YALE
DIVINITY SCHOOL
LIBRARY

Gift of
Estate of
Professor George Dahl

Westminster Commentaries
Edited by Walter Look D.D.
IRELAND PROFESSOR OF THE EXEGESIS
Off HOLY SCRIPTOBE

THE BOOK OF JOB

THE BOOK OF JOB
WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES

BY

EDGAR C. S. GIBSON D.D.
BISHOP Of GLOUCESTER

THIRD EDITION

METHUEN & CO. LTD.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON

First Published . . . February 1899
Second Edition, Revised . December 1904
Third Edition . . ¦ 1919

PREFATORY NOTE BY THE GENERAL EDITOR
rriHE primary object of these Commentaries is to be
-*- exegetical, to interpret the meaning of each book of
the Bible in the light of modern knowledge to English
readers. The Editors will not deal, except subordinately,
with questions of textual criticism or philology ; but taking
the English text in the Revised Version as their basis, they
will aim at combining a hearty acceptance of critical principles
with loyalty to the Catholic Faith.
The series will be less elementary than the Cambridge
Bible for Schools, less critical than the International Critical
Commentary, less didactic than the Expositor's Bible ; and it
is hoped that it may be of use both to theological students
and to the clergy, as well as to the growing number of
educated laymen and laywomen who wish to read the Bible
intelligently and reverently.
Each commentary will therefore have
(i) An Introduction stating the bearing of modern
criticism and research upon the historical character of the
book, and drawing out the contribution which the book, as a
whole, makes to the body of religious truth.'
(ii) A careful paraphrase of the text with notes on the
more difficult passages and, if need be, excursuses on any
j. 6

viii PREFATORY NOTE.
points of special importance either for doctrine, or ecclesi
astical organization, or spiritual life.
But the books of the Bible are so varied in character that
considerable latitude is needed, as to the proportion which the
various parts should hold to each other. The General Editor
will therefore only endeavour to secure a general uniformity
in scope and character : but the exact method adopted in
each case and the final responsibility for the statements made
will rest witli the individual contributors.
By permission of the Delegates of the Oxford University
Press and of the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press
the Text used in this Series of Commentaries is the Revised
Version of the Holy Scriptures.
WALTER LOCK.

INTRODUCTION
I. The place of the book in the Canon.
The place which the Book of Job occupies in our English Bibles
after the historical hooks and before the Psalms is that which it has
always occupied in the Western Church, at least since the days of
S. Jerome, in whose translation (the Vulgate) it is found in this
position, in accordance with the arrangement of the books commonly
(though not invariably) adopted in the Greek Bibles. But in the
original Hebrew an entirely different arrangement is found. It
there stands after the Psalms and Proverbs in the "third of the three
divisions (the Law, the Prophets, and the Gethubhim or ' writings ')
into which the Scriptures are divided by the Jews. It is rightly
placed in close connexion with the Psalms and Proverbs, as being,
like them, poetical in form ; and accordingly in the Hebrew there is
a special system of accentuation peculiar to these three books. It
has also close affinities in another way with Proverbs, as well as
with Ecclesiastes, for these three books stand out as the repre
sentatives within the Canon of what may be termed the ' Wisdom '
hterature of the Hebrews. The word ' wisdom ' (Khochmah, '""??n)
is often used in the Old Testament as a kind of technical term.
The ' wise man ' (o?0'7) had a recognized position in the nation as
the third along with the 'priest' and the 'prophet.' So in Jeremiah
xviii. 18 we read 'the law (n?R) shall not perish from the priest,
nor counsel from the wise (D?P), nor the word from the prophet'
(NU3), Thus the priest had his 'law,' or express direction from
Jehovah Himself, whose commandment it embodied ; the prophet
declared the ' word of the Lokd,' revealing His will in those crises
in which the ordinary rules failed ; while the wise man, without
(apparently) any express revelation to appeal to, sought to give
' counsel ' on those subjects which were outside the sphere of law
and prophecy, and busied himself with the perplexities and puzzles

x INTRODUCTION
of natural life and the moral relations of man, almost, as we might
say, with physics and ethics. The cultivation of this ' wisdom ' was
not peculiar to Israel. It was found also among other nations of
the East, as the Egyptians (cf. Isaiah xix. 11, 12), and also the
Edomites (see Jer. xlix. 7 ; Obad. 8). In Israel it apparently took
its rise in the days of Solomon, whose ' wisdom excelled the wisdom
of all the children of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt'
(see 1 Kings iv. 29 — 34). And since it was neither peculiar to
Israel, nor directly concerned with subjects proper to 'revelation,'
it is not surprising to find that the ' wise man ' looked at life from
the standpoint not of the covenant nation but of mem in general,
and that the common characteristic of the Wisdom literature is the
human standpoint, stripped of everything peculiarly Israelitish.
Thus in Proverbs we have not only proverbs traditionally ascribed
to Solomon, but those also of King Lemuel, and Agur the son of
Jakeh, neither of whom were probably Israelites, nor does the name
of the covenant people, Israel, occur except in the title of that book
(Prov. i. 1). In Ecclesiastes the name of the covenant God, Jehovah,
is nowhere found ; while in Job the whole scene of the drama, and
all the characters introduced are non-Israelite.
[See on the ' Wisdom ' of the Hebrews, Driver, Introduction to
the Literature of the Old Testament, p. 392 (ed. 6); Delitzsch,
Commentary on Job, vol. i. p. 5 ; and Oehler, Theology of the Old
Testament, vol. n. p. 432.J
II. The contents, structure, and main divisions of the book.
The structure of the book is easily seen. It falls into five
well-defined and clearly marked divisions, the first and the last of
which are in ordinary prose, while the three between them (as may
be seen from the arrangement of the text in parallel lines in the
Revised Version) are in poetry.
Chapters i. and ii. form the prologue. In them we have a brief
description of Job's position and prosperity; the account of the
first scene in heaven with Satan's suggestion that Job's piety is
only a refined form of selfishness ; the permission to tempt him ;
the fourfold trial under which he stands firm ; the second scene in
heaven with Satan's second suggestion ; the renewed trial of Job ;
and the visit of his friends. Thus the Prologue gives the outline of
Job's history, and introduces the dramatis personce.
The second part (chapters iii. — xxxi.) contains the debate be-

INTRODUCTION xi
tween Job and his three friends, Ehphaz the Temanite, Bildad the
Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. It is a dialogue constructed
with consummate skill, and exquisitely arranged. After Job's
' curse upon his day ' in chapter iii. the speeches form three circles,
each friend speaking in turn and receiving his answer from Job
before the next one takes up the charge. So the debate moves
forward with perfect regularity through two complete circles
(chapters iv. — xiv. and xv. — xxi.). But in the third (chapters
xxii. — xxvi.), the brevity of the speech of Bildad, the second
speaker of the three, in chapter xxv., and the way in which he
can do httle more than stammer out a few things that have been
already said by a previous speaker, warn us that the friends have
well-nigh exhausted their stock of argument ; and accordingly it is
no surprise to find that Zophar considers discretion the better part
of valour, and misses his turn altogether, leaving Job as master
of the field, to continue his discourse in the form of a monologue
(chapters xxvii. — xxxi.).
After this, in the third part, a new speaker, not previously
mentioned, appears upon the scene in the person of Elihu. Dis
satisfied with the arguments of the friends, and yet shocked at the
utterances of Job, he intervenes by pointing out certain considera
tions with regard to suffering and its providential purpose which
have apparently escaped the notice of both parties in the dialogue.
This episode — whether it formed part of the original poem, or
whether it is a subsequent addition by a later poet, we need not at
this point stop to inquire — occupies chapters xxxii. — xxxvii.
And then in the fourth part (chapters xxxviii. — xlii. 6) God
Himself interposes. Job's challenge to Him has been heard. The
Almighty answers Job out of the whirlwind, and overwhelms him
with question after question designed to bring home to him the
impossibility of his arguing with God, or understanding the whole
scheme of Divine providence. The result is that Job is completely
humbled and abases himself before God. ' I had heard of Thee by
the hearing of the ear ; but now mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore
I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.'
Finally, in the epilogue (chapter xlii. 7 — 17), which like the
prologue is in prose, the story is brought to an end by the Divine
verdict upon the speakers in the dialogue, and the restoration of
Job's prosperity. ' The Lord turned the captivity of Job, and gave
him twice as much as he had before.'

xii INTRODUCTION
Thus the divisions of the book stand out as follows :
I. The prologue, i. ii.
II. The debate between Job and his friends, iii.— xxxi.
III. The speeches of Elihu. xxxii. — xxxvii.
IV. The answer of the Almighty out of the whirlwind.
xxxviii. — xlii. 6.
V. The epilogue, xlii. 7—17.
III. The object and character of the book.
The fact that the book is written in poetry, and that its
character is so beautifully symmetrical, the well-ordered arrange
ment of the speeches, their length and artistic character, show at
once that we are not dealing with literal history. Even in the prose
narrative of the prologue and epilogue there are indications that it
is a work of art rather than an exact record of historical facts with
which we are concerned. The symmetrical character of Job's fourfold
trial has often been noticed. The exact reward meted out to him
at the close, the number of his flocks and herds being literally
doubled, and the precise number of children born to him after his
trial equalling those whom he had lost in it — all these features
point to the same conclusion. The work as a whole is a poem, and
is meant to be regarded as such. There may of course be some
historical basis, but, to put it at the very lowest, the same license
and freedom in dealing with his materials must be granted to the
author of Job that is conceded to other poets treating of historical
situations. How much literal history may lie at the basis of the
narrative does not really greatly concern us. That Job was a
historical character is probable from the allusion to him in Ezekiel
xiv. 14, 'Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it,
they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith
the Lord God,' and had the narrative been entirely created for the
sake of the lessons it was intended to convey, we should have ex
pected the names of the dramatis personce to be significant, and tell
us something of their character or position ; whereas it is difficult to
attach importance to any of them, and even in the case of Job
himself, the hero of the story, it is doubtful whether the name is
intended to be especiaUy appropriate, or descriptive of his position
(see the note on i. 1). The probability, then, is that there was some
ancient traditional story of which Job was the hero, which the writer

INTRODUCTION xiii
took as the basis of his poem, and made the vehicle of conveying to
the minds of his contemporaries the religious lessons which he
desired to impress upon them. It was probably written (see below,
§ rv.) in an age when troubles and calamities were falling thick upon
the people, and the old doctrine of retribution was felt to be .
breaking down. In early days men were content with the simple
view that suffering was in all cases the punishment of sin, and that
long life and happiness were invariably the reward of virtue.
This theory, as the author of the book sees clearly enough, is
fraught with difficulties. The problem of the mystery of pain and
suffering weighed heavily upon his mind, and through the medium
of the old patriarchal story he would set his thoughts upon it before
his contemporaries. He has no complete and consistent theory
himself to put in the place of the old one which he demolishes, but
one thing he can see clearly enough, viz. that you have no right to
argue back from suffering to sin, and this he is determined to make
others see as well. Further, there are various considerations, each
of which requires to be taken into account, which he brings forward
in the several portions of the poem. It is in the second and longest
section that the workings of his mind are most fully revealed, and
in this the main interest of the book is centred. It must be
remembered that the parties to the debate knew nothing whatever
of the scene in heaven as described in the prologue. The author of
the book by placing this in the forefront has admitted us behind the
scenes, and let us into the secret of Job's sufferings. They formed,
as so many sufferings form to-day, a God-permitted Satanic tempta
tion, allowed in order to test the patriarch's faith, and try whether
his goodness was genuine, or whether his piety was after all a subtle
form of selfishness, a serving God for what he could get out of
Him. But of this neither the friends nor Job himself were aware.
They only knew what they could see with the eye of sense. Here
was a man who had lived in great prosperity, honoured and respected
of .all men, suddenly overwhelmed with calamity after calamity —
his flocks and his herds destroyed, his children dead, himself a
victim of a most loathsome disease. What did it all mean 1 That
was the problem before them. What had they got to say to it?
Probably up to this time Job and his friends alike had acquiesced
without much consideration in what we might fairly call the ortho
dox theology of the day. The theory of suffering which held the
field in that ancient world to which the poem transports us was a

xiv x INTRODUCTION
strict doctrine of exact retribution. Suffering was penal : it was
the consequence of sin. Not content with a general view which
would link the suffering of the race more or less closely with the sin
of the race, there was a tendency to argue that in any individual
case suffering was exactly meted out in proportion to individual
sin : and thus it was natural to argue back from the existence of so
much suffering, and infer the existence of so much previous sin as
its cause. A notable sufferer, men said, must be a notable sinner.
Holding this doctrine Job's friends are suddenly confronted with his
case. What are they to make of it ? Job was undoubtedly a great
sufferer. Of that there was overwhelming - evidence. The only
theory known to them which would account for it was that Job had
been secretly guilty of some great sin for which he was now being
chastised by God. True, his whole past life gave the lie to this
notion. His goodness and uprightness had been a living 'epistle
known and read of all men.' But still, rather than question their
theory, rather than give up their ' short and easy method,' they will
shut their eyes to facts. It is not that they cannot see — it is that
they will not see. There is a difference of tone between them.
One may be more courteous — more of a gentleman, another may be
of a coarser type, but that is all. The main position taken by all
three is identical. Suffering is the punishment of sin. Job is a
great sufferer. Therefore Job is. a great sinner. This argument
underlies all their speeches : veiled at the outset, and only hinted
•at in the first circle, but at last stated nakedly, and applied to Job
with relentless cruelty. In spite of all that Job has to urge against
them, in spite of his appeal to facts, they cannot conceive that there
are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in their
philosophy. They have their theory, and if facts do not square
with it, then — so much the worse for facts. Nothing would induce
them to admit that ' the bed was shorter than a man could stretch
himself on it, and the covering narrower than he could wrap himself
in it.' They will not see that their theory was totally inadequate
to meet all the needs of the whole case. We, as we read the book,
with the fuller knowledge that the ages have broughb, and the
deeper insight that comes from a larger revelation of God's mind
and purpose, can see clearly enough that, though their theory
contained much truth, yet as a theory it was utterly inadequate
because it failed to cover the whole ground. True that some
suffering is penal, and is the direct consequence of sin. We see it

INTRODUCTION xv
every day of our lives ; but true too that this does not hold good of
all suffering. Some, as the prologue to Job reminds us, is per
mitted by God to test us. Life, as Bishop Butler puts it, is 'a time
of probation.' Some, as Elihu suggests in his speeches, is designed
not only for probation, but — to use Butler's phraseology again —
for 'moral discipline and improvement,' in order that man may be
not only proved, but also improved by it. Some still remains
mysterious and shrouded in darkness. Perhaps the whole mystery
of suffering is insoluble by us in our present condition ; and what
ever advances we make in knowledge, there will still be much wliich,
as" the speeches of the Almighty out of the whirlwind tell. us, we
cannot hope to understand unless we can comprehend the whole
mind of God. Some— and here the Book of Job prepares the way
for Christianity by stopping short and containing no hint of this —
is vicarious, as in the highest and most unique sense the sufferings
of Him who gave His life on the Cross for us ; Whose sufferings are
to he in some sense repeated in His members, even as an Apostle
could say that he ' filled up what was wanting of the afflictions of
Christ in his flesh, for His body's sake, which is the Church' (Col. i. 24).
But to all these further considerations Job's friends are blind. Nothing
can shake their adherence to the theory with which they started.
Here is the conclusion at which Eliphaz, the most thoughtful and
the most considerate of the three, arrives, inventing crimes whole
sale, and laying them to Job's account, as the true explanation of
his misfortunes :
'Is not thy wickedness great?
Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought,
And stripped the naked of their clothing.
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,
And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Thou hast sent widows away empty,
And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Therefore snares are round about thee,
And sudden fear troubleth thee,
Or darkness, that thou canst not see,
And abundance of waters cover thee.' xxii. 5 — 11.
Turning now to consider the position taken up by Job himself,
it is to be remarked that we are evidently to conceive of him as
having, up to the time when his troubles fell upon him, acquiesced
j. o

xvi INTRODUCTION
(like his friends) in the orthodox doctrine of the day. It was a
doctrine which did well enough for fine weather, and for other
people. So long as he was prosperous himself he could lightly
acquiesce in the view that the sufferings of others somehow stood
to their sin in the relation of effect to cause. But now he himself
is' exposed to 'the pelting of the pitiless storm.' Stroke after stroke
beats down remorselessly upon him ; and he feels that the old
doctrine of retribution has broken down hopelessly in his case. He
is not an exceptionally great sinner, nor has he done anything to
deserve exceptionally severe treatment as a punishment. On this
point his conscience is perfectly clear. The old doctrine must go.
It has broken down hopelessly. But he has nothing to set in its
place. The old theory must go, but the pain and pathos of the
situation is that he cannot explain the facts which are forced upon
his notice. He knows for his own part that his suffering is not a
consequence of his sin. He can point to evidences in the world
around him, such as the misfortunes into which good men fall, and
the prosperity of the violent and rapacious, which give the he to
his friends' explanation. They had maintained that
' The light of the wicked shall be put out.' xviii. 5.
He turns on them with bitterness in his tone, and asks
' How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out ?
That their calamity cometh upon them?
That God distributed sorrows in His anger?
That they are as stubble before the wind?
And as chaff that the storm carrieth away? xxi 17, 18.
Their seed is established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
Their houses are safe from fear,
Neither is the rod of God upon them.
Their bull gendereth, and fiiileth not;
Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance. xxi. 8 — 11.
Have ye not asked them that go by the way ?
And do ye not know their tokens?
That the evil man is spared in the day of calamity ?
That they are led away in the day of wrath?' xxi. 29 30

INTRODUCTION xvii
He can see now clearly enough that such facts are incompatible
with the view that he has hitherto accepted. But beyond this, at
first, he cannot go. He has nothing to set in the place of the old,
inadequate theory. He knows no considerations that can help him
to bear his sufferings patiently — and oh, the misery of his condition !
God is treating him as His enemy, setting him up as a target for
His arrows, and there is none to tell the reason why. What con
ception can he form of God but that He is aimlessly cruel, and
wantonly capricious ? And so the temptation comes home to him to
which the Satan had suggested that he was sure to yield, and which
his own wife had urged on him : ' renounce God and die.' 'Renounce
God,' that is, Bid farewell to Him (i. 5, note), and have nothing
more to say to Him at all. That was the temptation, and a sore
one it was. But it was just here that Job stood firm. Appearances
were against God, but Job would trust Him in spite of appearances,
certain that there must be some explanation, if only he could find
it. Whatever happened he would never bid fareweU to Him : and
it was this that brought him through the storm and stress. He
might say wild and unjustifiable things about God, he might have
hard thoughts concerning Him, but the one thing which he would
not do was to ' renounce God ' altogether. No, ' not even when the
whirl was worst,' for through it all he feels that if he could only get
at God Himself, if he could only come and speak with Him face to
face and plead his cause and demand an answer, all would be well.
'Only do not two things unto me,
Then will I not hide myself from Thy face :
Withdraw Thine hand far from me ;
And let not Thy terror make me afraid.
Then call Thou, and I will answer;
Or let me speak, and answer Thou me.' xiii. 20 — 22,
'Oh that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come even to His seat!
I would order my cause before Him,
And fill my mouth with arguments.
I would know the words which He would answer me,
And understand what He would say unto me.
Would He contend with me in the greatness of His power ?
Nay ; but He would give heed unto me.
There the upright might reason with Him ;
So should I be dehvered for ever from my judge.' xxiii. 3—7.
c2

xviii INTRODUCTION
And so, as he clings to this, gradually one consideration after
another breaks in upon him. There is borne into his soul the
thought of a day when present inequalities shall hereafter be
righted ; and there comes home to him the certainty that ' at the
last ' God will ' stand up ' as his ' vindicator,' and make his right
eousness manifest, and that somehow or other, whether 'in the
flesh,' or ' out of the flesh,' he shall gain the vision for which he
yearns, and himself shall ' see God.' And these thoughts bring a
calmer tone to his words. After the great climax in chapter xix. we
feel that his passion has largely spent itself. Though to the last he
has no ' cut and dried ' theory of his own to put in the place of
the old one which he has demolished by his appeal to facts, yet
before the dialogue has ended the feeling of soreness has to a great
extent passed away. In his later utterances we are conscious that
the fury of the storm is over, even though he longs as wistfully as
ever for God to manifest Himself and lift the veil that hangs over
the enigmas of life ; and thus ' He came at length
To find a stronger faith his own ;
And Power was with him in the night,
Which makes the darkness and the light,
And dwells not in the light alone,
But in the darkness and the cloud1.'
It is through thus tracing out the thought of the dialogue that we
are best able to see the real purpose of the book. Its main aim is
undoubtedly, as Dr Driver points out, ' a negative one, to controvert
the dominant theory that all suffering proceeds from sin: God's
retributive justice is not the only principle by which men are go
verned2.' But, as has been shown in the above sketch, there is also
a considerable amount of positive teaching in it ; and finally it has
also probably a 'practical aim, that of helping the author's contem
poraries, who appear to have been in circumstances of national
depression, to understand the situation in which they were placed,
and of encouraging them to hope for a favourable issue3.'
1 In Memoriam xcv. It may be added that this poem is well worth study
as a companion picture of a mind gradually righting itself in the face of a great
problem of suffering.
-¦* Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament, p. 410.
3 Ibid. p. 411. It is interesting to compare the Book of Job with the Greek
tragedians, who were constantly dealing with the same theme and who advanced
even nearer to its solution. They reject the crude idea that the suffering of the

INTRODUCTION xix
IV. The date of the book.
I. In considering the date of the book it must be borne in mind
that there are two different questions which need to be kept entirely
distinct from each other : (1) What is the date at which the scene
of the story is laid? and (2) At what period was the poem con
taining it written ?
With regard to the former of these questions, there can be no
hesitation in answering that the scene is laid in patriarchal times.
Everything points to this.
(1) The description of Job himself, his person and position,
takes us back at once to the days of the patriarchs. The descrip
tion of his wealth in i. 3, ' His substance was seven thousand sheep,
and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five
hundred she-asses, and a very great household,' is akin to the
description of Isaac in Genesis xxvi. 14, 'he had possessions of
flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household.' The ' piece
of money' which each of his friends bring him (xlii. 11) is the same
(nB^j?) wj1ic]1 appears also in the narrative of the transaction
between Jacob and the sons of Hamor (Gen. xxxiii. 19, cf. Josh.
xxiv. 32), and the word occurs nowhere else. The great age to
which Job lived, ' an hundred and forty years ' after his restoration
to prosperity (xlii. 16), points to the same period, as does also the
position which he takes in his household, himself acting as a priest,
' sanctifying his sons, and offering burnt offerings for them lest they
might have sinned' (i. 5). Job was no son of Aaron to offer
sacrifice. It is rather the position of the patriarchs Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob that he fills. These too, as heads of their house
holds, acted as priests, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-
offerings. (2) Next it is to be noted that throughout the book we seem'
to be outside the sphere of the Mosaic law. Thus, quite consistently
with the age to which Job belongs, the offerings which he and his
innocent is due to a malignant jealousy on the part of the gods : they show that
it is partly due to the guilt of some ancestor, entailing sorrow on his posterity :
but also that, where this is not so, it serves either to discipline the character of
the sufferer or to be a source of blessing for the family or country to whioh he
belongs ; and that the free acceptance of such vicarious suffering is one of the
truest marks of nobility of character. Compare Hellenica, Essay II. S. H.
Butcher, Some aspects of the Greek Genius, pp. 102 — 129 : and for the Christian
solution of the question, Lux Mundi, Essay III. The Problem of Pain. Ed.

xx INTRODUCTION
friends are represented as offering for sin are not the technical ' sin-
offerings ' which were the creation of the Law, but the older ' burnt-
offerings ' of the patriarchal days (see i. 5 ; xlii. 8). When we are
told in i. 5 that he 'sanctified' his sons the word employed is a
general one, and the special technical term of the law for ' making
atonement ' P£?) seems to be expressly avoided. The very word for
'law' (t6rah, rnifl) only occurs once (xxii. 22), and then in the
perfectly general sense of instruction, with no possible reference to
the law of Moses. Again, the aUusions to definite provisions of the
Mosaic code are very scanty, and have to be searched for. It is
possible to detect such here and there, viz. in xxii. 6, 7, and xxiv.
2, 3 (the law of pledges and of landmarks ; cf. Exod. xxii. 26 ; Deut.
xix. 14; xxiv. 17); xxxi. 11 (cf. Lev. xviii. 17); xlii. 15 (the law
of inheritance ; cf. Numb, xxvii. 8), but none of these are prominent,
or reaUy distinctive. They aUude rather to ancient institutions such
as we find embodied in the Law, and are scarcely out of keeping with
patriarchal days.
(3) The historical aUusions introduced into the speeches aU
belong to the earliest possible period, and references to the later
history of Israel are entirely wanting. Thus we have possible
references to Adam in xxxi. 33 (see the note in loc.) ; in xxii. 15, 16
to the Deluge ; to the destruction of the cities of the plain in xviii.
15 ; and in xxxi. 32 to the incident described in the history of Lot
in Gen. xix.
So also (4) the names of God in ordinary use in this book are
the older ones belonging to the most ancient days. While the
writer in his own poem freely uses the covenant name Jehovah or
Jahveh (mrp) in the narrative (e.g. i. 5, 7, 8, 9, 12 ; ii. 1 — 7 ; xxxviii.
1 ; xl. 1, 3, 6 ; xlii. 1, 7, 10, 11, 12) yet he very rarely allows it to
escape from the lips of any of the speakers in the dialogue. It is put
into the mouth of Job in i. 21, but elsewhere only in xii. 9, and
possibly in xxviii. 28. The names commonly employed by the
speakers are Shaddai O^), the Almighty, the name by which God
specially revealed Himself to the patriarchs (see Genesis xvii. 1 ;
xxxv. 11) or El Q>#) and Ehah (31'8), names which belong to quite
primitive times.
II. But while all these indications combine to point to an early
date for the events narrated, there are equaUy conclusive reasons
for assigning a comparatively late date to the poem. The Jewish

INTRODUCTION xxi
tradition embodied in the Talmud that Moses wrote Job as well as
'his own book' (Baba Bathra, 14) is absolutely worthless. The
whole passage in which the statement occurs is ' manifestly destitute
of historical value" and the tradition may be safely disregarded.
(1) By various incidental allusions the writer betrays his own
position and date. The fact that probable indications of a know
ledge of the Law occur in the book, and that the writer habitually
uses in his own person the covenant name Jehovah show that he is
removed by some distance of time from the date assigned to his
hero. So while he makes Job himself as head of the household
offer sacrifices, yet he suffers a mention of priests to escape his lips
in xii. 19, and, as we have seen, the covenant name Jehovah is not
quite rigidly excluded from his speeches. Again, the mention of
Ophir in xxii. 24, xxviii. 16 is hardly consistent with a date earlier
than Solomon's day. The references to serfdom and forced labour
in xxiv. 9 may be thought to imply a time after the Israelites had
reduced the Canaanites to a state of servitude, nor does the aUusion
to the ' unclean ' in xxxvi. 14 (see the R.V. marg. and the note in
loc.) favour an early date ; while the notices of the administration of
justice in the gate (xxix. 7; xxxi. 21), and the references to legal
procedure scattered about through the book imply an acquaintance
with a somewhat advanced state of civilization and settled society.
The reference to the temptation to worship the heavenly bodies (in
xxxi. 26) is best iUustrated from 2 Kings xvii. 16 ; xxi. 3, 5, &c,
and the mention of 'the Satan' finds its only parallel in Zech. iii. 1, 2 ;
1 Chr. xxi. 1, both late passages.
(2) Further, the evidence of language is in favour of a relatively
late date. On this it wiU be sufficient to cite Dr Driver, who says
that ' the syntax is extremely idiomatic ; but the vocabulary contains
a very noticeable admixture of Aramaic words, and (in a minor
degree) of words explicable only from the Arabic. This is an in
dication of a date more or less contemporary with 2nd Isaiah ; though
it appears that the author came more definitely within the range of
Aramaizing influences than the author of Isaiah xl.— Ixvi., and
perhaps had his home in proximity to Aramaic- and Arabic-
speaking peoples3.' 1 Driver, Introduction, p. vii.
s Introduction, p. 434.

xxii INTRODUCTION
(3) The character of the question discussed perhaps points to
the same period. The problem which pressed so heavily upon Job
was the difficulty of reconciling his calamities with the orthodox
doctrine of retribution. The simple teaching of early*days con
cerning earthly prosperity as the reward of faithful service of God,
and suffering as the penalty of sin, has broken down, and there is
nothing to set in its place. The fact of itself probably indicates a
comparatively late date, and best suits a time when calamity was
overtaking God's people, and God's ancient promises might seem to be
failing. The same kind of -question is discussed in Psalms xlix. and
lxxiii., both of which are probably late; and we see from Ezekiel and
Jeremiah how heavily the very same problem weighed on the minds
of devout Israelites during the closing years of the kingdom and at
the date of the Babylonish Captivity ; and it is hard to resist the
conclusion that the Book of Job belongs to the same general period.
(4) To the same conclusion we are brought by yet another
consideration. There are in the course of the book a number of
coincidences of language with other books of the Old Testament
sufficiently close to point with tolerable certainty to indebtedness
on one side or the other. In many cases there is nothing to enable
us to determine positively on which side the obligation lies, whether
Job is the original that is cited elsewhere, or whether the author of
this book is borrowing from the Psalms or Prophets, as the case may
be„ Of this sort are the coincidences between v. 16, xii. 21, 24, 25,
and Ps. cvii. 4, 27, 40, 42 ; xi. 20 and Ps. cxiii. 4 ; xvii. 14 and Ps.
lxxxviii. 18 ; xix. 20 and Ps. cii. 5 ; xxvii. 15 and Ps. lxxviii. 64 ;
xxvii. 16 and Zech. ix. 3. But there remain a certain number of
cases in which a careful comparison makes it almost if not quite
certain that Job is not the original, but that he is borrowing from
older Scriptures. It may perhaps be doubtful whether in the curse
upon his day in chapter iii. Job is imitating Jeremiah xx. 14 — 18,
or whether the reverse is the case. But vii. 17 appears distinctly
to be suggested by Ps. viii. 4, which it almost parodies (see the note
in loc). Again, there are various coincidences with the book of
Proverbs which repay careful study. Cf. v. 17 with Prov. iii. 11 ;
xviii. 5, 6 with Prov. xiii. 9, xxiv. 20 ; xviii. 7 with Prov. iv. 12 ;
xxi. 17 with Prov. xiii. 9 ; and chapter xxviii. with Prov. i. 7, iii.
7, xvi. 6. ' Now in the book of Proverbs the old doctrine of retri
bution is taught in its simplest form. Plainly it stiU holds the
field. Thus we are told twice over in it that 'the lamp of the

INTRODUCTION xxiii
wicked shall be put out ' (xiii. 9 ; xxiv. 20). This is exactly the
doctrine maintained throughout by Job's friends, and indeed Bildad
uses the very same words to express it (xviii. 5, 6). But this is just
the position which Job impugns. 'How oft,' he asks in scorn,
' is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out ? ' (xxi. 17). It is clear
that he has the received doctrine as stated in Proverbs before him,
and that he feels keenly the difficulty of adhering to it1. Similarly
he questions the doctrine of retribution as it is stated in some of
the Psalms, which spoke of the wicked being driven away as the
chaff, or as stubble before the wind. See Pss. i. 4 ; xxxv. 5 ; lxxxiii.
13. But, asks Job, ' how often is it that they are as stubble before
the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away?' (xxi. 18). In
these cases, it is thought, there can be no reasonable doubt that
priority is not on the side of Job, but that the author is citing from
earlier Scriptures, and is really concerned to point out the difficulty
of accepting their statements without some qualification. Again
the words of xiv. 11 are identical with Isaiah xix. 5, where by 'the
sea ' from which the waters are said to ' fail ' is intended either
the NUe or the shallow lakes of Egypt. The context makes this
perfectly clear, and hence the statement where it stands in Isaiah
is natural enough. But in Job the words appear as a wholly
general statement, and yet to make them true they have to be
limited by the same meaning being assigned to ' the sea ' as it bears
in Isaiah xix., for it is not the case broadly and without qualification
that 'the waters fail from the sea.' Here then we seem to have an
indication that Job is later than Isaiah.
Thus aU things seem to combine to point to a comparatively
late date for the poem, and the book suits no time better than that
of the later years of the Kingdom or the Babylonish Captivity, with
the confusion, disaster and hardship which that catastrophe brought
with it. Indeed some have thought that Job is definitely intended
to represent the nation, and that his calamities are introduced as a
figure of those through which the nation actually passed at this
time, while the perplexity and agony of mind into which he was cast
by them are a reflection of the perplexity and agony which (as we
see from Jeremiah and Ezekiel) so many of the Jews were feeling in
consequence of the apparent desertion of His people by God ; and
1 See Davidson, The Book of Job, p. Ix., where it is pointed out that both the
main divisions of Proverbs i. — ix. and x. — xxii. appear to be anterior to Job.

xxiv INTRODUCTION
it has even been maintained that definite aUusions to the captivity
and the restoration may be detected in xii. 18 and xlii. 10. This
does not however appear probable, as is shown in the notes on these
passages. Further, it would seem unlikely that Job is later than
Isaiah xl. — Ixvi., if, as appears certain, this is to be considered as the
work not of Isaiah of Jerusalem but of a later prophet writing shortly
before the restoration and the close of the captivity. The central
figure in the pages of this prophet is the ' servant of Jehovah,' and
there are certainly striking resemblances between this figure and
that of Job. "Both are innocent sufferers — 'my servant Job, a
perfect and upright man ' (Job i. 8), ' my righteous servant ' (Is. liii.
11) ; both are afflicted in a way that strikes horror into the behold
ers, and causes them to deem them smitten of God (Is. Iii. 14 ; Uii.
4, Job passim) ; both are forsaken of men and subjected to mockery
and spitting (Job xix. 4 seq. ; xvi. 10 ; xxx. 9 seq. ; Is. 1. 6 ; liii. 3) ;
both are restored and glorified and receive 'double,' as they both
continued faithful, assured that He was near that should justify
them (Job xiii. 18 ; xvi. 19 ; xix. 25 ; Is. 1. 8)1." But there is one
very striking difference. A leading thought in the latter part of
Isaiah is that of redemption through suffering — redemption not of the
' servant ' himself, but bf others whose ' iniquity ' is ' laid upon Him.'
Now the author of the Book of Job, as we have already seen, is
deeply concerned with the theory of suffering ; but of vicarious
suffering, and its redemptive power, as described in 2nd Isaiah, he
gives no hint whatever. Surely then it is a fair and reasonable
inference that he is writing before such noble expression had been
given to the grand thought by the great prophet of the Exile2. If
he had had the thought before him it is inconceivable that he should
1 Davidson, p. lxvii.
2 The only argument against this is the coincidence of language between
Job xii. 9 and Is. xii. 20, where it may be plausibly argued that Isaiah is the
original, because in the expression ' the hand of the Loud ' the covenant name
is, contrary to custom, employed in Job. If the verse is a quotation from Isaiah,
a natural explanation of this is thereby furnished. But the argument is scarcely
conclusive, for (1) ' the hand of the Lord ' is a sort of standing expression which
the author of the Book of Job might easily in a moment of inadvertence suffer
to escape from his lips ; and (2) the reading is not certain. Possibly ' the hand
of God ' is the original ; see the note in loc.
Other coincidences of language between Job and 2nd Isaiah may be seen in
xvi. 17 (=Is. liii. 9) ; xiii. 19 (=Is. 1. 8) ; and xxv. 12 (=Is. li. 15), but nothing
can be determined as to the priority of one or other writer from them.

INTRODUCTION

xxv

have ignored it so completely as he has done. More than this we
cannot say. It is needless to attempt to fix the date more precisely :
and if this cannot be done, it is idle to guess at the author. Happily
the interest and value of the book are absolutely independent of all
questions of date and authorship. Such have an interest that is
almost purely literary ; and no dogmatic considerations are affected,
whatever may be the conclusion arrived at.
V. The integrity of the book.
Considerable doubt has been often expressed whether the whole
book is the work of a single hand. It does not appear to be
necessary here to discuss the views of those critics who would break
up the book into a number of disjecta membra, destroying its unity
altogether. But there are certain portions of it in regard to which
peculiar difficulty has been felt, on which something should be said.
These are (1) parts of Job's first monologue in xxvii., xxviii. ; (2)
the speeches of Elihu in xxxii. — xxxvii. ; and (3) the descriptions of
behemoth and leviathan in xl., xii. The difficulties in connexion
with the first and third of these sections are sufficiently considered
in the notes on the text, to which the reader is referred, where it is
shown that there need be no hesitation in accepting them as integral
portions of the original work. But with the speeches of Elihu the
case is different ; and it will be well to state in this place the reasons
which have led the majority of modern critics to regard them as a
later addition to the poem by a different hand.
They are the foUowing :
(1) There is no mention whatever of Elihu in either the prologue
or the epUogue. The omission of such mention in the prologue would
not be difficult to account for. It might be fairly urged that there
was no need to mention him there, and that he wa3 not introduced
until he was wanted. But the omission of any notice of him in the
epUogue is not so easily explained. The judgment of the Almighty
is there given upon aU the other speakers, and we might surely have
expected that something would be said on the utterances of Elihu,
and that we should be told whether he had spoken that which was
' right ' or no, had his speeches formed part of the original work.
(2) The words of the Almighty in chapter xxxviii. refer back
to Job's last, utterance at the close of xxxi. without the slightest
aUusion to the intervening speeches. It seems natural to render

xxvi INTRODUCTION
them in such a way as to suggest an immediate reference to Job's
words, as if he had scarcely ceased speaking when God interposed,
'Who then is darkening counsel by words without knowledge?'
And even if this rendering is not necessitated it will still remain
that the utterances of Elihu are entirely ignored, and that it is very
difficult to think that the author of the book can have intended no
fewer than six chapters to intervene between xxxviii. 2, 3, and the
words to which they refer.
(3) The style and language of this section is very different
from that of the rest of the book. As Renan truly says, ' in the
other parts of the poem the obscurity arises from our own ignorance ;
here it arises from the style itself.' Elsewhere we meet with a
number of rare words, the meaning of which it is often hard to
discover. But when we have arrived at this and are able to translate
the words, the author's meaning is generally tolerably clear. In
Elihu's speeches, however, this is far from being the case. The
words are frequently such as occur in common use with well ascer
tained meanings ; but the difficulty is to know what we are intended
to understand by the sentences which they make when put together :
in other words it is the author's meaning which is hard to discover
because of the obscurity of his style. Again, his vocabulary is to
some extent different from that of the rest of the book : and though
the careful scrutiny to which the language has been subjected by
Budde1 has revealed much greater similarity and many more
coincidences than had previously been recognised, yet Budde himself
is only able to maintain that the Elihu sections belong to the original
poem by supposing that considerable interpolations have been made
in it, and by excising a considerable number of passages as later
additions2. A fourth argument has sometimes been added, viz. that Elihu
adds nothing to the solution of the problem. But this, if true,
would cut both ways, for it would remove all motive for the
interpolation ; whereas it is impossible to suppose that these chap
ters were inserted at a later date unless some definite reason for this
insertion can be found. But, as a matter of fact, the assertion does
not appear to be correct ; for (as is shown in the notes introductory
1 Budde, Beitrage zur Kritik des Buclies Hiob, pp. 65 — 160. Cf. Handkom-
mentar, p. 16.
2 Cf. Driver, Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament, p. 429.

INTRODUCTION xxvii
to the chapters in question) Elihu does add what is practically a new
thought, viz. that suffering is designed for moral discipline and
improvement. Of this there is no trace whatever in the prologue ;
and only faint indications in the dialogue between Job and his
friends. In Elihu's speeches, however, it assumes a prominence
which is wanting elsewhere in the poem. Here, then, is a reasonable
motive for the addition of these utterances ; and the probability is
that when the importance of this view as an element in the solution
of the problem had been fully grasped some later writer added these
chapters with the express purpose of giving adequate expression to
it, and of supplying what was felt to be an omission in the original
work. It may be added that no question of ' Canonicity ' or
' Inspiration ' is affected by our judgment on this matter. We
accept the book as part of the Jewish Canon. It has come to us as
a whole from the Jewish Church ; and as such we accept it. But it
does not foUow that it aU comes from the same period, or that it is
the work of a single hand. There are clear indications in the Psalms
and the Prophets that among Hebrew writers it was not uncommon
for later ones freely to use, re-edit, alter, and add to their pre
decessors' work ; and if on critical grounds it is made to appear
probable that something of the kind has happened here, there will
be nothing to surprise us, or make us hesitate in admitting the
conclusion to which the evidence points. The inspiration of the
unknown later poet wiU be precisely the same as that of the
unknown author of the original poem.
VI. Versions.
The oldest translation of the book that exists is the Greek
version known as the Septuagint, dating probably from the second
century b.c. The most remarkable feature of this is its extreme
brevity as compared with the Hebrew text. The fact was noted in
ancient days by Origen1, and later on by S. Jerome, who says that
no fewer than 700 or 800 ' verses ' were wanting in the lxx.3. These
missing portions were added by Origen in his Hexapla from the
version of Theodotion and other sources, with an asterisk to indicate
that they were additions, and not part of the true lxx. text._
Unfortunately the column was ordinarily copied without the dis
tinguishing marks, and it is only of late years that the true text of
i Ep. ad Africanum, Opera, Vol. i. p. 15. 2 Prajf. in Iobum.

xxviii INTRODUCTION
the lxx. has been freed from interpolations1. There is, however, no
doubt about it at the present time. It is shorter by about 400 lines
than the Hebrew, and the only question is which text should be pre
ferred. That the claims of the lxx. to represent the original text of
the book are greater than those of the received Hebrew (the so-
called ' Massoretic ' text) has been maintained by Hatch", Bickell, and
others ; and Bickell has gone so far as to publish a revised text of
the book based upon the lxx.8. His treatment of the text is,
however, often arbitrary, nor has it commended itself to the majority
of scholars. The discovery of a portion of the original Hebrew of
the book of Ecclesiasticus has recently revealed to us another
instance of a discrepancy between the Greek and Hebrew which is
analogous to that which meets us in Job, for there also a consider
able number of clauses found in the Hebrew are wanting in the
Greek. But in this case no attempt has been made to claim greater
originality for the Greek : and in Job also it may, we think, be
taken as practicaUy certain that it is the Greek text which is at
fault, and that no hesitation need be felt in accepting those clauses
which are wanting in it.
Of the remaining Greek versions, viz. those of Aquila, Sym
machus, and Theodotion (none of them older than the first century
a.d.), only scanty fragments are in existence. These may be found
in Field's edition of Origen's Hexapla.
The oldest Syriac Version, the Peschitto, dates probably from the
second century of the Christian era. It is a literal translation of
the Hebrew, and is thought to have been made for Jews or Jewish
Christians4. It must be carefuUy distinguished from the ' Hexaplar
Syriac' which is a direct translation from the lxx. made by Paul,
bishop of Telia, in 616— 6185.
It would appear from the Talmud that a written Targum, or
Aramaic paraphrase, on the Book of Job was extant so early as the
1 The Sahidic (Coptic) Version was made from the lxx. text as it existed
before Origen's time, and is thus free from the interpolations found elsewhere.
See Hatch, Essays in Biblical Greek, p. 215 seq.
2 Op. cit.
3 Das Buch Job nach Anleitung der Strophik und der Septuaginta auf seine
urspriingliche Form zuruckgefuhrt und im Versmasse des Urtextes Ubersetzt. See
also Dillon, The Sceptics of the Old Testament, where an English translation of
Bickell's work may be found.
* See Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text of the Book of Samuel, p. xlii.
0 C. H. H. Wright, Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 51,

INTRODUCTION xxix
first century a.d., and according to the opinion of some scholars it
was actually the earliest Targum to be committed to writing.
Unfortunately it is no longer in existence, for (if the Talmud is to
be relied on) owing to the objections to it raised by Gamaliel it was
suppressed by being buried in the ground according to a regular
Jewish practice in such cases1. There is, however, a Targum on
this book wliich still exists. It was probably formed in Syria, and
is strictly a compilation, containing 'relics of different authors of
different times,' and in the form in which it has come down to us it
must be the work of some centuries later than that which Gamaliel
suppressed2. Of the Latin versions, the earliest, that known as the 'Old
Latin,' was made from the unrevised lxx. ; this was revised by
S. Jerome towards the close of the fourth century, so as to make it
correspond more closely with the Greek, with which in his revision
it agrees very exactly. But later on Jerome proceeded to form a
new translation of this, as of the other books of the Old Testament,
from the original Hebrew. And it is this translation which is now
found in the Vulgate. Of Jerome's struggles with the Book of Job
he has left us an amusing account3. He found it of excessive
difficulty. It was ' slippery as an eel.' Accordingly he engaged at
no smaU cost a Jewish teacher from Lydda, who had a great
reputation, but who failed to throw much light on the book, for
Jerome confesses sadly that after he had gone through it with him
he was no wiser than before ! In spite of this, however, no student
of the book «an venture to ignore his work, for his translation is ' far
before its age ' and is often of great service to the expositor.
Of the English versions prior to 1611 nothing need here be said.
The Authorized Version of King James's reign represents very fairly
the Hebrew scholarship of the age, but it cannot be said that it is
always intelligible. Even, however, where its readings are demon
strably wrong it will often be found that the translators were
foUowing Jewish authority for the renderings which they adopted.
But it must be confessed that to the English reader in general the
book remained hopelessly obscure until the publication of the
Revised Version in 1884. Perhaps there is no part of the Old
Testament in which the gain is greater. Difficult the book must
1 Talmud, Shabbath (115 a), cf. Wright, op. cit., p. 42.
2 See Deutsch, in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. iv. p. 1662.
* Praaf. in Librum lob.

xxx INTRODUCTION
always remain, but it is no longer unintelligible ; and it may be weU
to point out to the reader that he should on no account neglect the
marginal renderings of the R.V. It must be remembered that one
of the rules which governed the revisers was that no change should
be introduced into the text of the A.V. unless by the vote of a
two-thirds majority of the company present and voting. This rule,
it is known, operated in many cases to exclude from the text and
relegate to the margin, renderings which commended themselves to
an actual majority of the revisers present and voting. It may
fairly be presumed that in this majority were often to be found the
best Hebrew scholars ; and certainly it appears to the present writer
that in a large number of instances the marginal renderings deserve
to be adopted in preference to those which have been assigned the
position of honour in the text.
VII. Commentaries.
A fuU account of commentaries and treatises on the book may
be found in Wright's Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 151,
and Driver's Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament,
p. 408 (ed. 6). Here it is sufficient to mention a few which the
reader may find specially helpful. Dillmann's Hiob (Kurzgefasstes
exegetisches Handbuch) is perhaps the most important, and it is
hoped that an English translation of this will shortly be published.
The Commentaries of Delitzsch and Ewald have already been trans
lated, and are published in the 'Foreign Theological Library,' and
' Theological Translation Fund Library,' respectively. A. B. David
son's little volume in The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
is in every way admirable, and S. Cox's Commentary cm the Book
of Job is an original and often suggestive work. Mention may also
be made of Dean Bradley's Lectures on the Book of Job, of Cheyne's
Job and Solomon, and of the studies of the book to be found in
J. B. Mozley's Essays, vol. n., and J. A. Froude's Short Studies on
Great Subjects, vol. I.
On all questions connected with the state of the text and the
renderings of the ancient versions, Beer's Text des Buches Hiob is
most useful; and attempted reconstructions of the Hebrew text
may be found in Merx, Das Gedicht von Hiob, Siegfried, Tlie Book of
Job (in P. Haupt's Sacred Books of the Old Testament), and
Bickell, Das Buch Job. But they are all more or less arbitrary and
unsatisfactory.

THE BOOK OF JOB.

PART I. THE PROLOGUE. CHAPTERS I. AND II.
This portion of the work falls into Bix well-defined sections.
1. Description of Job and his prosperity, i. 1 — 5.
2. The first scene in Heaven, i. 6 — 12.
3. The first (fourfold) trial of Job. i. 13—22.
4. The second scene in Heaven, ii. 1 — 6.
5. The second trial of Job. ii. 7 — 10.
6. Introduction of Job's three friends, ii. 11 — 13.

I. 1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was

I. 1 — 5. Description of Job
and his prosperity. The man him
self (1), his family (2), his wealth (3),
and the proof of his piety (4, 5).
This description makes it at once
clear that the scene of the story
is laid in patriarchal times. The
character of Job's wealth (v. 3),
and the way in which he offers
burnt offerings (not sin offerings)
for the sin of his sons are of them
selves indications of this. See above
in the Introduction, p. xix.
1. the land of Uz. The lxx.
has in the land of Ausitis, and
in some curious additions appended
at the close of the book further
describes it as on the borders of
Edom and Arabia. These additions,

which are based on the notices in
Gen. xxxvi. 31—35, give the gene
alogy of Job, identifying him with
Jobab, the son of Zerah, king of
Edom (Gen. xxxvi. 33), and making
him out as 'the fifth from Abraham.'
The identification of the two names
Job and Jobab is philologically im
possible, and the additions, as a
whole, are worthless ; but the speci
fication of the region in which the
land of Uz is to be looked for
seems to be tolerably correct, for in
Lam. iv. 21 the land of Uz is con
nected with Edom, and Uz appears
as a descendant of Seir in Gen.
xxxvi. 28 (though a different account
of the origin of the nation is given in
Gen. xxii. 21, where Uz appears as
1

THE BOOK OF JOB

[I. i-3

'Job ; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that
feared God, and eschewed evil. 2 And there were born unto
him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His 2 substance also
was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and
five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a

1 Heb. Iyob.
a descendant of Nahor, while in
Gen. x. 23 Uz is simply a son of
Aram). With this agree the indi
cations in the book of Job itself,
e.g. the quarter from which the
attacks upon his flocks came, viz.
(Jhaldaea and Arabia, the proximity
of the wilderness (i. 19), and the fact
that of his three friends one came
from Edom (Eliphaz the Temanite),
and another was a Shuhite, i.e. a
descendant of Shuah, a son of A-
braham by Keturah (Gen. xxv. 2).
In all probability, then, we should
locate 'the land of Uz' somewhere
on the east of the Jordan, north of
Edom, towards the Arabian desert.
whose name was Job. The name
occurs nowhere else in' the O. T.
except in this book and in the
reference to its hero in Ezek. xiv.
14, 20. Its meaning is uncertain;
' the persecuted,' ' the pious,' and ' the
penitent' have all been suggested
as possible meanings, but it is pro
bable that it is simply the name
which tradition had handed down
of the hero of the story on which
the inspired author founded his
poem. None of the other names in
the book appear to be of any special
significance, and there is no need to
think that we are intended to dis
cover any connexion between the
name of the hero and his circum
stances. It is interesting to find
that the very similar form Ayab is
found on one of the Tel el-Amarna
tablets (Winckler, no. 237).

2 Or, cattle
perfect and upright, and one
that feared God, and eschewed evil.
These expressions are evidently
intended to insist strongly on Job's
moral integrity, but it would be a
mistake to press them as if they
denoted absolute freedom from sin.
Compare the somewhat similar de
scription of Zacharias and Elisabeth
in the New Testament. 'They were
both righteous before God, walking
in all the commandments and or
dinances of the Lord blameless.'
S. Luke i. 6.
2. seven sons and three daugh
ters. Since these numbers seven
and three are sacred ones, it is
commonly thought that here they
are symbolical. But there appears
to be no good reason why they
should be so regarded. They may
well have been the numbers handed
down by tradition.
3. His substance also was seven
thousand sheep &c. Cf. the de
scription given of Isaac's wealth in
Gen. xxvi. 14, 'he had possessions
of flocks, and possessions of herds,
and a great household? the last
words being identical with those
here used. In connexion with the
author's description of his hero we
should read the account which Job
himself is made to give of his life
in the days of his prosperity (see
xxix.), which implies more of a
settled life and less of the nomad
character than we might have
imagined from the passage before us.

1. 3-5]

THE BOOK OF JOB

very great household ; so that this man was the greatest of
all the children of the east. 4 And his sons went and held a
feast in the house of each one upon his day ; and they sent
and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with
them. 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were
gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up
early in the morning,' and offered burnt offerings according
to the number of them all : for Job said, It may be that my
sons have sinned, and 'renounced God in their hearts. Thus
did Job continually. 1 Or, blasphemed So ver. 11, ch. ii. 5, 9.

children of the east. A general
term frequently used for the inhabi
tants of the region which stretches
eastward from Palestine to the Eu
phrates. See Gen. xxix. 1 ; Judg.
vi. 3, and other passages.
4. upon his day. For day used
of a 'festival day,' cf. Hos. vii. 5,
'the day of our king'; ii. 13, 'the
days of the Baalim.' The expression
here may either refer to the birth
days of Job's sons, or may imply
that each of them had one day in
each week on which he entertained
his brothers and sisters. The fact
is mentioned to explain the presence
of all the family together in the
eldest brother's house in verse 13.
5. sanctified them... and offered
burnt offerings. Attention has
been drawn in the Introduction to
these phrases, see p. xix. The
writer seems of set purpose to avoid
the technical expressions of the
Mosaic law, and to use only such
general terms as would be appro
priate to a non-Israelite.
renounced, better than 'cursed'
of the A.V. The word is the same
as that found in verse 11, and in ii.
5 and 9, where it is also rendered
renounce in the R.V. and curse in
the A.V. It is the ordinary word for

'to bless' in Hebrew, barach (^A
Such a meaning is, however, mani
festly inappropriate in these passages
in Job, as well as in 1 Kings xxi. 10,
nor does it suit well in Ps. x. 3. It
is possible that in all these passages
it is merely a euphemism for 'to
curse'; indeed it has been suggested
that the text has been altered, and
that the word now read in it is a
correction due to religious reasons ;
but it is more probable that the
word barach has the definite mean
ing of ' renounce,' which may easily
be arrived at from the general sense
of the benediction employed in salu
tations at parting. So our own
'Farewell,' or 'Good-bye,' may be
used to indicate the idea of renun
ciation; cf. Wolsey's 'Farewell, a
long farewell to all my greatness.'
Job feared lest in the midst of their
prosperity and well-being his sons
might have forgotten God altogether,
and practically bidden farewell to
Him. Similarly, in his own case
the temptation which pressed upon
him with such awful force, the temp
tation to which Satan suggested he
was certain to yield, was that of
renouncing God altogether, of bid
ding good-bye to Him, and having
nothing more to do with Him. This,
1—2

THE BOOK OF JOB

[I. 6, 7

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to
present themselves before the Lord, and 'Satan came also
among them. 7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence
comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said,
From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and
1 That is, the Adversary.

however, was exactly what Job never
would do. Hard, wild words he uses
about God, but he never said good
bye to Him. Contrast what he says
of the wicked in xxi. 14, and for his
own position all through 'even while
the whirl was worst ' see xxiii.
6—12. The first scene in
Heaven. The Almighty holds His
court in heaven, and among the sons
of God the Satan presents himself
(6). The colloquy between him and
the Almighty with regard to the
character of Job's piety (7 — 11) and
the permission to try him within
certain limits (12).
6. the sons of God, lit. sons of
the Elohim. lxx. oX ayyeXoi tov
Beoii, 'the angels of God' (similarly
the Targum), undoubtedly correct as
an interpretation, though not literal
as a translation. An almost identical
expression occurs in xxxviii. 7,
'When the morning stars sang to
gether, and all the sons of God (sons
of Elohim) shouted for joy,' and
similar phrases are found in Ps. xxix.
1 ; lxxxix. 7, ' sons of the mighty '
(Heb. 'sons of Elim'). Cf. also
Dan. iii. 25, where 'a son of the
gods' is parallel with, and explained
by, ' his angel ' in ver. 28. The only
other passage in which the expression
'sons of the Elohim' occurs is Gen. vi.
4, and here also it is probable that
the angels are referred to.
to present themselves. The same
word is used in Zech. vi. 5, of the

'spirits, which go forth from pre
senting themselves before the Lord
of all the earth.' See R.V. marg.
Cf. S. Luke i. 19, 'I am Gabriel, that
stand (<5 napeerTnKms) in the presence
of God.' The word is used of
courtiers presenting themselves be
fore kings in Prov. xxii. 29.
and Satan came also among
them, lit. 'the Satan' (lxx. 6 Sia/3oAos,
Vulg. Satan). In itself the Hebrew
word satan merely means an ad
versary, and as such is not unfre-
quently used of a human enemy.
See 1 Sam. xxix. 4, where it is used
by the Philistines of David, 1 Kings
v. 4 ; xi. 14, 23, 25, of the ' adver
saries ' or ' satans ' whom the Lo&D
stirred up against Solomon. So in
Ps. cix. 6, where the A.V. and P.B.V.
have 'let Satan stand at his right
hand,' we should read 'let an adver
sary stand at his right hand.' In
Numb. xxii. 22 it is used of the angel
of the Lord, who ' placed himself in
the way for' an adversary' (Heb. for
a satan) to Balaam. In three pas
sages only in the O.T. is the word
appropriated as a title of the arch
enemy of mankind, the evil spirit
known to theology as 'the devil' and
' Satan,' viz. the passage before us,
Zech. iii. 1 (where, as here, the word
has the article), and 1 Chr. xxi. 1.
7. From going to and fro in
the earth, and from walking up
and down in it. In Zech. i. 10 the
riders seen in the prophet's vision

1. 7-12]

THE BOOK OF JOB

down in it. 8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou con
sidered my servant Job ? ' for there is none like him in the
earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God,
and escheweth evil. 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and
said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou
made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all
that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work
of his hands, and his 2 substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath,
and he will renounce thee to thy face. 12 And the Lord said
unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath, is in thy "power ; only
upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth
from the presence of the Lord.

1 Or, that

2 Or, cattle

3 Heb. hand.

are spoken of as those 'whom the
Lokd hath sent to walk to and fro
through the earth.' We may suppose
therefore that the Satan, hke the
other sons of the Elohim, was com
missioned by the Almighty to inspect
and report upon the affairs of earth,
but that he abused his mission and
converted it into an opportunity of
'walking about, as a roaring lion,
Beeking whom he may devour/ 1 Pet.
v. 8.
9. Doth Job fear God for
nought ? Satan's suggestion is that
after all Job's piety is only a well-
calculated selfishness. He does not
serve God freely (lxx. Sapeav, gratis),
but only because it ' pays ' him to do
so. 11. renounce. See the note on
verse 5.
12. Permission is given to
the Satan to test Job, and try
whether his suggestion is correct,
the only limitation set to the trial
being this, that he is not to 'put
forth his hand' upon the man him
self. A few words must here be added

on the questions, how is the scene
here described to be understood?
and what light does it throw 011 the
Scriptural doctrine of the devil?
As Delitzsch points out, 'from the
writer assigning the earthly measure
of time to the place of God and
spirits we see that celestial things
are represented by him parabolically.'
The account is clearly not intended
to be taken as literal history. The
description is drawn from the
court of an earthly monarch, whose
courtiers have access to his throne,
and present themselves before him,
much as in the not dissimilar repre
sentations with regard to the spirit
world in 1 Kings xxii. 19 — 22 and
Zech. iii., which should be compared
with this narrative. 'The earthly
elements of time, space, and dialogue
belong to the poetic drapery'
(Delitzsch); but, though the whole
scene must be regarded as a poetic
and parabolic representation, yet
there are clearly certain facts con
cerning the invisible world which
are intended to be taught by it. It
will be noted that both here and in

THE BOOK OF JOB

[T.X3

13 And it fell on a day when his sons and his daughters
were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,

Zech. iii. (and cf. 1 Kings xxii. 21)
Satan appears as admitted into the
presence of God (like a Judas
among the Twelve) and that he is
still regarded as one of the sons of
the Elohim. It is in complete har
mony with this that we find indica
tions in the New Testament that it
is only through the victory won by
the Incarnation and Passion of the
Redeemer that ' the accuser of our
brethren is cast down, which accused
them before our God night and day,'
Rev. xii. 10; cf. S. Luke x. 18, 'I
beheld Satan as lightning fall from
heaven,' and S. John xii. 31, 'Now
shall the prince of this world be
cast out.' Not till the end will he
be cast into the lake of fire, Rev.
xx. 10. Thus as Martensen says in
regard to the passage before us :
' He is not yet the Satan of the New
Testament who is driven from the
presence of God because he wills
evil as such : but he takes a malicious
pleasure in undermining and de
ceiving human virtue. His joy
consists in spying out the weak
nesses and sins of men, and in
bringing men by his temptations to
manifest these ; and then he returns
back to the Lord as the accusing
angel to prove the untrustworthiness
of human virtue' (Christian Dog
matics, p. 194). The whole subject
of the fall of Satan is confessedly
obscure, and perhaps all that we can
say is that there are intimations in
Scripture, both here and elsewhere,
that so long as Satan is not finally
vanquished and condemned we
ought to regard him as having in
some sort access to God, by whom
his temptations of men are permit

ted, though a limit is put to them,
for 'He will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able'
(1 Cor. x. 13) : and it may well be
thought that so much is implied by
our Lord's words in S. Luke xxii. 31,
' Simon, Simon, behold Satan asked
[or even obtained you by asking,
R.V. marg.] to have you, that he
might sift you as wheat : but I made
supplication for thee that thy faith
fail not.' It is a similar fact in the
invisible world which lies at the
basis of the scene before us, ex
pressed as it is in the imagery of
this world.
See further on the doctrine of
Satan in the Old Testament, Oehler's
Theology of the Old Testament,
vol. n. p. 288 ; and note the reserve
of the Old Testament upon the
subject. It is in striking contrast
with the fuller revelation made in
the New Testament, with the fre
quent allusions to 'Satan' or 'the
devil' there; and (like this) is
markedly different from the gro
tesque beliefs of the later Jews as
shown in the book of Tobit and
Rabbinical writings, which (rather
than the Canonical Scriptures) are
really responsible for the forms
which popular superstitions have
taken among Christians in various

13—22. The first (fourfold)
trial of Job. Successive messages
brought to Job telling him of the
attack of the Sabeans upon the
oxen and asses and those attending
them (13—15); the destruction of
the sheep and servants by the light
ning (16) ; the attack of the Chal-
dseans upon the camels and servants

1. 14-19]

THE BOOK OF JOB

14 that there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen
were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them : 15 and 'the
Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away ; yea, they have
slain the Servants with the edge of the sword ; and I only
am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking,
there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen
from heaven, and hath burned up the shedp, and the Ser
vants, and consumed them ; and I only am escaped alone to
tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came also
another, and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and sfell
upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and slain
the "servants with the edge of the sword ; and I only am
escaped alone to tell thee. 18 While he was yet speaking,
there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters
were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house :
1 9 and, behold, there came a great wind "from the wilderness,
and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the
1 Heb. Sheba. 2 Heb. young men 3 Or, made a raid * Or, over

(17); and the destruction of Job's
children by the great wind from the
desert (18, 19). Job's behaviour on
the receipt of the news (20 — 22).
The symmetrical character of the
trials here described has been
thought to be an indication that we
are not dealing with literal history.
The first and the third, it will be
noticed, are from men, while the
second and fourth are due to the
forces of nature. Thus ' while heaven
and men alternate their strokes upon
him, these strokes follow one another
with increasing severity, and in each
case only one escapes to bring the
grievous tidings.' Davidson.
13. The presence of all the
sons and daughters ' in their eldest
brother's house' is accounted for
by the custom mentioned in ver. 4.
The catastrophe would be the more
tragic, because it occurred at the

commencement of a new cycle of
feasting, just after Job's sacrifices
at the close of a previous one in
order to avert the wrath of heaven.
15. the Sabeans, i.e. the A-
rabians, mentioned again in vi. 19,
and frequently referred to in the
Old Testament, e.g., 1 Kings x. 1 ;
Is. Ix. 6 ; Ezek. xxvii. 22 ; Ps. lxxii.
10. According to Gen. x. 28, Sheba
was a son of Joktan, the progenitor
of many of the Arabian tribes.
16. the fire of God, i.e. the
lightning, so called also in 1 Kings
xviii. 38; 2 Kings i. 12; and cf.'
Exodus ix. 23, ' The Lord sent
thunder and hail, and fire ran down
unto the earth.' This seems better
than to take it of the hot Samum
wind of the desert.
17. three bands, a common mili
tary disposition. See Judg. vii. 16 j
ix. 43; 1 Sam. xi. 11.

THE BOOK OF JOB

[I. 19-11. *

young men, and they are dead ; and I only am escaped alone
to tell thee. 20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and
shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and wor
shipped ; 21 and he said, Naked came I ouf of my mother's
womb, and naked shall I return thither : the Lord gave, and
the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the
Lord. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God with
foolishness. II. I Again there was a day when the sons of God came
to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also
among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the

20, 21. The effect of the tidings
upon Job. He rent his mantle,
and shaved his head, these actions
being the ordinary signs of grief.
See Gen. xxxvii. 29, 34; xliv. 13;
2 Sam. xiii. 31 ; 2 Kings xviii. 37,
for the rending of the garments,
and Micah i. 16, for the shaving of
the head. But not content with
this, he fell dozen upon the ground
and worshipped, i.e. he abased him
self before God and acquiesced in
the dispensations of His providence.
21. Naked came I out of my
mother's womb, and naked shall
I return thither. ' Thither,' i.e. to
the womb of the earth ' the mother
of all things,' as the phrase is ex
panded in Ecclus. xl. 1, 'from the
day that they go out of their mother's
womb till the day that they return
to the mother of all things.' The
idea which underlies the expression
here put into the mouth of Job is
that the creation of Adam from the
dust of the earth is in some sort
repeated at the creation of all the
sons of men. Cf. Ps. cxxxix. 15.
Job's words anticipate S. Paul's ' we
brought nothing into the world, for
neither can we carry anything out,'
1 Tim. vi. 7.
the Lord. Heb. mrp Jehovah.

The writer here, contrary to his
almost invariable custom, puts the
sacred Covenant Name into the
mouth of the patriarch. See above,
Introduction, p. xx.
22. In all this Job sinned
not. The writer's verdict, showing
that Satan has failed in his first
assault. nor charged God with foolish-
ness, better than A.V. 'charged God
foolishly ' ; for the writer means to
say that in spite of the severity of
the trial, and its apparently arbitrary
character, Job did not attribute to
God anything unsavoury in His con
duct towards him. The word
(tiphlah) occurs again in xxiv. 12,
in the complaint that God regards
not the cruelties inflicted by tyrants,
and does not attribute unsavouri-
ness to them, as well as in Jer. xxiii.
13, where God is said to have 'seen
unsavouriness' in the false prophets
of Samaria. A kindred word is
found in vi. 6, of the insipidity of
that which is ' eaten without salt.'
II. 1—6. The second scene
in Heaven. The Almighty holds
His court again, and once more the
Satan presents himself among the
sons of God (1). A second colloquy

II.

THE BOOK OF JOB

Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And
Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro
in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And
the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant
Job? 'for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and
an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil :
and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst
me against him, 2to destroy him without cause. 4 And Satan
answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a
man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine
hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will
renounce thee to thy face. 6 And the Lord said unto Satan,
Behold, he is in thine hand ; only spare his life. 7 So Satan

1 Or, that

2 Heb. to swallow him up.

takes place with regard to Job in
which the Satan suggests the reason
of the failure of the first trial, and
insinuates that under one which
touches him personally Job will
yield (2 — 5). Permission is granted
to make such trial (6). The narra
tive of this audience is given as far
as possible in the exact words of
the previous one. The changes be
gin in verse 3, where the Almighty
adds in His words to the Satan the
pointed reference to the fact that
Job still holdeth fast his integrity,
although thou movedst me against
him, to destroy him without cause.
4, 5. Satan's reply is to the
effect that the trial was not suffici
ently severe to test Job thoroughly.
It had not touched his person. Let
God put forth his hand and touch
his bone and his flesh, and the
result will be very different.
Skin for skin. The expression
is evidently proverbial; but it is
difficult to say precisely what is the
conception in which the proverb
(which is found nowhere else) origi

nated. The second clause may
either be (1) parallel with the first,
and repeat the same idea — so
Ewald and Davidson, 'Like for
like, so all that a man hath etc' —
or it may be (2) an advance upon
it, forming a sort of climax. So
Delitzsch, ' One gives up one's skin
to preserve one's skin ; one endures
pain on a sickly part to preserve the
whole skin : but for his life, i.e. his
highest good, man willingly gives
up everything that can be given
up.' Neither explanation seems
thoroughly satisfactory. The origin
of the proverbs of one nation is not
seldom unintelligible to those of
another, so we may well be content to
leave ' Satan's old saw ' in its obscu
rity, for the general drift of his
remark is clear enough. He reite
rates his former sentiments, and
maintains that Job's piety is purely
selfish, a sort of bargain with God.
6. Permission is granted for
personal affliction, but a limit is put
to it, only spare his life.

10

THE BOOK OF JOB

[II. 7-1

went forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job
with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.'
8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal ; and
he sat among the ashes. 9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost
thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die.
10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the 'foolish
women speaketh. What ? shall we receive good at the hand
1 Or, impious

7—10. The second trial of
Job. Job is smitten with the lepro
sy (7). His behaviour under it (8).
The suggestion of his wife, and his
repudiation of it (9, 10).
7. with sore boils from the
sole of his foot unto his crown.
The very same words are found in
the denunciatory passage in Deut
xxviii. 35, ' The Lord shall smite
thee in the knees, and in the legs,
with a sore boil, whereof thou canst
not be healed, from the sole of thy
foot unto the crown of thy head?
the 'boil of Egypt' having been
mentioned above in verse 27; cf.
Exod. ix. 9, 11, where the same word
is used in the account of the plague
of boils. Boils are also mentioned
among the preliminary symptoms of
leprosy in Lev. xiii. 18 — 23, the
only other place where the word
here employed is found in the Old
Testament ; and there is a general
agreement among scholars that in
the disease from which Job suffered
we are intended to see the so-called
black leprosy or elephantiasis.
8. to scrape himself withal,
because of the intolerable itching
which accompanies the disease.
and he sat. Better while or as
he sat among the ashes. By the
ashes we are probably intended to
understand the dung heap outside
the gate, where all the refuse of an

Arab city is thrown. So the lxx.
and the Vulgate, in sterquilinio ;
whence the conventional representa
tion of Job on his dunghill. A
vivid description of such a Mezbele
is given by Consul Wetzstein in
Delitzsch's Commentary on Job, vol.
n. p. 152, a portion of which may be
cited here as showing how true to
life the poem is : ' There all day
long the children play about ; there
the outcast, who has been stricken
with some loathsome malady, and is
not allowed to enter the dwellings
of men, lays himself down, begging
an alms of the passers-by by day,
and by night sheltering himself
among the ashes which the heat of
the sun has warmed. There too lie
the village dogs, perhaps gnawing a
fallen carcase, which is often flung
there.' Cf. the description which
Job himself gives of his condition in
xxx. 9. Job's temptation becomes
sorer as his wife turns against him,
and becomes (as Augustine calls
her) diaboli adjutrim.
10. one of the foolish women :
cf. 2 Sam. xiii. 13, where a simi
lar expression occurs. The word
for foolish (' nabal ') is regularly used
in the Old Testament with the idea
of something more than what we
term 'folly.' It suggests impiety
rather than stupidity, and some
times almost Atheism, as when ' the

II. ro-u]

THE BOOK OF JOB

11

of God, and shall we not receive evil ? In all this did not Job
sin with his lips.
11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil
that was come upon him, they came every one from his own
place ; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and
Zophar the Naamathite: and they made an appointment
together to come to bemoan him and to comfort him.
12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him
not, they lifted up their voice, and wept ; and they rent every
one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward

fool ' says in his heart ' there is no
God.' Ps. xiv. 1. Hence the margin
of the R.V. ' as one of the impious
women speaketh.'
Shall we receive good. ..and sliall
we not receive evil ? Job's attitude
is still that of absolute submission
and acquiescence in the will of God,
an attitude which he did not main
tain throughout, but to which he is
brought back by the intervention of
the Almighty at the close of the
book. 11 — 13. Introduction of Job's
three friends. His three friends
come to bemoan him (11). Their
consternation at the sight of him,
and speechless grief (12, 13).
Eliphaz the Temanite. The
name Eliphaz appears in Gen. xxxvi.
4 as that of a son of Esau; and
Teman is frequently connected with
Esau or Edom, and was a dis
trict famous for the wisdom of its
inhabitants. Thus Teman is a
grandson of Esau according to Gen.
xxxvi. 11, 15, and the name is found
in the closest connexion with Edom
in Jer. xlix. 20 ; cf. Obad. 9 ; Ezek.
xxv. 13 ; Hab. iii. 3.
Bildad the Shuhite. The name
Bildad does not occur elsewhere.
'Shuhite,' probably a descendant
of Shuah, a son of Abraham by

Keturah, see Gen. xxv. 2. The
land of 'Suhu' is mentioned in
several Eastern inscriptions, and
apparently lay 'between the mouths
of the Belich and the Khabur, con
fluents of the Euphrates.' Cheyne,
Job and Solomon, p. 15.
Zophar the Naamathite. Zophar
is not found elsewhere, unless it be
the same as Zepho or Zephi, a
grandson of Esau, mentioned in
Gen. xxxvi. 11; 1 Chr. i. 36 (so lxx.
Saepdp in all three passages). The
locality of Naamah is unknown. It
must have been somewhere on the
east of Jordan, and cannot be the
same place as the Naamah, a town
of Judah, mentioned in Josh. xv. 41.
The lxx. implies a different reading,
and makes Zophar 'king of the
Minceans,' as it also makes Eliphaz
' king of the Temanites,' and Bildad
'tyrant of the Shuhites.' These
statements are repeated at the close
of the book in the worthless additions
already alluded to.
12. and knew him not, such
was the disfigurement caused by
the ravages of the disease.
they rent every one his mantle,
as Job had done on the receipt of
the news of his first calamities, i. 20.
and sprinkled dust upon their
heads toward heaven, another com-

12

THE BOOK OF JOB

[n. 11, 13

heaven. 13 So they sat down with him upon the ground
seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto
him : for they saw that his 'grief was very great.
1 Or, pain

mon sign of grief among Easterns,
cf. Josh. vii. 6 ; 1 Sam. iv. 12 ; Lam.
ii. 10.
13. So they sat down... upon
the ground, a customary attitude
for mourners. See the whole de
scription in Lam. ii. 10, which
admirably illustrates the conduct
of Job's friends: 'The elders of
the daughter of Zion sit upon the
ground, they keep silence; they
have cast up dust upon their heads;
they have girded themselves with
sackcloth'; cf. 2 Sam. xii. 16. Simi
larly in Shakespeare
'For God's sake, let us sit upon
the ground
And tell sad stories of the death
of kings.' Richard II. Act in. Sc. 2.
seven days and seven nights,
the time during which Ezekiel ' sat
astonied,' before God opened his
mouth, when he 'came to them of
the captivity at Tel-abib,' Ezek. iii.
15. So Joseph 'made a mourning
for his father seven days,' Gen. 1.
10; and when the men of Jabesh
Gilead buried the bones of Saul
they 'fasted seven days,' 1 Sam.
xxxi. 13.
With the introduction of the
three friends the prose narrative
of the prologue is brought to a
close. Its purpose has not been
merely to introduce the dramatis

personee in the dialogue which
follows, or to explain the position
of affairs which is there assumed.
Over and above these objects it has
an independent value of its own,
and makes its own special contri
bution to the permanent teaching
of the book. It is obviously intended
to enforce two main lessons : (1) By
the steadfast submission of Job
under the severest of trials there is
established the fact that all piety is
not necessarily a refined form of
selfishness and the result of a
calculation of advantages, but that
man is capable of disinterested
goodness, and of serving God with
out any thought of the material
benefits which may thereby accrue
to him ; while (2) by drawing back
the veil and admitting us to scenes
which belong to the invisible
world, the writer discloses the fact,
which, however familiar it may be
to us, once came as a revelation to
men, that one purpose for which
suffering is permitted by God is to
test men, i.e. in Bishop Butler's
words, this life is a time of pro
bation. See the Analogy, Part I.
c. iii. This fact, it is obvious, has
an important bearing on all dis
cussions concerning the mystery of
pain, beyond the merely negative
value of breaking down the theory
that all suffering is penal, and the
consequence of sin.

mi,.] THE BOOK OF JOB 13

PART II. THE DEBATE BETWEEN JOB AND
HIS FRIENDS. CHAPTERS III.— XXXI.

