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Job Chapter
Seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JOB 7
In
this chapter Job goes on to defend himself in an address to God; as that he had
reason to complain of his extraordinary afflictions
and wish for death; by
observing the common case of mankind
which he illustrates by that of an
hireling
Job 7:1; and
justifies his eager desire of death by the servant and hireling; the one
earnestly desiring the shadow
and the other the reward of his work
Job 7:2; by
representing his present state as exceeding deplorable
even worse than that of
the servant and hireling
since they had rest at night
when he had none
and
were free from pain
whereas he was not
Job 7:3; by taking
notice of the swiftness and shortness of his days
in which he had no hope of
enjoying any good
Job 7:6; and so
thought his case hard; and the rather
since after death he could enjoy no
temporal good: and therefore to be deprived of it while living gave him just
reason of complaint
Job 7:8; and then
he expostulates with God for setting such a strict watch upon him; giving him
no ease night nor day
but terrifying him with dreams and visions
which made
life disagreeable to him
and death more eligible than that
Job 7:12; and
represents man as unworthy of the divine regard
and below his notice to bestow
favours on him
or to chastise him for doing amiss
Job 7:17; and
admitting that he himself had sinned
yet he should forgive his iniquity
and
not bear so hard upon him
and follow him with one affliction after another
without intermission
and make him the butt of his arrows; but should spare him
and let him alone
or however take him out of the world
Job 7:19.
Job 7:1 “Is
there not a time of hard service for man on earth? Are not his days
also like the days of a hired man?
YLT
1Is there not a warfare to
man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?
Is there not an
appointed time to man upon earth?.... There is a set time
for his coming into the world
for his continuance in it
and for his going out
of it; this is to man "on earth"
with respect to his being and abode
here
not in the other world or future state: not in heaven; there is no
certain limited time for man there
but an eternity; the life he will enter
into is everlasting; the habitation
mansion
and house he will dwell in
are
eternal; saints will be for ever with Christ
in whose presence are pleasures
for evermore: nor in hell; the punishment there will be eternal
the fire will
be unquenchable and everlasting
the smoke of the torments of the damned will
ascend for ever and ever; but men's days and time on earth are but as a shadow
and soon gone; they are of the earth
earthly
and return unto it at a fixed
appointed time
time
the bounds of which cannot be passed over: this is true
of mankind in general
and of Job in particular; see Job 14:1; the word
"Enosh"F9לאנוש
"mortali"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "misero et
aerumnoso homini"
Michaelis.
here used
signifies
as is commonly
observed
a frail
feeble
mortal man; Mr. Broughton renders it "sorrowful
man"; as every man more or less is; even a man of sorrows
and acquainted
with griefs
is attended with them
has an experience of them: this is the
common lot of mankind; and if anything more than ordinary is inflicted upon
them
they are not able to bear it; and these sorrows death at the appointed
time puts an end to
which makes it desirable; now
seeing there is a set time
for every man's life on earth
and there was for Job's
of which he was well
assured; and
by all appearance of things
and by the symptoms upon him
this
time was near at hand; therefore it should not be thought a criminal thing in
him
considering his extraordinary afflictions
and which were intolerable
that he should so earnestly wish the time was come; though in his more serious
thoughts he determined to wait for it: some render the words
"is there
not a warfare are for men on earth?"F11צבא
"militia"
Montanus
Tigurine version
Schultens; so V. L. Targum.
the word being so rendered elsewhere
particularly in Isaiah 40:2; every
man's state on earth is a state of warfare; this is frequently said by the
stoic philosophersF12Vid. Gataker. Anotat. in M. Antonin. de seipso
p. 77
78. ; even so is that of natural and unregenerate men
who are often
engaged in war with one another
which arise from the lusts which war in their
members; and especially with the people of God
the seed of the woman
between
whom and the seed of the serpent there has been an enmity from the beginning;
and with themselves
with the troubles of life
diseases of body
and various
afflictions they have to conflict and grapple with: and more especially the
life of good men here is a state of warfare
not only of the ministers of the
word
or persons in public office
but of private believers; who are good
soldiers of Christ
enter volunteers into his service
fight under his banners
and themselves like men; these have many enemies to combat with; some within
the corruptions of hearts
which war against the spirit and law of their minds
which form a company of two armies in militating against each other; and others
without
as Satan and his principalities and powers
the men the world
false
teachers
and the like: and these are properly accoutred for such service
having the whole armour of God provided for them; and have great encouragement
to behave manfully
since they may be sure of victory
and of having the crown
of righteousness
when they have fought the good fight of even though they are
but frail
feeble
mortal
sinful men
but flesh and blood
and so not of
themselves a match for their enemies; but they are more than so through the
Lord being on their side
Christ being the Captain of their salvation
and the
Spirit of God being in them greater than he that is in the world; and besides
it is only on earth this warfare is
and will soon be accomplished
the last
enemy being death that shall be destroyed: now this being the common case of
man
to be annoyed with enemies
and always at war with them
if
besides this
uncommon afflictions befall him
as was Job's case
this must make life
burdensome
and death
which is a deliverance from them
desirable; this is his
argument: some choose to render the words
"is there not a servile
condition for men on earth"F13"Conditio servilis"
Schmidt. the word being used of the ministry and service of the Levites
Numbers 4:3; all
men by creation are or ought to be the servants of God; good men are so by the
grace of God
and willingly and cheerfully serve him; and though the great work
of salvation is wrought out by Christ for them
and the work of grace is
wrought by the Spirit of Christ in them
yet they have work to do in their day
and generation in the world
in their families
and in the house of God; and
which
though weak and feeble in themselves
they are capable of doing
through
Christ
his Spirit
power
and grace: and this is only on earth; in the grave
there is no work
nor device
nor knowledge; when the night of death comes
no
man can work; his service
especially his toilsome service
is at an end; and
as it is natural for servants to wish for the night
when their labours end
Job thought it not unlawful in him to wish for death
which would put an end to
his toils and labours
and when he should have rest from them:
are not his days also
like the days plan hireling? the time for which a servant is hired
whether it be for a day or for a year
or more
it is a set time; it is fixed
settled
and determined in the agreement
and so are the days of man's life on
earth; and the of an hireling are few at most
the time for which he is hired
is but and as the days of an hireling are days of toil
and labour
and sorrow
so are the days of men evil as well as few; his few days are full of trouble
Genesis 47:9; all
this and what follows is spoken to God
and not to his friends
as appears from
Job 7:7.
