r PRINCETON, N. J. Part i>> the i <• ADDISON ALEXANDER LIBIURT, % X wlii;li v,-a9 presented by - >l I) ■ Messk^. i;. 1>. AND A. STUiKT . 1 j Shi'lf. o Divisior, Sectior No 13SI4-' THE BOOK OF THE PATRIARCH JOB, TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL HEBREW, AS NEAKLY AS POSSIBLE IN THE TERMS AND STYLE OF THE AUTHORISED ENGLISH VERSION, TO WHICH IS PREFIXED AN INTRODUCTION, ON THE HISTORY, TLMES, COUNTRY, FRIENDS, AND BOOK OF THE PATRIARCH ; WITH SOME STRICTURES ON THE STATEMENTS OF BISHOP WARBURTON, AND OF THE RATIONALISTS OF GERMANY, ON THE SAME SUBJECTS. AND TO WHICH IS APPENDED A COMMENTARY, ©vitical ant) lExcgctical, CONTAINING ELUCIDATIONS OF MANY OTHER PASSAGES OF HOLY WRIT. INSCRIBED, BY PERMISSION, TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF SUSSEX. By SAMUEL LEE, D.D. D.D. OF THE UNIVERSITY OK HALLB ; HONORARY MKMliKR OF THE ASIATIC SOCIETY OF PARI AND OK THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF KHODK ISLAND; I\IKHIREIl OK THE ROVAL ASIATIC SOCIETY OP GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, AND OK THE ORIENTAL TRANSLATION CO.M.MITTEE, ETC. ; PK KHENDARY OF BRISTOL ; VICAR OF BANWELL ; AND REGIUS PROFESSOR OF HEBREW IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDOK.ji^ LONDON: JAMES Duncan, paternostek row M.L)CCC.XXX\'II. \ LONDON: PRINTED By JAMES MOVES, CASTLE STREET, LEICESTER SQUARE. HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE AUGUSTUS FREDERICK, DUKE OF SUSSEX, K.G. K.T. C.C.Il. D.C.L. ETC. ETC. THIS ENDEAVOUR TO TRANSLATE AND ELUCIDATE THE MOST ANCIENT COMPLETE DOCTRINAL PORTION OF SCRIPTURE NOW EXISTING; THE BOOK OF THE PRINCE AND PATRIARCH JOB, IN GRATEFUL AND LASTING TESTIMONY OF THE MANY AND GREAT ADVANTAGES DERIVED FROM A FREE USE OF THE SPLENDID BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL LIBRARY COLLECTED BY HIS ROY'AL HIGHNESS; AND OF THE VERY MANY SIGNAL INSTANCES OF ENCOURAGING CONDESCENSIOJ AND REAL KINDNESS EXPERIENCED AT A TIME AND UNDER CII^CUMSTANCES WHICH GAVE THEM A PECULIAR INTEREST AND VALUE, 15V I'KH.MISSION OF HIS ROVAL JJIGHNESS, MOST RE.SPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY TIIK TRAN.SLATOR AND AITIIOR. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. PAGL Preliminauy Remarks 1-6 SECTION I. On the question, Whether Job was a real Person or not ? 6-12 SECTION II. The Objections of Bishop Warburton and others, to the strictly historical Character of the Book of Job, ex- amined 12-28 SECTION III. On the questions, Where, and at what Period, Job lived ? 28-35 SECTION IV. On the question, As to Who committed this "Book to writing ? 36-48 SECTION V. On the Lanq:uage, Usages, and general Contents of the Book of Job 48-56 SECTION VI. On the Doctrines found in this Book 57-65 SECTION VII. On the Quotations, &c. found in this Book, as made from former Revelations, or pointing to them re- spectively ; and also on those found in subsequent Scriptures, as taken from this Book, or alluding to it 65-89 Vi CONTENTS. SECTION VIII. On the TransKition and Interpretation of Scripture gene- rally, and cfthis Book in particular, as adopted in this Work 90-1 1 1 SECTION IX. On the Scope and Object of this Book 111-113 TRANSLATION. On Job's place of residence, his children, origin, and cause of his trials ; visit of his Friends. Chh. i. ii... 117-120 Job reviles his day, laments his existence, and wishes for death. Ch. iii 120-121 Eliphaz replies, setting forth God's providence, and the blessedness of afflictions sent by him on good men. Chh. iv. v 121-124 Job rejoins, lamenting his afflictions, and the want of sympathy in his friends. Chh. vi. vii 124-127 Bildad rebukes Job, and vindicates the justice of God from various considerations. Ch. viii 127-128 Job rejoins, allowing his own sinfulness and God's jus- tice, laments the unprofitableness of his i>late. 10 INTRODUCTION. characters mentioned seem intended to be taken as real. For, first, Job is joined with Noah and Daniel ; who were, beyond all doubt, real characters. In the next place, they are all spoken of as real and living men ; for it is said, ** they should deliver hut their own souls by their righteous- ness." And, in another place (ver. 18), " they shall deliver neither suns nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves." We hear nothing, indeed, in the Scriptures, of the sons or daughters of Daniel : but we are told of the sons of Noah, and of the sons and daughters^ of Job. In this last place, therefore, allusion was perhaps made to the daughters of Job only : and, this is made as of real, and not of fictitious, characters. Besides, had either the book, or the character, of Job been parabolic, no such allusion could have been made at all : it would have been vain and futile, and, therefore, what never is done in the Sacred Scriptures. We have another direct allusion to the character of Job in the Scriptures, and this is in the Epistle of St. James. The words are these (chap. v. 11): "Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord." No doubt can be entertained on the point, that Job is here cited as a real person ; that the patience mentioned is as much the patience of a real man, as the sufferings also mentioned are those of our blessed Lord, and not of any imaginary being.^ From these considerations, we cannot but conclude that Job was a real person. The circumstances of the narrative are such as are incompatible with the enunciation of parable; and such, therefore, as never can, and never do, accompany ' We are told by Bishop Warburton, however (Divine Legation, vol. v. p. 2(J), that Ezekiel and St. James, although citing the name of Job expressly, " do not refer to the Book of Job at all." It is very true, they do not mention the book by name : but, it may be asked, Where was the righteousness of Job to be found in the times of Ezekiel, or the patience, in those of St. James, if it was not in the book which went under his name ? That the book was in circulation in the times of St. James, there can be no doubt, from the circum- stance that the (ireek translation of the LXX. was then well known, and also from St. Paul's citation of this book. And, if so, it would be an unnecessary, and certainly an unlikely, supposition, that the passage in Ezekiel rested upon the authority of tradition. It is true, indeed, neither St. James, St. Paul, nor Ezekiel, enters into any discussion respecting the character of the Book of Job; but, as they evidently refer to it, or cite it, the book itself must have been con- sideied as truly detailing the circunisluuces relating to the patriarch. INTRODUCTION. . 11 it. Of allegories the Sacred Scriptures knew nothing-. The Book of Job, therefore, cannot Ije an allegory, unless it be supposed to form a very remarkable exception to all the other books of the Bible. But this would be to suppose too much; unless, indeed, we had either very good authority for the supposition, or else very strong arguments for its support. Neither, however, has hitherto been produced ; and I pre- sume cannot ; and consequently never will. There is, however, an opinion held by some, — and it has been particularly defended by Bishop Warbui-ton, — Avhich goes to maintain that, although Job himself might have been a real character, still the book bearing his name, and pro- fessing to detail the circumstances of his life, might be ficti- tious and dramatical : in other words, it might, like the tragedies of iSschylus or Shakespeare, contain much of true history, mixed up with other matter of a purely poetical nature, added for the sole purpose of recommending the virtues priucii)ally intended to be taught. On this point Bishop Warbiirton^ is very earnest and full. The rules given by Aristotle and Horace, for judging of such poetry, are quoted as decisions from which there is no appeal : and, therefore, as all-convincing on this question. I cannot help thinking, nevertheless, that the whole of this is extremely unhappy: because, we are now judging of a book which, as to style, sentiment, subject, language, and date, is as far removed from every thing of Greek or Latin origin and character, as it is possible to imagine. But this may be got over, could it be shewn that the drama was common to both the East and the West. No such thing, however, can be shewn. Neither the Hebrews, Chaldeans, Syrians, nor Arabians, as far as we know, ever yet enter- tained any thing like the drama of Greece, or, in the least degree assimilated, either to its dramatic or epic composition. ' Divine Legation, ed. 17^'"', vol. v. pp. 18-25; and, after him, the critics of modern Germany. 8o Doederlein, as cited hy Rosenmiiller, Proleij. in Job, p. 8 : " Equidem si quid verinn video, Johi memoriam diu conservavit traditio, populare iiistoriaruni inter orientales promptiiarium, qtiam scriptor sacer arrep- tam expolivit .... veliit de Ulysse Homerus, de TEnea Virgilius ; multa autem adderet de ingenio suo," &c. And M. Rosenniiiller : " Qtiod Homerus, Epopccse l)arens et tragici apud Grajcos oiim poeta; factitarunt .... Qua; vero poetaj ingenio, (pia; vera; Listoriu; biiit di'putanda, nemo hodic nostrum unquara conlkiat.'' 12 INTRODUCTION. To attempt, therefore, to judge of the writings of one nation by the laws set up by the writers of another, diffei-ing from the former in language, modes of thinking, customs, origin, and date, as widely as can be supposed, appears to me to be an effort as far removed from sound criticism, as it is from the requirements of common sense : and yet, this is the sort of argument most earnestly pressed by Bishop Warburton against the historical character of the Book of Job, and most frequently brought forward by the very learned critics of modern Germany for the same purpose. All 1 shall now say of this mode of arguing is, that it cannot be relied upon. The particular objections urged, both by the bishop and this school of divines, will be more particularly noticed in the next section. SECTION II. THE OBJECTIONS OF BIgHOP WARBURTON, AND OTHERS, TO THE STRICTLY HISTORICAL CHARACTER OF THE BOOK OF JOB, EXAMINED. These objections may all be arranged under one head or class, as they consist entirely of passages taken from this book, which, it is said, will not admit of a strictly historical interpretation : and, the inference is, that, as these are not historical in the true sense of the term, neither can the book be which contains them. To this inference, however, even if we allow the premises, very serious objections may be made. For, although we may allow that certain parts of any book may be parabolic, or otherwise figurative, still, we are not at liberty to affirm, that, therefore, the whole work is so. We have parables, for instance, in the gospels : but, are we hence to conclude, that the whole of these books are para- bolic ; and that nothing like real history is to be found in them? We have, too, in the Book of Judges, Jotham's fable of the trees. Are we, therefore, to conclude that this book contains no true history, but is either totally parabolic, or else written upon the model of the drama of Greece or Rome? The man would be considered scarcely in his senses, who should make such an assertion as this ; and yet he would do INTRODUCTION. 13 neither more nor less than wliat has been done by Bishop Warburton, and his followers, with this Book of Job. But let us come to the particulars, and consider the objections themselves in detail. The first, and perhaps the most formidable, passage of this sort is found in the first chapter of the Book of Job, and is repeated in the second. It is to this effect : On a certain day the sons of God presented themselves before Jehovah : at the same time, and in the same place, Satan^ also presented himself. A dialogue took place between God and the accusing spirit, in which the latter is said to have been walking up and down in the earth, &c. All of which, it is affirmed, must be fictitious and parabolical. My reply to this is : It is very far from certain, that even this must be fictitious. It is, I am well aware, extremely easy to say that any thing which may appear strange or unintelligible to us, must be either fictitious or poetical ; and, lience to conclude, that every thing connected with it must be fictitious likewise : because, /brsooth, certain portions of the Greek and Latin authors can be made out in no other way ! It becomes us, however, carefully to inquire, whether ' It is a favourite notion with the divines of modern Germany that, because this word (Satan) does not occur in this sense in the earliest books of the Bible, it must have been adopted by the Jews when in Babylon, in imitation of the Chaldean theology ; and then to argue that, because this is the case, every book in which it is found is of a date subsequent to the captivity: which clearly is a mere assumption. So Winer (Lex. Simon.) and Gesenius, sub voce, " In libris post exilium Babylonicum scriptis." — " Genius malus in recentiorum Jud^orum theologia," &c. Michaelis, however, has well remarked that, although this word does not appear in those elder books, it cannot thence be allied that it was not in use. (See Rosenmiiller, in loc.) The argument is, therefore, good for nothing. I remark, although the word {ys;:) does not occur in this sense, the doctrine on which it is founded does ; and this, among the very earliest of scriptural declarations. For, in Gen. iii. 15, it is said, *' I will put enmity (~r's) between thee and the woman," &c. : which virtually constituted the Tempter an enemy (3"'s, a term synonymous with l-b, and occasionally used in the same sense). We are then told, that the woman's seed (which, St. Paul tells us, is Christ) should bniise the serpent's, that is, this enemy's head ; and the author of the book of the Revelation expressly tells us, that tliis serpent is, the Devil and Satan. We need not, therefore, lie sent to Chaldea for the notion included in this term : and, if we were, it is more than any one of these very learned men can do to prove, that this notion was conveyed under the term ys^ by the Chaldean philosophers. The whole, therefore, of this very erudite matter rests on assumptions which have no foundation. 14 INTRODUCTION. this is the case ; because, should we happen to be wrong, it will avail but little to urge in excuse, that the classic authors can be viewed in no other light. In the present case, there certainly is enough in our hands to enable us to take a different, and, perhaps, a more correct, view of this question; and this we now j^roceed to consider. The objections to the passage alluded to, seem to be grounded on the assumption, that the events mentioned could not have really taken place. I am inclined to believe, however, that, in whatever light we view these events, the olyections themselves will have no weight. For, in the first place, it is no new thing with the sacred writers, even in these early days, to speak of revelations of the Almighty, of angels, and of the tempter of mankind, in terms the most simple and positive. Take, for example, the instances in which God is said to have conversed with the father of mankind, and, on one occasion, in the presence of the tempter.^ On another. He appeared to Cain; and, on several others, He either appeared, or made revelations to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob : and, in one instance, apparently accompanied by angels." Rebekah too, we read, went to inquire of the Lord:^ and the revelation given to Jacob at Bethel, afforded a vision of the Almighty attended by his angels.** It might be added, the account of the Creation, given in the early part of Genesis, must have been matter of Divine revelation, at what period soever we sup- pose it to have been given. My oAvn opinion is, that it was given as such to the patriarchs : my reasons will appear hereafter. And, if this be the case, we need not be surprised at revelations of this sort being made before the times of Job ; and the doctrine respecting angels, both good and bad, being known long before the captivity. If, then, we suppose the first two chapters of this book to have been written as early as the times of Job (and these times we shall presently fix), their contents will present no difficulty whatever, if we suppose them to contain matter of revelation given for the purpose of aftbrding a key to the whole work. It is true we are not told in so many words, ivhen, or in ichat jmrticular way, this revelation was given ; ' Gen. iii. <)-20. ' II). xviii. ' II). xxv. 22. '' lb. xxviii. 12. &c. INTRODUCTION. 15 but the same might be said of the revelations made to Cain, to Noah, to Abram, and, on some occasions, to Isaac and Jacob. If it was here given by vision, as happened on one occasion to Abraham,^ to Abimelech,- to Laban,^ and to Jacob,* all will be easy and obvious. And, as we can see why this revelation was made, viz. to enable the reader to ascribe the events occurring in the history to their just causes ; and thence to see, as he went on, what the mistakes of Job's friends were, we need no more wonder at what has been termed the extraordinary matter occurring in this portion of the book. I am of opinion, however (and for this my reasons will presently be given), that this portion of the book, together with the last chapter, was written after the times of Job, and that it was the production of Moses. In his days, we are told more than once, that God appeared and made revelations to him, and to the whole people of Israel, either by open declarations, or by means of the Urim and Thummim, in whatever way tbis last was effected. I am inclined, more- over, to believe, that the revelation now alluded to, was given by vision, detailing the matter just as we find it recorded. Of this sort was the vision of Jacob at Bethel,^ and of Micaiah the son of Imlah.^ In this last, too, we have the agency of an evil spirit adverted to, just as we have in the Book of Job ; and this spirit likewise engaged in con- verse with the Almighty : and all before the Babylonian captivity ! Whetiier these visions exhibited what actually took place, or only afforded a representation of something intended to be taught, is another question, and one on which I have already stated my opinion.' All that was necessary on this, or any other similar occasion, was, that something should be held up to the mind of the person so favoured, sufficient to impart the truths intended to be recorded; which, when recorded, ' Gen. XV. 1-12. - lb. xx. 3. ^ lb. xxxi. 24. •» lb. xxviii. 12-17. ^^'^e have moreover a vision mentioned in Job, iv. 12-21, and probably again in chap. vii. 14. In ch. xxxviil. 1, &c. we have the appearance of Jehovah in the whirlwind ; wliich exhibits a revelation in no way more wonderful or incredible than any of the preceding, or of the revelation afforded to IMoses more than once on Mount Sinai. 5 Gen. xxviii, 12. « 1 Kings, xxii. 17-23. ' My Sermons and Dissertations, p. 232, and note on ch. i. «, below. 16 INTRODUCTION. would be real history ; that is, of such things as composed the vision, and not parable or allegory : and such were the visions' of Moses and the elders, Exod. xxiv. 10, of Isa. vi.l, Ezek. i., &c. Zech. i. 8, Rev. i. &c. given, as it should seem, for the purpose of stamping those scriptures with authority. If, then, this be the case, the exhibition alluded to can in no way injure the historical character of the Book of Job, no more than the visioyis and revelations just noticed do the historical character of the books in which they are found. And if this portion was committed to writing some time after the body of the work itself was, and for the purpose of affording a key to its scope and meaning; and if this was done by an inspired person ; so far will it be from adding any thing obscure or fictitious to the character of the work, that, on the contrary, it will constitute one of its most instructive and valuable portions. The language used, in- deed, may seem to savour of the marvellous, and appear strange to persons unaccustomed to such statements ; it ought, however, to be remembered, that Holy Writ universally takes its stand on superhuman agency. From its first to its last verse it argues from this as from a point not to be disputed ; and, whether it propose mercies, or denounce vengeance, these, as they take their rise, so do they their ' Of lliis sort oi vision, I tluiik the account of the creation of Eve presents an instance, Gen. ii. 21, wliere we are told that God caused a deep sleep (rather ait ecstasy, "'^"'''i! LXX. sxa-Tao-jv) to faU upon Adam. It is added, y^"'! and he slept ; which taken prwgnanti sensu, may signify, and he dreamt. (Compare 1 Kings, xix. 5, and Job, iv. 13, where Eliphaz has a similar vision.) The account goes on, " And he took one of his ribs," &c. i. c. so the affair appeared to Adam, whether in fact it was so or not. And, accordingly, we are told in tlie next verse, that '■'Adam said. This is now hone of my bone Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother .... and they shall be one Jlesh.^'' Adam, it should seem, had in his ecstasy witnessed this process; and hence, as soon as Eve was brought to him, he made this declaration, and for the obvious end of ratifying marriage as a rite instituted by God himself, in which the persons joined should for ever be considered as inseparably one. (Comp. .llatt. xix. .'',-!); :\Iark, x. G-10; 1 Cor. vi. 10.) If this may be relied on, this contract, considered as a mere civil rite, is heathenish, and in direct opposition to God's revealed word.— Ephrem Syrus, speaking of the appearance ro •>■ •} ■> ->\ -»ii? ->\ o 0 0 7 of Satan liere, says, ^^yo^ ^o V\qa>> ou.a\2^ Vi jooi >aD» jv^^j- Just as he stood at the right hand of .Joshua the son of Josedeck Which certainly was in a vision. The " sons of Cod," he thinks, represented Job and his children — IMilton took the account of Eve's creation in the same way. INTRODUCTION. 17 fulfilment, fi-om the exertion of powers in evoiy respect superhuman. Another ohjection usually brouglit against the consider- ation of this book's being historical is, that it is not only written in measured verse, but also partakes of all that fervour and feeling which constitute real poetry.^ Witli regard to the first of these objections it may be said, that hitherto no one has been able to shew that this book, or, indeed, any other in the Hebrew Bible, is written in measured verse. Jerome, it is true, makes the assertion that this is the case;- but then he does not confine the remark to the Book of Job ; he extends it to the Psalms, Lamentations, and some other parts of the Hebrew Scriptures. Still, the assertion is worth nothing, as neither Jerome nor any other person could, or can to this very day, give proof of its truth. The whole must, therefore, stand for nothing. ' Warburton's Divine Legation, vol- v. p. 1,5. Rosenmiilleri Prolegomena in Jol)nm. 1824, p. fi, &;c. The words of Rosenraiiller are : " Niim til)i credibile fiat, miserum Jiominem, moerore confectum, ac morbo siiperincumbente jam absumptum et seminecem, eum iiiquam, velut pro condone diceret, sermones adeo longos tanto apparatu, tanta copia, tot figiirarum luminilms distinctos, quin et metri legibus aclstriclos, cum familiaribus hai)uisse ?" But, at page 900 of the very same work, we have: " Veterum autem Hebrajorum metricam restituendi conatum quod attinet, meum facio Robert! Lowthi judicium Quod ad veros versuum Hebraicorum numeros, et rhythmum et modulationem attinet, id omne et penitns ignotum esse, et nulla unquam arte ant indnstiia humana invesligari posse, ex ipsa rei natura satis apparet. Manifestum est, aniiqiiam et veram Hebra'ica pronuntianili ralionem omnino esse ignotam,^^ &c. Although, therefore, the versification of Job is sufficient, in the Preface, to rank the book among fictitious productions ; yet, when the question about Hebrew poetry comes to be mooted, it turns out that ]M. Rosenmiiller believes in the existence of no such thing ! ^ " Job, exemplar patientia>, qua? non mysteria suo sermone complectitur ? Prosa incipit, versu labitur, pedestri sermone finitur." — Epist. ad Paulinum. And again, in his Preface to the Book of Job : " A principio itaque voluminis usque ad verba Job, apud Hebrneos prosa oratio est. Porro a verbis Job, in quibus ait: Pereat dies .... usqtie ad eum locum, ubi ante finem voluminis scriptum est : idcirco me repreliendo .... liexaraetri versus sunt dactylo spondaeoque currentes, et propter linguae idioma crebro recipieutes et alios pedes, non earundem syllabarum, sed eonindem temportun, &c." .... " Quod si cui videtur incredulum, metra scilicet esse apud Ilebrajos, et in morem nostri ,Flacci, Grseci. fit. p. IC, &c. * Tliis, uiigroiiiided as it is, seems to have been tlimit;lit too good liy RosenniiilliT not to be bronglit i'oiwiird again, and retailed with interest. His 1NTU()DUCT[0\. 19 work to lie dramat'ical, and we iuimediately see tlie reiison of their behaviour. For, had they not been indulged in their strange captious humour, the author never could have pro- duced a piece of that integrity of action which a scenic representation demanded." And again, " We shall shew, when we come to examine the moral of the poem, that nature is exactly followed ; for, that imdor these three miserable comforters, how true friends soever in the fable, certain folse fiiends were intended to be shadowed out in the inoral."^ I have been the more particular in giving these objec- tions in their author's own words, because since his times they have been repeated again and again as incontrovertible. Let us now consider them in the order in which they are given. In the first place, then, we are told that these friends seem entirely to have forgotten their errand, and to have commenced a system of wrangling and contradiction, such as to shew, that they were far more intent upon victory than upon consoling their afflicted friend. I would only ask here, Is not this a little overdone? These friends do, indeed, dispute with Job on the cause of his calamity ; but are the terms used of so acrimonious and unfeeling a character, as to warrant the conclusion here arrived at? I doubt this. Again, as these three friends were manifestly believers in God's sovereignty and goodness ; Was it, I would ask, in- compatible with the office of true friendship, to endeavour to ascertain, and thence to remove, the causes which might have led to Job's calamities? Their endeavour appears to me to have been a most rational one, and well timed. That they laboured under considerable mistake, is certain from the words of the Almighty himself: but then, it was a mistake to which all men are liable ; and, if we only con- sider the little light afforded in those early days on subjects so very absti'use as this is, we shall not wonder, perhaps, to find these men so much mistaken. Besides, although their error is pointed out and reprobated, their evil dispositions words are: '• Qiiis iiUerea Uiciis perditissimorum nebulonum, misera viri saiictissimi clade exsultantium, sannis, triumpliis, contiimeliis, quilnis se lui- diqiie, iiec semel impetitum queritiir ?" I would merely ask, would iM. Roseii- miillBr have so readily taken all this upon trust, had it not tended materially to advance the views of his school ? ' Ararliurton, lib. cit. pp. 18-21 ; Rospnmiillcr, il«. p. f?. 20 INTRODUCTION. and conduct are never so much as once mentioned, or even hinted at. I am disposed, therefore, to view their characters in a light a Httle diiferent from that mentioned above ; and to believe that, however they erred in word or deed, their intentions were good and sincere ; and, farther, that their con- duct was strictly in unison with the sentiment delivered by the Psalmist : " Let the righteous smite me ; it shall be a Mild- ness : and let him reprove me ; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head." ^ True friendship does not necessarily consist in the use of none but smooth words ; and, if it be supposed that a friend is suffering through ignorance or error, it will not, perhaps, be amiss to use a little sharpness,- for the purpose of relieving him from his sufferings. In the case before us, no such acrimony can be shewn to have been evinced, as the extract above made would imply. All that can be said is, that these friends are im- portunate and in earnest in framing and urging arguments, which, it appears, are not well founded. We may now examine the remaining statements just cited. It is implied, then, that these characters are un- natural, if we suppose the work to be historical ; but na- tural, if we suppose it to be dramatical : that these men may be considered friends, as far as the fable is concerned ; but false, that is, really foes, as far as the moral is. I am inclined to think, that we have a little misapprehension here, which has grown out of distinctions no where really existing. We are told, that it would be unnatural in history ' Psalm cxli. 5: compare Prov. ix. 8; xix. 25; xxv. 12; Eccles. vii. 5. Nothing is more common than sentiments of this sort among tlie Arabian moralists. Elnawabig, for example, edit. H. A. Schultens, 1772, has the following: ,,.,=?.. ,. i. i=% •• ^ " Invenit socium, fjui sincere admoneal ; putavitque esse cornri, qxiod eum impeteret." And again : " Quid impedit dictum sincere monenlis, quo mimis placeat iibi 7 Quuni is uliquc sit, qui consuat laceras vestes tuas.'" 2 2 Cor. xiii. 10; Titus, i. 13. I\Ir. Good carries the matter here much farther. He tells us (p. xxvi. of his Dissertation), that "■ the patriarch's friends, stimulated unquestionably hy the secret impulse of Satan, have agreed, &c. . . . and so make Job's cup of agony itrimful !" INTRODUCTION. 21 to find persons pretending to be friends, who really were enemies ; but that, in the draimt, this would be both natural, and calculated to keep up integrity in the action: which, we are to infer, constitutes a considerable part of the decorum, the 70 T^jcroi/ of Aristotle, &c. Surely it might have occurred to Bishop Warburton, that nothing is more common in real life than the fact of pretended friendship, offered by per- sons who are real enemies ; and that real history abounds watli relations of this sort. And again, that the drama, poetical fiction, and the like, are interesting and good, only in proportion as they represent the incidences of real life, or the occurrences of real history. How this very ingenious writer could have allowed himself to argue in this absurd way, or how his very learned admirers of the Neologian school of Germany, could have adopted reasoning so obviously weak and foolish, I leave it to others to determine. Let us now see how this matter is managed under the moral intended. We are told, then, that *' these things are very discordant, if understood of one and the same person ; and can never be reconciled but on the supposition of an allegorical reference to another character : and on that," it is added, " all will be right." ^ In addition, then, to the drama, with which we originally set out, we now have allegory to deal with ! and a more slippery and fugitive thing, perhaps, could not have been thought of. In this. Job, although allowed to be a real personage, is made to sustain the character of the Jewish people ; his wife, that of the heathen ; his daughters, that of the daughters of Ismael ; and his three friends, those of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem." And we are then told, that *' the marks of resemblance between the allegorical and real persons, are many and strong."^ In order, therefore, to reconcile these characters to the decorum necessary, and to good writing, we are now, not to have recourse to the drama only, as tauo-ht and exhibited amons: the Greeks and Latins, but to ' Divine Legation, ib. p. 68, &c. ^ Nebem. ii. 10, 19, &c. ■• Divine Legation, lib. cit. p. 85. I would ask, if these resemlilances are many and strong, as here affirmed, how does it happen that the patience and piety of Job, which this book so evidently teaches, aie never to i)e found in the history of the Jewish people at all ? One would have supposed, that the yreat character sustained by Job would have found a strong resemblance iu 22 INTRODUCTION. an allegorical drama, — a new thing in tlie earth, such as eye hath not seen, nor ear hitherto heard of! And all for the purpose of reconnncnding an hypothesis, palpahly at war with the text, and, indeed, with every sentiment delivered in this ancient and venerable book ! It certainly would be a waste of words, to set about refuting the many and extra- ordinary puerilities here advanced for the support of this hypothesis; as it also would, to consider the many a7id strong resemUances said to mark respectively these real and allegorical characters. I will spare myself the pains, therefore, and my readers the mortification which they could not but experience, in being dragged thi-ough an exposure of the failings of this very able, but whimsical man. — I will only remark, that all this is perfectly accountable on the supposition (which is, indeed, the fact), that the principles of Scriptural interpretation were but ill understood during the tinjes of this bold and highly theoretic popular writer ; and, that to this circumstance must all the extraordinary positions just adverted to be ascribed. There are, moreover, some other things, which it is thought could never have occurred in real history ; such as the round and doubled numbers found in the several accounts of Job's children, his sheep, camels, oxen, his she-asses, and the years of his own life. His sons, we are told, are seven; his daughters three, vi\\\ch SiV^ sacred numbers: these cannot, therefore, be considered as real. Again, his sheep are seven thousand in number ; his camels, three thousand ; his oxen are one thousand ; his she-asses are five hundred, just the one-half of his oxen ! These, again, in the days of his last prosperity, are all doubled; and, what is still less likely, he is favoured with seven other sons, and three daughters, by the wife who had been mother of the first, who must now have been an old woman, and who was, at best, far from being a blessing to her husband.^ this case at least. The truth is, however, there is nothing like a resemblance to be found. And again, if the history of the Jews was thus to be por- trayed, how is it to be accounted foi-, ihat not so nnich as one notice, no, nor even allusion, to that people is to be found throughout the whole work ? Once more, if we are to go on interpreting the Holy Scriptures by fancied rescni- blances such as these, Where is it likely we sliall end, particularly if we can satisfy ourselves with such resemblances as those just JU)liced ? ' Koocnmiiller, I'mlc;^. in .Job, p, b. INTRODUCTION. 23 This is, indeed, a large list of objections, and seems at first sight a vei-y formidable one. Upon a little considera- tion, however, we shall find that it only seems so ; the fact being, that this is nothing more than what is constantly found in real history. In the first place, then, as to the round numbers found in these several statements. It would be a work of supererogation, certainly, to prove that his- torians do universally use round numbers in their details of armies, population, and the like. But suppose we had, in these enumerations, instead of seven thousand sheep, seven thousand four hundred and fifty-three, of which two thou- sand three hundred and twenty-six were lambs, and so on of the rest ; Would the account have now appeared more truly historical, and less fictitious, than it does at present? I think not. Besides, the objection would now have been, that all this was too precise to savour of truth ; that there was a particularity about it, which w^as sufficient to shew that the whole was false. In this case, therefore, we have just what might have been expected, and indeed what we always have in real history ; and, so far, we have nothing to dread from these statements. In the next place, we are told that the numbers seven and three are sacred, or mysterious ; and, therefore, it is unlikely that the relation is strictly historical. My reply is, the number seven is certainly used by the Hebrews to signify many indefinitely, in perhaps niore cases than any other. But then, this grew out of appointments over which that nation could exercise no control. The observance of weeks consisting o^ seven days, seems to be quite as ancient as the times of creation ;i and hence, mention is made of that period in the times of Noah. The circumstance of the clean animals being preserved in the ark by sevens, seems to intimate nothing more than a sufficient provision for the purposes of sacrifice ; for we read, that on Noah's leaving the ark, he took of these and sacrificed to the Lord. In after times the feast of weeks occurring after seven whole weeks had been numbered from the passover, with one additional day ; as well as the observance of the seventh month for the feast of tabernacles ; to which may be added tiie sabbatical vears ' See my Sermon on the Subbatli, with the notes, second edition. 