The equal state of CHAPTER III. all men in the grave. B. C. 1520. M. 2481. did not give up the ghost when I been; as infants which never saw A. M. 2484. came out of the belly? B. C. 1520. 12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? 13 For now should I have lain still and been light. 17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. 18 There the prisoners rest together; they quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at hear not the voice of the oppressor. rest, 14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, which 'built desolate places for themselves; 15 Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver: 19 The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master. 20 i Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul: 21 Which long for death, but it cometh 8 1 16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not || not; and dig for it more than m for hid treasures ; Gen. xxx. 3; Isa. Ixvi. 12.- Psa. lviii. 8. k 1 Sam. i. 10; 2 Kings iv. 27; Prov. xxxi. 6.- 8 Hebrew, wait. f Chap. xv. 28.Chap. xxxix. 7.It would surely have been far better, and much happier for me, had I either expired in the womb where I received my life, or it had been taken from me the Verse 18. There the prisoners rest together— very moment my eyes saw the light of this world. That is, one as well as another; they who were lately Why did the knees prevent me?-Why did the mid- deprived of their liberty, kept in the strongest chains wife or nurse receive and lay me upon her knees, and closest prisons, and condemned to the most hard and not suffer me to fall upon the bare ground, till and miserable slavery, rest as well as those who were death had taken me out of this sorrowful world, into captives in much better circumstances. They hear which their cruel kindness hath betrayed me? Why not the voice of the oppressor-Or exactor, or taskdid the breasts prevent me from perishing through master, (as the word wa, nogesh, is translated Exhunger, or supply me that I should have what to odus v. 6,) who urges and forces them, by cruel suck?-Thus Job unthankfully despises these won-threatenings and stripes, to labour beyond their derful mercies of God toward poor, helpless infants. Verses 13, 14. For now should I have lain still, and been quiet-Free from those torments of body, and that anguish of mind, which now oppress me. With kings and counsellors of the earth--I had then been as happy as the proudest monarchs, who, after all their great achievements, go down into their graves; which built desolate places for themselves-Who distinguished themselves for a while, and to show their great wealth and power, and to leave behind them a glorious name, and perpetuate their memories, with great labour and expense erected pompous and magnificent buildings; and, to render themselves the more famous, raised them up in places which seemed before to be forsaken, and abandoned to entire desolation. tyrannies, oppressions, and injuries, now quietly sleep with them. Verses 15, 16. Or with princes that had gold, &c. -My repose and security from worldly anxieties would have been the same with that of those princes who were once celebrated for their wealth, and whose birth entitled them to large treasures of gold and silver. Or as a hidden-That is, undiscerned and unregarded; untimely birth-Born before the due time, and therefore extinct. I had not beenTo wit, in the land of the living, of which he here speaks; as infants which never saw light-As those fetuses that were never quickened, and come to nothing, or those infants which are stifled and dead before their birth. Verse 17. There the wicked cease from troubling In the grave the great oppressors and troublers of the world cease from their vexatious rapines and murders; and there the weary be at rest-Those who were here molested, and tired out with their strength. Job does not here take into consideration their eternal state after death, of which he speaks hereafter, but only their freedom from worldly troubles, which is the sole matter of his present discourse. Verse 19. The small and great are there-It should rather be rendered, are equal there; persons of all qualities and conditions, whether higher or lower, are in the same circumstances. There is no distinction in the grave, but the meanest and most despised peasant is in a situation equal to that of his rich and powerful neighbour. The man of birth and fortune appears there to no advantage: he commands no place; he usurps no authority; neither does he lord it over the poorest or meanest of the human race. And the servant is free from his masterThe most contemptible slave, who was entirely subject to the impositions and exactions of his owner, has got his discharge, and is now free from the pow er of him that tyrannized over him: a good reason this, why those who have power should use it moderately, and why those that are in subjection should take it patiently. Verse 20. Wherefore is light given-inn, lama jitten; why doth he give, or hath he given, light, namely, the light of life, to him that is in misery, whose life is a scene of sorrow and distress, loaded and pressed with numberless calamities? and life unto the bitter in soul-Unto those whose life itself is very bitter and burdensome, whose souls are full of heaviness, being overpowered with the weight of affliction? Why doth he obtrude his favours upon those that abhor them? Verse 21. Who long for death-With eagerness and impatience, as the Hebrew means. Who call Job complains of the grievous JOB. alteration of his circumstances. A. M. 2484. 