2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be 6 If thou wert pure and upright, surely now he would awake for thee, and make 3 Doth God pervert judgment; or doth the the habitation of thy righteousness prosperAlmighty pervert justice? 4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression; 1 Gen. xviii. 25; Deut. xxxii. 4; 2 Chron. xix. 7; Chap. xxxiv. 12, 17; Dan. ix. 14; Rom. iii. 5. ous. 7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase. b Chap. i. 5, 18.1 Hebrew, in the hand of their transgression. Chap. v. 8; xi. 13; xxii. 23, &c. C do, nor temptation to it, being self-sufficient for his own happiness, and being able, by his own invincible power, to do whatsoever pleaseth him. Verse 4. If thy children have sinned against him great part of these calamities fell, might be guilty; and therefore God is not unrighteous in these proceedings. And he have cast them away-Hebrew, hath expelled, or cast them out; (namely, out of the world, or out of his favour; as a man gives his wife a bill of divorce, of which the same word is used ;) for their transgression-Hebrew, by the hand, that is, by means of, their wickedness. Bildad argued in this way according to the maxim which he had entertained: but it does not appear that he had any foundation for judging thus of them. NOTES ON CHAPTER VIII. Verse 1. Then answered Bildad the Shuhite"Bildad, whose sentiments are the same with those of the preceding friend, now comes to the attack, and tells Job that his general asseverations of inno--If thou wast innocent, thy children, upon whom a cence are of no avail; that to deny his guilt was to charge the Almighty with injustice; that, if he would not yield to the arguments of Eliphaz, drawn from his experience, and strengthened by revelation, he would do well to pay respect to the general experience of mankind, as handed down by tradition; where he would find it established, as a certain truth, that misery was the infallible consequence of wickedness; that therefore they could not argue wrong who inferred from actual misery antecedent guilt: and though he might urge that these calamities were fallen upon him on account of his chil- Verse 5. If thou wouldest seek unto God, &c.dren's wickedness, yet he only deceived himself; for God hath spared thee, whom he might justly have in that case God might have indeed chastised them destroyed with thy children, and thou art yet capafor their crimes, but he would, by no means, have ble of obtaining his favour if thou wilt seek it. And, destroyed the innocent with the guilty: he would therefore, cease from thy causeless and unthankful rather have heaped his blessings on the innocent complaints. Seek unto God betimes-Hebrew, person, that the contrast might have vindicated his n Ox, im teshacher, if thou wouldst rise early providence. He would have even wrought a mira- to seek him; if thou wouldst seek him speedily, cle for the preservation or restoration of such a early, and diligently, chap. v. 8; and vii. 18-21. And person; and he concludes that since, from the known make thy supplication to the Almighty-Instead of attributes of God, it was impossible he should cut off complaining, implore his grace and favour with humthe innocent, or suffer the guilty to go free; and, as ble supplication. no interposition of providence had happened in his behalf, he thought him in a likely way, by his utter destruction, to prove a terrible example of the truth of that principle which they had urged against him."|| -Heath and Dodd. Verse 2. How long wilt thou speak these things? &c.-Why dost thou persist to talk in this manner? and why are thy words thus vehement? As a strong wind which overturns all things without any moderation, and suffers nothing else to be heard, so thy boisterous and violent words will not permit the voice of truth and wisdom to be heard. Verse 6. If thou wert pure and upright-That is, of a sincere heart and blameless life toward God and men; surely now he would awake for theey', jagnir, excitarit se, he would raise, or stir up himself. Thus David prays, using the same word, Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment. And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous-He would certainly have a regard to thee, and restore the concerns of thy house and family to their former splendour. He says the habitation of thy righteousness, to signify that if it were such, and he would manage his affairs with righteousness and not wrongfully, God would prosper him accordingly; and perhaps also to intimate, that because he had not prospered they had cause to suspect that he had acquired his property by fraud and oppression. Verse 3. Doth God-Hebrew, x, Eel, the mighty God, as this word signifies; pervert judgment? Judge unrighteously? No: this is inconsistent with God's nature, which is essentially and necessarily just, and with his office of governor of the world. Verse 7. Though thy beginning was small-The Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?-Hebrew, sense is either, 1st, Though thou hadst possessed but Shaddai, a word that sets forth God's omnipo- very little at first, yet God would have wonderfully tence and all-sufficiency. These names are emphat- blessed and increased thy estate: whereas, now he ically used to prove that God cannot deal unjustly hath brought thee down from a great estate almost or falsely with men, because he hath no need so toll to nothing; which is an evidence of his displeasure Bildad shows the fickle and JOB. perishing state of man. B. C. 1520. A. M. 2484. 