21- INTRODUCTION. and jubilees, constituted periods which were sacred, indeed, but which depended not on man for their appointment. And, as we have reason to believe, that these particular periods were intended to keep up the memory of the six days' work of creation, and of the seventh day's rest, Ave need not be surprised at this number being more frequently in use than some others among the Jews, or at its being particularly marked even in the times of Job. The use of the number three^ however, is far more limited, and occurs, perhaps, less frequently in both Testaments than many others, which confessedly have nothing sacred about them. I deny, however, that any thing like a superstitious use is made of either of these numbers in the Holy Scrip- tures. What modern Jews may do in these cases, it con- cerns not me to inquire. But, were we disposed to make the inquiry, we should find, perhaps, as well among them as among the heatlien (of whom they now really constitute a part), that scarcely any number has not, first or last, been applied to superstitious purposes, and may, therefore, be termed sacred. But, if some of these numbers happen to fall in with those of seven and three ; Hoav does it happen, supposing the whole to be fictitious, that all the other numbers are not of this sacred character? How is it, that the oxen were vne thousand in number, and the she-asses jive hundred? Are these also sacred numbers ? No ; but then jive hundred is just the half of one thousand. And, Is this a sacred frac- tion ? 01-, Are any of the other numbers thus regulated ? No such thing! And, after all, there is, perhaps, quite as great a variety in the numbers hei'e given, as there is in any historical work whatsoever ; and all that can be said of the objection is, that it is made merely because these numbers are not different from what they are; and may, with just as good a grace, be made to any other numbers whatsoever, and to every real history in the world ! Again, it is likewise incredible that these round, mysteri- ous, &c. numbers could be exactly doubled, as stated in the latter times of Job's prosperity, if his work contains real history. My answer is, as round numbers would most na- turally be used in the first instance, nothing can be more l>robable than that, if Job's wealth was believed to be about INTRODUCTION. 25 double what it was at first, these round numbers would be doubled, without its being at all intended to give the exact numbers in either case. And again, as this book is, fi-om first to last, manifestly extraordinary, and intended at once to exemplify the particular providence and goodness of God, and the faith and patience of Job, Where, I would ask, is the impropriety in supposing, that the whole took place just, or nearly so, as it is here related? If, indeed, there was nothing extraordinary in the history. Why was the book written I And, if the power of God, as manifested here in bringing about these wonderful events, is not to be incul- cated— whatever heathens or heathenish men may think to the contrary — Why, I want to know% was any thing like a revelation ever made to man at all ? If the judgment of Aristotle and Horace is to regulate our notions on these sub- jects, quite sure I am that every thing of this sort will soon be discarded among us. That Job's family, health, wealth, and friends, would be re- stored with considerable increase, is to me extremely probable, if the book was intended to bear out the intimations given of it in the first two chapters ; namely, that Almighty God allowed his servant to be tried, both to shew to the world a good instance of the triumph of faith, and of his faithful- ness towards believers. That all this should be diluted and softened down to suit the decorum of heathenism, the rules of epic or dramatic poetry, and to carry with it nothing more powerful and animating than the poetic decorum of Homer, iEschylus, (Sec. is to my mind as monstrous as the position, that revealed religion, with the evidences which accompany it, is both impossible and incongruous : — a conclusion at which Warburton's admirers in Germany have long ago arrived. But as to the term double here used : this — so far from having appeared objectionable to the sacred writers who lived after the times of Job — seems particularly to have recommended itself to their minds. When, for example, we find the expressions, " She hath received double for all her sins" (Isa. xl. 2); '* For your shame you shall have double;" "in their land they shall possess the double" (Isa. Ixi. 7), and the like; Where are we to look for their illustration or origin, if not in the Book of Job ? That a thief should lestoie double, we learn in the law ; but this 26 INTRODUCTION. can have nothing to do with these passages of Isaiah : the subject is altogether of a different sort. They were, there- fore, in all probability, taken from Job's history, and intended to be considered as allusions to it ; for, on no other suppo- sition that I know of can they be accounted for. There is still one objection more. The aged wife of Job is made the mother of a second family : which is in- credible. I only ask, — Is it any where said, that this aged wife was the mother of the second family ? No : this is all assumed : because, forsooth, we are never told of Job's second marriage ! Are we, then, according to the rules of good criticism, to conclude any thing we may please, when- ever we are not specifically informed to the contrary ? We are not told, for example, that our first parents had any daughters. Are we, then to conclude, that it was impossible for either Cain or Abel to have had wives ; and then, in consequence, that the book of Genesis is a mere fable, or drama ? For my own part, I see no improbability whatever in supposing that Job married a second wife, and by her had this second family ; and of this, I think, we have some intimation in this book.^ After some complaints. Job is represented as saying, in one instance; " Why, then, should t think upon a maid, or virgin?" Which, as it appears to me, can be understood on no other supposition, than that his friends had pointed out to him the probability of his being restored to his former prosperity. If so, he must now have lost his first wife, as well as his first children. Upon his restoration, therefore, both to family and friends, he must have contracted a second marriage. Nor is it probable, that a woman so im- pious as his first wife manifestly was, would be permitted — under circumstances regulated by the immediate superin- tendence of a particular Providence — to see Job's latter days of abundance and prosperity. Nothing is, indeed, said about her to this effect ; still, this may be presumed of her. Jacob's daughter, Dinah, seems to have been lost sight of much in the same way ; and, apparently, because she evinced strong inclinations to idolatry, and towards idolators." ' C'Ikiji. xxxi. 1. -■ Geii. xxxiv. INTRODUCTION. ii / Another objection to the liistorical character of this book has been found in tlie circumstances related in its thirtieth chapter. Here, Monsieur BouUier is of opinion, that much more is related than could possibly have taken place from the commencement of Job's calamities, and the period in which his friends came to visit and condole with him. This objection, too, Dr. Rosenmiiller adopts without either hesitation or examination. * 1 must be allowed, however, to ask, in the first place, upon what grounds the conclusion is arrived at, that all this happened within the period alluded to? because, I can see no reason whatever for its adoption. I have read this chapter again and again ; and, I must con- fess I can see nothing more in it, than a continuation of the twenty- ninth, in which a comparison is instituted between Job's former prosperity and his present troubles ; but nothing whatever to limit it to the period mentioned. Nor do I find one word in the Scholia of Rosenmiiller, on either, or both, of these chapters, so much as noticing, much less justifying, any such conclusion. I must conclude, therefore, that the whole is a mere fancy, as groundless as it is unworthy of its author, in the first place, and of its adopter, Rosenmiiller, in the second. The last objection which I shall notice under this head, is. How can it be supposed that a person so greatly aflHicted as Job was, could ever have composed discourses so elegant, and so elaborate, as those which are attributed to him in this book ; not to insist upon the others, put into the mouths of his friends ? This seems to exceed probability, at least. I answer, — We are told, that Job lived one hundred and forty years after his restoration. If then, we allow, that his affliction exhibited a state ill suited to such composition ; Is it also necessary to allow that, on his return to health, he would still remain equally ill qualified for such a task ? " Oh," said he, on one occasion, " that my words were now ivritten ; oh, that they icere printed in a book!"" On his return to health and comfort, still retaining his inte- grity, and with it, in all probability, a deep sense of the goodness by which he had been restored, one can hardly sup])0se he would be less anxious that both his sufierings ' riolt'),'. in Jdli. i>. 7. ■ Jfl', ^^^- -^1 -!• 28 INTRODUCTION. and liis joys should be recorded. And, if so, I can see no necessity, I must confess, for calling- in some poet here to do the needful for him. This objection, therefore, is quite groundless. It supposes, as in other cases already noticed, what is unnecessary : and then proceeds, at once, to condemn ■what it has mistaken. It is, therefore, perfectly futile. Having ascertained, then, that the objections usually ad- vanced against the strictly historical character of this book are groundless and light; we may now proceed to inquire, in the next place, whether the place and times, in which it is either said, or implied, that this patriarch lived, may or may not be appealed to, as confirmatory of the sujiposition, that he was a real character. SECTION III. ON THE QUESTIONS WHERE, AND AT WHAT PERIOD, JOB LIVED? It has been remarked already, that it is not usual with the sacred writers to speak either of the time or place in which the characters introduced into parables are supposed to have lived. It was enough for them to say, — There was a certain man, &c. ; or, A certain man did this or that. In the case before us, however, we are told that Job dwelt in the land of Uz : that is, in the country which had received its appellation from a patriarch of that name. And, if so, we are provided, as formerly noticed, with a clue to the family from which Job himself was descended ; if, indeed, we are at liberty to suppose (as we undoubtedly are) that this country — wherever it was — still remained in the family of its Hrst possessor. Having, then, found a clue to the family of our patriarch, it may be worth while to follow it ; for, if we can by this means ascertain in what parts the first branches of this family settled ; and, if we find them fixed in the very parts to which our history assigns them ; we sliall then have iNTRonucTroN. 29 pretty good reason for eoncliuliiig, that we have arrived at the true facts of this case. And if, in addition to this, we find certain collateral branches of this family also fixing their habitations in, or near, the same parts, and of which our history also takes notice ; our conclusion, — that the whole is real history — will be as strong and decisive as the nature of the case can require. To begin, then, wMth the earliest intimations we have in the Bible of the founders of these families. In the tenth chapter of the book of Genesis, we have an account of the descendants of the three sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.i With the descendants of Japheth we have now nothing to do : these, manifestly, occupied countries far removed fi-om our scene of action. We next come to the family of Ham ; and in this we find Sheha (mentioned with Dedan),^ who was probably the ancestor of the Sheha (not " the Sabeans") mentioned in the book of Job as the mur- derers of his servants, and the persons who carried away his oxen and asses. ^ In Genesis, xxv. 3, we have further mention of this Sheba (and Dedan) ; and here he is said to have been a descendant of Abraham by Keturah. Abi-aham, however, was descended from Shem, not from Ham ; but Sheba, as ' What parts of the eartli were inhabited and named after these founders, has heen ably and ingeniously shewn liy the very learned Samuel Bochart, in Lis work entitled " Canaan," which the student cannot too often i-ead. * Recited with Uz, Tenia, Buz, &c. in Jer. xxv. 20, 23, as situated not far from each other. " Sed et ab eodem Buz," says Spanheim, Hist. Jobi. !>. 470", " videtur Biisian vel Biisari Castellum appellatum apud Ammianum, situm hand longe a Singaris ^Mesopotamia?, et ab Euphrate fluvio." Tlie countries, therefore, both of Uz and Buz, as well as that of Naclior, their father, were all situated nearly together, either on the western or eastern side of the Euphrates. AVe find an account of this Tema, too, in Koehler's Abulfeda's Syria, p. 1-1, note G'y. And we also have a place named fLtj3 Taima, in the 74th verse of the I\IoalIakat Poem of Amrtilkeis, which the scholiast says (ed. Hengstenberg) was an ancient city of Arabia. ^ Jol), i. 15. " Nee," says Spanheim, Hist. Job. p. 100, " praidones 'S.a.ialoi apud Strabonem, alii sunt qtu'im incolae Sabae urliis memoratse." Bochart was, therefore, greatly mistaken, when he made these the same people with the Sabeans of Arabia Felix ; as did also our own translators. The one people ap- pears to be termed Seha N:b or S-3, the other Sheba Nz"j. Both Pliny and Strabo confound tiie Sheba and Seba. calling both Sabeans; which arose from the circumstance, that neither the (irecks nor Latins have a letter e<|iial in sound to the Hebrew r .s7/. 30 INTRODUCTION. just observed, was a descendant of Ham ; which could not be the fact, if his descent came through tlie male line of Abraham. Keturali, however, might have been descended from Ham, and Sheba here have been assigned to the house of Ham through her ; for she was probably a Canaanite, and hence descended from Ham. This, I suppose then, was the case. We are told again, in another place,i that Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines, — of which Keturah must have been one, — and sent them away eastward into the east country. Sheha, therefore, and Shuah" (also a son of Keturah, and with these only are we now concerned), must have been sent to fix their habitations in those parts. Let us now come to the ancestry of Job. In Genesis, X. 23, we find Uz {\f^'^) mentioned as a descendant of Shem. And again, in chap. xxii. 21, he is said to have been a son of Nahor by his wife Milcali, and a brother of Chesed, the progenitor of the Chaldeans, or rather ChascUm — a party of whom is made (Job, i. 1 7) to sally out, and lay violent hands upon the servants and camels of Job : and, if we may rely on the supposition, that Job was a descend- ant of Uz, Ave may that he was also of Nahor the brother ' Genesis, xxv. 6. * Genesis, xxv. 2, from wliom we have Bildad the Shnhite. Strabo (lib. xvi. § 8) tells us, too, of a fortress built by 'iiovx,";, in the midland of Aral)ia, who must have been a person of eminence in that country. It may not be amiss here to notice a few very common and very glaring errors, which have exerted considerable influence on the historical parts of this work. J\Ir. Good tells us (p. iii. of his Dissertation), that, as the sacred history breaks ofi^ abruptly with Ishmael, we are compelled, in order to fill up the chasm, to have recourse to the Arabian historians. He tells us in another place (p. v.), of Ketiirah's sons being fixed in Najd, and in another (p. vii.), that some of the tribes, the Koreish in particular, can trace their own pedigree " with unimpeachable accuracy to Adnan, .... and with some diversity to Ishmael himself!" I will only say, ]\Ir. Good must either have known very little aimut the author- ity of Arabian history, or else must have had a facility of belief by no means desirable to the business of criticism. In another place (p. xiv.), Mr. Good appeals to the Koran, as having retained by tradition some true notices re- specting the character of Job. But was Mr. Good not aware that the Koran is a mere spurious production — a miserable, lame, vapid imitation of the Christian Scriptures ? and, tipon the whole, tbat one syllable of real ancient Jiistory which may be depended on in a question like this, exists not in all the books now to be found in all the east ? I\Ir. Good relied, no doubt, on Richard- son, who has left us a splendid Dissertation on Eastern Literature, &c. prefixed to his Dictionary ; but neither is the Dissertation, nor the Dictionary as Richardson left it, to lie relied upon in any case. INTRODUCTION. 31 of Abraham. Again, we are tokl, Genesis, x. 30, that the descendants of Sheni, of whicli this Uz was one, had iheir dwelling '■^ from Meaha^ as t/iou goest to Scphar, a mount of the east;" which corresponds with what we are told of Job himself, where it is said, that he was richer than all the children of t/te east ;^ manifestly implying that he was an inhabitant of the country so called. We have now, therefore, Sheha, Dedan, Tenia, Buz, Shuah, Chesed, and Uz, all fixing their habitations in those parts which are usually termed " the east," or " the east countrij," in the Hebrew Bible.- We can consequently have no difficulty in supposing, that the family of Job, of Sheba, Shuah, Buz, and Chesed, or the Chaldeans, were sufficiently near to one another, to make it extremely easy for them to associate either for friendly or unfriendly purposes ; and, as we know, from the testimony of both ancient and modern times, that these tribes Mere much addicted to robbery,'' the circumstances of their associating with Job, or of attacking his property, look exceedingly like historical truths. Let us now endeavour to ascertain from other authorities where these parts lay. In the fifth book of the geography ' Job, i. 3. ' Numb, xxiii. 7; Isa. xli. 2; xlvi, 11; Matth. ii. 1. I would suggest here, for the consideration of those who tliink higlily of the chronology of the Septuagint, and lowly of that of the Hebrew Bil)le, the following remark ; viz. If Aliraham actually lived nearly a thousand years after the flood, Ls it likely that these countries would have first been peopled by his descendants, so as to have received their names from them ? Is it not probable, that, in so long a period of time, chieftains prior to his time would have seized upon these rich and valuable countries ? The same might be said of many other places, as Moah, the countries held by Amalek, &c. ' Strabo (lib. xvi.) gives a similar account of the Scenite Arabs in the southern parts of IMesopotamia, who were probably composed of the same people. O; "S.KrinTO.i "A^ccSt;, XniTT^ixai Tim Kai rroifitviKo), fi'Ji(rrd/xtv/>i ^a%ia; ti; aXXevs roTov;, otxii WiXii'TufDi ai Mofiai. x.. r. X. Arabes ScenittB . . . latrociiiUs, ct puscendo pecori dediti homines, el qui facile in alia loca demigrant, nbi prceda eos et pascna deficiunt. A little farther on, a similar account is given of the Aral)s of Itursea and Mount Lihanns, many of whom reside in caves, and freqtiently attack the merchants Pliny, Hist. Nat. lib. vi. c. xxxii. Delph. Class. : '* Nomadas indc, infestatoresque Chaldaeorum, Scenitai (ut diximus) claudunt, et ijjsi vagi, sed a tabernaculis cognominati, qua; ciliciis mi'tantur, nbi libuit." Again, Strabo, ib. These Scenites compose small states, follow agriculture i)Ut little, and live principally on cattle. 'S.xriiiTai 'A^ati; ivvasrua; aTOTiTff/ifzivei ftiKoks h Xvr^iiTs ^u^Ui; Sia ra; aiuioia;- yia^yovMTi! fAv, n oVh'it JJ fiix^a, vofius ?s 'i^i^n; •xa.y'ri^ot.'Xuv 6o'.(jt.iAa.rut, xai /ndXi;ra x.afj.n'Kun. 32 INTRODUCTION. of Ptolemy, we have tlie K]s7Tat'^ (Alsito'), who are, in all pro- bahility, the persons inhabiting the yji^a tj AuaTTig of the LXX. translatoi-s of Job. Ptolemy places these people in the neighbourhood of the Cauchabeni, and separates them from Chaldea by a ridge of mountains. In the same neigh- bourhood we find a town called Sabe ;" another, Themma ; another, SacccBa ; the first and last of which were probably the residences of the Sheba already alluded to, and the descendants of Shuah, respectively. Themma might have been the settlement of Tema, one of the sons of Ishmael, and of which mention is also made in the Book of Job ; ^ and again, in those of Isaiah and Jeremiah.* These, then, were all manifestly situated in those parts which are termed " the east," and " the east country," in the Hebrew Bible ; they were, therefore, in all probability, the places in which these different tribes or families resided ; and, consequently, the whole must be a representation of real places, persons, and things, and not of mere parable or allegory. Having, then, found the parts in which Job and his friends appear to have resided, let us now endeavour to ascertain at ' Lib. V. cap. xix. um y.h roi; xocupi^aZnyoi;, alffiTui ; which Bochai't and others have thought should he read uv(nrt/A. We have certainly mention made of Uz, in Genesis, xxxvi. 28, and 1 Chroii. i. 42; but, as he is said to have been a son of Dishan, it is quite impossible he could have been the same with the Uz, who was the progenitor of Job. He might have been the founder of another family in the land of Edom, in which he was born ; and this appears very probaiile from a passage in the Lamentations (chap. iv. 21), in which it is said, " Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz : the cup also shall pass through unto thee, &c." This place Mr. Good, in his Preliminary Dissertation to his Translation of Job, adopts as the place of the jjatriarch's residence, but omits to tell us how this place, which he allows was south of Judea, could also be termed the east, as it is in the Book of Job. ^ We find one Sabos (2a€«;) a king in these parts in the times of Strabo (Geog. lib. xvi. § 24) ; and in Diodorus Siculus (Lib. iii. § 4G). 2a««c is the name of a metropolis. This country could not have been far westward of the Euphrates ; on each side of which, according to Strabo, petty kings resided (lib. XVI.) O; ya^ ^a^oiKovvrig ixari^ahv rov •TTOTaf/.ov (^vXap^oi, ^d^av ohx, siVo^ov 'i^ovns. X. r. >.. We have, in the ninth book of the Prep. Evangel, of Eusehius, an account of Job from Polyhistor, which is quite of a piece with that found at the end of the Book of Job in the Septuagint. It can, therefore, lay but little claim to our attention. ^ iMentioned in Gen. xxv. 15, and 1 Uhron. i. ."50. In Job, vi. lf>, Tema (S":r), and Slieba (5<^'f ) are mentioned as being in the same j)arts. ^ Isa. xxi. 1 1 : Jer. xxv. 2.S. INTRODUCTION'. 33 what time they lived ; for, if we can determine this point also from Holy Writ, it must hecome more than probable that these were real characters, and that the sacred author of their memoirs intended these to be looked upon as real histories. The three friends who came to condole with Job were, we are told, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite : we also find another, towards the end of the book, joining in the dispute. His name M^as Elihu, and he was a Buzite {i.e. a descendant of Buz, and therefore a relative of Job's), and of the family of Ram. i Of the first of these friends only can we determine any thing specific with regard to time ; and he, viz. Eliphaz, was a son of Esau, by his wife Adah,- and the progenitor of the Amalekites.'^ This will determine two points ; namely, the period, in the first instance, in which Job must have lived ; and, in the second, that this must have been before the Israelites came out of Egypt ; for at that time Amalek had become a powerful people.^ With regard to the first, then. H"this Eliphaz was the same with that mentioned in the Book of Job, under the designation of Eliphaz the Temanite — and of this there can exist no reasonable doubt; for we are told that he was the father of duke Teman: besides, he resided in the land of 2'eman, and thence would very properly be termed the Temanite^ — then must Job have been contemporary with him : and, as Esau was the brother of Jacob, Esau's children must have been contemporary with those of Jacob — that is, with the twelve patriarchs of Israel ; and, consequently, Job must have lived at the time in which these patriarchs did. The precise period, either of his birth or his death, it is impossible to deter- ' This last name has been thought to be the same with Aram, i.e. with the a (s) omitted. I must confess I can see no necessity for this conjecture, nor any thing gained by its adoption. Kemiiel, not Biiz, we are tohl (Genesis, xxii. 21), was the father of Aram. Tliere can be little probability in supposing, therefore, that any Buzite belonged to this people. ' Gen. xxxvi. 10. 3 II). ver. 12. •• In NumI). xxiv. 20, Amalek is said to be n-ij n-is;^, the first of the nations; which cannot be true if taken absolutely. All that is meant by it, apparently, is, that Amalek wa.s the first of the nations that opposed (fod's people after their deliverance from Egypt ; and such they were. See note on chap. xl. UJ. ^ Dr. Kennicott, unnecessarily I think, finds the Eliphaz of Job in a de- scendant of this son of Esau. 31 INTRODUCTION. niiiic ; but neitber of tbese is necessary. We only know ibat be lived, after bis trials bad come to an end, one bun- dred and forty years ; and, if we may suppose tbat tbe period of his age was doubled, as his wealth was, lie must have been seventy years old when this circumstance took place. If so, his whole age, at the time of his death, must have amoinited to two hundred and ten years. Now, if we suppose Job to have been born about the time of Levi, Jacob's third son, we shall be able to ascertain nearly the time at which he died. Jacob, it is thought, was eighty-eight^ years old when Levi was born ; and he was one hundred and thirty when he stood before Pharaoh ; - that is, in the year in which he came down into Egypt. Therefore, 130 — 88=42, will give tbe age of Levi when he came into Egypt ; and, if Job was born in the same year with Levi, he must have been 42 years of age, when the Israelites entered Egypt. Now, supposing the Israelites to have resided in Egypt 215 years, and Job to have been 42 years old when they arrived there, and that he lived, in the whole, to the age of 210 ; then, 210 — 42=168, will be the sum of the years of Job's life, during the sojourning of tbe Israelites in Egypt. But their sojourning was 215 years ;^ therefore, 215—168=47, tbe number of years during wliich Job must have been dead, before tbe Israelites left This comjoutation is made upon the supposition, that tbe sojourning of tbe Israelites in Egypt was 215 years, as ' See the Chronology of Capelhis, prefixed to the Prolegomena of AValton's I'olyglott. - (Jen. xlvii 9. ^ Some, indeed, liold, that the 430 years, mentioned as the time of the so- journing in Egypt, is not to he divided between the sojourning in Canaan and Egypt, as usually done ; but that all is to be given to the sojourning in Egypt. If this be allowed, Job must have died upwards of 2 (JO years before the egress. I make no account whatever of this difference, sometimes had recourse to in reasoning on this subject, nor of the still more famous difference found to e.\ist hetween the text of the Septuagint and of the Hebrew Bible. I doubt whether the Septuagint can be relied on in any case; its corruptions being almost end- less. Nor is the Hebrew Bible free from error in its numbers, as every one knows who has considered its chronology at all: nor is it, in any case, of any importance, as far as I can see, whether we are quite correct in our chronology or not. If Divine Providence had thought otherwise, no doubt we should liave had alniiidcint means of setting ourselves right on this nucstion. INTllODUCTION. 35 usually taken by the chronologers — to which I have not yet seen any good reason to object — and that Job nno-ht have been born about the time of Jacob's third son, Levi. All that is here intended, is an approximation to the truth : it is im})ossible to get at any thing like absolute certainty ; and this is unnecessary. If, then, we may take this as an approximation, Job will have died about fifty years before the Israelites left Egypt under the leading of Moses : and during this whole time must the family of Amalek have grown — as the Israelites did — into a great nation; for we find them opposing the Israelites soon after their egress. ^ From what we have advanced, we may perhaps gener- ally conclude, that if Job is indeed a fictitious character, the particulars thus determiiuible respecting him are such as belong to no fictitious character in all the writings, and in all the accounts heard of or known, from his day to the present. That the time, the place, the circumstances of his life, of the lives of his friends, of the people living in his neighbourhood and times, should be deducible from vari- ous ])arts of Holy Writ; that he should be cited by name, and his book be appealed to by inspired authority,- for the purpose of inculcating certain doctrines — are considerations so extraordinary — if we are to suppose the whole to be nothing more than a parable or allegory — that, whatever others may choose to do, I am compelled to believe that the thing is altogether incredible. But, as it has been assumed that, although Job himself might have been a real character, still the book bearing his name might be nothing more than a sort of drama, parable, or allegory ; let us now consider, from the history and contents of the book, how far this assumption will hold. ' Exod. xvii. « ; Numb. xiv. 45, &c. - Instances will hereafter be adduced to sliew, that no book has, perhaps, been more frcfiuently cited, or referied to, in Holy Scripture than this. 36 INTRODUCTION. SECTION IV. ON THE QUESTION AS TO WHO COMMITTED THIS BOOK TO WRITING ? With regard, then, to the history of this book, it has ap- parently gone through the hands of more authors than one. The first two and the last chapers did not, in all probability, come from the writer of the remaining intermediate ones, as, indeed, it has been reasonably enough thought by many. My reasons for this opinion are these : first, not only is the style at variance with that found in the rest of the book, but the language itself is materially different. In these portions we have, as far as we can now judge, language of the purest Hebrew composition ; while, in the body of the work, there is a very visible inclination to the forms and significations peculiar to the Chaldee.^ This, I conceive, is undeniable ; and the probability is, that both came not from the same author. In the next place, the author of these portions must, from the character of the terms used, have lived after the times of Job, and in a country some distance, at least, from the land of Uz ; which cannot be affirmed of the middle portion of the work. We are told, for example, that there was a man in the land of Uz, in the first case, and that he was greater than all the children of the east ; plainly in- timating that he who wrote this, both lived after the times of Job, and was not one of the people so called. And, in the second, that Job died old and full of days; which must imply, that he who committed this to writing lived after the times of Job. I am inclined 1o believe, therefore, that some Hebrew wrote the first and last portions of this work ; be- cause, the language used in them is that which was ver- nacular to him, and the terms just adverted to, those proper to such a writer. ' Examples will lu-ebenlly be given. INTRODUCTION. 37 Besides, in the hind of Uz, and at the times in wliich these portions were apparently written, an account of Job's losses, place of residence, of his return to prosperity, and of his death, could be scarcely necessary : they must all have been well known. But, if we suppose the body of the work to have been carried into parts more western, in which none of these circumstances could have been generally heard of, and in which, moreover, no extensive confidence could be placed, either in the genuineness of the book, or the piety of Job, without some further and more authoritative inform- ation — and, indeed, instruction as to its contents — being given ; we shall see at once why these portions were added : and that they nmst have been supplied by some person high in authority among the Hebrews. That the Book of Job had been committed to writino*, and was considered as authoritative, before the times of David and Solomon, we shall shew hereafter, when we come to consider the citations made from it, and found in their writings. We shall, at present, take for granted that this was the fact. These parts of the book could not, there- fore, have been written by any one in their times, but must by some one who lived before them. Joshua might, indeed, have supplied them, were there any circumstances in his history pointing this out as probable ; but there are none. We are, therefore, brought back to Moses, as the person most likely to have written these supplementary and neces- sary portions. Let us now consider how far the circum- stances of the case will make this probable. We have already shewn, that Job must have died about fifty years before the Israelites left Egypt. We learn from the Book of Exodus that, a considerable time prior to this event, Moses became acquainted, and indeed connected by marriage, with Jcthro, the priest of Midian. That Jethro was a believer in Divine revelation, there is very good reason for believing ; and that he was a good and religious man, there certainly can be no doubt. i We are told, that he ' Witness the authority he had with Moses, and the manner in which his advice was treated both by him and the heads of the tribes of Israel, Exodus, xviii. where it is remarkable, that Jethro appears to have offered up sacrifices to God even in the Israeiiiish camp, and that Aaron, and the elders of Inrael, feasted with him upon it. 38 INTRODUCTION. was the Priest of Midiau ; that is, the cliief, or hierarch, pre- siding over the whole of the district so called. He held au office, therefore, of the very highest dignity and importance in that country : and we know that he must have heen a de- scendant of Ahraham, either through Esau, or hy his wife Keturah.i Joh too, we have seen, was descended from Nahor the brother of Abraham. Job, therefore, and Jethro, must have been distantly related to each other ; and, as Midian, over which Jethro presided, was conterminous with the land of Uz, in which Job dwelt, and, as they must have been contemporary, or nearly so, from what has already been shewn ; it becomes highly probable, that Jethro knew Job personally, and that he was familiar with, and greatly inter- ested in, the circumstances of his whole life. If, then, we can suppose the principal part of the book of Job to have been, at this time, committed to writing, (and this we shall presently shew was most probable) no doubt can be entertained that Jethro would possess a copy ' Gen. XXV. 1, 2. As Jethro was Priest or Patriarch of Midian, I think it extremely probable that he was a descendant of IMidian, the son of Keturah ; otherwise it would be difficult to conceive how he became possessed of such authority in that extensive country. It is true, .fob's father-in-law is, iu one place (Numb. x. 29.) called Hobab, the son of "• Raguel" ("??'"°;), and in ano- ther (Exod. ii. 18.) " Reuel" ('S-"":- — Why our authorised version has so variously written the same name, it is, perhaps, not easy to say). In tlie last case, however, it is probable that Jethro's, i. e. Hobab's, father ('Xi>'") is only meant. Now, it is certain that Esau had a son of this name (Gen. xxxvi. 4, 10.) ; and, as Eiiphaz was also a son of Esau, these must have been brothers. If, then, we suppose this Reuel to have been the father of Hobab, he must have been contemporary with Job. Still, I can find nothing connecting him with the land of Midian : it is probable, therefore, that, as in other cases, the same name was given to different persons. Although, therefore, this Reuel might have had authority in Idumea, it will be difficult to discover how he could have become chief priest in Midian, which was far greater in extent than Idumea. Jethro was, therefore, most probably descended from Abraliam, by Keturah, and not through Esau ; and, therefore, distantly related to Jol), and with him professing the true religion, as known to the patriarchs. As to the extent of the land of JMidian, it is evident from Exod. ii. IC, Numb. xxii. 4, xxxi. that it reached from the confines of Egypt, beyond the plains of ftloab eastward. They had five kings in tl.e times of Moses, and very great wealth in cattle. In his days, too, great numbers of tliem were killed ; and yet, not many years after, they were sufficiently powerful to harass tlie whole kingdom of Israel (Judges, vi.). In this case, also, their wealth, as well as that of the children of the east, is found to be immense. The Aral)ian geographers, moreover, ascribe a great extent to the land of Midian Travels of I/m. Jiututa, p. 21. INTRODUCTION. 