is expressed in
ch. X. 6, xiii. 27, and elsewhere. The word might be rendered pre-
server, in another connexion, since a person sometimes icatches a
thing for its preservation; but not properly here, where the Deity
is represented as the avenger of sin. — So that I have become a burden
to myself P The Sept. renders the two last lines.
Why hast thou set me up for thy mark.
And why have I become a burden to thee .''
The Hebrew copy, from which they translated, had 'l^^p instead of
"•7^^. The Masorites also place this amongst the eighteen passages
which they say were altered by transcribers. In this case the reading
preserved by the Sept. may have been altered by some transcriber
who supposed the sentiment which it conveyed to be irreverent to
the Deity. But, as the received text is supported by all the versions
except the Sept., and by all the Hebrew manuscripts hitherto ex-
amined, it may be retained, notwithstanding the intrinsic probability
that the Sept. has preserved the true reading.
108 NOTES.
22. Soon shall I sleep in the dust. He urges the shortness of the
term of life which yet remained to him, as a reason why he should
be relieved from his afflictions ; and he intimates, in the latter
clause of the verse, that death would, as it were, put it out of the
power of the Deity to favor him, should he relent and be inclined
to mercy, since he should be no longer in existence. So Castalio ex-
plains it : " Nisi mihi in hac vita benefacias et condones, non erit
post mortem locus." So Poole : '' When thou shalt diligently seek
for me, that thou mayst show favor to me, thou wilt find that I am
dead and gone, and so wilt lose thy opportunity. Help, therefore,
speedily."
V.
In chapter eighth, Bildad, another of Job's professed friends, comes
forward as a disputant, interrupting him in his discourse, and reproving
him with severity for the boldness of his language in regard to his
afflictions, and for his firm protestations of his innocence, as if he
had thereby called in question the justice of the Deity. He holds
the opinion that, under the government of a being infinitely wise
and good, afflictions cannot take place, unless for the purposes of
vindictive justice. Hence he asserts that the children of Job had
perished on account of their wickedness, although he had no
grounds for the assertion, but that of their ruin. He tells Job
that if he were in reality the devout and upright man he pro-
fessed to be, he would again be restored to prosperity. He quotes
a passage from an ancient poem, representing by striking images
the miserable condition of the wicked, and holds out to Job the
hope of the renewed favor of God, as the reward of repentance.
These exhortations to repentance, addressed, as they were, to
one whom Jehovah had pronounced an upright and good man,
are to be regarded as an indirect mode of charging him with per-
verseness and guilt. Thus it appears that Bildad agrees with
Eliphaz in the opinion that misery is a decisive proof of wicked-
ness.
Ch. Vni. 2. — like a strong wind? The same figure is found
in Aristoph. Ran. &72. : Tvcpwg yao ty.(iuivnv TcuQaouBvuLsrai' .4
NOTES. 109
tempest of words is preparing to hurst forth. So in Sil. Italicus,
XI. 581.:
— qui tanta superbo
Facta sonas ore, et spumanti turbine perflas
Ignorantum aures.
6. — thy righteous habitation: i.e. the abode where thou shall
dwell, a righteous man. Bildad insinuates, says Schultens, that the
dwelling of Job had hitherto been the abode of wickedness.
7. So that thy beginning shall he small : i. e. thy former pros-
perity shall appear small, compared with that which thou shalt
hereafter enjoy, if thou art pure and righteous. So the Sept.,^'JEaTai
Tci (.ih Tcoo3xa oov oJ-iya. So Castalio, ^deo ut fuerit ttia prior
conditio tenuis, prce ut posterior amplificabitur . Thus the poet
puts into the mouth of Bildad a reference, undesigned on his part,
to what is afterwards recorded to have taken place in the fortunes of
Job : " Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than the beginning.'^
Bildad had no prophetic anticipation of this, but merely utters a gen-
eral promise, naturally suggested by the subject ; while the writer in-
tended that it should refer to the subsequent history of Job. The
skill of the poet is manifested in this way in several passages, and
reminds one of the admirable use made of this expedient to give
interest and pathos to their compositions by the most celebrated
Greek dramatists, as by Sophocles, for instance, in his CEdipus
Tyrannus.
11. — paper-reed: nunvoog, Sept. See Ges. We are entertained
here, says Mr. Scott, with a specimen of the manner of convey-
ing moral instructions, in the oldest times of the world. They
couched their observations in pithy sentences, or wrapped them in
concise similitudes ; and cast them into metre to fix them in the
memory. Bp. Lowth mentions the words of Lamech to his two
wives, (Gen. iv. 23, 24,) as the oldest example of this kind on
record.
17. — heap. I now prefer this rendering, as favored by the
parallelism, and by its connexion with the verb entioined. — And he
seeth the place of stones : i. e. taketh deep root in the earth. Thus
the verse denotes the flourishing, and apparently durable, condi-
tion of the wicked man. So Mercier, Doed., Ges. See Ps. i. 3,
xxxvii. 35 ; Jer. xvii. 8.
10
110 NOTES.
18. The particle CJ5, translated if in the common version, is
often used for emphasis, or asseveration, and, according to the
connexion, may be rendered, truly, indeed, yea, yet, behold ! lo ! &c.,
or occasionally omitted. See Noldius in verb.
19. — in his place. Lit. from the earth or soil from which the
tree was removed. Thus others shall fill the place and enjoy the
wealth of the wicked man who is taken away. See xxvii. 16, 17,
and Eccles. ii. 18. So Merc, Ros. But Dathe and Eichhorn, And
another shall spring up in his place! i. e. other wicked men, not
deterred by his dreadful fate, shall take his place, and follow his
example.
21. Instead of *ij?, it is better to alter the point, and read
^J;. So Houb., Michaelis, De Wette.
VI.
In reply to Bildad, who had charged him with virtually denying
the justice of God, Job remarks that he knows full well the great-
ness and holiness of God, and the weakness and sinfulness of man ;
intimating that he does not pretend to be free from the infirmities
and sins which are common to the human race. But these, in his
view, are incident to the best of men, so that no one can answer to
one charge of a thousand in a controversy with God. Admitting
this, however, it by no means follows that one whom God pleases
to afflict is a wicked man ; or, that he is a great sinner who
suffers great affliction. Ch. ix. 1-3. He maintains that in the dis-
tribution of happiness and misery God is an absolute sovereign,
influenced by no consideration but that of his own inscrutable and
irresistible will; that his afflictions, therefore, ought not to be
attributed to the justice of God, but rather to be ranked with those
acts of Providence which confound all our reasonings. 4-14. He
says, that though he is conscious of no guilt which should draw
down upon him the afflictions which he suffered, yet he will not
attempt to defend himself before the majesty of God ; that he is
weak ; that the contest is unequal ; that, were his cause ever so
just, he could not hope to prevail ; that, though he is conscious of
innocence, he would not enter into a controversy with God in order
NOTES. Ill
to save his life. 15-21. (It may be observed here, that, v^hen Job
asserts his innocence, he does not lay claim to entire freedom from
fault. He means only that he is innocent of the charges of secret
crimes brought against him by his friends; that he is free from
uncommon guilt, which his friends held to be the cause of his great
misery ; that he is, in fine, a sincere, upright man.) He affirms that
misery, far from being a proof of uncommon guilt, is equally the
portion of the righteous and of the wicked. 22-24. Passing to the
contemplation of his own misery, he asserts that his righteousness
avails him nothing ; that his cause cannot be brought to a fair trial ;
and that the majesty and power of God reduce him to silence.
25-35. Then with great earnestness and pathos he expostulates
with the Deity on account of his severity to the work of his own
hands, continues to assert his innocence, and urges the shortness of
the term of life which yet remained to him, as a reason why he
should be relieved from his miseries. Ch. x. In regard to apparent
inconsistencies in the language of Job, it may be observed here that
he is represented as agitated by various contending emotions. Fear
and hope, despair and confidence, the spirit of submission and of
bold complaint, by turns have possession of his mind ; and, as either
predominates, it gives, of course, a character to his language. Truth
in the exhibition of opposite feelings and passions requires some
inconsistency in language and sentiment. Disregard of this obvious
truth led Dr. Kennicott to propose some alterations of the text,
which, if adopted, would greatly injure the poem.
Ch. IX. 3. If he choose : i. e. If God choose to mark strictly the
sins of which all men are guilty, and accuse them of these sins ;
or. If man choose to enter into controversy with God.
5. He removeth the mountains, and they know it not. This is a
Heb. idiom, meaning, He removeth them suddenly or unexpectedly ;
as it were, before they, i. e. the mountains, are aware of it. So in
Ps. XXXV. 8, where, in the Hebrew, the expression '' at unawares "
is " let him not know.'' Schultens remarks that the same idiom
occurs frequently in the Koran.
6. — the pillars thereof. The earth is represented as an edifice,
supported by pillars, resting on foundations, having a corner-stone,
&c. See ch. xxxviii. 4-6. Earthquakes seem to make these
pillars tremble. According to the same mode of conception respect-
ing the earth, it is represented as standing forever, Ecc*. i. 4, and as
112 NOTES.
reeling like a drunkard, and moving like a hammock, in Is. xxiv.
20.
7. He commandeth , <^c. Some suppose the allusion is to the
effects of an eclipse ; others, to those of a continued storm, as in
Acts xxvii. 20 ; and others, that he asserts that light and darkness
depend upon God ; that, if he forbid, the sun and the stars cease to
shine. To seal up, or to shut up as with a seal, I suppose to be a
figurative expression, denoting great or total obscuration. The ex-
pression to seal up is used with great latitude of signification. See
ch. xxxiii. 16, xxxvii. 7.
8. — hoiceth doicn the heavens. See Ps. xviii. 9 - 15. This ex-
pression seems to denote the descent of black, heavy clouds, in a
great storm. — walketh upon the high waves. The Egyptian hiero-
glyphic for what was not possible to be done was a man w^alking
on the water. Burder.
9. — the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades. The Hebrew names are
Ash, Chesil, and Chimah. See note upon ch. xxxviii. 31, 32.
— secret chambers of the South: i. e. the remotest regions of the
South, the constellations of which are invisible to the inhabitants of
the northern hemisphere.
11. Lo ! he falleth upon me, SfC. How vain then to contend with
an invisible, almighty enemy ! Hov/ impossible to avoid the wounds
which he may inflict ! This representation seems to be borrowed
from the operation of a mighty wind, which carries everything
before it without being seen. The rendering, which I now prefer,
has as much support from usage, usus loquendi, as that of the com-
mon version, and contains a thought more definite, and specially
adapted to the connexion in ver. 12, 13. See Ges. upon 'IDJ! and
l"?"-
13. God will not turn away his anger: i. e. on account of any
opposition which may be made to it. Dei irrevocahilis ira est.
Castalio.
15. — I could not ansioer him.. The word is used in a judicial
sense, and means, I would not undertake to make my defence.
16. Should I call, and he make answer to me. The words J^'lp
TIT
and n3.]7 are supposed by Schultens, and by most critics since his
T T
time, to be used in a judicial sense. Si in jus vocarem, ut actor,
et responderet mihi compellatus, seque sisteret. If, as plaintiff, I
NOTES. 113
should summon him to trial, and he should make answer, and con-
sent to stand as defendant, I coul(i scarcely believe it ; for although
I am conscious of uprightness, yet, from the severe afflictions under
which I suffer, I have reason to conclude that he will act no other
part towards me than that of an absolute sovereign who will give
no account of his doings.
19. If I look to strength, SfC. This mode of rendering the verse,
adopted by Ros. and De Wette, appears to be the best. See Jer.
xlix. 19, 1. 44. If, however, we adopt the various reading, found in
the Sept. and Syr., '\ instead of "», we may translate,
If I look to strength, lo, he is strong !
If to justice, who shall summon him to trial '
Thus Dathe and Eichhorn render the verse.
20, 21. Though I were upright, <^c. The meaning probably is,
Though I am conscious of no guilt, and though my cause is just,
yet, were I as pure as an angel, I should not be able to sustain my-
self, and make good my defence before the brightness of the divine
majesty ; notwithstanding the testimony of my conscience, I would
give up all care for myself, every effort to preserve my life, rather
than enter into a vain controversy with a Being infinitely above
me, so superior in strength. In the former version I rendered the
lines (ver. 21),
I shall not know my own soul,
I shall condemn my life :
i. e. I should be obliged to confess ignorance of my own soul, and
condemn my life, although spent in the practice of virtue and piety.
But I now think that ""»n DXDX more naturally denotes contempt
of life, than condemnation of manner of life. See Ges. upon DXD-
The preceding line admits of either version, according to the con-
nexion. Schnurrer renders it,
I am innocent ; I care not for myself;
I despise my life : x
i. e. Job in the heat of passion dares to assert, as he had not done
before, that he was entirely innocent : i. e. that he had not deserved
the calamities which he suffered ; he is conscious that this audacity
will not go unpunished, but he cares nothing about himself; he is
weary of life, and therefore boldly asserts that God treats the good
10*
114 NOTES.
and bad alike. But the form of expression ''Jj{ UP\ is precisely the
same with that of the preceding line ; and it seems natural to under-
stand both expressions in the same hypothetical sense. If the
author had intended the one to be hypothetical, and the other posi-
tive, it is probable that he would have varied them.
22. It is all one. The meaning may be either, All things are
now alike to me ; I am indifferent as to what may happen to me ;
or, It is all one whether a person be righteous or wicked, so
far as his fortune is concerned. Some suppose, however, that
NTl'nnN should be rendered, He is the one; unicus est : i. e. He is
unlike all others ; he stands alone ; he is bound by no rules, and
gives no account of his matters. Comp. ver. 32.
24. — covereth the face of the judges. Either, God treats them
as condemned malefactors, overwhelming them with calamities,
disgrace, andruin, Job himself being one example of this melancholy
truth. Scott. See 2 Sam. xv. 30; Esth. vii. 8; Jer. xiv. 3 ; Is.
xxii. 17 ; Mark xiv. 65. Thus the meaning of the verse will be,
God commonly advances wicked men to honor and power, and
casts down men of true worth and virtue from their seats. Or, to
cover the face of the judges may have the same meaning as the
phr'ase, io blind their eye^, so that they are partial, unjust, and op-
pressive.'— If it he not he, who is it? So the Sept., d ds ,u>/ aviog
iOn, rig soriv ; If it be not God who doeth the strange things
which I have mentioned, who is it that doeth them .-'
25. My days have been swifter than the courier, 8fC. Time and
enjoyment, that are succeeded by great misery, appear as an instant
that is past. The depth of his present affliction makes him forget
his former prosperity, and to say that he had seen no good during
his life. " The common pace of travelling in the East is very slow.
Camels go little more than two miles an hour. Those who carried
messages in haste moved very difterently. Dromedaries, a sort of
camel which is exceedingly swift, are used for this purpose ; and
Lady M. W. Montague asserts that they far outrun the swiftest
horses. Lett. II. 65. There are also messengers who run on foot,
and who sometimes go an hundred and fifty miles in less than
twenty-four hours ; with what energy then might Job say, ' My days
are swifter than the courier ! ' Instead of passing away with a slow-
ness of motion like that of a caravan, my days of prosperity have
NOTES. 115
disappeared with a swiftness like that of a messenger carrying dis-
patches." Harmer.
26. — reed-skiffs : i. e. " boats or skiffs made of the papyrus of the
Nile, in common use among the Egyptians and Ethiopians, and
famous for their lightness and swiftness. Thus Pliny, xiii. 11, Ex
ipso quidem papyro navigia texunt ; vi. 56, Etiam nunc [naves] in
Britannico oceano vitiles corio circumsutse sunt ; in Nilo ex papyro,
et scirpo, et arundine. And Lucan. Pharsal. iv. 136, Conseritur
bibula Memphitis cymba papyro. Heliodorus, ^thiop. x. 460,
speaks of such boats, TtoodueioLg ix y.u7.lmoiv TTsnoirjuavoig, as having
been very swift, o^vSooLiwrara. They may be compared in this re-
spect to Indian canoes. Others translate, ships of desire : i. e.
hasting with eager desire to the haven. Symm., ravol ojtsvdovaaig.
The reading n^''^, which is exhibited in forty-four MSS., is
doubtless to be pronounced TlTii, and to be explained of hostile
or robber ships, which likewise sail swiftly. This gives a good par-
allelism to the eagle, in the other hemistich, pouncing upon his
prey. So the Syr. The same sense would also be expressed by
the common reading, if for n3>< it were written n^K." Ges.
27, 28. If I say, <^c. : i. e. If I resolve within myself that I will
cease complaining, and endeavor to be more cheerful, I find all such
endeavors vain ; for if my griefs be suspended for a short time, yet
my fears continue ; for thou, O God, wilt not clear my innocence,
by removing those afflictions which make them judge me guilty
of some great crime. Poole.
29. I shall he found guilty, 8fC. : i. e. Whether I be holy or wick-
ed, if I dispute with thee, I shall be found guilty. Why then
should I trouble myself with clearing mine innocency ? Poole. Or,
I must pass for a wicked person ; I am treated as such by God, and
condemned by man. All ray labor, therefore, to clear myself will
be to no purpose.
30. If I wash, S^c. By washing himself, S^c, ^wA. cleansing his
hands, <^c., he asserts the purity of his heart, and innocence of his
life. Thus Zopliar understood him : '' Thou sayest, ' My speech
is pure; lam clean in thine eyes.'" The Psalmist also declares
his own integrity in terms somewhat similar : " I have cleansed my
heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency." Ps. Ixxiii. 13.
116 NOTES.
31. Still wilt thou plunge me, S/-c. The meaning is, that his
calamities would cause him to be looked upon by all his -intimate
friends as an abominable wretch, smitten of God, and accursed.
No protestations of innocence, no appeals, no defence whatever,
could overcome that prejudice against him. — my own clothes.
This circumstance is added, I imagine, as a heightening of the
image of impurity ; to represent more strongly the infamy with
which his character was blackened by his overthrow. Scott.
32. For He is not, «^c. : i. e. He is infinitely superior to me in
majesty and power, so that I cannot venture to contend with him :
i. e. to debate my cause with him, or to answer his allegations
against me ; neither can we go together into judgment : i. e. meet
each other face to face, and plead upon equal terms before a superior
and indifferent judge.
33. Who may lay his hand upon us both: i. e. who may have au-
thority and power to control either of us who shall exceed the
limits of propriety in the controversy, and also to oblige us to stand
to his decision.
34. — his rod: i. e. my present afflictions. — his terrors: l. e.
the terror of his majesty and power.
35. — and not be afraid of him : i. e. as an opponent in a judicial
controversy. I should not fear but that I should be able to make
good my cause, and prove my innocence. — For I am not so at heart :
i. e. as to have any reason to fear the result of debating my cause
with him upon equal terms. So Schult., Le Clerc, Ros. Ov yaq
owtnioTctuai iuavrco adixov Sept. : I am not conscious to myself of
unrighteousness. But this is paraphrastic.
Ch. X. 1. — give myself up, «^c. .- lit. let loose complaint upon
myself.
2. — Do not condemn me : i.e. Do not pronounce me guilty, and
punish me with such severity, without showing me wherein I havo
offended, and what I have done to deserve my sufferings.
4-7. Hast thou eyes, &/-c. : i. e. Seest thou as imperfectly as
man .'' or does thy life pass away as swiftly as that of man ? One
might suspect this from thy searching after sins in me so thoroughly
and so suddenly ; i, e. from thy inflicting upon me such heavy
blows and in such quick succession, to bring me to a confession of
sin. Umbreit.
NOTES. 11*7
8. Have thy hands completely fashioned, S^-c. His argument now
is, that it looks like caprice to bestow great skill and labor on a
work, and then, on a sudden, and without just cause, dash it in
pieces. This is what he meant also in verse 3, " Is it a pleasure
to thee . . . to despise the icork of thy hands? '' Scott.
9. 0 remember, <^^c. Here he pleads the common mortality. He
must soon die, as all other men; what occasion then for so much
torture to dispatch him ? Scott.
10 - 12. The argument in these verses is taken from God's creat-
ing and providential goodness towards him, as not being consistent
with his present treatment of him. Scott.
13. Yet these things thou didst lay up in thy heart. By these things
he means his calamities ; and insinuates that God had given him
being with a secret purpose to make him miserable ; and had ad-
vanced him so high in order to render his fall the more terrible.
Scott. — in thy mind: lit. with thee; a phrase repeatedly used in
this book, and in other parts of Scripture, to denote what was
in the mind of God; i. e. what was his intention, or purpose.
See ch. xiv. 5, xxiii. 14 ; Ps. 1. 11 ; John xvii. 5.
15. If I am wicked, as my friends suppose me, then am I indeed
undone ! yet though I am righteous, I derive no benefit from it. It
is all one, whether I am good or bad. — beholding my affiiction.
^^^'^ is in the infinitive absolute, the finite verb being understood.
So Merc, Ros. See also Stuart's Gram., § 199. Or, as Gesenius
calls it, a verbal adjective.
16. — like a lion thou huntest me. The allusion, in this and the
following verse, is to that manner of hunting the lion, wherein the
hunters, armed with spears and javelins, formed themselves in a
ring about the beast, and threw their weapons at him one after
another. By this image Job represents, in lively colors, the violent
and rapid succession of his calamities. Scott. Another explanation,
and perhaps the best, is. Thou huntest me, as a furious lion pur-
sues his prey ; but, whereas the lion tears his prey speedily,
and so ends its torments, thou renewest my calamities again and
again.
17. Thou reneicest thy witnesses : i. e. thy judgments — my afflic-
tions, which my friends regard as an evidence of wickedness. — JVeio
hosts : lit. changes and a host, by the figure hendiadys, for hosts
constantly recruited. Or, changes may mean afflictions ; and the
sense may be, a host of affl,ictions. According to the former render-
118 NOTES.
ing, new hosts figuratively denote miseries constantly succeeding each
other. Exercitus immutas contra me. Arab, and Syr.
18, 19. Why then, 4^c. But for thine agency I should have perish-
ed, unseen and unknown, and have avoided my present misery and
disgrace. So in Euripides, Troad. 637, Andromache exclaims :
To liiij yEViO-,9ai Tea davitv lOov Xtyoy
Tov triv de XvnQcog y.Ohioaov ion xar-9-avtiv.
^ jllyaL yccQ ovSav Twv xay.(5v i]a&y]uhog'
'^ O 8* iVTv/^oag, iig to dvarv^^sg TreGcov,
Wvx^^iV aXarai rtjg 7iuQoi-&' tvTiQa^iag.
ICfivrj d^ ouoivjg^ cjOtteq ovx iSovGa (p(og,
Tid^vr^y.s, y.ovdhv oiSa T(5v avTijg y-axuiv.
Not to be born, I argue, and to die,
Are equal ; but to die is better far
' Than to live wretched. For he knows not grief
Who hath no sense of misery ; but to fall
From fortune's blessed height, to the low state
Of abject wretchedness, distracts the soul
With the keen sense of former happiness.
Like as the light of life she ne'er had seen,
Polyxena is dead, and of her ills
Knows nothing. Potter.
20. Jire not my days feio? &^c. : i. e. My life is short, and hastens
apace to an end. Do not then continue my afflictions to the last
moment of my existence. Let the very short term of life, which
remains to me, be a season of rest and enjoyment.
21,22. Before I go — whence I shall not return, — <^c. These
verses contain a description of sheol, or hades, the under-world, the
place of all the dead. So Sen. Here. Furens, 861. :
Stat chaos densum, tenebraeque turpes,
Et color noctis malus, ac silentis
Otium mundi, vacuaeque nubes.
Sera nos illo referat senectus !
Nemo ad id sero venit, unde nunquam,
Cum semel venit, potuit reverti.
NOTES. 119
VII.
In the eleventh chapter, Zophar the Naamathite, the third of
Job's friends, comes forward in reply to him. He censures him
with severity, as guilty of using vain, arrogant, and irreverent lan-
guage in his bold protestations of his innocence, and in his loud
complaints of unkind treatment from the Almighty. 1-4. He
speaks of the unfathomable counsels and infinite knowledge of the
Deity, and, like his predecessors in the controversy, intimates
plainly that the sufferings of Job were the punishment of wicked-
ness which the Deity had seen in him, and of which he might easily
convict him. 5-12. He assures him that, if he would put away
his wickedness, he might hope to regain his former prosperity; at
the same time threatening him with severe judgments if he should
continue in his sins. 13-20.
Ch. XI. 3. Shall thy lies : i. e. thy false assertions respecting
thine innocence, and concerning the ways of Providence.
4. Thou say est, My speech, or discourse, is pure: For thou pre-
tendest not to have offended in word or deed, and that God himself
can find no reason to condemn thee. Patrick. See ch. x. 7. In-
stead of my speech, the Sept. renders, my deeds, and the Syr., my
course of life. But T]ph is not used in this sense in other parts of
Scripture.
6. His wisdom, which is unsearchahle ! This rendering expresses
the sense, whether we regard whi^2 diS signifying complicated, intri-
cate, or double, i. e. manifold. See Ges. in verb. — God for giveth thee
many of thine iniquities. With Ros. and Ges., I take Plii'J in the
T T
sense to forget. God causeth thee to forget of thine iniquities, i. e.
forgiveth a part of them.
7. — the deep things of God P See "^pn in Ges. Secretum Dei,
Arab. Inquisitioncm Dei, Syr.
8. Deeper than hell : i. e. than sheol or hades, the place of the
dead without distinction of character. See note upon ch. xxvi. 6.
10. If he apprehend, and bind, and bring to trial. The judgments
of God upon the wicked are here represented by figurative Ian-
120 NOTES.
guage drawn from the arrest, imprisonmentj and trial of a crimi-
nal. The word STlp""), rendered and bring to trial, means, literally,
and gather together, as in the common version ; it refers to the an-
cient custom of gathering an assembly of the people for the trial of
a criminal. See Prov. v. 14 ; Ezek. xvi. 39, 40, xxiii. 46. — Who
shall oppose him? i.e. Who shall, by entering into an argument
with the All-wise, defend the criminal with any prospect of deliv.r
ering him ? or, Who shall by force deliver a criminal from his
hands ?
11. He seeth iniquity, ichen they do not observe it. The words
pl3n"' J^bl have been explained in a great variety of ways. I sup-
pose the verb to refer, by an enallage of number, to the unrighteous,
in the preceding line, or to man understood ; and that the meaning
is, that God sees iniquities of which the thoughtless and wicked
person who commits them has no knowledge. In this, as in the
next verse, I suppose Zophar to make general remarks with par-
ticular reference to the case of Job, who had so boldly asserted his
innocence. Another mode of understanding the line, which has
perhaps equal claims with that which I have adopted, is that of Coc-
ceius : He seeth iniquity, though he attend not to it : i. e. with-
out an effort of attention ; without looking carefully for it.
12. But vain man is without understanding, &/-c. ^^T seems to
be used in a privative sense, as the word is used in Piel in Cant. iv.
9. : ^'- Thou hast deprived me of my heart ; " as it were, Thou hast
hearted me. I was much inclined, in the former edition, to adopt
this rendering, which is better suited to the connexion, and to the
dignity of the author's style, than my former rendering; but was
deterred by the remark of Gesenius, that there is no instance in
which the privative signification of Piel is transferred to Niphal.
