If I have eaten †Heb. the strength thereof the fruits thereof without Money y Either without paying the price required by the right owner for the land or by defrauding my Workmen of the wages of their labours or have †Heb. caused the Soul of the owners thereof to expire or breath out caused the owners thereof to lose their life z Killing them that so I might have undisturbed possession of it as Ahab did Naboth 40. Let thistles grow instead of wheat and ‖ Or noisome weeds cockle instead of barley The words of Iob ‖ To wit in answer to his Friends for he speaks but little afterwards and that is to God are ended CHAP. XXXII 1. SO these three men ceased †Heb. from answering to answer Job because he was righteous in his own eyes a i. e. Was self-conceited and obstinately resolved to justifie himself both against God and men therefore they give him over as incorrigible 2. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the Son of Barachel the Buzite b Of the Posterity of Buz Nabours Son Gen. 22. 21. of the kindred of Ram c Or of Aram for Ram and Aram are used promiscuously comp 2 Kings 8. 28. with 2 Chron. 22. 5. and Ruth 4. 19. with Mat. 1. 3. Others of Abraham who as he was called Abram possibly was at first called onely Ram. His Pedegree is thus particularly described partly for his honour because his speech declares him to be both a wise and a good Man and principally to evidence the truth of this History which otherwise might seem to be but a Poetical fiction against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified †Heb. his Soul himself rather than God d He justified himself not without reflection upon God as dealing too severely with him and denying him that hearing which he so passionately desired He took more care to maintain his own innocency than God's glory 3. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled because they had found no answer e To Iob's allegations and arguments as to the main cause and yet had condemned Job f As an Hypocrite or ungodly Man 4. Now Elihu had †Heb. Expected Iob in words waited g With Patience as the word notes till Job h Add and his three Friends as appears from the following words It is a Synecdoche whereof instances have been given before had spoken because they were †Heb. Eldâ—…or daâ—…s elder than he i And therefore he expected more satisfaction from them and gave them the precedency in the discourse Wherein he shewed his prudence and modesty 5. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of thâ—…se three men then his wrath was kindled 6. And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said I am †Heb. 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 young and ye are very old wherefore I was afraid k To wit of discovering my weakness and folly and of being thought forward and presumptuous and †Heb. â—…ared durst not shew you mine opinion 7. I said * Ch. 12. 12. Days l i. e. Multitude of days by comparing the next Clause of the Verse Or men of days i. e. of many days or years old men should speak m To wit wisely and pertinently as the next words limit it and multitude of years should teach wisdom n Should instruct us that are younger in the paths of wisdom and concerning the wise counsels and ways of God about which the present controversie lay 8. But o Or surely It must be confessed there is a spirit p To wit which gives him understanding as is easily and fitly gathered out of the last words of the Verse And this is to be understood either 1. of the humane Spirit or reasonable Soul which is in every man So the sense of the place is Every man as a man whether old or young hath a reasonable Soul by which he is able in some measure to discern between Good and Evil and to judge of mens Opinions and Discourses And therefore I also may venture to deliver my Opinion Or 2. of the Spirit of God the latter Clause being explicatory of the former according to the manner So the sense is I expected a true and full discovery of the truth in this controversie from persons of your years Wisdom and Experience But upon second thoughts I consider that the knowledge of these deep and divine Mysteries is not to be had or expected from any man as such though never so aged or wise but onely from God's Spirit which alone knoweth the deep things of God And this Spirit he saith is in man not in every man for the words are not universal but indefinite and man in this Branch is no larger than them who receive divine inspiration in the next Branch And so the sense is God is pleased to give his Spirit unto Mankind unto men of all ages and qualities as he pleaseth and having given it in some measure to me I may take the boldness to utter my thoughts in man and * Ch. 35. 11. 38. 36. Prov. 2. 6. Eccles. 2. 26. Dan. 1. 17. 2. 21. Jam. 1. 5. the inspiration of the Almighty q i. e. God's Spirit or the gracious Gifts thereof breathed or iâ—…fused into man's Soul by God giveth them understanding r To wit in divine and spiritual matters which are the matter of this Debate and Book 9. Great men s i. e. Men of eminency for age or learning or dignity and power such as Iob's three Friends seem to have been are not always wise neither doth the aged understand judgment t What is just and right Or the judgment of God and the methods and reasons of his administrations 10. Therefore I said u Within my self and now I say it with my mouth Hearken to me x Thou Iob especially who art more nearly concerned to whom therefore he speaketh in the Singular Number and thy Friends with thee I also will shew mine opinion 11. Behold I waited y With silence and patience and diligent attention which therefore I now expect from you for your words I gave ear to your †Heb. understandings reasons z Or reasonings Heb. understandings or minds the depth and strength of your Discourses your most intelligent and forcible Arguments against Iob I searched and examined them to the bottom whilest ye searched out †Heb. words what to say a Whilest you put your Inventions upon the rack and studied to find out all that could be said against him and to furnish your selves with the most convincing words and reasons 12. Yea I attended to you and behold there was none of you that convinced Job b By solid and satisfactory answers to his Assertions and Allegations or that answered his words 13. Lest ye should
no enemy as being full of courage and sensible of his own invincible strength Or so as he cannot be bruised or broken by reason of his prodigious hardness of which I have spoken before 34. He beholdeth all high things y He doth not turn his back upon nor hide his face from the highest and proudest Creatures but looks upon them with a bold and undaunted countenance as being without any fear of them as was now said he is a king over all the children of pride z He carries himself with Princely Majesty and courage towards the stoutest and loftlest Creatures which though of far higher stature than himself he striketh down with one stroke of his Tail as he commonly doth Cows and Horses and sometimes Elephants CHAP. XLII 1. THen Job answered the LORD and said 2. I know that thou canst do a Not onely by power but also by for that he always thought right about which he had in some sort doubted and disputed It is a Maxim in Law that a Man can onely do that which he hath a right to do every thing b Whatsoever it pleaseth thee to do with thy Creatures and that ‖ Or 〈◊〉 thought of thâ—…e can be â—…indred no thought can be withholden from thee c He speaks either 1. Of Iob's thoughts Thou knowest me and all my sinful and unworthy thoughts of thy providential dealings with me though I was not able to see the evil of them Or 2. Of God's thoughts Whatsoever thou thinkest or purposest to do thou canst or mayest do it and neither I nor any of thy Creatures can either restrain thee from it or condemn thee for it as I have boldly and wickedly presumed to do So this last Clause of the Verse explains the former 3. * Chap. 38. â—… Who is he d i. e. What am I that I should dare to do so Ah silly audacious wretch that I am that I should be guilty of such madness that hideth counsel without knowledg e Which words are repeated out of Ch. 38. 2. where they are explained therefore f Because my mind was without knowledge therefore my speech was ignorant and foolish Or Being sensible of my ignorance and rashness I think fit to make this humble and ingenious confession have I uttered that I understood not * Psal. â—…0 â—… 13â—… â—… things too wonderful for me which I knew not g I have spoken foolishly and unadvisedly of things fâ—…r above my reach even of God's infinite and soveraign Majesty and of his deep and unsearchable Counsels and Providence 4. Hear I beseech thee and I will speak h Hear and accept my humble and penitent confession and recantation I will demand of thee i Or and enquire to wit counsel or instruction as a Scholar doth of his Master as the following words note I will no more saweily dispute the matter with thee but beg information from thee The words which God had uttered to Iob by way of challenge Ch. 38. 3. 40. 7. Iob returns to him again in way of submission and declare thou unto me 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee k The knowledge which I had of thy Divine nature and perfections and counsels was hitherto dark and doubtful and conjecturaâ—… being grounded chiefly if not onely upon the instructions and reports of other men but now it is clear and certain as being immediately inspired into my mind by this thy glorious Apparition and Revelation and by the Operation of thy Holy Spirit which makes these things as certain and evident to me as if I saw them with my bodily Eyes 6. Wherefore I abhor l i. e. Dislike and detest and loath my self m Or my former words and carriage One of these or some like supplement is necessary to compleat the sense and is clearly gathered from the following words and repent in dust and ashes n Sitting in dust and ashes which hitherto I have done in token of my grief for my affliction but now I desire and resolve to do in Testimony of my penitence for my sins 7. And it was so that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite o As the Eldest of the three and because he spoke first and by his evil example leâ—… the rest into the same mistakes and miscarriages My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends p To wit Bildad and Zophar who are not excused but severely reproved although they were drawn into the sin by Eliphaz his authority and influence Elihu is not here reproved because he dealt more justly and mercifully with Iob and did not condemn his Person but onely rebuke his sinful expressions for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath q Either 1. as Iob hath now spoken you have not acknowledged your errours as he hath done Or rather 2. as Iob did in his discourses with you Which is not to be understood simply and absolutely as is manifest from God's censure upon Iob for his hard and evil speeches of him but comparatively because Iob was not so much to be blamed as they partly because his opinion concerning the methods of God's Providence and the indifferency and promiscuousness of its dispensations towards good and bad men was truer than theirs which was that God did generally reward good men and punish sinners in this Life partly because their misbelief of God's counsels and dealings with men was attended with horrid uncharitableness and cruelty towards Iob whom they wounded with bitter and injurious speeches and condemned as an Hypocrite not onely without sufficient evidence as not being able to search his Heart but upon false and frivolous grounds to wit his sore afflictions and against many evidences of Piety which Iob had given and partly because Iob's heavy pressures might easily cloud and darken his mind and draw forth his impatience and passionate speeches which although it did not wholly excuse Iob yet did certainly much extenuate his offences whereas they were under no such temptations or provocations either from God or from Iob but voluntarily broke forth into their hard and severe and untrue expressions concerning God's counsels and Iob's conditions thereby adding affliction to him whom God did so sorely afflict which was most unfriendly and inhumane 8. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams and go to my servant Job r Whom though you have censured and condemned as an Hypocrite I own for my faithful Servant humane infirmity excepted and offer up s By the hand of Iob whom I do hereby constitute your Priest to pray and Sacrifice for you for your selves a burnt-offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for †Heb. his face or person him will I accept t To wit on
to speak whatsoever pleaseth you or tormenteth me 6. Though I speak k To God by Prayer or to you in way of discourse I find no relief Iob having reproved his Friends for their unkind carriage towards him and aggravated it by his resolutions to have dealt more friendlâ—…ly with them if they had been in his case now he returns to his main business to describe and aggravate his miseries if by any means he could move his Friends to pity and help him my grief is not asswagâ—…d and though I forbear †〈…〉 what am I eased l Or what part or grain of my grief or misery departeth from 〈◊〉 I receive not one jot of ease Neither speech nor silence do me any good 7. But m Or surely as this Hebrew Particle most commonly signifies now he n i. e. God as appears by the following Words and Verses hath made me weary o Either of complaining or of my life thou p He speaks in the second Person to God as in the former Clause in the third Person of God Such change of Persons are very usual in Scripture and elsewhere hast made desolate all my company q Hast turned my society into desolation by destroying my Children and Servants 8. And thou hast filled me with wrinkles r By consuming all my fat and flesh which is a witness against me s Heb. Which is a witness of the reality and greatness and just cause of my sorrows Or which is become or made a witness i. e is produced by my Friends as a Witness of Goâ—… Wrath and of my Hypocrisie and Impiety and my leanness rising up in me t i. e. Which is in me Or rising up aâ—…ainst me as Witnesses use to rise and stand up against a guilty person to accuse him beareth witness to my face u As Witnesses are to accuse a person to his â—…ace openly and evidently so as any that look on my Face may plainly discern it But this Clause may be rendred thus My 〈◊〉 in my face i. e. which appears in my Face and causeth the wrinkles which are visible there riseth up against me and beareth witness as before 9. * 〈◊〉 10 16 〈◊〉 He teareth me in his wrath x Heb. His wrath teareth me in pieces as a Lion doth his Prey who hateth me y Heb. And he hateth me i. e. He pursueth me with a deadly haâ—…red and rage Or. And he is become mine enemy Or he sets himself against me with all his might Or He treats me like an implacable 〈◊〉 he gnasheth upon me with his teeth z Which is a gesture and sign of extream anger and fury as Psalm 35. 16. 37. 12. Lament 2. 16. as elsewhere of grievous pain as Luke 13. 28. * 〈◊〉 13 â—…4 mine enemy a Either 1. God who of a Friend is now become my implacable Enemy Or 2. Eliphaz who deals with me more like an Enemy than a Friend sharpneth his eyes upon me b i. e. Looks upon me with a fierce and â—…parkling Eye as enraged persons use to do 10. They c The Instruments of God's anger my Friends as they are falsly called have gaped upon me with their mouth d Opened their mouths wide against me either 1. to devour and destroy me as a Lion which falls upon hâ—…s Prey with open mouth as this phrase is used Psalm 22. 13 14. And this they did aggra ating and encreasing his sorrows whereby he was well-nigh overwhelmed Or 2. To 〈◊〉 and deride me as it follows and as this phrase is most commonly used as Psalm 22 8. 35. 21. they * 〈◊〉 3. 30. 〈◊〉 â—… 1. have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully e Or by reproach or in way of scorn and contempt whereof such smiting was a sign as 1 Kings 22. 24. Lament 3. 30. Mich. 5. 1. The sign is here put for the thing signified They dâ—…spised and derided me they have gathered themselves together against me f i. e. They are come from several places and met together here not for me or to comfort me as they pretended but really against me or to torment and griâ—… me Heb. they have filled themselves c. Either 1. they have filled up their numbers they are all come against me Or 2. they have filled their minds with evil Opinions of me and their hearts with courage and resolution to assault me and their mouths with words and arguments against me Compare Eccles. 8. 11. Acts. 5 3. 11. God †〈◊〉 hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath delivered me to the ungodly g either 1. to my Friends who act the part of the wicked in censuring and condemning the righteous whom God approveth and in pleading for a false and wicked Cause Or rather 2. to the Chaldeans and Sabeans who were a most wicked people living in gross contempt of God and injuriousness to all sorts of men For this best suits both with the first Clause of the next Verse which sheweth that he speaketh of Iob's first Afflictions which befell him when he was at ease and with Iob's principal scope which was to prove that both eminent prosperity and affliction did indifferently happen to good and bad men and this was evident from this example because holy Iob was ruined when these wicked people were most victorious and successful and turned me over into the hands of the wicked 12. I was at ease h I lived in great peace and prosperity which makes my present miseries more grievous to me and therefore my Complaints are excusable and I deserve pity rather than reproach from my friends but he hath broken me asunder i Broken my Spirit with the sense of his anger and my Body with loathsom Ulcers as also by destroying my Children a part of my own flesh or body he hath also taken me by my neck and shaken me to pieces k As a mighty man doth with some young Stripling when he wrestleth with him and * Ch. 7. 20. set me up for his mark l That he may shoot all his Arrows into me and that with delight which Archers have in that exercise 13. * Ch. 19. 1â—… His archers m i. e. His Plagues or Judgments elsewhere compared to Arrows and here to Archers compass me round about he cleaveth my reins asunder n With his Arrows i. e. he wounds me inwardly and mortally and incurably which also is noted by pouring out the gall such wounds being deadly and doth not spare he poureth out my gall upon the ground 14. He breaketh me with breach upon breach n My Calamities have no interruption but one immediately succeeds another as it did Chap. 1. he runneth upon me like a giant o Who falls upon his Enemy with all his might that he may overthrow and kill him 15. I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin p i. e. I put on sackcloth
this is a Canonical Book of Scripture which is manifest both from the Stile and Matter of it and from the tacite Approbation given to it by Ezekiel and James in the places now cited and from that quotation taken from it as such 1 Cor. 3. 19. and from the unanimous consent of the Church both of Iews and Christians in all Ages 3. The time in which Job lived and these things were said and done most probably was before Moses and in the days of the ancient Patriarchs This may be gathered 1. From his long Life which by comparing Ch. 1. with 42. 16. could not want much of 200 Years whereas after Moses Mens Lives were far shorter as is manifest 2. From that considerable Knowledge of God and of the true Religion which then remained among divers Gentiles which after Moses his time was in a manner quite extinguished 3. From the Sacrifices here commonly used whereas after the giving of the Law all Sacrifices were confined to the place of the Tabernacle or Temple to which even the Gentiles were to repair when they would Sacrifice to God 4. From the way of Gods imparting of his Mind to the Gentiles at this time by Dreams and Visions agreeably to Gods Method in those ancient times whereas afterward those discoveries were withdrawn from the Gentiles and appropriated to the People of Israel 5. Because there is not the least mention in this Book of the Children of Israel neither of their grievous Afflictions in Egypt nor of their glorious Deliverance out of it though nothing could have been more seasonable or suitable to the matter which is here discoursed between Job and his Friends 4. The Pen-man of this Book is not certainly known nor is it material for us to know For it being agreed who is the principal Author it is of no moment by what Hand or Pen he wrote it But most probably it was either 1. Job himself who was most capable of giving this exact account who as in his Agony he wished that his Words and Carriage were written in a Book Ch. 19. 23 24. so possibly when he was delivered from it he satisfied his own and others desires therein Only what concerns his general Character Ch. 1. 1. and the time of his Death Ch. 42. 16 17. was added by another Hand the like small Additions being made in other Books of Scripture Or 2. Elihu which may seem to be favoured by Ch. 32. 15 16. Or 3. Moses who when he was in the Land of Midian where he had opportunity of coming to the knowledge of this History and Discourse and considering that it might be very useful for the Comfort and Direction of Gods Israel who was now oppressed in Egypt did by his own Inclination and the Direction of Gods Spirit commit it to Writing And whereas the Stile seems to be unlike to that of Moses in his other Writings that is not strange considering the differing nature of the Books this being almost all Poetical and the other meerly Historical for the most part or plain Precepts or Exhortations And for the Arabick words here used it must be remembred that Moses lived 40 Years in Midian which was a part of Arabia in which he must needs learn that Language CHAP. I. THere was a Man in the Land of Uz a Which was either in Edom called The Land of Uz Lam. 4. 21. or in some part of Arabia not far from the Chaldeans and Sabeans as this Chapter witnesseth so called probably from Uz one of Esau's Posterity Gen. 36. 28. Ier. 25. 20. whose Name was * 〈◊〉 14. 14. 〈◊〉 5. 11. Job and that man was †â—…p 2. 3. perfect b Not legally or exactly as he confesseth Ch. 9. 20. but comparatively to such as were partial in their Obedience to Gods Commands and as to his sincere Intentions hearty Affections and constant and diligent Endeavours to perform all his duties to God and Men. and upright c Heb. right exact and regular in all his dealings with Men one of an unblameable Conversation doing to others as he would have others to deal with him and one that feared God d Only truly pious and devoted to Gods Worship and Service and eschewed Evil e i. e. Carefully avoiding all sin against God or Men. 2. And there were born unto him Seven Sons and Three Daughters 3. His †Oâ—… 〈◊〉 Substance also was Seven Thousand Sheep and Three Thousand Camels f Camels in these parts were very numerous as is manifest from Iudg. 7. 12. 1 Chron. 5. 21. and from the plain testimonies of Aristotle and Pliny and very useful and Proper both for carrying of Burdens in these hot and dry Countries as being able to endure thirst much better than other Creatures and for service in War and Five Hundred Yoke of Oxen and Five Hundred She-Asses g Which were preferred before He-Asses as serving for the same uses as they did and for Breeding and Milk also But He-Asses also may be included in this Expression which is of the Feminine Gender because the greatest part of them from which the denomination is usually taken were She-Asses and a very great ‡ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Houshold so that this man was the greatest h i. e. One of the richest of all the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 men in the East i To wit that lived in those parts such general Expressions being commonly understood with such limitations 4. And his Sons went and feasted k To testifie and maintain their Brotherly Love in their houses every one his day l Not every day of the Week and of the Year which would have been burdensome and tedious to them all and gross Luxury and Epicurism which holy Iob would not have permitted but each his appointed day whether his Birth-day or the first day of the Month or any other set time it matters not and sent and called for their Three Sisters to eat and to drink with them 5. And it was so when the days of their feasting were gone about m When each of them had had his turn which peradventure came one speedily though not immediately after another And there was some considerable interval before their next feasting time that Job sent and * Neh. 12. 30. sanctified them n i. e. He exhorted and commanded them to sanctifie themselves for the following work to wit by purifying themselves from all Ceremonial and Moral Pollution as the manner then was Exod. 19. 10. and by preparing themselves by true Repentance for all their sins and particularly such as they had committed in their time of Feasting and Jollity and by fervent Prayers to make their Peace with God by Sacrifice and rose up early in the morning o Thereby shewing his ardent Zeal in Gods service and his Impatience till God was reconciled to him and to his Children and offered Burnt-Offerings according to the number of them all for