39 of if, as he could not but have considered it a most interesting and valuable document : and if so, as lie was not niggardly in his advice to Moses for the religious good of Israel, it is most likely that he would also recommend it to his son-in- law, Moses, particularly as both Moses and the Israelites — over whom Providence had placed him as a leader— stood greatly in need of such a work. Besides, the Holy Scrip- tures must, in those days, even if we suppose the Book of Genesis to be patriarchal, have been confined within a very narrow compass. Very little of a doctrinal character was to be found in thein : and less, perhaps, suitable to the Jews, circumstanced as they then were. In this book, however, we have faith in God, and patience under tribulations, recommended and exemplified in the most interesting and striking manner : the doctrine of the fall of man, connected with that of his redemption by a Saviour, most plainly and pointedly set forth and inculcated : the power, the wisdom, and the goodness of God, so generally and beautifully contrasted with the feebleness, the ignorance, and the sinfulness of man — as will be presently shewn — that where the other portions of Holy Scripture have failed, this never has, to call forth the admiration of all who have carefully perused it. In addition to this, we have the doc- trines of the resurrection of the body, and of a particular, though mysterious, Providence, so strongly and clearly in- culcated, that it has never been in the power of the most ingenious infidel or hike-warm writers, to obscure them to any considerable extent. If, then, I say, we can suppose Jethro to have been in possession of such a document as this, we cannot suppose it possible he could withhold it from his son-in-law Moses, situated as he then was. And, if we can further suppose this document to have come thus into the hands of Moses ; as surely we must, that the good Providence, which had conducted the matter so far, would take care that it should be delivered to the Jews, with such marks of its authority and genuineness, as would stamp it for ever as canonical with that people. The language and style of the iirst two chapters, and of the last, is, as we have already intimated, such as to suit the times, style, and language of Moses : the circumstances of the case, too, arc such as were most likely to bring the 40 INTRODUCTION. body of this work into his hands", and the necessities under which the Israelites then laboured, were also such as to make it next to certain, that the necessary supplementary parts would be written under divine authority, by him ; and the whole then be put into the hands of the Jewish nation, for their instruction, guidance, and encouragement. My own opinion is, therefore, that this was the case ; and that to this circumstance we are to ascribe the authority, with which tliis book has ever been treated by that people : and hence probably it is, that the whole book has, by them, been ascribed to him. It is also well worth remarking, that the passages speak- ino" of the sons of God appearing before Jehovah, and of Satan's appearing among them (the objections to which have already been noticed), are those which would, in the estima- tion of a Jew, give canonical authority to this book ; parti- cularly if we suppose them to have come from Moses. For it is in the writings of Moses that we find the hook of the covenant sanctioned for the first time as a revelation, by an appearance of the Almighty, in some respects similar to tliis.^ After this, similar visions were vouchsafed, as in the mission given to Isaiah (chap, vi.) ; to Ezekiel (chap. i. &c.) ; to several of the minor prophets, and to St. John, in the Revelation, in particular. This part of the Book of Job, therefore — however inexplicable or strange it may have ap- peared to those, whose endeavour has been to interpret the Bible, generally, by the rules laid down by Aristotle and Horace — is, in fact, that which indissolubly connects it with the Jewish Scriptures, and which must have secured to it a complete canonical authority with that people: and, as we cannot reasonably asci'ibe this portion of the book in question to any writer but Moses, in whatever light we view it, we are compelled to conclude that he was its author. Let us now consider the general character of the middle portion or body of this book, and endeavour to ascertain who its author was. We have already suggested that Job pi-obably wrote it after his restoration. We now propose to examine that question a little more closely. If, then, in the first place, this book was committed to writing prior to the times ' Exod. xxiv. ;{-15, as noticed also above. INTRODITTION. 41 of Moses, and of the egress from Egyi)t, and in a country bordering upon Clialdea; we should naturally expect, that it would contain nothing whatever alluding either to the person of Moses, or to the wonderful events which took place under him at the egress ; and also, that its language would be such as to suit a country so situated. Now, it is the fact, that no mention whatever, either of the person of Moses, or of the events of the egress ; no, nor even the slightest allusion to these, is any where to be found in this Book. The earlier part of the Book of Genesis is alluded to, and even cited again and again, — as will be shewn in the notes; — but not so much as one syllable can fairly be referred to the events of the Exodus.' Again, we ' Bishop Warburton, indeed, fancied he saw some such alkisions, which he terms slight indecorums, and of which the following appear to be the only ones deserving of notice : — "God layeth up iniquity for his children " (chap. xxi. 19) ; " They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave" (ib. 13) ; " His eyes shall see his destruction," &c. (ib. vv. 20, 21), and so on ; in which we find sentiments not unlike those found in the later books. But, can we rely on such principles of criticism as these ? If, for example, we find a sentiment in a confessedly modern work, and again, something nearly corre- sponding to this in another, the date of which is not very well known, Are we to come to the conclusion at once, that such modern author is manifestly tlie more ancient of the two? Would not the contrary supposition be the more probable ? So much for resemblances of this sort. A little farther on (p. 32) we are told, that '■'■the secret o/Gor/" (ch. xxix. 4) must be taken from the Shekinah, which is said to have rested upon the ark. I will only ask, Wiiat possible resemblance can be found here between this secret and the Shekinah J I can discover none. " That mine adversary had written a book," must, in the next place, be an allusion to the phylacteries of the Jews. I ask. What resemblance has a hook to a phylactery? Or, can any one shew that phylac- teries were in use, even fifty years before the times of our Lord ? I more than doubt it. " The kings and counsellors, which built desolate places for them- selves," afi^ords another instance. These desolate places are, first, made to mean magnificent buildings, i. e. the Pyramids ; and tlien, these kings, &c., are converted into the governors of Egypt. Can any thing like this be relied upon ? Again, "■ God divideih the sea with his power," &c. (p. 36, ch.xxvi. 12). This, we are told, " evidently refers to the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea." But all the evidence, so visible here, rests on a manifestly erroneous translation of the passage. The principal word concerned in this mistake is vj", which our authorised version renders by divideth : a sense which has evidently been given to it, both here and Isa. li. 15, for the pinpose of making it refer to the passage of the Red Sea. And so, the word is first made to allude to this event, and then the passage is cited to prove the allusion ! The authors of the Septuagint, however, have escaped this artifice, and truly rendered the place by xaTiTauiri r»v '^aXaaacfi. Surely the l)ishop ought to have noticed this ! It will be unnecessary to notice these objections further. I will merely remark, that the principle here set up, by which re.scmlilances are to be 42 INTRODUCTION. are told by Moses, that tlie name Jehovah had not been re- vealed during- the times of the patriarchs;^ and, accordingly, we find this name very rarely occurring in the middle portion of this book : but El, or Shadclai, — the names revealed to the patriarchs, — are in the most frequent use. The few instances in which JeJiovah does occur, may probably have undergone an emendation by Moses, just as it appears to have been the case in the Book of Genesis.- But, if the whole had been committed to writing by Moses, no good reason can be assigned why this name should not have con- stantly occurred, just as it does in those portions which have been justly ascribed to him. The language, moreover, or rather, the dialect, in which this middle portion of the book is written, inclines manifestly to the Chaldai'c, as already j-emarked ; a circumstance utterly at variance with the lan- guage of the first and last portions — and, indeed, of all the books usually ascribed to Moses. Both the matter and the language of this portion is, therefore, what we might have expected it would have been, had it been written before the times of Moses, and in a country bordering on Chaldea. But, if it had been written after the egress, and by a Jew, this would have been next to impossible. No Jew, nor indeed any believer in revelation generally, could, when dwelling on the wonderful works of God, have passed over such events, in silence, as those which took place at the egress : much less would he have given liiniself the trouble to write in a dialect not vernacular to himself, or to those for whom he wrote, or to use a name of God which liad long been obsolete in his nation.^ treated as realities, is a most ruinous one ; and that Jewish interpretations, on whicli many of tlie olijections are founded, must be given up. See my Sermons and Dissertations, Diss, i., &c. ' Exod. vi. 2, 3. See also my Prolegomena to Bagster's Polyglott Bible, prol. i. sect. iii. 2 See my Prolegomena to Bagster's Polyglott Bible, Prol. i. § iii. ' " There cnn be no doubt," says Mv. Good, " that the writer of the poem was a Hebrew; but a Hebrew who, from a long intercourse with Arabia . . . had introduced a considerable projjortion of the Arabian dialect into his native tongue," &c. I remark, the fact is, not so much as one instance can be adduced, out of the whole of tliis book, to shew that the Arabian dialect has been used. ^V'ords and phrases, preserved still in the Arabic, are to be found ; and so there may in any dialect, as derived from some common mother-tongue. If there is any inclination to dialect in this book, it is to that of the Chaldeans or Syrians, INTRODUCTION. 43 It has been supposed, I know, tlmt all this niii<'^f^'nXuv, a,xcXou6u; t5) TT^offn- yo^ia. A'am Icones hie et pardales, numero ac magnitudine, viribusqiie Africanos huge, vincunt : quibus tygres BabijlonicB admtmerentur. Pert et gemince naturw, mixtceque formce bestias. Inter qnas struihocameli, qui nominantur, confusam ex volatilibiis et camelis formam habetit, ut nomen sonat. Comp. lib. iii. § xlii. The gold above mentioned is, not improbably, the same as that mentioned in Gen. ii. 11, which is said to have been found in the land of Havilah, and to have been good {H'Tv^o;?). This place also produced precious stones (ver. 12). Now, this Havilah must have been situate somewhere in Arabia : comp. Gen. x. 7, 2!); XXV. 18; 1 Sam. xv. 7 ; and 1 Chron. i. 9. Pliny, lib. vi. 32 : _ " Sabeeos ditissimos sylvarum fertilitate oderifera, auri metallis (comp. Ps. Ixxii. lo), agrorum regnis : mellis cerwque proventu . . . mirumque dictu, ex innu- meris popuJis pars aequa in eommerciis, aut latrociniis degit : in universum gentes ditissims, ut apud quas maximse opes Romanorum Parthorumque sub- sistant, vendentibus quai e mari aut sylvis capiunt," &c. A little before: — " Scenita- Sabai. Insulae multae. Emporium eorum Acila, ex quo in Indiam navigatur.'" lb. — " Littus Harama>um, ubi auri metalla." lb — " Thimaneos . . . Areni : oppidum in quo omnis negotiatio convenit." ]\Iuch the same is said by Strabo, lib. xvi.: — Vi7 Se -rorocfio; §/' auruv \^>iy^a x^"'^"" xaraj^£nwv. Ouroi ll ^^ififiaror^aipouvri; dyiXta; fitydXas tiorxfifidra/v, havXiZ,fjrai TiViois dfji,iT^-/iTt>i;. " Inleriora Arabes (Scenita?) tenent, qui pastores sunt, vitam in magalibus degendam amplexi. Hi magnos pecorum yrcges alunt, et in vastissimis campis diversanttir." Again, in § Iii. ib. we have an account of the precious stones which this country produces. Comp. 2 Clu-on. ix. 1 ; and 1 Kings, X. ], 2. See, also, the extracts from Strabo and Pliny above. 56 INTRODUCTION. had iron and brass in abundance.^ The philosophers too of Chaldea, in whose neighbourhood Job resided, could supply such a mind as our patriarch manifestly possessed with in- formation on astronomy, natural history, and the like : and it is sufficiently evident from Job himself, that book-w^riting was no new thing in his times. Every advantage, therefore, possessed by Moses, as it regards information of this sort, was possessed also by Job ; with this difference, that Job was a prince in his own right, and was possessed with wealth and leisure sufficient to enable him to inquire for himself, as far as his inclination might have led him. Moses, during his residence in the court of Egypt, was entirely dependent : he had neither wealth nor liberty to inquire for himself. The time, too, during which he resided at court, must have been limited ; and, after he left it, he had neither wealth nor opportunity to pursue any such inquiries : and, from the nature of his mission, the apparent inclination of his mind, and the nature of his writings, he never pursued such in- quiries to any great extent. Job, however, unrestrained as he was with any thing like the theocracy ; qualified as he was with a most discursive and capacious mind ; independent as he was with regard to wealth and personal liberty ; sur- rounded as he was with opportunity ; exercised as he had been, apparently for the instruction and good of mankind of all succeeding ages ; and, above all, blessed with a long life, arid with plenty, — if not actually stimulated by the Divine mind so to enrich his work that it might be the wonder and admiration of all ages, — was, as it appears to me, infinitely better qualified for the task of writing the middle portion of this book than Moses was : not to insist now on the Chal- daisms, and other considerations formerly urged. And my conclusion is, from these considerations also, that Job was the author of this part of the work in question. ' Diodorus Sictil., lib. iii. § xliv. ; and lb. § xlvl. The Sabeans, our sri, are said to liave had gold and ailvcr in abundauce. INTRODUCTION. 57 SECTION VI. ON THE DOCTRINES FOUND IN THE BOOK OF JOB. It has been stated in the preceding section, that the doc- trines delivered in this book are of a general and uni- versal character, and, in this respect, quite unlike those peculiar to the theocracy. We now come to inquire more particulai'ly what these are. The first great question necessary to be determined in every case of this sort is, that which treats on the abstract nature of God ; because, just as this shall be fully, correctly, and faithfully, or otherwise, stated ; in the same proportion will the religion taught be profitable, or not, to man : on the principle that, such as the source of any thing is, whether pure or impure, good or bad ; such also will the thing itself necessarily be. In this book, therefore, God is declared to be Almighty^ Chh. V. 9 ; vi. 4, 14 ; ix. 5, &c. Blighty in operation, Chh. ix ; X. 4-10, 12 ; xxxvii. 5, &c. Omniscient, Chh. xi. 1 1 ; xxi. 22 ; xxiii. 10. Wise, Chh. xii. 13, 16; xxiv. 1, &c. Inscrutable, Chh. xi. 7-9 ; xxiii. 8, 9 ; xxxvi. 26 ; xxxvii. 23, &;c. In- visible, Chh. ix. 11, &c. A just and holy judge, Chh. iv. 17; V. 8 ; viii. 3, 20 ; ix. 2, 28-32. Supreme governor of the world, and regulator of all its concerns, Chh. v. 10-13; viii. 4, &c. ; ix. 13, 17, 18, &c. Creator of all things, Chh. iv. 17; x. 8; xxxv. 10; xxxviii. 4-12, &c. Inde- pendent of any other power, Chh. xv. 15; xxii.2-4; xxiii. 13, 14, &c. Immortal and eternal, Chh. x. 5; xxvii. 2, &c. A spiritual Being, Chh. ix. 11 ; x. 4 ; xxvii. 3; xxxiii. 4, &c. Is all-pure, Chh. xv. 15; xxv. 6, &c. Is the King of kings, Chh. xii. 18, 19; xxxiv. 19, &c. Is all-bountiful, Chh. xii. 6 ; xxii. 23-26 ; xxix. 3-5, &:c. I'he only effectual Teacher of true wisdo7n, Chh. xxviii. 28; xxxv. 11 ; xxxvi. 10, 22,&c. Gives understanding, Chh. xxxiii. 16; xxxvi. 10. — By chastisement as a father, Chh. v. 17 ; xxxiii. 19-22, &c. He deprives of understanding, Chh. xii. 20, &c. Is gracious. 58 INTRODUCTION. both to find a ransom or redemption, and to forgive sin, Chh. xxii. 21-23; xxxiii. 24, 26, 27, 28. Renews and justifies returning sinners, Chli. xxxiii. 25, 26, 28, 30. Hears •prayer, ib. 26; Chh. xii. 4; xv. 4; xxii. 27; xxvii. 10: but not of the wicked, Chh. xxvii. 9 ; xxxv. 13, &:c. flakes men and nations either great or small, Chh. viii. 7; xii. 23 ; xxxiv. 11, 20, 21, 24, 29, &c. Is the author and dispenser of both life and death, Chh. iv. 9 ; x. 12 ; xii. 10 ; xiii. 16; xxxiii. 4, &c. — The doctrine of angels, too, is clearly taught in this book. See Chh. iv. 18; v. 1 ; xv. 15; xxxiii. 23. Man is, in the next place, declared to be in a state of sin and impurity, Chh. iv. 17; vii. 20; ix. 20; xiv. 1. Comp. Chh. V. 6, 7; ib. 4; xv. 14, 16. This is traced to Adam's fall, Chh: xxi. 33. Comp. Ch. xiii. 20-23 (manifestly allud- ing to Adam's hiding himself and God's calling to him, as in Gen. Ch. iii. 8-10). Ib., i. e. Ch. xiii. 24, 25, is an allu- sion to Cain's judgment. Gen. Ch. iv. 11-14. Comp. also, Job, Ch. XV. 18-23. Again, Ch. xxxi. 38, contains an allu- sion to the crying out of Abel's blood mentioned in Gen. Ch. iv. 10; as also does Job, Ch. xvi. 18. In Job, Ch. xxxi. 40, sterility of the earth, the other part of the denunciation, is also alluded to as denounced. Gen. Ch. iii. 18; and Ch. vi. 12, kc. In Ch. i. 21, where the words of Job are given, reference is certainly made to the penalty of death imposed upon Adam, in '■' Naked shall I return thither" (n^tt7 nm^S) ; alluding to the words, " To dust shalt thou return" (~)D^"bN >1tt?ri) : Job passing from the consideration of his birth, abruptly to that of his death ; and perhaps pointing at the same time with his finger to the earth. So Ch. x. 9, " Thou wilt bring me to the dust again" — ''?5''P^ "15^"^^*: the very same phraseology ! Compare, also, Ch. xxx. 23. Fi-om all which it is evident, not only that man was con- sidered as in a sinful state, but also as in that fallen state which Christianity now teaches us he inherited from Adam. I shall, perhaps, be thought fimciful in attempting to carry this matter further ; but, if the text of my author will bear me out, it can signify but little what may be thought of my proceedings. I now aflirm, that the text of Job will bear mc out in goint;- much further; and that Jul) also INTRODUCTION. 59 s[)eaks of the Tempter, in terms not much unlike those used iu Genesis, ^ — which I hold to he a prior revelation, as will presently be shewn; — and that much in the same Ian- gunge is this Being spoken of also by other sacred writers. I now allude to Ch. xxvi. 13, where we have this passage : — By His Spirit have the heavens been heautified ; His hand hath wounded the fugitive serpent. No one will doubt, I think, that, in the first part of this verse, the declaration given in Gen. i. 2, is had in view ; and that what was at that time generally effected, was intended to be presented to the mind of the reader. Now, we are told in the sequel of that narrative, that by the devices of the Serpent the most goodly work of creation was marred ; and sin, sorrow, labour, vexation, and death, were consequently entailed upon man. Our author here seems to say, that not only were the heavens permanently adorned by the power of God's Spirit ; but, by an exertion of his mercy no less astonishing and effectual, even this deplorable loss should be made up, this lamentable state be effectually provided against. In Gen. iii. 15, this is declared in the promise, that some one to be born of the woman should crush the Serjjenfs head; while it should succeed in bruising His heel. Here, in Job, we are told, that His hand hath loounded, i. e. shall wound (see note on the place) the fugitive serpent. In Ps. ex. 6, we have a parallel to the latter part of the preceding verse (Job, xxvi. 12), which certainly relates to Christ : and, as St. John mani- festly refers the whole work of creation to Him (Ch. i. 3), as also does Solomon, under the title Wisdom (Prov. viii. 14- 36), — the person also had in view by Job (Ch. xxviii. 12, &c., see the notes); and as Job, moreover (Ch. xix. 25), also refers to Him in the sense oi avenging liedeemer (^^2), — relating certainly to the passage in Genesis ; it is scarcely- possible that the serpent, as the tempter, should not be re- ferred to also in this place, particularly as the term fugitive is applicable to him alone (in James, iv. 7) : the Book of the Revelation, moreover (xii. 9), fastening the title of Old Ser])ent and Devil upon him, evidently with reference to man's temptation. (See my Exposition of that place). In Isaiah, too (Ch. xxvii. 1, as shewn in the notes), we have a passage perfectly parallel to this of Job, and which I cannot help believing was intended to be considered as a repetition 60 INTRODUCTION. of it ; and in which the coming of the Redeemer is mani- festly foretold. We have here, therefore, not only the fall of man, but the efficient cause of it. The Tempter himself is referred to, and his destruction clearly foretold. So far, then, we have man's sinful and corrupt state ; that also which led to this, his fall in Adam, and the agent who suc- ceeded in bringing it about — the Devil; with some inti- mations of a deliverance from it. We have, I think, in the next place, a most clear and positive enouncement of man's restoration through a Re- deemer in Ch. xxxiii. 23, &c. We have here a mediator interposed between God and man ; one who is to announce to man his uprightness, rectitude, righteousness : i. e. to teach him how his salvation is to be effected. In the next verse, favour, or grace, is promised ; and then, redemption from falling into destruction, by means of an atonement. The entire renewal, or regeneration, of the man then follows ; the efficacy of prayer in this state ; man's acceptability ; and his delight, or peace of conscience, in a justification from all things. Verse 28 contains a repetition of this, for the pur- pose, apparently, of supplying a complete confirmation to the whole. Comp. Ps. ciii. 4, 5. To this Redeemer (or avenger) Job evidently appeals, in Ch. xix.25, where he also gives a prediction of His appearing in the last, or latter days (see the notes) ; and here, as a [consequence of the victory to be obtained by Him, the doc- ( trine of the resurrection is fully and boldly insisted upon. The patriarch tells us, that, notwithstanding the effects of death having passed upon him — his flesh and body having been consumed, or dissolved — yet, from that very flesh, and with those very eyes, he should for himself look upon, and view, the God of his salvation. I know very well, as re- marked in the notes, what efforts have been made and are still making, for the purpose of obscuring this most plain and specific passage ; and I also know, as elsewhere observed of prophetical interpretation generally, that nothing but dark- ness, both visible and tangible, has been the result : both have originated in the application of tlie principles of hea- thenism, to the interpretation of authors of a totally different character. Our author, therefore, teaches that man is a fallen crea- INTRODUCTION. 61 ture ; that he has been brought into this state by the sugges- tions of an enemy ; and that a restoration from it has been provided. What means, in tlie next pUice, does he propose, as best suited to bring about this desirable end? They are many and various. In some places, he speaks of his own ^^ integrity" (Chh. ii. 3, 9; xxvii. 5; xxxi. 6); in others, of his " confidence" (Chh. iv. 6 ; xxxi. 24) ; in others, of " trust" (Chh. xiii. 15 ; xxxv. 14): in all which he must necessarily mean " integrity," " confidence" and " trust," in something, which he had the means of knowing was acceptable to God. And this he could entertain of nothing except by an express revelation from Him : for, we should bear in mind, we have nothing- like heathenism here. Job is manifestly quite ignorant of the expedients had recourse to by Deists : his language is of a description altogether different from theirs. Philosopher indeed he is ; but his philosophy is based on other principles than those of Deists : his reasonings take a different course, and terminate in a totally different result. And hence, as it will presently be shewn, he has been recognised as a divine teacher, by perhaps every writer of both Testaments. What, in the next place, are the grounds so taken by our author as authoritative and good, and in the adoption of which he differs so essentially both from heathen and deist- ical writers? I answer, a Divine Revelation, given prior to the times in which he lived. We have just seen that certain events and doctrines, stated in the Book of Genesis, are referred to in this book, and cited apparently as in- volving principles of religious belief. I now say, that, in those instances, the very text of that book, as we now have it, is cited. Not only because I find an identity in the thing inculcated, and that thing such as nmst have been matter of revelation, — for, otherwise, it could not have been known, — but also an identity in the terms used : not indeed in exact citation always, as is the case among us ; but, while we sometimes have a slight variation in the mode of enounce- ment, the most important, i. e. the theological terms used, remain still precisely the same (see the passages cited above). It is worthy of remark, that the Redeemer mentioned by Job is not the purchasing Redeemer {T^y:}'^), as used with reference to the deliverance from Egypt, but the avenging 62 INTRODUCTION. Redeemer bs3), used with reference to the wounding and bruising of the Tempter, as mentioned in Gen. xlviii. 16; and Isa"! lix. 20. But we are not confined in this question to coincidences of tliis sort ; we have either indirect or direct appeals to a prior revelation ; also to the circumstances and times under which this was made, and which are manifestly those of the patriarchs, as given in the early histories of tlie Book of Genesis. In the first place, the name given to the land of Uz (V'"^^) plainly identifies itself with the patriarchal history ; as do also the names and countries of Job's friends : these being deducible, as already shewn, from the genealogies found in the Book of Genesis. In the next place, the circumstances of some of the patri- archs are evidently alluded to. It is, I think, scarcely pos- sible to read Ch. viii. 5-10, without seeing that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were in the mind of the writer when this portion was committed to writing (comp. ver. 5 with Gen. xxii. 3j and ver. 7 with Gen. xxii. 17; also with Gen. XXV. 21 ; xxvi. 3-6, 12-14 ; and with Chh. xxviii. 14,18; xxxi. 11-14, 24; xxxii. 10,11, 28, &c.); — and that, on the facts there related of them, the subsequent reasoning was founded. Again, in Ch. x. 8, 9, 21, the creation of man (comp. ch. xiv. 15), and the denunciation of his death, as recorded in the Book of Genesis, are dwelt upon ; and, as analogous to the former, is the formation of the foetus in the womb mentioned. /6., ver. 22, the darkness of the tomb is com- pared Avith that of the chaotic state of nature, as also men- tioned in Genesis. Again, Ch. xx. 4, we have a manifest allusion to man's (ms) creation ; and, in the next verse, to the arts of the hypocrites, as being of a more recent date. In Ch. xxvi. 8, 10, too, we have allusions to the firmament, as mentioned in Gen. i. 6; and the gathering together of the waters, ih. vv. 9, 10; and Ch. xv. 34, to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrha : to the peculiar sins of which, the next verse (35) seems pointedly to allude, as also noticed on Ch. i. 16. And again, Ch. xxxiv. 15, we evidently have an allusion to the flood, and so we have, nba-bs 2?ir — all flesh expires, the very words used. Gen. vii. 21, when speaking of that event! Not to insist on the terms following: viz., n^tZ?; -ip^-bv — shall return to dust, noticed above as common INTRODUCTION. 63 to the Book of Genesis. And again, Ch. xxxviii. 27, allusion is also made to the springing of the grass, as first mentioned in Gen. i. 11, and in the same terms; a thing nowhere else done throughout the Bible. Again, we have, I think, other intimations of a prior revelation. Examine Ch. xv. 18, 19, where relations re- ceived from the wise of ancient times are referred to ; and in such a manner, as to shew that these must have been the patriarchs. The context following, as I have already stated, appears to allude to the curse and expulsion of Cain, and the overthrow of the cities of the plain, Sodom, Gomorrah, &c. And again, in Ch. xxiii. 11, 12, positive and well- known commandments of God are mentioned ; which could not have been done, had no prior revelation existed : the last verse here has, moreover, been cited in substance by our Lord himself, John, iv. 34. In Ch. xxviii. 27, 28, we have similar declarations. In Ch. iv. 12, 13, and xxxiii. 14, 15, we are told in what way revelations were occasionally made : namely, by vision ; as it was the case in Jacob's vision at Bethel (Gen. xxviii. 12) ; the vision afforded to Abimelech, king of Gerar (Gen. xx. 3) ; and in many other instances during the times of the theocracy. From what has been here said, it must I think be evi- dent, that a revelation, considered as God's word, existed in the times of our patriarch ; and that this was — in substance, at least — that which we- now have in the Book of Genesis. That book must, consequently, have been in existence in the times of Job, either as a written document, or as retained in the memory, and detailed by way of oral tradition. This last supposition, however, I consider impossible ; and, at the same time, quite unnecessary. It was impossible, because the particulars, recorded in the genealogies generally, are of much too minute and uninteresting a description to have been retained in the memory ; and, if we have recourse to inspiration in the case of each succeeding patriarch, for the purpose of retaining these; then, I say, we suppose too much: it being much more rational to suppose inspiration to have suggested in some early patriarch the art of writing, which would have made all safe at once. But we need not even suppose this; for it is quite clear, that in the times of Job, as already remarked, the art of writing was well known : to 64 INTRODUCTION. suppose oral tradition, therefore, to have been had recourse to, in this particular, is likewise unnecessary. If, then, any reliance can be placed on the foregoing statements, a divine revelation must have existed prior to the times of Job, and have contained the doctrines and his- tory so often referred to by him and his friends ; and further, this revelation must have agreed in essentials with that which we now have in the Book of Genesis. It is but rea- sonable, therefore, to conclude, that revealed religion, as professed before and in the times of Job, was the same in essentials as it now is. If this be the case, then, it is also likely that other doctrines, to be found in our author, will not greatly differ from those now held among ourselves : and this, also, appears to be the fact ; e. g. — Faith and trust in God, as directed by His word, are therefore demanded of man. This is, of necessity, implied in the terms integrity, confidence, trust, &cc., already referred to. So also, Hope, Chh. iv. 6; v. 16; vi. 10, 13; vii. 6 xi. 18, &c. Assurance, Chh. v. 24, 25 ; xi. 16, 19. Self- abasement, Chh. ix. 20, 21, 28, 31 ; xl. 4, 5, &c. Obedience. Chh. xxxvi. 1 1, 12,&c. Holiness of life ; innocence, Chh. iv. 7 xi. 15, &c. Repentance, Ch. viii. 5, &c. Prayer, Chh xxii. 23, 27. Delight in God, Chh. xxii. 26; xxvii. 10 xxxiii, 26, &:c. Forgiveness of sins, Chh. vii. 21 ; xxxiii. 24 28, &c. A jmrticular Providence, Chh. v. 9-16; xxxvi. 7-9 Defence f-om enemies and dangers, Chh. i. 10 ; v. 19 ; xi. 18 Punishment, or correction, when necessary and right, Chh viii. 4, 13; X. 15; xi. 20; xv. 33, &c. From all which these things must be evident : first, that the belief incul- cated, the holiness of life required, and an eternal state of blessedness beyond the grave, were taught in Job's days, — if not throughout all preceding antiquity, — just as they are now with us : secondly, that this involved principles, and insured practices, unknown and never realised among hea- thens : and lastly, not only is the theology generally iden- tical, but the theological terms used, and the facts appealed to out of which they originated, are universally the same. INTRODUCTION. 65 SECTION VII. ON THE QUOTATIONS, ALLUSIONS, ETC., FOUND IN THE BOOK OF JOB, EITHER AS MADE FROM FORMER REVELATIONS, OR POINTING TO THEM RESPECTIVELY ; AND ALSO ON THOSE FOUND IN THE SCRIPTURES, REVEALED SUBSEQUENT TO HIS TIMES, EITHER AS TAKEN FROM THIS BOOK, OR REFERRING TO IT. If it is the property of truth to be at unity with itself, and if it was customary — as we have seen it was with our author — with the sacred v/riters perpetually to cite, or to refer to, one another ; nothing can be more probable than that we shall find the Book of Job so intimately connected, and indeed interwoven, both with the Scriptures that preceded and fol- lowed it, that the whole will exhibit one consistent and har- monious whole, not unlike the garment of Christ which would not admit of dilaceration, but required either to be taken wholly or wholly rejected. From what has already been shewn, it will not be necessary to dwell particularly on the first of these questions : we shall now, therefore, proceed to investigate the second, and to inquire whether, and in what way, the sacred writers have generally cited, or re- ferred to, the Book of Job. And if it shall appear that they have actually so cited it, or referred to it; it will follow as a matter of course that they lived at periods subsequent to that in which he lived ; and also, that they considered his book as possessing divine authority. A question will here arise, however, which ought not to be evaded, which may be thus stated : — Suppose it is granted that passages occur in most of the books of Scripture, agree- ing both in sentiment and phraseology with others found in the Book of Jolj ; How are we to know in which of these we have the original enouncement, and in which the imitation, citation, or allusion ? We have, for example, passages said to have been cited in Job from the Book of Genesis : IIow are we to know that these were not citctl from oui' patriarch, QQ INTRODUCTION. ami inserted in that book ? And so of others, hereafter to be adduced. I answer : We are not to imagine that, from the mere comparison of such passages alone, either priority or posteriority of composition can be proved in any case; because, unless we can bring some other considerations to bear on the subject, such comparisons may be cited to prove either the one thing or the other. We must there- fore take into the consideration here, one or more of those other particulars already adverted to : namely, the period at wliich Job appears to have lived ; the remarkable fact, that no mention of the theocracy, the deliverance from Egypt, the passage through the Red Sea, &c., occurs in our author: whence it should seem, that his work must have been written before any of these events took place. Again, from the consideration of Job's country being termed Uz {'^i\'s) ; his friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Elihu the Buzite, being found (as to family, at least) in the genealogies of Holy Wi-it, and therefore de- terminable in some degree, as to the period in which they must have lived ; the time in which our author wrote cannot possibly be carried quite so far back as that of Abraham. It is posterior therefore to the subversion of Sodom, and much more so to many of the events recorded in the early part of the Book of Genesis. But, if this were not the case, Still it would be highly improbable, that any attempt Mould be made at any time, to enrich this part of the Book of Genesis from any thing found in the Book of Job : and, fuither, it would have been next to impossible to do any such thing. In Job, for example, we have no specific his- torical account, either of the creation of the world, or of man — nothing especially said about the fiill, the Hood, the dis- persion at Babel, or the like : we have, certainly, nothing more than allusions made to these events, — such as to leave no doubt on the mind of any reflecting person, that some real histoi*y of them must have existed prior to the time of our author, and that this history was generally well known. From these considerations — to which some others might be added — it nnist be sufficiently clear, that no citation could have been made from tlic Book of Job in the Book of (jenesis; no, nor yet any allusion whatever : while the con- trary is ])ossible, liighly |)robal)lc, aiul, in fact, certain. INTRODUCTION. 