22 Which rejoice exceedingly, and || my roarings are poured out like the A. M. 2484. are glad, when they can find the waters. B. C. 1520. grave? n 23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? 9 B. C. 1520. 25 For 10 the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. 26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, ner 24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and ther was I quiet; yet trouble came. 10 Heb. I feared a fear, and it came upon me. and frightful, and such as may be compared to the loud roarings of a lion. And though I strive, and take much pains, to check and silence them, yet I find it is to no purpose; for they force their way with irresistible violence and incessant continuance, in great abundance; like so many sudden and impetuous streams of waters, when a river breaks its banks and overflows the adjacent grounds. Chap. xix. 8; Lam. iii. 7.- Heb. before my meat, aloud for death, as Heath translates it. Qui ægre expectant, inhiant morti, who anxiously long and gasp for death; but it cometh not-They long and gasp in vain. And dig for it more than for hid treasures-Whose thoughts and wishes are so intent on their dissolution, that they expect it with as much earnestness as miners look for their golden treasures, who, being indefatigable in their pursuit, spare neither time nor labour, but penetrate still further into the deep caverns of the earth, to find out and enrich themselves with the secret, wished-poured upon me, I was indeed under great and for gain. It is observable, that Job durst not do any thing to hasten or procure his death. Notwithstand ing all his miseries, he was contented to wait all the days of his appointed time till his change should come, chap. xiv. 14. Verse 22. Which rejoice exceedingly, when they can find the grave-To be thus impatient of life, for the sake of the trouble we meet with, is not only unnatural in itself, but ungrateful to the Giver of life, and shows a sinful indulgence of our own passion. Let it be our great and constant care to get ready for another world: and then let us leave it to God to order the circumstances of our removal thither. Verse 23. Why is light given to a man whose way is hid?-Hid from him; who knows not his way, that is, which way to turn himself, what course to take to obtain comfort in his miseries, or to get out of them. And whom God hath hedged in || -Whom God hath put, as it were, in a prison, so that he can see no way or possibility of escape; but all refuge fails him. Verse 25. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me-Before this flood of misery was strong apprehensions, which I could not account for, of something or other that would happen to me; something extremely grievous and afflicting; something as bad, nay, worse than death itself. For I considered the variety of God's providences, the changeableness of this vain world, the infirmities and contingencies to which human nature is liable in the present life, God's justice, and the sinfulness of all mankind. And it is now evident that these fears of mine were not in vain, for they are justified by my present calamities. I may, therefore, say that I have never enjoyed any sound tranquillity since I was born; and, of consequence, it hath not been worth my while to live, since all my days have been evil, and full of trouble and distress, either by the fear of miseries or by the suffering of them. Verse 26. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet-Three expressions denoting the same thing, which was also signified in the verse immediately preceding, namely, that even in his prosperous days he never esteemed himself secure, Verse 24. For my sighing cometh before I eat—or was perfectly free from the torment of fear and Hebrew, before the face of my bread. Instead of enjoying the satisfaction of being refreshed with the common necessaries that are afforded us, and taking any pleasure in eating and drinking, which are granted for comfort as well as sustenance, my cries and tears are my meat and drink. And my roarings are poured out like the waters-So severe is my pain, and so great my anguish, that the agonies and outcries, which are extorted from me, are of no common sort: they are deep and noisy; hideous anxiety. Or, his meaning is, I did not misbehave myself in prosperity, abusing it by presumption and security; but I lived circumspectly, walking humbly with God, and working out my salvation with fear and trembling. Yet trouble came-As I feared it would. So that between fear and calamity my whole life has been uncomfortable, and I had reason to repent of it. Therefore, in this sense also his way was hid, and he knew not why God contended with him. CHAPTER IV. Eliphaz owns Job's former usefulness, but infers from his present state and behaviour that he was a hypocrite, 1-6. He affirms that God never afflicts man but for his wickedness, 7-11. He confirms his assertion by the words he heard in a vision, 12-21. By all this he aims to make Job both penitent and patient under his sufferings. Eliphaz answers A. M. 2484. B. C. 1520. THEN Eliphaz the Temanite an- || falling, and thou hast strengthened A. M. 2484. swered and said, 4 Thy words have upholden him that was 'Heb. a word. Heb. who can refrain from words?