Ver. 26. The translation of these words in the present tense is perfectly consistent with the Hebrew idiom. See Stuart's Gram. 192. So Castalio, Infelix, inquietus, irrequietus, Invasus sum atrociter. CHAP. IV. V. In these 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 irreconcilable with the principles of human nature, 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. 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 virtue, the absolute rectitude of God, and the impiety of arraigning the justice of his moral government. 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 suffering must be the punishment of sin; and he seems to condemn Job not only for his actual complaints, but also for not regarding and acknowledging his afflictions to be the merited punishment of his transgressions. 12-21. In ch. v. 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. Ver. 5. But now affliction is come: I have thought it best to supply the word affliction, instead of using the pronoun it without an antecedent. The sentiment is similar to that in Terence, And. II. i. 9. Facile omnes, cum valemus, recta consilia ægrotis damus. Ver. 6. Is not thy fear &c: So the verse is rendered by Durell, Doederlein, Dathe, Eichhorn, and De Wette. 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 nogood 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 render 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 Mercer, 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 God?" Rosenmuller and Le Clerc adopt the version of Mercer, 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 remember," &c. Ver. 7, 8. These expressions, also, may be understood as a consolatory argument to confirm the hope which conscious integrity should inspire, "Good men are sometimes chastised severely for their crimes, but not destroyed; calamities which end in destruction are the portion of the wicked only." On the other hand, his meaning may 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. Ver. 10. Unjust and rapacious men are in Scripture frequently called lions. See Ps. xxxiv. 10. Iviii. 6. Ver. 16. —a gentle breeze: So the Sept. aŭgav zaì pávny rovov. and so most of the critics; et vocem quasi auræ lenis audivi. Vulgate. Ver. 19. Who are consumed as a garment by the moth. Lit. They consume them, as the moth consumes a garment. So Ros. who remarks, after Schultens and Noldius, that the particle 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, σntos tónov, and the old Vulg. tanquam tinea. The Vulg. sicut a tinea. Comp. ch. xiii. 28. Is. l. 9. li. 8. Ver. 20. Between morning and evening: 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. Pindar, Pyth. viii. 135. Ἐπάμεροι. τί δέ τις ; τί δ ̓ οὔ τις ; Σκιᾶς ὄναρ ἄνθρωποι. Beings of a day! What is man? What is he not? So -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. Scort and LE CLERC. CH. V. Ver. 1. This verse is explained by Cocceius, as follows. Call now; i. e. in jus voca; call the Deity to account, bring thy action against him. See if any one 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. To which 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 answer are used in this judicial sense in chap. xiii. 22, xiv. 15. and in other places. Rosenmuller explains it, "Summon the Deity to trial, if you think it best, and call for the advocates of your cause; see if there be any one that will answer you, i. e. comply with your request, and consent to be your advocate; see if there be any man, or angel, who will justify you, and who will not rather confess that his goodness is as nothing before the infinite holiness of God." 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 answer him, and give a revelation in his favour. Ver. 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 severe punishment from the Almighty upon him. Ver. 3. I pronounced his habitation accursed. i. e. I predicted his downfal. See Gerard's Inst. § 882. Or, I actually witnessed the sudden ruin of his fortunes, and pronounced his habitation accursed. This would make the passage similar to that in Ps. xxxvii. 35, 36. Ver. 4. at the gate: i. e. in the courts of justice, which used to be held at the gates of cities. See Jahn's Archaeol. § 247. Ver. 5. thirsty: D'Y for D'py, from xnx according to most of the ancient versions. Others, robbers, from any. Ges. supposes it to be a noun, as in ch. xviii. 9, denoting a snare, metaph. destruction. Ver. 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. Ver. 7. Behold, man is born to trouble: i. e. Men are born under a law, which subjects them to sorrow as soon as they be come 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." Ver. 15. -oppressed: This version is obtained by altering the חָרַב hophal participle from מָחָרָב from the sword) to) מֵחֶרֶב points This amendment of the text is adopted by Durell, Michaelis, Dathe, Doederlein, Eichhorn, and others. Ver. 16. iniquity stoppeth her mouth: That is, Unrighteous and insidious 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. Ver. 23. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: That is, Thou shalt be secure from injury from the stones in walking, journeying, &c. See Ps. xci. 11, 12. Or, Thy field shall be free from stones, which would make it barren. Ver. 24. -and not be disappointed. That is, Thou shalt find all thy household affairs in such a condition, as meets thy best wishes and expectations. CHAP. VI. VII. In reply to the harsh censures and insinuations of Eliphaz, Job justifies the boldness of his complaints by the severity of the afflictions, which extorted them from him. 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 fairness; 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. Ver. 2. my grief: That is, my 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 |