Job 7:2 2 Like a servant who
earnestly desires the shade
And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his
wages
YLT
2As a servant desireth the
shadow
And as a hireling expecteth his wage
As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow
.... Either
the shadow of some great rock
tree
or hedge
or any shady place to shelter
him from the heat of the sun in the middle of the day
which in those eastern
countries is hot and scorching; and very burdensome and fatiguing it is for
servants and labourers to work in fields and vineyards
or in keeping herds and
flocks in such countries
and at such a time of the day; to which the allusion
is in Song of Solomon 1:7
Isaiah 25:4.
Wherefore they "gape" for
or "pant" after some shady place
for refreshment
as the wordF14ישאף
"anhelabit"
Montanus
Bolducius; "anhelat"
Beza
Tigurine
version
Piscator
Cocceius
Schmidt
Schultens. used signifies; or for the
shadow of the evening
or the sun setting
when the longest shadow is cast
Jeremiah 6:4; and
when the work of a servant is ended
and he retires to his house for
refreshment and rest: and since now such a shadow in either sense is desirable
and not unlawful to wish for
Job suggests it ought not to be charged as a
crime in him
that he should importunately desire to be in the shadow of death
or in the grave
where the weary are at rest; or to have the night come on him
when he should cease from all his toil and labour
sorrows and pains:
and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work; or "for
his work"F15פעלו "opus
suum"
Beza Montanus
Bolducius
Schmidt
Schultens. ; either for new
work
what was set him being done
or rather for the finishing of it
that he
might have rest from it; or for the reward
the hire due to him upon its being
done; so Job intimates he desired death with the same view
that he might cease
from his works
which should follow him
and when he should have the reward of
the inheritance
not in a way of debt
but of grace: nor indeed is it sinful to
look or have respect unto the recompence of reward
in order to engage to go
through service more cheerfully
or to endure sufferings more patiently
see Hebrews 11:26; for
though the hireling is an emblem of a self-righteous person
that works for
life
and expects it as the reward of his work
and of false teachers and bad
shepherds
that take the care of the flock for filthy lucre's sake
see Luke 15:19; yet
hiring is sometimes used
in a good sense
of good men
that are hired and
allured by gracious promises and divine encouragements to labour in the Lord's
vineyard
and may expect their reward; see Matthew 20:1.
Job 7:3 3 So I have been allotted
months of futility
And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
YLT
3So I have been caused to
inherit months of vanity
And nights of misery they numbered to me.
So am I made to possess months of vanity
.... This is
not a reddition or application of the above similes of the servant and
hireling
Job 7:1; for that
is to be understood
and to be supplied at the end of Job 7:2; that as
those looked for the shadow and payment of hire
so Job looked for and
earnestly desired death
or to be removed out of the world; besides
the things
here instanced in do not answer; for Job
instead of having the refreshing
shadow
had months of vanity
and instead of rest from his labours had nothing
but wearisome nights
and continual tossings to and fro; whereas the sleep of a
labouring man is sweet to him; and having laboured hard all day
the night is a
time of rest to him; but so it was not with Job; wherefore this "so"
refers to the common state and condition of mankind
in which Job was
with an
addition of extraordinary afflictions upon him: the time of his afflictions
though but short
seemed long
and therefore is expressed by months; and some
months might have passed from the time his calamities began to the present;
since it must be some time before his friends heard of them
and more still
before they could meet together and agree upon their coming
and were actually
come to him; as also some time was spent in silence
and now in conversation
with him; the JewsF16Vid. Misn. Ediot
c. 2. sect. 10. & R.
Simeon Bar Tzemach
in loc. make them to be twelve months: and these months
were "months of vanity"
or "empty"F17ירחי שוא "menses
vacuos"
V. L. so Tigurine version
Michaelis. ones; such as winter
months
empty of all joy
and peace
and comfort; times in which he had no
pleasure
no ease of body or of mind; destitute of the good things of life
and
of the presence of God and communion with him; and full of trouble
sorrow
and
distress: and these were "given him for an inheritance"F18הנחלתי "accepi hereditate"
Pagninus
Montanus
Bolducius; so Cocceius
Schmidt
Schultens. ; were his lot and portion
which
he received as an inheritance from his parents
in consequence of original sin
the source of all the troubles and miseries of human life
in common with other
men; and which were allotted him by his heavenly Father
according to his
sovereign will and pleasure
as all the afflictions of the Lord's people are
the inheritance bequeathed them by their Father
and the legacy of their
Redeemer:
and wearisome nights are appointed to me; one after
another
in succession; in which he could have no sleep nor rest
through pain
of body and distress of mind; and so became the more weary
through long lying
down and tossings to and fro
through groans and tears
and much watching; and
these were prepared for him in the purposes of God
and appointed to him in his
counsels and decrees; see Job 23:14; or they
"prepared" or "appointed"F19מנו
לי "constituerunt mihi"
Pagninus
Bolducius; "mihi paraverunt"
Mercerus; so Schmidt
Cocceius
Schultens. ; that is
"Elohim"
the three Divine Persons.
Job 7:4 4 When I lie down
I say
‘When shall I arise
And the night be ended?’ For I have had my fill of tossing
till dawn.
YLT
4If I lay down then I said
`When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured
And I have been full of
tossings till dawn.
When I lie down
I say
when shall I arise
.... Or
"then I say"
&c.F20ואמרתי
"tum dixi"
Beza
Piscator
Mercerus. ; that is
as soon as he laid
himself down in his bed
and endeavoured to compose himself to sleep
in order
to get rest and refreshment; then he said within himself
or with an articulate
voice
to those about him
that sat up with him; oh that it was time to rise;
when will it be morning
that I may rise from my bed
which is of no manner of
service to me
but rather increases weariness?
and the night be gone? and the day dawn and
break; or "night" or "evening be measured"
as in the margin
or "measures itself"F21So Saadiah Gaon. ; or that
"he"
that is
God
or "it"
my heart
"measures the
evening"F23ומדד ערב
"tum admensus est versperam"
Schmidt; "extendit"
Schultens; "et cor"
Mercerus; so Aben Ezra
Ben Gersom
and Bar
Tzemach.
or "night"; lengthens it out to its full time: to a
discomposed person
that cannot sleep
the night seems long; such count every
hour
tell every clock that strikes
and long to see peep of day; these are
they that watch for the morning
Psalm 130:6
and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day; or
"unto the twilight"; the morning twilight; though some understand it
of the twilight or evening of the next day
see 1 Samuel 30:17; and
interpret "the tossings to and fro" of the toils and labours of the
day
and of the sorrows and miseries of it
lengthened out to the eve of the
following day; but rather they are to be understood either of the tosses of his
mind
his distressed and perplexed thoughts within him he was full of; or of
the tosses of his body
his frequent turning himself upon his bed
from side to
side
to ease him; and with these he was "filled"
or
"satiated"F24שבעתי
"satior"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius
Schultens. ;
he had enough and too much of them; he was glutted and sated with them
as a
man is with overmuch eating
as the word signifies.