67 With regard, in the next place, to such citations or allu- sions as may be found in the other sacred writers, taken from, or referring to, the Book of Job ; we should bear in mind, that we know sufficiently well at what periods many of these lived to be certain, that they could not have written prior to the Egress : while we have seen that Job must have died prior to that event. It is not possible, therefore, that Job could, in such a case, have either made citations from them, or have alluded to them in any way : the converse of which is not only possible, but extremely likely. Ezekiel, as we have already seen, has both mentioned Job by name, and alluded to his character, as developed in the book named after him. Job must, therefore, have lived prior to the times of Ezekiel ; and if allusion is really made to his book (which is most likely the case), it must also have been in existence before the times of that prophet. And, in like manner, should it appear that David, Solomon, the prophets generally, and even Moses himself, have cited, or alluded to, this book, it should follow that it was in existence, and re- cognised as of canonical authority, prior to the times of them all ; and. moreover, that it was looked upon as a sort of treasury of divinity, and worthy of all acceptation at all times, ever since its first publication. This mode of comparison, therefore, ought not to be considered as an independent witness on the question, as to when Job lived ; but, as tending to shew that this book was throughout the times of the theocracy recognised and ap- pealed to as authoritative, from other and more particular considerations, — which cannot be well misunderstood or mis- applied,— determining at what period our author did live; and hence, that the manner in which these citations and allusions are made, is such as entirely to fall in with, and confirm, tliat view of the question ; but is quite unaccountable and unintelligible on any other. We ought to bear in mind, moreover, in all inquiries of this sort, that where the matter to be investigated is either highly authoritative, or, in any other point of view, excellent, the first writer (if he can be discovered) is legitimately and fairly declared to be the original author. Hence it is, that many of the sentiments of Shakespeare, Milton, and others of our own poets, are traced up to Homer, or some other ancient 68 INTRODUCTION. writer, as the true and original author. In like manner, sentiments, and even many forms of expression, in use amono- the Latins, are also traced up to the Greeks, — to Homer,! ^Eschylus, Menander, Pindar, and others: and hence the sarcasm of Horace, styling his countrymen an imitating servile herd." In such cases, indeed, when the imitation is frequent, plagiarism is the name usually given to it as a stigma ; and this it justly deserves. In Holy Scripture, however, the case is wholly different. The writer here seeks no fame, and commits nothing to writing which is not strictly revealed truth. Here divine revelation necessarily forms the ground-work; and, as a revelation once made must have heen intended for perpe- tuity, this would always be treated as authoritative by sub- sequent writers, and, at the same time, as necessary to give eftect to their several messages. It is almost necessary to the character of a revelation, that it should not deliver ao-ain and again the same doctrines ; and also, that those employed in making such revelation known, should be perfectly unanimous. Now, in the Book of Job we have almost a complete body of divinity. Doctrines the most sul)lime both as to God and man, as already shewn, are clearly and pointedly dwelt upon. If, then, a revelation - ' Clarke's Iliad and Odessey will supply examples of this sort in abundance, as will the variorum notes on the Greek and Latin poets. I will notice only one or two. II. i. 3: "A'il, w^siailsv. Eurip. : -^ux^i Vi ■tfoXXu; >ciya.fa.i U.-XU- Xiffai. Virg. : . . demiserit orco — juvenum tot miserit orco — multa virutn demittit corpora morti. Odess. i. i. : "Avl^a ftoi 'iwi-^i, k. r. X. Virg.: Arma, virumque cano. Hor. : Die mihi, Mttsa, virutn, capta post mwnia Trojcs. Qui mores hominum multorum vidit et urbes. iEschyl. Fragm. : 'S.iyav S-' 'ivou %u xa] Xiyuv tu xa'i^ia. Eurip. : 2/ya» S' oVow hi xai Xiyuv ro t afflfaXis. We have too, in the variorum notes of Butler's jEschylus, a considerable portion of one of Pindar's odes, cited as an imitation of /Eschylus, vol. i. p. 97, ed. quart. The diction, phraseology, tropes, artic'ularly 70 INTRODUCTION. that of the Koran, as the most perfect possible : and, al- though their own is as unlike tliis as can well be imagined, they have, nevertheless, so managed matters, that even their grammar is learned from that of Arabia, their style made to resemble that of the Arabs, and a very large number of Arabic words and phrases has been so incorporated with their language, that, to attempt generally to make out a Persian author without a previous extensive stock of Arabian learning, is a completely hopeless task. The most elaborate Arabian author of this sort that has come to my knowledge, is the celebrated Abu Mohammed Kiisim Hariri, of Basra ; ^ the author of fifty stories, or tales, all written in such a style as to shew, that their author was perfectly versed in the archaisms of Arabia. Many other similar compositions are extant, both in the Arabic and Persic languages ; not to insist on the fact, that scarcely a book, or even a letter, is written in these countries, or, in- deed, in Hindustan, in which marks of this style are not visible. This will perhaps conduct us one step farther, as to the style and character of a considerable portion of the text of the Old Testament. It has already been remarked, that there is a manifest difference of style and manner visible in the several parts of the Old Testament. All those portions, for example, which assume the form of song, or are other- wise elevated in sentiment, differ likewise both in style and manner, and also in the words and phrases used, from mere narrative : that is, the language used in expressing elevation of sentiment, is very widely different from that used in mere narrative, — a difference visible enough in Greek poetry, and never departed from, I believe, either in the Arabic or Persic. Now, I suspect that we owe this, in the Hebrew, entirely to the existence of the Book of Job. If, indeed, this book came through the hands of Jethro ' Two valuable editions of this author's works have heen published, one in Calcutta, IHN, -A-ith a (ilossary ; another in Paris, 1822, by the celebrated Baroa de .Sacy, with Scholia and Indexes. It is a great drawback to this latter edition, that some of these Scholia were composed by IVI. de Sacy himself; and the consequence is, a learner not in possession of the original writers used by him, will seldom know which is the real oriental comment— which that com- posed in Paris. lu other respects, M. de Sacy generally followed the Calcutta I'ditinn. INTRODUCTION. 71 to Moses, as stated above, and was by the latter aug- mented by adding the two first and the last chapters, and then recommended to the Israelities, as a sort of store- house of divinity; nothing can be more likely than that — like the ancient songs of the Arabs, the Koran, &c. — it would become the great pattern of composition to all future writers, when engaged in composition of the more lofty sort. I say, this is likely ; and if it shall appear — as I think it will — that in many cases it has manifestly been imitated, even in the terms and phraseology used, it will be sufficiently certain that this must have been the fact. I shall now endeavour to point out some instances of this sort ; and in doing this, I shall give the passages in the original Hebrew, in order that the coincidences, imitations, citations, allusions, &:c. adverted to above, may the more readily be seen. Tabular View of parts of the first five Chapters of the Book of Job, compared either with some parts of the Book of Genesis, or with others of the subsequent sacred writers. Job, i. 10. Lam. ili. 7- -rrm m^n "ii^m -n^a nsa? n« w!Js wbi ^ii?^ -n^ irn a-^nDtt ib '^wv). b^ Ps. xxxiv. s. ch. iii.23. vwi^b n^nn mn^ iwba n:n -ID^T rrnno: i^n-r -itt?« nnrib ^omp. 2 Kings, vi. iT Ch. xix. 8. Ch. i. 21. Eccl. V. 14. 312?N mV") ^nS ]I23n \-l!J^ n-157 ' ISI 31tt7'' C1-T!7 1!3N l!32tt M!i> ^^^ Lam. iii. 8, f). Ch. ili. 10. ^^^32 ^-5^-J -,-T^ . ^nbsn nryu) ''3''57513 Comp. Ps. xlix. 18 ; 1 Tim. vi. 7- Ch.iii. 11. Jer. XX. 18. 13T mr2« cma Kb nnb bnr nsnb >ns:j^ nma nr nab Comp. V. 20. <^;i<^ (See, too, the preceding verse.) ' It is impo.ssil)Ie not to see, I think, that this is a direct alhision to, and an imitation of", the passage in Job placed against it. 72 INTRODUCTION. Job, X. 18. ri7i vi2« "'3n«!i")n cnn72 nab : ^as-in sb Ch. iii. Ifi. sb n^V^v^ n>ni^ sb pniD bsa^ : -lis 1S-I Ch. iii. 21. Ch. iv. 3, 4. : Y7^i •':3 xiv. 7. mpn v^b w> >3 Comp. ch. vi. 8 ; viii. 13 ; xi, 20; xiv. 19; xvii. 15; xix. 10. Ch. iv. 7. nc-^Mi -fnN ^p3 Nin -^a w -i3t Ch. iv. 0. "'nn ]"is >w^n "^n^K-i ^^?sd Ch. xxxi. 8. Eccl. iv. 4. 121 bai? b^ nw ^as \n^«-i Comp. vv. 2, 3. Ps. Iviii. 9. : W12W itn bn ntt?K bsa •••• i^d Prov. ii. 4. Isa. XXXV. 3. nibti?D n^3nm msi n>-r> iptn Comp. Heb.xii. 12.* Ezek. vii. 17 ; xxi, 12. n^sns b^') n3^Q-in n^n^n ba : n^a n3Dbn Comp. Isa. xiii. 7. Prov. iii. 26. ibm n'QW') -rbosn n^n'^ mn^ Ps.xlix.l4. •■'^'^^ Ruth, i. 12. Ti^pn ">b ::?>•••• •'^ Prov. X. 28 ; xi. ?. Ch. xix. 18. Comp. xxiii. 18; xxiv, 14; xxvi. 12; xxix. 20. Jer. xxix. 11 ; xxxi. 17. Lam. iii. 29. Hos. ii. I7. Ps. ix. 19; Ixii. 6 ; Ixxi. 5. Ezek. xix. 5 ; xxxvii. 11. Zech. ix. 12. Ps. xxxvii. 25. >n^«-i Nbi ^n^pf D2 ^n^^n -15^2 : Dnb tt^p^a 127-Tn nt2?3 p>i!s Prov. xxii. 8. IIos. X. 12, 13. nnn "^sb i"i2p npi!Jb c^b n^T nnbir ra?-! nntz^nn •••• ... Dn-i!jp Ch. viii. 7, lisp"' nnQiDi i^nT> mn o nwv^ -iT rrti?27> >bis rn^p ('om]mie (Jiilat. vi. 7, 8. Ps. cxxvi. 5. IMich. vi. 15. Jer. xii. 13. 2 Cor, ix. (i. INTRODUCTION. 73 Job, iv. 9. 15N 71^^)12^ TrnN^ mbs natz^an Cli. xviii. 15-21. ^57 mt'^ Ch. XX. 23 ; xxxvii. G. Isa. XXX. 33. : nn n^s^n n^-icn bn33 Alliidiiif,', perhaps, in eacli case, to the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, &c., Gen. xix. 24. mo 2 Sam. xxii. 9, 13, 15, 16. Comp. Ps. xviii. 9 ; cv. 32 ; and Exod. XV. 7, 8, 10, 22. Hos. X Ps. xi. C. Ezek. xxxviii. 12. 2 Thess. ii. 8. Ch. iv. 10. >3tt7T Ps. Iviii. 7, 8. ir)''2n i72''3ty D"in ^n'^N Ch. iv. 11. pl-ita ''bn^ i3« w^b V. 7, «Mi3ra, n^nw^ ns'^s imn"* '\"in3 n^-r^cs ni57nba ibbnn> i!23 r-^n -fm^ Comp. Ezek. xix. 1-9 ; xxxii. 1-lC. Jer. ii. 15. Ps. xci. 13 ; which is manifestly referred to hy our Lord in Luke X. 19. Ps. xxxiv. 11. mn'' ^tC-lTl 1227-11 1tC-| n>"T*Q3 nira bs non^ sb Nahum, ii. 14. ^-n^ni 2-nn b3«n -yn^D^ (In Isa. XXX. G, the ':;""'5 is said to be a beast belonging to tlie south, i. e. the Arabian deserts south of Judea.) ' Isaiah manifestly refers Lere to sometliing revealed prior to his times ; and, as his expressions are a little more expanded than those in Job, — the sentiments still remaining the same, — I cannot help tliinking he must have had this passage in his mind. The same seems to have been the case with David, in 2 Sam. xxii. 9, \c. ; Ps. xi. G ; xviii. 9, &c. ; with Ezek. xxxviii. 22 ; and, perhaps, with Moses, Exod. XV. 7, &c. In Job, xviii. 1,')_21, the fate of Sodom seems particularly to be pointed out as an example ; as it also is in Jude, 7. It may be remarked too, that, as in 2 Sam. above, passages seem occasionally to exhibit lengthened comments, on senti- ments delivered in a few words only by our author; and that in some instances, as ver. IG, different parts of the original passage are combined closely together. 2 Here the verb, used by Job in the Chaldee form, is taken by David in the Hebrew form ; and in the next verse, the lightning, as in the original place in Job, is referred to. The text of David, moreover, greatly expands that of Job. 74 INTRODUCTION. Job, iv. 12. na:!"" '-im >bsT Ch. iv. 13. lb. xxxiii. 15. Ch. iv. 14. Ch. iv. 15. lb. xxxiv. 14. C'omp. Numb. xxii. 20; xxiii. 5, 16. Jer. i. 4. Mich. i. 1. Joel, i. 1, &c. Gen. ii. 21. 76. XV. 12. Prov. xlx. 15. Isa. xxix. 10. Gen. XV. 12. Exod. iv. 10; xix. IC. Comp. Heb. xii. 21. Isa. vi. 4, 5. Jer. i. G. Ezek. i. 28; ii. 2. Dan. X. 15-18. Jonah, i. 3, &c. Gen. ii. 7- n^'^n nj2W^ Ch. vi. 17. Ch. vii. 22. D^^n nil /i. xli. 38. Eccl. xii. 7" 1 Kings, xxii. 21. 2 Chron. xviii. 20. Comp. Exod. xxviii. 3. Numb, xxvii. 18, &c. See Concord., under the terms tTii, or Spirit. Cli. iv. IG. Dan. viii. 15 X. 18. ' This seems to be the first place in which this term (in) occurs in the sense of a divine revelation ; or, it may be, of one bringing such revelation : for it is worthy of remark, that both the verb, and pronoun following, maybe construed as applying to intellectual agents (Gram, Art., 21G, 7, 9). Hence, perhaps, this term is so frequently taken as signifying an agent by the Targumists, and interpreted by 111 s-a-o, the word of God. See, too, Rev. xix. 13. *^ It was in visions, seen in a sort of ecstasy (Comp. Acts, x. 10 — 'E-ri'i-itriv W avTov ixa-TCKTir Griesb., the very Hebrew phraseology, ib. xi. 5 ; xxii. 17), that revelations were perhaps most frequently made under both Testaments. The first we have any notice of is that in Gen. ii. 21, as formerly noticed ; the second, ib. XV. 12. In Job, xxxiii. 15-27, we have a very remarkable revelation of this sort ; and in this, not only are the doctrines of redemption, renewal, &c., but also of a Redeemer, particularly dwelt upon. I am inclined to believe, therefore, that the yV*3 "s'5":, mentioned here, is the person who appears to be styled "^ai, or taorU, as just now noticed on ch. iv. 12. It is also evident from the context in each place, that ri^a-r-^n, in Prov. xix. 15, and Isa. xxix. 10, signifies either a revelation, or the means of obtaining it. 3 In Gen. xv. 12, we have the first mention, I think, of that extreme terror experienced when revelations were received from above, felt, as it should seem, from a deep sense of un worthiness in the receiver. * This is, certainly, the earliest passage of the Old Testament in which any mention is made of an unemlmdied spirit ; and to such spirit reference is made in ch. xxxiv. 14; and to an embodied spirit, ch. xxxii. 8. The parallel passages referred to will shew, that the latter was familiar in the earliest times of the patri- archs. We need not, therefore, as the Neologian critics tell us, go to Babylon and the times of the captivity for this notion. In Eccl. xii. 7, the existence of un- cnibodied spirits is manifestly taught. I I INTRODUCTION. 75 Job, iv. 17. 'pi!S"» mbsn tt^i^sn lb. ix. 2 ; XV. 14 ; xxv. 4, (J : xxxiii. 26, 32 ; xl. 3, &c. Ch. iv. 17. lb. ix. 9; xxxi, 15; xxxii. 22 Ch.iv. 18. Ps. cxiiii. 2. bD -r^35b Isa. xlv. 25. Sb 12T ipTi^ mn>3 (Comp. Gen.vii. 1 ; xv. 0. Jer. xxiii. (i. Ezek. xvi. 51, .i2. 2 Sam. xv. 4. Uetit. xxv. 1. Prov. xvii. 15. Isa. xxvi. 7 ; 1.8. Dan. xii. 3, &c. XXXV. 10. Gen. i. 20, Ps.xcvi. 5; 31 ; ii. 1, 3, 4, 18. C.3; civ. 19. Is.xliv. 24,&c. •V3Kbttm lb. V. 1 ; XV. 15 ; xxxiii. 23. Ch. iv. 19. lb. V. 4 ; vi. 9 ; xix. 2 ; xxii. 9. Gen. xvi. 7, 9, 10, &c. ; xix. 1, &c. ; xxi. 17; xxii. 11, 15; xxiv. 7, 40; xxxi. 11 ; xlviii. 1(». Exod. iii. 2; xiv. 19, &c. Ps. xc. 3. lb. 5, G. Comp. Ps. xxxiv. 19 ; Ixxxix. 11; xciv. 5; cxiiii. 3. Isa. iii. 15; liii. 5, 10; Ivii, 15. Lam. iii. 34. Prov. xxii. 22, &c. Ch. iv. 20. ipn^ Ps. xc. 7. bbi^^ 3-)^b ?ibm v^-' "^P^^^ Exod. xviii. 13, 14. Ch.iv. 21. lb. xxxvi. 12. ^^bn sbi 'n-137 127 np3 ]^ Ps. xxxix. 12; xlix. 15, 17- Prov. X. 21. Ezek. xxxiii. 8. imtj^ nb nonn Ch. v. I. Ps. Ixxiii. 25 ; cxxiii. 2. tmsn n^tz^npa >n b«T \n!2cn -^sb ia:s7T n-^^a^a ^b >» ima> : V"iN3 ' The doctrine of justification is certainly first taught in the Book of Genesis, as shewn l)y St. Paul ; but no where in the Old Testament is it so fully entered into as in the Book of Job. * It is qtiite evident from these passages, that the doctrine of angels was taught before tlie times of Job, as well as in his and subsequent times. We need not, therefore, as some will have us, go to the captivity in Babylon for this doctrine. ^ This term, s:-, is used in none but tlie elevated style : it occurs no where in this sense and usage in the Pentateuch, but often in Job ; from whom (ch. v. 4) it is imitated in the same phrase, Prov. xxii. 22. The word seems, therefore, to have been peculiar to the usage of Job, and from him to have been adopted by subsequent writers. * The more usual expression inverts this order, because the evening is considered as preceding the morning naturally. Jetbro, Moses, and Job, have here taken the reverse. •'' This sentiment, which is rather an unusual one, is here manifestly the same in each place : the psalmist has rendered it rather more specific. The allusion, 76 INTRODUCTION. Ch. V. 3. : csns 7i.ch.viii. 12-20; xii. G. 14. Job, V. 2. Dent. xxix. 17, 19. [nsi wv:i 2-in^ Viwb ^3 ••••nin> D3?n---n2D isnb ns mn> nnai •••• Kinn Prov. i. 32. Ch. xiv. 30. Ezek. xxxv. 11. Ps. xxxvii. 35, 3G. Ps. cix. 13, 17, 18; cxix. 158; cxxix. C. Prov. iii. 33. nv) vwn n^ni mn'* ms» Ps. Ixxiii. 3, 19. Zech. V. 3, 4. in^3 linn n^bv- -^nsn b^ Jer. xii. 1, 2. 1:11 itt7i::7 D3 •••• : i^n ^n^n b^ (Comp. ib. xvii. 5, 6.) Ps. cxix. 155. Ps. cix. 6. perliaps, is to the heathen custom of considering remarliahle men as endued with a greater portion of the anima mundi, alias, spirit of God^ in their phrase, while living, and when dead, as elevated into deities ; and to this the next verse seems strongly to alkide. Compare the context of the passages cited from Deuteronomy and the Proverbs, and no doubt can remain on the subject. ' The following verse, viz. 37 (i;-,-:; on 1*3)1 contains a manifest allusion to Job's retaining liis integrity, and the consequent prosperity enjoyed in his last days. And, on a careful perusal of all the passages cited, it can scarcely be doubted that the text of Job has supplied their ground-work. " The term y^', or rryvr', occurs, for the first time in the Bible, in these pas- sages. It is found fretpienlly afterwards, and always I believe in the elevated style : it is remarkable from the circumstance of its giving birth to the proper name Jesus : !)ecausc the thing meant, viz. salvation, is in every sense intimately connected with him. Ch. V. 4. ^^w^D. iM^-T^T '"aw^j^ ^2:2 ipm^ INTRODUCTION. 77 Ps. cix. 7, 9, 10. ••••D''n"in"' V32 vn- V33 VJ12> 5;i2T Comp. Ps. l.\ii. 2, 3, 8. Gen. xlix. 18. Exod. XV. 2. 14; xxiv. C. 2 Sam. X. 11. Prov. xi. Isa.xlv. 8. Ilab. iii. 12. Jol>, xlii. IG; xxx. 15. ni^iK^^b ^b sin C3 rh. V. o. lb. xviii. 1(J; xxiv. (i, 10. ^tt?S Isa. lix. 11. Ch.lvi. 1. Deut. xxxii. 39. Judg. xviii. 28, &c., — occurs for the first time in Job. Ps. cxxix. C, 7- Comp. Joel, i. 10-12. Isa. xvi. it ; xxvii. 11. Jer. vi. 17; viii. 20. Ch.v. 0. 'bm' nx^tj"' sb Comp. cli. iv. 8 ; xv. 35. Amos, iii. 3-7- v-rni^ bw -niD nbi cs >3 : c\s^n3n Isa. xlv. 7. niDV -ftfn ts-?im n^s ni'v :nbs bD na;!? Eccles. passim. Cli. V. 7. Gen. iii. W, 17, 19. : i^^n ^a> bD n^b^wn 7i:ii'573 '•im cnb b3sn i^cs ni?T3 Ps. li. 7, 12. ^3n«n^ wt.*n2T \-ibbin 7"n!;n in : ^^s m-ii G^nbw ^b J-^in "iini: nb ' The origin of moral evil was no secret to the author of this book, nor indeed to any sacred n-riter either liefore or after his times. The first revelation made by God to man had stated tlie fact, and the cau.se of it ; hence we discover no difference of opinion in the Scriptures on tliis otherwise inscrutable mystery. Tin's, I think, is the drift of the passage cited from Amos. He has broadly stated, that nothing of this sort can occur, the cause and gnmnds of which h.-ive not been made known to God's prophets ; i.e. the publishers of his word and will. The Book of Ecclesiastes generally discusses this question. 78 INTRODUCTION. G-^nTS Job, Ch. V. 9. •••mb-r3 Tiwv 7i. cli. xxxvii. 5, 14 ; xlii. 3. Ch. V. 10. Jb. ch. xxviii. 2fi; xxix. 23; xxxvi. 27; xxxvii. 6 ; xxxviii. 28. Comp. Jol), xxxviii. 22, Comp. Deut. xxxii. throughout. Ps. cxxxix, &c. &c. n"3-7 Eccles. iii. 18; vii. 14 ; viii. 2. Ps. ex. 4. Gen.xviii, 14, &c. Ps. xl. (J; Ixxii. 18 ; Ixxxvi. 10; cxlv. 3, 5, 6; civ. gener- ally. Exod. xxxiv. 10. Josh. iii. 5. Judg. vi. 13. Jer. xxxii. 17, 27, &c. Ps. Ixv. 10,11, 12, 13. D'^n sba D>nb« ^bs na-itc^yn III. Ps. civ. 13-lC; cxlvii. 8. Acts, xiv. 17. Jer. v. 24. mm mipbai mvi nw^ ]n3n Ch. X. 13 ; and li. 16. £=3'^att73 Q'^a )M2n ')nn bipb V"^w n!iptt D^stZ73 nb^^T m-1 MiJV'i r^wv Ch. V. 11. Dmpi m"-i!2b D^bcti? mt£7b III. ch. XX. C-11 ; xxxvi. 15, 31. iiaab c^pnn Ch. xiv. 22. '^:n n^n^ri-n i3n^ c^zstrn 1 Sam. ii. 6, 7- bisa? i^mn n>n!2i n"^^a nin'^ :bi;^"i ?iw VDtt^a -i^£i?mi ti?m?2 mn> "131 D^na Ps. cxiii. 7, 8. D>3^-r3 Q27 "'a^tcinb : ]V3W Ezek. xvii. 24. Ps. Ixxii. 12; Ixxv. (>, 8; cvii. 41. Hab. ii. 9. The particular providence of God is admirably taught in tlie remaining part of t.ns chapter; a subject, 1 need not perhaps say, never tanglit in iliis way except under divine revelation : and, it is proper to remark liere, altliough the wonderful works of God are particularly appealed to, as they also are in many of tlie sul)se- queut cliapters which treat on the same subject, not so much as one of the miracles performed under the guidance or appointments of flloses, appears to be referred to, as formerly remarked. * The miraculous mode of giving divine revelations Eliphaz has already noticed, chap. iv. !2, &c. The following wonders recounted are those visible to the eye of frtith only, liut as obvious to it as any open miracle can be, and qtiite as convincing. This is stiHicient to shew, that religious knowledge was by no means low in those days. INTRODUCTION. 79 x':'i Job, V. 12. Ps. xxxiii. U). n^m-137 mntt^nn nsa K^2n D^i2 nL'27 "i^cn mn^ : n^w^n nnn> n^wvn : n^r^v n^^irn^ Ps. Ixxvi. G. is!;t3 Nbv---2b ^-i^2« ibbintr-s : cnn^ Vn ^ti>:s ba Isa. viii. 10. sbT -im "nm -ism ni'^? V2^ 131 cip^ Ch. xliv. 25. bb")n> a^ttopT c^nn mn« nsa Qn27-n "^ins c^n^n n^a^a Ch. V, 13. Ch. V. 14. '\wwr2'' nb'^bai "j^"''^ itt^^s'^ c^v :b3D^ Prov. viii. 14, 15. (Comp. Ps. xciv. 11.) Ps. ix. IG, 17. n^?-i3 1^7^ nncr^n d^i2 i2?nr5 : nb:in mabs i^nro it 17127-1 U:7p13 V53 b575n Ps. XXXV. 8. Tiabn pia nti7s int27-n Isa. xix. 3, 14. ••• 37b3s insi?^ n^v^v mn n'nnp-n '^D^ mn^ •I'ii c>-ii*n n« i57nm (Comp. 1 Cor. iii. 19.) Deut. xxviii. 29. Isa. lix. 10. Pltt733 Cnn22 IsbDD nt27tt?2D •121 Prov. iv. 19. 1171^ ^^b nbcsD c^i7ti7-i -jm : ibty^"' nnn Comp. Jer. xiii. IG; xviii. 15; 1. 32, 80 INTRODUCTION. Job, V. 15. Ps, xvii. 13. Ps. XXXV. 10. ''3i7'i i3an pTna ^32? Visa Comp. Ps. Ixxii. 4, 13, 14 ; cvii. 41 ; cix. 31 ; cxl. 13, &c. Cli. V. 10. St-e ch. iv. 6 on the first member; on n-zp nnbv) n^ps'^ bib >nm the second, " : n^s Ps. cvii. 42, : n^2 ii''2^p nbi^ b^i isa. lii. 15, ^'n*) cn^s n>Db^ vi^p'' Lam.iil.30, >blM IH^D -12573 ]n^ : mpn w> ' It is certain tbat we have a direct citation liere ; for, althougb there is a slight difference in the wording of the two passages, they are in sense perfectly identical. In Job, for example, we have t^J^^i', for ^•'Q'^'S ; that is, a derivative from the root ?"y, with the n or n of unity — as the Arabs terra it — added, making the sense intensilive. In the Psalm we have TiT'j ^5, which I take to be perfectly identical in signification with the passage just noticed, and a good interpretation of it. The phrase is singular, and occurs only once more in the Old Testament, as marked in the table. The passage from the Lamentations seems also to evince that its author had the context of Job in his eye. Let it be observed, too, the former member of this verse in the Psalm will be found, with a very slight difference, in Job, xxii. 19, 'ir^^s^'i B'p'7^ fis'^'i • while we have in the Psalm, in^^b;''] D'^'^'i"; ^is'^";^ which is, perhaps, sufficiently near to shew that the original author was the same person in each case. It is still more remarkable — and can be explained on no other prin- ciple,, than that the writer of the Book of Psalms had the Book of Job before him when he wrote — that this very Psalm (viz, cvii.) also cites two other passages verbatim from Job ; for, we have at ver. 40, n-^n-Kb ^"ra 61;^ Din'^nj-':? tia ^tv which stands thus in Job, xii. 21, n>'a"'73-i:5> 113 ^ty ; and then a little' lower down at ver. 24, we have the remaining member ; viz. n^^"^'' '^~^r ^?P-^- No one will, I am sure, suppose here that the Psalmist is the original writer ; it being quite obvious, first, that the context in Job is more of a piece, and possesses infinitely more the character of a primitive, simple abstract, and unfettered discussion, than it does in the Psalm, which introduces a portion of the history of the Israelites — a thing never done by our patriarch ; — and here divides and dislocates this passage, in order to make it the more suitable to his combined consideration of both doctrine and experience. Again, if I am not mistaken, we have at ver. 18 of this Psalm an allusion to another part of the Book of Job, viz. chap. vi. 7. The former appears to me both to be an allusion, and at the same time an excellent comment on the hitler. We have I think one instance more, at least, of manifest allusion to the Book of Joii in this P^ahn. In ver. 27, it is said, --s-ib li'lJ^i 1i-n;, Thet/ turn about, and are ai/itated like the drunkard. In Job, xii. 25, we'have-^-s'i? ai'n'i and he makes them stray (or waiuler) like the drunkard. The Psalm, it should be observed, enlarges upon the original text, explaining, as it is customary in citing the language of others, in order to give it an application in the new case the more jiointed. INTRODDCTION, 81 Job, V. 17. Ch, V. 18. •)-»'>') vntt^ wnn^^ n^wD^ w^n >3 Ch. V. 19. Nb vnwn-] -f-.^v.^ nm* wwn : in 13 "s?3^ Prov, iii. 11, 12, 13. bsi Ds^n bs ^3n mn^ -idi^s n^DV mn> sns^ ntr^s ns ^d (Comp. Heb. xii. 5, C, 10. Jam. i. 12. Rev. iii. If).) Ps. xciv. 12. 7T> la-iD'Ti ntr« -i22n ntt's Ps. cxix. G7, G8, 71. nnv^ :i':w "'as Hal's mt^ : i^pn >3f!2b 2^:2^ nns 2112 "T^bK 7^»b \i>357 >!3 ^b sit:) : Tpn (Comp. Lam. iii. 33. Ulic. iv. C. 2 Cor. i. 6, 7, &c.) Deut. xxxii. 39. sQn« ^3si \nrna (Comp. 1 Sam. ii. G, 7-) it'3n?:2i Ps. cxlvii. 3. nb mnirb : cmsr^b Isa. xix. 22. Ch. XXX. 2C. 1^1? iilW n« mn^ w^n cvn : K3-i^ insa ynr:^^ (Comp. Ivii. 17-19. Jer. xvii. I-I ; XXX. 17; xxxiii. 9. liani. ii. 13. Exotl. XV. 2G. Numh. xii. 13. Ps. vi. 3, &.C. Prov. iv. 22, a?Q3 Dibttrn mo Prov. X. 3. (Comp. 2 Sam. iv. 9. 1 Kings, i. 29. Ps. xxvii. 3 ; xxxiv. 23, &c. Isa. XXXV. 10; Ii. 11. Jer. xv. 21. Hos. vii. 13. Zech. x. 8, &c. &c.) Ps. Ixxiii. 9. : vi«3 "fbnn n^wb Ps. xxxi. 19. '•121 pnv p^i!: bv Ps. 1. 19, 20. : na-iK3 i>D!2n '-\^^wb (Comp. Ps. V. 10 ; X. 7 ; xii. 4,5; xv. .3. Prov. vi. 17, 24 ; x. 31 ; xii. 19 ; xvii. 4, 20, &c. Eccl. x. 11. Isa. iii. 8, &c. as to the second member.) Dent. vii. 18. □ntt si^n sb (Comp. V. 17) Dent. XX. 1. IJStt nn DV 23-11 DID n^S-11 (Comp. xxxi. 8.) INTRODUCTION. 83 Isa. xiii. 6. Joel, i. 15, id. Ps. xii. C. vwn n^'tT'S mn"" nas'^ nips (Vers. 4, 5, contain allusions to the former member : this to the latter.) Ps. xci. 5, 6. : n^-in!J -ntt?^ n^-:n----Kn\n wb Prov. iii. 25. nstt?s:"i insa K-r^n bs (The places are almost innumerable in which the sentiment is found.) Job, V. 22. Prov. xxxi. 25. V^sn n^ny^^ r^nwn ^D^bi iwb : pnn« nvb pnwn') ' : N-i\-i bs Ps. Iii. 8. Ps. xci. 5, (}. ibn*' bDsn -izn72----«-i\n sb (As in ver, 21.) ' It is hardly possil)le, I think, to avoid the conclusion — upon considering these and similar passages — that much of the language which is doctrinally true, and is as such applied in this Book of J.»b, is afterwards also applied to the purposes o( parli- ciilar prophecy in the Old Testament. If, for example, the doctrinal truth con- tained in this place in Job was familiar to the Jews — when the language in which it is couched was applied to prophecy, as it seems to have been in Isa. xi. xliii. &c. and certainly in Psalm xci. l.'i — it could not l)ut have had great force witli them; just as is the case when the language of Scripture, or of some eminent poet, is applied among ourselves to some subject suitable to its terms. This would properly be termed accommodation ; and, certainly a few such instances are to be found in the New Testament, but they are very few. In such cases as these, the language of doctrine would, like that of i>articular prophecy, receive a sort of fulfilment : in other words, the language of what I term general prophecy., would take the place of that which belongs to particular prophecy — (See my Sermons and Dissertations on Prophecy, p. 216.) a4 INTRODUCTION. Job, V. 23. ' : lb n!3btt?n niwn Ch, V. 24. T2 n-rpQ") ibn« mb::^ "^D n^-r^ Comp. xxii. 26-29. Ps. xci. 13. Ezek. xxxir. 25. ^nnK^ni n^bw n>nn cnb \'n-i3*i Hos. ii. 20. Sinn m>3 n^na cnb ^niDT (Comp. Gen. ix. 5. Lev. xxvi. 6, 22. Deut. xxviii. 26 ; xxxii. 24. Isa. xi. 6, &c ; XXXV. 9 ; xliii. 20 ; Ixv. 25, &c. Jer. iv. 7 ; v. 6 ; xii. 8, 9, &c. &c. Parallels more or less direct are almost innumerable.) Prov. xvi. 7- V3^« m tt7^s ^3-n mn^ m^Jin : iriN nbw (Several of the passages above cited on ver. 22, seem allied to this.) Prov. ii. 5, 9, 10. nl7^^ mn> nwn> ^2^*^ ^« : w!Jnn n^nbs : mti b:t57a b^ nvi^ inbn m2:in h-^inn ">3 ' The first member of this passage must necessarily be figurative, and the term stOTies might have been intended to signify foundation-stone (see Note on the place) ; if so, the allusion might be here to the covenant made with Noah (Gen. ix. 9, &c.), in which express mention is made of the beasts of the field. Whence it should seem to have been understood generally, that, as the beasts were originally (Gen. i. 28) placed under the dominion of man ; so, in covenant with God, he should at least be safe from their violence. And hence, perhaps, the numerous instances, as in Gen. ix. 5; Lev. xxvi. 6, &c. ; Deut. xxviii. 26, &c. in which destructive beasts are threatened as destroyers, and actually sent as such, whenever God's covenant was disregarded : and hence too, perhaps, destructive men, parti- cularly the enemies of religion, are termed beasts, and designated as lions, wolves, dears, &c. in Holy Writ. » The doctrine o( assurance, i. e. of the believer's feeling sure, and having no doubt, that all God's word is true, and shall be realised with him if he persevere, is certainly inculcated here, and in the adjoining context. It is a doctrine at which many Christians never do arrive ; but is, at the same time, a doctrine without which revealed religion can be of but little service to man. Compare Acts, xvii. 31. Col. ii. 2. 1 Thess. i. 5. Ileb. vi. 11 ; x. 22. INTRODUCTION. 85 Piov. ii. l'>. (Comp. John, vii. 17; viii.28; xiv. 20. I John, ii. 20; v. 10, 12, &c. Prov. xxviii. 5. Isa. xxxii. 4, 17; Hi. C; Ix. 16. Dan. xii. 10. Ezek. xxxiv. 30. Jer. xxiv. ^ ; xxxi. 34.) Joh, V. 25. Gen. i. 11. Ch. XV. 5. Ch. xxii. 17. Ps. Ixxii. 16. : v^wn ntt?5?3 -i^vo is^^"" Ps. cxii. 2. •iai i3?-iT n'«n'' v^iK^ -ii:i3 Isa. xxii. 24. D^«^N*2n v:2« n^n nns (Comp. xliv. 3; xlviii, 19; Ixi. 9; Ixv. 23.) Ch. V. 26. ^en. XV. 15. nibra -inp ^bw nban Kisn i^pn oibc^n t^-i^m b« Ni^n Ch. XXV. 8. Deut. XXX. 20. 131 T^"' I'^N'' T^'^n Nin ^3 Ps. xc. 5, 7. 121 1CS3 12^b3 ^D ' The cases of Noah and Al)raham, and of the latter particularly, seem to be had in view in this place and context. 86 INTRODUCTION. Ps. xci. 16. (Comp. Prov. iii. 2, IG; ix. 11 ; x. 27. Eph. vi. 2, 3. 1 Cor. xi. 30, &c.) Job, V. 27. Ps. cxi. 2, 3. :ib VI nnwT n2!?att7 cn^i^Dn' Comp. viii. 8 ; xxviii. 27- ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^b5?Q^mm Tin 1:1") : 117b It would be almost endless to pursue this inquiry through- out the whole of the Book of Job, and it would be unneces- sary to my purpose. The more remarkable parallels which have occurred to me, will be found in their places in the margin of the translation ; and these the reader may, with the help of the Concordance and of his memory, carry to any extent he may choose.^ And his conviction must be, unless his mind be constituted very differently from mine, that this mass of undesigned coincidence could never have existed, had there not been some substantial cause for it. That is, either the language and sentiments of this book must have been accessible to the sacred writers ever since the times of Moses, or else the Book of Job nmst have been written subsequent to them all, and so have borrowed in all this abundance from them : an opinion which the wildest of theorists would scarcely adopt. Upon the whole, I think it must be evident to every con- siderate person, that the allusions, noticed above and else- where, made to the creation, to the fall of man, and to other circumstances manifestly belonging to the patriarchal times, could not have been made in the writing-g of Job had he not ' It could be wislied that some good Hebrew scholar, who has leisure and judgment sufKcient for tlie task, would thoroughly investigate this question. My eugagements — were I otherwise qualified — will not allow of this. The inquiry might further be extended from tlie Law of Moses to the subsequent sacred writers, and even from one historian to another, with the view of thus also ascertaining the priority, or the contrary, of each respectively. Such a work would confer an immense benelit on the study of the Old Testament. INTRODUCTION. 87 been familiar with them : and, from the manner in which these allusions are made, — occasionally citing the very ivnrds of the Book of Genesis, — it does seem unavoidable that that book was in existence in the times of Job. Other consider- ations leading to the same result I have proposed elsewhere ; and my opinion is, that the Book of Genesis does undoubtedly present us with a collection of the patriarchal scriptures. And, if such book was then in existence, nothing can be jnore likely than that it would be cited, and often alluded to, both by Job and his friends. Again, if such a book as this of Job existed in the early times of the Jewish polity, when no other Scriptures were known to the Jews, except the fragments contained in the Book of Genesis ; nothing can be more probable than that — circumstanced as Moses was — it would become a standard and sort of class-book with that nation ; especially as it contained the doctrines necessary to salvation, recognised the preceding revelation, and actually looked forward even to the hope of Israel, the Redeemer who had been promised in the line, and from the very loins, of Abraham. And if this too was the fact, then nothing could be more probable — nay, more certain — than that this book would constantly be referred to, and even cited, by all subsequent sacred writers : which has certainly been done, — if any reliance whatever can be placed on the citations and parallel places adduced above, — just as it was the case with the writers of the New Testament. And the conclusion is: This book is so indissolubly con- nected in matter, doctrine, style, history, &c. — is so inter- woven with every thing that is important in both Testaments — that it must now, as it ever has done, constitute an import- ant part and parcel of God's word, as revealed for the instruction, consolation, and final salvation, of man. There is still one consideration which ought to be no- ticed ; it is. The style and manner in which doctrines are proposed in this book. It is all-important in the proposal of doctrines, that the terms be few and clear, and the manner interesting. Now in this book, the whole has taken the form of friendly controversy : ^ a form the most likely to afford interest to the reader, and at the same time to guard ' According to Strabo, the kings of Arabia frequently argiied causes publicly, .ind were extremely popular and hospitable. His words, near the end of his 88 INTRODUCTION'. against liis mistaking the meaning of his author. Mere dialogue is apt to become dull and vapid, especially on sub- jects not very inviting in themselves; — which unhappily i& found to be the case with revealed religion. It is, when feeling is mixed up with the question — when some one party is suffering under imputed wrong, and another is silenced by the force of argument, — that truth carries with it its greatest interest. And such is the case with this book. Debate too allows of an extensive range of inquiry, of illustration, of proof, and the like ; into which mere dialogue, or narrative, can never enter. In this point of view, the Book of Job is certainly one of the most interesting ever pre- sented to the world. It is the most comprehensive as to its range of inquiry, illustration, and proof; and, what is still of more importance here, it is the most full on the subjects of doctrine and experience ever yet known. It should seem almost incredible that, within the space of nine-and-thirty not very long chapters, it should dwell with such minuteness and accuracy on the character of God, of angels, of man; on the creation, the fall, redemption, death, the resurrection of the body, the immortality of the soul, the renewal or re- generation of man ; on past history, and events to happen in futurity ; on the mysteries too of nature, and subjects of natural philosophy ; the depths of the ocean, the heights of the heavens ; the wealth and treasures of the bowels of the earth ; the wonders of the starry firmament, the poisings of the clouds, the stroke of the thunderbolt ; the beauties of the feathered tribe, the courage of the war-horse, the horrors of the tempest, of the day of battle, of starving poverty, and wretchedness; the conquests of virtue ; and, above all, the inscrutable glories, — necessarily incommunicable to man, but shrouded in clouds and thick darkness, — visible only in the immediate presence of the Deity. I say it is almost incredible, that matters so incomparably good, so intense in interest, so extensive, so varied, and so greatly dilated upon, should be comprehended in this short book. And yet, sixteenth book, are •.