But, in his Hebrew and Latin lexicon of 1833, he observes that in
Arabic there are instances in which other forms of the verb are
used in the same way. It is therefore probable that a similar usage
prevailed in the Hebrew, although from the paucity of its remains
no other instance occurs. Schultens and Dathe render,
Let then vain man be wise.
And the wild ass's colt become a man.
According to this version, the ivild ass's colt is used figuratively
for a perverse and obstinate man.
NOTES. 121
15. Then shall thou lift up thy face without spot. He describes
the happy change of his condition by its eiFects in his countenance ;
contrasting his present dejected face, sullied and disfigured by ter-
ror, grief, and tears, with the look he shall then assume, erect, firm,
and clear as the polished mirror. He may refer to the words of
Job, X. 15, *• / dare not lift up my head.'' Scott.
17. JVow thou art in darkness. So Merc, Schult., Ges. Ch.x. 22;
Amos iv. 13. The Chald. has it, Obscuritas tenebrarum quasi lux
matutina erit. The Syr., Et caligo sicut aurora erit.
18. Thou shalt be secure, <^c. : i. e. Thou shalt feel secure that
thy prosperity will be permanent, on account of the bright hopes
which present themselves. — JVow thou art disappointed, ^c. The
Sept. has it, iy. dk inQiuvrjg y.al (pQovridog araipavsiTai iiQi'iVt].
19. Thou shalt lie down, ^c. A metaphor borrowed from flocks
lying down in the pastures. As in Ps. xxiii. 2, ''He maketh me to
lie down in green pastures."
20. But the eyes of the wicked shall be wearied out: i. e. by anx-
iously looking for relief from their miseries. — Their hope is — the
breathing forth of life: i. e. They expect no deliverance from their
miseries, but in death. Or, Death shall be the issue of their hopes.
Others render the line, as I did in the former edition, Their hope
is but a puff of breath; which passes away in a moment. But this,
I think, is less agreeable to Hebrew usage. See Ges. on n3D.
VIII.
Job begins his reply to Zophar, and his other friends, with a
severe sarcasm upon the airs of superiority which they had as-
sumed ; and complains that he had become the object of their con-
tempt, for no other reason than his miserable condition. Ch. xii. 1-5.
He reasserts his opinion respecting the point in dispute, maintain-
ing that the worst of men, far from receiving the punishment
which they deserve, often live in the enjoyment of ease and pros-
perity. 6. They had spoken to him of the wisdom and power of
God, as if he were entirely ignorant on the subject. Hence he is
led to say that what they had advanced on this topic is trite and
obvious ; and to discourse upon the power and providence of God,
in a style of eloquence well suited to make them ashamed of theii
11
122 NOTES.
pretensions to superior intelligence. This discourse may be de-
signed to illustrate generally the power and wisdom of God, as
contrasted with the weakness of man ; and also to show that, in the
distribution of good and evil, God acts from his sovereign will and
pleasure alone, and not, as the opponents of Job contended, from a
regard to the merit or demerit of men ; that he treats the righteous
and the wicked alike ; and consequently, that nothing which he or
they might advance on the subject of the wisdom and power of God
could prove him guilty, or that his misery was the punishment of
his sins. 7-xiii. 2. He longs to transfer his cause from partial and
misjudging man to the omniscient and righteous Judge, confident
that, if he could have an opportunity of pleading his cause before
him, he should not fail to vindicate his innocence. 3. He accu-
ses his friends of partiality and injustice ; of taking part against
him from selfish motives and a slavish fear of God's power, rather
than from honest conviction and a disinterested regard to God's
honor. 4-11. With the most earnest protestations of innocence,
the most fervent appeals to the Deity in regard to the justice of his
cause, and the most pathetic description of his sufferings, he closes
ch. xiii. He then proceeds to give an affecting view of the mise-
ries of human life, especially insisting upon the shortness of it, as
a reason why man should be exempted from constant and extraor-
dinary sufferings, xiv. 1-6. He complains that man's condition
is worse than that of the vegetable creation ; since the plants, when
the hand of death has apparently been upon them, come forth again
with renovated beauty ; but that to pass from a life of wretched-
ness to the never-ending sleep of death is a condition too hard to be
borne. He intimates that, if he had the hope of a second life, he
might be encouraged to bear with patience his heavy load of afflic-
tions, in the hope that, at some future time, a favorable change in
his condition might take place. But not entertaining this hope, he
implores the Deity to grant him a trial, so that his true character
may appear before he dies ; and earnestly expostulates with the
Deity on account of his dealings towards him. 7 - 22.
This chapter, as well as many passages scattered through the
poem, renders it highly probable, either that Job had no belief in
the resurrection of the dead, or in a future state of existence
equally desirable with the present life ; or that the author of the
poem excluded from it all regard to a future state, as inconsistent
with its general plan and design. It contains several assertions of
NOTES. 123
man's utter annihilation. It is true, that, if we make some allow-
ance for the language of strong emotion in which he expresses him-
self, we may suppose that he had some vague notions of the exis-
tence of the disembodied spirit, in a half-conscious, inactive state,
in the interior of the earth, such, for instance, as prevailed among
the ancient Greeks, but more gloomy and less definite ; an exis-
tence wholly undesirable, and offering no equivalent for the loss of
present enjoyments and of the present life. See ch. x. 21, 22, and
the note. It is almost impossible for the human soul to conceive
that its consciousness will be wholly lost. See note on xiv. 22.
The separate existence of the soul seems also to be implied in the
distinction which is made between sheol and the grave ; the former
being represented as a vast subterraneous cavern, where all the
spirits of the dead dwell together. The belief in some sort of
existence of the soul after death seems also to be implied in the
credit which the ancient Hebrews gave to the art of necromancy.
See 1 Sam. xxviii. 3-10. But the language of this chapter appears
to be wholly inconsistent with the supposition that he had any
expectation of a desirable existence after death. It was reserved
for the Prince of life, the author and finisher of our faith, to bring
the glad tidings of great joy to the aching hearts of men — to bring
life and immortality to light.
Some critics have endeavored to lessen the force of Job's express
denials of a future life, in this chapter, by the remark that he only
meant that he could not hope to live again in the present loorld ;
but that he might still have believed that he should exist hereafter
in a better world. I admit that a second life in this world was
what he intended to deny ; but I think it was because the idea of a
desirable existence in any other place had never entered his mind.
Heaven he evidently regards as the abode of Jehovah and his an-
gels alone; and hades, or the under-world, as a place of gloom and
horror. If, as he asserts, the hope of living again in this world
would have afforded him consolation and comfort under his afflic-
tions, then surely the hope of a happier state of being than the
present life might have aff'orded him still greater comfort and con-
solation. How can it possibly be accounted for that he should
sink into despair, because he could not hope to enjoy the doubtful
good of living again in this world of sin and misery, whilst at the
same time he believed in the existence of a world of happiness and
purity, to which the righteous were to be admitted ,'' See note upon
124 NOTES.
ch. xix. 25. In ch. x. 21, 22, we have a description of the place
where Job expected to be after death.
Ch. XII. 2. — the whole peojjle ! i. e. ye have engrossed all the
wisdom in the world, and all others are mere brutes or fools !
4. /, who call upon God, that he would answer Trie! i. e. I,
who am so conscious of my uprightness, that I am not afraid to
appeal to God, and to desire that my cause may be brought to trial,
and that the Deity would bring his charges against me, and show
me the reasons of my afflictions ; the words call and answer, or at
least the latter, being used in a judicial sense, as in ix. 16, xiii. 22,
xxiii. 5, xxxi. 35. Castalio and Dathe, however, give the same
translation as the preceding, but understand the words in their com-
mon acceptation, which is less suited to the connexion. Umbreit
renders the line, /, who once called upon God, and he answered me:
i. e. I, who was once a happy man, blessed by God. But would
the author have used the present participle to express this meaning .''
Schultens has it, /, icho call upon God: i. e. for trial, and am
ready to ansicer him ! In regard to the change of persons in the
Heb., see Ges. Heb. Gram. § 217, n. 3. RosenmOller supposes that
Job, in reference to the assurances of his friends, that if he would
call upon God he would be delivered from his calamities, ex-
claims,
A man that is become a laughing-stock to his neighbor,
as I am,
Call upon God, and have an answer from him !
The innocent and upright man is held in derision.
5. He, that is ready to slip, SfC. : i, e. A man in adversity is de-
spised by the prosperous, as a torch, which is valued while it affords
a bright light, but is thrown away as a nuisance, when its flame is
extinguished.
6. Who carry their God in their hand: i. e. Who trust to their
strength and their weapons, and have no regard to the Supreme
Being. See Hab. i. 11, and note.
7-9. These verses are probably to be regarded as a continuation
of verse 3 ; the intermediate verses being parenthetical. In refer-
ence to the discourse of Zophar, who had spoken, with considerable
parade, of the wisdom of God, and had affected to consider Job as
ignorant of it, or as having called it in question, he remarks that
NOTES. 125
what Zophar wished to teach him was so obvious that it might be
learned from the lower animals. They made it evident, by their
properties, actions, and modes of life, that God created the world
by his wisdom, and that he governed it with absolute dominion ; so
that it was not necessary to ascend to heaven, or to go down to the
under- world, to obtain such knowledge. See xi. 7-9. Others sup-
pose the meaning to be, that, in the distribution of happiness and
misery, God is so far from having a regard to moral distinctions,
that even of the lower animals the mischievous and rapacious fare
well, while the useful and gentle meet with harsh treatment from
man, or are the prey of the rapacious of their own kind.
9. — among all these : i.e. these irrational creatures, which are
represented in the preceding verses as teaching, declaring, S^c, and in
this verse, in the way of poetical exaggeration, as knovjing the wis-
dom and power of the Deity, which they so plainly declare. It is said
that •' with the Hindoos, he who refuses instruction, and will not be
convinced, is told to ask the cattle." Or, in reference to the second
exposition of verses 7-9, these things may refer to such things as
are referred to in ver. 6. See Is. xxii. 11. Otherwise — hath made
these things : i. e. the heaven and earth and all things therein, to
which Job may be supposed to have directed the attention of his
hearers by the motions of his hands, or of his eyes. So Schult. and
Cocc. Thus Job declares that the wisdom of God is so plain, that
all nature, as it were, feels and acknowledges it ; but he means to
deny that this has anything to do with the question of his guilt or
innocence.
11, 12. Doth not the ear, &/-c. : i. e. As the palate distinguishes the
sweet from the bitter, so the ear, or rather the mind by the ear,
discerns truth and falsehood in discourse ; and wisdom is the attri-
bute of age and experience. The connexion and application of
these proverbial maxims are by no means so clear as their general
meaning. It is probable that he means by them to censure his friends
for not hearing and weighing his observations with more attention,
candor, and impartiality, instead of despising and rejecting them at
once. In verse 12, RosenmUller supposes that he alludes to his
own age, as a reason why he should be heard with more attention
and deference. See xiii. 1, xv. 7, 10. Others, that he refers to
the age of his friends, as a reason why he should expect better
things of them than to have his reasoning misunderstood and per-
il *
126 NOTES.
verted; or, as a reason why they should hear the following dis-
course with attention and candor. See ch. xxxiv. 3.
14. Lo ! he pulleth down, S^c. None can repair what He tears
down, whether houses, castles, or cities. — He bindeth, ^c. : i.e.
None can extricate the man whom he casts into difficulties and
straits. Patrick. See ch. xxxvi. 8.
15. Lo ! he withholdeth the waters : whether from the clouds or
springs. — and they are dried up. The waters may be said, in a
popular sense, to be dried up, when they cease to exist in their
fountains, and when the heavens seem to be changed into brass,
and the earth into iron, according to the expression in Deut. xxviii.
23. — He sendeth them forth. This clause describes an inundation,
such as might happen, in Job's country, from the torrents caused by
too great an abundance of rain. Scott.
16. The deceived and the deceiver. A proverbial expression, says
Gesenius, denoting every description of men. — are his: i. e. all
alike depend upon him for their powers ; the subtle and the weak
are alike subject to his control, and subservient to the purposes of
his providence.
17. He leadeth counsellors away captive. Statesmen, who prom-
ised themselves success and victory, as the result of their plans, he
disappoints and leads into captivity ; and judges he deprives of
their peculiar attribute, reason or discernment. Or, judges may
denote rulers, whom he infatuates, and leads to the adoption of
measures which end in their own ruin.
18. He dissolveth, <^c. ; i. e. He dethroneth kings, and leadeth
them, bound in chains, into servitude. So Mer,, Schult., Ges. But
Dathe renders the verse,
He looseth the girdle of kings.
And he encircleth their loins with a belt :
i. e. He takes away their authority, and he invests them with it.
But usage does not favor this explanation, as Ros. observes. See
Gen. xlii. 24 ; Judg. xv. 13 ; Ps. cxlix. 8.
19. And overthroweth the mighty : i. e. the mighty men of war, in
battle.
20. He sealeth up the lips : lit. He taketh away the lips. — the
trusty: i. e. persons of tried wisdom and long experience, to whom
the people are wont to repair for advice.
21. Jlnd looseth the girdle of the mighty. As the Orientals wore
NOTES. 127
long and flowing robes, they were unfit for fighting, or for any kind
of active service, until they had girded up their loins. Hence to
loose the girdle of a person is to take away his strength, or power
of resisting an enemy. Schultens and others suppose the girdle to
be a badge of office ; and that to loose it means to deprive those
who wore it of their dignity and honors.
22. He revealeth deep things out of darkness. Some understand
this as a general remark, setting forth the infinite knowledge and
power of God, who can bring to light the most secret things ; as
in Matt. x. 26. So Merc. Others suppose particular secrets are
referred to, such as plots, conspiracies, or the deep-laid plans of
princes. Others, the hidden designs of God himself, which in
course of time are brought to light.
24, 25. He taketh away, ^c. Divine infatuation of the governing
powers is here described in forcible language and striking resem-
blances. In their confusion, mistakes, perplexity, and distress, they
resemble persons who have lost themselves in the Arabian solitudes,
without a path, without a waymark, without a light to guide them;
and their irresolution and unstable counsels are like the reeling
motions of a drunken man. Scott.
Ch. XIII. 4. — forgers of lies : i. e. in maintaining that great
afflictions are peculiar to the wicked ; and that I am guilty because
I am miserable.
8. Will ye he partial to his person? i. e. Will ye utter falsehoods
from partiality to him ? The phrase to receive or accept persons
was probably borrowed from the practice of corrupt rulers or judges
who received or admitted to their presence those who came with
gifts, and favored their cause.
9. Will it be well for you, if he search you thoroughly? i. e. If
he search you thoroughly, will he not find that your condemnation
of me has sprung not so much from honest conviction, as from the
selfish desire of winning his favor.''
11. Doth not his majesty make you afraid? i. e. Is it not a slavish
fear of what God can do to you that induces you to condemn me
without proof?
14. / will count it nothing to hear my flesh in my teeth. HD-Sv.
I see not what these words can mean here, unless the explanation
of Gescnius be correct, quovis pretio, for any price or consider-
ation whatever. See his Lex. upon ^^. " To carry the flesh in
128 NOTES.
the teeth," and '-to put the life in the hand," evidently mean
" to risk the life," as what is carried in the teeth or the hand
is liable to be dropped. See 1 Sam, xxviii. 21 ; Ps. cxix. 109.
Umbreit explains the verse in a manner inconsistent with both these
references, as if the meaning were. Why should I be tenacious of
life .'' The meaning is, I will maintain my integrity at all events,
even at the risk of my life. This is the meaning of the proverbial
expressions in both clauses of the verse.
15. — / have no hope! This is the literal rendering of the re-
ceived text. The common version adopts the various reading ")7, in
him, instead of that of the text ^7, not. I prefer the latter, as the
more difficult reading, and yet quite as well suited to the context,
and to the general plan of the book.
16. This also shall be my deliverance. An opportunity of appear-
ing before God, and pleading my cause, will lead to my deliverance,
i. e. to my vindication from the charges of wickedness and guilt
which have been brought against me. — For no unrighteous man will
come before him : i.e. For I shall not go before him an unrighteous
man. Others suppose the meaning to be. My readiness to appear
before God, and to plead my cause before him, ought to be consid-
ered a proof of my innocence ; for no unrighteous man would dare
to do it.
18. — that I am innocent: i. e. that my cause is just; or, that I
am innocent of the charge of gross wickedness, which is alleged
against me as the cause of my calamities.
19. — contend icith me: i.e. maintain the cause successfully
against me.
22. Then call upon me, S/-c. These expressions import that he
aimed to dispute his cause, not merely before God as a judge, but
with God as a party. Scott.
26. For thou loritest : A judicial term, referring to the custom of
writing the sentence of a person condemned, i. e. decreeing his
punishment. See Ps. cxlix. 9; Jer. xxii. 30; John xix. 22. So the
Greeks used the expression yQuip^adaL Sly.riv ; and amongst the
Arabs a writing is a term commonly used for a judicial sentence.
27. Thou tcatchest all viij paths: i. e. all the paths by which I
might escape. The allusion is to a prisoner who is not only fetter-
ed, or in the stocks, but closely watched by sentinels. — Thou hem-
mest in the soles of my feet: i. e. by a trench, beyond which thou
wilt not suffer me to pass ; i. e. thou hast stopped my way. See xix.
8 ; Lam. iii. 8, 9.
NOTES. 129
28. And I : lit. And he. Upon this change of persons in the He-
brew, see Ges. Heb. Gram. § 217. ; Storr's Observ. § 23. The
Greek idiom, by which rmh uvSqi is used for hiol, has some re-
semblance to it.
Ch. XIV. 1. — born of woman. This is said in conformity with
the Oriental sentiments in regard to the inferiority of the female
sex, in ancient and modern times. See ch. xv. 14, xxv. 4. The
following lines are quoted by Dr. Good, as from a well known pro-
duction of Lord Bacon :
The world's a bubble, and the life of man
Less than a span.
In his conception wretched, from the womb
So to the tomb.
Curst from the cradle, and brought up to years
With cares and fears.
Who then to frail mortality shall trust,
But limns the water, or but writes in dust.
3. And dost thou fix thine eyes upon such an one ? This expres-
sion denotes, in Zech. xii. 4, to look angrily at another. Scott. It
refers here, probably, to vigilant inspection for the sake of discovering
faults. — And dost thou bring me into judgment with thee ? i. e. Dost
thou treat me as a criminal, and decree against me severe punish-
ments .''
4. Who can produce a clean thing from an unclean? He now
pleads for lenity on account of the natural weakness of man's moral
powers. Who can expect so frail and weak a being as man to be
without faults .'' Who can expect frail man to be as pure as an angel .'
Vitiis sine nemo nascitur.
6. That he may enjoy, as a hireling, his day ! i.e. That he may enjoy
his term of life, at least to that degree in which the hireling enjoys
his term of service. The Sept. favors this mode of translating the
verse : ^ ^-inorixa u/i" uvrov, tV« i]ov;(uOtj, y.ai tv8oxi\an avruv r'ur [iiov,
ojaaen 6 /.iio-do^rug. Otherwise, Until he shall, as a hireling, have
completed his day. To complete, or accomplish, is a less common
meaning of n^fl, but not without support. See Lev. xxvi. 34, 41,
43 ; 2 Chron. xxxvi. 21 ; Is. xl. 2. Others render. Until, as a hire-
ling, he shall rejoice in his day : i. e. the day of his death. Let him
be exempt from afflictions during the common short term of human
130 NOTES.
life, until, weary and worn with service, he shall rejoice in the day
of his death, as a hireling rejoices in the day of his release from
service.
7 - 12. Compare the well known passage of Moschus :
^i\ a'l, rai f.iala)(ai (.isv inav y.ara xartov oXmvrai,
H ra j(X(x}Qct aiXiva, to, t' £V-&aXsg ovXov avrj'&ov,
"YorsQov av toiovri, xal slq srog aXXo (pt'om'
^^ifisg S\ OL fisyuXoi y.ai xaQTBQol ?/ oocpoi avSQsg,
OnnoTB TCQojTa ■d-uvwaag, avuxooi iv x&ovl xoiXa
Eidouig £V LiaXa uay.qov arlQuova ytjyQsTov vtcvov.
Epitaph. Bion. 105.
The meanest herb we trample in the field,
Or in the garden nurture, when its leaf,
At Winter's touch, is blasted, and its place
Forgotten, soon its vernal buds renews,
And, from short slumber, wakes to life again.
Man wakes no more ! — man, valiant, glorious, wise.
When death once chills him, sinks in sleep profound,
A long, unconscious, never-ending sleep. Gisborne.
See also in Dr. Beattie's Hermit :
'T is night, and the landscape is lovely no more ;
I mourn, but, ye woodlands, I mourn not for you ;
For morn is approaching, your charms to restore.
Perfumed with fresh fragrance, and glittering with dew.
Nor yet for the ravage of winter I mourn ;
Kind nature the embryo blossom will save ;
But when shall spring visit the mouldering urn ?
O when shall it dawn on the night of the grave ?
So an Arabic poet, Abul Ola, quoted by Pococke :
Ridemus, at risus a nobis stultitia est ;
Oporteret enim in superficie terrse degentes flere.
Comminuunt nos tempora, ac si essemus
Vitra ; nos vero fusione novd reparandi non sumus.
Not. ad Port. Mos. cvii. Opp. p. 215.
10. — and he is gone forever ! whT]^\ This word means to be so
entirely prostrated, overthrown, or weakened, as not to be able to re-
cover. Man, when dead, has no strength or vital principle remain-
ing in him, by which he can, like a tree that is felled, return to life.
NOTES. 131
A more literal rendering, such as pass away, waste away, is, by
English usage, synonymous with death } Gesenius renders it daliin
ist, it is all over with Mtti.
12. Till the heavens he no more : i. e. Never. For things unchange-
able and eternal are in Scripture compared in duration to the heavens.
See Ps. Ixxii. 5, 17, Ixxxix. 29, 36, 37, cxlviii. 6 ; Jer. xxxi. 35, 36.
Dr. Good supposes that the phrase refers to a definite period, that of
the general resurrection. But this supposition is inconsistent with
Scripture usage, and with the context, and is not countenanced by
the most respectable of those critics who suppose the general resur-
rection to be referred to in ch. xix. 25.
13. 0 that thou wouldst hide me in the under-world! i. e. in sheol
or hades. Schultens takes great pains to show that Job, by this
expression, does not wish for death, but only to be shut up alive in
hades. But if we understand him to wish for a temporary death,
the connexipn of this verse with the 14th will be closer. Under
the influence of passionate emotion he expresses the thought, that,
if he were by death removed out of the sight of the Deity for a
time, his wrath might subside, like man's resentment, which time
and the absence of the object of it weaken or extinguish.
14. If a man die, can he live again ? Here he checks his wish for
death by a question which is equivalent to a negation. A man
once dead cannot live again. Else, or if it were so, I might have
strength and patience to endure all my present afllictions, until my
change should come, i. e. until I should be relieved from my hard
service by new recruits, or from my wearisome station by a fresh
guard ; i. e. until a favorable change in my condition should take
place. Or, hard service may relate to his wished for residence in
the lower world, ver. 13, and his change to his restoration to the
upper world, when his character should be vindicated, and his
happiness restored. The poet probably means here to make another
allusion to the actual history of Job in the close of the poem.
Grotius quotes, and elegantly translates, a similar passage from
Eurip. Supp. Mul. 1084.:
Oifj-Of ri Sij ^Qoroiaiv ovx eanv To{j£,
Niovg dig slvai, y.ai yiQovrag av TcaXiv ;
^ ^XX" iv do^ioig ^isv 'I'jv ri (.itj xaliog ^'fX\i,
rvMUttiOiv vora^aiOiv i^oQ-doi'iiis-&a'
' Altai a S' ovx tgeoriv el 8^ '/^t^'' ^*oi
^Ig, xai ytqovTig^ bI' lig ttr^uaqravEv,
Jinlov (iiov ?.axuvTsg, t^ojQ^ovue^^ av.
132 NOTES.
Proh fata ! cur non est datum mortalibus
Duplici juventa, duplici senio frui ?
Intra penates siquid habet incommode,
Fas seriore corrigi sententi^ ;
Hoc vita non permittit ; at qui bis foret
Juvenis senexque, siquid erratum foret
Priore, id emendaret in cursu altero.
15. Call upon me, and I will answer thee! So Le Clerc, Schultens,
Ros., De Wette. Unable to bear the thought of going out of the
world under such a load of infamy, and having no hope of coming
back into it again to clear his innocence, he earnestly begs of God
to relent towards his creature, and to bring him to immediate trial.
The terms call and answer ought surely to be taken in the same
judicial sense as in ch. ix. 16, xiii. 22, xxxi. 14 ; the former denoting
the acti n of bringing the complaint; the latter, the part of the
defendant in replying to it. Scott.
16, 17. As a contrast to the regard which he pleaded for in the
foregoing verse, and as a reason for his urging an immediate trial,
he here sets forth the severity with which God treats him now.
16. — thou nuviberest my steps: i. e. thou makest strict inquiry
into my actions, that thou mayst find out all my errors, and punish
them. — Thou watchest over my sins : i. e. Thou watchest for my
baitings or miscarriages, as if thou wert glad of an occasion to
punish me. Poole.
17. My transgression is sealed up in a hag : i. e. as writings,
money, or other choice things, that they may be safely kept, and
brought forth upon occasion, and that not one of them may be
forgotten or lost. See Hos. xiii. 12. " The money, that is collect-
ed together in the treasuries of eastern princes, is told up in cer-
tain equal sums, put into bags, and sealed." Chardin. — thou
addest unto my iniquity. Either, thou addest one sin to another,
the sins of my youth to those of my riper age, so as to swell the
number laid up against me, and thus to increase my punishment ;
or, thou makest my iniquity greater than it is. Gesenius renders
it, perhaps correctly, (see in the Hebrew, xiii. 4 ; Ps. cxix. 69,)
thou inventest (falsehood) unto mine iniquity : i. e. thou chargest me
with iniquity falsely. The rendering which I have adopted may
be considered as a milder way of expressing the same idea. It is
that of the old Geneva version, i. e. the English version made in
the time of queen Elizabeth ; which, in several passages of this
NOTES. 133
poem, is more correct than the common version. The Chald. has
it, accutnulas super iniquitates meas.
19. So thou destroyest the hope of man : i. e. the hope of living
again after death.
22. But his flesh shall have pain, ^c. By a bold, but not unnatu-
ral personification, the dead man in his grave is represented as
conscious of his own miserable condition, and of that alone.
'- Though every man," says Dr. Freeman, " knows that other men
die, and consequently can have no doubt that ere long he must die
himself; yet perhaps he never does, or can, view himself as in a
state of non-existence. He conceives himself still beholding, after
death, what passes in this world; and, even whilst his body is
mouldering in the tomb, as breathing and thinking."
IX.