With Chapter iii. we enter on the second of the main sections of the
book, containing the account of the debate between Job and his three
friends, who have just been introduced. Before, however, the actual
discussion commences Job ' opened his mouth and cursed his day.' He is
the first to break the seven days' silence, and this curse of his upon the day
of his birth with its implied reproach against God forms as it were the
text of the discussion which follows, and explains the position taken up by
his friends.
The chapter falls into three well-defined divisions, and contains a
threefold 'curse':
(1) The wish that he had never been born at all. 1 — 10.
(2) The wish that he had died at his birth. 11 — 19.
(3) The wish that he might die now. 20 — 26.
With the main thought of the Chapter cf. Sophocles, (Ed. Col. 1225
(quoted by Cox), 'Happiest beyond compare
Never to taste of life ;
Happiest in order next,
Being born, with quickest speed
Thither again to turn
From whence we came.' Plumptke's Translation, p. 105.
A comparison of the curse with that to which Jeremiah gave utterance
(Jer. xx. 14  18) shows clearly that the two passages are not independent
of each other, but that one writer is consciously or unconsciously borrowing
from the other : but there is nothing to indicate precisely which of the two
is the original of the other. This must be decided on more general grounds.
See above, Introduction, p. xxii.
III. 1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his
day. 2 And Job answered and said :
HI. i—io. The wish that he born, invoking destruction upon it
had never been born at all. Job (1—3) ; and he follows this up in
begins with an imprecation on the detail by the wish (a) that the day
whole period of twenty-four hours might be turned into darkness (4, 5),
(the day and night) in which he was and (&) that the night might be

14

THE BOOK OF JOB

[III. 3-7

3 Let the day perish wherein I was born,
And the night which said, There is a man child conceived.
4 Let that day be darkness ;
Let not God 'regard it from above,
Neither let the light shine upon it.
5 Let darkness and 2the shadow of death claim it for their
own ;
Let a cloud dwell upon it ;
Let all that maketh black the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it :
Let it not 8 rejoice among the days of the year ;
Let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Lo, let that night be 4 barren ;
Let no joyful voice come therein.
1 Or, inquire after 2 Or, deep darkness (and so elsewhere)
8 Some ancient versions read, be joined unto. i Or, solitary

blotted out altogether (6 — 9), end
ing with the reason for this impre
cation (10).
3. And the night which said.
The night is personified and re
garded as proclaiming the news of
his birth. This seems better than
the tamer rendering of the A.V.
'the night in which it was said,'
which has, however, the authority
of the lxx. and Vulgate.
5. the shadow of death. This
is a single word in the original.
The rendering of the text follows
the Massoretic pointing, and has the
support of the lxx. and other early
versions. If it is correct, the word
must be regarded as a compound
one; but it is now commonly held
by scholars that the pointing is
wrong, and that the word merely
means deep darkness; so R.V.
marg. claim it for their own. This
translation is certainly correct, lxx.
cnXafiot : the A.V. stain it is wrong.

The word (gaal) is a special one,
meaning 'to redeem,' and the parti
ciple, Goel, became a technical term
under the Mosaic law for the nearest
blood relation, who had the right of
redemption of property (cf. Lev. xxv.
25; Ruth iv. 4, 6), and the duty
of avenging bloodshed (cf. Numb.
xxxv. 12). We shall meet with it
again in xix. 25, where see note.
Here the meaning may be : Let
darkness and deep darkness redeem
it, i.e. retake possession of it, so that
day shall be swallowed up in night,
or it may be merely 'Let them claim
it as akin to them.'
all tliat maketh black the day,
viz. eclipses, and other supposed
supernatural obscurations of the
light. 6. rejoice. Better than the A.V.
' be joined unto,' which is possible,
but requires different vowel points.
It has, however, the support of the
lxx. and Vulg.

III. 8, 9]

THE BOOK OF JOB

15

8 Let them curse it that curse the day,
Who are 'ready to rouse up leviathan.
9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark :
Let it look for light, but have none ;
Neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning :
1 Or, skilful

8. Who are ready (marg. skil-
ful) to rouse up leviathan. There
is no room for doubt about the
correctness of the translation, what
ever meaning is to be extracted
from it. The A.V. 'their mourning'
rests on a confusion with a late
Rabbinic word which is quite out
of place here. The word 'leviathan'
is clear enough, being the same
word which occurs in c. xii. 1 [Heb.
xl. 25] as the name of the crocodile
of the Nile, as well as in Pss. lxxiv.
14; civ. 26; and Is. xxvii. 1. So
the lxx. and Vulgate : ' Qui parati
sunt suscitare Leviathan.' The
verse then can only be explained
as an allusion to an ancient my
thological notion (found also among
the Indians), according to which
eclipses were produced by a myth
ical dragon or monster of the sky
which swallowed up the sun or moon,
and so created the darkness. The
belief in this strange notion still
exists among the peasants of Pales
tine, for in May 1891 Professor
G. A. Smith 'witnessed at Hasbeya,
on the western skirts of Hermon,
an eclipse of the moon. When the
shadow began to creep across her
disc, there rose from the village
a hideous din of drums, metal pots
and planks of wood beaten to
gether; guns were fired, and there
was much shouting.' And he was
'told that this was done to terri
fy the great fish which was
swallowing the moon, and to make

him disgorge her! Book of the
Twelve Prophets, vol. n. p. 524.
The same custom, according to
Delitzsch, is found among the
Chinese and the Algerians. Thus
the whole verse invokes the aid of
those who are skilled in enchant
ments so as to be able to overwhelm
days with misfortune, and plunge
them into the deepest darkness by
stirring up the dragon and inciting
him to devour the sun and moon.
There is nothing in such a mytho
logical allusion which need surprise
us or cause us any difficulty, as if
it were out of place in inspired
Scripture. We shall meet with
others in ix. 13; xxvi. 13, and
possibly in xxix. 18. There is no
need to raise the question whether
the writer believed the fable which
he makes use of. The book is a
poem, and it would be absurd to
make a poet responsible for hold
ing as literal every such allusion
which he may introduce into his
work. 9. the eyelids of the morning.
It is a distinct gain to have
the beautiful figure of the original,
which occurs again in xii. 18 (Heb.
10), introduced into the R.V. in the
place of the tamer paraphrase of
the A.V. ' the dawning of the day.'
Cf. Sophocles, Antigone, 1. 103, xpu-
creas apepas fH~keCpapov, and Milton,
'the opening eyelids of the morn,'
Lycidas, L 26.

16

THE BOOK OF JOB

[in. 10-15

10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb,
Nor hid trouble from mine eyes.
11 Why died I not from the womb ?
Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the
belly?
12 Why did the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should suck ?
13 For now should I have lien down and been quiet ;
I should have slept ; then had I been at rest :
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth,
Which 'built up waste places for themselves ;
15 Or with princes that had gold,
Who filled their houses with silver :

Or, built solitary piles

11—19. The wish that he
had died at his birth. Having
given utterance to the vain wish
that the day of his birth might be
blotted out so that he might never
have been born at all, Job next
passes on to wish that, if that were
impossible, he might either have
died immediately at his birth (11 —
15), or even have been born dead
(16 — 19). In either case he would
have been spared his present misery
and been at rest in the shadowy
under-world. To the Hebrews death
always appeared as in itself an evil,
and what was beyond it was merely
a shadowy, cheerless existence, not
worthy to be called ' life.' It shows,
then, the depth of Job's agony that
even this state appeared to him far
preferable to his present condition
of misery, so that as he speaks of
it his words grow calmer, and he
lingers over the description of the
release which he expects, and paints
its freedom from suffering in words
which Christians have often made
their own, and employed to describe
the rest of Paradise.

14. It is worth noticing that
no difference of conditions in the
grave is contemplated : rather it
is assumed that the lot of all will
be alike there. There are to be
found kings, counsellors and princes,
and there also are those who were
oppressed in this life, prisoners and
servants. built up waste places, marg.
solitary piles, lit. ruins (Vulg. soli-
tudines, Heb. HUTn). The ex
pression is a difficult one in this
connexion. The same phrase occurs
several times in the Prophets (Is.
Iviii. 12; lxi. 4; Ezek. xxxvi. 10, 33;
Mai. i. 4) of the anticipated restora
tion of the places which had been
ruined and left desolate by the
conquerors; but this sense is not
suitable here. Consequently it has
been thought that the word ' ruins '
is used proleptically, and that the
writer means to speak of those who
have built up for themselves edifices
which presently become ruinous
heaps. This, however, seems rather
forced, and it is tempting if unsafe
to adopt Ewald's suggestion, and

III. 16-23]

THE BOOK OF JOB

17

16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been ;
As infants wliich never saw light.
17 There the wicked cease from 'troubling ;
And there the weary be at rest.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together ;
They hear not the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and great are there ;
And the servant is free from his master.
20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery,
And life unto the bitter in soul ;
21 Which 2long for death, but it cometh not ;
And dig for it more than for hid treasures ;
22 Which rejoice 'exceedingly,
And are glad, when they can find the grave ?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid,
And whom God hath hedged in ?

1 Or, raging 2 Heb. wait. s Or, unto exultation
whose tears are his meat (24), and
who is overwhelmed with terrors
(25, 26).
21. Which long for death &c.
Cf. Rev. ix. 6. And dig for it more
than for hid treasures. Cf. S. Matt.
xiii. 44. To an Eastern this would
be the most forcible expression
possible to denote the eager, rest
less seeking for death, with which
Job was possessed. See Thomson,
The Land and the Book, p. 135 :
' There is not another comparison
within the whole compass of human
actions so vivid as this. I have
heard of diggers actually fainting
when they have come upon even a
single coin. They become positively
frantic, dig all night with desperate
earnestness, and continue to work
till utterly exhausted. There are, at
this hour, hundreds of persons thus
engaged all over the country.'
23. a man whose way is hid,
and whom God hath hedged in,
2

see in the word an allusion to the
Pyramids, as the Hebrew letters
might conceivably be intended to
represent the Egyptian word for
these mighty piles. Such an allusion
would be quite natural here, as in
several other places an Egyptian
colouring is manifest in this book,
and the writer was certainly ac
quainted with that country. Many
moderns, however, think that there
must be some error in the text.
16. Cf. Ps. Iviii. 8.
20 — 26. The wish that he
might die now. Since it is now an
. impossibility that he should never
have been born, or that he should
have died immediately at his birth,
one thing alone remains for Job to
wish for, viz. that death might now
be granted to him as speedily as
possible : hence the complaint in
this third part of the ' curse,' that
life and hght are given to the man
who is longing for death (20 — 23),

18 THE BOOK OF JOB [ni. h-«s
24 For my sighing cometh ' before I eat,
And my roarings are poured out like water.
25 For *the thing which I fear cometh upon me,
And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me.
26 3I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest ;
But trouble cometh.
1 Or, like my meat 2 Or, the thing which I feared is come &c.
3 Or, I was not at ease. ..yet trouble came
With these words Job comes directly R. V. marg.) the thing which I
to his own case. In the previous feared is come. The reference is
verses (20—22) he has been speaking certainly not to his past condition,
generally, and has avoided mention- as A.V., but to his present state.
ing God as the author of the misery His present condition of disquiet
of those who long for death but find and fear of worse evils is the ground
it not. Now he speaks plainly of for his longing for death.
himself as 'a man whose way is hid,' JLooking back over the chapter
so that he can see no clear path as a whole, it is easy to see that
before him, and one 'whom God Job's words are already rash and
hath hedged in,' so that he can find wild ; but it must be remembered
no outlet from his calamities. In that the reason why Job thus bit-
this last phrase we note the first terly curses the day of his birth is
indication of the tendency to regard that he feels forsaken by God, and
God as his enemy, which is so therefore he wishes that he had
strongly marked later on. never been born; and, wild as his
24. before I eat. Better, as words are, there is beneath them
the marginal rendering : like my the truth that in the case of a man
meat. Cf. Ps. xlii. 3, 'my tears who is really, and not only in ap-
have been my meat day and night.' pearance, cast off by God ' it were
25, 26. For the thing which good for that man if he had not
I fear cometh upon me &c. or (as been born.' (S. Matt. xxvi. 24.)
IV., V. Chapter iv. commences the first circle of speeches in the dis
cussion which is now entered upon, and which occupies the longest section
in the book. This first circle lasts to ch. xiv. The debate is conducted with
scrupulous regularity. Each of the three friends is allowed to have his
say, and is answered in due course by Job. No one ever interrupts
another, and nobody speaks out of his turn. The order followed in this
first circle is continued in the two following ones, except that in the third
circle Zophar misses his turn altogether. Thus we have
(1) The first speech of Eliphaz, iv. v. with Job's answer, vi. vii.
(2) The first speech of Bildad, viii. with Job's answer, ix. x.
(3) The first speech of Zophar, xi. with Job's answer, xii — xiv.
For the position of the three friends as the representatives of the
orthodox theology of the day, and for their theory of a strict system of

!V. i-4] THE BOOK OF JOB 19
- retribution as carried out in the visible government of this world, which
underlies all their arguments, see the Introduction, p. xiii. Briefly the
theory amounts to this : suffering is the punishment of sin. Holding this
they are confronted with the case of Job. Here is manifestly a great
sufferer : therefore, so runs their argument, he is a great sinner. In this
hrst debate all three speakers speak in the main in general terms, and
content themselves with stating their theory broadly, only hinting at its
definite application to the case of Job, as explaining his miserable plight.
They assume rather than state that Job must be guilty, and that his
troubles are the consequence of his sin, and each of them holds out the
promise of a bright future as in store for him on his repentance : Eliphaz
in v. 17—27 ; Bildad in viii. 6, 7 and 21 ; and Zophar in xi. 13—19.
This first speech of Eliphaz in chapters iv. and v. falls into three parts,
and may be analysed as follows:
(1) Introduction, and statement of the doctrine of retribution
iv. 1—11. (2) A revelation which had been made to the speaker. Man cannot
be righteous before God. Hence it is folly and wickedness for man to
complain of God, as the result in the life of the wicked shows, iv. 12— v. 7.
(3) It is man's wisdom to submit to God, as the result in the life of
the righteous shows : practical application of this to Job's case. v. 8 — 27.
IV. 1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 If one assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved ?
But who can withhold himself from speaking ?
3 Behold, thou hast instructed many,
And thou hast strengthened the weak hands. ^
4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling,
And thou hast confirmed the 'feeble knees.
1 Heb. bowing.
IV. 1 — 11. Introduction, and rity' and 'fear of God 'should surely
statement of the doctrine of re- uphold him, because, if he is really
tribution. Job's curse upon his innocent, God will never allow him
day moves Eliphaz to speak. He to perish, for (and here Eliphaz
begins in a tone of courtesy, with a anticipates S. Paul) ' whatsoever a
half-apology for presuming to in- man soweth, that shall he also reap '
struct one who has in his time been (6 — 8) ; and then, changing his me-
a support and teacher of others in taphor, he describes the retribution
trouble, but who, now that trouble which overtakes the wicked under
comes upon himself, appears to be the figure of the destruction and
overwhelmed by it (1 — 5). He next breaking up of a lion's den (10 — 11).
proceeds to suggest a thought which 3, 4. thou hast strengthened
may help the sufferer. His 'integ- the weak hands. ..the feeble knees.

20

THE BOOK OF JOB

[rv. s-i

5 But now it is come unto thee, and thou faintest ;
It toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Is not thy fear of God thy confidence,
And thy hope the integrity of thy ways ? .
7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent?
Or where were the upright cut off?
8 According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity,
And sow 2 trouble, reap the same.
9 By the breath of God they perish,
And by the blast of his anger are they consumed.
10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey,
And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.

1 Or, art grieved

2 Or, mischief

The same vivid figures for helpless
ness are found in Isaiah xxxv. 3.
(Cf. Heb. xii. 12.) That Ehphaz
was justified in speaking in such
terms of the support which in former
days Job had given to the weak
and helpless is shown by Job's own
description of his life in the days of
his prosperity, when he was 'eyes
to the blind, and feet to the lame.'
See xxix. 12 — 17.
5. But now it is come unto
thee. ' It,' viz. trouble, but there is
no need to insert the word, as the
lxx. does. Rather, it would appear
that Eliphaz purposely avoids speci
fying what ' it ' is.
6. is not thy fear of God
thy confidence. This rendering of
the R.V. makes the meaning clear.
Eliphaz suggests that Job may find
consolation and support in his mens
conscia recti. If he is really con
scious of integrity, and of the ' fear
of God ' (i.e. piety, cf. xv. 4), there is
no cause for despondency.
7. Cf. Ps. xxxvii. 25 seq.

8. For similar figures express
ing the inevitable result of an evil
life see Prov. xxii. 8; Hos. viii. 7;
x. 13; and especially Gal. vi. 7, 8;
but notice how the apostle looks
beyond this life in considering the
' harvest.' 9 is closely connected with the
preceding, and describes the judg
ment which overtakes the wicked,
under the figure of the fiery breath
of God (as in 2 Thess. ii. 8), which
scorches and withers up the grass
of the field. Cf. Is. xl. 7; Amos
i. 2; S. James i. 11.
10, 11. Eliphaz appends a
second picture of the discomfiture
of the wicked. The impious man
may be mighty as a lion, but his
home shall be suddenly broken up,
and his children be vagabonds, just
as the den of the fierce lion is de
stroyed and his whelps scattered
abroad. For the lion as a figure of
the wicked oppressor cf. Ps. xxii. 13
xxxv. 17. The Hebrew language is
peculiarly rich in names for lions,

rv. 12-14]

THE BOOK OF JOB

21

12 Now a thing was 'secretly brought to me,
And mine ear received a whisper thereof.
13 In thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falleth on men,
14 Fear came upon me, and trembling,
Which made all my bones to shake.
1 Heb. brought by stealth.

no fewer than five different ones
being used in these verses, besides
the word for 'whelps' (GAr), which
is not confined to the whelps of the
hon. See Lam. iv. 3. (1) Aryeh:
the general name for 'hon'; (2)
Shakhal, 'the fierce lion'; either
the roaring lion, or possibly the
black lion ; (3) Cphirim, ' the young
lions,' no longer mere ' whelps,' but
already weaned, and having begun
to ravin : see Ezek. xix. 2, 3 ; Ps.
civ." 21 ; (4) Layish, ' the old lion,'
perhaps 'the strong lion,' but the
word is a rare one, only found here
and Is. xxx. 6 ; Prov. xxx. 30 ; (5)
Labhi, possibly 'the lioness.'
iv. 12 — v. 7. A revelation
which had been made to the
speaker. Man cannot be right
eous before God. Hence it is
folly and wickedness for man to
complain of God, as the result
in the life of the wicked shows.
This section begins with a very strik
ing and impressive account of a
vision which had been granted to the
speaker in the night. A spiritual
manifestation was made to him,
and the silence was broken by a
voice proclaiming the impossibility
of man being 'just before God,' or
' pure before his Maker.' Even the
angels are not clean before Him.
How much less can frail man be
free from sin (12—21)? Eliphaz
next challenges Job to appeal to the

angels and see whether there is any
of them who will espouse his cause
(v. 1). Then by a sudden turn, he
lays down the principle that it is
only the ' foolish man ' or the ' silly
one' who allows himself to com
plain of God, following this up with
a description drawn from life of the
destruction which overtakes one who
is so foolish as to resent God's dis
pensations (3—5), and ending by
'condensing into a vivid aphorism
his teaching in this section ' (David
son). The misfortune that over
takes the fool is nothing to be
surprised at. It might have been
foreseen all along, for ' affliction ' is
no chance weed that springs up hap
hazard, but ' man is born to trouble
as the sparks fly upward ' (6, 7).
This appears to be the general
drift of the passage, but it must be
confessed that the intention of the
opening verses of chapter v. is some
what obscure; and it is possible
that there has been some corruption
of the text (Siegfried rejects verse 1
altogether). 12 — 16. The vision. A wonder
fully graphic description of the
manifestation and the terror which
it excited. In verse 15 it is doubt
ful whether the meaning is then a
spirit passed before my face, or (as
R.V. marg.) then a breath passed
over my face. The latter is per
haps the more probable rendering.

22

THE BOOK OF JOB

[rv. 15-18

15 Then 'a spirit passed before my face ;
The hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance
thereof;
A form was before mine eyes :
2 There was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
17 Shall mortal man sbe more just than God ?
Shall a man 4be more pure than his Maker?
18 Behold, he putteth no trust in his servants ;
And his angels he chargeth with folly :

1 Or, a breath passed over
1 Or, be just before God
It was the feeling of this mysterious
breath upon him that caused his
horror. And then in verse 16 he
describes what he saw. It stood
still. ' It,' i.e. the mysterious ' form'
of which he could not discern 'the
appearance.' Cox aptly quotes, as
probably suggested by this, one of
the finest passages in Milton's de
scription of Death.
1 If shape it might be called that
shape had none
Distinguishable in member, joints,
or limb ;
Or substance might be called that
shadow seemed.' Paradise Lost, n. 666.
There was silence, and I heard
a voice, or possibly, with R.V. marg.,
/ heard a still voice. Cf. 1 Kings
xix. 12, where the words in the
original are almost the same.
17. Shall mortal man... be
more pure than his Maker? As
far as the grammar is concerned
this translation is perfectly natural :
but such a sentiment seems un
necessary and out of place here, as
there was no question of Job setting
himself up to be more righteous or
pure than God. Hence there is

2 Or, I heard a still voice
4 Or, be pure before his Maker
little doubt that the margin of the
R.V. gives the correct rendering :
Shall mortal man be just before
God?
Shall a man be pure before Ms
Maker ?
(1) This translation is equally
possible grammatically (cf. Numb.
xxxii. 22, where the same construc
tion is found); (2) it has the sup
port of the lxx. ; (3) it gives a
meaning which is thoroughly in
place in the argument of Eliphaz,
who is here showing that the suffer
ings of the ungodly are the result of
their sins ; and (4) it is supported by
the very similar passages in xv. 14-
16, and xxv. 4-6, where it is the only
meaning possible.
18. folly. The Hebrew word
occurs nowhere else, and though a
possible root has been suggested
for it, which would give the mean
ing of 'error' rather than folly, it
is noteworthy that the change" of a
single letter would give in its place
the word unsavouriness, which we
have already met with in i. 22, and
which is used with the same verb
as here in xxiv. 12.

rv.

19-21

]

THE BOOK OF JOB

23

19 How much more them that dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Wliich are crushed 'before the moth !
20 2 Betwixt morning and evening they are s destroyed :
They perish for ever without any regarding it.
21 4Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them ?
They die, and that without wisdom.
1 Or, like 2 Or, From morning to evening s Heb. broken in pieces.
4 Or, Is not their excellency which is in them removed ?

19. them that dwell in houses
of clay^ etc. i.e. men who are
'formed out of the clay' (xxxiii. 6),
and made 'of the dust of the ground'
(Gen. ii. 7). Cf. S. Paul's phrase ' our
earthly house of this tabernacle,'
2 Cor. v. 1, where the 'house,' as
here, refers to the body.
Which are crushed before the
moth. Better, like the moth. So
the margin of the R.V. after the
lxx. ; the Hebrew word before is the
same as that found in iii. 24, where
see note.
20. Betwixt morning and
evening they are destroyed, i.e. they
are as shortlived as the moth, the
creature of a day, and are as little
regarded. Cf. the similar expres
sion, 'From day even unto night
wilt thou make an end of me ' in Is.
xxxviii. 12, where the meaning is
'in the course of a single day.'
21. Is not their tent-cord
plucked up within them ? The
verse is very obscure, but by adopt
ing this rendering of the R.V. a
good sense may be obtained.
The tent is a figure for the
'earthly house of this tabernacle'
(2 Cor. v. 1, where S. Paul combines
the two figures of verses 19 and 21),
and the plucking up of the tent-
cord leading to the collapse of the
tent forcibly expresses the sudden

death of its inhabitant. Cf. again
Is. xxxviii. 12, 'Mine age (marg.
habitation) is removed, and is car
ried away from me as a shepherd's
tent.' It is difficult to extract any
intelligible meaning out of the A.V.
They die, and that without wis
dom. A touch which heightens the
tragedy of man's fate : he dies be
fore he has ever attained unto wis
dom. Davidson rightly lays stress on
the considerateness of all this part
of the speech of Eliphaz. ' He does
not touch Job's murmurs directly,
but seeks to reach them by suggest
ing other thoughts to Job. First,
he speaks of the exalted purity of
God, to awaken reverence in Job's
mind. Then he descends to the
creatures and seeks to look at them
as they appear unto God. In His
eyes, so sublime is He in hohness, all
creatures, angels and men, are err
ing. Thus Eliphaz makes Job cease
to be an exception, and renders it
more easy for him to reconcile him
self to his history and acknowledge
the true cause of it. He is but one
where all are the same. There is
nothing strange in his having sinned
(v. 6, 7). Neither, therefore, are his
afflictions strange. But it will be
something strange if he murmurs
against God.'

24

THE BOOK OF JOB

[v.

1-4

V. 1 Call now ; is there any that will answer thee ?
And to which of the 'holy ones wilt thou turn ?
2 For vexation killeth the foolish man,
And 2jealousy slayeth the siUy one.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root :
But suddenly I cursed his habitation.
4 His children are far from safety,
And they are crushed in the gate,
Neither is there any to deliver them.

1 See ch. xv. 15.

Or, indignation

V. 1. which of the holy ones.
The interpretation of the lxx., the
holy angels, is undoubtedly cor
rect. See xv. 15, where the same
word, the holy ones, is used in a
verse which is parallel with iv. 18,
angels. The word is also used of
the angels in Ps. lxxxix. 7, and pro
bably in Zech. xiv. 5 ; cf. also Dan.
viii. 13.
2. For vexation killeth the
foolish man &c. It is idle for Job to
complain of his hapless plight to the
angels. None of them would regard
his complaint. Rather let him re
member that such 'vexation' and
'jealousy ' as he shows with regard
to God's treatment of him, brings
down in due time a judgment on
the man who is so foolish as to give
way to it. The word for ' foolish ' is
a different one from that used in h.
10, but like it, it often denotes one
who is morally bad, see Prov. i. 7,
xiv. 9, xv. 5.
3 — 5. Eliphaz recalls an in
stance to illustrate the thought to
which he has just given expression,
and describes the case of a man
whom he had seen apparently pros
perous and taking root, when sud
denly his prosperity was at an end
and he and his children were involved

3. / cursed his habitation. This
can only mean 'I pronounced his
habitation accursed,' as if Eliphaz
foresaw the ruin that was coming,
and so declared that the household
was accursed. But the expression
is certainly a strange one, and it is
possible that the text is corrupt.
The lxx. have 'and suddenly his
house was consumed,' which gives an
excellent sense but implies a differ
ent reading (possibly the same word
that is found in Prov. x. 7; Is. xl.
20). 4. they are crushed in the
gate. ' The gate ' here, as so often,
means the open space at the
gate of the city where judgment
was given. Cf. xxix. 7, xxxi. 21 ;
Deut. xxv. 7 ; Prov. xxii. 22 ; Is.
xxix. 21 ; Amos v. 10. Consequent
ly the thought here is that the sons,
after the overthrow of their father,
are unable to obtain justice, and
thus are 'crushed,' there being
' none to deliver them,' no powerful
champion able to bribe or overawe
the judge. Contrast Ps. cxxvii. 5,
where the children are 'not ashamed,
when they speak with their enemies
in the gate.'

V. 5-8]

THE BOOK OF JOB

25

5 Whose harvest the hungry eateth up,
And taketh it even out of the thorns,
And 'the snare gapeth for their substance.
6 For 2 affliction cometh not forth of the dust,
Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground ;
7 But man is born unto trouble,
As sthe sparks fly upward.
8 But as for me, I would seek unto God,
And unto God would I commit my cause :
1 According to many ancient versions, the thirsty swallow up.
2 Or, iniquity See ch. iv. 8. 3 Heb. the sons of flame or of lightning.

5. So complete is their ruin
that the hungry marauder fears not
to break through the hedge of
'thorns' surrounding the homestead,
in order to rob and carry off the
harvest. and the snare gapeth for their
substance. ' The snare.' If the text
is correct, this is the only translation
possible. 'Robber' of the A.V.,
which comes from the Targum, has
no real authority. The word is only
found again in xviii. 9, where it cer
tainly has the meaning of 'snare.'
Thus Ehphaz means to say that the
wealth and property of the fool dis
appears ' as though some huge trap
which had long gaped for it, had
swallowed it in an instant' (Cox).
It will be seen, however, that the
margin of the R.V. suggests an
alternative rendering, 'the thirsty
swallow up their substance, according
to many ancient versions.' This gives
an excellent sense, and the allusion to
' the thirsty ' forms a natural parallel
to the previous clause speaking of
' the hungry.' The change required
for this reading is only one of punc
tuation, and as it has the support
of the versions of Aquila and Sym
machus as well as the Vulg. it
certainly deserves consideration

6, 7. 'Affliction' and 'trouble'
are not really necessitated by man's
environment : they come ' not forth
of the dust,' and do not ' spring out
of the ground'; but man brings
them quite naturally upon himself
through his sinful nature, from which
evil rises up as naturally 'as the
sparks fly upward.'
8 — 27. It is man's wisdom
to submit to God, as the result
in the life of the righteous shows :
practical application of this to
Job's case.
Having now shown in general
the consequences of sin in the hfe of
the wicked, Eliphaz turns to Job
and tells him (as it is so easy for a
prosperous man to do) what he him
self would do if he were in the
sufferer's place. He would commit
his case unreservedly to God, Who
is so great and so good (8 — 11), Who
exercises judgment upon the wicked,
and saves the poor and needy (12 —
16). Let Job, then, consider himself
happy in being corrected by God,
for He Who makes sore will also
bind up (17, 18), and will dehver His
afflicted and humble servant and
restore him to all, and more than all,
his former prosperity (19—27).

26

THE BOOK OF JOB

[v. 9-16

9 Which doeth great things and unsearchable ;
Marvellous things without number :
10 Who giveth rain upon the earth,
And sendeth waters upon the fields :
11 So that he setteth up on high those that be low ;
And those which mourn are exalted to safety.
12 He frustrateth the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands 'cannot perform their enterprise.
13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness :
And the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
14 They meet with darkness^in the day-time,
And grope at noonday as in the night.
15 But he saveth from the sword 2of their mouth,
Even the needy from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the poor hath hope,
And iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

1 Or, can perform nothing of worth

2 Heb. out of their mouth.

10. Who giveth rain upon the
earth. The gracious rain is here
mentioned, as often elsewhere, as an
instance of God's beneficence. Cf.
Ps. lxv. 9; lxviii. 9; civ. 13; cxlvii. 8.
11. So that he setteth up on
high those that be low. These
words, among many other passages
of the Old Testament, appear to
have been in the mind of the Blessed
Virgin when she gave utterance to
the Magnificat. Cf. S. Luke i. 52,
where the first clause is apparently
suggested by Job xii. 19, and the
second (vyjrwcrev rcmeivovs) by the
line before us (lxx. tov iroiovvra
raireivovs els ityos). Cf. also 1 Sam.
ii. 7 seq.
13. He taketh the wise in their
own craftiness. These words are
quoted by S. Paul in 1 Cor. iii. 19
as Scripture, being introduced by
the formula ' it is written.' This is
the only formal and acknowledged
quotation from the book in the New

Testament. But there is also the
historical allusion to Job in S. James
v. 11, and there are a few other
passages besides that just noted
above in which recollections of this
book have apparently influenced the
language of the New Testament, e.g.
Westcott and Hort mark Phil. i. 19
as a citation of Job xiii. 16, and
note the coincidence of phrase be
tween 1 Thess. v. 22 and Job i. 1, ii.
3; 2 Thess. ii. 8 and Job iv. 9;
and Rev. ix. 6 and Job iii. 21 ; while
Rom. xi. 35 is a reminiscence of Job
xii. 11.
is carried headlong, i.e. being
hastily conceived and executed it is
frustrated. 15. from the sword of their
mouth. As the margin of the R.V.
notes, the Hebrew has ' out of their
mouth'; and the text is open to
suspicion of incorrectness, but the
general sense is clear enough.
16. And iniquity stoppeth her

V. 17-24]

THE BOOK OF JOB

27

17 Behold, happy is the man whom God ' correcteth :
Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up ;
He woundeth, and his hands make whole.
19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles ;
Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
20 In famine he shall redeem thee from death ;
And in war from the power of the sword.
21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue ;
Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
22 At destruction and dearth thou shalt laugh ;
Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field ;
And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
24 And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace ;
And thou shalt visit thy 2fold, and 3 shalt miss nothing.

Or, reproveth

2 Or, habitation

3 Or, shalt not err

mouth. These words occur again
in Ps. cvii. 42, a Psalm which has
other coincidences with Job ; cf. verse
40 with chapter xii. 21, 24.
17. Behold, happy is the man
&c. These words seem to be bor
rowed from Prov. iii. 11 seq. (on
the relation that exists between Job
and Proverbs see Introd. p. xxii),
which are quoted in the New Testa
ment in Hebrews xii. 5. It is
almost unnecessary to call attention
to the beauty of the passage which
begins with this verse, and the
lovely picture which it sets before
us. Even the most careless reader
cannot be insensible to it.
19. He shall deliver thee in
six troubles; yea, in seven &c.
' Six, yea seven.' This is an instance
of what is called the 'ascending
enumeration' in Hebrew, whereby
the speaker after mentioning one
number adds a still higher one, to
denote emphasis and completeness.
Almost any number will do. Thus

we have 'one and two' in xxxiii.
14; Ps. Ixii. 11 ; 'two and three' in
Ecclus. xxiii. 16, xxvi. 28, 1. 25;
'three and four' in Ecclus. xxvi. 5,
Amos i. 3 seq. ; Prov. xxx. 15 seq. ;
' six and seven ' in the passage before
us ; ' seven and eight ' in Micah v.
5 ; Eccles. xi. 2 ; and ' nine and ten '
in Ecclus. xxv. 7.
21. the scourge of the tongue,
a very vigorous phrase for the
sin of calumny, detraction, and
defamation, which the Psalmists so
smarted under.
22, 23. All nature is at peace
with the man whose heart is at
peace with God. See Hosea ii. 18,
and cf. Horace, Odes, I. xxii.
24. thou shalt visit thy fold, and
shalt miss nothing. The changes
in the R.V. make the meaning of
this verse clear to the English
reader, tent is much more natural
than tabernacle in the first clause;
fold expresses the meaning more
accurately than the colourless habi-

28

THE BOOK OF JOB

[V. 2S, 26

25 Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great,
And thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age,
Like as a shock of corn cometh in in its season.

tation; and shalt miss nothing
indicates the general idea of the
verse — that of the Eastern farmer
overlooking his homestead, and
finding all secure, and not one
lacking. 26. The crowning blessing of
the Old Covenant shall be his,
viz. long life, so that he shall die
' in a good old age,' and be carried
to his grave as the sheaf of ripe
corn is carried in at the harvest-
home. Almost all commentators
quote as illustrative of this verse
Milton's noble lines :
So may'st thou live, till, like ripe
fruit, thou drop
Into thy mother's lap ; or be with ease
Gathered, not harshly plucked; for
death mature.
Paradise Lost, xi. 1. 537-39.
It is universally admitted that
this speech of Eliphaz is ' one of the
masterpieces of thebook' (Davidson),
and that there are few more exqui
site passages anywhere in it than
the closing verses of chapter v.
And yet it is not difficult to see why
it fails to bring comfort to Job. It
fails in two ways : (1) although
almost everything that Eliphaz says
is true, it is not the whole truth.
Underlying his whole argument is
the assumption that all suffering is
the punishment of sin, even if de
signed to be corrective, and not
simply vindictive. Hence, true as
his reflections are with regard to
much of the suffering in this world,
they do not touch the case of Job at
all, for of his sickness we may say
that it was 'sent unto him,' not ' to
correct and amend in him whatso

ever did offend the eyes of his
heavenly Father,' but rather ' to try
his patience for the example of
others, and that his faith might be
found in the day of the Lord laud
able, glorious, and honourable, to
the increase of glory and endless
felicity.' See the exhortation to
the sick person in the 'Order for
the Visitation of the Sick' in the
Book of Common Prayer, and re
mark how in it the one-sided and
narrow view of Eliphaz as to the
purpose of suffering is avoided. (2)
A second reason why Eliphaz fails
to help Job is that throughout he
adopts the tone of the moralist or
lecturer rather than that of the
sympathetic friend who ' weeps with
those that weep.' What Job needed
was sympathy : what he met with
was moralizing. Hence his friend's
words only embittered him. They
brought him no more help than
the well-meant consolations of his
friends brought to Tennyson, ac
cording to the well-known lines :
One writes that ' Other friends re
main,'
That 'Loss is common to the
race ' — •
And common is the common
place,
And vacant chaff well meant for
grain.
That loss is common would not
make
My own less bitter, rather more:
Too common ! Never morning
wore
To evening, but some heart did
break. In Memoriam, vii

v. 27-vi. 2] THE BOOK OF JOB 29
27 Lo this, we have searched it, so it is ;
Hear it, and know thou it xfor thy good.
1 Heb. for thyself.

VI., VII. Chapters vi. and vii. contain Job's reply. The moralizing of
Ehphaz has only irritated him. It has not helped him to bear his misery
patiently by throwing any light upon the true account of it, or by revealing
its cause, for Job, who up to this time has evidently acquiesced, like his
friends, in the orthodox theory of suffering, is conscious that he has done
nothing to deserve this exceptionally severe treatment at the hand of God
as a punishment Hence he can but renew the complaint to which he had
already given utterance in his curse upon his day, and describe once more
his hapless plight. His speech falls into two main divisions, the first (vi)
addressed to his friends ; the second (vii) addressed to God, and each of
these may be further subdivided, so that the analysis of the whole speech
may be given as foUows.
(1) The answer to his friends, vi.
(a) renewal and defence of his former complaints, 1 — 13.
(6) the failure of his friends to help him, 14—30.
(2) The appeal to God. vii.
(a) description of his hapless, hopeless condition, 1 — 10.
(6) expostulation with God for His inexplicable treatment of him,
11—21. VI. 1 Then Job answered and said,
2 Oh that my vexation were but weighed,
And my calamity laid in the balances together !
- VI. The answer to his friends, by his misery, he breaks out sudden-
1—13. Renewal and defence of ly into a passionate cry for death,
his former complaints. Ehphaz which he would gladly welcome
had reproved him for his 'vexation' (8—10), and shows how utterly im-
(v. 2). Job, accordingly, begins by possible it is for him to endure
taking up this word, and wishing patiently (11 — 13).
that his 'vexation' could be weighed 2. Oh that my vernation were but
against his calamity. The result weighed &c. Apparently what Job
would be the explanation and justi- wishes is that his vexation (cf. v. 1)
fication of his wild words (1—4). or the resentment to which he has
He next points out that there must given expression, might be weighed
be some ground for his complaints, against his calamity, or the misery
as his friends might well have per- which he has to endure.
ceived (5—7); and then, overcome

30

THE BOOK OF JOB

[VI. 3-7

3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas :
Therefore have my words been rash.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
The poison whereof my spirit drinketh up :
The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass ?
Or loweth the ox over his fodder ?
6 Can that which hath, no savour be eaten without salt ?
Or is there any taste in 'the white of an egg ?
7 2My soul refuseth to touch them ;
They are as loathsome meat to me.
1 Or, the juice of purslain
2 Or, What things my soul refused to touch, these are as my loathsome meat

3. For now it would be heavier
&c. it, viz. the ' calamity,' the
weight of which would far outweigh
any resentful utterances of his.
Therefore have my words been
rash, a far more probable rendering
than that of the A.V. are swallowed
up. 4. the arrows of the Almighty,
the origin of S. Gregory's name for
sufferings, ' the bitter arrows in the
hand of God' ; and cf. Shakespeare's
' the slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune.' Hamlet, Act in. Sc. 1.
5. Doth the wild ass bray when
he hath grass ? Job evidently means
by these questions to ask whether
there is no cause for his complaint.
Asses do not bray, nor oxen low,
when they have food sufficient : and
neither would he make so much
noise unless he had a sense of want.
6. A further defence of his com
plaints. Can he be expected to en
joy his afflictions any more than
unsavoury food?
the white of an egg. Of the two
words here used the latter is not
found again in Scripture and its

meaning must be more or less con
jectural. The former occurs else
where only in 1 Sam. xxi. 13, where
it is used of the spittle or slime
which David let fall upon his beard ;
and so it might conceivably be used
of the slimy 'white' of an egg.
This rendering, which is that of
both A.V. and R.V., is already
found in the Targum. But the
Syriac Version gives another trans
lation which is adopted in the margin
of the R.V. Taking the second
word, which is found nowhere else,
not as 'an egg,' but as the name of a
plant, ' purslain,' and supposing that
the first word refers to the slime or
juice of this, it renders the words
broth (or juice) of purslain, a
beverage which evidently stood to
the translator as the type of insi
pidity. Either translation seems
possible. 7. My soul refuseth to touch
them, them, and they in the next
clause, are evidently his sufferings,
which he shrinks from naming. Of.
iii. 24, where he has said that they
are ' hke my meat.'

vi. 8-i4] THE BOOK OF JOB 31
8 Oh that I might have my request ;
And that God would grant me the thing that I long for !
9 Even that it would please God to crush me ;
That he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
10 Then should I yet have comfort ;
'Yea, I would 2 exult in pain 'that spareth not :
'For I have not "denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is mine end, that I should be patient ?
.12 Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh of brass ?
13 Is it not that I have no help in me,
And that 6 effectual working is driven quite from me ?
14 To him that is ready to faint kindness should be shewed
from his friend ;
7Even to him that forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
1 Or, Though I shrink back 2 Or, harden myself
3 Or, though he spare not 4 Or, That ° Or, concealed
" Or, sound wisdom 7 Or, Else might he forsake Or, But he forsaketh
8 — 10. The one thing for which feeling, and all his resources are
he longs is death, which by releasing exhausted.
him from his agony would bring him 13. effectual working. Margin,
comfort ; and he feels that he could sound wisdom. The Hebrew word,
face the pains of death gladly, yea which occurs several times in this
exultingly, because supported by the book (v. 12; vi. 13; xi. 6; xii. 16;
consciousness of his integrity. xxvi. 3), and Proverbs (ii. 7; iii. 21;
10. The text of the R.V. / would viii. 14; xviii. 1), and is very rare
exult is to be preferred to the elsewhere (only Is. xxviii. 29 ; Micah
marginal renderings though I shrink vi. 9), is a very difficult one to trans-
back, or harden myself (cf. A.V.), late satisfactorily. It appears to
and similarly it is better to connect be a technical term of the Hebrew
the last words of this line, that ' wisdom ' or philosophy. It seems
spareth not, closely with the fore- to mean primarily sound or efficient
going (pain), than to take them as a wisdom, and secondly, as the result
separate clause referring to God, or effect of this, abiding success,
though he spare not, R.V. marg., or which is perhaps the meaning here.
let him not spare, A.V. Abiding success is driven from me.
11 — 13. Death is the only ' end ' See the new Hebrew Lexicon
to his afflictions. Why then should (Clarendon Press) sub voce.
it be postponed? He is not made 14 — 30. The failure of his
of stone or brass, so that he is friends to help him. So far in his
capable of bearing anything without answer Job has been defending and

32

THE BOOK OF JOB

[VI. 15-18

15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook,
As the channel of brooks that pass away ;
16 Which are black by reason of the ice,
And wherein the snow hideth itself :
17 What time they 'wax warm, they vanish :
When it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
18 2The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside ;
They go up into the waste, and perish.
1 Or, shrink 2 Or, The paths of their way are turned aside

accounting for his own attitude.
He now turns upon his friends, and
upbraids them with their failure to
help him and their cruelty towards
him»(14). They are hke the torrent
in the desert, which is dried up in
the summer and fails the thirsty
traveller just when he needs it most
(15—21). Then in a tone of bitter
irony he reminds them that it was
not much which he had asked from
them. He had looked for no ma
terial succour, and had never invited
them to rescue him from his op
pressors (22, 23). Let them only
give him some real instruction, and
he will gladly hold his peace : but
such arguments as theirs are really
worthless, and their treatment of
him betrays a spirit which would
lead them on to inhuman cruelties
(24 — 27) ; and finally, in a somewhat
calmer tone, he challenges them to
look on him without prejudice and
say whether he is capable of in
justice and of lying to their faces
(28—30). 15 — 21. The simile of the deceit
ful brook is worked out with great
elaborateness and beauty. In winter
it is turbid (black) and swollen
with ice and snow, and then when
summer comes it is dried up and
vanishes away.
18. The caravans. The word
is the same one which occurs in the

next verse, where it undoubtedly
means ' caravans.' Hence the R. V.,
taking this verse ¦ as describing in
general terms what is more fully
elaborated immediately afterwards.
The caravans that travel by the
way of the dried-up stream turn
aside, i.e. make a wide detour in
search of water, wander away into
the desert waste, and finally perish
of thirst. To this Davidson objects
that ' it is not usual for caravans to
leave the route and " turn aside" in
search of water, a route is selected
and formed rather because water is
found on it.' But the whole point
of the illustration seems to be that
water was expected to be found ;
and if the expected supply had
failed what could the caravan do
but turn asidel Thus the R.V.
may well be supported, and it seems
to yield a preferable sense to the
marginal rendering (which agrees
with the A. V.), which is open to
the objection that it takes the same
word in two completely different
senses in two consecutive verses.
The paths of their way are turned
aside. This makes the streams the
subject of the verse, which is sup
posed to be descriptive of the
manner in whiclmhe brook winds
its way into the desert and is lest
in the sand.

VI. 19-24]

THE BOOK OF JOB

33

19 The caravans of Tema looked,
The companies of Sheba waited for them.
20 They were ashamed because they had hoped ;
They came thither, and were confounded.
21 For now ye 'are nothing ;
Ye see a terror, and are afraid.
22 Did I say, Give unto me ?
Or, Offer a present for me of your substance ?
23 Or, Deliver me from the adversary's hand ?
Or, Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors ?
24 Teach me, and I will hold my peace :
And cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
1 Another reading is, are like thereto.

19. Tema, a district in the
northern part of Arabia, mentioned
(in connexion with the caravans of
Dedan) in Is. xxi. 14; and Jer.
xxv. 23. For Sheba see on i. 15,

20. They were ashamed, i.e.
they were disappointed. In Hebrew
'people are often said to be "a-
shamed " when the help or support
upon which they rely fails them.'
Driver on Joel i. 11. Cf. Is. i. 29 ;
xx. 5; xxx. 5; and contrast Rom.
v. 5.
21. For now ye are nothing.
This follows the marginal reading
of the Massoretic text. The word
rendered 'nothing' is lo (K?), the
ordinary adverb of negation, which
is never elsewhere used as a sub
stantive, and it is very doubtful
whether it can be so employed,
Further, the negative, though found
in the Targum, is not recognized
here either in the lxx. or Vulgate,
and the Massoretic text (as distinct
from the margin) reads in its place
another word of similar sound, but
different spelling, lo (i^>), which
gives the meaning adopted in the
margin of the R.V. for now ye are

like thereto : literally ye are become
it, as if Job said to his friends
'That's what you are like.' This
yields an excellent sense and should
probably be adopted.
It may be added that some
commentators, as Ewald and Sieg
fried, think that neither reading is
original, and would alter the text,
so as to read, ' Thus have ye now
become to me' V; but this seems
unnecessary. [The two words SO, not and 1? to
itj>r him, are several times confused
in the text of the Old Testament.
According to the Massorah, SO is
written for i? fifteen times (there
seem, however, to be at least eight
een instances), two of which occur
in the Book of Job, xiii. 15 (where
see note) and xii. 4 [E.V. 12] ; while
1? to it, is said to be written three
times for SO the negative ; viz. here
and in 1 Sam. ii. 16 ; xx. 2.]
Ye see a terror, i.e. the sight of
Job himself in his misery.
22, 23. It was only sympathy
that he had asked for from them : no
gift of a costly present, no sum of
money that might ransom a captive.
24. He demands to be shown

34

THE BOOK OF JOB

[VI. 25-30

25 How forcible are words of uprightness 1
But what doth your arguing reprove ?
26 Do ye imagine to reprove words ?
Seeing that the speeches of one that is desperate are 'as
wind.
27 Yea, ye would cast lots upon the fatherless,
And make merchandise of your friend.
28 Now therefore be pleased to look upon me ;
"For surely I shall not lie to your face.
29 Return, I pray you, let there be no injustice ;
Yea, return again, 3my cause is righteous.
30 Is there injustice on my tongue ?
Cannot my taste discern mischievous things ?
1 Or, for the wind
2 Or, And it will be evident unto you if I lie
3 Heb. my righteousness is in it.

what the sin is of which he has been
guilty. 25. words of uprightness, i.e.
straightforward dealings, he can
appreciate : they are forcible, or,
possibly, sweet (if, as some think, the
word found here is only another
form of that which occurs in Ps.
cxix. 103, ' How sweet are thy words
unto my taste '), but what is he the
better for the kind of arguments
which his friends give him ?
26. Are they imagining that
they are reproving the words of his
curse upon his day ? Why, the
words of a desperate man, such as
he is, are idle as the wind !
27. Yea, ye would cast lots upon
the fatherless. The A.V. ye over
whelm is impossible with the present
text, and, though the ellipse of the
word for ' lots ' is rather violent, yet
it finds a parallel in 1 Sam. xiv. 42.
The R.V. is, therefore, probably
correct. make merchandise of. The same

word occurs in this sense in xii. 6
(Heb. xl. 30) make traffic of.
28. He challenges the friends to
look him straight in the face, and
judge by his bearing whether he
would claim to be innocent if he
were really guilty. Surely, he says,
T shall not lie to your face ; or (as
the margin of R.V. with A.V.), it
will be evident unto you if I lie.
29. Though the general sense is
sufficiently clear, the exact mean
ing is uncertain. Either (1) 'let
them renew their investigations
again and again, and they will still
find his cause is righteous,' lit.
my righteousness is in it; or (2)
'let them turn' (not return), i.e.
'let them adopt another course,
seek another cause for his sufferings,
and not accuse him unjustly ; and
they will find that he has right on
his side.'
30. Do they really imagine that
his moral sense — his taste — is so
perverted, that he can no longer

VII. 1-6]

THE BOOK OF JOB

35

VII. 1 Is there not a ' warfare to man upon earth ?
And are not his days like the days of an hireling ?
2 As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow,
And as an hireling that looketh for his wages :
3 So am I made to possess months of vanity,
And wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4 When I lie down, I say,
aWhen shall I arise ? but the night is long ;
And I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of
the day.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust ;
My skin 'closeth up and breaketh out afresh.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
1 Or, time of sei-vice a Or, When shall I arise, and the night be gone i
5 Or, is broken and become loathsome

discern right from wrong? With
these words Job turns away from
his friends, despairing of being
understood by them, and makes
his appeal to God.
VII. 1—10. Description of
his hapless, hopeless condition.
In these verses Job first describes
his lot as the hard labour to which
the mercenary or the hireling is
condemned (1 — 3). From this he
passes to a more detailed descrip
tion of the nature of his sufferings
and the symptoms of his disease
(4—6) ; and appeals to God to re
member that his life is but a mere
breath which passes away, for there
is no hope for him in the grave
(7-10). 1. a warfare. Rather a time
of service, R.V. marg. It is the
hard service of the hired soldier to
which Job compares his life. The
word is used in the same sense in
xiv. 14.
2. that earnestly desireth the
shadow. The slave forced to bear

the burden and heat of the day
pants for the shades of evening :
and the hireling looks forward to
the same hour, when he shall receive
his wages ; cf. S. Matt. xx. 8.
3. Like these, Job is forced to
endure and labour, until the ap
pointed hour for his discharge
comes; though meanwhile he may
have to endure months cf vanity
and wearisome nights.
4. Cf. Deut. xxviii. 67.
5. A vivid description of his
sufferings from the leprosy. Ulcers
broke out upon his body and bred
worms : the clods of dust are the
crust of his sores, which kept
forming and discharging. This,
which is the meaning of the R.V.
(closeth up and breaketh out afresh),
is probably correct.
6. He now laments the shortness
of his life, though only a little
while before he had Ion ged for death.
Such inconsistencies are perfectly
natural, and are only what we should
expect under the circumstances.
3—2

36

THE BOOK OF JOB

[vn. 7-

7 Oh remember that my life is wind :
Mine eye shall no more see good.
8 The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more :
Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away,
So he that goeth down to 'Sheol shall come up no more.
10 He shall return no more, to his house,
Neither shall his place know him any more.
11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth ;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit ;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
1 Or, the grave

8 — 10. These verses, in which
Job contemplates the approach of
death, are noteworthy as showing
that at this stage he had no hope
or even thought of a resurrection.
Such a thing does not seem to have
occurred to him, for nothing can be
stronger than the language which
he uses to denote the finality of his
condition in the grave. See further
on xiv. 7 seq., where a change may
be noted.
8. Thine eyes shall be upon me,
perhaps 'against me,' as in Amos
ix. 8, God's eyes are said to be
'against the sinful kingdom,' the
preposition being the same.
I shall not be. This does not
mean that he will be annihilated
by death, but simply that he will
not be found in the land of the
living. Death was never regarded
by the Hebrews as extinction or
annihilation. A shadowy existence
of some sort, joyless and not worthy
to be called 'life,' was always as
sumed to be the lot of the departed.
9. This verse was appealed to in
after days as illustrating the teaching
of the Sadducees, who denied the
possibility of the resurrection. See

J. Lightfoot's Horce Hebraicce, on
S. Matt. xxii. 23.
he that goeth down to Sheol.
The substitution of the Hebrew
word ' Sheol ' for ' the grave ' in a
large number of passages in the
O.T. is one of the great gains for
English readers from the Revised
Version. (See the remarks on it in
the Revisers' preface.) The word
is never used simply for the place
of burial, but is the regular name
employed among the Hebrews for
the abode of departed spirits, like
the Greek Hades.
H—21. Expostulation with
God for His inexplicable treat
ment of him. The thought of
the shortness of his time and the
approach of death makes Job feel
that he can no longer refrain him
self, but that he must speak out his
complaint (11). He wants to know
why it is that God is treating him
in this way, and boldly puts three
questions : (1) Is he so dangerous
that God feels bound to set a watch
over him ; is it for this that just
when he is hoping for some refresh
ing sleep God terrifies him with
such horrible dreams and visions

VII. 12-19]

THE BOOK OF JOB

37

12 Am I a sea, or a sea-monster,
That thou settest a watch over me ?
13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me,
My couch shall ease my complaint ;
14 Then thou scarest me with dreams,
And terrifiest me through visions :
15 So that my soul chooseth strangling,
And death rather than these my bones.
16 'I loathe my life ; 1 2 would not live alway :
Let me alone ; for my days are "vanity.
17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him,
And that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him,
18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning,
And try him every moment ?
19 How long wilt thou not look away from me,
Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle ?

1 Or, I waste away

2 Or, shall

3 Or, as a breath

that he would rather die than endure
them any longer (12—16)? (2) What,
after ah, is man ? Is he of sufficient
importance for God to consider
him, and try him so ? Cannot He
be content to let him alone even for
a moment (17—19)? and (3) Even
supposing he has sinned, what does
it really matter to God ? why cannot
He pardon him and have done with
it, instead of making him an en
cumbrance and a burden to himself
(20, 21) ?
12. Am, I a sea, or a sea-
monster ? Some have seen in these
words an allusion to the Nile, and
to the fact that watches are set to
keep it in proper channels as soon
as it breaks forth. This, however,
is very improbable, though the Nile
is apparently termed 'the sea' in
Is. xviii. 2 ; xix. 5 ; Nahum iii. 8.
More probably there is a half-
mythological allusion to the dragon
or sea-monster as the representative

and embodiment of the sea itself,
which is regarded as a restless,
dangerous creature which needs to
be carefully watched lest it should
do some serious injury. Am I such
a creature as this ? Job seems to
say. 14. Hideous dreams are said to
be among the miseries of the disease
of elephantiasis from which Job was
suffering. 15. strangling, or rather, suffo
cation, in which the disease is said
often to terminate.
rather than these my bones. His
flesh has wasted away, so that he
can only speak of himself as a
skeleton, almost ' a bag of bones.'
17, 18. Here Job, in his agony,
takes up the words of Ps. viii and
parodies them, turning the question
which the Psalmist asked in awe
and wonder into one of bitter sar
casm. 19. till T swallow down my

38

THE BOOK OF JOB

[vii.

20 If I have sinned, what 'do I unto thee, 0 thou 'watcher
of men ?
Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee,
So that I am a burden to myself ?
21 And why dost thcga not pardon my transgression, and take
away mine iniquity ?
For now shall I lie down in the dust ;
And thou shalt seek me diligently, but I shall not be.

1 Or, can I do

2 Ox, preserver

a phrase, found also in
Arabic, equivalent to 'in the twink
ling of an eye.'
20. O thou watcher of men.
Not, as A. V., preserver. The term
is evidently one of reproach — almost
' O thou spy of men ' ; so Renan, ' 0
espion de l'homme.'
as a mark for thee. A different
word for 'mark' is used in xvi. 12,
where the thought is that Job is
made a target for God's arrows.
Here the meaning is 'that Job is a
block or obstacle in the way so that
God was always stumbling over him'
(Cox). a burden to myself. According
to the Jews this passage contains
one of the eighteen tikkunS Soph-
erim or ' corrections of the scribes.'
It is said that the original reading
was ' a burden to thee ' ; but that
this was considered too bold (though

it is hard to see how it is bolder
than the previous expression 'a
mark for thee'), and that therefore
it was altered by the scribes to 'a
burden to myself.' The reading ' to
thee ' is found in the lxx., Symma
chus, and a few Hebrew mss., and is
accepted by many moderns ; but
both the Targum and the Vulgate
have ' to myself.' (For a hst of the
tikkune Sopherim see Buxtorf's
Lexicon, col. 2631. The only other
one in this book is in xxxii. 3.)
21. seek me diligently, in the
original a single word, which means
to seek earnestly, and has nothing
to do with a word of similar sound
meaning 'morning.' The mistaken
idea that the two words were con
nected has led to the A.V. ' seek in
the morning' here, and to similar
renderings in other passages; as
viii. 5 ; xxiv. 5; Prov. viii. 17, &c.

VIII. First speech of Bildad.
Job had expostulated with God for His treatment of him, and by re
jecting the various solutions of it propounded in vii. 12 seq., had implied
that it was inexplicable, and had practically accused God of a lack of
discrimination and of injustice in His dealings with men. To this Bildad
directs his answer, which consists of three parts :
(1) Introductory statement of the doctrine of retribution : God does
discriminate. 1 — 7.
(2) The doctrine supported by the wisdom of the ancients. 8 — 19.
(3) Conclusion with reference to Job. 20 — 22.

viii. 1-5] THE BOOK OF JOB 39
The position which he takes up is really identical with that maintained
by Eliphaz, though there is a marked difference of tone between the two
speakers. Eliphaz had urged his point with consideration, in a dignified,
grave and self-restrained manner, and had spoken with great beauty and
pathos of the bright future that might yet be in store for Job. Bildad
does not ignore this possibility, but touches lightly on it, and is much less
careful of the feelings of his friend, taking no pains to avoid what must
have bitterly hurt him, viz., the unkind allusion to the supposed sin of his
children in verse 4. It is interesting also to note that whereas Eliphaz
supported his doctrine by a Divine revelation made to him in a vision,
Bildad falls back, in a thoroughly Eastern manner, upon the teaching of
the ancients, and quotes a piece of the proverbial wisdom of antiquity
almost as an end of controversy.
VIII. 1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long wilt thou speak these things ?
And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a
mighty wind?
3 Doth God pervert judgement ?
Or doth the Almighty pervert justice ?
4 'If thy children have sinned against him,
And he have delivered them into the hand of their trans
gression :
5 If thou wouldest seek diligently unto God,
And make thy supplication to the Almighty ;
1 Or, If thy children sinned. ..he delivered dec.
1 — 7. Introductory statement sinned against Him, He delivered
of the doctrine of retribution, them into the hand of their trans-
God does discriminate. Bildad gression. It seems best to make
begins with a rebuke to Job for his this verse a distinct sentence by
stormy words, and for daring to itself, and to take 5 and 6 by
imagine that God can pervert themselves as containing another
justice (1 — 3). Suppose his children sentence, rather than with R.V. to
have sinned, they have only receiv- take the three verses as but one
ed the due reward of their trans- sentence with a triple protasis. ' If
gression (4); and if Job himself thy children... If thou wouldest
would only turn to God, and show seek. ..Ifthouwertpure...'cf. Driver,
himself pure and upright, he would Tenses of the Hebrew Verb, § 127
find God ready to bless him abun- (y) and 142 (where see note).
dantly (5—7). 5. seek diligently : the same
4. Render (with the margin of word as in vii. 21, where see note.
the R.V.) If thy children have

40

THE BOOK OF JOB

[VIII. 6-12

6 If thou wert pure and upright ;
Surely now he would awake for thee,
And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7 And though thy beginning was small,
Yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
8 For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age,
And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched
out :
9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing,
Because our days upon earth are a shadow :)
10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee,
And utter words out of their heart ?
11 Can the "rush grow up without mire ?
Can the 2flag grow without water ?
12 Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down,
It withereth before any other herb.

Or, papyrus

2 Or, reed-grass

8 — 19. The doctrine supported
by the wisdom of the ancients.
Distrusting his own judgment as ' a
man of yesterday,' Bildad now
appeals to Job to consider the
traditional wisdom of former days
(8—10). He will there find pro
verbs that teach him that, as the
luxuriant water-plant perishes with
out water, so does the wicked man
when the favour of God is with
drawn (11 — 13). His confidence is
shortlived as the threads of gossa
mer (14, 15), one day he may be like
a flourishing plant in the garden, and
apparently firmly rooted, but, if
God destroys him, so completely is
every vestige of him swept away
that even the very place where he
was denies that it ever knew him
(16—19). 11. These proverbial sayings are
evidently Egyptian in their origin.
The rush (a rare word, possibly

Coptic in origin) is really the papy
rus of the Nile (so R.V. marg. after
the lxx.) : the word occurs again in
Exod. ii. 3, of the ark of ' bulrushes,'
and twice in Isaiah, xviii. 2 and
xxxv. 7 ; and flag is the reed grass,
mentioned only here and in Gen. xii.
2, 18, in Pharaoh's dream (possibly
also it should be read in Hos. xiii.
15). The word is apparently Egyp
tian in its origin, and comes from
no known Semitic root.
mire. The word occurs again in
xl. 21, of the mire, or 'fen,' where
the hippopotamus lies. Elsewhere
only in Ezek. xlvii. 11.
12. Whilst it is yet in its green
ness, i.e. before it is really ripe and
ready to be cut down. It is worth
noticing in passing that the R.V.
substitutes 'its' for 'his' of the
A.V. ; ' its ' for the neuter of the
possessive never occurring in the
seventeenth century version.

VTII. 13-19]

THE BOOK OF JOB

41

13 So are the paths of all that forget God ;
And the hope of the godless man shall perish :
14 Whose confidence shall 'break in sunder,
And whose trust is a spider's 2web.
15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand :
He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.
16 He is green before the sun,
And his shoots go forth over his garden.
17 His roots are wrapped 3 about the heap,
He beholdeth the place of stones.
18 If he be destroyed from his place,
Then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.
19 Behold, this is the joy of his way,
And out of the 4 earth shall others spring.
1 Or, be cut off 2 Heb. house. " Or, beside tlie spring 4 Or, dust

13. The application of the simile.
the godless man, better than the
hypocrite of the A.V., the word
occurs again in xiii. 16, xv.' 34,
xvii. 8, xx. 5, xxvii. 8, xxxiv. 30,
xxxvi. 13, but outside this book is
very rare.
14. whose trust is a spiders
web, literally house. Davidson and
Cox aptly quote in illustration of
this the saying in the Koran, ' The
likeness of those who take to them
selves patrons beside God is as the
likeness of a spider who taketh to
herself a house; and verily the
frailest of houses is the spider's
house, if they did but know' (Kor.
xxix. 40). The flimsiness of the
works of the wicked is compared to
spiders' webs in Is. lix. 5, 6.
16. Another figure, of a luxuri
ant garden-plant, green before the
sun, i.e. probably under the foster
ing care of the sun (Davidson).
1 7. His roots are wrapped about
the heap. This must mean that his
roots strike down and entwine

themselves firmly round 'the heap' of
stones, giving him a secure hold of
his position (so lxx. and Vulg.).
But the word rendered ' heap ' has
apparently the meaning of a 'spring'
or 'fountain' in Cant. iv. 12 (if the
text there be correct). Hence the
alternative suggested in the margin
of the R.V. beside the spring.
He beholdeth the place of stones.
A difficult phrase to explain exactly,
but it is just possible that the word
for behold is used (as it is said to
be in the dialect of the Hauran) in
the sense of divide or separate.
This would require us to amend the
text and read 'between (ben )*3)
the stones,' for 'the place (lit.
' house,' beth JY3) of stones.' ' He
pierces between the stones.' A still
further alteration of the text ad
opted by Siegfried has some support
from the lxx., ' He remains alive, is
preserved, among the stones.'
19. Behold, this is the joy of Ms
way. The clause is of course ironi
cal. The second clause, and out of

42 THE BOOK OF JOB [viii. 20-22
20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man,
Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.
21 xHe will yet fiU thy mouth with laughter,
And thy lips with shouting.
22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame ;
And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.
1 Or, Till he fill
the earth shall others spring, means and may see the discomfiture of
that his place is taken by others, those that hate him (21, 22).
just as if he had never been at all. 20. a perfect man. The word
20 — 22. Conclusion with refer- that had been used to describe Job
ence to Job. Bildad ends by himself in the Prologue, not only by
pointing out that since God does the writer of the book (i. 1), but also
discriminate, and neither casts away by God Himself (i. 8).
a perfect man, nor (as he has just 21. The R.V. is probably correct,
fully demonstrated) upholds an evil- He will yet fill thy mouth &c. With
doer (20), therefore Job may yet this verse cf. Ps. cxxvi. 2, and with
find a joyous future in store for him, ver. 22 a cf. Ps. xxxv. 26.
IX., X. Job's second speech, in reply to Bildad. Bildad had declared
that a moral principle might be discerned in the government of this world,
that the good were rewarded and the wicked punished. This Job alto
gether rejects. God's government, he says, is arbitrary and capricious.
But his speech is intended even more as an answer to Eliphaz, from whose
words in iv. 17 he takes his text. Of course, he says, man cannot be
righteous before God. It is absurd to suppose that he can ; because God
is so great and so mighty that man never has a chance of making good his
position before Him. This he illustrates fully, and with appalling boldness,
from his own case, shrinking not from charging God with deliberate cruelty
and unfairness in His treatment of him. It seems to him that the dice are
loaded, and that it is hopeless for him to contend against God. Nowhere
in the whole book are his words wilder and more reckless than in these
two chapters, Nihil asperius in libro, says Jerome. No wonder that they
have shocked and puzzled Christian commentators. But yet in spite of
his hopeless misery, and his hard thoughts of God, he never goes so far as
to bid goodbye to God altogether. He is sure that if only he could ' get
at' God, and come face to face with Him, all would be well.
The speech is a peculiarly difficult one to analyse satisfactorily, but
perhaps the following attempt may assist the reader to discover the main
lines of thought in it.
(1) Description of God's majesty and might, ix. 1— 10.
(2) Impossibility for man to stand up to Him. 11 — 24.
(3) Description of God's treatment of Job himself, and expression
of a longing for some umpire to intervene between them. 25 35.

ix. i-5] THE BOOK OF JOB 43
(4) Expostulation with God for His treatment of him. x. 1 — 7.
(5) God's gracious dealings with him in the past informing him.
8—12.
(6) Contradiction between this and His present treatment of him.
13—17. (7) Cries of despair : Why was he ever born ? and why will not
God leave him alone now ? 18 — 22.
IX. 1 Then Job answered and said,
2 Of a truth I know that it is so :
'But how can man be just 'with God ?
3 sIf he be pleased to contend with him,
He cannot answer him one of a thousand.
4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength :
Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered ?
5 Which removeth the mountains, and they know it not,
When he overturneth them in his anger.
1 Or, For 2 Or, before
3 Or, If one should desire... he could not c&c.
IX. 1 — 10. Description of God's of Eliphaz to which he refers in the
majesty and might. Job starts next clause. If the former view be
by admitting the truth of what has adopted the conjunction with which
been said. Of course man cannot clause 2 begins should be rendered
be just before God (1, 2), because 'But.' If the latter, 'For.' It is
God is so mighty that if He chooses capable of being used in either sense.
to enter the lists against man, man How can man be just &c, see iv.
must be overwhelmed at once (3, 4). 17.
Why, if He pleases, God can over- 3. If 'hebe pleased to contend with
turn the mountains (5), or shake the him. It is doubtful if we should
earth to pieces (6), or prevent the take 'God' or 'man' as the subject.
sun from shining and the stars from Either yields an excellent sense. In
giving their light (7), since it is He the second clause, of course, man
to whom the heavens and the hea- must be the subject. He cannot
venly bodies owe their existence (8, answer one out of a thousand ques-
9). What He does is utterly beyond tions God may put to him ; and
man's capacity to comprehend (10). then in ver. 4, God is again the
2. Of a truth I know that it is subject.
so. It is not quite clear whether 5. and they know it not, i.e.
(1) Job means to assent to the last ' unawares ' and so ' suddenly' ; cf.
remarks of Bildad ; or whether (2) Jer. 1. 24, where the phrase has
he is already thinking of the words the same meaning.

44

THE BOOK OF JOB

[IX 6-

6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place,
And the pillars thereof tremble.
7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not ;
And sealeth up the stars.
8 Which alone stretcheth out the heavens,
And treadeth upon the ' waves of the sea.
9 Which maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south.
10 Which doeth great things past finding out ;
Yea, marvellous things without number.
11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not :
He passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
1 Heb. high places.