and in the latter to signifie for or instead of However the sense is plainly this This is so far from being an Evidence of Iob's sincere and generous Piety that it is only an Act of deeper Hypocrisie and meer Self-love he is well enough contented with the loss of his Estate and Children too so long as he sleeps in a whole skin and he is well pleased that thou wiltst accept of all these as a Sacrifice or Ransom in his stead and it is not true Patience and Humility which makes him seem to bear his Crosses so submissively as depth of policy that by his feigned-carriage he may appease thy Wrath against him and prevent those further Plagues which for his Hypocrisy and other sins of which he is conscious he fears thou wiltst otherwise bring upon his own Carkass as will plainly appear upon further Trial. 5. But put forth thine Hand now and touch his Bone and his Flesh g Touch i. e. smite him not sleightly but to the quick and to the Bones and Marrow so as he may feel Pain and Anguish indeed which is oft expressed by reaching to the Bones as Psal. 6. 2. and 32. 3. and 51. 8. and he will †Heb. 〈◊〉 curse thee to thy Face 6. And the LORD said unto Satan Behold he is in thine Hand * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but save his Life h Do not attempt to take away his Life which I will not suffer thee to do 7. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils i â—…ke those inflicted upon the Egyptians which are expressed by the same word and threatning to Apostate Israelites Deut. 28. 27. whereby he was made loathsom to himself and to his nearest Relations 〈◊〉 1â—… 13 19. and a visible monument of Divine Displeasure and filled with tiring and consuming pains in his Body and no less Torment and Anguish in his mind from the sole of his Foot unto his Crown k In all the outward parts of his Body His Tongue he spared that it might be capable of â—…nting those Blasphemies against God which he expected and desired 8. And he took him a Potsherd l Partly to allay the Itch which his Ulcers caused and partly to squeeze out or take away that purulent matter which was under them or flowed from them and was the great cause of his Torment And this he did not with soft Linnen Cloaths either because he had not now a sufficient quantity of them for so much use or because therein he must have had the help of others who abhorred to come near him Ch. 1â—… 13 14 15. Nor with his own Hands or Fingers which were also ulcerous and so unfit for that use and besides he loathed to touch himself but with Potsherds either because they were next at hand and ready for his present use or in token of his Repentance and deep Humiliation under Gods heavy hand which made him decline all things which favoured of tenderness and delicacy to scrape himself withal and he sat down among the ashes l Heb. In dust or ashes as Mourners used to do Of which see Iob 42. 6. Ionah 3. 6. Mat. 11. 21. 9. Then said his Wife m Whom the Devil spared with cruel intent to be the Instrument of his Temptations and the aggravation of Iob's misery by unnatural unkindness to him which is declared Ch. 19. 17. and elsewhere unto him Dost thou still retain thine Integrity n Art thou yet so weak to persist in the practice of Piety when it is not only unprofitable to thee but the chief occasion of all these thy insupportable miseries and when God himself not only forsakes and leaves thee in this helpless and hopeless condition but is turned to be thy greatest Enemy †Heb. bless 1 Kin. 21. 10. 13. curse God and die o Seeing thy blessing of God availeth thee so little it is time to change thy note Curse God and die i. e. reproach him to his face and tell him of his Injustice and Unkindness to thee and that he loves his Enemies and hates his Friends and that will provoke him to take away thy Life and so end thy Torments Or curie God though thou die for it But although this word somtimes signifies cursing as Iob 1. 11. and 1 King 21. 10. yet most properly and generally it signifies blessing and so it may very well be understood here as a Sarcastical or Ironical Expression such as there are many in Scripture as Eccles. 11. 9. Lam. 4. 21. and in all Authors And so the fence may be this Bliss God and die i. e. I see thou art set upon blessing of God thou blessest God for giving and thou blessest God for taking away and thou art still blessing of God for thy loathsom and tormenting 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 Grave that thou hadst not common sense in thee to discern between good and evil between thy Friends and thy Foes Or rather awake out of this stupidity and Lethargy and give over this absurd and unreasonable practise and as God gives thee no Help nor Comfort let him lose thy Praises and Service And this being her sense it is not strange he reproveth her so sharply for it And yet it seems hard to think that Iob's Wife should arrive at that height of Impudence and Impiety as in plain terms to bid him curse God 10. But he said unto her Thou speakest as one of the foolish p i. e. Like a rash and inconsiderate and weak person that dost not understand nor mind what thou sayest Or like a wicked and most prophane person for such are frequently called Fools in Scripture as Psal. 14. 1. and 74. 18. and every where in the Proverbs Women speaketh What! Shall we receive good at the Hand of God and shall we not receive evil q Shall we poor Worms give Laws to our Supream Lord and Governour and oblige him always to bless and favour us and never to afflict us And shall not those great and manifold and long-continued Mercies which from time to time God hath freely and graciously given us compensate for these short afflictions Ought we not to bless God for those Mercies which we did not deserve and contentedly to bear those Corrections which we deserve and need and if it be not our own fault may get much good by In all this did not Job sin with his Lips r By any Reflections upon God by any impatient or unbecoming Expressions 11. Now when Job's Three Friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him they came every one from his own place Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite s Which were
For what I am saying though most true will not be believed without serious consideration happy is the man whom God correcteth h Heb. Blessednesses i. e. various and great happiness as the plural number implies belong to that man whom God rebukes to wit with strokes Ch. 33. 16 19. Those afflictions are so far from making thee miserable as thou complainest that they are and will be if thou dost thy duty the means of thy happiness Which though a paradox to the world is frequently affirmed in holy Scripture and the reason of it is plain because they are pledges of God's love which no man can buy too dear and though bitter yet necessary physick to purge out that sin which is deeply fixed in all mens natures and thereby to prevent far greater even infinite and eternal miseries Without respect to which this Proposition could not be true or tolerable And therefore it plainly shews that good men in those antient times of the Old Testament had the prospect and belief and hope of everlasting blessedness in Heaven after this life therefore despise not thou i i. e. Do not abhor it as a thing pernicious and intolerable nor refuse it as a thing useless and unprofitable nor slight it as a mean and unnecessary thing but on the contrary prize it highly as a favour and vouchsasement of God for such negative expressions oft imply the contrary as 1 Thes. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 4. 12. See Prov. 10. 2. 17. 21. the chastening of the Almighty k Or of the alsufficient God who is able to support and comfort thee in thy troubles and to deliver thee out of them and to add more calamities to them if thou art obstinate and incorrigible 18. * Deut. 32. 3â—… 1 Sam. 26. Isa. 30. 26. Hos. 6 1. For he maketh sore and bindeth up l To wit the wounds as good Surgeons use to do when they have dressed them in order to their healing Comp. Psal. 147. 3. Ezek. 34. 4. The sense is Though he hath seen it fit to wound thee yet he will not alwaies grieve thee but will in due time release thee from all thy miseries Therefore despair not he woundeth and his hands make whole 19. * Psal. 〈◊〉 â—… Prov. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall deliver thee m To wit if thou seekest to him by prayer and repentance in six n i. e. Manifold or repeated as six is used for many Prov. 6. 16. troubles Yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee o To wit so as to undo or destroy thee as touching is used Ios. 9. 19. Heb. 11. 28. 1 Iohn 5. 18. See also Gen. 26. 11. 29. 2 Sam. 14. 10. Psal. 105. 15. Zech. 2. 8. Thou shalt have a good issue out of all thy troubles though they are both great and many 20. In famin p Which Iob might be thought to fear as being so poor that he needed his friends contributions for his relief he shall redeem thee from death q From that terrible kind of death and in †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 war from the power of the Sword r These things he utters with more confidence partly because the rewards or punishments of this life were more constantly distributed to men in the old Testament according to their good or bad behaviour than now they are And partly because it was his particular opinion that great afflictions were the constant fruits and certain evidences of a mans wickedness And consequently that great mercies and deliverances should infallibly follow upon true repentance and godliness 21. Thou shall be hid s i. e. Protected as in some secret and safe place ‖ 〈…〉 from the scourge of the tongue t i. e. From false accusations and virulent slanders and reproaches either by diverting their tongues to other persons or things Or by clearing thy integrity neither shalt thou be afraid u To wit upon others near thee or round about thee of destruction when it cometh x Thou shalt have no cause to fear it because God will secure thee in it and from it 22. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh y Thou shalt not onely be redeemed from famine v. 20. and not fear destruction v. 21. But thou shalt laugh at them not with a laughter of scorn and contempt as this word is used Ch. 39. 18. Psal. 2. 4. 37. 13. for Gods judgments are to be entertained with reverence and godly fear but with a laughter of joy and triumph arising from his just security and confidence in God's watchful and gracious providence which will either keep him from it or in it or do him much good by it * 〈◊〉 11. 9. 〈◊〉 65. 25. 〈◊〉 34. 25. 〈◊〉 2. 18. neither shalt thou be afraid of the Beasts y i. e. The wild beasts which were numerous and mischievous in those parts See Deut. 28. 26. 1. Sam. 17. 34. Ier. 7. 33. of the Earth 23. * 〈◊〉 91. 13. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field z Thou shalt be free from any annoyance by stones either in thy walking or other postures or in thy plowing as if they had made an inviolable leaguewith thee Stones may be and in these stony Countries were hurtful to men many ways either by bruising or hurting their feet when the walked barefoot as the manner then was Or by giving them occasion of stumbling or slipping and falling Or by falling upon a man from a rock or higher ground as sometimes it hath happened Or filling his grounds so as to hinder his plowing and make his lands unfruitful Nay the stones shall not only cease to be hurtful but they shall be useful and beneficial to thee they shall as it were present themselves to thee when thou hast occasion either to sling them at thine enemies as then was usual Iudg. 20. 16. 2 Chron. 26. 14. or to make fences to thy ground Or to build an house This is a bold Metaphor but such are frequent as in other Authours so also in Scripture as Isa. 28. 15. Hos. 2. 18. And the beasts of the field a Either 1. the wild beasts and then this is an addition to the former priviledge they shall not hurt thee v. 22. nay they shall befriend thee as being at peace with thee here v. 23. Or 2. the tame Beasts who otherwise may be refractory and hurtful to a man many having been killed by them shall be at peace with thee 24. And thou shalt know b By certain and constant experience ‖ 〈…〉 that thy tabernacle c i. e. Thy habitation as it follows including also the Inhabitants Children or Friends and Servants shall be in peace d Shall enjoy great safety from all their Enemies and concord among themselves and prosperity in all their concerns all which are comprehended under the sweet name of Peace and thou shalt visit thy
yours were such I should readily yield to them but what doth your arguing reprove p Or your arguing argue There is no truth in your Assertions nor weight in your Arguments and therefore are they of no account or power with me 26. Do ye imagin to reprove words q i. e. Do you think that all your Arguments are solid and unanswerable and all my Answers are but idle and empty words Or do you think it is sufficient to cavil and quarrel with some of my words and expressions without considering the merits of the cause and the truth of my condition or giving an allowance for humane infirmity or for my extreme misery which may easily force from me some indecent expressions and to reprove the speeches of one that is desperate r Of a poor miserable hopeless and helpless man for the words of such persons are commonly neglected and despised although there be truth and great weight in them See Eccles. 9. 16. And such are generally thought to speak from deep passions and prejudices more than from reason and judgment which are as wind s i. e. Which you esteem to be like the Wind vain and light without solid substance making a great noise with little sense and to little purpose But this last branch of the verse may be and by many is rendred otherwise And do ye imagine which is to be repeated out of the former clause as is very usual in Scripture the words of one that is desperate to be but wind i. e. empty and vain Do you take me for a desperate and distracted man that knows not or cares not what he saith but only speaks what comes first into his mind and mouth The Wind is oft used to express vain words as Ch. 15. 2. Ier. 5. 13. and vain things Iob 7. 7. Prov. 11. 29. Some render the whole verse thus Do you in your arguings think or ought you to think the discourses of a dejected or desponding or sorely afflicted man such as I am to be but words and wind i. e. vain and empty as indeed the discourses of such persons use to be esteemed by such as are in an higher and more prosperous condition But you should judge more impartially and more mercifully Possibly the verse may be rendred thus Do you think to reprove the speeches of a desperate or dejected or miserable man such as I am and you use me accordingly with the praposition being very frequently omitted and understood in the Hebrew tongue words and with for the Hebrew prefix Lamed oft signifies with as hath been formerly proved wind You think any words or Arguments will be strong enough against one in my circumstances So it agrees with the foregoing verse 27. Yea †Heb ye câ—…st to fall upon ye overwhelm t Your words are not onely vain and useless and uncomfortable to me but also grievous and pernicious the fatherless u Heb. You rush or throw your selves upon him For words in Hiphil are oft put reciprocally as Hebricians know You fall upon him with all your might and say all that you can devise to charge and grieve him A metaphor from wild beasts that fall upon their prey to hold it fast and devour it You load him with censures and calumnies u Or the desolate i. e. me who am deprived of all my dear children and of all my estate forsaken by my friends and by my heavenly father Which should have procured me your pity rather than your censure and ye dig a pit for your friend x Or you feed or feast for so this Hebrew word is oft used as 2 Sam. 3 35. 2 Kings 6 23. Iob 40. 15. upon your friend i. e. You insult and triumph over me whom sometimes you owned for your friend 28. Now therefore be content look upon me y Be pleased either 1. To look upon my countenance if it betrayes any fear or guilt as if I spoke contrary to my own conscience Or rather 2. to consider me and my cause further and better than you have done that you may give a more true and righteous judgment concerning it for it is †Heb. before your face evident unto you z You will plainly discover it A little further consideration and discourse will make it manifest and I shall readily acknowledge it if I lie 29. * Ch. 17. 10. Return a Turn from your former course of perverse judgment lay aside passion and prejudice against me let me beg your second thoughts and a serious review of my case I pray you let it not be iniquity b To wit in your thoughts or debates I beg not your favour but your justice judge according to right and do not conclude me to be wicked because you see me to be miserable as you have falsly and unjustly done Or there shall be no iniquity to wit in my words which I have spoken and which I am further about to speak Which you will find upon the review yea return again my righteousness is ‖ That is in this matter in it c i. e. In this cause or matter between you and me the Relative without the Antecedent which is frequent in the Hebrew Language You will find the right to be on my side 30. Is there iniquity in my tongue d Consider again and more throughly examine if there be any untruth or iniquity in what I have already said or shall further speak to you cannot †Heb. my palate my tast e i. e. My judgment which discerns and judgeth of words and actions as the tast or palate doth of meats discern perverse things f i. e. False opinions or sinful expressions I am not so bereft of common understanding as not to be able to distinguish between good and evil And therefore if I have uttered or should utter any perverse words I should apprehend them to be so as well as you do CHAP. VII 1. IS there not ‖ Or a warfare * Chap. 14. 13 14. Psal. 39. 4. an appointed time to man upon Earth a Is there not a certain and short time limited by God wherein man shall live in this sinful vain and miserable world after which he shall live in an holier and happier place and state And is it a crime in me to desire that God would give me some ease and respite for the present and bring me to that blessed and joyful period are not his daies also like the daies of an hireling b Whose time is limited and short being but for a few years Isa. 16. 14. 21. 16. and sometimes but for daies Iob 14. 6. Matth. 20. 1 2. and whose condition is full of toil and hardship 2. As a Servant †Heb. gapeth after earnestly desireth the shadow c i. e. The Sun-set or the Night the time allotted for his rest and repose Psal. 104. 23. And why may
those who are worthy of that name and duly administer that Office Whose faces God may be said to cover because he removeth them from their high places into obscurity and covers them with contempt and in a manner passeth a sentence of condemnation and destruction upon them Covering of the face being the usual posture of condemned persons and of men in great misery Of which see Esth. 7. 8. Psal. 44. 22. Isa. 15. 17. Ier. 14. 4. So the sense of this verse is God commonly advanceth wicked men into power and honour and casteth down men of true worth and vertue from their Seats if not r If it be not as I say If God do not these things where and who is he s Either 1. Who will conâ—…ute me by solid arguments Or 2. Who doth these things Who but God doth dispose of the world in this manner 25. Now t What he had said of the calamities which God usually inflicted upon good men he now exemplifieth in himself * 〈◊〉 7. 6. my days u The days either of my prosperity For the time of affliction is commonly described by the night or rather 2. Of my life as the last clause sheweth For it were an absurd and contradictious speech to say that his prosperous days saw no good are swifter than a Post x Who runs or rides upon swift horses they flee away they see no good y I enjoy no good in them Seeing is oft put for experiencing either good or evil Iob 7. 7. Psal. 34. 12. Ioh. 3. 36. 8. 51. 26. They are passed away as the †Heb. Ships 〈◊〉 ‖ Or Ships of 〈◊〉 swift ships z Heb. ships of desire which make great hast as if they longed for their desired Haven as it is called Psal. 107. 30. Or ships of pleasure Which sail more swiftly than ships of great burden * 〈◊〉 1. 8. as the Eagle a Which geneally flies most swiftly Deut. 28. 40. Ier. 4. 13. Lam. 4. 19. especially when it s own hunger and the sight of its prey quickens his motion that hasteth to the prey 27 * Chap. 7. 13. If I say b If I resolve within my self I will forget my complaints c I will cease complaining I will leave off my †Heb. face heaviness d Heb. mine anger wherewith Iob was charged by his friends Ch. 18 4. my angry expressions and comfort my self e I will endeavour to take comfort 28. I am afraid of all my sorrows f Or my pains and griefs I find all such endeavours vain for if my griefs be suspended for a little time yet my fears continue I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent g I plainly perceive that my changing my note is to no purpose for thou O God to whom he makes a sudden Apostrophe as he doth also v. 31. wiltst not clear my innocency by removing those afflictions which make them judge me guilty of some great crime words proceeding from great impatience and despair of relief 29. If I be wicked h Heb. I shall be wicked or guilty to wit before thee Whether I be holy or wicked if I dispute with thee I shall be found guilty Or thus I shall be used like a wicked man and punished as such So this is opposed to his not being held innocent v. 28. i. e. not being acquitted or exempt from punishment why then labour I in vain i Why then should I not indulge my griefs but restrain them why should I comfort my self with vain hopes of deliverance as thou advisest me Ch. 8. 6. or seek to God as I was directed Ch. 5. 8 for that ease which I see he is resolved not to give me why should I trouble my self with clearing mine innocency seeing God will still hold me guilty 30. * Jer. 2. 22. If I wash my self k Either 1. really by sanctification cleansing my heart and life from all filthiness or rather 2. declaratively or judicially i. e. â—…f I clear my self from all imputations and fully prove my innocency before men with Snow-water l i. e. As men cleanse their bodies and as under the Law they purified themselves with water which he here calls water of Snow either because by its purity and brightness it resembled Snow or because in those dry Countries where fresh and pure water was scarce Snow-water was much in use or because that water might be much used among them in some of their ritual purifications as coming down from Heaven and make my hands never so clean 31. Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch m i. e. In miry and puddle water whereby I shall become most filthy But as Iob's washing so God's plunging him c. is not understood really as if God would make him filthy but onely judicially that God would prove him to be a most guilty and filthy creature notwithstanding all the professions and evidences of his purity before men and mine own cloths shall ‖ Or make me to be abhorred abhor me n i. e. I shall be so altogether filthy that my own cloths if they had any sense in them would abhor to touch me A figure called Prosopopoeia 32. For he is not a man as I am o But one infinitely superiour to me in Majesty and Power and Wisdom and Justice that I should answer him p That I should presume to debate my cause with him or answer his allegations against me and that we should come together q Face to face to plead upon equal terms before a superiour and indifferent Judge in Judgment 33. * 1 Sam. 2. 25. ver 19. Neither is there †Heb. one that shall argue any ‖ Or Umpire days man q Or a Reprover or a Judge or Umpire whose office was to reprove the guilty person betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both r i. e. Use his power and authority to appoint the time and place of our meeting to order and govern us in pleading and to oblige us to stand to his decision The hand is oft put for power and laying on the hand upon another was oft-times an act and sign of superiority and dominion 34. * Chap. 13. 21. 33. 7. Let him take his Rod away from me and let not his fear s Objectively so called i. e. The fear and dread of him of his Majesty and justice Let him not deal with me rigorously according to his soveraign dominion and perfect justice but according to his wonted grace and clemency terrifie me 35. Then would I speak and not fear him t i. e. I would speak freely for my self being freed from the dread of his Majesty which takes away my spirit and courage and stoppeth my mouth †Heb. But I am not so with my self but it is not so with me u i. e.
