o 7. e. My Domeſticks and familiar Friends, who were much con« verfant with mein my Houſe, and were Witneſſes of my carriage to others, and of their carriages to me, and therefore beſt able to judge in the caſe. c Either 1. of Job's fleſh, which is thought to be an expreflion, either r. Of their fervent Love to him, cauied by his great readerneſs and kindneſs to them. Bur his meek and gentle carriage to his Servants he had expreſſed before in plain terms,v. 13, and taerefore it 1s not likely he \.ould repeat it at leaſt in fuch an obſcure and ambiguous phraſe,as is no where uſed in this ſenſe. and is uſed in a contrary ſenie, Chap. 19. 22. Or, 2. of their hatred and rage againſt him for the exceſſive trouble he put upon them in the entertainment of ſtrangers, which foilowsv. 32+ But itis very im» probable, either that 1o juſt and merciful a Man as Job, would put intoſerable burdens upon his Servants; or that ſome extraordinary trouble brought upon them by hoſpitality, would inflame them to
16. Þſ. 136. 7, 8. by way of eminency,becaule itis the great light, find > ie wit oflighr to this viſible World. And this is under-
ſtood either 1. of 7ob's Worldly Glory, «ro Proſperity, which is oft ; us time to farisfie our ſelves therewith ; which alſo is very unlikely. compared to light in Scripture, as the contrary 15 to darknets: And ; Or rather 3. of the fleſh of Job's enemy, of whom he laſt ſpoke,
Fothe ſenſe of thoſe and the following words IS, IfI refle&ed upon my Wealth 2nd G'ory, with pride and admiration,and fatisfaCtion. 25. _ and therefore it is not likely that he thould now repeat the ſame thing in dark and metaphorical expreſſions. And although this be a great fin before God, yet this 1s nor one of thoſe fins which fall
- under the cognizance of human Judges, as it here follows,v.28.Or
rather 2. of the Sun in tie Firmament : and fo this place ſpeaks of tie Tdolatrous Worthip of the Hoſt of Heaven, and eſpecially of the Sun and Moon, the moſt eminent and glorious of that number, which was the moſt ancient kind of Idolatry,and was moſt frequent in the Eaſtern Countries, in one of which Job lived. m 5. e. In its full trength and glory ; forthen it did molt affe& mens eyes and hearts with admiration at its beauty and benefits; and ſo move them to adoreit- Or, when it began to ſhine ; ( the compleat Verb being uſed of the beginning of it, as he re:gned, is oft put for he began to Yeren ) 1. e. at its firit riſing, which was a ſpecial,and the chief time for its adoration. » When it ſhines molt clearly ; or when it is at the full, for then eſpecially did the Idolaters worſhip it. | 27 And my heart hath been ſecretly o enticed p, or
q | my mouth hath kiſſed my hand r : |
o In my inward thoughts or affe&tions, whilſt T made open pro- feſſion of my adherence to God and ro thetrue Religion, p Or, ſe- auced or deceived, by its plauſible and glorious appearance, which might eaſily cheat a credulous and inconſiderate perſon to believe that there was ſomething of a Divinity in them, and ſo induce him to worſhip it. This emphatical Expreſſion ſcems to be uſed with de-
- fign to teach the world this necellary and uſeful Truth, thatno mis-
take or error of mind would excuſe the praftice of Idolatry.qHeb; and, which ſeems more proper here, becauſe the ſecret errour of the Mind, without ſome ſuch viſible Ation and Evidence as here follows, had not been puniſhable by the Judges. r In token of Worſhip, whereof this was a ſign, whether given to Men, as Gen. 41. 40. Pf. 2. 12, or to Idols, i. Kings 19. 18, Hoſ. 13+ 2. And when the Idols were out of the reach of Idolaters, that they could not kiſs them, they uſed to kiſs their hands,and, as it were, to throw kifles at them; of which we have many Examples in Heathen Writers : Of which ſee my Latin Synopſis on this place.
28 This alſo s were an iniquity to be puniſhed by the judge t ; for I ſhould have denied the God s that is above x. | | |
s No leſs than the other. forementioned fins, Adultery, Oppreſ- ſion, &c. t 7. e. By the Civil Magiſtrate; who being advanced and prote&ed by God, 1s oblidged ro maintain and vinuicate his Ho- nour, and conſequently to puniſh Idolatry. And this did not ceaſe to be his duty, alrhough the Magiſtrates of the World in Job's time were ſo far from this, that they themſelves alſo were Idolaters»
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fuch an height of rageas this phraſe implies, againſt ſo. excellent and amiable a Maſter, Or 2. of the fleſh and other proviſions made ; by J6b for ſtrangers ; Be feeds them liberally, but ſcarce alloweth
V. :9, 30 Andiothis is an amplification and further confirmation of Job's choritable diſpoſition and carriage to his Enemy, although his Cauſe was fo juſt, and the Malice of his Enemies was ſo notori. ous and unreatonable,that al] who were daily converſant with him. and were Witnefles of his and their mutual carriages, did condemn and abhor them for it, and were ſo concerned and zealous in Job's quarrel, that they proteſted th:y could eat their very fleſh, and could nor be ſatisfied without it. And yet notwitbRtanding all theſe Provocations of others, he reſtrained both them and himſelf from executing vengeance upon them, as David afterwards did in a like caſe, 1 Sam. 24. 4+ & 2 Sam. 16. 9, 10. & To wit, without eating his fleſh.
32 * Theſtranger edid not lodge in the ſtreet I opened my doors || to the traveller :
e Or traveler, as it follows. f But in my houſe,according tothe Laws of Hoſpitality, and the uſage of thoſe times, when there were no publick Inns provided ſor the conveniency of ſuch perſons ; Gen. 18. 3. & 19. 2. Judg: 19. 15. 21.