6. Which shaketh the earth.
The reference is to earthquakes or
great convulsions of nature.
And the pillars thereof tremble.
For the ' pillars ' of the earth cf. Ps.
Ixxv. 3. The idea is of the earth
as a solid mass upborne on pillars.
The same conception is apphed to
the heavens, the ' pillars ' of which
are also said to ' tremble ' at the
reproof of God, in xxvi. 11.
8. Which alone stretcheth out
the heavens, cf. Ps. civ. 2, 'Who
stretcheth out the heavens like a
curtain.' And treadeth upon the waves of
tlie sea, lit. ' the high places of the
sea.' Cf. Amos iv. 13, and Micah i.
3, where God is said to ' tread upon
the high places of the earth.' This
seems a more natural expression
than the one before us, which can
only refer to the waves of the sea
running mountains high in the
storm. 9. Which maketh the Bear,
Orion, and the Pleiades. All these
three constellations are mentioned
again in xxxviii. 31. The early
translators were not at one in their

identification of them. The lxx
has here HXeiada Kal "Eer7T(pov Kal
'ApKTovpov, but in xxxviii. 31 it
takes the Pleiades for the last
of the three here mentioned (Heb.
Kimah); Orion, for the second
(K'sil) ; and Hesperus for the first
( Ash or Ayish). The Vulgate has
Arcturus et Oriona et Hyadas.
The Syriac: The Pleiades, Arc
turus, and the Giant. The Targum
leaves Ash and Kimah (the first
and third) untranslated, but renders
K'sil, the second, by a word for giant.
It is^now generally agreed that Ash
or Ayish means the Great Bear;
K'sll, or ' the fool,' Orion ; Kimah,
the Pleiades. The last two are
mentioned again in Amos v. 8.
And the chambers of the south :
apparently the vast spaces of the
southern hemisphere.
10. Job concludes this descrip
tion of the mighty power of God by
citing the words which had been
previously used by Eliphaz in v. 9,
with which this verse agrees almost
word for word.
11—24. Impossibility for man
to stand up to God. If God is so

IX. 12, I3]

THE BOOK OF JOB

45

12 Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can 'hinder him?
Who will say unto him, What doest thou ?
13 God will not withdraw his anger ;
The helpers of 2Rahab 3do stoop under him.
1 Or, turn him back 2 Or, arrogancy See Is. xxx. 7. 3 Or, did
great and incomprehensible, says
Job, how can I expect to discover
Him or to call Him to account for
His ways (11, 12)? The haughty
defiers of heaven in days of old
were cowed before Him, and far less
can I venture to stand up before
Him (13, 14). Even if innocent, my
only course is to appeal to His
mercy, even supposing that He be
willing to listen to my plea, which it
is vain to think He would do (15,
16), for He shows Himself deter
mined to crush me without giving
me a chance, and to prove me in
the wrong (17—20). Yet I will
maintain my innocence, though it
cost me my life, for His treatment
of me is only of a piece with His
treatment of others. No moral rule
can be discerned in the government
of the world, and if God is not the
author of confusion, who is (21 — 24) ?
11 forms the transition from the
incomprehensibility of God's ways
to their irresponsible character.
13. the helpers of Rahdb. A
literal translation, but one which
requires a good deal of explanation.
The word ' Rahab ' according to its
etymology means pride, or arro
gancy (see the margin of R.V.), and
hence the A.V., paraphrasing ' help
ers of pride,' by proud helpers. But
in Is. xxx. 7; li. 9; Ps. lxxxvii. 4;
lxxxix. 10, 'Rahab' is for some
reason or other taken as a symbol
ical name for Egypt. Accordingly
some have thought of an allusion of
an historical character here, perhaps

to the destruction of the Egyptians
at the Red Sea, the helpers of
Rahdb being a poetical way of
speaking of the Egyptians and their
allies. This, however, is improbable,
for two reasons, (1) though historical
allusions are not entirely wanting in
this book, yet they are all to still
earlier days, the scene of the book
itself being laid in patriarchal days
before the Exodus. An allusion to
the destruction of the Egyptians
would therefore be an anachronism
which the writer would not be likely
to put into the mouth of Job. (2)
Such reference does not fit xxvi. 12,
where Rahab is mentioned again,
and where the allusion must be
mythological not historical. The
allusion, then, here also is probably
mythological, and may be explained
in this way : Rahab was apparently
taken as the symbolical name for
Egypt from its native monster,
the crocodile, which was probably
termed Rahab (as well as Leviathan)
as 'king over all the children of
pride' (cf. xii. 34, where, however,
the word is not 'Rahab'). It will
be noticed that in Ps. lxxxix. 10
' Rahab ' is parallel with ' Leviathan,'
and in Is. li. 9 with 'the dragon.'
Hence we may take it that Rahab
was originally the name for some
sea-monster or dragon ; and we may
well suppose an allusion here to
some primitive myth in which the
stormy sea was personified under
the figure of its native monster, and
regarded as assaulting heaven with

46

THE BOOK OF JOB

[IX. 14-19

14 How much less shall I answer him,
And choose out my words to reason with him ?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer ;
I would make supplication to 'mine adversary.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me ;
Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice.
17 2For he breaketh me with a tempest,
And multiplieth my wounds without cause.
18 He will not suffer me to take my breath,
But filleth me with bitterness.
19 sIf we speak of the strength of the mighty, 4lo, he is
there !
And if of judgement, who will appoint me a time ?
1 Or, him that would judge me 2 Heb. He who
3 Or, If we speak of strength, lo, he is mighty
4 Or, Lo, here am I, saith he; and if of judgement, Who die.

its waves. Thus the quelling of the
storm is supposed to be the bowing
down of the haughty defiers of the
power of heaven. If such powers as
these, says Job, are forced to bow
down before God, how much less
can I expect to stand up against
Him ! The translators of the lxx.,
Krfrn to vir oipavov, probably saw in
the words some similar allusion to
an ancient myth or 'tradition ac
cording to which a monster which
had once with its allies been over
come by God, was by way of example
fastened as a constellation in the
heavens, where it now shines for ever
proclaiming to the world its vain
resistance of God. Similar things
are told of several constellations, of
Orion also ; and as just before, ver.
9, other constellations were men
tioned, it was natural to refer here
to something of the kind.' Ewald.
Possibly, something of the same
sort underlies the rendering of the
Vulgate 'qui portant orbem.'
15. mine adversary : more accu

rate than my judge of the A.V.
The thought is of pleadings in a
court, but God is regarded not as
the judge but as the opponent or
adversary in the case, whom Job is
called on to ' answer.'
16. The case is now reversed,
and Job here supposes that he cites
God to appear. In such a case, he
says, even if God appeared to answer,
I could never believe that He would
really listen to my plea.
17,18. Probably the verbs should
be rendered (as in ver. 16) as hypo
thetical, He would break me... and
multiply.... He would not suffer:
but would fill me.
19. We should probably foUow
the margin of the R.V. here. The
passage is one of extreme boldness
God is supposed to break in upon
Job's proposal and interrupt him.
If we speak of the strength of the
mighty ' Lo, here am I,' saith He,
and if of judgment — ' Who will
set me a time?'

IX. 20-25]

THE BOOK OF JOB

47

21

22

20 Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn
me :
Though I be perfect, 'it shall prove me perverse.
2 1 am " perfect ; I regard not myself;
I despise my life.
It is all one ; therefore I say,
He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23 If the scourge slay suddenly,
He will mock at the 4 trial of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked :
He covereth the faces of the judges thereof ;
If it be not he, who then is it ?
25 Now my days are swifter than a 6post :
They flee away, they see no good.

1 Or, he 2 Or, Though I be perfect, I will not regard e&c.
3 See ch. i. 1 4 Or, calamity 5 Or, runner

20. Job supposes that he will be
so overwhelmed and confused in
the presence of his mighty Adver
sary, that in spite of knowing that
he is really innocent, he will be
ready to confess to anything.
21* An abrupt and broken ut
terance in which Job practically
defies his Adversary and becomes
reckless and careless of conse
quences. I am innocent, he declares,
using the very word perfect which
had been applied to him in i. 1, /
regard not myself, Ut. / know not
my soul. Nay, / despise my life.
22. It is all one, i.e. it is a matter
of indifference whether I hve or die.
24. He covereth the faces of the
judges, i.e. He veils their eyes so
that they cannot see to discern
between good and eviL We should
note that in these last verses, 22-24,
Job for the first time touches on the
principle on which his friends had
been arguing, and shows that it does
not hold good in the government of

tho world. He only touches on it,
however, as he is still too much
concerned with his own personal
case to consider the general prin
ciple at all fully or calmly. See
further on xxi.
25—35. Description of God's
treatment of Job himself, and
expression of a longing for some
umpire to intervene between
them. Job has scarcely touched on
the general question of God's govern
ment of the world before he reverts
to his own case, and is once more
overwhelmed by the contemplation
of his misery. My life, he says, is
drawing all too swiftly and gloomily
to its end (25, 26). I may try to
forget my misery, but it is useless
(27 — 29). I may strive my utmost to
cleanse myself, but to what purpose
is it, when God will at once plunge
me into some foul ditch, and make
me filthier than ever (30—31) ? If
He were only a man, like myself, then
I might meet Him on equal terms

48

THE BOOK OF JOB

[IX. 26-31

26 They are passed away as the 'swift ships :
As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey.
27 If I say, I will forget my complaint,
I will put off my sad countenance, and 2be of good cheer:
I am afraid of all my sorrows,
I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
I shall be condemned ;
Why then do I labour in vain ?
30 If I wash myself 3with snow water,
And 'make my hands never so clean ;
31 Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch,
And mine own clothes shall abhor me.

28

29

1 Heb. ships of reed
8 Another reading is, with snow

2 Heb. brighten up.
* Heb. cleanse my hands with lye.

(32) ; or would that there were some
umpire to intervene and decide the
matter between us (33) ! or it would
be enough if God would but cease
from overwhelming me by mani
festing His power. Content with
this, I would fearlessly speak up,
and state my ease (34, 35).
25. a post, i.e. a courier or run
ner. 26. swift ships. This translation
(R.V. and A.V.) follows the Syriac
and the version of Symmachus ; but
the margin of the R.V. is probably
correct, ships of reed. The word
rendered reed occurs nowhere else
and is of uncertain origin, but per
haps means papyrus, out of which the
lightest andswiftest boats on theNile
were made. Cf. Is. xviii. 2, where
'vessels of papyrus ' are mentioned.
Davidson quotes Pliny, H. N. xiii.
11, 'ex ipso quidem papyro navigia
texunt'; and Lucan, Pharsalia,
iv. 36, ' conseritur bibula Memphitis
cymba papyro.' The rendering of
the Vulgate (which agrees with the

Targum) is a curiosity, and comes
from a false etymology, 'poma por-
tantes.' the eagle, or more accurately the
vulture, see the note on xxxix. 27.
27. be of good cheer. Lit.
brighten up, or almost smile. The
word occurs again, in x. 20, as well
as Ps. xxxix. 13 (probably a remi
niscence of the last-named passage),
and Amos v. 9, where see Driver's
note in the Cambridge Bible for
Schools. 30. with snow water. This fol
lows the marginal reading of the
Hebrew Bible, but the margin of
R.V. follows the reading found in
the text of the Hebrew, which also
has the support of the lxx., with
snow. This is far more natural, for,
as Davidson notes, 'snow-water is
turbid and foul, vi. 16 ; snow is the
symbol of the most perfect purity,
Is. i. 18 ; Ps. li. 7.'
And make my hands never so
clean, lit. cleanse my hands with
lye, or potash.

IX. 3», 33]

THE BOOK OF JOB

49

32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him,
That we should come together in judgement.
33 There is no 'daysman betwixt us,
That might lay his hand upon us both.
1 Or, umpire

33. There is no. The Hebrew
is exceptional, and a very slight
change (14 for Iff, for which cf. 2
Sam. xviii. 12) would enable us to
follow the lxx. and read Oh that
there were.
daysman, or umpire; the Hebrew
word is the participle of a verb
which is found in Gen. xxxi. 37, for
'to act as an arbiter,' R.V. judge
betwixt us two. This explains its
meaning here. The English word
daysman (found here in Coverdale's
version 1535) is an old word for
arbitrator. The verb to 'day,' is
used for 'submit to arbitration,' and
the substantive is used in 1 Sam. ii.
25, in the version of 1551, 'If one
man synne agaynst another dayes-
men may make hys peace ; but yf
a man sinne agaynst the Lord, who
can be hys dayesman?' The ex
pression is generally thought to be
connected with the Latin diem

What Job here expresses is a
longing for someone to intervene
as an umpire and arbitrate between
him and God. It must be remem
bered that throughout he is regard
ing God as his persistent enemy
who is determined to destroy him.
The controversy between them is
utterly unequal, because one of the
parties is so powerful and uses his
power without scruple against his
weaker antagonist. ' He is not a
man,' he exclaims, 'so that I can
meet him on equal terms ; and oh

that there were some umpire who
could intervene and "lay his hand
on both,'" i.e. impose his authority
on us both, and do justice between
us. It is only natural that this
famous passage should frequently
have been taken as a prophecy of
the Incarnation of the ' one mediator
(the lxx. actually translates by
lica-lrris) between God and man';
but before it can be regarded as
such it must be remembered that
(1) at best it is only a longing for
such a mediator, and according to
the Massoretic text it is even a denial
that one exists ; and (2) the con
ception which was in the mind of
Job when he uttered the words is
very far from being the Christian
conception of the mediator between
God and man. Job wants someone
to interpose between him and the
seemingly arbitrary and cruel treat
ment of God, Who is regarded as
his ' enemy.' The Catholic doctrine
of the Mediation of Christ declines
altogether to accept as anything
but a caricature that which has
sometimes been presented in its
place, viz. the theory of an angry
Father, vindictive and longing to
punish, from whose wrath we are
saved by the intervention of a
Mediator, Who is all mercy and
love. Rather, it sees in the In
carnation and Atonement a proof
of the love of the Eternal Father
equally with that of the Eternal
Son, in that 'God spared not His
4

50

THE BOOK OF JOB

[IX. 34-X. i

34 Let him take his rod away from me,
And let not his terror make me afraid :
35 Then would I speak, and not fear him ;
For I am not so in myself.
X. 1 My soul is weary of my life ;
I will give free course to my complaint ;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

own Son,' and that 'God so loved
the world that He gave His only
begotten Son.' Thus much it seemed
necessary to say to avoid misconcep
tion and exaggeration. But after
all deductions are made on these
accounts, it remains that there is
a real element of truth in the old
view which regarded Job's words as
a prophecy. Crude and mistaken
as were his notions of the relations
between God and man, yet through
them all he sees a real need on the
part of mankind, the need for one
who shall intervene as a mediator,
and who shall in a far deeper sense
than Job conceived 'lay his hand on
both'; and the fact that his words
give voice and utterance to the deep
craving and longing that rises up in
the heart of man for reconciliation
with God, and the necessity of an
intervention of some sort if this is
to be brought about, give it a claim
to be regarded as the expression of
a need which is only satisfied in the
Incarnation. 'The idea of a days
man,' says Dr Watson, ' although
the possibility of such a friendly
helper is denied, is a new mark of
boldness in the thought of the
drama. In that one word the in
spired writer strikes the note of a
Divine purpose which he does not
yet foresee. We must not say that
we have here the prediction of a
Redeemer at once God and man.

The author has no such affirmation
to make. But very remarkably the
desires of Job are led forth in that
direction in which the advent and
work of Christ have fulfilled the
decree of grace. There can be no
doubt of the inspiration of a writer
who thus strikes into the current of
the Divine will and revelation. Not
obscurely is it implied in this Book
of Job that, however earnest man
may be in religion, however upright
and faithful (for all this Job was),
there are mysteries of fear and
sorrow connected with his life in
this world which can be solved only
by One who brings the light of
Eternity into the range of time,
Who is at once " very God and very
man," Whose overcoming demands
and encourages our faith.' The Book
of Job in The Expositor's Bible,
p. 147.
35. For I am not so in myself,
i.e. in himself there is no reason
why he should fear God. The clause
seems to mean much the same as
S. Paul's words in 1 Cor. iv. 4, 'I
know nothing against myself.'
X. 1—7. Expostulation with
God for His treatment of him.
Job now takes his courage in his
hands, and ventures to expostulate
with God for His treatment of him,
appealing to Him to show him why
it is (1, 2), and suggesting (only to
reject as impossible) three con-

X. 2-8]

THE BOOK OF JOB

51

2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me ;
Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress,
That thou shouldest despise the 'work of thine hands,
And shine upon the counsel of the wicked ?
4 Hast thou eyes of flesh,
Or seest thou as man seeth ?
5 Are thy days as the days of man,
Or thy years as man's days,
6 That thou inquirest after mine iniquity,
And searchest after my sin,
7 Although thou knowest that I am not wicked ;
And there is none that can deliver out of thine hand ?
8 Thine hands have framed me and fashioned me
Together round about ; yet thou dost destroy me.
1 Heb. labour.

ceivable hypotheses to explain it.
(1) Is it any pleasure to God to
treat His own creation in this con
temptuous and arbitrary fashion
(3) ? (2) Does God look on things
with mortal eyes, that are often
subject to illusion (4) ? (3) Is God's
life so short that He is obliged to
employ the inquisition lest His
victim (whom He knows to be in
nocent) should escape Him alto
gether (5—7)?
These three hypotheses should be
compared with those thrown out in
a similar way in vii. 12 seq. But
there is a difference of character
between them. In the earlier pas
sage Job was looking at man to see
whether he could find in him any
reason to account for God's treat
ment of him. Here he is looking
at God Himself, and asking whether
there is anything in the Divine
nature that will explain it.
3. Is it good unto thee, i.e. Is
it any pleasure to thee? Cf. the

use of the words in Deut. xxiii. 16
(Heb. 17). The more usual phrase
is 'good in the eyes of anyone.
See Gen. xvi. 6; Deut. vi. 18; or the
words may possibly mean, Is it be
coming or befitting to Thee?
4. eyes of flesh, i.e. mortal eyes,
which are subject to illusion, 'for
man looketh on the outward ap
pearance, but the Lord looketh on
the heart.' 1 Sam. xvi. 7.
8 — 12. God's gracious dealings
with him in the past in forming
him. He now prepares the way
for a keener reproach than any
which he has yet uttered by re
minding God of the gracious care
which He had bestowed on his
creation in the past, when He had
fashioned him in the womb (8 — 10),
clothed him with flesh and bones
(11), and granted him life and favour
(12). He has just previously spoken
of man as ' the work of God's hands'
in verse 3 ; and it is probably this
expression which suggests to him
4—2

52

THE BOOK OF JOB

[X. 9-15

9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me
as clay ;
And wilt thou bring me into dust again ?
10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk,
And curdled me like cheese ?
11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 Thou hast granted me life and favour,
And thy 'visitation hath preserved my spirit.
13 Yet these things thou didst hide in thine heart ;
I know that this is with thee :
14 If I sin, then thou markest me,
And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
15 If I be wicked, woe unto me ;
And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head ;

1 Or, care

the thoughts of the wonderful love
and care which had been shown in
his creation and preservation in the
past, which render it inconceivable
that God can now be determined to
destroy him, and bring him into
dust again. The whole passage
gives a wonderfully vivid descrip
tion of the formation and growth
of the embryo, the only parallel
to which in the Old Testament is
to be found in Ps. cxxxix. 13 seq. :
and for the awe with which the
Hebrews contemplated the mystery
of conception and birth see Eccl.xi.5.
9. wilt thou bring me into dust
again? lit. cause me to return.
The words seem like a reminiscence
of Gen. iii. 19, 'unto dust thou shalt
return.' 10. The words are intended to
describe the generation and forma
tion of the embryo. Cruddled in
the A.V. is only the old form of
curdled, which has been substituted
for it in modern editions since 1762.

13—17. Contradiction between
this and His present treatment
of him. All the while that God
was-Iavishing such tender care upon
him, there was another purpose in
His heart, and it was only to lead
up to this (13), viz. to a condition of
things in which, if he sinned, God
would mete out the severest punish
ment to him, and, if he were right
eous, God would not suffer him to
raise his head (14, 15), but would
spring on him, as a Uon on his prey,
with ever increasing fury (16, 17).
13. these things, viz. the purpose
to destroy Job.
/ know that this is with thee:
better was with thee.
14. If I sin, i.e. If I am guilty
of slight offences, even these God
will note and will not pardon.
15. If I be wicked, i.e. If I am
guilty of great sins, then woe is me I
the consequences are too terrible to
be expressed.
if I be righteous, yet shall I not

X. 15-20]

THE BOOK OF JOB

53

xBeing filled with ignominy
And looking upon mine affliction.
16 And if my head exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion :
And again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.
17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me,
And increasest thine indignation upon me ;
2 Changes and warfare are with me.
18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the
womb ?
I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me.
19 1 should have been as though I had not been ;
I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few ? 3cease then,
And let me alone, that I may 4take comfort a little,
1 Or, I am filled with ignominy, but look thou. ..for it increaseth: thou die.
2 Or, Host after host is against me
3 Another reading is, let him cease, and leave me alone. * Heb. brighten up.
lift up my head, i.e. I must appear
with the downcast look of guilt, and
not dare to raise my head with the
glad confidence of rectitude. Cf. the
use of the phrase 'to lift up the face'
in xi. 15. In the latter part of this
verse and the beginning of the next
the R.V. is almost certainly correct,
as against both A.V. and R.V. marg.
16. thou huntest me as a lion,
cf. xvi. 9.
17. Thou renewest thy witnesses
against me : the expression is best
explained by means of xvi. 8, ' And
thou hast laid fast hold on me,
which is a witness against me : and
my leanness riseth up against me, it
testifieth to my face.' The ' wit
nesses ' are the marks of suffering
which Job is called on to endure.
Changes and warfare are with
me : probably the words mean hosts
fight against me, continuously suc
ceeding one another. See the
margin of R.V., host after host is
against me.

'When sorrows come, they come not
single spies,
But in battalions.' (Hamlet, iv. 5.)
18—22. Cries of despair : Why
was he ever born ? and why will
not God leave him alone now?
Once more he recurs to the thought
to which he had first given utterance
in his curse upon his day in chapter
iii. Why was he ever born at aU?
and oh that he might have been
carried straight from the womb to
the grave (18, 19)! and now, as his
time on earth is so brief, why will
not God give him a little respite,
so that he may smile once more,
before he passes away into the
gloom and darkness of Sheol (20 —
22)? 18, 19. Cf. iii. 11.
20. Are not my days few? cf.
vii. 6, 7.
take comfort : rather brighten up,
or smile. It is the same word
that was used in ix. 27, where see
note.

54 THE BOOK OF JOB [x. «, 22
21 Before I go whence I shall not return,
Even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death j
22 A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself;
A land of the shadow of death, without any order,
And where the light is as darkness.
21, 22. The intense gloom of the shadow of death. See the
these verses is very noticeable. Job note on this word on iii. 5.
heaps together almost all the words 22. thick darkness. The word
in the Hebrew language fordarkness, is apparently the same as that found
in order to describe the blackness of in Amos iv. 13. It does not occur
the night which awaits him in Sheol. elsewhere. Darkness itself is the
He evidently contemplates his con- word rendered thickdarknessinni. 6.
dition there as a final one. It is not without any order, the abode of
only that he denies the possibility Chaos.
of a ' return ' from it, but that he And where the light is as dark-
gives no hint of the possibility of ness, imitated by Milton : 'No light,
anything beyond it, of any 'morning' but rather darkness visible,' Para-
beyond the ' night.' dise Lost, 1. 1. 63.

XI. The first speech of Zophar, the roughest and least considerate of
the three friends. Job in his last speech had (1) more than once insisted
on his innocence (ix. 21 ; x. 7), thereby flatly contradicting the ' orthodox '
doctrine of retribution, according to which he must be a grievous sinner
because he is such a grievous sufferer ; and (2) besides this, he had boldly
expostulated with God for His treatment of him, and expressed his desire
to meet Him face to face and reason it out with Him. To these two points
Zophar directs his reply. He is deeply shocked at Job's ' boastings,' and
wishes that God would meet him as he had desired, and teach him wisdom.
Job had imagined that he could ' find out ' God by searching. Zophar can
teach him, however, that the Divine Wisdom is really inscrutable, and that
it is presumption for man to think that he can call God to account for His
actions. But, hke his friends, Zophar ends by holding out to Job a
promise of restoration to prosperity on his repentance.
The speech is perhaps best divided into four parts :
(1) Introductory rebuke of Job for his boastings. 1 — 4,
(2) Wish that God would appear and teach Job wisdom. 5, 6.
(3) The greatness of the Divine Wisdom, and the impossibility of
'finding out' God, or calling Him to account. 7 — 12.
(4) Exhortation to Job to repent, and promise of a bright future if
h« does so ; with a final word of 'warning. 13 — 20.

XI. i-6]

THE BOOK OF JOB

55

XI. 1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 Should not the multitude of words be answered ?
And should a man full of talk be justified ?
3 Should thy boastings make men hold their peace ?
And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee
ashamed ?
4 For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in thine eyes.
5 But Oh that God would speak,
And open his lips against thee ;
6 And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom,
'That it is manifold in effectual working I
1 Or, For sound wisdom is manifold

1 — 4. Introductory rebuke of
Job for his boastings. Zophar
begins with a half-apology for say
ing anything, as if Job's talk and
boastings had compelled him to
speak (1 — 3), for he had actually
dared to maintain his innocence (4).
3. boastings, not as the A.V. lies.
It is probably Job's protestations of
innocence to which Zophar refers.
Cf. the use of the word in Is. xvi.
6 ; xUv. 25 ; Jer. xlviii. 30 ; 1. 36.
4. For thou sayest. Zophar does
not quote Job's exact words, but
gives what he supposes to be the
drift of them.
My doctrine is pure. The refer
ence is probably to the position
which Job took up as to his own
rectitude. He had asserted all
through that he was right, and this
is the ' doctrine' which he maintained
to be 'pure.'
/ am clean in thine eyes. ' Thine
eyes' must be God's eyes. So the
Lxx.,eitherparaphrasing or following
a different reading : ' before Him.'
Job had maintained that God knew
him to be innocent all the time
(x. 7), and Zophar may refer to this.

5, 6. Wish that God would
appear and teach Job wisdom.
If only God would take Job at his
word and appear and answer him !
How different the result would be
from what Job anticipated! He
would indeed learn something of the
Divine Wisdom, and would discover
how mercifully he had been dealt
with. 6. it is manifold in effectual
working. A most perplexing ex
pression, no explanation of which
appears to be entirely satisfactory.
effectual working is the word
which we have already met with in
v. 12; vi. 13, where see note. Mani
fold is literally double. According
to some, the whole phrase should be
rendered there are double folds to
His counsel, i.e. it is complicated,
inexplicable. Davidson renders, ' It
(wisdom) is double in (true) under
standing,' explaining this to mean
that God's wisdom is twofold what
Job conceived of it, in other words
that, in regard to its true insight, it
far exceeded all conception. The
R.V. gives a good sense but it is
hard to wring it out of the Hebrew

56

THE BOOK OF JOB

[xi. 6, 7

Know therefore that God 'exacteth of thee less than thine
iniquity deserveth.
7 s Canst thou by searching find out God ?
Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection ?
1 Or, remitteth (Heb. causeth to be forgotten) unto thee of thine iniquity
2 Or, Canst thou find out the deep things of Godt

words, and Cheyne suggests a slight
alteration of the text (which ob
tains some support from Is. xxviii.
29 Heb.) and renders 'wondrous
are they in perfection.' (Job and
Solomon, p. 26.)
Know therefore. This is not so
much an admonition on the part of
Zophar as the consequence of God's
supposed revelation, as if Zophar
said, ' So shalt thou know.'
exacteth of thee less than thine
iniquity deserveth. This rendering,
which is that of the A.V. as well as
of the R.V., comes from the Vulgate :
' intelligeres quod multo minora exi-
garis ab eo quam meretur iniquitas
tua.' As a translation it can scarcely
be defended, for it rests on a con
fusion between two Hebrew words,
but it probably gives with sufficient
accuracy the thought of the original,
of which a literal rendering is given
in the margin of the R.V., causeth
to be forgotten unto thee of thine
iniquity, i.e. God 'remembers not'
all Job's sins. Zophar is of course
taking for granted his doctrine of
retribution, and so he means to say
that if only God did reveal Himself,
Job would discover that so far was
God from dealing cruelly and harshly
with him, that He had actually
caused some of his sins not to be re
membered before Him. The cruelty
of such a suggestion is obvious. It
far surpasses anything that we have

met with from either of the other
speakers. It should, however, be
mentioned that the lxx. avoids this
cruellest touch of all, rendering ' and
then thou shouldest know that thou
hast received from the Lord thy
deserts for thine iniquities.' This
must imply a different reading from
that found in the Massoretic text,
which is accordingly altered by
Bickell and Cheyne.
7—12. The greatness of the
Divine Wisdom, and the impossi
bility of 'finding out' God, or
calling Him to account. Does Job
really think that the most careful
search will enable him to ' find out '
God, i.e. to comprehend His wisdom
(7)? Why, the length and breadth
and depth and height of it are simply
incomprehensible (8, 9). If God
chooses to enter into judgment with
man, no one can call Him to account
or withstand Him for He knows who
are the wicked, and His eyes can
discern their iniquity (10, 11). But
it is hopeless to expect a ' vain man '
to understand this (12)!
7. Canst thou by searching find
out God? or perhaps (with the
margin of the R.V.), Canst thou find
out the deep things of God? (lit.
that which has to be searched out in
God). The word is the same as that
translated 'recesses of the sea' in
xxxviii. 16.

XI. 8-12]

THE BOOK OF JOB

57

8 'It is high as heaven ; what canst thou do?
Deeper than 2Sheol ; what canst thou know ?
9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth,
And broader than the sea.
10 If he pass through, and shut up,
And "call unto judgement, then who can hinder him?
11 For he knoweth vain men :
He seeth iniquity also, 4even though he consider it not.
12 6But vain man is void of understanding,
Yea, man is born as a wild ass's colt.
1 Heb. The heights of heaven. 2 Or, the grave
3 Heb. call an assembly. 4 Or, and him that considerelh not
6 Or, But an empty man will get understanding, when a wild ass's colt is born a
man

8. This verse may be rendered
literally :
Heights of heaven! What canst
thou do?
Deeper than Sheol 1 What canst
thou know 1
Was this passage in which the
length and breadth and depth and
height of the Divine Wisdom, or
the 'deep things' of God, are said to
be incomprehensible by man in S.
Paul's mind when he uttered the wish
in Eph. iii. 18, ' that ye may be strong
to apprehend with aU the saints what
is the breadth and length and height
and depth, and to know the love of
Christ which passeth knowledge ' ?
10. The words refer back directly
to what Job had said in his last
speech; pass through is the same
word rendered passeth on in ix. 11 ;
who can hinder him is a quota
tion from ix. 12, and if he call to
judgement seems to allude to ix. 32.
Shut up means arrest or imprison.
11. even though lie consider it
not. Apparently this means that
God's eyes are quick to perceive
iniquity, without His having any

need to consider it carefully. This
seems better than the margin of the
R.V., which takes it as an addition
to the word iniquity : and him that
considereth not.
12. A verse that is the despair
of commentators. The words taken
singly are easy enough to translate.
There is only one in the whole verse,
of the meaning of which there is
room for any reasonable doubt, viz.
the verb rendered is void of under
standing in the R.V. This more
probably means will get under
standing, as R.V. marg. So A.V.
would be wise. But when the words
are combined together and an at
tempt is made to extract sense from
them they baffle us entirely, and the
ancient versions yield no help. Of the
various suggestions which have been
made, the one for which there is
most to be said as a translation is
the extraordinary one found in the
margin of the R.V. But an empty
man will get understanding, when
a wild ass's colt is born a man 1
If this be adopted, it will be evident
that Zophar means it to be a cut at

58

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XI. 13-19

13 If thou set thine heart aright,
And stretch out thine hands toward him ;
14 If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away,
And let not unrighteousness dwell in thy tents ;
15 Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot ;
Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear :
16 For thou shalt forget thy misery ;
Thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away :
17 And thy life shall abe clearer than the noonday ;
Though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning.
18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope ;
Yea, thou shalt search about thee, and shalt take thy rest
in safety.
19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid;
Yea, many shall make suit unto thee.
1 Or, arise above

Job himself, as if he said, in despair
of teaching Job, ' I would as soon
expect to see a wild ass bring forth
a man as look for any sense proceed
ing from an empty man like you ! '
But coarse and unfeeling as Zophar
is undoubtedly intended to be, it is
difficult to believe that the author
of the poem can really have meant
to make him say this ; and on the
whole it is best to suppose that in
the words there is embodied some
ancient proverb, the key to the in
terpretation of which is now lost.
13 — 20. Exhortation to Job to
repent, and promise of a bright
future if he does so ; with a final
word of warning. If, however,
Job will only repent and put away
his sin, then he need not fear to lift
up his face as an innocent man (13 —
15), and even the recollection of his
sorrows will pass out of his mind
(16). Once more his life shall be
bright, and he shall be able to sleep
securely (17 — 19). But still, let him

remember the fate in store for the
wicked (20).
13. set thine heart aright : the
same phrase as in Ps. lxxviii. 8,
and cf. 1 Sam. vii. 3; 1 Chr. xxix.
18; 2 Chr. xx. 33.
stretch out thine hands toward
him, viz. in prayer, see Exod. ix. 29,
33; 1 Kings viii. 38; Ps. xliv. 20.
14. If iniquity be in thine hand,
i.e. if thou hast been guilty of
personal sin, put it far from thee.
And let not unrighteousness dwell
in thy tents, i.e. put away the sin
of thy household and family, cf. i. 5.
15. lift up thy face: an allusion
to Job's declaration that even if he
were righteous, he would not venture
to ' lift up his head ' ; x. 15.
17. Contrast Job's words in x. 21,
22, which are evidently in Zophar's
mind. Even if 'darkness' should
come, it will be only for a moment.
It will soon be ' morning ' again.
18. thou shalt search about thee :
i.e. he shall look carefully round to

XI. 20] THE BOOK OF JOB 59
20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail,
And Hhey shall have no way to flee,
And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.
1 Heb. refuge is perished from them.
see that all is secure and safe from Ewald notices how ' even the closing
robbers ; and then shall be able to word promising hope in the speeches
take his rest in safety. of the friends gets gradually more
20. they shall have no way to and more ambiguous : Eliphaz ap-
flee, literally, refuge is perished pends scarcely a slight warning, v.
from them. The same words are 27 ; Bildad already briefly introduces
found in Ps. cxiii. 4, with the excep- into it the opposite of hope, viii. 20
tion of from me, instead of from b, 22 b ; Zophar appends a word,
them. verse 20, which already appears as
This verse seems to be intended an outpost of the host of similar hard,
as a warning to Job of what is in threatening words, xv, xviii, xx.'
Btore for him if he does not repent.

XII. — XIV. Job's third speech, in reply to Zophar.
Zophar's speech has, perhaps not unnaturally, embittered Job more
than anything that has yet been said, for not only has his guilt been
assumed, as by the other speakers, but he has actually been told that he
has come off better than he deserved. Hence in this next speech of his
he turns upon his friends and pours scorn and sarcasm upon them. Their
vaunted wisdom, of which they are so proud, is nothing more than the brute
beasts could teach them. He himself knows everything that they have
tried to tell him. They are ' forgers of lies,' and ' physicians of no value,'
and had better hold their peace altogether. Then turning away from
them, he determines at all costs to make his appeal to God and plead his
cause before Him, either as defendant or plaintiff, he cares not which ;
and so, as if rehearsing his intended speech, he pleads his cause, once more
expostulating with God for His treatment of him, complaining of the
hopelessness of his condition, and contrasting his hapless fate with that of
the trees of the forest. These, even when cut down, have something like
a future Ufe in store for them, for the young shoots spring up from their
stock. If only there were anything like this for him, he could wait and be
patient. But, as it is, he can have no hope, and thus falls back into
despair. The speech is not easy to analyse satisfactorily. On the whole it is
best to make two main divisions, and subdivide, as follows.
(1) Scornful repudiation of his friends' superior knowledge, xii. —
xiii. 12. (a) Sarcastic introduction, xii. 1 — 6.

60 THE BOOK OF JOB [xn. 1-5
(6) This knowledge of which Zophar is so proud might be learnt
from the brute creation, or from any old man, 7 — 12.
(c) Description of God's absolute power, to match Zophar's picture
of the Divine wisdom, 13 — 25.
(d) Utter failure of his friends to help him, and falsehood of their
a priori reasonings, xiii. 1 — 12.
(2) Determination to turn away from man and appeal to God.
xiii. 13— xiv. 22.
(a) The determination, and the challenge to God xiii. 13 — 22.
(6) The appeal to God. xiii. 23 — xiv. 22.
and herein : i. expostulation (xiii. 23—28) ; ii. contrast of the hopeless
ness of man's fate with the hope there is for a tree (xiv. 1 — 12) ; iii. longing
for a 'hereafter' for man (13 — 15); iv. closing complaints of present
misery and hopelessness (16 — 22).
XII. 1 Then Job answered and said,
2 No doubt but ye are the people,
And wisdom shall die with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you ;
I am not inferior to you :
Yea, who knoweth not such things as these ?
4 I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbour,
A man that called upon God, and he answered him :
The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.
5 In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for
misfortune ;
It is ready for them whose foot slippeth.
XII. — XIII. 12. Scornful re- 3. / have understanding, literally
pudiation of his friends' superior heart. The verb akin to this is
knowledge. used in xi. 12, 'an empty man
XII. 1 — 6. Sarcastic intro- will get understanding' (or heart).
duction. No doubt his friends Hence some think that Job is re
think that they have a monopoly of ferring back to Zophar's words
wisdom (1, 2), but as a matter of there.
fact, he himself is quite their equal / am not inferior to you. An
(3); yes, even he who, in spite of unusual phrase in the original, re-
his piety, is now made a laughing- peated in xiii. 2, and found nowhere
stock to men (4)! Those who are else.
happy and prosperous may well be 5. In the thought of him that is
contemptuous of the misfortune at ease there is contempt for mis-
which dogs the footsteps of others, fortune ; It is ready for them
while the wicked seem secure from whose foot slippeth. This trans-
all evil (fi, 6). lation is undoubtedly correct. The

XII. 6-1 1]

THE BOOK OF JOB

61

6 The tents of robbers prosper,
And they that provoke God are secure ;
'Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee ;
And the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee :
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee ;
And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9 Who knoweth not 2in all these,
That the hand of the Lord hath wrought this ?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing,
And the "breath of all mankind.
11 Doth not the ear try words,
Even as the palate tasteth its meat ?
1 Or, That bring their god in their hand 2 Or, by * Or, spirit

A.V. is curious, He that is ready
to slip with his feet is as a lamp
despised in the thought of him that
is at ease. This is suggested by
the Vulgate. 'Lampas contempta
apud cogitationes divitum, parata
ad tempus statutum.' But the word
rendered lamp is really a substan
tive meaning misfortune (occurring
again in xxx. 24 and xxxi. 29) with
a preposition and the article before
it. 6. Into whose hand God bring
eth abundantly. Or, possibly, as
the margin of the R.V. renders it :
that bring their god in their hand,
i.e. whose strength is their god, as
in Hab. i. 11.
7—12. This knowledge of
which Zophar is so proud might
be learnt from the brute creation,
or from any old man. Let Zophar
interrogate the beasts of the earth,
or the fowls of the air, or even the
fishes of the sea, and he will learn
from any of these lessons of God's
wisdom and absolute sway (7 — 10) ;
or let him Usten to the voice of

experience, and he will find that
any old man could tell him the
same (11, 12).
8. speak to the earth, 'the
earth' here must mean the small
creeping things upon the earth.
9. the hand of the Lord hath
wrought this, i.e. all things are to
be traced to God, who rules with
absolute sway, and holds all crea
tures in the hollow of His hand.
It should be noticed that if the
text is correct here, as in i. 21, the
poet allows the sacred name Je
hovah to escape from Job's lips.
But some mss. read 'the hand of
God' (Eloah), which is perhaps
original. Cf. the Introduction, p. xx.
11, 12. Apparently this means
'that the ear (as well as the eye,
7 — 10) is a channel of sound infor
mation.' Davidson. By Ustening
to the talk of old men (12) he might
learn the same lesson which obser
vation of the brute creation could
teach him on the works of God.
Or possibly the margin of the R.V.
may be correct, With aged men,

62

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XII. 12-18

12 'With aged men is wisdom,
And in length of days understanding.
13 With him is wisdom and might ;
He hath counsel and understanding.
14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again ;
He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up ;
Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
16 With him is strength and 2 effectual working ;
The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled,
And judges maketh he fools.
18 He looseth the bond of kings,
And bindeth their loins with a girdle.

1 Or, With aged men, ye say, is wisdom

2 Or, sound wisdom

ye say, is wisdom ehc. It is true
that these words have nowhere
occurred in the speeches of the
friends but they might be taken to
refer to Bildad's words in viii. 8.
In this case there would be a con
trast between verses 12 and 13, Job
replying that with God alone, not
men, is wisdom and understanding
(both words occur again in 13).
13—25. Description of God's
absolute power, to match Zo
phar's picture of the Divine
Wisdom. Zophar has described
the character of the Divine Wisdom,
and has asserted that a moral prin
ciple underlies its action (xi. 7 — 12).
Is it so ? asks Job. God is great as
well as wise, and it is rather the
action of Absolute Power that is to
be seen in all the great catastrophes
which overtake men. It is He who
breaks down and shuts up (14) —
Who at one time withholds, and at
another sends forth the waters (15)
— Who is Lord of all men, and

treats all classes as He will (16 — 21)
— Who discovers things hidden in
darkness (22), and deals with nations
as He does with men (23 — 25).
14. he breaketh down, whether
walls, or houses, or cities.
He shutteth up a man in prison.
Lit. shuts (the door) over a man — as
if he were in some underground
dungeon. Cf. Jer. xxxvii. 16 marg.
'the house of the pit'; and xxxviii.
6. 15 refers to droughts and floods.
17. spoiled, or stripped, as the
same word is rendered in Micah i. 8.
18. looseth thebond of kings, i.e.
the bond imposed by kings, and so
dissolves their authority. This re
quires a slight change in the pointing
of the Hebrew word for correction
("ID-ID), jn order to read the similar
word for bonds (1P1D). Their
authority being dissolved, they are
themselves bound with the girdle of
service, or possibly the cord of the
captive.

xii. 19-xm. 1] THE BOOK OF JOB 63
19 He leadeth priests away spoiled,
And overthroweth the mighty.
20 He removeth the speech of the trusty,
And taketh away the understanding of the elders.
21 He poureth contempt upon princes,
And looseth the belt of the strong.
22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness,
And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them :
He spreadeth the nations abroad, and x bringeth them in.
24 He taketh away the heart of the chiefs of the people of
the 2earth,
And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there
is no way.
25 They grope in the dark without light,
And he maketh them to 8 stagger like a drunken man.
XIII. 1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all this,
Mine ear hath heard and understood it.
1 Or, leadeth them away 2 Or, land s Heb. wander.

19. priests. It is curious that 1 Kings iv. 5 (chief rulers), shrinks
the author allows Job to speak of from so rendering it.
'priests,' though the scene of the 21. He poureth contempt upon
book is laid in patriarchal times, princes. The same words occur in
and Job himself as head of the Ps. cvii. 40, the latter half of which
family acted as priest in his own is found below in verse 24, while
household (i. 5). Of course such verse 27 of the same Psalm affords a
passages as Gen. xiv. 18 and Exod. parallel with verse 25 of the chapter
n. 16 show the existence of priest- before us. See v. 16 for other
hood in these early days, and it is parallels between this Psalm and
possible that Job may be alluding Job.
to such cases : but the probability looseth the belt of the strong. Cf.
is that it is through a momentary Is. v. 27, 'neither shall the girdle
forgetfulness of his position that the of their loins be loosed,' where much
writer allows him to use the word, the same figure for relaxing effort is
Cf. above on ver. 9 and see the used. The paraphrase of the A.V.
Introduction, p. xxi. There is no weakeneth the strength of the mighty
doubt about the meaning of the is suggested by the Targum.
word, which always signifies priests, XIII. 1 — 12. Utter failure of
although the A.V. here (princes) Job's friends to help him; and
and in 2 Sam. viii. 18 ; xx. 26 ; the falsehood of their a priori

64

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XIII. 2-9

2 What ye know, the same do I know also :
I am not inferior unto you.
3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to reason with God.
4 But ye are forgers of lies,
Ye are all physicians of no value.
5 Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace !
And it should be your wisdom.
6 Hear now my reasoning,
And hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will ye speak unrighteously for God,
And talk deceitfully for him ?
8 Will ye 'respect his person?
Will ye contend for God ?
9 Is it good that he should search you out ?
Or as one 2deceiveth a man, will ye 'deceive him?

1 Or, shew him favour

2 Or, mocketh

8 Or, mock

reasonings. All this absolute power
of God Job knows quite as well as
his friends (1, 2), and he longs to
reason it all out with God (3). His
friends are utterly incapable of
helping him, and have shown them
selves wanting in straightforward
ness (4), and if they value their
reputation, they will be wise to hold
their tongues altogether (5). Let
them attend to his rebuke for the
way in which they have lied on
behalf of God (6—8), Who will
certainly reject their advocacy and
punish them (9 — 11). Why, even
their best utterances are 'proverbs of
ashes,' and their arguments crumble
to pieces (12).
4. physicians of no value. Cf.
the expression 'the worthless (the
same word as here) shepherd' in
Zech. xi. 17.
5. Cf. Prov. xvii. 28, 'Even a
fool when he holdeth his peace is
counted wise : when he shutteth

his Ups he is esteemed prudent.'
Davidson adds, ' Si tacuisses, philo-
sophus mansisses.'
6. The reasoning and pleadings
of the lips in this verse do not refer
to the pleading of Job's cause before
God, but to the rebuke which he is
prepared to offer to his friends.
7, 8. The friends had spoken
unrighteously for God and talked
deceitfully for Him, because they
had refused to look facts in the face
and twisted them so as to suit their
theory of retribution. They had
respected the person of God by show
ing partiality for Him, in jumping
to the conclusion that Job must
have been a sinner, because God
was afflicting him so grievously.
9. How will they like it, if God
searches them out and probes them
to the uttermost? they will find
that they cannot deceive Him as
they might hope to deceive a mere
man.

XIII. 10-14]

THE BOOK OF JOB

65

10 He will surely reprove you,
If ye do secretly 'respect persons.
11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid,
And his dread fall upon you ?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defences are defences of clay.
13 Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak,
And let come on me what will.
14 2 Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in mine hand ?

1 Or, shew favour

2 Or, At all adventures I will take d)c.

10. God will reject favouritism,
even when shown on His behalf.
11. His Majesty will overawe
them and strike terror into their
hearts. 12. Your memorable sayings are
proverbs of ashes. The memorable
sayings, literally 'memorials,' are the
maxims and apophthegms which
they have uttered in the course of
the argument, such as Bildad's quo
tations of the proverbial wisdom of
the ancients in viii. 11. These are
but 'proverbs of ashes,' i.e. light and
faUacious. Cf. the expression, 'he
feedeth on ashes' in Is. xUv. 20.
Your defences are defences of
clay. The word rendered defences
means properly 'the back.' Hence
the A.V. bodies, as if the part was
put for the whole, after the Targum,
lxx., and Vulgate. But the word is
used for the boss of a buckler in xv.
26, and so it may perhaps be used of
a defence or shield ; and thus, in
this passage, of the defence which
the friends have constructed for
God, the arguments by which they
have supported His cause
XIII. 13— XIV. 22. Determi
nation to turn away from man
and appeal to God.

13—22. The determination, and
the challenge to God. Job now
sharply enjoins his friends to hold
their peace and let him speak out
at all costs (13) : He will take his
life in his hand, and wait till God
answers him, even though he die for
it; and will maintain his cause
before Him, secure in this, that no
ungodly person would venture into
His presence (14 — 16). Let them
listen to this : he has prepared his
case : he knows that he has right
on his side. Nay, so sure of this is
he that he would cheerfully keep
silence and submit to death, could
anyone prove him guilty (17 — 19).
Two conditions only he asks for
from God : (1) that He would grant
him a cessation of his troubles, and
(2) that He would not overwhelm
him with His Majesty (20, 21).
These granted, he is prepared to
take his place either as defendant
or appellant, he cares not which
(22). 14. Wherefore. The general
sense of this verse is clear, and it
must be intended to express Job's
determination to risk everything:
but if so, it is unnatural that it
should be put in the form of a

J.

66

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XIII. 15

15 though he slay me, yet will I wait for him :
Nevertheless I will 2maintain my ways before him.

1 Or, Behold, he will slay me ; I wait for him or, according to another reading,
I will not wait or, I have no hope ' Heb. argue.

question: and it seems best to
adopt the marginal rendering of
the R.V. and instead of Wherefore,
translate At all adventures, I will
take etc., which seems to be a pos
sible rendering. There is another
alternative, however, for which a
good deal may be said, viz. to ex
punge the word Wherefore alto
gether. It is not recognized in the
lxx. and may easily have crept into
the text through the accidental
repetition of the four last letters of
the previous verse.
take my flesh in my teeth, and
put my life in mine hand. The first
of these expressions occurs nowhere
else, but it is evidently intended to
be a synonymous parallel with the
second, which is a standing phrase
for incurring extreme risk. (See
Judges xii. 3 ; 1 Sam. xix. 5 ; xxviii.
21 ; and cf. Ps. cxix. 109.) Shake
speare seems to imitate it, when he
speaks of men Compelled by hunger
And lack of other means, in de
sperate manner
Daring the event to the teeth.
Henry VIII. Act 1. Sc. ii.
(Quoted by Cox).
15. Though he slay me, yet will
I wait for him. The various sug
gestions to be found in the margin
of the R.V. show the uncertainty
which hangs over this famous verse.
To begin with, the text is doubtful,
as there is here a confusion between
the two Hebrew words lo' and lo,
similar to that with which we have
already met in vi. 21, except that

here the Hebrew has the negative
(lo') in the text, and the preposition
with the pronoun (lo, ' for him ') in
the margin. This marginal reading
of the Hebrew is strongly supported
by the authority of the ancient
versions (with the doubtful ex
ception of the lxx.), the Targum,
Syriac, Aquila, and the Vulgate ; and
from the last-mentioned 'Etiam si
occiderit me, in Ipso sperabo' comes
the familiar and noble rendering of
the A. V., Though he slay me, yet will
I trust in him, a rendering which
one is most unwilling to surrender.
But it must be confessed that it is a
translation which it is impossible to
defend, for the verb in the latter
half of the clause does not mean
trust, but rather wait for something
or someone. See the use of it in
the following passages of our book,
vi. 11; xiv. 14; xxix. 21, 23; xxx.
26. In all these passages the R.V.
renders it wait, and quite consis
tently adopts the same rendering
here, giving us, however, two alter
natives to choose between. Though
he slay me, yet will I wait for him,
in the text; and Behold, he will
slay me; I wait for him in the
margin. Of these alternatives, the
first approaches nearest to the A.V.,
but it is not clear how the Revisers
would have us interpret it. It might
be taken as the expression of Job's
willingness to 'wait' for a manifes
tation of God after he had been
slain, and thus as a splendid affir
mation of his belief in a future life
(cf. xiv. 14, where the verb occurs

XIII. 16-20]

THE BOOK OF JOB

67

16 ^his also shall be my salvation ;
2For a godless man shall not come before him.
17 Hear diligently my speech,
And let my declaration be in your ears.
18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause ;
I know that 1 3am righteous.
19 Who is he that will contend with me ?
For now 4shall I hold my peace and give up the ghost.
20 Only do not two things unto me,
Then will I not hide myself from thy face :
1 Or, He 2 Or, That 3 Or, shall be justified
4 Or, if I hold my peace, I shall give up de.

again). But such an affirmation
would be out of place at so early a
stage (see the notes on xiv. 13 seq.,
and xix. 25 seq), and the nevertheless
of the following clause is against it.
There is much more to be said in
favour of the margin, which, on the
whole, appears to be the most pro
bable of the various renderings
suggested. Job has just expressed
his sense of the extreme risk he
was running in approaching God,
and it is only natural that he should
advance a step further, and say
straight out, Behold, he will slay
me; I wait for him, i.e. 'I wait
what He will do,' and then proceed
nevertheless 1 will maintain my
ways before Him.
There remains, however, the possi
bility that, in spite of the versions,
the Hebrew text may be correct,
and that we ought to read the nega
tive not instead of for him. Adopt
ing this, the margin of the R.V.
again gives us two alternatives, /
will not wait, or I have no hope.
The former of these is the more
natural, and gives its proper force
to the verb. It may well mean

' wait for a change for the better ' ;
and so (practically) 'be patient.' Cf.
vi. 11, and see Cheyne, Job and
Solomon, p. 28.
16. For a godless man. Better
(with the margin) that a godless
man. Job means to say that his
security lies in the fact that no one
with a guilty conscience would thus
venture into the presence of God.
18. I have ordered my cause, cf.
xxiii. 4.
19. Who is he that will contend
with me ? Cf. Is. 1. 8, where almost
identical words occur. They are
there the expression of a confidence
that no one will be found so to
contend; and must have the same
meaning here. If, says Job, anyone
were found able to rise up and con
vict me, I would cheerfully accept
my fate, hold my peace and give up
the ghost.
20. Only do not two things unto
me. The 'two things' are specified
in the following verse : (1) Let God
give him a little respite from his
suffering, and (2) Let Him not over
whelm him with the terror of His
appearance.
5—2

68

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XIII. 21-27

21 Withdraw thine hand far from me ;
And let not thy terror make me afraid.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer ;
Or let me speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins ?
Make me to know my transgression and my sin.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face,
And h oldest me for thine enemy?
25 Wilt thou harass a driven leaf?
And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble ?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me,
And makest me to inherit the iniquities of my youth :
27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and markest all
my paths ;
Thou drawest thee a line about the soles of my feet :

XIII. 23— XIV. 22. The appeal
to God.
23—28. Expostulation with
God for His treatment of him.
Job now makes his appeal to God,
or rather, since it is evident that we
are not to suppose any appearance
of God in answer to the "challenge
in 20 — 22, he as it were rehearses
what he would say if God were to
take him at his word. He begins,
then, by expostulating with Him
much as he had done before in
chapters vii. and x. Will not God
tell him straight out what his sin is
(23), and why He has turned from
him and treats him as His enemy
(24) ? Is it worth while, for the sins
of his boyhood, to treat him like a
dangerous criminal to be put in the
stocks and carefully watched, feeble
and worn out as he is (25 — 28) ?
23. How many are mine ini
quities and sins? It must always
be remembered that in spite of his
protestations of innocence, Job no
where means to claim absolute im
munity from sin. Like his friends,

he has always accepted the ' ortho
dox' doctrine of retribution, and
has supposed that suffering is the
consequence of sin. But his con
science is clear of any sins that
might account for the exceptional
treatment he is receiving from God.
Hence the present appeal. What
are the sins for which I am being
punished ?
25 is in close connexion with what
follows. Is he worth the effort which
his punishment must cost God, when
He prescribes such bitter penalties
for boyish sins (the only ones of
which he is conscious) ?
26. thou writest bitter things
against me, i.e. thou decreest. Of.
the use of the word write in Is. lxv.
6 ; Hos. viii. 12.
27. in the stocks. For this
punishment cf. Jer. xx. 2 ; xxix. 26
(though the word for stocks in the
original is different), and in the N.T.
Acts xvi. 24. The whole of the first
half of this verse is quoted by Elihu
in xxxiii. 11.
Thou drawest thee a line about

xiii. 28-xiv. 5] THE BOOK OF JOB

69

28 'Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
XIV. 1 Man that is born of a woman
Is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and 2is cut down :
He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one,
And bringest me into judgement with thee ?
4 sWho can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? not one.
5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months
is with thee,
And thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass ;
1 Heb. And he is like. 2 Or, withereth
3 Or, Oh that a clean thing could come out of an unclean ! not one can

the soles of my feet. Job means that
God carefuUy marks out for him a
Une beyond which he may not pass.
Cf. Solomon's treatment of Shimei
in 1 Kings ii. 36, 37.
28. a rotten thing, cf. Hos. v. 12,
where the same word occurs parallel
with the mention of ' a moth.'
XIV. 1—12. Contrast of the
hopelessness of man's fate with
the hope that there is for a tree.
Leaving for the moment his own in
dividual case, Job now thinks of the
common lot of men, and of the way
in which their days are few and evil,
their Ufe brief as the life of a flower,
and passing away like a shadow (1,
2) ; and yet God is a rigorous judge
of such frail creatures (3)! Moreover
man starts with a taint in his blood,
and is not master of his fate. Why,
then, will not God take His eyes off
him, and give him a little respite
(4 — 6) 1 Even a tree is better off
than he is, for there is hope for it,
even after it is cut down, since fresh
shoots may spring up from the dry

stock (7 — 9). But man has no such
hope. For him death is final. He
lies down and rises no more (10 — 12).
2. He cometh forth like a flower,
and is cut down. Cf. the same
figure in Ps. xc. 5, 6 ; Is. xl. 6 — 8.
3. dost thou open thine eyes
upon such an one? i.e. dost thou
observe him so diligently and care
fully 1 Cf. xiii. 27, ' and markest all
my paths.'
4. The first clause is really in
form a wish (as R.V. marg.). Oh
that a clean thing could come out of
an unclean I not one can. But
practically it becomes an affirmation
of universal depravity, such as is
found also in other parts of the Old
Testament, e.g. Gen. vi. 5 ; Ps. li. 5.
It would be too much to say that in
such passages we have the Church's
doctrine of original sin declared;
but at least there may be found in
them the basis and preparation for
the doctrine as developed in S. Paul's
teaching in the Epistle to the Ro
mans and formulated by the Church.

70

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XIV. 6-1 i

6 Look away from him, that he may 1rest,
Till he shall 2 accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will
sprout again,
And that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth,
And the stock thereof die in the ground ;
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud,
And put forth boughs like a plant.
10 But man dieth, and "wasteth away :
Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he ?
11 *As the waters 6fail from the sea,
And the river decayeth and drieth up ;
1 Heb. cease. 2 Or, have pleasure in
3 Or, lieth low * See Is. xix. 5. 5 Heb. are gone.

6. Look away from him. Cf.
vii. 19.
Till he shall accomplish. The
meaning is slightly doubtful. The
rendering of the English versions
may perhaps be defended, but the
natural meaning of the verb is to
have pleasure in or enjoy, and this
is adopted by most commentators
here : that he may have such poor
enjoyment as the hireling has, who
sustains himself through the long
hours of the day's toil with the
thought of evening and what it
brings. 7 — 9. With this allusion to the
sprouting of the tree that has been
cut down cf. the similar references
in Isaiah vi. 13 ; xi. 1.
J.0 — 12. The contrast for man.
For the tree there is the hope of a
future : for man there is none. It
is interesting to contrast with the
view of the respective portions of
the man and the tree here given by
Job, the lesson drawn by the Chris
tian poet from the falling leaves of
autumn :

How like decaying Hfe they seem to
glide I
And yet no second life have they in
store,
But where they fall, forgotten to
abide
Is all their portion : and they ask
no more.
Man's portion is to die and rise
again :
Yet he complains : while these, un
murmuring, part
With their sweet lives, as pure from
sin and stain
As his, when Eden held his virgin
heart.
Keble, The Christian Year, xxiii
Sunday after Trinity.
11. As the waters fail from the
sea &c. The whole of this verse
occurs again almost word for word
in Isaiah xix. 5, in ' the burden of
Egypt.' 'The river' there is cer
tainly the Nile, and 'the sea' is the
inland pool or lake which is to be
dried up, and to suffer from its
waters faiUng. This explains the
passage before us. Cf. Introduction,
p. xxiii.

xrv. 12-14]

THE BOOK OF JOB

71

12 So man lieth down and riseth not :
Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake,
Nor be roused out of their sleep.
13 Oh that thou wouldest hide me in x Sheol,
That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be
past,
That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember
me !
14 If a man die, shall he live again ?
All the days of my warfare "would I wait,
Till my "release should come.

1 Or, the grave

'' Or, will. ..shall come

3 Or, change

12. Till the heavens be no more,
that is for ever, the ' heavens ' being
here regarded as eternal as in Ps.
lxxxix. 29. It would be entirely out
of place to read into this verse the
thought of the extinction of the
heavens spoken of in Isaiah li. 6, and
to imagine that Job was teaching
that man actuaUy would rise again,
but not till this took place. This
has indeed been the view of many
commentators since the days of
Gregory the Great. But nothing
can be clearer than the fact that Job
here definitely denies any resurrec
tion (cf. vii. 8 — 10). But he has
scarcely uttered the words before a
longing for one seizes him, suggested
by the thought of the future in store
for a tree; and to this he gives
utterance in the following verses.
13—15. Expression of a longing
for a 'hereafter' for man. He
has just declared that for man death
is final. But at once the thought
occurs : what if it should prove
not to be so? What if God would
keep him only for a time in Sheol,
and appoint a day in the distant
future when He would remember
him (13)? How gladly would he

endure, and how patiently would he
wait for his discharge if this could
be (14) ! God would then lovingly
remember the work of His hands
and summon him forth, and he
would at once answer (15).
It is thus that the thought of a
future life, and even more, of a re
surrection struggles forth from Job's
heart as an intense desire and long
ing, as a thought which, if he could
only believe it, would not indeed
solve the enigmas of life, but help
him to 'bear the burden of the
mystery, the heavy and the weary
weight of all this unintelligible
world.' At present it is no more
than this. It is not belief, it is only
desire. But even this is a great
advance on his previous condition,
when 'Sheol' with its gloomy sha
dowy existence bounded his hori
zon, and he conceived of nothing
beyond. The thought and longing
having once occurred to him, he can
never quite let go of them ; and
they will lead in time to something
more than desire, viz. to belief and
conviction (see the note on xix. 25
seq.). 14. warfare, the same word as

72 THE BOOK OF JOB [xiv. 15-21
15 'Thou shouldest call, and I would answer thee :
Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thine hands.
16 But now thou numberest my steps :
Dost thou not watch over my sin ?
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And thou fastenest up mine iniquity.
18 And surely the mountain falling 2cometh to nought,
And the rock is removed out of its place ;
19 The waters wear the stones ;
The overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the
earth :
And thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth ;
Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not ;
And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of
them.
1 Or, Thou shalt call, and I will die. 2 Heb. fadeth away.
in vii. 1. The change of mood in the 17. The meaning of this verse is
R.V. in this and the following verse that God carefully treasures up
would I wait (instead of will I wait, Job's sins (fastens them up in a bag
A.V.) makes the meaning quite clear. and seals them for security) in order
16 — 22. Closing complaints of to visit them upon him.
present misery and hopelessness. 18, 19. Did these verses suggest
The thought, however, seems too the lines ?
good to be true, for, as it is God is The gturdy rock for aU hig g
on the watch, and notes and trea- By raging seag ig rent in twain>
sures up his sins, so as to visit them The marble stoue is pierced at length
all upon him (16, 17). And just as By little drops of rain.
the mountain crumbles away at last,
or as the persistent faUing of water

With 19 cf. Lucretius I. 313

will wear away the hardest rock, so ' Stnicidi casus lapidem cavat.'
God's unrelenting treatment must 21. Cf. Eccl. ix. 5, 6. ' The dead
destroy man (18—20). His children know not anything, neither have
may come to honour or meet with they any more a reward; for the
disgrace. But in the darkness of memory of them is forgotten. As
the grave, he will know nothing of well their love, as their hatred and
it. Nothing can affect him there their envy, is now perished ; neither
but his own pain and sorrow (21, have they any more a portion for
22). ever in anything that is done under
16. Cf. x. 6, 14 ; and xiii. 27. the sun.'

xrv. 22] THE BOOK OF JOB 73
22 'But his flesh upon him hath pain,
And his soul within him roourneth.
1 Or, Only for himself his flesh hath pain, and for himself his soul mourneth
22. It is perhaps best to foUow man's flesh still having pain, it
the margin of the R.V. and render, should be remembered that similar
only for himself his flesh hath pain, language is found in our Lord's
and for himself his soul mourneth. parable of Dives and Lazarus.
The idea is that in the grave man ' Send Lazarus that he may dip the
has no concern beyond his own tip of his finger in water, and cool
suffering. If it should seem strange my tongue ; for I am in anguish in
that Job should speak of the dead this flame.' S. Luke xvi. 24.
With this the first debate or circle of speeches is brought to a close. To
sum up the result so far : the friends have broadly stated their position,
and their theory of suffering, hinting with more or less clearness at its
application to the case of Job, and to the lesson which he is to draw from
it. Job, on the other hand, though nowhere fairly grappling with their
theory, has shown plainly enough that he is utterly unable to accept it as
explaining his own case. His conscience assures him that he is not an
exceptional sinner; and yet he is being apparently treated as if he were
one. Knowing no other theory of suffering than that which his friends
have urged, God's treatment of him is hopelessly inexplicable. It looks
hke injustice on the part of God. And yet so sure is he that God, if He
be God, is righteous that he appeals boldly to Him to allow him to plead
his cause before Him, sure that if he could only do this, he must be righted.
One more thought has come to him in his agony, for finally there has
arisen within him a great longing for a resurrection to a life after death,
and his heart goes out towards this, as the one thing which, could he but
believe it, would enable him to bear patiently all his present distress.
WITH CHAPTER XV. begins the second debate or circle of speeches.
This lasts to Chapter xxi., and the order in which the several speakers
are brought before us is identical with that in the previous debate.
Thus we have
(1) The second speech of Eliphaz, xv. with Job's answer, xvi., xvii.
(2) The second speech of Bildad, xviii. with Job's answer, xix.
(3) The second speech of Zophar, xx. with Job's answer, xxi.
In this second discussion the friends in reality make no advance what
ever upon their previous position. They can only restate the old doctrine
of retribution, though they approach it rather differently, dwelling less on
the character of God, and more upon His manifested government of the
world; describing more fully the fate of the wicked; and hinting with

74 THE BOOK OF JOB [xv.
increasing clearness at its application to the case of Job, and dropping out
of sight all thought of his repentance and restoration, which each of them
had contemplated as a possibility in the first circle, but to which no one of
them makes the slightest reference in this. (Contrast the close of xv. with
v. 17 seq. ; of xviii. with viii. 20, 21 ; and of xx. with xi. 13 — 19.)
Much, if not aU, that they say of the ungodly and their fate is true.
It is only false (1) if regarded as an universal truth, and as being the
whole account of suffering, and (2) in its application to the case of Job.
' De te fabula narratur ' is evidently what they intend to suggest. This is
especially manifest in the speech of Bildad in xviii. where the details of
the picture are seemingly selected with reference to Job's own case (see
the notes on 12 seq.). It should be noticed also that the character of the
friends is skilfuUy maintained. The grave Eliphaz is still the most gentle
manly of the three with his appeal to authority and dignified rebuke of
Job in xv. Again, we see the cruelty of Bildad in xviii. ; while the
coarseness of Zophar is once more very apparent in xx. (See the note on
ver. 12.)
Turning now to the speeches of Job we see that while his friends make
no advance, he on the contrary does make a very real one, and this in two
ways : (1) the longing for a future life and for God's vindication of him,
which was manifested at the close of the first circle, becomes in this a
certainty; and (2) he ends by demolishing the arguments of his friends
(which he scarcely grapples with in the earlier debate) by a powerful
appeal to the logic of facts. But before he reaches these two assured
positions there is stiU a sore struggle. Only ' through much tribulation '
can he enter into the fresh provinces in the kingdom of God's truth ; and
in aU his earlier utterances, in the answer to Eliphaz (xvi., xvii.) and in
the greater part of his reply to Bildad (xix.) we cannot fail to notice the
increasing bitterness of his words, and the passion of his utterances as he
describes God's treatment of him (xvi. and xix.), or anticipates death and
darkness as awaiting him (xvii. 10 — 16), or appeals in his agony to earth to
cover not his blood (xvi. 18), and to his friends for pity and compassion
(xix. 21).
XV. The second speech of Eliphaz. The manner in which Job has
practically charged God with injustice appears not unnaturally to Eliphaz
to do away with religion altogether. Consequently he commences his next
speech by a rebuke to Job for his arrogance and impiety. He then passes
on to give a wonderfully powerful picture of the evil conscience of the
wicked man, showing how 'Conscience makes cowards of us all,' and
describing the righteous retribution which falls upon the wrong-doer : the
object of it all evidently being to 'awaken Job's conscience, and to induce
him to see himself reflected in the mirror thus held up before him'
(Driver). The speech falls into two main divisions as follows :
(1) The rebuke of Job. 1—16.
(2) Restatement of the doctrine of retribution with the description of
tlie fate of the wicked. 17 — 35.

XV. i-7]

THE BOOK OF JOB

75

XV. 1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
Should a wise man make answer with 'vain knowledge,
And fill his belly with the east wind ?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk,
Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good ?
Yea, thou doest away with fear,
And 2restrainest 3devotion before God.
For 4thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth,
And thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I ;
Yea, thine own Ups testify against thee.
Art thou the first man that was born ?
Or wast thou brought forth before the hills ?
1 Heb. knowledge of wind. 2 Heb. diminishest.
3 Or, meditation. 4 Or, thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity

1—16. The rebuke of Job. Eh
phaz here begins with a threefold
reproof of Job : i. for his empty and
unprofitable speeches (1 — 3), which
are utterly incompatible with rever
ence and religious feeling (4), are
dictated by impiety (5), and are in
themselves the best proof of his
guilt (6). ii. He then brings against
him a charge of arrogance, as if he
had assumed that he was endowed
with superior wisdom, and in a
position to be specially favoured
with a knowledge of God beyond
that possessed by others (7 — 10) ;
and had thus ignored as beneath
his notice the consolations which
God provided for him (11). iii.
FinaUy he rebukes him for his lack
of restraint (12, 13), and repeats,
with a darker touch than before,
his former teaching on the impossi
bility of man being righteous before
God (14—16).
2. Should a wise man &c. Job
had expressly laid claim to a wisdom
not less than that of his friends
(see xii. 3; xiii. 2). If he were

really wise, would his words be so
windy and vain?
the east wind, a figure of what is
vain and pernicious, as in Hos. xii.
1. 4. fear, not 'terror,' but 'the
fear of the Lord,' i.e. reverence.
devotion. Literally meditation,
almost reverent thoughtfulness
(Cox) ; the actual word only occurs
again in Ps. cxix. 97, 99, but cf. Ps.
cii. title ; and cxiii. 2.
5. thine iniquity teacheth thy
mouth. This rendering is prefer
able to that of the margin, or of the
A.V. Eliphaz means to say that
his words were dictated by his
guilt or sin.
thou choosest tlie tongue of the
crafty, i.e. all Job's protestations of
innocence were only cunning devices
to conceal his guilt.
7. The sarcastic question in this
verse assumes that the first created
man as coming fresh from the hand
of God had a more direct and pro
found insight into the mysteries of
the world which was only then

76 THE BOOK OF JOB [xv. 8-16
8 'Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God ?
And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
9 What knowest thou, that we know not ?
What understandest thou, which is not in us ?
10 With us are both the grayheaded and the very aged men,
Much elder than thy father.
11 Are the consolations of God too small for thee,
2And the word that dealeth gently with thee ?
12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away ?
And why do thine eyes wink ?
13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God,
And lettest such words go out of thy mouth.
14 What is man, that he should be clean ?
And he which is born of a woman, that he should be
righteous ?
15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones ;
Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16 How much less sone that is abominable and corrupt,
A man that drinketh iniquity like water !
1 Or, Dost thou hearken in the council
3 Or, Or is there any secret thing with thee ? 3 Or, that which is
coming into existence (cf. Delitzsch the considerations which Eliphaz
in loc). Most commentators since and his friends have been offering.
Schlottmann (1851) quote the Hindu Hence Job's reply in xvi. 2, Miser-
proverb, ' Yes, indeed, he is the first able comforters (or consolers, from
man — no wonder that he is so wise ! ' the same root as the word here) are
8. Another sarcastic suggestion ye all.
to account for his wisdom. Has 14—16. Cf. iv. 17—19, which is
he been admitted to the council practically repeated here.
chamber of God, and has he a mono- 15. holy ones, viz. the angels.
poly of wisdom? Cf. S. Paul's ques- See the note on v. 1.
tion to the Corinthians ;1 Cor. xiv. 36. 16. In his earlier speech, in
10. This is generally taken as a speaking of man as unclean in the
claim on the part of Eliphaz to have sight of God Eliphaz had touched
the verdict of old experience on his chiefly on his frailty. Here he lays
side. But Davidson thinks that in stress on his corruption, and the
the words grayheaded and 'aged' avidity with which he seizes evil,
(both of which in the original are drinking it in like water. The
in the singular) he is indirectly language is of course perfectly gene-
alluding to himself. ral, but Job may apply it to himself
11. the consolations of God, viz. if he pleases.

XV. 17-21]

THE BOOK OF JOB

77

17 I will shew thee, hear thou me ;
And that which I have seen I will declare :
18 (Which wise men have told
From their fathers, and have not hid it ;
19 Unto whom alone the land: was given,
And no stranger passed among them :)
20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days,
'Even the number of years that are laid up for the op
pressor.
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears ;
In prosperity the spoiler shall come upon him :
1 Or, And years that are numbered are laid up die.

17 — 35. Restatement of the
doctrine of retribution with the
description of the fate of the
wicked. Eliphaz here makes a
special appeal for Job's attention,
claiming for the doctrine, which he
is about to assert, that it rests upon
a pure tradition which has come
down to him (17 — 19). He then
gives a vivid description of the
misery and terror in which an evil
conscience involves a man who is
ever haunted by presentiments and
the dread of coming calamities (20
— 24) : these terrors that haunt his
imagination being due to his arro
gant opposition to God (25, 26), and
his coarse satisfaction in enriching
himself upon the ruins of another's
prosperity (27, 28). To this he adds
a description of his fate, prophesy
ing for the sinner himself poverty
and ruin in the place of his pro
sperity, and for his family a speedy
and complete extinction (29 — 35).
Thus the whole passage faUs into
four well-defined sections : (i) the
introduction, 17 — 19; (ii) the evil
conscience of the sinner, 20 — 24;
(iii) the cause of this, 25 — 28 ; and
(iv) his fate 29—35.