8 d For inquire, I pray thee, of the || and utter words out of their heart? A. M. 2484. B. C. 1520. former age, and prepare thyself to the 11 Can the rush grow up without search of their fathers: mire? can the flag grow without water? 12. While it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. 13 So are the paths of all that forget God; e 9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know 2 nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow :) 10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: d Deut. iv. 32; xxxii. 7; Chap. xv. 18.- Le Genesis xlvii. 9; 1 Chron. xxix. 15; Chap. vii. 6; Psa. xxxix. 5; cii. 11; cxliv. and of thy hypocrisy. Or, 2d, Though what thou hast left be now very little, yet if thou repent and seek God it shall vastly increase. Verse 8. For inquire, &c., of the former ageThat is, of our predecessors, who had the advantage of longer life and more experience, besides more frequent revelations from God than we have. They also will be more impartial judges of this cause than we may be thought to be. Inform thyself by the instructions which they have left, either in word or writing, what their opinion was about the manner of God's dealing with men. And prepare thyself to the search, &c.-Do not slightly, but seriously and industriously, search the ancient records. 14. 2 Heb. not.- f Psa. cxxix. 6; Jer. xvii. 6. Chap. xi. 20; xviii. 14; xxvii. 8; Psa, cxii. 10; Prov. x. 28. Such is that natural and beautiful comparison we have here; and which, by the way of introducing it, appears plainly to have been a proverbial saying delivered down from their forefathers; perhaps taught them from their cradles. Have not they then, says he, transmitted to thee this wise lesson? That, as the rush cannot grow up without mire, nor the flag without water, so neither can any thing flourish or prosper long without the blessing of Almighty God? and how should the ungodly, or the hypocrite, expect his blessing! One scarcely knows which to admire most, the piety of the sentiment, or the elegance and justness of the comparison." Verse 10. Shall not they teach thee ?-Assuredly they will inform thee that it is as we say. And utter words out of their heart-Not partially, but sincerely, speaking their inward thoughts; not rashly, but from deep consideration; not by hearsay from others, but their own knowledge and experience. Verses 11, 12. Can the rush grow without mire, &c.-This, and what follows, he speaks as from those ancients, to whom he had referred him, and concerning whom he says, that they would give him such instructions as these. While it is yet in its greenness-Whereby it promises long continuance: and not cut down-Though no man cut it down it withers of itself, and saves a man the labour of cutting or plucking it up. Before any other herbSooner than other herbs, or, as 5, liphnee, means, in their presence, or they surviving; in which sense it is said, that Ishmael died in the presence of his brethren; the rest of the herbs, as it were, looking upon it, and admiring the sudden change. Verse 9. We are but of yesterday, &c.—But lately born, and therefore have but little knowledge and experience. We live not so long as they did to make observations on the methods of Divine Providence. "There are three things in this passage," says Dr. Dodd, from Peters, "well worthy of our observation. As, first, his referring Job to their ancestors of former times as the best instructers in wisdom; then urging the comparative ignorance of the generation that then was, and the reason of it, namely, the shortness of men's lives; We are but of yesterday, &c.,|| human life being at this time in a swift decline, and reduced, in a few generations, from eight or nine hundred years to one hundred and fifty, or thereabouts: for, what is most to our purpose is, in the next place, his representing these long-lived ancestors of theirs, from whom they derived their wisdom, as living but an age or two before them: they were the men of the former age, or perhaps the fathers and grand-fathers of these. And it appears Verse 13. So are the paths of all that forget God from the Scripture history, that Shem, the son of Of wicked men, who are often described by this Noah, who lived five hundred years after the flood, character; see Psa. ix. 17, and 1. 22; or, of hypomight well have been a cotemporary with the grand-crites, as the next words explain it, whose first and fathers, or great-grand-fathers, of Job and his friends; fundamental error is, that they forget, that is, neand with what authority would such a one teach glect, forsake, and despise God, his presence, comthem! and with what attention would his instruc-mands, worship, and providence; and, therefore, tions be received! Indeed, the fame of these re- break out into manifold sins. But, by their paths, he storers of the human race was so great for many does not intend their manner of living, but the events ages after, that when mankind fell into the supersti- which befall them, God's manner of dealing with tion of worshipping men-deities, there is little doubt them. Now this may be accommodated to the foreto be made, but that these were the first mortals that going similitude in this manner, namely, Such is the were deified. The last thing I shall observe from prosperity of wicked men; because it wants the solid the passage, is the style or manner in which the pre- foundation of piety, and of God's promise and blesscepts of their ancestors were transmitted to them; ing consequent thereupon, it quickly vanishes into and that is, by some apt simile or comparison, drawn nothing. The hypocrite's hope shall perish-That from nature; and like a picture fitted to engage the is, the object of his hope, his riches, his friends, his attention, and by agreeably entertaining the imagina- honours, and other such like things, on which he tion, to leave a strong impression on the memory. founded his expectations; for, when these are lost, The wretched state of the wicked, A. M. 2484. h CHAPTER VIII. 14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web. 15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. 