—"Ouru S' i finnXivs Ifri 'Sn/Lconxis, iliari y many of tlie former loaders of this delusion ; and that Pantheism is openly professed hy them ; and tliat others have hetaken them- selves to what is termed an evangelical profession of the Gospel. INTRODUCTION. 95 be every thing; because here, what the context does not happen to put it out of his power to misunderstand, and then to misinterpi-et, the bias of his own mind — if his views are partial — effectually will. And this, be it remembered, will not be confined to the faulty and partial system just noticed. It will also indulge in all the varieties of opinion and doc- trine, in all the foolish and superstitious notions, of either ancient or modern times. And which of these extremes is most to be feared ; viz., that by which the mere grammarian makes the sacred writer^ talk like heathens, or that by which they are made to sanction every superstitious piece of nonsense which the world has ever heard of or witnessed, it is hard to say. My own opinion is, that not only is each equally bad in itself, but often leads to equally bad, and not seldom to the very same, results. I mean, to heathenism and positive infidelity. The duly attempering, therefore, of these two most im- portant ingredients in the person of a translator, or inter- preter, of Holy Scripture, is every thing. I mean a rigid adherence, on the one hand, to the requirements of the idioms and usages of the language from which we translate, or which we interpret ; and, on the other, the paying every possible regard to the theology, laws, customs, antiquities, and the like, Avhich are known to have prevailed in the countries and times in which our authors lived and wrote. To illustrate, then, these positions, with particular reference to the book before us. The language of the Book of Job is, as we have seen, that of the best Hebrew times, inclining occasionally to the forms and significations peculiar to the Chaldee. Of both these dialects — for such they may be termed — we have a considerable stock of materials ; but of the Arabic, which may also be termed a branch derived from the same parent-stock, our materials are almost in- exhaustible : not to insist on the fact, that the ancient ver- sions, particularly the Chaldaic and Syriac, supply us vvith large stores of very considerable value in this respect ; although it will be any thing but prudent, as every one who has stu- died them must know, to trust to any one or more of these implicitly in translating, or interpreting, the sacred records.* ' I once thought of giving a section to the consideration of each of the ancient versions of the Book of Job ; but as this would have swelled my work, 96 INTRODUCTION. As to lann-uage, therefore, our stores are ample, our fields of inquiry valuable and extensive; and of these a sacred duty is imposed on us to make the most prudent use. and taken up my time, perhaps, to a greater extent than the inquiry would have justified ; I have confined myself to this note, and such other notices as will be found elsewhere in these sheets. I shall notice here only a few important passages; for it is in these only that aid from ancient sources can be of much value. In Job, xix. 25, then, the LXX. give this translation: — oTSix ya^ on i'iyvao; liTTiv o IxXviiv fit ftiXXav, I'tt) yrir a.va..i'T^ •'JSI, which might have been wanting in his copy. This will shew, however, that the Hebrew text was, in the times of Jerome, exactly what it is now in this place, and that he is inexcusable in having rendered it as he has done. The version which claims our next regard is that which is termed the Syriac Peschito, or simpler: That this version was made before the times of Jerome is beyond doubt, for we have a commentary on it by Ephrem Syrus, who flourished before him. This passage, again, is very far from correct in this version ; although it is not so faulty as to have entirely lost sight of the doctrines intended to be inculcated by it. It stands thus: — ^j '^^.» ^jjo ,^\j:jL] ooi .i^iaV) "wo :iJ^vAj j^;}^x ^sjomoo :ooi c^^ .^»coj.2>j .k^^aS ^ A.iU» ^*^ OOI ^^xaalo .^-\AJlaD. Which Gabriel Sionita INTRODUCTION. 97 One consideration has occurred to me, as of great im- portance here; it is this: Tlie duty of ascertaining what is, and was, the irrecisc oriental force and intention of words, thus translates : " Ego quidem scio quod Salvalor metis vivens sit, ct in con. snmtnatione super terra apparilttrus. El pellem meam angnstarunt hcBc, cl camem meant. Sividerint oculi met Dcum, vidchunt lumen. lienes mei peni- tus perierunt de loco meo" ijc. The Arabic translator, mistaking the sense of the Syriac here, has, nevertheless, given us a translation which will at once shew lioth, that he translated from the Syriac, and from the Syriac text as we now have it. His translation is this: "1^ -^Isi /.A ^Jlci jLi LiL ^^Jb ^s:i>S jy!^\ CAj Joii cfU^j: ^il! C'^j\ ^^^li "i' s:sn ■: ^z'rjz •n-'Vs "na^Vr "j-^-n s"-;"! y.^r,-' •'ry, •^'7 "^f^s s:s ^i ; sn'-s z'n 'Kt-a •'-o■2^>2^ M'^hich is thus rendered : "• El ego scio quia redemptor mens rivet, el post hceo redemplio ejus consurget super pulverem. El postquam inflata fuerit pellis mea, erit hoc : el de carne mea videbo ilerum Deum. Quern ego visurus sum mihi, el oculi mei vidchunt, el non alius : consumpti sunt rencs mei in sinu meo.'^ One hardly knows whicli to admire most here, ihe ability for better things, or the ingenious obsturity with which the Targumist has managed so successfully to involve himself. It brings forcildy to my mind the cloud which moved along with iEneas, and effectually shielded him from mortal view : a circumstance not unfrequently happening to Hebrew commentators, and Chaldee Targumists. I cannot help thinking, moreover, that the text of the Targum has been tampered with here. The terra r-ip"; redemplio ejus, seems to have been thriist in in no very workmanlike way. One would hardly have expected the masculine form of the verb (3""') after this; which would have suited extremely well iifter -p— : redemptor mens, an;l, in that case, the Chahiee would have II 98 INTRODUCTION. phrases, and sentences. Translators have often thought — particularly those unacquainted with the languages and writers of the East — that, if they could extract a tolerably easy and consistent sense from any passage, they must ne- cessarily have arrived at that of their author ; and, as to single words or phrases, if they could find a word or phrase which would suit the one to be translated in most, or all, of the places in which it occurred, they could not be far from the truth. This was manifestly the principle adopted by the Jewish translators and commentators gene- rally : and these were followed by all our early writers with a servility which was truly pitiable. Now this, I will affirm, whatever it may promise, cannot be safely relied upon ; because, although a plausible sense or interpretation may thus be arrived at, it may be, nevertheless, as it often has been, any thing but the true one. The same may be said of single words and phrases. My practice has been — as far as my information and abilities would allow me to carry it — to compare ancient and modern oriental usage with Biblical diction and sentiment — availing myself, of agreed with the Hebrew : it would liave afforded a good sense, which it does not now. The commentators, too, as published by Buxtorf, take no notice ■whatever of this word. I think, therefore, it is an interpolation, inserted, perhaps, for the purpose of opposing the interpretation which Christians have ge.neraliy given to the place. How the following, si Tjri "^aa^a l^;^s■ "^ria pi Et postquam inflata fuerit pelHs mea erit hoc, could have been offered, either as a translation or a comment here, I am quite unable to conceive. Again, S'S'l'a %"i"'^3 ''2''Vi consumpli sunt renes mei in sinu meo^ may be said, perhaps, to be a literal translation of the Hel)rew. In the Hebrew, however, there is a manifest ellipsis, which one would have expected a translator, so wordy as this Targumist generally is, to have supplied. This, however, he has not done ; and great obscurity is the consequence. The S'n iterum, occurring in ver. 2G, also looks very like an interpolation, both as it is unnecessary to the sense of the place, and also introduces a sentiment quite unaccountable from any part of the context. I would now only direct the reader to Chap, xxxiii. 23, &c. ; and, I think I may say, that when he has carefully examined these versions, and comj)ared them with the original, he will be disposed to conclude with me, that in these cases, at least, not much reliance can be placed on them. It will cer- tainly be too miicli to say tiie same thing in all such passages ; for there are cases in which one of them, or more, will supply a remarkably good and correct rendering. But, liefore a translator or commentator can adopt any of these, he must have acquired skill enough to enable him to choose the good, and refuse the evil ; which goes to prove, that no general dependence ought to be placed on any one or more of these versions, altliotigb they may faiily be appealed to, for the purpose of confirming a rendering previously ol)tained from some other independent source : and, in this way, I have used them. INTRODUCTION. 99 course, of all the aid I could derive from my predecessors in this way — and then to give the result accordingly. How- far I may have succeeded or failed, I leave it to others to say. As to the grammar generally, I must refer tlie reader to the second edition of the work on that subject, published by myself; which will enable him to judge of my principles and practices in this respect. As to the lexicography, or ])re- cise sense, to be attached to single words, I have made con- siderable use of a suggestion thrown out by the very learned Hebrew grammarian, David Kimchi, noticed in my Gram- mar at p. 234, second edition ; and which has been followed up with great diligence and success by my very learned friend, Dr. Wm. Gesenius of Halle. I mean, by instituting an extensive comparison with what are termed cognate words; that is, words similar in form and sound which are generally found also to be similar in signification. For example : Suppose I find a word occurring but once in my author, and not again in any part of the Hebrew Bible, or indeed in any of the cognate languages ; the question now is, How am I to get at its precise signification ? I may have recourse to conjec- ture, and propose, it may be, twenty different renderings of the place ; and, in some of these I may have one or moi-e of the ancient versions with me. But, as conjecture may fail — as we have seen — and, as the ancient versions are manifestly of little use in all such cases — conjecture having been all they may have had to trust to — and, as the con- tending interpretations so arrived at will be perplexing and unsatisfactory, 1 have now only two resources left ; the one, the parallelism of the place ; the other, my comparison of cognate words. In many cases the parallelism will deter- mine nothing ; because it will be impossible to say, whether the author intended it to be synonymous with the correspond- ing member, or directly opposed to it : here, then, I must have recourse to the comparison just mentioned. Now here, as I have already said, we may not have the identical word in question in any of the dialects, and never occurring again in the Hebrew Bible ; but we may have twenty cognate words, all having, apparently, some one primitive notion or idea running through them. It will now be my business carefully to observe this : and then to 100 INTRODUCTION. see, whether this, or some slight modification of it— such as we find obtaining in words so allied to one another — will suit the passage in question, or not. If it will, and this also suit the parallelism with the context generally, I need not doubt that I am not far from the meaning intended by my author. And, if I find one or more of the ancient versions agreeing with me, or the sentiment so arrived at either directly cited, or apparently alluded to, in some other part of Scripture ; I shall be sufiiciently certain that my translation is not incorr rect. Or again, if the passage seems to be proverbial, and I also find some such proverb still in use in the East, I shall, in that case likewise, have pretty good reason to believe, that my rendering is not erroneous. It should be observed, moreover, that it is not to words termed aVag Xiyofuva, (once occurring) only, that the rule above mentioned will apply. There is good reason for supposing, that the precise signification of many Hebrew words and phrases remains yet unknown ; and it is prin- cipally, perhaps, from this circumstance, that considerable obscurity still rests on many places of the Old Testament. Many instances will occur in the Notes, which will, I think, satisfy the reader that this is the fact. Now, by this method of comparison, we have the best chance of art riving at what I have termed the precise signification of such words and phrases ; and, when this is done, the metaphorical or other figurative use of such terms, will give us but little trouble ; as it will be easy to see in what way such signifi- cation, when once arrived at, requires to be applied. It cannot be necessary to say much on the influence exerted on any language l3y the opinions, religious notions, and the like, of those who speak it. Every one, who has made but the smallest progress in the study of the Latin and Greek authors, very well knows, that to attempt to make them out merely by the assistance of a grammar and dictionary, or with these in addition to the notions, religious opinions, customs, and so on, of the people of Arabia, it may be, would labour wholly in vain. A sense he may, indeed, occasionally extract; but then, the probabilities will be overwhelming, that this will not be the sense of his author. Obscurities, difficulties, doul)ts, conjectures, will be endless in such a case : and such is precisely the case, where helps no INTRODUCTION. 101 better, views no farther extended, and means of so doubtful a description, have been had recourse to. In our endeavours, therefore, to be right in this parti- cular, we must, among- other things, be careful correctly to inform ourselves of the true and genuine views, creed, ^fc of our author. Among Christians we know there is much spurious Christianity. The case is nearly the same among the Muhammedans, Hindoos, and, no doubt, among all other nations and people. Now, we must take care not to inter- pret the writings of one sect of such people, by the opinons held by another. If we do, how plausible soever our inter- pretation may appear, nothing can be more certain than that it will be worthless. The same must hold good when applied to the Bible. Among the Jews there was always a large number addicted to idolatry, and to idolatrous practices ; which must have grown out of idolatrous notions. In the latter periods of the theocracy, this, or something very like it, almost universally prevailed among them ; as is evident from the admonitions of the latter prophets, the writers of the New Testament, and the context of such Jewish writings as have come down to us from those times. Now, it is as clear as it can possibly be made, or wished, that the genuine Hebrew writers — the sacred penmen of both Testaments — were altogether opposed to such men, both in principle and practice ; and that it was the business of their lives to inveigh, in the strongest terms, against their errors. What then but error must be the result, should I be absurd enough to take the sentiments, notions, creed, &c. of this spurious portion of the Hebrew community, for the sentiments, doctrines, and the like, of the opposite party, and this for the purpose of interpreting their writings ? That is to say, What could be expected but error from the trans- lator or interpreter of Holy Writ, who should take the senti- ments, creed, and opinions, of apostates, hypocrites, and the like, for those of their determined opponents ; and then pro- ceed to interpret the genuine writers accordingly ? Would it not strike every man, not quite out of his senses, that he must be either a fool or a madman ? I do not see how some such conclusion could possibly be avoided ; and yet this is precisely the line of conduct adopted by the great — ay, and very learned — majority of our neigh- 102 INTRODUCTION. hours in Germany at this very moment ! They have no doubt — and in this their folly and madness they glory — that the apocryphal books of the Old Testament, added to the writino-s of modern infidel Jews, are the best possible means of making out the sacred texts of both Testaments ! For this purpose, and with special respect to this end, gram- mars, dictionaries, commentaries, scholia, &c. innumerable, are daily published and sent over in shoals to this country. And, what is still more strange, men are not wanting even among ourselves — whose abilities and learning, however, are certainly not of the highest order — who exhaust our vocabularies for terms of praise to heap on these crude and indigested masses of biblical learning. From what has already been advanced, I think it must be certain, that the author of the Book of Job was a genuine and faithful believer in revealed religion ; and that his book has been recognised by every writer, perhaps, of the Scrip- tures, as canonical ; that the doctrines therein propounded are identical with those elsewhere taught throughout the sacred code. According to my notions, therefore, the Book of Job ought, in every respect, to be treated accordingly. That is, the passages touching on doctrines ought to be illus- trated by similar passages in other parts of Holy Writ ; no disposition evinced either to obscure these, or to explain them away ; but, on the contrary, to bring them out to their full extent and bearing : and thus to restore, and keep up, that harmony of sentiment, opinion, belief, expectation, — those themes of instruction, reproof, consolation, and liea- venly-inindedness, — so universally prevailing throughout the most obvious declarations of Holy Writ. I doubt whether a translator or commentator would differ essentially from a betrayer, were he, for the sake of meeting infidels at a sort of half-way house, to give up or merge any thing whatever which God has intended should be retained. I believe, I say, he would act the part of a Judas, and could expect nothing less for his perfidy than his portion, were he to act in a way, in any resj)cct, like this. It is not intended to be atlinned, nevertheless, that much and good illustration of Holy Writ is not to be had from both Jewish and heathen authors; and this, both as it regards sentiment and phraseology. It is quite certain, I INTRODUCTION. 103 think, that heathenism was originally nothing more tlian an apostasy from true religion ; that it took many of its rites, notions, usages, ceremonies, and even religious belief, from revelation at some pej-iod. And hence, nothing can be more likely than that in many things, either of these may serve to illustrate and explain the other. In diction, too, where nature alone has been followed, no one will be sur- prised in finding much alike in each. The wonder, indeed, would be, should the case be otherwise. In all such cases, therefore, ilUistration is not only allowable, but highly pro- per and praiseworthy. It is when aid of this sort is called in — not for the purpose of illustrating an author — but in order to force him out of his native and genuine creed and opinions, and to make him speak those of foreigners and aliens, that it becomes wrong, and a source of error and falsehood. It is then that learning becomes tlie aider and abettor of ignorance ; and the translator or interpreter, thus abusing it, the author of public and private mis- chief, and the originator of every thing derogatory to the honour of God, and the good and happiness of man ; and that even revealed religion itself is made to convey the sentiments, and to propound the worship, of the very prince of darkness. I am very well aware, on the other hand, of the great danger to which minds highly alive to religious impressions are continually exposed ; and, that there is nothing, not even the Odes of Horace, or the genealogies of the Bible, out of which it has not been attempted to extract the pure doctrines of the Gospel. I am Avell aware, I say, of this fact, as I also am of the mischief which has accrued to real religion from it. I have, therefore — while I guard against the faults just noticed — carefully guarded against this also ; otherwise, my anxiety to avoid the one ex- treme— as it indeed is often the case — would be converted into the means of hurrying me into the other. For this purpose, and to avoid every inlet to error, the mind of the interpreter of Scripture ought to be kept under a constant and rigid system of discipline ; to be continually watched and kept in check : otherwise its very virtues may become its bane ; and, what is worse, be made the means of poison- ing: the minds of thousands of others. In all cases of this 104 INTRODUCTION. sorf, an ardent love of truth, united with tbe Scriptural /my of God, seems to be the best preservative. This will deliver the mind fi'om entertaining too great an admiration on the one hand, and too great a neglect on the other, of any school of biblical critics ; and will enable the friend of truth to avail himself of the best aids to be found among them all. And this, I hope I may say, without being charged with arrogance or egotism, is the state of mind which I have endeavoured to cultivate. How far I may have succeeded, it is not for me to say. I must be allowed to offer one remark more on this im- ])ortant subject : it is this : Every one m.ust see tlie necessity and importance of just views, just notions, the love of truth, and extensive knowledge, in the interpreter of Holy Scrip- ture. My remark now is : To these must be added long experience. I mean, continual exercise in reading and in- terpreting the context of Scripture. Without this, a recourse to what are termed the Hermeneuticse sacree, — i.e. books treating on Scriptural interpretation, — will be of but little use ; for these reasons. First ; The mind requires exercise in the use and application of these helps, as it also does in the application of the grammar, the dialects, the antiquities, and the theology, of the Bible ; just as much as the eye does in seeing, the feet in walking, or the hands in handling, before any correct judgment can be formed of the distance, magnitude, &c. of any object, in the first case; a steady gait, in tbe second ; or dexterity in the thousand things that come before us, in the third. Without this, the interpreter is very apt to be taken with what may be termed splendid novelties ; things which, at first sight, promise every thing glorious, but which are, eventually, productive of the greatest possible evils to society. Under this delusion, rcscmhlanccs are usu- ally taken for identities : and, m such a case — as tastes will differ, — who shall say what is, or is not, a resemblance? From this faulty source, Prophecy — which was once con- sidered the ''more sure word'' and evidence of the truth of Christianity — has, within the hist two or thi-ee hundred years, been made the most unsure thing imaginable. From the same cause, St. Paul has been made to appear a most perplexing and inconsislint metaphysician ; and the Book of the Revclalion, in ])arlieiilar, the \y\\{ of Scri[)tiii'o which INTRODUCTION. 105 it was considered wise not to touch ! And lastly, without this experience, error once imbibed will be persevered in ; the mind, unconscious of the many ways in which it may be mistaken, will naturally cling to its first imperfect impres- sions ; and, what is still more unhappy, will often convert the error, which a little more experience would have saved it from, not only into a revealed truth, but a revealed truth of the very first importance. Proofs of all this need not be given. Very intimately connected with the consideration re- specting the religious opinions, customs, &c. of any author, or set of authors, is that of the immediately preceding and succeeding context. For, if the more remote context will afford illustration to any particular passage, that which is more near, so as to be connected with it in the train of thought entertained by the author, cannot fail of doing so in a still greater degree. It has appeared to me, that all translators and commentators have taken far less advantage of this source of assistance than they might have done ; and to this I ascribe very many of the difiiculties under which they have laboured. Seldom, I believe, have they looked beyond the verse with which they have been immediately concerned, or at fai-thest beyond that immediately pre- ceding, or succeeding it. While it is certain that, from the introduction of parentheses, or the like, the context, still farther removed from that immediately under investigation, may be in strict and close connexion with it : and this is often found to be the case, as will appear in the following sheets. I will adduce one instance only, in illustration of this, from the New Testament. We have in Rom. xi. 26, ^^ And so all Israel shall be saved;" xai oiVw -rag '\(s^ai]>. ff'jjC/iffsrai. Now this, without any farther inquiry, is usually taken as a prophecy, intimating that the Jews shall certainly be converted to the Christian faith. If, however, any one will take the trouble to look back to the 23d verse, and then consider the context up to the place, he will discover, I tliink, that this is, beyond all possible doubt, not a propheajj but a doctrine ; stating that if the Jews remain not in un- belief, they shall, in the manner there described — they shall thus — be saved, oiVw itac, "ig^ariX eojO/ieirai : even as it had likewise been declared by the prophets, and by that very lOG INTRODUCTION. means (comp. 2 Cor. iii. 16). I say, this must be obvious to every one who has a stronger attachment to truth, than to previously received notions ; as it also must, that neglect of the context has been the sole cause of the long-continued, and widely propagated, mistake just mentioned. 1 may now, perhaps, say what my endeavours have been, as to the style and manner of the Translation here pre- sented to the public. It has been usual, both in this country and on the Continent, since the times of Bishop Lowth, to arrange both the original text and translations of what are usually termed the 'poetical Boohs of Scripture, so as to appear to the eye, as if the whole was written in verse. This has been done, apparently, for the purpose of shewing the more clearly how the parallelism affected the sense ; and hence, perhaps, the more clearly also to present the mean- ing of the author to the reader. Lowth, who had a highly wrought poetical imagination, seems to have thought that, as this parallelism was a distinguishing feature of Hebrew poetry, so this mode of exhibiting such author was almost necessary to his being thoroughly understood : and the same seems to have been the opinion of many of his followers. Now, although it is true that the elevated style — termed by Lowth and others, the ^oe^ic style — of the Hebrews, and, indeed, of the Arabs, Syrians, and Persians, abounds in parallelisms of this sort ; yet, it is equally true, that in no case does this constitute poetry. The Arabs and Persians have, besides this parallelism, their measured verse, not unlike that of the Greeks and Romans ; while the Syrians, I believe, know nothing of measure. Besides, the paral- lelism, which has been so taken for a mark, and indeed a constituent part, of poetry with the Hebrews, is also found in their style of narrative, as it also is in that of the Arabs, Syrians, and Persians. The late Bishop Jebb^ found it also in the Gospels; and Mr. Boys" contends that it is likewise to be found in the greatest abundance in the Epistles of tlie New Testament. One would, I think, be inclined to conclude from all this, that the existence of parellelism was no good proof that the context, in v hich it was found, was decidedly, and ' Sacred Literature. * Tactica Sacra. INTRODUCTION. 107 beyond all doubt, poetry. It may, I believe, also be shewn, that this said parallelism really exists in all written com- position to some extent ; and that it is a necessary append- age to human speech. And if this be true, then, either all human composition and conversation must be poetry — which some indeed are whimsical enough to hold — or else parallelism and poetry have no necessary connexion : and this last is, I think, the true state of the case. I have, there- fore, attempted no such arrangement of the text of my Trans- lation, as that recommended by Lowth and others : first, because I believe it to be unneccessary ; secondly, because it tends in no way to present the sense of any author in a clearer point of view than might be done without it ; thirdly, because it tends to give the reader an idea that the work he is reading is poetical, when it is really no such thing ; and fourthly, because such a notion tends to lower the estimation in which Holy Scripture ought to be held. I do not know Iioav others might be affected, but this I can say for myself: Were Lowth's Isaiah, or any other translation of the Scriptures, so arranged as to look like poetry, placed before me to be read either in a family or in the church, I should feel the greatest possible reluctance to do so. I should feel, either that I was approaching the Almighty with something beneath the dignity of His Person, and therefore unworthy of His presence ; or else, that I had a copy of His Holy Word burlesqued and travestied befoi-e me. This, perhaps, might be mere prejudice : still, I doubt whether I should ever be able to overcome it. And when I know that it has been had recourse to on no good grounds, and has tended greatly to lower the estimation in which the Scriptures ought to be holden, I am induced to believe that I have something more than })rejudice on my side. In the next place, as to the sort of language adopted. Our translators evinced, I think, the greatest good sense in adopting that plain and simple style, and those short and pure English words, which mark their translation through- out. In both these, indeed, they may truly be said to have followed, as far as they could, the example of the divine original which they had before them ; and, in doing this, to have conferred an inestimable benetit on our language, and 108 INTRODUCTION. to have done more towards fixing and improving it, than ever was done, either before or since their times. But they did more ; they brought it much nearer, both in idiom and iii the theological use of single words, to the HebreAv, than it had ever been brought before : which, although it must have had its disadvantages in those times, has greatly facili- tated the labour of translators in these. Because, now they will find the idiom and usages of their own language, — which were originally very far removed from those of the Hebrew, — made, to a considerable extent, to correspond with them ; and, so far, we may consider ourselves as writing and speaking in a language not very far removed from that of the Bible itself. The translation of Luther has, as it has often been remarked, conferred a similar benefit and power on the German language ; and the same has been the case with that of the Persians and Turks, in some degree, since their adoption of the Koran of Mohammed : so materially does the imitation of any highly authoritative and well- written book affect the language of any people. In two or three things, however, and those very im- portant ones, our translators failed ; as, also, did Martin Luther in his great work. One is this : The elevated style of the Hebrews presents a remarkably copious stock of lan- guage ; not to insist on its archaisms, as already remarked : that is, its palpable imitation of a style, and adoption of ■words, of a much higher ^ antiquity apparently, than those used in mere narrative. And so copious is the language of the Hebrew Scriptures from this circumstance only, that ' I say a liigher antiquity, because plain narrative appears never to have contained words almost innumerable, occurring in the elevated style ; and be- cause in the oldest portions of Scripture, such as Lamech's address to his wives (Gen. iv, 2^), winch is probably a citation, and the extract given in the Book of Numbers from a work entitled the " Wars of the Lord" (ch. xxi. 14), are some of this description. Besides, as the Book of Job is so highly a finished work in this respect, and as IVIoses and the Israelites seem to have been familiar with this style at the times of the egress (comp. Exod. xiv. and Deut. xxxii.) ; and, before that period, Jacob in blessing his sons (Gen. xlix.) ; it seems next to certain that such style, as well as the language peculiar to it, was much older than even the times of Job. I will not say, because barbarous nations first used poetry and afterwards prose, that therefore the patriarchs must have done this ; for the Bii)le recognises no ancient times of liarbarism : but I may, that it is likely doctrines, praise, and the like, were from the first detailed in the elevated style now adverted to. INTRODUCTION. 109 the labour of forming its grammar, and of composing its lexicon, is .perhaps not less than that required for the whole range and compass of the Greek, the Arabic, or of any other language, in which the books preserved to our times are ex- ceedingly voluminous and numerous. Its variety and extent, in this respect, is truly astonishing ; and of this any one may convince himself, by a perusal of Psalm cxix. only. Now, it was manifestly impossible for our translatoz's to follow their original in this respect ; their language, wath that of Luther, was altogether unequal to the task. It wanted both extent and ancient authoritative documents to give it any thing like the abundance, variety, and force, found in the Hebrew. In the Greek, indeed, or the Arabic, this property of the Hebrew Bible might have been imitated; and, it is curious enough to observe, the Greek translator of Job has certainly attempted it : ^ but without the least dis- cernible particle of success. There is one point more in which, as it seems to me, our translators have often failed : but in this, too, their language was perhaps more in fault than they. I mean, in their use of many English words, in any thing but their precise signi- fication. This has made their version — which is certainly one of the best in existence — in many places obscure ; and in others, ambiguous." In some places it is obvious, I think, they have not been able to ascribe any specific sense to their ' It is evident that tlie language of tlie Greek poets lias occasionally been imitated in the LXX. version of Job, as already noticed from Broughton. ^ Instances of this sort are extremely numerous in our authorised version of the Bilile throughout, and in none are they more frequent than in the Book of Job. See the following places: — Chap. iii. 8, " JVho arc rearly to raise up their mourning;'''' marg., "a leviathan." lb. 1-1, '■^desolate places" &c. lb. 2G, " / was not in safety." Ch. iv. G, " this" erroneously introduced, makes the whole obscure. lb. 19, " tvhich" has the same effect. Ch. v. 3, " / cursed." lb. 12, " enterprise J''' Ch. vi. 3, " therefore " &c., has no visible con- nexion with the context. lb. l,*?, "in me:" obscure. lb. 15-20, seem to have no definite meaning, and no very close connexion. lb. 20, " imagine to reprove tvords," &.C. lb. 28, "i< is evident:" ivill be evideiit would give a clear sense. lb. 21), " let it not be — my righteousness is in it .