Eliphaz begins his reply to Job with bitter sarcasms and re-
proaches. He censures particularly the assertions of Job respecting
the indiscriminate distribution of happiness and misery, as tending
to undermine religion, and to encourage men in the neglect of
prayer. He says that the assertion of such opinions is sufficient
evidence of his guilt. Ch. xv. 1-6. He then lashes him severely
for pretending to understand the ways of God better than those
who were his elders ; and for his passionate complaints concerning
God's dealings toward him. He repeats, for his admonition, the
substance of the oracle which he had brought forward in his for-
mer discourse. 7 - 16. He proceeds to give, as a quotation from an
ancient poem, a highly wrought description of the misery which
in various ways pursues the wicked man. The drift of the whole
is to vindicate Providence, to condemn Job as an object of divine
wrath on account of his wickedness, and to terrify him, if possible,
into a confession of his guilt. 17-35.
Ch. XV. 4. ^nd discouragest prayer before him. Literally, less-
enest prayer. The meaning is, that Job, by maintaining that God
treated the righteous and the wicked alike, sapped the very foun-
dations of religion ; since, in that case, the wicked would have
nothing to fear, and the righteous nothing to expect from him.
12
134 NOTES.
5. Though thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. He gives this
invidious turn to Job's protestations of innocence, prayers, and
appeals to God ; which he represents as an artful address to the
passions of his hearers, in order to blind their judgment, and deceive
them into a favorable opinion of his piety.
7. Art thou the first man, S^c. : i. e. Hast thou lived ever since the
creation of the world, and treasured up the experience of all ages in
thy own breast, that thou speakest so arrogantly, and with such con-
tempt of other men ? Poole.
8. Hast thou listened in the council of God : i. e. in such a council
as is described in the first and second chapters of this poem, where
the angels are represented as assembled around Jehovah for the pur-
pose of giving an account of their ministry, and of receiving orders^
respecting the government of the world. Eliphaz sarcastically in-
quires, whether, in consequence of being admitted into God's coun-
cil, he, of all men in the world, is acquainted with his purposes.
For wisdom seems here, as in ch. xxviii., to have special, though not
exclusive, reference to the wisdom or purposes of God, by which
he governs the world. For the rendering draion all wisdom, see Ges.
Thes. ad ;?1J.
— T
11. — consolations of God. Eliphaz may here refer to the oracle,
ch.iv. 17-21. — words so full of kindness : So Cocc, Schult., Ges.
By their consolations, and words of kindness, he means their distant
intimations of his guilt, their warnings insinuated in the way of ex-
amples, and their exhortations to confession and amendment. Scott.
12. — winking of thine eyes. To wink with the eyes, according to
Hebrew usage, denoted arrogance, haughtiness, and contempt. See
Ps. XXXV. 19 ; Prov. vi. 13.
19. To lohom alone, <^c. .- i. e. the ancient inhabitants of Arabia,
who had not been corrupted by intercourse with foreigners. It was
no modern or imported doctrine, but that which prevailed amongst
the earliest and best inhabitants of the country. Le Clerc. Eliphaz
here speaks like a genuine Arab, whose pride is in his tongue, his
sword, and his pure blood. Umbreit.
20. jlnd the number of his years is hidden from the oppressor :
i. e. he is in constant fear of death. He is not secure of his life for
a moment, his guilty conscience continually conjuring up fears of
assassination or violence of some kind. He is in the situation of
Dionysius of Sicily :
NOTES. 135
Districtus ensis cui super impii
Cervice pendet, non Siculse dapes
Dulcem elaborabunt saporem ;
Non avium citharaeque cantus
Somnum reducent. Hor. Carm. III. i. 17.
Some critics render this line : Few are the years which are appoint-
ed for the oppressor. They suppose Q'^jtlr *12DD, number of years, to
denote the same as "iSOD niJti', years of number, i. e. few years, as in
ch. xvi. 22. So men of number, for feio men, in several passages.
But no instance has been adduced in which "iflDD, placed before the
word, has this meaning. The Sept., however, seems to favor this
rendering; I'r?; 8h aQi-d^injra dsSouiva dvvuanj, numbered years are given
to the ojjpressor. Schultens, who is followed by Dathe and Storr,
supposes years to denote divine judgments or calamities, like D"'n%
• T
days, in ch. xxiv. 1, rendered judgments in this version. They ren-
der, And many calamities are treasured up for the oppressor. There
is no objection to the rendering treasured up, i. e. hidden in the
divine counsels, but no instance has been adduced in which years
denotes judgments or calamities.
With this description of the condition of the wicked compare that
of Juvenal, Sat. xiii. 192. :
— Cur tamen hos tu
Evasisse putes, quos diri conscia facti
Mens habet attonitos, et surdo verbere caedit
Occultum quatiente animo tortore flagellum ?
Poena autem vehemens, ac multo saevior illis,
Quas et Caedicius gravis invenit, aut Rhadamanthus,
Nocte dieque suum gestare in pectore testem. . . .
Hi sunt, qui trepidant, et ad omnia fulgura pallent,
Cum tonat, exanimes primo quoque murmure coeli,
Non quasi fortuitu, nee ventorum rabie, sed
Iratus cadat in terras et vindicet ignis.
Ilia nihil nocuit, curd graviore timetur
Proxima tempestas, velut hoc dilata serene,
21. In peace the destroyer cometh upon him. Schultens and others
understand this, When there are no signs of invasions, insurrections,
136 NOTES.
or plots against him, his disturbed imagination is continually pre-
senting destruction to him. Post equitem sedet atra cura.
22. — darkness : a common metaphorical expression for calamity.
His despair of escaping some unhappy end, assassination for instance,
is described here. Schult. — set apart, ^c. : i.e. destined to a
violent death. So, in substance, the Sept., Ivriraxrai ylxQ 7jdTj sig
](iiqag OiSi'iQov.
26. Jlnd ran against Aim toith outstretched neck : i. e. with his
neck stooping and stretched out, the attitude of a combatant running
upon his adversary. — With the thick bosses of his bucklers. Schultens
has shown that to turn the boss of one's buckler against a person
is a proverbial expression among the Arabs, meaning to become his
deadly enemy. These metaphors drawn from the single combat,
which was much in practice in the ancient wars, are intended to
express the most daring impiety, atrocious violation of God's laws,
and contempt of his vindictive justice.
27. Because he covered his face with fatness. This is a graphical
description of a luxurious and licentious person.
30. — darkness: i. e. ruin, destruction. — his branches: i. e. his
wealth, power, glory, all with which he was adorned, as a tree with
its branches. — by the breath of His mouth: i.e. of God's mouth.
The destruction of the wicked man seems to be represented under
the image of a tree destroyed by a burning wind, fsee note upon ch.
iii. 5,j or by lightning ; or torn up by a tempest sent by the Deity.
See ch. iv. 9 ; Ps. xviii. 15 ; Is. xi. 4.
31. — vanity. The term «?ami?/ has two meanings, and therefore
well represents the original. In the first line of the verse it denotes
loickedness ; in the second, the consequences of wickedness, or
Ttiisery.
X.
The speech of Eliphaz was admirably fitted to carry on the de-
sign of the poem, by irritating the passions of Job, and inflaming
his discontent with the ways of Providence. In his reply he gives
a pathetic representation of the inhumanity of his friends, and of
his other severe afilictions. He then makes the most solemn protes-
tations of innocence, and expresses an earnest desire that his cause
may be tried, and his innocence vindicated, before he goes the way
whence he shall not return. Ch. xvi. He dwells upon nearly the
NOTES. 137
same topics in ch. xvii., and ends his reply with the strongest expres-
sions of grief and despair.
Ch. XVI. 4. — strintr to £ ether : lit. tie to cr ether : nectere verba.
Some prefer the rendering, make a league with words : i. e. raise
a host of words.
7. For now He, 8^c. : i. e. God, whom he addresses in the next line.
8. Thou hast seized hold of me: ""JCaDpn. See ch. xxii. 16, and
Ges. Lex. The meaning of both clauses of the verse is, that the
afflictions of Job made his friends believe that he was a bad man.
9. His anger : i. e. God's. The image is drawn from a wild beast
tearing the flesh of a person whom he is pursuing. — My adversary :
i.e. God. See ch. xiii. 24, xix. 11. — sharpeneth his eyes: i.e.
darts piercing looks at me, or looks upon me with fierce and spark-
ling eyes.
10. They gape : i. e. My friends, the instruments of God's anger.
— they assemble : i. e. like conspirators, to effect my ruin.
15. And covered my head : lit. my horn. See Ges. Rosenmdller
supposes the metaphor to be borrowed from some strong and noble
animal lying dead, with its horn thrust into the ground ; and that
the meaning is. My wealth, power, and glory are prostrate in the
dust. See Deut. xxxiii. 17; Ps. Ixxv. 5.
16. — deathlike darkness. See note on ch. iii. 5.
18. 0 earth, cover not thou my blood. He compares his accumu-
lated miseries to blood unjustly shed, and prays that his injuries may
not be concealed from man or Heaven, nor remain unavenged.
— And let there be no hiding-place for my cry ! i.e. May nothing hin-
der my cry for redress from ascending to heaven ! See ch. xix. 7. In
the height of his emotion he forgets that it is God who hath laid him
low. Some suppose my blood to denote blood shed by mc, and my
cry, the cry of the distressed, caused by me. But this is flat, compared
with the preceding explanation.
19. And he that knoweth me : "•^nlS'j lit. my witness ; I paraphrase
• T X
it to avoid repetition. The Sept. has it, 6 ovrlarcoQ uov, probably
for the same reason. Cranmer's Bible, And he that knoweth me is
above in the height.
21. 0 that one might contend : i. e. in a judicial controversy. His
meaning is, that if the Deity would bring his charges against him,
he should be able to clear himself, and vindicate his integrity. See
ch. xvii. 3.
12*
138 NOTES.
Ch. XVII. 3. Give a pledge, S^c. The terms in this verse are
obscure, on account of our ignorance of the ancient forms of trial.
Job seems again to cliallenge the Deity to enter into a judicial con-
test with him in regard to the uprightness of his character ; and
desires the Deity to give a pledge that he would not avail himself of
his almighty power in the contest, but deal with him upon fair and
equal terms, so that the cause might be decided according to strict
justice, and without regard to the rank of the parties concerned.
— Who is he that icill strike hands with me ? i. e. Who, by the usual
form of striking hands, will agree with me to be surety for thee ?
See Prov. vi. 1, xvii. 18, xxii. 26. This challenge, says Mr. Poole,
savors of too much boldness and irreverence to God; yet seeing Job
expresses the same desire, almost in the same manner, in ch. ix.
32, 33, and is sharply reproved by God for contending with him,
in xl. 2, I see no inconvenience in ascribing the same thing to him
here.
4. Therefore thou icilt not suffer them to preyoiiZ ; i. e. to gain the
victory in this contest. Thou wilt rather pronounce me innocent,
and censure them.
5. He that delivers up his friend as a prey, pbr?/, for a prey.
So used in Gen. xiv. 24 ; 1 Sam. xxx. 24.
6. — their abhorrence : n3r\j from the Chald. P|-1j"^, to spit out. y.ai
ccTif^Stjv arhoig ytXwq. Sept.
8. — at this : i. e. at seeing so good a man oppressed with such a
Jieavy load of afflictions. ^nd the innocent, &/-c. : i. e. the innocent
will resolutely oppose the wicked, w^hen he judges the worse of
piety because of my afflictions. Patrick.
10. — return: i. e. to the debate.
11. Even the treasures of my heart : i.e. what most occupied my
heart.
12. Kight hath become day to me : i. e. I have sleepless nights.
I am as much awake by night as by day. — The light bordereth on
darkness : i. e. The day seems very short. The daylight seems to
go as soon as it is come.
13. Yea : Qj^, a particle of asseveration. Hos. xii. 11 ; Prov.
xxiii. 18. See Ges. ad verb. — / have made my bed in darkness:
i. e. the darkness of the grave. I shall soon lie down in the grave,
the only place in which I can expect repose.
NOTES. ' 139
14. I say to the pit, ^'C. By these strong expressions he intimates
how near he believed himself to be to death. I have already made
so near an alliance with death, that my father and mother and near-
est kindred are nothing so near to me as the grave and worms. Oth-
ers suppose him to express a strong desire of death in this verse.
16. — hars of the under-world : Sheol, the gates of which are
fastened by massive bars, so that those who have entered it cannot
return. See ch. xxxviii. 17 ; Is. xxxviii. 10 ; Ps. ix. 13, cvii. 18. Some
render '''13 solitudes or icastes, with less probability. See Hos. xi. 6.
— Yea, we shall descend together into the dust ! i. e. I and my hopes
shall be buried in the same grave. I render nnJ, as if it were
pointed HDJ, in the first person plural. So the Sept., ?) ouo&viiadbv
ircL ;(djuc'.rog xara^hjOuua-9-a. This is a figurative way of saying that
all his expectations would end in misery, death, and corruption ; or
that these were all he had to expect.
XI.
In the eighteenth chapter Bildad again comes forward, full of re-
sentment against Job on account of the low estimation in which he
held their discourses. He accuses him of pride and arrogance. He
reasserts the general doctrine, maintained by the friends of Job, that
misery implies guilt, by giving a highly wrought description of the
calamities which, as he contends, are the portion of the wicked.
This description contains some particulars closely adapted to the
circumstances of Job, and was, without doubt, designed to intimate
that Job must resemble in character those whom he so much resem-
bled in condition.
Ch. XVIII. 2. When iciil ye make, «^c. Though the pronoun is
in the plural, there can be little doubt that Job is the person ad-
dressed. — Understand : i. e. Consider and weigh our arguments.
3. He refers to what Job had said in ch. xvii. 4, 10.
4. Thou that tearest thyself: lit. He teareth, <^c. This is a common
Hebrew idiom. See ch. xii. 4, xvi. 7, xvii. 10, xxxii, 15, xli. 9.
— Must the earth he deserted for thee ? S^c. When the Orientals would
reprove the pride or arrogance of any person, it is common for
140 NOTES.
them to desire him to call to mind how little and contemptible he
and every mortal is, in these or similar apophthegms :
What though Mohammed were dead ?
His Imams (or ministers) conducted the affairs of the nation.
The universe shall not fall for his sake ;
The world does not subsist for one man alone.
Lowth, Lect. 34.
Most critics, however, suppose the verse to have a more definite
meaning. " These are proverbial forms of speech for altering what
is fixed and unchangeable. The meaning is, if I mistake not, that
God must give up his moral kingdom among men, or violate the
immutable laws of justice by which it is administered, if such a man
as Job escaped punishment. This interpretation makes an easy
transition to the other part of the discourse, which is designed to
prove that, by an unchangeable rule of Providence, the signally
wicked shall signally perish." Scott.
5. Behold, the light : — the flame, S/-c. These metaphors denote,
in general, splendor, prosperity, glory, or festivity. There is an al-
lusion, in the latter clause of the verse, to what the Arabian poet
calls the fires of hospitality ; these were beacons lighted upon the
tops of hills by persons of distinction among the Arabs, to direct and
invite travellers to their houses and tables. Hospitality was their
national glory ; and the loftier and larger these fires were, the greater
was the magnificence thought to be. See Pococke in Carm. Tograi,
p. iii. A wicked rich man, therefore, would affect this piece of state
from vanity and ostentation. Another Arabian poet expresses the
permanent prosperity of his family almost in the very words of our
author : *• Neither is our fire, lighted for the benefit of the night-
stranger, extinguished." Hamasa, p. 473. Scott. See also the note
on ch. xxxi. 17.
6. — lamp : He refers to the lamp which hung from the ceiling of
the apartment. The Arabs are fond of this image. Thus they say :
" Bad fortune hath extinguished my lamp ; " and concerning a man
whose hopes are remarkably blasted : " He is like a lamp, which is
immediately extinguished if you let it sink into the oil." See Schult.
7. His strong steps shall be straitened : i. e. Instead of advancing
freely and firmly, in a wide path, he shall be reduced to the neces-
sity of going timidly, in a narrow way, full of obstacles, where
there is great danger of stumbling. This is a very common meta-
NOTES. 141
phor in Oriental poetry to denote the loss of power, prosperity, &c.,
as Schultens has shown by numerous quotations. Strong steps are
free, firm, unimpeded steps.
11. Terrors are here represented as allegorical persons, like the
Furies in the Greek poets.
. 13. His limbs .- yy\^ '''nS : lit. The limbs of his skin : i.e. of his
body. — the first-born of death : i. e. the most terrible death.
14. His confidence : i. e. All that he trusted and gloried in ; his
numerous family and great possessions. — Terror pursues him like a
king : i. e. in battle at the head of his forces. See ch. xv. 24, xxvii.
20. Otherwise, He is brought before the kijig of terrors. So Merc,
Ros., Ges. Some suppose the phrase to denote extreme terror;
others, death. But there are in the Hebrew writings no clear
traces of a king of Hades, corresponding to the king of the infernal
regions in Grecian and Roman mythology.
15. Brimstone is scattered upon his habitation : i. e. it is destroyed,
like Sodom and Gomorrha, by fire and brimstone from heaven.
Grotius, Le Clerc, Schult., and Ros. think that lightning is referred
to, both in this passage and in Gen. xix. 24 ; Deut. xxix. 23 ; Ps.
xi. 6. Pliny says, (Hist. Nat. xxxv. 15,) Fulmina et fulgura quoque
sulphuris odorem habent, ac lux ipsa eorum sulphurea est. And
Persius, Sat. ii. 24, 25. :
At sese non clamet Jupiter ipse ?
Ignovisse putas, quia, cum tonat, ocyus ilex
Sulphure discutitur sacro, quam tuque domusque .''
graves halantes sulphuris auras.
Lucret. VI. 222.
Bildad may refer to the circumstance that a part of Job's property
was consumed by lightning. Ch. i. 16.
18. And driven o^it of the world : i.e. He is not conducted out of
life, as Plato expresses it, with funeral pomp, by a numerous train
of relatives and citizens, but is cast out of human society like a
malefactor, and thrown under ground with infamy and execration.
Scott.
142 NOTES.
XII.
Job begins his reply to the harsh and passionate invective of Bil-
dad with pathetic complaints of the inhumanity of his friends, in
regarding his afflicted condition as unquestionable evidence of guilt.
He maintains that his sufferings are not to be charged upon him-
self, but upon God, who had overwhelmed him with calamities,
though he had done nothing to deserve them, and though he had
often desired to be brought to trial. Perceiving that the representa-
tion of his misery had no effect upon his hard-hearted friends, he
suddenly turns from them, and expresses the earnest desire that all
which he had said in his defence might be recorded upon some last-
ing monument, so that posterity, at least, might do him justice; or
that it might remain unefFaced till the event should justify it. But
his consciousness of innocence does not allow him to stop here.
He is not satisfied with the tardy justice which posterity may render
to his memory ; and he gives utterance to the firm and triumphant
conviction, that, low as he is reduced by sorrow and disease, he shall
yet live to see the Deity stand up in his favor, and vindicate him
from the unfounded charges which have been brought against him.
He also warns his friends that the time will come, when they shall
be put to shame for their injustice and cruelty toward him.
Ch. XIX. 2. — b7-eak me in pieces : a metaphor drawn from the
pounding of kernels in a mortar, or from breaking rocks in pieces by
repeated blows of the hammer.
4. My error ahideth with myself : i. e. I alone shall bear the con-
sequences of my error.
Mihi dolebit, non tibi, siquid stulte fecero.
Plant. Mensech. ii. 3.
5. — my reproach: i. e. my calamities, which bring reproach
and disgrace upon me.
7. Behold, I complain of icrong. He certainly means wrong or
violence done to him by God. This language is extremely harsh,
and utterly inexcusable. It is, however, nothing more than what
he had already said in effect, in ch. ix. 17, x. 3, xvi. 18. Indeed, if
such rash speeches as these had not come from his lips, what ground
NOTES. 143
would there have been for those cutting reproaches in xl. 8. : " Wilt
thou even disannul my judgment ? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou
mayst appear righteous ? " Scott.
9. And taken the crown from Tny head : i. e. deprived me of all
my dignity and honors. See Prov. iv. 9.
10. — / am gone: i. e. I am near death. See x. 21, xiv. 20;
Gen. XV. 2 ; Ps. xxxix. 13. — like a tree : which, being plucked up
by the roots, does not grow again.
12. His troops, 8^c. He represents his calamities by metaphors
drawn from the siege of a city.
15. — foreigners, 8fC. : or sojourners : i.e. servants; or, perhaps,
clients, persons who looked to him for protection ; persons connected
with his family, but not residing under his roof. Schultens says that
the same word is used by the Arabian poets to denote the depend-
ents of a great man, who are adopted into his family and taken
under his protection. He quotes the following lines from Hamasa :
Descendite sub alas meas alasque gentis meas,
Ut sim presidium vobis, cum pugna conseritur ;
Namque testamento injunxit mihi pater, ut reciperem vos hos-
pites,
Omnemque oppressorem a vobis propulsarem.
But the first meaning seems to agree better with the connexion.
17. My breath is become loathsome : So Schultens and De Wette.
According to this rendering, HIT is taken, in a less common sense,
TT
from the Arabic. Perhaps the rendering of Ges., My spirit is be-
come a stranger : i. e. / am become a stranger, may be thought
more consistent with safe criticism. — children of my oicn mother :
lit. children of my loomb : i. e. of the same womb from which I
came.
20. Jlnd I have scarcely escaped with the skin of my teeth. A pro-
verbial expression, denoting the utmost emaciation. " I am scarcely
sound and whole and free from sores in any part of my skin, ex-
cept that of my jaws, which holdeth and covereth the roots of my
teeth. This being, as divers observe, the Devil's policy to leave
his mouth untouched, that he might more freely express his mind,
and vent his blasphemies against God, which he supposed sharp
pain would force him to do." Poole.
22. Why do ye persecute me like God? i.e. without giving any
reason or account of your conduct, accusing me of crimes without
144 NOTES.
proof, and condemning me without trial. — And not rest satisfied,
with mtj flesh : i.e. with the consumption and torment of my whole
body, but add to it the vexation of my spirit, by your grievous re-
proaches and calumnies. Or, according to Schultens, Why are ye
not satisfied with the reproaches and slanders with which ye have
already tormented me ? Schultens remarks that to eat the flesh of
another is an Arabian phrase for calumniating him. One of their
poets has the line, " I am not addicted to slander, nor am I one
who devours the flesh of his friend." Another, speaking of his
calumniator, says, " Who worries my flesh, and yet has not satisfied
his avidity." The phraseology is taken from a wild beast rending
his prey.
23. 0 that my tcords : i. e. all my discourses, all that I have said
in my defence, my protestations of innocence, my appeals lo God,
&c., so that all ages may be able to judge between me and my ac-
cusers, and to know the justice of my cause.
24. — and with lead : i. e. infused into the letters engraven in the
rock, in order to make them plain and legible. See Jer. xvii. 1.
25 - 27. The design of this passage appears to be the same with
that of xvi. 19, where Job exclaims, " Mij loitness is in heaven, and
he that knoiveth me is on high ;" and of the numerous passages in
which he desires and prays that his cause may be brought to trial,
and that the Deity may pronounce judgment respecting the integrity
of his character. This design is, to express, in a striking manner,
the depth and sincerity of Job's conviction of his own innocence.
So strong and clear is the testimony of his conscience in his favor,
that what has heretofore been the object of his ardent wishes and
prayers is now become the object of his confident expectation; and
he expresses the firm persuasion that God will be the vindicator of
his integrity from the charges of his friends ; that he will stand up
on the earth, as a judge, and decide the cause in his favor; that,
though his body he wasted azcay to a mere skeleton, yet in his flesh,
restored to soundrfess, or before he dies, he shall see God, interpos-
ing in his favor, and taking his side in the controversy. Or we may
render. Yet without flesh I shall see God : i.e. Reduced though I
may be to a skeleton, yet shall I see him interpose for me.
It appears more consistent with Job's character, and with the
design of the poem, to suppose that the main object of his confi-
dent expectation was, not restoration to general prosperity, but the
vindication of his character from false imputations. He has the
NOTES. 145
conviction that a just and good God will yet make it appear that
his misery is no proof of his guilt. Throughout the poem he seems
to regard all other evils light, in comparison with the loss of charac-
ter ; and to desire not so much deliverance from misery, as from
the imputation of guilt ; and thus he refutes the insinuation of Satan,
that his piety was founded in selfish motives.
Whether Job connected the recovery of his health, and his res-
toration to general prosperity, with the vindication of his character
by the Deity, it is not very important to decide. One objection to
this supposition appears to be very futile. Job could not have
hoped for recovery from his disease, or for restoration to prosperity,
say some critics, for he had said, more than once, that he had no
hope, and that he was near his grave. As if a person, who is rep-
resented as agitated by the most violent and opposite emotions,
could be expected to be consistent in his sentiments and language.
What can be more natural than that Job, in a state of extreme
depression, arising from the thought of his wrongs, the severity of
his afflictions, and the natural tendency of his disease, should ex-
press himself in the language of despair, and yet that he should be
animated, soon after, by conscious innocence, and the thought of
God's justice, goodness, and power, to break forth into the language
of hope and confidence ?
But, for the reasons before mentioned, it is probable that the
main, if not the sole, object of Job's confident expectation was
the vindication of his character by the Deity. The writer, however,
without doubt, intended that the whole passage should have relation
to the concluding part of the poem, where the Deity is represented
as appearing and vindicating the character of Job by calling him
four times his servant ; by rebuking his calumniators, and pardon-
ing them through his intercession; by declaring that he, and not
his friends, had spoken that which was right, i. e. in regard to the
question whether misery was a proof of guilt ; and by giving him
temporal blessings in two-fold greater abundance than before his
affliction. This interposition of the Deity appears to have been
kept in view by the writer throughout the poem, and thus the mind
of the reader is prepared for it.
Of the objections to the supposition that Job here expresses his
confident expectation of a resurrection to a life of happiness, a few
will be briefly mentioned.
13
146 NOTES.
1. The supposition is inconsistent with the general design of the
poem, and with the course of argument. The belief in a future
state of retribution would have, in some measure, solved the diffi-
culty respecting the afflictions of the good, and the prosperity of
the wicked. But no one of the speakers alludes to it in the course
of the poem. If it be a declaration of that doctrine, it is a single
independent declaration of it, in a work, in which, from the na-
ture of the subject, it might have been expected to occur upon every
page.
2. It is inconsistent with the connexion of the discourse. Zophav,
who replies to Job, makes no allusion to it, but goes on to assert the
temporal miseries which are the portion of the wicked and of their
children.
3. It is inconsistent with several express declarations of Job in
other parts of the poem. See ch. vii. 7, 8, x. 20-22, xiv. through-
out, and xvii. 11-16. When he wishes for death, he speaks of it
as the termination of his miseries, and not as the introduction to a
life of happiness. Ch. iii. It is, moreover, too much to suppose
that the influence of feeling would have led him to deny so impor-
tant a doctrine, had he believed in it. Under the influence of oppo-
site emotions, one may be expected to express diflferent opinions
respecting his condition, prospects, &c., but not to deny so impor-
tant an article of his faith. So good a man as Job would naturally
have been led, in his affliction, to cling the more closely to the
doctrine of a future life of happiness, had he believed in it ; or
rather, had he been represented by the poet as believing in it.
4. It is not urged as a topic of consolation by either of the three
friends of Job, nor even by Elihu, who acts the part of an umpire
in the controversy, and who gives a more philosophical account
than either of the speakers of the design of afflictions. Nor is it
alluded to by God himself in the decision of the controversy.