17 — 19. Just as in his first speech
EUphaz had fortified his position by
an appeal to a Divine oracle (iv. 12
seq.), so here also he reUes not on
his own authority, but supports him
self by an appeal to the traditions
of the wise.
19. Unto whom alone the land
was given <&c. Eliphaz means that
since these wise men to whom he re
fers lived in the land of their birth
and did not mingle themselves with
strangers, they have therefore been
able to preserve their traditions pure,
and unalloyed by foreign admixture.
20—24. ' The picture of the evil
conscience is drawn here with great
force and is without a parallel in
the Old Testament' (Driver). For
the sense of conscience among the
Hebrews cf. however Ps. cxxxix.
and Prov. xxviii. 1.
20. Even the number of years
eke. This clause is simply a further
definition of 'all his days.' laid
up for (not hidden to, as A.V.),
i.e. destined or appointed for. Cf.
the use of the same word in xxi. 19.
21. the spoiler shall come upon
him, ie. he is always in terror of
this happening.

78

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XV. 22-28

22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness,
And he is waited for of the sword :
23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it ?
He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at
hand :
24 Distress and anguish make him afraid ;
They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle
25 Because he hathjptretched out his hand against God,
And 'behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty ;
26 He runneth upon him with a stiff neck,
2With the thick bosses of his bucklers :
27 Because he hath covered his face with his fatness,
And made collops of fat on his flanks ;
28 And he hath dwelt in 8 desolate cities,
In houses which no man inhabited,
Which were ready to become heaps.

his

1 Or, biddeth defiance to 2 Or, Upon
8 Heb. cut off. 4 Or, would inhabit

22. He believeth not that he shall
return out of darkness, viz. the
darkness (cf. 23) or night of calamity,
which he expects to overwhelm him
in total ruin.
he is waited for of the sword:
almost he is destined for. The
sword is the sword of God, the
punishment of which wrath bring
eth. Cf. xix. 29, and Zech. xiii. 7.
23. He wandereth abroad for
bread. A very graphic description
of his dread of want and famine.
He pictures himself as already a
famished wanderer upon the face of
the earth ; so sure is he that the
day of darkness is ready at his
hand. 25 — 28. Now follow the two
reasons for this state of haunting
fears, each introduced by the same
word because : the first is the inso

lent arrogance with which he set
himself up against God, and practi
cally defied Him.
26. The wicked man is still the
subject, the description of his be
haviour towards God being here
continued. with a stiff neck. Cf. Ps. Ixxv. 5.
27. The second reason for his
presentiments of evil : he has gorged
himself upon the ruins of the pro
sperity of others.
28. The idea of this verse is that
the man is so abandoned as actually
to settle in those places upon which
God's curse rested, places which had
been banned for the wickedness of
their inhabitants, such as Jericho.
See the doom pronounced upon the
man who should rebuild it, Josh. vi.
26, and its fulfilment in 1 Kings xvi.
34, and cf. Deut. xiii. 12 — 18.

XV. 29-35]

THE BOOK OF JOB

79

29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue,
Neither shall 'their produce bend to the earth.
30 He shall not depart out of darkness ;
The flame shall dry up his branches,
And by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
31 Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself :
For vanity shall be his recompence.
32 It shall be 2 accomplished before his time,
And his branch shall not be green.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine,
And shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34 For the company of the godless shall be barren,
And fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity,
And their belly prepareth deceit.

Or, their possessions be extended on the earth

2 Or, paid in full

29—35. The fate of the sinner.
29. Neither shall their produce
bend to the earth. (Correct the
A. V., which is quite wrong.) The
figure is that of heavy grain bending
beneath its own weight. Such, says
EUphaz, shaU not be the harvest of
the wicked. But the word rendered
produce is uncertain. It occurs
nowhere else, and possibly the text
is corrupt. One MS. actually reads
their flocks, and if this were adopted
we might perhaps render their
flocks shall not spread themselves
out on the land. The ancient ver
sions are obscure and give us no
help. 30. the breath of his mouth, i.e.
God's mouth, cf. iv. 9. 'By the
breath of God they perish.'
32. The wicked man is cut off in
the midst of his days, cf. Ps. lv. 23.
33. He sliall shake off his unripe

grape as the vine. But, as David
son points out, the vine does not
shake off its unripe grapes, and as
the word properly means to wrong
it may be used figuratively for fail
to nourish.
And sliall cast off his flower as
the olive. 'The olive is the most
prodigal of all fruit-bearing trees in
flowers. It literally bends under
the load of them. But then not one
in a hundred comes to maturity.
The tree casts them off by millions,
as if they were of no more value
than flakes of snow, which they
closely resemble: Thomson, The
Land and the Book, p. 54.
34. godless, the same word as in
viii. 13, where see note.
barren: better than desolate of
the A.V. See iii. 7, where the word
is also found.
35. Cf. Ps. vii. 14; Is. xxxiii. 11.

80 THE BOOK OF JOB [xvl 1-3
XVI, XVII. Job's answer to Eliphaz. These chapters contain one of
the most striking speeches in the whole book, bringing us almost to the
climax of Job's misery. Eliphaz had reproved him for disregarding the
'consolations of God, and the word that dealt gently' with him, and had
held up to him the fate of the wicked as supporting his doctrine of retri
bution. But his words brought him no help, for conscious as he is of
innocence, he cannot accept the explanation of his affliction which they
suggest. Accordingly his agony and perplexity are as sore as ever; and
after a few words of scornful repudiation of his friend's 'consolation,' he
once more describes, and in even more daring language than that which he
had previously employed, the relentless manner in which God is persecuting
him. And yet, arbitrary and cruel as this treatment of him appears to be,
so certain is he that if he could only gain a hearing from Him and state his
case, he must be righted, that he boldly appeals from God to God, and in
fullest expectation that his sufferings can only end in death, calls on Him
to avenge the blood that has been unjustly shed.
The speech falls into four tolerably clearly marked divisions :
(1) Scornful introduction with direct reference to the words of
Eliphaz. xvi. 1 — 5.
(2) Description of God's treatment of him, and its inexplicable
character, xvi. 6 — 17.
(3) Passionate cries and longing to come face to face with God.
xvi. 18 — xvii. 9.
(4) Folly of his friends' promise of a bright future : nothing
remains for him but death, xvii. 10 — 16.
XVI. 1 Then Job answered and said,
2 I have heard many such things :
'Miserable comforters are ye all.
3 Shall 2vain words have an end ?
Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest ?
1 Or, Wearisome * Heb. words of wind.
XVI. 1—5. Scornful intro- same solemn reproofs, and the same
duction with direct reference to sort of solace (4, 5).
the words of Eliphaz. He begins 2. Miserable comforters, or cow-
by reminding Eliphaz that he has solers : with direct reference to the
heard all that he has got to say words of EUphaz in xv. 11 the
before; and that his words are 'consolations' of God.
'words of wind' (1—3); and then 3. Shall vain words (lit. words
sarcastically remarks that, if only of wind) have an end? Another
their positions were reversed, he reference to the very words which
could give them just the same kind Eliphaz had used, see xv. 2, ' know-
of consolation which they are offer- ledge of wind.' Is there no end
ing him— the same arguments, the he asks, to his friends' empty and

XVI. 4-8]

THE BOOK OF JOB

81

4 I also could speak as ye do ;
If your soul were in my soul's stead,
I could join words together against you,
And shake mine head at you.
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the solace of my lips should assuage your grief.
6 Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged :
And though I forbear, 'what am leased?
7 But now he hath made me weary :
Thou hast made desolate all my company.
8 And thou hast 2laid fast hold on me, which is a witness
against me :
And my leanness riseth up against me, it testifieth to my
face.

1 Heb. what departeth from me f
windy utterances, and what is it
which provokes them so that they
keep on answering him ?
4. And shake mine head at you.
The gesture of one who is shocked
and surprised at what he sees, as
well as of scornful mockery. Cf. Ps.
xxii. 7, 8 ; Isaiah xxxvii. 22.
5. But / would strengthen you.
The but of the R.V. as well as the
A.V. should be omitted. The verse
clearly carries on the thoughts of
the previous one. Job is still ironi
cally describing how he could act
just as his friends are doing, if he
were in their place. I could strength
en you &c.
6—17. Description of God's
treatment of him and its inex
plicable character. He hardly
knows whether to speak or keep
silence : in either case he is equally
miserable (6). But unable to re
strain himself he bursts forth into a
description of the way in which God
is afflicting him, and his bodily
sufferings teU their tale and witness
against him (7, 8). God has attack-

2 Or, shrivelled me up
ed him like some fierce beast of
prey (9) ; and men too have followed
with their base mockery, as God
has given him over into their hands
(10, 11). Nay, when he was in peace
and security, God suddenly seized
upon him and destroyed him — set
him up as a target for his arrows —
battered him about as some mighty
giant might have done, let him
humble himself as he would (12 — 16) ;
and all this in spite of his innocence
in word and deed (17).
7. Both clauses refer to God,
who is spoken of in the third person
in clause a, and then immediately
afterwards addressed in the second
person in 76 and 8. Suchrapid changes
are not uncommon in Hebrew.
Thou hast made desolate all my
company. This must mean that
God has broken up his domestic
circle, and bereft him of his friends.
The word for company is the same
that was used by EUphaz for 'the
company of the godless ' in xv. 34.
8. thou hast laid fast hold on
me. This is probably the meaning of

82

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XVI. 9-12

9 He hath torn me in his wrath, and 'persecuted me ;
He hath gnashed upon me with his teeth :
Mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth ;
They have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully :
They gather themselves together against me.
11 God delivereth me to the ungodly,
And casteth me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, and he brake me asunder ;
Yea, he hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to
pieces :
He hath also set me up for his mark.
1 Or, hated

the word which only occurs again in
xxii.16. The A.V. thou hast filled me
with wrinkles (cf. R.V. marg.) seems
to have been suggested by the Latin.
Job means to say that the fact that
God has thus laid His hand upon
him and afflicted him is the visible
proof to men that He is holding him
guilty. His miserable emaciated
state is the best evidence of this.
9. He is still speaking of God,
and the way in which He is treating
him. It is God Who has gnashed
upon him with his teeth, and Who
is his adversary Who sharpeneth
his eyes upon him. The figure is
that of some fierce beast, tearing his
prey. ' Gnashing the teeth ' is else
where used as a figure of rage.
Pss. xxxv. 16 ; xxxvii. 12 ; cxii. 10
(disappointed rage) ; Lam. ii. 16: the
other expression, to sharpen the
eyes, occurs here only. It indicates
the flashing eyes of the savage beast
who will not let go his prey. For
the comparison of God to the beasts
of prey, as He executes His judg
ments upon men, see Hosea xiii. 7,
8, 'Therefore I am unto them as a

lion ; as a leopard will I watch by
the way : I will meet them as a bear
that is bereaved of her whelps, and
will rend the caul of their heart;
and there will I devour them Uke a
lion ; the wild beast shall tear them.'
Appalling as Job's language appears
to us in its boldness, it is after aU
only drawing out in full what is
implied in such a passage as this,
and applying it personally.
10, 11. A description of those
who are ever ready to turn upon
one that is down. The enmity of
God is reflected in the conduct of
men. He is not speaking here of
his friends, but rather of the 'rabble'
whom he describes so graphically
in xxx. 'Gaping with the mouth,'
and 'smiting upon the cheek' are
common terms for insult and scorn.
Of. Micah v. 1 (Heb. iv. 14);
1 Kings xxii. 24; Ps. xxii. 13.
12. Again God is the subject;
but the figure is changed. The
thought is no longer of the beast of
prey, but rather of some mighty
giant, who seizes on a lesser man
unawares — lifts him up by the scruff

XVI. 13-18]

THE BOOK OF JOB

83

13 His 'archers compass me round about,
He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare ;
He poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach ;
He runneth upon me like a 2 giant.
15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin,
And have 'laid my horn in the dust.
16 My face is 4foul with weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death ;
17 Although there is no violence in mine hands,
And my prayer is pure.
18 0 earth, cover not thou my blood,
And let my cry 6have no resting place.

Or, arrows Or, mighty ones
* Or, red

2 Or, mighty man
6 Or, have no more place

3 Or, defiled

of his neck and dashes him down in
his fury. In the last clause there is
a further change, and a fresh meta
phor is introduced, that of an archer
aiming at a mark. Job is now the
target for the arrows of God. For
the word for mark cf. 1 Sam. xx. 20,
and see the note on vii. 20. Job
has already spoken of his sufferings
as inflicted by the arrows of the
Almighty, vi. 4, and cf. Lam. iii. 12,
' He hath bent His bow, and set me
as a mark for the arrow.'
13. His archers : better (with
the margin of R.V. after all the
ancient versions) his arrows. He
poureth out my gall upon the
ground. 'The Oriental speaks of
the gall and the gall-bladder where
we might refer to the blood and
the heart.' Davidson.
14. Yet another figure : that of
some fortress, in the wall of which
God makes 'breach upon breach.'
Cf. for a similar figure xxx. 14.
15, 16. These verses may be
intended simply to describe the

result of all this treatment, or they
may be taken as describing the con
dition caused by suffering, which, it
might have been thought, would
appeal for pity.
sackcloth, the garb of mourners.
See Gen. xxxvii. 34 for its use in
patriarchal days.
my horn, a frequent image of
power : to ' exalt the horn ' is to
increase the power. Cf. 1 Sam. ii.
10. Similarly to 'lay the horn in
the dust,' signifies that his power
and glory is brought low.
17. Although there is no violence
in mine hands. The very same
words are used of the suffering
'servant of Jehovah' in Isaiah liii.
9 ; and it is possible that they are
there borrowed from the passage
before us. See the Introduction,
p. xxiv.
XVI. 18— XVII. 9. Passionate
cries, and longing to come face
to face with God. The thought
that, notwithstanding his innocence,
he is thus being pitilessly destroyed,
6—2

84

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XVI. 19

19 Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,
And he that voucheth for me is on high.

leads Job now to break forth into a
passionate cry to the earth not to
'cover his blood,' but to let it stUl cry
to God for vengeance (18) ; and he
foUows this up by the startling
affirmation that, in spite of all God's
treatment of him here, there is One
above Who will witness and vouch
for him (19). Men may scorn him,
but he wUl still cry to God to main
tain his right with Himself (20).
Death is coming speedily upon him,
and he will soon be in his grave
(xvii. 1), for the hopes and promises
held out to him are provoking and
delusive mockeries (2) ; and there
fore, since there is none else to
stand bail for him, he will boldly
appeal to God — to God Who is his
opponent — to be also his surety (3,
4). There follows a bitter word
against his friends (5). But he has
scarcely uttered it before his thoughts
are again concentrated on his own
forlorn condition, as a by-word
among the people, a mere shadow
(6, 7), a spectacle at which good
men might well stand aghast, and
which might stir the innocent
against the godless (8). But in
spite of it all, and through it all,
the righteous will undisturbed 'hold
on his way,' and wiU even 'wax
stronger and stronger' (9).
In this wonderful utterance Job's
agitation reaches its height. But
out of it all there emerges a new
thought, and one of amazing bold
ness. The idea that, innocent
though he knows himself to be, he
yet must die by the visitation of
God is intolerable to him. It seems
to be the height of injustice, a thing
which God, if He be God, cannot
allow to pass and remain for ever

unrighted. And thus there is borne
in upon him the conception of a
double Personality as it were in
God : there is the seeming God of
the present, who is his relentless
enemy, and there is the real God of
the future, a God of justice and
love. From the former of these,
the seeming God of cruelty, he turns
away, and cries out to the real God
of love, and appeals to Him to right
him. But such a vindication as
that for which he looks can only
come after death (for the whole
passage would be unmeaning unless
he contemplated his speedy death
under a cloud), and thus there is a
real advance upon the longing for a
future life expressed in xiv., and he
is led a step further in the direction
of the great declaration and certain
conviction of xix. (where see note).
18. 0 earth, cover not thou my
blood. The idea is that blood, un
justly shed, cries to God for ven
geance so long as it remains upon
the face of the ground. Cf. Gen. iv.
10, 'The voice of thy brother's
blood crieth unto me from the
ground'; and the remarkable pas
sage in Ezek. xxiv. 7, 8, ' For her
blood is in the midst of her; she
set it upon the bare rock; she
poured it not upon the ground, to
cover it with dust; that it might
cause fury to come up to take
vengeance, I have set her blood
upon the bare rock, that it should
not be covered.' Of. also Is. xxvi,
21, and see Robertson Smith, Re
ligion of the Semites, p. 397.
let my cry have no resting place,
i.e. let it ring on and sound through
the courts of heaven.
19. my witness is in heaven

xvi. 20-xvii. 3] THE BOOK OF JOB

85

20 My friends scorn me :
But mine eye poureth out tears unto God ;
21 'That he would maintain the right of a man with God,
And of a son of man with his neighbour 1
22 For when a few years are come,
I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
XVII. 1 My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct,
The grave is ready for me.
2 Surely there are * mockers with me,
And mine eye abideth in their provocation.
3 Give now a pledge, be surety for me with thyself ;
Who is there that will strike hands with me ?
1 Or, That one might plead for a man with God, as a son of man pleadeth for
his neighbour 2 Heb. mockery.

The 'witness' is the real God of
love and justice Who will testify to
his innocence, of whom Job by a
stupendous effort of faith now con
ceives, and to whom he turns.
he that voucheth for me : again
it is God of whom be speaks, and
Whom he now regards as one who
wiU stand sponsor for him (the
Hebrew word here used Sahddi
recalls the Aramaic name given by
Laban to the heap of witness
(Galeed) in Gen. xxxi. 47, 'And
Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha').
20. My friends scorn me. The
text of this verse cannot be con
sidered altogether certain. The
form of the word for 'scorn me'
occurs nowhere else with this mean
ing, and the lxx. apparently had a
different reading, for they render Oh
that my prayer might come before
God. 21. The A.V. here is entirely
wrong, and there is no doubt that
the verse is, as the R.V. takes it,
the expression of Job's longing that
God would maintain his right before

Himself as weU as men. Cheyne
aptly quotes ' the fine words of the
Koran' that there is no refuge
from God but unto Him (Surah
ix. 119).
son of man, i.e. simply a man.
So regularly in the O.T., as e.g. Ps.
viii. 4.
22 — XVII. 2. These verses give
the reason for this appeal, viz. the
immediate approach of death.
2. A difficult verse, but probably
the R.V. gives the true sense. The
thought of his approaching death
reminds him of the bright promises
held out to him by his friends on
his repentance, and these he seems
to say are a delusive mockery, which
can only embitter him. Surely
there are mockers with me, mine
eye must rest on their provocation.
His eye must rest on it, i.e. he can
not shut his eyes to it.
3. Give now a pledge, be surety
for me with thyself. Once more he
turns to God, and in his agony at
the thought of dying without having
his innocence recognized appeals to

86

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XVII. 4-6

4 For thou hast hid their heart from understanding :
Therefore shalt thou not exalt them.
5 He that denounceth his friends for a 'prey,
Even the eyes of his children shall fail.
6 He hath made me also a byword of the people ;
And I am become 2an open abhorring.
1 Heb. portion. 2 Or, one in whose face they spit

him to give a pledge, to deposit
something, as it were, as a guarantee
that his name shall be cleared ;
and to stand as surety for him
with Himself. Again we notice
the idea of a double personality in
God. It is God Who requires the
surety, and yet the appeal is made
to Him Himself to act as one. A
similar appeal is made in Isaiah
xxxviii. 14 where the very same
word be surety for me is found, but
the idea of the double personality
is not emphasised there, as it is
here by the pointed addition of the
words with thyself.
Who is there that will strike
hands with me ? The form of the
question in the original is identical
with that in xiii. 19, and cf. iv. 7.
Job means to say that he appeals to
God in this way to be surety for
him, because there is no one else
who can be found to strike hands
with him, in token that he would
undertake this office for him. For
the action of 'striking hands' in
becoming surety see Proverbs xvii.
18, 'A man void of understanding
striketh hands, and becometh surety
in the presence of his neighbour,'
cf. also Prov. vi. 1 ; xi. 15 ; xxii. 26.
4. The alienation of men is traced
to the action of God. It is because
He has hid their heart from under
standing, that they have thus turned
away from him ; and since they are

thus blinded, God will not exalt
them, i.e. give them the victory, as
it were, over Job in the debate.
5. Another very difficult verse;
and it seems almost certain that
there must be some corruption or
mutilation of the text. The A.V.
he that speaketh flattery to his
friends, is certainly wrong ; and it
is hard to extract the meaning given
by the R.V. he that denounceth his
friends for a prey (as the margin
notes, Hebrew portion) out of the
three words which form this clause
in the original. The first word for
a portion, though used elsewhere
for a share of the spoil or booty, is
never used absolutely for a prey ;
nor is there any real justification
for taking the Hebrew verb to sell,
in the sense of denounce or betray.
It is best perhaps to admit that as
they stand the words are untrans
latable. 6. He hath made me also a
byword of the people. For the
phrase 'to become a byword' cf.
Deut. xxviii. 37 ; 1 Kings ix. 7 ;
2 Chr. vii. 20; Ps. lxix. 11; Jer.
xxiv. 9.
And I am become an open abhor
ring. The curious rendering of the
A.V. Aforetime I was as a tabret is
due to a misunderstanding of the He
brew word. The translators took the
word topheth as equivalent to toph,
a timbrel or tabret. But it pro-

XVII. 7-1 1 ]

THE BOOK OF JOB

87

7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow
And all my members are as a shadow.
8 Upright men shall be astonied at this,
And the innocent shall stir up himself against the godless.
9 Yet shall the righteous hold on his way,
And he that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and
stronger.
10 But return ye, all of you, and come now :
'And I shall not find a wise man among you.
11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off,
Even the 2 thoughts of my heart.

1 Or, For I find not
bably means spittle, and hence the
paraphrase of the R.V. (which fol
lows the lxx.) is perfectly justifi
able. Cf. xxx. 10 and Isaiah 1. 6.
8, 9 describe the effect of this
upon 'the upright.' They are dumb-
foundered at the sight, and their
indignation is roused against the
ungodly. But, in spite of it all, the
righteous wiU hold on his way,
i.e. continue steadily and unmoved
in the right course, and the man
whose hands are clean will even wax
stronger and stronger. The lan
guage is quite general, but there
can be Uttle doubt that Job is
thinking of himself, and that the
words amount almost to a declara
tion that in spite of all the ap
parently unjust treatment which he
has received, nothing can shake
him from his determination to keep
the right way. Thus he 'shakes
himself free from complete despair
just when it threatened to over
power him' (Ewald). It is a noble
utterance and shows how he is
advancing on towards the climax
which is reached in the great out
burst of faith in xix.
10—16. Folly of his friends'

2 Heb. possessions.
promise of a bright future : no
thing remains for him but death.
Once more, after this mighty effort
of faith, there comes a reaction, and
he sinks back into a condition bor
dering upon utter despair. Again
he taunts his friends with the
failure of their vaunted wisdom (10).
He feels that his day is over, and
that he has no longer anything to
live for (11) ; but still they keep on
urging that ' when night is darkest,
dawn is nearest' (12). Yet all the
while he knows so well that there
is no home for him but the darkness
of Sheol, and that the only friends
that are left to him are corruption
and worms, that he can have no
earthly hope whatever, and can look
for no rest, but in the dust (13 — 15).
10. A scornful chaUenge to his
friends to renew the debate. In
the second clause it is perhaps best
to translate the verb as a present
tense (so R.V. marg.), I find not a
wise man among you.
11. All his plans and purposes
for the future seem to be broken to
pieces, and the thoughts (lit. posses
sions) of his heart fail, so that he
feels that his day is over.

88

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XVII. 12-16

12 They change the night into day :
The light, say they, is near Junto the darkness.
13 2If I look for 'Sheol as mine house ;
If I have spread my couch in the darkness ;
14 If I have said to 'corruption, Thou art my father ;
To the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister ;
15 Where then is my hope?
And as for my hope, who shall see it ?
16 It shall go down to the bars of 3Sheol,
When once there is rest in the dust.
1 Or, because of 2 Or, If I hope, Sheol is mine house; I have spread... I
have said... and where now is my hope ? 3 Or, the grave 4 Or, the pit

12. A difficult verse : but the
probability is that the R.V. gives
the sense. In the first clause,
they change the night into day, he
apparently intends to describe how
his friends are always promising
him a bright future, thus as it were
turning the darkness of the present
into the dawn of a new day. Cf. xi.
17, where Zophar says, 'Thy life shall
be clearer than the noonday ; though
there be darkness, it shall be as the
morning. ' The second clause must
be intended to be a quotation of
their very words, and to make this
clear the R.V. ventures to insert in
italics, they say. 'The light, they
say, is near unto darkness.' Cf. the
saying ' When night is darkest, dawn
is nearest.' The rendering of the
A.V. 'the light is short because of
darkness ' is certainly wrong, and is
difficult to explain or account for.
13 seq. In contrast to the hopes
held out by his friends of restoration
in this life, he insists with aU the
emphasis he can command that his

only hope is in the grave.
spread my couch. Cf. Ps. cxxxix.
8, ' If I make my bed in Sheol.'
14. He claims as akin to him
the denizens of the gloomy world of
Hades, corruption (or the pit) and
worms (cf. xxi. 26). The thought
seems to be imitated in Ps. lxxxviii.
18, where the Psalmist says ' Lover
and friend hast thou put far from
me, and mine acquaintance are
darkness' (R.V. marg.), i.e. darkness
is the only friend left to him.
15. If the text of this verse be
correct, which is doubtful, it must be
rendered as in the R.V. It, viz. my
hope, shall go down to the bars of
Sheol, when once there is rest in
the dust, bars of Sheol, because
Sheol is conceived of as a fortress
with its gates and bolts and bars.
Cf. xxxviii. 17, 'gates of death';
Pss. ix. 13 ; cvii. 18 ; and Isaiah
xxxviii. 10. But the irregular
grammar and the rendering of the
lxx. both seem to indicate that the
text is corrupt.

XVIII. The second speech of Bildad.
Job's contemptuous remarks concerning his friends (xvi. 2 — 5, xvii. 10)
have sorely stung Bildad, and he replies in an angrier tone than has
previously been adopted by any of the speakers, rebuking Job severely for

xviii. i, 2] THE BOOK OF JOB 89
the line which he has taken and then restating with great energy his
doctrine of retribution, describing very fully the punishment that over
takes the wicked, with no hint of any possible bright future to relieve the
darkness of the picture which he paints, but, with characteristic want of
feeling, putting into the sketch a number of details which can only have
been intended to suggest to Job the application to his own case. See the
description of the ravages of disease in verses 12 and 13 ; the allusion to
brimstone scattered upon his habitation (in verse 15), which could hardly
fail to recall to the sufferer the thought of the 'fire of God' which had
burnt up his sheep, and consumed his servants ; and — cruellest touch of
all, to a man whose children had just been slain — the reminder' that the
wicked shall have 'neither son nor son's son' to succeed him (19). Altogether
it is the hardest and most unfeeUng speech that we have yet met with. In
this hardness of tone it is characteristic of Bildad (see the notes on viii.),
and in style as well as tone the character of the speaker is well maintained,
as a comparison of this speech with his earlier one may show. There he
had appealed to the wisdom of the ancients, and had quoted various
proverbial maxims and pithy sayings. Here he not only begins in the very
same way that he did there, with an indignant Quousque tandem, how long?
(cf. xviii. 2 with viii. 2) but the whole speech like the former one is ' full of
wise saws,' and contains similar allusions to proverbial philosophy.
It admits of an easy division into two parts :
(i) An indignant expostulation with Job for his unbecoming
language. 1 — 4.
(n) . Description of the fate of the wicked to illustrate the doctrine
of retribution. 5 — 21.
XVIII. 1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long will ye lay snares for words ?
Consider, and afterwards we will speak.
1 — 4. An indignant expostu- that his hands were clean (xvii. 9),
lation with Job for his unbe- and had thus hinted that his friends
coming language. Bildad begins were unclean. He had said of God,
by asking Job how long he means (xvi. 9) that He had torn him in
to go on using such clap-trap argu- His wrath. Bildad replies You
ments (2), and why he is treating are tearing yourself in your wrath.
his friends with such contempt (3). He had appealed to the earth not
How absurd it is, he adds, for a to cover his blood (xvi. 18). Is the
man who is simply destroying him- order of nature to be interfered
self by his passion, to expect that with for this ? asks Bildad.
the order of nature should be inter- 2. How long will ye lay snares
fered with on his account (4) ! for words ? The rendering of the
These verses are full of allusions A.V. How long will it be ere ye
to Job's words in the speech that make an end of words? is based on
he had just made. He had implied that of the lxx. and Vulg. But the

90

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XVIII. 3-8

3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts,
And are become unclean in your sight ?
4 Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger,
Shall the earth be forsaken for thee ?
Or shall the rock be removed out of its place ?
5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out,
And the 1 spark of his fire shall not shine.
6 The hght shall be dark in his tent,
And his lamp "above him shall be put out.
7 The steps of his strength shall be straitened,
And his own counsel shall cast him down.
8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet,
And he walketh upon the toils.

Or, flame

2 Or, beside

R.V. is probably correct, though the
word translated snares is found no
where else. To lay snares for
words seems to mean to 'catch at
clap-trap arguments.'
4. Is the order of nature and
the world to be interfered with for
his sake ? The law of retribution is
fixed by God. Job may rage and
tear himself as he wiU, but this law
will remain powerful to rule over
the evil-doer.
5—21. Description of the fate
of the wicked to illustrate the
doctrine of retribution. Bildad
now illustrates his teaching on the
fixity of God's law by describing
the fate which overtakes the sinner.
His light is put out (5, 6). He is
entangled in his own devices, and
entrapped in his own meshes (7 — 10).
Terrors dog his footsteps (11). The
ravages of disease do their worst
upon him (12, 13), and bring him to
death (14). His home is waste and
desolate (15) : his family extinct ;
and his very name forgotten (16 — 19).
The only memory remaining will be

horror at his fate (20). Such, says
Bildad, is the portion of the evil
doer (21).
5, 6. The doctrine of these verses
is identical with that of the book of
Proverbs, from which they are ap
parently drawn (see the Introduction,
p. xxii). Indeed Bildad's words the
light of the wicked shall be put out. ..
his lamp above him shall be put out
maybe said to be a direct quotation
from Prov. xiii. 9 ; xxiv. 20. The
lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
The putting out of the lamp in the
tent forms a natural figure for the
extinction of the family, just as the
kindUng or keeping alive the lamp
denotes the continuance and pre
servation of the house. See 1 Kings
xi. 36 ; xv. 4; 2 Kings viii. 19.
7. The steps of his strength shall
be straitened. Another allusion to
Proverbs. See iv. 12 (of him who is
taught by Wisdom), 'When thou
goest thy steps shall not be strait
ened.' 8 — 10. Bildad here heaps together
every word he can find for nets or

XVIII. 9-14]

THE BOOK OF JOB

91

9 A gin shall take him by the heel,
And a snare shall lay hold on him.
10 A noose is hid for him in the ground,
And a trap for him in the way.
1 1 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side,
And shall chase him at his heels.
12 His strength shall be hungerbitten,
And calamity shall be ready xfor his halting.
13 It shall devour the 2members of his body,
Yea, the firstborn of death shall devour his members.
14 He shall be rooted out of his tent wherein he trusteth ;
And 8he shall be brought to the king of terrors.

1 Or, at his side 2 Heb. bars of his skin.
3 Heb. it shall (or thou shalt) bring him.

snares to describe the manner in
which the wicked man is taken in
his own devices, as (to use Shakes
peare's phrase) ' an engineer hoist
with his own petard.'
9. gin. So modern editions of
the A.V., but the standard edition
of 1611 and subsequent ones up to
1762 give the form grinne or grin,
which is said to be a form frequently
found in old writers.
snare. The same word as that
used in v. 5, where see note. The
A.V. robber is certainly wrong.
11. This verse seems hardly to
refer to the fears of the evil con
science, so vividly described by
Eliphaz (xv. 20 seq.) : but rather to
the terror of the man when involved
in one trouble after another.
12, 13. Descriptive of the ravages
of disease.
hungerbitten, i.e. famished, cf.
Holinshed, Chronicle (ed. 1586),
in. p. 616, 'The poore distressed
people that were hunger bitten,
made them brede of feme roots,'

quoted in Wright's Bible Word-
Book, p. 327.
calamity shall be ready for his
halting. The revisers take the last
word to be the same as that used in
Ps. xxxv. 15, When I halted (lit.
at my halting) they rejoiced, cf.
xxxviii. 17, I am ready to halt.
The margin, however, gives the
rendering of the A.V. at his side,
taking it from a much commoner
word ; and this seems to yield an
equally good sense.
13. the members of his body,
literally the bars of his skin. The
Hebrew word for ' bars ' is used in
xii. 12 (Heb. 4) of the members
(R.V. limbs) of the crocodile.
the firstborn of death, i.e. deadly
disease. 14. the king of terrors, death,
which is here personified as the
ruler in the grave. See Ps. xlix. 14,
' They are appointed as a flock for
Sheol : death shall be their shepherd
(i.e. shall rule them Uke a king).'
Cf. Rev. ix. 11.

92

THE BOOK OF JOB

[xviii. 15-19

15 1 There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his :
Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.
16 His roots shall be dried up beneath,
And above shall his branch 2be cut off.
17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth,
And he shall have no name in the street.
18 He shall be driven from light into darkness,
And chased out of the world.
19 He shall have neither son nor son's son among his people,
Nor any remaining where he sojourned.
1 Or, It shall dwell in his tent, that it be no more his or, because it is none of his
2 Or, wither

15. There shall dwell in his tent
that which is none of his. The
general sense is clear, but the con
struction of the clause is very
difficult. The R.V. however is
grammatically defensible, and seems
better than the A. V. which supposes
that 'terror' is still referred to.
Taking the R.V. the meaning would
be that his home is desolate, and
given up to that which is none of
his, i.e. satyrs and night monsters
such as those referred to in Isaiah
xxxiv. 11 — 15, as inhabiting the
desolate land of Edom, which lies
under God's curse, and 'the dust
thereof is turned into brimstone'
Is. xxxiv. 9. So in the next clause
of the verse before us Bildad says
brimstone shall be scattered upon
his habitation, alluding probably to
the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah,
so often held up as a warning: cf.
Gen. xix. 24.
16. -Hit's roots. ..and. ..his branch.
The entire extinction of his family
' root and branch.' This allusion is
characteristic in the mouth of
Bildad. See viii. 16, 17, where
the sinner in the days of his

prosperity is compared to a tree,
whose 'branch shooteth forth in
his garden,' and whose 'roots are
wrapped about the heap.' Cf. also
for similar figures xxix. 19 ; Is.
xxxvii. 31 ; Amos ii. 9. Driver on
the last mentioned passage quotes
a striking illustration from the
epitaph on Bshmunazar, king of
Sidon, invoking a curse on anyone
who violates the tomb : ' may he
have no root beneath, or fruit
above, or any beauty among the
living under the sun.'
19. neither son nor son's son :
the two Hebrew words occur to
gether also in Gen. xxi. 23, and
Isaiah xiv. 22, but are found no
where else. Here and in the
passage in Isaiah the A.V. trans
lates the second of them by the
word nephew ; taking this word in
its ancient sense of grandson (Lat.
nepos). The word nephew also
stands for grandson (not son of a
brother or sister) where it occurs in
the A.V. in Judg. xii. 14 ; 1 Tim.
v. 4 ; and the usage of the word
in this sense is common in Old
English.

xviii. 20, 2 1] THE BOOK OF JOB 93
20 JThey that come after shall be astonied at his day,
As they that went before 2were affrighted.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous,
And this is the place of him that knoweth not God.
1 Or, They that dwell in the west are. ..as they that dwell in the east are die.
2 Heb. laid hold on horror.
20. They that come after shall given in the margin of the R.V.
be astonied at his day, as they that They that dwell in the west are
went before were affrighted. If astonied at his day, as they that
this rendering be correct the words dwell in the east are affrighted, a
mean that the horror at the fate of rendering which expresses the uni-
the sinner will last to times far versality of the horror felt.
distant ; later as well as earlier his day, i.e. the day of disaster or
generations shall feel it. But many death, as in Ezek. xxi. 25 (Heb. 30);
Commentators prefer the rendering Ps. xxxvii. 13.
XIX. Job's answer to Bildad.
It is no wonder that Job is more than ever hurt and embittered by
this last speech of Bildad with its cruel suggestions and scarcely veiled
innuendoes. It shows him, as nothing else could do, how completely isolated
he is. To Bildad's ' how long will ye lay snares for words ' he retorts ' how
long will ye vex my soul?' and adds bitter words on the hard treatment
which his friends are meting out to him. He repudiates altogether the
explanation which Bildad had suggested of his sufferings, and insists once
more that they are simply due to God, Who is counting him as* one of His
adversaries. In pathetic terms he describes his helpless condition, the
seemingly cruel treatment to which he is subjected, and the manner in
which it is imitated by men — even those nearest and dearest to him having
turned against him. Then the recollection of all that he has to endure
wrings from him an agonizing cry for pity, when suddenly the thought
which has long been struggling for utterance finds expression, and the
hope of a vindication after death, for which he had already shown his
intense yearning, bursts forth, as no longer only a hope or desire, but as a
sure conviction that in the end he will be righted, and that, after the
powers of death have done their worst upon his bodily frame, he will yet
himself in his own person 'see God.' Thus, as Ewald says, 'this profoundly
pathetic speech combines the lowest human humiliation, and the highest
divine exaltation, the utmost despair and the most enthusiastic hope and
most enraptured certainty. It occupies... the highest central point of the
contention and of the action of the whole drama... The spark of the eternal
hope that is raised above all time and vicissitudes of time, which at first
faintly glimmered, xiv., then sprang forth more brightly, xvi., xvii., here
bursts into a clear fire, warming and sustaining the man who would
otherwise have now perished in the ancient superstition and in the dark
abyss of unbelief.'

94 THE BOOK OF JOB [xix. 1-5
In analysing this speech the following divisions may be made :
(i) Introductory rebuke of his friends and repudiation of tlieir
doctrine. 1 — 6.
(ii) Description of God's treatment of him, and of the way in
which it is reflected in the conduct of men. 7 — 20.
(iii) Passionate cry for pity and longing to have his protestations
indelibly engraven. 21 — 24.
(iv) The strong conviction that after death he shall be righted, and
shall himself see his Vindicator. 25 — 27-
(v) Closing threat to his friends. 28, 29.
XIX. 1 Then Job answered and said,
2 How long will ye vex my soul,
And break me in pieces with words ?
3 These ten times have ye reproached me :
Ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.
4 And be it indeed that I have erred,
Mine error remaineth with myself.
5 'If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me,
And plead against me my reproach :
1 Or, Will ye indeed. ., reproach f
1—6. Introductory rebuke of occurs here only, and the meaning
his friends and repudiation of is somewhat uncertain ; but the
their doctrine. How long, Job A.V. make yourselves strange, is
asks, do his friends mean to go certainly wrong. The R.V. follows
on with their cruel suggestions ? the lxx. imKeterde, and Vulg. oppri-
Why should they thus remorselessly mentes, and is probably correct.
reproach him (1 — 3) ? Grant that 4. The meaning of this verse is
he has been in the wrong, yet this doubtful. Mine error remaineth
concerns him alone (4). If, however, with myself may mean either ' it
they insist on setting themselves is my concern,' and nothing to you ;
against him, and reproaching him or possibly, 'I have to pay the
with his condition, let them know penalty of it.'
that it is entirely God's doing, and 5. The verse is best taken as a
that He alone is responsible for it question (as R.V. marg.). Will ye
(5, 6). indeed magnify yourselves against
3. These ten times : ten is used me, and plead against me my
as a round number just as in Gen. reproach ? For magnify your-
xxxi. 7 ; Numb. xiv. 22. selves cf. Pss. xxxv. 26; xxxviii. 16;
deal hardly. The Hebrew word lv. 12.

XIX. 6-13]

THE BOOK OF JOB

95

6 Know now that God hath 'subverted me in my cause,
And hath compassed me with his net.
7 Behold, 1 2cry out of wrong, but I am not heard :
I cry for help, but there is no judgement.
8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass,
And hath set darkness in my paths.
9 He hath stripped me of my glory,
And taken the crown from my head.
10 He hath broken me down on every side, and I am gone :
And mine hope hath he plucked up like a tree.
11 He hath also kindled his wrath against me,
And he counteth me unto him as one of his adversaries.
12 His troops come on together, and cast up their way
against me,
And encamp r#and about my tent.
13 He hath put my brethren far from me,
And mine acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.

1 Or, overthrown me
6. Bildad had said, with an
evident reference to Job, he is cast
into a net by his own feet. To this
Job retorts, It is all God's doing.
It is He who hath compassed me
with his net.
7—20. Description of God's
treatment of him, and of the
way in which it is reflected in
the conduct of men. Having
asserted that his suffering is due
to God's action, he now proceeds to
describe at length what he has to
suffer from Him : his cries for help
are unavailing (7). God has hedged
him in, and shut him up in the
dark; stripped him of his glory;
broken him down, driven him to
despair (8—10). In His wrath He
has declared war against him, sum
moned His troops against him,
and isolated him from his friends
(11 — 13). His nearest and dearest
have turned against him, his ser-

2 Or, cry out, Violence 1
vants, his brethren, his wife herself.
Even young children mock him ;
such a living skeleton is he reduced
to (14—20).
7. The margin of the R.V. gives
a vigorous rendering : ' Behold, I
cry out, Violence; but I am not
heard.' He is like a man shouting,
Murder ! Similar expressions occur
in Jer. xx. 8 ; Hab. i. 2, and should
be translated in the same way.
judgement, i.e. justice.
8. He hath fenced up my way.
The same figure for obstructing the
path of life occurs in Hos. ii. 6
(Heb. 8) ; Lam. iii. 7, 9.
12. The figure is that of an army
casting up a way to the beleaguered
city over against which they have
encamped. 13. mine acquaintance are
wholly estranged from me. It has
been thought that the words are
wholly estranged (^T l^) are used

96

THE BOOK OF JOB

[xix. 14-19

14 My kinsfolk have failed,
And my familiar friends have forgotten me.
15 They that 'dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me
for a stranger :
I am an alien in their sight.
16 I call unto my servant, and he giveth me no answer,
Though I intreat him with my mouth.
17 My breath is strange to my wife,
And 2my supplication to the children "of my mother's
womb.
18 Even young children despise me ;
If I arise, they speak against me.
19 All 4my inward friends abhor me :
And they whom I loved are turned against me.
1 Or, sojourn 2 Or, I make supplication Or, I am loathsome
3 Or, of my body 4 Heb. the men of my council.

with an intentional play upon the
word for cruel p!?^?). With the
thought of this verse cf. Ps. lxxxviii.
18, 'Lover and friend hast thou
put far from me.'
14. His friends and relations
seem to have forgotten his existence.
15, 16. His household servants
ignore him, and pay no heed to his
appeals. 17. Even his wife and those
nearest to him are turned against
him. And my supplication to the
children of my mother's womb.
While the general sense of the
whole passage is clear enough, the
exact meaning of this clause is
doubtful, though the A.V. (though
I entreated for the children's sake
of my own body) is indefensible.
The word rendered in R.V. my
supplication is uncertain. It may
be a substantive with this meaning,
but it is more probably a verb (as

R.V. marg. 2) I am loathsome.
Again, the exact meaning of the
following words is difficult to deter
mine. Literally they are children
of my womb. This may mean (1)
my sons, i.e. children of my body
(cf. Deut. vii. 13, xxviii. 4, fruit of
thy body, where the same word is
used, and the pronoun is masculine).
But according to i. it would appear
that all Job's children were slain ;
and it is unnatural to introduce the
thought of children of concubines,
as the lxx. does. More probably
the phrase means (2) my brothers,
i.e. children of my mother's womb,
or, of the womb that bare me. Cf.
iii. 10, where the words are literally
'it shut not up the doors of my
womb.' Others, as Dillmann, think
that the reference is to grandchil
dren. So Symmachus (viols 7ral8a>v
p.ov). But this seems less probable
than the explanation just given.

XIX. 20-23]

THE BOOK OF JOB

97

20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh,
And I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, 0 ye my friends ;
For the hand of God hath touched me.
22* Why do ye persecute me as God,
And are not satisfied with my flesh ?
23 Oh that my words were now written !
Oh that they were inscribed in a book !

(
20. My bone cleaveth &c. Cf.
Ps. cii. 5, where much the same
words occur, My bones cleave to
my flesh, and Lam. iv. 8, Their
skin sticketh (a different verb) to
their bones. The allusion in the
passage before us is of course to the
emaciation which is said to accom
pany the disease of elephantiasis
from which Job suffered.
/ am escaped with the skin of
my teeth. The expression is evi
dently a proverbial one, though
found nowhere else in the O.T.
The meaning is that there is hardly
a sound place in his body, nothing
but ' the skin of his teeth.'
21—24. Passionate cry for
pity, and longing to have his pro
testations indelibly engraven.
There now escapes Job's lips a
passionate cry for pity from his
friends. God has turned against
him, and they have gone with Him,
and are copying His treatment of
him. There is no end to their
malicious charges (21, 22). Would
that his protestations of innocence
might not merely be written in the
pages of a book that is soon de
stroyed, but placarded in imperish
able characters cut into the solid
rock so that future generations
might read them (23, 24)!
This exclamation follows naturally
on what has gone before. He has

described fully God's persecution of
him (7 — 13) and the way it is re
flected in the conduct of men (14 —
20). Hence this cry with its re
proach : Why do ye persecute me
as God?
And are not satisfied with my
flesh. ' To eat the flesh ' of anyone
in Hebrew is equivalent to 'to
slanderously or maliciously accuse
anyone.' Of. Ps. xxvii. 2, 'evil
doers came upon me to eat up my
flesh,' and Dan. iii. 8, vi. 24 (Heb.
25), where 'accused ' is literally ' ate
the parts of.' Hence Job means to
reproach his friends with their cruel
and malicious charges, showing once
more that he sees clearly enough
the application which they intend
him to make of their words.
23. Oh that my words were
now written ! What are the' words
which Job wishes to have thus
inscribed? Two views have been
taken : (1) that the wish is intro
ductory to what follows, and that
the actual ' inscription ' is contained
in verses 25 — 27. There is some
thing very attractive about this
view, and if (with lxx., Vulg. and
A.V.) we could translate the first
word of verse 25 as for, there
would be no reason to question it.
But such a translation is not the
natural one : the Hebrew is much
more naturally rendered But or

J.

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XIX. 24

24 That with an iron pen and lead
They were graven in the rock for ever I

Yet I know (cf. Ps. ii. 6, Yet I have
set my king, where the form of the
sentence is exactly the same). And
if it is so translated as to indicate
a contrast between what goes before
and what follows, it is clear that
verses 25 — 27 are not the inscrip
tion. We are driven then to hold
(2) that what Job desires to have
thus inscribed is the assertion of his
innocence which he has so frequently
made. This is to be engraven in
the rock so that after his death
future generations may read it as a
record of a man who was unjustly
slain. It thus becomes a sort of
appeal to posterity.
in a book. The Hebrew has the
definite article, in the book. But
no particular book is meant. It is
one of those cases where the He
brews used the definite article be
cause the thing spoken of ' appeared
definite to the imagination of the
speaker.' Cf. Exod. xvii. 14 ; 1 Sam.
x. 25 ; Jer. xxxii. 10. In such
cases the English idiom requires
the indefinite article. See David
son's Hebrew Syntax, § 21 c.
24. That with an iron pen and
lead they were graven in the rock
for ever. The 'book' would be
liable to perish, and therefore Job
would have his words cut in the
soUd rock, with lead run into the
incisions, so as to give them a
permanent and indelible character
that they might remain as a testi
mony for aU generations. For the
iron pen cf. Jer. xvii. 1, where the
same phrase is used figuratively.
for ever. The version of Theo
dotion has for a testimony, which

only requires a change of the vowel-
points. This gives a good sense;
cf. Gen. xxxi. 44, and Deut. xxx. 19,
but the correction is not necessary.
The lxx. (Cod. B) has els rbv al&va,
and so the Targum takes the word.
With the rendering of the Vul
gate a curious question is connected
In the printed texts the verse stands
as follows, 'Quis mihi tribuat ut
scribantur sermones mei? quis
mihi det ut exarentur in libro stylo
ferreo, et plumbi lamina, vel celte
sculpantur in silice?' Here the
words vel celte, 'or with a flint
instrument ' (what antiquarians now
call a ' celt '), represent the Hebrew
of 'for ever.' It is needless to say
that as a translation this is im
possible, and there seems to be
httle doubt that what Jerome reaUy
wrote was not vel celte but vel certe,
a reading which is found in all the
earlier mss. of the Vulgate. Thus
the word celtes or celte would here
be merely a clerical error. But, al
though the word has now become
firmly established as the technical
name for a flint instrument, it is
remarkable that apart from this
passage independent evidence for
the existence of such a word is very
slender and on the whole it would
seem probable that the word actually
originated in a clerical error, and
that as a Latin word it has no real
existence. ' The word was assumed
on the authority of the Vulgate to
be a genuine word, and as such the
term was admitted into the techni
cal vocabulary of archaeology about
1700.' No wonder then that it has
always been a puzzle how to ex-

XIX. 25]

THE BOOK OF JOB

99

25 'But I know that my "redeemer liveth,
And that he shall stand up at the last upon the 'earth :
1 Or, For 2 Or, vindicator Heb. goel. 3 Heb. dust.

plain it, or discover a derivation for
it! See Murray's New English
Dictionary, sub voce.
25 — 27. The strong conviction
that after death he shall be
righted, and shall himself see his
vindicator. But, after all, the
fact that his protestations thus re
mained would profit him but little.
It is a thought in which he cannot
find repose ; and thus he rises to
something higher, and declares his
conviction that God will be his
Vindicator, and will manifest Him
self in the end (25) ; and after his
body has been dissolved in death,
he shall yet somehow 'from his
flesh' himself see God — a thought
the greatness of which so over
whelms him that he cries out like
one ready to faint (26, 27).
25. But I know that my re
deemer liveth. On the opening
word ' but ' instead of ' for ' (of the
A.V.) see above, p. 97. The A.V. in
this clause exactly follows the Vul
gate Scio enim quod redemptor
meus vivit. But the word redeemer
does not express the meaning of the
original so accurately as the Vindi
cator of the margin of R.V. The
word used is Goel, the participle of
a verb which signifies to 'procure
compensation for the down-trodden
and unjustly oppressed,' and so to
'rescue.' It is often applied to
God as the deliverer of His people
out of captivity, especially in the
latter part of Isaiah, e.g. xliii. 1 ;
xliv. 22, 23. Under the Mosaic
system the participle Goel (the form
used here) was the technical term
for the nearest blood relation, who

had both the right of redemption of
property (see Lev. xxv. 25; Ruth
iv. 4) and also the duty of avenging
bloodshed (see Numb. xxxv. 19, 21).
By Job's assertion, therefore, that
his GoU liveth he declares his
conviction that in spite of all, God
(for 26, 27 make it clear that it is
to Him he refers) will rescue him,
and vindicate him from the unjust
and cruel imputations under which
he lies.
And that he shall stand up at the
last upon the earth. The English
versions here rightly desert the
Vulgate, which mistranslates the
clause and finds in it an affirmation
of Job's own expected resurrection.
Et in novissimo die de terra sur-
recturus sum, though in novissimo
die probably suggested at the latter
day of the A.V. The Hebrew word
so rendered is really an adjective
meaning coming after or behind.
It occurs in Isaiah xii. 4 for the
last as opposed to the first. The
English versions both understand
it to be used here adverbially, as
afterwards or at the last. But it
is more probable that it is a second
ary predicate, and that the clause
should be translated 'and as one
coming after me he shall stand up
upon the earth' or rather the dust.
The dust (R.V. marg.) in which
Job himself is so soon to be laid.
The word is almost equivalent to
the grave (see xvii. 16; xx. 11; xxL
26) upon which the Vindicator shaU
take his stand, as an after man,
to vindicate and establish the inno
cence of the sufferer who has passed
away.
7—2

100

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XIX. 26

26 'And after my skin hath been thus destroyed,
Yet 2from my flesh shall I see God :

1 Or, And after my skin hath been destroyed, this shall be, even from etc.
Or, And though after my skin this body be destroyed, yet from c&c.
2 Or, without

26. And after my skin hath
been thus destroyed. Up to this
point the meaning is tolerably clear,
and the differences of interpreta
tion are comparatively unimportant.
The real difficulty of the passage
begins with the words now before
us. The lxx. is very obscure and
gives no help, while the Vulgate is
altogether wrong in seeing in words
which can only speak of the de
struction of the body, a definite
reference to its resurrection : Et
rursum circumdabor pelle mea.
The A.V. endeavours to get over
the difficulty of the words by boldly
inserting 'worms' and 'body,' 'And
though after my skin worms destroy
this body'; insertions which cannot
be defended. Many modern writers
give up the text as corrupt, and
take refuge in conjectural emen
dations. Taking it, however, as it
stands, the sense of the words seems
to be fairly represented in the R.V.
Literally they run as follows, ' And
after my skin they have destroyed,
this.' The verb is in the active :
but the 'indefinite subject' is often
employed in Hebrew where we
should use the passive voice (cf. vii.
3, ' wearisome nights are appointed
to me,' lit. 'they have appointed
to me.' See Davidson's Hebrew
Syntax, § 108, 2, rem. 2). The
meaning of the verb is shown by
Is. x. 34, where it is used of cutting
off the branches of a tree : and the

word ' this ' at the end of the clause
is used deiKTiKas, as if Job pointed
to his emaciated frame, all skin and
bone ; and the whole clause will be
an emphatic expression of the fact
that what he hopes for in the fol
lowing clause can only take place, •
after this my skin has been liacked
to pieces. Yet from my flesh shall I see
God. The R.V. translates literally,
from my flesh, and does not remove
the ambiguity of the Hebrew.
Grammatically two interpretations
are possible: (1) 'from my flesh,' i.e.
' looking out from my flesh,' and so
as A.V. after the Vulgate 'in carne
mea,' in my flesh ; (2) ' apart from '
or 'without my flesh' (cf. xi. 15,
'without spot,' where the preposition
is the same ; and see other examples
of this privative sense" of the pre
position in Davidson's Hebrew Syn
tax, § 101, rem. c). Of these
alternatives the latter is the more
probable. Such a definite state
ment of the resurrection of not
merely 'the body,' but 'the flesh'
as the former involves would be
most startling in the mouth of Job,
whereas the conviction that 'without
his flesh,' i.e. after his flesh has
been destroyed, he may stiU survive
and 'see God' forms the natural
climax to the longing which has
been struggling upwards in his
heart ever since xiv. 13.

XIX. 27]

THE BOOK OF JOB

101

27 Whom I shall see 'for myself,
And mine eyes shall behold, and not 8another.
My reins are consumed within me.

1 Or, on my side
27. Whom I shall see for my
self, or (as R.V. marg.) on my side.
and not another. It is better to
take these words as referring not to
Job but to God and render (with
R.V. marg.) and not as a stranger.
God had been treating him as His
enemy, and had become estranged
from him; hereafter, Job declares,
he will see God 'on his side,' and
no longer ' estranged ' (it is another
part of the same verb that is used
in verse 13, ' mine acquaintance are
wholly estranged ').
My reins are consumed within
me. The thought is so overpower
ing that Job is ready to faint from
his agitation. The words form an
exclamation, almost equivalent to
'my heart faints.' For the verb
are consumed cf. Pss. lxxxiv. 2, cxix.
81, in both of which passages it is
translated faint. The reins or
kidneys stand in Hebrew for the
affections, and are often used where
we should speak of 'the heart,' cf.
Prov. xxiii. 16.
If the interpretation of the several
clauses that has now been given is
correct the passage as a whole
affords distinct evidence that Job
has fought his way to a new belief,
and has reached the conviction that
after death he shaU be granted a
vision of God. Against this inter
pretation two objections are some
times brought.
(1) It is said that it contradicts
Job's earlier utterances. This ob
jection, however, does not appear
to be a formidable one. It may be

2 Or, as a stranger
freely granted that this passage is
very different from some earlier
ones, and does contradict the state
ments of vii. 7 — 10, and xiv. 7 — 12.
It is clear that at the outset, when
his troubles first fell upon him Job
did not believe in any future life :
the very idea of it as a possibility
does not seem to have occurred to
him. It evidently formed no part
of his creed and was no article of
faith in the days in which the scene
of the story is laid. But the book
shows us very carefully exactly how
he arrived at the belief : it was only
at the close of a prolonged struggle,
the stages of which are clearly
marked, that he came to accept it.
Two distinct lines of thought meet
in the passage before us. (as) The
thought that God, if He be Gofl,
must ultimately manifest Himself
as the Vindicator of the innocent
sufferer. In preparation for this
we have had in ix. 33 the expression
of Job's earnest desire for a ' days
man' or arbiter, and in xvi. 19 —
xvii. 3, the appeal to God to main
tain his right with Himself, and to
stand surety for him. But (6) since
death is all along contemplated as
the issue of his sufferings, this inter
position and manifestation can only
take place after death, and therefore
there must be a future life. To this
he has come at last ; beginning in
vii. 7 — 10 with absolute disbelief,
he has worked his way to it, through
the great longing for it suggested to
him in xiv. 7 — 15 by the contem
plation of the facts in the natural

102

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XIX. 27

world which point in this direction.
He feels then that, if he could only
accept it, it would enable him to
bear his intolerable sufferings with
patience : and, the thought and
longing having thus occurred to
him, it is but natural that in time
they should give birth to conviction.
This first objection, therefore, based
on the contradiction between this
passage and earlier utterances, falls
to the ground.
But (2) a second objection is
.raised to which more weight must
be attached. It is said that if Job
has really reached this assured
position it is inconceivable that
this solution of his difficulties should
never again be alluded to in the
book by Job himself, or by any of
the other speakers. The fact that
there is no further reference to it is
certainly strange, and difficult to
account for: but the force of the
objection is considerably weakened
when it is noticed what a real effect
the conviction, to which Job here
gives expression, has upon his sub
sequent utterances. In aU that
follows there is a far calmer tone,
and much less of the passion with
which he has flung out his charges
against God ; and further it is only
after this that he is able to pay any
attention to his friends' argument,
and bring forward his refutation of
it (see below on xxi.). This can
only result from his having reached
such an assured position as the
interpretation given above assumes;
and though the absence of any
. further reference to his conviction
is admitted to be remarkable, yet it
would be far more remarkable and
perplexing if the longing and
Btruggle upwards of xiv. 7 — 15, and
xvi. 19 — xvii. 3, did not issue at
length in a ' sure and certain hope.'

Two other explanations ought to
be mentioned, to show the reader
what the alternatives are if the
interpretation adopted above be
abandoned. (1) Job expects his vindication
before death. According to those
who hold this view we must either
alter the text of verse 26, or trans
late it in some such way as this :
'behind my skin, which has been
thus mangled, yea, out of my flesh '
shall I see God.' But the objections
to this view appear to be over
whelming, (a) It would involve a
startling contradiction of everything
that Job has already said. Nothing
can be clearer than the fact that all
through he is expecting to die under
his afflictions with his innocence
unrecognized. 'He invariably re
pels the idea, whenever his friends
present it to him, of any improve
ment in his condition in this world
as plainly impossible.' (b) For him
to accept the view that he will be
vindicated in this life, and restored
to prosperity would be not only to
abandon the position which he has
taken up, but to adopt the very
view of his friends. See Green,
Argument of Job, pp. 204, 5.
(2) The other alternative is that
though the vindication of his inno
cence which Job expects is to take
place after his death, yet when he
speaks of his vision of it, he is
referring to a spiritual vision which
he already enjoys as he looks forward
and anticipates the future. This
would require us to translate the
verbs in 26, 27 as presents. I see,
not / shall see. But such an inter
pretation appears very forced, and
it is anything but natural to think
that Job would be satisfied with
such a spiritual vision, or emphasize
his conviction of it so forcibly. If

XIX. 28, 29]

THE BOOK OF JOB

103

28 If ye say, How we will persecute him !
'Seeing that the root of the matter is found in 'me ;
29 Be ye afraid of the sword :
For 'wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword,
That ye may know there is a judgement.
1 Or, And that 2 Many anoient .authorities read, him. » Or, wrathful are

he is to die with his innocence
unrecognized, it can be no satis
faction to him to anticipate the fact
that hereafter it will be recognized,
for the benefit of posterity, if for
him there is no future life in which
he will see it; 'for,' as he says
himseK later on, ' what pleasure has
he in his house after him, when the
number of his months is cut off ? '
On. the whole, then, it is beheved
that nothing but the behef in a
future life satisfies the requirements
of the words used. No interpre
tation is free from difficulty : but
this labours under fewer objections
than any other. It is not improb
able that there may be some cor
ruption of the text in the first clause
of verse 26, where the Hebrew is
obscure, but there seems to be no
justification for attempts to amend
the text elsewhere ; and the lxx.
translators, who may have had a
different reading before them in
this clause, still found in the passage
the doctrine of a future life ; while,
among moderns, Siegfried, who
alters the text with great daring, is
nevertheless constrained to admit
that the verse as it stands gives
expression to this behef, though he
arbitrarily removes it from the text
as an interpolation, and writes of it
as foUows : 'we look upon the whole
passage as a later gloss in which the
resurrection of the just is regarded
as a possibiUty (cf. Dan. xii. 13 ;
2 Mace. vii. 9, 11), contrary to the

opinion put forth in the book of Job
with regard to Sheol (iii. &c.).'
28, 29. Closing threat to his
friends. If, after this, Job's friends
continue to persecute him, and to
insist that the real cause of his
misery lies in himself (28), let them
dread the punishment of God's
wrath which awaits them (29).
28. If ye say, How we will per
secute him! The A.V. is quite
wrong in the turn which it gives to
this. But ye should say, why per
secute we him. Job is not advising
them what they ought to say, but
is warning them against the conse
quences (stated in verse 29) of their
language. Seeing that the root of the matter
is found in me. For in me a con
siderable number of Hebrew mss.
read in him and this reading has
the support of the lxx., Vulgate
and Targum and is probably correct.
The clause forms part of the sup
posed utterance of the friends,
whom Job imagines to say that the
real cause of his misfortunes (the
root of the matter) is to be found in
himself, i.e. in his own sinful conduct.
29. wrath. It is God's wrath
that is spoken of : but probably the
word is the predicate and the sub
stantive is used, as often in Hebrew,
where we should use an adjective,
and instead of wrath bringeth the
punishments of the sword, we
should render wrathful are the
punishments of the sword. So

104 THE BOOK OF JOB [xx. 1-3
XX. Second speech of Zophar.
Zophar, as has already been pointed out, is the roughest and coarsest
of the three friends. He now shows himself the densest : for though Job
has just given expression to the grand conviction that his Vindicator lives
and will right him hereafter, yet Zophar is totally incapable of entering
into the thought, and is simply indignant that Job should dare to threaten
them as he did in his last words. Hence, after a few words expressing his
impatience with his friend, Ke reiterates the old doctrine of retribution,
describing once more the fate which falls upon the wicked, and insisting
on the brevity of his triumph, and the speedy character of the judgment
which overtakes him. It is this reference alone which distinguishes his
speech from the last one of Bildad, whose general line he follows closely ;
and of course, like Bildad, he means Job to read between the lines, and to
discover in the picture held up to him a portrait of himself.
The chapter is best divided into four sections :
(i) Introductory acknowledgment of his impatience. 1 — 3.
(ii) Description of the transitory character of the prosperity of
the wicked. 4 — 11.
(iii) Sin and its retribution. 12 — 22.
(iv) God's wrath and vengeance upon the sinner. 23 — 29.
XX. 1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and
said,
2 Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me,
xEven by reason of my haste that is in me.
3 I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame,
2And the spirit of my understanding answereth me.
1 Or, And by reason of this my haste is within me
2 Or, But out of my understanding my spirit answereth me
R.V. marg. The sword is the have already suggested the an-
Divine Sword, cf. xv. 22 ; xxvii. 14. swer he wishes to make (2). He
That ye may know there is a has listened to Job's reproaches
judgement. The last word of this which were intended to make him
verse is almost certainly corrupt, ashamed, but his understanding has
The simplest change would give as already supplied his spirit with the
the rendering that ye may know reply to them (3).
the Almighty, but the corruption 2. by reason of my haste, i.e.
is perhaps too deeply seated for the impatience or inward excitement.
original text to be restored with 3. the reproof which putteth me
certainty. to shame, viz. that contained in
1—3. Introductory acknow- xix. 28, 29. The R.V. is clearer
ledgment of his impatience. Zo- than the A.V., the check of my
phar here asserts that in his impa- reproach, which, however, means
tience and excitement his thoughts the same, ' check ' being used in

XX. 4-io]

THE BOOK OF JOB

105

4 Knowest thou not this of old time,
Since man was placed upon earth,
5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless but for a moment ?
6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens,
And his head reach unto the clouds ;
7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung :
They which have seen him shall say, Where is he ?
8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found :
Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9 The eye which saw him shall see him no more :
Neither shall his place any more behold him.
10 'His children shall seek the favour of the poor,
And his hands shall give back his wealth.
1 Or, as otherwise read, The poor shall oppress his children

the old sense of 'reproof or 're
buke' ; as in Shakespeare, ' I never
knew yet but rebuke and check was
the reward of valour,' Henry IV.,
Pt. II, Act iv, Sc. 3.
The second clause is best taken
as in R.V. marg., But out of my
understanding my spirit answer
eth me.
4 — 1 1. Description of the tran
sitory character of the prosperity
of the wicked. Is not Job aware,
he now asks in scorn, of the univer
sal truth (which is as old as the
Mils) that the prosperity of the
wicked is only for a moment (4, 5) :
he may be exalted to the skies, but
his destruction is complete (6, 7) :
he passes away like a dream, and
his place knows him no more (8, 9).
His childrln are at the mercy of
others, and his iU-gotten wealth he
is made to restore (10). Lusty and
vigorous as he may seem, yet in his
fuU strength he is brought down to
the grave (11).
5. That the triumphing of the
wicked is short. Zophar's solution

of the difficulty is that which was
adopted by the author of Ps. xxxvii.
' They shall soon be cut down Uke
the grass.'. ..'Yet a little while, and
the wicked shall not be: yea, thou
shalt diligently consider his place
and he shaU not be.' It is true,
but not, as Zophar implied, a
universal truth; and in regard to
Job's case the assertion was not
pertinent. 7. like his own dung : the coarse
ness is characteristic of Zophar.
Where is he ? Cf. xiv. 10.
8. He shall fly away as a
dream. Cf. Ps. lxxiii. 20, 'As a
dream when one awaketh; so, O
Lord, when thou awakest, thou
shalt despise their image.'
9. Cf. Job's own words in vii.
8—10. 10. His children shall seek the
favour of the poor. The trans
lation is not certain. The margin
of the R.V. notes 'as otherwise
read, the poor shall oppress his
children.' The verb may be read
in two different ways and this

106

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XX. 11-14

11 His bones are full of his youth,
But it shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth,
Though he hide it under his tongue ;
13 Though he spare it, and will not let it go,
But keep it still within his mouth ;
14 Yet his meat in his bowels is turned,
It is the gall of asps within him.

marginal rendering has the support
of the lxx. and the Targum, but on
the whole the rendering of the R.V.
(text) is the more natural.
his hands sliall give back his
wealth, i.e. the man has to dis
gorge his ill-gotten goods.
11. His bones are full of his
youth. The A.V. 'his bones are
full of the sin of his youth ' is sug
gested by the Vulgate ' Ossa ejus
implebuntur vitiis adolescentiae
ejus ' ; but there is no authority for
this insertion of sin (vitiis). Youth
is used for 'youthful vigour,' cf.
xxxiii. 25; and it is this 'youthful
vigour' which is poetically repre
sented in the next clause as 'lying
down with him in the dust,' i.e.
The wicked man shall die in his full
strength. Cf. Ps. lv. 23, 'Blood
thirsty and deceitful men shall not
live out half their days.'
12—22. Sin and its retribu
tion. Having thus described the
fate of the wicked, Zophar now
proceeds to show that it is due to
his sin, which brings its own punish
ment. The man may revel in his
wickedness and gloat over it, as an
epicure over some dainty morsel
(12, 13), but he will find that it turns
to poison within (14). He will have
to disgorge the wealth he has swal
lowed down, and what he has been
consuming so greedily shah prove

to be the deadliest of poisons (15,
16). He shall not live to enjoy days
of plenty and prosperity (17) ; but
must give up all that he has amassed
so painfully (18) : and aU this, be
cause he was so cruel an oppressor
of the poor, so restless and greedy
a tyrant (20, 21). In the midst of
plenty he shaU come to penury, and
even the very abjects shaU turn
against him (22).
The thought of the whole passage
is the same as that of Shakespeare :
'The Gods ejce just, and of our
pleasant vices
Make instruments to plague us.'
King Lear, Act v. Sc. 3.
Cf. also Wisd. xi. 16.
12, 13. Sin is here compared to
some rich delicacy which the epicure
rolls under his tongue, and gloats
over, unwilling to swallow it down,
and let it go. The coarseness of
the description is characteristic of
Zophar ; cf. verse 7.
14. the gall of asps. The word
for gall occurs again in verse 25. It
is probably the same as that which
is found in xvi. 13, though pointed
differently. The poison of serpents
was erroneously believed by the
ancients to reside in the gall or
bile ; hence the expression. Cf. Pliny,
N. H. xi. 37, 'No one would be
astonished that it is the gall which
constitutes the poison of serpents.'

XX. 15-20]

THE BOOK OF JOB

107

15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them
up again :
God shall cast them out of his belly.
16 He shall suck the poison of asps :
The viper's tongue shall slay him.
17 He shall not look upon the rivers,
The flowing streams of honey and butter.
18 That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not
swallow it down ;
According to the substance 'that he hath gotten, he shall
not rejoice.
19 For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor ;
He hath violently taken away an house, 2and he shall not
build it up.
20 Because he knew no quietness 8 within him,
He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.
1 Heb. of his exchange. 2 Or, which he builded not
3 Or, in his greed Heb. in his belly.

For asps cf. Is. xi. 8 ; Pss. Iviii. 4 ;
xci. 13. Tristram identifies the
BibUcal asp with the hooded cobra
of Egypt. See Natural History of
the Bible, p. 270.
16. the poison of asps. Cf. Deut.
xxxii. 33, where the same words
occur. The viper's tongue. For viper
cf. Is. xxx. 6 ; lix. 5 : identified by
Tristram with the highly poisonous
sand viper. See Natural History
of the Bible, p. 276. The verse is
only a figurative way of saying that
his meat turns to poison within him,
i.e. his ill-gotten wealth works his
ruin. 17. the rivers, the flowing
streams of honey and butter : fre
quent images of plenty and pros
perity. For butter cf. xxix. 6.
18. The verse is somewhat ob
scure, and possibly the text is
corrupt (the lxx. apparently foUows

a different reading), but the R.V.
appears to give the general sense
correctly. Zophar means to say
that the sinner is forced to restore
what he has appropriated before he
has thoroughly assumed possession
of it, and that he gets no pleasure
out of his acquisitions.
19. The reason why this retri
bution falls upon him.
He hath violently taken away an
house, and he shall not build it up :
i.e. the house which he has taken
violent possession of (for the verb
cf. Gen. xxi. 25) shall not be estab
lished and extended.
20. within him. The Hebrew
is literally (as A.V.) in his belly.
This may mean either (1) his inner
most part, i.e. his inmost soul, as in
Prov. xviii. 8 ; xxvi. 22 ; or (2) as
R.V. marg. in his greed, the belly
being regarded as the seat of glut
tonous appetite.