Job 7:5 5 My flesh is caked with
worms and dust
My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.
YLT
5Clothed hath been my flesh
[with] worms
And a clod of dust
My skin hath been shrivelled and is
loathsome
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust
.... Not as it
would be at death
and in the grave
as Schmidt interprets it
when it would be
eaten with worms and reduced to dust; but as it then was
his ulcers breeding
worms
or lice
as someF25So Sephorno and Bar Tzemach. ; these
spread themselves over his body: some think it was the vermicular or pedicular
disease that was upon him
and the scabs of them
which were all over him like
one continued crust
were as a garment to him; or those sores of his
running
with purulent matter
and he sitting and rolling himself in dust and ashes
and
this moisture mingling therewith
and clotted together
formed clods of dust
which covered him all over; a dismal spectacle to look upon! a precious saint
in a vile body!
my skin is broken: with the boils and ulcers in all parts
and
was parched and cleft with the heat and breaking of them:
and become loathsome; to himself and others;
exceeding nauseous
and extremely disagreeable both to sight and smell: or
"liquefied"F26ימאס
"liquefit"
Junius & Tremellius; "colliquefacta est"
Piscator
Mercerus. ; moistened with corrupt matter flowing from the ulcers in
all parts of his body; the word in Arabic signifies a large
broad
and open
wound
as a learned manF1Hinckelman. Praefat. ad Alcoran. p. 30. has
observed; and it is as if he should say
whoever observes all this
this long
time of distress
night and day
and what a shocking figure he was
as here
represented
could blame him for wishing for death in the most passionate
manner?
Job 7:6 6 “My days are swifter than
a weaver’s shuttle
And are spent without hope.
YLT
6My days swifter than a
weaving machine
And they are consumed without hope.
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle
.... Which
moves very swiftly
being thrown quick and fast to and fro; some versions
render it "a racer"F2
δρομεως
Aquila
Symmachus
Theodotion in Drusius. one that runs
a race on foot
or rides on horseback
agreeably to Job 9:25; where
and in Job 7:7; to it
other similes are used
to set forth the swiftness and fleetness of man's days;
as they also are elsewhere represented
as swift as a tale told
a word
expressed
or a thought conceived
Psalm 90:9; and so
here
by the Septuagint
are said to be "swifter than speech"
though
wrongly translated: this is to be understood
not of his days of affliction
distress
and sorrow; for these in his apprehension moved but slowly
and he
could have been
glad that they had gone on faster; but either his days in
common
or particularly his days of prosperity and pleasure
these were soon
over with him; and which he sometimes wished for again
see Job 29:1
and are spent without hope; not without hope of
happiness in another world
but without hope of being restored to his outward
felicity in this; which Eliphaz had given him some him of
but he had no hope
concerning it; see Job 5:24.
Job 7:7 7 Oh
remember that my life is
a breath! My eye will never again see good.
YLT
7Remember Thou that my life
[is] a breath
Mine eye turneth not back to see good.
O remember that my life is wind
.... Or
"breath"F3רוח "hali
us"
Cocceius
Michaelis. ; man's life is in his breath
and that breath
is in his nostrils
and therefore not to be accounted of
or depended on; man
appears by this to be a poor frail creature
whose life
with respect to
himself
is very precarious and uncertain; it is but as a "vapour"
an air bubble
full of wind
easily broken and dissipated
and soon vanishes
away; it is like the "wind"
noisy and blusterous
full of stir and
tumult
and
like that
swiftly passes and sweeps away
and returns not again:
this is an address to God; and so someF4So Beza
Vatablus
Drusius
Michaelis. supply it
"O God"
or "O Lord
remember"
&c. not that forgetfulness is in God
or that he needs to be reminded of
anything; but he may seem to forget the frailty of man when he lays his hand
heavy on him; and may be said to be mindful of it when he mercifully takes it
off: what Job here prays for
the Lord often does
as he did with respect to
the Israelites
Psalm 78:39
mine eye shall no more see good: meaning not spiritual
and eternal good
here and hereafter; he knew he should
after this life
see
his living Redeemer even with the eyes of his body
when raised again; that he
should see him as he is
not through a glass
darkly
but face to face
in all
his glory; and that for himself
and not another
and even see and enjoy things
he had never seen before: but his sense is
that he should see or enjoy no more
temporal good; either in this world
being without hope of any
or in the
grave
whither he was going and would shortly be; and therefore entreats that
some mercy might be shown him while he lived; to which sense the following
words incline.
Job 7:8 8 The eye of him who sees me
will see me no more; While your eyes are upon me
I shall no
longer be.
YLT
8The eye of my beholder
beholdeth me not. Thine eyes [are] upon me -- and I am not.