-" obscure. Such instances are .exceedingly numerous, so that it would be almost endless to point them all out, See ch. viii. 10, " out of the earth," &c ; ix. G, 13 ; xii. 4, " who" ambiguous ; xiii. 15, " own," too much ; xx. 20, " belly," vague, as is very often the case with this word; xxvi. 5, '■^ dead things are formed," &.C., which appears to me to contain no definite idea whatever. It will be unnecessary to pursue this question farther. XIO INTRODUCTION. orio"inal. In these they have done the best they could, as it appeared to them ; and have given a literal translation ac- cording to the grammars, dictionaries, and commentaries, then in use. They then left them — mere transcripts of the Hebrew text thus metamorphosed — to the learning and ingenuity of their successors to make out and explain. In the two former particulars just mentioned, all translators must necessarily fail. In the latter, a greater extent of oriental! learning than was possessed in their days, may enable others to suj)ply their deficiencies. This it has been one of my endeavours, with my small stock in this way, to effect; leaving, no doubt, quite room enough to future labourers to supply the deficiencies, w^hich I shall also leave behind me. So far, then, as our translators have appeared imitable, I have made it my business to imitate them. I have, as far as I could, retained their translation ; and where I could not, I have endeavoured to imitate their style, terms, phrase- ology, cadence. In many instances, indeed, I have been compelled to adopt a more extensive vocabulary ; and have often been obliged to use modern terms, because ancient ones were not to be had. Difference of opinion will, of course, exist as to the felicity of my choice in these, as in many other respects. I can only say, I have spared no pains to render the whole as perfect as frequent interruptions, and various other occupations, would, with my measure of in- formation and ability, allow. I cannot say I have succeeded, in every particular, even in satisfying myself. All I will count upon, therefore, shall be — what, I hope, will not be too much to say — that my author has not left my hands more obscure than he came into them ; and that, if I have ' I have not thought it necessary to adorn my pages with citations from the Syriac, Arabic, &c. cf the Polyglott— a practice most profusely indulged in by Rosenmiiller, and others of the modern German school — unless, indeed, I thought citation absolutely necessary : for, in most cases, the reader who under- stands Latin can consult the Polyglott for himself. By this practice is aciiuired more reputation for oriental learning, than by any other that I know of : be- cause, forsooth, a book abounding with a great number of unknown letters must, of necessity, shew that its author is very learned ! I will only saj'. Were all that is useless of this sort struck out of many books now in circulation, they would make a much less imposing figure than they do, and their authors suffer immensely in j)()piilar estimation. INTRODUCTION. Ill not succeeded in every thing, I have pointed out means by which others of greater leisure, talent, and learning, may, in time to come, more thoroughly elucidate this most ancient, instructive, and wonderful book. SECTION IX. ON THfi SCOPE AND OBJECT OF THE BOOK OF JOB. A LITTLE consideration will enable us to see, that the primary object of this book is, to shew that there is a power attendant on true religion, sufficient to enable its possessor eventually to overcome every temptation and every trial. This, I say, is its primary object. For, in the first and second chapters, which were apparently given as a key to the whole, we are informed that Job was a just and perfect man, and one who feared God. This was manifestly his character. It is sug- gested, however, by the great adversary of mankind, that, whatever appearances might be, a little trial would prove the contrary. The sacred penman assures us, by means of a vision (as already shewn) that, in order to prove the false- hood of this, Job is allowed to be exposed for a season to trials of the severest kind : but still he retained his integrity; and in the end came off victorious, to the entire approval of Almighty God, who restored him, and gave him wealth double in value to that of his former state of prosperity. He is also accepted in making a sort of atonement for the errors of his friends. I think, therefore, no doubt can remain, that this was i\\e primary ohject of this book. A secondary ol)ject seems to have been, to shew how very imperfect the notions even of good men are on the moral economy of God. The friends of our patriarch meet, as we are told, for the purpose of condoling with him ; and there appears no reason, as far as I can see, for questioning tiieir sincerity. The sufferer proceeds, in the first place, to state his afflictions, and then to pour out those lamentations and complaints which are natural to such a state. Ilis friends — 113 INTRODUCTION. men evidently acquainted with revealed religion, and appa- rently very much in earnest as to accurate views respecting [l proceed to correct him : they professedly take the side of God and their main endeavour is to vindicate His wisdom, justice, and mercy. For this purpose they argue from reve- lation, from experience, and from very extensive and just views of God's works ; and, as they are too well informed to suppose that there can be any effect without an adequate cause, particularly where there is an all-powerful, wise, and good God overruling all things ; their conclusion is, that Job's sins must have led to his sufferings. The patriarch very justly and very successfully combats their conclusions, without at all calling in question their several general doc- trines; — for these were no doubt true, and worthy of all acceptation: — and in this, God himself eventually declares for him. Their great fault was, the misapplication of truth. They knew not the real cause which led to Job's trials, and the consequence was, they supposed one which was false ; and to this were their arguments universally directed. The pertinacity and warmth with which they pressed their opin- ions, could not but have added considerably to Job's suffer- ings ; who evidently had a greater insight into the general dealings of God with believers than they had. Still there is no reason, as far as I can discover, for calling in question either their fidelity, good intentions, or sorrow for their friend. They only did what thousands daily do — they mis- apprehended the question at issue ; and, as they were more willing to believe themselves right, than to stop and consider in how many ways they might be wrong, and, in fact, how very little they could know on the subject; they pressed their sentiments to an extent which real religion, good sense, and the sympathy due to a friend, would hardly justify : and of this, Job's mission to them from the Almighty (ch. xlii.) must have more than convinced them ; and have shewn them to demonstration that, although He was truly no less mighty, wise, and good, than they had rej^resented Him, yet that His wisdom tens finsearclnihte, and His ways ji^st finding out, to men such as they were. A third object apparently was, to provide a book of doc- trine, as already remarked, adequate to the wants of believers for ever; illustrating, as just now stated, both the economy INTRODUCTION. 113 of God with his people, and their ignorance as to his thoughts and ways : to keep alive the doctrine of salvation through a Redeemer, the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, and the certainty of a judgment to come. It might seem superfluous, after what has already been said, to dwell on the other doctrines, promises, and experience, in- culcated throughout this book, and so frequently appealed to in the subsequent books of the Old Testament, as well as in the New. I shall conclude, therefore, merely by remarking, that the most severe inquiry into its contents, the most careful comparison of it with the rest of Holy Scripture ; the genuineness of its piety, the purity and beauty of its morality, the great extent of its range, the ex- quisite chasteness at once of its style and sentiments, and, above all, the solidity and depth of its devotion, cannot but conspire to recommend it as one of the most valuable pro- ductions of antiquity ; at the same time, as a book of un- doubted inspiration, and of the most unquestionable ca- nonical authority. And my sincere prayer is, that every reader of it may receive as much pleasure and edification in perusing its declarations, as I have in this endeavour to translate and elucidate them. TRANSLATION THE BOOK OF JOB. TRANSLATION THE BOOK OF JOB. CHAPTERS I. II. FORMING THE INTRODUCTION TO THIS BOOK. SUMMARY. JoVs place of residence, character^ wealth, 1-4: his children, his reli- gious care for them, 4-() : cause of his trials, C-12: loss of his wealth and children, 1 2-20 : his pious resignation to all this, 20-22. //. — The real cause of Job's afflictions, 1-7 : his afflictions, and in. tegrity under them, 7-10 : the visit and surprise of his friends, 10-13. Before Christ, about 16110 years. 1 * nflHERE was a man in the land of ^Uz, whose • cen. xxil 20, 21. name was ''Job : and that man was '"perfect and "-Ezek. xiv. 14. 2 upright, ''fearing God, and departing from evil. *And °Gen.yi'.9;xvii.i. there were born to him •" seven sons and three daugh- *^'^°^'"vni'i3. 3 ters. *His || substance also was seven thousand sheep, xlY.J."' and three thousand camels, and five thousand yoke of ' k^^cxkvii.\ oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great "*''■• *"^*- J household : and that man was great above all \\\Q%or, service. children of the ' East. ' oen. xxix. 1. , , . , Numb, xxiii. 7. 4 *And Ins sons went and made a ^ feast in the house Judg.yi. .1, of each on his day ; and they sent and called for their ^"^^"'xxT^' 5 three sisters to eat and to drink with them. *And it came to pass when the days of the feast had gone ''about, that Job sent and 'sanctified them, and rose ■ up early in the morning, and ''offered up burnt offer- kGen.vui inffs to the number of them all : for Job said, It may ' Exod. xx'.' 3'. 20. 0 . . Deul. iv. 28. be my sons have sinned, and blessed the 'gods in their J^;.'''^'-^-, J ' 01 Kings, xxl. 10, hearts. Thus did Job continually. || „ Au\eaay>. 6 *And it came to pass, as it might he to-day, that "^h^-.Y;^' the 2, &c. Jos. vi. 3, II. Exod. xxxi. 13. Lev. XX. Kings, xxii. 118 JOB. [i.7. " Lit. the advers- ary. 1 Chron. xxl. 1. Ps. cix. fi. Zerh. iii. I. Luke, X. 18. Rev. xii. !». 0 Numb. xi. 8. ch.ii. 2. 2 Sam. xxiv.2. p Gen. iii. 8. rh. xxii. 14. II Lit. heart. O E|.hes. V. 20. [CHAP. II.] — 1 *And it came to pass, as it might iThess.v.is. be "to-day, that the sons of God came in to stand "ch. i.e. before Jehovah, and that Satan also came in among 2 them to stand before Jehovah. *And Jehovah said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? And ''Satan an- '■ch. i.7. swered Jehovah, and said, From running to and fro 3 in the earth, and from walking about in it. *And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou set thy mind upon my servant Job, — for there is none like him in the earth, — a ''perfect man and upright, fearing God and 'ch. i. 1. s. departing from evil ; and still ''strengthening himself "i ch. xxvii. 5, c. in his integrity, although thou stirrest me up against 4 him, to II destroy him ''without a cause. *And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, 'Skin for skin; yea, all "("Kiod'JIi 23,24 5 that a man hath will he give for his life. *But, ^put ^Ix.""''" ^"' forth now thine hand, and touch his ''bone and his hch;xi"2o. flesh : — if not, then in thy presence will he bless thee. 6 *'And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, he is in thy ich. i.12. hand, only preserve his life. 7 * So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah, and smote Job with a burning disease, from the ''sole Msa.i.a 8 of his foot unto his crown. *And he took him a pot- sherd to scrape himself withal, and he 'sat down > 2 sam. xm. 10. 9 amono; the ashes. *And his wife said unto him, Dost Fz'tk. xxwi. 30. .,, 1 1 !/■• 1 • • • 1 T>i Matt. xi. 21. thou still '"strengthen thyself m thine mtegnty c Bless '°];^^^^^3- . 10 the gods, and die. *But he said to her, Thou speakest as one of the corrupt women speaketh. "Truly, we re- "ch. i. 21. ceive good of God ; and shall we not receive evil ? James, v.' 10,' 11 — '^Notwithstanding all this, Job ''sinned not with il p*!". xxxix. 1. his lips. 11 *And Job's three "'friends heard of all this evil that i Prov. xvu. 7. Lit. to swallow hi; Gen. XXXV Jer. xlix. ; Gen. XXV. 120 JOB. [ii. 11. had come upon him ; and they came each from his place, 'Eliphaz theTemanite, and Bildad the'Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite : and they agreed to- Rom'xii^n gether to come Uo bemoan him, and to comfort him. 12 *And they hfted up their eyes from afar, and knew him not ; and they lifted up their voice, and wept : iNeh'^°h^.'i. ^"'^ *^®y '"^"^ ^^^^^ "^^" '^'^ II mantle, and "sprinkled i:zl?k'.xxwi.30. 1'^ tli'st upon their heads towards heaven. *And they ■Gen. 1.10. sat with him on the ground '''seven days and seven nights, hut no one spake a word unto hira, for they ILit. rt«. saw that ||his affliction was exceedingly great. CHAPTER III. SUMMARY. Job reviles the day and circumstances of his birth, 1-6 : he, in like manner, denounces the night of his conception, 0-1 1 : laments his existence, 11-17: describes the freedom and rest of the dead, 17-20: laments that light and life are supplied to the miserable, 20-24 : slates his own deplorable but innocent case, 24-26. 1 * \ FTER this Job opened his mouth, and reviled 2,. 3 his day. *And Job spake, and said, * Let the ■ Jer. XX. 14. day "perish in which I was born, and the night in 'ch. x. 10. 4 which one said, a man ""hath been conceived. *As to Ecci.vi.4; xi.8. that day, let it be '^ darkness ; let not God regard it ,i(fei.Ti. 2. from above, neither let the '' lioht shine upon it. Amos, V. 2'). 1 Isa. xiii. 10. I's. cvii. 1(1. Kxod. X. 22. c\\. X. 22. I's. xxiii. 4; Kzek xxxviii. i *Let ^darkness and the shadow of deatli pollute it; let a * cloud dwell upon it; let the blackest terrors of day affright it. *As for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it; let it not II be united with the days of the year, into re.juice. j jj^g numbcr of the months let it not enter. * Behold, xxx.fi. h;t that night be joyless; let no ^song enter into it. xxxv.'i(r' ' 8 * Let them who ''curse the day stigmatise it, who are "xxiji. 1.-.. 0 ready to 'stir up the leviathan. * Let the stars of its I'iii'w; twilight be darkened ; let it Svait for light, but there xii'iii.'' be none ; and let it not look upon the 'eyelids of the 10 morning. * Because it closed not up the doors of my ll'.lT: mother's womb, and '"concealed not trouble from mine eyes, .''xx'^k " * Wliy "^dicd 1 not from )bv womb ? H7/y came I Eccl. vi. 3-5. Eccl. vi. 5. Ps. xlix. 19. iii. 12.] JOB. 121 forth from the Lelly, and gave not up the ghost ? 12 *Why went the "knees before me? And M^hy the 13 breasts that I should suck? * For now had I lain down and been quiet : I had slept ; then had I been 14 at rest, *with kings and counsellors oi the earth, who 15 built for themselves places now i* desolate : *or with princes who had gold, and who filled their houses 16 with silver. *0r, as a hidden ^ untimely birth, I had qps.jviii. not remained ; as sucklings which never 'saw the light. 17 *There the wicked cease from troubling; and there 18 the wearied miglity rest. *The prisoners sweetly re- pose together; they hear not the voice of the 'exactor, .ecci. vi.e. 19 * Small and great is there, and the slave is free from • ch! xxxilf."*?. , . , , ° Ua. Ix. 17. his lord. 2u *\Vhy is light given to tlie miserable, and life to 21 the "bitter of soul ;* — who "wait for death, but it uisam.i. lo. Cometh not; and dig /or it more than ^br "hidden » RevVix^'fi.'"' 22 treasures; *who are glad to exultation, and rejoice, 23 when they find the gi-ave? — *To the man whose way is covered, and about whom God hath set a ^ hedge? rch. xix. 8. 24 * For before niy bread my sighing cometh, and my 25 roarings are poured forth as the waters. * For I feared greatly, yet it came 7q)on me ; and although I 26 was afraid, yet it came unto me: *I slackened not, neither was I quiet, neither took I rest ; yet trouble came. CHAPTERS IV. V. SUMMARY. Eliphaz apologises for speaking ; commends Job's former conduct^ but deplores his dejection on litis occasion, \-G : reminds him of the power of faith ; of God's particular providence over good men, and severity against the wicked, (i-11 : describes a vision afforded lo him, 11-1(> : gives its substance, lG-21. V. — Declares that God is the only sure refuge ; that the foolish ivho seek safely elsewhere fail, 1-0. Sin iialural to rjian, 6-9. The great power and goodness of Cod set forth, shelving that he confounds the wise, but saves the humble, 0-17. The blessedness of him tvhom God chastises; his safety binder all circumstances, 17-24: the assttrance of such an one, thai he shall prosper, and his family after him, 24-27. 1 *'1^HEN answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said. 2 *Wilt thou be offended at a word taken up 122 JOB. [iv. 3. • Isa. XXXV. 3. Heb. xii. 12. bEzek. vii. 17; xxi. 12. Isa. xiii. 7> och.i. 1. I'rov. iii. 26. '' ch. V. 16, &c. Ruth, i. 12. Prov. X. 28 ; xxiii. 18. « Ps. xxxvii. 25. f Prov. xxii. R. Hos,x. 12, 13; viii. 7. Gal. vi. 7. 8. E Isa. XXX. 33. ch. xviii. 15, 21. 2 Sam. xxii. 16. Exod. XV. 7-10. 2 Thes. ii. 8. h Ps. Iviii. 7. Ezek. xix. 9, &c. ■ Ps. xxxiv. 11. Nah. u. 11, 13. Jer. i. 4, &.C. I Gen. ii. 21. Prov. xix. 15. Isa. XX. 1(». ch. xxxiii. 15. ■" Gen. XV. 12. Exod. iv. 10. Ileb. xii. 21, &c. >> Hab. iii. 10. o Eccl. xii. 7. 1 Kings, xxii. 21. pDan. viii. 15; X. 18. q Dan. viii. IG. ' Ps. cxliii. 2. Gen. vii. 1. ch. ix. 2, &c. •c;en. i. 26, 31. Ps. xcvi. 5, &C. ' Gen. xix. 1 ; xxi. 17. ch.xv. 15. •'2Cor.iv.7;v. 1. "Ps. xxxix. 12. Isa. I. !). » Ps. xc. 3, 5, G. 7. ExoU. xviii. 13, 14. yPs. xxxix. 12; xlix. 15. 'Ps. Ixxiii. 25. DcuU xxix. 17. ■ Dcut. xxix. I'J. Prov. i. 32; xiv. ;jo. against thee? — But restraint of argument who can 3 bear? * Behold thou hast corrected many, and the 4 ''weak hands hast thou strengthened. * 27ie stumbler have thy decisions raised, and the ^ bowing knees hast 5 thou confirmed. * But now it cometh to thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth even unto thee, and thou art perplexed. 6 * Is not thy " fear of God thy confidence, and the 7 perfectness of thy ways thy '* hope ? * Remember now, " What innocent man hath perished ? and where 8 have the righteous failed ? * Even as I have seen, ^ tlie ploughers of iniquity, and the sowers of misery, 9 do gather it. * By the « breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his wrath they come to an end. 10 * The roaring of the lion, the noise of the fierce lion, 11 and the ''teeth of the stout lions, are broken. * The ' old lion perisheth from lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad. 12 * Now, a ""word was brought secretly to me, and 13 mine ear received a portion of it. * In the perplex- ings of the night visions, when ' ecstatic slumber 14 falleth on man, *'"fear and trembling came on me, 15 and made "my bones greatly to shake. * Then a ° spirit passed before my face ; the hair of my flesh 16 stood up. * It stood still ; but I knew not its •' appear- ance : an image was before mine eyes ; there was silence, and '' I heard a voice, saying, — 17 * Is mortal man "^just with God ? Is a stout man 18 pure with his ^ Maker? * Behold, He putteth no trust in His servants ; and His ' angels He chargeth 19 with folly: *much more the inhabiters of "houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust, who are beaten 20 to pieces before the '''moth ! * From the dawn to the dusk are they "cut down: they perish wholly, with- 21 out any laying it to heart. * Hath not their ^abund- ance passed away with them ? They die, but not in "wisdom. [CHAP. V.] — 1 Call now: Is there any that will answer thee? And to which of the saints wilt thou 2 ^' turn ? * For vexation slayetii the foolish, and ''envy l)utteth the silly man to death. V. 3.] JOB. 123 Ps. xxxvil. 35; 3 *As for me, *■ I have seen the foolish taking root, '^^■ and instantly I denounced his '' hahitation, saying, 'cxixVisur 4 * His children are 'far from safety, and are beaten , "x'x.e.' iii. 33. down in * the gate, and there is « no deliverer. ''{^s°Vxiii. 3 la out of the thorns doth he take it ; and the starving f ps-cxu^!?. panteth for their wealth . ' If^^.i ■,;"■ "' 6 * But ' iniquity proceedeth not forth of the dust, nei- '' E^.^j^Ih/ii J' 7 ther from the q-ronnd springeth up sin : * for man is *^ " xxi"! c. * 11 , . 1 • 1 . , . r. . 1 ' Amos, iii. 7- ''born to sm, even as the wmo-ed are raised in flight, ch. iv. 8;xv.35. 8 — * But 1 will 'inquire respecting God, yea of God ko',^"-?'- will I make my - plea. , ^Sj-'^jjl, 3^ 9 * He doeth "great things and unsearchable, won- mEMKiii.is; 10 derfiil things beyond number. * He °giveth rain . cen. xviii^.^i4t*^' upon the face oi the earth, and sendeth forth waters ^*' j^xxu! is ; 11 upon the plains, *to place the humble on ^high, ch. ix!'^' "^' 12 and that the distressed may be raised to safety. * He " "'dv.i.-j-'ie;' •i annulleth the devices of the crafty; and their hands ActsTxi'-.f?. 13 make no wealth. * He ■" takcth the wise in their ch.'xx. 23, &c. r • 11 1 P 7 • . . P 1 Sam. ii. fi. craltiness ; and the counsel 01 the circumventins; is Psfxiii. 7. ' , O Ezeli. xvn. 24. 14 brought to confusion. * By ^day they stumble as in '^^^^^^^^l}^^Q^'' darkness; and, as in the night, they grope at noon- ^^^•xiiv/as! 15 day. * So the poor is saved from the 'edge of their ' ^^' xxxv.'s.^' IG sword, and from their cruel hand. * So, also, the I'c^r.'uii'iii.*' "humble hath hope, and iniquity hath stopped her "Erfix'^To!"'^^' „ .1 Prov. xiv.9, &c. mouth. tps.xvii. 13; 17 * Behold, ''Blessed is the man whom God chasten- ix\^il."4,*i.c. eth. Despise not thou, therefore, the chastening of I's- cyii'.^o, 18 the Almig-hty. * For He "afflicteth, and He bindeth Lam. iii.-jn. " t . " Deut. viii. 5. 19 up: He bruiseth, and His hands make whole. * In I'rm. ui. u, i?, ^six troubles He will deliver thee, and in seven shall V,^!''"'.-^' "'!•'• 20 no evil touch thee. * In famine He shall redeem prxdv.?3. thee from ''death, and in war from the power of the xoeut! xJiii. 19. 21 sword. * In the running to and fro of the "tongue pi' cxivii' *? shalt thou be hidden; and thou shalt not be ''afraid '^•""'•2='! Ps. cxlvil. 3. " xix.22; XXX. 26. 22 of violence when it cometh. *At violence and fa- ' ^^j^]"""^- ^' mine thou shalt *= smile : neither shalt thou be afraid ^ /°xxi^.hi,&c! 23 of the ''wild beasts of the earth. * For with the ''xxxvli.'i'gl'' •^ stones of the plain is thy covenant; and the wild nrov.x. 3. 1 p 1 1 • 1 T 1 1 ch.xxxiii.24,28. beasts or tlie plain are delivered unto thee. -ps. ixxiii. 9; ^ xxxi. 21 ; 1. If) •> Deut. vii. 17, 18; XX. 1. Isa. xiii. C. Prov. iii. 25. t i>rov. xxxi. 25. I's. Iii. U i xci. 5, G. Jps. xci n EMk. xxxiv. 25. Hos. ii. 1«, 20, &c, ' Prov. xvi. 7. 124 JOB. [v. 24. ' Ps. cvii. 43. Isa. xxxviii. 1. Prov. ii. 5,9, 10, 12. John, vii. 17; viii. 26. &c. t 1 John, iii. 9. Prov. xix. 2 ; viii. 36. rh. xxii. 26-29. •> Gen. XV. 5 ; xxii. 17. Ps. Ixxii. 16; cxii. 2. Isa. xxii. 24. iGen. XV. 15; XXV. 8. Deut. XXX. 20. Ps. xci. 16; Prov. iii. 2, 16. Ephes. vi. 2, 3. k Ps. cxi. 2, 3. Prov. XXV. 2. ch. xxviii. 2?. 24 * So shalt thou ^ know that thy tent shall be in peace : so shalt thou order thy halaitation, and shalt 25 not ^err. * Thou shalt also know that thy ''seed shall be many, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth. 26 * Thou shalt ' enter the grave in honour, like the offering up of a heap of corn in its season. 27 * Behold, this we have "^ searched out : so it is : hear it, therefore, and be assured for thyself. CHAPTERS VI. VII. SUMMARY. Job insists on the seventy of ?iis afflictions, 1-5 : — the insipidity of his friend's reasoning ; requests that God would consider his case ; his determination to believe in Him at all events, 5-11 : confesses his weakness as a man, but insists on a 7i inward source of help, 11-14 : the duty of a friend ; the unfaithfulness of Job's friends, 14-16: favours deeply felt by the distressed ; but if injuries are inflicted, they are easily reduced to silence, banished, and destroyed, 16-21 : Job's friends ivearied without any just cause, 21-25 : the arguments of a poor and afflicted man allowed to have no weight, 25-28 : an intreaty to reconsider Job's case, 28-30. VII The state of man a warfare: as the slave hopes for a season of rest, and the hireling looks for his tvages, so Job's days and tiights were full of expectation, b\U were followed only by still greater pains, intimating his approaching death, 1-9. No earthly return to be ex- pected from the grave. Job, therefore, requests permission to give vent to his sufferings ; recites the distresses of his couch, and desires to be let alone, 9-17: mans worthlessness stated. Job requests a remission of his sufferings ; and, as he cannot atone for his sins, de- precates the punishment, and prays for the pardon of them, believing that he soon must die, 17-21. .Ch.v.2; x. 17; xxiii. 2. Ps. vi. H ; xxxi. 10; lvill..3. Isa. xxvi. 7- Dun. v. 27. >• Prov. xxvii. .1. r Ecil. V. 2. Isa. xxxii. 4. ■1 Ps. xxxviii.:;. Deu. xxxii. 23,24. Ps. vii. 14; xlv. 6; cxx. 4. <■ Ps. Ixxxviil. 16, 17; V. 5. f IN. nv. 14. Jir. xiv. 6. Joel. i. Itt.20. J .Mark ix. 50. Col. iv. ( ,2*nnHEN answered Job, and said, * Would that my "vexation were well weighed, and my cala- 3 mity taken up in the balances together. * For now would it be '' heavier than the sand of the sea ; there- 4 fore have my words been ''rash. * For the ''arrows of the Almighty are with me, the poison of which drinketh up my spirit; the ''terrors of God are set in array ayainst me. r> * Doth the wild ass bray over his "^ grass? or loweth the ox over his foddc salt? or Is there Jam. iii. 12. '■ Prov. xi. 22; Havour xxxi. 18. P * Is ''in curd eaten without the whev of cheese? vi. 70 JOB. 125 7 * But my soul bath refused to touch victuals ; they 8 are to me as 'polluted food. * Oh that my ^ request ihos. ix.3,4. ■would come, and that God ^vould grant vie my ' wish ! Mau'i! 7!' 9 * Even that God would vouchsafe to '"break me to "'cvi'/io'. 10 pieces; put forth his hand, and "cut me off! * Still 'Zech/ii". 12. Ill 1 • • T 1111 P8.lxii. 6: should my consolation " remam : 1 would ''harden my- „ 'txi. 5. •^ -' °> Ps. cxiiii. 3 ; self in the affliction in which He spared not: seeing I i^^ 'rifi''',o "" have not '' withholden the words of the ""Holy One. ion!"?? af'"' ''■ 11 *'What is my strength that I should hope? and nfsi?xxxv'iii;i2. 12 what my 'limit that I should extend my " desire ? * Is o^h"xiiK'i5f my ''strength the strength of stones? Is my flesh like isa.wu.lT2J' Ps. xvi. 10, 11. brass? * Is not my 'help whhin me, although pEzek Isa. I iii. U. ^ wealth hath been thrust away from me ? qPs.'xi.'io, 11. 14 * To the wasted is ''favour shewn by his friend, - Lev. xi''44.' though he have forsaken the fear of the Almiiibty: ps. xxii.4.' . . 'ch. vii. 17-19; 15 *but my brethren have dealt '^' faithlessly like the tor- „ >". in. •' •' Ps. viii. 4 ; rent; like the stream oi the torrents they have passed ^c.e;^ away. 1 Sam. xxlv. 15. J 2 Sam. vii. 18. 16 * Can the " snow be hidden upon men who are c^f/iv'/ia.*'"^ 17 •' black with cold?— * When they are ^hardly pressed, ' '''^•^i:';:^-.'' they are brought to 'silence; when one burneth ups.xii'i!3t against them, they are "^extinguished and driven from prol^vi'.l'o. 18 their place, * In ''companies they bend their devious " 2 KiiTgs'.xviii.ao. way; they go up into the wilderness, and tliey perish. PsixxxiVs; 19 *They looked towards the roads of 'Tenia; they ex- i»a. xuv. 12. * c\\ \1 18 20 pected the passes of ""Sheba vwuld Je theirs. * They oan. ii.32. 11 /^i ""^''- ■''• '^• were put to 'shame, because they had been confident : nan. x.«, with hitherto they proceeded, and were put to '"confusion. , }2" J^J^JIJ; ^' 21 — * But now ye are " wearied : ye have seen the stroke, *'''xiVi!'2:' 22 and are afraid. * Is it that I said, °Give me? Or Hosfxui.9." 23 of your might p bribe for me? * Or 1 deliver me 'p^x'^b^Jf from the hand of the oppressor ? Or ' redeem me prov.''xi!4/*'' 24 from the hand of the violent ? * '^ Shew me, and I xxvii.^^. will be silent : and cause me to understand in what I 'pfcxn.s^. 1 1 Prov. xiv. 9; have erred. xxi.io; 25 * How have the 'words of truth been enfeebled; Matt. v.4j". Ps. cxivil. 9. Prov. xii. 10. Heb. xiii. 3. i> Isa. xxxiii. 1. Jer. xv. 18. Ps. xxxviii. 12; Ixxxviii. 19. Lam. i. 2. Luke, X. 31. = Ps. li. 9; Ixviii. 15. Isa. i. 18. Prov. xxv. 13. "i cli. xxx. 3(). Jer. viii. 21. Lam. V. 1(1. « Amos, iv. 1. ch. xxxv. 9. Ps. Ixxiv. 21. f Ps. xciv. 17. Amos, viii. 3. « Isa. xliii. 17. Prov. XX. 20. >" Isa. xxl. 13. Gen. xxxvii. 25. .ler. xlviii. 6, 7. ch. xxiv. 5. lleb. xi. 38. ■ Isa. xxi. 14. Jer. xxv. 23. i' ch. i. 15. Gen. xxv. 3, &c. ' Jer. xiv. 3. Prov. xi. 2. Jer. iii. 25. ■» Ps. xxxv. 4 ; cix. 29. Jer. vii. 19. ch. xii. 24. 25. ■■ Gen. xxvii. 46. ch. x. 1 ; xvi. 7. Ps. vi. fi. Prov. iii. 11 ; xxv. 17. Isa. i. 14 ; xliii. 22. » Gen. xiv. 21. Hos. iv. 18. Prov. xxx. 15. P 1 Sam. viii. 3; xii. 3. Isa. xxxiii. 15. Amos, v. 12. 1 Gen. xxxii. 12. Jer. xxi. 12; xxii. 3. Juilg. xiii. 5. ' Jer. xv. 21. Ps. cvi. 10. • ch. xxxiv. 32. Ps. xxvil. 11; xxxix. 5; cxix. 33, 34. Prov. iv. 4, f- ' 2 Sam. xxiv. 4. 1 Kings, viii. oG. Prov. xv. 23. Isa. xliv. 2ij. Jer. xviii. 18. Deut. xvi. 19. Prov. xix. 27. 126 JOB. [vi. 26. 26 and What can " reproof avail with you ? * Do ye not esteem "assertions as convincing? And the words 27 of one in " despair as wind ? * Ye even cast lots upon the y orphan, and "" plot against your friend ! 28 * But now '"^ look favourably upon me, and it shall 29 appear to your faces if ** 1 lie. * " Turn ye now ; let there be no '^ unrighteousness : nay, turn ye : still in 30 this is my ''justification : * whether there be un- righteousness in my tongue ; or, whether my sense 5 discerneth not injurious things. [chap. VII.] — lis there not a ** warfare for man upon earth ? And are not his days like the days of an 2 ''hireling? *As a slave panteth for the "^ shadow, 3 and as an '^hireling looketh for his reward ; *so am I made to possess ''months of vanity, and 'nights of 4 misery are numbered to me. * If I have ^ lain down, I have said, When shall I arise? For the ''evening is a season of distraction : yea I am 'filled with distracted 5 thoughts even to the dawn ; saying, * My ^ flesh shall put on the worm w ith the clod of dust : soon shall my ' skin 6 waste away. * My ™ days are filled up more speedily 7 than the web, and close without " hope. * Remember that my ° life is as wind : mine eye shall no more 8 ''see prosperity. *The ''eye of ^//e beholder shall not look upon me : thine "^ eyes are upon me, and I am no more. 9 * As the ^ cloud wasteth and passeth away ; so he that 10 goeth down to the ' grave, cometh up no more. * He returneth no more to his house ; nor doth his place any more " acknowledge him. * But, as for me, let me not ^^ restrain my mouth ; let me "^ speak in the anguish of my spirit ; let me ^ complain in ^ bitterness of my soul, sayincj : — * Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that Thou placest a "restriction upon me? — *That, when I have said, My ''couch shall console me, my bed shall ease my '^com- 11 aiil. 111. 1. • ch. ix. a?. 14. I's. cxix. W), 112. Jcr. viii. IH. vii. 14.] JOB. 127 14 plaint, * Thou hast confounded nie with 'dreams, and 'Dan.ivs^M 15 affrighted me with visions; * yea strangling liath ^^^^ .x!k''' " tried my soul, and from my ' hones the pains of r^h^5;|[|"j,-[- IG death?—*! am s wasted away: I shall not Mive ''''•]^;i;i always : let me alone, for ' vain are my days. fisafxxx/i 17 * What is ^ man that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine 'heart upon him? '''•xxxi:n: 18 * Or, that morning after morning Thou shouldest cin.&c' . . , . n . „ , 1 • o -V -117-1 KPs.lviii.8. 19 '" Visit hiin ; moment after moment " try hmi i * VVliy ch.vii.5. rr,, 1 . P i'l T PS. XXli. 15. then "turnest Thou not thme eyes from me, until 1 ixviu. 3. *^ '' Ps. lxxxix.40j'lfli 20 shall have ''swallowed down my spittle? * Have ''1 sinned ? What then can ' I do for Thee, O Thou ' ob- server of man ! Why hast Thou placed me for a S:c. flsa. xxxviii. 13. Ps. li. 1(1 (»). ch. xxxiii. ID. xlix. 10. I Eccl. vi. 12; vii. 1.5. Ps. cxliv. 4. kPs. cxiiv. 3; viii. 5, 7. ' Ps. Ixxiii. 14. Zeph. iii. 5. Isa. xxxiii. 2. Ps. xi. * Stumbling block to Thee, so that I am become a ' S^e\"';^|i^|- " burden to myself? * And why off mine '' iniquity, and causest not my sin to pass away? For eveii now shall I lie ''down in the dust; " Ter. v'i.''^ and, though Thou ^ seek me early, I shall be no ps. iivi.%. &c. ° •' 0 Cant. vi. ii. more. ch. xxiv. 23; xxxiv. 21. Deut. ix. 27. Isa. xxii. 4. CHAPTER VIII. prsriiv.'^.^!-'' q Ps. xxxii. 5. 1 Sam. ii. 25. SUMMARY. 2 Sam. xxiv.jo : Bildad rebukes Joh on God's behalf, declaring that God is just, and ch. X. 14. Ps. xli. 5; li.C. ch. xi. that if he duly seek Him, his miseries shall come to end, 1-7 : refers Is"*. ^■3- Job to the experience of past ages, and instances their sentiments by v.30;' allusions to natural and historical events, to shew that the wicked are , oen'xxxf' 49 of short duration, and of rapid decay and succession, 8-19 : and com- ch. xiv. 16. eludes by declaring, that the faithful are never forsaken of God, 7ieither pan. ix. i4. ' are the sinful encouraged ,• and that, if he were faithful, such should ' f^^^i^^*^' be his experience, 20-22. isa. xxviii. 7. "2 Sam. XV. .3.1. &c Isa. xxvii. <). Deut. xxxi. IC. Ps. xiii. 4. Prov. i. 211 ; viii. 17 1 *nnHEN answered ''Bildad the Shuhite, and said, "f>r;i;-/f,- 2 -^ *How long wilt thou '^ affirm these things? n!"!:", and the words of thy mouth he like a mighty '^ wind ? 3 * Doth God ''pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty 4 pervert justice ? * If thy ^children have sinned against ps. xxxix.'iV Him, and ' He have dismissed them for their « trans- -ch. ii.ii;" 5 gression ; * If then thou wouldest ^ seek early unto , , ""^j-"-' o ' J I'ch. XV. 13; God, and make thy 'supplication to the Almighty, — p^ rxYi'4^' Ixxiv. 10; Ixxxii. 2; xciv. 3. c ch. vi. 20. Mich. ii. II. Mai. iii. 1.3. Ps. Iv. «, !). J Gen. xv'iii. 2.V Deut. xxxii. 4. 2 Chron. xviii. 7. Deut. xxiv. 17. Prov. xvii. 23. Ps. cxix. 78. L.im. iii. :«;, .W. 'ch. xxxiv. 12; i. .'■>, HI. fJer. xxxviii. 6. Gen. iii. 23; xliv. 3. rPiov. xxix.6. Mich. i. ."i. lsa.liii.lt. Ps. Ixxxix. .ai. 1 Chron. ix. 1 ; X. 13. ''ch. v. ». Ps. Ixxviii. 34. Prov. viii. 17. Hos. v. 14. 'Ps. xxx. U; cxlii. 2 Hos. xii. r>. 128 JOB. [viii. 6. 6 * And if thou wert "^ jDure and upright; — surely now would He ' stir Himself up for thee, and "' restore the 7 " i)eaceful habitation of thy righteousness. *' Though thy " beginning were small, thy latter end should greatly '' increase. 8 * But ''ask now of former generations, and 'prepare 9 thyself io search as to their fathers; — *for we are of * yesterday, and know not ; because our days upon the 10 earth are as a ' shadow. — *Will not they " teach thee, and say to thee — and from their hearts put forth sen- 11 tences — * Will the reed "flourish without mire? Will 12 the marsh-weed increase without water? * Is it not cut off while yet in its greenness, and ''withered before 13 any grass? * >' Such are the paths of all that forget God ; and so the hope of the profane ^ perisheth : 14 * whose confidence is ''cut off, and the place of his 15 trust as the "^ spider's || web. * He '= leaneth on his house, but it ** standeth not : he taketh hold upon it, 16 but it ^endureth not. * He is Afresh before the sun, and beyond his garden doth his branch ^ shoot forth : 17 * near the stream are his '' roots intertwined ; among 18 the ' stones are they seen. * Nevertheless he shall be "^ II rooted out from his place, and it shall ' deny 19 him, saying : I have never seen thee. * Lo, this is the '"joy of his way; and, as from the dust, "others spring up. 20 * Behold, God despiseth not the ''perfect; neither 21 '' strengtheneth He the hands of evil doers. * While He fiUeth thy mouth with '^ laughter, and thy lips 22 with 'shouting; * Those who 'hate thee shall put on shame, and the ' tent of the wicked shall be no more. ix. 1.] JOB. 129 CHAPTERS IX. X. SUMMARY. Job accedes to the reasoning of Bildad, as to God's power and man's inability to plead u'ith Him, and recounts many of His iconderful works : stating, at the same time, his own ignorance and weakness, 1-15. He further enlarges on his own weakness and unworlhiness, introducing his afflictions, and affirming that were he even just — what his opponents charge him with assuming — that would only serve to humble him the more. He concludes the paragraph by maintaining the strict justice of God, lC-24. He laments the rapid, unprofitable, and painful lapse of his time ; his inability to shake off his sorrows ; his consciousness of his own sin ; and the inability of his afflictions to wash this away, 25-.'51. Ife acknowledges the greatness of God ; and concludes by praying that God would take away his afflictions, 32-35. X. — Job continues his complaint, desiring to be informed on what prin- ciple it is that God chooses to afflict him, 1-7. Declares that God had wonderfully constructed him, and had dealt favourably with him, 8-13. Confesses his oicn sin, and maintains God's good providence. Speaks, too, of His occasional severity and favour. Laments his own birth, but desires to be restored before his departure. 1,2 ^npHEN Job answered, and said, *Truly ''I know '^^"'ms^''^^' ■*- that it is so; for how shouhl man be ''just with '"ps'.cxUH.ar"'*' 3 God? * If he would ''contend with Him, he should Roml'fiu 19. &c. 4 not answer Him one thing of a thousand. * Of ^^ch'^x^iV'^'^' the ''wise of heart, and stout of strength. Who hath jer-^'xii'"". ^^' •^hardened /^imse//" against Him, and been at peace? iiii^^!n-ll'i^^' 5 */fm, who "^removeth mountains, and they know not Jer.xl^ii. is.