· a Isa. XXXV. 3.- b Isa. xxxv. 3. NOTES ON CHAPTER IV. Verse 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered-Job's three friends reasoning on the principles of an equal providence, and supposing that affliction could happen only in the way of punishment, which necessarily inferred guilt, and thinking his complaints exceeded the bounds of decency, the eldest of them, Eliphaz, here interposes. He desires Job to recollect himself, not to give way to fruitless lamentations, but to put into practice those lessons he had often recommended to others. He reminds him of that, as he thought, infallible maxim, that those who reaped misery must have sowed iniquity, amaxim which he confirms by his own particular experience, and which he supposes was assented to by all mankind. And, in the display of this maxim, he throws in many of the particular circumstances attending Job's calamity, intimating, that he must have been a great, though secret oppressor, and that, therefore, the breath of God had blasted him at once. He confirms also the truth of this principle by a revelation, which, he says, was made to him in a vision. He urges further, that supposing he, Job, had been guilty of no very atrocious crime; yet the common frailties of human nature were abundantly sufficient to account for any afflictions which it should please God to inflict on man; but takes care, as he proceeds, (as may be seen in the next chapter,) to let him know, they had a far worse opinion of him; representing him as wicked and foolish, and a proper object of divine wrath. Verse 2. If we assay to commune with thee, &c. This is nearly the sense, but not exactly the construction of the Hebrew, ho, hanissah dabar eeleka, is rather, Annon aggrediemur sermonem adversus te. Shall we not attempt a discourse against thee? Shall we suffer thee to go on with thy complaints? Shall we hear thee with patience, and be altogether silent, without so much as attempting a reply? Wilt thou be grieved?-Or, Thou will be grieved; 7, Tileh, moleste feres, thou wilt take it ill. Our words will undoubtedly vex, and not comfort thee, as we desired and intended to do. For truth is surely to be regarded more than friendship, and we cannot, in consistency therewith, speak words of consolation, but we must use those of sharp reproof. This makes me desire to be silent, were it possible. But who can with hold? &c.-The Hebrew, vagnetser bemillin, &c., is literally, But to refrain from words, who can? Who, when he hears such unreasonable 3 the feeble knees. B. C. 1520. and ungodly words, coming from such a person as thou art, words whereby thou dost accuse thy Maker, reproach his providence, and contemn his blessings, can forbear speaking? No man, who hath any respect to God, or love to thee, can refrain from reproving thee. I will, therefore, suggest to thee some of those observations, which were the thoughts of wise and prudent men of old time; and from which, if well applied, thou mayest receive singular profit. The verse is intended as an apology for what he was about to say. Verse 3. Behold, thou hast instructed many-It is well known thou hast given good counsel unto others, teaching them those lessons which, it appears, thou hast not thyself learned, and wilt not practise, namely, patiently to bear afflictions, and to submit to God's will and providence in all things. And thou hast strengthened the weak hands-Hast encouraged those that were dispirited; hast administered counsels, supports, and comforts to such as were unable to bear their burdens, or to do their duty. Verse 4. Thy words have upholden him that was falling-That was ready to sink under his pressures, or to fall into sin, or from God, through despondency and distrust of his providence and promise, or through impatience. And thou hast strengthened the feeble knees-Such as were weak-hearted, and fainting under their trials. that Verse 5. But now it is come upon thee-That is, the evil which thou didst fear, (chap iii. 25,) or, which had come upon those whom thou didst so comfort. And thou faintest―There is no more spirit left in thee: and thou canst not practise thy own advice. It toucheth thee, and thou art troubled-It is now come to be thine own case, and thou art struck with consternation. Verse 6. Is not this thy fear? &c.-We now plainly see what was the nature of thy fear of God, thy confidence in him, the uprightness of thy ways, and thy hope in God's mercy. Thy present conduct discovers that it was but mere talk and appearance. In thy prosperity it was easy for thee to make a splendid profession of religion; but men are best known by affliction, and this trial now shows what thou art. For now thou castest off thy fear of God, and thy confidence and hope in him, and hast relinquished the integrity of thy ways, which before thou didst seem to hold fast; whereas true piety is uniform and constant, and steadfast in all varieties of condition, and under all trials and temptations. Verse 7. Remember, I pray thee-Consult thy Eliphaz affirms, God never afflicts JOB. man but for his wickedness. A. M. 2484. being innocent? or where were the || the fierce lion, and the teeth of the A. M. 2484. righteous cut off? young lions, are broken. B. C. 1520. B. C. 1520. 11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad. 12 Now a thing was 5 secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. Isa. xi. 4; 2 Thess. ii. 8.