108

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XX. 21-25

21 There was nothing left that he devoured not ;
Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits :
The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon
him.
23 'When he is about to fill his belly,
God shall cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him,
And shall rain it upon him 2while he is eating.
24 He shall flee from the iron weapon,
And the bow of brass shall strike him through.
25 He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body :
Yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall ;
Terrors are upon him.
1 Or, Let it be for the filling of his belly that God shall cast dbc.
2 Or, as his food

22. The hand of every one that
is in misery shall come upon him.
Cf. the description which Job him
self gives of the way in which the
miserable rabble have turned a-
gainst him in xxx. 1 — 16.
23—29. God's wrath and ven
geance upon the sinner. Just
as the man is gorging himself with
his ill-gotten wealth God's judgment
overtakes him (23). He is struck
down in the very act of fleeing from
vengeance (24) ; the fatal weapon
pierces him through, and has to be
drawn forth from the wound (25).
Terror and darkness are his portion.
He and all his are consumed by a
fire of no earthly kindling (26).
Heaven and earth combine to de
clare against him (27), and in the
day of God's wrath his prosperity
is swept away as by a flood (28).
Such is God's judgment upon the
sinner (29).
23. And shall rain it upon him.
See the same figure in Ps. xi. 6,
'Upon the wicked He shall rain

snares : fire and brimstone and
burning wind shall be the portion
of their cup.'
while he is eating : better, as
R.V. marg. as his food.
24. the bow of brass (cf. Ps.
xviii. 34) shall strike him through.
The verb is used again in this sense
in Judg. v. 26, of Jael striking
through Sisera's temples.
25. There is very probably some
corruption in the text of this verse,
which, as it now stands, can only be
rendered as in the R.V. ; but it is
certainly very tame and prosaic to
say that he draws forth the arrow,
and it comes out of his body ! The
versions are very obscure, and it
seems impossible to suggest any
satisfactory emendation of the text.
the glittering point. The word
properly means lightning, and else
where is used for the flash of
weapons, e.g. thy flashing sword,
Deut. xxxii. 41 ; the flashing spear,
Nah. iii. 3 ; Hab. iii. 11, but in these
other instances the weapon is named,

XX. 26—29]

THE BOOK OF JOB

26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures :
A fire not blown by man shall devour him ;
'It shall consume that which is left in his tent.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity,
And the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall depart,
His goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God,
And the heritage appointed unto him by God.
1 Or, It shall go ill with him that is left

109

whereas here there is no word in
the original representing point. It
is simply 'the flash cometh out of
his gall,' an almost impossible ex
pression, which again seems to
indicate that the text is corrupt.
Terrors. The same word as in
ix. 34, xiii. 21, used also elsewhere
(Exod. xv. 16 ; xxiii. 27 ; Deut.
xxxii. 25 ; Ps. lxxxviii. 16) for
terrors inspired by God.
26. All darkness is laid up for
his treasures. This rendering is
better than that of the A.V., All
darkness shall be hid in his secret
places. The words mean that aU
calamities are held in reserve for the
treasures which the wicked man has
amassed. A fire not blown by man : either
(1) kindled by God in His wrath;
or possibly (2) self-kindled. For the
figure cf. xv. 34, and Is. xxxiii. 11 —
14. There is probably in Zophar's

mind an allusion to the 'fire of God'
which burnt up Job's sheep and
servants, i. 16.
27. The heavens shall reveal his
iniquity, and the earth shall rise
up against him. A cruel retort
after Job's appeal to heaven and
earth to witness for him in xvi. 18,
19. 28. The increase of his house
shall depart. A change of point
ing in the verb would give the same
word as that in Amos v. 24, 'Let
judgment roll down as waters' ; and
this suits well with the following
clause, though the change is perhaps
not necessary. Cf. for the word
found in the Massoretic text 1 Sam.
iv. 21 ; Is. xxiv. 11.
in the day of his wrath, i.e. God's
wrath. 29. A copy of Bildad's closing
words in his last speech ; see xviii.
21.

XXI. Job's answer to Zophar.
At the close of his last speech Job had reached a sure conviction that
in spite of all God would somehow vindicate him and manifest Himself on
his side hereafter. The result of his having reached this position is very
manifest in this his next utterance. It is not merely that his words take a
calmer tone, but it is even more that he is now, and for the first time, able
fairly to face the arguments of his friends. All through the debate they

110 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxi.
have been asserting in one form or another their theory of retribution, and
their argument admits of being put in a syllogistic form after this fashion.
All suffering is the punishment of sin:
Job is a great sufferer:
Therefore Job is a great sinner.
Till now Job has been occupied almost exclusively with the conclusion.
He has passionately repudiated the notion that he is an exceptionally great
sinner, and that he has done anything to deserve to be singled out for
exceptionally severe treatment. But he has nowhere fully dealt with the
premises on which the conclusion rests. They are only just touched upon
in ix. 23, 24, and xii. 6. Now, however, that he has reached an assured
position, and is convinced that though in his death he may appear to men
to be a sinner, yet hereafter he will be righted and his innocence acknow
ledged, he is able to consider the argument as a whole and to show where
the fallacy lies. His answer to the syllogism of his friends is this : Nego
majorem. Granted their premises, the conclusion inevitably follows. But
by a powerful appeal to the logic of facts Job shows that their major
premise does not hold good. There is not the close and necessary con
nexion between suffering and sin which they assumed. If suffering be
always the punishment of sin, how is it that the wicked live and prosper ?
They had maintained that 'the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.' How
often is it, asks Job, that this really happens / As a matter of fact it is
the wicked man who is spared in the day of calamity, who is exceptionaUy
prosperous in life, and is honoured in his death. While, however, he
breaks down in this way the argument of his friends, and shows where the
fallacy in it lies, it must be remembered that he has no theory of his own to
set in its place. He can only acquiesce in the mystery, as others have done
since. His words only establish the fact that God's moral government here
is not perfect (the admission with which Butler starts in his famous chapter
on Moral Government, Analogy, Part I. c. iii.). This however is much to
have done, for so.long as men acquiesced in the old doctrine of retribution,
there could be no advance, no deeper insight into the mystery of suffering.
The old doctrine must be shown to be inadequate, or men will never seek
to penetrate deeper into the problem. Thus the establishment of the fact
that moral government as exhibited on earth is not perfect, that there is
no necessary connexion between the individual's suffering and the indi
vidual's sin, is a real advance, a step forward, because it teaches men to
look for some further object in suffering than mere punishment : it
prepares the way for the deeper teaching on the subject of pain which is
elsewhere revealed. And how necessary it was that the old doctrine
should be broken down, and that Scripture should furnish a striking
example of its inadequacy is shown by the constant recurrence of it, and the
inveterate tendency in the minds of men to argue as Job's friends argued.
It was centuries later that we read that ' there were some present which
told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their
sacrifices,' and who were met with the rebuke : ' Think ye that these
Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered these

xxi. 1-5] THE BOOK OF JOB 111
things ? I tell you, nay : but except ye repent, ye shall aU in like manner
perish' (S. Luke xiii. 1—3). And even the Apostles could ask, 'Master,
Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he should be born bUnd?'
(S. John ix. 2).
The analysis of the chapter is not difficult ; it falls into five divisions :
(1) Brief introduction, claiming a hearing. 1—6.
(2) Description of the prosperity of the wicked. 7—15.
(3) Rarity of troubles overwhelming them. 16 — 21.
(4) Perplexity of the problem. 22 — 26.
(5) Folly and ignorance of the friends in their application of their
doctrine to the case of Job himself. 27 — 34.
XXI. 1 Then Job answered and said,
2 Hear diligently my speech ;
And let this be your consolations.
3 Suffer me, and I also will speak ;
And after that I have spoken, ^ock on.
4 As for me, is my complaint 2to man ?
And why should I not be impatient ?
5 'Mark me, and be astonished,
And lay your hand upon your mouth.
1 Or, thou shalt mock a Or, of 3 Heb. Look unto me.
1 — 6. Brief introduction, consolation afforded by a good
claiming a hearing. Job here listener.
begins by appealing to his friends 3. mock on. In the Massoretic
to hear him patiently, after which text this word is in the singular, as
they may mock on, if they please if it was addressed to Zophar in
(1 — 3). It is not of man's conduct particular. But the Versions (lxx.,
that he is complaining, and he has Symmachus, Syriac, Vulg.) all trans-
good cause for the impatience which late as if they read the word in the
he shows (4). Let them listen in plural, which is actually found in
silent astonishment, for the problem one Hebrew MS.
is one which he himself cannot 4. is my complaint to man?
think upon without agitation (5, Better, of man, as R.V. marg.
6). Job means that it is not concerning
2. let this be your consolations, man, but rather concerning God, that
Eliphaz had hinted that the argu- he feels he has ground of complaint.
ments advanced by himself and his 5. lay your hand upon your
friends were the consolations of mouth. See the use of similar
God to Job (xv. 11). Job retorts phrases as indicating the silence of
that the only ' consolation ' which awe and astonishment in xl. 4 and
he asks from his friends is the Micah vii. 16.

112

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXI. 6-12

6 Even when I remember I am troubled,
And horror taketh hold on my flesh.
7 Wherefore do the wicked live,
Become old, yea, wax mighty in power ?
8 Their seed is established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are 'safe from fear,
Neither is the rod of God upon them.
10 Their bull gender eth, and faileth not ;
Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.
12 They ssing to the timbrel and harp,
And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

Or, in peace, without fear

2 Heb. lift up the voice.

6. when I remember, i.e. when
I think or reflect upon : cf. the use
of the word remember in xii. 8
(Heb. xl. 32). The object of his
reflection, though not yet stated, is
clearly the prosperity of the wicked,
of which he proceeds to speak in
the following verses.
7 — 15. Description of the
prosperity of the wicked. The
problem is now stated. Why is it,
Job asks, that the wicked thrive ?
(7). They are blessed with children :
their houses are secure : their cattle
increase: their lives are full of
mirth and merriment, and their
death preceded by no painful and
lingering illness (8 — 13). Yet these
are the very men who have bidden
good-bye to God, and have refused
altogether to render homage to
Him (14, 15)!
8. Their ,seed is established with
them in their sight. Job is evi
dently thinking of the mournful
contrast to this afforded by his own

case. Cf. i. 19.
9. the rod of God. Cf. ix. 34,
and xxxvii. 13 where 'correction' is
literally ' a rod.'
11. They send forth their little
ones like a flock. The same com
parison is found in Ps. cvii. 41,
' maketh him families like a flock.'
12. They sing, literally lift up
(the voice). Other instances of the
verb being used absolutely without
the word voice expressed are Numb.
xiv. 1; Is. iii. 7; xlii. 2, 11.
the timbrel, or tambourine, chiefly
used by women as an accompani
ment to dancing. See Exod. xv. 20;
Judg. xi. 34 ; Jer. xxxi. 4.
the pipe, better than the organ
of the A.V. which follows the
Vulgate. It is the simplest of wind
instruments, mentioned elsewhere
in Gen. iv. 21 ; Ps. cl. 4, and in
c. xxx. 31, where the harp and pipe
are the symbols of mirth and merri
ment.

XXI. 13-16]

THE BOOK OF JOB

113

13 They spend their days in prosperity,
And in a moment they go down to 'Sheol.
14 Yet they said unto God, Depart from us ;
For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him ?
16 2Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand :
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

1 Or, the grave
13. in prosperity, better than
the wealth of the A.V. since this
word is now restricted to the mean
ing of riches. In the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries it had the
wider sense of weal or weU-being
generally, as it is used in the Book
of Common Prayer, e.g. in the
Litany : ' in all time of our tribula
tion, in all time of our wealth,' and
in the CoUect for the sovereign
' Grant her in health and wealth
long to live.'
in a moment they go down to
Sheol. Cf. Ps. lxxiii. 4, 'There
are no bands (or pangs) in their
death.' From the purely animal
point of view sudden death may be
much to be desired (cf. a striking
passage in the Life of Bishop
Dupanloup, Vol. 1. p. 182) ; never
theless the Christian prays against
it, asking by his prayer ' that death
when it cometh may give us some
convenient respite, or secondly, if
that be denied us of God, that we
may have wisdom to provide always
beforehand that those evils overtake
us not which death unexpected
doth use to' bring upon careless
men, and that although it be sudden
in itself, nevertheless in regard of
our prepared minds it may not be
sudden.' Hooker, E. P. Bk. v. c.
xlvi.

2 Or, Ye say, Lo edc.
14. Yet these men, who are thus
exceptionally prosperous in life and
death, did just what Satan with all
his trials was unable to induce Job
to do, viz. bid good-bye to God. Cf.
on i. 11.
16—21. Rarity of troubles
overwhelming the wicked. The
friends may say that the wicked
have no secure tenure of their
prosperity, and may piously exclaim
that they will have none of the
counsel of the ungodly (16), but Job
retorts with the query how often is
it that darkness and calamity really
overtake the sinner, and that God's
vengeance falls upon him (17, 18).
Again, the friends may suggest that
the judgment is inflicted upon the
children, on whom the father's sins
are visited. It ought rather, says
Job, to faU upon the sinner himself,
for how does the fate of his children
affect him when once he is in his
grave (19—21) ?
16. Lo, their prosperity is not
in their hand. A difficult verse.
According to one view the first
clause of the verse is closely joined
with the preceding account of the
sinner's ^prosperity : Job means to
say that sinners do not create their
own fortune : it comes from God ;
and yet he himself in spite of his
misery repudiates their principles, 8

114

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXI. 17-19

17 'How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out?
That their calamity cometh upon them ?
That God distributeth sorrows in his anger ?
18 That they are as stubble before the wind,
And as chaff that the storm carrieth away ?-
19 2 Ye say, God layeth up his iniquity for his children.
Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it.
1 Or, How oft is the lamp of the wicked put out, and how oft cometh their
calamity upon them I God distributeth sorrows in his anger. They are as stubble
...away. 2 Or, God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him,
and he shall know it. His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink etc.

and exclaims the counsel of the
wicked be far from me 1 But on
the whole it seems better to suppose
that the verse is intended to be put,
as it were, into the mouth of the
friends as their account of the
matter. So the margin of the R.V.
Ye say, Lo, their prosperity is not
in their hand, i.e. they have no sure
grasp, no certain tenure of it; to
which Job replies with the question
in ver. 17. According to this view
ver. 16 corresponds exactly with ver.
19, where another explanation of
the supposed case is similarly put
into the mouth of the friends, and
immediately answered by Job.
The counsel of the wicked is far
from me. The words are actuaUy
used by Eliphaz in the next chapter,
xxii. 18.
17. Bildad had maintained the
orthodox doctrine declaring (after
Proverbs xiii. 9 ; xxiv. 20) that ' the
light of the wicked shall be put
out... and his lamp above him shall
be put out.' To this Job refers,
and turns upon him with the four
fold question, How oft is it that
the lamp of the wicked is put out ?
that their calamity cometh upon
them? that God distributeth sor
rows in his anger? that they are

as stubble before the wind? It is
obvious that the answer expected is
'seldom or never'; and the A.V.
by turning the sentence into an
exclamation How oft is the candle
of the wicked put out! entirely
alters the meaning.
18. That they are as stubble
before the wind, and as chaff that
the storm carrieth away. Frequent.
figures expressive of God's venge
ance upon sinners. See e.g. Pss.
i. 4 ; xxxv. 5, and lxxxiii. 13. Thus
Job's words are evidently intended
to call in question the 'orthodox'
doctrine of retribution, and to
suggest that facts do not bear it
out. 19.' The first clause must cer
tainly be taken (as in R.V.) as put
into the mouth of the friends,
being their suggestion in order to
explain the apparent failure of the
doctrine. The man himself may
escape, but God, Who ' visiteth the
sins of the fathers upon the children,'
layeth up his iniquity for his
children. To this Job replies that
the sinner himself ought to bear the
punishment of his own sin. When
he is dead and gone, the fate of his
children can be no concern of his.
Thus he again arraigns the popular

XXI. 20—24]

THE BOOK OF JOB

115

20 Let his own eyes see his destruction,
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him,
When the number of his months is cut off in the midst ?
22 Shall any teach God knowledge ?
Seeing he judgeth those that are high.
23 One dieth in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and quiet :
24 His 'breasts are full of milk,
And the marrow of his bones is moistened.
1 Or, milk pails
doctrine, and shows its unsatisfactory it did in Job's day.

character, when taken too broadly,
and apphed as the explanation of
the facts of life generally. Cf.
Ezek. xvhi., which shows how the
doctrine that God visiteth the sins
of the fathers upon the children was
attracting attention and causing
perplexity to thoughtful minds at
the time of the Babylonish captivity.
that he may know it, i.e. ex
perience, or feel it. Cf. Is. ix. 9 ;
Hos. ix. 7.
20. let him drink of the wrath
of the Almighty. For the figure of
the cup of the wrath of the Lord
cf. Pss. xi. 6 ; Ixxv. 8 ; Jer. xxv. 15.
22 — 26. Perplexity of the pro
blem. Job now asks with a touch
of scorn, Is it for man to instruct
God and to teach Him how to rule
the world (22) ? Plainly the method
of His government is inscrutable
by us. Here are the facts. To one
man death comes after a vigorous
life, spent in the enjoyment of ease
and prosperity (23, 24). To another
it is the close of a life of wretched
ness and misery (25). Their lots in
life are very different : and the only
thing that they have in common is
death (26).
The problem how to account for
this stiU remains to perplex men as

'Who knows the inscrutable design?
Blessed be He Who took and gave:
Why should your mother, Charles, not
mine,
Be weeping at her darling's grave?
We bow to heaven that will'd it so.
That darkly rules the fate of all,
That sends the respite or the blow,
That's free to give or to recall.
This crowns his feast with wine and wit :
Who brought him to that mirth and
state ?
His betters, see, below him sit,
Or hunger hopeless at the gate.
Who bade the mud from Dives' wheel
To spurn the rags of Lazarus?
Come, brother, in that dust we'll
kneel,
Confessing heaven that ruled it thus.'
(W. M. Thackeray.)
22. Seeing he judgeth those that
are high. The last word those that
are high is used in 2 Sam. xxii. 28,
for the haughty and proud pos
sessors of power ; and these may be
referred to here. Or we may take
it of the heavens and the dwellers
in them. (Of. Ps. lxxviii. 69, where
the word is used of the heights of
heaven.) If God judge these, shall
man presume to instruct Him ?
24. His breasts, a word of very
doubtful meaning which occurs no-
8—2

116

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXI. 25-30

25 And another dieth in bitterness of soul,
And never tasteth of good.
26 They lie down alike in the dust,
And the worm covereth them.
27 Behold, I know your thoughts,
And the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.
28 For ye say, Where is the house of the prince ?
And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt ?
29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way ?
And do ye not know their tokens ?
30 That the evil man is Reserved to the day of calamity? ,
That they are 2led forth to the day of wrath ?

1 Or, spared in etc.
where else. The lxx., Vulg. and
Syriac take it of a man's inward
parts, and hence the rendering of
A.V. and R.V. The marginal ren
dering of R.V. milk pails is due to
the Targum and Aben Ezra. In
any case the general sense of the
verse is clear enough.
25. Wise and foolish, strong and
weak, are alike in death, ' one event
happeneth to them aU.' Cf. Eccl.
ii. 14—16.
27—34. Folly of the friends in
their application of their doctrine
to the case of Job himself. He
now turns on his friends and tells
them plainly that he is perfectly
aware of the way in which they
mean their descriptions of the fate
of the wicked to apply to him (27,
28). But anyone who had ever
gone outside his own gate could
point out to them instances which
prove the falsity of their inferences
(29); and could have shown them
examples of sinners spared in the
day of calamity (30); of wrong
doers who come off apparently scot-
free (31); who die in the odour of
sanctity, and find numberless ad-

2 Or, led away in etc.
mirers and imitators (32, 33). No
wonder, then, that their 'consola
tions' have proved as vain as they
are false (34)!
28. the house of the prince.
Zophar had compared Job to some
petty tyrant, who had violently
oppressed the poor. See xx. 19.
To this Job perhaps alludes, and
the word for prince may possibly
be taken in a bad sense, almost as
tyrant. 29. them that go by the way.
The same phrase is found in Pss.
lxxx. 12; lxxxix. 41, where it means
passers by. Here, however, it must
be taken rather in the sense of
travellers, to whose wide experience
appeal is made.
their tokens. This must mean
the signs, instances, or proofs which
they bring forward as the ground of
their assurances.
30. The margin of the R.V. gives
what is apparently the true render
ing of the verse : that the evil man
is spared in the day of calamity ?
that they are led away in tlie
day of wrath ? The experience of
travellers does not confirm the asser-

XXI. 31-33]

THE BOOK OF JOB

117

31 Who shall declare his way to his face ?
And who shall repay him what he hath done ?
32 :Yet shall he be borne to the grave, ^
And 2shall keep watch over the tomb.
33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him,
And all men shall draw after him,
As there were innumerable before him.

1 Or, Moreover he is borne to the grave, and keepeth watch over his tomb.
The clods of the vaUey are sweet unto him; and all men draw etc.
2 Or, they shall keep

tion of the friends that sinners al
ways meet with retribution. Rather
it points to instances in which they
are spared when calamity over
whelms others, and led away in
safety, like just Lot, when some
manifestation of God's wrath falls
upon a gmlty city. Spared : for the
use of the word in this sense see
2 Kings v. 20, and (possibly) 2 Sam.
xviii. 16. Led away. Cf. the use of
the word in Is. lv. 12. The A.V.
and R.V. (text), in taking the words
as pointing to the fate which ulti
mately overtakes the sinner, follow
in the main the lxx., Vulg. and
Targ., but can hardly be correct.
31. Who shall declare his way
to his face ? and who shaft repay
him what he hath done? Two
interpretations of these words are
possible. (1) They may refer to the
' evil man ' spoken of in the previous
verse, the question being intended
io imply that there is no one who
dares to tell him his misdeeds to
his face, or who can pay him back
in his own coin. Or (2) they may
refer to God, as if Job said almost
parenthetically, 'Who can rise up
against God, even when incompre
hensible things happen?' But the
former interpretation is preferable.
Since the evil man is the subject

not only of verse 30 but also of
verse 32, it is unnatural to take the
intermediate verse of God.
32. The sinner who thus escapes
the vengeance due to his sins in
this life, is accorded an honourable
funeral after his death. He shall
be borne to the grave, and his tomb
remains inviolate.
And shall keep watch over the
tomb. The subject may be the
indefinite ' one,' i.e. ' men shall keep
watch,' in order to preserve it from
desecration. Or the words may
refer to the effigy of the deceased,
carved on his sarcophagus, and
regarded as thus keeping watch
over his grave. The word for tomb
occurs nowhere else in this sense
(elsewhere the same form is used of
a stack of sheaves, v. 26 ; Exod.
xxii. 5 ; Judg. xv. 5), but the mean
ing may be supported from the
Arabic. 33. The clods of the valley shall
be sweet unto him. Davidson appro
priately quotes Euripides, Alcestis,
1. 462, Koiicpa croi x8d>v incivco rreereie
yvvai, and the Latin, Sit tibi terra
levis, 'Light fall the dust upon
thee.' And all men shall draio after
him, as there were innumerable
before him, i.e. the evil man shall

118 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxi. 34
34 How then comfort ye me 'in vain,
Seeing in your answers there remaineth only falsehood?
1 Ox, with vanity 2 Ox, faithlessness
have countless followers and imi- 34. Seeing in your answers
tators, as he himself was only fol- there remaineth only falsehood, i.e.
lowing the example of innumerable this is all that is left when the
predecessors in wickedness. Cf. truths which Job has stated so
Eccl. iv. 15, 16. vigorously have been subtracted.
Chapter XXII. begins the third debate or circle of speeches. As in
the previous one Eliphaz begins, and the order of the speakers is as
follows :
(1) Third speech of Eliphaz, xxii., with Job's answer, xxiii., xxiv.
(2) Third speech of Bildad, xxv., with Job's answer, xxvi.
(3) Twofold monologue of Job, in xxvii. — xxxi.
It will be seen from this that the third speech of Zophar is wanting.
Nor is this altogether surprising. The friends have never been able to
make any advance upon the position which they took up in the first
instance. This position Job has in the second debate completely demo
lished. Not only has he risen to convictions which materially help him to
endure his hapless plight, but he has further destroyed the conclusion of
his friends, by showing that one of the premises on which it rested was
false. Consequently in this third circle we are called to notice how the
friends are gradually silenced. Eliphaz begins by charging Job with the
most terrible guilt, and by insisting once more that his calamities prove
that he must be a sinner. To this Job replies by drawing a powerful
picture of the confusions of this world, and the misery and wrong-doing
which is aUowed to continue without any interference on God's part. In
answer to this Bildad can only stammer out a few words (xxv.), containing
nothing new, and merely repeating what Eliphaz has already said more
than once ; and then, after Job's brief reply (xxvi.), Zophar evidently has
nothing whatever to say, and, considering discretion to be the better part
of valour, he wisely holds his tongue, and leaves Job master of the field
to continue his utterance in the form of a monologue.
The debate really reached its climax in the second circle of speeches ;
and it must be admitted that as an ethical and psychological study this
third circle has less of interest. Job's passion has largely spent itself, and
the assured position which he reached in xix. gives his words a calmer
tone, so that his longing to find God in xxiii. is expressed with great
pathos and tenderness, but with infinitely less of the vehemence and
tremendous force which we have noticed in his earlier utterances. But if
the psychological interest is diminished, yet Job's greater calmness enables
him to give increased artistic finish to his utterances ; and in this third
circle of speeches we meet for the first time with elaborately worked up
pictures, exquisitely finished in every minute detaU, Uke some old Flemish

xxii. i-3] THE BOOK OF JOB 119
painting, which from this time onward form a prominent feature of the
book. XXII. Third speech of Eliphaz.
Job at the close of the previous debate had openly arraigned the
doctrine of God's providence, and had brought forward the stubborn
evidence of facts to support his view that no system of perfect moral
government can be traced in the ordering of this world. Eliphaz ignores
altogether this disproof of the theory which he and his friends have
advanced, and after an attempt to prove from the doctrine of God that it
must he because Job is a sinner that he is afflicted, having no facts of his
own to go upon, he proceeds to invent them, and enumerates the crimes
of which he considers Job to have been guilty. He thus so far forgets
himself as to accuse his friend of wholesale cruelty and oppression, as well
as of an entire disregard of God. But he has scarcely brought his
accusations before he seems to feel his own harshness, for his words
almost immediately take a gentler tone, and in a passage of great beauty
he exhorts Job to repentance, his last utterance ending (like his earliest
one) with an exquisite picture of the bright future that may yet be in store
for Job if he will only make his peace with God and put away his evU from
him. The whole speech falls naturally into four divisions :
(1) The proof of Job's wickedness. 1 — 5.
(2) Description of it in detail. 6 — 11.
(3) Warning against the careless security of the wicked. 12 — 20.
(4) Earnest appeal to Job to reconcile himself with God. 21 — 30.
XXII. 1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and
said,
2 Can a man be profitable unto God ?
Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art right
eous?
Or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect ?
1—5. The proof of Job's wick- his piety (4). Consequently the
edness. Eliphaz starts by asking only inference which remains is that
whether God has anything to gain it is as a punishment for great sins
from Job, or whether his righteous- on his part (5).
ness would bring God any profit? 2. Can a man be profitable
He cannot be inflicting suffering unto God ? Surely he that is wise
upon him simply on His own ac- is profitable unto himself. Eliphaz
count, as if He would be advantaged means to say that God is not really
by it (1 — 3). It is absurd to suppose affected by man's conduct. He has
that He is chastising him because of nothing to gain from his righteous-

120

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXII. 4-8

4 Is it 'for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee,
That he entereth with thee into judgement ?
5 Is not thy wickedness great ?
Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
6 For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought,
And stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,
And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But as for 2the mighty man, he had the "earth ;
And 4the honourable man, he dwelt in it.

1 Ox, for fear of thee 2 Heb. the man of arm.
4 Heb. he whose person is accepted.

3 Or, land

ness, and nothing to lose by his
sinfulness. A man's wisdom only
affects and profits himself. Hence
God's treatment of Job cannot
possibly be affected by personal
considerations of His own pleasure
or advantage.
4. Is it for thy fear of him
that he reproveth thee ? The A.V.
'for fear of thee' gives a wrong turn
to the words. Fear here as often in
the O.T. means piety or reverence.
Cf. iv. 6, where as here 'thy fear of
God' signifies 'thy religion.'
5. Job's sufferings must be due
to his sins, and from the greatness
of his sufferings the greatness of
his wickedness may be inferred.
6—11. Description of Job's
wickedness in detail. Eliphaz
now proceeds to enumerate the
kind of offences of which Job must
have been guilty. Without a shadow
of proof for his assertions he tells
him to his face that he has oppressed
the helpless (6) and refused to show
the commonest humanity to those
who were starving (7). He has
treated the whole land as belonging
to him alone (8), and has despised
and ill-treated the widow and the

orphan (9). It is for such sins as
these that he is overwhelmed by
terrors and calamities, and immersed
in darkness and affliction (10, 11).
6. for nought, i.e. without cause,
or undeservedly. See what Job
himself says of the violent on this
subject in his reply, xxiv. 3, ' they
take the widow's ox for a pledge,'
and 9, 'they take a pledge of the
poor.' For the provisions of the
law which regulated the taking of
pledges see Exod. xxii. 26, 27;
Deut. xxiv. 6, 17. It was expressly
laid down that the widow's raiment
was not to be taken in pledge ; and
in any case if a neighbour's garment
was thus taken it was to be restored
before sundown. In clause 6 EUphaz
probably means to suggest that Job
has disregarded such merciful pro
visions as these. Thou hast stripped
the naked of their clothing. Job
answers this outrageous charge in
xxxi. 19, 20.
7. Cf. Isaiah Iviii. 7, 10, and see
Job's answer in xxxi. 17.
8. Eliphaz apparently means to
charge Job with adding house to
house, and laying field to field (cf.
Isaiah v. 8), and selfishly taking

XXII. 9-13]

THE BOOK OF JOB

121

9 Thou hast sent widows away empty,
And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee,
And sudden fear troubleth thee,
11 'Or darkness, that thou canst not see,
And abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven ?
And behold the 2height of the stars, how high they are !
13 And thou sayest, What doth God know ?
Can he judge through the thick darkness ?
1 Or, Or dost thou not see the darkness, and the flood of waters that covereth thee t
2 Heb. head.

possession of the whole land. ' The
mighty man' (literally the man of
arm) and ' the honourable man '
(literally he whose person is accepted)
are evidently intended to apply to
Job himself.
9. ' The widow and the orphan '
are frequently given as examples of
those who have no power to help
themselves, in whose case therefore
oppression becomes pecuharly hard
hearted. Cf. Deut. xxvii. 19 ; Jer.
vii. 6 ; xxii. 3.
the arms of the fatherless have
been broken* 'The arms' here stand
as a symbol of their strength, or
resources. With this charge of
Eliphaz contrast Job's own descrip
tion of his treatment of such persons,
xxix. 12, 13; xxxi. 16—18.
10. It is for such conduct as this
that Job's calamities have over
whelmed him.
snares. The word is used in the
same way in Ps. xi. 6, ' Upon the
ungodly he shall rain snares ' ; and
for the combination of 'snares' (Heb.
pacMm) and 'fear' (pachad) see
Isaiah xxiv. 17.
II. The margin of the R.V.
should probably be followed : Or

dost thou not see the darkness, and
the flood of waters that covereth
thee ? Dost thou not see, i.e. ' dost
thou not comprehend,' or 'under
stand the meaning of.' Darkness
and waterfloods are common images
of calamity. Cf. xxvii. 20. The
last clause of this verse occurs again
in xxxviii. 34.
12—20. Warning against the
careless security of the wicked.
Does Job imagine that since God
dwells in the height of heaven He is
too far removed to take cognizance
of the affairs of men, and that He
cannot see through the thick clouds
beneath His feet (12—14)? Let
him not copy the example of those
wicked men of old who argued in
this fashion, and who were pre
maturely swept away in the
Deluge (15, 16), men who had
bidden good-bye to God altogether
in spite of all the blessings He had
showered upon them (17, 18 a). For
himself Eliphaz will repudiate such
thoughts and counsels, counting
himself among the righteous who
exult when their oppressors are
destroyed (186—20).
13. What doth God know ? Of.

122

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXII. 14-20

14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not ;
And he walketh 'in the circuit of heaven.
15 2Wilt thou keep the old way
Which wicked men have trodden ?
16 Who were snatched away before their time,
Whose foundation was poured out as a stream :
17 Who said unto God, Depart from us ;
And, What can the Almighty do 'for 4us ?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things :
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad ;
And the innocent laugh them to scorn :
20 Saying, Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off,
And Hhe remnant of them the fire hath consumed.
1 Or, on the vault 2 Or, Dost thou mark 3 Or, to * Heb. them.
6 Or, that which remained to them Or, their abundance

Ps. xciv. 7, 'And they say, The Lord
shaU not see, neither shall the God
of Jacob consider.' It is just the
same kind of unbelief which Eliphaz
here attributes to Job.
thick darkness. The word is the
same that is used of the 'thick
darkness where God was' at Sinai,
Exod. xx. 21. Cf. Deut. iv. 11;
1 Kings viii. 12; Ps. xviii. 9.
14. in the circuit of heaven:
perhaps, with R.V. marg. on the
vault of heaven. The word for
'circuit' or 'vault' is only found
again in Prov. viii. 27, and Is. xl. 22.
16. To his rebuke of Job's sup
posed disregard of God Eliphaz
adds a warning reminding him of
the fate of the antediluvians. Cf.
2 Pet. iii. 4. The allusion in this
and the following verses is probably
to the sinners before the Flood
rather than to the destruction of
the cities of the plain, as Ewald
supposes. 17. Who said unto God, Depart

from us. Cf. xxi. 14.
And, What can the Almighty do
for us? Better (as R.V. marg.) to
us. The Hebrew has them instead
of us. But this is probably a
clerical error. The lxx. reads rjjuv,
us. 1 8. But the counsel of the wicked
is far from me. In repudiating
all sympathy with such sinners Eli
phaz adopts the words already used
by Job in xxi. 16, where see note.
19. The exultation of the right
eous at the fate of sinners is a
thought which meets us frequently
in the Old Testament, e.g. Pss. Iii. 6 ;
Iviii. 10. It belongs to an early
stage in the development of moral
character. 20. the remnant of them. Rather
that which remained to them or
their abundance, i.e. their posses
sions, as in Ps. xvii. 14, where the
word occurs again. So R.V. marg.
The A.V. entirely misses the meaning
of the whole verse.

XXII. 21-24]

THE BOOK OF JOB

123

21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace :
'Thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, 8the law from his mouth,
And lay up his words in thine heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up ;
'If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.
24 And lay thou thy treasure "in the dust,
And the gold 0/ Ophir among the stones of the brooks ;
1 Or, as otherwise read, Thereby shall thine increase be good.
3 Or, instruction 3 Or, Thou shalt put away. ..and shalt lay up
1 Heb. ore. 6 Or, on the earth

21 — 30. Earnest appeal to Job
to reconcile himself with God.
In these verses Eliphaz finally takes
leave of his friend with an earnest
exhortation to him to make his
peace with God (21), making a
threefold appeal to Job, i. that he
should receive God's teaching (22) ;
ii. that he should turn to God and
put away his evil from him (23) ;
and iii. that he should set his heart
on no earthly thing (24). If he will
do this, then God will prove Himself
to be his richest treasure (25), for
all Job's prayers shall be heard and
granted (26, 27) : his purpose shall
be estabhshed, and he shall walk
in the light of God's favour (28).
Should he be momentarily cast
down, he shall be raised up again,
and his pious intercessions shall
avail mightily for others, even for
sinners (29, 30).
21. Thereby good shall come
unto thee. The form of the word
for shall come unto thee is irregular,
and is probably due to corruption of
the text. A very slight change of
pointing gives thereby thine increase
shall be good. So the margin of the
R.V. after the lxx.
22. Receive, I pray thee, the law
from his mouth. Interesting as

being the only occurrence of the
word law (t6rah) in the whole book,
though there can be no possible
allusion to the Mosaic law in it. It
is simply divine instruction of which
Eliphaz speaks.
23. thou shalt be built up, i.e.
restored, or established. Cf. the use
of the same word in Jer. xii. 16,
'If they will diligently learn the
ways of my people... then shall they
be built up in the midst of my
people.' 24. treasure. The word is only
found in this and the following
verse (unless it should also be read
in Ps. lxviii. 30). Apparently it
properly means precious ore. The
versions give no help.
And the gold of Ophir among
the stones of the brooks. The italics
in the English versions show that
there is no word in the original for
the gold. Ophir, the name of the
place (probably in Arabia), is here
used for the fine gold which was
brought thence to Palestine. Cf.
xxviii. 16 ; 1 Kings ix. 28 ; Isaiah
xiii. 12; Ps. xlv. 9.
The whole verse is an exhortation
to Job to cast away his earthly
treasures as things of no value.

124

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXII. 25-30

25 And the Almighty shall be thy 'treasure,
And 2precious silver unto thee.
26 For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty,
And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear
thee ;
And thou shalt pay thy vows.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established
unto thee ;
And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When they 'cast thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting
up;
And *the humble person he shall save.
30 He shall deliver "even him that is not innocent :
1 Heb. ore. 2 Or, precious silver shall be thine
3 Or, are made low 4 Heb. him that is lowly of eyes.
6 Many ancient versions read, him that is innocent.
for its composition. See the Intro
duction, p. xxi.
29. A difficult verse. The He
brew word for lifting up occurs
again only in xxxiii. 17 and Jer.
xiii. 17, in both which passages it
means pride. Hence it may be
given the same meaning here. So
Driver, after Hitzig, would render
When they have humbled thee, and
thou sayest (i.e. complainest), Pride,
He will save him that is lowly of
eyes (i.e. Job himself) ; as much as
to say, 'If thou art humble, God
will defend thee, when the proud
seek to bring thee down.'
30. Even sinners shall be de
livered through the intercession of
the penitent and now upright Job.
An unconscious prophecy of what
actually happened in the end. Cf.
xlii. 8. The curious rendering of
the A.V. the island of the innocent
is easily explained, for the negative
particle here used is a most unusual
one in Biblical Hebrew (occurring

25. If he does so, then (better
than and) the Almighty shall be
thy treasure, and precious silver
unto thee. The word rendered
precious is of very doubtful meaning.
It is only found again in Numb.
xxiii. 22 ; xxiv. 8, where R.V. has
' strength (marg. horns) of the wild
ox ' ; and Ps. xcv. 4, ' the heights
(marg. strength) of the mountains
are his also.' Possibly in the passage
before us the word means heaps or
bars (— ingots).
26. And shalt lift up thy face
unto God; the phrase denotes the
glad confident look of conscious
rectitude, as in xi. 15; cf. 2 Sam.
ii. 22.
27. And thou shalt pay thy voios.
Cf. Ps. 1. 14.
28. Thou shalt also decree a
thing. The verb is found nowhere
else with the meaning of decree.
It is apparently one of the Ara-
maisms of the book which may
point to a comparatively late date

XXIII. i]

THE BOOK OF JOB

125

Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thine
hands.

such real truths in language of great
beauty, and yet so utterly unable to
conceive of any truths beyond those
contained in his own Shibboleths,
and the formulae in the use of
which he has grown up. It is
pleasant to feel that he ends his
last speech, like his first, in a tone
of gentleness.

again only in 1 Sam. iv. 21 in the name
Ichabod, i.e. no glory or inglorious),
and is identical in form with the
word for island. With this utter
ance we take leave of Eliphaz, who
never speaks again. There is some
thing pathetic in the picture of this
good man, so earnest in his endeavour
to help his friend, so sure of his own
position, and capable of uttering
XXIII, XXIV. Job's answer to Eliphaz.
Eliphaz had urged Job to ' acquaint himself with God ' and thus find
peace (xxii. 21). To this Job replies by a pathetic complaint of the
impossibility of 'finding' God. He renews his former lamentation, and
declares that there is no possibility for him to approach God since God has
determined to destroy him. He can trace no moral rule in God's dealings
with him, and when (xxiv.) he looks out from himself on the world at large
there too there is nothing but confusion and disorder ; no rule of righteous
retribution, such as the friends had spoken of, is discernible. They may
talk of the short-lived prosperity of the wicked, and of the swift fate that
overtakes him, but facts, stubborn facts, give the lie to their contention.
The speech as a whole may be divided as follows :
(1) Job's answer to the appeal of Eliphaz : his longing to find God.
xxiii. 1 — 7.
(2) The hopeless impossibility of finding Him. 8 — 12.
(3) The reason for this: God's determination to destroy him.
13—17.
(4) Proof from facts that no moral rule is discernible in the
government of the world at large, xxiv.
XXIII. 1 Then Job answered and said,

XXIII. 1—7. Job's answer to
the appeal of Eliphaz: his long
ing to find God. Job begins by
complaining that his complaint is
counted as rebeUion, and that God's
hand weighs heavy upon him (1, 2).
He longs to find Him, and plead
his cause before Him and argue it
out with Him (3 — 5) ; for he is sure
that if only he could come face to
face with Him, God would not
overwhelm him with His might but

would listen to his vindication, and
suffer him to establish his innocence
(6, 7).
The thought in these verses is
much the same as that which we
have met with before, especially in
ix. and xiii., but it is here expressed
with far less passion and bitterness
of feeling. Thus the effeet of the
assured position reached in xix. is
clearly manifested. See p. 102.

126

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXIII. 2-7

2 Even to-day is my complaint Rebellious :
2 My stroke is heavier than my groaning.
3 Oh that I knew where I might find him,
That I might come even to his seat 1
4 I would order my cause before him,
And fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words which he would answer me,
And understand what he would say unto me.
6 Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power ?
Nay ; 'but he would give heed unto me.
7 There the upright might reason with him ;
So should I be delivered for ever from my judge.
1 Or, bitter Or, accounted rebellion
2 Or, My hand is heavy upon (or because of) The Sept. and Syr. read, His hand.
3 Or, he would only give heed

2. Even to-day is my complaint
rebellious. If the text is correct
this is the only possible translation ;
and the words must mean that his
expostulations with God are counted
as rebellion against Him. But a
very shght change would enable us
to read bitter for rebellious, with
the A.V. and R.V. marg. after the
Vulgate. Cf. vii. 11, 'I will com
plain in the bitterness of my soul.'
My stroke is heavier than my
groaning. This translation is hard ly
possible. The word rendered strolce
means properly hand; and the
translators of the English versions
have taken it as meaning a blow
from the hand; thus 'my stroke'
means the blow from God's hand
upon me. But there is little doubt
that the text is faulty, and that
instead of my hand we should read
his hand with the lxx. and Syriac ;
and render the whole clause his
hand is heavy upon (or because of)
my groaning. For God's hand as
'heavy upon' someone see Ps. xxxii.
4, and cf. 1 Sam. v. 6, 11.

3. seat. The word is found here
only in this sense. It appears to
mean fixed dwelling-place.
6. Would he contend with me
in the greatness of his power?
Cf. ix. 19, 34; xiii. 21. Job here
repeats the thought to which he
has more than once given expres
sion, and urges that God should
not crush him by His irresistible
power, but listen patiently while he
pleads his cause.
Nay; but he would give heed unto
me. For the use of the verb in
this sense see iv. 20. The A.V.
(put strength in me) is quite in
correct. 7. There the upright might
reason with him. There, i.e. in
that case (if God would give heed)
an upright man would be disputing
with him (the ' upright man ' being
of course Job himself), and the
result would be what Job has aU
along been convinced would foUow,
viz. so should I be delivered for
ever from my judge.

XXIII. 8-12]

THE BOOK OF JOB

127

8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there ;
And backward, but I cannot perceive him :
9 On the left hand, when he doth work, but I cannot behold
him:
He 'hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see
him.
10 2But he knoweth 'the way that I take ;
When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 My foot hath held fast to his steps ;
His way have I kept, and turned not aside.
12 I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips ;
I have treasured up the words of his mouth 4more than
my "necessary food.
1 Or, turneth himself to... him, but 2 Or, For 3 Heb. the way that is
with me. 4 Or, more than my own law The Sept. and Vulgate have, in my
bosom. B Or, portion See Prov. xxx. 8.

8 — 12. The hopeless impossi
bility of rinding God. Job has
expressed his longing to find God
and plead his cause with him, but
he is at once overcome by the
thought of the impossibility of doing
so. He may search in one direction
or another, North, South, East, or
West, but wherever it may be, God
hides Himself from him (8, 9).
And yet God Himself knows per
fectly well that Job is innocent,
that he has not turned aside from
the right way (10, 11), nor forsaken
God's commandments, but rather
has treasured up His words (12).
8. Behold, I go forward.. .and
backward. Cf. Ps. cxxxix. 5, 'Thou
hast beset me behind and before,'
where the words for 'behind' and
' before ' are the same as those used
here. But since the word for for
ward is often used for the East,
which the Hebrews regularly re
garded as in front of them, it is
possible that the four words here
rendered forward, backward, on

the left hand, on the right hand,
may refer to East and West, North
and South. For the right hand as
signifying the South see Ps. lxxxix.
12 ; and cf. Ezek. xvi. 46, where on
the left and right hands are respec
tively the North and South.
10. When he hath tried me, I
shall come forth as gold. Perhaps,
as Davidson, If he tried me, I
should come forth as gold. The
words are almost parenthetical, as
if Job felt that God refused him
access to Him, because He knew
that if He tried him, he would
come forth as gold. See Davidson's
note. 11, 12. These verses describe the
way which Job takes and which
God knows so well.
12. / have treasured up the
words of his mouth more than
my necessary food. The last words
of this clause are difficult. More
than my necessary food represent
a single word in Hebrew made up
of a preposition, a substantive and

128

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXIII. 13-17

13 But xhe is in one mind, and who can turn him ?
And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
14 For he performeth that which is appointed for me :
And many such things are with him.
15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence ;
When I consider, I am afraid of him.
16 For God hath made my heart faint,
And the Almighty hath troubled me :
17 "Because I was not cut off before the darkness,
Neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.

1 Or, he is one
nor because thick

2 Or, For I am not dismayed because of the darkness,
covereth my face

a pronoun. The substantive is used
for a prescribed portion or allow
ance of food in Gen. xlvii. 22; Prov.
xxxi. 15 (cf. xxx. 8) ; Ezek. xvi. 27.
Hence A.V. and R.V. Its com
moner meaning is statute or enact
ment. Hence the margin of the
R.V. more than my own law.
Neither meaning, however, seems
quite natural here. A very shght
change would enable us to follow
the LXX. (iv Se) Kokirco pov) and
Vulgate (in sinu meo) and render 'I
have treasured up the words of his
mouth in my bosom' (cf. xix. 27).
This gives an excellent sense and
is adopted by many moderns.
13—17. The reason why he
cannot find God is that God
has determined to destroy him.
When God has made up His mind
there is no turning Him from His
purpose ; and this persecution of
him to the death is only one instance
of His performing what He has
determined (13, 14). Therefore Job
is disturbed and affrighted, because
it is God Who is troubling him and
making him faint (15, 16). It is
this rather than the calamity itself
and his own suffering, which tries
him so sorely (17).

13. But he is in one mind, and
who can turn him? The general
sense is clear but the actual trans
lation of the first words is doubtful.
The R.V. margin has 'He is one':
and the clause may mean that God
is alone and unapproachable (Vulg.
Ipse enim solus est), and therefore
acts as He pleases uninfluenced by
men. For the expression Wlw can
turn him? see ix. 12.
14. For he performeth that
which is appointed for me, i.e. in
bringing these calamities upon Job
God is simply carrying out a pre
destined decree.
And many such things are with
him, i.e. it is only one instance out
of many of God's arbitrary and in
scrutable action.
16. The emphasis rests on God.
It is because God is the author of
his calamities that Job is so dis
turbed and distressed.
17. Because I was not cut off
before the darkness, neither did he
cover the thick darkness from my
face. Better with the margin of
the R.V. For I am not dismayed
because of the darkness, nor because
thick darkness covereth my face.
Job means to say that it is not the

XXIV. 1-3]

THE BOOK OF JOB

129

XXIV. 1 'Why are times not laid up by the Almighty?
And why do not they which know him see his days ?
2 There are that remove the landmarks ;
They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless,
They take the widow's ox for a pledge.
1 Or, Why is it, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, that they
which know him see not his days ?

darkness of his present lot which in
itself disturbs him so : but rather
the fact that it is God Who brings
it upon him. Darkness as so often .
in this book is a figure for calamity.
Cf. v. 14; xii. 25; xix. 8; xxii. 11.
XXIV. The proof from facts
that no moral rule is discernible
in the government of the world
at large. The proof which Job
now proceeds to give that the
government of the world is not
carried on in accordance with the
moral rule which his friends claimed
for it is given with great fulness
and elaborateness of detail. The
stages of it are clearly marked, as
follows. (a) description of the evil
doings of the tyrants. 1 — 4.
(6) the miserable plight of the
poor. 5 — 8.
(c) renewed description of the
oppressors and oppressed. 9 — 12.
(d) description of other kinds
of sinners. 13 — 17.
(«) the fate of these men is
nothing different from the fate of
others. 18 — 25.
l — 4. Description of the evil
doings of the tyrants. Why is it,
asks Job, that God does not appoint
a set time for the manifestation of
His judgment upon sinners, and
thus exercise His righteous rule (1)1

The wickedness of men cries out for
such a judgment, for oppressors are
everywhere riding rough-shod over
the rights of the poor and helpless.
They seize their flocks and herds,
and compel them to seek a refuge
in the recesses of the land (2 — 4).
1. Why are times not laid up
by the Almighty ? and why do not
they which know him see his days?
(The A.V. in this verse is quite
wrong.) The times are the set
times for judgment, as the days are
those of God's manifesting Himself
to right the wrong ; and Job's com
plaint is that there is no sign that
these are appointed by God.
2. There are that remove the
landmarks : a sin forbidden in the
Mosaic law (see Deut. xix. 14; xxvii.
17) but evidently common in ancient
Israel. Cf. Hos. v. 10; Prov. xxii. 28.
They violently take away flocks,
and feed them, i.e. adding insult to
injury, when they have forcibly
carried off the flocks of the poor,
they proceed to pasture them openly
in the sight of their true owners.
The AN. feed thereof gives a wrong
turn to the clause.
3. They drive away the ass of
the fatherless, they take the widoio's
ox for a pledge. Cf. the question
of Samuel, ' Whose ox have I
taken ? or whose ass have I taken?'

J.

130

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXIV. 4-7

4 They turn the needy out of the way :
The 'poor of the earth hide themselves together.
5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert
They go forth to their work, seeking diligently for "meat ;
The wilderness yieldeth them food for their children.
6 They cut 'their provender in the field ;
And they glean the vintage of the wicked.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing,
And have no covering in the cold.
1 Or, meek 2 Heb. prey. s Or, his

1 Sam. xii. 3. For the ' fatherless '
and the 'widow' see on xxii. 9 ; and
for ' pledge ' see xxii. 6.
4. They turn the needy out of
the way. See Amos v. 12, where a
similar phrase occurs : ' that turn
aside the needy in the gate from
their right,' and cf. Is. x. 2.
The poor of the earth hide them
selves together. For the poor of the
earth cf. Amos viii. 4 ; Zeph. ii. 3 ;
Is. xi. 4 ; Ps. lxxvi. 9. They hide
themselves from these oppressors in
dens and caves of the earth; cf.
xxx. 6.
5—8. The miserable plight of
the poor. These hapless 'poor of
the earth' are driven forth like wild
asses to seek their food in the
desert (5), content with a provender
fit only for beasts, and with the
gleanings of the rich oppressor's
vintage (6). The poor wretches
with little or no clothing are ex
posed by night to the cold, and to
the drenching rain; and forced to
huddle up against the rock for
shelter from "the fury of the storm
(7, 8).
It seems tolerably clear that in
this passage, and again in xxx. 1 — 8,
we have a description of the Abo
rigines who had been dispossessed
by a race of conquerors, who drove

them into caves and holes of the
earth, where they dragged out a
• miserable existence, scarcely able to
support themselves or to provide
the barest necessities of life. There
are traces of the existence of such
races in various parts of the Old
Testament ; see especiaUy the refer
ence to the Horites (probably 'cave-
dwellers '), the original inhabitants
of Seir who were dispossessed by
the Edomites, in Deut. ii. 12, 22,
and cf. 1 Sam. xiii. 6, which shows
the plight to which the Israelites
themselves were reduced during the
oppression of the Philistines.
5. They go forth to their work :
what the work is, is explained in
the foUowing words, seeking dili
gently for meat.
6. They cut their provender in
the field, cf. xxx. 4. The word
for provender is only found else
where in vi. 5 ; Is. xxx. 24 ; in each
case of the fodder for cattle. It is
probably designedly used here to
indicate the character of the food
with which these miserable creatures
had to be content.
they glean the vintage of the
wicked. The words probably mean
nothing more than that they get
what they can from the neglected
gleanings of the oppressor's vin-

XXIV. 8-12]

THE BOOK OF JOB

131

8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains,
And embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9 There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast,
And 'take a pledge of the poor :
10 80 that they go about naked without clothing,
And being an-hungred they carry the sheaves ;
11 They make oil within the walls of these men ;
They tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 From out of the 2populous city men groan,
And the soul of the wounded crieth out :
Yet God imputeth it not for folly.

1 Or, take in pledge that which is on the poor

Heb. city of men.

though from the verb used
(lit. to gather late fruit) Delitzsch
argues that ' the rich man prudently
hesitates to employ these poor peo
ple as vintagers ; but makes use of
their labour to gather the straggling
grapes which ripen late, and were
therefore left at the vintage season.'
8. the showers of the mountains.
The word is a strong one, and would
be better rendered by storms.
And embrace the rock for want
of a shelter : a forcible description of
the way in which they huddle up
against the rock to escape the fury
of the storm to which they are ex
posed. 9 — 12. Renewed description of
the oppressors and oppressed.
The cruel oppressors pluck the or
phan from the widow's breast, and
take in pledge the poor man's cloth
ing, so that he is reduced to go
about his work naked and starving
(9, 10): and )thus he has to labour
in the tyrant's wine and oil presses
(11). The cry of the sufferers goes
up to heaven, but God gives no sign
of caring (12).
The allusion in these verses ap
pears to be to the state of some who

were reduced to a condition of serf
dom and enforced labour, like the
Gibeonites ; cf. Josh. ix. 27.
9. The R.V. makes it clear that
another set of persons from those
just described is spoken of here.
There are that pluck the fatherless
from the breast. Correct the A.V.
which fails to indicate this.
And take a pledge of the poor.
The construction is difficult on ac
count of the preposition upon which
stands in the original before the
poor. The words may mean either
(1) they take pledges (and so get
power) over the poor, or (2) they
take in pledge (that which is) on the
poor, i.e. his clothing. So R.V.
marg. This suits best with the
foUowing clause, 'so that they go
about naked without clothing? and
see the note on xxii. 6.
10. And being an-hungred they
carry the sheaves. Correct the
A.V. 'The point lies in the anti
thesis between hungry and carry
sheaves; though labouring amidst
the abundant harvest of their mas
ters they are faint with hunger
themselves.' Davidson.
12. From out of the populous
9—2

132

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXIV. 13-16

13 These are of them that rebel against the light ;
They know not the ways thereof,
Nor abide in the paths thereof.
14 The murderer riseth with the light, he killeth the poor
and needy ;
And in the night he is as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight,
Saying, No eye shall see me :
And he 'disguiseth his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses :
2They shut themselves up in the day-time ;
They know not the light.
1 Or, putteth a covering on his face
2 Or, Which they had marked for themselves

city men groan. The Hebrew has
from out of the city of men. But
in Deut. ii. 34; iii. 6, and (prob.)
Judg. xx. 48, where the same phrase
city of men occurs, it means the
male population (the city so far as
it consisted of men, see Driver on
Deuteronomy, p. 44), a meaning
which is not suitable here: and it
is best to read with some Hebrew
mss. and the Syriac, from out of the
city dying men groan, which fur
nishes an exact parallel to the soul
of the wounded crieth out in the
next clause.
Yet God imputeth it not for folly.
See the note on i. 22 for the mean
ing of the word folly.
13 — 17. A description of other
kinds of sinners. There are also
sinners who hate the light and shun
it (13), as the murderer (14), the
adulterer (15), and the housebreaker
(16). AU these love darkness,and fear
the light as the gloom of death (17).
13. These are of them that rebel
against the light. The words in
troduce the description of a new
class of sinners. The light is the

light of the sun, but there is un
doubtedly a reference to spiritual
light as well. They 'love darkness
rather than light because their deeds
are evil.'
14. The murderer riseth with
the light, i.e. in the earhest dawn,
while it is still half dark.
he is as a thief, i.e. he acts the
thief. 15. he disguiseth his face.
Rather (as R.V. marg.) he putteth
a covering on his face. With this
verse cf. Prov. vii. 9.
16. In the dark they dig through
houses. This verse refers to another
sin, viz. that of house-breaking and
burglary. In the East where whole
villages consist of houses built en
tirely of unburned brick, made by
tramping up the soil into thick mud
mixed with straw, to 'dig through
the wall' is not a difficult process.
Cf. Ezek. viii. 8 ; xii. 3 ; and S. Mat
thew vi. 19, 'where thieves break
through (lit. dig through) and steal.'
See Thomson, The Land and the
Book, p. 544.
They shut themselves up in the

XXIV. 17]

THE BOOK OF JOB

133

17 For the morning is to all of them as the shadow of death ;
For they know the terrors of the shadow of death.

daytime : literally by day they seal
up for themselves; i.e. according to
most (as R.V.) the burglars shut
themselves up by day ; so in the
parallel clause 'they know not the
Ught.' Some however render the
clause as the A.V. and R.V. marg.
Which they have marked (lit. sealed)
for themselves in the daytime ; while
the rendering of the lxx. rnUpas
icrcppayicrav iavrois (so C, but B and
others iavTovs) has suggested to
Siegfried to read days for by day
which would give the meaning they
seal up days to themselves, i.e. the
daytime is to them as it were sealed
up and disused.
17. To these men morning brings
terrors, and inward darkness like the
shadow of death. Cox aptly quotes
from Shakespeare the lines
'Then thieves and robbers range
abroad unseen
In murders and in outrage...
But when from under this terrestrial
ball
He fires the proud tops of the
Eastern pines,
And darts his light through every
guilty hole,
Then murders, treason, and detested
sins,
The cloak of night being pluck'd
from, off their backs,
Stand bare and naked, trembling at
themselves.' Richard II. Act in. Scene n.
18—25. The fate of these men
is nothing different from the fate
of others. The friends may urge
that the sinner is speedily swept
away like a straw on the face of the
stream, that his fields are under
God's curse so that he can no longer

visit them with pleasure (18), they
may quote the proverb that the
sinner is consumed in Hades as the
snow vanishes in summer (19) ; they
may maintain that his fate is to be
destroyed by worms, while he is for
gotten on earth even by the mother
who bare him, and that the oppress
or and his sin are destroyed together
(20, 21) ; but as a matter of fact God
upholds these mighty men, and even
when they have thought that their
end was coming, they rise up as strong
as ever (22). God makes them to be
secure and at ease, as He watches
over their ways (23). They are ex
alted — and if the friends maintain
that it is only for a moment and
that they are soon cut off, the
answer is that they are only brought
low just as all others are, sharing
the common lot of men, and that
they are only cut off like ripe ears
of corn and not prematurely (24) :
and, says Job in conclusion, prove
me a liar, if you can (25)!
There is a difficulty about this
passage because verses 18 — 21 and
22 — 25 appear to give two entirely
different accounts of the fate of
the wicked. In the first part it is
maintained that a righteous retribu
tion speedily overtakes them, which
is the very point which the friends
have all along urged, and which Job
has directly traversed in chapter
xxi, while in the latter part (22 — 25)
it is shown that their fate is no
worse than that of others, or rather
that they are exceptionally pros
perous in life. It is impossible to
think that both explanations are Job's
own, and so there can be little doubt
that in the first part (18 — 21) he

134

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXIV. 18-21

18 'He is swift upon the face of the waters ;
Their portion is cursed in the earth :
He turneth not by the way of the vineyards.
19 Drought and heat 2consume the snow waters :
So doth 'Sheol those which have sinned.
20 The womb shall forget him ; the worm shall feed sweetly
on him ;
He shall be no more remembered :
And unrighteousness shall be broken 4as a tree.
21 He devoureth the barren that beareth not ;
And doeth not good to the widow.

1 Or, Ye say, He is etc. ° Heb. violently take away.
3 Or, the grave 4 Or, as a tree ; even he that devoureth etc.

is quoting a sort of summary of the
arguments of the friends and giving
the popular view (so the margin of
the R.V.) ; and then in verses 22 —
25 he turns round upon them and
gives his own view of the matter.
Cf. xxi. 16, where a somewhat simi
lar instance of a quotation of the
friends' arguments is found with
nothing to indicate that it is a quo
tation, and see below on xxvii. 7.
18. In order to make it clear
that Job is quoting the opinion of
others it is necessary either to put
these verses (18 — 21) within inverted
commas, or to render with the mar
gin of the R.V. 'Ye say, He is
swift &c'
upon the face of the waters. The
sinner is compared to a straw
or twig carried rapidly down the
stream. A similar comparison is
found in Hos. x. 7, ' As for Samaria,
her king is cut off as foam (or twigs)
upon the water.' Cf. also xx. 28.
He turneth not by the way of the
vineyards. His 'portion,' i.e. his
estate or property being cursed by

God, he no longer visits and con
templates with pleasure the smiling
vineyards. 'The general meaning
of the phrase is the converse of that
expressed by "Sitting under his
vine and figtree," 1 Kings iv. 25;
Micah iv. 4.' Davidson.
19. This verse evidently contains
some popular proverb illustrating
from the melting of the snow in
summer, the fate of the sinner, who
disappears in Hades.
20. Even the mother that bare
him shall forget him.
as a tree. Cf. xix. 10, ' He hath
broken me down on every side, and
I am gone : and mine hope hath he
plucked up as a tree.'
21. Render, with the margin of
the R.V, in close connexion with
the previous verse : even he that
devoureth the barren that beareth
not, and doeth not good to the
widow. The barren that beareth
not, as in Isaiah liv. 1, is the repre
sentative of the lonely and helpless,
along with the widow, for whom cf.
xxii. 9.

XXIV. 22-25]

THE BOOK OF JOB

135

22 'He draweth away the mighty also by his power :
He riseth up, and no man is sure of life.
23 God giveth them to be in security, and they rest thereon ;
2And his eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted ; yet a little while, and they are gone ;
'Yea, they are brought low, they are 4taken out of the
way as all other,
And are cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar,
And make my speech nothing worth ?
1 Or, Yet God by his power maketh the mighty to continue : they rise up,
when they believed not that they should live
2 Or, But 3 Or, And when they are etc. 4 Or, gathered in

22. He draweth away the mighty
also by his power: he riseth up, and
no man is sure of life. This, which
is the translation of both A.V. and
R.V, takes the verse as continuing
the description of the wicked man
from 21. But it is far better to
take it with the margin of the R.V.
as the commencement of a fresh
description of his fate, and to ren
der, Yet God by his power maketh
the mighty to continue; they rise
up when they believed not that they
should live. This describes the sin
ner as exceptionally prosperous, and
as flourishing again, even though he
had despaired of life.
23. And his eyes are upon their
ways, i.e. He regards them with
favour and kindness, which is the
general meaning of the expression
to ' set the eyes on ' someone. See
Deut. xi. 12; Pss. xxxiii. 18; xxxiv.
15. 24. They are exalted; yet a

little while, and they are gone : Job
seems here once more to quote the
popular view almost as if, after
saying that they are exalted, he .
was interrupted by one of the
friends with the objection that after
all it was only for a moment, Yet
a little while and they are gone,
(cf. Ps. xxxvii. 10), to which he
retorts Yea, they are brought low,
they are gathered in (R.V. marg.)
as all other; i.e. it is only the
common lot of men which they
share (cf. xxi. 26) : indeed they may
be regarded as exceptionally blessed,
for they are not cut off prematurely,
but only as the tops of the ears of
corn, i.e. in a ripe old age (cf. the
description given by EUphaz of a
good man's end ' like as a shock of
corn cometh in in its season ' in v.
26). 25. A final challenge to the
friends to prove him wrong.

XXV. Third speech of Bildad.
The brevity of this last speech of Bildad indicates very clearly that the
friends have exhausted their arguments, and that they are incapable of
answering Job's disproof of their theory of suffering. Bildad makes no
attempt to deny the fact of the confusions existing in the world to which

136 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxv. 1-3
Job has pointed in his arraignment of the doctrine of Divine Providence,
and of the government of the world by rewards and punishments of the
good and evil respectively. They are too plain to be denied : and having
nothing fresh to bring forward he is forced to content himself with a final
protest against the spirit of Job's remarks, and an endeavour to subdue
his friend's seeming arrogance by contrasting the majesty and purity of
God with the littleness and impurity of man, as if to ask, How can Job, a
mere worm as he is, dare to imagine that he can be counted innocent
before the all holy God ? There is nothing new in the suggestion implied
in these words. Bildad is merely borrowing from Eliphaz who has already
said the same thing twice over (see iv. 17, and xv. 14), and indeed Job
himself has more than once admitted its truth (see ix. 2, and xiv. 4).
The chapter is too short to allow of detailed analysis : but its substance
may be paraphrased as follows. Look, says Bildad, at the greatness, and
absolute rule of God in the heavens above. There all things obey His will
and tremble before Him. If He say Peace, there is stillness. Thousands
at His bidding wait. His light shines on all (1 — 3). What presumption,
then, is it for weak frail man to think that he can be justified before Him
(4) ! If even the heavenly bodies are not spotless in His sight, what foUy
for man to imagine that he can be (5, 6) !

XXV. 1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 Dominion and fear are with him ;
He maketh peace in his high places.
3 Is there any number of his armies ?
And upon whom doth not his light arise ?

2. Dominion and fear are with whether used of the stars, or of the
him, i.e. God rules over all things, angels. It is the same word which
and His rule inspires awe and has been employed in xix. 12 of the
terror. troops of God, by whom Job com-
He maketh peace in his high plains that he is assaulted, and is
places. The high places are the ordinarily used of bands or troops
heavens above, as in xvi. 19. The as making inroads. It may possibly
'making peace' may refer to the here be applied to the stars (cf.
stilling of the storm, or, as David- Judg. v. 20, ' the stars in their
son supposes, the words may 'include courses fought against Sisera1), or
a reference to traditional discords again, it may be referred to the
among the heavenly hosts. Cf. angels. Cf. Rev. xii. 7.
xxi. 22 ; xl. 10 seq. ; Is. xxiv. 21 ; And upon whom doth not his
Rev. xii. 7.' light arise? The radiance which
3. Is there any number of his proceeds from God illuminates all
armies ? The word for armies is things, and none can escape from
not the usual one for His 'hosts,' its searching light.

xxv. 4-xxvi. 2] THE BOOK OF JOB 137
4 How then can man be just 'with God?
Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman ?
5 Behold, even the moon hath no brightness,
And the stars are not pure in his sight :
6 How much less man, that is a worm !
And the son of man, which is a worm I
1 Or, before
4 — 6. Imitated from the words be the case with man, who is but
of Eliphaz in iv. 17, and xv. 14. a worm of the earth ! Two different
5, 6. Cf. Ps. viii. 3, 4. Even the words for worm are here used, the
moon appears dark before the light second being also used of a weak
of God, and the very stars of and despised man in Ps. xxii. 6.
heaven are seen to be dim and Cf. Is. xii. 14.
dull : how much more must this
XXVI. Job's answer to Bildad.
Job evidently feels that there is very little to reply to in the speech to
which he has just listened. He has heard it all before, and has already
given his assent to it : only it does not help forward the discussion in any
way or afford any solution of the problem that is perplexing him. Accord
ingly he begins with a few words of scornful introduction pointing this out
(1 — 4) ; after which he takes up the subject of God's greatness where
Bildad left it, and shows how God's power is acknowledged and manifested
in the underworld (5, 6) and displayed in the earth and the heavens above
(7 — 14). This description of God's power, it must be admitted, contributes
nothing fresh to the discussion, the reason being that there was nothing
fresh to reply to ; but it is obviously intended to show that Job himself
knows it all quite as well as his friend who has so kindly taken upon
himself the task of instructing him.
The chapter falls into two parts :
(1) Scornful words of introduction. 1 — 4.
(2) Description of the greatness of God as manifested in Sheol,
the earth, and the heavens. 5 — 14.
XXVI. 1 Then Job answered and said,
2 How hast thou helped him that is without power !
How hast thou saved the arm that hath no strength !

Scornful words of intro- him (3) ! Where did it all come
duction. Job here sarcastically from ? and for whose benefit was it
enlarges on the wonderful help and really meant (4) ?
strength his friend has proved to a 2. him that is without power,
weak and feeble creature like him- viz. Job himself, who is referred to
self (1, 2). What wise counsel, what all through these verses as ad-
sound knowledge he has brought mittedly weak and feeble.

138

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXVI. 3-s

How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom,
And plentifully declared sound knowledge 1
To whom hast thou uttered words ?
And whose Spirit came forth from thee ?
2They that are deceased tremble
Beneath the waters and the inhabitants thereof.

1 Heb. breath.

1 Or, The shades Heb. The Rephaim.

3. sound knowledge, the same
word as in v. 12, where see note.
4. To whom hast thou uttered
words? The question is a perti
nent one because Bildad's remarks
had been so utterly irrelevant, that
Job scornfully suggests that they
cannot have been meant for him.
And whose spirit came forth
from thee? i.e. whence didst thou
draw thine inspiration? Surely it
did not need God's inspiration to
teach him what he had uttered.
Eliphaz had aheady twice given
expression to the thought on which
his speech is based. Thus Job here
'charges him with having dressed
himself in borrowed robes, and
inquires from whose wardrobe they
have been stolen' (S. Cox).
5 — 14. Description of the great
ness of God as manifested in
Sheol, the earth, and the heavens.
Before God even the weak and
motionless inhabitants of the sha
dowy underworld tremble, for to
Him those gloomy regions lie bare
and open (5, 6). He it is by whom
the earth was first poised in mid-
space (7). By Him the waters are
gathered into clouds, which only
burst and discharge their contents
at His bidding, and which enshroud
His throne (8, 9). By Him the
bounds of the horizon are fixed, and
limits set to light and darkness (10).

Even the solid pillars upon which
the vault of heaven rests tremble at
His word (11). He it is who not
only creates the storm and the
raging of the sea, but also quells
and calms it, and banishes the
night-wrack from the sky (12, 13).
And yet, great as these marvels of
His power are, after all they show
us but the fringes of His ways. To
their innermost essence who can
penetrate (14) ?
5. They that are deceased tremble.
The word rendered they that are
deceased (the ' Rephaim,' see R.V.
marg.) is used for the shades of the
departed here and in Ps. lxxxviii.
10; Prov. ii. 18; xxi. 16; Is. xiv. 9;
xxvi. 14. It probably means origi
nally weak and flaccid. The same
word (whatever its origin in this
sense may be) is also used for an
extinct race of reputed giants in
Gen. xiv. 5; xv. 20 ; Deut. ii. 11, and
elsewhere. Hence the curious ren
derings of the ancient versions in
the passage before us. lxx. yiyavrcs,
Symmachus ^eo^a^oi, Vulg. gigan-
tes, so the Targum and the Syriac.
tremble, and not are formed
(A. V.), is certainly correct.
Beneath the waters and the
inhabitants thereof. The words
embody the conception that Sheol,
the abode of ' the shades,' is beneath
the earth.

XXVI. 6-10]

THE BOOK OF JOB

139

6 'Sheol is naked before him,
And 2Abaddon hath no covering.
7 He stretcheth out the north over empty space,
And hangeth the earth 3upon nothing.
8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds ;
And the cloud is not rent under them.
9 He closeth in the face of his throne,
And spreadeth his cloud" upon it.
10 He hath described a boundary upon the face of the
waters,
Unto the confines of light and darkness.

1 Or, The grave

2 Or, Destruction

3 Or, over

6. Abaddon hath no covering.
The word Abaddon, which means
destruction, is found together with
Sheol in Prov. xv. 11, and (in a
slightly different form) xxvii. 20.
It occurs together with death in
Job xxviii. 22, and as parallel to
the grave in Ps. lxxxviii. 11. It is
the place of destruction or ruin :
and it is a gain to have the original
word retained in the English trans
lation here because of its recurrence
in the New Testament as the title
of the 'angel of the abyss,' whose
'name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and
' in the Greek tongue he hath the
name Apollyon' Rev. ix. 11.
7. He stretcheth out the north
over empty space. If, as seems
probable, the empty space repre
sents the atmosphere above the
earth, then the north will mean the
northern sky round the pole star.
This as the beholder looks upward
by night might well seem to be
stretched out over vacancy. Else
where (Ps. civ. 2) God is said to
'stretch out (the same word) the
heavens like a curtain,' cf . Isaiah li. 1 3.
And hangeth the earth upon
nothing. It is absurd to read into

these words the discoveries of mod
ern astronomy. The whole concep
tion is that of the ancients. The
heavens stretched out like a curtain
above — then the vacant space of the
atmosphere, and beneath this the
solid earth resting upon nothing.
8, 9. The marvels of the forma
tion of the clouds, in which God
binds up the waters, so that they do
not burst except at His command.
Elsewhere (xxxviii.. 37) the clouds
are called 'the bottles of heaven,'
i.e. skin-bottles, which explains the
language here.
9. He closeth in the face of his
throne, i.e. the seat of God is re
garded as above the clouds, and
shrouded by them. Cf. Ps. civ. 3,
13 ; Amos ix. 6.
10. He hath described a bound
ary upon the face of the waters,
unto the confines of light and
darkness. The idea of this verse
seems to be that God has drawn
as a circle a line round upon the
face of the waters, i.e. He has marked
out the horizon, which is the border
line between light and darkness.
All is bright within it, but beyond
it all is conceived as dark.

140

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXVI. 11-13

11 The pillars of heaven tremble
And are astonished at his rebuke.
12 He 'stirreth up the sea with his power,
And by his understanding he smiteth through 2 Rahab.
13 By his spirit the heavens are 'garnished ;
His hand hath pierced the 'swift serpent.

