P. XXX. are by ſome not untruly, nor unfitly rendred thus, without any ſupplement, With great force my Garment is changed ; for ſo this Verb is uſed, 1 Kings 22. 30. So the Senſe is, I cannot ſhift or put off my Garment, without great ſtrength and difficulty ; the reaſon whereof is rendred in the following Words. f It cleaveth faſt to me, being glewed by that filthy matter iſſuing from my Sores.gAs my Collar girdeth in and cleaveth to my Neck. He alludes to the faſhion of the Eaſtern outward Garments, which were ſeamleſs, andall of a piece, and had a ſtrait mouth at the top which was brought over the head, and contrafted and faſtned cloſe about the Neck.
19 He bath caſt me into themire h,and I am become
like duſt and aſhes z. |
þ He hath made me contemptible, and filthy, and loathſom for my Sores, my whole Body being a kind of Quagmire, in regard of the filth breaking forth in all its parts. #7 Like one dead and tur- ned to duſt; more like a rotten Carkaſs than a living Man.
20 TI cry unto thee, and thou doft not hear me &; 1
ſtand up I, and thou regardeſt me mot m..
k To wit, ſoas to anſwer or help me. / Or, 1 ſtand, to wit, before thee, 7. e. I pray, as this Phraſe ſignifies, Jer. 15, 1. & 18.20. this being a geſture of Prayer, Mat. 6. 5- And fo the ſame thing is here repeated in other words after the manner ; Or, 7 perſiſt, or perſevere in praying ; I pray importunately and continually,as thou requireſt. »» So the Particle not is ſupplied out of the former Clauſe. Or, without the Negation, thou knoweſt or ooſerveſt me, and all my Griefs and Cries, and yet doſt not pity nor help me, bur rather takeſt pleaſure in the contemplation of my Calamities, as the following words imply. Or it may be taken Interrogatively, D*-/? thou regard
' me ? 1, e, thou doeſt not.
_—_ * 21 Thouart F become cruel » to me + with 7 thy
e!. ſtrong hand thou oppoſeſt thy ſelf againſt me «. eb. the n Heb. Turned to be cruel, as if thou hadſt changed thy very Nature weth of which is kind, and merciful, and gracious; and ſuch thou haſt becn y hand, formerly inthy carriage to me: but now thou art grown ſevere, and andrigorous, and inexorable. o Thy power wherewith I hoped and expe&ed that thou wouldſt have ſupported me under my troubles thou uſeſt againſt me. :
22 Thou lifteſt meup to the wind p: thou cauſeſt me to ride upon: it q, and diſfolveſt my || ſubſtance r.
p Thou doſt not ſuffer me to reſt or Jie ſtill for a moment, but diſquieteſt me, and expoſeſt me, to all ſorts of ſtorms and calami- ties; ſo thatTI amlike Chaffor Stubble lifted up to the Wind, and violenty toſſed hither and thither in the Air, without the leaſt ſtop or hindrance? 9q 7 e, To be carried and hurried about by it. y By this reſtleſneſs, and the vehemency of theſe Winds, my Body 1s al- moſt conſumed and waſted, and my heart is melted within me.
23 For I know that thou wilt bring me zo death 5,
and ze the houſe appointed for all living 7.
s I ſee nothing will fatisfie thee but my death, . which thou art bringing upon me in a lingering and diſmal manner. # Tp the Grave, to which all living Men are coming and haſtening.
24 Howbeit he will not firecch out his hand to the Heb.heap | grave, though they cry in his deſtruction #. = # There is great variety and diffculty in the Senſe and Connexion of theſe words ; They may be joyned either 1. with the following Verſe, as deſcribing Job's compaſſion to others in afflition, which by the Principles of Reaſon and Religion ſhould haveprocured him ſome pity from God and Men in his afflition. And ro that pur- poſe the Words are, or may be tranſlated thus; But was 'no* my Prayers for them (which words may be underſtood out of the follow- ing Clauſe ) when he ſtreatched our his hand ? ( to wit, againſt them to deſtroy them) in hi deſtrufFion or oppreſſion (underſtand it ative'y, 7. e. when God was about to deſtroy any other Man or Men ) was
[8 . iſaom,
the Verſe, as is uſual) mv cry for them ? the Feminine Gender | being put for the Maſculine, as ic is elſewhere ; or for theſe things.the : Feminine being put for the Neuter ; that is, for thoſe deſtruttive Calamities which were upon them? Or, 2» with the foregoing i Verſe. And ſo theſe words contain either 1. a Conſolation azainſt the Evillaſt mentioned : So the Senſe is, Though God will un- doubredly bring me to the Grave by theſe tormeats, yet this com- forts me, that ſurely he will not ſtretchout his hand ( to wit,to afHi& or puniſh me further, as this Phraſe is uſed, Exod 3. 20: 1/a. 9. 12, 13. ) inthe Grave, thoughthey, 1. e« the periſhing Perſons cry or rear (1. e. be ſorely pained and tormented) in his deflrufiom, i e. whil- eſt God is deſtroying them. Or this laſt Clauſe may be read inter- rogatively, Is there any cry in his deſtruftion ? When a man is cut off or deſtroyed by Death, doth he then cry and complain ? No,there is an end of alitheſe Miſeries. Or, rather, 2. A Confirmation of what he laſt ſaid. For the whole Context ſhews that Job is nor tak- ing any comfort to himſelf, but rather aggravating his Sufferings. I know, ſaith he, that1am a dead Man, and my Condition is deſ. perate, for ſurely he, i. e. God will not fretch out his hand ( to wir, to ſave or reſcue me, as this Phraſe is uſed, Pſalm 18. 17. and 144. 7. compared with 4s 4. 30.) ro orin the Grave, ( 1. e. toa dead Man, ſuch as Iam in effte&, having not only one Foot, butin a manner both Feet in theGrave,as being upon the very brink of the Pit ) though they cry ( to wit, unto God, 7. e. though there be a t and ageneral Cry and Lamenration for him among hisFriends, or others, and an earneſt defire of him, if poſſibly he might be re- ftored ro Life. again ) 2 his defirufion, i. e. when. he is deſtroyed or dead; yer all theſe Cries would be in vain. '
25 * Did not I weep f for him that was in trouble