- -g Psa. lviii. 6.—h Psa. xxxiv. 10. "Heb. by stealth. undiscerned, but mighty and irresistible calamity, their projects are blasted, and they are suddenly carried away, as chaff by the wind, and come to a fearful end. Nor can they escape, were they even as strong as lions, yea, as the strongest and fiercest of them. For when the divine wrath is once kindled against them, their power is immediately broken, and in a moment they are cut off, and totally consumed. He speaks of powerful tyrants, fitly com iv. 17, who, though for a time they persecute and oppress other men, yet in due time they are restrained and crushed by the mighty power of God. Possibly, he might intend secretly to accuse Job, or his children, that, being persons of great wealth and power, they had abused it to ruin their neighbours, and therefore were justly cut off. own experience, observation, or reading, and produce one example. Who ever perished-That is, was so utterly undone as thou art, so miserably || afflicted by such unparalleled and various judgments from God and men, all conspiring against thee; being innocent-Who had not, by his wickedness, provoked so merciful a God to do what is so unusual, and contrary to his gracious nature. Therefore thou art guilty of some great, though secret crimes, and thy sin hath now found thee out, and brought||pared to lions, Ezek. xxxii. 2, and xxxviii. 13; 2 Tim. down these stupendous calamities upon thee. Or, where were the righteous cut off?-By the sword of divine vengeance before his time, which is likely to be thy case. Thus Eliphaz here advances another argument to prove Job a hypocrite, taken not only from his impatience under afflictions, but from his afflictions themselves. His judgment herein was undoubtedly rash and false, but not without some appearance of truth; for God had made many promises, not only of spiritual and eternal, but also of temporal blessings to all that should faithfully serve and obey him, which he accordingly from time to time conferred on such, as we see in the examples of Noah, Lot, Abraham, || Isaac, and Jacob, and doubtless many others who had lived in or before their days. And, indeed, this was God's usual method in all the times of the Old Testament, as we see by the people of Israel, who were generally either in a happy and flourishing, || or in an afflicted and miserable state, according to their obedience to God, or apostacy from him. And, therefore, it is not strange that Eliphaz and his friends fell into this mistake. || Verse 11. The old lion perisheth for lack of prey —Dares not venture out of his den in search of prey, amidst the roar of thunder, the blaze of lightning, and the violence of the storm, that blast of God, mentioned in the preceding verse. And the young lion's whelps are scattered abroad-Are so affrighted with the lightning and thunder, that, being separated, they flee different ways, and cannot find the path which leads to the den of the lioness, their dam. Thus do the divine judgments suddenly oppress, scatter, and bring to nothing the fierce and powerful tyrants of the earth, and unexpectedly strip them of all their wealth gotten by injustice and oppression. Verse 12. Now-Hebrew, and, or moreover, a thing, &c.-To show Job more evidently the sin and Verse 8. Even as I have seen, &c.-As thou hast folly of impatience, and to impress what he had alnever seen any example of a righteous man cut off, ready advanced, or should yet further advance on so I have seen many of wicked men cut off for their that subject, more fully on his mind, Eliphaz relates wickedness. They that plough, &c.-They that de- a vision he had had, perhaps since he came to him: signedly work wickedness, first preparing themselves as if he had said, If these observations be not suffi for it, and then continuing to execute it, as husband- cient to convince thee, hear what God himself hath men first plough the ground, and then cast in the secretly revealed to me. In those early ages of the seed. See the margin. In other words, the observa- world, before God had vouchsafed to mankind a tion I have made of such persons is, they are so far || written revelation, it was usual with him to commufrom reaping any advantage from their iniquitous nicate the knowledge of his will to those that were practices, that those practices return on their own pious, and earnestly desired it, by dreams and visions. heads, and their sinful schemes and contrivances re- A thing-Hebrew, a word, oracle, or message from coil wholly on themselves. God; was secretly brought to me-The Hebrew expression ', jegunnab, is very elegant, namely, stole in upon me; or, was brought by stealth unto me; that is, privately and secretly, as the word of God used to come to the prophets, being spoken to their ear with a low and still voice, or signified to their minds in a mild and gentle manner. This is opposed to the more public declaration of God's Verses 9, 10. By the blast of God they perish, &c. -These two verses are thus interpreted by Heath: By the breath of God they perish; for, at the blast of his anger, the roarings of the lion, and the growling of the black lion, are hushed, and the teeth of the young lions are broken; that is, by the mere breath of God's displeasure, or by a secret, and often 14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. 7 which he had seen. B. C. 1520. 