sense of his own innocency Or without blemish as the word properly signifies i. e. without any sense of guilt or any shame consequent upon it either from God or men The ground of the expression is this That when mens faces are spotted with dirt they are ashamed to shew them And Iob was charged by his friends as having many spots upon him yea such as were not the spots of God's Children yea thou shalt be stedfast q Or firm or fixed Either 1. as to his outward Condition which should be constantly prosperous Or rather as to his Mind which should have strong and comfortable assurance of God's favour and of his own safety and happiness For this stedfastness is opposed unto that fear which is incident to wicked men who even when they are free from actual miseries yet oft-times are tormented with the dread of them and shalt not fear 16. Because thou shalt forget thy misery r Thou shalt be free from fear because thy great and settled prosperity shall banish out of thy mind all those sad and irksom thoughts of thy former Calamities which naturally ingender fears of the continuance or return of them Persons blessed with eminent Deliverances and an happy settlement are frequently said in Scripture to forget their former sorrows as Gen. 41. 51. Isa. 54. 4. Iohn 16. 21. not that they simply forget them but because they have no sad or frightful remembrance of them For remembring and forgetting in Scripture do not simply note acts of the mind but also affections and practises suitable to them as is well known and remember it as waters that pass away s Thou shalt remember them no more than men remember either a Land-stood which as it comes so it goes away suddenly and leaves few or no footsteps or memorials behind it or the waters of a River which as soon as they are out of sight are out of mind because of the new waters which immediately come in their stead 17. And thine age t i. e. The remainder of thy life and time in this world †Heb. shall arise above the noon-day shall be * Ps. 37. 6. 112. 4. Isa. 58. 8. clearer u Heb. shall arise Men are said to fall into troubles and to arise out of them than the noon-day x Or above the noon-day or above the Sun at Noon day when it is at its highest pitch as well as in its greatest glory thou shalt ‖ Or 〈◊〉 17. Isa. 40. 31. shine forth y Light in Scripture commonly signifies Prosperity and Glory as Esth. 8. 16. Iob 18. 5. 6 38. 15. Proâ—… 4. 18. Or if thou art in darkness as this word properly signifies Iob 10. 22. Amos 4. 13. i. e. If thou comest into any distress and trouble thou shalt be as the morning z i. e. That Night of trouble shall certainly and speedily be followed with the Morning of Deliverance and Comfort which like the Morning-light shall shine brighter and brighter until the perfect day 18. And thou shalt be secure because there is hope a i. e. Thy mind shall be quiet and free from terrours because thou shalt have a firm and well-grounded hope and confidence in God's merciful and providential care of thee Or thou shalt be confident that thou shalt have what thou â—…pest for the act hope being put for the obâ—…ect as is very usual i. e. Thou shalt have assurance in and from God that thy hopes shall not be disappointed but fulfilled This is opposed to that fear vers 15. yea thou shalt dig about thee b Either to fix thy Tents which after the manner of the Arabians were removed from place to place for conveniency of Pasturage for their Cattel or to find out water for thy Cattel as they did Gen. 26. Or to plough the Ground as he had done Chap. 1. 14. Or to make a Fence about thy Dwelling For both the foregoing and following passages express his secure and safe condition and * Lev. 26. 5 6. Ps. 3. 5. 4. 8. Prov. 3. 24. thou shalt take thy rest in safety c Free from dangers and the fear of them because of God's fatherly Providence watching over thee when thou canst not watch over thy self 19. Also thou shalt lie down and none shall make thee afraid yea many shall †Heb. intrâ—… thy face Ps. 45. 12. make suit unto thee d Desiring thy favour and friendship because of thy great power and riches and eminent felicity See Gen. 26. 26 c. 20. But the eyes of the wicked shall fail e Or be consumed either with grief and tears for their sore Calamities Or with long looking for what they shall never attain as this phrase is taken Psalm 69 3. Ier. 14. 6. Lament 4. 17. And this shall be thy condition O Iob if thou persistest in thine impiety and †Heb. fligâ—… shall perish from them they shall not escape f They shall never obtain deliverance out of their Distresses but shall perish in them and * Ch. 8. 14. 18. 14. their hope shall be as ‖ Or a pâ—…ff of breath the giving up of the ghost g i. e. Shall be as vain and desperate as the hope of life is in a man when he is at the very point of death Or as a puff of breath which is gone in a moment without all hopes of recovery CHAP. XII 1. ANd Iob answered and said 2. No doubt but ye are the people a You three and you onely are the people i. e. people of all people for eminency of wisdom the onely company of reasonable Creatures all others are but fools or beasts You have engrossed all the reason of Mankind and each of you have as much wisdom as an whole people put together It is an Ironical Expression as the next Verse sheweth and wisdom shall die with you b All the wisdom and knowledge of divine things which is in the World lives in you and will die and be utterly lost when you die This you think of your selves and this makes you so confidently and peremptorily deliver your Opinions and give Laws to me and all mankind and even to God himself 3. But * Câ—… 1â—… 2. I have an †〈◊〉 understanding c Heb. an heart which is oft put for the understanding as Iob 34. 34 Ier 5. 21. Acts. 8. 22. i. e. God hath given me also the knowledge and ability to judge of these matters as well as ye †〈…〉 I am not inferiour to you d In these things which he speaketh noâ—… in a way of vain-glorious boasting but for the just and 〈◊〉 vindication both of himself and of that cause of God which for the matter and substance of iâ—… he maintained as God himself attests Iob 42. 7 yea †〈…〉 who knoweth not such things as these e The truth is neither you nor
I have any reâ—…son to be puffed up with our knowledge of these thingâ—… For the most foolish and barbarous Nations know that God is Infinitâ—… in Wisdom and Power and Justice But this is not the question between you and me 4 * 〈…〉 I am as one mocked of his neighbour f Heb. I am a derision the Infinitive being put for a Noun as is usual both in the Hebrew and other Languages to my neighbour i. e to thâ—…se three who have pretended and would be thoughâ—… to be my Friends and Neighbours whom therefore such carriage doth very ill become Instead of supporting comforting me they make a sport and scorn of me who 〈◊〉 up in God and he answereth him g This who belongs either 1. to Iob who here declares his own practice in this case when you mock me I go to God with my Complaints and Prayers and he hears me though you will not But this seems not to agree either with the Context or with other passages of Iob in which he constantly complains that God did not hear nor regard his prayers nor pity and help him Or 2. to Iob's Friends and so this is either 1. an aggravation of their Crime that they should mock him who made a great profession of Religion who used â—…uly to call upon God and to receive answers from him and therefore should have carried themselves more piously and charitably and compassionately towards their miserable Brother Or 2. as the reason of their mockage of Iob because God who neglected Iob's prayers heard theirs and gave them those mercies for which they praâ—…ed and therefore being themselves well and at ease they were hard-hearted towards their poor afflicted Brother as the manner of men is This seems to suit well with the following Verse Or 3. as an Argument against their scorning or slighting of him God hears you when you pray therefore you should turn your mocks of me into prayers for me and you should pity me whom God doth not hear when I pray and as God hears you so you should hear and comfort me when I pour out my Complaints to you But these words may be brought in mimetically as being some of their scoffing words They say of me Let him call upon God and God will hear him For so they had suggested to Iob Ch. 5. 8. 8. 5. c. 11. 13. But this saith Iob I take for a piece of mockery and insulting over my Miseries For I know by sad experience and they see the contrary that though I call and cry again and again yet God hath no regard to me * 〈◊〉 â—…4 2. the just upright man is laughed to scorn h i. e. I who notwithstanding all their hard censures and reproaches must and dare still own it that through God's grace I am a just and upright man am derided by them This he repeats again because it was very grievous and burdensom to him 5. He that is ready to slip with his feet i i. e. The just man last mentioned who is upon the brink of the Pit or Grave ready to fall into mischief so as never to rise again in this World which is my case and the occasion of their scorn and contempt is as a lamp despised k i. e. Like a Lamp or Torch which whilst it shines clearly and in a dark Night is very useful and comfortable but when it draws towards an end and is nigh extinct and in the light is neglected and despised as that which is unnecessary and troublesom and offensive So the same man who when his Feet stand fast in a prosperous Condition is magnified and adored by all When his feet slip or stumble as the Phraâ—…e is Psalm 94. 18. Ier. 13. 16. when he is in misery is commonly forsaken and despised in the thought of him that is at â—…ase l i. e. In the Opinion of a man that lives in great case and outward happiness which generally makes persons to forget and despise those who are in affliction But these words are a little otherwise rendred and that agreeably to the order of the words in the Hebrew Text He which is easily understood out of verse 4. the just and upright man is as a Tâ—… despised in the opnion or thought as this or the like words coming from the same Hebrew Root are used Psalm 146. 4. Dan 6. 3. Iâ—…n 1. 6. Or because of the splendor for so this Root and its Derivatives elsewhere signifie as Cant. 5. 14. Ier. 5. 28. Ezek. 27. 19 And either of these significations agree well with the place Or compared with the splendor or greater luster and glory of him that liâ—…s in tranquillity â—…e i. e. the just man is or 〈◊〉 he is for this may be the reason of the contempt ready to slip with his foot i. e. ready to perish 6. * Ch. 21. 7. Psal. 37. 1. 35. 92. 7. Jer. 12. 1. Mal. 3. 15. The tabernacles of robbers prosper m Thy Opinion delivered Chap. 11. 14 c. is confuted by daily experience which shews that the most wicked and injurious and impudent Oppressors Tyrants and Robbers are so far from meeting with those Disappointments and Miseries wherewith thou didst threaten them that they commonly succeed in their cursed Enterprizes and flourish in Wealth and Glory and fill their Houses with the Goods of others which they violently took away whereof the Chaldeans and Sabeans ch 1. 15. 17. are a present and pregnant Evidence and they that provoke God are secure n They whose common practice it is to despise and provoke God are confident and secure live without danger or fear into whose hand God bringeth abundantly o So far is God from crushing such persons that he seems to favour them with wonderful success and by his special and more than common Providence puts into their hands the opportunities which they seek and the persons and goods of other more righteous men which they lie in wait for 7. But ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee p To wit objectively i. e. If thou observest the Beasts and their Properties and Actions and Events from them thou mayst learn this Lesson What Lesson I answer Either 1. that which was last mentioned v. 5. God's Providence doth order things in the like manner among the very Beasts and Fowls and Fishes of which the most ravenous and mischievous fare the best whilest those which are more harmless and serviceable and beneficial to men meet with the hardest usage Or 2. That which Zophar had uttered with so much pomp and gravity Chap. 11. 7 8 9. concerning God's Infinite Wisdom which saith Iob thou needest not go into Heaven or Hell to know but thou mayst learn it even from the Beasts c. and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee 8. Or speak to the earth and it shall teach thee and the fishes of the sea shall declare
besides his natural proneness to sin hath contracted habits and customs of sinning and sinneth as freely and easily as greedily and delightfully as frequently and abundantly as men especially in those hot Countries used to drink up water But this did not Iob And therefore though the things delivered by him and the rest be true in the general yet they commit a great erâ—…our in misapplying them to Iob for which therefore they are afterwards reproved 17. I will shew thee f I will prove what I have affirmed that such strokes as thine are peculiar to hypocrites and wicked men hear me and that which I have seen g I speak not by hear-say onely but from my own experience I will declare 18. Which wise men h Who are most able to be Witnesses and Judges in these matters have told from their fathers i Or Ancestors who diligently observed this and carefully transmitted their own judgment and experience successively to their Posterity and have not hid it k They judged it to be so certain and so important a truth that they would not conceal it in their own breasts but made conscience of publishing it for the instruction and comfort of succeeding ages 19. Unto whom alone the earth was given l Either first By the special and gracious gift of God whereas wicked men invaded their parts of the earth and took them away by force Or 2. by the choice and consent of the people who for their great and known wisdom and vertue conferred this power and trust upon them This he alledgeth partly to make their Testimony more considerable because these were not obscure and mean and foolish men whose words are commonly despised but the most worthy and famous men in their places and ages and partly to contradict and confute what Iob had said Chap. 9. 24. That the earth was given into the hand of the wicked By the earth he means either the dominion of the earth to wit of that part of the earth in or nigh which Iob and his Friends lived Or rather the possession of the earth i. e. of a great portion of worldly goods Or particularly the land or that land as the word properly signifies to wit the land of Canaan which was given by special gift unto Abraham from whom it seems most probable that both Iob and his Friends were descended and to Isaac and Iacob who though they met with some common and ordinary afflictions yet enjoyed a great measure of comfort and wealth and honour and power in the World as the Fruits of God's Blessing and of his Covenant made with good men whilest wicked men were exposed to manifold Distresses and grievous Calamities All which those holy Patriarchs diligently observed and industriously imparted to their Children to encourage them to continue and proceed in the ways of true Piety But how was the Earth or Land given to them alone as is here said Answer Either 1. Because Noah and his Sons of whom some understand these words had the sole possession and dominion of the Earth Or 2. Because Canaan was given to Abraham and to his Seed alone And some of Abraham's Children had the dominion of or an ample possession in those parts where Job and his Friends lived who also seem to be in the number of them Or 3. Because they only had it either by God's special and gracious Providence or by the choice and approbation of the people whereas wicked men took it by Rapine and Violence without asking leave either from God or men and no stranger m i. e. The Enemy for such are called strangers both in Scripture as Prov. 5. 10. Isa. 1. 7. Ezek. 11. 9. 28. 10. and in other Authors No person of a strange Nation and Disposition or Religion passed among them n i. e. Through their Land as this phrase is used Num. 20. 18. To wit so as to molest or disturb or spoil them as the Sabe 〈◊〉 and Chaldeans did thee God watched over those wise and holy men so carefully that no Enemy should invade them and so he would have done over thee if thou hadst been such an one 20. The wicked man travelleth with pain o i. e. Lives a life of care and fear and grief by reason of God's Wâ—…ath and the Torments of his own Mind and his manifâ—…ld and dreadful outward Calamities all his days and the number of years is hidden p i. e. He knows not how short the time of his tyranny and life is and therefore lives in continual fear of losing them The number of a good man's years are also hid from him as well as they are from the wicked men But to those this is a great torment and mischief whereas it is not so to him Or and a few years Heb. a number of years put by a common Hypallage for years of number as few years are called Iob 16. 22. because they are soon numbred as men of number is put for a few men Gen 34. 30. Deut. 4. 27. 33. 6. are laid or treasâ—…d up i. e. are allotted to him by God's secret Counsel for God cuts off such men in the midst of their days Psalm 55. 23. whereas long-life is promised and commonly given to righteous men to the oppressor q i. e. To the wicked man but he names this one sort of them the Oppressors partly because he supposed Iob to be guilty of this sin Chap. 22. 6. partly in opposition to what Iob had affirmed of the safety and happiness of such persons Chap. 12. 6. and partly because such are most apt to expect and promise to themselves a longer and happier life than other men because of their singular preservatives and advantages of life above other men 21. †Heb. a sound of fears A dreadful sound is in his ears r Even when he feels no evil he is tormented with perpetual fears and expectations of it from the sense of his own guilt and of God's all-seeing eye and righteous judgment See Levit. 26. 36. Deut. 28. 65. * 1 Thes. 5. 3. in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him s Or shall invade and destroy him suddenly and unexpectedly which is a great aggravation of it 22. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness t i. e. When he falls into trouble he despairs of God's mercy and of deliverance by reason of his guilty Conscience Which he speaks with particular reflection upon Iob who would receive no comfort nor matter of hope and he is waited for of the sword u i. e. Besides the Calamity which is upon him he is in constant expectation of further and greater miseries for the sword is oft used for any grievous affliction as Luke 2. 35. 23. He * Ps. 59. 15. 109. 10. wandreth abroad for bread saying where is it x His poverty is so great that he is forced to wander hither and thither to
to whom I imparted all my Thoughts and Counsels and Concerns abhorred me and they whom I loved u Sincerely and fervently which they so ill require He saith not they who loved me for their love had it been true would have continued in his affliction as well as in his prosperity are turned against me 20. * Chap. 30. 30. Psal. 102. 5. Lam. 4. 8. My bone x i. e. My bones the Singular collectively put for the Plural as Chap. 2. 5. Prov. 15. 30. cleaveth to my skin y To wit immediately the fat and flesh next to the skin being consumed The sense is I am worn to skin and bone See the same phrase Psalm 102. 5. Or as the Particle and being often so used as hath been observed before to my flesh i. e. either as formerly it clave to my flesh Or as near and as closely as it doth to these remainders of flesh which are left in my inward parts ‖ Or as and to my flesh z and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth a I am scarce sound and whole and free from sores in any part of my skin except that of my Jaws which holdeth and covereth the roots of my Teeth This being as divers observe the Devils 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 and which he knew would be of pernicious consequence not onely to Iob but to others also 21. Have pity upon me have pity upon me O ye my friends b For such you have been and still pretend to be and therefore fulfil that relation and if you will not help me yet at least pity me for the hand of God hath touched c i. e. Smitten or afflicted me sorely as this word is oft used as Chap. 1. 11. Psalm 104. 32. me 22. Why do ye persecute me as God d Either 1. as God doth or rather 2. as if you were gods and not men as if you had the same infinite knowledge which God hath whereby you can search my heart and know my hypocrisie and the same soveraign and absolute Authority to say and do what you please with me without giving any reason or account of it which is indeed the Prerogative of the great God but it belongs not to you who are men and therefore liable to mistake and mis-judging and such as must give an account to God of all their words and carriages towards their Brethren and particularly towards persons in affliction and withal subject to the same Diseases and Calamities under which I groan and therefore may need the pity which I expect from you and are not satisfied with my flesh e i. e. With the consumption and torment of my whole body but add to it the vexation of my spirit by grievous reproaches and censures but are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Liâ—… that are not contented with devouring the 〈◊〉 of their pâ—…y but also break their bones 23. †Heb. who will give c. Oh that my words f Either 1. the following and famous confession of his Faith v. 25 c. Or rather 2. all his foregoing discourses with his Friends which he was so far from disowning or being ashamed of that he was desirous that all Ages should know that they might judge between him and them whose Cause was better and whose Arguments were stronger were now written oh that they were printed in a book 24 That they were graven with an iron pen g Of which also there is mention Ier. 17. 1. and lead h Or or lead or with lead the Particle and being oft so used as Gen. 4. 20. Exod. 1. 6. Ier. 22. 7. For this Lead may be either 1. the Writing-pen which might be either of Iron or of Lead For though Lead be of it self too soft yet there was an Art of tempering Lead with other Metals to such a degree of hardness that it could pierce into a Rock as they did also temper Brass so that they could make Bows and Swords of them Or 2. the Writing-table for the Ancients did use to write divers things in Lead as is well known Or 3. the Writing-Ink as I may call it For they used to grave the Letters in a Stone with an Iron Tool and then to fill up the Cuts or Furrows made in the Stone with Lead that the Words might be more plainly seen and read in the rock for ever 25. For i This is the reason of his great Confidence in the goodness of his Cause and his willingness to have the matter depending between him and his Friends published and submitted to any Tryal because he had a living and powerful Redeemer to plead his Cause and vindicate his person from all their severe censures and to give sentence for him I know k I have no knowledge nor confidence nor hope of restitution to the prosperities of this life yet this one thing â—… know which is more comfortable and conâ—…iderable and therein I rejoâ—…ce though I be now a dying man and in a desperate condition for this life that my redeemer l In whom I have a particular interest and he hath a particular care of me Quest. What Redeemer and what Deliverance doth Iob speak of in this and the two following Verses Answ. Some late Interpreters understand this place metaphorically of God's delivering Iob out of his doleful and desperate Condition and restoring him to his former splendour and happiness in the World it being a very usual thing in Scripture to call eminent Dangers or Calamities by the name of Death as Psalm 22. 15. 88. 4. 5. Ezek. 37. 11 12. 2 Cor. 11. 23. And great and glorious Deliverances by the name of quickning and resurrection as Psalm â—…1 20. Isa. 26. 19. Rom. 11. 15. But the most Interpreters both ancient and modern understand it of Christ and of his Resurrection and of Iob's resurrection to life by his power and favour Which seems most probable for many reasons 1. From that known Bule that a proper and literal Interpretation of Scripture is always to be preferred before the Metaphorical where it suits with the Text and with other Scriptures 2. From the Hebrew word Goel here used which although sometimes it be used of God absolutely or essentially considered yet it most properly agrees to Jesus Christ For this word as all Hebricians know is primarily used of the next kinsman whose Office it was â—…o redeem by a price paid the sold or mortgaged Estate of his deceased kinâ—…man Levit. 25 25 and to revenge his death Num. 35. 12. and to maintain his Name and Honour by raising up Seed to him Deut. 25. 5. All which most fitly agrees to Christ who is ouâ—… nearest kiniman and brother Heb. 2. 11. as having taken ouâ—… Nature upon him by Incarnation who also hath redeemed that everlasting Inheritance which
our first Parents had utterly lost and 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 price of his own blood and hath revenged the Death of Mankind upon the great Contriver of it the Devil by destroying him and his kingdom and hath taken a course to preserve our Name and Honour and Persons to Eternity And if the places where God is called Goel in the Old Testament be examined it will be found that either all or most of them may be and some of them must be understood of God the Son or oâ—… Christ as Gen. 48. 16. Isa. 59. 20. See also Psalm 74. 2. Isa. 41. 14. 44. 6. 49. 7 52. 3. 63. 16. 3. Because Iob was so far from such a firm Confidence as he here professeth that he had not the least degree of hope of any such glorious temporal restauration as his Friends promised to him as we have oft seen and observed in the former Discourses as Chap. 16. 22. 17. 12 13 c. And therefore that hope which every righteous man hath in his death Prov. 14. 32. and which Iob oft professeth that he had must necessarily be fixed upon his happiness in the future life 4. Because some of the following expressions cannot without wresting and violence be applied to a Metaphorical Resurrection as we shall see in the Sequel 5. Because this is a more lofty and spiritual strain than any in Iob's former Discourses and quite contrary to them And as they generally â—…avour of Dejection and Diffidence and do either declare or encrease his Grief so this puts him into another and much better temper And therefore it is well observed that after this time and these expressions we meet not with any such impatient or despairing passages as we had before which shews that they had inspired him with new life and comfort 6. Because this well agrees with other passages in this Book wherein Iob declareth that although he had no hope as to this life and the comforts thereof yet he had an hope beyond death which made him prosess Though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me yet will I trust in him Iob 13. â—… 5. Trust in him For what Suâ—… for comfort and happiness Where Not in this life for that he supposeth to be lost therefore it must be in the next life And this was one reason why he so vehemently desired Death because he knew it would bring him unto God and unto true Felicity And this his hope and confidence in God and in his Favour to him Iob. opposeth to those â—…oul and false aspersâ—…ons which his Friâ—… had cast upon him as iâ—… he had forsaken God and cast off all â—…ear of him and hope in him Object 1. If this place had spoken of the Resurrection of the Body some of the Hebrew Writer or Commentators upon this Place who did believe that Doctrine would have understood it so and have urged it against the Sadduces which they did not Answ. 1. All the Jewish Writers which are now extant lived and wrote â—…ce Christ's time when the Doctors of that People were very ignorant of many great Truths and of the plain meaning of many Scriptures and very corrupt in their Principles as well as in their Practises 2. There was a manifest Reason why they could not understand this Text thus because they believed that Iob in his Agonies did deny God's Providence and consequently the Resurrection and the future Judgment which though it was a most uncharitable and false Opinion yet forced them to interpret this Text another way Obj. 2. How is it credible that Iob in those ancient times and in that dark stare of the Church should know these great Mysteries of Christ's Incarnation and of the Resurrection and Life to come Answ. 1. The mystery of Christ's Incarnation was revealed to 〈◊〉 by that first and famous Promise that the seed of the woman should break the Serpent's head Gen. 3. 15. which being the onely Foundation of all his Hopes for the recovery and salvation of himself and of all his Posterity he would doubtless carefully and 〈◊〉 teach and explain it as need required to those that descended from him 2. That the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets were generally acquainted with these Doctrines is undeniably evident from Heb. 11. and 1 Pet. 1. â—… 10. 11 12. 3 Particularly Abraham from whom Iob is supposed to have dâ—…ded had the Promise made to him that Christ should come out of his Loins Gen. 12. â—… and is said to have seen Christs day and 〈◊〉 to see it John 8. 56. and had his hopes and desires fixed upon a divine and heavenly City and Country Heb. â—…1 10 16. And as 〈◊〉 liveth m knâ—…w and believed these things himself so it is manifest that he â—…aught them to his Children and Servants Gen. 18. 1â—… aâ—…d to his Kiâ—…red and others as he had occasâ—…on And therefore it cannot seem strange that Iob professeth his Faith and hope in these things 〈◊〉 I am a dying man and my hopes are dying but he liveth and that for ever and therefore though i die 〈◊〉 both caâ—… and will make me to live again in due time â—…ugh not in this World yet in the other which is much better and though I am now highly censured and condemned by my Friend and others as a great Dissembler and a secret Sinner whom God's haâ—…d hath found out yet there is a day coming wherein 〈◊〉 Caâ—…se shall be pleaded and my Name and Honour vindicated from all these Reproaches and my Integrity brought to light and that he shall stand n I am falling and dying but he shall stand firm and unmoâ—…able and victorious in full power and authority all which this word stand signifies and therefore he is able to make me to stand in Judgment and to maintain my Cause against all Opposers Or 〈◊〉 â—…all arise as this Verb most commonly signifies i. e. Either 1. he shall exist or be born as this word is oft used as Num. 32. 14 Deut 29. 22. Iudg. 2. 10. 1 Kings 3 12. Matth. 11. 11. And it notes Christ's Incarnation that although as he was God he was now and from all Eternity in being yet he should in due time be made man and be born of a woman Or 2. he shall arise out of the dust which had been more probable if it had been in the Text from or out of as now it is upon the earth or dust for Christ's Resurrection from the dead might be fiâ—…ly mentioned here as the Cause of Iob's Resurrection which followeth ‖ Or at last at the latter day o Either 1. in the days of the Messiah or of the Gospel which are oft called the letter or last days or times as Isa. 2. 2 〈◊〉 â—… 5. 〈◊〉 2. 28. Compared with Acts 2. 17. 1 Tim. 4. 1. and 2 〈◊〉 3. 1. 〈◊〉 1. 1. Or rather 2. at the day of the general Resurrection and Judgment which as those holy Patriarchs well knew and firmly believed was to be at