5. The Jewish commentators, who sought for every shadow of
proof of the doctrine of a future life in the Old Testament, do not
consider this as one of the passages by which it is supported. The
supposition that this doctrine is contained in the passage derives its
chief support from the mistranslation or misapplication of certain
expressions in it. See also the prefatory remarks to ch. xii., xiii.,
xiv.
25, — mij Vindicator: ""Sj^J. This term, in its primitive sense,
NOTES. 147
was applied to the person whose duty it was to maintain the rights,
interests, and reputation of a near relative, either by repurchasing
his mortgaged inheritance, by marrying his widow and saving his
family from extinction, by redeeming him from servitude, or by
avenging his blood. In this passage it is figuratively applied to the
Deity, as taking the part and vindicating the character of Job against
the cruel treatment and false accusations of his friends. It is else-
where applied to the Deity in the more general sense of a de-
liverer from calamities of any kind. The term redeemer might
be retained, as a figurative expression for a deliverer from reproach
and calumny, but it would be less intelligible than the term vindi-
cator, and more likely to be misapplied. That there is no allusion
to Christ in the term, nor to the resurrection to a life of happiness
in the passage, has been the opinion of the most judicious and
learned critics for these last three hundred years ; such as Calvin,
Mercier, Grotius, Le Clerc, Patrick, Warburton, Durell, Heath,
Kennicott, Doederlein, Dathe, Eichhorn, Jahn, De Wette, and
many others. — ^nd will stand up : i. e. appear or interpose to de-
cide the controversy. Ps. xii. 5, " For the sighing of the needy now
will I arise, (or stand up,) saith the Lord." xliv. 26, " Arise, (or stand
Tfp,) for our help, and redeem us." xciv. 16j Jer. ii.27. — at length:
or, at last; or, hereafter; tandem, Dathe ; postremo, CsiSt.; posthcec,
Doed. p'^nx is used adverbially, 3 or S being omitted. See Is. viii.
23, XXX. 8; Numb. ii. 31 ; 1 Sam. xxlx. 2 ; Prov. xxix. 11, xxxi. 25.
The rendering of the common version is entirely unsupported by
usage. — on the earth. IDj;-^^;. See ch. xxxix. 14, xli. 25. Lit.
T T -
upon dust. Possibly the expression dust is emphatic, as contrasted
with heaven, the usual residence of the Creator. Others render the
line. And that he shall stand last upon the field : i. e. be victorious
over his adversaries. Others, And that he shall arise, or stand up,
at last against dust : i. e. against his adversaries, who are but dust.
26. And though with my skin this body be wasted away. So Ros.,
Eich., and De Wette. Or, the pronoun nXT may agree with '>'yi^^
and the line be rendered, And after this skin, or body, of mine is
wasted away. According to either rendering, the meaning will be.
Although I should be reduced by disease and sorrow to a still lower
condition than I am at present. The rendering which Gesenius
adopts in his Thesaurus does not strike me favorably : And after
my body is wasted away, this — supply shall happen. The ex-
148 NOTES.
pression wasted away does not imply the death of Job, but only that
he should be extremely reduced by disease. Dr. Stock, however,
supposes that Job expected to die, and to be raised again to life in
this world, to see his innocence vindicated, and his calumniators pun-
ished. If we even suppose him to have had his death in view, there
is not the slightest reason to believe that he referred to a general
resurrection, but only that he should he restored by the power of
God to this world.
27. — my friend : i^, lit. /or me, or on my side. It is so rendered in
Vs. cxxiv. 1, " If it had not been the Lord, who was on our side," &c.
— My eyes shall behold him no longer an adversary. This rendering
may not be quite so agreeable to Hebrew usage, but as it gives a
better sense, and is supported by the parallelism, I adopt it. Other-
wise, My oion eyes, and not another's, shall behold him. — For this
my soul panteth within me : lit. my reins are consumed: i. e. with
desire to see that happy day. So Patrick, Dathe, Ros., De Wette,
Ges. See Ps. Ixxxiv. 2, cxix. 81, 82, cxliii. 7.
28. And find grounds of accusation against him ? So the Sept.
and Vulg. So Ros. and Ges.
XIII.
ZoPHAR, not softened by the earnest and pathetic appeals of Job,
nor convinced by his solemn protestations of innocence, but rather
provoked by the impressive warning with which he had closed his
last discourse, proceeds to portray, by new images and striking ex-
amples, the calamities which in all ages had been the lot of the
wicked. He infers that Job resembles those in character whom he
resembles in condition.
Ch. XX. 10. His sons shall seek the favor of the poor : i. e. the
poor whom their father had plundered, and who may require satis-
faction or reparation. Or it may mean, generally, that they shall
be so much reduced as to seek the good-will and assistance of the
most destitute and abject ; a stronger expression than if he had merely
said that they should become poor. It is placing them below poverty
itself. — And their hands : i. e. the hands of the children of the op-
NOTES. 149
pressor : lit. his hands. The singular pronoun is in Hebrew not
unfrequently thus used. So Deut. xxi. 10, " When thou goest forth
against thine enemies, and God gives him into thine hand." See
Stuart's Gram. § 181.
11. His hones are full of youth : i. e. of youthful vigor. So Ges.
The same word is used in ch. xxxiii. 25; Ps. Ixxxix. 45. The
meaning is. He shall be cut off in his youth — in the fulness of his
strength. So the Sept. The Syr. and Arab, have it marrow. The
Chald., strength.
12. Though wickedness, <^c. The wickedness in which he takes
so much pleasure is avarice, with its accompanying crimes, oppres-
sion, injustice, and cruelty. The pleasure which a depraved mind
has in the indulgence of its criminal inclination is compared to an
epicure's enjoyment of some delicious morsel.
14. Yet his meat shall he changed within him: i. e. changed into
something of an opposite nature, as from sweet to bitter, from
nutritious to poisonous. His meat is riches acquired by oppression ;
but it is poisoned. A curse is connected with iniquitous acquisi-
tion. This is the poison of asps to him, even the divine vengeance.
Scott.
15. He hath glutted, <^c. The original word is very forcible. The
metaphor included in it is drawn from a ravenous beast devouring
his prey, denoting great voracity. — ^nd he shall throw them up
again : as an epicure does that which he has drunk or swallowed
with greediness and delight. The sudden loss of his ill-gotten
wealth, and the intolerable anguish of his mind in suffering such
loss, are involved in this powerful metaphor. The curse or ven-
geance of God will bring this punishment; God shall cast them
out of him.
16. He shall suck the poison of asps. That which he greedily
swallowed, as pleasant nutriment, shall be as destructive to him as
the poison of asps,
17. — rivers of milk and honey. These are Oriental emblems of
abundance and felicity. The wicked man shall not have that secure
and permanent enjoyment of the good things of this life which he
expected, or which is promised to the good.
18. It is substance to he restored. See Ges. upon nilDri. So De
Wette. ' '
20. Because his avarice was insatiable : lit. Because he kneic, or
felt, no quietness in his stomach. So Ros., Ges., and De Wette,
13*
150 NOTES.
21. Because nothing escaped his greediness : i. e. his rapacity. So
Heath, Ros., and De Wette. — His prosperity shall not endure. JVon
durabit bonum ejus. Syr. JVihil permanebit de bonis ejus. Vulg.
ovit av'9-)j0et avrov rix aya&u. Sept.
22. Every calamity of the wretched : lit. Every hand of the wretch-
ed : i. e. Every blow or wound which cometh upon the wretched.
So in ch. xxiii. 2, " My wound is deeper,'' &/-c., is, in the original,
My hand is deeper, S^c. ; the instrument being used for the effect.
Omnis dolor. Vulg. naaa avayy.ri. Sept.
23. He shall, indeed, have wherewith to fill himself. This is said
sarcastically. The next line shows what sort of food he was to
have. — for his food. 1QinS3. So Schult., Ges., and Ros. See
Ps. xi. 6. Similar images occur in the Koran. Thus : Qui occul-
tant quod Deus revelavit, illi non edent in ventribus suis nisi
ignem.
24. He fleeth, <^c. This was probably a proverbial expression,
like that in Latin, Incidit in Scyllam, cupiens vitare Charybdim.
25. He draweth, ^c. This verse is otherwise rendered thus :
He draweth out the arrow ; it hath gone through his body ;
The glittering steel hath pierced his gall ;
He goethj (i. e. expireth ;) terrors are upon him.
26. — is treasured up for him : lit. is hidden, or laid up, for his
treasures. See Rom. ii. 5. — ji fire, unkindled: i. e. not kindled by
man, but sent from heaven : i. e. lightning. — It shall consume :
yy, from nj7l, future in Kal, by Apocope.
— ■. T T
27. The heavens shall reveal his iniquity: i. e. by lightning, for
instance, such as destroyed the herds of Job, or by storms of wind,
such as destroyed his children. — And the earth shall rise up against
him : i. e. when wild beasts, venomous serpents, or bands of robbers
shall destroy his substance.
NOTES. 151
XIV.
The opponents of Job had persisted in maintaining that great
calamities were a proof of uncommon guilt; that they were the
portion of the wicked, and of them only. This position Job over-
throws, by adducing instances of impious men who pass their lives
in ease and prosperity, enjoy a comfortable old age, and are favored
with an easy death. Ch. xxi. 6-15. They might object, that the
fear of reverses must mar the enjoyment of the guilty ; but he con-
tends that such reverses happen so seldom, that the bad have not
more reason to fear them than the good. 16-18. They might say
that the children of the impious man suffered, if he did not ; but he
asserts, with justice, that this is no punishment to the oifender
who is numbered with the dead. 19-21. He maintains, that, of two
persons of the same character, one might be seen enjoying uninter-
rupted prosperity, and the other, suffering misery without cessation;
and that both came to the same end. 22-26. Perceiving by their
looks that they were not satisfied, but still regarded his miserable
condition as evidence of his guilt, he appeals to the testimony of
travellers, who would mention instances of great oppressors who
had escaped in a time of general destruction, and died a peaceful
death ; who had been buried with great pomp, and had had so
splendid a monument erected to their memory that they almost
seemed to flourish and live again in their very tombs. 27-34.
Ch. XXI. 2. And let this be your consolation: i. e. I will regard
your candid attention as an equivalent for those consolations which
I had reason to expect from you,
4. Is my complaint concerning man? The preposition 7 means
of or concerning, in Gen. xx. 13, and elsewhere. See Ges. He
seems to intimate that he had not so much reason to complain of
man or of his friends, as of the severe afflictions which he received
from God, whilst so many wicked men enjoyed prosperity. — IVhy
then should I not he angry? Siurl ov ■&v^wd-)\ooi.iai ; Sept. He seems
to consider the fact that his misery was sent upon him by God, not-
withstanding his endeavors to please him, as a sufficient reason for
his impatience and complaints.
5. Look upon me, ^c. Silent astonishment, instead of censure,
152 NOTES.
should be the effect of beholding a man of integrity and piety in my
afflicted condition, while so many contemners of God, and oppres-
sors of his creatures, are happy in life and fortunate in death.
6. Wlien I think of it : i. e. of what follows, viz. the prosperous
condition of the wicked.
12. They sing, S^c. ^Hii/'', scil. ^jp, attollunt vocem. See Is. xlii. 2.
13. And in a moment, ^c. This assertion is opposed to Zophar's
representation of the terrible death of such men, in ch. xx. 24, 25.
See also ch. xviii. 12, 13. This is that sudden and easy death, in a
green old age, without pain, without lingering sickness, and while
their families are flourishing around them, which Tiresias predicts
to Ulysses in the shades : " Death shall come to thee from the sea.
It shall be a gentle death. It shall come when thou art subdued
by a happy old age, and thy people about thee are happy." Odyss.
xi. 133, &c. Scott. So Suetonius, after describing the death of
Augustus, says : Sortitus est exitum facilem, et qualem semper
optaverat. Nam fere, quoties audisset cito ac nullo cruciatu defunc-
tum quempiam, sibi et suis si'-daraolav similem (hoc enim et verbo
uti solebat) precabatur. Life of Augustus, § 99.
16. Thou sayest, ^c. There can be no doubt that, in the first line,
at least, of this verse. Job refers to the sentiments advanced by his
opponents, and probably in both. Some suppose that the first line
is ironical ; and that, in the second, Job expresses his abhorrence of
wickedness, notwithstanding the prosperity which often accompa-
nies it.
17. HoiD often happens it, <^c. This question is equivalent to the
assertion that the wicked are seldom in adversity and misery. It is
thus an answer to the assertion in the preceding verse.
21. — is completed : i. e. according to Cocceius, is reckoned in full
tale : i. e. when he has lived out the whole term of human life.
22. JVho then shall impart knowledge to God, 8/-C. Shall we be
so bold as to instruct God how to govern the world, and to tell him
that he is not just, unless he punish the wicked when we expect it.''
He judges the highest beings, and therefore surely knows how to
govern us. He, that rules the world of spirits, surely knows how to
manage the little concerns of mankind.
24. His sides, ^c. Otherwise, His pastures are full of milk.
See Ges. upon ptOJ^. Latera ejus plena adipe. Arab, and Syr. ra
Sh syxara avrov TvXi'jQrj ariarog. Sept. Viscera ejus plena sunt adipe,
Vulg.
NOTES. 153
28. For ye say, 8^c. Although these questions relate to tyrannical
princes in general, and to other wicked men in high stations, they
are intended to be applied to Job's overthrow in particular. His
adversaries still insisted that destructive calamities are the usual
portion of the wicked ; and that, such calamities being his portion,
there was wanting no other evidence of his guilt. But the testimony
of travellers, as he tells them, shows the falsity of their premises,
and therefore of the conclusion drawn from them. Scott.
30. That the wicked is spared in the day of destruction : i. e. when
destruction comes upon other men. So Merc, Schult., Pat., Ros.,
and Ges. — Jlnd that he is gone to his grave in the day of icrath. See
ver. 32, and x. 19. He dies a natural, peaceful death.
32. Even this man, <^c. He is too powerful to be called to ac-
count by man, and, not meeting with chastisement from God, he
goes to the grave with all the honors of interment usually paid to
personages of the highest rank. Scott. — Yea, he still survives upon
his tomb. So Dathe, Ros., Eichhorn, and De Wette. He enjoys,
as it were, a second life upon his tomb, in the honors paid to
his memory, his splendid monument, and the fame he leaves
behind him. y.al avrbg ini aojQcov ijQVTivijOev. Sept. Et super
congeriem vigilahit. Chald. Et in congerie mortuorum vigilabit.
Vulg.
33. — the sods of the valley, &/-C. These words also seem to
suppose that the person who is buried may partake, in some
respects, of the prosperous state of the tomb which contains him.
See the note on ch. xiv. 22. Such an idea seems to have been
indulged by Sultan Amurath the Great, who died in 1450. " Pre-
sently after his death, Mahomet his sonne, for feare of some
innovation to be made at home, raised the siege, and returned
to Hadrianople : and afterwards with great solemnitie buried his
dead body at the west side of Prusa, in the suburbs of the citie,
where he now lieth, in a chappell without any roofe, his grave
nothing differing from the manner of the common Turks; which,
they say, he commanded to be done, in his last will, that the mercie
and blessing of God (as he termed it) might come unto him by the
shining of the sunne and moone, and falling of the raine and dew
of heaven upon his grave." Knolles's Hist, of the Turks, p. 332.
Burder's Oriental Customs, No. 507. — And he draweth, <^c. In go-
ing down to the grave he does but share the common lot of mortals.
Innumerable multitudes have gone thither before him, and the sue-
154 NOTES.
ceeding generations of men shall follow him to the same place
of assembly for all the living. Others suppose a funeral procession
to be referred to.
XV.
Here begins the third series of controversy. Eliphaz, unable to
refute the reasoning in Job's last discourse, founded as it w^as on
undeniable facts, proceeds to misrepresent his sentiments, and even
to charge him vs^ith particular crimes. He begins with an attempt to
expose to ridicule Job's complaints respecting his afflictions, his
assertions of his innocence, and his appeals to the Deity, as if he
had set up arrogant claims upon the divine justice, and had demand-
ed a reward for his goodness. Ch. xxii. 1-5. He goes on to assert
that Job's wickedness, and not injustice on the part of the Deity,
was the cause of his misery, and charges him with a variety of
enormous crimes. 6-11. He also accuses him of having adopted
the corrupt principles of those impious men, who, in former times,
had perished by a flood, and warns him not to pursue their course,
and thus incur their punishment. 12-20. In conclusion, he ex-
horts him to repentance, and gives a splendid picture of the pros-
perity to which he might look as a reward. 21-30.
Ch. XXII. 2. Behold, the wise man profiteth himself. Comp.
XXXV. 7; Prov. ix. 12. Whatever wisdom or goodness a man has,
he has the benefit of it, not God.
4. Will he contend, <^c. ? i. e. in a judicial controversy. Is he
afraid that his character will suffer by thy complaints, unless, in
obedience to thy citation, he submit to a trial, and argue his cause
before some tribunal ?
7. Thou hast refused, ^'•c. Among the eastern nations hospitality
was, and still is, regarded as a duty of the most sacred obligation.
8. But the man of power had the land : i. e. The rich were always
welcome to Job ; his house was open to them, and his land before
them, while the poor were driven away from his house and territo-
ries. Or perhaps it is a more general proverbial expression, de-
noting the partiality and honor with which Job regarded the great
and powerful. Or the meaning may be, Through your connivance,
NOTES. 155
or influence, the great were sure to gain their cause, when they set
up a claim to the land of the poor.
9. And broken the arms : i. e. thou hast taken away all their
support. All the ancient versions render JOii in the second pers.
sing., which makes it probable that JOIH was formerly in the text.
10, 11. — snares. This was a common metaphor for danger and
destructive calamities ; as darkness and floods of water for over-
whelming misery.
12-20. What Job had said, in the preceding chapter, of the gene-
ral impunity and prosperity of the wicked, was matter of fact.
But this calumniator misrepresents his discourse, as a denial of a
divine providence, grounded on most absurd notions of the Su-
preme Being, as though he were limited in his presence, and could
not see what passeth in our world. — The immense distance of
heaven, the habitation of God, is represented by its being far above
the stars. Scott.
13. Can he govern behind the thick darkness ? Can he see, through
the thick clouds, the crimes that are committed on earth, and thus
inflict the punishment which they merit ?
14. And he walketh upon the arch of heaven : i. e. He is at an im-
mense distance from the earth, and wholly occupied in the concerns
of the heavenly world. So Lucretius, Lib. II. 646. :
Omnis enim per se Divom natura necesse est
Immortali aevo summa cum pace fruatur,
Semota a nostris rebus, sejunctaque longe.
Nam privata dolore omni, privata periclis,
Ipsa suis pollens opibus, nihil indiga nostri,
Nee bene promeritis capitur, nee tangitur ir^.
15. Wilt thou take the old way, «^c. ; i. e. Are you willing to adopt
the principles of those impious men who lived in the time of the
deluge ?
16. — cut down. Lit. seized, hurried away.
17. By describing the impiety of these men in the very terms
used by Job in ch. xxi. 14, 15, he confronts their exemplary de-
struction to Job's assertion of the impunity and felicity of such
characters. Scott.
24. Cast to the dust thy gold, <^c. : i.e. When thou shalt regard gold
as of no account, and cease to place thy dependance upon earthly
156 NOTES.
treasure, as thou hast done, and shalt place thy trust upon God
alone, then, &c. So Cocceius and Grotius, as to the general mean-
ing. The objection which I made to the rendering of Grotius, in
the last edition, applies to it as a literal rendering, but does not
apply to the rendering which I now adopt, which is much favored
by the connexion. Nor do I consider the circumstance that Job had
lost his wealth a valid objection to it.
27. And thou shalt perforTn thy vows : i. e. Thou shalt obtain
those blessings for which thou didst make thy vows, and accordingly
perform them.
28. And light shall shine upon thy ways: i. e. Thou shalt have
success and prosperity in all thy pursuits.
29. IVlien men are cast down, <^c. The meaning probably is,
When men are in affliction, or in low circumstances, such shall be
the efficacy of thy prayers, that God will raise them up. The word
men is supplied. Ros. thinks that 'TDTl, thy ways, should be sup-
plied from the preceding line. IVJien thy ways are cast down : i. e.
When thou art in adversity. The clause, thou shalt say, There
is exaltation, may be rendered, thou shalt command exaltation : i. e.
thou shalt exalt the humble person.
30. — Am that is not innocent. The particle ^J<, rendered island
in the common version, is used as a negative in 1 Sam. iv. 21. It is
so rendered here, in the Chald., and by Le Clerc, Ros., Ges., and
De Wette. The same sentiment is found in Gen. xviii. 24 ; Ezek.
xxii. 30; Jer. v. 1. Ros. also observes, that it may be designed to
refer to ch. xlii. 8, &c., where it appears that Jehovah forgave the
friends of Job on account of his intercession. See the note on ch.
viii. 7.
XVI.
This reply of Job is the effusion of a mind agitated by various
strong emotions ; by deep grief, ch. xxiii. 2 ; by an earnest desire
to argue his cause with God, since he could obtain neither justice
nor mercy from his friends, 3 - 7 ; by distress, that he could not
obtain his desire, 8, 9 ; by consolation in the testimony of his con-
science, 10 - 12 ; and by consternation and despair, arising from the
thought of God's absolute dominion, and the immutability of his
NOTES. 157
designs, 13 - 17. Having in some measure relieved his mind by
the foregoing effusions, he makes one effort more to convince his
adversaries by reasoning with them. He denies the constancy, and
even the frequency, of the judgments of God upon wicked men.
He produces a catalogue of enormous crimes, such as theft, oppres-
sion of the poor, murder, adultery, and tyranny, at which, as he
thinks, the Governor of the world seems to connive, by forbearing
to punish the authors of them ; by suffering them to flourish during
life, and to be fortunate and happy in the time and circumstances
of their death. Ch. xxiv.
Ch. XXni. 2. — my wound : lit. my hand : i. e. the hand of God
upon me.
3. 0 that I kneio, <^'C. He desires to go before the tribunal of
God, as a man, whose character has been assailed, may demand a
trial at an earthly bar.
6. Would he contend, «^c. f i.e. He w^oul d not overawe me, or
put me down, by his superior power, but would rather listen to
what I might offer in my defence. — icould have regard: D^"',
• T
137 being understood. See iv. 20, xxxiv. 23.
7. Then would an upright man, i^c. He speaks of himself in the
third person.
8. 9. These words are designed to express, not the mere invisibili-
ty of the Deity, but the earnest desire of Job, conscious, as he was,
of his innocence, to obtain some visible manifestation of the Deity,
and to expostulate with him, face to face, upon his unmerited suf-
ferings. Scott. The Hebrews, like some other of the Oriental na-
tions, in speaking of the different quarters of the heavens, regarded
themselves as facing the East ; the rising sun. Backward would
then be West; the left. North; and the right. South. See Ges.
Thes. ad *^inx. — ichcre he loorketh : Some suppose that God is
T
represented as working in the places northward from Job, because
mankind were there most numer *u and most attentive in observ-
ing the works of God. But may nci-c not here be an allusion to an
opinion, which is known to have prevailed amongst the ancient
eastern nations, that in the farthest regions of the north was a high
mountain, corresponding to the Olympus of the Greeks, where was
the seat or peculiar residence of God, or the Gods .'' See Is. xiv.
14
158 NOTES.
13 ; Ezek, i. 4, and the notes, and the dissertation on the subject of
the Oriental opinion above referred to, appended to Gesenius's
Comment, on Isaiah, vol. III. p. 316.
10. But he knoweth, ^c. But my consolation is, that God seeth
my heart and my conduct. — he trieth me : i.e. he examineth and
proveth my character.
12. — in my bosom. I have followed the Sept. and Vulg., which
appear to have read ipnS instead of "ipnD. The former reading
corresponds much better to the verb ?33f , which means to hide, to
- y
treasure up. But a person desires food.
14. He performeth, S/-c.: i. e. without regard to my expostulations,
pleadings, and protestations, he proceeds to inflict upon me what he
had purposed to inflict. Comp. ch. x. 13, 14. — such things : i. e.
proceedings of God's providence, as dark and unaccountable as his
dealings toward me.
17. — darkness: i. e. affliction, misery.
Ch. XXIV. 1. Why are not times, «^c. : i. e. such as those of the
deluge, the destruction of Sodom, &c. Why are not the wicked
visited with signal punishments, which the righteous may recog-
nise as such ? I now prefer to adopt the rendering of Schultens,
as more natural, and more agreeable to the author's mode of
constructing the parallelism. For the meaning given to nj^j see
Is. xiii. 22; Jer. xxvii. 7; Ezek. xxx. 3 ; Ecc. ix. 11, 12. Other-
wise, Why is not the condition of men hidden from the Almighty f
In either case the words express impatience and dissatisfaction
with the course of Providence, in suffering the wicked to go un-
punished. According to the latter rendering, he intimates that, if
the character and fortunes of men were unknown to the Al-
mighty, it would not be surprising that the wicked should pros-
per, instead of receiving the punishment which they merit. But
since all the ways of men are known to God, it is matter of per-
plexity and astonishment to Job, that the wicked, whom he de-
scribes in this chapter, are suffered to go unpunished, □"•^j? some-
times denotes fortunes, condition, the good or the evil which befalls
one. Ps. xxxi. 16. See Ges. Thes. ad verb.
2. — and pasture them. They are so shameless, that they pas-
ture, in public view, the flocks which they have stolen from the
helpless.
NOTES. 159
4. — froTTi the, way. The proud rich men push the poor from the
way, when they meet, and oblige them to retreat, as it were to hide
themselves.
5. — they go forth to their work : i. e. the poor and needy, of the
preceding verse, who go forth to their daily toil of seeking such
roots and vegetables as the woods and mountains afford for their
miserable subsistence. So Cocceius and Schultens, who refer to
Ecclesiasticus xiii. 19.
6. — the harvest : lit. his harvest, referring to oppressor, in the
next line.
7. Dr. Shaw tells us that in Arabia Petrsea the day is intensely
hot, and the night intensely cold. Travels, p. 438. 4to. Scott.
8. And embrace the rock. This exactly agrees with what Niebuhr
says of the modern wandering Arabs, near Mount Sinai, Voyage en
Arable, torn. I. p. 187. : " Those who cannot afford a tent spread
out a cloth upon four or six stakes ; and others spread their cloth
near a tree, or endeavor to shelter themselves from the heat and the
rain in the cavities of the rocks." Burder.
10, 11. So Addison, in his Letter from Italy :
The poor inhabitant beholds in vain
The reddening orange and the swelling grain ;
Joyless he sees the growing oils and wines,
And in the myrtle's fragrant shade repines ;
Starves, in the midst of nature's bounty curst,
And in the loaden vineyard dies for thirst.
12. And God regardeth not their prayer ! W'f^'', for 5*7 h^ D^il^^)
to lay to heart, to regard. Ps. 1. 23. And, by altering the points,
ThSiPi, Jolly, becomes nSsn, a prayer ; which is the reading of two
manuscripts, and of the Syriac version. So Doed. and Dathe.
Others, And God regardeth not the wickedness.
13. Others hate the light, <^c. : lit. These, i. e. The following, are
among those who hate, ^c. So Merc. This is a description of crimi-
nals who practise their deeds of violence and injustice under the
protection of darkness.
