THE
PULPIT COMMENTARY, EDITED BY THE
VERY REV. H. D-: •M. SPENCE, D.D., DEAN OF GLOUCESTER;
AND BY THE
REV. JOSEPH S, EXELL, M.A.
WITH
INTRODUCTIONS BY THE
VERY REV. F. W. FARRAR, D.D., F.R.S., DEAN OF CANTERBURY. RIGHT REV. H. COTTERILL, D.D., F.R.S.E. VERY REV. PRINCIPAL J. TULLOCH, D.D. REV. CANON G. RA. WLINSON, M.A. REV. .A.. PLUMMER, M.A.., D.D.
NEW EDITION.
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY LONDON AND NEW YORK 1907 l'RlNTED BV WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMitED, LONDON AND BECCLES.
f 7'1,r ,viii of tra,ulafitm • .,, ~ut:Ht111 an ru,n,,,I.I THE
PULPIT COMMENTARY, EDITED BY TllB
VERY REV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D., DJ:AN OJ' GLOtrOEBTBB ;
AND BY TEB
REV. JOSEPH S. EXELL, M.!.
JO B. egxpositfon BY REV. G. RAWLINSON, M.A., CANON OB' OANTEBBtrBY.
f!lomtletfcs Bv REV. T. WHITEL.A.W, D.D.
~omtlfrs by 1:Tatfous ~utbom. BEV. PROF. E. JOHNSON, M.A. REV. PROF. W. F. A.DENET, M.A. REV. B. GREEN.
NEW EDITION.
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY LONDON AND NEW YORK 1907 THE BOOK OF JOB.
INTRODUCTION.
§ 1. ANALYSIS OF TH.E BOOK.
THE Book of Job is e. work which divides itself. manifestly into sections. These may be made more or fewer, according to the extent to which the work of analysis is carried out. The least critical reader cannot fail to recognize three divisions : I. An historical prologue, or introduction ; II. A main body of moral and religious discourses, chiefly in the form of dialogue; and III. An historical conclusion, or epilogue. Part I. and Part III. of this division, being comparatively brief and concise, do not lend themselves very readily to any subdivision; but Part II., which forms the main bulk of the treatise, and extends from the beginning of eh. iii. to ver. 6 of eh. xiii., falls naturally into sevEral very distinct portions. First there is a long dialogue between Job and three of his friends-Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar--which reaches from eh. iii. 1 to the end of eh. xxxi., where a marked line is drawn by the insertion of the phrase, "The words of Job are ended." Then follows o. harangue by a new speaker, Elihu, which occupies six chapters (eh. xxxii.-xxxvii.). Next comes a discourse ascribed to Jehovah himself, which occupies four chapters (eh. xx.xviii.- xli.); and after this there is a short speech by Job ( eh. x.lii. 1-6), extending to less than half a chapter. l!,urther, tho long dialogue between Job and his three friends resolves itself into three sections-a first di,dogue, in which all the four speakers take part, reaching from eh. iii. 1 to the end of eh. xiv. ; e. second dialogue, in which again all the speakers are engaged, extending from eh. xv. 1 to the end of eh. xxi. ; 11D.d a third dialogue, in which Job, Eliphaz, and Bildad take ~art, reaching from eh. xxii. 1 to the 501 ii INTRODUCTION TO
end of eh. xxxi. The scheme of the book may thus be exhibited a.a follows:- 1. lntroduct.ory hist.oriol\l section. Oh. i., ii. II. Moral and religious disoourees. Ch. iii.-xlii. 6. 1. Discourses between Job l\nd his three friends. Ch. iii,-xxxi. (1) First dialogue. Ch. iii.-xiv. (2) Second dialogue. Ch. xv.-xxi. (3) Third dialogue. Ch. xxii.-xxxi. 2. Harangue of Elihu. Ch. xxxii.-xxxvii. 8. Discourse of Jehovah. Ch. xxxviii.-xli. 4. Short speech of Job. Cb. xlii. 1-6. III. Concluding historical section. Ch. xiii. 7-16. 1. The "Introductory section " explains the circumstances under which the dialogues took place. The person of Job is, first of all, set before us. He is a chieftain of the land of Uz, of great wealth and high rank-" the greatest of all the Beney Kedem, or men of the East" (eh. i. 3). He has a numerous and flourishing family (eh. i. 2, 4, 5), and enjoys in advanced life I such a degree of earthly happiness as is accorded to few. At the same time, he is noted for his piety and good conduct. The author of the section declares him to have been "perfect and upright, one that feared God, and eschewed evil" (uh. i. 1), and later on adduces the Divine testimony to the same effect: " Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a, perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (eh. i. 8; ii. 3). Job is living in this prosperous and happy state, respected and beloved, with his family about him, and a host of servants and retainers continually ministering to his wants (eh. i. 15-17), when in the courts 9,f heaven a scene occurs whi~ brin this ha dition of thin s to an end, and reduces the atria t:o ext'"GWEl wretchedness. atan, the a.censer o t e brethren, appell.rs ~ h e throne of God together with the blessed company of the angels, and, having his attention called to Job by the Almighty, replies with the scoff," Doth Job fear God for nought?" and then backs np his sarcasm with the bold assertion, "Pnt forth thy band now, and touch all that he hath," i.e. withdraw his blessings, "and He will curse thee to thy face" (eh. i. 9-11). The question is thus raised with respect to Job's sincerity, and, by parity of reasoning, with respect to the sincerity of all other apparently religions and God-fearing men-le t ere such a thin as real ,llie~_?- Is not the a pea.ranee of it in the worl a ere orm of e e Are not the so-:Ca e "perfect and uprig t men' mere self-seekers, like others, only self-seekers who add to their other vices the detestable one of hypocrisy? The question is one of the highest moral interest, and,Ja, solve it, or to help towards solving it, God allows tb~ triaLto be made i1', t~rson of Job. He permits the accuser to strip Job of his earthly 1 Job's family of ten grown-up children, the issue of one wife, necessitates a minimum
of fifty years of age, and suggests as more probable the age of sidy or seventy. His position in tlie community whereof hto wa.,i a wewber (eh. :u:i1 7-10, 21-25) favours the longer p;,riod. THE BOOK OF JOB. iii