VBin hope. In the s11me WII)', Job implies, Point out, t,he.t ia, in what tny assumed guilt he is ashamed of heving looked for oomp&B- consists. You mai11te.in that my affliction ■ eion and kindneBB from his friends. He are deserved. Point out what in lily con- should have been meer and have known duct has deserved them. I e.m quit.e ready better. They oame thither, aud were ashamed. to be convinoed. • They not only hoped, but ecterl on their Ver. 25.-How rorelble are right word1I hope-let it turn them aside from theirwny literally, fflOrdt of uprightM811. • Such worda (ver. 18) end bring them to ruin. have a force thRt none oau resist. If the Yer. 21.-For now ye are nothing, Like charges made by Eliphe.z had been tight thC' dried-up tonente, the C'Omforters had and true, and hie arguments sound ond just, come tn n0ught; were wholly useless and tben Job must have yielded to them, have unprofitable. Another reading gives the confessed himself guilty, e.ud bowed down l!lense. •· Ye nre like to them"-" ye oom- with shame before his judges. Butthey had forter.•." i.r.., •· are like the winter torrents, had no such constraining power. There• and have misled me, e.s thev misled the fore they were not •• words of uprightnes&." cennans." Ye see my castin,g dowu, and But what doth your arguing reprove 1 lite• are afraid. Here Joh penetrates to the rnlly, W11at doth your re_flrol1ing reprove f moth·e which had prr,duced the conduct of That is-What exactly is it that ye think hie friends. They had come with good in- to be wrong in me? At what is your iu• tentions. meaning to comfort and console vecti-re aimed? him; but when they came. and BIIW "·hat a Ver. 26.-Do ye imagine to reprove worda 1 WJ'e<'k he was, ho-.. utterly " broken up " or, Do ye propose t "Is it your intention?" 1rnd ruined, they began to be afrnid of show• Am I to understand that you hie.me nothing ing too much friendliness. They thought in my conduct, but only the words that I him an object of the Divine vengeance, and have spoken ? i.e. the words recorded in feared lest, if they showed him sympathy, cb. iii. And the speeohes of one that is they might involve themselves in his punish- desperate, which are aa wind; or,,wkerea, ment. the spuches of one that is despe,·ale, are b~t Ver. 22.-Did I say, Bring 11llto me! The as wind ; litere.11 y, for the tcind-spoken to meaning is probably-If this be the case, the wind, for the wind to take hold of them if ye are afraid of helping me, why have and bear them away. Therefore not worth ve come? Did I ask for vonr aid? No. I a reproof. •_ _ ·- ' i1either requested you to bring me anything Ver. 27.-Yea, ye overwhelm the father- for myself, nor to make a present to any one less; rather, on the fatherless would ye cast on my behalf; much less did I call upon lot.a (comp. Joel iii. 3; Obad. 11; Nn.h. iii. yon to deliver me out of the hand of my 10). Job means to say they are so pitiless enemies, to chastize the Che.ldee.ns and the that they would cast lots for the children of rncu of Sheba (eh. i. 15, 17), and recover an insolvent debtor condemned to become frum them ruy property. No; I asked slaves at his death (see 2 Kings iv, 1: Neh, nothing at all of you; but when yon co.me v. 5). And ye dig a pit for your friend; ~oluntarily, I did expect your pity (ver. 14). or, ye would make merchandise of your friood, Or, Give a reward for me of your substance 1 as in the Revised Version. Job does ndt i.e. give a preeent on my behalf to some speak of what bis friends had done, but of influential person, who might thereupon whnt he deems them capable of doing. take up my cause and befriend me. There Ver. 28.-Now thorefore be content, look is no need of supposing a "bribe" to be upon me; rather, be pkaaed to looT, upon me. meant. Professor Lee translates, "Look fa1Joumbly Yer. 23.-0r, Deliver me from the e11emy'1 upon me." But this addition is unnecessary. hand 1 rather, from the hand ~f !lie uioknt What Job desires is that his friends would -man. Or, Redeem me from the hand of the look him straight in the face. Theu they mighty 1 literally, of the oppressor (see the would not be able to doubt him. They Revised Version). Job bad not called on wonld see that he was telling the truth. hiB friends to do any of these things. He Jl'or it is evident unto you if I lie ; rather,' it he.cl not worn out tLeir patience by asking will be e'Dwent unto you, eto. Others render now for this, and now for that. But he the passage, "For surely I shall not lie to had expected their compassion, and this was your face" (Schultens, Canon Cook, Revised denied him. Version). Ver. 24.-Teach me, and I will hold my Ver. 29.-Retnrn, I pray you; I.e. .. go tongue. Job is willing to be taught, if his ha.ck upon my case: reconsider it." .And friends have any inatrnytion to give. He is then, Let it not be iniquity; or, let there be flO willing to oe reproved. Bnt not in such ini,quity; i.e. let no injustice be done Q:le. 110rt as he hBs been reproved by Eliphaz. Yea, ret11rll again, my righteoume■a is in it, Hui words were not "words of uprisbtne88." U my ce..use be well considered, it will be Caue me to undentaDd ,rherlin I ha-f'e erred. seen that I am in Jl0 way blameworthy. ! Cll, VI, 1-30.] TIIE BOOK OF JOB. 107
Ver. 80.-Is there iniquity in my tongue t were a.ny, I think I should discern it The (see ver. 26). Job now justifies his words, reasoning is enmewhst dangerous, eince men which previously he had admitted to have are not info.Jlible judges, not being unpre- been "l'Bllh" (ver. 3). Perhnps he intenrls judiced judges, in their own CRse. ,Job's to distingnish between rashness and actual ultimate verdict on himeol f is that be has wiokedness. Cannot my taste discern per- "uttered tlui.t wbich he understood not" verse thing■ J i.e. I see no perversity or (eh. xiii. 3)-wherefore be" abhors himself, wiokednees •in what I have so.id. U there and repents in dust and e.ehes" (eh. xiii. 6).