The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 75

Ver11, 12-21,-Eliphaz prooeeda to m1r- not distinct to Elipbaz'a eyes (ver. 16), 80 ra.te a spiritual experience of a. ,ery strange neither wero the words whioh were utte~ed and striking oba.rncter. It was night, a.nd distinct to hie ears. He thinks himselr e.ble, however, to give the sense of them ho hod f11llen asleep, when eudclenly he wa.e, (see vere. 17-21). or seemed to himself to be, a.wake. A. Ver. 13.-In thoughts from the viaion■ of horrible feru- oome over him, a.nd e.11 his the night; literally, in the perplezities of limbs trembled o.nd quaked. Thon II spirit the 'PliBions of night; i.e. "in the.t perplexing seemed to po.se before his fa.ea, while every time when-how, they know not-visions come to men." The word translated hair on his body rose up o.nd stiffened with "thoughts" occurs only here e.nd in cb. horror. It did not simply p11Ss across him, xx. 2. When deep aleep fe.lleth on men. but stood still, in a formlees form, which Something more than ordinary sleep seernw he could see but not ole11rly distinguish. to be meant-something more approaching There was II deep hush. Then out of the to whe.t we call "trance" (comp. Gen. ii. 21 ; xv. 12; 1 Sam. xxvi. 12, where the silenoe there seemed to come 11 ,oice, 11 same word is need). whisper, which articulated solemn words. Ver. 14.-J!'ee.r oa.me upon me, and trem- "Shall morte.l man be more just tha.n God? bling; compe.re the "horror of great dark- Sha.II a ma.n," eto.? Superne.tural visitations ness" which fell upon Abrahe.m (Gen. xv. were vouohse.fed by God to me.ny besides 12). Our nature shrinks from direct cont.act with the spiritual world, and our earthly the chosen people-to La.ban, when he pur- fre.me shudders at the unee.rthly presence. sued Jacob (Gen. :n.xi. 24.), to A.bimelech Whioh made the multitude of my bones to (Gen. xx. 6), to the Pharaoh of the time of shake; or, which made my bones greatly to Joseph (Gen. xii. 1-7), to his chief butler ~hake (so the LXX., Professor Lee, and (Gen. xl. 9-11), and his chief baker (Gen. others). Ver. 15.-Then a spirit pasBBd before my xl. 16, 17), to Bala.am the son of Beor fe.ce. It has been argued (Rosenm filler) (Numb, JU.ii. 12, 20; xxiii. 5-10, 16-2!; the.t "11 breath of air" and not "a spirit'' xxiv. 3--9, 15-2!), to Nebuchadnezzar is intended; but, in the.t ca.se, how are .;e (Dan. ii. 28-35; iv. 1-32), and othen. to understand the expressions in the fol- The method and manner of these visitations lowing verse : "it stood still," " the form raise a. multitude of questions which it is thereof," "e.n image " ? A ln-eath of air, impossible to answer, but a.re convincing the very eSB0nce of which is to be in motion, oannot stand still, nor has it any " form," evidence to all who believe Scripture· to be "appearance," or "image." Graute,l that true, that communications can pass between the Hebrew ruakh (n1,) may mean-like the spiritual ond m11terioJ worlds of 11 the Greek ,rveu..,..., and the Le.tin apiritus- strange •a.nd u,ysterious character. The either e.n actual spirit, or a breath, a. wind, communication to Eliphnz may have been a it follows that, in every place where it oc- curs, we must judge by the context which is Dier~ vision, impressed upon his mind in mea.nt. Here certainly the context points sleep, or it may have been 0:Ctua.Ily brought to an actual living spirit, a.a what Eliphaz to him by a spiritual messenger,.whom he intende<l. Whether a spirit reallv appeared could dimly see, a.nd •whose voice he was to him is a separate question. 'fhe whole privileged to hear. Modem pseudo-science may have been a vision; but certainly the pronounces such seeing and hearing to be impression left on Eliphaz was tha.t he hiid had ll communication from the spirit- impossible. But poets a.re often oloarer- world. The hair of my :flesh stood up. Not sighted tha.n scientists, and Shiikespea.re the hBir of his hea.d only, but every hair on utters a. pregnant truth when he sa.ys- his whole body, stiffened, bristled, and rose up on end in horror (see the comment on " There are more things in heaven and earth, ver. 14). Horatio, Ver. 16.-It stood still, but I oould not Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." discern the form thereof. Ca.non Cook 9.uotes, very appositely, Millon's representa- Ver. 12.-Now a thing waa seoretly t10n of Death 11s a fearful shape, brought to me; ruther, a =d (or, a message) was brought to me stealthily. And mine ee.r " If shape it could i)q called that shape reoeived a little thereof; rather, a whisper had none t/iereof (eee the Revised Version, a._ud co_111p. Distinguishable in member,joint, or limb, oh. xxvi. H, and the Vulgate, winch gives Or substance might be oalled thatshadow ,uaurrua). As the form of the vision wos seemed."  70 THE BOOK OF ,•JOB.