the end of the World and which is called the last day Iohn 6. 39 40 44. 54. 11. 24 12. 48. 1 Pet. 1. 5 For this was the time when Iob's Resurrection of which he speaketh 〈◊〉 was to be Heb. at the last By which word he plainly intimates that his hope was not 〈◊〉 things present and of Worldly Felicities of which his Friends had discoursed so much â—…ut of another kind of and a far greater blessedness which should accrue to him in after-times long after he was dead and rotten Or the last who is both the first and the last Isa. 44. 6. Rev. 1. 11. who shall subdue and survive all his and his peoples Enemies and after others the lâ—…t enemy death 1 Cor. 15. 26. and then shall raise up his people and plead their Cause and vindicate them from all the Calumnies and Injuries which are put upon them and conduct them to Life and Glory upon the earth p The place upon which Christ shall appear and stand at the last day Heb. upon the dust in which his Saints and Members lie or sleep whom he will raise out of it ' And therefore he is fitly said to stand upon the dust or the Grave or Death because then he will put that among other Enemies under his feet as it is expressed 1 Cor. 15. 25 26. Some render the Words thus and that very agreeably to the Hebrew The last or at the last he shall arise or stand up against for so this very Phrase is used Gen. 4. 8. Iudg. 9. 18. Psalm 54. 3. the dust and fight with it and rescue the bodies of the Saints which are held in it as Prisoners from its Dominion and Territories Some understand this of God that He should stand last in the field as Conquerour of all his Enemies But this neither agrees with the words the Hebrew Aphar signifying dust and being never used of the field or plâ—…e of Battel nor with Iob's scope which was to defend himself against his Friends Accusations and to comfort himself with his hopes and assurance of God's Favour to be exhibited to him in due time Which end the words in that sense would by no means serve because God might and would be Conqueror of all his Enemies though Iob himself had been one of them and though his Cause had been bad and his Friends should with God have triumphed over him 26. ‖ 〈…〉 And though after my skin worms destroy this body q The style of this and other Poetical Books is concise and short and therefore many words are to be understood in some places to compleat the sense The meaning of the place is this Though my skin is now in a great measure consumed by Sores and the rest of it together with this body shall be devoured by the Worms which may seem to make my case quite desperate Heb. And though which â—…article as it is oft elsewhere is here to be understood as the opposition of the next branch sheweth after my skin which either now is or suddenly will be consumed by Sores or Worms they i. e. the destroyers or devourers as is implyed in the Verb such Impersonal speeches being usual in the Scripture as Gen. 50. 26. Luke 12. 20. 16. 9. where the actions are expressed but the persons or things acting are understood And by the Destroyers he most probably designs the Worms which do this work in the Grave destroy or cut off or devour this i. e. all this which you see left of me this which I now point to all this which is contained within my skin all my flesh and bones this which I know not what to call whether a living Body or a dead Carkass because it is between both and therefore he did not say this body because it did scarce deserve that name yet r For the Particle and is oft used adversatively Or then as it is oft rendred in my flesh s Heb. out of my flesh or with as the Particle Mem is used Can. 1. 2. 3. 9. Isa 57. 8. my flesh i. e. with eyes of flesh as Iob himself calls them Chap. 10. 4. Or with bodily eyes my flesh or body being raised from the Grave and restored and reunited to my soul. And this is very sitly added to shew that he did not speak of a mental or spiritual but of a corporeal Vision and that after his death shall I see God t The same whom he called his Redeemer v. 25. i. e. Christ of which see the note there who being God-man and having taken flesh and appearing in his flesh or body with and for Iob upon the earth as was said v. 25. might very well be seen with his bodily eyes Nor is this understood of a simple seeing of him for so even they that pierced him shall see him Revel 1. 7. but of seeing him with delight and comfort as that word is oft understood as Gen. 48. 11. Iob 42. 16. Psalm 128. 5. Isa. 53. 11. of that glorious and beautiâ—…ying Vision of God which is promised to all God's people Psalm 16. 11. 17. 15. Matth. 5. 8. 1 Cor. 13. 12. 1 Iohn 3. 2. 27. Whom I shall see u In manner before and after expressed No wonder that he repeats it again and again because the meditation of it was most sweet to him for my self x i. e. For my own comfort and benefit as that Phrase is oft used Or which is much of the same importance on my behalf to plead my Cause and vindicate me from all your reproaches and mine eyes shall behold and not †〈…〉 another y To wit for me or in my stead I shall not see God by anothers eyes but by my own and by these self-same eyes in this same body which now I have Heb. not a stranger i. e. This priviledge shall be granted to me and to all other sincere Servants of God but not to strangers i. e. to wicked men who are oft called strangers as Psal. 18. 44 45. 54. 3. Prov. 21. 8. because they are estranged or alienated from God and from his service and people And if I were such an one as you suppose me to be I could never hope to enjoy that happiness though my reins be consumed †Heb. in my 〈◊〉 within me z This I do confidently expect and hope for though at present my Case seems desperate my very inward parts being even consumed with grief and though as I have said the Grave and the Worms will consume my whole Body not excepting the Reins which seem to be fasest and furthest out of their reach Or without though which is not in the Hebrew My reins are consumed within me So this may be a sudden and passionate ejaculation or exclamation such as we find Gen. 48. 18. and oft in the Book of Psalms arising from the contemplation and confident expectation of this his unspeakable happiness wherein he expresseth
his vehement desire and longing for that blessed time and state The reins are oft put for earnest desires or affections whereof they are supposed to be the seat as Iob. 38. 36. Prov. 23. 16. And men are oft in Scripture said to be consumed or eaten up or the like by ardent affections as Psalm 69. 19. 84. 2. and 119. 81 82. Iohn 2. 17. 28. But a Or Therefore because this is my case and my â—…aith and hope in God ye should say b So the Future is used Potentially as it is Obad. v. 12. and the sense is It would become you or it is your duty upon this account to say Or you will say i. e. Either 1. I hope you will say so and that you will be more moderate in your censures and expressions concerning me as being convinced and sweetned by this sincere and solemn profession of my Faith and Hope Or 2. Peradventure you will say to wit by way of excuse for your selves why persecute we him c So it is a correction of themselves seeing things are thus with him we are blame-worthy that we have persecuted him with such bitter Invectives and we will do so no more Or wherein or how for so that Particle is sometimes used as the Learned observe do we persecute him as â—…e chargeth us v. 22. He accuseth us falsly and without cause given on our parts So it is an Apology for their hard speeches against him which Iâ—… puts into their mouths as their exception to his charâ—…e which he mentioned v. 22. and upon that occasion falls into a most serious and pathetical exclamation v. 23 24. and into a most solemn declaration of his Faith in God his Redeemer v. 25 26 27. and after that digression he resumes the former matter and â—…ere propounds an Objection to which he gives a severe Answer which may seem to suit much better with this than with the former Exposition ‖ 〈…〉 seeing the root of the matter is found in me d These words contain either 1. a Motive or Reason why they should correct themselves for persecuting him and desâ—…st from it because saith Iob the root of the matter or word is in me The root notes the occasion or the foundation or the truth and substance of a thing And by this matter or word may be meant either 1. that famous profession of his Faith and Confidence in God v. 25 26 27. which saith he I have not uttered vaingloriously or hypocritically but from my very heart wherewith I believe what I have spoken with my mouth as is said upon another occasion Rom. 10 9 10. This Word or Faith is rooted in mine heart as it should be Matth. 13. 21. Col. 2. 7. I am no Hypocrite as you asperse me but an upright person having a root of true Religion in me which therefore should allay your Censures and make you willing to bear with some circumstantial defects or mistakes in my discourses or miscarriages into which my passion and pain might transport me and make you repent of your cruel usage of a truly good man But although Iob had this root in his heart yet this was doubâ—…ed of and not discernable by Iob's Friends and therefore could be no argument to them Possibly it might be better to understand by this root of the word to wit of God's word which is oft called the word by way of eminency the foundations or fundamental Truths of Divine Doctrine which Iob held as appeared by this glorious Confession howsoever he might err in the matter of Controversie with them which being a difference in lesser things they should mildly have born with it and not aggravated it and traduced him as if thereby he had renounced God and the very Principles of Religion as they did Or 2. the word or thing under debate among them So the sense may be this The root or truth of the thing deâ—…ated by us is with me i. e. is on my side Your discourses and arguments have no truth nor solidity in them as mine have You speak whatever cometh into your minds and mouths but my discourses are rooted or grounded upon sound knowledge and deep consideration But this was no convincing answer for they could easily retort the same thing upon him again and their affirmation might seem as good as his for it was only a begging of the thing in question Or rather 2. a desâ—…nce of themselves and of their former sharp and severe discourses which Iob called Persecution v. 22. And having made a short but vehement and important digression v. 23 c. he returns to the main question between them here And the sense of this Verse with submission to better judgments seems to me to be plainly this But ye will say i. e. I know will object against my Charge How or wherein or why do we persecute him Why doth he charge us with so black a Crime seeing or for as Vâ—… is oft used the root i. e. the Foundation or Cause or occasion of the word i. e. of those words or passages of ours which are so ill taken or of the matter i. e. of the thing now debated among us is in me i. e. Iob gives the occasion to it by his boisterous passions and wicked expressions against God which we neither can nor ought to endure but are to be sharply reproved And so this Verse contains their Objection or Apology which Iob puts into their mouths to which he makes a sharp and suitable reply in the following Verse 29. Be ye afraid of the sword e i. e. Of some considerable judgment to be inflicted on you which is called the sword as Deut. 32. 41. and oft elsewhere Do not please your selves with such pretences and crafty evasions as if the blame were wholly in me not in you God will not be mocked by you He sees and will punish your most unrighteous and uncharitable judgment of me and dealing with me for wrath bringeth the punishment of the sword f For that wrath or fury which is in your hearts and breaks out of your lips against me doth deserve and will certainly bring upon you 〈◊〉 punishment Heb. punishments or iniquities but iniquity is oft put for punishment of the sword i. e. a dreadful judgment from God Or without any supplement except that which is generally understood for wrath that sin of wrath or rage against a man especially against one in affliction is an iniquity Heb. iniquities the Plural number being used by way of aggravation as Psalm 73. 22. and elsewhere Or of the iniquities the Hebrew prefix Meâ—… being here understood as it is in many other places of the sword i. e. one of those iniquities which use to be or are fit to be punished by the sword i. e. by some eminent judgment as Iob 31. 19. An iniquity of the judges is an iniquity to be punished by the judges as our Translation hath it that ye may know
translated either 1. Breasts But that seems very improper here because mens Breasts do not use to be filled with Milk Or 2. Milk-Pails But their fulness is common and no sign of eminent plenty which is here designed Besides the following Branch which in Iob and elsewhere frequently explains the former implies that it signifies some part of mans Body as all the ancient Interpreters render it either the sides as some of them have it or the bowels as others But for the following Milk they read Fat the Hebrew Letters being exactly the same in both words and the Hebrews by the name of Milk do oft understand Fat are full of Milk and his Bones are moistened with Marrow t Which is opposed to the dryness of the bones Job 30. 30. Psal. 102. 3. which is caused by Old-age or grievous Distempers or Calamities 25. And another u Either 1. Another wicked man Or 2. Any other man promiscuously considered either good or bad So hereby he shews how indifferently and alike God deals the concerns of this Life to one and another to good and bad So he shews that there is a great variety in Gods Dispensations that he distributes great Prosperity to one and great afflictions to another no worse than he according to his wise but secret Counsel dieth in the bitterness of his Soul x i. e. With Heart-breaking Pains and Sorrows and never eateth with Pleasure y i. e. Hath no pleasure in his Life no not so much as at Meal-time when Men usually are most free and pleasant 26. They shall lie down alike in the dust z All these worldly differences are ended by Death and they lie in the Grave without any distinction till the time of General Resurrection and Judgment comes So that no man can tell who is good and who is bad by any Events which befall them in this Life and the Worms shall cover them 27. Behold I know your thoughts a I perceive what you think and will object and say for your own defence and the Devices b Or evil Thoughts for so this word is oft used as Prov. 12. 2. 14. 17. 24. 8. Isa. 32. 7. which ye wrongfully imagine c Or wrest or violently force For they strained both Iobs words and their own thoughts which were byassed by their prejudice and Passion against Iob. against me d For I know very well that your discourses though they be of wicked men in the general yet are particularly levelled at me 28. For ye say e To wit in your minds where is the House of the Prince f i. e. It is no where it is lost and gone This is spoken either 1. Of Iob or his eldest Son whose house God had lately overthrown Or rather 2. In general of wicked Princes or Potentates as the following answer sheweth So the meaning of the question is That it was apparent from common observation that eminent Judgments even in this Life were sooner or later the portion of all ungodly Men. and where are †Heb. 〈◊〉 of the Tabernacles of the wicked the Dwelling-places of the wicked g which is added to limit the former Expression and to shew that he spake only of wicked Princes 29. Have ye not asked them that go by the way h These are the words either 1. Of Iob's Friends who thus continue their former Discourse by a second Enquiry Or rather 2. Of Iob himself who answers one question with another You may learn this which is the matter of our debate to wit that good men are oft afflicted and that wicked men do commonly live and die in great prosperity and are not punished in this World even from them that go by the way i. e. either from Travellers who having seen and observed many Persons and places and events are more capable Judges of this matter or from any person that passeth along the high-way from every one that you meet with It is so vulgar and trivial a thing that no man of common sense is ignorant of it and do ye not know their Tokens i i. e. The Examples or Evidences or Signs of this truth which they that go by the way can produce They will shew here and there in divers places the goodly Houses and Castles and other Monuments of Power and dignity which wicked Potentates have erected and to this day do possess and in which divers of them live and die He alludes here to those Tokens which are set up in high ways for the direction of those who travel in them 30. * Prov. 16. 4. That the wicked k This is the thing which they might learn of Passengers is reserved l Or with-held or kept back to wit from falling into common Calamities though in truth he be not so much kept from Evil as kept for evil he is reserved from a less that he may be swallowed up in a greater misery as Pharaoh was kept from the other Plagues that he might be drowned in the Sea to the day of Destruction they m He speaketh of the same person only the singular number is changed into the plural possibly to intimate that although for the present only some wicked men were punished yet then all of them should suffer shall be brought forth n To wit by the conduct of Gods Providence and Justice as malefactors are brought forth from Prison to Judgment and Execution though they be brought to it slowly and by degrees and with some kind of Pomp and State as this word signifies to †Heb. the day of Wrath. the day of Wrath o Heb. To the day of Wrath i. e. of special and extraordinary Wrath either to some terrible and desolating Judgments which God sometimes sends upon wicked Princes or People Or to the day of the last and general Judgment which is called in Scripture the day of Wrath For the day of the general Resurrection and Judgment was not unknown to Iob and his Friends as appears from Ch. 19. 25 c. and other passages of this Book 31. Who shall declare his way to his face q i. e. Plainly and whilest he lives as the same Phrase is used Deut. 7. 10. and who shall repay him what he hath done r No man can bring him to an account or punishment p i. e. His wicked course and actions and whither they lead him His power and splendour is so great that scarce any man dare reprove him for his sin or shew him his danger 32. Yet s Heb. And. The pomp of his death shall be suitable to the glory of his Life shall he be brought t With Pomp and State as the word signifies to the †Heb. Graves Grave u Heb. to the Graves i. e. to an honourable and eminent Grave The plural number being oft used Emphatically to note Eminency as Iob 40. 10. Prov. 1. 20. Lam. 3.
lifting up a Or there shall be lifting up either 1. for them if they repent and humble themselves they shall be preserved or restored And this thou wilest assure them of from thy own experience Or 2. for thee and thine God will deliver thee when others are crushed and destroyed and b Or for this Particle being oft put causally as hath been formerly noted So the following words contain a Reason why he might confidently say that there would be such a lifting up for a person so humbled he c i. e. God unto whom onely salvation belongeth Psalm 3. 8. shall save d Either 1. eternally or 2. temporally to wit from the evils here mentioned * Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. †Heb. him that hath low eyes the humble person e Heb. Him that hath low or cast down eyes Which phrase may here note either 1. humility and lowliness of mind and disposition as pride is oft expressed by high or lofty looks as Psalm 18. 27. 101. 5. 131. 1. Prov. 6. 17. And so this is a tacit admonition and reproof for Iob whom for his confident justification of himself and his contemptuous expressions and censures concerning them they judged to be guilty of intolerable pride of heart Or 2. Lowness of Estate or Condition as Iames 1. 10. So it notes him whose Eyes and Countenance are dejected by reason of his great troubles and miseries as on the contrary prosperity makes persons lift up their Eyes and Faces 30. He f i. e. God as v. 29. whose Prerogative it is to give deliverances shall deliver g To wit upon thy request as the following Clause sheweth God will hear thy prayers even for others which is a great honour and comfort and much more for thy self the Island of the innocent h Not onely thy self when thou shalt become innocent and pure but for thy sake he will deliver the whole Island or Country that word being oft used not onely for such Lands or Countries as were separated from Canaan by the Sea as is commonly observed but also for such as were upon the same Continent with it as appears from Gen. 10 5 c. Psalm 72. 10. 97. 1. Isa. 41. 5. in which thou dwellest Or the guilty or him that is not innocent For the word here rendred Island is sometimes used for not both in Scripture as 1 Sam. 4. 21. Prov. 31. 4. So the sense is God will have so great a respect to thy innocency and purity that for thy sake he will deliver those that belong to thee or live with thee or near thee though in themselves they be sinful Creatures and ripe for destruction See Gen. 18. 32. ‖ Or the innocent shall deliver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it i To wit the Island Or he i. e. the guilty person is delivered by the pureness of thine hands k i. e. By thy prayers proceeding from a pure heart and conscience when thou shalt lift up pure hands to God in prayer as it is expressed 1 Tim. 2 8. Whereby as he asserts the prevalency of the righteous man's prayers with God for mercy both for himself and others and by this Argument he perswadeth Iob to repentance so withal he alledgeth this as an Argument or evidence that Iob did not stretch out pure hands to God in prayer as he pretended because his prayers could not prevail for the preservation of himself or his Children and much less for others at a greater distance CHAP. XXIII 1. THen Job answered and said 2. Even to day a i. e. Even at this time notwithstanding all your promises and pretended consolations I find no ease nor satisfaction in all your discourses And therefore in this and the following Chapters Iob seldom applies his discourse to his Friends but only addresseth his speech to God or bewaileth himself is my complaint bitter b i. e. I do bitterly complain and have just cause to do so But this Clause is and may be otherwise rendred Even still Heb. at this day is my complaint called or accounted by you rebellion or bitterness or the rage of an exasperated mind Do you still pass such harsh censures upon me after all my declarations and solemn protestations of my Innocency Heb. my hand passively i. e. the hand or stroke of God upon me as the same phrase is used Psal. 77. 2. and mine arrow Iob Chap. 34. 6. †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my stroke c is heavier than my groaning d i. e. Doth exceed all my Complaints and expressions So far are you mistaken that think I complain more than I have cause Some render the words thus My hands are heavy i. e. feeble and hanging down as the Phrase is Heb. 12. 12. My strength and spirit faileth because of my groaning 3. * Ch. 13. 3. O that I knew where I might find him e To wit God as his Friends well knew and the thing it self sheweth Thou bidst me acquaint my self with him Chapter 22. 21. I desire nothing more than his acquaintance and presence but alas he hides his Face from me that I cannot see him nor come near him that I might come even to his seat f i. e. To his Throne or Judgment-seat to plead my Cause before him as it here follows Verse 4. not upon terms of strict justice but upon those terms of grace and mercy upon which God is pleased to deal with his sinful Creatures See before Chapter 9. 34 35. 16. 21. 17. 3. And this my confidence may be some evidence that I am not such a gross Hypocrite as you imagine me to be 4. I would * Ch. 13 3 1 order my cause g i. e. Orderly declare the things which concern and prove the right of my Cause before him h not only debating the Controversie between my Friends and me concerning my sincerity or hypocrisie before God as a Witness or Judge but also pleading with God as a Party and modestly enquiring whether he doth not deal more rigorously with me than I might reasonably expect wherein I desire no other Judge but himself and fill my mouth with arguments i To prove my Innocency and sincerity towards God and consequently that I am severely used 5. I would know the words which he would answer me and understand what he would say unto me k I long to know what he would say either to prove me an hypocrite or to justifie his harsh proceedings against me and if he should discover to me any secret and unknown sins for which he contendeth with me I should humble my self before him and accept of the punishment of mine Iniquity 6. Will he plead against me with his great power l i. e. Oppress me with his soveraign and absolute Power as men do those whom they cannot fairly and justly conquer No but he would put strength in me m The word Strength or Power
which they intended to rob and the part of the house where they resolved to enter into it in the day-time * John 3. 20. they know not the light i i. e. Do not love nor like it as Verse 13. but abhor it as it follows 17. For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death k i. e. Terrible and hateful because it both discovers them and hinders their practises if one know them they are in the terrours of the shadow of death l If they are brought to light or discovered they are overwhelmed with deadly horrours and terrours Or as the words are and may very agreeably to the Hebrew be rendred thus But as the Hebrew Particle commonly signifies they know Heb. he knoweth every one of them knoweth i e. approveth and loveth the â—…errours of the shadow of death i. e. the grossest darkness of the Night which to other men is as terrible as the shadow of death but to these men is most acceptable So this Clause is fitly opposed to the former he hates the light and he likes darkness 18. He is swift †Heb. upon the face of the waters as the waters m In these words he describes either 1. the wicked man's disposition and deportment that such persons are light and frothy in their spirits or swift or hasty to do evil or unstable in their ways as the waters or upon the face of the waters i. e. like the foam or froath or any other light thing which swims upon the top of the waters Or rather 2. his miserable condition of which he manifestly speaks in the next words and in the two next Verses For though Iob constantly affirms and maintains it against his Friends that many ungodly men do prosper and escape punishment in this life yet withal he observes and asserts that God will certainly sooner or later punish them and that he sometimes doth it here cutting them off by cruel and untimely Deaths or otherwise inflicting some notable judgment upon them of which he also speaks Chap. 21. 17 c. So the sense is He is swift i. e. he quickly passeth away with all his glory as the waters which never stay in one place but are always hasting and running away or like a Ship or any other thing which swimmeth upon the face of the waters Though he seems to stand as firm and unmovable as a Rock and to have taken deep rooting in the earth yet he is suddenly and unexpectedly removed and pulled up by the roots their n Or his for he still speaks of the same person though with a change of the number which is most familiar in this Book and elsewhere in Scripture portion o Or part i. e. his Habitation and Estate which he left behind him is cursed in the earth p Is really accursed by God and is by all men who live near it or observe it pronounced accursed because of the remarkable judgments of God upon it and upon his Posterity or Family to which he left it and from whom it is strangely and suddenly alienated he beholdeth not the way of the vineyard q i. e. He shall never more see or enjoy his Vineyards or other pleasant places and things which seem to be comprehended under this particular 19. Drought and heat †Heb. violâ—…t ly take consume the snow-water so doth the grave those which have sinned r As the Snow though it doth for a time lie upon the ground yet at last is dissolved into water by the heat of the season and that water quickly swallowed up by the earth when it is dry and thirsty So ungodly sinners though they live and prosper for a season yet at last they shall go into the grave which will consume them together with all their hopes and comforts Their jolly life is attended with a sad and oâ—…t-times sudden and violent death not with such a death as the godly die which perfects them and brings them to happiness but with a consuming and never dying death 20. The womb shall forget him s His Mother that bare him in her Womb and much more the rest of his Friends shall seldom or never remember or mention him to wit with honour and comfort but shall rather be afraid and ashamed to own their Relation to one that lived such a vile and wretched life and died such an accursed death This he shall have instead of all that Honour and Renown which he thirsted and laboured for and expected should persume his Name and Memory the worm †Heb. is sweet to him Ch. 21. 33. shall feed sweetly on him t This proud and insolent Tyrant that preyed upon all his Neighbours v. 2. 3 c. shall himself become a prey and a sweet Morsel to the contemptible Worms he shall be no more remembred u To wit with Honour or so as he desired and hoped but his Name shall rot and scarce ever be mentioned but with Infamy and Execration and wickedness x i. e. The wicked man of whom he is here treating the Abstract being put for the Concrete of which many Instances have been formerly given shall be broken y Broken to pieces or violently broken down as the word signifies He shall be utterly and irrecoverably destroyed And this expression plainly sheweth that the former Clauses are not to be understood of the Sinner's happiness in an easie and comfortable death but of his cursed and miserable end as a tree z Which being once broken either by its own weight or by some violent wind or by the hand of man never groweth again 21. He a Either 1. God who is oft understood who having cut off his person and brought him to his grave continues his judgments upon his Wife or Widow and Family Or rather the Oppressor who is the principal subject of almost all that is said in this Chapter whose great and manifold wickedness Iob described from v. 2 to 18. where he proceeds to relate the judgments of God upon him for his sins which having done v. 13 19 20. he here returns to the declaration of his further wickednesses the cause of these judgments evil entreateth b Or feedeth upon or devoureth or breaketh in pieces for all these the word signifieth and all come to one and the same thing the barren that beareth not c Barrenness was esteemed a Curse and Reproach and so he added affliction to the afflicted whom he should have pitied and helped But because such had no Children and the Widows no Husbands to defend or avenge their Cause he exercised cruelty upon them and doth not good d Either 1. he did her much wrong and harm it being usual in Scripture under such Negative expressions to contain the Affirmation of the contrary as Exod. 20. 7. Prov. 17. 21. 28. 21. And so this Branch answers to the former of evil-entreating Or