^'ia. 6 that He in His wrath overthroweth them? * Who 'Prov-xxym'.'u; stroubleth a land denrudinq it from its station, so that fps.xivi.3;'4; *^ cxiv, 4, 7 the pillars thereof greatly shake ? * Who ''command- Habiii.e. I » J Zech. XIV. 4. eth the 8un, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the eisa.xiii.13. ' ' t Amos, jx. 5. stars? — * Boweth down the ''heavens alone, and Ps. Ixxv. 4 ; Ixxxii. 5. 9 walketh on the ' heights of the sea ? — * Is the '"maker hj^eiru.'2.^' of "Arcturus, Orion, and the Pleiades, with the cham- fM^'xxiv.lb. 10 hers of the "south? — i'*Doeth great things surpassing Ef/ek! xxiii. 7. 11 search, and ''wonderful things beyond number? * Be- E^k.x'ixti. 7. hold, He passeth near me, but I "^see Him not: He ^pt'c\l'.2,'z. Isa. xl. 22* 12 also passeth by, but I perceive Him not. * When He 'xiiv.24; Maketh away, Who shall 'turn Him back? Who zech.xii.' i. •' 'Ps. Ixxxix. 10. 13 shall say to Him, "What doest Thou? *As to God, "ab. iii. 15. J ' ' Amos. IV. 13. m Ps. cxlvi. (J. Isa. xliv. 24. » ch. xxxviii. 31, 32. Amos, v. 8. Isa. xiii. 10. Ps. cxivii. 4. » Ps. Ixxxix. 13. p ch. v. 9; xxxvii. 8. Ps. cvl. 21. Exod. xv. 11. Ps. Ixxvii. 15; cxxxvl. 4. q ch. v. 9. Ps. lxxx\i; cxlv. 3; cxlvii. .5. Jer. xlvi. 23. ' ch. xxiii. 8, 9. 2 Kings, vi. 17. Exod. xxxlii. 2<'-22. Amos, vii 11' »ch. xxxvi. IH. Ps. lii. 7; Iviii. 10. Is,i. v. .<>; xl. 24. Hof. v. 13. • Isa. xiv. 27. ch. xi. 10; xxiil. I3' » Isa. X. 15; xlv. 9, 10. Eccl. viii. 4. Dan. iv. 34. 130 JOB. [ix. 14. • Isa. xxxi. 2. rh. xl. 11, 12. -ch.xxvi. 12; xl. 11. Pi. xxxi. 24 i xciv. 2; ci. 5; cxix. 21. Prov. XV. 25. Isa. xiii. 11. Jer. 1. 31, 32. fch. ix. 3; xxxiv. ♦. Eccl. vi. 10. Amos, vii. 4. Isa. xli. 12. . ch. x. 15. Prov. X. 11,32; ' 1 Kings, xiii. 6. Ps. cxix. 58; XXX. !); 23. Msa. xl. 13; xlv. 10; Ixiv. 7. 1 Sam. iii. 18. ver. 12 above. 2 Sam. XV. 26. Matt. vi. 10. cPs. Iviii. 10; Ixxxiii. 16; cxxxix. II. ch. xxvii. 21. -Amos, i. 14. Isa. xxix. 6 ; xl. 24. ^ Prov. xxiii. 2.') ; xxvii. 6. ' Lam. i. 16. Ruth, iv. 15. Ps. xix. 8; Ixxxviii. 15. fch. iii. 20; xiii. 26; xxvii. 2. Lam. iii. 15, 19. Deut. xxxii. 32. Ruth, i. 20. s 1 Sam. ii. 9. Isa. xxxvi. 5. ch.xii. 21. Ps. xxvii. 1 ; Ixii. 12; xciii. 1. Isa. xxvi. 4 ; xl. 26. 'Jer. xlix. 19; 1. 44. Ps. vii. 7; ix. 8. Ezek. xxiii. 24. ■ ver. 2, 3. Ps. cxxx.3; cxliii. 2. k Prov. xiv. 3; xix. 1 ; xxviii. 6. P8.i .2, 4. ichen He '''turneth not away His wrath, beneath Him 14 sink down the helpers of the "insolent, * Much less then should ' I answer Him ; should I choose out my 15 words with Him. * Because, were "^I just, I should not reply ; I "should onli/ make supplication to my judge. 16 * Had I called, and He answered me, yet could I not be confident that He had ''hearkened to my voice. 17 * For he ''breaketh me with the tempest, and multi- 18 plieth my ''bruises to no purpose. * He suffereth me not to * refresh my spirit, but filleth me with 'bitter 19 things. *'If / speak of "strength, behold, He is strong; and, if of judgment. Who shall make ''ap- 20 pointment /or me? *If I were 'just, mine own mouth would condemn me : if I were perfect, then would it 21 convict me of ''perverseness. * Were I perfect, should I not 'know myself, and "^despise mine own life? 22 *The matter is "one ; therefore I said, The perfect and 23 the wicked He ''bringeth to an end. — * Should the I'scourge kill instantly. Would He then i laugh at 24 the wasting of the innocent? *Were a "^land given up into the hand of the wicked, Would He screen the face of its judges ? If not, then "What is He ? 25 * But my days are 'swifter than a courier ; they flee 20 away, they see no good. *They pass away siviftly with the "reed-vessels, or like the ''eagle rushing on 27 its food. * If I said, Let me forget and forsake my ''complaint, let me even make my 'countenance joy- 28 ful ; * then was I in ^ dread of all my sorrows '.—for I knew that Thou wouldest not consider me ^innocent: 29 — sayincj, * I am ''sinful ; why 'labour I thus in vain? 30 ^U I say, 1 have ''washed me in waters of snow, and 31 cleansed my hands with soap ; *then Thou *plungest me in corruption, so that mine own clothes abhor me. 32 * But He is not a ' man like me, that I should an- swer Him : that we should even ^ come together in i(h. xiii. 23. Ps. xxxix. 4; li. «. Jer. ii. 23; xvii. 9. ver. 2, 3, above ; 28 above. n.ch. xlil. 6. ver. 31. ° ch. xxiii. 13. Eccl. ii. 14; iii. 19,20; vi. 6. Ezek. i. 16. "Eccl. ix. 2. !■ Isa. x. 24, 25; xxviii. 15, 18. i Deut. xxxii. 43. Hos. i. 4. Ps. x. K, 12. Prov. i. II, 18. 'Lev. xviii. 25; xxvl. 43. Job, xxxi. 38. Prov. xxviii. 2. Isa. i. 10; xiv. 15; xxii. 3; xxix. 10. "Prov. xxx. 4, 9. • ch. vii. 6. Ps. xxxix. 6; xc 7. !'; ciii. 15, 16. Lam. iv. 18. Ps. xx.xiv. 13; cvi. 5. " Isa. xviii. 2. rh. xxiv. 18. " Deut. xxviii. 49. Piov. xxiii. 5. Jer. xlviil. 40. Hos. viii. 1. Hab. i. 8. " ch. vii. 13; x. I. Ps. Iv. 3, 7, 9. Jxlii. 6, 12. » ch. xxi. 6; xxiii. 1.5. Ps. cxix. 120. « ch. xiv. 14; xv. 14, 15; xxv. 4. I'rov. xvi. 2. Ps. xiv. 1. Rom. iii. 12. b ver. 20, Jtc. Ps. xxxii. 5; xxxviii. 5; li. 5. Prov. xxviii. 13. I's. xxxvii. 1, .3. Prov. xxiii. 17; xxiv. I, 19. Ps. xxxix. 7 : xliii. 2; Ixxiii. 3. I.il. iii. 5. ih. XIV, 3; xxii. 4; xxxiv. 23. Ps. ixliii. 2. ix. 33.] JOB. 131 33 judgment. * There is no common '' pleade Gal. ill. I'J, 20. 34 us irho can lay his hand upon us both. *0 that lie i Exc'dJ'x.'u! would 'take away His rod from me, and the dread of Numb.''x^xil'7f' 35 Him no more affright me! * Then would "^ I speak, LrmlTiL'i. and not be afraid of Him. — ' But as for me, it is not '^ "xxxin.?. . , ''Gen.xviii. 27. SO With me. Exod. xxxiv. 35. Ps. xl. (; ; [chap. X.l — i*My soul is ''pained with my life: ,„ cx'.x.'i72. •- -J t^ •'I Ps. cxix. B3, 87 ; cii. 7, 8. ' Lam. iii. 20, 54. ch. vi.9; vii. 15. Ps. vi. 4; let me ''give myself up to complaint ; let me speak in the bitterness of my soul. ^ Let me say to God, "^ Con- demn me not: shew me why Thou ''contendest with xiif.*??' me. *Is it good for Thee that *Thou oppress, that jer.'iv'/ai. Thou 'despise the work of Thine own hands, and »ch. vil. 11, &c. xiii. 13. ^ shine favourably on the counsel of the wicked? ' "' xxxvii. 33 ; 4 * Hast Thou ''eyes of flesh? or 'seest Thou as man Ruth^llV 5 seeth ? * Are Thy ""days as the days of mortals? or 'eh. xxvi. 14; xi. 8.] 133 8 thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? * He is in the ''hei":hts of the heavens : What canst thou do? 'ch. xxii. 12; O XXVI. 6; In the depths deeper than hell: What canst thou 2Chron'w'?«. 9 know? * In the length whose measure exceedeth ''^ cxxxlx.Vn. the 'earth ; and in the breadth, tcider than the ocean. Amds".' 1!^ 2. 10 *If lie "'attack, and shut up, and drive together, then 'p^glcxxKiio! 11 Who can turn Him hack? * For He "knoweth the °"^ xxxivllb!^' men of vanity, and seeth iniquity: and Shall not He i^'-xwlgf. 12 understand? * But "iiroud man is daring;; for as an Roniix. 19. 1 ch. xxii. 13, 14. ass, even as a wild ass, is man born. ps- x. li, u-. 13 * If thou hadst ''prepared thine heart, and stretched ^ xdv. u.' i I ' Ecc). V. 8. 14 out thine hands to Him: — * if ''iniquity is in thine Jer. xvii. 10. Hos. vii. 2. hand, put it far away; and suffer not "^wickedness to Vo^h'^n/'^' dwell in thy tent: — *Then indeed thou shouldest *lift ""^^ John, ii. 24, 25. Rev. ii. 23. up thy face without spot; yea, thou shouldest be ° ^*' cxxit'. 4. 16 'pure, and not fear. * For thou shouldest forget "mi- fsa^^xiii'iV.' sery ; or remember it as waters that have passed i^Tim!"vi.4. 17 away. * lln/ period also should continue ^'' niore ch!xxx. ii.' . Isa. XXX. 2IL hriyht than noon : and, hadst thou suifered ''obscurity, hos. viii. t».' 18 thou shouldest be as the dawn. * Thou shouldest also , 'xxu.2i,22. 1 Sam. VII. 3. be assured that there was ^hope: and, though thou ^^'^""•^ix^o' hadst been put to ^shame, in confidence shouldest ^^- 'j^^'' yV " ' 19 thou lie down. * Yea, thou shouldest ''lie down, and ixxxlm'io. none make thee afraid: and many should ''seek thy '"^'^' xxxiV'^sk 20 countenance ! * But the ^eyes of the wicked do fail ; ^3^* """'• ^' their ''refuge perisheth, and their *hope is despised. r pl"i^'i',r; ^' Ixxxiv. II. Mic. vi. 10. Jer. ix. 6. Amos, vi. 3. » ch. x. 1.5; xxii. 26. Gen. iv. 5,6. Ps. xxiv. 7; xxvl. Luke, xxi. 2H. James, iv. 10. Ephes. v. 27. Heb. ix. 14. 2 Pet. iii. 14. 'cli. viii. 6. I'rov. xv. 26; xxi. 8. Rom. xiv. 20. 1 Tim. v. 22. Titus, i. 15. u Prov. xxxi. 7. Lam. i. 7- Gen. xli. 51. ch. ix. 27. Isa. liv. 4. ch. vi. 1.5. - Ps. xxxvii. 6; cxii. 4. Prov. i v. 18. Isa. Iviii. 8, 10. Hos. vi. 3. Mic. vii. 8, 9. Mai. iv. 2. Luke, ii. 26-32. Rev. xxi. 23. x Isa. ix. 2; xlii. 16; Iviii. 8, 10; lix. !». Ps. cxxxix. 12. Mic. vii. 8. John, viii. 12, 46. ch. xxii. 28. ych. v. 16; vii. 6; xiv. 7; xxii. 29. Eccl. ix. 4. Jer. xxxi. 17. Lam. iii. 21,29. Joel, iii. 16 AcU, xxiv. 15; xxviii. 20. Ps. Ixxi. 5. »Ps. iv. 3, 4 ; xliv. 8; lix. 20. Isa. XXX. 15; liv. 4; Ixi. 7- Jer. iii. 25. Ezek. xxviii. 26; xxxiv. 29. Prov. iii. 24-27- • Lev. xxvi. 6: Ps.xxiii. 2. Prov. iii. 24. Isa. xiv. 30; xvii. 2. Ezek. xxxiv. 14, 28. Hos. ii. 18. Jer. xxx. 10; xlvi. 27. &c. b Ps. xiv. 13; cxix. 58. 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12. Zech. vii. 2; viii. 21, &c. « Deut. xxviii. 32, 65. Prov. xxx. 17. ch. xvii. 5; xxxii. 16. Ps. Ixix. 4; cxix. 82, 123. Isa. xxxviii. 14. J Ps. cxlii. 5. Isa. xxviii. 17. 'ch. viii 13; xxvii. 8; xli. (i.) 9. Prov. xi. 7. Isa. Ivii. 10. Ezek. xix. 5; xxxvii, II, &c. 134 [xii. 1. CHAPTERS XII. XIII. XIV. SUMMARY. Job replies, justifyiiig his right and fitness to do so, 1-4: complains of neglect from his friends, 4-6 : alloivs the truth of their doctrines, and that it is obvious the hand of God is in this matter, 6-1 1 : dwells still more particularly on the marks of God's overruling power, as discoverable from events, 11-25. — XIII. Affirms his oivn fitness, as before, to judge of these matters, and accuses his opponents of ignor- ance, 1-6 : reproves them for attempting to justify God's doings on sinful principles, 6-13 : prestimes that the awful situation in which he places himself ought to evince his sincerity ; and, therefore, requests they would give him a patient hearing, 14-18 : calls earnestly on God to afford him an ayiswer, requesting hoiuever a remission of his suf- ferings in the interval, in order that he may be able to give the deeper consideration to his own case ; hopes that the various catises of his trials will be specified ; and then briefly enumerates his sufferings, 18-27- — XIV. Details the frailty, imperfection, short-lived, and hopeless state of man as such, 1-6 : requests that Divine justice would relax its severity with such an one ; being, as to futurity, less hopeful than the stump of a tree which may be buried in the earth, 6-12 : prays that even the grave may prove a hiding-place for him ; justifies his hoping still in God, and trusts that his sins shall be forgiven, 13- 17 : concludes by stating the miserable life and death of those ivho are altogether differently circumstanced, 18-22. • Prov. xxviii. 11. Isa. V. 21. Eccl. ii. », Isa. xxix. 14. •■Deut.v. 20(29); xxix. 3 (4). ch. xxxviii. 3(i. ' ch. xiii. 2. >J ver. 9. Ps. 1. 16. 17. • ch. XXX. 1. Ps. xliv. 14; Ixxix. 4; cxix. 51. Jer. XX. 7. Lam. iii. 14. 'Ps. ii. 4; xviii.7; xci. 1.5. r Ps. xxli. 8, 9. Gen. xix. 9. Acts, iii. 14. Eccl. vii. LI. Amos, V. 12. i>Ps.xviil.2«: xxii. 7. Prov. xxxi. in. 2 Sam. xxi. 17. ch. xix. lit, 20. • Deut. xxxli. .35. ch. xvlii. II ; XXX. 12. P». Ivi. 14; Ixvi. ;». 2 *T^HEN answered Job, and said: * Truly ye are 3 "wise, and wisdom shall die with you! *I have, nevertheless, an iinder standing ^ heart as ye have: "1 fall not short of you. But '^ who hath not 4 things such as these? — * As one loho is a "derision to his neighbour am I: as one who 'calleth upon God, and whom He will answer. — The °just, the 5 perfect waw, is a derision! — * As the lamp of the '' despised is to the tauntings of the dissolute, so am I ready for the ' thrustings of the foot. 6 * The ^ tents of the violent are indeed in peace, and great is the ' confidence of those who vex God ; because 7 God hath brought to their '"hand. *But, ask now the " beasts, and they will teach thee ; and the ° fowls of 8 heaven, and they will tell thee : * or the twig of the ground, and it shall instruct thee; the fishes of the 9 sea and they shall declare unto thee, saying, * Who ch. xxi. 7. Ps. xvli. 14; xxxvii. X>; Ixxiii. 12; xcii. 8. Isa. xxx. 12. "> Keel. iv. 1. Isa. x-.l; xix. 4; xx. 5. 1. .1. Jer. viii. 7- ch. xxxv. 11. •' Eccl. x, 20. ch. XV. 1 ; xxxix. 11. Ps. Mic. ii. 1. Ezek. xxx. 12. xii. 10.] JOB. 135 '' knoweth not in all these thinqs ; that the hand of ''If-^'**^''^-,. ^ 1 Dent, xxxii. •>». 10 Jehovah hath •' wrought this; * seeing that in His , Ge°,!"il! Vl ■*" hand is the soul of all living, even the 'spirit of the ^^^^^^{ flesh of all men? ^"''jifk 11 * Doth not the * ear try sentences, as the 'palate ch.^^l\\riT'^' 12 tasteth its food? * Is not "wisdom with the ancient? vim^'vUx*'^''' 13 and with length of days understanding ? * Are \i'.2u^' 'ch. vi. 30; not "wisdom and "might with Him? — 'Counsel^ 'xxxw.'a. 14 and understanding His? * Behold, He ^ hreaketh ^ »"''!!: 7- =5 1 IT i' "ch. xxvm. 23; down, and it can no more be built: He " shutteth . p^ ^^.'^.'L/- up against a man, and it can no more be opened. nan.''i^"^o; '*• 15 * Behold, He ''restraineth the waters, and they dry up : L^cKrx'^'i'e!'''^' He also sendeth them forth, and they '^overwhelm a "'^^xxxw.s; 16 land ! * With Him are strength and '^ wealth : His Prov.'Vm. u. 17 are the "^ deceived and the deceiving. * Zf e leadeth . isl" xx/l 22. away counsellors as ' spoil, and maketh judges ^ mad. chrxi'.'io;' 18 * The discipline of kings He '' relaxeth, and ' bindeth Jer.xvii.i8; ' "^ xxxi. 2H ; xlv. Mai. i. 19 a girdle about their loins. * He leadeth away ^ priests 20 as spoil; He also overthroweth the 'mighty, * He 'isam. xvii. 46; causeth the reputation of the '" trusty to depart, and ?,^''^xj]'^ji'- ^• 21 the "decision of the aged to pass aAvay. * He poureth nlut.^xxifi 30 out contempt upon "princes, and turneth to weakness b Deul^xi'.' 17. 22 the insolence of the p haughty. * He Mayeth open 2cfeVi.''2^:' the deep things of darkness, and bringeth forth to isa. xix. 5,' e!^' 23 light Mose 0/ the shadow of death. ^ He 'increaseth p"'ixxTv. is; the nations, and ^destroyeth them : He also 'spreadeth -isa.xxviii.^.i?. 24 abroad the nations, and He reduceth them. * He ch.xxxvin.'24. taketh away the " heart of the popular chieftains of ^ xxxvjii. 22. the earth, and maketh them to "wander in a track- -"rrov.'ii.;; ' Mil. 14, 18. 25 less desert. * So they "^ grope in darkness, for there is p^'^^^'^'a'i' ^''*' no light : He even maketh them to stray like the drunkard.- Ps. civ. 24. Prov. iii. Ifi. « Eccl. ix. ], 2. ch. xxvi. 12-14. Ps. xcv. 4. [CHAP. xiil._] 1 * Behold, all this hath mine eye 'l^i^'' 2 " seen, mine ear heard, and considered for itself. * As Ixxvi. 6 [5). Isa. xlii. 24; xlix. 2.S. 2 Kings, xxi. 14. Ezra, ix. 7- Jer. ii. 14. « Ps. rxli. 6. Prov. viii. 16. Isa. xl. 23. Zeph. iii. 3. •■ Ps. cxvi. l(i. Ua. Iii. 2. • ch. xxxvi. 1.3. Jer. xl. 1. Isa. xli. 1. Ps. cxlix. 8. Hos. x. In. 2 Kings, xvii. 4 ; xxv. 7, &c. k Ps. Ixxviii. 64. Jer. i. 18; ii. 26; xiii. 13; xlviii. 7. Zeph. i. 4. Mai. ii. 2. ' ch. xxxiv. 20. Ps. xciii. 4; cxxxv. 10. Isa. xlix. 23. Ezek. xvii. .30. Amos, ii. 16. Zech. xi. 2. " Ps. xii. 2. Na. x. 12, 18; xiii. 19; xvi. 14; xvii. 4; xxi. 16. ■> Jer. xlvii. U, 12. » Ps. cvii. 40. p ch. ix. 13; xxvi. 12; xl. 11. Ps. ci. 5; cxix. 21. Prov. xv. 25. q Dan. ii. 22. Matt, x 26. 1 Cor. ii. 10; iv. 5. Lsa. xxix. 15. Jer. xlix. H. Ps. cxxxix. 12. ch. xxviii. 3. Ps. xliv. 20, 22; cvii. 14. Jer. ii. 6. Amos, v. ^. t Ps. cv. 24 ; cvii. .38, 39. Isa. ix. 2; xxvi. 15. • Jer. xii. 17 ; xiii. 14. Deut. viii. 20. Isa.xxiii.il. Zech. xii. 9. 1 Chron. V. 25. « Gen. xxviii. 14. Zech. i. I7. Ezek. v. Ill; xxix. 15. •• Deut. xxviii. 6.'«. Isa. X. 12; xiii. 7- Jer. iv. 9. Dan. iv. 16. ch. xvii. 4. Ps. cv. 25; cvii. 12. " Ps. cvii. 4, 40. Gen. XX. 1.3. Numb. xiv. 33. Ps. lix. 16. Amos, viii. 12. Hos. ix. 17. Lam. iv. 14. » Deut. xxviii. 29. ch. V. 14. Isa. lix. 10. j Isa. xix. 4; xxviii. 7. Ps. cvii. 24, 27. • Deut. Iii. 21 ; xi. 7. Ps. xxxv, 21. Isa. Ixiv. 4. Eccl. viii. 9; ix. 13. Zech. ix. 8. ch. xvi. 2. 136 JOB. [xiii. 3 'ch. xii. : ch. V. 8 II'; . cxix. b9; cix. 2. <■ Zech. xi. 17. f Prov. xvii. 28. Amos, V. 13. Ech. xxi. 2, 3. Ua. xxviii. 23; xxxiv. 1. Prov. iv. 1 ; vii. 24. •> Lev. xix. 15. Ps. Ixxviii. .36. 2 Chron. xix. 7. rli. xvii. 4. Ps. xliii. I ; ci.7. ich, xxxii. 21 ; xxxiv. 19. Deut. X. 17. 2 Sam. xiv. 14. t Ps. xliv. 2y. Jer. xvii. 10. Amos, ix. 3. Zeph. i. 12. Rom. viii. 27. 1 Cor. ii. 10. Rev. ii. 23. >Hos.xii.l(xi.l2). ™ Prov. xii. 2. Ps. cix. 7. Matt. xii. 37; ch. XV. 6. Ps. 1. 21. Prov. XX X. 6. Isa. xi. 3. » Ps. Ixv. 9 ; Ixxvii. 17; is your '' knowledge, so have I known : I fall not shoi't 3 of you. * I will nevertheless speak of the " Almighty ; 4 I desire also to reason of God. * For ye are glozers of 5 '' falsehood ; "" idolatrous physicians are ye all. * O that ye were altogether ^ silent ! for this would be to you for wisdom. 6 * " Hear ye now my argument, and attend to the 7 pleadings of my lips. * Will ye speak ''wickedly for 8 God, and talk deceitfully for Him ? * Will ye ' accept 9 His person ? Will ye thus contend for God ? * Is it good that he ^ search you out ? or that ye practise 10 'hypocrisy with Him as with a man? — * He shall '"assuredly convict you, if ye secretly accept the per- il sons of anij. * Shall not His "majesty affright you? 12 and His dread fall upon you? * Are Jiot your "me- morials parables of ashes ? Your mounds as '' mounds 13 of clay ? * Be ye ''silent, cease from me and let me speak ; then come on me what will ! *' Wherefore should "^ I take my flesh in my teetl nab.''in''.'2.' ^''" 15 and 'place my life in mine own hand? * Were He o Exod. xvii.' 14. to slay me, should I not 'hope? Only of my "" spirit- ua.''xHv.26. 16 ual ways would I dispute in His presence. * This Mai. iv.3. 7 7, ,, 1 . P 2Pet. ii.6. should moreover turn to my salvation ; tor no "hypo- p Num. xiv, 9. •/■'»/ r Isa. xix. 6. 17 crite Cometh before Him. * ^ Hear ye thefi dili- Zech. XI. 2. 1 . 7 « ^ ^zeit- "^'i- 17- • gently my conclusion, and receive my reproof in your ^rwi.,i;x.i; ears. 'd'.xvin.'V' ^^ * Behold now, I have ^ set my cause in order ; and f/a!'ix.'il; 19 I know that I am ^just. *0 that ''He would plead Ps.xx^i.^l with me ! for now am I '^ silent, and read?/ to give up ''i'slm.''xix^'5; 20 the ghost. * Only '' two things do not Thou wath me ; Ps. cxix^'i'i)' ■ then will I not * conceal myself from Thy presence. ^' xHv.Vz^ 21 * Remove Thine "^hand from off me, and let not thyter- Rom:viii;,-i(r,&c. 22 ror affright me. * Then ^call Thou, and I will answer: "ch. xxvii. 5, (i ; t •\^ h xxiii'^7 hi"- *^^* speak, and answer Thou me; saying^ -P8'ixix»)-32 ^"^ * How many mine 'iniquities and sins are: shew me -vti^5x\hi ^* ^"^ ^rmi my transgression and sin is. — * Why Thou o..n"v. \1i. ^ hidest thy face, and ' countest me for Thine enemy. — Lev. xxii. 3. T Isa. Iv. .1. ver. fi. ch. xxxiii. 1. « ch. xxiii. 4. Ps. I. 21. Isa. xliv. 7. • ch. xxiii. 7. Isa. xliii. 20 ; 1. 7. >■ ch. xvi. 21 ; xxiii. ,3-(). Isa. 1. 8. •= Ps. xxxix. .3. J ch. ix. .34. Prov. xxx. 7. • Gen. iii. «. ch. ix. 3.5. Isa. ii. 10 ; xxvi. 20. ' th. xxxiii. 7. Ps. xxxix. II ; xxxii. 4 ; cxix. 120. g ch. xiv. 15. Ps. xxvi. 1-a •• I h. xxxviii. 3 ; xl. 5 ; xlii. 4. 1 ch. xxiii. 5 ; xxxvi. 1). Ps. xix. 13 ; cxxxix. 23, 24. Isa. Iriii. I. E/,ok. xxii. 2; xliii. 10. Hab. i. 3. k Deut. xxxii. 20. Ps. xiii. 2; xxx. 8; xliv. 25; Ixxxviii. 15. Isa. viii. 17. i Deut. xxxii. 42. Ruth, i. 21. ch. xvi. y ; xix. 11 ; xxxiii. 10. Lam. ii. 4. xiii. 25.] JOB. 137 25 * Whether Thou crushest the '" driven leaf, or pursuest ""saxvn.ia; 26 the dried stubble. * For Thou writest down "bitter "'»«•»">; thinfjs against nie, and mvestest nie with the "sins of J"- "xii. ai : 1 -1^ rni 1 1 xxxvi, 2» 17» 28. 27 my youth. * Ihou also "' condeninest my feet to the "Te^xVxMf* shackles, and observest all my paths: on the soles of "''•xxxvi'.t" ' my feet Thou settest a deep mark. , p^cv.Ib;"'''^' 28 *So ''wasteth he away as rottenness, as a garment cxiix!*a which the 'moth consumeth, [CHAP. XIV.] — i * Even 'ps.rii!'27l''^' "man, the child of woman, few of days and full of •ecci."v'*23!'''"' 2 trouble ! * Like the '' blossom he cometli forth, and is "''■ xxVi'' ' cut off: he fleeth also like the shadow, and never stand- ^vT'\^x.'e,'. 3 eth fast. * Upon such moreover Thou ''openest Thine ' li^s'.' eyes; — even me Thou bringest into "^judgment with isa^^/'g-*' 4 Thee! * Who shall of the unclean pronounce one -^ clean? •'^™- \v!"i4.^' ' 5 No man !—* Surely his days are 'determined, a small fc hJa xxix. i5. !?number«re his months in ''respect of thee: his 'decree c u^'ixiilSs^i lx\i. 2. 15. IG; 6 Thou hast appointed, and this he shall not pass. * ''Turn ocm? away thine eyes from him, and let him 'cease /row his ^'' Tx^x. is. p-ief, until he satisfy his day as an '"hireling. Exod."":^.' 7 * For there is hope even of a "tree; if it be cut 2Ch?o.'Siv. ' down, still shall it renew, and its suckers not fail. — ->Ps."cxiii?.2. 8 * If its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die "f'^I^^Vv^-ig 9 in the dust; * s^i// from the refreshing of ^/^pI'xx^^ u. 13 * O that Thou wouldest 'hide me in the grave, and 'ch.iu^i/; conceal me until Thine "anger had turned away ; that „^^ ^^20. ' Thou wouldest decree for me, and ''remember me ! — isa.xw.i4; 14 * If a stout " man die, shall he revive? — All the days ° L^i^vi^-ja"; then of my warfare will ^I hope, until my renewal xxvii eian 31 15 come. * Call Thou, and I will then ^answer Thee; oE^c^lih', extend Thou Thy desire unto the " work of Thine own Ps^'i.^3. 16 hands! * Though now Thou "^numberest my footsteps: pch^xul^^s'; xiv. I. Eccl. xu. 3-7. Ps. xxxi. 12. i Ps. Ixxxviii. 5. 6 ; cxI. 11. Isa. xxvi. 14, &c ' Ps. ixii. 7 ; df.V''ita!"li 6 •Judg. V. 12. Isa. xx\i. 19. Jer. li. 57. « ch. xl. i;j. Ps. xxvii. 5 ; xxxi. 21 ; Ixiv. 3. Isa. xxvi. 2(1 u isa! XII. 1 ; XXVI. 21 ; ivii. 1,2. <• Gen. viii. 1. Ps. cvi. 4. » Ps. xxxvii. 5, 6 ; xlix. 9, 10, 1.4. j ch. iiii 15 ■ XIX 2o, 21,. Ps. xxvii. 13, 14 ; xl. 1. ^ ch. xiii. 22. Ps. I. 4-<). • Ps. cxxxviii. 8. ch. xxxiv 19 "> ch. X. ti, 14 ; xm. 27 ; xxxi. 4. Ps. Ivi. 9 ; cxxxix. 1-4. Prov. v. 21. J^T. xxxii. 19 ; xvil 10 • • • 138 [xiv. 17. ' Ps. cxxx. 1-3. J I)eut. xxxii. .'34. Ps. xxxii. 1. Rom. iv. 7. Ps. Ixxxv. ,'t. ' Isa. xli. 1.-., IG. liv. 1(1; Ixiv. 1. Jer. iv. 24 ; li. 25. Rev. viii. 8. f ch. xviii. 4. Nah. i. a R Ps. hiii. a Prov. xix. 13. Amos, vi. 11. Mich. i. 4. >■ 2 Sam. V. 20. ch. iii. 24 ; xxvii. 20 ; xxx. 14. Isa. xvii. 12. Amos, V. 8. Gen. vi. 17. i Prov. xi. 7. 23 ; X. 28. Ps. ix. 19. ch. viii. 13. Ezek. xxxvii. 1 1. It ch. XV. 24. Eccl. vi. 10. Isa. xlvii. 11, 12. Jer. xxvii. 7. Lam. i. 1.3. I Gen. xxxi. 2, 5. 1 Sam. i. 18. Neh. ii. 2, 3. ch. xxix. 24. Ps. xxi. 7. Dan. v. 6. - Eccl. vi. 3, 12 ; ix. 5. 1 Sam. iv. 20. Ps. xxxix. 7 ; xlix. 11. Eccl. ii. 18, 19. ■' ch. xix. i!), 20 ; xxxiii. 11». Prov. V. 10 ; xiv. 32. Eccl. viii. C. Hos. X. 5. 17 yet then wilt Thou not ' reserve my sin. ^~ My ''trans- gression shall he sealed up in a bundle ; and Thou wilt cast a covering over mine iniquity. 18 Or else as the falling ^ mountain, or "^^rock removed 19 from its place, wasteth away; * as ^waters wear away the stones, ayid their '' rushings forth carry away the dust of the earth ; so Thou makest the ' hope of 20 man to perish. * Thou '' puttest forth Thy power against him continually, and he departeth : Thou makest his ' countenance to change, and dismissest 21 him. * His children come to honour, hut he '" knoweth it not : or are brought low, but he perceiveth it not 22 of them. * Only that his flesh is "pained upon him, and that his own soul mourneth over him. CHAPTER XV. SUMMARY. Eliphaz rejoins, stating that the arguments of Job are worthless, but nevertheless such as to convict him of impiety, 1-6; demands ivhence it is that he lays claim to so mxich knowledge ; ivhy God's known mercies and declarations are so little regarded by him ; and why he is so bold and ready to contend, 7-13 : contrasts the character of God with that of man ; and then proceeds to argue from knoivn revealed truths, 14-19 : which declare that the vicious man cannot but be miserable, hopeless, and always beset ivilh fear ; and this because of rebellion against God ; that, whatever might be his state, it must end in destruc- tion. He ends with an exhortation to live and to act differently, 20-35. "ch.ii.ll: iv. 1 , &c. "> ch. vi. 20 ; viii. 2 ; xi. 2, 3 ; xiii. 2; xviii. .3. Hos. xii. 2. .ler. v. 1.3. II Ileb. knowledge nftvind. ■ Gen. xli. 6. ch. xxvii. 21. Hos. xii. 2 ; ■1 2 Kings, xix. 4. Isa. xxxvii. 4. .ler. xxiii. .32. Isa. xxx. 5. Prov. X. 2. « Ps. xxxvi. 2, 4 cxix. 12(). Prov. i. 2.'>, 29. .ler. ii. 19. Mai. i. (1. Rom. ill, « l.uko, xix. 22. ch. ix. 20. Ps. Ixi viii. 2.3, 24. Ps. xc. 2. Midi. v. 1. * ^r'HEN answered * Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, * Should a wise man answer || '' vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the '^east wind, ^ hy disputing with '' words that will not profit, and loith speeches wherewith he can do no good ? * But thou even easiest off "^ fear, and takest away complaint from before God. * For thine own ' mouth proclaimeth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. * Thine own mouth « condemneth thee, and not I : yea, thine own lips '' testify against thee. * Wast thou the ' first man born ? or, Wast thou 10. Ps. cxix. 97. XV. 8.] JOB. 139 8 brought forth before tlie hills? * Hast tliou '^ heard 'Prov.viii.zs-.-}!. the secret counsel of God, and secured 'wisdom to K*""- "'•**• ' Deut. XXIX. 29. 9 thyself? * What then "'knowest thou which we know J'a°xi''i'3^4 not? what understandest thou which is not clear with ' '^''' xx^ilSa 10 us? * The "gray-headed also, and the ancient a^e "ch.xxxii.'l/y. 11 with us, each more aged than thy father! *'yl7-ethe '°^*^'-"- "consolations of God small with thee? and is His » isa. ixvi. n. 12 P word unavailing with thee ? * What hath thy 'f heart Jf^^xii""-" '"''• received /or thee? and What have thine "^eyes laid Prov.''x^'^3^f• 13 hold upon, * that thou * refreshest thy spirit against isa. x-Ya"'" '^' God? and bringest forth from thy mouth vain 'speeches? ' ^'" xx\iL 4. 14 * What is "man that he should be clean ? or "the ' W. xxiiiJa. 15 child of a woman that he should be just? * Lo, He "'i^'ngs. viii.46. T • , . , 111 ^'^' ''^' - * '^\\'. 4. ^ putteth no trust in his sauits ; and the heavens are ps. xiv. 3; u. 7. Prov. XX. U. 16 unclean in his sig-ht. * > Much more the abominable Ecci.vii.211. . .... " <^*i- "iv. 1. and corrupt, — man who ''drinketh in iniquity as water! ^Jf^j^^fg. 17 * Let me then shew thee; "hear me, and that which ^ch.iv!'i9*' 18 I have seen let me now relate; * which ^wise men ^'fijy;.,' have told from their fathers, and have not withholden : ' Prov.''xii' Is. 19 * to whom alone the ''earth was given, and among bch! ^iif8-lo. whom no stranger passed, saying, — ^^^ix^w/ls-*!. 20 * All the '' days of the wicked are painful, and a p^x^^^o.'"' ''*' 21 small "^ number of years is laid up for the violent. * A Joef, ni. 17. sound of ' terrors is in his ears ; even in s peace the de- ps". ixxviii.'a? ; 22 stroyer cometh in upon him. * He hath no assurance '^'j^pfg' of a return from "'darkness; and he is 'way-laid for ^'^*^'' "i ^.k 23 the sword. * Wheresoever he '' wandereth for bread, 'prov.'xit he knoweth that the day of 'darkness is ready at his ' olurixviti. an. 24 hand. * Distress and '" anguish affright him ; they k'i^ixixii.^s. press hardly upon him as a king ready for the EccKii'.'^4*'' 25 assault. — * Because he hath stretched out his hand 'Ps.xxxva32. against God, and strengthened himself against the Jer"vi!^2.5';" "^" 26 Almighty; * He shall rush upon " him, ere/* upon /^i^ Ezek. vii' ii. ' 27 neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers. — *Thouoh ' cix'. i(>-'2i ; 11 ii-r. -in ■, xxxvii. 25. he have covered his face with "fatness, and made '*'''• xVfn' ^ " 28 wealth his confidence; * Yet shall he dwell in cities J^,';,^''!" to be '' destroyed, in "i houses which shall not be in- ■» Gen. xlii. 21. Zeph. i. 15. 29 habited, and which are about to become heaps. * He n uv.'xxvi. 25 shall not grow " rich, nor shall his power endure, ntn^v! 2]."' Ps. xvil. 10 : Ixxiii. 4. xlix. 12. Isa. xiii. 21. Zeph. i. 13. ' (los. xii. !) 140 JOB. [xv. 30. » Pi. XXXV. C; Eccl. vi. 4. Nah. i. 8. Deut.xxviii. 29. < Kzek. xxi. .3. Ps. Ixxxiii. 15 ; cvi. 18. Isa. V. 24 ; xxix. 6. 1 Sam. ii. 33. " ch. iv. <). Ps. cxlvi. 4. Isa. xi. 4 ; XXX. .33. Ps. ciii. la " Isa. XXX. 2, 12 ; xxxi. 1 ; xlii. 17; lix. 4. Ps. Ixii. 11. » Prov. xii. 14. Isa. XXXV. 4. Joel, iv. 7(iii.7) y ch. xxii. 16. Ps. Iv. 24. Eccl. \ii. 17. Amos, viii. !). ' ch. xviii. le. Isa. ix. 13 ; xiv. 19 ; XXV. ,3. • Rev. vi. 13. Deut. 40. Isa. XVII. 6. •> ch. xiv. 2. Ps. ciii. 15, IC. Isa, xviii. 6 ; xxviii. 1 ; xl.7. Jam. i. 10, 11. • Lev. xxvi. 23, Isa. xxv'ii. 10. Jer. 1. 13. ' Gen. xix. 24. Lev. X. 2. Num. xi. 1, 2. Deut. xxxii. 22. Ps. xcvii. .3. Isa. ix. 5, 18 ; X. 16; XXX. .13 ; xlvii. 14. • Ps. vii. 15. Isa. lix. 4, 13. Hos. x. 13. neither shall their wealth be extended over the land. 30 * He shall never depart out of ^darkness: * the flame of God shall dry up his branches, and by the "blast of His mouth shall he pass away. 31 * Let not the deceived then '■'' trust in falsehood ; for 32 falsehood shall be his " recompense. * Before his day be y accomplished shall it be complete ; so that his 33 ^ branch shall not flourish. * He shall force off his =* untimely fruit like the vine, and cast off his ''flower 34 as the olive. * For the congregation of the profane shall be *= desolate, and fire shall '^consume the tents 35 of bribery : * * conceiving sin, and bringing forth iniquity, — yea their bowels are ever framing deceit. CHAPTERS XVI. XVII. SUMMARY. Job again ansiuers Eliphaz ; reproaches him and his friends with want of sympathy and knowledge^ 1-5 : affirms that similar arguing on his own part tvould be unprofitable ; that God has really afflicted hint, and that hence it is, his enemies have power to oppress and injure him, 6-11 : enlarges on his afflictions, 12-14 : describes his afflictions more particularly ; dwells 07i his innocency ; affirms that his best witness, mediator, judge, and friend, is above, ivhere his cause shall be tried ; and looks with hope to the period of his departure XVII. llenews his complaint ; calls on his friends for fidelity ; complains of their ignorance and perfidy; restates the greatness of his affliction; the effect which his case shall have upon good men generally ; the case different with his friends ; entreats them, therefore, to change their rAinds, 1-10 ; complains of the unprofitableness of his time, and the ignorance of his friends ; looks to the end of his course as the only source of hope, 11-16. ■ch. xiii. 1. > ch. XV. 2. vi. 26. I Heb. vn/rds of wind. ■ Prov. xviii. 1, 2. XX. .3. J 2 Kings, xix. 21. Ps. xxii. H. Jer. xviii. 16. l.am. ii. l.-i. • Ps. xii. 4, .'). I'rov. xviii. 21. 'J's. Ixxiii. 14. 2 * T^HEN Job answered, and said, * Many such things B.S these I have ^ heard : miserable com- forters a7-e ye all ! * Is there no end to ^ vain \\ words? Otherwise, What '' stirreth thee up that thou an- swerest? *I might also talk as you do, were your persons in the place of mine ; I might string sentences together against you, and ''shake my head at you : * I might prevail against you with '^ my mouth, and the moving of my lips might restrain i/ou. *' Should I thus "^ speak, ijct would not my pain be xvi. 7.] JOB. Hi assuaged ; and should I forbear, How niucli of It 7 would then depart from me? — * Surely now hatli lie *^broujiht me to nothing. All my ''company hast Tliou b proV'xxL !«. 8 brought to desolation! * So Thou coverest me with wrinkles: — this hath become a witness, and hath arisen asrainst me : and my want supplieth an ' answer ' oeut. xix. m ® . •' ^ ' Isa. iii. !*, &c. 9 to my face. * His wrath hath '' torn and dealt cruelly ^ hos. vi. i. with me: mine enemy o;nasheth upon me with his 'n.4.'5!' ch. X. IG. 10 'teeth; he sharpeneth his eyes upon me. — * They ps. xxu.' u. ' *.,,.'' ", . , ;' ' Ps. XXXV. IB ; '" gaped u])on me with then- mouth : with reproach xxxvh. i-j. have they "smitten my cheeks: they are altogether ^ ^^m^i.- i^'i 11 "fully set against me. * God hath ''shut me up unto ° /^tl"' Jl'" **' the sinful; and into the ''hands of the wicked hath he p Deu'Txxxif'so cast me down. ''"^'"■x^dv'l^; 12 * I was at ease, but He 'hath troubled me ; He hath Ps. xxxr^' ''' also taken hold of my shoulders, and ''shaken me to qptrii!'id; 13 pieces; yea He hath set me up for His 'mark. *His Neh. fx.':*!'' , , TT 1 1 'Lam. iii. 17. "arrows compass me round about : He " harroweth up Jer. xuiii. n, my loins, and spareth not: He "poureth out my gall Amos, w. i. 14 upon the ground: * He ^breaketh me with breach I, heut 'xii^' 23 upon breach: He runneth upon me ^like a mighty jJixixviii 3 man. ' Ps. cxxix. 3. Lam. ii. U, 10. 15 *I have sewed "sackcloth upon my skin, and laid ilt^l'ia!' 16 mine ''horn in the dust. * My cheeks are flushed ^''''■xixiv.'24. with '^weeping, and upon mine eyelids sits the shadow ^'^' i.' 20^22. 17 of death. — *'' Because there was no violence in my ■■ cen* xxxvii. ,34. 11 f. * /^ f ^1 I 1 Kings, XX. 31 ; 18 hands, was iny 'Sprayer pure. — ^U ' eartli ! cover xxi. 27. not thou my blood, neither let place remain for my •■Lam. ii."3. ' 19 cry. * Behold now also -my witness is m the hea- '•»»•'"',',".•«• 20 vens, yea mine eye-witness is in the highest. * My !prov'x\;*"„ ''mediator there is my friend: unto God therefore f Gen'-^x-' iW^" 21 doth mine eye weep. * For he shall 'plead for a ' cem xxxi. 50. man with God ; even the ''Son of man for his friend, jer'!xxix.*2j ; 22 * when a few years are come, and 'I shall have de- 1 saml'xif; 5. parted bij a path by which I shall not return. >■ ch!'ixxiii. 2.3. r -'i -, ^ -XT ■ • ■ • 1 Gal. iii. 19, 20. [CHAP. XVII.J — 1 * My "spirit IS oppressed; my iTim. ii..5. days are few; the chambers of the ''orave are mine. isa.iix.'i(i ' •' Ok Oan. vii. IX Keel. xii. a. Prov. XV. 13 ; xvii. 22. 1 Sam. i. l.'i. Ps. Ixxx\iil JcT. ix. I ; <• Ezek. xxvii. 31. Zech. xii. 10. • Gea xxiv. 2 ; xlvii. 29. Prov. vi. 1 ; 2 * Surely continual "^ tears are with me ; and in their 3 ''embitterings doth mine eye remain. * '^ Lay down 142 JOB. [xvii. 4. f Is8.\i. 10. Kzck. xliv. 7. g I Sam. ii. 10. Ezek. xxi. 2fi. Ps.lxxxix.17, 18. Mic. vii. 5. ' Deut. xx\iii. Ci. k ch. XXX. !). Ps. XXXV. IG ; Ixix. 12. Lam. iii. 14, 6a ' Ps. Ixxxviii. 9. II Heb. to faces. "' Ps. \'i. 8 ; xxxi. 10. » Ps. cix. 23. Keel. vi. 12. " Ps. Ixxiii. 1.3, 14. ch. xxi. 7-14. p ch. ii. 9, 10. Ps.xxxiv. 20,21. xxxni. 1". Prov. X. .'iO ; xii. ,'i. '1 Ps. xxiv. 4. ch. ix. .'ju. ' Isa. xxi. 12. Prov. i. 23. ch. vi. 29. 'ch. xii. 2. 'ch.vii.6; ix.25. " Ps. exlvi. 4. " Isa. V. 20. » vv. 1, 16. ch. iii. 13 ; vi. 9 ; vii. 8. Ps. Ixxxviii. 4-7. y Ezek.xxxvii.il. 4 he that will strike my hand? *For their "^heart hast Thou shut up fr. understanding ; therefore Thou 5 ^exaltest them not. * One pointeth out even ''friends for the spoil; and the eyes of his children 'fail. G * Me also hath he set up for a "^ bye-word of the people, 7 and I am become an 'abomination to ||them. * So mine '"eye languisheth from vexation, and all my 8 members are as a "shadow. *" Upright men shall be confounded at this, and the innocent be stirred up 9 against the profane. *The righteous shall I'hold fast on his way, and he that hath "• clean hands shall in- 10 crease iii strength. * But, O all of you, ""turn ye I pray and come in ; for I find not a ^wise 7nan among you. 11 My days are * passed ; my "purposes, — the pre- 12 possessions of my heart, — are broken off. *They put 13 '"night for day ; light as nearer than darkness ! *But I look to the "grave as my house ; in darkness would 14 I make my bed. * To corruj^tion I have cried, My father ! to the worm, My mother, and my sister ! 15 * Where then is now my ^ expectation ? and, as to my 16 hope, Who shall behold it ? * To the grave-clothes shall they go down ; surely to the dust shall they descend together. CHAPTER XVIII. SUMMARY. Bildad offers his second reply : complains of the length of the dispute, and that they had been treated too unceremoniously by Job^ 1-4 : proceeds to recount the failures of the ivicked, in a strain not tinlike that resorted to i)i his former discourse, ch. vili. His arguments are, therefore, quite general, and by no means applicable to the case of the patriarch, 5-21. ch. xii. 7 ; xvii. 4, 10. Ps. Ixxiii. 22. 1 ch. V. 2. ■ Ezek. ix. 9. rUa. liv. 10. ch. xiv. 18. 1 *rpHEN answered "Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 2 * When will ye set limits to ''words? Consider, 3 and afterwards we will speak. * Wherefore are we 'considered as the beast, — and are polluted in your 4 eyes — * tearing himself to pieces in his ''anger? — Shall ^ the earth be forsaken for thee? or the ^ rock be removed from its place? xviii. 