1 Or, stilleth
3 Heb. beauty.

2 See ch. ix. 13.
4 Or, feeing Or, .

11. The pillars of heaven — may
be the lofty mountains, on whose
summits the sky seems to rest.
These tremble, either in earthquakes,
or when the thunder peals forth.
Cf. Ps. xxix. 6, 8; civ. 32.
12. He stirreth up the sea with
his power. Almost the same words
are found in Isaiah li. 15, and Jer.
xxxi. 35 ; but the meaning of the
verb is uncertain. It properly means
to move violently backwards and
forwards, to throw into a state of
trembling, hence to terrify, and so
possibly as the margin of the R.V.
He stilleth (after the lxx. Karerrav-
o-ev). In this case the whole verse
will refer to the quelling of the storm
(see below). But it is more pro
bable that, in accordance with its
original meaning, it signifies 'to
throw into a state of commotion,' as
R.V. He stirreth up the sea, and,
if taken in this way, this first clause
will attribute the rising of the storm
to the action of God, while the second
clause tells us that the same power
can quell it (the rendering of the
A.V, He divideth the sea, comes
from the Targum, but is certainly
incorrect ; nor can there be any
allusion to the passage of the Red
Sea. It is the wonders of nature
of which Job is speaking).
And by his understanding he
smiteth through Raliab. Correct
the A.V. the proud, and on Rahab

see the note on ix. 13. Rahab here,
as there, is probably the mythical
dragon which stands as the personifi
cation of the sea ; so that to smite
through Rahab is to calm the waves
of the sea and to quell the storm.
There appears to be a clear connexion
between this wholepassage and Isaiah
li. 9 — 15. The coincidence between
the previous clause and verse 15 has
been already noted : and in Is. li. 9,
we read 'art thou not it that hath
cut Rahab in pieces and pierced the
dragon ?' where not only is there a
similar reference to Rahab, but the
word for cut in pieces is apparently
the same that is used here for smite
through, and pierced occurs in the
next verse in the passage before us,
as well as in Isaiah.
13. By his spirit the heavens
are garnished. LiteraUy are beauty.
The words must refer to the clear
ing of the sky after the storm, the
same thing being figuratively de
scribed in the next clause in the
allusion to the nature myth of
Leviathan. See the following note.
His hand hath pierced the swift
serpent. (Correct the KN .formed.)
The same words the swift serpent
occur again in Isaiah xxvii. 1, where
they are descriptive of Leviathan;
and there can be no doubt that in
the verse* before us there is an aUu
sion to the myth already referred to
in iii. 8, and the belief that darkness

xxvi. i4] THE BOOK OF JOB 141
14 Lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways :
And 'how small a whisper 2do we hear of him !
But the thunder of his 'power who can understand ?
1 Or, how little 'a portion 2 Or, is heard 3 Or, mighty deeds
was caused by the dragon swallowing of God, but marvellous as they seem
up the sun. The piercing or wound- to us they are after all only the edges,
ing this swift serpent would cause the fringes of His ways, and the
him to abandon his prey, and once sound of His voice is scarcely heard
more the light would shine. in them. If He were to raise it,
14. All these wonders of nature and manifest Himself as He is in
are wrought by the Almighty power reality, who could stand ?
XXVII, XXVIII. Job's first monologue.
Surprise has often been felt that Job's last speech in answer to Bildad
is not foUowed, as in the earlier circles of speeches, by one from Zophar,
with a further reply from Job ; but that the friends appear to retire, and
are no more mentioned (except in xxxii. 1 — 5 and xlii. 7 seq.), while Job
continues his speech in the form of a twofold monologue (xxvii, xxviii, and
xxix. — xxxi.), introduced in each case by a formula which occurs nowhere
else in the whole book, 'And Job again took up his parable and said'
(xxvi. 1 ; xxix. 1). And the difficulty is increased by these two facts : (1)
in a considerable part of his first monologue, beginning with xxvii, verse 7,
Job apparently deserts the position which he has all along maintained, and
goes over to that taken by the friends, describing the fate which overtakes
the ungodly in very much the same terms as those which they have already
employed ; and (2) beautiful and impressive as chapter xxviii. is, it is not
easy to see its connexion with the speech in which it occurs, or indeed with
the poem as a whole. In consequence of these difficulties a considerable
number of critics have held that there has been some dislocation of the
text, that the passage which causes the difficulty in chapter xxvii. (7 — 23) is
really the missing speech of Zophar (so Kennicott in the last century), and
that chapter xxviii. is a later interpolation. Accordingly various attempts
have been made to rearrange the text, so as to make this third circle corre
spond exactly with the "two earlier ones : but it has generally been felt that
any such attempt cannot be so Umited as merely to assign to Zophar the
verses in question, and to cut out chapter xxviii, for obviously there would
be a great lack of proportion in the various speeches as so arranged. Hence,
a considerable number of further alterations are found to be necessitated
before anything Uke a satisfactory result is obtained ; and even so, what is
satisfactory to one critic is not so to another, for scarcely any two critics are
agreed in their rearrangement, as is shown in the note below1. What
1 Thus Bickell (who is followed by Dillon, The Sceptics of the Old Testament)
rearranges the text as follows : Bildad, xxv. 1 — 3 ; xxvi. 12 — 14 ; xxv. 4 — 6.
Job's reply, xxvi. 1—2, 4 ; xxvii. 2, 4—6, 11, 12 ; xxviii. 1—3, 9—11, 20—28.
ZophSr, xxvii. 7—10, 14—20. Job's reply, xxix. 1—4, 6—9, 11—17, 21, 22 ;

142 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxvii.
commends itself to one writer is summarily rejected by another ; and to
the present writer it certainly appears that the difficulties involved in the
acceptance of the text as it has come down to us are less than those which
are created by the attempts at reconstruction proposed in some modern
Commentaries. It is admitted that xxvii. 7 — 23 is a real difficulty, but on
the whole it seems better to accept it as part of Job's speech, even if no
thoroughly satisfactory explanation of it can be offered, rather than to
venture on a wholesale manipulation of the text, for which there is no
external evidence, and which, in the face of so much disagreement among
the critics themselves, must be pronounced extremely precarious and un
certain ; while in regard to chapter xxviii., as Dr Driver justly remarks,
'it is scarcely possible that such a noble and characteristic passage can
have been inserted in the poem by a later hand.'
Accepting then the arrangement of the text which has come down to
us in our Hebrew Bibles as correct, and regarding xxviii. as an integral
part of the original poem, the two chapters before us (xxvii, xxviii.) are
here treated as Job's first monologue. Job has now completely silenced
his friends. He has appealed to facts which give the lie to the major
premiss of their syllogism, and establish the seeming inequality of God's
ways. He is consequently left as victor, not as having solved the problem,
or offered any explanation of the mystery of pain, but simply as having
demolished their 'short and easy method' of accounting for suffering.
Whatever be the true account of it, the old doctrine of retribution has
hopelessly broken down ; and it appears as if this monologue was meant to
point out that since the problem is insoluble by man his true wisdom is to
acquiesce in his ignorance, and, leaving speculation, to devote himself to
practical works of goodness : much in the same spirit as the writer of
Eccl'esiastes gives ' the conclusion of the whole matter ' at the close of his
dreary reflections on things in general. 'Fear God and keep his com
mandments, for this is the whole duty of man' (Eccl. xii. 13). We may,
then, suppose a pause to occur at the close of Job's answer to Bildad in
xxvi. ; and then, after an interval, when Zophar fails to come forward, he
' takes up his parable ' and recommences, beginning, after his usual style,
xxx. 1, 2, 8—11, 13—15, 17—31 ; xxxi. 5—14, 23, 15—17, 19—22, 24—27,
29—37. Cheyne assigns to Bildad xxv, xxvi. 5 — 14; to Job xxvi. 1 — 4; xxvii. 1  7 ;J»
to Zophar xxvii. 8—10, 13 — 23; and to Job xxvii. 11, 12; xxix  xxxi.; taking
xxviii. as a later addition.
Duhm giveB to Bildad xxvi. 1—4; xxv. 2—6; xxvi. 5—14; to Job xxvii.
1—6, 12; to Zophar xxvii. 7—11, 13—23; and to Job xxix.— xxxi, taking
xxviii. by itself.
According to Siegfried, Bildad' s speech is contained in xxv, xxvi. 5  14 •
while xxvi. 1 — 4, xxvii. 2 — 6 belong to Job. xxvii. 7 — 23 are a ' correcting
interpolation' conforming the speeches of Job to the orthodox doctrme of
retribution; while xxviii. is a 'polemical interpolation' directed against the
tendency of the poem ! No third speech is assigned to Zophar, but xxix.— xxxi.
are regarded as the continuation of Job's utteranoe.

xxvii. i, 2] THE BOOK OF JOB 143
with a protestation of his innocence, and determination to hold fast his
integrity (xxvii. 1 — 6) ; then follows the passage, of which it is so hard to
give a satisfactory explanation (xxvii. 7 — 23), and which contains a graphic
description of the terrible fate which awaits the sinner, his dreary and
hopeless condition as abandoned by God, and the swift and complete
retribution which overtakes him for his wrong-doing ; and lastly in chapter
xxviii. we have a marvellous panegyric on the divine wisdom, in which it
is shown that, clever and cunning as man is, and able to find out many
inventions, yet he can never attain to the true wisdom, which belongs to
God only as the Creator of all things. Man is utterly unable to understand
the principles that rule in the world. He has his wisdom indeed, which is
to ' fear the Lord and to depart from evil,' but to comprehend the world is
quite beyond him. Thus in analysing the speech, we may mark out the
main divisions as follows :
(1) Introductory protestation of integrity, xxvii. 1 — 6.
(2) Description of the fate of the sinner. 7 — 23.
(3) Man is very clever, and able to discover silver, gold, and
precious stones of all kinds, xxviii. 1 — 11.
(4) But wisdom can nowhere be discovered by him, nor purchased
with his precious stones. 12 — 19.
(5) Wisdom is not found even in the world beloio. God alone
knoweth the way to it, as the Creator of all things. The only wisdom for
man is to fear Him. 20 — 28.
XXVII. 1 And Job again took up his parable, and
said,
2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my right ;
And the Almighty, who hath ^exed my soul ;
1 Heb. made my soul bitter.
XXVII. 1 — 6. Introductory 1. And Job again took up his
protestation of integrity. Job parable. The expression is found
begins with an oath by the God again more than once in the narra-
who has made his soul bitter (1, 2) tive of Balaam (Numb, xxiii. 7 seq.)
— for he is still able to breathe and but occurs nowhere else.
speak (3)— and protests that he will 2. As God liveth. Cf. 2 Sam.
not be gmlty of insincerity or un- ii. 27, where the form of the oath is
truthfulness (4). He will neither almost the same (Elohim instead of
admit his friends to be right, nor El being the only difference). Else-
deny his own integrity (5). He will where the form is almost always 'As
cUng to his righteousness which he the Lord liveth,' which occurs more
has all along maintained, for he has than thirty times in the course of
nothing to reproach himself with the Old Testament, from Judg. viii.
(6). 19 onwards.

144

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXVII. 3-7

3 *(For my life is yet whole in me,
And the spirit of God is in my nostrils ;)
4 Surely my lips 2 shall not speak unrighteousness,
Neither 'shall my tongue utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you :
Till I die I will not put away mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go :
My heart 4 shall not reproach me so long as I live.
7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked,
And let him that riseth up against me be as the
righteous.

un-

1 Or, All the while my breath is in me... nostrils ; surely
8 Or, doth * Or, doth not reproach me for any of my days

1 Or, do

3. For my life is yet whole in
me &c: The R.V. rightly takes
this verse as parenthetical. The
Hebrew of the first clause is peculiar,
but almost the same phrase is found
in 2 Sam. i. 9, which fixes its meaning,
and shows that the clause is cor
rectly rendered in the R.V. (as
against the A.V. and R.V. marg.).
spirit of God, better breath of
God. Contrast xxvi. 4.
4. Here we have the substance
of the oath begun in verse 1. The
first word of the verse is the regular
form in an adjuration for expressing
an emphatic negative Surely... not.
It literally means if: the full form
being ' God do so to me and more
also if,' sometimes expressed, as in
1 Sam. iii. 17, but more often
implied, as here.
5. God forbid. The word is
properly a substantive meaning
something profane ; used as an
exclamation ad prof anum! i.e. far
be it from me.
justify you, i.e. admit you to be
right. 6. My heart shall not reproach
me so long as I live, better, as R.V.

marg, doth not reproach me for any
of my days. The lxx. in this clause
is noteworthy, ou yap erivoiba ipavrei
aroira npa£as, as containing the
remarkable phrase used by S. Paul
in 1 Cor. iv. 4, 'I know nothing
by myself A.V. or as it is more
accurately rendered in R.V. 'against
myself, ovbev yap ifxavrcd crvvoiha.
Is the coincidence accidental, or
may we see in the phrase an
unconscious reminiscence of the
language of Job ?
7—23- Description of the fate
of the sinner. Here foUows a
wish that the speaker's enemy may
meet with the fate that befalls the
sinner (7), whose condition when
God cuts him off is described as
hopeless (8). He may cry to God
when trouble falls upon him, but
there is no answer (9) : he has no
pleasure in God so that he should
naturally turn to Him (10). The
speaker next proceeds to offer to
instruct his hearers concerning God's
dealings with men — for, though they
have opportunities enough of knowing
it, they yet seem insensible of it
(11, 12). This, then, is the fate of

XXVII. 7]

THE BOOK OF JOB

145

the sinner (13). His family may
increase, but it will be only to be
cut off by the sword, the famine,
and the pestilence (14, 15). He
may amass his treasures of silver
and costly raiment — they are only
stored up to be enjoyed by better
men than he (16, 17). His house is
flimsy and easUy destroyed (18).
One day he is in full possession of
his wealth : the next morning finds
him dead and gone (19). Sudden
terrors fall upon him : the storm
sweeps him away (20, 21). God's
wrath overtakes him as he flees, and
men drive him with contumely from
their midst (22, 23).
There is no difficulty about the
meaning of the words here used.
The translation of the whole passage
is simple enough, and it is only here
and there that a phrase occurs of
which the rendering is doubtful.
The only difficulty is to understand
how the words can be regarded as
appropriate in the mouth of Job,
and this, as was indicated above, is
a real problem. Various theories
have been proposed, but none of
them seems entirely satisfactory.
The common view among those who
uphold the integrity of the text is
that Job has at last found Ms way
to a position of assured trust in
God, and that in this description of
the fate of a sinner he is modifying
his former extravagant utterances.
There are, however, grave objections
to this view; (1) in chapters xxix. —
xxxi. he distinctly maintains his
former position, and still speaks of
God as his 'adversary' (xxxi. 35).
(2) The description of the fate of a
sinner is no 'modification' of his
earlier view, but an absolute and
sweeping contradiction of it. For
merly he had maintained that no
j.

moral rule was discernible in the
government of the world : now (on
the view that these verses contain
his own sentiments) he roundly
accepts the orthodox doctrine of
retribution which the friends had
aU along maintained, and yet re
proaches them with folly (12) ! As
Davidson drily remarks : ' To ap
propriate their sentiments and cover
the operation by calling them foolish
persons was not generous.' Another
view is that Job is here not giving
his own views at aU, but simply
repeating with bitter scorn the kind
of language used by his friends and
almost parodying it, before pro
ceeding in xxviii. to give up the
problem altogether as insoluble, and
fall back on the practical wisdom of
a life of duty. In favour of this it
may be noticed (1) that he has
already in a somewhat similar way
cited in scorn their description of
the fate of the wicked in xxiv.
18 — 21, and placed side by side
with it what he holds to be the true
state of the case, and (2) that verse
13 is drawn almost word for word
from the conclusion of Zophar's
speech in xx. 29, in which he had so
strongly insisted on the very points
here urged. This looks very much
as if the passage was intended to be a
citation of the friends' words. And
if it be said that ' there is nothing
in the passage to suggest that the
sentiments are not * those of the
speaker himself,' it may be replied
that this is often the case with the
dramatic poetry of the ancients.
When it was recited, emphasis and
tone and gesture were all brought
into play, and indicated how it was
to be understood. But as the
ancients made no use of inverted
commas and exclamation stops, by
10

146

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXVII. 8-13

8 For what is the hope of the godless, 'though he get him
gain,
When God taketh away his soul ?
9 Will God hear his cry,
When trouble cometh upon him ?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty,
And call upon God at all times ?
Ill will teach you concerning the hand of God ;
That which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it ;
Why then are ye become altogether vain ?
13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from
the Almighty. 1 Or, when God cutteth him off, when he taketh etc.

the help of which a modern writer
can often convey his meaning to his
reader, the written poem must
often be obscure. Dr Davidson
raises a further objection that when
the speaker ' undertakes to teach
concerning the hand of God, it
cannot be doubted that the following
verses contain the lesson, namely,
God's way of dealing with the
wicked. If verses 11, 12 be con
nected with xxviii. the teaching
must be sought in that chapter.
But there is really no teaching
regarding the "hand" of God in
xxviii, though much regarding the
ingenuity of man. The intermediate
passage, xxvii. 13 — 23, hides the
incongruity of this view ; but if
these verses be removed and xxviii.
read in connexion with xxvii. 11, 12,
what Job says to his friends is this :
" I will teach you concerning the
hand of God! — It is simply incom
prehensible!'" Some weight un
doubtedly is due to this objection,
but it does not appear conclusive.
Why, after all, should not Job say

this to his friends? He quotes a
summary of their words, he tells
them that man is marvellously clever,
but that with all his wisdom he
cannot discover the principles that
rule in the world, for they are incom
prehensible. That is his teaching
concerning ' the hand of God.' On
the whole this explanation appears
to the present writer the most
probable one that has yet been
proposed. He is free to confess
that he is not entirely satisfied
with it : but the alternative seems
to lie between accepting this ex
planation, and confessing that the
difficulty is insurmountable, and
readers must make the choice for
themselves. 8. what is the hope of the
godless, though he get him gain.
Better, with R.V, marg. when God
cutteth him off.
13. Cf. xx. 29, a great part of
which is verbally quoted here : ' This
is the portion of a wicked man
from God, and the heritage ap
pointed unto him by God.'

xxvii. 14-19] THE BOOK OF JOB

147

14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword ;
And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death,
And his widows shall make no lamentation.
16 Though he heap up silver as the dust,
And prepare raiment as the clay ;
17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on,
And the innocent shall divide the silver.
18 He buildeth his house as the 'moth,
And as a booth which the keeper maketh.
19 He lieth down rich, but he 2shall not be gathered ;
He openeth his eyes, and he is not.
1 Some ancient versions have, spider.
2 Some ancient versions have, shall do so no more.

15. Those that remain of him
shall be buried in death. As 'the
sword ' and famine have been men
tioned in the previous verse it is
weU to take death here as signifying
the pestilence, as in Jer. xv. 2;
xviii. 21 (see R.V.); xhii. 11, and
cf. the use of ddvaros in the New
Testament, Rev. vi. 8; xviii. 8.
And his widows shall make no
lamentation. The same words are
found in Ps. lxxviii. 64.
16. Though he heap up silver as
the dust, the clause occurs also in
Zech. ix. 3.
And prepare raiment as the clay.
With this clause again cf. Zech. ix.
3, where the ' clay ' or ' mire of the
streets,' as well as the 'dust,' is
similarly used as an emblem of
great abundance. Costly raiment
was a common form of Eastern
wealth. Cf. the allusions in the
N.T, S. Matt. vi. 19 ; S. James v. 2.
18. He buildeth his house as the
moth, i.e. it is fraU and easily
crushed. Cf. the allusion in iv. 19.
And as a booth which the keeper
maketh. The word for booth is the
same which occurs in Isaiah i. 8 for

a booth (A.V. cottage) in a vineyard.
It is a poor, perishable structure,
easily overthrown, consisting of little
more than four poles covered with
boughs. " See the picture of one in
Thomson's Land and the Book, p.
361. The ' keeper' is the watchman
set to guard the vineyard.
19. He lieth down rich, but he
shall not be gathered. The thought
of this verse may well be iUustrated
by our Lord's parable of the rich
fool in 8. Luke xii. 16 seq. The word
for gathered is often used of a man
being gathered to his fathers in
death ; but it is also used of the
body being composed or arrayed for
burial, see Jer. viii. 2; xxv. 33 ; Ezek.
xxix. 5, and possibly this is the
meaning here. In the parable of
Dives and Lazarus we have 'the
rich man died and was buried]
S. Luke xvi. 22. The words before us
may point to some indignity in the
absence of the burial. Or possibly
the Massoretic punctuation is in
correct, and we should render the
clause but he shall do so no more.
So lxx. and many moderns. See
R.V. marg.
10—2

148

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxvii. 20-xxvni. 1

20 Terrors overtake him like waters ;
A tempest stealeth him away in the night.
21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth ;
And it sweepeth him out of his place.
22 For God shall hurl at him, and not spare :
He would fain flee out of his hand.
23 Men shall clap their hands at him,
And shall hiss him out of his place.
XXVIII. 1 l Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place for gold which they refine.

1 Or, For

20. Terrors overtake him like
waters. Cf. Bildad's words in xviii.
11, ' Terrors shall make him afraid
on every side,' and for the waters
cf. the words of Eliphaz in xxii. 11,
'and abundance of waters cover
thee.' A tempest stealeth him away.
In the original the words are the
same as those found in xxi. 18, ' as
chaff that the storm carrieth away]
where Job is similarly summarizing
the statements of his friends.
21. The east wind carrieth him
away. Cf. the allusions^to the east
wind, the most violent in Western
Asia, in Ps. xlviii. 7 ; Is. xxvii. 8 ;
Jer. xviii. 17 ; Ezek. xxvii. 26.
22. For God shall hurl at him,
and not spare. The object of the
verb is not expressed. The R.V.
apparently takes it to be such mis
siles as javelins or great stones,
rather than arrows, which would be
shot, and not hurled. A similar use
of the verb without the object ex
pressed is found in Numb. xxxv. 20.
23. Men shall clap their hands
at him. For clapping the hands as
a sign of derision cf. xxxiv. 37, and
Lam. ii. 15 ; and for hissing in mock
ery see 1 Kings ix. 8 ; Lam. ii. 15,
16; Jer. xix. 8 ; xlix. 17.

XXVIII. According to the ex
planation of xxvii. 7 — 23, adopted
(not without much hesitation) above,
this chapter follows naturaUy enough
with the design of showing how
hopeless it is for man to expect tor
understand God's method of ruhng
the world ; and the method by
which the writer seeks to enforce
this upon us is this. He sets before
us in sharpest contrast (1) the won
derful skill and ingenuity of man in
compelling nature to yield up her
secrets to him, and (2) his entire
failure in the search after ' wisdom,'
i.e. an intellectual apprehension of
the principles of God's government.
This is one of the secrets of God,
known only to the Creator of all
things ; and for man the only ' wis
dom' is of a practical rather than an
intellectual nature, viz. to fear God,
and to depart from evil. Thus the
solution of the problem which has
so perplexed Job is given up in
despair. It is incomprehensible,
and man had better cease thinking
about it. This may seem to adopt a
position not very far removed from
Agnosticism, and it is one which no
Christian teacher could consent to
adopt as a permanent one, for it
amounts to a recommendation to

XXVIII. r]

THE BOOK OF JOB

149

cease thinking. But as a temporary
relief there are probably times in
the life of most persons when it will
appear to be the best course for
them to foUow. Voltaire's ' travail-
ler sans raisonner, c'est le seul moyen
de rendre la vie supportable' may
sometimes be the rule even for a
Christian. For a man who is en
dowed by God with powers of reason
and intellect, deliberately to abstain
from using them, and to turn away
from any endeavour to find an an
swer to perplexing questions con
cerning the Divine government of
the world, cannot be right as a
permanent condition. But, as Dr
Newman has pointed out in a famous
sermon, there are some trials of faith
which are best met by simple obedi
ence, which is 'the remedy for re
hgious perplexity'; and when men
are bewildered and puzzled, and
doubtful about the very foundations
of religion, they will often by leaving
speculation and turning to active
work in the course of plain duty
find that in time their perplexities
disappear, and the difficulties solve
themselves. See Newman's Paro
chial and Plain Sermons, Vol. i.
Sermon xviii. 'Obedience the remedy
for religious perplexity.'
The analysis of this chapter has
already been given on p. 143. It is
therefore not repeated here.
l — il. Man is very clever,
and able to discover silver, gold,
and precious stones of all kinds.
Silver, gold, iron and brass — these
treasures are all yielded up to man
(1, 2), who can search out the very
darkest recesses of the earth (3).
He sinks the shafts of his mines and
men descend into the bowels of the
earth, far from the haunts of men
(4). On the earth's surface he grows

his corn, which supplies him with
food, while far down below he is
ransacking its treasures, its gold and
precious stones, and searching it as
by fire (5, 6). No falcon's eye is
keen enough to spy out those hidden
recesses, and no beast of prey can
make his way thither (7, 8). Man
alone has the skill to dig down to
the very roots of the mountains (9),
and hew out his passages in the
solid rocks, binding up the streams
so that they shall not flood his mines,
and bringing out the hidden trea
sures to the light of day (10, 11).
There are few passages in the
Old Testament in which the gain to
the English reader from the pos
session of the Revised Version is
greater than this. For the first
time the verses are made intelligible
to him, and the changes of transla
tion (especially those in verses 3
and 4) make it clear that the whole
passage is a wonderfully vivid and
graphic description of mining opera
tions as carried on in the ancient
world. In very early days copper
mines were worked in the Sinaitic
peninsula; gold mines in Nubia;
and from Idumsea between Petra
and Zoar copper (and possibly also
both gold and silver) could be pro
cured ; while in Lebanon there were
iron works and iron mines (cf. Deut.
viii. 9, where they are alluded to).
With some, if not all, of these the
writer of the Book of Job must
have been familiar, for his picture
of the miners descending in their
cages, ' swinging to and fro ' as they
are let down to the bottom of the
shaft, is evidently drawn from life,
and there are even possible traces
of familiarity on his part with the
technical vocabulary of the industry
(see the notes on 4, 10, 11).

150

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXVIII. 2-4

2 Iron is taken out of the 'earth,
And brass is molten out of the stone.
3 Man setteth an end to darkness,
And searcheth out to the furthest bound
The stones of thick darkness and of the shadow of death.
4 2He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn ;
They are forgotten of the foot that passeth by ;
They hang afar from men, they 'swing to and fro.
1 Or, dust
1 Or, The flood breaketh out from where men sojourn; even the waters forgotten
of the foot: they are minished, they are gone away from man a Ox, flit

1. Surely (or better, with the
margin of R.V, For) there is a mine
for silver. The word for mine (lit.
place of going forth, or source) is
only found here in this particular
sense, but there can be no doubt as
to its meaning. The rendering vein
in the A.V. is suggested by the Vul
gate, venarum suarum prindpia.
And a place for gold which they
refine (better than A.V. where they
fine it). The allusion is not to the
place where the process of refining
is carried on, but rather to the gold
mine itself from which the precious
metal is procured. For other al
lusions to refining gold and silver
see Ps. xii. 6; 1 Chr. xxviii. 18;
xxix. 4; Mai. iii. 3, in all of which
the same word occurs.
2. And brass is molten out of
the stone. Brass should be copper.
The clause might literally be ren
dered and stone one melteth into
copper. 3. Man setteth an end to dark
ness. It is quite clear that man is
the subject spoken of, so the R.V.
is quite justified in inserting the
word in itaUcs in order to make the
meaning clear to the English reader.
The verse is, of course, descriptive

of man's power of penetrating and
bringing light into the dark under
ground passages in his mines. The
word rendered in the R.V. the fur
thest bound (better than A.V. all
perfection) is that used in xxvi. 10,
'the boundary of light and darkness.'
4. He breaketh open a shaft
away from where men sojourn.
Man is stiU the subject. The word
for shaft is commonly used for a
winter torrent and the valley through
which it flows. Hence the marginal
reading of R.V. the flood breaketh
out dec. But there is a general
agreement among commentators that
in this passage it must be taken of
the ' shaft ' of the mine. Possibly it
was a technical term (correct the
A.V. accordingly).
They are forgotten of the foot
that passeth by, i.e. men walk about
the earth over the heads of the
miners, utterly oblivious of what is
going on beneath their feet.
They hang afar from men, they
swing to and fro, viz. as they de
scend the shaft either in cages or let
down by ropes. Instead of swing
the R.V. marg. suggests 'they^'<
to and fro,' but the rendering given
in the text is preferable.

XXVIII. 5-10]

THE BOOK OF JOB

151

5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread :
And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 The stones thereof are the place of sapphires,
'And it hath dust of gold.
7 That path no bird of prey knoweth,
Neither hath the falcon's eye seen it :
8 The 2proud beasts have not trodden it,
Nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.
9 He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock ;
He overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 He cutteth out 'channels among the rocks ;
And his eye seeth every precious thing.
1 Or, And he winneth lumps of gold 2 Heb. sons of pride. 3 Ox, passages

5. This verse brings out the con
trast suggested by the peaceful look
and condition of the earth above with
its cornfields, and the restless energy
of man burrowing underground,
and ' overturning ' everything in his
search for hidden treasures, as by
fire. The reference is probably not
to blasting (though that was prac
tised by the ancients, see Pliny,
H. N xxxiii. 4, 21), which would
require by fire alone. 'As by fire'
points rather to a comparison of the
destruction wrought by man with
that worked by the destroying ele
ment. 6 mentions some of the treasures
which man carries off, sapphires and
lumps of gold (R.V. marg.).
7 Neither hath the falcon's eye
seen it. The Hebrew word Ayyah
is probably the kite rather than the
falcon (cf. Lev. xi. 14 ; Deut. xiv. 13).
It affords ' the strongest instance of
that keenness of sight for which all
birds of prey are remarkable,' see
Tristram, Nat. Hist, of the Bible, p.
187. Even the keen-eyed bird of
prey, says Job, which 'can detect
the path of a wounded deer from a

height, where it can itself be descried
by no human eye,' cannot discern
the path along which the miner
passes in the bowels of the earth.
8. The proud beasts, lit. the sons
of pride (lxx. viol aXa^ovcov). The
same phrase is used in xii. 34 (Heb.
26) and nowhere else. The Targum
takes it here, in accordance with
the parallelism, of lions, and it must
refer to beasts of prey generally.
These with all their strength cannot
penetrate to the depths where man
is working.
9 — 11 are descriptive of the
operations of the miner. Verse 9
is general in its terms, introducing
the subject, and describing how man
puts forth his hand upon the flinty
rock. Verse 10 tells how he cuts
out his passages in the depth of
the mine, and exposes to view tho
coveted treasures, while verse 11
describes the measures taken to save
the mine from being flooded.
1 0. He cutteth out channels among
the rocks. The word rendered chan
nels is properly used in the singular
of the river Nile, and in the plural
of its arms or canals. Here, how-

152

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxviii. n-i4

11 He bindeth the streams Hhat they trickle not ;
And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light,
12 But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding ?
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof;
Neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 The deep saith, It is not in me :
And the sea saith, It is not with me.
1 Heb. from weeping.

ever, there can be no allusion to
these. The channels of which Job
is speaking are cut out of the solid
rock, and must refer to the passages
formed for working the mine. Pro
bably the word was a technical one
in this sense.
11. He bindeth the streams that
they trickle not, literally that they
weep not (see R.V. marg.). Here
again the term is probably a tech
nical one, and it is interesting to
find that in the present day 'our
colliers name the action of the water
that percolates through and into
their workings weeping ' (S. Cox).
12—19. Wisdom can nowhere
be discerned by man, nor* pur
chased with his precious stones.
The only thing that baffles man in
his search after it is wisdom. This
he can neither purchase nor discover
(12, 13). He will search for it in
the depths and in the sea in vain
(14). He may offer for it all the
treasures of Arabia and India, but its
price is far above them all (15 — 19).
12. But where shall wisdom be
found? On wisdom (Khochmah) see
the Introduction, p. ix. Here it is
specially a knowledge of the princi
ples in accordance with which God
rules and governs the world.
13. Man knoweth not the price
thereof For price thereof the lxx.

reads way thereof, 6bov avrfjs, which
only involves the change of a single
letter, and is adopted by some
moderns. But the Massoretic text
yields an excellent sense, and has
the support of the other ancient
Greek versions, Aquila, Symmachus,
Theodotion, as well as the Targ,
Syriac, and Vulgate.
the land of the living, a phrase
which occurs several times in the
religious poetry of the Hebrews,
and which always refers to life here
on earth as distinct from anything
beyond the grave, see Ps. xxvii. 13;
Hi. 5 ; cxvi. 9 ; cxiii. 5 ; and Is.
xxxviii. 11. So here, when Job
says that wisdom cannot be found
in the land of the living, the mean
ing is that it cannot be found any
where on the earth, and then he
proceeds in the next verse to show
that neither in the sea nor the
depths beneath the earth is it to be
discovered. 14. The deep saith, It is not in
me. The deep and the sea are not
exactly convertible terms, though
the former is sometimes used for
the waters of the sea, see xxxviii.
30, and xii. 32 (Heb. 24). Here it
is rather the great abyss lying under
the earth, 'out of which perhaps
the sea is fed ' (Davidson), cf. Gen.
i. 2; vii. 11 ; viii. 2.

xxviii. 15-19] THE BOOK OF JOB

153

15 It cannot be gotten for 'gold,
Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir,
With the precious "onyx, or the sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it :
Neither shall the exchange thereof be 'jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal :
Yea, the price of wisdom is above 'rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it,
Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

1 Or, treasure 2 Or, beryl 3 Or, vessels
4 Or, red coral Or, pearls

15. It cannot be gotten for gold.
The word for gold is peculiar, but
Ls probably connected with the ex
pression used for pure gold in
1 Kings vi. 20, 21 ; vii. 49, 50; x. 21 ;
2 Chr. iv. 20, 22 ; ix. 20.
Neither shall silver be weighed
for the price thereof. For the
practice of weighing rather than
counting the silver given as a price
see Gen. xxiii. 16 ; Zech. xi. 12.
16. the gold of Ophir, see the
note on xxii. 24.
17. glass. The word occurs
nowhere else, but the rendering
of the R.V. is probably correct.
So the Targum, lxx. vaXos, and
Vulg. vitrum, though there is some
ancient authority for the A.V.
crystal. Glass, however, was re
garded as a great rarity and as
most precious by the ancients.
fine gold, the word is the same
as that which occurs in Ps. xix. 10 ;
xxi. 3; cxix. 127; Cant. v. 11, 15;
Prov. vui. 19 ; Is. xiii. 12; Lam. iv. 2.
18. coral. The word occurs
again only in Ezek. xxvii. 16. It is
certainly the name of some precious
stone or treasure, but the ancient

versions give no help towards its
meaning as they take it from a root
meaning to be high, and translate
vaguely, LXX. periapa, Sym. v-fyrjka,
Vulg. excelsa. Coral of the English
versions is probably correct.
crystal. The word is only found
here. The lxx. translators did not
recognize it, and simply put the
Hebrew word into Greek letters
ya/3e£s. The R.V. is more probable
than the A.V. pearls, which ac
cording to Jewish tradition is the
meaning of the next term used,
where A.V. and R.V. both have
rubies. The Hebrew word occurs
several times in Proverbs iii. 15 ;
viii. 11; xx. 15; xxxi. 10, and once
besides in Lamentations iv. 7. Red
coral, an alternative suggested in
the margin of R.V, was proposed
by Michaelis as being favoured by
a possible etymology of the word.
Neither lxx. nor Vulg. gives any
help, as in both cases the translators
have confused the word or followed
a different reading (lxx. eVmVaTn,
Vulg. occultis).
19. The topaz of Ethiopia. So
lxx. and Vulgate.

154

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxviii. 20-24

20 Whence then cometh wisdom ?
And where is the place of understanding ?
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living,
And kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 destruction and Death say,
We have heard a rumour thereof with our ears.
23 God understandeth the way thereof,
And he knoweth the place thereof.
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth,
And seeth under the whole heaven ;
1 Heb. Abaddon.

pure gold. The word for gold is
the same as that used in verse 16
fof the gold of Ophir. It is a rare
and late word — possibly a loan
word in Hebrew, but there is no
doubt about its meaning, cf. xxxi.
24 ; Ps. xlv. 9 ; Prov. xxv. 12 etc.
20—28. Wisdom is not found
even in the world below. God
alone knoweth the way to it, as
the Creator of all things. The
only wisdom for man is to fear
Him. If then wisdom cannot be
thus acquired, if neither man nor
beast nor bird can descry it, where
is it to be found (20, 21) ? Neither
death nor destruction can help to
its discovery, since they know no
thing but a rumour of it (22). None
but God possesses any true know
ledge of it. He knows it and can
descry it, for His eye ranges over
all things (23, 24). He it is Who at
Creation weighed the winds and
measured out the waters (25) ; He
it is Who has ordered the laws
which govern the rain, and created
the thunder and the lightning (26).
And when He thus ordered creation,
Wisdom was present to Him, He
declared it, gave it existence, and
contemplated it in all its fulness

with Divine approval (27). But for
man the only wisdom that He has
appointed is ol a practical character,
viz. to fear Him, and to forsake
wrongdoing (28).
20. Repeated almost verbally
from verse 12.
22. Destruction, i.e. in Hebrew
Abaddon, which is here personified
together with Death. See the note
on xxvi. 6, and cf. the personi
fication of Death and Sheol in Rev.
vi. 8.
We have heard a rumour there
of with our ears. Death and De
struction only know it by report.
They have not seen it, and have no
personal knowledge of it. Cf. the
contrast between the hearing of the
ear and seeing with the eye in
xlii. 5.
24—26. The writer's thoughts
pass from the government to the
creation of the world, and it is not
easy to say exactly where the trans
ition is made. In verse 24 he is
clearly thinking of God's all-seeing
eye surveying His creation, and of
the present regulation of all things
by Him. But the opening words of
verse 27 ' Then did He see it' show
that he has gone back in thought to

xxviii. 25-28] THE BOOK OF JOB

155

25 'To make a weight for the wind ;
Yea, he meteth out the waters by measure.
26 When he made a decree for the rain,
And a way for the lightning of the thunder :
27 Then did he see it, and 2 declare it ;
He established it, yea, and searched it out.
28 And unto man he said,
Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom ;
And to depart from evil is understanding.

Or, When he maketh

2 Or, recount

the time of the Creation ; and it is
most natural to take verse 26 ' When
He made a decree etc' of the
original fixing of the laws which
govern the elements, though it is
doubtful whether the verbs in verse
25 should be translated as in the
present tense (A.V. and R.V.) or
(as by Davidson) in the past.
26. When he made a decree
for the rain. Cf. the allusion to
the former and the latter rain in
Jer. v. 24.
a way for the lightning of the
thunder, the whole phrase is re
peated in xxxviii. 25. The word for
lightning is not the common one,
and occurs elsewhere only in Zech.
x. 1.
27. Then, i.e. at the time when
God created the world, and ap
pointed the laws which regulate it,
Wisdom was visible to Him. He
could see it, and declare it, i.e.
either (1) count it, enumerate its
various parts and powers, or (2)
utter its name, and so call it into
being. He established it, i.e. He fashioned
and created it (for this use of the
word see Is. xl. 20). Cf. Prov. viii.
22 seq, where Wisdom is personified

and introduced as saying, 'The Lokd
possessed (or formed, R.V. marg.)
me in the beginning of His way.'
The whole passage should be com
pared with that before us, as illus
trating the thoughts to which Job
gives expression.
28. See Prov. i. 7, ' The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of know
ledge'; iii. 7, 'Fear the Lord and
depart from evil'; xvi. 6, 'By the
fear of the Lord men depart from
evil'; and cf. the description of Job
given in i. 1, 'one that feared God,
and eschewed (the same word in
the original as that used here for
depart from) evil.'
The reading in this verse is not
certain, as a large number of mss.
and some editions of the Hebrew
text have ' the Lord ' (i.e. Jehovah)
instead of ' the Lord ' (i.e. Adonay).
The latter word Adonay occurs
nowhere else in this book, whereas,
as we have already seen, Jehovah
occasionally escapes from the lips of
Job (see the note on i. 21), and if
the passage before us is a reminis
cence of the language of the book
of Proverbs cited above, its occur
rence would easily and naturally be
accounted for here.

156 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxix.
XXIX.— XXXI. Job's second monologue.
This second monologue, which gives the last words of Job in the
discussion, is entirely free from the perplexing difficulties which have met
us in the earlier one. Here and there the text and meaning of the words
may be most uncertain, but the general drift and purpose of the whole
section is perfectly clear. Job now returns from the general subject to the
consideration of his own case. His thoughts go back to the days of old,
and he begins with a beautiful description of his former prosperity when
God was with him and he was respected and honoured of all men. He
then describes in touching and pathetic terms the miseries of the present,
and after repudiating all offences against the moral law, which (on the
orthodox theory of retribution) would naturally account for such suffering,
he ends with an appeal to God to meet him and bring a definite accusation
against him. Thus in this monologue taken as a whole Job is simply
reasserting in calmer language and with greater elaborateness of detaU
(consistently with the less passionate tone adopted since xix.) the position
which he has all along maintained with regard*to the purely personal part
of the question. God formerly was his friend. Now He is his enemy :
he knows of no reason that can account for this change, but yet is sure
that, if he could only meet God face to face, hear what He has to say, and
plead his cause before Him, somehow or other all would be well.
Of the whole section, Cox truly says that ' from a purely literary point
of view the second monologue is even more beautiful than the first. It
has, indeed, no passage of such sustained grandeur, none so rich in
instruction or so profoundly suggestive, as the disquisition on Wisdom and
Understanding in Chapter xxviii. ; but for grace, and pathos, in charm of
picturesque narrative, and pensive, tender, yet self-controlled emotion
richly and variously expressed, it may be doubted whether Chapters xxix.
and xxxi. have ever been surpassed, while even their singular power is
enhanced by the contrasts supplied in Chapter xxx. He must be dull and
hard indeed who can read these Chapters without being touched to the
very heart.'
From what has been already said it will be seen that the monologue
falls into three main divisions, which may be thus summarized :
(1) 'A sorrow's crown of sorrows is remembering happier things'
xxix. (2) ' The lowness of the present state
that sets the past in this relief.' xxx.
(3) Solemn repudiation of all offences that might account for the
change in God's treatment, and final cry for God to meet him. xxxi.
XXIX. A sorrow's crown of sorrows is remembering happier
things. The chapter may be further subdivided as follows :
(a) Description of Job's state when God was with him in the days
of old. 1—10.

XXIX. 1-5]

THE BOOK OF JOB

157

(b) The reason for the respect and honour in which he was then
held. 11—17.

(c) Description of his former feelings. 18 — 20.
(d) Renewed description of the respect then paid to him.

21—25.

XXIX. 1 And Job again took up his parable, and said,
2 Oh that I were as in the months of old,
As in the days when God watched over me ;
3 When his lamp shined 'upon my head,
And by his light I walked through darkness ;
4 As I was in 2the ripeness of my days,
When the 'secret of God was upon my tent ;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me,
And my children were about me ;
1 Or, above 2 Heb. my days of autumn. 3 Or, counsel Ox, friendship

l—io. Description of Job's
state when God was with him in
the days of old. Job here gives
expression to a great longing for a
return of the old bright days when
God was with him, and His light
shone round about him (1 — 3), when
he enjoyed God's friendship, and
was blessed with the companionship
of his children (4, 5). All things
combined to minister to his pro
sperity (6), while, if he took his seat
' in the gate ' for judgment, all men,
great and small, young and' old,
united to show him respect and
esteem (7 — 10).
1. And Job again took up his
parable. See the note on xxvii. 1.
3. When his lamp shined upon
my head. God's lamp, like 'the
light of His countenance ' (Ps. lxxx.
3), is a natural figure for the gracious
loving-kindness of God.
4. As I was in the ripeness of
my days. Better than A.V. the
days of my youth (after the Vul
gate), for the phrase is literally (as

noted in R.V. marg.) my days of
autumn. There is no thought of
his days being in 'the sere and
yellow leaf,' but the expression re
fers to the time when he was in his
prime; or possibly, as Davidson
thinks, he may only mean to ' com
pare his former time of prosperity
to the season of the year, the
autumn, the time of fruit-gathering
and plenty and joy.' (This however
would rather require the rendering
days of my autumn, instead of my
days of autumn; but will the
Hebrew allow of this?)
When the secret of God was
upon my tent. The word for secret
has already occurred twice in this
book, viz. in xv. 8, 'Hast thou heard
the secret counsel of God?' and in
xix. 19, ' All my inward friends (lit.
' the men of my council') abhor me,'
and for God's secret cf. Amos iii. 7 ;
Ps. xxv. 14; Prov. iii. 32. The word
seems here to mean friendship
rather than counsel.

158

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXIX. 6-i i

6 When my steps were washed with butter,
And the rock poured me out rivers of oil !
7 When I went forth to the gate unto the city,
When I prepared my seat in the 'street,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves,
And the aged rose up and stood ;
9 The princes refrained talking,
And laid their hand on their mouth ;
10 The voice of the nobles was 2 hushed,
And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me ;
And when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me :

1 Or, broad place
6. When my steps were washed
with butter, and the rock poured
me out rivers of oil! The figures
here used are natural ones to express
plenty and prosperity. For butter
cf. xx. 17, where it is similarly used,
'He shall not look upon the rivers,
the flowing streams of honey and
butter.' Oil is frequently used to
represent plenty and fertiUty, e.g.
2 Kings xviii. 32. The steps being
washed with butter indicates the
overflowing abundance in the midst
of which he walked, while the hard
rock, pouring out rivers of oil sug
gests that the most surprising and
unexpected blessings were showered
upon him.
7. When I went forth to the
gate unto the city, when I prepared
my seat in the street. The gate
and the street or rather broad
place (R.V. marg.) denote the place
where justice was administered :
the broad, open square inside the
city gate. For the gate see the note
on v. 4, and for the broad place
within it used as a place of assembly
cf. 2 Chr. xxxii. 6 ; Nehem. viii. 1.
The words of the verse before us

' Heb. hid.
unto the city seem to imply that
Job's own dwelling was in the
country, and that he came in to the
city in the morning as a magistrate
to administer justice. Cf. a similar
allusion in xxxi. 21. [The lxx. trans
lators must have read "HIK* early,
Sptlpws, instead of "WB', to the gatei]
8. and hid themselves, i.e. with
drew out of respect and reverence.
9, 10. The princes. ..the nobles.
The use of these terms brings out
the character of the society in which
Job is supposed to have lived.
and laid their hand on their
mouth, cf. xxi. 5 ; xl. 4.
n—17. The reason for the
respect and honour in which Job
was formerly held. The reason
for this was the estimation in which
he was held by all men. All who
saw him, or even heard of him,
followed him with benedictions (11),
because he was the champion of
the distressed and helpless (12, 13).
His integrity was wrapped round
him like a garment, and his up
rightness was a crown of glory to
him (14). AU who were unable to
help themselves, whether previously

XXIX. 12-18]

THE BOOK OF JOB

159

12 Because I delivered the poor that cried,
The fatherless also, 'that had none to help him.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon
me :
And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it "clothed me :
My justice was as a robe and a 'diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind,
And feet was I to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy :
And 4the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
17 And I brake the 'jaws of the unrighteous,
And plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, I shall die 6in my nest,
And I shall multiply my days as 'the sand :
1 Or, and him that had etc.
3 Or, clothed itself with me 3 Or, turban * Or, the cause which I knew not
5 Heb. great teeth. " Or, beside Heb. with. 7 Or, the phomix

known to him or not, looked to him
for help, and found the succour they
needed, and were delivered from
their oppressors (15—17).
12. Cf. Ps. lxxii. 12, where the
language is very similar. On the
fatherless and the widow (ver. 13)
see the note on xxn. 9.
14. / put on righteousness, and
it clothed me, or more accurately,
it clothed itself with me (R.V.
marg.), as if he was the very in
carnation of righteousness. Cf. the
phrase used in Judg. vi. 34, 'the
spirit of the Lord clothed itself
with Gideon,' and see 1 Chr. xii. 18;
2 Chr. xxiv. 20.
a diadem : the word is that used
of the tiara or turban of the high
priest in Zech. iii. 5.
17. the jaws, or rather the great
teeth. The word is the same as
that which occurs in Ps. Iviii. 6,
'Break out the great teeth of the

young lions, 0 Lord.' Cf. also
Prov. xxx. 14 ; Joel i. 6.
18—20. Description of Job's
former feelings. Job here de
scribes how in these happy days he
had felt secure of the continuance
of his prosperity, and reckoned on
a long and prosperous life, crowned
by a peaceful death in his bed (18),
for his prosperity seemed firmly
rooted, and ministered to by gracious
influences of all kinds (19). He had
been proud that his honour was
untarnished, and that his vigour
was always fresh (20).
18. Then I said. The R.V. is
probably right in taking the whole
passage to the end of verse 20 as
what Job 'said,' and so translates
the verbs in verses 19 and 20 in the
present, and not (as A.V.) in the
past. And I shall multiply my days as
the sand. The comparison of the

160

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXIX. 19-21

19 My root is 'spread out 2to the waters,
And the dew lieth all-night upon my branch :
20 My glory is fresh in me,
And my bow is renewed in my hand.
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited,
And kept silence for my counsel.
' Heb. opened. 2 Or, by

multitude of his days to the count
less grains of sand is certainly an
unexpected one, but perhaps not
more surprising than the comparison
of Solomon's 'largeness of heart' to
' the sand that is on the sea shore,'
1 Kings iv. 29 (Heb. v. 9). There is,
however, something very attractive
in the alternative rendering sug
gested in the margin of the R.V,
as the phcenix, which of course
takes the words as containing an
allusion to the fabled bird of
antiquity referred to by Hesiod
(Fragm. 50) and Herodotus (11. 73).
In favour of this interpretation
we have (1) a widespread Jewish
tradition, the story being frequently
referred to in Rabbinical writers
and directly connected with this
passage (see Buxtorf, Lexicon
Ohald. and Rabb. s.v. l?-in), (2) the
rendering of the lxx. So-irep oreXexos
(poiviKos, which is perhaps a gloss,
or an alteration of the original
reading oWep epoivi^, (3) the ren
dering of the Vulgate, sicut palma,
'like a palm tree' (cf. Ps. xcii. 12),
' phoenix ' being the Greek name for
both the bird and the tree, (4) the
context, as this rendering makes the
parallelism very complete :
'I said, I shall die in my nest,
I shall multiply my days as the
phcenix.'
It may be added that a mytho
logical allusion of this kind would
be perfectly natural in the mouth

of Job. Cf. iii. 8 ; ix. 13 ; xxvi. 12,
13. But as the word ?in everywhere
else means sand, and is so translated
here by the Targum, Syriac, and
Arabic, the alternative suggested
above cannot be considered certain,
and though it deserves a place in
the margin it is perhaps well that
the Revisers did not admit it to a
place in the text. On the fable of
the phoenix see further Bp. Lightfoot
on Clem. Rom. I. xxv.
19. My root is spread out to the
waters. Cf. the similar illustration
in Ps. i. 3, of the righteous man,
'he shall be like a tree planted by
the streams of water' ; and Numb.
xxiv. 6, 'As cedar trees beside the
waters.' And the dew lieth all night upon
my branch. For the dew as an
emblem of refreshment and gracious
influence see Deut. xxxii. 2; Ps.
cxxxiii. 3; Prov. xix. 12 ; Hos. xiv. 6.
20. My glory is fresh in me.
Glory here seems to signify honour
or reputation. This, Job says, was
untarnished. My bow in the next
clause is (as frequently) a symbol of
strength. To 'break the bow' is
to destroy anyone's strength, see
Jer. xlix. 35 ; Hos. i. 5. So for the
bow to be renewed is for the strength
to remain vigorous and lusty.
21—25. Renewed description
of the respect formerly paid to
him. In those days, if a debate
arose, men waited and listened for

xxix. 22-25] THE BOOK OF JOB 161
22 After my words they spake not again ;
And my speech dropped upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain ;
And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 xIf I laughed on them, they 2believed it not ;
And the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief,
And dwelt as a king in the army,
As one that comforteth the mourners.
1 Or, I smiled on them when they had no confidence 2 Or, were not confident
his opinion, and the last word in Prov. xvi. 15, and Hosea vi. 3.
the discussion rested with him (21, 24. If I laughed on them, they
22). A word from him revived the believed it not, i.e. it seemed too
drooping spirits of others, and he good to be true that he should
could confidently smile when they smile on them. But it is better to
were perplexed or despairing (23, foUow the margin of the R.V. and
24). He was like a king among read / smiled on them when they
them all, or as one who coidd com- had no confidence. When they
fort the hearts of the mourners (25). were downcast and despondent he
22, 23. For the illustration here cheered them up by his brightness.
given cf. Deut. xxxii. 2, ' My And the light of my countenance
doctrine shall drop as the rain, my they cast not down, i.e. no hopeless-
speech shaU distU as the dew, as ness on their part could make him
the small rain upon the tender herb, depressed.
and as the showers upon the grass.' 25. i" chose out their way.
For the latter rain, i.e. the showers Either (1) I selected the course for
of spring in March and April, and its them to follow, or more probably
specially refreshing character, see (2) I gladly frequented their society.
XXX. Job now turns from the thought of his past happiness and
lets his mind dwell upon the wretchedness of the present, describing
in pathetic terms his condition of abject misery as a despised outcast,
and one who suffers from a loathsome disease inflicted by the hand of
God. The whole chapter shows very clearly how it is
' The haze of grief
Makes former gladness loom so great,
The lowness of the present state
That sets the past in this relief.'
The detailed analysis may be given as follows:
(1) Description of the outcasts who now mock him. 1 — 8.
(2) The indignities which he has to suffer at their hands. 9 — 15.
(3) His hapless plight and the description of his disease. 16 — 23.
(4) Despairing cry, suggested by the contrast between the brightness
of the past and his present abject misery. 24, — 31.
J. 11

162

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXX. 1-3

XXX. 1 But now they that are younger than I have-
me in derision,
Whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
2 Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit
me?
Men in whom 'ripe age is perished.
3 They are gaunt with want and famine ;
2They gnaw the dry ground, sin the gloom of wasteness
and desolation.
1 Or, vigour 2 Or, They flee into the wilderness, into etc.
3 Or, which yesternight was Or, on the eve of

l — 8. Description of the out
casts who now mock him. All
is changed now, for those whom he
had formerly despised now make a
mockery of him, feeble, half-starved
creatures who prowl round in the
desert, sustaining themselves on
such leaves and roots as they can
find there (1 — 4) ; men after whom
a hue and cry is raised if they
appear in civilized society (5), poor
creatures who are forced to live
in dens and caves (6), who creep
about in the bush, as outcasts driven
out from the land (7, 8). The whole
description should be compared
with that given in xxiv. 5 — 8 (where
see note). Both passages obviously
refer to the same race of aborigines,
driven out by some stronger con
quering power.
1 . But now they that are younger
than I have me in derision. For
merly when he came into the
assembly ' the young men saw ' him,
' and hid themselves,' see xxix. 8.
Whose fathers I disdained to set
with the dogs of my flock. Dogs
were used in the East, not for
driving the sheep, but simply for
protecting them from the attacks
of wolves and jackals by night.
Cf. Tristram, Nat. Hist, of the

Bible, p. 141, ' The shepherd's dog
of Syria is not the intelligent
companion and henchman of his
master; he is simply the guardian
of the flock at night from wild
beasts.' Job means to say that for
merly he had considered the race of
men who now mock him as unfit to
be regarded as the equals of even
such creatures as these.
2. Yea, the strength of their
hands &c. So feeble were they that
he could look for no profit from
their labour.
ripe age. The word occurs again
only in v. 26. The R.V. is better than
the A.V. old age; but the margin of
the R.V. is better still, vigour.
3. They are gaunt with want
and famine. The words used in
this clause are all rare ones. Gaunt
is, literally, hard or barren, and
probably here means wizened. It
is used again only in iii. 7, and
Is. xlix. 21. want occurs elsewhere
only in Prov. xxviii. 22 ; famine
only in v. 22.
They gnaw the dry ground. The
word for gnaw is only found again
in ver. 17 of this chapter. The
R.V. is probably correct (so the
Vulgate), but there is some authority
for the rendering of the A.V. (and

XXX. 4-7]

THE BOOK OF JOB

163

4 They pluck salt-wort by the bushes ;
And the roots of the broom are 'their meat.
5 They are driven forth from the midst of men ;
They cry after them as after a thief.
6 aIn the clefts of the valleys must they dwell,
In holes *6f the earth and of the rocks.
7 Among the bushes they bray ;
Under the 'nettles they *are gathered together.

1 Or, to warm them
8 Or, wild vetches
R.V. marg) fleeing into (so lxx. and
Targ.). Taking the R.V. as right
the reference wiU be to the attempt
of these poor creatures to secure
a scanty sustenance from the desert.
in the gloom. The meaning of
the Hebrew word is very doubtful :
elsewhere it means yesterday or
recently. See Gen. xix. 34 ; xxxi.
29, 42; 2 Kings ix. 26. If this
meaning be retained here the clause
must be translated, which formerly
was desolate and waste; so sub-
stantially R.V. marg. as well as A.V.
But the thought is hardly a natural
or appropriate one, and on the
Whole it is best to retain the
rendering of R.V. though possibly
the text may be corrupt.
4. They pluck salt-wort by the
bushes. The plant is mentioned
nowhere else, but is thought to be
not (as A.V.) mallows, but a species
of sea purslaine, which 'grows
abundantly on the shores of the
Mediterranean, in salt marshes, and
also on the shores of the Dead Sea
stiU more luxuriantly... It has small,
thick, sour-tasting leaves which
could be eaten, but it would be
very miserable food.' Tristram,
Nat. Hist, of the Bible, p. 466.
And the roots of the broom
(rather than juniper, A.V.). See

2 Or, In the most gloomy valleys
4 Or, stretch themselves
Tristram, op. cit. p. 360, where it is
noted that ' its roots are very bitter,
but its softer portions might doubt
less, like many other leguminous
plants, sustain life in extremity.'
It is possible, however,- that instead
of are their meat we should
translate the last word of the verse
to warm them, in which case the
allusion would be to the use of the
roots of the broom as fuel. 'It is
ruthlessly uprooted by the Arabs,
who collect it wherever it is tolerably
abundant for the manufacture of
charcoal.' Tristram, ut supr., and
cf. Ps. cxx. 4, ' coals of broom.'
6. In the clefts of the valleys
must they dwell. Cliffs in the
modern text of the A.V. is a
misprint for clifts and is first found
in 1762.
In holes of the earth and of the
rocks. The word for rocks occurs
only here and in Jer. iv. 29, of the
rocks as a place of refuge. For holes
as hiding-places see 1 Sam. xiv. 11,
and cf. xiii. 6.
7. nettles. The plant alluded to
(mentioned also in Prov. xxiv. 31 ;
Zeph. ii. 9) can hardly be our
stinging-nettle, because it was of
sufficient size for these outcasts to
shelter under it. According to
Tristram it is probably the prickly
11—2

164

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXX. 8-13

8 They are children of fools, yea, children of 'base men ;
They 2were scourged out of the land.
9 And now I am become their song,
Yea, I am a byword unto them.
10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me,
And spare not to spit 'in my face.
11 For he hath loosed "his cord, and afflicted me,
And they have cast off the bridle before me.
12 Upon my right hand rise the "rabble ;
They thrust aside my feet,
And they cast up against me their ways of destruction.
13 They 6mar my path,
They set forward my calamity,
Even men that have no helper.
1 Heb. men of no name. 2 Or, are outcasts from the land
3 Or, at the sight of me l According to another reading, my cord (or
bowstring). 6 Or, brood 6 Or, break up

acanthus, a very common and
troublesome weed in Palestine, often
reaching a height of six feet. See
Nat. Hist, of the Bible, p. 475.
they are gathered together, or
rather (as R.V. marg.) they stretch

9—15. The indignities which
he has to suffer at their hands.
And these are the men who now
make Job a laughing-stock and
pour contempt upoh him (9, 10).
God has turned against him, and so
these men cast off all restraint
(11), and, helpless outcasts though
they are, rise up against him and
attack him, adding insult to injury
in their treatment of him (12—14)
until his reputation and honour are
swept away altogether (15).
9. And now I am become their
song. Cf. Lam. iii. 14, 'I am be
come a derision to all my people;
and their song all the day,' and Ps.
lxix. 12.

10. And spare not to spit in my
face. Cf. xvii. 6, and Is. 1. 6.
11. For he hath loosed his cord.
If the reading is correct the refer
ence might be to the uncovering the
bowstring in order to shoot, as in
Hab. iii. 9, 'Thy bow was made quite
bare.' So apparently the lxx. dvoi-
ijcis yap fpapirpav avrov, which is
followed by the Vulgate. Or the
words might be better taken of the
cord or rein, wherewith God had
controlled Job's assailants : this is
now loosed, so they cast off the
bridle before him. But the mar
ginal reading of the Hebrew is ' my
cord,' in which case the word must
be taken of the string of Job's bow
(symbolic of strength) which is now
relaxed. Contrast what he said in
xxix. 20 of the days of his prospe
rity : ' my bow is renewed in my
hand.' 12. they cast up against me
their ways of destruction. The

XXX. 14-17]

THE BOOK OF JOB

165

14 'As through a wide breach they come :
In the midst of the ruin they roll themselves upon me.
15 Terrors are turned upon me,
2 They chase 'mine honour as the wind ;
And my welfare is passed away as a cloud.
16 And now my soul is poured out 4within me ;
Days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
17 In the night season my bones are 6pierced ein me,
And 7the pains that gnaw me take no rest.

1 Or, As a wide breaking in of waters
3 Or, my nobility 4 Heb. upon.
away from me e Heb. from off.

2 Or, Thou chasest
0 Or, corroded and drop
7 Or, my sinews take etc.

figure is seemingly taken from an
assault upon a city, the besieging
army casting up their mounts a-
gainst it. Cf. xix. 12.
14. The figure is still that of the
storming of a city. The breach is
made in the walls, and through it
the enemy pours in in the midst of
the ruin.
15. Terrors are turned upon
me. The word for 'terrors' is that
used by Bildad in xviii. 11, ' Ter
rors shall make him afraid on every
side.' 16—23. His hapless plight and
the description of his disease.
Added to this cruel treatment from
the very abjects, there is the misery
brought about by the disease from
which he suffers; days and nights
of acute, gnawing pains are his (16,
17) : God has seized him and cast
him down to the lowest depths (18,
19). The sufferer appeals to Him in
vain for help (20). He has become
a cruel persecutor to him (21) ; He
whirls him away in the storm of His
wrath, and is rapidly bringing him
to death, the ' meeting-place ' for all
living (22, 23).
16. And now. Each of the first

three sections in this chapter begins
with the same words. Cf. ver. 1 and
9. my soul is poured out within me
(lit. upon me), cf. Ps. xlii. 4, ' I pour
out my soul within (lit. upon) me.'
17. In the night season my bones
are pierced in me, or possibly, as
R.V. marg., are corroded and drop
away from me. The Hebrew is
difficult, but the general sense is
clear; the reference being to the
sufferings caused by the painful
disease from which he suffered, and
its effect upon his bones. Leprosy
has been called by an Arabian
historian the disease which devours
the limbs.
And the pains that gnaw me.
Literally my gnawers, the word
being the same that is used in ver.
3, 'They gnaw the ground.' The
Vulgate has qui me comedunt. But
the lxx. ra Se vfiipd p.ov, with several
Rabbinic authorities, takes the word
as referring to the sinews. So A.V.
and R.V. marg.
18. A verse which is the despair of
commentators. As it stands it seems
impossible to extract any intelligible
sense out of it: and none of the

166

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXX. 18-23

18 'By the great force of my disease is my garment dis
figured :
It bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.
19 He hath cast me into the mire,
And I am become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry unto thee, and thou dost not answer me :
I stand up, and thou lookest at me.
21 Thou art turned to be cruel to me :
With the might of thy hand thou persecutest me.
22 Thou liffcest me up to the wind, thou causest me to ride
upon it ;
And thou dissolvest me in the storm.
23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death,
And to 2the house appointed for all living.

1 Or, By his great force is etc.

2 Or, the house of meeting for etc.

emendations that have been sug
gested can be regarded as entirely
¦satisfactory. The best, perhaps, is
that of Siegfried, suggested by
the LXX, £VeXdj3ero pov rrjs erroKrjs,
'By His great force He hath laid
hold of my garment.' The under
lying image is that of pursuit by an
enemy; the pursuer seizes him by
the garment in which he is closely
enveloped, and throws him down.
But even then the next clause
remains a difficulty, and it is best to
admit that the text is corrupt and
the true meaning of the verse lost
beyond recovery.
19. He hath cast me into the
mire. For the figure cf. Ps. xl. 2 ;
lxix. 2.
/ am become like dust and ashes,
i.e. he is like the dunghill upon
which he is seated. Cf. ii. 8.
20. I stand up, and thou lookest
at me, i.e. God regards him with
indifference, looks at him, but does
nothing to help him. This must

be the meaning of the words if
the text is correct. But there is
some sUght authority for the inser
tion of the negative before the verb:
and thou regardest me not. So the
Vulg. and one Hebrew ms. Hence
A.V. 21. thou persecutest me. The
same word as that used in xvi. 9,
' He hath torn me in his wrath, and
persecuted me.'
22. thou dissolvest me in the
storm. This is probably correct,
the word rendered storm being
apparently the same as that found
in xxxvi. 29, ' the thunderings of his
pavilion ' ; and xxxix. 7, ' the shout
ings of the driver.'
23. the house appointed for all
living : better as R.V. marg. the
house of meeting for all living.
The word is the same as that in the
phrase so frequently used of the
tabernacle, the tent of meeting (sc.
of God with His people); Exod.
xxvii. 21, &c.

XXX. 24-28]

THE BOOK OF JOB

167

24 'Surely against a ruinous heap he will not put forth his
hand;
Though it be in his destruction, one may utter a cry
because of these things.
25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble ?
Was not my soul grieved for the needy ?
26 When I looked for good, then evil came ;
And when I waited for4ight, there came darkness.
27 My bowels boil, and rest not ;
Days of affliction are come upon me.
28 I go 2 mourning without the sun :
I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
1 Or, Howbeit doth not one stretch out the hand in his fall 1 or in his calamity
'therefore cry for help ? 2 Or, blackened, but not by the sun

24 — 31. Despairing cry, sug
gested by the contrast between
the brightness of the past and his
present abject misery. Since,
then, he is so utterly ruined, is it
not natural that he should stretch
out his hand and cry for help (24) ?
In former days he had brought
sympathy to cheer others, but now
when he looks for blessings for
himself there is nothing but misery
and unrest (25 — 27). He is dried up,
helpless, fit only to keep company
with the beasts of the desert (28,
29); his skin is shrivelled up and
his bones consumed by a raging fire
within (30). What wonder then
that all the music of his life has
become a mournful dirge (31)?
24. Surely against a ruinous
heap he'will not put forth his hand
&c. One of the most difficult verses
jn the poem. The ancient versions
are quite unintelligible, and it must
be admitted that it is very difficult
to extract any satisfactory sense
from the Hebrew text. Of the
various renderings proposed that in
the margin of the R.V. is perhaps

the most satisfactory : Howbeit
doth not one stretch out the hand in
his fall ? or in his calamity there
fore cry for help? But the proba
bility is that there is some deep-
seated corruption of the text and
that the true reading cannot now be
recovered. 27. My bowels boil, and rest not.
In this and the following verses Job
is describing the effects of the
loathsome disease from which he
suffered. The bowels are regarded
as the seat of the emotions and
feelings. Cf. Lam. i. 20, 'I am in
distress, my bowels are troubled.'
Cant. v. 4 (see R.V. marg.) ; Is. xvi.
11. The word for boil is found again
in xii. 31 (Heb. 23) : elsewhere only
in Ezek. xxiv. 5.
28. / go mourning without the
sun. For the first words cf. Ps.
xlii. 9. But the clause is best trans
lated here : / am blackened, but not
by the sun ; referring, of course, to
the effect of the disease.
/ stand upAn the assembly. The
assembly is the court in which he
conceives himself as pleading.

168

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxx. 29-xxxi. 1

29 I am a brother to jackals,
And a companion to ostriches.
30 My skin is black, andfalleth from me,
And my bones are burned with heat.
31 Therefore is my harp turned to mourning,
And my pipe into the voice of them that weep.

29. J am a brother to jackals.
The A.V. regularly translates the
word tannim, which is here used,
by dragons after the Vulgate, but
jackals is ' the only translation which
will harmonize all the passages,'
Tristram, Nat. Hist, of the Bible,
p. 110. See Is. xiii. 22 ; xxxiv. 13;
xliii. 20; Jer. ix. 11; x. 22; Mic. i
8, &c. The wailing cry of the jack
al is frequently alluded to, and it
is probably this as well as its asso
ciation with the desert that makes
Job claim kinship with it.

And a companion to ostriches.
of the A.V. foUows the Vul
gate ; but there is no doubt that
the ostrich is alluded to. It is
frequently mentioned together with
jackals, as inhabiting desolate and
lonely places, and its cry, says
Tristram, is 'like the hoarse lowing
of an ox in pain,' op. cit. p. 234.
30. The effect of the disease
upon his bodily frame. Cf. ver. 17.
31. my pipe. See the note on
xxi. 12.

XXXI. In this third part of the second monologue Job solemnly
repudiates all offences, the commission of which might conceivably account
for the change in God's treatment of him ; after which he ends with a
final expression of his longing to meet God. The detailed analysis may be
given as follows :
(1) Repudiation of all sins of sensuality. 1 — 12.
(2) Repudiation of abuse of his power. 13 — 23.
(3) Repudiation of covetousness, idolatry and dishonourable
thoughts. 24—34.
(4) Final cry, and longing to meet God. 35 — 40.
XXXI. 1 I made a covenant with mine eyes ;
How then should I look upon a maid ?

l — 12. Repudiation of all sins
of sensuality. He begins by de
scribing how he had 'made a cove
nant' with his eyes, bargaining with
them that they should not look upon
a woman to lust after her (1), in
fluenced by the love of God, whom
he had taken as his portion, and the

fear lest evil should overtake him,
as the eye of God was upon him
(2 — 4). If then he has acted de
ceitfully (and he only asks to be
fairly weighed), or if his eyes have
enticed him to sin, or his hands
have been polluted, then indeed may
aU his labours be in vain (6 — 8).

XXXI. 2-8]

THE BOOK OF JOB

169

2 'For what is the portion of God from above,
And the heritage of the Almighty from on high ?
3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous,
And disaster to the workers of iniquity.?
4 Doth not he see my ways,
And number all my steps ?
5 If I have walked with vanity,
And my foot hath hasted to deceit ;
6 (Let me be weighed in an even balance,
That God may know mine integrity ;)
7 If my step hath turned out of the way,
And mine heart walked after mine eyes,
And if any spot hath cleaved to mine hands :
8 Then let me sow, and let another eat ;
Yea, let 2the produce of my field be rooted out.
1 Or, For what portion should I have of God... and what heritage etc.! Is
there not calamity etc.?
2 Or, my offspring Heb. my produce.

Again, if he has sinned with the
wife of another, then may he pay
the penalty by the dishonour of his
own wife, for he would richly deserve
it (9—12). 1. How then should I look upon
a maid? An anticipation of our
Lord's words in S. Matt. v. 28.
2 — 4. These verses indicate the
considerations which restrained him
from sin : he is flinging himself back
into his former feelings and describ
ing them. He was restrained (a)
by the thought that the sin would
cut him SS from God. Render with
the margin of the R.V. For w/iat
portion should I have of God, and
what heritage of the Almighty ? (b)
by the fear of the punishment of
wrong-doing, Is there not calamity
to the unrighteous etc. ? (R.V. marg.) ;
and (c) by the thought that God's
all-seeing eye was on him (4).
5 — 7 contain the protestation,

repudiating any sin of hypocrisy or
the slightest deviation from the
right course; ver. 6 being paren
thetical; and then ver. 8 contains
the imprecation on himself, if he has
been guilty of any of the sins he has
repudiated. 8. Then let me sow, and let
another eat. Cf. the denunciations
in Lev. xxvi. 16; Deut. xxviii. 33.
the produce of my field. [Heb.
my produce.] It is doubtful whether
the word should be taken in this
sense or (as in A.V. and R.V. marg.)
my offspring (Vulg. progenies mea,
after Symmachus ret Hnyovd pov). In
both the other passages in which it
occurs in Job (v. 25 ; xxvii. 14) it is
used of offspring, as it is in Is.
xlviii. 19 ; lxi. 9 ; lxv. 23 ; but in Is.
xxxiv. 1 ; xlii. 5, it must be taken of
the produce of the earth, and this
seems to suit the paraUelism best
here.

170

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXXI. 9-15

9 If mine heart have been enticed unto a woman,
And I have laid wait at my neighbour's door :
10 Then let my wife grind unto another,
And let others bow down upon her.
11 For that were an heinous crime ;
Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges :
12 For it is a fire that consumeth unto 'Destruction,
And would root out all mine increase.
13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my
maidservant,
When they contended with me :
14 What then shall I do when God riseth up ?
And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him ?
15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him ?
And did not one fashion us in the womb ?
1 Heb. Abaddon. See ch. xxvi. 6.