is in his Presence and under his Providence So far am I from imagining that God cannot see through a dark Cloud as you traduced me Chap. 22 13. that I very well know that even Hell it self that place of utter darkness is not hid from his sight k i. e. The place of destruction as it is also used Prov. 15. 11. by a Metonymy of the Adjunct l To wit such as to keep it out of his sight 7. * Chap. 9. 8. Psal. 104. 2 c. He stretcheth out the North m i. e. The Northern Pole or part of the Heavens which he particularly mentions and puts for the whole visible Heaven because Iob and his Friends lived in a Nothern Climate and were acquainted only with that part of the Heavens the Southern Pole and parts near it being wholly unknown to them The Heavens are oft and fitly said to be spread or stretched out like a Curtain or Tent to which they are resembled over the empty place n To wit the Air so called not Philosophically as if it were wholly empty but popularly because it seems to be so and is generally void of solid and visible bodies and hangeth the earth upon nothing o Upon its own Center which is but an imaginary thing and in truth nothing Or upon no Props or Pillars but his own Power and Providence Which is justly celebrated as a wonderful Work of God both in Scripture and in Heathen Authors 8. He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds and the cloud is not rent under them p This also is a miraculous Work of God considering the nature of these Waters which are fluid and heavy and pressing downward especially being oft-times there in great abundance and withal the quality of the Clouds which are thin and loose bodies of the same nature with Fogs and Mists upon the Face of the Earth and therefore of themselves utterly unable to bear that weight and to keep up those Waters from falling suddenly and violently upon the Earth 9. He holdeth back q i. e. To wit from our view that its lustre and glory should not reach us and so dazle our sight he covereth it with a Cloud as the next words explain it Or He holdeth fast or binds together or strengthens it that it may be able to bear that burden the face of his throne r Either 1. this lower Air which is as the Face or open part of the Heavens which is often called God's Throne as salm 11. 4. Isa. 66. 1. Amos 9. 6. Or 2. the appearance or manifestation of the Heaven of Heavens where he dwelleth whose light and glory is too great for mortal eyes which therefore by Clouds and other ways he hides from us and spreadeth his cloud upon it 10. * Ps. 33 7. 104 9. He hath compassed the waters s To wit of the Sea for of the upper Waters coming out of the Clouds he spake before with bounds t Which are partly the Rocks and Shores and principally God's appointment made at the first Creation and renewed after the Deluge Gen. 9. 11. 15. that the Waters should not overwhelm the Earth See Iob 38. 8 10 11. Psalm 104. 3. Ier. 5. 22. †Heb. until the end of light with darkness until the day and night come to an end u i. e. Unto the end of the World for so long these Vicissitudes of Day and Night are to continue Gen. 8. 22. 9. 9 c. Ier. 5. 22. 31. 35 36. 11. The pillars of heaven x Either 1. those Mountains which by their height and strength may seem to reach and support the Heavens as the Poets said of Atlas for this is a Poetical Book and there are many Poetical expressions in it These tremble sometimes by force of Earthquakes or by God's glorious appearance in them as Sinai did Or 2. Holy Angels but they are not subject either to trembling or to God's rebuke Or 3. the Heavenly Bodies as the Sun and Moon and Stars which as they may seem in some sort to support so they do certainly adorn the Heavens And we know Pillars are oft made not for support but only for Ornament as the two famous Pillars of the Temple Iachin and Boaz 1 Kings 7. 21. And these oft-times seem to tremble and be astonished as in Eclipses or Tempests and terrible Works of God in the Air by which they are frequently said to be affected and changed because they seem so to us and many things are spoken in Scripture according to appearance See Isa. 13. 10. 24. 23. Ioel 2. 10 31. Mat. 24. 29. c. Either 1. when God rebuketh them for God is sometimes said in Scripture to rebuke the lifeless Creatures which is to be understood figuratively of the Tokens of God's anger in them Or 2. when God reproveth not them but men by them manifesting his displeasure against sinful men by Thunders or Earthquakes or prodigious Works tremble and are astonished at his reproof y. 12. * Isa. 51. 15. He ‖ Or stilleth Chap. 38. 11. divideth the sea z He speaks either 1. of God's dividing the Red-sea for the Israelites to pass over And consequently the Hebrew word Rahab which here follows and is translated pride or the proud is meant of Egypt which is oft called Rahab as Psalm 87. 4. 89. 10. Isa. 51. 9. But it seems most probable that that Work was not yet done and that Iob lived long before Israels coming out of Egypt Or rather 2. of the common Work of Nature and Providence in raising Tempests by which he breaketh or divideth the Waves of the Sea by making deep Furrows in it and casting up part of the Waters into the Air and splitting part of them upon the Rocks and Shores of the Sea with his power and by his understanding a i. e. By his wise Counsel and administration of things so as may obtain his own glorious ends he smiteth thorough †Heb. pride the proud b Either 1. the Whale which is called King over all the children of pride Job 41. 34. and which is sometimes by force of Tempests cast upon the shore Or rather 2. the Sea which is fitlâ—… called proud as its Waves are called Iob 38. 11. because it is lofty and fierce and swelling and unruly which God is said to smite when he subdues and restrains its rage and turns the storm into a calm 13. By his * Psal. 33. â—… spirit c Either 1. by his Divine Vertue or Power which is sometimes called his Spirit as Zach. 4. 6. Mat. 12. 28. Or 2. by his holy Spirit to which the Creation of the World is ascribed Gen. 1. 2. Iob 33. 4. Psalm 33. 6. he hath garnished the heavens d Adorned or beautified them with those glorious Lights the Sun and Moon and Stars his hand hath formed the †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bâ—…r
Isa. 27. 1. crooked serpent e By which he understands either 1. all the kinds of Serpents or Fishes or Monsters of the Sea Or 2. the most eminent of their kinds particularly the Whale which may be here not unfitly mentioned as it is afterwards more largely described amongst the glorious Works of God in this lower World as the garnishing of the Heavens was his noblest Work in the superiour visible parts of the World Or 3. an Heavenly Constellation called the great Dragon and Serpent which being most eminent as taking up a considerable part of the Northern Hemisphere may well be put for all the rest of the Constellations or Stars wherewith the Heavens are garnished Thus he persisteth still in the same kind of God's Works and the latter Branch explains the former And this sense is the more probable because Iob was well acquainted with the Doctrine of Astronomy and knew the nature and names of the Stars and Constellations as appears also from Chapter 9. 9. and 38. 31. 14. Lo these are parts f Or the extremities but small parcels the outside and visible work How glorious then are his invisible and more inward Perfections and Operations of his ways g i. e. Of his Works but how little a portion is heard of him h i. e. Of his Power and Wisdom and Providence and Actions The greatest part of what we see or know of him is the least part of what we do not know and of what is in him or is done by him but the thunder of his power i Either 1. of his mighty and terrible Thunder which is oft mentioned as an eminent work of God as Iob 28. 25. 40. 9. Psalm 29. 3. 77. 18. Or 2. of his mighty Power which is aptly compared to Thunder in regard of its irresistible force and the terrour which it causeth to wicked men This Metaphor being used by others in like cases as among the Grecians who used to say of their vehement and powerful Orators that they did thunder and lighten and in Mark 3. 17. where powerful Preachers are called Sons of Thunder who can understand CHAP. XXVII 1. MOreover Job †Heb. 〈◊〉 to take 〈◊〉 continued a When he had waited a while to hear what his Friends would reply and perceived them to be silent his parable b His grave and weighty but withal dark and difficult discourse such as are oft called Parables as Numb 23. 7. 24. 3 15. Psal. 49. 4. 78. 2. Prov. 26. 7. and said 2. As God liveth c He confirms the truth and sincerity of his Expressions by an Oath because he found them very hard to believe all his professions who hath taken away my judgment d Or my right or my cause i. e. who though he knows my Integrity and Piety towards him yet doth not plead my cause against my Friends not will admit me to plead my cause with him before them as I have so oft and earnestly desired nor doth deal with me according to those terms of Grace and Mercy wherewith he treateth other men and Saints but useth me with great rigour and by his soveraign Power punisheth me sorely without discovering to me what singular cause I have given him to do so and the Almighty who hath †Heb. 〈◊〉 my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vexed my soul 3. All the while my breath e Which is the constant Companion and certain sign of Life both coming in with it Gen. 2. 7. and going out with it 1 Kings 17. 17. Psal. 146. 4. Or my Soul or Life is in me and ‖ That is 〈◊〉 breath 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of God f That Spirit or Soul which God breathed into me Gen. 2. 7. and preserveth in me Or rather the breath of God i. e. which God breathed into me which eminently appears in a mans nostrils is in my nostrils 4. My lips shall not speak wickedness nor my tongue utter deceit g I will speak nothing but the truth with all plainness and impartiality neither defending my self and cause by vain and false Professions of those Virtues or Graces which I know I have not nor yet in compliance with your desire and design falsly accusing my self of those crimes wherewith you charge me whereof I know my self to be innocent 5. God forbid that I should justifie you h i. e. Your opinion and censure concerning me as one convicted to be impious or hypocritical by Gods unusual and severe dealing with me till I die * 〈◊〉 â—… â—… I will not remove i To wit declaratively as real words are frequentlâ—… understood or by renouncing or denying my Integrity of which God and my own Conscience bear me witness I will not to gratifie you say that I am an hypocrite which I know to be false my integrity from me 6. My righteousness I hold fast k Heb. I have held fast i. e. I have not only begun well but continued in well doing which is a plain Evidence that I am no hypocrite Or the past tense is put for the future as is usual I will 〈◊〉 fast declaratively as before I will maintain it that howsoever you calumniate me I am a righteous person and will not let it go my heart l i. e. My Conscience as the 〈◊〉 is oft used as 1 Sam 24. 5. 25. 31 Ezek. 14. 5. 1 Iob. 3. 20 21 shall not reproach me m Either 1. with betraying my own cause and innocency and speaking what I know to be false to wit that I am an hypocrite Or 2. for my former impiety or hypocrisie wherewith you charge me †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so long as I live n Heb. From or for or concerning my days i. e. the time of my Life whether past or to come Or the course of my Life days or times being put here as it is elsewhere for actions done in them by a Metonymy 7. Let mine enemy be as the wicked o I am so far from loving and practising wickedness whereof you accuse me that I abhor the thoughts oâ—… it and if I might and would wish to be revenged of mine Enemy I could wish him no greater mischief than to be a wicked man and he that riseth up against me p Either 1. You my Friends who instead of comforting me are risen up to torment me Or rather my worst enemies as the unrighteous 8. * 〈◊〉 16. 26. For what is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained q There is no reason why I should envy or desire the portion of wicked men for though they oft-times prosper in the World as I have said and seem to be great gainers yet death which hasteneth to all men and to me especially will shew that they are far greater losers and die in a most wretched and desperate condition having no hope either of continuing in this life which they chiefly desire or of
enjoying a better Life which they never regarded But I have a firm and well grounded hope not of that temporal restitution which you promised me but of a blessed immortality after death and therefore am none of these hopeless Hypocrites as you account me when God taketh away r Or expâ—…lleth Or plucketh up which notes violence and that he died unwillingly Compare Luk. 12. 20. when good men are said freely and chearfully to give themselves or their Souls unto God his soul 9. * Psal. 18. 41. â—… 109. â—… 〈◊〉 1. 28. â—…â—…8 9. 〈◊〉 1. 15. Ezek. 8. 18. 〈◊〉 3. 4. Joh. 9. 31. 〈◊〉 4. 3. Will God hear his cry s An hypocrite doth not pray to God with comfort or any solid hope that God will hear him as I know he will hear me though not in the way which you think when trouble cometh upon him t When his guilty Conscience will fly in his face so as he dare not pray and accuse him to God so as God will not hear him 10. Will he delight himself in the Almighty u Will he be able to delight and satisfie himself with God alone and with his Love and favour when he hath no other matter of delight This I now do and this an hypocrite cannot do because his heart is chiefly set upon the World and when that fails him his heart sinks and the thoughts of God are unfavoury and troublesom to him will he always call upon God x He may by his afflictions be driven to Prayer but if God doth not speedily answer him he falls into despair and neglect of God and of Prayer whereas I constantly continue in Prayer notwithstanding the grievousness and the long continuance of my Calamities 11. I will teach you ‖ Or being in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. by the hand of God y i. e. By Gods help and inspiration as God is said to speak to the Prophet with or by a strong hand Isa. 8. 11. I will not teach you my own vain conceits but what God himself hath taught me Or concerning as the prefix Beth is oft used as Exod. 12. 43 44. Psal. 63. 6. 87. 3. Prov. 4. 11. the hand of God i. e. his Counsel and Providence in governing the World or the manner of his dealing with men and especially with wicked men of whose portion he discourseth v. 13 14. c. shewing how far the hand of God is either for them or upon them and against them that which is with the Almighty z i. e. What is in his Breast or Counsel and how he executes his secret purposes concerning them or the truth of God the Doctrine which he hath taught his Church about these matters will I not conceal 12. Behold all ye your selves have seen it a I speak no false or strange things but what is known and confirmed by your own as well as others experiences why then are ye thus altogether vain b In maintaining such a foolish and false opinion against your own knowledge and experience Why do you obstinately defend your opinion and not comply with mine for the truth of which I appeal to your own Consciences 13. This c That which is mentioned in the following Verses In which Iob delivers either 1. the opinion of his Friends in whose person he utters them and afterwards declares his dissent from them Or rather 2. his own opinion and how far he agreeth with them for his sense differs but little from what Zophar said Ch. 20. 29. is the portion of a wicked man with God d Either laid up with God or in his Counsel and appointment or which he shall have from God as the next words explain it and the heritage of Oppressors e Who are mighty and fierce and terrible and mischievous to mankind as this word implies whom therefore men cannot destroy but God will which they shall receive of the Almighty 14. * Deut. 28. 41. Hos. 9. 13. If his children be multiplied it is for the sword f That they may be cut off by the Sword either of War or of Justice and his off-spring shall not be satisfied with bread g Shall be starved or want necessaries A Figure called Meiosis 15. Those that remain of him h Who survive and escape that Sword and Famine shall be buried in death i Either 1. Shall die and so be buried Or 2. Shall be buried as soon as ever they are dead either because their Relations or dependents feared lest they should come to themselves again and trouble them and others longer or because they were not able to bestow any funeral Pomp upon them or thought them unworthy of it Or 3. Shall be in â—… manner utterly extinct in or by death all their hope and glory and name and memory which they designed to perpetuate to all ages shall be buried with them and they shall never rise again to a blessed Life whereas a good man hath hope in his death and leaves his good-name alive and flourishing in the World and rests in his Grave in assurance of Redemption from it and of a glorious Resarrection to an happy and eternal Life and * Psal. 78. 64. his Widows k For they had many Wives either to gratifie their Lust or to encrease and strengthen their Family and Interest shall not weep l Either because they durst not lament their death which was entertained with publick joy or because they were overwhelmed and astonished with the greatness and strangeness of the Calamity and therefore could not weep or because they also as well as other persons groaned under their Tyranny and cruelty and rejoiced in their deliverance from it 16. Though he heap up silver as the dust and prepare raiment as the clay m i. e. In great abundance 17. He may prepare it but the just shall put it on n Either because it shall be given to him by the Judge to recompence those Injuries which he received from that Tyrant Or because the right of it is otherwise transferred upon him by divine Providence and the innocent shall divide o Either 1. To the poor he shall distribute that which the oppressors hoarded up and kept as wickedly as he got it So this suits with Prov. 28. 8. Eccles. 2. 26. Or 2. With others or to himself He shall have a share of it when by the Judges sentence those ill-gotten goods shall be restored to the right owners the silver 18. * Chap. 8. 15 He buildeth his house as a moth p Which settleth itself in a Garment but is quickly and unexpectedly brushed off and dispossessed of its dwelling and crushed to death and as a booth that the keeper maketh q Which the Keeper of a Garden or Vineyard suddenly rears up in Fruit-time and as quickly and easily pulls it down again See Isa. 1. 8. Lam. 2. 6. 19. The rich man shall
Those Metals which did lie hid in the secret parts of the Earth he discovers to himself and others 12. But where shall Wisdom l Heb. that Wisdom for here is an article which seems to be emphatical The sense is I confess that man hath one kind of Wisdom in a great Measure to wit to discover the works of Nature and to perform the operations of art but as for that sublime and eminent Wisdom which consists in the exact knowledge of all Gods Counsels and Ways and of the several manners and reasons of his governing the world and dealing with good and bad men this is far above mâ—…ns reach and is the Prerogative of God alone be found and where is the place of Understanding m There is no vein for that upon Earth as there is for Gold or Silver 13. Man knoweth not the price thereof n Man knoweth neither where to purchase it nor how much it is worth nor what to offer in exchange for it neither is it found in the Land of the Living o Amongst mortal men that live upon Earth but only amongst those blessed Spirits that dwell above 14. * 〈◊〉 2â—… 〈◊〉 11. 33 3â—… The depth p To wit of the Earth because the Sea here follows as a differing place This is a very common figure whereby Speech is ascribed to dumb and senseless Creatures The meaning is this is not to be found in any part of the Land or Sea yea though a man should dig or dive never so deep to find it nor to be learned from any Creatures For though these discover the Being and Power and in part the Wisdom of God yet they do not instruct us in the methods and grounds of Gods providential dispensations to good and evil men these are secrets of Wisdom reserved for God himself saith It is not in me and the Sea saith It is not with me 15. †Heb. 〈◊〉 gold 〈◊〉 not be giâ—… 〈◊〉 it It * â—…rov 3. 13 1â—… 8. 11 19. 16. 16. cannot be gotten for Gold q The choicest Gold laid up in Treasures as the word signifies neither shall Silver be weighed r To wit in the ballance for in those times Money was paid by weight noâ—… by tale See Gen. 23. 16. Ier. 32. 9 10. for the price thereof 16. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir s Which was the best sort of gold See on 1 King 9. 28. Iob 22. 24. with the pretious Onyx t Or Sardonyx See on Exod. 28. 20. or the Saphire 17. The gold and the crystal u Or Amber which in those parts was of very great price Or the Diamond The Hebrew word is not elsewhere used and it hath in it the signification of purity or clearness or brightness cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for ‖ Or vessels of 〈◊〉 gold jewels x Or vessels wherein there is not only the excellency of the materials but the curiosity of art which renders the other much more valuable of fine gold 18. No mention shall be made y They are of no value nor worthy to be named the same day with this nor fit to be mentioned as a price or recompence wherewith to purchase this of ‖ Or 〈◊〉 coral or of pearls for the price z Or the attraction or acquisition or rather the Extraction or drawing forth For Iob useth the word of art which was proper in the taking of Pearls as the following word rendred by our Translators Rubies is understood by divers both Hebrew and Christian Interpreters and amongst others by the late eminently learned Bochart who proveth it by divers Arguments Now these Pearls are and were taken by men that dived to the bottom of the Sea and drew them out thence which is the very word which both Arabick and Latine Authors use in the case as indeed the same word is used of all Fisher-men who are said to draw forth with their Hook or Net or otherwise Fishes or any other thing for which they are fishing Moreover this diving as it produced great profit so it was not without some danger and difficulty for if they heedlesly put their fingers into the gaping shell within which the Pearl was it speedily closed upon them and put them to exquisite pain to the loss of their finger and sometimes of their Life Which is a fit representation of the state of those persons who search after the knowledge of Gods Counsels and ways and the grounds of them who as when they modestly enquire into them and truly discover them they have infinite advantage and satisfaction therein so if they prie into them too boldly searching into those things which God hath concealed and rashly judging of them above what they know which Iob judged to be his Friends case they expose themselves to manifold snares and dangers And this extraction or drawing forth is aptly used concerning this Wisdom which lying very deep and remote from the reach of ordinary men is not be obtained without diligent search and consideration And so the place may be thus translated the extraction or drawing forth of Wisdom is above that to wit the extraction of Pearls of Wisdom is above rubies 19. The topaz a Of which see Exod. 28. 17. 39. 10. of Ethiopia b Or of Arabia for Cush signifies both Ethiopia and Arabia and the Topaz was found in the Red-Sea which lay between both and so might be ascribed to either shall not equal it neither shall it be valued with pure gold 20. * Ver. 1â—… Whence then cometh wisdom and where is the place of understanding c Where this pretious Treasure lies and whence a man may fetch it 21. Seeing it is hid from the Eyes of all living d Of all men that live upon the Earth and kept close from the fowls of ‖ Or heaven the air e Though they flie high and can see far and well yet they cannot discern this Men of the most raised understandings cannot discover it It is to be found no where in this visible World neither in the upper nor lower parts of it 22. * Ver. 1â—… Destruction and death f Either 1. Men that are dead and thereby freed from the encumbrance of their bodies which depress their minds and have more raised thoughts than men that live here Or 2. The Grave the place of the dead to which these things are here ascribed as they are to the depths and to the Sea v. 14. by a Figure called Prosopopaeia If a man should search for this Wisdom either amongst living men or amongst the dead he could not find it yea though he should and might enquire of all men that formerly lived in the World some of whom were persons of prodigious Wit and Learning and of vast Experience as having lived nigh a Thousand Years and made it their great business in