The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more
.... Or
"the eye of sight"F5עין ראי Heb. "oculus visus"
Drusius
Piscator;
"aspectus"
Mercerus; so Simeon Bar Tzemach. ; the seeing eye
the
most acute and quick sighted eye; so Mr. Broughton renders it
"the quick
eye"F6"Ocuium perspicacissimum"
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator. : this is to be understood as "after"F7Posthac
Tigurine version. death
that then the sharpest eye should not see him
he
would be out of the reach of it; which must be taken with a limitation; for men
after death are seen by the eyes of the omniscient God
their souls
be they in
heaven or in hell
and their bodies in the grave; and as for good men
such as
Job
they are at once with him in his immediate presence
beholding and beheld
by him; and they are seen by angels
whose care and charge their souls become
immediately upon death
and are carried by them into heaven
where they are
fellow worshippers with them; and they are seen by glorified saints
to whose
company they are joined; for if the rich man in hell could see Abraham
and
Lazarus in his bosom
Luke 16:23
then
much more do the saints see one another: but the meaning is
that when a man is
dead
he is seen no more by men on earth
by his relations
friends
and
acquaintance; the consideration of which is a cutting stroke at parting
see Acts 20:25; the
state of the dead is an invisible state
and therefore called in the Greek
tongue "Hades"
"unseen"; so the dead will remain
with
respect to the inhabitants of this world
till the resurrection
and then they
shall see and be seen again in the same bodies they now have; for this is no
denial of the resurrection of the dead
as some Jewish writers charge Job with
and infer from this and some following passages:
thine eyes are upon me
and I am not; am a dead
man
a phrase expressive of death
and of being in the state of the dead
or
however of being no more in this world
see Genesis 5:24; not
that the dead are nonentities
or are reduced to nothing; this is not true of
them
either with respect to soul or body; their souls are immaterial and
immoral
and exist in a separate state after death
and their bodies
though
reduced to dust
are not annihilated; they return to earth and dust
from
whence they came; but still they are something
they are earth and dust
unless
these can be thought to be nothing; and this dust is taken care of and
preserved
and will be gathered together
and moulded
and framed
and
fashioned into bodies again
which will endure for ever: nor is the meaning
that they are nowhere; the spirits of just men made perfect are in heaven
in
paradise
in a state of life
immortality
and bliss; and the souls of the
wicked are in their own place
in the prison of hell
reserved with devils
to
the judgment of the great day; and the bodies of both are in the graves till
the day of the resurrection; but they are not
and no more
in the land of the
living
in their houses and families
in their shops and business
and places
of trade and merchandise
or in the house of God serving him there
according
to their different stations. And this Job ascribes to God
"thine eyes are
upon me": meaning not his eyes of love
favour
and kindness
which had
respect unto him; and yet
notwithstanding this
as it did not secure him from
afflictions
so neither would it from death itself; for "though his
eyes were upon him" in such sense
yet he "would not
be"F1"Etiam oculis tuis ad me respicientibus
me non fore
amplius"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator.
or should die; but rather
his angry eyes
the frowns of his countenance
which were now upon him
and
might be discerned in the dispensations of his providence towards him
by
reason of which he "was not" as he was before; not fit for anything
as Sephorno understands it; or should he frown upon him
one angry look would
sink him into the state of the dead
and he should be no more
who "looks
on the earth
and it trembles"
Psalm 104:32. Mr.
Broughton renders it as a petition
"let thine eyes be upon me
that I be
no more"; that is
let me die
the same request he made in Job 6:8; but it
seems best to interpret it or the eyes of God's omnipresence and providence
which are on men in every state and place; and the sense be
either as
granting
that though the eyes of men should not see him after death
yet the
eyes of God would be upon him when he was not
or in the state of the fiend; or
else
that should he long defer doing him good
it would be too late
he should
soon die
and then
though he should look after him
and seek for him
he
should not be in the land of the living
according to Job 7:21; or this
may denote the suddenness of death
which comes to a man in a moment
as Bar
Tzemach observes
in the twinkling of an eye; nay
as soon as the eye of God is
upon a man
that is
as soon almost as a man appears in the world
and the eye
of Divine Providence is upon him
he is out of it again
and is no more; see Ecclesiastes 3:2.
Job 7:9 9 As
the cloud disappears and vanishes away
So he who goes down to the grave does
not come up.
YLT
9Consumed hath been a cloud
and it goeth
So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up.
As the cloud is consumed and
vanisheth away
.... Which being dispersed by the wind
or broke up by the sun
is never seen
or returns more; for though the wise man speaks of clouds
returning after the rain
this is not to be understood of the same clouds
but
of succeeding ones
Ecclesiastes 12:2;
so pardon of sin is expressed by the same metaphor
to show that sin thereby is
no more
no more to be seen or remembered
Isaiah 43:25; the
Targum renders it "as smoke"
by which the shortness and consumption
of men's days are expressed
Psalm 102:3; but by
the simile of a cloud here is not so much designed the sudden disappearance of
life as the irrevocableness of it when gone
as the reddition or application
following shows:
so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more; the grave is
the house or long home that all must go to
it being the appointment of God
that all should die
or be in the state of the dead; which is meant by the
grave
since all are not interred in the earth; and this
as here
is
frequently expressed
as if it was man's act being hither brought; and when it
designs an interment in the earth
it is with great propriety called a going
down; and however that be
yet the state of the dead is a state of humiliation
a coming down from all the grandeur
honour
and glory of the present state
which are all laid in the dust; and when this is man's case
he comes up no
more from it
that is
of himself
by his own power; none but Christ
who is
God over all
ever did this; or none naturally
or by the laws of nature
for
noticing short of almighty power can effect this; it must be done in an
extraordinary way
and is no less than a miraculous operation; nor will this be
done until the general resurrection of the just and unjust
when all that are
in their graves shall come forth
the one to the resurrection of life
and the
other to the resurrection of damnation; excepting in some few instances
as the
Shunammite's son
2 Kings 4:32; the
man that touched the bones of the prophet Elisha
2 Kings 13:21; the
daughter of Jairus
Mark 5:41; the
widow of Nain's son
Luke 7:14; Lazarus
John 11:43; and
those that rose at our Lord's resurrection
Matthew 27:53; this
is further explained in Job 7:10.
Job 7:10 10 He shall never return to
his house
Nor shall his place know him anymore.
YLT
10He turneth not again to his
house
Nor doth his place discern him again.
He shall return no more to his house
.... In a
literal sense
built or hired by him
or however in which he dwelt; and if a
good man
he will have no desire to return to that any more
having a better
house
an house not made with hands
eternal in the heavens; or in a figurative
sense
either his body
the earthly house of his tabernacle
an house of clay
which has its foundation in the dust; to this he shall not return until the
resurrection
when it will be rebuilt
and fitted up for the better reception
and accommodation of him; or else his family
to whom he shall not come back
again
to have any concern with them in domestic affairs
or in part of the
business of life
as David said of his child when dead
"I shall go to
him
but he shall not return to me"
2 Samuel 12:23
neither shall his place know him any more; the place of
his office
or rather of his habitation; his dwelling house
his farms and his
fields
his estates and possessions
shall no more know
own
and acknowledge
him as their master
proprietor
and possessor
these
coming at his death into
other hands
who now are regarded as such; or the inhabitants of the place
country
city
town
village
and house in which he lived
shall know him no
more; no more being seen among them
he will soon be forgotten; out of sight
out of mindF2"Linquenda tellus et domus"
&c. Horat.
Carmin. l. 2. Ode 14. .
Job 7:11 11 “Therefore I will not
restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in
the bitterness of my soul.
YLT
11Also I -- I withhold not my
mouth -- I speak in the distress of my spirit
I talk in the bitterness of my
soul.