14. With the light, «^c. : i, e. Very early, by day^break. Micah ii.
1, " Wo to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds !
in the light of the morning they practise it."
160 NOTES.
15. And putteth a mask upon his face. So Juv. Sat. viii. 144. :
si nocturnus adulter
Tempora Santonico velas adoperta cucullo.
16. In the daytime they shut themselves up. See Ges. upon DHn.
iO(pQaYiOc('>' savrovg. Sept.
17. The morning-, which discovers their evil deeds, is as terrible
and hateful to these criminals as the shadow of death, or the grossest
darkness, is to other people. — They are familiar icith : i. e. They
like and desire the terrors of midnight darkness : i. e. midnight
darkness which is terrible to others. So Merc, Poole, and Ros.
18. TJiey are sicift, SfC. The words as the skiff are supplied. The
line expresses the speed with which the person escapes after the
commission of a crime. — desolate portion, <^c. .- i.e. They dwell
in desert and uncultivated places. — the vineyards : i. e. the abodes
of civilized men, lest they be apprehended. The explanation of
this and the following difficult verses is that adopted by Mercier,
Patrick, and Ros.
19. They do not die of lingering diseases, like that with which
he was afflicted, but go down to the grave as easily as snow-water
sinks into the ground, when it is melted by the sun.
20. God sets no such mark of his displeasure upon him, but that
his mother may soon forget him. The hand of justice does not
hang him on a gibbet, that he may be the food of birds, but he
descends into his grave by so gentle a death that the worm is said
to be sweet to him. There he lies quietly, and is no more remem-
bered. He does not die by a lingering disease, but is taken away
suddenly and without pain, like a dry tree, which is broken and
removed without difficulty. Verses 18-20 have been rendered
thus :
May he be as a light thing upon the waters ;
May his portion in the earth be accursed ;
May he not come near the vineyards !
Drought and heat consume the snow-waters.
So may the grave the wicked !
May his own mother forget him ;
May the worm feed sweetly on him ;
May he be no more remembered ;
May the unrighteous man be broken as a tree !
NOTES. 161
21. He oppresseth the barren, S/-c. He adds affliction to one who
has no children to help her, and who is already afflicted with that
which in those days was regarded as a curse and reproach.
22. He taketh away: i. e. destroyeth. See Ps. xxviii. 3; Ezek.
xxxii. 20. He riseth up: i. e. against the mighty, and every one of
them fears for his life. Ros.
23. God giveth: lit. He giveth. See note on ch. v. 1. — ^nd his
eyes are upon their ways : i.e. God seems to smile upon them and
prosper them in all their enterprises.
24. They are exalted, ^^c. The complaint is, 1. that the wicked
are advanced to great preeminence ; 2. that they are favored with
a death, quick and easy, which is preceded by no reverse of their
prosperity, is brought on by no disease, and is embittered by no
sharp and lingering pains. This indulgent circumstance is happily
illustrated by the beautiful simile which closes the period. Scott.
XVII.
The short reply of Bildad, in the twenty-fifth chapter, asserts, in
a lofty strain, the awful majesty, supreme dominion, and infinite
perfection of the Deity. Hence he infers the excessive arrogance
of justifying one's self before God, and impeaching the rectitude of
his government. His remarks are directed against the conduct of
Job in calling upon God for a trial, and in using arguments which
seemed to call in question God's justice. He does not attempt to
answer the assertions of Job, in the last chapter, respecting the
prosperity of the wicked. These were founded on facts which
could not be denied, and which could not be explained on the prin-
ciples of Job's opponents. It is, therefore, probable, that the poet
assigned this last feeble effort to Bildad, merely in order to give
occasion to the triumph of Job in the chapter following.
Ch. XXV. 2. He maintaineth peace in his high places : i. e. He
ruleth all the inhabitants of heaven in peace and harmony. Ch.
xxi. 22.
3. — his hosts? i. e. the stars, as is probable from the parallel
line, or his angels. See Dan, iv. 35. — £nd upon whom doth not
bis light arise 9 Some suppose that this line is intended to eet forth
14*
162 NOTES.
the glory of God in general, as manifested in the universal diffu-
sion of light ; aSj in ch. xxxvi. 30, he is said to spread around
himself his light, and, elsewhere, to cover himself with light,
as with a garment, and to divell in the light ivhich no man can
approach unto. Others, that it expresses the omniscience of God j
that it represents his light as penetrating everything, and making
everything known. Others, that his light here denotes his sun.
5. Behold, even the moon, <^c. So the Vulg., Ecce, luna etiam
nan splendet. Comp. Is. xxiv. 23.
XVIII.
Job begins his reply with sarcasms upon his last opponent, as
having offered nothing relevant to the subject in dispute. He then
endeavors to show that, if the question related to the power and
perfections of the Deity, he could speak in as lofty a style as his
opponents of the effects of the divine power in heaven, earth, and
the regions under the earth. His purpose is to show that his confi-
dent assertions of his innocence are by no means inconsistent with
the most exalted views of the wisdom and power of the Governor
of the world ; that he adores the perfections of God, and yet denies
that his misery is a proof of his guilt.
Ch. XXVI. 2. — the loeak. There has been a doubt to whom
this ironical expression is to be applied ; whether to Job, to the
other two opponents of Job, or to the Deity. From the connexion,
verse 4, and from the design and tenor of the whole chapter, it
seems most probable that Job refers to himself.
4. For ichom, <^c. : i. e. Do you think me ignorant of the perfec-
tions of God, that you address me on the subject with such a magis-
terial air.? — And whose spirit spake through thee? i. e. To what
extraordinary inspiration canst thou pretend.''
5. — the shades : i. e. ghosts, departed spirits, the inhabitants of
Hades, or the under- world, whom the ancient Hebrews conceived of
as without strength and with little sensation, mere shadows of what
they once were ; BtS(})?.a y.aiiovrwv.' See Ps. Ixxxviii. 10 ; Prov. ii.
18, ix. 18, xxi. 16; Is. xiv. 9, 10, xxvi. 14, 19. — tremble: i. e. at
the majesty and power of God. The verb S^n is often used in
NOTES. 163
this sense, and is so rendered in the common version, in Hab. iii.
10. — The waters, 8fC. : i. e. The seas and all the monsters that in-
habit their lowest depths tremble, &c.
6. The under-world — Destruction. These are different words,
expressing the same thing, viz. the abode of departed spirits, which
was supposed to be a vast cavern, far in the interior of the earth.
See the passages referred to in the preceding note, and Jahn's
Archaeology, § 203 and 207. With this description of the Hebrew
poet, compare the passage on the same topic, quoted by Longinus
from Homer, as one of unrivalled sublimity :
'Eddsios (5' vnivsQ-dsv ava^ iviQOJV, ^ ui'iSwvtvg'
jdsiGag S' Ix ■d'Qovov a^.To, y.ai "lax^-, utj ol vjisQ-d-a
T'aiav ava^iJf'jCEis IIqosiSuojv ivooi^-duiv^
Oty.'ia §E -dvtjToiOi y.ai ad^avaroioi (paviji}
2usQdu?.i\ si^QcoEvra, ra xs oxv/bovOi S'eoi ttsQ'
Toooog uoa y.rvnog wqto -dswv sQiSi ^vriovrvov.
Eiad, XX. 61.
Upstarted from his throne, appalled, the king
Of Erebus, and with a cry his fears
Through hell proclaim'd, lest Neptune, o'er his head
Shattering the vaulted earth, should wide disclose
To mortal and immortal eyes his realm
Of horror, thirst, and woe, detested sight
E'en to the gods themselves; with such a sound
The powers eternal into battle rush'd. Cowper.
7. He stretcheth out the JYorth : i. e. the northern hemisphere, or
the whole visible heaven, like a canopy or tent. Is. xl. 22. — upon
nothing: i. e. without anything to support it.
And earth self-balanced from her centre hung.
8. He bindeth, 8/-c. : i. e. He collecteth the waters into the clouds,
as it were, in bottles or vessels, which do not let them fall until he
is pleased to send them, drop by drop, upon the earth.
9. — the face of his throne : i. e. the clear sky, which is some-
times covered with clouds. Is. Ixvi. 1, " The heaven is my throne."
10. He hath drawn a circular bound, &/-c. The ancients seem to
have believed that only the northern hemisphere enjoyed the light
of the sun, and that all below the horizon was in perpetual darkness.
They also supposed that the earth was surrounded by water, upon
which the concave of heaven seemed to rest, and hence the idea of
164 NOTES.
a circular bound, drawn, as it were, by compasses at the extreme
verge of the celestial hemisphere, where the light was supposed to
end, and the darkness to begin. See Virg. Georg. I, 247. :
Illic, ut perhibent, aut intempesta silet nox
Semper, et oblenti densantur nocte tenebrae ;
Aut redit a nobis Aurora, diemque reducit.
11. The pillars of heaven tremble. Some suppose that the moun-
tains of the earth, upon which the sky seems to rest, are intended ;
but it is more probable that the vault of heaven is represented as
an immense edifice, supported on lofty columns, like a temple.
— his rebuke: i. e. thunder, lightning, and tempestuous winds,
which were supposed to be tokens of God's displeasure,
12. — he smiteth its pride : i.e. he restrains its rage, and turns a
storm into a calm. So Is. li. 15.
13. — the fleeing Serpent: i. e. the fugacious, fugitive serpent;
an epithet borrowed from the living serpent. The reader will remark
the coincidence of this epithet with the word elabitur in the quota-
tion from Virgil. This constellation is described by Virgil, Georg.
I. 244. :
Maximus hie flexu sinuoso elabitur Anguis
Circum, perque duas in morem fluminis Arctos,
Arctos Oceani metuentes sequore tingi.
Around our pole the spiry Dragon glides,
And, like a winding stream, the Bears divides;
The Less and Greater, who by Fate's decree
Abhor to dive beneath the southern sea. Dryden.
14. La! these are but the borders of his works : i. e. We are ac-
quainted only with the surface and outlines of the works of God. —
How faint the whisper, 8^-0. : i. e. How very little do we know con-
cerning the divine operations ! — But the thunder of his power. By
this expression I understand the higher exertions of his power, as
opposed to its ordinary operations, with which we are in some
measure acquainted. The meaning thus will be, that what is known
of God's works is to that which is unknown as a whisper to a peal
of thunder. Others suppose that the thunder of his power means
the loudest and most terrible thunder. But it is not probable that he
referred to literal thunder, as a special mystery among the works of
God.
NOTES. 165
XIX. .
The three friends of Job now give up the discussion. Bildad, his
last opponent, had said but a few words, and those in the manner
of a retreating adversary. He had also been triumphantly driven,
as it were, from his ground by Job. Zophar, therefore, is represent-
ed as thinking it prudent to make no reply. From this discomfiture
of his opponents, Job, taking courage, goes on to express his feel-
ings and views, in a more calm, but not less decided manner than
before. He begins with a renewed and solemn declaration of his
innocence, and expresses the most resolute determination to assert
it against all who may call it in question, to the very last moment
of his life. Ch. xxvii. 2-7. On account of what he had said of the
prosperity of the wicked, his opponents had accused him of approv-
ing them, and of envying their condition. He therefore expresses
his abhorrence of a vicious character, and speaks of the satisfactions
arising from virtue and piety, to which the wicked man is a stranger.
8 - 10. He had all along maintained, in opposition to his friends,
that this world is not the scene of a regular distribution of good and
evil, that virtue is often oppressed, and vice triumphant; and that
the greater part of wicked men go unpunished, grow old in ease
and affluence, and at length die in peace. But now, having reduced
his opponents to silence, he frankly owns that there are some ex-
amples of divine vengeance, such as they had asserted ; that the
evils which sometimes, though not always, as they contended, are
the consequences of guilt, are sufficient to deter him from envying
the condition of the wicked, and from following their evil courses.
11 - 23. The inconsistency of Job is only apparent, proper allow-
ance being made for strong expressions elicited by the heat of con-
troversy. He concedes not his main position, viz. that the innocent
often suffer. He holds fast his innocence, and will not let it go.
He admits not the main conclusion of his opponents, viz. that human
suffering always implies guilt, or that he is wicked because he is a
sufferer. His present deliberate position is, that, as the virtuous do
suffer, there is some mysterious cause of human suffering besides
the vices of men, while he admits the correctness of the representa-
tions of his opponents respecting the ordinary consequences of sin.
Thus the dispute is brought to a crisis. Without this concession,
166 NOTES.
compromise, or apparent inconsistency in the language of Job, there
could have been no end to discourses on the miseries of sin, on the
one hand, and the prosperity of the wicked, on the other. The
difficulty, therefore, which has puzzled so many critics, and led Dr.
Kennicott to propose an important alteration in the text, proves to
be a necessary part of the plan of the profound and ingenious author
of the book.
The subject of the next chapter is wisdom : i. e. such a knowl-
edge of the entire plan of Providence as will enable one to
account for all its dispensations. Job had allowed, in the former
chapter, that God makes examples of some wicked men. He had
maintained, in ch. xxi., that others equally guilty escape with im-
punity. He had also asserted, in ch. ix. 22, that general calamities
involve the best and the worst men in one common destruction.
These are perplexing appearances. Hence his thoughts are naturally
led up to those impenetrable counsels which direct all this seeming
confusion. The powers of the human mind have made surprising
discoveries in natural things. Man has penetrated the bowels of
the earth, and surmounted the greatest obstacles for the purpose of
obtaining the treasures hidden in those regions of darkness. But all
the riches of the world cannot purchase, nor the highest genius and
industry of man attain, the knowledge of the whole plan of Provi-
dence in the administration of the world, or the reasons for which
he sometimes sends calamities upon individuals. Only He can
comprehend the whole to whom are known all his works from the
beginning. The inference is, that, instead of prying into mysteries
which he cannot understand, the duty of man is to adore his Maker,
and obey his commandments. This is the wisdom proper to man.
Ch. XXVn. 2. — who hath rejected my cause : i. e. who hath re-
fused me justice.
4. — deceit: i. e. the deceit of confessing guilt, of which he is
not conscious.
6. I will hold fast, SfC. I will continue to assert it, or I will not
acknowledge that I am guilty. I will be as tenacious of it as a good
soldier is of his shield. The original term for hold fast is the same
as that used in Ps. xxxv. 2, in connexion with a shield. — My hearty
SfC. ov y'ccQ ovvoiSa iuavTco arcona nqac,a(;. Sept. JYeque enim reprG"
hendit me cor meum in omni vitd med. Vulg.
NOTES. 167
8. — cutteth off his web, S^c. This metaphor seems to be drawn
from the weaver, who, when his web is finished, cuts it off" from the
thrum by which it was fastened to the beam. See vi. 9 ; and Is,
xxxviii. 12. Otherwise, when he hath gotten plunder. — taketh
away his life. lit. draweth out his life: i. e. as a sword fr-om its
sheath. Schnurrer conjectures that bti'"' is contracted for '7X5J/'', in
which case the meaning will be, demandeth his life.
12. — vain thoughts : i. e. such as they had expressed, when they
maintained that suff'ering was a sure proof of guilt, or that Job was
suffering the punishment of a grossly wicked man, such as he goes
on to describe. See the introductory remarks to this chapter.
13. The passage from this verse to the end of the chapter presents
a difficulty ; since, at first view. Job seems to renounce his former
sentiments, and to adopt those of his opponents. One method of
explaining it, satisfactory to me, is given in the introduction to this
chapter. Another is that which supposes the passage to contain
only the language ascribed to his opponents by Job, the rain thoughts
mentioned in verse 12. Dr. Kennicott, however, supposes that the
original text is imperfect, and that the eleven verses were spoken by
Zophar. He observes that •' the plan of the former part of the poem
is as follows :
Ch.iv. and V. Eliphaz, 1st Speech. Job replies, ch. vi. and vii.
" viii. Bildad, 1st Speech. Job replies, ch. ix. and x.
" xi. Zophar, 1st Speech. Job replies, ch.xii.,xiii.,xiv.
— Job replies, ch. xvi., xvii.
— Job replies, ch. xix.
— Job replies, ch. xxi.
Ch,
, XV.
Eliphaz.
, 2d Speech.
ii
xviii.
Bildad,
2d Speech.
a
XX.
Zophar,
2d Speech.
Ch,
. xxii.
Eliphaz.
1 3d Speech.
11
XXV.
Bildad,
3d Speech.
- Job replies, ch. xxiii., xxiv.
- Job rep. xxvi. & (now) xxvii.
" It is therefore evident that Eliphaz and Bildad speak three times,
and are as often answered by Job ; but, though the regular mechan-
ism of the several parts leads us to expect a third speech likewise
from Zophar, yet we are greatly disappointed. But that we really,
even now, are in possession of a third speech made by Zophar, will
probably be allowed by most of those readers who consider well
the following remarks.
168 NOTES.
. " The eleven verses which conclude chapter xxvii., and are now
given as the words of Job, cannot have been spoken by Job ; be-
cause they contain such doctrine as Job himself could not hold, and
which indeed he expressly denies : namely, that great calaTnities
prove great wickedness. But these eleven verses perfectly express
the sentiments of Zophar, and are in his fierce manner of accusa-^
tion ; and they stand in the very place where Zophar's third speech
is naturally expected. We should observe also, that if, in answer
to Bildad's third speech, Job's reply is contained in ch. xxvi. and in
the first twelve verses of ch. xxvii., that reply ends there, very
properly, thus : — Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then
are ye thus altogether vain? But, which is a stronger argument,
the thirteenth verse, here supposed to begin Zophar's third speech,
is the very maxim, and nearly in the same words, with the conclu-
sion of Zophar's second speech : so that he means to say — I abide
by my last position ; and what I before maintained, I maintain still.
It is presumed that the title, now beginning ch. xxvii., should begin
ch. xxviii ; and that before verse thirteenth of ch. xxvii. should be
read. Then ansivered Zojjhar the JVaamathite, and said."
Besides the objection to this hypothesis, arising from its want of
support from any manuscripts or versions, Ros. observes, that, if the
passage were the speech of Zophar, it might have been expected
that Job would have given an answer to it in ch. xxviii. See also
Introd. p. xxiii.
14. — it is for the sicord : i.e. they shall be slain in war.
15. — shall be buried by Death : i. e. they shall have no grave-
digger but Death, or, they shall be unburied. See Jer. xvi. 4.
Others render it, shall be brought to the grave by the pestilence .
■d-avarog sometimes has this meaning in the Apocalypse.
16. ^nd procure raiment as clay. It was the custom of the an-
cients to lay up raiment in their treasuries, as well as gold and sil-
ver. So Virgil of Messapus, Mn. ix. 26. :
Dives equAm, dives pictai vestis et auri.
It is customary through all the East, says Sir J. Chardin, to
gather together immense quantities of furniture and clothes; for
their fashions never alter.
18. — like the moth. The house and family of the oppressor
shall not be more durable than the slight fabric which the moth
makes in a garment, and which is destroyed when the garment is
NOTES. 169
moved or shaken. See Dr. Harris's Nat. Hist, of the Bible, p. 297.
— Or like the shed, S^c. : which was made for the watchman of a
garden, whose business it was to defend the fruit from birds and
beasts while it was ripening, and which was taken down when the
fruit was gathered. See Is. i. 8. Niebuhr, in his Description of
Arabia, p. 139, says, '•' In the mountains of Yemen they have a sort
of nest in the trees, where the Arabs sit to watch their fields after
they have been planted. But in the Kehama. where there are but
few trees, they build a light kind of scaffolding for this purpose."
Mr. Southey opens the fifth part of his Curse of Kehama with a
similar allusion, quoted by Dr. Good :
Evening comes on : arising from the stream.
Homeward the tall flamingo wings his flight ;
And where he sails athwart the setting beam.
His scarlet plumage glows with deeper light.
The watchman, at the wished approach of night,
Gladly forsakes the field, where he, all day.
To scare the winged plunderers from their prey,
With shout and sling, on yonder clay-built height,
Hath borne the sultry ray.
19. The rich man falleth : i. e. dies. — and is not buried: lit.
not gathered: i. e. as the slain are gathered in battle for burial. —
In the twinkling of an eye he is no more : lit. He openeth his eyes and
is no more. So Merc, Ges., and Ros.
Ch. XXVIII. 2. And stone is melted into copper. So Pliny, Nat.
Hist, xxxiv. 1, 22, and xxxvi. 27, 66 : Ms fit ex lapide asroso, quem
vocant Cadmiam ; et igne lapides in ses solvuntur.
3. Man putt eth an end to darkness : i. e. The darkest recesses of
the earth are made light by torches, carried thither by man. —
For the stone of darkness. Schultens supposes the centre of the
earth to be denoted by this expression. Others, the metallic ore in
the darkest parts of the earth.
4. From the place where they dwell : 1il~D^n' Following Schul-
tens, who assigns to 1j a meaning from the Arabic, I formerly ren-
dered these words. From the foot of the mountain. The present
rendering is according to the common meaning of the Hebrew terms.
15
170 NOTES.
Gesenius supposes the expression to be elliptical for Dl£^ *1J *1{^&5
T T V -;
PJ^Dj lit. From there where one dwells : i. e. From the surface of the
earth, the abode of man. This corresponds with the last line of the
verse, they swing away from men. — a shaft: i. e. a passage
leading into a mine. — Unsupported by the feet : lit. Forgotten by
the feet: i. e. They do not descend by their feet, but are let down
by ropes or baskets.
5. — torn up, 8/-c. : i. e. Effects are produced by man, in excavating
the earth, similar to those produced by subterranean fires. So Pliny :
Persequimur omnes ejus (terrse) fibras, vivimusque super excavatam.
. . . Imus in viscera ejus, et in sede Manium opes quaerimus, tan
quam parum benigna fertilique, quaqu^ calcatur [perhaps, secatur].
Hist. Nat. xxxiii. 1.
7. The path thereto: i. e. to the place of sapphires, gold ore, &c.
Verses 7 and 8 are probably designed to illustrate the intrepidity
of man in penetrating these dangerous regions of darkness. The
most far-sighted birds could not see them, or find their way to them.
The most daring beasts of prey would not venture into them.
9. Man layeth his hand, <^c. This and the following verses de-
scribe the immense labor and difficulty of working a mine. Man
overcomes every obstacle which nature has placed in his way.
10. He causeth streams, <^c. This was done either for the purpose
of drawing off" the water which impeded their operations, or of
washing the impure ore.
11. He stoppeth the dropping, 8/-C. : i. e. the water which trickles
down the shaft of the mine.
12. But lohere shall wisdom be found ? Having given an imposing
view of the powers of man in regard to natural things, he proceeds
to give as emphatic a representation of his inability to fathom the
counsels of God, or to understand the reasons which direct him in
the government of the world, particularly in the distribution of
happiness and misery.
13. Man knoweth not the price thereof : i. e. He hath no means
or ability to obtain it.
21. And kept close from the fowls of the air : i. e. The residence
of wisdom is beyond the flight of the swiftest and strongest birds.
This is saying, in a poetical, and perhaps a proverbial manner, that
this wisdom is not to be found within the limits of our world.
Scott.
NOTES. 171
22. The realms of Death : i. e. the under-world, hades. — We have
heard only a rumor, S^c. : i. e. It is at such an immense distance
from us, that we have only heard a rumor respecting it.
23. God alone knoweth the way to it': i. e. God only knoweth the
reasons of his dispensations to men.
27. — and make it known: i. e. to his angels. Or, He made his
wisdom visible in his works.
28. — that is wisdom : i. e. The wisdom of man doth not consist
in the knowledge of the reasons of the divine government, but in
piety and holiness.
XX.
Job now returns to his own case, as a striking illustration of the
mysterious ways of Providence, of which he had spoken in the last
chapter. His aim is to show that all his pleadings and complaints
were well founded. He beautifully descants upon his former pros-
perity, ch. xxix., and exhibits the striking contrast between it and
his present affliction and debasement, ch. xxx. Lastly, in answer
to the unfounded insinuations and false charges of his friends, he
relates the principal transactions of his past life, asserts his integrity,
as displayed in the discharge of all his duties relating to God and
man, and again appeals to the omniscience and justice of God in
attestation of his sincerity. Ch. xxxi. Lowth.
Ch. XXIX. 3. When his lamp shone over my head. The houses
of Egypt, according to Maillet, are never without lights in the night-
time. If such were the ancient custom, not only of Egypt, but of
the neighboring countries of Judea and Arabia, it will strongly illus-
trate this passage. Mr. Scott, however, thinks that there is probably
an allusion to the lamps which hung from the ceiling in the banquet-
ing rooms of the wealthy Arabs; not unlike what Virgil mentions in
the palace of Dido, JSLn. Lib. I. 726. :
dependent lychni laquearibus aureis
Incensi.
From gilded roofs depending lamps display
Nocturnal beams that imitate the day. Dryden.
172 NOTES.
— walked through darkness. Here is reference probably to the fires,
or other lights, which were carried before the caravans in their night-
travels through the deserts. The extraordinary favor of God and
his protecting care are denoted by the metaphors in both parts of
this verse.
4. — of my strength : lit. my autumn : i. e. my ripeness, the flower
of my age. Comp. the Greek oTrwQa. — When God was the friend
of my tent, ^c. : lit. Iflien confidential intercourse with God was in
my tent, S^c. See IJD in Ges. It is rendered sweet counsel, in Ps.
Iv. 14.
6. IVIien I washed, S^c. : i. e. When streams of milk met me, as it
were, wherever I went. Olive groves and abundance of cattle made
the principal wealth of the Arabs. The best olives grew upon the
rocky mountains. Hence the bold figures by which the Arabs ex-
press a condition of uncommon felicity. See Deut. xxxii. 13, 14.
Scott.
7. — to the gate: i. e. the forum, or place where the courts were
held. — And took my seat, <^c. " Job here speaks of himself as a
civil magistrate, who had a seat erected for him to sit upon whilst
he was hearing and trying causes ; and this was set up in the street,
in the open air, before the gate of the city, where great numbers
might be convened, and hear and see justice done. The Arabs, to
this day, hold their courts of justice in an open place under the
heavens, as in a field, or a market-place." Burder's Oriental Cus-
toms, No. 515.
8. The young men, ^c. Savary, in his Letters on Egypt, Vol. I.
p. 149, says, " The children are educated in the women's apartment,
and do not come into the hall, especially when strangers are there.
Young people are silent when in this hall; if men-grown, they are
allowed to join the conversation ; but when the Sheik begins to
speak, they cease, and attentively listen. If he enters an assembly,
all rise ; they give him way in public, and everywhere show him
esteem and respect." — And the aged arose, and stood. This is a
most elegant description, and exhibits most correctly the great rever-
ence and respect which was paid, even by the old and decrepit, to
the holy man in passing along the streets, or when he sat in public.
They not only rose, which in men so old and infirm was a great
mark of distinction, but they stood ; they continued to do it, though
the attempt was so difficult. Lowth.
14. — and it clothed me : i.e. it rewarded me with reputation and
NOTES. 173
happiness ; it was an ornament to me. Otherwise, I put on right-
eousness, and it put on me; i. e. I was clothed with righteousness, as
with a garment without, and it wholly filled me within. — rohe
and diadem. A proverb still in use among the Arabs is, " Knowl-
edge is a diadem to a young person, and a chain of gold about his
neck." Scott, referring to Schultens.