9. A further protestation, fol
lowed, as before, by an imprecation
upon himself in ver. 10, grind unto
another, i.e. serve him as his slave —
the slave being also generally the
concubine of the master. For women
grinding cf. S. Matt. xxiv. 41.
11. For that — viz. to dishonour
his neighbour's wife — were an hei
nous crime. The last word is spe
cially used in the 'law of holiness' in
Leviticus, of unchastity and licen
tiousness. See Lev. xvin. 17; xix.
29; xx. 14.
12. For it — viz. the sin — is a fire
that consumeth unto Destruction.
The Hebrew word is Abaddon, on
which see the note on xxvi. 6. For
the complete ruin which this sin
entailed Davidson aptly refers to
Proverbs v. 8—14; vi. 24—35; vii.
26, 27.
13—23. Repudiation of abuse
of his power. Had he dealt un
fairly by his household servants, he

would be dumbfoundered in the
presence of God, for all are equally
subject to Him as His creation (13 —
15). Had he oppressed the poor,
or failed in kindness to the widow
and the fatherless (16, 17) — nay he
has watched over and protected
them (18) — had he turned the naked
from his door unclothed and un-
warmed (19, 20), had he meanly
raised his hand against those who
had no power of remonstrance (21),
then gladly would he suffer the
penalty of seeing his arm fall power
less by his side (22); for he was
restrained from such sins by the
thought of God's majesty and judg
ment (23).
14. when God riseth up, sc. to
judgment. 15. The thought is similar to
that expressed by S. Paul in Eph.
vi. 9, 'And, ye masters, do the
same things unto them, and forbear
threatening; knowing that both

xxxi. 16-24] THE BOOK OF JOB 171
16 If I have withheld 'the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail ;
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
18 (Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a
father,
And J have been her guide from my mother's womb ;)
19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering ;
20 If his loins have not blessed me,
And if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep ;
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
Because I saw my help in the gate :
22 Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade,
And mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 For calamity from God was a terror to me,
And by reason of his excellency I could do nothing.
24 If I have made gold my hope,
And have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence ;

1 Or, aught that the poor desired

their Master and yours is in heaven, oppression, just as in ver. 2 — 4 he
and there is no respect of persons stated those which kept him from
with Him.' indulging in sensual sins.
16, 17. Cf. xxii. 6, 7, 9, and xxix. calamity from God was a terror
11 — 17, where see notes. to me, i.e. he was restrained by the
18 is parenthetical like ver. 6. fear of God's judgment, calamity
20. the fleece of my sheep. Cf. as in ver. 3.
Prov. xxvii. 26, ' the lambs are for And by reason of his excellency ;
thy clothing.' or rather Majesty, as Davidson
'21. Because I saw my help in renders it.
the gate, i.e. because I saw that I 24 — 34. Repudiation of covet-
could obtain a favourable verdict in ousness, idolatry, and dishonour-
court, the gate as in v. 4 ; xxix. 7. able thoughts. If he had put his
22. The imprecation, suggested trust in his riches (24, 25), or had
by the 'Ufting up the hand' of the been led astray to worship the
previous verse. Chanelbone (in the heavenly bodies (26, 27), that would
margin of the A.V.) is an old term indeed have been a sin deserving of
for the collar-bone. The Hebrew punishment as a virtual denial of
word only occurs in this sense here. God (28). If he had exulted in the
23. The considerations which re- misfortunes of others (29) — as a
strained him from these sins of matter of fact he had been careful

172

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXXI. 25-31

25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because mine hand had gotten much ;
26 If I beheld 'the sun when it shined,
Or the moon walking in brightness ;
27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed,
And 2my mouth hath kissed my hand :
28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges :
For I should have 'lied to God that is above.
29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me,
Or lifted up myself when evil found him ;
30 (Yea, I suffered not my i mouth to sin
By asking his life with a curse ;)
31 If the men of my tent said not,
6 Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his
flesh?
' Heb. the light. 2 Heb. my hand hath kissed my mouth.
" Or, denied God 1 4 Heb. palate.
6 Or, Oh that we had of his flesh I we cannot be satisfied.

never to invoke evil upon his enemy
(30) — if his companions could not
bear testimony to his generosity
and ready hospitality (31, 32), if he
had tried to conceal his guilt (as
Adam tried to conceal his in the
garden) from fear of men, and if in
dread of their contempt he had
hidden himself (33, 34).
24. fine gold. See on xxviii.
16. 26. If I beheld the sun when it
shined &c. : the allusion is to the
worship of the heavenly bodies, a
sin to which Israel was much drawn
during the later years of the king
dom. See the references to it in
2 Kings xvii. 16 ; xxi. 3, 5 ; xxiii. 4,
5, 12 ; Zeph. i. 5 ; Jer. vii. 18 ; viii.
2; xix. 13; xliv. 17; Ezek. viii. 16, as
well as the warning against it in
Deut. iv. 19 ; xvii. 3.
27. And my mouth hath kissed
my hand. For the kiss as symbo
lizing worship, and offered to idols

see 1 Kings xix. 18 ; Hos. xiii. 2 ;
and cf. Pliny, Hist. Nat. xxviii. 2,
' Inter adorandum dexteram ad os-
culum referimus et totum corpus
circumagimus.' 28. This also were an iniquity
to be punished by the judges. Sub
stantially repeated from verse 11.
For I should have lied to God.
Better perhaps with R.V. marg.
denied God.
30 is parenthetical, like verses 6
and 18.
31. If the men of my tent said
not &c. The A.V. (with which the
margin of the R.V. agrees) is quite
defensible as a translation of the
Hebrew, but it does not suit well
with the context ; and it is far more
natural to render as is done in R.V,
Who can find one that hath not
been satisfied with his flesh? though
the rendering has no support from
antiquity; and meat might have
seemed more natural than flesh in

XXXI. 32-35]

THE BOOK OF JOB

173

32 The stranger did not lodge in the street ;
But I opened my doors to 'the traveller ;
33 If 2like Adam I covered my transgressions,
By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom ;
34 Because I feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door-
35 Oh that I had one to hear me 1

1 Heb. the way.
this connexion. Flesh may, how
ever, perhaps be accounted for as
pointing to the sumptuous" char
acter of the entertainment be pro
vided : flesh-meat being in most
cases reserved for great occasions.
32. The stranger did not lodge
in the street. This verse may be
iUustrated from, and possibly con
tains a reminiscence of the story of
Lot and the two angels in Gen. xix. ;
and cf. Judg. xix. 19, 20.
33. If like Adam I covered my
transgressions. Cf. Hos. vi. 7,
'But they, like Adam, have trans
gressed the covenant.' In both
these passages it is hard to decide
which is the right translation, like
Adam, or after the manner of men,
R.V. marg. The historical allusion
would be quite in place here, and
in harmony with verse 32, and other
such possible allusions in the book ;
and on the whole it seems preferable
to the marginal rendering, for to
say baldly that it is 'after the
manner of men ' to 'hide iniquity in
their bosom,' and to 'cover their
transgression' is rather sweeping.
Why should Job attribute hypocrisy
to the race, rather than the other
sins of which he had been speaking ?
Whereas to cover his transgression
was exactly what Adam attempted
to do. (The versions give very

Or, after the manner of men
little help. The lxx. misses the
meaning altogether, or may have
had a different reading. The Vul
gate, however, has sicut homo.)
34. Because I feared the great
multitude, influenced, as we should
say, by public opinion, and the
dread of being despised and looked
down on.
So that I kept silence, and went
not out of the door — the idea is that
had he been conscious of sins, he
would have shut himself up for fear
of exposure. How contrary this
was to his real course of conduct is
shown by xxix. 7 seq. and 25.
35—40. Final cry, and longing
to meet God. Here Job suddenly
breaks off, omitting the imprecation
which would naturally have followed
as in verses 10 and 22 ; and gives
expression to his longing for God to
hear him — he is ready, he says, to
sign his name to his protestations
of innocence and would give much
to have the indictment which his
adversary has drawn against him
(35). If only he had this, he would,
not indeed confess to the sins with
which it charged him, but would
rather boldly pin it upon his breast
like some decoration of honour, and
would advance in royal fashion to
meet the charge (36, 37). Finally,
if his broad acres can tell of op-

174

THE BOOK OF JOB

[xxxi. 35-38

(Lo, here is my 'signature, let the Almighty answer me ;)
And that I had the ^indictment which mine adversary
hath written !
36 Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder ;
I would bind it unto me as a crown.
37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps ;
As a prince would I 'go near unto him.
38 If my land cry out against me,
And the furrows thereof weep togetner ;

1 Heb. mark. 2 Heb. book. ' Or, present it to him
from legal procedure. The ' Adver
sary' being the opponent in a suit
or controversy (cf. for the phraseo
logy Judg. xii. 2; Is. xii. 11; Jer.
xv. 10). The indictment is literaUy
book (hence A.V.), i.e. the written
accusation. 36. If only he had this indict
ment he would not regard it as
something to be ashamed of, but
would treat it as some precious
treasure, to be laid upon the shoul
der, or bound like a crown round
his brow. For the binding of orna
ments on the person cf. Is. xUx. 18.
37. / would declare unto him
the number of my steps, i.e. there
is nothing in his past life or actions
which he has to conceal.
As a prince would I go near
unto him, i.e. confidently and
proudly, not like one with the
consciousness of guilt.
38 — 40. Job here takes up the
series of imprecations once more.
Many commentators have concluded
that these verses are out of place,
and would insert them earlier in the
chapter, before the expression of the
longing to meet God, placing them
between verses 23 and 24. But this
change seems unnecessary, and, as
Davidson says, ' if the verses belong
to the passage at all, which there is

pression, or injustice on his part,
then he wishes nothing better than
that they should drop out of culti
vation altogether (38 — 40).
35. Oh that I had one to hear
me! The one is, as appears from
what follows, God Himself.
Lo, here is my signature, let the
Almighty answer me. The word
for signature, is tav, the name of
the letter t, the ancient form of
which was a cross. Hence some
have thought of Job as making his
' mark ' instead of signing his name
at the foot, of his protestations of
innocence. This however is pre
carious : it probably merely means
his sign or signature. The only
other occurrence of the word is in
Ezek. ix. 4, where it is used of the
'mark upon the foreheads of the
men that sigh and cry' for the
abominations in Jerusalem. The
rendering of the A.V. My desire is
that the Almighty would answer
me, comes from the Targum, but
confuses mark (IP) tav) with the
similar word for 'desire' (HINFJ).
And that I had the indictment
which mine adversary hath writ
ten ! (This rendering and not that
of the A.V. is'correct.) The adver
sary is, of course, God. The ex
pressions in this clause are taken

xxxi. 39, 4o] THE BOOK OF JOB 175
39 If I have eaten the bruits thereof without money,
Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their fife :
40 Let s thistles grow instead of wheat,
And 'cockle instead of barley.
The words of Job are ended.
1 Heb. strength. 3 Or, thorns 8 Or, noisome weeds
no reason to doubt, they seem to 40. Let thistles grow instead of
stand in the only place suitable for wheat. Rather thorns or brambles
them.' than thistles. Cf. Hos. ix. 6; Is.
38. If my land cry out against xxxiv. 13. cockle, mentioned here
me &c. The language is very for- only. From the derivation the word
cible and expressive — the land itself must mean some offensively smelling
being regarded as wronged, and plant, but what is not certain. See
hence crying out, and even weeping, Tristram, Natural History of the
the wrong supposed being, as is Bible, p. 439.
shown by verse 39, the robbery of The words of Job are ended.
the land, or the forcible seizing of Probably an editorial note, similar
it from the rightful owners, who are to that found at the close of the
in some way or other done to death, second book of the Psalms (Ps.
made to lose their life. Cf. the lxxii.), 'The prayers of David the
story of Naboth's vineyard ini Kings son of Jesse are ended.'
xxi.

PART III. THE SPEECHES OF ELIHU.
CHAPTERS XXXII.— XXXVII.
We have now come to the close of the debate between Job and his
friends, and with the termination of this it must be admitted that the
interest of the book begins to wane. We crossed the watershed (so to
speak) in the second circle of speeches. Since then we have seen how the
friends were gradually silenced and Job left master of the field, having
demolished their position, but having started no theory of his own to
account for suffering. Negatively he has broken down an inadequate
theory ; but positively aU that he has accomplished is to advance certain
considerations (the doctrine of a future life and of God as his vindicator)
which enable him to acquiesce, though as his parting words show, not
without difficulty, in his present ignorance. The close of the last chapter
manifests how keenly he felt the unsatisfactoriness of his present position,
even though the soreness of feeling has largely passed away. He stiU longs
for light : " Give Ught and let me die " (iv 8e cpaei Kal oAeo-o-ov) might almost
be taken as the expression of his feeUngs. And now quite suddenly a new
character appears on the scene, who has never been previously introduced
or even mentioned earlier in the book ; and, as was shown in the Introduc
tion, it is more than doubtful whether this section of the work, which

176 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxn. i, «
contains his speeches (xxxii. — xxxvii.), comes from the same hand as the
rest of the poem. For the arguments on either side see the Introd. p. xxv.
It was there shown that probable motives for the introduction of these
chapters might be found in the desire to rebuke the lack of reverence
towards God which Job had frequently manifested, and also to give fuller
expression to a view of the purpose of suffering which is almost overlooked
in the original poem, viz. that it is, to use Butler's expression, ' designed for
moral discipline and improvement.' Of this there is no trace in the Prologue,
which very forcibly indicates how suffering tests a man, i.e. is designed for
his probation but gives no hint of its effect on character, or of the im
provement which it is intended to work. Faint indications of this thought
may be detected here and there in the debate between Job and his friends
(see especiaUy v. 8, 17), but it is nowhere put prominently forward, nor does
it appear that the author attached any special importance to it. Hence it
is not improbable that when its great value as an element in the solution of
the problem of suffering had been fully realized, some later poet introduced
this section with the design of giving it its true position and emphasizing
its importance. If this is so he deserves a tribute of admiration for the
skill with which he has effected the addition to the poem without destroying
the unity of the book. He has linked on the speeches to the earlier part
by frequent quotations from Job's speeches, and has thus made it appear
that Elihu has been a silent listener to the whole argument, and he has
connected it naturally with what follows by making the last speech of
EUhu appear to be influenced by the gathering storm, out of which the
Lord answers Job immediately afterwards.
Altogether Elihu's utterances are made to consist of four distinct
speeches contained respectively in (1) xxxii. and xxxiii, (2) xxxiv, (3) xxxv,
and (4) xxxvi. and xxxvii. In the first and fourth of these he gives his
theory of the purpose of suffering, while in the second and third his main
thought is that God's greatness should have prevented Job from charging
Him with arbitrariness, and he thus rebukes the temper and spirit of the
sufferer, which has evidently deeply shocked him.
XXXII. 1 So these three men ceased to answer Job,
2 because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was
kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite,
of the family of Ram : against Job was his wrath kindled,
XXXII. 1—5. The friends are 1 Chr. xxvii. 18; of a Manassite,
silenced, and the new speaker, Elihu 1 Chr. xii. 20; and of a Korahite,
the son of Barachel the Buzite, of 1 Chr. xxvi. 7. Barachel (God doth
the family of Ram, is introduced. bless) occurs nowhere else. Buzite,
2. Elihu (meaning He is my God) i.e. descended from Buz the second
occurs elsewhere as the name of son of Nahor, Abraham's brother,
Samuel's great-grandfather, 1 Sam. Gen. xxii 21 ; cf. Jer. xxv. 23 ; the
i. 1; of one of David's brethren, family of Ram is mentioned no-

xxxii. 3-6] THE BOOK OF JOB 177
3 because he justified himself rather than God. Also against
his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had
4 found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now
Elihu had 'waited to speak unto Job, because they were
5 elder than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no
answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was
kindled.
6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and
said,
I am young, and ye are very old ;
Wherefore I held back, and durst not shew you mine
opinion. 1 Heb. waited for Job with words.
where else unless Ram be taken as struction seems to suggest this
a shortened form of A ram (= Syria), rendering. See Davidson's Hebrew
so Symmachus, Svptas. Syntax, § 48 a.
against Job was his wrath kin- The clause is noteworthy as being
died, because he justified himself according to tradition one of the
rather than God, i.e. in maintaining tikkune Sopherim, or corrections
his own righteousness he had im- of the scribes (see above, p. 38).
pugned God's justice, charging Him The original reading is supposed to
directly with cruelty and unfairness, have been condemned God, which
3. because they had found no was altered by the scribes out of
answer, and yet had condemned reverence. It is probable, however,
Job. Rather, because they did not that the tradition is erroneous and
find an answer and condemn (i.e. that the Massoretic text is correct.
so as to condemn) Job. The con-
XXXII. 6— XXXIII. 33. The First Speech of Elihu.
This first speech is very largely taken up by the speaker's apology for
intervening ; but after a lengthy and rather pompous introduction he at
last comes to the point, and after summarizing Job's charges and complaints
against God, maintains that Job is wrong in asserting that God will not
answer him, for as a matter of fact, he says, God really does answer men,
and that in various ways. The speech, then, may be analysed as follows :
(1) The speaker's apology for interfering: addressed to Job's
friends, xxxii 6 — 22.
(2) Introductory remarks addressed to Job. xxxiii. 1 — 7.
(3) Summary of Job's charges against God and complaints that
God will not answer. 8 — 13.
(4) God does answer man, and that in various ways. 14 — 28.
(5) Conclusion, bringing home to Job the object of God's dealings
with men. 29 — 33.
j. • 12

178

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXXII. 7-1 i

7 I said, Days should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.
8 But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty giveth them under
standing.
9 It is not the great that are wise,
Nor the aged that understand judgement.
10 Therefore I 'said, Hearken to me ;
I also will shew mine opinion.
11 Behold, I waited for your words,
I listened for your reasons,
Whilst ye searched out what to say.
1 Or, say

XXXII. 6—22. The speaker's
apology for interfering : addressed
to Job's friends. Elihu begins by
explaining why he has not inter
vened earlier in the debate : he was
restrained by the natural modesty
of youth in the presence of older
and wiser persons (6, 7). But, after
all, wisdom is not the exclusive
property of the aged, but is a Divine
gift, and therefore he will venture
to give his opinion (8—10). He has
been waiting and listening while
they framed their arguments, and
has noted how they were utterly
unable to convince Job or to answer
him (11, 12). It is no excuse to say
that he was a greater master of
wisdom than they had expected to
find him, and that none but God
could convince him (13). His de
fence has not touched the position
which Elihu himself would take up,
for he certainly would not use the
friends' arguments (14). He sees
how completely they are silenced,
and fails to see why he should be
required to wait any longer before
speaking ; and therefore he will now
have his say (15 — 17), for he is full
of matter, and burning with the

eager desire to speak and unburthen
himself of his thoughts (18 — 20).
He will, then, give his opinion with
out flattery or respect of persons,
but simply as a plain blunt man,
governed by the fear of God (21,
22). 8. But there is a spirit in man,
etc., cf. xxxiii. 4, 'The spirit of
God hath made me, and the breath
of the Almighty giveth me life';
and see the account of the creation
of man in Gen. ii. 7, 'The Lord
God... breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life.' This, says EUhu, is
the true source of wisdom. The
translation of the A.V. the inspira
tion of the Almighty comes from the
Vulgate (inspiratio Omnipotentis),
and is interesting as being the sole
use of the word inspiration in the
Old Testament.
10. Therefore I said, Hearken
to me. The verb in the Hebrew is
in the singular, which would suggest
that the exhortation is addressed to
Job. But the lxx, Syriac, and
Vulgate all have the plural, which is
probably correct, as the whole of
this section appears to be spoken to
the friends.

xxxii. 12-22] THE BOOK OF JOB 179
«
12 Yea, I attended unto you,
And, behold, there was none that convinced Job,
Or that answered his words, among you.
13 'Beware lest ye say, We have found wisdom ;
God may vanquish him, not man :
14 For he hath not directed his words against me ;
Neither will I answer him with your speeches.
15 They are amazed, they answer no more :
They have not a word to say.
16 And shall I wait, because they speak not,
Because they stand still, and answer no more ?
17 I also will answer my part,
I also will shew mine opinion.
18 For I am full of words ;
The spirit 2within me constraineth me.
19 Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent ;
Like new 'bottles 4it is ready to burst.
20 I will speak, that I may 6be refreshed ;
I will open my lips and answer.
21 Let me not, I pray you, respect any man's person ;
Neither will I give flattering titles unto any man.
22 For I know not to give flattering titles ;
Else would my Maker soon take me away.
1 Or, Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom ; God thrusteth him down,
not man: now he &c. 2 Heb. of my belly. 3 Or, wineskins
4 Or, which are ready 6 Or, find relief
13, 14. Beware lest ye say &c. 20. that I may be refreshed, or
Taking the R.V. as correct, these rather (as R.V. marg.) find relief.
verses may be regarded as a warning Cf. 1 Sam. xvi. 23, where the same
to the friends not to make the excuse phrase is employed of the relief
that they have met with deeper which Saul obtained from David's
'wisdom' than they expected in playing, when he was troubled by
Job, and that it was beyond the an evil spirit from God. For the
power of man to convict him, a task thought of this verse see Words-
which must therefore be left to God. worth's Ode on Intimations of
15, 16. Elihu continues half to Immortality:
himself, and half to the bystanders ' A timely utterance gave that thought
(cf. xxxiv. 10), commenting on the relief,
attitude of the friends, and the And I again am strong.'
manner in which they are silenced. 21, 22. A disclaimer of any in-
19. new bottles, or ratter wine- tention to flatter or to 'respect
skins. Cf. S. Matt. ix. 17. persons.' That is not his line, for he
12—2

180

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXXIII. i-8

XXXIII. 1 Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech,
And hearken to all my words.
2 Behold now, I have opened my mouth,
My tongue hath spoken in my 'mouth.
3 My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart :
And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.
4 The spirit of God hath made me,
And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.
5 If thou canst, answer thou me ;
Set thy words in order before me, stand forth.
6 Behold, 2I am toward God even as thou art :
I also am formed out of the clay.
7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,
Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.
8 Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing,
And I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

Heb. palate.

Or, I am according to thy wish in God's stead

knows that if he were guilty of re
garding the persons of men, God's
judgment would soon and deservedly
fall upon him.
XXXIII. 1—7. Introductory
remarks addressed to Job. Elihu
now turns to Job, and addressing
him by name asks his attention (1),
while he proceeds to speak out his
thoughts candidly and sincerely (2,
3), as God who created him enables
him (4) ; and then let Job answer
him if he can (5), for both alike are
God's creation, and thus equals, and
it is not for him, a mere man, to
overwhelm his opponent with terror,
as God might do (6, 7).
4. Cf. xxxii. 8, where see note.
6, 7. Behold, I am toward God
even as thou art, i.e, I stand in
the same relation towards Him as
thou dost ; explained by the parallel
clause, I also am formed out of the
clay. And since Elihu is thus a
mere man like Job himself, they can
meet on equal terms, and there is no

fear of his overwhelming him with
his terror, as Job had always felt
that God would do. The rendering
of the A.V. (with which the R.V.
marg. agrees) suggests that Elihu
regards himself as God's representa
tive, who has appeared in accord
ance with the wish so often expressed
by Job for a Divine Manifestation.
But the R.V. is to be preferred.
7 is drawn (with the necessary
changes) direct from xiii. 21, where
Job says to God, Let not thy terror
make me afraid; and cf. ix. 34, where
almost identical words occur. The
allusion to these passages is very
clear. Neither shall my pressure be
heavy upon thee. This rendering
is probably correct, the word for
pressure (which occurs nowhere else)
being formed from a verb found in
Prov. xvi. 26. But the A.V. my
hand has the support of the lxx.;
and some probability is given to this
(which involves a slight change of

xxxiii. 9-14] THE BOOK OF JOB

181

9 I am clean, without transgression ;
I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me :
10 Behold, he findeth 'occasions against me,
He counteth me for his enemy ;
11 He putteth my feet in the stocks,
He marketh all my paths.
12 2 Behold, I will answer thee, in this thou art not just ;
For God is greater than man.
13 'Why dost thou strive against him ?
For he giveth not account of any of his matters.
14 For God speaketh *once,
Yea twice, though man regardeth it not.
1 Or, causes of alienation
2 Or, Behold, in this thou art not just ; I will answer thee : for etc,
3 Or, Why dost thou strive against him, for that he... matters?
4 Or, in one way, yea, in two
text) by a comparison of xiii. 21,
Withdraw thy hand from me, as
this verse is certainly alluded to in
the previous clause.
8-13. Summary of Job's charges
against God and complaints that
God will not answer. He has
heard Job's words, and has noted
his professions of innocence (8, 9),
together with his complaints that
God is treating him crueUy and
punishing him undeservedly (10, 11) ;
and he feels impelled to reprove him
for his unjustifiable and unreason
able murmuring, because God, who
is so great, gives no explanation of
His treatment of men (12, 13).
9. / am clean etc. Elihu here
refers to such utterances of Job as
those in ix. 21 ; xii. 4 ; xvi. 17, in
all of which passages he has main
tained his innocence.
10. Behold, he findeth occasions
against me. The word rendered
occasions occurs nowhere else except
in Numb. xiv. 34, where it is ren
dered alienation. So 'here the
margin of the R.V. causes of

Cf. for the thought
xiii. 24; xix. 11.
He counteth me for his enemy :
the words are quoted verbally from
xiii. 24.
11. He putteth my feet in the
stocks etc. The whole of this verse
is cited from xiii. 27.
12, 13. Job, says Elihu, is not
right in making these charges a-
gainst God, Who is too great to be
thus called to account, and cannot
be expected to vindicate His ways
to man. In ver. 13 it is best to
follow the margin of the R.V. and
translate : ' Why dost thou strive
against him, for that he giveth not
account of any of his matters?'
The last clause is intended to give
the ground of Job's complaint, rather
than (as A.V. and R.V.) Elihu's
explanation of its unreasonableness.
14 — 28. God does answer man,
and that in various ways. Job
had complained that God would not
answer : but, says Elihu, as a matter
of fact God does answer, and that in
various ways often disregarded by

182

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxiii. 15-19

15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falleth upon men,
In slumberings upon the bed ;
16 Then he 'openeth the ears of men,
And sealeth their instruction,
17 2That he may withdraw man from his purpose,
And hide pride from man ;
18 'He keepeth back his soul from the pit,
And his life from perishing by the 4sword.
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,
6 And with continual strife in his bones :
1 Heb. uncovereth.
2 Or, That man may put away his purpose, and that he may hide
3 Or, That he may keep back 4 Or, weapons
6 Another reading is, While all his bones are firm.

men (14); e.g. He speaks to man
in dreams and visions, through
which He communicates His will to
him and confirms it, in order to wean
him from his sin and save him from
perishing (15 — 18). He disciplines
him also by means of pain and
suffering, through which man is
brought low and comes very near to
death (19 — 22). By means also of
His holy angels He interprets to
man the meaning of this chastise
ment and shows him what is right,
and then pardons him and redeems
him from the power of the grave
(23, 24), so that the sufferer is re
stored to health and vigour (25) ; his
prayer is heard ; once more he sees
God'sface withjoy(26) ; andconfesses
before men how he had sinned and
gone wrong in the past, but has now
been redeemed and saved from death
by the gracious mercy of God (27, 28).
14. For God speaketh once, yea
twice. Cf. ver. 29, twice, yea thrice.
These are simply examples of the
' ascending enumeration,' adopted
for the sake of emphasis. See the
note on v. 19.

15. In a dream, as He spoke to
Abimelech, and saved him from sin
when he had taken Sarah, Gen. xx.
3, and cf. the account which Eliphaz
gives of his vision in iv. 12 seq.
16. Then he openeth (Heb. un
covereth) the ears of men. To
' uncover the ear of anyone ' is in
Hebrew a regular expression for
revealing something to him. See
1 Sam. ix. 15 ; xx. 2, 12 ; xxii. 8, 17 ;
2 Sam. vn. 27, &c. and cf. Ps. xl. 6.
And sealeth their instruction, ie.
stamps it upon their minds.
17, 18. The beneficent purposes
of this revelation. It is made in
order to withdraw man from any
evil purpose that he may have, and
to hide pride from him; lit. to
'cover' it, ie. to conceal it, and so
to withdraw him from it. In verse
18 follow the margin of the R.V. and
render : that he may keep back etc.
The sword is literally javelin, as in
xxxvi. 12. In both passages it merely
stands for God's judgment.
19. Here Elihu's theory of suffer
ing comes out very clearly: it is
intended by God to be a merciful

xxxiii. 20-24] THE BOOK OF JOB

183

20 So that his Life abhorreth bread,
And his soul dainty meat.
21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen ;
And his bones that were not seen stick out.
22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit,
And his life to the destroyers.
23 If there be with him 'an angel,
An interpreter, one 2among a thousand,
To shew unto man 'what is right for him ;
24 4Then he is gracious unto him, and saith,
Deliver him from going down to the pit,
I have found a ransom.
1 Or, a messenger 2 Or, of the thousand s Or, his uprightness
4 Or, And he be gracious... and say ...ransom: his flesh etc.

chastisement, designed for man's
' moral discipline and improvement.'
And with continual strife in his
bones (literally, and the strife of
his bones is constant). The text of
this clause is somewhat uncertain.
The R.V. follows the reading found
in the Hebrew text. But the margin
of the Hebrew has another reading,
found also in the Targ, Syriac,
Theodotion and the Vulgate, which
gives the meaning adopted in R.V.
marg. While all his bones (literally,
the multitude of his bones) are firm,
ie. while he is stiU young and lusty,
cf. xx. 11.
The description of the sickness in
this and the following verses seems
to be suggested by the disease from
which Job was suffering. 'No one
can well doubt whence all these
detaUs were drawn who remembers
how Job had sighed, "I waste away ! "
"My limbs are a shadow!" "My
leanness beareth witness against
me ! " " My bones burn with heat ! "
" I loathe my life I " " My breath is
spent ! My days are extinct ! For
me the tomb."' (S. Cox.)

22. the destroyers, i.e. the ' angels
of evU,' Ps. lxxviii. 49 ; cf. 2 Sam.
xxiv. 16; 1 Chr. xxi. 15, 'the de
stroying angel,' and 1 Cor. x. 10.
23. If there be with him an
angel, an interpreter, one among a
thousand. The thought is that God
sends one of the thousands of angels
who are His ministers (cf. Ps. ciii. 20,
21) to interpret the meaning of the
sickness, to show to the sufferer
why it is sent, and what is right for
him, i.e. what his duty is. It is,
perhaps, not surprising that com
mentators have found in this passage
a presage of the mediation of Christ,
and have taken the angel as 'the
angel of the Covenant,' who is
'superior to the thousands.' But
such a method of interpretation is
forced and unnatural, and there can
be little doubt that the explanation
given above is the correct one.
24. Then he is gracious unto
him, ie. God is gracious to the
sufferer, and gives the word to de
liver him from death, from the
power of which he is 'redeemed.'
The word for ransom occurs again

184

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxiii. 25-30

25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child's ;
He returneth to the days of his youth :
26 He prayeth unto God, and he is favourable unto him ;
So that he seeth his face with joy :
And he restoreth unto man his righteousness.
27 'He singeth before men, and saith,
I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,
And 2it profited me not :
28 He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit,
And my life shall behold the light.
29 Lo, all these things doth God work,
Twice, yea thrice, with a man,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of 'the living.
1 Or, He looketh upon men
2 Or, it was not requited unto me Or, it was not meet for me 3 Or, life

in xxxvi. 18, where it appears to
refer to Job's sufferings. Probably
something of the same kind is in
tended here. The sinner's suffering
is accepted as sufficient. Cf. Is. xl.
2. It is possible, however, to refer
it to the man's penitence, or, as
Davidson says, ' the words may mean
nothing more than that God is
pleased of His goodness to hold the
sinner as ransomed and delivered
from the consequences of his sin.'
25. The sinner's restoration to
health. Cf. the description of Naa-
man's cleansing from his leprosy:
' his flesh came again like unto the
flesh of a little child.' 2 Kings v.
14. 26 — 28. His restored communion
with God, and thankfulness pubUcly
expressed before men.
27. And it profited me not.
The exact meaning of the clause is
uncertain : perhaps the first mar
ginal rendering of the R.V. is the
best, It was not requited unto me.
28. And my life shall behold the

light, i.e. the light of the sun, cf.
ver. 30. There is no thought of
spiritual ' light ' here. The A.V. in
this verse follows the marginal read
ing of the Hebrew, his soul,. ..his
life; which is also adopted in the
Targum and Vulgate. But the
reading of the Hebrew text which
has the first person, my soul... my
life is supported by the Syriac and
Theodotion, and appears to be more
natural. 29—33. Conclusion, bringing
home to Job the object of God's
dealings with men. This, says
Elihu, is God's method of disciplin
ing men, and thus saving them from
death (29, 30). Job should attend
to it and listen (31). If he has
anything to say in answer, let him
say on (32) : if not, let him hearken
while Elihu will further instruct
him (33).
29. Twice, yea thrice, see above
on verse 14.
30. the light of the living : the
same phrase occurs in Ps. lvi. 13.

xxxiii. 31-xxxiv. 2] THE BOOK OF JOB 185
31 Mark well, 0 Job, hearken unto me :
Hold thy peace, and I will speak.
32 If thou hast any thing to say, answer me :
Speak, for I desire to justify thee.
33 If not, hearken thou unto me :
Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.
XXXIV. The Second Speech of Elihu.
EUhu has now brought forward his theory of suffering as disciplinary,
and has thus introduced what is practicaUy a new thought into the poem.
But it was not only because this truth had been almost entirely overlooked
by both Job and his friends that he had intervened. He had been much
shocked and pained by the irreverence of Job's language, and the charge
which he had repeatedly brought against God of treating him unjustly. To
this point Elihu now turns his attention in his second discourse, the main
object of which is to show that anything like injustice is inconsistent with
the very idea of God and with all that we know of Him, whether we consider
His position as that of supreme ruler of the world, or whether we look at
His action in history. The main divisions of the speech, which occupies
but a single chapter, are these :
(1) Introductory appeal to his hearers. 1 — 4.
(2) Recapitulation of Job's charges against God. 5 — 9.
(3) Refutation of them :
(a) They are inconsistent with the idea of God, and with His
character as Almighty. 10 — 15.
(b) It is not only absurd but also inconsistent with facts to
suppose that the All-Sovereign and Omniscient can do
wrong. 16 — 28.
(c) Therefore man has no right to murmur against God.
29—33.
(4) Conclusion, condemning Job for his ill-considered utterances.
34—37. XXXIV. 1 Moreover Elihu answered and said,
2 Hear my words, ye wise men ;
And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
1 — 4. Introductory appeal to 2. ye wise men.. .ye that have
his hearers. Elihu now turns to knowledge. Cf. 10, ye men ofunder-
the bystanders and asks their atten- standing, and 34. In all these pas-
tion (1, 2): let them discriminate, sagesthe reference is evidently not to
and exercise their moral sense in the three friends, but rather to the
deciding where the right hes (3, 4). bystanders, who have Ustened to the

186

THE BOOK OF JOB

[xxxiv. 3-9

3 For the ear trieth words,
As the palate tasteth meat.
4 Let us choose for us that which is right :
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job hath said, I am righteous,
And God hath taken away my right :
6 'Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar ;
2My wound is incurable, though I am without transgres
sion.
7 What man is like Job,
Who drinketh up scorning like water ?
8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walketh with wicked men.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing
That he should 'delight himself with God.
1 Or, Should I lie against my right ? * Heb. Mine arrow.
8 Or, consent with See Ps. 1. 18.

debate and are invited to judge of
the argument.
3. Quoted direct from xii. 11.
5 — 9. Recapitulation of Job's
charges against God. Once more
Elihu summarizes Job's impatient
utterances, his assertions of his own
rectitude, and complaints of the
cruel treatment he has received and
the hardships which, in spite of his
innocence, he is made to endure (5,
6). Where can such another be
found, so greedy of scoffing, and so
ready to join with sinners and to
maintain that it is idle for a man to
serve God (7—9) ?
5. I am righteous. Cf. xiii. 18,
where Job says, ' I know that I am
righteous.' And God hath taken
away my right, quoted from xxvii. 2.
6. Notwithstanding my right I
am accounted a liar. These words
occur nowhere among Job's utter
ances; but their general sense is
similar to that of ix. 20, 'Though I

be righteous, mine own mouth shall
condemn me : though I be perfect,
it shall prove me perverse.' My
right signifies 'the justice of my
cause.' My wound, literally my arrow,
as in vi. 4, 'the arrows of the Al
mighty,' cf. xvi. 13.
7. Who drinketh up scorning
like water. Cf. the similar expres
sion in xv. 16, 'a man that drinketh
iniquity like water,' and on the
naturalness of such an idiom in the
mouth of an Oriental see Thomson,
The Land and the Book, p. 319.
9. 'It profiteth a man nothing
etc' Elihu here puts into Job's
mouth words which he had never
used, though the sentiments might
perhaps be fairly inferred to be his
from chapters xxi. and xxiv, in which
he drew attention to the inequalities
of this Ufe, the misfortunes of the
righteous and the exceptional pro
sperity of the ungodly. Cf. xxxv. 2,

xxxiv. io-I4] THE BOOK OF JOB

187

10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding :
Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness ;
And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him,
And cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly,
Neither will the Almighty pervert judgement.
13 Who gave him a charge over the earth ?
Or who hath ^sposed the whole world ?
14 2If he set his heart "upon "man,
If he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath ;

1 Or, laid upon him
to return unto himself.

2 According to another reading, If he cause his heart
3 Or, upon himself * Heb. him.

3, where similar sentiments are as
cribed to Job by Elihu.
10—33. Refutation of .these
charges. (a) They are inconsistent with
the idea of God, and with His
character as Almighty. 10—15.
Listen, says EUhu to the bystanders :
it is impossible to entertain the idea
that Almighty God will act unfairly
(10). He will strictly requite every
man according to his work (11). It
cannot be thought that He will give
an unjust judgment (12), for is He
not the Omnipotent ruler of the
universe (13)? Should He with
draw His care and sustaining control
over it, its inhabitants must perish
at once (14, 15).
The idea of these verses is that
since God is ' AU-Sovereign ' He can
have no motive for injustice, and
that the fact of His sustaining the
world is a practical proof of His
goodness and lovingkindness.
10. Far be it from God. See
the note on xxvii. 5.
13. Cf. xxxvi. 23, where a similar

question is asked in almost the same
terms. 14. If he set his heart upon
man : better with R.V. marg. upon
himself. The thought is that if God
withdraw His attention from man,
and fix it on Himself alone, man
must forthwith perish, for it is only
God's loving and sustaining care
that keeps him alive. There is a
doubt about the reading in this
verse, as the texts vary between set
his heart and cause his heart to
return : the difference between the
two is, however, of no great import
ance. If he gather unto himself his
spirit and his breath : i.e. the spirit
and breath which God hath breathed
into man, see Gen. ii. 7. If God
gathers this to himself, man must
die. Cf. Ps. civ. 29, 30, ' Thou
gatherest in their breath, they die,
and return to their dust. Thou
sendest forth thy spirit, and they
are created.' The personal pronoun
'his spirit... his breath,' may thus
refer either to man or to God.

188

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxiv. 15-20

15 All flesh shall perish together,
And man shall turn again unto dust.
16 'If now thou hast understanding, hear this :
Hearken to the voice of my words.
17 Shall even one that hateth right govern ?
And wilt thou condemn him that is just and mighty ?
18 2Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art vile ?
Or to nobles, Ye are wicked ?
19 How much less to him that respecteth not the persons of
princes,
Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor ?
For they all are the work of his hands.
20 In a moment they die, 'even at midnight ;
The people are shaken and pass away,
And the mighty are taken away without hand.
1 Or, Only understand 8 Or, as read by some ancient versions, Who saith to..
vile, and to... wicked ; that respecteth etc. 3 Or, and at midnight the people etc.

15. man shall turn again unto
dust. See the primary passage in
Gen. iii. 19, ' Dust thou art, and unto
dust shalt thou return!
(b) It is not only absurd, but
also inconsistent with facts, to
suppose that the AU-Sovereign
and Omniscient can do wrong.
16—28. Turning now to Job, Elihu
bids him attend, and repeats the
thought. Surely the ruler of all
must be just (16, 17). Is it seemly
for the subject to charge the king
with unbecoming conduct ? Still less
should the creature dare to arraign
the Creator, who regards no man's
person, and to whom rich and poor
are alike, as the work of His hands
(18, 19). The mighty perish sud
denly without the intervention of
man, for His eyes are upon them
(20, 21). No darkness can conceal
them from Him, and He needs no
long inquiry in order to give His
sentence (22, 23). He brings down

the mighty and sets up others in
their place (24). He notes their evil
deeds, and destroys them by striking
them down publicly like common
criminals (25, 26), because they sin
ned against Him, and wronged the
poor, to whose cry His ear is ever
open (27, 28).
16. The singular number is here
used, marking that Elihu is no longer
appealing to the bystanders (as in
verses 2 and 10), but directly to
Job himself.
18. Is it fit to say to a king,
Thou art vile? lit. worthless ! The
word being Belial, which is properly
a substantive meaning worthlessness;
a ' man of BeUal ' being a worthless,
good-for-nothing fellow; cf. 1 Sam.
xxv. 25 ; 2 Sam. xvi. 7 ; xx. 1, &c.
20. In a moment they die, even
at midnight, cf. ver. 25, ' He over-
turneth them in the night' The
thought is merely that of sudden
destruction.

xxxrv. 21-28] THE BOOK OF JOB 189
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And he seeth all his goings.
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death,
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For he needeth not further to consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgement.
24 He breaketh in pieces mighty men 1in ways past finding out,
And setteth others in their stead.
25 Therefore he taketh knowledge of their works ;
And he overturneth them in the night, so that they are
"destroyed.
26 He striketh them as wicked men
'In the open sight of others ;
27 Because they turned aside from following him,
And would not have regard to any of his ways :
28 4So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto
him,
And he heard the cry of the afflicted.
* Or, without inquisition 2 Heb. crushed. 8 Heb. In the place of beholders.
4 Or, That they might cause. ..and that he might hear
And the mighty are taken away so 'hke common criminals.'
without hand, i.e. by no human hand (c) Therefore man has no right
or agency. to murmur against God. 29 — 33.
21. For his eyes, viz. God's eyes. It is, then, vain to find fault with
23. For he needeth not further what God^ does, whether He speaks
to consider a man. God needs no peace to a troubled soul, or whether
long and anxious inquiry before He hides His face — whether He
giving judgment, since He is om- deals thus with a nation, or with a
niscient. single individual, in. order to prevent
24. in ways past finding out. evil from gaining the mastery (29,
The same phrase occurs again in 30). Who could dare to say to God,
xxxvi. 26, where it must be trans- ' Thou hast made me suffer, though
lated in some such way as ' past I was innocent,' or who could speak
finding out,' or 'unsearchable.' Here, as if it were doubtful whether he
however, it probably means (as R.V. had sinned, and ask for an explana-
marg.), without inquisition. (The tion from God on such a matter (31,
A.V. without number comes from 32)? Is it reasonable for man to
the Vulgate et innumerabilis, but dictate to God how He is to treat
is certainly incorrect.) him ? To such a claim Elihu himself
26. as wicked men. The phrase will have nothing to say, whatever
is a difficult one. It seems properly Job may think (33).
to mean instead of wicked men and

190 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxiv. 29-37
29 When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn ?
And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him ?
Whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man, alike :
30 That the godless man reign not,
That there be none to ensnare the people.
31 For hath any said unto God,
I have borne chastisement, ' I will not offend any more :
32 That which I see not teach thou me :
If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more ?
33 Shall his recompence be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it ?
For thou must choose, and not I :
Therefore speak what thou knowest.
34 Men of understanding will say unto me,
Yea, every wise man that heareth me :
35 Job speaketh without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
36 Would that Job were tried unto the end,
Because of his answering like wicked men.
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin,
He clappeth his hands among us,
And multiplieth his words against God.
1 Or, though I offend not
29. when he hideth his face : that Job's words were not marked
a frequent figure for God's dis- by wisdom (34, 35). It were well if
pleasure, see Ps. xxx. 7 ; civ. 29, &e. : he could be thoroughly tried by
and thus the opposite idea of be- God, because his answers were such
holding Him denotes the enjoyment as only wicked men could give, and
of His favour. he was proceeding to what ap-
31. Render with R.V. marg, I proaches very near to blasphemy
have borne chastisement, though I against God (36, 37). As Davidson
offend not. says: 'the language exceeds in
33. Shall his recompence be as harshness almost anything that the
thou wilt, that thou refusest it ? three friends had said.'
The whole passage is difficult, but 34. Again the reference to the
these words appear to mean : Are bystanders. Cf. ver. 2 and 10.
you to dictate to God how He is to 37. For he addeth rebellion unto
requite you, since you appear to ob- his sin. It was his sin which, Elihu
jectto His present treatment of you? supposes, had called down God's
34—37. Conclusion, condemn- judgment. His rebellion is his do
ing Job for his ill-considered fiant attitude towards God.
utterances. All thoughtful and He clappeth his hands. For this
unprejudiced persons must agree as an act of derision see xxvii. 23.

xxxv. 1-3] THE BOOK OF JOB 191
XXXV. The Third Speech of Elihu.
The train of thought running through this third speech is difficult to
trace, and in places the language is very obscure. But it appears to be
intended as a kind of supplement to the foregoing speech. In his summary
of Job's words in xxxiv. 9, Elihu had represented him as saying, ' It pro
fiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God,' but in his
answer he had nowhere dealt with this complaint. He therefore takes it
up now, and in this third utterance of his gives his reply to it, maintaining
that God's greatness is such that He is in no way affected by man's
righteousness or wickedness. These can only affect man himself. Hence
he apparently means Job to infer that since there is a real and admitted
distinction between good and evil, it must matter what his conduct is ; and,
since it cannot matter to God, it must matter to himself. Having somewhat
obscurely established this, Elihu proceeds to admit that there are cases in
which innocent persons, when suffering, are apparently disregarded by God
(and therefore their righteousness may seem not to profit them) ; but he
explains these by maintaining that their cry to God is only the shriek of
physical pain, no real heartfelt appeal to God ; and that is why it is not
heard. Thus Job's complaints against God are shown to be utterly un
reasonable. The speech may be divided as follows :
(1) Recapitulation of Job's complaints against God. 1 — 3.
(2) The answer to them. 4 — 8.
(3) Exceptions accounted for, in which men cry to God and are not
heard. 9—13.
(4) Concluding rebuke of Job. 14 — 16.
XXXV. 1 Moreover Elihu answered and said,
2 Thmkest thou this to be thy right,
Or sayest thou, My righteousness is more than God's, 4$
3 That thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee ?
And, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned ?
1 — 3. Recapitulation of Job's in xxxiv. 9, where see the note. It
complaints against God. Elihu is difficult to attach any very clear
begins by once more summing up meaning to the words of verse 2,
the substance of Job's charges : which afford a good instance of the
Does he reaUy imagine that his obscurity which is often complained
cause is just, and that he is right- of in Elihu's utterance. Every word
eous, when he urges that his right- in the verse is common enough, and
eousness has been of no avail or the meaning of each taken separately
profit to him (1 — 3) ? is perfectly familiar, and yet it is hard
2, 3. Job has nowhere used the to say precisely what we are intended
actual words which Elihu here attri- to understand by the sentence as a
butes to him any more than he had whole. Probably the English ver-
those which were put into his mouth sions are right, though Davidson

192

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXXV. 4-9

4 I will answer thee,
And thy companions with thee.
5 Look unto the heavens, and see ;
And behold the skies, which are higher than thou.
6 If thou hast sinned, what doest thou against him ?
And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou
unto him ?
7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him ?
Or what receiveth he of thine hand ?
8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art ;
And thy righteousness may profit a son of man.
9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out ;
They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

would render the second clause thus :
'And callest thou it, my just cause
against God.' The word this must
in any case refer to what follows in
verse 3.
3. The R.V. here is clearly right
(as against the A.V.) in the render
ing more than if I had sinned?
4 — 8. The answer to Job's
complaints. Elihu now states that
he is prepared to answer Job and
others like him (4). Let them look
at the height of heaven, and can
they imagine that any amount of
earthly sin can really affect one
whose dwelling is so high, or that
man's goodness can be of any profit
to Him (5 — 7) ? Man's conduct,
whether good or evil, can only affect
himself (8).
4. thy companions ; not the three
friends, but Job's fellows in sin, i.e.
others like him.
6 — 8. These verses do little more
than repeat the thoughts to which
Eliphaz had already given expres
sion in xxii. 2, 3, that man's conduct
cannot really affect the great and
lofty God in any way, but that ' he
that is wise is profitable to himself.'

8. A literal translation of this
verse would be, Thy wickedness
hath regard to a man like thee;
and thy righteousness to a son of
man, ie. thy conduct affects thyself,
and not God, son of man being a
common Hebrew idiom for a man,
see on xvi. 21.
9—13. Exceptions accounted
for, in which men cry to God
and are not heard. True that,
when oppressed, men are ready
enough to make their voice heard ;
but it is no real appeal to the
gracious God Who would have them
show themselves superior to the
brute creation (9 — 11). They cry
out when brought low, but are not
answered, because it is but a vain
cry, which God cannot be expected
to regard (12, 13).
9. By reason of the multitude of
oppressions they cry out. The R.V.
is probably correct (as against the
A.V.) but the Hebrew is somewhat
unusual. The meaning apparently
is that though men do cry out
under suffering, yet they are not
heard by God because their cry is
only a scream wrung from them by

XXXV. 10-15]

THE BOOK OF JOB

193

10 But none saith, Where is God my Maker,
Who giveth songs in the night ;
11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth,
And maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
12 There they cry, 'but none giveth answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
13 Surely God will not hear vanity,
Neither will the Almighty regard it.
14 How much less when thou sayest 2thou beholdest him
not,
The cause is before him, and thou waitest for him !
15 But now, because he hath not visited in his anger,
"Neither doth he greatly regard arrogance ;
1 Or, but he answereth not z Or, thou beholdest him not! The cause is before
him ; therefore wait thou for him 3 Or, Thou sayest, He doth not greatly
regard arrogance. Thus doth etc.

physical pain, as it might be from
the brute creation : and not the
devout appeal for help which should
be sent up by rational beings to
their loving Creator.
10. Who giveth songs in the
night, i.e. who when all things are
dark and gloomy suddenly makes
the heart to sing for joy. Cf. Ps.
xxxii. 7, 'Thou art my hiding place;
thou wilt preserve me from trouble ;
thou wilt compass me about with
songs of deliverance,' and see Acts
xvi 25.
12. There they cry, but none
giveth answer, because of the pride
of evil men. The- last words be
cause etc. are to be taken in close
connexion with the opening of the
sentence, as giving the reason for
the cry.
14 — 16. Concluding rebuke of
Job. Still less can God be expected
to regard Job's complaint that he
cannot find Him, that the cause is
before Him, and that he (Job) is

waiting for Him to answer, when,
just because God is slow to wrath,
he complains that He takes no
notice of man's overbearing conduct
(14, 15). This, says Elihu in con
clusion, is but a specimen of Job's
ignorance and folly (16).
Again the passage is very obscure,
but on the whole the paraphrase
above seems to give the sense.
14. How much less when etc.,
possibly this should simply be ren
dered yea, when.
15. The margin of the R.V.
seems to give the most probable
sense : But now, because he hath
not visited in his anger, thou sayest,
He doth not greatly regard arro
gance, i.e. because God is slow in
visiting their iniquities upon sinners
in His righteous indignation Job
complains that He cares nothing
for the wrong that is being done by
the haughty oppressors. The word
for arrogance (t^S) is very uncer
tain ; it is found nowhere else, and
13

194 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxv. 16-xxxvi. 2
16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vanity ;
He multiplieth words without knowledge.
may be merely a clerical error for marg.) doth Job open his mouth in
the common word for transgression vanity. The word for vanity is a.
(VB'S), which was possibly read by different one from that found in
the translators of the lxx. (or rather verse 13 : that suggested the idea
by Theodotion) and Symmachus, of something unreal or untrue : in
7rapemra>p,a. So Vulg. scelus. this the thought is rather of what is
16. Therefore (or Thus, R.V. fruitless and to no purpose.
XXXVI, XXXVII. The Fourth Speech of Elihu,
Elihu has now rebuked Job sufficiently for his arrogance and the want
of reverence displayed in his complaints against God ; but he feels that he
still has something to say ; and accordingly his last speech (in which the
hortatory element is much more prominent than in the earlier ones) is
devoted to two objects : (1) It is designed to impress upon Job stiU more
strongly the theory already expounded in xxxiii. 19 seq, viz. that suffering
is disciplinary, and to apply it directly to Job's own case ; and (2) it is
intended also to enforce with additional illustrations the thought of the
greatness of God, and consequently of the unreasonable character of Job's
demand to comprehend aU His ways. In enforcing this in the latter part
of his speech Elihu anticipates to some extent the thought of the next
section of the book, where the Almighty answers Job out of the whirlwind;
and it would almost appear as if the author intended us to think that his
utterances were influenced by the storm which from xxxvi. 29 we feel to
be rising.
The speech is best analysed as follows :
(1) Introductory apology for speaking, xxxvi 1 — 4.
(2) God's providential ordering of the affairs of men is designed
for their moral discipline and improvement, xxxvi. 5 — 15.
(3) Application of this to the case of Job. xxxvi. 16—25.
(4) The marvels of nature testify to God's greatness and to the
mystery which shrouds His ways, xxxvi. 26 — xxxvii. 13.
(5) Closing appeal to Job to lay it to heart and acquiesce, xxxvii.
14—24. XXXVI. 1 Elihu also proceeded, and said,
2 buffer me a little, and I will shew thee ;
For 2I have yet somewhat to say on God's behalf.
1 Heb. Wait for. Q Heb. there are yet words for God.
XXXVI. 1 — 4. Introductory patience, but has still something to
apology for speaking. Elihu be- say on God's behalf to vindicate
gins by apologizing for taxing Job's His righteousness, and is confident

XXXVT. 3-9]

THE BOOK OF JOB

195

3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false :
One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
5 Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any :
He is mighty in strength of 'understanding.
6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked :
But giveth to the afflicted their right.
7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous :
But with kings upon the throne
He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they be bound in fetters,
And be taken in the cords of affliction ;
9 Then he sheweth them their work,
And their transgressions, that they have behaved them
selves proudly. 1 Heb. heart.

in his own ability to teach as well
as in his sincerity (1 — 4).
4. One that is perfect in know
ledge. It is impossible to acquit
Elihu of overweening arrogance
when he makes this claim for him
self, for he is assuming that which
in the very next chapter he ascribes
to God, see xxxvii. 16, where the
expression is almost identical with
that in this verse.
5—15. God's providential or
dering of the affairs of men is
designed for their moral disci
pline and improvement. God is
all-powerful, but never despises men,
but rather gives to all their due (5),
punishing the wicked, and exalting
the suffering righteous (6, 7). If
these last are permitted to suffer, it
is that He may show them where
they are wrong, and bring them to
a better mind (8—10). If they take
heed, they are restored to life and

prosperity. If they fail to regard
it, they are doomed to perish miser
ably (11, 12). If the ungodly are
rendered bitter instead of being
drawn to God by their afflictions,
what wonder that they are cut off
when still young, while the right
eous are delivered by means of their
sufferings (13—15) ?
7. But with kings upon the
throne &c. Cf. 1 Sam. ii. 8, 'He
raiseth the poor out of the dust... to
set them among princes, and to
make them inherit the throne of
glory'; see also Ps. cxiii. 8, 9.
8. And if they be bound in
fetters. The parallel expression,
taken m the bonds of affliction,
shows that this is to be understood
figuratively, of chastisement gene
rally. Elihu's theory of the disci
plinary value of suffering is here
brought out very forcibly.
13—2

196 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxvi. 10-17
10 He openeth also their ear to instruction,
And commandeth that they return from iniquity.
11 If they hearken and serve him,
They shall spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in 'pleasures.
12 But if they hearken not, they shall perish by 2the sword,
And they shall die without knowledge.
13 But they that are godless in heart lay up anger :
They cry not for help when he bindeth them.
14 'They die in youth,
And their life perisheth 4among the 'unclean.
15 He delivereth the afflicted 'by his affliction,
And openeth their ear 7in oppression.
16 Yea, he would have 8led thee away "out of distress
Into a broad place, where there is no straitness ;
And that which is set on thy table should be full of
fatness.
17 But thou '"art full of the judgement of the wicked :
Judgement and justice take hold on thee.
1 Or, pleasantness 2 Or, weapons 3 Heb. Their soul dieth. i Or, like
6 Or, sodomites See Deut. xxiii. 17. 6 Or, in 7 Or, by adversity
8 Or, allured thee e Heb. out of the mouth of. 10 Or, hast filled up
12. they shall perish by the practised immorality in the worship
sword.' See the note on xxxiii. 18. of a deity and in the immediate
13. But they that are godless in precincts of a temple. Such persons
heart lay up anger. The anger is are frequently referred to in the
apparently not to be taken of God's Old Testament, ' especially in the
wrath (as if the passage was paral- period of the monarchy, when rites
lei to Rom. ii. 5) but rather of the of foreign origin made their way
impatience and resentment which into both Israel and Judah.' See
the sinners cherish at God's deal- 1 Kings xiv. 24; xv. 12; xxii. 46;
ings with them. So Delitzsch and 2 Kings xxiii. 7 ; and Deut. xxiii.
Davidson, and cf. Rev. xvi. 9. 17, with Driver's note. The aUusion
14. They die in youth. Cf. the here must be to their habits of life
words of Zophar in xx. 11, 'His leading to a premature and miser-
bones are fuU of his youth, but it able death.
shall lie down with him in the dust.' 15. And openeth their ear, cf.
And their life perisheth among verse 10, and see note on xxxiii. 16.
the unclean (Vulg. inter effemin- 16—25. Application of this to
atos). The word for unclean (qede- the case of Job. And as for Job
shim) literally means ' sacred,' but it himself, God would have delivered
is the technical name for those who him from his distress, and heaped

XXXVI. 18]

THE BOOK OF JOB

197

18 'Because there is wrath, beware lest thou be 2led away by
thy sufficiency ;
Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.
1 Or, For beware lest wrath lead thee away into mockery
2 Or, allured

His favours upon him (16), only Job
had joined the sinners in their judg
ment of God, and therefore God's
judgment must keep its hold upon
him (17). Let him, however, be
ware lest his resentment at it lead
him into the sin of the scorner, and
lest the greatness of the 'ransom'
demanded from him lead him to
despair, for no material wealth can
avail to redeem him (18, 19). It
is not for him to desire God's
judgments (20); rather let him be
warned against encouraging a re
bellious mind under his afflictions
(21), for there is none hke God in
power and wisdom, and man cannot
call Him to account for His doings
(22, 23). Therefore Job should sub
mit to Him and glorify His works,
which are the theme of the praise
of others (24, 25).
The whole passage is one of the
most obscure to be found anywhere
in the book, but it is thought that
the above may indicate the general
line of thought, so far as it can be
discovered. Siegfried marks verses
19 and 20 as 'unintelligible,' and
Davidson says of verses 16 — 19 that
'the general sense as expressed by
the A.V. is probably correct, unless
probability be considered too strong
a term to employ of any rendering'
The R.V, however, which has been
published since Davidson -wrote,
gives a better sense in several
places. 16. The figures in this verse are

frequent ones for enlargement and
prosperity. For the broad place
cf. Pss. iv. 1 ; xviii. 36 ; and for the
plentiful table see Ps. xxiii. 5.
17. But thou art full of the
judgement ofthewicked. The judge
ment in this clause is probably not
the sentence of condemnation passed
by God upon the wicked, but the
judgement passed by the wicked
upon God's dealings with him ; and
because Job has identified himself
with them, and accepted this 'judge-
ment,'thereforeGod's judgement and
justice take hold of him.
18. A most obscure passage. On
the whole it is best to follow the
margin of the R.V. and render, For
beware lest wrath lead thee away
into mockery, taking the words as
a charge to Job not to suffer his
anger and excitement to lead him
to greater lengths and a worse sin.
Cf. xxxiv. 37.
Neither let the greatness of the
ransom turn thee aside. The ran
som here, as probably in xxxiii. 24,
is to be taken of Job's afflictions, to
which a disciplinary power is at
tached. 'Elihu admonishes Job not
to aUow himself to be drawn by the
heat of passion into derision, nor to
be allured from the right way by
the ransom which is required of
him as the price of -restoration to
happiness, viz. humble submission
to the divine chastisement, as though
this ransom were exceeding great.'
Delitzsch.

*k

198

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxvi. 19-26

19 xWill thy riches suffice, *that thou be not in distress,
Or all the forces of thy strength ?
20 Desire not the night,
When peoples 'are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, regard not iniquity :
For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God doeth loftily in his power :
Who is a teacher like unto him ?
23 Who hath enjoined him his way ?
Or who can say, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness ?
24 Remember that thou magnify his work,
Whereof men have sung.
25 All men have looked thereon ;
Man beholdeth it afar off.
26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not ;
The number of his years is unsearchable.

Or, Will thy cry avail

2 Or, that are without stint

3 Heb. go up.

19. Will thy riches suffice, that
thou be not in distress, or all the
forces of thy strength ? No amount
of wealth can buy exemption from
suffering, or prove a 'ransom.' Cf.
Ps. xlix. 6—8. But the margin of
the R.V. is possible : Will thy cry
avail : as a word of the same form
means both riches, and a cry, cf.
xxx. 24. That thou be not in dis
tress is perhaps better taken as by
the margin of the R.V. of the riches
that are without stint. (The A.V.
no, not gold takes the form "1¥3 as
a variant form of "1^3 the word for
precious ore used in xxii. 24.)
20. Desire not the night, i.e. the
night of judgment, when God's ven
geance falls, for if it overtakes whole
nations (peoples) how can the in
dividual hope to escape?
22. Once more Elihu dwells on
the thought of God's greatness, and
the impossibility of man calling him
to account, cf. xxxiv.

24. Whereof men have sung
(Vulg. de quo cecinerunt homines).
This is a preferable rendering to
that of the A.V. which men behold.
XXXVI. 26— XXXVII. 13. The
marvels of nature testify to
God's greatness and to the mys
tery which shrouds His ways.
Elihu now develops the thought of
God's mysterious greatness, and il
lustrates it from the raindrops which
He draws together and discharges
from the skies (26 — 28). So also the
mysteries of the clouds and thunder
are beyond the power of man to
comprehend (29), as is the light
with which God clothes Himself
(30). All these are His ministers
both of judgment and of mercy (31).
He too controls the lightning, and
the thunder teUs of His presence
(32, 33). Man trembles before Him,
when the sound of His voice is heard,
and the lightnings flash forth at His
direction (xxxvii. 1—5). He too

xxxvi. 27-31] THE BOOK OF JOB

199

27 For he draweth up the drops of water,
Which distil in rain 'from 2his vapour :
28 Which the skies pour down
And drop upon man abundantly.
29 Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds,
The thunderings of his pavilion ?
30 Behold, he spreadeth his light "around him ;
And he * covereth the bottom of the sea.
31 For by these he judgeth the peoples ;
He giveth meat, in abundance.
1 Heb. belonging to. 2 Or, the vapour thereof 8 Or, thereon
4 Or, covereth it with the depths of the sea

gives a charge to the snow, and
the rains of winter when man's
work is stayed, and the beasts of
the earth seek the shelter of their
lairs (6 — 8). At His bidding the
storm arises, and the frost comes,
which congeals the waters (9, 10).
He it is who fills the clouds with
moisture, and controls their motions,
guiding them as He will, to do His
bidding, either to chastise man or
to help him (11—13).
26. The number of his years
is unsearchable. God's eternity
enhances the thought of His great
ness. 27. For he draweth up the
dropt of water. The verb properly
means to diminish (hence A.V.
maketh small), and then to restrain,
withdraw. It possibly denotes here
the withdrawal of the drops from
the cloud when its contents are
discharged on the earth. The R.V.
seems to suggest that the first clause
of the verse refers to the evapora
tion through which moisture is
drawn up from the surface of the
earth, and the second to the down
pour of the cloud in rain ; but as
Davidson says, ' this is rather scien

tific and complex ; neither does the
word mean to draw up.'
29. The thunderings of his pa
vilion. Cf. Ps. xviii. 11, 'He made
darkness his hiding-place, his pa
vilion round about him; darkness
of waters, thick clouds of the skies.'
For the word rendered thunderings
cf. xxx. 22 with the note.
30. Behold, he spreadeth his light
around him. Cf. Ps. civ. 2, 'Who
coverest thyself with light as with
a garment.' And he covereth the bottom of the
sea. It is very uncertain what the
allusion here refers to and no really
satisfactory explanation of the words
has been suggested. The roots of
the sea is hardly an expression that
can be applied to the ' waters above
the firmament,' and yet no reason
can be given why the fact that God
'covers the bottom of the sea'
should be mentioned here. Nor is
the marginal rendering of the R.V,
He covereth it with the depths of
the sea, easier to account for.
31. For by these he judgeth the
peoples: he giveth meat in abun
dance. These referring to the phe
nomena of the storm, which may be

200

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxvi. 32-xxxvn. 3

32 He covereth his hands with the 'lightning ;
And giveth it a charge "that it strike the mark.
33 The noise thereof telleth concerning 'him,
The cattle also concerning Hhe storm that cometh up.

Heb. light.

2 Or, against the assailant

8 Or, it 4 Or, him

sent either in judgment, or as a
gracious rain upon God's inheritance,
refreshing it when it was weary.
Cf. Ps. lxviii. 9.
32. He covereth his hands with
the lightning; Uterally light, but the
word appears to be rightly rendered
lightning here and in xxxvii. 3, 11,
and 15. Cf. Hab. iii. 11, where the
' light of thine arrows ' refers to the
lightning. that it strilce the mark, a phrase
of doubtful import. The A.V. is en
tirely wrong; but the margin of
R.V. against the assailant may
possibly be correct.
33. The noise thereof telleth con
cerning him, ie. the thunder an
nounces the approach of God.
The cattle also concerning the
storm that cometh up (or, as R.V.
marg, him that cometh up). Cer
tainly the natural rendering of the

clause is that which takes 'the
cattle' as the subject, and supplies
the verb 'teU' from the previous
line. In this case the reference will
be to the restlessness and uneasy
motions of the cattle which seem
like dim forebodings of the approach
ing storm. But it is possible to take
it as the accusative used here instead
of the dative after the verb : ' the
noise thereof telleth... to the cattle
also ' &c, as if it meant ' even the
cattle hear with terror His mighty
voice.' Whichever way it be taken,
however, it must be admitted that
the reference to the cattle is unex
pected and seems somewhat out of
place ; and there is possibly some
deep-seated corruption of the text,
so that the true sense is lost beyond
recovery. Siegfried omits the words
altogether as 'in this connexion
entirely without sense.'

XXXVII. 1 — 5. The description of the thunderstorm is continued.
It is described as present, and it is most natural to suppose that the poet
intended us to think of the storm as already gathering, out of which the
Almighty answered Job.
XXXVII. 1 At this also my heart trembleth,
And is moved out of its place.
2 Hearken ye unto the noise of his voice,
And the ' sound that goeth out of his mouth.
3 He sendeth it forth under the whole heaven,
And his 2 lightning unto the 'ends of the earth.

1 Or, muttering s Heb. light.

3 Heb. skirts.

XXXVII. 4-9]

THE BOOK OF JOB

201

4 After it a voice roareth ;
He thundereth with the voice of his majesty :
And he stayeth them not when his voice is heard.
5 God thundereth marvellously with his voice ;
Great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
6 For he saith to the snow, Fall thou on the earth ;
Likewise to the shower of rain,
And to the showers of his mighty rain.
7 He sealeth up the hand of every man ;
That all men whom he hath made may know it.
8 Then the beasts go into coverts,
And remain in their dens.
9 Out of 'the chamber of the south cometh the storm :
And cold out of the 'north.

1 See ch. ix. 9.
4. he stayeth them not, viz. the
lightnings, which are His ministers
and go forth at His bidding. Cf.
xxxvi. 32.
6 — 10. Snow, rain and ice.
6. the shower of rain  the
showers of his mighty rain. The
words seem to refer to the heavy
rains (not as A.V. small rain) of the
winter. 7. He sealeth up the hand of
every man, i.e. probably seals it up
so that he cannot work with it in
winter. That all men whom he hath made
may know it. This is the only pos
sible rendering of the Hebrew text
as it stands. But the rendering of
the A.V. that all men may know his
work, which is based on the Vulgate
(ut noverint singuli opera sua, so
the Targ. and substantially the
Syriac), requires a very slight change
in the Hebrew (1P1TOO DnMN for
irOTD 'tMK), and receives some sup
port from the parallel in xxxiii. 17,
that man may put away his pur
pose. The meaning in either case

5 Heb. scattering winds.
is that God's dealings with men
through nature are intended to
teach them lessons of His Almighty
power, cf. Rom. i. 20.
9. Out of Hhe chamber of the
south cometh the storm. The italics
in the R.V. show that there is
nothing in the original about the
south; the expression is simply
out of the chamber. But the word
is the same as that used in ix. 9,
where the south is mentioned : ' the
chambers of the south.' Hence the
insertion in the R.V. here, and the
overbold rendering out of the south
of the A.V. There is, however, no
reason to connect the two passages
together: and probably the phrase
merely means that God brings the
storm out of its chamber where it
has been stored up, as elsewhere He
is said to ' bring forth the winds out
of his treasuries,' Ps. cxxxv. 7.
And cold out of the north. ' The
north' is a highly doubtful render
ing. The word appears properly
to mean the scatterers, and to be
used of the winds, that scatter the

202

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxvii. 10-14

10 By the breath of God ice is given :
And the breadth of the waters is straitened.
11 Yea, he ladeth the thick cloud with moisture ;
He spreadeth abroad the cloud of his 2 lightning :
12 And it is turned round about by his guidance,
That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them
Upon the face of the habitable world :
13 Whether it be for correction, or for his 'laud,
Or for mercy, that he cause it to come.
14 Hearken unto this, 0 Job :
Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

1 Or, congealed

2 Heb. light.

8 Or, earth

clouds and clear the sky when the
frost comes (a similar phrase is
quoted from the Qoran, li. 1). See
R.V. marg.
11 — 13. The movements of the
clouds. 1 1. The A.V. is hopelessly wrong
here, but the R.V. gives the sense
quite clearly. It is God who fills the
clouds with moisture, and spreads
abroad the cloud whence issues the
lightning. 12. He too controls its motions
to do His bidding.
by his guidance. The word ex
cept for its occurrence here is
peculiar to the book- of Proverbs,
where it is found in i. 5 ; xi. 14 ; xii. 5 ;
xx. 18 ; xxiv. 6. The phrase the
habitable world, also finds its only
paraUel in Proverbs ; see viii
31. 13. Whether it be for correction,
or for his land, or for mercy. It
seems pretty clear that the second
or has been accidentally inserted,
and that only two alternatives are
suggested, correction for his land on
the one hand, and mercy on the
other.

14—24. Closing appeal to Job
to lay it to heart and acquiesce.
Let Job listen to this and consider
(14) : can he explain the mysteries
of God's working with the light
ning and the clouds, or the warmth
of which he is conscious when the
Bouth wind blows (15 — 17) ? Can he
spread out the expanse of the fir
mament as God does (18)? If so,
let him instruct his companions who
make no pretence to understand
such mysteries (19). Job may do as
he pleases, but no one should ever
tell God that he (Elihu) would claim
to speak with Him, for that would
be the same thing as to wish for
destruction (20). Why, if man can
not bear to gaze on the glorious
light of the sun when the wind has
swept the clouds from the sky, how
can he expect to look on the glory
of the terrible Majesty of God
Himself (21, 22)? No, it is im
possible for man to discover the
Almighty, who can only be trusted
to deal justly, and before whom men
must bow with fear, for He regards
not those who are wise in their own
understanding (23, 24).

xxxvii. 15-20] THE BOOK OF JOB

203

15 Dost thou know how God layeth his charge upon them,
And causeth the ' lightning of his cloud to shine ?
16 Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds,
The wondrous works of him which is perfect in know
ledge ?
17 2How thy garments are warm,
8 When the earth is still by reason of the south wind ?
18 Canst thou with him spread out the sky,
Which is strong as a molten mirror ?
19 Teach us what we shall say unto him ;
For we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.
20 Shall it be told him that I would speak ?
4 Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up ?
1 Heb. light. 2 Or, Thou whose garments are etc.
3 Or, When he quieteth the earth by the south wind
4 Or, If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up

16. the balancings of the clouds.
The word for balancings occurs
nowhSre else : and it is possible that
it originated in a miswriting of a
word which occurs in xxxvi. 29,
where we have the spreadings of
the clouds (3J> »tnBB ; here t^BO
2V). him lohich is perfect in know
ledge. Cf. the note on xxxvi 4.
17. How thy garments are warm.
Better, with R.V. marg. Thou
whose garments are warm. The
reference is to the effect of the
sirocco ' of the quiet kind,' without
wind, as described by Thomson in
The Land and the Book, p. 537,
' This sensation of dry hot clothes is
only experienced during the siroc
cos,' and of its effect in quieting the
earth, he says, 'There is no living
thing abroad to make a noise. The
birds hide in thickest shades; the
fowls pant under the walls with
open mouth and drooping wings;
the flocks and herds take shelter in

caves and under great rocks; the
labourers retire from the fields, and
close the windows and doors of their
houses; and travellers hasten to
take shelter in the first cool place
they can find. No one has energy
enough to make a noise, and the
very air is too weak and languid to
stir the pendent leaves even of the
tall poplars. Such a south wind
with the heat of a cloud does indeed
bring down the noise and quiet the
earth.' 18. Canst thou with him spread
out the sky, which is strong as a
molten mirror? The word for
spread out is that from which the
word for firmament in Gen. i. 6 is
derived. 19. we cannot order our speech
by reason of darkness. The dark
ness here, as in Eccl. ii. 14, is the
darkness of ignorance.
20. Shall it be told him that I
would speak ? Apparently the ques
tion is merely Elihu's method of

204

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxvii. 21, 22

21 And now men 'see not the light which is bright in the
skies :
But the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.
22 Out of the north cometh 2golden splendour :
God hath upon him terrible majesty.
1 Or, cannot look on the light when it is bright in the skies, when the wind hath
passed, and cleansed them 2 Heb. gold.

disclaiming any desire or intention
on his own part of addressing com
plaints to God, whatever Job may
say. Or should a man wish that he
were swallowed up? Again the
question, which might be rendered
or did a man ever say ( = intend)
that he should be annihilated (see
Driver's Hebrew Tenses, § 9), is de
signed to bring out the absurdity of
the supposition that Elihu would
wish to challenge God for His
government of the world — to do
this would be to court destruction.
21, 22 are most obscure and
perplexing, and no explanation
hitherto proposed seems entirely
satisfactory. On the whole it is
best to take the rendering of the
R.V. marg. And now men cannot
look on the light when it is bright
in the skies, when the wind hath
passed, and cleansed them, i.e. even
as it is, men cannot endure to gaze
at the light in its brightness.
22. Out of the north cometh
golden splendour. The words furn
ish another good illustration of the
obscurity of Elihu's style. There is
no doubt about the meaning of any
one of the three words of which the
sentence consists : out-of-the-north
cometh gold : but it is almost if not
quite impossible to extract any
satisfactory sense out of the sentence
as a whole. Some, as Delitzsch and
Ewald, take the word gold (Vulg.

aurum) literally, and suppose that
the passage contains a condensed
picture of what is pourtrayed at
length in xxviii, as if Elihu intended
to say, 'From the north cometh gold,
which man wrests from the darkness
of the gloomy unknown region of the
north : upon God on the contrary
is terrible majesty, ie. it covers Him
like a garment, making Him inac
cessible.' This appears very forced
and unnatural; and it is more
probable that gold is not to be taken
strictly, but, as it is by the lxx.
(vfCpri xpveravyovvra), and the R.V, of
golden splendour, or golden light.
So Davidson, who thinks that it
refers to the brightness of the
sunlight when the clouds are dis
persed by the north wind (hence
from the north), and holds that the
clause continues the thought of the
previous verse, while the antithesis
is contained in what follows: God
hath upon him terrible majesty, i.e.
if men cannot look upon the light
when it shines in the cloudless heaven,
how much less shall they bear to
look upon the majesty of God, sur
rounded with terrible glory. There
is however a difficulty about this,
because, according to Proverbs xxv.
23, the north wind must be regarded
as bringing forth rain (see R.V.),
rather than as dispersing the clouds;
and when it is borne in mind that in
Ezek. i. 4, the manifestation of God in
the whirlwind and fire, a brightness

xxxvii. 23, 24] THE BOOK OF JOB 205
23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out ; he is
excellent in power :
And 'in judgement and plenteous justice he will not
afflict.
24 Men do therefore fear him :
He regardeth not any that are wise of heart.
1 Or, to judgement... he doeth no violence
comes out of the north it seems is corrupt.
best to take the clause before us not 23. And in judgement and plen-
as continuing the thought of the teous justice he will not afflict. If
previous verses, but as the com- this rendering be adopted it must
mencement of the antithesis, From mean that he will not afflict un-
the north cometh golden splendour justly, but aB there is nothing in the
(ie. the glorious light with which text to suggest this limitation it is
God is covered, Ps. civ. 2), God hath perhaps better to translate with the
upon him terrible majesty. This margin of the R.V, To judgement
appears to be the most plausible and plenteous justice he doeth no
explanation of the passage that is violence, which furnishes the thought
forthcoming ; but it is hard to feel of God's perfect justice to balance
completely satisfied with it, and one that of His power in the previous
cannot help suspecting that the text clause.