Therefore I will not refrain my mouth
.... From
speaking and complaining; seeing
besides the common lot of mankind
which is a
state of warfare
sorrow
and trouble
and is as much as a man can well grapple
with
extraordinary afflictions are laid upon me
which make life
insupportable; and seeing I enjoy no good in this present life
and am shortly
going where no temporal good is to be expected
and shall never return to this
world any more to enjoy any; therefore I will not be silent
and forbear
speaking my mind freely
and uttering my just complaint
for which I think I
have sufficient reason: or "I also will not refrain my mouth"F3גם אני "etiam ego"
Vatablus
Beza
Piscator
Bolducius
Cocceius
Schmidt
Michaelis
Schultens;
"vicissim"
Noldius
p. 222. ; in turn
as a just retaliation
so
Jarchi; since God will not refrain his hand from me
I will not refrain my
mouth from speaking concerning him; since he shows no mercy to me
I shall
utter my miserable complaints
and not keep them to myself; this was Job's
infirmity when he should have held his peace
as Aaron
and been dumb and
silent as David
and been still
and have known
owned
and acknowledged the
sovereignty of God
and not vented himself in passion as he did:
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; or "in
the straitness"F4בצר "in
angustia"
Junius & Tremellius
Schmidt; "in arcto"
Cocceius; "in angusto"
Schultens. of it; he was surrounded on all
sides with distress
the sorrows of death compassed him about
and the pains of
hell got hold upon him; he was like one pent up in a narrow place
in a close
confinement
that he could not get out of
and come forth from; and he felt not
only exquisite pains of body from his boils and sores
but great anguish of
soul; and therefore he determines to speak in and "of"F5"De
angustia"
Vatablus
Drusius
Mercerus
Piscator. all this
to give vent
to his grief and sorrow
his passion and resentment:
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul; his
afflictions were like the waters of Marah
bitter ones
very grievous and
disagreeable to flesh and blood
and by which his life and soul were embittered
to him; and in and ofF6במר "de
amaritudine"
Drusius
Piscator
Mercerus. this he determines to complain
or to utter in a complaining way what he had been meditating on
as the wordF7אשיחה "meditabor et eloquar"
Michaelis.
signifies; so that this was not an hasty and precipitate action
but what upon
deliberation he resolved to do; to pour out his complaint before God
and leave
it with him
in a submissive way
would not have been amiss
but if he
complained of God and his providence
it was wrong: "why should a living
man complain?" not even a wicked man
of "the punishment of his
sin"
and much less a good man of fatherly chastisements? We see what the
will of man is
what a stubborn and obstinate thing it is
"I will
I
will
I will"
even of a good man when left to himself
and not in the
exercise of grace
and under the influence of it; the complaint follows
by way
of expostulation.
Job 7:12 12 Am
I a sea
or a sea serpent
That You set a guard over me?
YLT
12A sea-[monster] am I
or a
dragon
That thou settest over me a guard?
Am I a sea
or a whale
.... Like the
restless sea
to which very wicked
profligate
and abandoned sinners are
compared
that are continually casting up the mire and dirt of sin and
wickedness; am I such an one? or like the raging sea
its proud waters and
foaming waves
to which fierce and furious persecutors and tyrannical
oppressors are compared; did I behave in such a manner to the poor and
distressed in the time of prosperity? nay
was I not the reverse of all this
kind and gentle to them
took their part
and rescued them out of the hands of
those that oppressed them? see Job 29:12; or like
its tossing waves
which attempt to pass the bounds that are set to them; am I
such an one
that have transgressed the laws of God and then
which are set as
boundaries to restrain the worst of men? and am I a whale
or like any great
fish in the ocean
the dragon in the sea
the leviathan
the piercing and
crooked serpent? an emblem of cruel princes
as the kings of Egypt and Assyria
or antichrist
Isaiah 27:1; see Psalm 74:13. The
Targum is
"as the Egyptians were condemned to be drowned in the Red sea
am I condemned? or as Pharaoh
who was suffocated in the midst of it for his
sin
since thou settest a watch over me?'or
as another Targum
"am I as
the great sea
which is moved to extreme parts
or the leviathan
which is
ready to be taken?'or else the sense is
have I the strength of the sea
which
subsists
notwithstanding its waves are continually heating
and which carries
such mighty vessels upon it
and would bear down all before it
if not
restrained? or of a whale
the leviathan
whose flakes of flesh are joined
together
and his heart as firm as a stone
and as hard as a piece of the
nether millstone
and laughs at the spear
the sword
and the dart? no
I have
not; I am a poor
weak
feeble creature
whose strength is quite exhausted
and
not able to bear the weight of the chains and fetters of afflictions upon me;
or rather the principal thing complained of
and which he illustrates by these
metaphors
is
that he was bound with the cords of afflictions
and compassed
with gall and travail
and hedged in hereby
that he could not get out
as the
church says
Lamentations 3:5;
or could not get released from his sorrows by death
or otherwise; just as the
sea is shut up with bars and doors
that its waves can come hitherto
and no
further; and as the whale is confined to the ocean
or surrounded with vessels
and armed men in them
when about to be taken; and thus it was with Job
and of
this he complains:
that thou settest a watch over me? which Jarchi and others
understand of Satan; and though in his hands
he was not suffered to take away
his life; but besides him may be meant all his afflictions
calamities
and
distresses
in which he lay fettered and bound
in which he was shut up as in a
prison
and by which he was watched over and guarded; and from which he could
make no escape
nor get a release.
Job 7:13 13 When I say
‘My bed will
comfort me
My couch will ease my complaint
’
YLT
13When I said
`My bed doth
comfort me
' He taketh away in my talking my couch.
When I say
my bed shall comfort me
.... When he thought
within himself that he would lie down upon his bed and try if he could get a
little sleep
which might comfort and refresh him
and which he promised
himself he should obtain by this means
as he had formerly had an experience
of:
my couch shall ease my complaint; he concluded
that by
lying down upon his couch
and falling asleep
it would give some ease of body
and mind; that his body would
at least
for some time be free from pain
and
his mind composed
and should cease from complaining for a while; which
interval would be a relief to him
and of considerable service. Some render it
"my couch shall burn"F8ישא
"ardebit"
Pagninus; so Kimchi in Sepher Shorash. & Ben Melech in
loc. ; be all on fire
and torture me instead of giving ease; and so may have
respect to his burning ulcers.