18. — / shall die in my nest. Schultens remarks that the image
is taken from the eagle, who builds his nest on the summit of a rock.
Security is the point of resemblance intended. See ch. xxxis. 27,
28 ; Numb, xxiv, 21 ; Obad. ver. 4.
19. My root is spread, <^c. A tree planted by the rivers of waters,
and bringing forth its fruit in its season, is a beautiful emblem of
prosperity. See Ps. i. 3. The dews, which fall very plentifully in
the night, contribute greatly to the nourishment of vegetables in
those hot climates where they have scarcely any rain during the
summer. Scott.
20- My glory is fresh. A flourishing evergreen was the image in
the preceding verse, and is carried on in this. — jind my hoio gathers
strength in my hand. By the state of the weapons commonly used,
the Orientals express the condition, as to strength or weakness,
prosperity or adversity, of the person who uses them. See Gen.
xlix. 23, 24. The figure is very common in Arabic poetry, as may
be seen in Schultens's note upon this verse.
22. When my speech dropped dozen upon them. So Deut. xxxii. 2,
" My doctrine shall drop as the rain." So Homer speaks of Nestor's
eloquence, Iliad, I. 249. :
Tov xai ccTCO yXdooatjg ufXiTog yXvxioJV ^Isv av8t\'
Words, sweet as honey, from his lips distilled. Pope.
So also Milton, Par. Lost, II. 112. :
though his tongue
Dropt manna, &c.
23. They waited, ^c. : i. e. They waited for my opinion with the
same eager desire with which the husbandman doth the showers
after he hath sown his seed ; they gaped for it, as the thirsty earth
doth for the latter rain to plump the corn. Patrick. Among the
Egyptians, the heavens pouring down rain or dew was the hiero-
glyphic of learning and instruction. Burder.
15*
n4 NOTES.
24. If I smiled upon them, they believed it not. The reverence in
which I was held was so great, that, if I laid aside my gravity and
was familiar with them, they could scarcely believe that they were
so highly honored ; my very smiles were received with awe. — JVor
did they cause the light of my countenance to fall. In the Scriptures
to lift up the light of the countenance means to show favor. The
opposite expression, therefore, to cause the light of the countenance to
fall, must mean to provoke displeasure by unbecoming behavior ; to
bring a cloud upon the countenance.
25. When I came among them : lit. I chose their way ; the particle
DK being understood.
Ch. XXX. 1. — younger than I. The veneration paid to the
aged by the Orientals quickened their sensibility with respect to
contempt and indignities offered by the young.
2. Of what use, 8/-c. : i. e. If I have a mind to employ them,
they are so reduced and enfeebled by their wretched condition as
to be incapable of rendering me service.
3. — emaciated: ^-iDVil, primarily, hard; and is applied to a dry,
stony soil ; and hence it denotes barren, dry, emaciated, according to
the connexion. It occurs in ch. xv. 34, and Is. xlix. 21. — The
night of desolate wastes : more literally, Darkness, wasting, and
desolation ; or, The night of toasting and desolation. See note on
ch. iii. 7. See Merc, or Ges. upon \^Di<.
4. — purslain. It is most probable that it denotes the plant afyipZcx
halimus, or sea-orach, or purslain, which Dioscorides describes as a
kind of bramble without thorns, the leaves of v/hich used to be boiled
and eaten. It has a saltish taste. H-I^D is a denominative from PiSd,
salt. So we have in English salad, and in French, German, Italian,
salade, salat, insalata. See Harris's Nat. Hist, of the Bible, p. 285.
— the broom. This is a plant abounding in the desert and sandy
plains of Egypt and Arabia. Its root is very bitter. See Ros.
10. — spit before my face. The association between spitting and
shame is such now in the East that we can scarcely conceive of it.
Monsieur d'Arrieux tells us, " The Arabs are sometimes disposed to
think, that, when a person spits, it is done out of contempt ; and that
they never do it before their superiors." But Sir J. Chardin's MS.
goes much farther. He tells us, in a note on Numb. xii. 14, that
NOTES. 175
" spitting before any one, or spitting upon the ground in speaking of
any one's actions, is, through the East, an expression of extreme
detestation." It was probably all that the law required in Deut.
XXV. 9. ""ja^ often denoting before one, in one's presence. See
Josh. xxi. 44, xxiii. 9; Esth. ix. 2. See Harmer's Observ. eh. xi.,
obs. xcviii.
11. TJiey let loose the reins, and afflict me. They insult and
afflict me without restraint, and in an unbridled manner. Thus the
meaning is the same as that of the other clause of the verse.
12. — the brood. The youth are thus called by way of reproach.
— They raise up toays for my destruction. More literally. They
raise up their ivays of destruction, or destructive ways, against me.
The metaphor is drawn from the advance of a besieging army against
a city.
13. They break up my path: i. e. They oppose all my plans, and
hinder me from taking any course for my relief or benefit. — They,
that have no helper I Schultens has shown that the phrase, one who
has no helper, was proverbial amongst the Arabs, and denoted a
worthless person, or one of the lowest class. It is probably so used
here.
15. They pursue my prosperity : i. e. They come upon me with
unrelenting violence, destroying my peace. The image is borrowed
from a person buffeted by a violent storm.
16. — is poured out in grief. So in Ps. xlii. 4. In our language
we say that one is dissolved in grief. The foundation of the meta-
phor is, that in excessive grief the mind loses, as it were, all con-
sistence. The Arabians style a fearful person one who hath a watery
heart, or whose heart melts away like water.
17. — it teareth them from me : lit. The night pierceth my bones
away from vie. Cons. Prseg. — my gnawers: i.e. my gnawing
pains. Et qui me comedunt non dormiunt. Vulg.
18. — is my garment changed: i. e. his skin which was affected
by the leprosy, so that he could scarcely be recognised. Schultens
renders it, it (pain) hath become my garment. He has shown that it
is a common metaphor in Arabic poetry. It agrees well with the
parallel clause. — like the collar of my tunic. The allusion proba-
bly is to that kind of Eastern tunic which was seamless, and all of
a piece, and had an opening at the top, with a sort of collar which
was fastened close around the neck. Comp. Exod. xxviii. 32.
176 NOTES.
19. — / am become like, &/-€. : i. e. more like a mass of inanimate
matter than a living man. See eh. ix. 31, and note.
20. / stand up. Standing being the usual posture of prayer
amongst the Hebrews, to stand, or stand up, is sometimes used for
to pray, as Grotius remarks in his note on Matt. vi. 5. See Gen.
xviii. 22; Jer. xv. 1. Scott.
22. Thou liftest me up, 8fC. He represents his miseries under the
image of a person caught up into the air by a tempest, and driven
like stubble, or like a cloud, by the wind. — Thou meltest m,e away :
i. e. my strength of body and mind. Thou leavest nothing solid or
firm in me. Some think this to be a continuation of the metaphor
in the first clause, referring to a cloud, which, having been driven
about by the wind, melts away and disappears.
24. For a defence of this rendering, see Ros., and Ges. Lex. upon
•»J?3. It is also adopted by De Wette.
26. But when I looked, ^c. He expected to be made happy all
his life, through the divine benediction, on account of his charity
and other virtues j but, instead of that, he was made most miser-
able.
27. My bowels boil, ^c. These expressions, in their literal mean-
ing, describe the violent inward heat caused by his inflammatory
disease. They may likewise include the ferment of his mind ever
since his afflictions came upon him. The heart and the reins, in the
Oriental figurative style, denote the thoughts and passions. Scott.
28. / am black, but not by the sun. His disease had made his
complexion as swarthy as that of the poor laborers in the field, who
are exposed to the scorching sun in that hot climate ; and so sharp
were his pains, that he was obliged to shriek out, even in a public
assembly.
29. / am become a brother to the jackal : i.e. I am like the jackal
with respect to his mournful cries. Dr. Shaw observes that jackals
make a hideous howling in the night. Dr. Pococke observes, in his
note upon Micah i. 8, " The ancient Syriac describes it by a word,
which, in that language, as their own authors tell us, signifies a
kind of wild beast, between a dog and a fox, or a wolf and a fox,
which the Arabians call, from the noise they make, Ebn Awi, or
tcawi, and our English travellers and other Europeans, by a name
borrowed from the people of those countries, where they are more
known than in Europe, jackales, which, abiding in the fields and
waste places, make in the night a lamentable howling noise, inso-
NOTES. 177
much that travellers, unacquainted with them, would think that a
company of people, women or children, were howling one to
another, as none that have travelled in those parts of Syria, &c.,
can be ignorant. This translation seems to carry more reason with
it than the rendering it dragons ; because of the hissing of dragons ^
as of other serpents, we hear and read, but nowhere in any credit-
able author of their howling, or making such a noise as may
be called wailing, or like to it." See also |j"^ in Ges. Lex., and
Harris's Nat. Hist. p. 113. — And a companion to the ostrich. Com-
panion is used like brother in the preceding line, to denote resem-
blance. See Ges. upon njj^''. " During the lonesome part of the
night," says Dr. Shaw, " they (the ostriches) make very doleful and
hideous noises ; which would sometimes be like the roaring of a
lion ; at other times it would bear a nearer resemblance to the
hoarser voice of other quadrupeds, particularly of the bull and the
ox. I have often heard them groan as if they were in the greatest
agonies." Shaw's Travels, Vol. II. p. 348. 8vo.
30. — is black, and falleth from me : lit. is black from upon me.
Construct. Praeg.
31. Mij harp, <^c. These were probably proverbial expressions,
denoting a change from happiness to misery.
Ch. XXXI. The apology of Job in this chapter, says Mr. Scott,
which turns chiefly on his behavior in private life, is not the effu-
sion of vanity and self-applause. It is, in regard to his antagonists,
necessary self-defence and solid refutation. Yet I think, from its
connexion with the foregoing account of his sufterings, and from
verses 35 - 37, his favorite design evidently is to show that God
had multiplied his wounds without cause. In this view he is charge-
able with justifying himself more than God; that is, with making
his own cause to be more just than that of Providence. If we ex-
cept this fault, however, the picture which he has drawn is a mas-
terly piece of moral painting. Nothing can be more finished and
amiable than the character here represented. It is an exemplification
of the most disinterested virtue, inspired and ennobled by the most
rational and exalted piety. In short, this apology may be justly
styled a fine epitome of morality and religion.
1. How then, <^c. ; or, That I would not, <^c.
6. Let him weigh me, <^c. Some suppose this verse to be paren-
178 NOTES.
thetical, and that the imprecation in verse 8 relates to verse 5, as
well as to verse 7. Others, that this verse includes a tacit impre-
cation : Let him weigh me, S^g., and if I am found guilty. May he do
so to me, and more also !
7. — from the way : i. e. of rectitude. — Or if any stain: i. e. any
unjust gain. If I have taken the property of others by fraud or
violence. The Sept. renders the clause, If I have touched gifts
with my hands : i. e. taken bribes.
9. — a looman. A woman here means a married woman. It
stands opposed to a maid in verse 1, and is rendered wife in ver. 10.
— watched, 8^c., to see when the husband was absent, and when
there was an opportunity for committing adultery.
10. Then let my toife grind for another : i. e. let her be his abject
slave. The ancients ground their corn with hand-mills. This was
the work of female servants. See Ex. xi. 5 ; Is. xlvii. 2 ; Matt,
xxiv. 41.
12. Yea, it were a fire, ^c. The commission of such a crime
would have provoked God to send destruction, like a consuming
fire, upon my family and estate. See Ps. Ixxxiii. 14.
14. — riseth up : i.e. as a judge, to inquire into and punish the
sins of men.
16. Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail : i. e. If I refused her
the relief which she implored of me with earnest eyes.
17. Have I eaten my morsel alone ? " No sooner was our food
prepared, whether it was potted flesh, boiled with rice, a lentil soup,
the red pottage, Gen. xxv. 30, or unleavened cakes, served up with
oil or honey, than one of the Arabs, after having placed himself on the
highest spot of ground in the neighborhood, calls out thrice with a
loud voice to all their brethren, the sons of the faithful, to come and
partake of it, though none of them were in view, or perhaps within a
hundred miles of them." Shaw's Travels, Vol. I. p. xx. Burck-
hardt informs us that in Kerek, a city in Arabia, " when a stranger
enters the town, the people almost come to blows with one another,
in their eagerness to have him for their guest, and there are Turks
Who every other day kill a goat for this hospitable purpose. Indeed
it is a custom here, even with respect to their own neighbors, that
whenever a visitor enters a house, dinner or supper is to be imme-
diately set before him. Their love of entertaining strangers is car-
ried to such a length, that, not long ago, when a Christian silver-
smith, who came from Jerusalem to work for the ladies, and who,
NOTES. 179
being an industrious man, seldom stirred out of his shop, was on the
point of departure after two months' residence, each of the principal
families of the town sent him a lamb, saying that it was not just
that he should lose his due, though he did not choose to come and
dine with them." See Biblical Repository, No. xi. p. 399.
18. — assisted the widow: lit. assisted her, the antecedent being
in verse 16.
21. Because I saw my help at the gate: i. e. When, on account of
my influence in the courts of justice, I could commit any act of in-
justice with impunity.
22. jind my arm, <^c. There is a striking grandeur in this impre-
cation on the arm that was lifted up to threaten an orphan in a court
of justice. Scott.
26. If I have beheld, ^c. See Deut. iv. 19. Sabaism, or the worship
of the heavenly bodies, was doubtless the most ancient species of idol-
atry. The Arabs went early into it. They adored the sun and moon,
the planets, and the fixed stars. The principles, on which this false
religion was founded, were, that man must not approach the Su-
preme Being without a mediator ; that the angels are our mediators,
who present our worship to God, and convey his blessings to us ;
and that those intelligences, the angels, inhabit the fixed stars and
planets, the sun and the moon, which are to them what our bodies
are to our spirits, and are the medium of their communication with
us. So Scott, from Pococke's Hist. Arab. p. 5, and 138-145. The
Encyclopaedia Americana more correctly states the principle of Saba-
ism as follows : " Sabaism (from the Hebrew Zaba, lord, from which
God is called Zebaoth, Lord of the heavenly hosts, because the stars
or powers of heaven are called the hosts of God) ; that religion
which worships the heavenly bodies, especially the sun and moon.
The connexion of these with the constant changes in nature, and
with the condition of men, produced the idea of their divinity; and
the actual or symbolical connexion of the heavenly bodies and cer-
tain animals and plants, as well as the powers of nature, which are
active in them, invested the latter also with a divine character, and
made them objects of worship to the adherents of Sabaism." See
Art. Sabaism.
27. And my mouth have kissed my hand. Kissing the idol was an
act of religious homage. The Mahometans, at the present day, in
their worship at Mecca, kiss the black stone, which is fastened in
the corner of the Beat-Allah, as often as they pass by it, in their
180 NOTES.
rapid walks round that sacred building. If they cannot come near
enough to kiss it, they touch it with their hand, and kiss that. This
seems to be a remnant of the ancient idolatry, though not practised
as such by them. The heavenly bodies, being at too great a dis-
tance for a salute of the mouth, their worshippers substituted
kissing their own hands in place of that ceremony. Scott. Mi-
nutius Felix (De Sacrif., cap. 2, ad fin.) remarks, that, when Cseci-
lius observed the statue of Serapis, " according to the custom of the
superstitious vulgar, he moved his hand to his mouth, and kissed jt
with his lips."
32. Tke stranger, <^c. The Arabs value themselves upon their
hospitality, as their highest glory. One of their poets expresses
himself warmly on the subject : " How often, when echo gave me
notice of a stranger's approach, have I stirred my fire, that it might
give a clear blaze ! I flew to him, as to a prey, through fear that
my neighbors should get possession of him before me." The word
echo refers to the practice of a stranger who travels in Arabia by
night. He imitates the barking of a dog, and thus sets all the curs
in the neighborhood a barking. Whereupon the people rush out
from all parts, striving who shall get the stranger for his guest.
Scott.
33. — after the manner of men. See Is. viii. 1; Ps. Ixxxii. 7.
Otherwise, Have I, like Adam, hidden my transgressions. Adam
hid himself from the presence of the Lord amongst the trees of the
garden, and afterwards endeavored to palliate his crime. Job as-
serts that he has not imitated him, but has ever been willing to con-
fess the faults which he may have committed.
34. I have followed Schultens, Dathe, and Scott, in rendering this
verse in the imprecatory form. Some confine the imprecation to
the last line of the verse. Patrick thus paraphrases verses 33 and
34 : " If I have studied to appear better than I am, and have not
now made a free confession ; but, like our first parent, have con-
cealed or excused my faults, and, out of self-love, have hidden
mine iniquity, because I dread what the people will say of me, or
am terrified by the contempt into which the knowledge of my guilt
may bring me with the neighboring families ; then am I content my
mouth should be stopt, and that I never stir out of my door any
more."
35-37. Job here renews the wish, which he had expressed in
ch. xvii. 3, and elsewhere, that God would enter into judgment with
NOTES. 181
him. He is convinced that the result of a trial would be honora-
ble to him. " Bolder words than these Job had not uttered in the
whole dispute. These provoked Elihu to renew the debate, and
these are the expressions for which the Almighty chiefly repri-
manded him, in ch. xl. 2, 8, taking little or no notice of the rest."
Michaelis.
35. — signature, '\p\. This is the name of the Hebrew letter n,
which has the form of a cross in the Phoenician Alphabet, and on
the coins of the Maccabees. See in Stuart's Grammar the Hebrew
coin-letter. This mark, or cross, was used, probably, to denote the
name of the person who used it, when he was unable to write his
name. Hence it denotes a subscription to a writing of complaint or
defence, or, by metonymy, the writing itself, as in this passage. I
should understand it here a bill of defence, rather than of com-
plaint, as Ges. explains it. Job hardly goes so far as to offer to
bring a bill of complaint against God. It is more probable that he
offers a bill of defence, and invites the Deity to answer him, i. e. to
refute what he has said in his defence, if he can, and to bring what
charges he can against him. In regard to the use of the term Ij^,
cross, mark, or signature, Ges. observes, " It is related of the Synod
of Chalcedon, and other Oriental synods, that the bishops, who
could not write their names, affixed tbe mark of the cross instead
of them ; and this is common at the present day in the case of such
persons as cannot write. Much more must we suppose it to have
been so in the infancy of writing, and thus to have passed into the
common usage of language." See Lex. ad verb. — And let mine
adversary, <^c. .- i e. Let the Almighty, as adversary or opponent
in court, charge me with any sins on account of which I suffer my
extraordinary afflictions.
36. Truly I would icear it upon my shoulder, <^c. ; i. e. Instead of
being ashamed of it, or endeavoring to conceal it, I would wear it
as an ornament about my person. I would glory in it, as affording
me the long desired opportunity of vindicating my character.
37. — all my steps : i. e. the whole course of my life. — / would
approach him like a prince : i. e. with confidence and cheerfulness,
as being conscious of innocence, and not as a self-condemned male-
factor, as I am regarded by my friends.
38-40. It is not improbable that these verses have accidentally
been transferred from their original place in the chapter, and that
16
182 NOTES.
the speech of Job ended with verse 37, The natural place for
the passage, according to modern ideas of arrangement, would be
after verse 23, or 25.
38. — c7-y out against me : i. e. to God for vengeance, because I
have obtained it from its rightful owners by fraud or violence. See
Gen. iv. 10 ; Hab. ii. 11. — bewail together : i. e. of my injustice in
keeping the land dishonestly acquired.
39. — without payment : i. e. without paying the price which I
promised to give the owner of the iand. Or, without paying the
laborers their wages. — Mnd extorted the life of its owners : i. e. by
depriving them of their land ; drained their life-blood, as we should
say. The common version gives the literal meaning of the words.
But the expression is probably hyperbolical, meaning to inflict
great distress.
40. — noxious weeds : T]^ii^, from tj;j<3, to have a bad smell.
So the Chald.
XXL
With chapter thirty-second commences a new division of the
poem, the design of which seems to be to prepare the way for the ap-
pearance of the Deity in the latter part of it. A new speaker is intro-
duced, of whose extraction, and of whose motives for renewing the
debate, an account is given in the first five verses. In the last chapter
Job had triumphantly closed his defence against the accusations of his
friends, and they are now represented as renouncing the discussion
with him, "because he was righteous in his own eyes ;" that is,
because he contended that he had been guilty of no wickedness
which could call down upon him the heavy vengeance of God.
Elihu now steps forward, as a sort of mediator, or arbiter, in the con-
troversy. He expresses his dissatisfaction with both parties ; with
Job, " because he had pronounced himself righteous, rather than
God," that is, because he had defended so vehemently the justice of
his own cause, that he seemed in some measure to arraign the jus-
tice of God ; and with the three friends, " because they had not
found an answer, and yet had condemned Job ; " that is, they had
concluded, in their own minds, that Job was impious and wicked,
although they had nothing specific to object against his assertions
NOTES. 183
of his own innocence, or upon which they might safely ground
their accusation.
Elihu professes, after a slight prefatory mention of himself, to
reason with Job, unbiassed either by favor or resentment. He
therefore reproves Job from his own mouth, because he had at-
tributed too much to himself ; because he had insisted too strongly
upon his freedom from guilt and depravity; because he had pre-
sumed to contend with God, and had not scrupled to insinuate
that the Deity was hostile to him. He asserts that it is not neces-
sary for God to explain and develop his counsels to men ; that he
takes many occasions of admonishing them, not only by visions
and revelations, but also by the visitations of his providence, by
sending calamities and diseases upon them, in order to repress their
arrogance, and turn them from those evil purposes which would
end in their ruin. He seems to regard afflictions, not as punish-
ment for past offences, nor as evidence of a guilty character; but
rather as preventives of those sins which the best men sometimes
commit, and as salutary discipline for the correction of those faults
of which a man may be unconscious, until his attention is awakened
by adversity. Ch. xxxiii. He next rebukes Job, because he had
pronounced himself innocent, and affirmed that God had acted
inimically, if not unjustly, towards him. He brings forward vari-
ous considerations to show that the Governor of the world can do
nothing inconsistent with justice and benevolence. From these
considerations he infers the duty of a man in Job's situation.
Ch. xxxiv. He then objects to Job, that, from the miseries of the
good and the prosperity of the wicked, he has falsely and per-
versely concluded that there is no advantage to be derived from the
practice of virtue. On the contrary, he affirms, that, when the afflic-
tions of the just continue, it is because they do not place a proper
confidence in God, ask relief at his hands, patiently expect it, nor
demean themselves before him with becoming humility and sub-
mission. This observation alone, he adds, very properly, (xxxv. 4,)
is at once a sufficient reproof of the contumacy of Job, and a full
refutation of the unjust suspicions of his friends. Ch. xxxv. Last-
ly, he explains the purposes of the Deity in chastening men, which
are, in general, to prove and amend them, to repress their arrogance,
to afford him an opportunity of exemplifying his justice upon the
obstinate and rebellious, and of showing favor to the humble and
184 NOTES.
obedient. He supposes God to have acted in this manner towards
Job ; on this account he exhorts him to humble himself before his
righteous Judge, to beware of appearing obstinate or contumacious
in his sight, and of relapsing into a repetition of his sin. He en-
treats him, from the contemplation of the divine power and majesty,
to endeavor to retain a proper reverence for the Almighty, and to
submit to his mysterious allotments. Ch. xxxvi., xxxvii. To these
frequently intermitted and often repeated admonitions of Elihu Job
makes no reply. Loicth. Bouillier observes that Elihu did not hit
upon the precise cause of Job's afflictions, though he gave a more
rational conjecture than the three friends of Job. Thus one pur-
pose of the poet is answered, viz. that of showing, that it is better
to submit to the wisdom of Providence than curiously to pry into
it.
Ch. XXXn. 2. Then was kindled the wrath. These expressions
do not mean that he was in a passion. They are the strong Orien-
tal manner of denoting high disapprobation. At most, they signify
no more than a becoming warmth. Scott. — Elihu . . . the Buzite. We
know nothing more of Elihu than is here mentioned. Buz was the
second son of Nahor, the brother of Abraham ; and the city of this
name, probably derived from the same family, is mentioned in Jer.
XXV. 23, in conjunction with Dedan, which we know to have been
in Idumaea. Good.
4. — till Job had spoken : Supply, and his three friends.
8. — the divine spirit in man. By supposing XVH to mean ZAe
divine spirit, so as to be synonymous with the inspiration of the M-
mightij, in the other clause of the verse, the parallelism is pre-
served, and a sense well suited to the connexion afforded. Having
said, in the preceding verse, that he had expected to find wisdom
in age and in experience, he now intimates that he is disappointed ;
that he finds that wisdom is not the attribute of age or station ; that
it is the gift of God ; and that what is denied to the great and the
aged may be found in a youth. The expressions, the divine spirit,
and the inspiration of the Almighty, may denote the divine gift of
natural genius and endowments, or extraordinary illumination from
the Father of lights. The ancients used to ascribe all extraordinary
endowments to divine assistance. Thus in Homer, a person is wise
by the assistance of Minerva, &c. Milton has a similar sentiment
NOTES. 185
in the preface to the Reason of Church Government, urged against
Prelaty : " And if any man think I undertake a task too difficult
for my years, I trust, through the supreme enlightening assistance,
far otherwise ; for my years, be they few or many, what imports it ?
So they bring reason, let that be looked on." Some render the
verse thus :
There is, indeed, a spirit in man.
But it is the inspiration of the Almighty that giveth under-
standing.
13. God must conquer him, not man: i. e. Do not excuse your
ceasing to reply, by alleging that the wisest course which can
be taken with Job is to leave him to be humbled by God, as being
too obstinate to be reclaimed by man. So Scott, though not with
the best taste,
Say not, " ' Tis wisdom that we leave to God
To humble this stiff sinner with his rod ! "
Otherwise, God hath thrust him down, not man: i. e. Say not that
ye have gone to the root of the matter, and proposed an unanswer-
able argument against Job, and proved him to be a bad man, by the
assertion that his misery is inflicted by a just God. So Merc.
14. ^nd with speeches like yours will I not ansicer him. Their
speeches were levelled against his whole moral character, aiming
to prove him a wicked man from the similarity of his sufferings to
those of notoriously wicked men, Elihu takes another course. He
limits his censure to Job's answers in this dispute. He fixes upon
some of the most obnoxious passages, such as seemed to betray too
high conceit of his own virtue, want of respect to God, and dishon-
orable sentiments of Providence, and takes occasion from these
passages to vindicate the divine goodness, equity, and justice.
Scott.
15. They were confounded ! <^c. Elihu here ridicules the friends
of Job, because they were unable to answer him. Some suppose
that Elihu here addresses an audience who were listening to the
discussion, and desires them to observe the confusion of the three
friends. There is no objection to this explanation, except that it is
unnecessary. For the third person is often used for the first or
second in Hebrew poetry, and particularly when censure or con-
tempt is expressed. See ch. xiii. 28, xviii. 4, xli. 9.
16*
186 NOTES.
18. The spirit within : i.e. My soul, which is full of ardor, and
powerfully impelled to make known my views.