16 He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden. 17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones. 'Hebrew, a spider's house, Isa. lix. 5. Chapter xxvii. 18. iChap. vii. 10; xx. 9; Psa. xxxvii. 36. hope may be said to perish, because that from which it arose is no more. and the blessedness of the perfect. B. C. 1520. 18 i If he destroy him from his place, A. M. 2484. then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee. 19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow. heres to the midst of stones. This circumstance is added to signify the tree's firmness and strength; Verse 14. Whose hope shall be cut off That is, that it was not fixed in loose and sandy ground, whose wealth and outward glory, which is the foun- which a violent wind might overthrow, but in solid dation and matter of his hope, shall be suddenly and ground, within which were many stones, which its violently taken away from him; or, as the Hebrew || numerous and spreading roots embraced, folding and ip, jacot, may be translated, whose hope shall be interweaving themselves about them. He seeth the irksome or tedious to him, by the succession of ear- place of stones-The tree reacheth thither, takes the nest expectations and great disappointments. Whose advantage of that place for the strengthening of ittrust shall be a spider's web-Which though it be self. By this the writer seems to express the appaformed with great art and industry, and may do rent firmness and worldly dependance of the hymuch mischief to others, yet is most slender and fee- pocrite. ble, and easily swept down, or pulled in pieces, and unable to defend the spider that made it. The application is obvious. Verse 15. He shall lean upon his house-He shall trust to the multitude and strength of his children and servants, and to his wealth, all which come under the name of a man's house in Scripture. But it shall not stand—That is, not be able to uphold itself, nor him that trusted to it. He shall hold it fastOr, he shall take fast hold of it to strengthen and uphold himself by it. But his web, that refuge of lies, will be swept away, and he crushed in it. Or, || by holding it fast, may be meant, that he shall endeavour to support his house by strong alliances, but it will be to no purpose, for it shall not endure. Verse 18. If he, &c.-Namely, God, who is the saviour of good men and the destroyer of the wicked; destroy him from his place-When God blasts him and plucks him up; then it shall deny him— That is, the place shall deny him; saying, I have not seen thee-The reader will easily observe, that denying him and seeing him are here ascribed to the place figuratively, and the meaning is, that he shall be so utterly extirpated and destroyed, that there shall be no memorial of him left, nor any remembrance that such a man ever lived in that place. He shall no more recover himself than a tree which is plucked out of the ground, and left to wither. Verse 19. Behold, this is the joy of his way—Or, rather, This is the way of his joy: it all ends in Verse 16. He, &c.-The hypocrite, or the secure this: this is the issue of his flourishing state. He and prosperous sinner, may think himself degraded falls into heavy calamities, from which he can never when he is compared to a rush or flag. - Compare deliver himself again. And out of the earth shall him, then, to a flourishing and well-rooted tree, which others grow-Out of the same earth or place shall spreads its branches in a fair garden. Yet, even en other trees arise. Heath reads the verse, Behold then, shall he suddenly wither and come to nothing. him now; destruction is his path; and strangers Is green before the sun-Flourisheth in the world out of the dust shall spring up in his room. In other publicly, and in the view of all men. And his branch words, The wicked come speedily to an end, and shooteth forth-His children, who are here mention- strangers with whom they had no affinity come ed as additions, not only to his comfort, but also to his in to possess what they had gathered up, in expectastrength and safety. In his garden-A place where tion of making their name and family endure a long it is defended from those injuries to which the trees time. of the field are subject, and where, besides the advantages common to all trees, it hath peculiar helps from the art and industry of men. So he supposes this man to be placed in the most desirable circum stances. Verse 17. His roots are wrapped about the heap -Heath renders this, He windeth his roots about a spring; he twisteth himself about a heap of stones: and he approves a slight alteration of the text made by Houbigant; who, rather more elegantly, reads, He has his roots involved, or, fixed, in a hill; he ad Verse 20. Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man-God, who will not help the evil doer, will not cast away a good man, though he may be cast down: yet it may be he will not be lifted up in this world; and therefore Bildad could not infer, that if Job was not restored to temporal prosperity he was not a good man. Let us judge nothing before the time, but wait till the secrets of all hearts are revealed, and the present difficulties of providence solved, to universal and everlasting satisfaction. Verse 21. Till he fill thy mouth with laughing— Job acknowledges God's ЈОВ. justice and man's sinfulness. A. M. 2484. 22 They that hate thee shall be || ing-place of the wicked shall come A. M. 2494. 1 clothed with shame; and the dwell- to naught. B. C. 1520. 1 Psa. xxxv. 26; cix. 29. What I have said in general of good men shall be made good to thee if thou art such: God will not forsake thee, nor desist from doing thee good, till he give thee abundant matter of rejoicing. Verse 22. They that hate thee-That rejoice in thy calamities; shall be clothed with shame-That is, shall be wholly covered with it, shall be utterly confounded, when they shall observe thee, whom they have despised and insulted over, to be wonderfully restored to thy former or greater felicity. And the Heb. shall not be. B. C. 1520. dwelling-place of the wicked-Either, particularly, of thy enemies, who acted so unworthily and wickedly toward thee; or, more generally, of all wicked men; shall come to naught-Having showed what good God would do to the perfect, or good man, he now declares what would be the portion of the wicked. And, as he said, verse 20, that God would not help them; so here he adds, that God would bring not only them, but their house, that is, their family and estate, to utter ruin. CHAPTER IX. Job's answer: man cannot stand in judgment with God, because of God's justice, wisdom, power, and sovereignty, 1-13. Job condemns himself, as not able to contend with God, 14-21. Shows that we cannot judge of men by their outward condition, 22-24. And complains of the greatness of his troubles, and the loss he was at what to say or do, 25–35. A. M. 2494. THEN Job answered and said, man be just 1with A. M. 2484 2 I know it is so of a truth: but C. 1520. a Psa. cxlii. 2; Rom. iii. 20. how should 1 Or, before God. B. C. 1520. NOTES ON CHAPTER IX. men, verses 21-24. As for my own part, my days Verse 1. Then Job answered and said-" In re- are almost come to an end; it is therefore labour ply to Bildad, Job begins with hinting, that their lost for me to plead the cause of my innocence: beopinions seemed a little to clash; Eliphaz had in- || sides, that in the sight of God I must appear all vilesisted, from revelation, that the common failings of ness; so that it is not for such a one as me to premen were a sufficient justification of providence, tend to put myself on a level with him. And, even even in the most afflicting dispensations. Bildad though I were able to do so, there is no one that says, if he were pure and upright, God would in- hath sufficient authority to judge between us, verses terpose in his behalf. Job replies, that all this is 25-33. Yet, were it his pleasure to grant me a little very true; but the difficulty is, to be thus pure and respite, I could say a great deal in my own vindiupright: for I am not exempt from the common cation; but, as matters stand, I dare not; for which failings of men: if, therefore, they are sufficient to reason my life is a burden to me, and my desire is, account for the great calamities which have befallen it may speedily come to an end, chap. x. verse 1, to me, I am still without a remedy. As to God's power the end. I would, however, expostulate a little with and wisdom, I am as thoroughly convinced, and can the Almighty.' And here he enters into the most give as many instances of it as you; and, therefore, beautiful and tender pleading which heart can conI know it is in vain for me to contend with him,ceive; ending, as before, with a prayer, that his suf verses 2-13. I have nothing left but to acknowledge my own vileness, and to make my supplication to him, verses 14-19. But yet, as to any heinous crimes, beyond the common infirmities of human nature, these I disclaim; and let the event be what it will, I will rather part with my life than accuse myself wrongfully. And whereas you affirm, that affliction is an infallible mark of guilt, you quite mistake the matter; for afflictions are indifferently assigned to be the portion of the innocent and the guilty. God, indeed, sometimes in his anger destroys the wicked; but, doth he not as frequently afflict the innocent? The dispensations of providence, in this world, are frequently such, that, were it not that God now and then lets loose his fury against them, one would be almost tempted to imagine the rule of this world was delivered over into the hands of wickednificent situation. ferings and life might soon come to a period; and that God would grant him some little respite before his departure hence."