Job 7:14 14 Then You scare me with
dreams And terrify me with visions
YLT
14And thou hast affrighted me
with dreams
And from visions thou terrifiest me
Then thou scarest me with dreams
.... Not with dreams and
visions being told him
as were by Eliphaz
Job 4:13; but with
dreams he himself dreamed; and which might arise from the force of his
distemper
and the pain of his body
whereby his sleep was broken
his
imagination disturbed
and his fancy roving
which led him to objects as seemed
to him very terrible and dreadful; or from a melancholy disposition his
afflictions had brought upon him; and hence in his dreams he had dismal
apprehensions of things very distressing and terrifying; or from Satan
in
whose hands he was
and who was permitted to distress and disturb him at such
seasons; all which he ascribes to God
because he suffered it so to be: and now
these dreams not only hindered sound sleep
and getting that ease and
refreshment he hoped for from thence
but even they were frightful and scaring
to him
so that instead of being the better for his bed and his couch
he was
the worse; these dreams added to his afflictions
and in them he suffered much
as Pilate's wife is said to do
Matthew 27:19
and terrifiest me through visions; spectres
apparitions
and such like things
being presented to his fancy
while sleeping and
dreaming
which filled him with terror
and sorely distressed him
so that he
could receive no benefit hereby
but rather was more fatigued and weakened.
Job 7:15 15 So that my soul chooses
strangling And death rather than my body.[a]
YLT
15And my soul chooseth
strangling
Death rather than my bones.
So that my soul chooseth strangling
.... Not to strangle
himself
as Ahithophel did
or to be strangled by others
this being a kind of
death inflicted on capital offenders; but rather
as Mr. Broughton renders it
"to be choked to death" by any distemper and disease
as some are of
a suffocating nature
as a catarrh
quinsy
&c. and kill in that way; and
indeed death in whatsoever way is the stopping of a man's breath; and it was
death that Job chose
let it be in what way it would
whether natural or
violent; so weary was he of life through his sore and heavy afflictions:
and death rather than my life; or
"than my bones"F9מעצמותי
"prae ossibus meis"
Montanus
Tigurine version
Bolducius
Cocceius
Schmidt
Schultens; so Mercerus
Piscator
Michaelis. ; which are the more
solid parts of the body
and the support of it
and are put for the whole and
the life thereof; or than these bones of his
which were full of strong pain
and which had nothing but skin upon them
and that was broken and covered with
worms
rottenness
and dust; the Vulgate Latin version renders it
"and my
bones death"; that is
desired and chose death
being so full of pain
see
Psalm 35:10.
Job 7:16 16 I loathe my life; I
would not live forever. Let me alone
For my days are but a breath.
YLT
16I have wasted away -- not
to the age do I live. Cease from me
for my days [are] vanity.
I loathe it
.... Or "them"F11"Aspernor
vitam"
Piscator; so Jarchi & Ben Gersom.
either his life
which was
a weariness to him
or his bones
which were so painful and nauseous; or
rather
"I am become loathsome"
to himself
to his servants
and to
his friends
and even his breath was strange to his wife; or "being
ulcerated
I pine and waste away"F12מאסתי
"tabui"
Cocceius; "ulceratus tabesco"
Schultens.
and
must in course be quickly gone:
I would not live always; no man can or will;
there is no man that lives but what shall see death
Psalm 89:48; Job
knew this
nor did he expect or desire it; and this was not his meaning
but
that he desired that he might not live long
or to the full term of man's life
yea
that he might die quickly; and indeed to a good man to die is gain; and to
depart out of the world
and be with Christ
is far better than to continue in
it. And had Job expressed himself without passion
and with submission to the
divine will
what he says would not have been amiss:
let me alone; or "cease from me"F13חדל ממני "cessa a me"
Pagninus
Montanus
Bolducius
Schmidt. ; from afflicting him any more
having
as great a weight upon him as he could bear
or greater than he could well
stand up under; or from supporting him in life
he wishes that either God would
withdraw his afflicting hand from him
or his preserving hand; either abate the
affliction
or dismiss him from the world:
for my days are vanity; a "breath"F14הבל "halitus"
Michaelis
Schultens. or puff of
wind; a "vapour"
as Mr. Broughton renders it
that soon vanishes
away; days empty of all that is good
delightful
and pleasant
and full of
evil
trouble
and sorrow
as well as fleeting
transitory
and soon gone
are
as nothing
yea
less than nothing
and vanity.
Job 7:17 17 “What is man
that
You should exalt him
That You should set Your heart on him
YLT
17What [is] man that Thou
dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?
What is man
that thou shouldest magnify him?.... Man in
his best estate
in his original state
was but of the earth
earthly; a
mutable creature
and altogether vanity; so that it was wonderful God should
magnify him as be did
raise him to such honour and dignity
as to set him over
all the works of his hands
and bestow peculiar marks of his favour upon him in
Eden's garden; but man in his low and fallen estate
being
as the word here
used is generally observed to signify
a frail
feeble
weak
and mortal
creature; yea
a sinful one; it is much more marvellous that God should magnify
him
or make him great
that is
any of the human race
as he has some
so as
"to set his heart upon them"
as Jarchi connects this with the
following clause; to think of them and provide for them in his purposes and
decrees
in his council and covenant
to choose any of them to grace here
and
glory hereafter: he has magnified them
by espousing them to his Son
whereby
they share with him in his glory
and in all the blessings of his goodness;
through the incarnation of Christ
by means of which the human nature is
greatly advanced and honoured; and by their redemption through Christ
whereby
they are raised to an higher dignity
and restored to a greater estate than
they lost by the fall; by clothing them with the rich robe of Christ's
righteousness
comparable to the gold of Ophir
and raiment of needlework; and
by adorning them with the graces of the blessed Spirit; and
in a word
by
taking them into his family
making them his children and his heirs
rich in
grace
and heirs of the kingdom of heaven
and kings and priests unto him;
taking them as beggars from the dunghill
to sit among princes
and to inherit
the throne of glory. The words may be understood in a different sense
and more
agreeably to the context
and to the scope of Job's discourse
as they are by
someF15So Simeon Bar Tzemach
Sephorno
Mercerus
Diodati
Schultens.
of God's magnifying men by afflicting them; according to which
man is represented as a poor
weak
strengthless creature
a worm and clod of
the earth; and the Lord as the mighty God
as of great and infinite power and
strength
between whom there is no manner of proportion; God is not a man
that
they should come together
or as if on equal foot; nor man a match for God; to
wrestle with principalities and powers
which are not flesh and blood
is too
much for men of themselves
and how much less able are they to contend with
God? Now Job by this suggests
that his thought and sentiment of the matter
was
and in which he has a particular view to himself
and his own case; that
as on the one hand it was a demeaning the might and majesty of God
by making
himself a combatant with man; so on the other hand it was doing man too much
honour
as if he was one of more importance and consequence
and more mighty
and powerful than he is; whereas he is unworthy of the divine notice in any
respect
either to bestow his favours
or lay his afflicting hand upon him;
compare with this 1 Samuel 24:14.