19. Like bottles of new icine : literally, new bottles. These bot-
tles, being made of skin, were liable to burst, when they had be-
come old, and were filled with new wine. See Mat. ix. 17.
21. / will not be partial, SfC. : i. e. I will deliver my sentiments
with freedom and impartiality.
22. — take me away : i. e. destroy me.
Ch. XXXIII. 4. The spirit of God made me, <^c. : i. e. I am thy
fellow-creature, dependent like thee upon God, and therefore fit to
discourse with thee upon equal terms.
6. Behold, I, like thee, am a creattire of God. Lit. /, like thee, am
by God, i. e. created by God. This meaning accords with that of
the parallel clause. He intimates that Job might engage him upon
equal terms, having nothing to fear but the strength of his argu-
ments.
7. Behold, my terror, <^c. ; i. e. You are in no danger of being
confounded by the terror of my appearance, or of being borne
down by the weight of my authority. In order to see the force of
this declaration, we must call to mind the bold challenge of Job in
ch. ix. 34, 35,xiii. 20-22.
9. / am pure, and without transgression. Job had not used these
very expressions, but he had used others equivalent to them, in ch.
ix. 30, X. 7, xiii. 23, xvi. 17.
10. Behold, he seeketh causes of hostility against me, SfC. See Ges.
upon nJ^UDj and Ros. He refers to the language of Job in ch. xiii.
24, 25, xiv. 16, 17, xix. 11.
11. He putteth my feet, ^^c. See ch. xiii. 27.
12. Behold, in this thou art not right : i. e. Your language to the
Deity is wholly inexcusable. It is inconsistent with the reverence
which is due to so great a Being. — God is greater than man.
" This is one of those expressions which imply much more than is
expressed. There is a kind of ironical castigation in it. As if he
had said, You talk to God as an equal; but methinks he is some-
what superior to us." Scott.
13. Why dost thou, <^c. To convince Job how culpable his behavior
is, Elihu argues that it is irreverent and fruitless. God, says he,
will never stoop to defend his measures against murmurers, nor will
NOTES. 187
he communicate the reasons of them to those who cavil at his dis-
pensations. Scott.
14. For God speaketh, ^c. He alleges another argument against
striving with God. There is no just cause for it. God has suffi-
ciently manifested his goodness and care of mankind, by the methods
which he takes to show them their duty, to recover them from their
wanderings, and thereby to save them from destruction. Scott.
16. — sealeth up, ^c. : i. e. secretly admonishes them.
17. And remove pride from man. Pride may comprehend inso-
lence towards God and towards man. But I apprehend that Eliliu
had his eye on the former } and that he glances at Job's too high
opinion of his own rectitude and merit, which gave rise to his com-
plaints against God. Scott.
18. 22. — his life — his soul. These words denote the person
himself, and are equivalent to the personal pronoun he. See
Stuart's Gram. § 186.
22. — the destroyers : i. e. angels of death, or the instruments or
causes of death generally.
23. — a messenger, an interpreter : i"'bn li^^D- Some render
these words a mediating angel, so called from being the medium of
communication between God and man. As Satan is represented as
going round the earth, and accusing the pious before God, it is said
to be natural that good angels should be employed on errands of
mercy. This may be the true meaning. But as a prophet or re-
ligious teacher is often called by this name, (see Eccl. v. 6 ; Hag. i.
13; Mai. ii. 7,) and is the usual person employed for the instruction
of men, it is most probable that such a person is denoted here.
Elihu may refer to himself, and to the office which he was then
performing towards Job. Throughout his speech he is represented
as thinking very highly of himself, and I am persuaded that he was
thinking of himself here. — an interpreter : i. e. a teacher, one
who makes known the will of God. — one of a thousand : i.e. a
rare person, one well qualified to be a religious monitor. See Eccl.
vii. 28. — his duty : i. e. what reason and religion require of a man
in his situation; repentance, submission, and prayer to God for
pardon. In Cranmer's Bible, to show him the right way. The in-
struction is supposed to be effectual, as appears from the following
verses.
24. — and say, Save him: i. e. he shall be saved. — I have re-
188 NOTES.
ceived the ransom : i. e. I am satisfied with his repentance ; he
has been sufficiently humbled by his afflictions. Whatever is a means
of averting punishment^ or of procuring deliverance from evil, and
conciliating the divine favor, is termed in Scripture a ransom, or
atonement. The intercession of Moses and the act of Phineas are
so called, and here the sick man's repentance. See Ex. xxxii. 30 j
Numb. XXV. 13. So Ecclesiasticus xxxv. 3, " To depart from wicked-
ness is a thing pleasing to the Lord ; and to forsake unrighteousness
is a propitiation" (eii?.aoLiug). Doederlein, Ilgen, and some others
render the passage thus :
But if some interceding angel stand before him, (God,)
The chief among a thousand.
And testify concerning man's righteousness,
And shall pity him, and say,
" Save him, (O God,) from going down to the pit,
I have found a ransom ; "
His flesh, &c.
26. — to see his face, S/-c. : i. e. to enjoy his favor. The expres-
sion is borrowed from Oriental ideas respecting kings and great men ;
to be admitted into whose presence, or to see whose faces, was es-
teemed a mark of favor, a privilege. — And restore unto man his
innocence : i. e. regard and treat him as innocent.
27. He shall sing. See Ges. upon y'^.
29. Time after time : lit. Twice and thrice. The Sept. renders it,
oSovg TQsrg, three loays, referring to the three ways in which men are
said to be admonished, viz. by dreams, ver. 15, by sickness, ver.
19, and by a religious teacher, ver. 23.
Ch. XXXIV. 6. — I am made a liar: i. e. I am regarded as a
wicked man on account of my misery, notwithstanding my inno-
cence. See ch. xvi. 8. — My zcound, <^c. See ch. ix. 17.
8. IVJio goeth in company, 8fC. : i. e. Who speaks like wicked
men, who call Providence in question.
" Marmoreo tumulo Licinus jacet, at Cato nulloj
Pompeius parvo. Quis putet esse Deos ? "
9. A man hath no advantage, 8fC. Job had not used this language,
but in ch. ix. 22, and ch. xxi., he had expressed nearly the same
sentiment.
NOTES. 189
13. Who hath given him the charge, 8/-C. Elihu's first argument,
to prove that God cannot be unjust, is taken from his independence.
Were God a subordinate governor, he might be tempted to commit
injuries, to gratify the avarice or resentment of his superior. Scott.
14. Should he set his heart against man : i. e. Should he deal
severely with him. His second argument is from the divine benevo-
lence. If God were unjust, revengeful, and cruel, the earth would
be a dreadful scene of universal desolation. So in Wisdom of Sol.
xi. 24-26, '^ For thou lovest all the things that are, and abhorrest
nothing which thou hast made ; for never wouldst thou have made
anything, if thou hadst hated it. And how could anything have
endured, if it had not been thy will; or been preserved, if not called
by thee .'' But thou sparest all ; for they are thine, O Lord, thou
lover of souls ! " Others render the line. If he had regard to him-
self alone.
17. Shall he, that hateth justice, govern? The argument is similar
to that of Abraham, " Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ? "
Gen. xviii. 25. If God were unjust, there would be nothing but
disorder and confusion in the world.
19. Hoio much less, S^c. So Wisdom of Sol. vi. 7, 8, <' For he
who is Lord over all shall fear no man's person, neither shall he
stand in awe of any man's greatness ; for he hath made the small
and great, and caretli for all alike. But a sore trial shall come upon
the mighty."
20. — yea, at midnight, ^^c. The allusion seems to be to some
capital city overthrown by an earthquake. — and pass aicaij : i. e.
into the grave. — xcithout hand : i. e. by no human hands ; by the
invisible power of God. See Lam. iv. 6; Dan. ii. 34.
23. He needeth not attend long to a man : lit. He doth not fix his
mind long upon a man; 127 being understood after D'ti'"'- So Ges.,
Dathe, and Ros. The circumstance is mentioned to illustrate the
omniscience of God, and the suddenness with which he often inflicts
punishment. He, in whose sight all things are naked and open, has
no need of a long and formal examination into a man's character
before he proceeds to jDunish him
24. — icithout inquiry: i. e. without judicial investigation, such
as must be resorted to by men.
25. He hringeth night, S/-C. So the Vulg., Inducit noctem, et con-^
teruntur. Night is a common metaphor for adversity or ruin.
190 NOTES.
26. In the presence, 8fC. : lit. In the place of spectators.
28. jind caused, <^c. Others render, So that he (God) caused the
cry of the poor to come upon them.
29. And lohen he hideth his face, who can behold him ? i. e. When
he withdraws his favor, who can expect or obtain help from him .''
31, 32. It is observed by Scott that the petition and confession,
which Elihu recommends to Job, would be highly improper for one
who knows himself to be guilty of heinous crimes, but highly fit for
a person who, though good in the main, has reason to suspect some-
what amiss in his temper and conduct, for which God is displeased
with him. It appears plainly that Elihu did not suppose Job to be a
wicked man, suffering for his oppressions, bribery, inhumanity, and
impiety, with which his three friends had charged him.
33. — and not he : lit. and not I ; by Mimesis. See Glass, p. 315 ;
Stuart's Gram. § 212; ch. xviii. 4, xxxv. 3.
Ch. XXXV. 2. / am more righteous than God. Job had not
used these words, but this was the amount of his complaints against
God, and his justification of himself. See ch. ix. 30-35, x. 15.
3. He had already brought the charge contained in this verse,
in ch. xxxiv. 9. But there he censured the complaint of Job, as an
arraignment of the justice of God. Here it is considered as imply-
ing that God was under obligation to him. The charge is, that
Job had in effect said : I have been more just to God than he
hath been to me. I have discharged my duty to him, but have not
met with a proper return from him. My innocence hath been of no
advantage to me. Elihu replies, first, that so great a Being cannot
possibly be hurt by the sins, or benefited by the services, of men ;
and, secondly, that our vice and virtue can harm or profit our fellow-
mortals only. Scott.
4. — thy cotnjjanions : i. e. those who entertain the same unwor-
thy sentiments of God and his providence.
5. Look up to the heavens, SfC. This is a sublime sentiment in a
plain dress. One view, says he, of the magnificent scenery of the
lofty sky will extinguish all low conceptions of its almighty Author.
It will strike the mind with a vast idea of his infinite superiority to
all other beings, and of the impossibility of his gaining or suffering
by the good or bad behavior of his reasonable creatures. Scott.
9. The oppressed cry out, S^c. He now passes to another topic,
NOTES. 191
viz. Job's complaint of God's disregard of the numerous oppressions
committed in the world, the authors of which he suffers to escape
with impunity. Elihu replies, that when God avenges not the
oppressed it is owing to their want of piety. He neglects them,
because they neglect him. They murmur, but they do not pray.
They are clamorous, but they are not humble. This seems an
oblique hint to Job that the continuation of his sufferings was owing
to his unsubmitting behavior. Scott.
10. Who in the night of affliction giveth songs. Songs are thanks-
givings to God for deliverance. The words of affliction are supplied,
as the term night metaphorically denotes affliction, as in ch. xxxiv.
25.
14. Muck less: i. e. shalt thou be heard. He alludes to the
complaints of Job in ch. xxiii. 8, &c. — Justice is tcith him, <^c. ;
i. e. Although thou complainest that God does not appear to thee
for thy deliverance, yet be assured that thy cause is known to him,
and that thou shalt receive justice from him, if thou wilt only com-
mit thyself to him.
15. — transgressions. See Ges. upon ^B- rcaQuTrrauia, Sept. and
Theodotion ; naqajixuiuara, Symmachus ; scelus, Vulg. Dr. Durell
thinks tl'SS to be a corruption for ^^Ei/33. Some suppose that he
refers to the transgressions of Job by this expression, particularly to
his irreverent speeches, &c. Others, that he refers to the trans-
gressions of the wicked, which Job had asserted to be committed
with impunity.
Ch. XXXVI. 3. / will bring my knozvledge from afar : i. e. from
remote times, places, and things. I will not confine my discourse
to thy particular case, but will justify God by declaring his great
and glorious works of creation and providence, both in heaven and
earth, and his manner of dealing with men in other parts and ages
of the world. Poole.
4. j3 man of sound knoioledge. Elihu refers to himself, and means
that he is unbiassed by prejudice, and will not seek to baffle Job by
sophistical arguments.
5. — hut despiseth not any. He may refer to Job's expressions in
ch. X. 3, &c.
12. — the sword : i. e. the sword of divine justice,
13. — treasure up wrath. This may mean that they retain anger,
192 NOTES.
or persevere in the exercise of angry feelings, or that they treasure
up the wrath of God against them. See Rom. ii. 5. — when he
bindeth them: i. e. bringeth affliction upon them. See verse 8.
14. — with the unclean. D''t!'1p3- See Ges. ad verb,
17. See Ros. and Ges. upon this verse.
20. — that JYight: i. e. the night of death. He warns him against
impatient wishes for death, and murmuring against God.
21. But let thy sufferings teach thee caution, and make thee
afraid to go on to provoke offended justice ; for thou hast done it
too much already, in choosing rather to accuse divine Providence
than to submit patiently to his chastisements. Patrick.
22. JVJio is a teacher like him ? ric yuQ Ian yar' avrov Svvuart]? ;
Sept. Et nullus ei similis in legislator ibus. Vulg. The object of
the remaining portion of Elihu's discourse appears to be to convince
Job of his ignorance of the ways of Providence, by his ignorance of
the works of creation, and to humble him for finding fault with
what he did not, and could not, understand.
24. — his 2cork : i. e. that which he does in the natural world,
according to the following description. — celebrate loith songs. I'l'ljj^.
See ch. xxxiii. 27. de quo cecinerunt viri. Vulg. quod laudaverunt
virijusti. Chald. See Schult. and Ges.
27. — draweth up the drops of water : i. e. by means of the sun,
which changes water into vapor, and causes it to ascend into the air.
— Jfliich distil rain: i.e. These minute particles of water, drawn
up by the sun in the form of vapor, form, or, more literally, pour
out, rain.
29. Aiid the rattling of his pavilion: i. e. the thunder. By his
pavilion, or tabernacle, the clouds are intended. See Ps. xviii. 11.
30. — his light. See Ps. civ. 2. — Jlnd he clotheth himself with
the depths of the sea : i. e. which he draws up to heaven, and
forms into the dark clouds which are his habitation. vSj7 is to be
T T
supplied from the preceding line. Comp. ver. 32. Otherwise, ^nd
he covereth the bottom of the sea : i. e. with darkness. The power
of God in the highest and the lowest regions is denoted.
31. By these: i. e. the clouds, rain, &c.
Ch. XXXVII. 1. M this: i.e. the thunder, lightning, &c., of
which he was speaking.
NOTES. 193
2. Hear, S)-c. Some suppose, that, while Elihu was speaking,
thunder is represented as being heard, and the tempest as begun,
from which the Deity was about to address Job.
4. And restraineth not the tempest : lit. restraineth not them : i. e. the
rain, hail, and other things which usually accompany thunder. Merc.
See also Stuart's Gram. § 185.
7. He sealeth up, Sfc. : i. e. The labors of the field are interrupted
in consequence of these heavy and continual rains, and the husband-
men remain at home, with their hands, as it were, in their bosom.
— men whom he hath made : lit. men of his ivorJc. — may acknoiol-
edge him; or may have knowledge; viz. of their dependence upon
the mighty power of God. Otherwise, So that all his laborers may
acknowledge him, ^^c. So Merc, Dathe, and Eos. Men are called
the laborers of God, inasmuch as they cultivate the ground by his
appointment.
10. — breath of God. The air seems to have been regarded as
put in motion by the breath of God, and hence this appellation is
given to the wind, here a cold wind. When- the ice is formed, the
water is regarded as contracted; or what remains of it is brought
into a narrower compass. But some regard the parallelism of this
verse as antithetical, and suppose the meaning to be that the breath
of God forms ice by cold winds, and dries up the waters by hot winds,
like the Simoon.
11. He causeth the clouds to descend in rain. See Ges. Thes.
upon n^tO and n. — And his lightning. Otherwise, his light, or his
sun.
12. They move about: i. e. The clouds, rain, lightning, &c.
13. Or for the land: i. e. what is necessary, in the course of nature,
for fertilizing the earth.
16. — the balancing of the clouds : i. e. how the clouds are suspended
in the air in such a variety of forms, are not borne to the ground by
the weight of water which they contain. From our ignorance of
the works of nature, Elihu infers our incapacity of judging of the
divine counsels. The same kind of reasoning is pursued in the Essay
on Man :
Presumptuous man ! the reason wouldst thou find,
"Why formed so weak, so little, and so blind ?
Ask of thy mother earth, why oaks were made
Taller or stronger than the weeds they shade.
17
194 NOTES.
Or ask of yonder argent fields above,
Why Jove's satellites are less than Jove.
18. — firm like a molten mirror. It must be recollected that mir-
rors in ancient times were made of metal highly polished. It may
be asked, what conception the author of Job entertained respectiog
the sky, which led him to describe it as firm like a molten mirror.
It has been thought that in the book of Genesis the firmament, or
blue vault of heaven, is represented as a solid surface, in which the
stars are fixed at equal distances from the earth. The chief support
of that opinion is, I think, to be derived not so much from the
Hebrew term itself, as from the circumstance that a body of waters,
like a sea or ocean, seems to be represented as resting upon the
firmament, which God made. Comp. Ps. cxlviii. 4. The Hebrew
term ]^rn firmameyit, may denote a solid body, as it were, hammered
outj or, secondarily, any substance spread out. See Ges. Lex. ad
verb. This verse does not afford so much support to the opinion
that the firmament was regarded as a strictly solid surface, as might
at first view be thought; for the plural term D'^pPltZ/, here rendered
sky, elsewhere denotes clouds. See ch. xxxvi. 28, xxxviii. 37. Is
it not, then, probable, that the author, in this verse, regarded the sky
as clouds spread out? It does, however, seem probable that he
regarded the apparent blue vault of heaven as a substantial surface,
compact, stable, adhering together, D'pin, like a molten mirror.
To avoid this conclusion, the authors of the common version have
added words which misrepresent the meaning of the original. It is
somewhat in favor of the opinion that the firmament was regarded
as solid by the author of Genesis, that the Hebrew term for firma-
ment is translated arsQswfia in the Sept., and firmamentum in the
Vulg. But this consideration is not absolutely conclusive. A need-
less anxiety has been manifested to make the conceptions of the
sacred writers conform to the established truths of astronomical
science. Nothing can be more evident than that it was not the
design of Eevelation to make known the truths of natural science,
but to guide men to a correct religious faith, and to just views of
duty.
19. Teach us, ^c. This seems to be addressed to Job ironically,
by way of reproof for his presumption ; as if he had said. We
should like to learn from you, who are so well acquainted with the
NOTES. 195
character and purposes of God, in what manner we should address
him or discourse with him. — darkness : i. e. the darkness of our
minds, or of the subject, or both.
20. If I should speak, S^c. : i. e. "Will any one venture to repeat to
him my discourses, if I undertake to complain of the ways of Provi-
dence ? If any one should carry my complaints to his ear, he would
certainly be destroyed for his rashness.
21. 22. If the splendor of the firmament, illuminated by the sun,
is too tright for man to behold, how can he endure the glorious
majesty of its Author ?
22. And a golden brightness : lit. gold. — fi-om the sky : lit. from the
North. Hence some have supposed the northern lights, or aurora
borealis, to be referred to. But it is more probable that the North-
em or upper hemisphere stands for the whole firmament here, as in
ch. xxvi. 7. I suppose the reference is to the dazzling brightness
reflected from the skies, when the sun is in the meridian. The light,
mentioned without any special application, seems naturally to refer to
the light of the sun. This light also dazzles the eye more than that
of the aurora borealis. Others render it, by means of the north wind,
which scatters the clouds.
23. The Almighty, ^-c. This sentiment seems to be the conclusion
of the whole discourse in vindication of God. We know but very
little of his nature and designs, and it is wrong to censure what we
do not understand in his dispensations ; especially, since we have
abundant proof of his justice and goodness. — he doth not oppress:
otherwise, he giveth no account of his^ doings, SjX. Instead of H^J?^,
some ancient and valuable manuscripts read nj;?\ See xxxiii. 13.
24. Upon the wise in heart he will not look : i. e. who confide too much
in their wisdom. I prefer the present rendering of this ambiguous
line, because it better suits the parallelism. Otherwise, When none of
the wise in heart can behold : i. e. they cannot endure the brightness of
his majesty. See Eos. ad loc.
196 NOTES.
XXII.
"Whilst Eliliu v/as yet speaking, Jehovah himself is represented
as interposing, and addressing Job from the midst of a tempest.
He does not, however, at first, address him in the language of en-
couragement and approbation, which Job's consciousness of integrity-
had led him to anticipate. Job had defended a good cause in an
improper manner. The design of this discourse of the Almighty is,
therefore, to reprove his complaints respecting the ways of Provi-
dence ; to bring him into a proper temper of mind, and thus to pre-
pare the way for his final vindication. Jehovah does not condescend
to explain or vindicate the ways of his providence, but aims to con-
vince Job of his inability to judge of them. He requires him, who
had spoken so rashly of the divine counsels, to give an explanation
of some of the works of nature which are constantly presented to
his view ; of the nature and structure of the earth, the sea, the light,
and the animal kingdom. If he were unable to explain any one
of the most common phenomena of nature, it followed that he was
guilty of great presumption in finding fault with the secret coun-
sels and moral government of God. He then pauses for an answer
from Job.
Ch. XXXVIII. 2. — that darJceneth my counsels: i. e. speaketh of
them in an obscure, erroneous, and improper manner. Gesenius sup-
poses that to darken is a metaphorical expression for to censure.
7. When the morning -stars ^ Sfc. It was the custom to celebrate the
laying of the corner-stone of an important building with music, songs,
shouting, &c. See Zech. iv. 7 ; Ezra iii. 10, 11. Hence the morning-
stars are represented as celebrating the laying of the corner-stone
of the earth. They are called morning-stavs on account of the greater
brightness which they have just before the dawn. Some suppose
that morning-stars denote angels, and that the expression has the same
meaning as sons of God in the next line.
12. Hast thou, in thy life, given charge to the morning, Sfc. The
transition from the sea to the morning is not so abrupt as it appears.
For the ancients supposed that the sun sets in the ocean, and at his
rising comes out of it again. The morning and day-spring seem to
NOTES. 197
mean the same thing ; and the regularity of the appearance of the
morning in the east is here referred to.
13. That they should lay hold, S^-c. The first light of the sun, as it
strikes upon the verge of the horizon, is represented as laying hold
of the ends of the earth, and shaking the wicked out of it, as dust
from a sack ; light being hostile to thieves and malefactors of every
kind, as darkness is favorable to them. See ch. xxiv. 14-17.
14. It is changed, ^c. : i. e. The earth, which in the darkness of
night is a mere blank, but which, when illuminated by the sun,
exhibits a great variety of beautiful objects, and appears like wax
which has received the stamp of the seal. — And all things stand
forth as in rich apparel. See Cocc. Comment., and Ges. upon ti'-l^/.
Otherwise, And they (the morning and day-spring) come forth as a gar-
ment upon it.
15. — their light is withheld. Darkness is the light of the wicked,
i. e. that which enables them to accomplish their evil designs. Thus
the strength and courage of the wicked are prostrated by the light,
which discovers their evil practices.
17. — gates of death : i, e. of hades, the under-world.
19, 20. Eor similar conceptions see Hesiod, Theog. 748.
24. — light : i. e. the light of the rising sun, which, in a moment, as
it were, pervades and illuminates the whole hemisphere.
31. — fasten the hands, ^-c. Here niilli'D is supposed to be by
metathesis the same as nnJI^p, from iJj;, to tie, to hind. In support
of this rendering, Ges. observes that the Asiatic poets often speak
of the hand of the Pleiades. The Sept. has it, Sso^iov JlXsiudog'
and the Chald., '''Vy/, chains. — the Pleiades (in Hebrew, Cliimah:
i. e. a heap, a term corresponding to what we call a cluster) are a
constellation in the sign Taurus, and make their appearance early
in the spring ; hence they were called by the Eomans Vergilice. —
Orion (Chesil, in Heb.) made its appearance early in the winter,
and was considered the precursor of storms and tempests, and is
hence called by Virgil nimhosus Orion. JEn. I. 535. According to
the rendering sweet influences, as in the common version, the mean-
ing is. Canst thou forbid the sweet flowers to come forth, when the
Seven Stars arise in the spring 1 or open the earth for the husband-
man's labor, when the winter season, at the rising of Orion, ties up
their hands ? Patrick.
17*
198 NOTES.
32. —the Signs. nniQ, equivalent to m'SjD, lodgings, viz. of the
sun, in the twelve successive months of his course; thus denoting
the twelve signs of the zodiac. — the Bear with his sons. Bear is
not the literal meaning of the Hebrew ty""!*, which rather denotes
a bier, which is the name given by the modern Arabians to the con-
stellation of the Great Bear. They also call the three stars in its
tail daughters of the bier. Here these three stars are called sons. See
Niebuhr-^s Description of Arabia, pp. 113, 114.
33. — ordinances of the heavens : i. e. the laws regulating the places,
motions, and operations of the heavenly bodies. — their dominion :
i. e. the influence which they have in producing the changes of the
seasons.
36. The transition from the phenomena of the heavens to the mind
of man appeared so great, that in the first edition I departed, with
others, from the usual meaning of the words, rendering this verse,
Who hath imparted understanding to clouds, and given to meteors intelli-
gence? the words being supposed to denote the regularity of the clouds
in coming and going, and affording the due proportion of rain to
the earth. I now regard the rendering clouds and meteors far too
uncertain to be adopted. For ninp plainly denotes reins, in Ps. li. 8.
Besides, if we suppose the reference to be to the mind of Job
in particular, the intelligence with which he was able to see and
admire all the phenomena which had been recounted, the transition
will not appear so very violent. See Ges. Lex. ad verb, m'ntp
and "'IDiy.
37. Who numbereth the clouds, ^r. The collecting and arrangement
of the clouds is expressed by a metaphor taken from a civil or mili-
tary enrolment. See Ps. cxlvii. 4; 2 Sam. xxiv. 10. The clouds
are metaphorically called bottles, as containing rain.
38. — flows into a molten mass: i. e. when, on account of the copious
rains, the dry dust melts, as it were, into one mass.
41. — the raven. Bochart observes that the raven expels his young
from the nest as soon as they are able to fly. In this condition,
being unable to obtain food by their own exertions, they make
a croaking noise, and God is said to hear it, and to supply their
wants.
NOTES. 199
Ch. XXXIX. 1. — icild goats: i. e. the ibex or mountain-goat.
It is, no doubt, the same kind of goat as that described by Burckhardt,
in his travels in Syria, p. 571 : "As we approached the summit of
the mountain, (St. Catharine, adjacent to Mount Sinai,) we saw at
a distance a small flock of mountain-goats feeding among the rocks.
One of our Arabs left us, and by a widely circuitous route endeav-
ored to get to the leeward of them, and near enough to fire at them ;
he enjoined us to remain in sight of them, and to sit down in order
not to alarm them. He had nearly reached a favorable spot behind
a rock, when the goats suddenly took to flight. They could not
have seen the Arab ; but the wind changed, and thus they smelt
him. The chase of the beden, as the wild goat is called, resembles
that of the chamois of the Alps, and requires as much enterprise
and patience. The Arabs make long circuits to surprise them, and
endeavor to come upon them early in the morning, when they feed.