PART IV. THE ANSWER OF THE ALMIGHTY OUT
OF THE WHIRLWIND. CHAPTERS XXXVIII.—
XLII. 6.
A sense of surprise and disappointment is not seldom felt by readers of
this fourth section of the book. While its wondrous beauty cannot fail to
impress the reader, yet he looks for deeper teaching on the mystery of
suffering and is perplexed at not finding it. Job has cried passionately for
God to appear and suffer him to plead his cause before Him. And now,
when God takes him at his word, and manifests Himself in answer to his
appeal, it is neither to Usten to his complaints, nor to justify His ways and
explain the principles of His government of the world. Rather it is to
overwhelm Job with questions which are intended to bring home to him
the impossibility of his arguing with God or understanding the method of
Divine Providence. This is not what we should have expected ; and hence
the sense of disappointment. But we must bear in mind (1) the early date,
if not of the book, yet of the narrative contained in it. The scene is laid in
patriarchal times, and the special character in which God revealed Himself
to the patriarchs was that of God Almighty, (El Shaddai), see Gen. xvii. 1 ;
(2) the Eastern character of the book. The religious thought of the East
has always tended to dwell on the Almighty power and universal sovereignty

206 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxviii.
of God more than Western minds have done. Further, with regard to such
questions as those discussed in the debate between Job and his friends,
God's method all through the history of the world has been not to solve
them for man by the direct teaching of revelation, and thus free him from
the responsibility of inquiry, but rather to lead him to work out the answers
for himself by patient thought and observation of the teachings of nature
and history. The purpose of His revelation is to discipline the heart rather
than to satisfy the intellect, and this purpose the manifestation here granted
to Job completely fulfils. AU through Job's speeches there had been
visible a sense of injustice on the part of God. It is to rebuke this and to
bring him back to a right frame of mind towards God that the revelation is
made. Job had not failed under the trial imposed upon him. He had
never bidden farewell to God, as Satan had suggested that he would do.
Moreover as compared with the friends he had spoken that which was right
of God (see xlii. 8). He had been true to facts. The friends by their theory
of retributive justice had dishonoured the Divine administration ; and Job
by holding up the inequalities and perplexities of life had at least kept free
from false and unfair inferences as regards others. But all the same he
had said many blameworthy things ; and to this point the answer is directed.
The speculative question of the purpose of suffering is nowhere dealt with
or even touched upon : but the condemnation of the friends in the epi
logue gives the Divine verdict in Job's favour on this issue. The speeches
of the Almighty are directed to another point, viz., to that attitude of
soreness and feeling of injustice which can never be justifiable unless the
whole case is known ; and by means of this wonderful panorama of creation
there is brought home to Job the conviction that the whole case is not
known. He therefore feels that he was wrong in his charges against God,
and the vision finally brings home to him, as the vision of God brought
home to Isaiah, to S. Peter, and to hundreds of others after them, the sense
of personal sin. ' I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear ; but now
mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and

The answer of the Almighty is comprised in two distinct speeches.
The first (xxxviii. 1 — xl. 2) sets before Job the wonders of nature, both
inanimate and animate ; and by a series of rapid questions as to his share
in the work of creation and his knowledge of the secrets of nature con
vinces him of the absurdity of his challenge of God (xl. 3 — 5). But Job had
not only chaUenged God to explain His conduct, he had further deliberately
questioned the principles of His rule, and accused Him of injustice; and
therefore in the second speech (xl. 6— xii. 34) he is 'ironically invited to
assume the Divine attributes, and rule the world himself : and as a test of
his capabiUties, two formidable creatures, the work of God's hand like
himself, are described at some length, and he is asked whether he can
subdue them' (Driver).
XXXVIII. 1— XL. 2. The first speech of the Almighty.
Almost all commentators on the book dwell on the marvellous power
and beauty of the whole passage As Driver says, it 'transcends all other

xxxviii. i, 2] THE BOOK OF JOB 207
descriptions of the wonders of creation or the greatness of the Creator
which are to be found either in the Bible or elsewhere.' ' For descriptive
power,' says Cheyne, it is ' without a parallel.' Reference may also be made
to the remarks of Humboldt on the ' many questions here proposed, which
the natural philosophy of the present day enables us to propound more
formaUy, and to clothe in more scientific language, but cannot satisfactorily
solve ' (Cosmos, vol. 11. p. 46).
The speech after the introductory challenge (ver. 1 — 3) falls into two
main divisions, and may be analysed as follows :
(1) The wonders of inanimate nature, xxxviii. 4 — 38.
(a) The creation of the earth. 4 — 7.
(6) The government of the sea. 8 — 11.
(c) The mysteries of light and darkness. 12 — 21.
(d) Snow and hail, rain and frost. 22 — 30.
(«) The stars, the lightning and clouds. 31 — 38.
(2) The wonders of animate nature, xxxviii. 39 — xxxix. 30.
(a) Introductory aUusion to birds and beasts of prey, xxxviii
39—41.
(6) The wild goats, xxxix. 1 — 4.
(c) The wM ass. 5—8.
(d) The wUd ox. 9—12.
(e) The ostrich. 13—18.
(/) The war-horse. 19—25.
(g) The hawk and eagle. 26—30.
XXXVIII. 1 Then the Lokd answered Job out of the
whirlwind, and said,
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel
By words without knowledge ?
XXXVIII. 1—3. Introductory 1 Kings xix. 11; Ezek. i 4.
chaUenge to Job. God now answers 2. Who is this that darkeneth
Job out of the whirlwind (1), and, counsel by words without know-
rebuking him for confusing matters ledge ? The reference is of course
by his ignorant words, bids him stand to the utterances of Job, and not to
up to Him and answer His challenge those of Elihu, and the form of the
(2 3). question in the original seems to
1. Then the Lord answered Job suggest that Job's words have
out of the whirlwind. The storm, scarcely died away before the inter-
here as elsewhere in the O.T, is ' the vention takes place. (Cf. Introd.
forerunner of God's self-manifesta- p. xxv.)
tion' (Delitzsch) ; cf. Exod. xix. 16 ;

208

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxviii. 3-7

3 Gird up now thy loins like a man ;
For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the
earth ?
Declare, 'if thou hast understanding.
5 Who determined the measures thereof, 2 if thou knowest?
Or who stretched the line upon it ?
6 Whereupon were the 'foundations thereof 4fastened ?
Or who laid the corner stone thereof ;
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy ?

2 Or, seeing

Heb. if thou knowest understanding.

3 Heb. sockets

4 Heb. made to sink.

3. / will demand of thee, and
declare thou unto me. This is the
answer to those appeals of Job in
which he had passionately cried to
the Almighty to meet him, and had
declared his readiness either to
answer to God's charges whatever
they might be, or, if God so desired,
to state his own case first for God
to answer. See ix. 35 ; xiii. 22 ;
xxxi. 35.
4—38. The wonders of inani
mate nature.
(a) The creation of the earth.
4—7. Was Job present at the
creation of the world, or had he any
share in fashioning it (4, 5) ? What
does he know of the laying of the
foundations or of the corner-stone
of it, in that age of dim antiquity
when there were none but angels to
sing their hymns of praise at God's
creative work (6, 7) ?
5. Who determined the measures
thereof. All the figures here em
ployed, the measures, or dimensions,
the measuring line, the sinking of
the foundation, and the laying of
the corner-stone, are of course taken
from the building of a house, the

world being regarded as some mighty
edifice reared by the heavenly archi
tect. 7. When the morning stars sang
together. Stars and angels are
mentioned together in Ps. cxlviii.
3, 4, and possibly the stars are in
cluded in the ' hosts ' of God in Ps.
ciii. 21, as well as the angels. For
the sons of God ( = the angels) cf. i.
6, and note. Davidson aptly quotes
from Milton's Hymn On the Nativity,
' Such music, as 'tis said,
Before was never made,
But when of old the sons of morning
sung,
While the Creator great
His constellations set,
And the well-balanced world on
hinges hung,
And cast the dark foundations deep,
And bid the weltering waveB their
oozy channel keep.'
The passage has also influenced
Tennyson, who speaks of
' the matin songs, that woke
The darkness of our planet.'
In Memoriam, lxxvi
(6) The government of the
sea. 8 — 11. Had Job any share in

xxxviii. 8-r4] THE BOOK OF JOB

209

8 Or who shut up the sea with doors,
When it brake forth, 'as if it had issued out of the
womb;
9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof,
And thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 And "prescribed for it my 'decree,
And set bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further ;
And here shall thy proud waves be stayed ?
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began,
And caused the dayspring to know its place ;
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it ?
14 It is changed as clay under the seal ;
And all things stand forth 4as a garment :

1 Or, and issued 2 Heb. brake. ''
controhing the sea, when it first
broke forth as from the womb (8),
when God swaddled it with mist
and darkness (9), when He fixed its
barriers, and imprisoned it within
its bounds (10, 11) ?
The sea is here compared, to a
new-born chUd, breaking forth (for
the Hebrew word in this connexion
see Ps. xxii 10) from the womb, and
then wrapped in swaddUng clothes.
10. And prescribed for it my
decree. Better, with the margin of
R.V, brake for it my boundary.
The same substantive is used for
the boundary of the sea in xxvi. 10,
as weU as in Jer. v. 22 and Prov. viii.
29; and the verb break may refer to
the rugged, precipitous and broken
shores of the sea.
(c) The mysteries of light and
darkness. 12 — 21. Can Job sum
mon at wiU the morning Ught and
bid it shine in the dark places of
the earth, shaming those who love
deeds of darkness, and reveaUng the
world in its form and beauty (12 —

Or, boundary 4 Or, as in a garment
15) ? or what does he know of the
depths of ocean, and of the dim
world beneath ( 1 6, 1 7) ? or what of the
breadth of earth's surface (18) ? or
of the sources of light and darkness
(19, 20) ? only if his days went back
to the time of creation could he ex
plain such mysteries as these (21).
12. since thy days began. Cf.
ver. 21.
13. the ends of the earth, Ut. the
wings of the earth : the same phrase
as in xxxvii 3.
And the wicked be shaken out of
it. The dawn is poetically conceived
as seizing by the corners the cover
ing of darkness that lay like a pall
over the earth, and shaking out the
wicked from it.
14. It is changed as clay under
the seal. Another striking figure.
As the dawn spreads over the earth,
its face seems to take shape and
form beneath it as its outline is
revealed, as clay takes shape under
the impress of the seal.
And aU things stand forth as a
14

210 THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxviii. 15-23
15 And from the wicked their light is withholden,
And the high arm is broken.
16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea ?
Or hast thou walked in the 'recesses of the deep ?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee ?
Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death ?
18 Hast thou comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Declare, if thou knowest it all.
19 Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
And as for darkness, where is the place thereof ;
20 That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof,
And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house
thereof ?
21 Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born,
And the number of thy days is great !
22 Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow,
Or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
Against the day of battle and war ?
1 Or, search
garment. A further figure, probably sends in His wrath upon the earth
referring to the revelation of colour (22, 23) ? What does he know of
made by the dawn; the various the laws according to which the
objects on the earth being compared light is diffused, and the east wind
to a rich variegated garment with spread abroad (24) ? Has he had
which the earth is clothed. anything to do with clearing a track
15. And from the wicked their for the storm of rain, or for the'
light is withholden. Cf. xxiv. 17, lightning, when God brings the rain
the light of the wicked is the dark- on the waste deserts and clothes
ness, for the 'morning is to them as them with verdure (25 — 27) ? Can
the shadow of death.' he produce at wiU the rain, or the
1 7. Have the gates of death been dew, or the ice, or the frost which con-
revealed unto thee. ..the gates of tlie geals the face of the deep (28 — 30) ?
shadow of death ? The realm of 22. Hast thou, entered the trea-
death or Hades here, as elsewhere, suries of the snow ? For the same
is conceived as a strong place with idea, viz. of God's storehouses for
gates and bolts and bars, situated the forces of nature, cf. Deut. xxvui
beneath the depths of the sea. Cf. 12 ; Ps. cxxxv. 7; Jer. x. 13 ; li 16.

xvii. 16, where see note. 23. Which I have
(d) Snow and hail, rain and against the time of trouble. The
frost. 22 — 30. Has Job inspected thought of this verse may be illus-
the storehouses where God keeps trated from Josh. x. 11; Ps. xviii.
the snow and the hail which He 13, 14; lxviii. 14.

xxxviii. 24-30] THE BOOK OF JOB

211

24 'By what way is the light parted,
Or the east wind scattered upon the earth ?
25 Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood,
Or a way for the lightning of the thunder ;
26 To cause it to rain on a land jvhere no man is ;
On the wilderness, wherein there is no man ;
27 To satisfy the waste and desolate ground ;
And to cause the 2 tender grass to spring forth ?
28 Hath the rain a father ?
Or who hath begotten the drops of dew ?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice ?
And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath 'gendered it ?
30 The waters 4are hidden as with stone,
And the face of the deep "is frozen.
1 Or, Which is the way to the place where the light is etc. 2 Or, greensward
3 Or, given it birth * Or, are congealed like stone 6 Heb. cohereth.

24. By what way is the light
parted. Except for the verb the
clause is identical with that in ver.
19, and after the question put there
it seems scarcely likely that the one
here should run in almost identical
terms, which is the way to the place
where the light is parted ? Either
then we must take the question as
in A.V. and R.V. and suppose way
to refer to the manner in which the
light is parted (so DeUtzsch), or we
must suppose that there is a textual
error. The lxx instead of light
give hoar-frost (naxvrj).
25. Who hath cleft a channel
for the waterflood ? The next clause
seems to indicate that the water-
flood is not a river, but rather a
downpour of rain, for which a chan
nel is supposed to be made in the

Or a way for the lightning of the
thunder, repeated from xxviii. 26.
26. ' Not merely for the purposes
of His rule among men does God

direct the changes of the weather
contrary to human foresight; His
care extends also to regions where
no human habitations are found.'
Delitzsch. 28. Hath the rain a father ? i.e.
a human father. Can a mere man
like Job produce it ?
30. The waters are hidden as
with stone. Better, with the margin
of the R.V, The waters are con
gealed like stone.
(e) The stars, the lightning
and clouds. 31 — 38. What power
has Job to control the movements
of the constellations (31, 32), or what
does he know of the laws that govern
the heavens (33) ? Can he summon
the clouds at will, or send forth the
lightnings to do his bidding (34, 35) ?
Can he supply the masses of clouds,
and the meteors of heaven with in
telligence to carry out his behests
(36) ? Or can he regulate the clouds,
and bring rain at will in torrents
upon the earth (37, 38) ?
14—2

212

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxviii. 31-37

31 Canst thou bind the 'cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the bands of Orion ?
32 Canst thou lead forth 2the Mazzaroth in their season ?
Or canst thou guide the Bear with her 'train ?
33 Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens ?
Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth ?
34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds,
That abundance of waters may cover thee ?
35 Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go,
And say unto thee, Here we are ?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the 4inward parts ?
Or who hath given understanding to the 'mind ?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom ?
Or who can "pour out the bottles of heaven,
1 Or, chain Or, sweet influences * Or, the signs of the Zodiac
8 Heb. sons. * Or, dark clouds " Or, meteor 6 Heb. cause to lie down.

31. Canst thou bind the cluster
of the Pleiades. Of the four names
mentioned in this and the following
verse, three, viz. Kimah (the Plei
ades), K'sil (Orion), and Ash or
Ayish (the Bear), have been already
mentioned in ix. 9, where see note.
The fourth, viz. the Mazzaroth, is
of uncertain meaning (the lxx, like
the English versions, leaves it un
translated, Ma(ovpei8. The Vulg.
has Lucifer, the Targum the plan
ets). A word of similar sound,
Mazzaloth, occurs in 2 Kings xxiii.
5, with the meaning of the planets,
or the signs of the zodiac (hence
R.V. marg. here),, and some have
thought that the word before us is
only another form of this. It ap
pears, however, impossible to deter-
minethe meaning precisely. Another
word of uncertain import is that
translated in the R.V. cluster. The
A.V. sweet influences (as if it re
ferred to the supposed influence of
the stars on the lives of men) is

certainly wrong. Bands or chain
is more probably the meaning (so
lxx. 8eerp6v, and Targ.).
36. Who hath put wisdom in
the inward parts ? or who hath
given understanding to tlie mind ?
The verse is obscure, but the English
versions can hardly be correct, as it
is inconceivable that the reference
can be to the heart of man, for the
subject of the heavenly forces is
continued in the next verse. The
context then imperatively demands
some reference to it here. The word
rendered inward parts only occurs
again in Ps. li. 6, where it certainly
has this meaning; but here it is
best to take it of the layers of cloud
(the root signifying to overspread,
or overlay), so R.V. marg. dark
clouds. The word translated mind
is found nowhere else, and its mean
ing must be conjectural Meteor of
the R.V. marg. is perhaps as likely
as any of the renderings suggested.
37. Who can number the clouds

xxxviii. 38-xxxix. 2] THE BOOK OF JOB
38 When the dust runneth into a mass,
And the clods cleave fast together ?
39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness ?
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they couch in their dens,
And abide in the covert to lie in wait ?
41 Who provideth for the raven his food,
When his young ones cry unto God,
And wander for lack of meat ?

213

XXXIX. 1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats
of the rock bring forth ?
Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve ?
2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil ?
Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth ?

by wisdom? i.e. who can count
them, so as to dispense them in due
proportion. Or who can pour out the bottles
of heaven? The verb UteraUy means
cause to lie down, which the A.V.
takes as equivalent to stay. The
R. V. pour out is however correct.
XXXVIII. 39— XXXIX. 30. The
wonders of animate nature.
(a) Introductory allusion to
birds and beasts of prey, xxxviii.
39 — 41. Can Job undertake to
provide the ravenous beasts of prey
with food, or to satisfy the wants of
the ravens (39 — 41)?
39, 40. The lion, cf. Ps. civ. 21.
On the various names for lion in
Hebrew see the note on iv. 10.
41. the raven. 'The raven is
repeatedly cited as manifesting the
goodness and care of God for His
lower creatures. Not only is its
home in desolate places, but its food
is scanty and precarious, and must
be sought out over a wide extent of
country, as may be seen by its habit
of flying restlessly about in constant

search of food.' Tristram, Nat. Hist.
of the Bible, p. 199. Cf. the allu
sions in Ps. cxlvii. 9; S. Luke xii.
24. (b) The wild goats, xxxix. 1—4.
What does Job know of the mys
teries connected with the birth of
the wild goat or of the fawn (1, 2) ?
The young are brought forth without
the help or observation of man :
they thrive, and presently leave their
dams, needing their care no longer
(3, 4).
1. the wild goats of the rock,
cf. Ps. civ. 18. The creature re
ferred to is a species of ibex, and
though familiar with the animal, the
Jews 'knew but little of its habits
owing to its extreme wariness and
wildness' (Tristram, p. 95). Hence
the mention of it here.
canst thou mark when the hinds
do calve ? The shyness and timidity
of the deer was evidently proverbial.
Cf. Ps. xxix. 9.
3. They cast out their sorrows.
The parallelism makes it clear, that
their 'sorrows' refer to their off-

214

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XXXIX. ,3-9

3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young,
They cast out their sorrows.
4 Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up in the
open field ;
They go forth, and 'return not again.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free ?
Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass ?
6 Whose house I have made the wilderness,
And the salt land his dwelling place.
7 He scorneth the tumult of the city,
Neither heareth he the shoutings of the 'driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searcheth after every green thing.
9 Will the ' wild-ox be content to serve thee ?
Or will he abide by thy crib ?
1 Or, return not unto them 2 Or, taskmaster ' See Num. xxiii. 22.

spring. The figure is found else
where in poetry. Cf. Euripides,
Ion, 1. 45, dbiva pfyai.
4. they grow up in the open
field. This rendering is decidedly
to be preferred to that of the A.V,
with com.
(c) The wild ass, 5—8. Was it
Job who sent forth the wild ass to
claim his liberty in the wilderness
(5, 6) ? Is it his doing that this
creature shuns thev habitations of
men, and is untamed by man, rang
ing the mountains at will in search
of his pasture (7, 8) ?
5. Who hath sent out the wild
ass free? There are various allu
sions in different parts of the O.T.
to the ' wild and untameable nature
of this animal ; to its extreme shy
ness and wariness, its fleetness, and
its abode in the most desolate and
barren deserts.' See xxiv. 5 ; Is.
xxxii. 14 ; Jer. ii. 24 ; xiv. 6 ; Hos.
viii. 9; Dan. v. 21; and cf. Tristram,
p. 41.

7, 8. There seems to be an im
plied contrast in these verses be
tween the habits of the wild ass and
those of his domesticated brother.
(d) The wild ox, 9—12. Will
the wild ox obey Job or do his
bidding (9) ? Can Job yoke him to
his plough or harrow (10) ? and will
he trust him to labour for him with
the docility of the domesticated ox
(11,12)? 9. Will the wild-ox be content
to serve thee ? The unfortunate ren
dering of the A.V. the unicorn
comes from the lxx. povoKepms.
Aquila has rhinoceros, 'the nearest
approach to a unicorn that exists in
the world of reality' (Davidson).
So also Jerome in the Vulgate, and
the Targum : but allusions elsewhere,
e.g. Deut. xxxiii, 17 ; Ps. xxii. 21,
make it clear that a two-horned
animal is intended, and there is
now a general consent among ex
positors that the reem of the O.T.
is the wild ox. See the interesting

xxxix. 10-14] THE BOOK OF JOB

215

10 Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow ?
Or will he harrow the valleys after thee ?
11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great ?
Or wilt thou leave to him thy labour ?
12 Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy

And gather the corn of thy threshing-floor ?
13 The wing of the ostrich rejoiceth ;
But are her pinions and feathers 'kindly?
14 For she leaveth her eggs on the earth,
And warmeth them in the dust,
1 Or, -like the stork's

discussion in Tristram, p. 146
seq. Or will he abide by thy crib? the
crib as in Prov. xiv. 4 and Is. i. 3
is simply the manger.
(«) The ostrich, 13—18. The
ostrich may proudly rear herself
aloft, but what of her disposition
(13) ? Her eggs are left in the dust
in heedlessness of what may happen
to them (14, 15). She is lacking in
the instincts of motherhood because
God has never imparted them to
her (16, 17). But in other qualities
she excels, and when she rouses
herself to flight she can outstrip the
fleetest horse and his rider (18).
13. The wing of the ostricfy
rejoiceth ; but are her pinions and
featliers kindly? The A.V. Gavest
thou the goodly wings unto the
peacocks ? or wings and feathers
unto the ostrich? is certainly wrong.
The Hebrew word for peacocks is
quite different from that which
occurs here, and it is clear that the
rendnim mentioned here are os
triches. In the second clause the
word rendered kindly may also be
translated 'like the stork's' (so R.V.
marg.), the stork being proverbial

for its kindly, affectionate nature
(cf. Tristram, p. 244), so different
from that of the ostrich as here
described in accordance with popu
lar belief.
14. For she leaveth her eggs on
the earth, and warmeth them in
the dust. Dr Tristram writes on
this as follows : ' The ostrich is poly
gamous, and several hens deposit
their eggs in one place — a hole in
the sand. The eggs are then cover
ed over, and left during the heat of
the day, but in the colder regions
at any rate, as in the Sahara, the
birds sit regularly during the night,
and until the sun has full power,
the male also incubating. But the
ostrich lays an immense number of
eggs, far more than are ever hatched,
and round the covered eggs are to
be found many dropped carelessly,
as if she forgot that the frost might
crack them, or the wild beast might
break them. But most naturalists
confirm the statement of the natives,
that the eggs on the surface are left
in order to afford sustenance to the
newly-hatched chicks, which could
not otherwise find food at first in
these arid regions,' p. 237. This

216

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxix. 15-19

15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them,
Or that the wild beast may trample them.
16 She 'is hardened against her young ones, as if they were
not hers :
Though her labour be in vain, she is without fear ;
17 Because God hath 2 deprived her of wisdom,
Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
18 What time she 'lifteth up herself on high,
She scorneth the horse and his rider.
19 Hast thou given the horse his might?
Hast thou clothed his neck with "the quivering mane?
1 Or, dealeth hardly with 2 Heb. made her to forget wisdom.
3 Ox, rouseth herself up to flight 4 Heb. shaking.

passage may show how natural was
the popular belief in the cruelty
and folly of the ostrich to which
reference is here made. Cf. a simi
lar allusion to her cruelty in Lam.
iv. 3, 'Even the jackals draw out
the breast, they give suck to their
young ones : the daughter of my
people is become cruel, like the os
triches in the wilderness.'
18. What time she lifteth up
herself on high, referring of course
to the movement of the ostrich, 'half
running, half flying,' by which it
covers the ground with incredible
speed, calculated by Dr Livingstone
at twenty-six miles an hour.
She scorneth the horse and his
rider. This verse forms the natural
transition to the next subject.
(/) The war-horse, 19—25.
Does the horse owe to Job his
might, and his tossing mane (19)?
Is Job the creator of this glorious
creature, who bounds forward, and
snorts and paws the ground in his
fury (20, 21), fearlessly eager for the
fray, rejoicing in the battle in spite
of the missiles that are flashing and
hurtling around (22, 23) and excited

by the sound of the trumpet (24, 25) ?
As illustrating this famous descrip
tion both Delitzsch and Davidson
quote from Layard's Discoveries,
p. 330, the following: 'Although
docile as a lamb, and requiring no
other guide than the halter, when
the Arab mare hears the war-cry of
the tribe (cf. verse 25) and sees the
quivering spear of her rider (cf.
verse 23), her eyes glitter with fire,
her blood-red nostrils open wide,
her neck is nobly arched, and her
tail and mane are raised and spread
out to the wind (cf. verse 19). A
Bedouin proverb says that a high
bred mare when at fuU speed should
hide her rider between her neck and
her tail.' Reference should also be
made to the spirited description in
Virgil, Georgics, in. IL 77 — 88.
19. Hast thou clothed his neck
with the quivering mane ? This
translation is probably correct, but
the single word rendered quiver
ing mane literally means shaking.
Thunder of the A.V. is a not
unnatural mistake, as the word is
almost identical with that so ren
dered in verse 25.

xxxix. 20-27] THE BOOK OF JOB 217
20 Hast thou made him to leap as a locust ?
The glory of his snorting is terrible.
21 aHe paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength :
He goeth out to meet 2the armed men.
22 He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed ;
Neither turneth he back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth 'against him,
The flashing spear and the javelin.
24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage ;
4 Neither believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet.
25 As oft as the trumpet soundeth he saith, Aha I
And he smelleth the battle afar off,
The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26 Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom,
And stretch her wings toward the south ?
27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command,
And make her nest on high ?
1 Heb. They paw. * Or, the weapons 3 Or, upon
4 Or, Neither standeth he still at etc.
20. Hast thou made him to leap (a) The hawk and eagle, 26 —
as a locust? Much to be preferred 30. Is it by Job's wisdom and
to the rendering of the A.V, Canst direction that the hawk spreads its
thou make him afraid as a grass- wings and migrates southwards (26)?
hopper ? For the comparison of or that the eagle soars aloft to her
locusts to horses, see Joel ii. 4; eyrie in the crags (27, 28)? whence
Rev. ix. 7. she spies out the far-off prey, and
24. Neither believeth he that it swoops down on it (29, 30).
is the voice of the trumpet. If this 26. Doth the hawk soar by thy
rendering is correct it must mean wisdom? The hawk is a general
that 'he hardly trusts his ears for term for smaller birds of prey, cf.
gladness ' (Davidson), cf. xxix. 24, Lev. xi. 16 ; Deut. xiv. 15 ; and see
but it is better to translate (with R.V. Tristram, p. 189.
marg.) neither standeth he still at And stretch her wings toward
the sound of the trumpet, and refer the south, referring to the migratory
it to the impatience of the war- habits of such birds.
horse for the fray, and the impossi- 27. Doth the eagle mount up at
bility of holding him in. Cf. Virgil : thy command ? The eagle of Scrip-
' Turn si qua sonum procul arma ture (cf. ix. 26) is, as Tristram shows,
dedere, Stare loco nescit, micat properly the griffon-vulture (to be
auribus, et tremit artus.' Georg. in. carefuUy distinguished from the dis-
1. 82. gusting Egyptian vulture), and 'so

218

THE BOOK OF JOB [xxxix. 28-XL. 3

28 She dwelleth on the rock, and hath her lodging there,
Upon the crag of the rock, and the strong hold.
29 From thence she spieth out the prey ;
Her eyes behold it afar off.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood :
And where the slain are, there is she.
XL. 1 Moreover the Loed answered Job, and said,
2 Shall he that cavilleth contend with the Almighty ?
He that argueth with God, let him answer it.
3 Then Job answered the Lobd, and said,

far from conveying the idea of a
repulsive bird to the Oriental mind,
has been universally adopted as the
type of the lordly and noble,' p. 172.
29. From thence she spieth out
the prey; her eyes behold it afar
off. 'The power of vision in the
eagle is amazing, almost incredible.
No sooner does a kid fall in the
wilderness among the thick bushes,
than some of these keen-sighted
hunters after prey notice it from
their pathway in mid-heaven, and
circUng round and round, they
pounce down upon it and bear it
away to their nest. This appears
to be done purely by sight.' Thom
son, The Land and the Book, p. 175.
Cf. Tristram, p. 169.
30. Her young ones also suck
up blood. Cf. Prov. xxx. 17, 'The
eye that mocketh at his father, and
despiseth to obey his mother, the
ravens of the valley shall pick it out,
and the young eagles shaU eat it.'
And where the slain are, there is
she. 'Although this is a habit it
shares with the eagle, yet no eagles
congregate like the griffon ; and
while the latter may be seen by hun
dreds, the less conspicuous eagles
are only to be counted by a few in
dividuals here and there.' Tristram,

p. 175. This verse may well have
been in our Lord's mind when He
said, ' Wheresoever the carcase is,
there will the eagles be gathered
together,' S. Matt. xxiv. 28, cf. Rev.
xix. 17, 18.
XL. 1—5. Conclusion and re
sult of the speech.
1, 2. The speech now at the close
reverts to the point at which it
began, cf. xxxviii. 1 — 3, and Job
'the caviller' is asked whether he
really wishes to contend with God ;
if so, let him answer it.
3 — 5. But the panorama of cre
ation, and the pointed question
addressed to him have done their
work. Job acknowledges his little
ness, and confesses his inability to
answer. 'The God who sets bounds
to the sea, who refreshes the desert,
who feeds the ravens, who cares for
the gazelle in the wilderness and
the eagle in its eyrie, is the same
God Who now causes him seemingly
thus unjustly to suffer. But if the
former is worthy of adoration, the
latter will also be so. Therefore
Job confesses that he wUl hence
forth keep silence, and solemnly
promises that he will now no longer
contend with Him.' Delitzsch.

XL. 4-9] THE BOOK OF JOB 219
4 Behold, I am of small account ; what shall I answer thee ?
I lay mine hand upon my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken, and I will not answer ;
Yea twice, but I will proceed no further.
5. Once have I spoken... yea note on v. 19.
twice; i.e. repeatedly. See the
XL. 6— XLI. 34. Second speech of the Almighty.
On the purpose of this speech see above, p. 206. It may be analysed
thus: (1) Introductory challenge to Job to undertake the rule of the
world. 6 — 14.
(2) Description of Behemoth. 15 — 24.
(3) Description of Leviathan, ch. xU.
The elaborate descriptions of these two Egyptian monsters are intro
duced to show Job how little capable he is of governing the world. If he
could not even draw a cord through the nose of Behemoth, or touch
Leviathan with impunity, how could he expect to stand before God?
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and
said,
7 Gird up thy loins now like a man :
I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
8 Wilt thou even disannul my judgement ?
Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified ?
9 Or hast thou an arm like God ?
And canst thou thunder with a voice like him ?
6 — 14. Introductory challenge his wrath, and see if he is able to
to Job to undertake the rule of bring low the proud and haughty,
the world. Again the Almighty or destroy the wicked (10 — 13).
begins by bidding Job stand up to Then wUl God be ready to acknow-
Him and answer His challenge (6, ledge him, and admit his power to
7). Is he prepared to dispute God's save himself (14).
justice, and to pronounce Him wrong 7. Repeated from xxxviii 3.
in order to justify himself (8) ? Can 8. Witt thou even disannul my
he reaUy claim the strength of God, judgement ? The question seems to
or speak with the same mighty refer to the tendency which Job had
power (9)? Let him then assume shown aU along to dispute God's
the prerogatives of God, put on all justice,, to break or deny His rec-
the majesty he can, and pour forth titude.

220

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XL.

-15

10 Deck thyself now with excellency and dignity ;
And array thyself with honour and majesty.
11 Pour forth the overflowings of thine anger :
And look upon every one that is proud, and abase him.
12 Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low ;
And tread down the wicked where they stand.
13 Hide them in the dust together ;
Bind their faces in the hidden place.
14 Then will I also confess of thee
That thine own right hand can save thee.
15 Behold now 'behemoth, which I made with thee ;
He eateth grass as an ox.
1 That is, the hippopotamus.

10. array thyself with honour
and majesty. The very same words
are used of God in Ps. civ. 1,
' Thou art clothed with honour and
majesty,' and cf. Ps. xcvi. 6, where
honour and majesty are similarly
spoken of as attributes of God.
These parallels show that the verse
before us is intended as a chal
lenge to Job to assume the prero
gatives of God.
11. look upon every one that is
proud, and abase him. Cf. Is. ii.
11—17. 13. Hide them in the dust to
gether. Cf. Is. ii. 10, 'Hide thee
in the dust.'
Bind their faces in the hidden
place. The hidden place is prob
ably the darkness of Sheol. Thus
the verse means destroy them body
and soul in death.
14. That thine own right hand
can save thee. Cf. the similar lan
guage used of God Himself in Ps.
xcviii. 1 ; Is. lix. 16 ; lxiii. 5.
15—24. Description of behe
moth. Let Job regard the great
Egyptian mouster the hippopotamus,

which is the creation of God exactly
as he is (15). Let him mark well
his extraordinary strength, his iron
frame and huge limbs (16 — 18).
This great beast is the mightiest of
God's creation, and God has pro
vided him with teeth like a great
sword wherewith he sweeps the hill
sides for his food (19, 20), though
his favourite resort is to be found in
the marshes and the bed of the
river, where he lies under the shadow
of the lotus trees and willows (21,
22) heedless of the rising and over
flowing of the river (23). What man
is there that can take him when he
is on the alert, or lead him captive
with his nose pierced with a hook
(24)? 16. Behold now behemoth. The
ancient versions either leave the
name untranslated (as the Vulgate
and Syriac), or render by some
general term for beasts (as the lxx
Bnpia, and Aquila and Theodotion
Krr/vn). Older expositors for the
most part thought of the elephant :
but it has been generally agreed
since the days of Bochart that the

XL. 16-19]

THE BOOK OF JOB

221

16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins,
And his force is in the muscles of his belly.
17 He moveth his tail like a cedar :
The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are as tubes of brass ;
His "limbs are like bars of iron.
19 He is the chief of the ways of God :
2He only that made him can make his sword to approach
unto him.

Or, ribs

2 Or, He that made him hath furnished him with his sword

hippopotamus is intended, and the
description corresponds so closely
with the reality that there can be
httle doubt that this is correct (see
however the note at the end of
xii.). The name behemoth is in form
the plural of the word for ' beasts,'
but it has been widely thought that
here it is really a Hebraized form of
an Egyptian name for the hippo
potamus, p-ehe-mou, the ox of the
water (so Ewald, Delitzsch, Dill
mann, and Davidson). This is, how
ever, questioned apparently with
good reason by Cheyne (see the
Expositor for July 1897, p. 30).
But whether the name be Egyptian,
or whether as is more probable it is
an intensive plural, the beast par
excellence, it evidently stands, here
as the proper name of the brute
described. It is possible also that
in Ps. lxxiii. 22, ' I was as a beast
before thee,' we should render, 'A
behemoth was I with thee ' ; and it
has been suggested (though the
suggestion has not commended it
self to most commentators) that a
similar reference may be found in
Is. xxx. 6.
which I made with thee, i.e. it is
God's creation like Job himself.
He eateth grass as an ox. ' The
hippopotamus is strictly herbivorous

and makes sad havoc among the
rice fields and cultivated grounds
when at night he issues forth from
the reedy fens.' Tristram, p. 52.
17. He moveth his tail like a
cedar. It has been objected to the
identification of behemoth with the
hippopotamus that the tail of the
last-mentioned beast 'would surely
not have been compared to a cedar
by a truthful though poetic observer
like the author of chapters xxxviii.
xxxix' (Cheyne, Job and Solomon,
p. 56). But the comparison of the
short, stiff, muscular tail, to the
strong and elastic cedar branch
(which is probably intended) seems
really to be perfectly natural, and
need cause no difficulty.
19. He is the chief of the tcays
of God. 'Chief is literally first,
not of course in time, but in mag
nitude and power, as one of the
hugest'of creatures.
He only that made him can make
his sword to approach unto him.
A clause of very doubtful meaning,
the A.V. and R.V. follow the Targum
and Vulgate qui fecit eum applir
cabit gladium ejus. But this seems
out of place and unnatural. It is
difficult to think that the text is
correct, but taking it as it stands
the best rendering is that of R.V.

222

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XL. 20—24

20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food ;
Where all the beasts of the field do play.
21 He lieth under the lotus trees,
In the covert of the reed, and the fen.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shadow ;
The willows of the brook compass him about.
23 Behold, if a river 'overflow, he trembleth not :
He is confident, though Jordan swell even to his mouth.
24 Shall any take him when he is on the watch,
Or pierce through his nose with a snare ?
1 Or, be violent

marg. He that made him hath
furnished him with his sword.
The 'sword' in this case must be
taken to refer to the formidable
teeth with which the hippopotamus
is furnished, with which the creature
can ' cut the grass as neatly as if it
were mown with the scythe, and is
able to sever, as if with shears, a
tolerably stout and thick stem.'
Wood's Mammalia as quoted in
Tristram, p. 52.
20. Surely the mountains bring
him forth food. Again it is objected
that it is 'difficult to see how the
hippopotamus could get upon the
mountains' (Siegfried). But he is
said to search the rising grounds
near the river for his sustenance in
company with the animals of the
land (Tristram), and this is probably
what is intended.
23. Behold, if a river overflow,
he trembleth not. This (and not the
rendering of the A.V.) is correct.
The rising of the water does not
disturb the creature, as it ' lies in the
long reaches of rivers, often sinking
to the bottom for a considerable time,
and then rising to the surface, where
it lies motionless, with only its eyes

and nostrils above water ' (Tristram).
He is confident, though Jordan
swell even to his mouth. The clause
evidently means the same as the
previous one, but the mention of
Jordan is unexpected, as there is
no trace of the hippopotamus ever
having been found there. Probably
the name is introduced as a typical
specimen of a rushing river — 'though
a Jordan swell ' &c.
24. Shall any take him when he
is on the watch, or pierce through
his nose with a snare ? Here again
it has been said that the hippopo
tamus was ' habitually hunted by the
Egyptians with lance and harpoon
and was therefore no fit symbol of
indomitablepride.' But is itas a sym
bol of pride that it is introduced ?
It is rather as a symbol of strength
and might; and though the beast
undoubtedly was hunted and taken,
yet the question ' shall any take him
when he is on the watch ' is perti
nent enough. Cf. Prov. i. 17 for the
phrase rendered on the watch.
Snare apparently stands here for
the hook or cords which might be
supposed to be put through its nose
after its capture.

XLI. 1-4]

THE BOOK OF JOB

223

XLI. Description of Leviathan. The chapter falls into two parts :
(1) The impossibility of capturing and taming Leviathan, and the
moral to be drawn from it. 1—11.
(2) Description of the creature in detail. 12—34.
'XLI. 1 Canst thou draw out "leviathan with a fish
hook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord ?
2 Canst thou put "a rope into his nose ?
Or pierce his jaw through with a 4hook?
3 Will he make many supplications unto thee ?
Or will he speak soft words unto thee ?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee,
That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?

1 [Ch. xl. 25 in Heb.]
2 That is, the crocodile. 3 Heb. a rope of rushes. * Or, spike

l—ll. The impossibility of
capturing and taming leviathan,
and the moral to be drawn from
it. Can Job take the crocodUe with
a hook and cord (1, 2) ? Will the
creature come fawning on him, or
make an agreement to serve him
like a domestic animal (3, 4) ? Can
Job tame him and take him for a
pet (5) ? Can fishermen bargain
over him as they do over their fish
(6)? or can he be speared as fish
can (7)? Should any man venture
to attack him, he will have good
cause to remember it, and is not
likely to repeat the operation (8, 9).
And if man thus dare not arouse
him, what folly is it for him to expect
to stand before his Creator (10,
11)! 1. Canst thou draw out levia
than with a fish hook ? There can
be no doubt that here leviathan
means the crocodile. The name

stands fitly as a symbol of Egypt in
Ps. lxxiv. 14. Elsewhere it is used
as symbolical of the power of Baby
lon, Is. xxvii. 1 ; in Ps. civ. 26 it is
apparently used of the whale ; and
in Job iii. 8 it has stood as the name
of a mythical dragon (see note on
the passage). The word properly
means twisted or coiled. The ver
sions for the most part leave it
untranslated, though the lxx. has
hpattcav. 2. As verse 1 referred to the
impossibility of taking this huge
creature with a hook and line, so
this verse appears to allude to the
practice of passing a rope of rushes
through the gills of the fish when
taken. Job is ironically asked whe
ther he can do this with leviathan,
or hold him suspended with a hook
in his nose. The word for rope is
properly rush, and refers to a line
made of twisted rushes.

224

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XLI. 5-10

5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird ?
Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens ?
6 Shall the bands of fishermen make traffic of him ?
Shall they part him among the merchants ?
7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons,
Or his head with fish spears ?
8 Lay thine hand upon him ;
Remember the battle, and do so no more.
'9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain :
Shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him ?
10 None is so fierce that he dare stir him up :
Who then is he that can stand before me ?

1 [Ch. xii. 1 in Heb.]

5. WiU thou play with him as
with a bird? Most commentators
quote in illustration of this from
Catullus, Passer delicice mece pu-
elite. A similar phrase to the
opening words Wilt thou play with
him is found in Ps. civ. 26, ' There
is leviathan whom thou hast formed
to take his pastime therein' (R.V.
marg. to play with him), but it is
doubtful whether the meaning is the
same. 6. ShaU the bands of fishermen
make traffic of him? The word
translated bands means associates
or partners in a trade or calling, cf.
S. Luke v. 7. The word for make
traffic is the same that is translated
make merchandise in vi. 27. It is
a rare word, only occurring elsewhere
in Deut. ii. 6 ; Hos. iii. 2.
Shall they part him among the
merchants ? literally the Canaanites,
i.e. Phoenicians, who were the great
traders of antiquity. Cf. Prov. xxxi.
24 ; Zech. xiv. 21.
7. Canst thou fill his skin with
barbed irons, or his head with fish
spears ? The words for barbed irons
and spears used in this verse are

found nowhere else, but there is no
doubt about their meaning. The
fish spear is said to be much used
in the smaller streams and northern
rivers of the Lebanon. (Tristram,
p. 292.) It is obvious that it would
be useless against the crocodile.
8. Lay thine hand upon him.
The charge is of course ironical.
Let Job dare to touch him ! Such
a commotion will be raised, that he
will have good cause to remember
the battle, i.e. the struggle, and the
best advice that can be given him
is to do so no more, ie. not to
attempt to repeat the operation.
9. Behold, the hope of him is in
vain. The pronoun here apparently
refers not to leviathan but to his
assailant. His hope, i.e. the as
sailant's hope of getting the better
of him, is in vain, has turned out
deceptive. 10, 11. The moral of this. As
Delitzsch says : ' one sees from
these concluding inferences, thus
applied, what is the design, in the
connexion of this second speech of
Jehovah, of the reference to behe
moth and leviathan, which some-

XLI. n-15]

THE BOOK OF JOB

225

11 Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him?
Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
12 I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
Nor his mighty strength, nor his comely proportion.
13 Who can 'strip off his outer garment?
Who shall come within his double bridle ?
14 Who can open the doors of his face ?
2 Round about his teeth is terror.
15 His 'strong scales are his pride,
Shut up together as with a close seal.

1 Heb. uncover the face of his garment. * Or, His teeth are terrible
round about 8 Or, courses of scales Heb. channels of shields.

what abruptly began in xl. 15. If
even the strength of one of God's
creatures admits no thought of
being able to attack it, how much
more should the greatness of the
Creator deter man from all resist
ance! For no one has any claim
on God, so that he should have the
right of appearing before Him with
a rude challenge. , Every creature
under heaven is God's ; man there
fore possesses nothing that was not
God's gift, and he must humbly
yield, whatever God gives or takes
away.' Who hath first given unto me,
that I should repay him ? Ap
parently this is the origin of S.
Paul's words in Rom. xi. 35, ris
7rpoe8a>K€y avra, Kal avrairobodriersTai
avra ; and it is worth noticing that
both here and in 1 Cor. iii. 19
where he quotes Job v. 13 his
citations are taken from the Hebrew,
and not from the lxx, which has
here ris dvnerr^crcTai poi Kal inro-
pevei ;
12 — 34. Description of levia
than in detail. Job is now called
on to admire the various parts and

features of the crocodile : his terrible
jaws and teeth (13, 14); his strong
scales (15 — 17) ; the terror of his
breath (18—21) ; his lusty strength
(22 — 24) ; the dread which he in
spires (25); the futility of man's
weapons against him (26 — 29) ; his
belly and its impression on the
mud where he lies (30) ; the dis
turbance he creates in the deep
(31, 32) ; and his preeminence
among God's creatures (33, 34).
13. Who can strip off his outer
garment? literally who can uncover
the face of his garment? The
garment must refer to his scaly
coat, the question being a general
preliminary one, before the details
are touched upon in turn.
Who shall come within his double
bridle? The double bridle evi
dently signifies the upper and lower
jaws armed with powerful teeth.
15. His strong scales are his
pride. The expression in the
original for his strong scales is a
strange one, the channels of his
shields. It refers perhaps to the
furrows or indentations between
the scales of the crocodile. 15

226

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XLI. 16-

23

16 One is so near to another,
That no air can come between them.
17 They are joined one to another ;
They stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
18 His neesings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning torches,
And sparks of fire leap forth.
20 Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth,
As of a seething pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath kindleth coals,
And a flame goeth forth from his mouth.
22 In his neck abideth strength,
And terror danceth before him.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together :
They are firm upon him ; they cannot be moved.

18. His neesings flash forth light.
The picture in these verses is hyper
bolical andis intended to describe his
gleaming eyes and violent snorting.
When the creature sneezes, as it
basks in the sunshine, the hot
breath appears like a stream of
light. Neesing is merely the old
form of sneezing. Cf. Shakespeare,
And waxen in their mirth and
neeze and swear
A merrier hour was never wasted
there.
Midsummer Night's Dream, 11. 1. 56.
neesed was originally read in the
A.V. in 2 Kings iv. 35, though
modern editions since 1762 read

the eyelids of the morning, the
same expression as in iii. 9.
20. Out of his nostrils a smoke
goeth. Cox aptly quotes the fol
lowing from Bertram's Travels in
North and South Carolina. 'I
perceived a crocodile rush from
a small lake, whose banks were

covered with reeds. It puffed out
its enormous body, and reared its
tail in the air. Thick smoke came
with a thundering sound from his
nostrils. At the same time an
immense rival rose from the deep
on the opposite bank. They darted
at one another, and the water boiled
beneath them.' For the last phrase
cf. ver. 31.
As of a seething pot and burning
rushes. The A.V. here seething
pot or caldron is quite wrong
though supported by Rabbinic au
thority. The R.V. gives the true
meaning, inserting however the
word burning (which has no equi
valent in the original) to indicate
that the rushes are used as fuel.
22. terror danceth before him.
A very vivid phrase and better
than the rendering of the A.V. The
word for danceth occurs nowhere
else, but there is no doubt as to its
meaning.

XLI. 24—29],

THE BOOK OF JOB

227

24 His heart is as firm as a stone ;
Yea, firm as the nether millstone.
25 When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid :
By reason of consternation they are beside themselves.
26 If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail ;
Nor the spear, the dart, nor the 'pointed shaft.
27 He counteth iron as straw,
And brass as rotten wood.
28 The 2arrow cannot make him flee :
Slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble :
He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin.
1 Or, coat of mail * Heb. son of the bow.

24. firm as the nether millstone,
which would naturally be the harder
and even more solid than the upper
stone which lay upon it.
25. By reason of consternation
they are beside themselves. The
verb here used is employed in the
Levitical law in the sense of purify
oneself from uncleanness, Numb.
viii. 21 ; xix. 12, 13, 20 ; xxxi. 19, 20,
23. HenCe the Vulgate purgabun-
tur, and the A.V. purify themselves
in this verse. But there can be no
thought of the ceremonies of the
Law here, and the R.V. is right.
26 — 29. The futiUty of weapons
against him. ' His whole head,
back, and tail are covered with
horny, quadrangular plates, or
scales, set so closely together that
the sharpest spear can seldom find
its way through them, and even a
rifle baU glances off them if it strike
obliquely' (Cox). It has been ob
jected to the identification of levia
than with the crocodile that the
latter was attacked and killed by
the Egyptians, while in these verses
leviathan is said to laugh at his
assailants (Cheyne, Job and Solomon,

p. 57). The objection does not seem
worth much, for even if harpooning
the crocodile was practised in an
cient days, yet the broad fact as
stated above in the citation from
Cox is literally true, and is amply
sufficient to account for the poet's
language. 26. the pointed shaft. The Hebrew
word Shiryah occurs nowhere else.
The A.V. hke the ancient versions
(lxx. or rather Theodot. Bc&ped-,
Vulg. thorax, so Targ.) takes it as a
cognate form of the word Shiryon
found in 1 Kings xxii. 34 ; Is. lix. 17,
for coat of mail (habergeon, which
occurs also in the A.V. in Exod.
xxviii. 32; xxxix. 23; 2 Chr. xxvi. 14;
Neh. iv. 16, is properly a Uttle coat
of mail covering the head and
shoulders). But this seems out of
place here, as the writer is evidently
speaking of the weapons with which
leviathan is attacked. The word is
probably the equivalent of a similar
Arabic word, and means (as R.V.) a
pointed shaft or harpoon.
29. Clubs, better than darts of the
A.V. Aquila and Theodotion o-oiupat,
Symmachus acpvpa, Vulg. malleus.
15—2

228

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XLI. 30-34

30 His underparts are liice sharp potsherds :
He spreadeth as it were a threshing wain upon the mire.
31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot :
He maketh the sea like ointment.
32 He maketh a path to shine after him ;
One would think the deep to be hoary.
33 Upon earth there is not his like,
That is made without fear.
34 He beholdeth every thing that is high :
He is king over all the 'sons of pride.
1 See ch. xxviii. 8.

30. His underparts are hke
sharp potsherds. Though the scales
of the beUy are tolerably smooth,
yet those of the underside of the
huge tail are sufficiently sharp to
make the comparison apt; and
where the creature has been lying
in the morass, they leave an im
pression which may well be com
pared to the marks of a threshing
wain upon the mire. For the
threshing wain cf. Amos i. 3, where
see Driver's note in loc. (Cambridge
Bible for Schools and Colleges) with
the illustration in the additional
note on p. 227.
31, 32. The description in these
verses is very vivid. It speaks for
itself, and scarcely needs any com
mentary beyond the quotation from
Bertram's Travels given above on
ver. 20. The path which he maketh
to shine after him is the track
which he leaves as he propels
himself by his huge tail, and one
would think the deep to be hoary
because of the trail of foam upon it.
34. He beholdeth every thing that
is high, i.e. he regards such things
without fear.
the sons of pride. Cf. xxviii. 8,
where the same expression occurs.
Two questions which have been

raised concerning these descriptions
of behemoth and leviathan require
a brief notice. (1) Is the common
interpretation given above, which
identifies them with the hippo
potamus and crocodile, correct?
Cheyne in his Job and Solomon in
1887 styled them 'fancy sketches,'
and declared that 'neither behemoth
nor leviathan corresponds strictly to
any known animal,' but that they
seemed to him ' to claim a kinship
with the dragon and other imaginary
monsters of the Swiss topographers
of the sixteenth century ' (p. 55 seq.).
He now (1897) admits that they
'may, up to a certain extent, be
identified with the hippopotamus
and the crocodile,' and confesses
that in 1887 he 'slightly under
estimated the element of actuality
in the poet's description,' but he
still maintains that 'the descriptions
are hyperbolical and unpleasing if
referred to the real monsters of the
Nile,' and takes them as 'mythic
monsters' (Expositor for July 1897,
p. 32 seq.). The difficulties, however,
in the way of regarding them as
poetical descriptions of the hippo
potamus and crocodile seem very
slight. As far as behemoth is
concerned, apart from the name,

XLII. i, 2]

THE BOOK OF JOB

229

XLII. 1 Then Job answered the Lord, and said,
2 I know that thou canst do all things,
And that no purpose of thine can be restrained.

they are chiefly to be found in
verses 17, 20, and 24, where they
have been considered, and it is
thought satisfactorily answered, in
the notes ; and as to the name, to
say that if the writer had meant the
hippopotamus he would probably
have called it 'the swine of the
Nile ' is pure assumption. So far as
is known neither the hippopotamus
nor the crocodile has any proper
descriptive name in Hebrew that
the writer could have used. With
regard to the crocodile there is
really no feature in the description
which does not appear to be sub
stantially accurate. It must be
remembered that the descriptions
are poetical, and when we bear in
mind Herder's remark (cited by
Dehtzsch) that the writer does not
' mean to furnish any contributions
to Pennant' sZoologie or to Linnseus's
Animal Kingdom,' we may safely
conclude that the traditional inter
pretation is correct, and that they
are no mythical creatures which are
here described, but the actual mon
sters of the Nile as they exist, and
as the poet had probably seen them.
(2) The second question is con
cerned with the authorship of this
section. It has appeared to some
critics (as Ewald, Dillmann, Cheyne,
and Siegfried) that the descriptions
are proUx and laboured, and out of
harmony with the rest of Jehovah's
utterances, and thus that it is
improbable that they come from
the same hand as the marvellous
descriptions in the first speech of
the Almighty. It is, however, hard
to cut them out without further

alteration and rearrangement of the
text. Their removal would leave
the two speeches of Jehovah very
ill-balanced, and it cannot be con
ceded that they are out of place
where they stand. Their purpose
(as indicated above on p. 206) is
obvious and natural enough, and has
appeared so to the great majority
of commentators. Moreover, the
argument from style, if it stand
alone, is very precarious, and to the
present writer it does not appear
that the difference is sufficient to
warrant any hesitation in accepting
this section as a part of the original
poem. XLII. 1—6. The effect of
Jehovah's second speech. The
effect of this speech is that Job is
completely broken down. The first
speech had silenced him : this has
shown to him himself, for in the
light of God's greatness he sees his
own littleness together with his
folly and presumption in having
chaUenged God, and seeing this he
is humbled to the dust.
He begins by acknowledging God's
Almighty power and wisdom (1, 2),
and then, quoting God's reproach
to him, admits that he had spoken
without knowledge (3) ; and finally,
again quoting God's challenge to
him (4), confesses humbly that now
that he sees God, he knows himself,
and repents of his sin towards God
(5, 6).
2. The confession is not simply
of God's abstract might (i.e. ability
to do all things) but rather of power
directed by wisdom (that no purpose
of God can be restrained), for the

230

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XLII. 3.-6

3 'Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge ?
Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not,
Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak ;
2I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
5 I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear ;
But now mine eye seeth thee,
6 Wherefore I 'abhor myself, and repent
In dust and ashes.

1 See ch. xxxviii. 2.

1 ch. xxxviii. 3, xl. 7. ' Or, loathe my words

speeches of the Almighty have illus
trated His wisdom and goodness in
the government of the world, as well
as His power.
3. Who is this that hideth
counsel without knowledge? Job
here quotes the words of the
Almighty in xxxviii. 2. He cites,
as it were, the charge that had been
made against him, and then pleads
guilty. He has committed the folly
of pronouncing an opinion on things
that were far beyond his compre
hension, when he charged God with
injustice, and declared that there
was no moral rule in the govern
ment of the world.
4. Hear, I beseech thee, and I
will speak; I will demand of thee,
and declare thou unto me. The
second clause of this verse is another
direct citation of Jehovah's words,
and is taken from xxxviii. 3 and xl.
7, but it is difficult to know whether

in the first clause Job is himself
appealing to the Almighty to listen
while he completes his answer, or
whether, Uke the second clause, the
first is intended to summarize Je
hovah's address to him. Davidson
takes this latter view, rendering
Hear now (instead of 1 beseech thee)
as more appropriate in the mouth of
God. But the particle here used
certainly generally denotes the in-
treaty of an inferior, and the words
of this clause (unlike those of the
following one) are nowhere found in
the speeches of Jehovah. It seems
best, then, to take them as Job's
intreaty to Him.
6. Wherefore I abhor myself.
As the italics of the English versions
show, there is no object of the verb
stated in the original. It may be
left indefinite, i" abhor it, i.e. /
loathe my words, as R.V. marg.

PART V. THE EPILOGUE. CHAPTER XLII. 7—17.

The drama has now reached its conclusion, and for the sake of com
pleteness it only remains that the narrative should be satisfactorily wound
up. This is done in xlii. 7 — 17, where the writer drops the poetical form
and reverts to the plain prose of the prologue. In this epilogue Jehovah
first pronounces His verdict, condemning the friends and bidding them

xlii. 7, 8] THE BOOK OF JOB 231
offer a sacrifice, promising to pardon them at Job's intercession (7—9).
Job is accepted and restored to aU, and more than all, his former pro
sperity (10). His friends come to congratulate him (11). His flocks and
herds are increased (12). Children are born to him; and a long and
prosperous life is granted to him before his death (13—17).
It has been noticed that a sense of disappointment is sometimes felt
with regard to the speeches of the Almighty from the whirlwind. A still
deeper feeling of the same character is experienced by some persons on
reading the epilogue. That Job should be restored to earthly prosperity
and receive twice as much of this world's goods as he had before enjoyed,
while the cause of his suffering remains as great an enigma to him as ever,
may seem a tame ending to a work of such extraordinary force, and we can
hardly doubt that a modern poet would have brought the book to a ' more
inward and spiritual conclusion' (Cox). But we must bear in mind the
limitations under which the poet worked. He wrote under the conditions
of Hebrew thought, and of his own day, and we have no right to expect
modern and Christian ideas from him. Moreover the Epilogue has its
teaching for us, which we cannot afford to lose. It indicates that even in
this life God is on the side of virtue ; and the use which S. James makes of
it in reminding his hearers of ' the end of the Lord,' i.e. the end appointed
by the Lord (see Mayor on James v. 11) in connexion with the patience of
Job, in order to point the general moral of his Epistle, viz. that ' patient
endurance of affliction leads to wisdom and final happiness,' may serve to
show us that the teaching of the book would have been incomplete without
it. 7 And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these
words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite,
My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two
friends : for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is
8 right, as my servant Job hath. Now therefore, take unto
7. ye have not spoken of me the of the opposite. That denial was
thing that is right, as my servant right ; and this truthfulness was
Job hath. Job had in his agony more precious to God than the
said many blameworthy things, but untruthfulness of the friends who
he had at least kept from false were zealous for the honour of God.'
inferences with regard to God's pro- Delitzsch.
vidential government of the world my servant Job, as in the pro-
which the friends had not done, logue, i 8.
'The right in Job's speeches con- 8. Now therefore, take unto you
sisted of his having denied that seven bullocks and seven rams...
affliction is always a punishment of and offer up for yourselves a burnt
sin, and in his holding fast the offering. As in the prologue the
consciousness of his innocence, with- writer makes the offering for sin a
out suffering himself to be persuaded burnt offering, and not the technical

232

THE BOOK OF JOB

[XLII. 9-1 i

you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant
Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering ; and my
servant Job shall pray for you ; for him will I accept, that
I deal not with you after your folly; for ye have not
spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job
9 hath. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite
and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as
the Lord commanded them : and the Lord accepted Job.
10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he
prayed for his friends : and the Lord gave Job twice as
11 much as he had before. Then came there unto him all
his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had
been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with
him in his house : and they bemoaned him, and comforted
him concerning all the evil that the Lord had brought
upon him : every man also gave him a 'piece of money,
1 Heb. kesitah.

sin offering of the Law, because the
scene is laid in patriarchal times, cf.
i. 5, and see the Introd. p. xix.
Seven is the sacred number.
my servant Job shall pray for
you; for him will I accept. Cf.
Gen. xx. 7, 'Restore the man's
wife ; for he is a prophet, and he
shall pray for thee, and thou shalt
live.' 10. And the Lord turned the
captivity of Job. The phrase is
sometimes appealed to as if it in
dicated that the book belonged to
the time of the Babylonian captivity,
and that Job was intended to be a
sort of representative of the nation
of Israel. Such an inference is,
however, highly precarious, for (1)
the rendering turn the captivity is
uncertain. Many moderns would
translate turn the fortunes (taking
the word n-U?' or n,3B' as akin to
the verb SIE*, lit. turn the turn
ing, — and not as from rnt^ to lead

captive) ; and (2) the phrase" occurs
in places where there can be no
possible reference to a literal cap
tivity, as in Ezek. xvi. 53, ' I will
turn again their captivity, the cap
tivity of Sodom and her daughters,'
where it is explained immediately
afterwards by the parallel expression
'Sodom and her daughters shall
return to their former estate.' More
over (3) it is used in Amos ix. 14
and Hosea vi. 11 long before the
Babylonian captivity.
11. every man also gave him a
piece of money. As is noted in the
margin of the R.V. the Hebrew word
is kesitah, which only occurs else
where in Gen. xxxiii. 19 ; Josh. xxiv.
32, of the hundred pieces of money
which Jacob gave for the parcel of
ground at Shechem (cf. the Introd.
p. xix.) The ancient versions as a
rule render it by 'lambs' (so lxx.
Syr. Vulg. and Targ.); but this is
certainly wrong. Symmachus has

XLII. 12—17]

THE BOOK OF JOB

233

12 and every one a ring of gold. So the Lord blessed the
latter end of Job more than his beginning : and he had
fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a
13 thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. He
14 had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called
the name of the first, Jemimah ; and the name of the
second, Keziah ; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch.
15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the
daughters of Job : and their father gave them inheritance
16 among their brethren. And after this Job lived an hundred
and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even
17 four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days.

rightly vopia-pa, and it seems to
denote properly something weighed
out, and so may be used for an
uncoined piece of money, which
would fit in weU with the early date
of the transactions in connexion
with which the word occurs.
12. fourteen thousand sheep, and
six thousand camels, and a thousand
yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-
asses. The numbers are exagtly
double those given in c. i 3.
13. He had also seven sons and
three daughters. The numbers here
are the same as those of his children
before his calamities, see i 2. And
yet it is said that 'the Lord gave
Job twice as much as he had be
fore.' Is it, as Delitzsch, following
St Augustine (Sermo ad Catech.,
10), holds, that this is intended to
be so far a doubling, because his
deceased chUdren were not really
lost to him (cf. 2 Sam. xn. 23)?
'The author of this book, in every
thing to the most minute thing con

sistent, here gives us to understand
that with men who die and depart
from us the relation is different from
that with things which we have
lost' (Delitzsch).
1 4. Jemimah, possibly = a do ve ;
Keziah= cassia (cf. Ps. xlv. 8 ; Cant.
i. 3) ; Keren-happuch =hom of eye
paint. 15. their father gave them in
heritance among their brethren.
According to the Mosaic law the
daughters only inherited when there
were no sons. See Numb, xxvii. 8.
16. And Job lived an hundred
and forty years. Another indication
that the scene is laid in patriarchal
times. 17. So Job died, being old and
full of days. Cf. the accounts of
the deaths of the patriarchs, Abra
ham, Gen. xxv. 8 ; Isaac, Gen. xxxv.
29 (where the exact phrase old and
full of days occurs); and Joseph,
Gen. 1. 23, 26.

INDEX.

Abaddon, 139, 154, 170
Aben Ezra, 116
Aborigines, description of, 130, 162
Adam, possible reference to, 173
Angels, 4, 183, 208
Aquila, xxviii
Arcturus, 44
'Ascending enumeration' in Hebrew,
27, 182
Asps, 106
Augustine, 10
Barach, 3
Barachel, 176
Beer, G, xxx
Behemoth, 220
Belial, 188
Bertram's Travels, 226
Bickell1, Version of Job, xxviii
Bildad, 11 ; his first speech, 38 ; his
second, 88 ; his third, 135
Blood, unjustly shed, cries to God for
vengeance, 84
Bradley, G. G, Lectures on Job, xxx
Broom, 163
Budde, C, xxvi
Burnt offerings, 3, 231
Butler, Bp., xv, 12, 110, 176
Buzite, 176
Canaanites, 224
Captivity, to turn the, 232
Catullus, 224
Celt, origin of the word, 98
Chanelbone, 171
1 In the case of commentaries and works on Job frequently referred to it
has not been thought necessary to indicate more than the first reference in this
index.

Cheyne, T. K, 11, 56, 67, 142, 207
221, 227, 228
Cockle, 175
Constellations, reference to, 44, 212
Coral, 153
Cox, S., on Job, xxx
Crocodile, 223
Cruddled, 52
Crystal, 153
Davidson, A. B., on Job, xxx
Daysman, 49
Death = pestilence, 147
Death, the firstborn of, 91
Delitzsch, F., on Job, xxx
Dillmann, A, on Job, xxx
Dillon, E. J, Sceptics of the O. T,
xxviii, 141
Dogs, 162
Driver, S. R, x, xviii, xxi, xxvi, 33,
39, 48, 77, 92, 124, 132, 134, 142,
204, 207, 228
Duhm, D. B, 142
Eagle, 217
Egypt, 40
Elephantiasis, 10
Elihu, speeches of, xxv, 176
Eliphaz, 11 ; his first speech, 19 ;
his second, 74; his third, 119
Epilogue of Job, character and teach
ing of, xi, 230
Euripides, 117, 214
Ewald, H, on Job, xxx

INDEX

235

Folly, 10, 22
Froude, J. A, xxx
Future life, growth of a belief in, 71,
101
Gate, justice administered in the, 24,
158
Glass, 158
God, names of, in the book of Job, xx
God, sons of, 4, 208
God, the fire of, 7
Goel, 14, 99
Green, W. H, the Argument of Job,
102
Grief, signs of, 8
Grinne, 91
Hawk, 217
Herder, 229
Hinds, 213
Hindu proverb, 76
Hippopotamus, 220
Holy ones, 24
Hooker, R, 113
Horace, 27
Horn, a symbol of power, 83
Humboldt, 207
Hunger-bitten, 91
Inheritance, the law of, 233
Inspiration, xxvii, 178
Jackals, 168
Jehovah, use of the name in Job,
xxvi, 8, 155
Jemimah, 233
Jerome, on Job, xxix, 42
Job, meaning of the name, 2; four
fold trial of, 6 ; second trial of,
10 ; curse upon his day, 13 ; de
scription of his prosperity, 157;
restoration of, 231; death of, 233
Job, book of, place in the Canon, ix ;
relation to Psalms, ix ; to Proverbs,
ix, xxiii ; to Ecclesiastes, ix ; to
Isaiah, xxiv; integrity of, xxv;
structure of, x; object of, xii;
date of, xix ; historical aUusions in,
xx ; references in N. T. to, 26 ;
versions of, xxvii ; commentaries
on, xxx

Jordan, 222
Juniper, 163
Keble, J., 70
Keren-happuch, 233
Kesitah, xix, 232
Keziah, 233
Khochmah, x
Koran, the, 41, 85
Landmarks, removal of, 129
Latin versions of Job, xxviii
Layard's Discoveries, 216
Leprosy, 10, 85, 165
Leviathan, 15, 223
Lightfoot, J, 36
Lion, Hebrew words for, 20
Lucan, 48
Magnificat, allusions to Job in the, 26
Mallows, 163
Martensen, H, 6
Massorah, the, 33
Mazzaroth, 212
Merx, A, edition of Job, xxx
Meteors, 212
Michaelis, J., 153
MUton, 15, 22, 28, 54, 208
Mining, description of, 149
Morning stars, the, 208
Mozley, J. B, xxx
Mythological ideas in Job, 15, 45,
140, 160
Naamathite, 11
Nephew, 92
Nettles, 163
Newman, J. H, 149
Oehler, G, x, 6
Ophir, 123, 153
Origen, xxvii
Original sin, 69
Orion, 44, 212
Ostrich, 168, 215
Papyrus, 40
Peschito Version of Job, xxviii
Phoenix, the, 160
Pledges, the law of, 120, 129
Pleiades, the, 44, 212

236

INDEX

Pliny, 48, 106, 151, 172
Priests, reference to in Job, 63
Prologue to Job, purpose of, 12
Psalm cvii, paraUels to Job in, 63
Pyramids, possible reference to in
Job, 17
Rahab, 45, 140
Ram, 176
Ransom, 183, 197
Raven, 213
Redeemer, 99
Beem, 214
Renan, E., xxvi, 38
Rephaim, 138
Revised Version of Job; xxix
Robertson-Smith, W, 84
Sabeans, 6
Salt-wort, 163
Sapphires, 153
Satan, 4
Septuagint Version of Job, xxvii
Shakespeare, 12, 30, 53, 66, 91, 105,
106, 133, 226
Sheba, 33
Sheol, 36, 88
Shuhite, 11
Siegfried, C, edition of Job, xxx
Sirocco, 203
Smith, G. A, 15
Sophocles, 13, 15
Strike hands, to, 86
Sudden death, 113
Symmachus, xxviii
Tabret, 86
Talmud, the, xx

Targum on Job, the, xxviii
Tav, 174
Tema, 33
Temanite, 11
Tennyson, A., xviii, 28, 161, 208
Thackeray, W. M, 115
Theodotion, xxviii
Thomson, W. M. , The Land and the
Book, 17, 79, 132, 147, 186, 203, 218
Tikkune Sopherim, 33, 177
Topaz, 154
Torah, 123
Treasure, hid, 17
Tristram, H. B., Natural History of
the Bible, 107, 162, 163, 168, 175,
213, 214, 215, 217, 222, 224
Unicorn, 214
Dz, the land of, 1
VirgU, 216, 217
Visions, 21, 182
Visitation of the sick, 28
War-horse, 216
Watson, R. A, 50
Wealth, 113
Wetzstein, J. G, 10
Wild ass, 30, 214
Wild goat, 213
Wild ox, 214
Wisdom, Hebrew idea of, ix
Wordsworth, W, 179
Worship of the heavenly bodies, 172
Zophar, 11 ; his first speech, 55 ; his
second, 104; theory of a missing
speech of, 141

cambridob: teinted by j. b. Peace, h.a., at the cnivebsity peess.