Hence a late learned writerF16Schultens.
agreeably to the use of
the word in the Arabic language
renders it
"what is mortal man
that
thou shouldest wrestle with him?" strive and contend with him as if he was
thy match
when thou couldest at one blow
and even at a touch
dispatch him at
once?
and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? have an
affection for him
love him
delight in him
highly value and esteem him; it is
wonderful that God should have such a regard to any of the sons of men; and yet
it is certain that he has
as appears by the good things he has provided and
laid up for them in covenant
by sending his Son to die for them
by calling
and quickening them by his Spirit and grace
and drawing them with loving
kindness to himself; by taking continual care of them
and keeping them as the
apple of his eye: though these words may be interpreted agreeably to the other
sense
"that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?" or towards
him
to afflict him and chastise him with afflictions
so Bar Tzemach; or to
stir up himself against him
as Sephorno: and the above late learned writer
chooses to render them
"that thou shouldest set thine heart against
him?"F17וכי תשית
אליו לבך "et quod
intendas cor tuum". and so the HebrewF18"Adversus
eum". ibid. particle is used in many other places; see Ezekiel 13:2;
compare with this Job 34:14
where R.
Simeon Bar TzemachF19Vid. Noldii Ebr. Partic. Concord. p. 57. thinks
Elihu has respect to this passage of Job
and reproves him for it.
Job 7:18 18 That You should visit him
every morning
And test him every moment?
YLT
18And inspectest him in the
mornings
In the evenings dost try him?
And that thou shouldest visit him every morning
.... That is
"daily"
continually
as Aben Ezra interprets it; either in a way of
love
grace
and mercy; so God has visited men
by raising up and sending his
Son to be a Redeemer of them; the Son of God has visited them
as the dayspring
from on high
by his incarnation and appearance in this world; see Luke 1:68; and the
Lord visits them
by calling them by his grace
see Acts 15:14; by
communing and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; by helping
right early
and by renewing his mercies to them every morning
all which is
matter of admiration: or else the word may be taken in a different sense
as it
sometimes is
either for punishing man for sin
as in Exodus 20:5; or for
chastising the Lord's people
which is a visiting them
though in a fatherly
way
and in love
and which is often and frequently done
even every morning
see Psalm 89:32; and so
the sense agrees with the former
though by some given with this difference
thus
"what is man
that thou shouldest magnify him?" or make him
great both in things temporal and spiritual
as he had made Job in the time of
his prosperity
which he may have respect unto; having been the greatest man in
all the east
with respect to both characters
whereby it was plain he had
interest in the love and affections of the heart of God; and "yet
notwithstanding
nevertheless
thou visitest him"F20ותפקדנו "et tamen
nihilominus visitas eum"
Michaelis.
with afflictions and chastisements continually; which may seem
strange
and look like a contradiction
that thou shouldest:
and try him every moment? by afflictive
providences; in this way the Lord often tries the faith and patience
the fear
and love
the hope and humility of his people
and all other graces
whereby
they appear and shine the brighter
which was Job's case
see Job 23:10; and
which he doubtless had in view in all he had said
and more particularly
expostulates about in the following verses.
Job 7:19 19 How long? Will You not
look away from me
And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
YLT
19How long dost Thou not look
from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.
How long wilt thou not depart from me
.... From
wrestling and contending with him
and afflicting of him; the Lord was too hard
a combatant for job
and therefore he chose to be rid of him
and was impatient
of it; or "look off from me"F21תשעה
ממני "respicis a me?" Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius
Schmidt
Michaelis; "avertis oculum a
me?" Schultens. ; so Mr. Broughton renders it
"how long wilt thou
not look from me?" this is to be understood not of a look of love
which
Job would never have desired to have averted from him; but a frowning and angry
look
such as the Lord put on in this dispensation of his providence towards
him; the allusion may be to that sharp and constant look
which antagonists in
wrestling have upon each other while conflicting together
and so the metaphor
before used is still carried on:
nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? some think
Job has reference to his disease which affected his throat
that being so dried
up
or having a quinsy in it
that he could not swallow his spittle
or it was
with great difficulty he did it; or rather it is a proverbial expression
signifying that his afflictions were incessant
that he had no respite nor
intermission
had not space enough given him to swallow down his spittle
or
take his breath
as in Job 9:18; so
Schultens observes
that with the Arabians this was a proverbial form of
speech
when they required time for anything
"give me time to swallow my
spittle"; or when they had not proper time
or any intermission
used to
say
"you will not give me time to swallow my spittle"; and one being
asked a multitude of questions
replied
"suffer me to swallow my
spittle"
that is
give me time to make an answer: or the sense is
that
his antagonist in wrestling with him held him so fast
and kept him so close to
it
and so twisted him about
and gave him fall upon fall
so that he had no
time to swallow his spittle; or he so collared him
and gripped him
and almost
throttled him
that he could not swallow it down; all which intends how closely
and incessantly Job was followed with one affliction upon another
and how
severe and distressing they were to him.
Job 7:20 20 Have I sinned? What have I
done to You
O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target
So that I am
a burden to myself?[b]
YLT
20I have sinned
what do I to
Thee
O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee
And I am for a
burden to myself -- and what?
I have sinned
.... Some render it
"if I have
sinned"F23Vatablus
Drusius
Schmidt; so Sept. Syr. & Ar. ;
be it so that I have
as my friends say
yet since there is forgiveness with
thee
why should I be so afflicted as I am? but there is no need of such a
supplement
the words are an affirmation
I have sinned
or I am a sinner; not
that he owned that he had been guilty of any notorious sin
or had lived a
sinful course of life
on account of which his afflictions came upon him
as
his friends suggested; but that he was not without sin
was daily guilty of it
as men
even the best of men
ordinarily are; and being a sinner was not a
match for a holy God; he could not contend with him
nor answer him for one sin
of a thousand committed by him in thought
word
or deed; and therefore desires
him to desist and depart from him
see Luke 5:8
what shall I do unto thee? this he said
not as one
in distress of mind on account of sin
and under the load of the guilt of it
inquiring what he must do to make satisfaction for it
how and what way he
could be saved from it; for he knew that nothing done by him in a ceremonial
way by sacrifices
nor in a moral way by the performance of duties
could take
away sin
or atone for it
or save him from it; he knew this was only by his
living Redeemer
and whom he knew and determined should be his salvation
and
he only; see Job 9:30; but
rather as it may be rendered
"what can or ought I do unto thee?"F24מה אפעל לך
"quid faciam aut facere possum tibi"
Michaelis; "debeam"
Schmidt. that is
more than I have done
namely
to confess my sin unto thee;
what more dost thou require of me? or what more can be done by me
than to
repent of my sin
acknowledge it
and beg pardon for it? as he does in Job 7:21
or
"what can I do unto thee?" thou art all over match for me
I cannot
struggle and contend with thee
a sinful man with an holy God:
O thou preserver of men? as he is in a
providential way
the supporter of men in their lives and beings; or
"O
thou keeper of men"F25נצר האדם "custos hominum". V. L. Pagninus
Junius
& Tremellius
Piscator
Mercerus.