a long time in searching and judging to find them out And this and the other Acts mentioned in this Verse are to be understood of God solely and exclusively it being here as it is oft elsewhere in this Book sufficiently implied that this kind of divine Wisdom which consists in the accurate knowledge of all Gods Counsels and works is far above out of man's reach Man doth not see this Wisdom but only so far as God is pleased to reveal it to him and therefore he cannot declare it to others man did not prepare nor order nor contriâ—… it and therefore no wonder if he cannot search it out And so this is most fitly connected with the following Verse For as here he tells us what Wisdom is denied to man so there he informeth us what is granted to him 28. And a Or rather But For this is added by way of opposition to shew that mans Wisdom doth not lie in a curious enquiry into or an exact knowledge of the secret paths of Gods Counsel and Providence but in things of another and of a lower nature unto man b Unto Adam at first and in and with him to all his Race and Posterâ—…ty he said c i. e. God spake it partly and at first inwardly to the mind of Man in which God wrote this with his own Finger and engraved it as a first Principle for his direction and partly afterwards by the Holy Patriarchs and Prophets and other Teachers of his Church whom God sent into the World to teach men true Wisdom which accordingly they did not by acquainting the People with the secrets and intricacies of Gods Counsel and Providence but by declaring the revealed Will of God and instructing them in their duty towards God and Men making this their great if not only business to make men wise unto Salvation See Deut. 4. 6. 29. 29. behold d Which expression notes the great importance of this Doctrine and withal man's dulness and backwardness to apprehend and consider it and man's proneness to place his Wisdom in vain and curious speculations * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… 〈◊〉 Eccâ—… 1â—… 〈◊〉 the fear of the LORD e i. e. True Religion and the right Worship of God both inward and outward all which cometh under this name that is wisdom f In that only consists mans true Wisdom because that and that only is his duty and his safety and happiness both for this Life and for the next and withal this is attainable whereas the depths of Gods ways are unknown and unsearchable to humane or created Capacities and to depart from evil g i. e. From 〈◊〉 which is called evil eminently as being the chief if not the only Evil and the cause of all other evils and that which is constantly and immutably evil whereas afflictions are frequently made good and highly beneficial Religion consists of two Branches doing good and forsaking evil the former is expressed in the former clause of this Verse and the latter in these words is understanding h Is the best kind of Knowledge or Wisdom to which man can attain in this Life The same thing is here twice expressed in several Phrases And the design of Iob in this close of his Discourse is not only to shew the mistake and reprove the Arrogance and boldness of his Friends in prying into Gods secrets and passing such a rash censure upon him and upon Gods ways and carriage towards him but also to vâ—…ndicate himself from the imputation of Hypocrifie and Profaneness which they fastened upon him by shewing that he had ever esteemed it to be his best Wisdom and true Interest to fear God and to depart from evil CHAP. XXIX 1. MOreover Job †Heb. 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 up continued his Parable and said 2. Oh that I were as in months past as in the days when God preserved me a To wit from all those miseries which now I feel This he desires not only for his own Ease and comfort but also for the vindication of his Reputation and of the honour of Religion which suffered by his means For as his calamities were the only ground of all their hard Speeches and censures of him as a man for saken and hated by God so he rightly judged that this ground being removed and his prosperity restored his Friends would take it for a token of Gods favour to him and beget in them a milder and better opinion of him 3. When his ‖ Or 〈◊〉 Candle b i. e. His Favour and Blessing oft signified by the name light as his displeasure and a state of affliction is frequently called darkness shined upon my head c Or over my bead to comfort and direct me The ground of the Expression is this that lights used to be carried and set on high that men may make the better use of them as the Sun for that end was placed above us and when by his light I walked through darkness d I passed safely through many difficulties and dangers and common calamities which befell others who lived round about me and overcame those troubles which fell upon my self 4. As I was in the days of my youth e i. e. In my former and flourishing days which he calls the days of Youth because those are commonly the times of mirth and comfort as Old-age is called evil days Eccles. 12. 1. when the secret of God was upon my Tabernacle f When there was a secret Blessing of God upon me and my Family protecting directing and succeeding us in all our affairs which the Devil observed Ch. 1. 10. whereas now there is a visible curse of God upon me and mine 5. When the Almighty was yet with me g i. e. On my side whereas now he is against me and hath forsaken me when my Children h Or servants or both and therefore he useth this word which comprehends both were about me 6. When I washed my steps with ‖ butter i i. e. When I abounded in all sorts of Blessings which is oft signified by this or the like Phrases as Gen. 49. 11. Deut. 33. 24. Iob 20. 17. Psal. 81. 16. When I had such numerous Herds of Cattle and consequently such plenty of Butter that if I had needed it or been pleased so to use it I might have washed my Feet with it and the 〈◊〉 Rock poured †me out Rivers of Oil k When not only fruitful fields but even barren and rocky places such as that part of Arabia was where Iob lived yielded me Olive Trees and Oil in great plenty See on Deut. 32. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. When I went out l From my dwelling to the gate m To wit of the City as the following words shew to the place of Judicature which was in the Gates as hath been oft observed through the City n Through that part of the City which was between
thâ—… were ‖ Or dark as thâ—… night solitary fleeing into the wilderness †Heb. yesternight in former time desolate and wast 4. Who cut up mallows i Or Purslain or Salt or bitter herbs as the word seems to import which shews their extream necessity by the bushes k Or by the shrubs nigh unto which they grew Or with the barks of trees as the Vulgar Latine renders it and juniper l Possibly the word may signifie some other Plant for the Hebrews themselves are at a loss for the signification of the Names of Plants roots for their meat 5. They were driven forth from among men m As unworthy of humane society and for their beggery and dishonesty suspected and avoided of all men they cried after them as after a thief n Giving one another warning of their danger from them 6. To dwell in the clifts of the valleys in †Heb. 〈◊〉 caves of the earth and in the rocks 7. Among the bushes they brayed o Like the wild Asses Iob 6. 5. for hunger or thirst under the nettles p Which seem not proper â—…or that use This Hebrew word is used but twice in Scripture and it is acknowledged both by Iewish and Christian Writers that the signification of the Hebrew words which express Plants or Beasts or Stones c. is very uncertain and therefore this is by others and may well be understood of some kind of Thorns And so this is the same thing with the bushes in the former Branch of the Verse under which they hid themselves that they might not be discovered when they were sought out for justice they were gathered together 8. They were children of fools q Either 1. the genuine Children of foolish Parents their Children not only by Birth but by Imitation as they onely are esteemed the children of Abraham who do the works of Abraham Iohn 8. 39. Or 2. Fools by a common Hebraism as the sons of men are put for men and the children of wisdom for wise men c. yea children of †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 base men r Heb. men without name i. e. without any degree of Credit or Reputation as men of name is put for renowned persons Gen. 6. 4. they were viler than the earth s Which we tread and spit upon and are not willing to touch 9. * Chap. 17. 6. Psal. 35. 15. 69. 12. I am 3. 14 â—…3 And now am I their song t The matter of their song and derision They now rejoyce in my Calamities because formerly I used my authority to punish such Vagrants and Miscreants yea I am their by-word 10. They abhor me they flee far from me u In contempt of my person and loathing of my sores †Heb. 〈◊〉 witâ—…old 〈◊〉 spittle from 〈◊〉 facâ—… and spare not to spit in my face x Not literally for they kept far from him as he now said but figuratively i. e. they use all manner of contemptuous and reproachful expressions and carriages towards me not only behind my back but even to my face 11. Because he y To wit God for it follows He afflicted me which was God's work hath loosed my cord z Either 1. He hath slackned the string as this word sometimes signifies of my Bow and so rendred my Bow and Arrows useless either to offend others or to defend my self i. e. He hath deprived me of my strength or defence So this is opposed to that expression Chap. 29. 20. Or 2. He hath taken away from me that power and authority wherewith as with a Cord I bound them to the good behaviour and kept them within their bounds The like expression is used in the same sense Iob 12. 18. and afflicted me a When they perceived that God who had been my faithful Friend and constant Defender had forsaken me and was become mine Enemy they presently took this advantage of shewing their malice against me they have also let loose the bridle b They cast off all former restraints of law or humanity or modesty and gave themselves full liberty to speak or act what they pleased against me before me c They durst now do those things before mine eyes which formerly they trembled lest they should come to my ears 12. Upon my right hand d This Circumstance is noted either because this was the place of Adversaries or Accusers in Courts of Justice Psal 109. 6. Zach. 3. 1. Or to shew their boldness and contempt of him that they durst oppose him even on that side where his chief strength lay rise e To wit in way of contempt and opposition or to accuse and reproach me as my Friends now do as one who by my great but secret wickedness have brought these miseries upon my self the youth f Heb. Young striplings who formerly hid themselves from my presence Chap. 29. 8. they push away my feet g Either 1. properly they trip up my heels Or rather 2. Metaphorically they endeavour utterly to overwhelm my goings and to cast me down to the ground and they raise up against me the ways h i. e. Cawseways or Banks So it is a Metaphor from Souldiers who raise or cast up Banks against the City which they besiege Or they raise up a Level or smooth the Path by continual treading it they prepare and contrive and use several methods to destroy me of their destruction i Either 1. passively so the sense is they raise or heap upon me i. e. impute to me the ways i. e. the causes of their ruine They charge me to be the Author of their ruine Or rather 2. actively of that destruction which they design and carry on against me Which best suits with the whole Context wherein Iob is constantly represented as the Patient and wicked men as the Agents 13. They mar my path k As I am in great misery so they endeavour to stop all my ways out of it and to frustrate all my counsels and courses of obtaining relief or comfort And although Iob had no hopes of a temporal deliverance or restitution yet he could not but observe and resent the malice of those who did their utmost to hinder it Or the sense is They prevent all my ways putting perverse and false constructions upon them censuring all my conscientious discharges of my duty to God and men as nothing but craft and hypocrisie they set forward my calamity l Increasing it by their bitter Taunts and Invectives and Censures Or they profit by or are pleased and satisfied with my calamity It doth them good at the heart to see me in misery they have no helper m This is added as an aggravation of their malice they impudently persisted in their malicious designs against me though none encouraged or assisted them therein Or even they who had no helper who were themselves in a forlorn and miserable
and the chief time for its adoration or the moon walking †Heb. bright in brightness n When it shines most clearly or when it is at the full for then especially did the Idolaters worship it 27. And my heart hath been secretly o In my inward thoughts or affections whilest I made open profession of my adherence to God and to the true religion enticed p Or seduced or deceivea by its plausible and glorious appearance which might easily cheat a credulous and inconsiderate person to believe that there was something of a Divinity in them and so induce him to worship it This emphatical expression seems to be used with design to teach the World this necessary and useful truth that no mistake or errour of mind would excuse the practice of Idolatry or q Heb. and which seems more proper here because the secret errour of the Mind without some such visible action and evidence as here follows had not been punishable by the Judges †Heb. 〈◊〉 hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my mouth hath kissed my hand r In token of Worship whereof this was a sign whether given to men as Gen. 41. 40. Psalm 2. 12. or to Idols 1 Kings 19. 18. Hos. 13. 2. And when the Idols were out of the reach of Idolaters that they could not kiss them they used to kiss their hands and as it were to throw kisses at them of which we have many examples in Heathen Writers Of which see my Latine Synopsis on this place 28. This also s No less then the other forementioned sins Adultery Oppression c. were an iniquity to be punished by the judge t i. e. By the civil Magistrate who being advanced and protected by God is obliged to maintain and vindicate his Honour and consequently to punish Idolatry And this did not cease to be his duty although the Magistrates of the world in Iob's time were so far from this that they themselves also were Idolaters Yet considering that both Iob and his Friends who lived in his time and neighbourhood were most probably the Posterity or Kindred of Abraham and his Family and by him or his instructed in the knowledge of the true God and were also men of great Power and Authority in their places it seems most likely that they did restrain and punish Idolatry in their several Jurisdictions or at least in their own large and numerous Families where the Masters anciently had power of Life and Death without controll for I should have denied the God u Not directly for nothing is more evident than this that divers of the wiser Heathens who did worship the Sun and Moon did yet acknowledge and adore the soveraign and supream God over and above all but by consequence and construction because this was to rob God of his Prerogative by giving to the â—…reature that religious honour or worship which is peculiar to God that is above x Who is above the Sun and Moon not only in place his glorious Mansion and Palace being far above all visible Heavens but also in power and dignity or adorable excellency 29. * 〈◊〉 17. If I rejoyced at the destruction of him that hated me y I was so far from malice and revenging my self of mine Enemy which is the common and allowed practise of ungodly men that I did not so much as desâ—…re or delight in his ruine when it was brought upon him by other hands Compare Exod 23. 4. Prov. 24. â—…7 18. Whence we may judge whether the great Duty of loving and forgiving our Enemies be a peculiar Precept of Christianity or whether it be a natural and moral Duty and a part and act of that Charity which now is and ever was the Duty of one man to another in all ages or lift up my self z Heb. stirred up my self to rejoyce and insult over his misery when evil found him 30. * 〈◊〉 5. 4 Roâ—… 12. 14 Neither have I suffered †Heb. my Palate my mouth a Heb. my palate which being one of the Instruments of Speech is put for another or for all the rest The sense is If any secret passion or desire of his hurt did arise in me I forthwith suppressed it and did not suffer it to grow and break forth into an Imprecation of hurt to him to sin by wishing a curse to his soul 31. If the men of my tabernacle b i. e. My Domesticks and familiar Friends who were much conversant with me in my House and were Witnesses of my carriage to others and of their carriages to me and therefore best able to judge in the case said not Oh that we had of his flesh c Either 1. of Iob's flesh which is thought to be an expression either 1. of their servent love to him caused by his great tenderness and kindness to them But his meek and gentle carriage to his Servants he had expressed before in plain terms v. 13. and therefore it is not likely he would repeat it at least in such an obscure and ambiguous phrase as is no where used in this sense and is used in a contrary sense Chap. 19. 22. Or 2 of their hatred and rage against him for the excessive trouble he put upon them in the entertainment of strangers which follows v. 32. But it is very improbable either that so just and merciful a man as Iob would put intolerable burdens upon his Servants or that some extraordinary trouble brought upon them by hospitality would inflame them to such an height of rage as this phrase implies against so excellent and amiable a Master Or 2. of the flesh and other provisions made by Ioâ—… for strangers He feeds them liberally but scarce alloweth us time to satisfie our selves therewith which also is very unlikely Or rather 3. of the flesh of Iob's enemy of whom he last spoke v. 29 30. And so this is an amplification and further confirmation of 〈◊〉 charitable disposition and 〈◊〉 to his Enemy although his cause was so jâ—…st and the 〈◊〉 of his Enemies was so notorious and unreasonable that all who were daily 〈◊〉 with him and were Witnesses of his and their mutual carriages did condâ—… and abhor them for it and were so conâ—… and 〈◊〉 in Iâ—…'s quarrel that â—…hey protâ—… they could 〈◊〉 their very 〈◊〉 and could not be satisfied without it And yet notwithstanding all these Provocaâ—…ions of others he restrained both them and himself from executing vengeance upon them as David afterwards did in a like case 1 Sam. 24. 5 2 Sam. 1â—… â—… 10. we cannot be satisfied d To wit without caâ—…ing his flesh 32. * 〈◊〉 12. 13. 〈◊〉 13. 2. 〈◊〉 4. 9. The stranger e Or 〈◊〉 as it follows did not lodge in the street f But in my house according to the Laws of Hospitality and the usage of those times when there were no publick Inâ—…s provided for the conveniency
say c It is a defective speech and may be thus supplied Thus it was or God thus left you to your own weakness and mistakes and impertinent discourses lest ye should say c. i. e. lest you should ascribe the conquering or silencing of Iob to your own wisdom age and experience Or lest you should â—…astingly 〈◊〉 We have discovered and said all that can or nâ—…d â—…e said in the Cause the sum and substance of the thing that which may fully and finally end the Controversie which is contained in the fâ—…lowing words We have found out wisdom God thrusteth him down not man d These are alledged by Eâ—…ihu in the person of 〈◊〉 three Friends or as their words The sense is The 〈◊〉 judgments which are upon Iob have not been brought upon him by man solely and originally for then there might have been some ground for Iob's complaints there might have been injustice or cruelty in them but immediately by the hand of God of that God who being Omniscient and just and true and mercifull would never have dealt thus hardly with Iob if he were not an Hypocrite and guilty of some very grâ—…ss though secret 〈◊〉 which is the ground-work of our discourses But â—…aith Elâ—… this Argument doth not satisfie me and therefore bear with me if I seek for better 14. Now he hath not †Heb. 〈◊〉 directed his words against me e I am not engaged in this discourse by any provoking words of Iob as you have been which hath drawn forth your passions and byassed your judgments but meerly from zeal for the vindcation of God's honour and love to truth and justice and a â—…cere desire to administer to Iob matter both of conviction and of comfort neither will I answer him with your words f i. e. with such words or arguments as yours either weak and impertinent or fierce and opprobricus 15. They g i. e. Iob's three Friends of whom he speaks sometimes in the second and here in the third person directing his speech to Iob and the Auditors of this disputation were amazed h They stood mute like persons amazed not knowing what to reply to Iob's arguments and wondring at his bold and confident assertions of his â—…ntegrity and of his interest in God under such sad and manifest tokens of God's just displeasure against him they answered no more i Although Iob gave them just occasion to reprove and confute him for his intemperate speeches and presumptuous and irreverent expressions concerning God †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they left off speaking 16. When I had waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more k Which he repeats as a strange and unreasonable thing that they should be silent when they had such obligations to speak for the vindication both of God's justice and of their own truth and reputation 17. I said I will answer also my part l I will take my turn and speak what they have omitted I also will shew mine opinion 18. For I am full of †Heb. 〈◊〉 matter m i. e. I have many things to say in this cause †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit within me n Either my own Spirit or Soul which is wholly dissatisfied with what hath been hitherto spoken and clearly apprehends what may silence Iob and end the dispute Or God's Spirit which he hath put in me the Spirit of Understanding which hath discovered the truth of the matter to me and the Spirit of Zeal which urgeth me to plead God's Cause against Iob. constraineth me o Forceth me to speak It is a Metaphor from a man or woman whose Belly is full with Wind or with a Child and is never at rest till it be emptied and eased of its burden 19. Behold my belly p i. e. My mind or heart which is oft called a man's belly as Iob 15. 35. Psalm 40. 8. Hab. 3. 16. Ioâ—… 7. 38. is as wine q As new Wine pent up close in a Bottle as the following words explain and determine it The Wine is here put for the Bottle in which it is by a common Metonymy which †Heb. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles r i. e. Bottles of new Wine by the same general Figure for otherwise old Bottles are most apt to burst Matthew 9. 17. 20. I will speak †Heb. 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may be refreshed s That I may ease my mind of those thoughts which now oppress it I will open my lips and answer t I will not utter impertinent words but solid answers to Iob's arguments 21. Let me not I pray you accept any mans person u Do not expect that I should out of fear or respect to any of you speak partially but bear with my free and plain dealing with you all neither let me give flattering titles unto man z. x As I shall not censure and reproach Iob as an Hypocrite or profane person which you have done so neither shall I flatter him but faithfully reprove him for his exorbiâ—…ant speeches of God 22. For I know not to give flattering titles y i. e. I have neither skill nor will to flatter Iob or any man so as to debauch my Conscience or corrupt the Truth or speak falsly for his sake in so doing z i. e. If I should be guilty of that sin God would quickly and â—…orely punish me â—…or it Or without this supplement My Maker will quickly take me away to wit out of this world I dare not â—…atter any man because I consider I must shortly die and go to judgment to give an account of all my words and actions my maker would soon take me away CHAP. XXXIII 1. WHerefore Job I pray thee a Perceiving the errour of Iob's Friends and that by their violent and opprobrious speeches they had exasperated Iob's mind and thereby hindred the success of their discourses he applies himself to him in milder ways and treats him kindly thereby to gain his attention and affection that his words might have more acceptance with him hear my speeches and hearken to all my words b Not only to what may please thee but also to what may convince and reprove thee 2. Behold now I have opened my mouth c Now I have begun to speak and intend with thy good leave to proceed in my discourse with thee my tongue hath spoken †〈…〉 in my mouth d Heb. in or with my paâ—…ate for both Tongue and Palate are Instruments of Speech and that a man should speak plainly and distinctly which he designed to do it is necessary that his Tongue should oft-times touch the Palate or Roof of the mouth 3. My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart e I shall not speak passionately or partially as one resolved
to him through the Mediatour and sincerely repenting of and turning from his former sins unto the serious practice of righteousness and true holiness and therefore must needs be favourable to him as he hath declared and ingaged himself to be in such cases 27. ‖ 〈…〉 He looketh upon men u Either 1. the sick Man shall look upon and converse with Mankind his Friends or others as he did before and shall say as the following word is and may be rendred I have sinned c. i. e. He shall confess to them that God was not to be blamed but that he by his own sin and folly did bring that evil upon himself And then he shall acknowledge God's great goodness to him and shall add what follows in the next Verse He hath delivered my Soul c. and my life c. as they render it Or rather 2. God diligently observes all Mankind and their several carriages especially in sickness and distress and if any say I have sinned x If there be any Man that sincerely saith thus God hears it and will pardon and heal him as it follows and perverted that which was right y Either 1. I have judged perversly of the just and right ways of God censuring his proceedings against me as too severe and rigorous whereas in truth I only was to be blamed Or 2. I have perverted God's righteous Law by bending it and making it comply with my crooked ways Or I have swerved from the right and good way of God's commands or I have made crooked paths So he repeats in other words what he said in the former branch of the Verse I have sinned and it profited me not z I got no good by so doing as I vainly promised my self but I got much hurt by it even diseases and griefs and extreme dangers This was the just fruit of my sins It is a Meiosis whereby less is said and more is understood of which we have seen many examples before 28. ‖ 〈…〉 He a i. e. God whose work alone this is will deliver his soul b Himself or as it follows his life from going into the pit and his life c See on v. 18. shall see the light d i. e. Shall enjoy either 1. prosperity which is oft called light as darkness is put for affliction or 2. the light of the living as it follows v. 30. the light of this World i. e. His life which was endangered shall be restored and continued This is opposed to his going down into the Pit in the former branch 29. Lo all these things worketh God e All these ways and methods doth God use to awaken and convince and save sinners †〈…〉 oftentimes with man f Either severally one way with one and another way with another or with the same Man trying several means one after another to bring him to repentance and prepare him for deliverance 30. * 〈◊〉 â—…6 13. To bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living g i. e. That he may enjoy the light of life and continue in the Land of the Living out of which he was going 31. Mark well O Job hearken unto me hold thy peace h Attend to what I have further to say to thee with patience and silence and I will speak 32. If thou hast any thing to say i answer me speak for I desire to justifie thee k For thy own justification or in answer to the charge that I have already brought against thee k To wit as far as may consist with Truth and Justice I do not speak with evil design or a bitter mind or as one resolved to condemn thee whatsoever thou sayest and I shall be glad to hear any thing from thee which may make for thy just vindication 33. If not hearken unto me hold thy peace and I shall teach thee wisdom l i. e. What thy wisdom and duty is in thy circumstances CHAP. XXXIV 1. FUrthermore Elihu answered and said 2. Hear my words O ye wise men a Who are here present do you judge of the truth and reason of what I have said and am further to say for I am willing to submit all to the judgment of the truly wise and give ear unto me ye that have knowledge 3. * Chap. 6. 30. 12. 11. For the ear trieth words b i. e. Man's mind judgeth of things spoken and heard The ear the sense of Discipline is put for the mind to which things are conveyed by it See the note on Iob 12. 11. as the †Heb. palate mouth tasteth meat 4. Let us choose to us judgment c i. e. Justice and Equity judgment being oft synecdochically used for just judgment as Iob 8. 3. 19 7. 32. 9. Psal. 37. 28. Let us not contend for victory but only for Truth and Justice This shall be my only care and business Let us lay aside all prejudices and animosities which I perceive have had too great an influence upon thee and thy friends and impartially consider the naked truth and right of the cause let us know d i. e. Let us discover or make it known one to another among our selves what is good e Who hath the best cause 5. For Job hath said * Chap. 〈◊〉 I am righteous f Either 1. I am perfectly righteous But this Iob did not say but the contrary Iob 9. 2 3. 14. 4. Or 2. I am a sincere Person no Hypocrite as my Friends make me But this Elibu doth not deny or 3. I am so far righteous and have been so holy and blameless in my life that I have not deserved not had any reason to expect such hard usage from God And this Iob had oft intimated and Elihu doth justly blame him for it that he blazoned his own righteousness with tacit reflections upon God for dealing so severely with him and my God hath taken away my judgment g For so Iob had said Ch. 27. 2. i. e. He denies me that which is but just and equal to give me a fair hearing to suffer me to plead my Cause with or before him to shew me the reasons of his contending with me and what sins besides common infirmities I have been guilty of whereby I have deserved such extraordinary judgments Which Elihu justly taxeth him with as a very irreverent and presumptuous expression 6. Should I lie against my right h So Iob had said in effect Ch. 27. 4 5 6. Should I falsly accuse my self of such sins of which I am no way conscious to my self Should I betray mine own cause and deny my integrity and say that I deserved worse than I have done †Heb. mine Arrow Chap. 6. 4. 16. 12. my wound is incurable without transgression i i. e. Without any great or hainous or crying sin as