16 It stood still, but I could not A. M. 2484. discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, 1 8 17 Shall mortal man be more just than 15 Then a spirit passed before my face; the God? shall a man be more pure than his Mahair of my flesh stood up: Chapter xxxiii. 15. Hebrew, met me.- k Habakkuk iii. 16. word to the people by the prophets, which was frequently by their crying aloud, Isa. lviii. 1. Mine ear received a little thereof-The word, row, shemets, here rendered little, occurs but once more in the Bible, namely, chap. xxvi. 14, where it is also translated little: How little a portion is heard of him? Symmachus translates it here provрioμov, and in chap. xxvi. 40upiopa, both which words signify whisper, which here may be interpreted a hint or intimation. Eliphaz does not pretend to have understood the revelation that had been made to him in this vision perfectly, but something of it he perceived. He certainly would take care not to lose a syllable of what the spirit said, but he intends by the expression, that he did not fully comprehend the deep meaning of the words which he heard. Or he may be considered as expressing himself thus through modesty and humility, from a deep sense of his own weakness, and the small measure which he judged he possessed of the knowledge of divine things. As if he had said, Many, I doubt not, have a much more familiar acquaintance with God, and more full revelations from him, than I can pretend || to; but a little of that treasure he hath been pleased to impart to me. Verse 13. In thoughts-Or, By reason of my thoughts; my perplexing thoughts. These thoughts, it seems, arose from the visions of the night, which, probably, he had had before, and were the occasion of the fear mentioned verse 14. Visions differed from dreams herein, that God imparted his mind to men in dreams when asleep, but in visions when they were awake. And these visions were sometimes communicated by day, but most frequently by night, whence we read of visions of the night, as Gen. xlvi. 2; Job xx. 8; and xxxiii. 15. And such this was, which made it the more terrible. When deep sleep falleth on men-In the dead of the night, when men usually are in a deep sleep, and all around is still and quiet. Verse 14. Fear came upon me, and trembling The Hebrew is very poetical, namely, Fear called he, or called to me. Job expresses himself in similar language, chap. xvii. 14. I have said, p, karati, literally, I have called to corruption. Thus also Jer. chap. xxx. 5, We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear. As in a poem every thing is, or ought to be, alive, so fear is here represented as a person, who comes up to Eliphaz, and speaks to, and arrests him, as an officer of justice. Which made all my bones to shake-Which affected me to such a degree that my mind and body lost all power, and 2 ker? 'Heb. the multitude of my bones. - Or, I heard a still voice. Chap. ix. 2. my very bones shook and trembled. It should seem, before he either heard or saw any thing, he was seized with this terror. Verse 15. Then-Hebrew, And, as the particle 1, vau, generally signifies. A spirit passed before my face-An angel in a visible shape, otherwise he could not have discerned it, nor would have been affrighted by it. The hair of my flesh stood up— Through that excessive consternation and horror, which seized me at the sight of so glorious and unusual an appearance. Verse 16. It stood still-Though it passed by me, it did not immediately disappear and vanish, but made a stand, as having some business with me, and designing to address me. But I could not discern the form thereof-Namely, exactly and distinctly, so as to know what or who it was. An image was before my eyes-My eyes could not be deceived. I am thoroughly satisfied there was an image which showed itself to me visibly. There was silenceThe spirit stood motionless; all other persons and things about me were entirely silent; and I also kept in my voice and breath as much as I could, that I might distinctly hear what I perceived the spirit was about to speak to me. In the Hebrew it is, Silence, and a voice I heard. Houbigant's translation of the verse is, It stood still indeed, but I knew not its form; the appearance vanished from before my eyes, but I heard a voice. Verse 17. Shall mortal man be more just than God?-Shall man, fallen man, as the word w, enosh, here used, signifies, subject as he is to diseases, troubles, and all those calamities which are the necessary consequences of sin and disobedience, pretend more strictly to observe the laws of justice, and therefore to be more just, than the righteous God? The sense is, Thou, O Job, dost presumptuously accuse God of dealing harshly and unrighteously with thee in sending thee into the world upon such hard terms, and punishing an innocent and righteous man with unparalleled severity; but, consider things calmly within thyself. Were it possible for God and thee to come to trial before any equal and impartial judge, canst thou think that thou wouldest go away justified, and that the great God would be condemned? No righteous man will punish another without cause, or more than he deserves; and, therefore, if God do so with thee, as thy words imply, he is less just than man, which it is blasphemous and absurd to imagine. Shall a man-Hebrew, 71, geber, a great and mighty man, as this word signifies; shall even such a one a man emi 511 |