as he is
not only of Israel
but of
all others
and that night and day; perhaps Job may refer to his setting and
keeping a watch over him
Job 7:12; and
enclosing and hedging him all around with afflictions
so that he could not get
out of the world as he desired; or
"O thou observer of men"F26"Observator"
Schultens.
of their words
ways
works
and actions
and who kept such a
strict eye upon him while wrestling with him
and therefore what could he do?
or
"O thou Saviour of men"F1"Sospitatur"
Codurcus; "servator"
Drusius
Schmidt
Michaelis. Vid. Witsii
Oeconom. Foeder. l. 4. c. 3. sect. 30.
by whom only I can be saved from the
sins I have been and am daily guilty of:
why hast thou set me as a mark against thee? as a butt to
shoot thine arrows at
one affliction after another
thick and fast
see Job 16:12 Lamentations 3:12;
the words I think may be rendered
"why hast thou appointed me to meet
thee"
or "for a meeting with thee?"F2למפנע לך "in occursum
tibi"
Pagninus
Montanus
Mercerus
Drusius. as one man challenge
another to meet him in such a place and fight him: alas! I am not equal to
thee
I am a mere worm
not able to contend with thee the mighty God
or to
meet thee in the way of thy judgments
and to endure the heavy strokes of thy angry
hand; and so Bar Tzemach paraphrases it
"thou hast hated me
and not loved
me; that thou hast set
or appointed me to meet thee
as a man meets his enemy
in the time of his wrath
and he stirs up against him all his fury:'and to the
same sense
and much in the same words
Jarchi interprets it:
so that I am a burden to myself? weary of his life
through the many pressing and heavy afflictions upon him
as Rebekah was of
hers
because of the daughters of Heth
Genesis 27:46. The
reading which we follow
and is followed by the Targum
and by most
interpreters
Jewish and Christian
is a correction of the scribes
and one of
the eighteen places corrected by them; which is no argument of the corruption
of the Hebrew text
but of the contrary; since this was only placed in the
margin of the Bible
as the Masorites afterwards did with their various
readings
showing only what was their sense of this
and the like passages; and
as an instruction how in their opinion to understand them
still retaining the
other reading or writing; and which
according to Aben Ezra
may be rightly
interpreted
and is
"so that I am a burden to thee"F3עליך επι σοι
Sept. "et tibi"
Beza
Grotius. ; and which is followed by some
signifying
as Job thought at least
that he was so offensive to him that he
could not bear him
but treated him as an enemy; was weary of him
as God is
said to be of sinners and their sins
and of the services and duties of carnal
professors
see Isaiah 1:14; so
Abendana interprets it
"thou hast set me for a mark unto thee
as if I was
a burden to thee.'
Job 7:21 21 Why then do You not pardon
my transgression
And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the
dust
And You will seek me diligently
But I will no longer be.”
YLT
21Thou dost not take away my
transgression
And cause to pass away mine iniquity
Because now
for dust I
lie down: And Thou hast sought me -- and I am not!
And why dost thou not pardon my transgression
.... Or
"lift it up"F4תשא
"tolles"
Montanus
Beza
Drusius
Mercerus
Michaelis. ; every sin
is a transgression of the law of God
and the guilt of it upon the conscience
is a burden too heavy to bear
and the punishment of it is intolerable; pardon
lifts up and takes away all manner of sin
and all that is in sin; it takes off
the load of sin from the conscience
and eases it
and loosens from obligation
to punishment for it
which comes to pass in this manner: Jehovah has taken
lifted up sin from his people
and has put and laid it
or caused it to meet on
his Son
by the imputation of it to him; and he has voluntarily taken it on himself
and has bore it
and has taken it away by his blood and sacrifice
which being
applied to the conscience of a sinner
lifts it up and takes it from thence
and speaks peace and pardon to him; it wholly and entirely removes it from him
even as far as the east is from the west; and for such an application Job
postulates with God
with whom there was forgiveness
and who had proclaimed
himself a God pardoning iniquity
transgression
and sin; and which he does
when he both removes the guilt of it from the conscience
and takes away all
the effects of it
such as afflictions and the like; in which latter sense Job
may well be understood
as agreeing with his case and circumstances:
and take away mine iniquity? or "cause it to
pass away"F5תעביר "transire facies"
Pagninus
Montanus
Drusius. from him
by applying his pardoning grace and
mercy to his conscience
and by removing his afflicting hand from him:
for now shall I sleep in the dust; having sin pardoned
and
the hand of God removed; I shall depart out of the world in peace
lie down in
the grave
and rest quietly till the resurrection; there being in the bed of
dust no tossings to and fro as now
nor a being scared with dreams and
terrified with night visions. Mr. Broughton renders it
"whereas I lie now
in the dust"; as if it referred to his present case
sitting as a mourner
in dust and ashes
and his flesh clothed with clods of dust; or
in a
figurative sense
lying in the dust of self-abhorrence; but the former sense
seems best:
and thou shalt seek me in the morning
but I shall not be; meaning not
in the morning of the resurrection
for then he will be found; but it is a
figurative way of speaking
as Bar Tzemach observes
just as one goes to visit
a sick man in a morning
and he finds him dead
and he is not any more in the
land of the living: many interpreters understand this as Job's sense
that he
should quickly die; he could not be a long time in the circumstances he was;
and therefore if the Lord had a mind to bestow any good thing on him in the
present life
he must make haste to do it
since in a short time he should be
gone
and then
if he sought for him
it would be too late
he should be no
more; but the sense is this
that when he lay down in the dust
in the grave
he should be seen no more on earth by any man
nay
not by the eye of God
himself
should the most early and the most diligent search be made for him.
Mr. Broughton takes it to be a petition and request to die
rendering the
words
"why dost thou not quickly seek me out
that I should be no
more?'and to which othersF6So Junius & Tremellius. agree.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)