-Heath and Dodd. Verse 2. I know it is so of a truth-Namely, as you say, that God must be just and righteous; that purity and uprightness are qualities belonging to him; that he cannot possibly be biased or prejudiced in judging and determining the state and condition of mankind. I am likewise satisfied, that the time we have to live here is too short to compass any considerable points of knowledge; and that, whenever he pleases, he can exercise his power so as to change our exalted mirth to most bitter weeping, our highest joy to the most abject sorrow: can bring the most insolent offender to shame, and dispossess the wicked of his strongest and most magBut how-Hebrew, And how, should man-Enosh, weak, frail man, imperfect as he is, be just with God?—Be justified, or clear him- || self in God's account. I know that no man is absolutely holy and righteous, if God be severe to mark what is amiss in him. Verse 3. If he will contend with him-If God be pleased to contend with man, namely, in judgment, or to debate, or plead with him; he cannot answer him one of a thousand-One accusation among a thousand which God might produce against him. So far would he be from being able to maintain his own innocence against God, if God should set himself against him as his adversary. Verse 4. He is wise in heart-He is infinitely wise, and searcheth all men's hearts and ways, and discovers a multitude of sins, which men's shortsighted eyes cannot see; and therefore can charge them with innumerable evils, of which they thought themselves innocent, and sees far more malignity than men can discern in their sins. Mighty in strength-So that, whether men contend with God by wisdom or by strength, God will be conqueror. Who hath hardened himself, &c.-Obstinately contended with him. The devil promised himself that Job, in the day of his affliction, would curse and speak ill of God. But, instead of that, he sets himself to honour God and speak highly of him. As ill pained as he is, and as much as he is taken up with his own miseries, when he has occasion to mention the wisdom and power of God, he forgets his complaints, and expatiates, with a flood of eloquence, on that glorious subject. 7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars; e 8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the 2 waves of the sea; 9 f Which maketh 3 Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south e Gen. i. 6; Psa. civ. 2.2 Heb. heights. Gen. i. 16; Chap. xxxviii. 31, &c.; Amos v. 8.- 3 Heb. Ash, Cesil, and Cimah. ludes to the miraculous history of the people of God, such as the Egyptian darkness, and the stopping the sun's course by Joshua. But surely there is no necessity, from the words themselves, to suppose any allusion of this kind, or, indeed, any thing miraculous, since God, by throwing a thick cloud over the sun and stars, can and does obscure them when he pleases."-Dodd. And things in the Scriptures are often said to be or not to be, when they appear or disappear; of which some instances have been given in the former part of this work, and we shall have more hereafter in their proper places. Thus it is that the Chaldee Paraphrast understands the passage. And sealeth up the stars-That is, covereth and shutteth them up, that they may not shine, as in dark and dismal tempests, like that mentioned Acts xxvii. 20, when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days. Verse 8. Which alone-That is, by his own single power, without any other help. Spreadeth out the heavens-He spread them out like a curtain, Psa. civ. 2, when he first created them, and he, in a manner, spreads them again every day; that is, keeps them spread for the comfort and benefit of this lower world, and does not roll and fold them up as he will do in due time. Or, as the same Hebrew word, n, natah, is rendered, Psa. xviii. 9, boweth down the heavens; and so it is a further description of a black and tempestuous season, wherein the heavens seem to be brought down nearer to the earth. And treadeth upon the waves of the seaThat is, represseth and ruleth them, when they rage and are tempestuous: for treading upon any thing signifies, in the Scriptures, exercising power and dominion over it. Verses 5, 6. Which removeth the mountains-He|| proceeds to give particular evidences of the divine power and wisdom, which he mentioned verse 4. And they-That is, the mountains, to which he figuVerse 9. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and ratively ascribes sense and knowledge; know not-- || Pleiades, &c.-Who ordereth and disposeth them, He removes them suddenly and unexpectedly ere as the word making is sometimes used in the Scripthey are aware of it. Which overturneth them in tures; governeth their rising and setting, and all his anger-In token of his displeasure with men, their influences. These he names as constellations that lived upon or near them. Which shaketh the of greatest eminence; but under them he seems to earth-Great portions of it by earthquakes, or by comprehend all the stars, which, as they were creremoving islands. And the pillars thereof tremble ated by God, so are under his government. Arctu-The deep and inward parts of it, which, like pil-rus is a northern constellation, near that called the lars, support those parts which appear to our view. Verse 7. Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not-Nor are the heavens less subject to his power; for neither sun nor stars can shine if he forbid them. "Bishop Warburton supposes, that this al Bear. Orion is a more southerly constellation, that rises to us in December. The Pleiades is a constellation not far from Orion, which we call the Seven Stars. By the chambers (or inmost chambers, as the word signifies) of the south, he seems to under |