The goats have a leader, who keeps watch, and, on any sus-
picious smell, sound, or object, makes a noise, which is a signal
to the flock to make their escape. They have much decreased of
late, if we may believe the Arabs ; who say that fifty years ago, if a
stranger came to a tent, and the owner of it had no sheep to kill, he
took his gun and went in search of a beden. They are, however,
even now more common here than in the Alps, or in the mountains
to the east of the Red sea. I had three or four of them brought to
me at the convent, which I bought at three fourths of a dollar each.
The flesh is excellent, and has nearly the same flavor as that of the
deer. The Bedouins make water-bags of their skins, and rings of
their horns, which they wear on their thumbs. When the beden is
met with in the plains, the dogs of the hunters easily catch him ;
but they cannot come up with him among the rocks, where he can
make leaps of twenty feet."
3. — their pains : i. e. their young, which cause their pains.
5. The following account of the wild ass is given in Robinson's
Calmet, on the authority of the Russian professors, Pallas and
Gmelin : " These animals inhabit the dry and mountainous parts of
the deserts of Great Tartary, but not higher than about lat. 48°.
They are migratory, and arrive in vast troops to feed, during the
summer, in the tracts to the east and north of the sea of Aral.
About autumn they collect in herds of hundreds, and even thou-
sands, and direct their course southward towards India, to enjoy a
200 NOTES.
warm retreat during winter. But they more usually retire to Persia,
where they are found in the mountains of Casbin, and where part
of them remain the whole year. . . . They assemble in troops under
the conduct of a leader or sentinel, and are extremely shy and vigi-
lant. They will, however, stop in the midst of their course, and
even suffer the approach of man for an instant, and then dart off
with the utmost rapidity. They have been at all times celebrated
for their swiftness. Their voice resembles that of the common ass,
but is shriller."
"Xenophon says, Cyrop. Lib. I., that he has long legs, is very
rapid in running, swift as a whirlwind, having strong and stout hoofs.
. . . Martial gives the epithet handsome to the wild ass, ' Pulcher
adest onager,' L. xiii., Epig. 100 ; and Oppian describes it as 'hand-
some, large, vigorous, of stately gait, and his coat of a silvery color,
having a black band along the spine of his back ; and on his flanks
patches as white as snow.' Mr. Morier says, ' We gave chase to two
wild asses, which had so much the speed of our horses, that, when they
had got at some distance, they stood still and looked behind at us,
snorting with their noses in the air, as if in contempt of their endeav-
ors to catch them.' " Robinson's Calmet.
9. — the buffalo: D"'^, reem. Otherwise, the rhinoceros. See Har-
ris's Nat. Hist. p. 421. According to others, the icild oryx. But it
is probable, from the nature of the description, that an animal of the
beeve kind is intended ; i. e. one which appears, from its form and
strength, to be qualified to do the business of the tame ox. So the
wild ass is, by implication, compared with the tame, in verse 7. In
other passages where it occurs, it is parallel with animals of the beeve
kind, and is mentioned as having horns, Avhereas the rhinoceros has
but one short one. See Numb, xxiii. 22, xxiv. 8 ; Deut. xxxiii. 17 ;
Ps. xxii. 21, xxix. 6, xcii. 10 ; Is. xxxiv. 7. Por other arguments,
see a long and highly satisfactory article in Robinson's Calmet, from
which I extract what follows : " Under the reem we are to understand
the buffalo of the eastern continent, the bos bubalus of Linnseus, which
differs from the bison or American buffalo chiefly in the shape of the
horns, and the absence of the dewlap. This animal is indigenous,
originally, in the hotter parts of Asia and Africa, but also in Persia,
Abyssinia, and Egypt; and is now also naturalized in Italy and
southern Europe. As, therefore, it existed in the countries all around
Palestine, there is every reason to suppose that it was also found in
NOTES. 201
that country, or, at least, in the regions east of the Jordan and south
of the Dead sea, as Bashan and Idumea.
" The Oriental buffalo appears to be so closely allied to our com-
mon ox, that, without an attentive examination, it might be easily
mistaken for a variety of that animal. In point of size it is rather
superior to the ox ; and, upon an accurate inspection, it is observed
to differ in the shape and magnitude of the head, the latter being
larger than in the ox. But it is chiefly by the structure of the horns
that the buffalo is distinguished, these being of a shape and curva-
ture altogether different from those of the ox. They are of gigantic
size in proportion to the bulk of the animal, and of a compressed
form, with a sharp exterior edge : for a considerable length from
their base these horns are straight, and then bend slightly upwards ;
the prevailing color of them is dusky or nearly black. The buffalo
has no dewlap ; his tail is small, and destitute of vertebra near the
extremity ; his ears are long and pointed. This animal has the ap-
pearance of uncommon strength. The bulk of his body, and prodig-
ious muscular limbs, denote his force at the first view. His aspect is
ferocious and malignant ; at the same time that his physiognomy is
strongly marked with features of stupidity. His head is of a ponder-
ous size ; his eyes diminutive ; and what serves to render his visage
still more savage are the tufts of frizzled hair which hang down fi-om
his cheeks and the lower part of his muzzle."
" Niebuhr remarks, that he saw buffaloes not only in Egypt, but
also at Bombay, Surat, on the Euphrates, Tigris, Orontes, at Scan-
daroon, &c., and indeed in almost all marshy regions, and near large
rivers."
"All the evidence goes to show that it (the buffalo) has been
domesticated only at a comparatively recent period; and that the
Hebrews, therefore, were probably acquainted with it only as a
wild, savage, ferocious animal, resembling the ox; and it was, not
improbably, often intended by them under the epithet bulls of Ba-
shan."
13. The loing of the ostrich moveth joyfully. For an excellent
description of the ostrich, see Harris's Nat. Hist. p. 318. Dr. Shaw
observes : " When I was abroad, I had several opportunities of
amusing myself with the actions and behavior of the ostrich. It
was very diverting to observe with what dexterity and equipose of
body it would play and frisk about on all occasions. In the heat of
the day, particularly, it would strut along the sunny side of the
202 NOTES.
house with great majesty. It would be perpetually fanning and
priding itself with its quivering, expanded wings, and seem, at every
turn, to admire and be in love with its own shadow. Even at other
times, when walking about, or resting itself on the ground, the
wings would continue their fanning and vibrating motions, as if they
were designed to mitigate and assuage that extraordinary heat
wherewith their bodies seem to be naturally affected." Travels,
p. 450, 4to. — Hath she not the icings and feathers of the stork? lit.
the pious bird; in allusion to the fable of the stork's feeding her
young witli her own blood. Ges. renders the line. But are her
wings and feathers pious ? But to call the wings and feathers pious
seems to me too harsh. It is mentioned, as a remarkable circum-
stance, that the ostrich, having black and white feathers, like the
pious or affectionate bird, the stork, should yet differ so much from it
in disposition. See note on ver. 16. The description of the ostrich
is placed between that of the buffalo and the horse on account of her
resemblance to a quadruped.
" The ostrich is considered to be the largest of birds, and the con-
necting link between quadrupeds and fowls. Its head and bill some-
what resemble those of a duck, and the neck may be compared to
that of a swan, but that it is much longer ; the legs and thighs re-
semble those of a hen, but are very fleshy and large. The end of
the foot is cloven, and has two very large toes, which, like the leg,
are covered with scales. These toes are of unequal sizes ; the lar-
gest, which is on the inside, being seven inches long, including the
claw, which is near three fourths of an inch in length, and almost
as broad ; the other toe is but four inches long, and is without a
claw. The height of the ostrich is usually seven feet, from the
head to the ground j but from the back it is only four ; so that the
head and the neck are above three feet long. From the head to
the end of the tail, when the neck is stretched in a right line, it
is seven feet long. One of the wings, with the feathers stretched
out, is three feet in length. The plumage is generally white and
black, though some of them are said to be gray. There are no
feathers on the sides of the thighs, nor under the wings. The
lower half of the neck is covered with smaller feathers than those
on the belly and back, and the head and upper part of the neck are
covered with hair. At the end of each wing there is a kind of spur,
resembling the quill of a porcupine, about an inch long ; and about a
NOTES. 203
foot lower down the wing is another of the same description, but
something smaller.
" The ostrich has not, like most other birds, feathers of various
kinds ; they are all bearded with detached hairs or filaments, with-
out consistence and reciprocal adherence. The consequence is, that
they cannot oppose to the air a suitable resistance, and therefore are
of no utility in flying, or in directing the flight. Besides the peculiar
structure of her wings, the ostrich is rendered incapable of flight by
her enormous size, weighing seventy-five or eighty pounds." Rohin-
son^s Calmet.
14. — she layeth her eggs on the ground. The verb ^TJ^H here
means, I suppose, to commit to, or to deposit upon^ not to abandon in.
The meaning is, that the ostrich, instead of building her nest on some
high rock or tree, like other birds, deposits them upon the ground,
where they ai*e exposed to the view of every traveller, and the foot
of every wild beast. — She warmeth them in the dust. I do not un-
derstand the meaning to be, that she abandons her eggs, to be hatched
by the warmth of the sun heating the sand or dust ; but rather that
she broods over them in so exposed a place. The fact is, that the
ostrich usually sits upon her eggs as other birds do ; but then she so
often wanders, and so far, in search of food, that frequently the eggs
are addle by means of her long absence from them. To this ac-
count we may add, when she has left her nest, whether through fear,
or to seek food, if she light upon the eggs of some other ostrich, she
sits upon them and is unmindful of her OAvn. The Arabian poets
often allude to this peculiarity of the ostrich. The following is quoted
from Nawabig by Schultens :
There are, who, deaf to nature's cries.
On stranger tribes bestow their food ;
So her own eggs the ostrich flies,
And, senseless, rears another's brood.
" Notwithstanding the stupidity of this animal," says Dr. Shaw,
" its Creator hath amply provided for its safety, by endowing it with
extraordinary swiftness, and a surprising apparatus for escaping from
its enemy. ' They, when they raise themselves up for flight, laugh at
the horse and his rider.' They afford him an opportunity only of ad-
miring at a distance the extraordinary agility, and the stateliness,
204 NOTES.
likewise, of their motions, the richness of their plumage, and the great
propriety there v/as in ascribing to them an expanded^ quivering loing.
Nothing, certainly, can be more entertaining than such a sight ; the
wings^ by then- rapid but unwearied vibrations, equally sei-ying them
for sails and oars ; while their feet, no less assisting in conveying
them out of sight, are no less insensible of fatigue." Travels, 8vo.
Vol. II. p. 343.
" The surprising swiftness of the ostrich is expressly mentioned by
Xenophon in his Anabasis ; for, speaking of the desert of Arabia,
he states that the ostrich is frequently seen there ; that none could
take them, the horsemen who pursue them soon giving it over ; for
they escaped far away, making use of both their feet to run, and of
their wings, when expanded, as a sail to waft them along." Robinson's
Cahnet.
In regard to the proverbial stupidity of the ostrich. Dr. Shaw ob-
serves, that, in addition to her neglect of her young, " she is likewise
inconsiderate and foolish in her private capacity, particularly in the
choice of food, which is frequently highly detrimental and pernicious
to it ; for she swallows everything greedily and indiscriminately, wheth-
er it be pieces of rags, leather, wood, stone, or iron. When I was
at Oran, I saw one of these birds swallow, without any seeming un-
easiness or inconveniency, several leaden bullets, as they were thrown
upon the floor, scorching hot from the mould." Skald's Travels, 8vo.
Vol. II. p. 345.
16. She is cruel, ^r. "On the least noise or trivial occasion," says
Dr. Shaw, " she forsakes her eggs, or her young ones, to which per-
haps she never returns ; or if she does, it may be too late either to re-
store life to the one, or to preserve the lives of the others. Agree-
able to this account, the Arabs sometimes meet with whole nests of
these eggs undisturbed ; some of them are sweet and good, others are
addle and coiTupted ; others, again, have their young ones of dif-
ferent growth, according to the time, it may be presumed, they have
been forsaken of the dam. They often meet with a few of the little
ones, no bigger than well-grown pullets, half-starved, straggling and
moaning about, like so many distressed orphans for their mother."
Travels, 8vo. Vol. II. pp. 344, 345. This want of affection is also re-
corded in Lara. iv. 3. — Her labor, Sj-c: i. e. in laying her eggs. The
ostrich is naturally a timid bird, but it is here said that she feareth not :
i. e. she has no affectionate fear for her young ; she abandons her nest
without fears of what may happen to it.
NOTES. 205
17. — hath denied her wisdom. The Arabs have the proverbial
expression, More foolish than an ostrich.
18. — lifteth herself up : i. e. lifteth up her head and body, and
spreadeth her wings, in order to escape the pursuer. The expres-
sion does not imply that her feet quit the ground.
19. — horse. The whole description refers to the horse as he
appears in war. — Hast thou clothed his neck icith his quivering rnane ?
I am now convinced that the rendering thunder is untenable. The
neck of the horse must be regarded as clothed with what is addressed
to the sense of sight ; and the noise made by the horse is referred
to in another line. riDJ^I denotes trembling, quivering, and is used
poetically to denote the mane of a horse, which appears to quiver
on the neck of a high-bred one on account of its fatness, or which
is erect and trembles in the excitement of running. See Ges. Lex.
ad riDjn. Umbreit renders the line. Hast thou clothed his neck
with loftiness? supposing the HDJ^I to be formed from the Chald.
pj;i, equivalent to the Hebrew Q)"^. But this is conjecture.
20. How majestic his snorting .' how terrible ! There may, at first
view, appear something ludicrous in speaking of the majestic snort-
ing of a horse. But let one conceive of the war-horse, and suppose,
moreover, that he has, or will, come against him in war, and the
associations will be different. It is to be recollected, too, that the
horse was peculiarly an object of terror to the Hebrews, on account
of their ignorance of horsemanship. See Is. xxxvi. 8, and the note.
Jeremiah says, ch. viii. 16,
From Dan is heard the snorting of their horses.
At the sound of the neighing of their steeds the whole land
trembleth.
See Virg. Georg. III. 85, «fcc. ^n. XI. 496.
24. — he devoureth the ground. This expression is still used in
Arabia to denote prodigious swiftness. See also Virg. Georg. III.
143.
26. — toward the south. Most of the species of hawks are said to
be birds of passage. The instinct which teaches such birds to know
the proper time for migrating in search of food, or of a warmer cli-
mate, or both, is probably referred to.
18
206 NOTES.
29. — discern it from afar. See Iliad, xvii. 674. :
— ioox' aiSTog, ov ^a te (paoiv
^Ogvxaxov diQxtod^ai VTCovQaviuiv tvstetjvcov.
As the bold bird, endued with sharpest eye
Of all that wing the mid aerial sky. Pope.
XXIIL, XXIV.
The Almighty is now represented as pausing, and demanding of
Job an answer to his questions, and inviting him to defend his cause.
But the admonitions of Elihu and of the Almighty have produced
their proper effect ; Job is impressed with the most profound rever-
ence of the majesty of God ; he has lost that boldness and presump-
tion with which he once challenged the Almighty to a controversy,
and he acknowledges his weakness, and the rashness of his com-
plaints, and bold appeals to God. But to make his submission and
penitence more complete and impressive, the Almighty is represent-
ed as addressing him in a still severer tone of reprehension. In
reference to his boldness in desiring to enter into a controversy with
him, the Deity challenges him to emulate a single exertion of the
divine power. He adds the description of the river-horse, and the
crocodile, by which his power is strikingly illustrated. From the
whole discourse it follows, that it is better for man to submit without
murmuring to the will of so great a Being than to contend with him,
and require him to give an account of his doings.
Ch. XL. 15. — the river-horse. This animal is usually mentioned
by the ancients in connexion with the crocodile, which is supposed to
be denoted by the leviathan. The description seems to apply to the
river-horse rather than to the elephant, in several particulars, which
are well stated by Herder.* " In general, the description is undoubt-
edly that of an animal whose usual resort is the river, since it is in-
troduced, as something singular, that he eateth grass like the ox, that
the mountains bring him forth food, and the beasts of the field play
around him. He sleeps among the reeds, and lies concealed among
* Spirit of Hebrew Poetry, Vol. I. p. 107, Marsh's Translation.
NOTES. 207
the marshes on the shore of the river, which clearly does not suit a
description of the elephant. He goes against the stream, as if he
would drink up the river with his enormous mouth, a character not
well fitting a land-animal. His strength too is in his loins, and his
force is in the navel of his belly, where, on the contrary, the ele-
phant is weakest. He that made him has furnished him with a
sword ; for the sharp-pointed and projecting tusks of the hippopota-
mus may be considered his weapons ; and the language applies
better to these than to the weapons of the elephant. Since, more-
over, the name behemoth itself is probably the Egyptian name of
this animal, p-ehe-mouth, (river-ox,) here modified, as all foreign
words were by the Hebrews and Greeks, to suit their own forms,
and since, in company with the crocodile, it is placed apart from the
land-animals, which also are arranged in a separate discourse by
themselves, and represented, as all creatures of the watery realm
are by the Orientals, as something foreign and monstrous, it seems
to me that this opinion has at least a balance of probabilities in its
favor, and will soon become the prevailing one."
" The appearance of the hippopotamus, when on the land, is alto-
gether uncouth, the body being extremely large, flat, and round, the
head enormously large in proportion, and the legs as disproportion-
ately short. Authors vary in describing the size of this animal.
The length of a male has been known to be seventeen feet, the
height seven feet, and the circumference fifteen ; the head three
feet and a half, and the girt nine feet ; the mouth in width about
two feet. The general color of the animal is brownish ; the ears
small and pointed, and lined very thickly with fine, short hairs ;
the eyes small in proportion to ''the creature, and black ; the lips
very thick, broad, and beset with a few scattered tufts of short
bristles ; the nostrils small. The armament of teeth in its mouth is
truly formidable ; more particularly the tusks of the lower jaw,
which are of a curved form, somewhat cylindrical ; these are so
strong and hard that they will strike fire with steel, are sometimes
more than two feet in length, and weigh upwards of six pounds
each. The other teeth are much smaller 3 those in the lower jaw
are conical, pointed, and projecting forwards almost horizontally.
The whole surface of the body is covered with short hair ; but more
sparingly on the under parts than on the upper. The tail is short,
thick, and a little hairy. The feet are large, and each of the four
208 NOTES.
lobes, or toes, furnished with a hoof. The color of the hippopota-
mus, when just emerging from the water, is palish brown, or mouse-
color, inclining to a bluish tinge, with the skin appearing through the
hair; but this appearance vanishes as the skin becomes dry." See
Robinson's Calmet, Art. Behemoth, where is an interesting description,
extracted from the Travels of Ruppell, the German naturalist, of the
capture of one of these animals, which measured from the snout to
the end of the tail fifteen feet ; and his tusks from the root to the
point, along the external curve, twenty-eight inches. See also, in
Dr. Shaw's Travels, an engraving of the mosaic pavement at Prae-
neste, in which the river-horse and crocodile are placed in company,
the former being in the midst of reeds and fens.
17. — like the cedar. "The tail of the hippopotamus, although
short, is thick, and may be compared with the cedar for its tapering,
conical shape, and its smoothness, thickness, and strength. But
although it is thick, short, and very firm, yet he moves and twists it
at pleasure ; which is considered, in the sacred text, a proof of his
prodigious strength." Scheuchser.
19. — his sword. This refers to the long, bending teeth of the
animal, with which he, as it were, mows the grass. The aQTitj, i. e.
the sickle, or scythe, was ascribed to this animal by some of the
ancient Greek writers. Thus Nicander, Theriac. ver. 566, quoted
by Ros. :
^'H 'iTtTtov, Tov l^Bi^og VTCsQ Suiv ald-aloiCGav
SoGxsi, ccQov^ipiv ds y.ay.ijV iTti^ocki-srai aQTirjv.
In the next verse th6 reason of his being furnished with it is given,
viz. that, although he was an aquatic animal, he procured his food,
not from the rivers, but from the grassy mountains.
21. — lote-trees. See Ges. upon D"''7J<V. 3d edit.
23. — a Jordan: i. e^ a river as large as the Jordan; for the
river-horse could not have lived upon the Jordan. Undoubtedly,
the author understood, that, like the crocodile, he was found upon
the Nile. He mentions the Jordan as an instance of a great river;
and it seems to be an argument that the writer was a native of
Palestine, and wrote for those who were familiar with the Jordan,
that he mentions it as an instance of a great stream. The over-
flowing of it would not frighten the river-horse, because he was
amphibious.
NOTES. 209
Ch. XLI. 1. — the crocodile. See note on ch. Hi. 8. The
crocodile is here described in the hyperbolical style of Eastern
poetry. See Harris's Nat. Hist. p. 245. The following description
of the crocodile is from Shaw's Zoology, Vol. HI. p. 184. : " The
crocodile, so remarkable for its size and powers of destruction, has
in all ages been regarded as one of the most formidable animals of
the warmer regions. It is a native of Asia and Africa, but seems to
be most common in the latter ; inhabiting large rivers, as the Nile,
the Niger, &c., and preying principally on fish, but occasionally
seizing on almost every animal which happens to be exposed to its
rapacity. The size to which the crocodile sometimes arrives is pro-
digious ; specimens being frequently seen of twenty feet in length ;
and instances are commemorated of some which have exceeded the
length of thirty feet. The armor, with which the upper part of the
body is covered, may be numbered among the most elaborate pieces
of Nature's mechanism. In the full-grown animal it is so strong
and thick as easily to repel a musket-ball. The whole animal ap-
pears as if covered with the most regular and curious carved work.
The mouth is of vast width, the gape having a somewhat flexuous
outline, and both jaws being furnished with very numerous, sharp-
pointed teeth. The number of teeth in each jaw is thirty or more,
and they are so disposed as to alternate with each other, when the
mouth is closed. The legs are short, but strong and muscular. — In
the glowing regions of Africa, where it arrives at its full strength
and power, it is justly regarded as the most formidable inhabitant
of the rivers. It lies in wait near the banks, and snatches dogs and
other animals, swallowing them instantly, and then plunging into
the flood, and seeking some retired part, where it may be concealed,
till hunger again invites it to its prey." — Or press down, S^c. : i. e.
Canst thou put a cord into his mouth, so as to draw him with it as
with a bridle ? See Ges. upon ^pur.
2. — a rope — a ring : i. e. by which he might be fastened to the
land, after he was caught.
5. — for thy maidens : i. e. for their amusement.
6. — lay snares for him 9 S^c. : i. e. Do the fishermen in company
catch him, and sell him like fish .''
8. Thou wilt not do it again ! i. e. It will prove fatal to thee.
9. Behold, his hope : The third person for the second. The mean-
ing is, Tliy hope (of taking him) is vain. See ch. xxxii, 15, and note.
See also Glass. Phil. Sac. pp. 318, 647. ed. Dath.
210 NOTES.
13. — his garment: i. e. his skin. — his jaws: lit. his double
hridle, which his jaws resembled.
15. — shields: i. e. scales.
18. — eyelashes of the morning. This may happen, says Schul-
tens, when the crocodile lifts his head above water in the night.
His staring eyes, which are the first object that strikes the beholder,
may then be compared to the dawning light. The eyes of the croco-
dile are said to be small. But, as Bochart observes, they are so
remarkable, that, when the Egyptians would represent the morning
by a hieroglyphic, they painted a crocodile's eye.
19 - 22. Here the crocodile is described as in pursuit of his prey
on land. His mouth is then open, his blood inflamed, his breath
thrown out with prodigious vehemence, like volumes of smoke, and
heated to such a degree as to seem a flaming fire. Strength and
Terror are represented as animated beings, the one seated on his
neck, and the other bounding before him.
26. — doth not hold : i. e. will not pierce him and remain fixed in
him, but is repelled and beaten back by the excessive hardness of
his skin.
30. — potsherds. His scales are compared to fragments of broken
earthen vessels. — thrashing-sledge. yYT\- His outer skin, or coat of
mail, is represented as rough and pointed like a thrashing-sledge.
This was an instrument for rubbing or beating out grain upon the
thrashing-floor. It consists of three or four rollers of wood, iron,
or stone, made rough, and joined together in the form of a sledge or
dray ; and is drawn by oxen over the grain in order to separate the
kernels from the ear. See Ges. ad verb.
32. — shining path : viz. the white foam which he stirs up in his
passage through the water.
34. He looketh down, <^c. .- i. e. Although a reptile, he is not afi-aid
of the fiercest wild beasts.
XXV., XXVI.
Job is now represented as impressed with a deep sense of his
presumption and irreverence in his former discourses, and express-
ing his penitence in the strongest terms of self-condemnation. The
way is thus prepared for the vindication of the integrity and piety
NOTES. 211
of Job by the Deity, and consequently for the decision of the ques-
tion which had been the great subject of controversy. The Almighty
decides that the friends of Job had not spoken that which was right,
in contending that the misery of Job was inflicted by God as the
punishment of his sins ; and that Job had spoken the truth, in main-
taining that no man's character can be ascertained by his external
condition. He confirms his decision by restoring him to his former
prosperity.
Ch. XLII. 3. Who is he, 8fC. This is repeated from ch. xxxviii.
2, where the question is asked by the Deity. As if Job had said,
Alas ! who is it, as thou sayest, that hideth, &c. I am the presump-
tuous man.
4. / will ask thee, «^c. I will no more dispute and endeavor to
contend with thee with the pride of an equal, but inquire of thee
with the humility of a scholar. The words which Jehovah had
spoken to Job by way of challenge, ch. xxxviii. 3, and xl. 7, Job
uses in the spirit of deep submission.
5. — hearing of the ear — eye seen. This may mean only, that
Job had a much more perfect knowledge of the Deity than before,
as knowledge which is gained by seeing is proverbially more accu-
rate and thorough than that which comes to us by the report of
others. It is said that Jehovah spake from the whirlwind, but no
visible form is mentioned.
6. — / abhor myself: i. e. my former rash speeches respecting
thee.
7. — ye have not spoken concerning me that which is right, as hath
my servant Job. This language is to be understood comparatively,
for Job has just been censured for rashly complaining of the ways
of God ; and it is to be understood relatively, i. e. with reference to
the main subject of discussion. They had not spoken right, in
maintaining that misery is always a proof of guilt, and in con-
demning an apparently upright and good man, merely because he
was afflicted. They had not spoken so well, in supporting such a
proposition, and in heaping unmerited reproach upon a good man,
as Job had, in denying the proposition, and in maintaining his inno-
cence. See Introduction, p. xx.
11. — a piece of money — a ring of gold : i. e. as tokens of re-
gard.
212 NOTES.
14. The names of Job's daughters have reference to their loveli-
ness ; Jemima denoting dove, or, as some suppose, fair as the day ;
Kezia, cassia ; and Kerenhappuch, horn of beautiful paint, i. e.
beautiful as those whose persons are adorned to the utmost extent.
15. — among their brethren. This, being contrary to custom, is
mentioned for the purpose of showing the extent of Job's wealth,
as well as the excellence of his daughters. See Numb, xxvii. 8.
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