5.] JOB. 113 5 * The *^lii>lit of the wicked shall indeed 150 out; sProv.xiii.9; 6 neither shall the flame of his fire shine forth. * The xxlv. 20. ''liofht shall be dark in his tent, and his lamp over liim '■.h^'xxi. 17: o ... Rev. xviii 2.3. 7 shall fail. *The 'strides of his mio-ht shall be strait- \Ps. xviii. .37. ^ Prov. iv. 12. ened. and his own ''counsel shall cast him down. 'f^.v. 1.3. .2 Sam. XV. .31 ; 8 * For he shall be cast into a 'net by his own feet, „ .. ^A""- '' ' Ps. VTI. IfJ. 9 yea he shall walk upon the snare. ^The '"gin shall ij:},"'';^-;''-^ take him by the heel, and tlie noose shall lay fast hold ^^'x^xx^^'^/' 10 upon him. * His 11 earth, and his ti-aj) on ^//e path. * fright him round about, and shall confound him at his "'^'''xxill' 12 very feet. * So shall his strength be faintness, and ''^'^■xi.^,4: 13 destruction be made ''1 'ady at his side. * He shall xiix.29. eat up the coatings of his ''own skin; the first-born of qisa. ix. 20! 14 death shall devour his members. * The '^ object of his '''•"'"'•'•'''• ch. \iii. 14 ; xi. 20. Ps. cxii. 10. Prov. X. 28. confidence shall be cast away from his tent, and shall 15 dismiss him to the king of terrors. * It resideth in his tent: — no longer to he his, — for burning '^brim- "Ps.xi.?. 16 stone shall be sprinkled on his dwelling. * His 'roots ich.xxix.ia. shall wither from beneath ; and from above shall his Amr^'. H.'g. 17 crop be cut off. * His "memory shall perish from the <.ps?xxxiv.i7; earth, yea no name shall remain to him without. Prov.li.'^i; x.7. 18 * II He shall be driven from light to darkness, and be nHeb. The,, ,haii 19 "expelled from the world. * Neither ''descendant nor ^pt"til'!\n' posterity 5/frt// remain to him among his people; yea '^''" xii.'li f 20 no remnant in his dwellings. * After-generations shall be astounded at his 'day, as former ones ||were horror- ^ . 1 * o 7 1 1 1 1 • • r. , \\Ue\}. laid hold on 21 Stricken. * buch only are the habitations of the *»'■'•<»•• wicked; and this is the state of him who ^acknow- »Jer. ix.s; x.2s. ledgeth not God. 2Th^:i!"8f' ° Titus, i. IC. XV. 2.3. ' Isa. xiv. 22. .ler. xxii. .'*i. ' Ps. xxxvii. 1 144 JOB. [xix. 1. CHAPTER XIX. " ch. viii. 2 ; xviii. 2. Judg. x\-i. !fT. ^Gen. xxxi. 7- Lev. XX vi. 26. Ps. xxxviii. 17. ' ch. iii. 23. Ps. Ixxxviii. 9. 'Ps. Ixxxix. 45. I! ch. xiii. 24. Lam. ii. 5. '• ch. XXX. 12. I Ps. xxxi. 12 ; xxxviii. 12; Ixix. 9 ; Ixxxviii. 9, 19. SUMMARY. Job, in his reply to Bildad, complains of contemptuous treatment, and perseveres in declaring that his affliction is from God, 1-6 : complains also that his cause is disregarded ; that he is beset on every side, attacked, and injured, 7-1 1 : that hosts encompass him, that his friends are put far away from him; that his kinsfolk and friends have de- serted him ; that his servants, inmates, wife, had all taken part against him ; that even the abjects spoke openly against him, and his familiar friends had turned from him, 12-19: laments his emaci- ated state of body, and solicits pity ; deplores the insensibility of his friends ; and wishes that his sufferings were recorded, 20-24 : de- clares his faith in the Redeemer, who should appear in after-times on the earth ; his assurance that he should in his flesh see God and be justified ; and warns his friends of the judgment to come. i,2T^HEN answered Job, and said, * How long will ye vex my soul, and "break me in pieces with 3 words ? * These ''ten times have ye reproached me ; ye are not ashamed to treat me contemptuously. 4 *And have I indeed erred? With me then will mine 5 error remain. * If indeed ye will '^ magnify yourselves against me, and plead my abasement against me ; 6 * know then that God hath bowed me down, and hath spread his net about me. 7 * Behold I cry out o/ violence, but am ''not aii- 8 swered : I cry aloud, but there is no judgment. *My •^way hath He walled up, and I cannot pass; and 9 upon my paths hath He put darkness. * My *^glory hath He stripped from off me, and the crown of my 10 head hath He taken away. * He ruineth me on every side, and I depart ; yea He putteth away my hope as 11 a tree. ^ He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and -considered me — as His enemies — against Him. 12 *His troops come in together, and ''cast up their way against me ; yea they encamp round about my 13 tent. * My 'brethren hath He put far away from me ; and those M'ho knew me are wholly estranged from 14 me. *' My kinsfolk have failed ; and my familiar 15 friends have disregarded me. * The sojourners of my house, and my handmaids, account me as a stranger; IG I am become a foreigner in their eyes. * I called my servant, but he answered not : with my own mouth 17 have I entreated him. * My breath was strange to ch. XXX. .m. Fs. cii. r>. Lam. iv. 1). 'ch. i. 11. Ps. xxxviii-.T. < Ps. Ixix. 27. xi.x. 18.] JOB. 11.5 my wife, and my entreaties to the children of my own 18 bowels. * 27ie vile moreover have now despised me: 19 when I have arisen they have spoken against me. * All mine '' intimate friends have abhorred me, and those whom I loved are turned against me. 20 *My 'bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, so 21 that I escape with the skin of my teeth. * Be gra- cious, be gracious unto me, O ye my friends ; '"for the 22 hand of God hath touched me. *Why do ye "])ursue me as a mighty man, and are not satisfied with my 23 flesh ? * O that my words were now written ! O that 24 they were even graven in a book ! * were cut with an iron tool and ivltk lead in the rock for ever ! 25 * But, I know t/iat my Redeemer liveth, and that 26 he shall stand hereafter upon the earth : * and that after this my skin shall have been pierced through, 27 still in my "flesh shall I see God : — * that I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold Him, and not a stranger, when ray reins shall have been consumed 28 within me. *When ye shall say, How did we per- secute him! — and the root of the matter shall have 29 been found in me. * Be ye afraid of the sword : for the fury chie to transgressions is the sword. Know ye therefore that there is ''a judgment. CHAPTER XX. SUxMMARY. Zophar's apology for his reply, 1-3 : dwells, as before, ch. xi., on the vanity of wickedness, and the excellency of true religion— particularly here on the former, insisting that ill-gotten ivealth shall be rendered back, and ill-won honours soon descend to corruption, 4-11 : dwells on the bitter effects of sin, its natural progress to poverty and misery ; on the principle of God's overruling providence, 12-18: insists that op- pression in principle, shall be followed by its own fruits, distress in experience ; and so quick shall this be, thai it shall take effect in the very height of one's enjoyments ; shall fall from heaven above, and be generated in the earth beneath, in all the dreadful visitations derivable from these sources ; and which shall follow him into another world, tvhile his posterity falls in this, 19-28 : concludes by declaring, that such is the universal portion of the wicked, and that Cod is the author of it, 29. 1 *nnHEN answered " Zophar the Naamathitc, and .ch. ii. ii; 2 • said, * Therefore my thoughts cause me to an- xiii.* L Ps. Iviii. 11, 12. 146 JOB. [XX. 3. Isa. xiv. 13, 14. Obad. ;i, 4. I's. Ixxiii !>. ' Ps. Ixxiii. 20 : ;ch. vii. 8, 1(1; viii. 18. Ps. xxxvii. .Ifi ciii. l(i. ' rh. xiii. a!. Ps. XXV. 7. ' ch. xxi. 26. ■ Jer. viii. 14 ; ix 14. Acts, viii. 23. » Ps. xxxvi. !», 10. Jer. xvii. rj. lEccl. V. 1.% 1. Isa. lix. 8. Itoni. iii. 17. 19 swer, anil on this account I am in haste, — * because I hear chastisement tohich is my reproach: — and the spirit of my discretion urgeth me to reply. *Hast thou known this from of old, since the ''placing of man upon the earth, *that the '^ exulting of the Avicked is of short duration, and the joy of the ungodly but for a moment? * Though he raise his ''dignity to the heavens, and make his head to touch the cloud; *yet, like his own '^dung, shall he utterly perish : they who have seen him shall say, Where is he ? * As a 'dream shall he fly away, and none shall find him ; yea he shall be made to wander as a vision o( the night. * The ^eye also which saw him shall see him no more ; neither shall his place any more behold him. * His children shall give satisfaction to the poor; yea his own hands shall ''give back his wealth. *His 'bones shall be filled tvith the vanities of his youth; and with him shall they ""lie down in the dust. * Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, and he retain it beneath his tongue ; * thour/h he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it within his palate; * yet shall his bread be turned in his 'bowels; the gall of adders shall be within him. * He hath swallowed down wealth ; yet shall He make him "'vomit it forth : God shall dispossess his stomach of it. * He shall suck the "poison of adders; the tongue of the viper shall slay him. * He shall never look upon the "rivu- lets— the streams of the valleys — of honey and butter. * He shall give back the profit of his labour, and shall not ''consume it: as his wealth is, so shall his resti- tution be ; and he shall not rejoice. * Because he hath crushed and forsaken the poor ; hath taken a house by violence, and not built it: — * because he hath known no "i peace within, and hath not escaped with his desire ; — * no survivor shall remain for his provision : thus shall none exult in his prosperity. *In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be distressed ; the whole force of the wretched shall come in upon him. * So shall it come to pass that, "^ while his belly is filling, God shall send the burning of His wrath upon him, yea He shall rain it upon him while he is XX. 21.] JOB. 117 24 feasting; — *ivhile he fleeth from the 'h'on weapon, the • isa. xxiy. ia, 25 l)razen bow shall pierce him through: *the sword Amas, v.jy. ' shall be drawn, and shall go fortli from his body, and the 'glitterino- spear from his ffall : horrors "shall come 'ch. xw. m. O o I n ^ 1 • "ch. x\iii. II. 26 upon him. *The aggregate of darkness is reserved for his treasures ; an unblown ''fire shall devour him : "Ps. xxi. lo. 27 in his tent shall his survivor be broken. * The hea- vens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall be 28 "raised up against him. * So shall the increase of his ^isa^'v-^- house go into captivity; his treasures shall be dispersed in the day of God's anger. 29 * This is the 'portion oi the wicked man from God; "''''• xxxi'vi. yea the heritage of his rule from the mighty One. CHAPTER XXI. SUMMARY. Job requests attention to his reply as a right; and which, if granted, could not but administer to his friends^ satisfaction : asserts that, if he had considered man as his judge, the treatment he had met with would be reasonable enough, 1-5 : allows that the prosperity of the wicked, their grotving stre?iglh, icealth, health, and family, had greatly ' perplexed him. Concludes, nevertheless, that he chose not their coun- sels, 6-16. He jiext proceeds to shew that, still they were subject to calamities, afflictions, and other dreadful visitations from God; and that this they themselves satv and felt: and concludes that their expe- rience is, after all, truly miserable, 17-21. In the next place, he shews that a common fate seems, in these respects, to attend upon all ; which is the pure result of Divine Providence, the ways oftvhich are inscrutable to man, 22-26. In the last place, he shews that his oppo- nents had applied this sort of inconclusive reasoning, as sufficient to determine his real character ; deprecates the vanities of the rich ungodly man ; and concludes that perverseness and error alone had directed the replies of his opponents, 2'J-^4. 1,2 *^11HEN answered Job, and said, * Hear ye di- ligently my speech, and let this be your 3 great consolation. * Bear iriih me, and I will speak ; 4 and, after my speaking, thou ''mayest mock on. — *As . j,, for me, Is my complaint of man ( And, if it ice7-e 5 so, Why then should I not be impatient ? * Look on me therefore and be astonished, and ''lay your hand upon 1/oiir mouth. ,, i^, G * When indeed I have '^ remembered ''perplexed, and trembling hath laid ])old on my flosli, jj',;; xvi. 10; Uxiii. Ii;. 148 JOB. [xxi. 7. « ch. xii. n. Ps. xvii. 10; xlix. 7; lxxiii.4,12,13. Jer. xii. 1. Hab. i. Hi. f Ps. xvii. 14. E Ps. Ixxiii. 4, 5; xlix. 12. h Exod. xxiii. 2fi. i Ps. oil. 41. ■ Exod. V. 2. ch. xxxiv. 9. ' ch. XXXV. 3. Mai. iii. 14. ' Luke, xii. 46. • Ps. i. 4 ; XXXV. 5. Isa. xvii. 13; xxix. 5. Hos. xiii. 3. II i. e. the reward of his iniquity. « Ps. xvii. 14 ; xciv. 23. Exod. XX. 5. u Ps. xxxvii. 12. - Ps. Ixxv. 9. Isa. li. 17. Jer. XXV. IG. Rev. xiv. 10 ; xix. 15. " ch. viii. 14, 15 ; XX. 28; xxvii. 18. 7 Isa. xl. 13; xlv.9. Rom. xi. 34. 1 Cor. ii. l(i. ' Ps. xlix. 11. b Ps. xlix. 15. ch. XX. II. Eccl. ix. 2. Isa. xiv. 11. I .ler. xxii. 8. Lam. i. 12. Prov. Ix. 14. 7 — * How the wicked are * vigorous, grow old, and even 8 become mighty in wealth : * their ''seed is established in their presence, yea with them, and their numerous 9 offspring before their eyes: * their "houses are safe 10 from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them : *his ox gendereth and faileth not ; his heifer calveth safely, 11 and ""casteth not her young. — * How they send forth their sucklings like the ' flock, and their children leap 12 for joy : * they take up the tabret and lute; and re- 1 3 joice to the sound of the lyre : * they wear out their ''days in prosperity; and in a 'moment they descend 14 to the grave! * But to '"God they say, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. 15 * "What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? and What shall °we profit, if we appear before Him? — 16 *' Behold, their prosperity is not in their own power. — As to the P counsel of the wicked, therefore, be it far from me ! 17 * How oft, nevertheless, is the ''light of the wicked put out : doth their destruction come upon them, 18 and God "^apportion their Tpains in His wrath? * Do they become as ^stubble before the wind, and as chaff 19 which the whirlwind snatcheth away ? * Hoiv oft doth God lay up ||his iniquity *for his children ; repay 20 him, and he "know it? * Do his own eyes view his destruction, and he ''drink 0/ the w^rath of the Al- 21 mighty? * What then can his desire be as to his house after him, when the number of ''his months shall have been decided ? 22 *^ Shall one then teach God knowledge, when He 23 judgeth the lofty? * For this man ^dieth in his en- 24 tire strength, beiny wholly at ease and quiet, * his bottles full of new milk, and his bones watered with 25 marrow! *And that dieth in bitterness of soul, and 26 never "ate in prosperity ! * Together do they ''lie down upon the dust, and the worm covereth them ! 27 * Behold, I know your devices, and the surmisings 28 ichich ye force upon me, *when ye say, '^ Where is noio the house of the prince ? yea Where the tent, the 29 habitations, of the wicked ? * Have ye not asked them who '' pass by the way ? And are ye ignorant of xxi. 30.] JOB. 149 30 their intimations? *Tliat the wicked is reserved for the ''day of destruction ? — are led on for the day of 'P™; 31 great wrath ? *" Yet who hath denounced his way to his face? And /or ivhat he did, 'who hath rendered *^^^ 32 retribution ? * Nevertheless for the chambers of the grave was he led on, and for the tomb was he watch- 33 ful. *To him seemed the stones of the valley sweet : ^ after him also draweth he all men, as of those *p^- before him tliere was no number. 34 * Why then offer ye vain consolations to me, when perverseness remainetb in your own answers ? CHAPTER XXII. SUMMARY. EUphaz here commences a third series of arguments ; and, as before, is profuse in excellent remarks, not one of which is applicable to the case of Job. He first dilates on marl's unprofitableness to God ; then on the small importance of Job^s case ; then on what he deems his positive sins ; and then concludes, that, on this latter account, he was both meyitally blinded, and deservedly visited with affliction, 1-11. He next accuses him ivith supposing that, as God is very highly exalted above the heavens. He could not, of necessity, judge a cause so far removed from Him, 12-14. He next adopts some ofJob^s expres- sions, in the preceding chapter, and retorts their import upon him, 15-18. He 7iext dwells on the views ivhich the good must take of these occurrences, among ti'hom he evidently includes himself; alludes ap- parently to the fall of Sodom, 8(c. by way of illustration ; and exhorts Job accordingly, 19-22 : concludes by affirming, that if Job icill^ return to God's service, he shall be restored to wealth, religious assur- ance, and real happiness ,• that his prayers shall be heard, his influ- ence extended, and that by this means he shall be relieved and sup- ported, 23-30. 1 ^T^HEN answered Elij)haz the Temanite, and said, 2 * Is a man " profitable to God, because the prud- 'ch. xxxv 3 ent is profitable to himself? * Is it a pleasure to Ps. xvi Luke, xvii. 10. the Almighty that thou be just, or indeed an advant- Micvi. 6. 7. 4 age that thou make thy ways perfect ? * Shall He contend ivtth thee of thy piety ? or enter with thee into 5 judgment? * Is not thy wickedness great? — Yea, 6 thej-e is no end to thine iniquities ? * For thou ^ pledgest *• Exod ch. xxiv. 3, 0. Eaek, xviii. 12. . XXII. 27. Deut. xxiv. 1(1. 150 JOB. [xxii. 6. ch. xxxi. 17. Deut, XV. 7. I Heb. counte- ' ch. xxxi. 21. Isa. X. 2. Kzek. xxii. 7. ch. xviii. H-lU; xix. 0. I's. Ixix. 2, 3 ; cxxiv. 5. Lam. iii. 54. Ezek. 12; I' Ps. xcvii. 2 ; cxxxix. 12,13. Jcr. xxiii. 24. '< Gen.\i.r>, 11, 13. 2 I'et. ii. -,, G. ' ch. \\. 32. ' ch. xii. 6. I's. xvii. 15. Jer. xii. 2. ' ch. xxi. 16. •Ps. xUiii. 12; Iii. 8 ; Iviii. II; cvii. 42. ' ch. xxvii. 10. Isa. Iviii. 14. ch. xi. 1.5. ■ I's. 1. V,. Isa. Iviii. !». I'rov. XV. 211. ' Kccl. V. 3, 4. thy brethren for naught, and strippest off the clothing 7 of t/ie destitute. * Thou givest no water to the weary to drink, and from the hungry thou " withholdest 8 bread. — * So the powerful man maheth the earth his own, and the honoured of || men dwelleth in it. — 9 * Widows hast thou sent empty away, and hy thee 10 have the arms of ''orphans been broken. *'Snares are therefore round about thee, and sudden fear per- il plexeth thee. * Or else darkness, and thou seest not ; and an inundation of '^ waters covereth thee. 12 * Is not God in the height of the heavens? View 13 then the summit of the stars, for they are high ! * So thou hast said, How should ^ God know? Can He 14 judge through the thick darkness? * Thick ''clouds are His covering, and He seeth not ; and He walketh 15 on the circumference of the heavens. * Dost thou retain the ancient path, which the men of ' iniquity 16 have trodden ? * Who withered away ^ untimely : — the stream was poured out upon their foundation ! — 17 *' Who said to God, ' Depart from us; and demanded 18 what the Almighty '^ could do for them; * when He had filled their "houses with prosperity! — Be therefore the "counsel of the wicked far from me ! 19 * The righteous shall see, and p rejoice, and. the 20 pure shall laugh them to scorn, saying : * Surely our adversary is restrained, and the fire hath consumed 21 their abundance ! — * Dwell thou then with Him, and •i be at peace : in these things shall thine income be 22 prosperous. * Receive now instruction at His mouth, and "^lay up his words in thine heart. 23 * 5 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up ; thou shall put iniquity far away from thy 24 tents : * and on the earth thou shalt ' lay up wealth ; 25 and in the rock gold o/' the valleys o/Ophir. * So shall the Almighty be thy strength, yea as treasures of 2G silver to thee. * For then thou shalt "delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt '' lift up thy face unto God. 27 *Thou shalt make thy -"prayer unto Him, and He 28 shiill hoar thee; and thou shalt > pay thy vows. *Thou shalt decide a matter, and it shall be established io 29 thee; so shall the 'light shine ui)un thy ways. * When xxii. 30.] 151 others cast down, then slialt thou command exaltation: 30 and the '*nieek shall be saved. * Whoso is pure, him shall God deliver ; yea thou shalt be delivered by the cleanness of thy hands. ') ' ^ ; . to. ' I'rov. xxix. a. Isa. Ivil. 1.', ; Ixvi. 2. Ezek. xxi. 20. CHAPTERS XXIII. XXIV. SUMMARY. Job complains of the weight of his affliction, and desires to bring his case before God, 1-5 : declares thai tinder His mercy he shall be safe ; and laments that he cannot find Jlini, G-9 : iiisists that he shall event- ually be delivered, because he has treasured up God's commands, and has not swerved from them in his conduct, 10-13 : argues that God is independent, and will fulfil all His will ; declares that hence he is con- founded, knowing, as he does, that all his afflictions come from Him primarily, and from no other power, 13-17 XXIV. Renews this argument, and affirms, that believers are necessarily ignorant of many of God's purposes. He then proceeds to recount some of the vicious practices in tvhich men are allowed to indulge, 1-12: he states and exemplifies their wicked principles, as centering in a hatred of the light, and as exerting themselves in the works of darkness, 13-17 '• the active and rapacious character of such, and their certain fate, 1 8- 20 : recounts their injurious but insinuating properties, their success, their consequent jealousies and anxieties, their short triumph, and final destruction; and concludes by challenging a refutation of his senti- ments, 21-25. 1,2 *'T^HEN Job answered, and said, * Even to-day is my '" complaint bitter, my hand is heavy 3 because of my sighing. * O that I had knowledge, and could find Him ! that I could enter in even to His 4 appointed place ! * That I could '' lay the case in order before Him, and " fill my mouth with arguments ! 5 * That I could know the words He would answer me, and consider what He would say unto me! — 6 * Would He '' contend with me in the greatness o^ His power? No : He would only place His love on me ! — 7 * There should the upright be tried before Him: and 8 I should be ''delivered for ever from him who judged me. * Behold, I go forward, but He is not 'discernible ; 9 and backward, but I perceive Him not. * On the left hand in « His operations / j)erceive Him, but I com- prehend Him not : on the right hand He is veiled, and 1 see Him not. 'ch. vi. 2; x. 1. Lam. iii. li». Ps. Ixx\ii. 3. i-ch. xiii. 3, 18; xvi. 21 ; xxxi. 35, 37. Ps. xliii. 1. Isa. xliii. 20. tGen.xnii.25,&c. L-h. ix. If). Isa.xxvii 4,.^.,8; Ivii. l(i, 18 ; • Ps. Ixix. 1.".. 2 Sam. xxii. 18, 4<), j£C. fPs. X. I ; xiii. 1-3 ; Ixxxix. 46. Isa. xlv. \5. s I's. cxxxix. 5, G. 152 [xxiii. 10. h Gen. xviii. 19. 2 Kings, XX. 3. Ps. i. () ; cxxxix. 1-3. 2 Tim. ii. li». ' Deut. viii. 2. Ps. xvii.3; Ixvi. 10. Prov. xvii. 3. Zech. xiii. <». ch. xlii. 8. k Ps. xviii. 22. «Ps. cxix. 1,2, U. ch. xvii. 9. m Ps. xviii. 2.3. » Ps. cxix. 5, 8, II, l(i. ch. xxii. 22. Prov. vii. 1. och. ix. 12, 13; xi. 10 ; xii. 14. p Ps. cxv. 3 ; cxxxv. G. Isa. xiv. 24, 27. qPs. cxix. 17. ' Isa. xl. 27, 28. ch. xii. 3, 16. nom. xi. ;w. - ch. X. l.'i ; XXX i. 2.3. Ps. Ixxvii. 4 ; cxix. 120. llab. iii. 2. < Ps. xxii. l.'i. ch. XXV ii. 2. " Ps. cxxxix. 11. Luke, xxii. 53. (;oi. i. la I Thes. v. 5. Rev. xvi. 10. II Heb. throne. •Ps. xciv. 20. xxxi. K). Eccl. iii. 17 ; viii. (i, 7. Isa. Ix. 22. Luke,xxi.22,24. Acts, i. 7 ; xvii.2(;.&c. ^ Deut. xix. 14 ; xxvii. 17. Prov. XXV. 2H ; xxiii. 10. Hos. V. 10. t ch. i. 15, 17. 1 .Sam. xii. .3. '1 rh. xxxi. Hi. Prov. xxii. Ki ; XXX. 14. •• Jer. ii. 24. Ilos. viii. 9. t Prov. iv. IG. Mic. ii. 1. K.liulg.vi..3. Mic. vi. 15. I" vcr. 10. ■ r.en. xxxi. 40. k.liulg. vi. 2. 1 leb. xi. ,18. I 2 Kings, iv. 1. Neh. V. 5. n' Deut. XXV. 4. Jer. xxii. 13. Mai. iii. .5. .lam. V. 4. 10 * But He '' knoweth my way : He shall ' prove me, 11 and 1 shall come forth like gold. * On his ^ footstep hath my foot taken hold : I have kept His ' way, and 12 have not declined; * neither have I "'put away the precept of His lips from " being my law : I have trea- sured up the words of His mouth. 13 * But He is intent on one thing; and Who shall " turn Him back ? His soul hath i' desired, and He 14 will do it. * For He shall '' fulfil my law ; and 15 Mike these, many things rest with Him. * Wherefore ** I am confounded at His presence ; I consider, and 16 am afraid of Him. *' For God 'hath unnerved my 17 heart, yea the Almighty hath confounded me. * For I have not been put to silence at the presence of " darkness, nor by the 1| power of tJie thick darkness. 1 [CHAP. XXIV.] What? Are not times treasured up by the Almighty ? They who know Him there- 2 fore perceive not His days. — * They come up to the *' boundaries, they take the flock by " force, and they 3 pasture it. *The ass of the orphans they drive away; 4 they cast a cord on the ox of the widow. * They put '^down the needy from the way: together are the meek 5 of the earth hidden. * Behold, as " wild asses they go forth into the wilderness after their reward, rising •^ early for the prey : to such is the desert bread for his 6 children. * In the ''field of others do they cut each one his fodder; yea the vineyard doth the wicked 7 strip. *'' Naked therefore do men remain from want of clothing, and are without ' covering in the frost ! 8 *' With the showers of the mountains are they wet ; and for want of a place of refuge they embrace the ^ rock ! — 9 * With violence they take away the ' orphan from 10 the breast, and take pledges of the poor. * In naked- ness they drive them destitute of clothing ; and the 11 famishing carry the '"sheaf. * Within their walls they make the fine oil : they tread the vats, and suffer 12 thirst. * Men "roar from the city ; yea the soul of the " wounded crieth out : and '' God marketh it not as Mai. ii. 17 ; iii. 14, 15. xxiv. 13.] JOB. 153 13 * They are among those who rebel against the I* lio-ht ; they neither acknowledge its ''ways, nor '■John, iiu^fj.ao: 14 abide in its paths. * With the light the ^murderer „„„ i''^^.^"''^^- ariseth ; he slayeth the poor and needy : and in the I Frov. John,xii.35, Jtc. 15 night he is therefore as a thief. *The eye also of the "Miah""/."' 'adulterer observeth the twilight, saying, No eye shall » Prov. va 9, lo. 16 see me : so layeth he a covering over mens faces. ^=In the dark he 'diggeth into houses, xohich by day they ' J^|f^^- ''^'[|\f- had sealed for themselves; they "know not the liglit. ^ ^g''^'^'^^""- ^ 17 * For to them is the dawn altogether as the shadow of death ; as when one beholdeth the terrors of the shadow of death ! 18 *'' Swift is he upon the face oi the waters; then is - ua. xviii. 2. the "portion of them loho are in the land worthless: » Prov. xxix. 2. 1'.) no one turneth his face towards his vineyards. * /m the drought, even in the heat, they bear violently away like the snow-waters : unsparing as the -grave do Tisa.xxxi.6. 20 they sin. * So shall mercy disregard him: his ^so- Jot., xii'.aa J JO 2 Cor. viii. 12. lace shall be the worm : no more shall he be remem- ' ch. xxi. 26, 33. bered : as a "tree shall iniquity be shivered to pieces, .ps. xxix.5. 21 * He ^injureth moreover the barren wlio beareth bisam. i. 6. 22 not; and doeth no good to the '^ widow. * He also « ch. xxix. 13 ; ''draweth forth the mighty by his power : one ariseth, dEst-^iui, il*. 23 and hath no confidence in life. * It is given to him John, xix.' 12. ~ Rev. XVI. 14. to he in assurance, and he is ''upholden ; and his eyes 'Ps. i^xxii^u 6, 9, 24 are upon men's ways. * A little while are they lifted up, and then are *^no more: as all others are they 'ib. ver. 19. driven along, and then ^shut up; even as a head of « ps. xux. 20. 25 corn are they '"cropped off. * But if not, let some one ''^^%''^^^;;\^_^ now convict me of 'falsehood, and set down my speech 'ch. xi. 3. for naught. CHAPTER XXV. SUMMARY. Bildad nmv offers his third and last reply (see chb. viii. xviii.), asserting the all-comprehensive power, majesty, rvisdom, and goodness of God. He then compares with this, briefly but pointedly, the iveakness, mean- ness, ignorance, and impurity of man ; and asks. Can such a being be just with God? lie then calls the attention of Job to the more splendid portions of the universe ; all of which he pronounces dull loi JOB. [XXV. 1. and unclean, xcith reference to their Maker: and concludes hy ob- serving, that much more is man, icho, zvilh respect to these, sinks necessarily into the character of a worm ! 1 *' rriHEN answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, • cii.ix. 10. 0 -*- * Dominion and fear are with ^Him ; He main- taineth peace in His high places. * Is there any num- ber to His ''forces? and upon whom doth not His "ituA'i ■]!% &c '* '^ light arise? *''Hovv then shall man be just with •"God? and how can the child of a woman be 'pure? * Observe, even to the moon, and it putteth forth no ^brightness ; and the stars are not clean in His sight. * Much more mortal man, a ''worm! and the son of C'linni. xxix. 11, 12. Ps. xcix. 1 ; ixlviii. (J. Jer. X. (i Isa. Ivii. 15, 1!» &(■. •■Ps. ciii. 21, 22; cxlviii. 2, 4. Isa. xl. ai, A;c. ' ch. xxxviii. 12. Gen. i. .3-.-). Ps. xix. h-T. Matt. V. 4."). ,11 I ch. iv. 17-19, &c. man, tlie dye-worm ! Ps. cxxx. .'i ; cxliii. 2. om. iii. 1J», 211, "^h'^i'v.ir&c.; CHAPTERS XXVI. — XXXI. XV. 14, &c. 'Ps. li. 7. Zed), xiii. I. /&"i9:2a SUMMARY. 2 Cor. iii. 10. ch.'iv. 19. " Job objects to Biidad^s want of charity, and of unsdom: compares the Isal^xli!"] ' efficacy of his reasoning with the heathenish notion that dead heroes are still possessed of poioer ; and to this opposes the ivisdom and power of God, as evinced in the world about him, 1-14 XXVII. Job calls God to witness, — affirmijig that he is in sound and sane mind, — that yiothing but truth shall have ittterance with him; and that, at all events, he will never give xtp his faith, 1-7- He then re- futes the position that his affliction must have arisen from his own wickedness ; because the fact is, wicked men do grow rich ; and al- though they may then pass themselves for just and good men, on this faulty hypothesis ; still God's judgments shall, first or last, fall on them and their children, 8-22 XX VIII. Job now allows that men do possess much learning, and put forth much industry. He dwells on their range both of science and of art ; and on the effects and benefits thence derived, 1-11. He then proceeds to shew, that still true ivisdom such as is calculated duly to deal with this question — is as far beyond the reach of man, as it is more valuable than earthly wealth, 12-19. He repeats his assertions, adding, that there is a report indeed of this, among the rulers of the darkness of this world, — heathenism itself containing some traditions respecting it ; — but that it is known only from God's revelation. The reason is this : His knowledge is infinite : it is the source of all the unsdom visible in His creation : and He has declared that, as far as man can realise it, the fear of God is the ground on which he must proceed. — XXIX. Job laments his fall from prosperity, during which he had so much power, and did so much good ; ivhen he teas, consequently, so highly vene- rated, and had so much reason to expect that his days ivould end in the happiness usually granted to such a life, 1-25 — A'A'X. But now, he continues, every thing is reversed : noiu the very dregs of society xxvi. 1.] JOB. 155 laughed him to scorn : men who had formerly been banished for their wickedness to the inhospitable deserts, 1-15. lie recounts in- stances of their insolence, and of his own feelings, 9-22: states his disappointment, that his usual care and prayers for others had not prevented his affliction ; and that thus unaccountably — on vulgar views his happiness had ceased, 23-31 — XXXI. Gives up all hope of a future family. Joins Bildad in declaring, that God's judgments are eventually the portion of the wicked ; aiid consequently tcould be his own, if he had followed their ways. Maintains, nevertheless, that God knew his course to have been different, and yet had laid these afflictions on him. Desires that God tcould undertake for him, and that all his cause should be carefully gone into, 1-40. T' IHEN Job answered, and said, * In What hast thou holpen the weak? Hoic saved the 3 powerless arm ? * In What hast thou counselled the ignorant? and made "sound wisdom known even to 4 abundance? * To whom hast thou declared ''sen- tences? and Whose ^breath hath gone forth of thee? — 5 *Can the ''Rephaim or their neighbours wound from dcm 6 beneath the waters? — * Naked is "^hell before him Num.xxi.2<),.')0. Dciit.ii.ll.l!t,2ii. . , I's. Ixxxviii. 11. and destruction hath no covermg ! eProv. xv. n. 7 * He spreadeth out the north on a wilderness, and 8 suspendeth a land upon 'want. * He bindeth up il/ze fProv.vm.stt. waters in His thick clouds, and the spreading cloud is ^^"' '' ^'^' 0 not rent beneath them. * He maketh fast the pre- sence oi His "throne; having spread out His cloud gps.xviii. 12,13. 10 upon it. * He hath circumscribed a ''law on the face hprovrvmii?'. of the waters, for the * limiting of light with darkness, i crx'^xxviii. 24. 11 *The cloudy pillars tremble, and are ''confounded k ps. xviu. 10, le ; 12 at His rebuke. * By His power He ' calmeth the sea; cvii^ligg. and by His understanding He '"breaketh the insolent jer. xkxt a5. 13 in pieces. * By "His Spirit have the heavens been rcen.ri"^ beautified ; His hand " hath wounded the fugitive „ oen. n\. ix Isa. xxvii. 1. serpent. 14 * Behold, these are outlines of His ways ; and how small is the portion of matter ''understood therein! p ps. xix. 4. 5. But the thunder of His might who can duly ''com- qps.xc. 11. prehend ? [chap, xxvii.] — 1 * Job moreover again « took » Numb. xxiu. 7. 2 up his parable, and said, * As God liveth, loho hath put ''away my judgment, and the Almighty, who hath 3 'embittered my soul ;— * For still is the whole of my ■'breath within nio, and the spirit of God in my nos- "^*;s^ ch. XXX iv. .'■>. Isa, xl. in. 2 KiiiBS. iv. 27. Ruth, i. 20, 21. 2 Sam. i. !». 17 Gen. li. 7. 156 [xxvii. 4. Ps. xvii. 1,3. 4 Hrov. xxiv. 2. 5 B 1 bam. XXV. 26. 2 Sam. x\iii. 32. ch. iv. H, &c ' Ps. xviii. 42 ; Ixvi. 18. Prov. i. 28. Ezek. Wii. 18. John, ix. 31. James, iv. 3. »■ ch. xxii. 2f), 27. Ps. xxxvii. 4 ; xliii. 4. 'Isa. viii. 11. mch. xii. 13. Ps. Ixii. 12. " ch. xxi. 28-30. Eccl. viii. 12, 13, 14. ix. 1, 2. o ch. XX. 29 ; xxxi. 3. Ps. xi. 6. Isa. iii. 11. rch. xxi. 11, 19. Deut. xxviii. 32, 41. Ps. cix. 10, 13. <\ Ps. Ixxviii. (M. Jer. xxii. 18, 19. • Ilab. ii. 0. Zech. ix. .3. Matt. vi. 19. 'Prov. xiiL 22; xiv. 19; xxviii. 8. Eccl. ii. 26. 'ch. viii. 14. Isa. i. 8 ; xxxviii. 12; li.8. Lam. ii. fi. ' ch. XV. 21 ; xviii. II ; xxii. 1(). Ps. Ixix. 1«. V Ps. Iviii. 1(1. ch. XX 23; XXI, 13 15 19 20 21 » ch. XXX. 22. Jcr. xviii. 17. 23 Hos. xlii. 1.5. y Exod. ix. 14. Deut. xxxii. 23. Josh. X. II. Deut. xxix. 20. Ezek. ix. 5, (i. ' ch. XX. 24. Exod. xiv. 25. Judg. iv. 17. Isa. X. ,3. "Prov. xi. 10. Prov. xvii, 3; xxvii. 21. trils. — *If my lips speak ^wickedness, or my tongue mutter deceit, * Wo unto me ! If I justify you — Until I expire will I not put away mine "^ integrity from me : *on my righteousness have I taken fast hold, and will not let it go : from the events of my days shall not my heart blaspheme. — * Then mine ^ enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. * For what is the ^ hope of the ungodly when he groweth rich, and when God giveth ease to his soul? *Will 'God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him ? * Or can he ''delight himself in the Almighty ? Will he call upon God at any time ? * Let me then 'instruct you in the power of God : I will not W'ith- hold that which is "'with the Almighty. * Behold, "Mis have ye, — all of you, — seen, Why then do ye so very vainly? *This is the "portion of a wicked man with God, yea the heritage which violent men receive from the Almighty. * Should his •' children become great, the sword is theirs ; and, as for his numerous offspring, they shall not be satisfied with bread. * His survivors shall be shut up in death, and his ^ widows shall not weep/o7' tJiem. * Should he treasure up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay : — * he might prepare, — but tlie just shall put it on : and the silver shall the innocent divide ; — * He would have built his blouse like the moth, or as the 4ent ichich the vine- dresser maketh. * In wealth he lieth down, but it shall never be gathered : he openeth his eyes, and it is no more! * For "terrors overtake him as the waters; hy night the ''' tempest stealeth him away. * The east wind "taketh him up, and he departeth; yea as a whirlwind it snatcheth him out of his place. * So God casteth forth upon ^him, and spareth not: from His hand doth he continually 'flee. * Men ''clap their hands at him, and ''hiss upon him out of his place. [CHAP. XXVIII.] — ! * There is indeed an outlet for the silver, and a place in which they "fuse the gold. L.-im. ii. \:,. I' 1 Khigs, ix. 8. Jcr. xix. 8. Mich. vi. lU. Zcph. ii. l.l. "I^s. xii. 7. Isa, xlviii. Id. Rom. xii. 20. xxviii. 2.] JOB. 157 2 *''Iron is taken out of the dust, also t?ie stone /row >- oen. n. 22. 3 which one fuseth the copper. * Man hath determined the boundary of darkness; and of every limit doth he make "^ inquiry : o/the stone-weight of thick darkness,