this word commonly signifies which might reasonably bring down such terrible judgments upon my Head 7. What man is like Job who drinketh up scorning like water k i. e. Abundantly and greedily who doth so oft and so easily break forth into scornful and contemptuous expressions not only against his friends but in some sort even against God himself whom he foolishly and insolently chargeth with dealing rigorously with him The words may be thus read What Man being like Iob would drink up c. That a wicked or foolish Man should do thus is not strange but that a Man of such Piety Gravity Wisdom and Authority as Iob should be guilty of such a sin this is wonderful 8. Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity and walketh with wicked men l Although I dare not say as his three Friends do that he is a wicked Man yet in this matter he speaks and acts like one of them 9. For he hath said m Not absolutely and in express terms but by unforced consequence and as concerning this life and with reference to himself because he said that good Men were no less nay sometimes more miserable here than the wicked Ch. 9. 22 c 30. 26. and that for his part he was no gainer as to this life by his Piety but a loser and that God shewed him no more kindness and compassion than he usually did to the vilest of men Which was a very unthankful and ungodly opinion and expression seeing godliness hath the promise of this life as well as of that to come and Iob had such supports and such assurances of his own uprightness and of his future happiness as he confesseth as were and should have been accounted even for the present a greater comfort and profit than all which this World can afford * Chap. 9. 2â—… 35. 3. It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God n That he should choose and delight to walk with God and make it his chief care and business to please him and to do his commandments which is the true and proper Character of a godly Man 10. Therefore hearken unto me ye †Heb. men of heart men of understanding o You who are present and understand these things do you judge between Iob and me * Deut. 32. 4. Chap. 8. 3. 36. 23. Psal. 92. 15. Rom. â—… 14. far be it from God that he should do wickedness p This I must lay down as a Principle that the righteous and holy God neither doth nor can deal unjustly with Iob or with any Man as Iob insinuates that God had dealt with him and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity 11. * Psal. 62. 12. Prov. 24. 12. 〈◊〉 â—…2 1â—… Ezek 33. 2â—… Mat. 1â—… 2â—… Rom. 2. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 17. Rev. 22 12. For the work q i. e. The reward of his work or according to his work Iob's affâ—…ons though great and sharp are not undeserved but justly inflicted upon him both for his Original corruption and for many actual transgressions which are manifest to God though Iob through his parâ—…lity may not see them And Iob's Piety shall be recompensed it may be in this life but undoubtedly in the next And therefore â—…ety is not unprofitable as Iob saith of a man shall he render unto him and cause every man to â—…ind according to his ways 12. Yea surely God will not do wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert judgment r As Iob hath wickedly affirmed For the phrase see on Ch. 8. 3. 13. Who hath given him a charge over the earth s i. e. Over the Inhabitants of the Earth to rule them according to his Laâ—…s and to give an account to him of it Who or where is his Superiour that made the World and then delivered the Government of it to God There is no such Person God himself is the sole Creator the absolute and supream Lord and Governour of all the World and therefore cannot do unjustly The reason is partly because all unrighteousness is a transgression of some Law and God hath no Law to bound him but his own nature and will partly because the Creator and Lord of the World must needs have all possible Perfections in himself and amongst others perfect Justice and must needs be free from all imperfections and obliquities and therefore from Injustice and partly because he is of himself all-sufficient and independent upon all other Persons and able to do and procure whatsoever pleaseth him and therefore as he hath no inclination so he hath no temptation to any unrighteous actions this being generally the reason of all unrighteous actions in the World because the Persons who do them either are obliged to do it to gratiâ—…ie some Superiour Authority who commands them to do it or else do want or desire something which they cannot justly obtain For he is a Monster and not a Man who will take away any thing by injustice or violence which he may have by right or who hath disposed t Or committed to wit to him to be governed by him in the Name and for the use and service of his Superiour Lord to whom he must give an account †Heb all of it the whole world 14. * Ps. 104. 29. If he set his heart †Heb. upon him upon man u Heb. upon him i. e. Man as may seem probable from v. 11. 15. where Man is expressed and from the next Clause of this Verse where he speaks of that Spirit and Breath which is in Man If his eye and heart be upon man if he diligently and exactly observe him and all his ways and whatsoever is amiss in him and which follows upon it of course resolve to punish him Or if he set his heart against as this Particle el is used Amos 7. 15. and elsewhere as hath been noted before him to wit to cut him off if he gather unto himself x If it please him to gather to himself to wit by death whereby God is said to take away mens Breath Psal. 104. 29. and to gather mens Souls Psal. 26. 9. and the Spirit is said to return unto God Eccles. 12. 7. his spirit and his breath y i. e. That Spirit and Breath or that living Soul that God breathed into Man Gen. 2. 7. and gives to every Man that cometh into the World 15. * Gen. 3. 19. Eccles. 12. 7. All flesh z i. e. Every Man who is called Flesh Gen. 6. 3 17. Isa. 40. 6. shall perish together a Or alikâ—… without any exception be they great or mean wise or foolish good or bad if God design to destroy them they cannot withstand his power but must needs perish by his stroke The design of this and the foregoing Verse is the same with that of v. 13. where see the notes namely to
Power Wisdom Justice and his counsels proceeding from them are past our finding out and therefore it is most absurd and intolerable that thou O Iob presumest to censure what thâ—…u dost not understand he * Ch. 36. 5. is excellent in power r And therefore as he doth not need any unrighteous action to advance himself so he cannot do it because all such things are acts and evidences of impotency or weakness and in judgment s i. e. In the just and righteous administration of judgment as this word is oft used and â—…s the thing it self and the following words plainly evince And this he adds to intimate that although God had indeed a Power to crush Iob or any other Man yet he never did nor can exercise that power unjustly or tyrannically as Job seemed to insinuate and in plenty of justice t In great and perfect Justice such as no Man can justly reproach †Lam. 3. 33. he will not afflict u To wit without just cause and above measure as it may and must be limited both from the foregoing words and from Iob's complaint which was of that very thing and from the nature of the thing because otherwise this Proposition that God will not afflict is not simply and universally true Or these last words may be joyned with the former and so some render the place He is excellent in Power and or but or yet â—…e will not 〈◊〉 any Man with judgment and much i. e. too much justice i. e. with extremity or rigoâ—…r of Justice 24. Men do therefore fear him x For this cause to wit because of God's infinite and excellent Perfections and especially those mentioned in the foregoing Verse men do or should for the future Tense is oft used potentially as Hebricians know fear or reverenâ—… him and humbly submit to him and not presume to quarrel or dispute with him as thou O Iob hast done he respecteth not y Heb. He doth not or will not behold to wit with respect or approbation he beholdeth them afar off with scorn and contempt any that are wise of heart z i. e. Such as are wise in their own eyes that lean to their own understandings and despise all other men in comparison of themselves and scorn all their counsels that are so puffed up with the opinion of their own wisdom that they dare contend with their Maker and presume to censure his counsels and actions Which he hereby intimates to be Iob's fault and to be the true reason why God did not respect nor regard him nor his Prayers and Tears as Iob complained And so this is also a Tacit advice and exhortation to Iob to be humble and little in his own eyes if ever he expected or desired any favour from God CHAP. XXXVIII 1. THen the LORD answered Iob a i. e. Began to debate the matter with him as Iob had desired * Nah. 1. 3. out of the whirlwind b i. e. Out of a dark and thick Cloud from which he sent a terrible and tempestuous Wind as the harbinger of his presence In this manner God appears and speaks to him partly because this was his usual method in those times as we see Exod. 19. 18. Numb 9. 15 16. See also 1 Kings 19. 11. Ezek. 1. 4. partly to awaken Iob and his Friends to the more serious and reverend attention to his words partly to â—…estifie his displeasure both against Iob and against his three Friends and partly that all of them might be more deeply and throughly humbled and abased within themselves and prepared the better to receive and longer to retain the instructions which God was about to give them and said 2. Who is this c It is a question of admiration and reprehension What and where is he that presumeth to talk at this rate This Language becomes not a Creature much less a Professour of Religion The Person here designed is not Elihu who spoke last but Iob who had spoken most as is apparent from v. 1. and from Chap. 42. 3. where Job takes the following reproof to himself and from the following Discourse wherein God convinceth Job by divers of the same kind of arguments which Elihu had used against him that darkeneth counsel d Either 1 his own counsel i. e. that expresseth his own mind darkly and doubtfully But that was not Job's fault He spake his mind too plainly and freely Or rather 2. God's counsel which is called simply counsel by way of eminency as the word and the commandment are oft put for the word and command of God For the great matter of the dispute between Job and his Friends was concerning God's counsel and purpose and providence in afflicting Job which being a wise and just and glorious action of God Job had endeavoured to obscure and misrepresent and censure And God's decrees and judgments are frequently called his counsels as Psal. 33. 11. Prov. 19. 21. Isa. 28. 29. Act. 2. 23. by words e God doth not charge Job as his three Friends had done with hypocrisie and wickedness in the course of life â—…or with atheistical opinions of God or his providence as some of the Hebrew Writers do but confines his reproof to his hard speeches without knowledge f Proceeding from ignorance and mistake and inconsiderateness not from malice or rage against God as his Friends accused him 3. * Chap. 40. 7. Gird up now thy loins g As Warriours then did for the Battle Prepare thy self for the Combate with me which thou hast oft desired I accept of thy Challenge Ch. 13. 22. and elsewhere like a man for I will demand of thee h Or I will ask thee Questions which he doth in the following Verses and †Heb. make me know answer thou me 4. * Psal. 104. 5. Prov. 8. 29 30. 4. Where wast thou i Then thou wast no where thou hadst no being thou art but of yesterday and dost thou presume to judge of my eternal Counsels I made the World without thy help and therefore can govern it without thy counsel and I do not need thee to be the Controller or Censuâ—…er of my works when I laid the foundations of the earth k When I made the Earth which is as the Foundation or lower part of the whole World and settled it as firm and fast upon its own Center as if it had been built upon the surest Foundations declare †Heb. if thou knowest understanding if thou hast understanding l But if thou art ignorant of these manifest and visible works do not pretend to the exact knowledge of my secret Counsels and mysterious Providences 5. Who hath laid the measures thereof m Who hath prescribed how long and broad and deep it should be if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line n To wit the measuring line to regulate all its dimensions so as might
that reproveth God c That boldly censureth his ways or works which thou hast done let him answer it d Let him answer my former and further questions at his peril 3. Then Job answered the LORD and said 4. Behold I am vile e What am I a mean and contemptible Creature that I should presume to contend with my Maker and Judge I confess my fault and folly what shall I answer thee f I neither desire nor am able to dispute with thee * Psal. 39. â—… I will lay mine hand upon my mouth g I will for the future bridle my Tongue and instead of contesting with thee do here humbly and willingly submit my self to thee 5. Once have I spoken but I will not answer h Or speak again answering being oft put for speaking I will contend no more with thee yea twice i i. e. Oft times or again and again the definite number being used indefinitely but I will proceed no further k In such bold and presumptuous Expressions and Accusations of thy Providence towards me Vain therefore are the Excuses which some Interpreters make for Iob as if he were faultless in his foregoing Discourses when both God chargeth him with faultiness therein and Iob himself confesseth it 6. Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the Whirl-wind l Which was renewed when God renewed his charge upon Iob. whom he intended to humble more throughly than yet he had done Both this and the next Verse are repeated out of Ch. 38. 1 3. where they are explained and said 7. * Chap. 38. 3. Gird up thy Loins now like a man I will * Chap. 42. 4. demand of thee and declare thou unto me 8. * Psal. 51. â—… Rom. 3 4. Wilt thou also disanul my judgment m Every word is Emphatical Wilt Art thou resolved upon it thou thou Iob whom I took to be one of a better mind and temper had it been a Stranger or my Enemy who had spoken thus of me I could have born it but I cannot bear it from thee also not only vindicate thy self and thy own Integrity but also accuse me disanul not only question and dispute but even condemn repeal and make void as if it were ungrounded and unjust my judgment i. e. my Sentence against thee and my Government and Administration of humane Affairs Wilt thou condemn me that thou maist be righteous n Wilt thou make me unrighteous that thou maist seem to be righteous 9. Hast thou an arm like God o Thou art infinitely short of God in Power and therefore in Justice for all his perfections are equal and infinite Injustice is much more likely to be in thee an impotent Creature than in the Almighty God of which see the Notes on v. 2. or canst thou thunder with a voice like him p Therefore do not presume to contend with him 10. * Psal. 104. â—… Deck thy self now with majesty and excellency q Seeing thou makest thy self equal yea superior to me in Justice and consequently in Power and Majesty take to thy self thy great Power come and sit in my Throne and display thy divine Perfections in the sight of the World These and the following are Ironical Expressions to make Iob more sensible of his distance from and Subjection to God and aray thy self with glory and beauty 11. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath r Inflict heavy Judgments upon thine Enemies the Chaldeans and Sabeans and others who have injured or provoked thee and behold every one that is proud and abase him s Destroy him with an angry look as I can do and delight to do with such Persons 12. Look on every one that is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked in their place t Either 1. wheresoever they are Or 2. Where they are in their greatest strength and glory and therefore are most secure and confident Or 3. Forthwith upon the spot that the quickness and immediateness of the stroke may discover that it comes from a Divine hand 13. Hide them in the dust together u Kill every one of them as he said v. 12. at one blow as I can do and bring them all to their Graves that they may sleep in the dust and never offend thee nor trouble others more and bind their faces x i. e. Condemn or destroy them He alludes to the manner of covering the faces of condemned Persons Esth. 7. 8. and of dead men Ioh. 11. 44. 20. 7. See on Iob 9. 24. in secret y Either in a secret place bury them in their Graves Or secretly with a secret and invisible stroke that it may appear it comes from the hand of a God 14. Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee z i. e. That thou art mine equal and mayest venture to contend with me But since thou canst do none of these things it behoves thee to submit to me and to acquiesce in my dealings with thee 15. Behold now ‖ Or the Elephant as some think Behemoth a That some particular Beast is designed by this word is evident from v. 15. from the peculiar Characters given to him which are not common to all great Beasts But what it is is matter of some dispute amongst the Learned The generality of them are agreed that this is the Elephant and the following Leviathan the Whale which being two of the goodliest and vastest Creatures which God made the one of the Land the other of the Sea and withal such to whom the description here given for the most part manifestly agrees and the like is presumed concerning the rest may seem to be here intended And the difficulty of reconciling some few passages to them may arise either from our ignorance of them or from the different nature and qualities of Creatures of the same general kind in divers parts But some late and very learned men take the Leviathan to be the Crocodile and the Behemoth to be a Creature called the Hippopotamus which may seem fitly to be joined with the Crocodile both being very well known to Iob and his Friends as being frequent in the adjacent parts both Amphibious living and preying both in the Water and upon the Land and both being Creatures of great bulk and strength I shall not undertake to determine the Controversy but shall shew how each part of the following description is or may be applied to them severally And this being no point concerning Faith or a good Life every one may take the more liberty to understand the place of one or other of them which I made with thee b Either 1. upon the Earth where thou art whereas the Leviathan is in the Sea Or 2. as I made thee for this Hebrew Particle is oft used as a note of comparison as Iob 9. 26. Psal. 143. 7. and
to be the chief argument by which the learned Bochart proves this to be meant of the Hipopotamus whose constant residence is in or near the River of Nilus or the Willows that grow by it But it is well alledged by our learned and judicious Caryl that this word Naal is never used to express Nilus when it is put by it self as here it is but onely where the word Egypt is added to it as it is in all the places which Bochart produceth And this very phrase the Willows of the Brook is used of other Brooks or Rivers besides Nilus as Levit. 23. 40. Comp. Isa. 15. 7. compass him about 23. Behold †〈…〉 he drinketh up r Or He snatcheth or draweth or drinketh up as it were with force and violence as the word signifies a river s i. e. A great quantity of water hyperbolically called a River as it is also Psal. 78. 16. 105. 41. This may be fitly applied to the Elephant which because of its great bulk and vehement thirst drinks a great deal of Water at one draught as Naturalists and Historians have observed and hasteth not t He drinks not with fear and caution and sparingly as the Dogs do at Nilus for fear of the Crocodile but such is his courage and self-confidence that he fears no enemy either by Water or by Land but drinketh securely and liberally he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his Mouth u He drinks as if he designed or hoped or desired to drink up the whole River He mentions Iordan either as a River well known in and nigh unto Iob's land or because possibly there were many Elephants which used to drink at it or as a River in some parts of it but small which therefore might give more colour to the Hyperbole and to the Elephants fancy or expectation than a vaster River such as Euphrates would have done Bochart expounds this also of the Hippopotamus which though he cannot swim and may be drowned as Naturalists report yet will continue securely under Water at the bottom of Nilus for some days together and he renders the Verse thus Behold if a River oppress or cover him he fears not he is confident or secure though Iordan which is here put for any River should break forth or over-flow above his mouth i. e. should overwhelm him But the judgment of this I leave to the Reader 24. ‖ 〈…〉 He taketh it with his Eyes his nose pierceth through snares x According to this Translation the sense is this He taketh or snatcheth or draweth up as was now said v. 23. it to wit the River Iordan with his Eyes i. e. when he sees it he trusteth that he can drink it all up as we use to say The Eye is bigger than the Belly his Nose or Snout pierceth c. i. e. He securely thrusteth his Snout into the River even to the bottom of it to stir up the mud because he delights to drink muddy Water and if there be any Snares laid for other Creatures he breaks them to pieces But this Verse is otherwise translated by others Will or Can any man take him in his Eyes i. e. openly and by manifest force Surely no. His force and strength is too great for Man to resist or overcome and therefore men are forced to use many wiles and engines to catch him which is true both of the Elephant and of the Hippopotamus Or pierce his Nose with Snares or Gins No. He may be taken by art and cunning but not by violence CHAP. XLI 1. CAnst thou draw out ‖ 〈…〉 Leviathan with an hook or his tongue with a cord †〈…〉 which thou lettest down a Canst thou take him with a Hook and a Line as Anglers take ordinary Fishes Surely no. Quest. What is this Leviathan Ans. This is granted on all hands that it is a great and terrible Monster living in the Sea or Rivers as Behemoth is a Land-monster It is the general and received Opinion that it is the Whale which is unquestionably called the Leviathan Psal. 104. 25 26. which having been discovered in the Seas next bordering upon Arabia probably was not unknown to Iob who was a very inquisitive Person and well studied in the works of God as this Book manifests But some later and very learned Interpreters conceive that it is the Crocodile which was very well known in Egypt and all the parts adjacent to it And this is evident that the Hebrew word Thannin which is Parallel to this word Leviathan these two words being synonymous and the one promiscuously used for the other as appears from Psal. 74. 13 14. Isa. 27. 1. Ezek. 32. 2. is used of the Crocodile Ezek. 29 3 4. 32. 2 3. But I shall not positively determine this Controversy but onely shew how far the Text may be understood of both of them and then submit it to the Readers Judgment this being a matter of no great moment wherein Christians may vary without any hazard Onely this I will say That whatever becomes of the Behemoth of the former Chapter whether that be the Elephant or the Hippopotamus that doth not at all determine the sense of this Leviathan but leaves it indifferent to the Whale or the Crocodile as the context shall determine which I confess seems to me to savour the latter more than the former To which may be added that it seems more probable that God would speak of such Creatures as were very well known to Iob and his Friends as the Crocodile was than of such as it is very uncertain whether they were known in those parts and in Iob's time This Verse noting either the impossibility or rather the great and terrible difficulty of taking this Monster with his Hook or Line or such like instruments may agree to either of them For the Whale there is no doubt nor much doubt as to the Crocodile the taking whereof was generally esteemed by the Ancients to be very difficult and perillous whatsoever peculiar vertue or power from Nature or Art the Tentyritae had against them as the Psylli were said to have against Serpents Some indeed object that the last Clause cannot agree to the Crocodile because that hath no Tongue as is affirmed by Aristotle Pliny and other ancient Authors But that is a mistake and the ground of it is plain because their Tongues are but small in proportion to their vast Bodies and withal fastned to their under Jaws as the self-same Authors note And that the Crocodile hath a tongue is positively affirmed by the said ancient Authors and by the Hebrew Writers and by the Arabians to whom this Creature was best known and by later Authors 2. Canst thou put an hook b Heb. a Bulrush i. e. an Hook like a Bulrush with its head hanging down as is expressed Isa. 58. 5. into his nose c To hang him up by it for Sale or to carry him home for
your behalf as well as on his own lest I deal with you after your folly u Lest my wrath and just judgment take hold of you for your false and foolish speeches in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right like my servant Job 9. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as the Lord commanded them x Shewing their repentance by their submission to God and to Job for God's sake and by taking shame to themselves the LORD also accepted †Heb. the face of Iob. Job y Both for his Friends and for himself as the next Verse explains it 10. And the LORD turned the Captivity of Job z i. e. Brought him out of that state of Bondage in which he had been so long held by Satan and by his own Spirit and out of all his distresses and miseries Or returned Job ' s Captivity i. e. the Persons and things which had been taken from him not the same which he had lost but other equivalent to them and that with advantage when he prayed for his friends a Whereby he manifested his obedience to God and his true love and charity to them in being so ready to forgive them and heartily to pray for them for which God would not let him lose his reward also b An emphatical Particle He not onely gave him as much as he lost but double to it the LORD †Heb. added all that had been to Iob unto the double gave Job twice as much as he had before 11. Then c When Job had humbled himself and God was reconciled to Iob he quickly turned the Hearts of his Friends to favour him according to Prov. 16. 7. as during his impenitency and 〈◊〉 his trial and humiliation he had alienated their Hearts from him of which Iob so sadly complains came there unto him all his brethren and all his sisters d Largely so called according to the Scripture-use of these Titles to wit his kindred distinguished from his other acquaintance and all they that had been his acquaintance before and did eat bread with him e i. e. Feasted with him as that Phrase is commonly used in Scripture to congratulate with him for God's great and glorious favour already vouchsafed to him in so eminent a Vision and Revelation in his house and they bemoaned him f They declared the sense which they had of his calamities whilst they were upon him although they had hitherto wanted opportunity to express it and comforted him over all the evil g Or concerning all the evil which though it was bitter to endure when it was present yet the remembrance of it revived in him by the discourses of his Friends was very delightful as is usual in such cases that the LORD had brought upon him every man also gave him a piece of money and every one an ear-ring of gold h Partly to make up his former losses and partly as a Testimony of their honorable respect to him 12. So the LORD blessed i Not onely with Spiritual but also with Temporal and Earthly Blessings the latter end of Job more then his beginning for he had fourteen thousand sheep and six thousand camels and a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand she-asses 13. He had also seven sons and three daughters 14. And he called k Giving them such Names as signifie their excellent beauty of which see my Latin Synopsis the name of the first Jemima and the name of the second Kezia and the name of the third Keren-happuch 15. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job and their father gave them l Gave his Daughters a share and possibly an equal share with his Sons in his Inheritance which in so plentiful an estate he might easily do especially to such amiable Sisters without the envy of their Brethren and which peradventure he did to oblige them to settle themselves amongst their Brethren and to marry into their own Religious Kindred not to Strangers who in those times were generally swallowed up in the gulf of Idolatry inheritance among their brethren 16. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years and saw his sons and his sons sons even four generations 17. So Job m After God had turned his Captivity as is said v. 10. died being old and full of days n By which length of his days it seems most probable that he lived before the times of Moses when the days of humane life were much shortned as he complains PSALMS The ARGUMENT THe divine Authority of this book of Psalms is so certain and evident that it was never questioned in the Church Which being fixed it is of small moment that the Penmen of some of them is not now known Nor doth this any more lessen its Authority than it invalidates the Decree of a Prince or an Act of Parliament that it is not certain by whose Pen it was drawn up Most of them were composed by David as is evident both from the title of them and from the express Testimony of the new Testament concerning some of them and that by the inspiration of God's Spirit as appears both from the divine matter and frame of them and from 2. Sam. 23. 1. Mat. 22. 43. c. Act. 1. 16. and 2. 25. But some of them were composed by other Persons by Moses as Psal. 90. by Heman and Ethan and Asaph as the title of the Psalms shew and by others after their times whose names are not mentioned as is manifest from Psal. 126. 137. It is apparent that the Psalms were not written in the order in which they now lie and they were put into this order either by Ezra as the Hebrew Doctors affirm or by some other holy Prophet or Prophets It is sufficient for us that the whole Book is owned as Canonical by our blessed Saviour Luke 24. 44. PSAL. I. The ARGUMENT THis Psalm was put first as a Preface to all the rest as a powerful perswasive to the diligent reading and serious study of the whole book and of the rest of the holy Scripture taken from that blessedness which attends upon the study and practice thereof 1. BLessed * Pâ—… 4 14. 1â—… is the man a The Hebrew words are very Emphatical Blessedness belongs to that man or O the blessedness of that man Thrice blessed is that man who is here described negatively and in the next verse positively that walketh not in the counsel of the ‖ Or â—…ked ungodly b i. e. That doth not lead his Life according to their counsel or course or manner of living That doth not associate himself with them nor follow their evil instigations or examples Walking notes choice of it and continuance or progress in it otherwise good men do sometimes step aside into an evil Action For
and render the place thus He catcheth the poor by drawing him into his net and breaks him to pieces as that Verb properly signifies So there is only a defect of the pronoun which is most frequent And this makes the Sence compleat which otherwise would be imperfect in that verse and sheweth us what he doth with his prey when he hath taken it And this 10th verse begins very well with the next Verb He humbleth himself Or He stoops or bends himself that the poor may fall k Or that he may fall for this Verb is sometimes taken actively as Ios. 11. 7. Iob 1. 15. upon the poor That having first couched and lay'n down and then of a sudden rising he may leap and fall upon his prey like a Lion ‖ Or into his strong parts by his strong ones l i. e. By his strong members his teeth or paws So it is an Ellipsis of the noun Substantive whereof we have examples as 2. Sam. 21. 16. new for a new sword and Psal. 73. 10. full for a full Cap and Mat. 10. 42. cold for cold Water 11. He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten m To wit the poor v. 10. or the humble which we are taught to supply out of v. 12. where he saith forget not the humble He forgets and neglects all their Oppressions and Prayers and doth not avenge their cause as he hath said he would do nor execute Judgments upon their Oppressors as he hath sometimes done or been thought to do * Joh. 2â—… 13. Psal. 94. 7. 64. â—… he hideth his face n Left he should see He takes no notice of their Sufferings lest he should be engaged to help them He will not encumber himself with the care of things done upon Earth but leaves it wholy to men to manage their Affairs as they think fit he will never see it o To wit the oppression of the poor or the design of oppressors against them which is the chief subject of the whole Psalm and is particularly expressed v. 10. 12. Arise O LORD O God lift up thine hand p To rescue the poor and to smite their Oppressors with an hand stretched out and lifted up that the blow may be the greater Comp. Exod. 7. 5. Isa. 5. 25. and 9. 12. c. forget not q Shew by thy appearance for their Vindication that thou dost remember and regard them the ‖ Or afflicted humble 13. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God r The sence is either 1. What is the cause of his contempt of God To which question the next words give an answer Thy connivence makes him secure Therefore shew thyself Or 2. Why dost thou by giving them impunity suffer and occasion them to despise thee Do so no longer Which tacit desire he inforceth by representing their atheistical denial of Gods providence he hath said in his heart thou wilt not require it 14. Thou hast seen it s Or but thou hast seen it and therefore they are horribly mistaken as they will find to their cost for t Or surely as this particle is oft used as Iob 8. 6. Psal. 73. 18. thou beholdest u Not as an idle Spectator but with an eye of observation and vindication as it follows mischief and spite x i. e. All the injurious and spiteful or malicious carriages of wicked men towards those who are more righteous than they to requite it with thy hand y Heb. to give i. e. to restore or repay the simple verb for the compound which is usual in the Hebrew tongue it to wit the mischief which they have done to others with thy hand i. e. by thy own immediate and extraordinary providence because the oppressed were destitute of all other succours Or to put giving being oft used for putting as hath been observed before it in or into thy hand that thou mayest have it always in thine Eye and under thy care and consideration as the like phrase is evidently used Isa. 49. 16. Therefore thou dost not and canst not forget it but wilst certainly require it the poor †Heb. leaveth committeth himself z Or his matters or cause i. e. The care of his person and righteous cause Heb. he leaveth Which word is used for committing to the trust of another Gen. 39. 6. Iob 39. 14. Isa. 10. 3 unto thee thou art the helper of the fatherless a i. e. Of such poor oppressed ones as have no friend nor helper one kind of them being put for all the rest 15. Break thou b Or Thou wilst break For it may be either a prayer or a prophecy the arm c i. e. His strength the instrument of violence and mischief of the wicked and the evil man * â—…al â—… 9. 3â—… 17. seek out his wickedness d Search for it so strictly and punish these wicked Atheists so severely i. e. No such wickedness to wit undiscovered and unpunished or indeed left in the world or at least in the Church Which might happen because those wicked men here spoken of should be generally either convinced or rooted out and the rest should be warned and reformed by their Example and so this lewdness should cease out of the land as the phrase is Ezek. 23. 48. That is said to be sought for and not found which is utterly lost as Iob 20. 7 8. Psal. 37. 36. Revel 16. 20. and 18. 21. And this phrase is used both of good men whose sins are taken away by God's grace and mercy pardoning and purging them away and of wicked men in the sence above mentioned till thou find none e. 16. * Psal. 29. 10. 145. 13. 146. 10. Jer. 10. 10. â—…am 5. 19. 〈◊〉 4. 34. 6. 26. 1. Tim. 1. 17. The LORD is king f To whom it belongs to protect his Subjects Therefore thou wilst save the humble and punish the oppressors for ever and ever g Therefore his peoples case is never desperate seeing he ever lives and reigns to help them and therefore he will help them in his time sooner or later the heathen h Either 1. Those implous Israelites who oppressed David and other good men whom although they were reputed Israelites by themselves and others yet he might call them heathens for their heathenish opinions of God and his providence and for their ungodly and unrighteous lives Comp. Isa. 1. 9. Amos 9. 7. Or 2. The Canaanites whom God as King of the world did expel or destroy and gave their land to his people By which great example he confirms his faith and hope for the future are perished out of his land i i. e. Out of Canaan which God calls his land Levit. 25. 23. because he spied it out for them Ezek. 20. 6. and gave it to them and fixed his presence and dwelling in it 17. LORD thou hast heard the desire of the humble
The Occasion of this Psalm was manifesty some sore Disease or Affliction which God had inflicted upon David and which gave his Enemies Opportunity to discover their Hatred and Malice against him To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1. BLessed is he that considereth a Or That carries himself wisely and prudently with or towards him not rashly and foolishly Censures and Condemn-him as my pretended Friends dealt with me v. 8. nor insulteth over him which is a foolish as well as wicked thing but considereth that it may be his own Case and therefore pitieth and helpeth him which is the likeliest way to obtain the like Pity for himself in his Trouble ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poor b Or rather The Weak or Sick or languishing Person as may be gathered by Comparing this with v. 3. where the Mercy which he is supposed to have afforded to him is returned upon himself and with v. 8 the LORD will deliver him c Either 1. The poor afflicted man Though his Enemies conclude his Case to be desperate v. 8. God will Consute them and deliver him Or 2. The Considerer of the Poor of whom also this same Pronoun Him is Confessedly meant v. 2 3. And so it is a Promise of Recompence the wise and merciful Man shall find Mercy †〈◊〉 is the 〈◊〉 Evil. in time of trouble 2. The LORD will preserve and keep him alive d Heb. quicken him i. e. revive and restore him Either he will preserve him from Trouble Or if God see Trouble necessary or fit for him and therefore suffer him to fall into it he will raise him out of it and he shall be blessed upon the earth and ‖ 〈…〉 thou wilt not deliver him into the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psa. 〈◊〉 will of his enemies e i. e. To Destruction which they earnestly desire and indeavour to procure 3. The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou wilt †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make all his bed f Either 1. Change or overturn his Bed of sickness which is done when a man is restored to Health Or rather 2. Give him Ease and Comfort which sick men receive by the help of those who turn and stir their whole Bed to make it soft and easie for him For the Words foregoing and following these suppose him to be and continue in a State of sickness Thus the Lord elsewhere Compares himself to a Servant waiting upon his People at Table Luk. 12. 37. as here to one that makes their Bed Metaphors implying strange Condescension in his sickness 4. I said LORD be merciful unto me heal my soul g i. e. Either 1. My self to wit my Body So it is a double Synecdoche And the soul is so taken Psal. 16. 10. Or 2. My Soul properly so called which is said to be healed when it is pardoned and purged as 2 Chron. 30. 20. Isa. 53. 5. Comp. with 1 Pet. 2. 24. Mat. 13. 15. Comp. with Mark 4. 12. Iam. 5. 16. So he strikes at the Root of his Misery and prays for the Removal of the sin of his Soul as the Cause of the Disease of his Body for I have sinned against thee h This may be added Either 1. As a Reason or Motive to God grant this Request for I have sinned and therefore thy Grace in healing me will be more glorious and admirable Or for I acknowledge that I have sinned for the Act is oft put for the Declaration of it as Exod. 33. 13. Psal. 51. 5. Or 2. As a Reason moving him thus to pray I said Lord be merciful unto me heal my Soul and great Reason I had to say so for I have sinned against thee 5. Mine enemies speak evil of me i Vent their ill Wishes against me in the following Words When shall he die and his name perish 6. And if he come to see me k To visit me in my sickness according to the Custome he speaketh vanity l Or falshood pretending Sympathy with me and friendship to me whilst they Plot mischief in their Hearts against me his heart gathereth iniquity to it self m Even when he is with me and pretends hearty affection to me his Heart cannot forbear its Customary Practice of meditating and deviâ—…ing Mischief against me for which he watcheth and seeketh for all Occasions from my Speeches or Carriage or the Circumstance of my Condition which he observes when he goeth abroad he telleth it n Partly to delight his Companions and Paâ—…tly to encourage them to and direct them in their malicious Designs against me 7. All that hate me whisper together against me o i. e. Secretly defame me and closely Plot against me against me do they devise †Heb. â—…vil to 〈◊〉 my hurt 8. †Heb. a thing of Bâ—…lial An evil disease p Heb. A word or thing of Bâ—…lial i. e. Either 1. Some wicked Calumny which they had raised and which stuck close to him Or 2. His great Wickedness whereof this is a sign Or rather 3. This sore Disease or Mischief Either sent upon him in way of Vengeance for his horrid Crimes Or such as God useth to inflict upon the Sons of Bâ—…lial to shew that he is in Truth such an one whatsoever he pretends to the contrary say they cleaveth fast unto him and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more q Seeing God hath begun to punish him he will make an end of him 9. * Job 19. 19. Jer. 20. 10. Yea †Heb. the man of â—…y Peace mine own familiar friend r He means either Aâ—…hitophel or some other perfidioâ—…s Counsellor or Courtier who was a Type of Iodas to whom therefore it is applied Ioh. 13. 18. as David was a Type of Christ in being thus betrayed So these Words were literally fulfilled in David and yet the Holy Ghost which dictated them looked further in them even to Christ and Iodas in whom they received a further and fuller Accomplishment â—… A Phrase implying Injury joyned with Insolency and Contempt taken from an unâ—…uly Horse which Kicks at him that owns and feeds him in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath †Heb. magnified lift up his heel r He means either Aâ—…hitophel or some other perfidioâ—…s Counsellor or Courtier who was a Type of Iodas to whom therefore it is applied Ioh. 13. 18. as David was a Type of Christ in being thus betrayed So these Words were literally fulfilled in David and yet the Holy Ghost which dictated them looked further in them even to Christ and Iodas in whom they received a further and fuller Accomplishment â—… A Phrase implying Injury joyned with Insolency and Contempt taken from an unâ—…uly Horse which Kicks at him that owns and feeds him against me 10. But thou O LORD be merciful unto me s They Censure me grievously and conclude my Case to be desperate but Lord
Lamp meerly for want of Moysture 5 They are not †Heb. in the Trouble of other Men. in trouble as other men l Either 1. As good Men frequently are Or 2. As Men generally are They do by a secret and favourable Providence of God escape even common Calamities neither are they plagued †Heb. with like other men 6. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain m This Phrase notes both the extent of their Pride which appears on every side of them in their Countenances Discourses Gestures c. and their glorying in it The like may be said of the next Phrase violence covereth them as a garment 7 * Psal. 119. 70. Their eyes stand out with fatness n As they do in some fat Persons though not in others The meaning is They live in great Plenty and Prosperity as the next Clause explains it †Heb. they pass the Thoughts of the Heart they have more than heart could wish 8 They are corrupt o Or dissolved in Pleasure Or they Corrupt themselves and speak wickedly concerning oppression p Wickedly boasting of their Oppressions Either of what they have done or of what they intend to do in that kind they speak loftily q Arrogantly presuming upon their own strength and despising both God and Men. 9 They set their mouth against the heavens r i. e. Against God blaspheming his Name denying or deriding his Providence reviling his Saints and Servants and their tongue walketh through the earth s Using all manner of Liberty introducing and reproaching all sorts of Persons not caring whom they displease or hurt by it 10 Therefore his people t Either 1. The people of those wicked Blasphemers all their Children and Servants and Friends encouraged by their Example Or rather 2. The people of God who is oft understood under the pronoun Relative he or his though he be not expressed as Psal. 105. 19. Isa. 30. 23. See the like Psal. 87. 1. Cant. 1. 2. But then as God's People are of two sorts some that are so really and sincerely and others that are so onely in Profession and shew in which Sence the whole Body of the Israelitish Nation yea even the wicked among them are called his People as Psal. 81. 11. Isa. 1. 3. Ier. 2. 11. c. so this may be understood Either 1. Of those true Israelites v. 1. Even the godly were startled and stumbled at this as David was Psal. 37. and Ieremy Ch. 12. But although they might have some murmuring Thoughts about this Matter it seems not probable that they would either give Way to such Thoughts or break forth into such Expressions as are here ascribed to them v. 11. nor are such things to be imputed to them without necessity nor did either David or Ieremy in their Conflicts utter any thing of this Nature Or rather 2. Of the Carnal and Hypocritical Israelites who perceiving the impunity and Prosperity of these ungodly Wretches were easily drawn to the Approbation and imitation of their Courses And this may seem most suitable to the Context for the Description of the Condition and Carriage and Words of these ungodly men which begins v. 4. seems to be continued to v. 13. then follows the Psalmist's reflection and Consideration upon the whole Matter from v. 13. to the end return hither u Or turn hither i e. To this wicked Company or to their Course and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them x Waters in Scripture do oft times signifie Afflictions and as oft Comforts and Mercies So the Sence may be Either 1. And whilst the wicked prosper God doth wring out Waters out of the Cup of Tribulation and causeth his holy Ones to drink them up Compare Psal. 75. 8. and 80. 5. Isa. 51. 17. Ier. 25. 15. c. Or rather 2. And those Hypocritical Israel's find themselves gainers by their Apostacy and they partake of the same Prosperity with their Leaders and God seems to give them a full Cup of Consolation and to pour forth his Mercies upon them in such abundance as if he would wring or squeeze out all his Blessings out of his stores to bestow upon them And meeting with such success to their Wickedness it is not strange if they put that question v. 11. 11 And they y Either 1. The godly Or rather 2. Those wicked ones whose Words and Actions he hath been hitherto describing or the People Confederate with them For these and such like opinions are oft ascribed to the wicked in Scripture but never as far as I know to any good man And Iob though he used many intemperate Speeches and though some such Expressions as this were charged upon him by his Friends as Iob 22. 13 yet he utterly disowned them say How doth God know and is there knowledge in the most High z Seeing these cursed and impudent Blasphemers of God and Enemies of all goodness are Crowned with so many Blessings how is it Credible that there is a God who sees and Orders the Affairs of this lower World For if God did know these things certainly he neither could or would suffer them to be thus managed 12 Behold these are the ungodly a This is their Condition and Carriage in it These seem to be the Words of the Psalmist summing up the Matter and preparing his passage to the other part of the Psalm who prosper in the world they encrease in riches 13 * Job 21. 15. 34. 9. 35. 3. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain b and * Psal. 26. 6. washed my hands in innocency c i. e. Kept my Hands the great Instrument of Action and consequently the rest of the Members of my Body innocent and pure from evil Practises I have washed my Hands not onely Ceremonially with water wherewith Hypocrites satisfie themselves but also Morally or with the Waters of God's Grace and Spirit Innocency or Purity l Hence I was sometimes tempted to think that Religion was a vain and unprofitable thing at least as to the Happiness of this Life which yet God had promised as a reward to Piety True Religion is here fitly and fully described by its two Principal parts and works the cleansing of the Heart from sinful Lusts and Passions and of the Hands or outward Man from a Course of sinful Actions And although it be God's work to cleanse the Heart yet he saith I have cleansed it because every good man doth Cooperate with God's Grace in cleansing it Compare 2 Cor. 6. 1. and 7. 1. 14 For all the day long have I been plagued and †Heb. 〈◊〉 Chaâ—… was chastened every morning d Whilst their ungodliness hath been attended with constant Prosperity my Piety hath been exercised with continual Afflictions 15 If I say I will speak thus e I will give Sentence for the ungodly in this manner behold I should offend
supposed to be such by reason of that severe Law against these practices in Israelitish women Deut. 23. 17. or are justly reputed Heathens as being degenerate Israelites which are oft called Strangers as hath been noted in the book of the Psalms and partly because conversation with such Persons is forbidden to men as those Israelites which were not Levites are called Strangers Numb 1. 51. in respect of the Holy things which they were prohibited to touch and forbidden Fire is called strange fire Num. 3. 4. * Ch. 5. 3. 6. 24 7. 5. even from the stranger which flattereth with her words d Which useth all arts and ways to allure men to unchast actions one kind being put for all the rest 17. Which forsaketh * Jer. 3. 4. the guide of her youth e To wit her Husband whom she took to be her guide and governour and that in her youth which circumstance is added to aggravate her sin and shame because love is commonly most sincere and servent between an Husband and Wife of youth as they are for that reason emphatically called Prov. 5. 18. Isa. 54. 6. Ioel. 1. 8. Mal. 2. 14 15. and forgetteth f i. e. Violateth or breaketh as that word is commonly used in a practical sense the covenant of her God g The marriage Covenant so called partly because God is the Author and Institutor of that society and mutual Obligation and partly because God is called to be the witness and judge of that solemn Promise and Covenant and the avenger of the transgression of it 18. For her house inclineth unto death h Conversation with her which was most free and usual in her own House is the ready and certain way to Death which it brings many ways by wasting a Mans Vital spirits and shortning his life by exposing him to many and dangerous Diseases which Physicians have declared and proved to be the effects of inordinate lust as also to the fury of jealous Husbands or Friends and sometimes to the Sword of Civil Justice and undoubtedly without repentance to God's wrath and the second Death This is here mentioned as one great priviledge and blessed fruit of Wisdom and her paths unto the dead i Or as the Chaldee and some others render it unto the Giants to wit those rebellious Giants Gen. 6. 4. or as others unto the damned or unto Hâ—…ll See for this word Iob 7. 9. Psal. 88. 11. Prov. 9. 18. 21. 16. 19. None k Few or none An hyperbolical expression used Isa. 64. 7. that go unto her l That go to her House or that lie with her as this Phrase is used Gen. 16. 4. 30. 4. Ios. 2. 3. return again m From her and from this wickedness unto God Adulterers and Whoremongers are very rarely brought to repentance but are generally hardned by the power and deceitfulness of that Lust and by God's just judgment peculiarly inflicted upon such Persons Heb. 13. 4. He alludes to the nature of corporal death from which no man can without a Miracle return to this life neither take they hold of the paths of life n Of those courses which lead to true and eternal Life 20. That thou mayest o This depends upon v. 11 and is mentioned as another happy fruit of Wisdom the former being declared from v. 12. to this Verse walk in the way of good men p Follow the counsels and examples of the godly Whereby he intimates that it is not sufficient to abstain from evil company and practices but that we must choose the conversation of good men and keep the path of the righteous 21. * Psal. 37. 29. For the upright shall dwell in the land q Shall have a peaceable and comfortable abode in the Land oâ—… Canaan which also is a type of their everlasting felicity See Psal. 37. 3 9 18 29. and the perfect shall remain in it 22. * Job 18. 17. Psal. 104. 35. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be ‖ Or pluckt up rooted out of it CHAP. III. 1. MY son forget not my law a My doctrine or counsel or the Law of God which might be called his Law as the Gospel is called Paul's Gospel 2 Tim. 2. 8. because delivered by them * Deut. 8 â—… 30. 16 20. but let thine heart keep my commandments b By diligent meditation and hearty affection 2. For * Chap. 4. 10 22. length of days and †Heb. years of life long life and peace shall they add to thee c God will add these Blessings which he hath promised to the obedient Deut. 8. 18. 30. 20. 1 Tim. 4. 8. 3. Let not mercy and truth d Either 1. God's Mercy and Truth So it is a promise God's Mercy and Truth shall not forsake thee Or rather 2. That Mercy and Truth which is Man's duty So it is a Precept which seems most probable both from the form of the Hebrew Phrase and from the following words of this Verse which are plainly preceptive and from the promise annex'd to the performance of this Precept in the next Verse Mercy and Truth are frequently joyned together as they are in God as Psal. 25. 10. 57. 3. c. or in men as Prov. 16. 6. 20. 28. Hos. 4. 1. and here Mercy notes all that benignity clemency charity and readiness to do good freely to others Truth or Faithfulness respects all those duties which we owe to God or Man to which we have special Obligation from the Rules of Justice forsake thee * Exod. 13. 9. Deut. 6. 8. Ch. 6. 21. 7. 3. bind them about thy neck e Like a Chain wherewith Persons adorn their Necks as it is expressed Chap. 1. 9. which is fastned there and not easily lost which also is continually in ones view write them upon the table of thme heart f Either 1. upon those Tablets which the Iews are said to have worn upon their Breasts which are always in sight So he alludes to Deut. 6. 8. Or 2. in thy mind and heart in which all God's commands are to be received and engraven as is oft required in this Book and every where So the Table of the Heart seems to be opposed to the Tables of Stone in which God's Law was written as it is Ier. 31. 33. 2 Cor. 3. 3. 4. * Psal. 111. 10. So shalt thou find favour g i. e. Obtain acceptance or be gracious and amiable to them and ‖ Or good success good understanding h Whereby to know thy duty and to discern between good and evil The serious practice of Religion 〈◊〉 an excellent mean to get a solid understanding of it as on the contrary a vitious life doth exceedingly debase and darken the mind and keep men from the knowledge of Truth which not onely Scripture but even Heathen
ye with Hierusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoyce for joy with her all ye that mourn for her i There is nothing more ordinary amongst men then for friends and neighbours to meet together with their friends recovered from affliction or brought into a better state to rejoice with them especially such friends as in their afflictions have mourned with them Thus Mary Luk. 1. 40. went to rejoice with Elizabeth and Iobs friends came to rejoice with him Iob 42. 11. The Prophet in like manner calls to all the friends of Hierusalem especially such as in the days of her affliction had mourned for her to come and â—…joice and be glad with her upon the prospect of her better state after the Babylonish Captivity or at least in the time of the Messiah for though joy and gladness be the affection of the Soul that works upon its union with its desirable object and the deliverance of the people out of Babylon was not to be for many years after this nor the Mâ—…ssias to come or many years after that yet faith being the evidence of things not seen there is a rejoicing of hope hope giving the Soul an union with its object hoped for and these things were now prâ—…sent to believers who by faith called the things that were not as if they were because they had the security of a divine Revelation for them and they were already existent in their necessary causes 11 That you may suck and be satisfied with the k Hierusalem is here sâ—…t out as the mother of us all as indeed she was for out of Zion wenâ—… forth the law and the word of the Lord from Hierusaleâ—… Iâ—…aiah 2 3. Christ was of the seed of Abraham he was sent to the losâ—… Sheâ—…p of the house of Israel and is called Rom. 15. 8. the Minister of the Circumcision they were the Olive the Branches the Gentiles but a wild Olive grafted in amongst them Rom. 11. 17. we sucked at their breasts Christ was first preached to them the 12. the 70. were all of them breasts of her consolations l The Gospel doctrine was their breasts of consolation Christ was in the first place that you may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory m The glory of the pâ—…ple Israel though he was also a light to lighten the Gentiles Lu. 2. 32. we are required to rejoice with Hierusalem That we may suck and be Satisfied c. Intimating that our joy should not be a meer act of charity to them but a proper expression of our sense of Gods goodness to our selves who should suck and be Satisfied from the glad tidings of the Gospel first published unto them and our selves be inlightned from what was at first the glory of Israel 12 For thus saith the Lord Behold I * Chap. 48. 18. 60. 5. will extend peace to her like a river and the glory of the Gentiles n That this promise respects the times of the Messias seems plain not only from the consideration that no history giveth us any account of any great or long peace or prosperity the Jews had before that time nor indeed then if we understand it not of a Spiritual Gospel peace which Christ preached to them that were nigh as well as to those â—…sar off Eph. 2. 17. like a flowing stream o It also appears from the mention of the glorâ—… of the Gentiles aâ—… a flowing stream which can hardly be understood of any thing but Christ and the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles But I leave it to the issues of Providence to expound and determine whether the Prophecy of this text doth not relate to a further conversion and calling of the Jews then â—…ath been yet seen then shall ye * Cha. 60. 16. suck p When Christ was revealed to the Jews not those only of the Gentiles but those of the Jews who belonged to Gods election sucked Gospel doctrine the Gentiles were born upon the sides of Hierusalem and dandled upon her knees as first hearing from the Apostles who were some of the Daughters of Hierusalem members of the Jewish-Church the glad tidings of Salvation ye shall be * Chap. 49. 22. 60. 4. born upon her sides and be dandled upon her knees q. 13 r That is in the most tender and compassionating way imaginable the husband doth not comfort his wife with that tenderness and those bowels that the mother comforteth the Child after it hath received some fall or mischief Hierusalem now mourneth and you moâ—…rn with her but she shall recover from her affliction and from her sorrows and shall be comforted and you that mourn for her shall partake of her joys as you now share with her in her afflictions God in the day that he wipeth tears from her Eyes shall also wipe them from yours and you shall have as great an occasion of joy from the happy as now you have of sorrow from the afflicted state of Hierusalem As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted in Hierusalem 14 And when you see this your heart shall rejoice and your bones shall flourish like an herb u The peace and tranquillity of the Church and the propagation of the Kingdom of Christ is always the cause of an heart rejoycing to such as fear God Psal. 105. 3. the reason is because it is the greatest object of their desires which are then satisfied and their thoughts are then at rest and besides they are members of the same body so as their own bones which before are dry and withered Eze. 37. 1 2. and the sinews and the flesh comes again upon them and the skin covers them above so as they flourish like an herb in the spring all whose verdure and beauty in the winter was concealed in the root hid in the earth and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants x And in this the power protection and influence of God for of and upon such as truly serve and obey him shall be made manifest and known and his indignation toward his Enemies y But the wicked shall be under a quite contrary dispensation Psal. 1. 4. As they have had a day which hath been to you the power of darkness so you shall have a day which shall be to them the power of darkness as Gods hand shall be upon and toward such as fear me to cover and bless and influence them so his indignation shall in that day be shewed towards those of your nation who have declared themselves the enemies of the Lord. 15 For behold the Lord will come with fire z Here the Prophet comes more particularly to expound what indignation should be shewed towards his enemies That is with terrible Judgments nothing being more terrible and wasting then fire or with fire in a proper sense understanding it of the