The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 189

prdencc, false seeming, much more oim be up thy taoe without spot. At present, detect l\otual wickedness; which 7,opbar Zophar implies, he could not do so. The 11.esumee to have been detected in Job's CASe. stain of many sins WI\B on him (vcrs. G, 11, Will he not then consider it? mthcr, euen 14). Yea, thou shalt be 1teadfa1t; literally, thoo,gh 'he ron1>tder it not (see ihe Revised mo/1,en-perha.pa "pure e.a refined metal" ''enai0n). God does not need to pause 11.nd (see Isa. i. 25), perhaps" bright 1\8 a metallio r pcinder and .. conFid('r " ench oase. He ml\88," And 1h&lt not fear. "Sha.It bo knows. witl)(lnt any sueh lengthened con- freed," i.e., "from all the fears that disturb Eideratinn, whether a man ie true to him or thee now" (aee oh. iii. 2G; vi. 4 ; vii. 14; not. ix. 28, etc.). Yer. 12.-For vain man would be wise, Ver. 16.-Beoause thou ■halt forget thy theugh ruan be bom like a. wild ass's colt; misery. All thy post misery aha.11 be oleu.n r,,thcr. and a uain man may get understand- swept a.way from thy remembru.noe, because ino. and 11,c coU of a t~ild a.ss become a man of the happy condition whereto thou shalt (c:m1p:.re the Re·l"ised Version, me.rgiDA.l bo raised (see vel':!, 18, 19). "Sorrow's rendering). Zophar seems to mean thnt, memory" is not ahrnys "I\ sorrow still." through Divine diecipline, such as tl,at And remember it a1 waters that pass away; d~scribed in vcr. 10, a vain, foolish, puffed- i.e. remember it no more the.n a mcm remem- up man may be reclaimed and become e. bers the shower that has passed a.way or man of under.standing-a stubborn and thEI pool that is dried up. . untamed one, wild as the colt of e. wild Ver. 17.-And thine age shall be olearer ass, grow into a real man, i.e. neqnire sense tha.n the noonday; literally, ahall arise above nnd discretion. If this is the meaning, the noonday ; i.e. "exceed it in splendour." undoubtedly Job is gle.nced at (so Schultens, Instead of the "thick darkness" to wbioh Dillmann, and Ca.non Cook). Job is looking forward (eh. x. 21, 22), he Yer. 13.-If thou prepare thine heart. ehall bask in a light brighter than that of Ha,;ing indicated God's righteousness by the sun at noon. Thon shalt shine forth. these general remarks (vers. 7-12), &nd The Hebrew c&nnot possibly bear this implied tbo.t Job's complaints Rre v&in and m<>a.ning. Tho uncommon word. used is futile, Zoph&r, in conclusion, addresses allie,1 with Mf;>'P., "obscurity," and, if 11, verb, Job once more directly: "If thou (;i.-,i11) should mean " thou shalt be obscure," prepare thine heart," dee.rue it, that is, of rather than " thou sba.lt shine forth." But all defilement, direct it. and set it straight it is perhaps a substantive, meaning "dark- (see Pa. lxxviii. 8) before God, then such ness ; " and the translation of the Revised and sucli results (set forth in vers. 15-19) Version is perhaps correct: "Though there will follow. And stretch out thine hands be darkness." Thon 1halt be as the mom- toward him. The outward a.et of worship ing. "Thy light,'' as Professor Lee ex- must follow the inward movement of the plains, "shall grndually rise and expand heart, for the tuming to God to be complete. itself far and wide." It shall dispel the Ver. 14.-If illiqnity be in thine hand. darknesa, and take its place," shining more Zophar assumes this to be probable, nay, and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. iv. almost certain. He has already told Job 18). that God has exacted from him lees than Ver. 18.-And thou shalt be seoure, his iniquity (ptt, the e&me word) deserves because there is hope. Job, entering on (ver. 6). Conform&bly with this view, he this second period of prosperity, would be now suggests that it would not do for Job and feel secure; safe, i.e., from any return io stretch oat to God in prayer &hand ful) of calamity, because hope would once more of ioiqnity, and that therefore, previously animate him and be his predominant feel- to ma.king his 1111pplic&tion, he would do ing. No doubt "hope springs oternal in well to lay his iniquity aside. In a general the human breast;" and when Job's pros- wo.v, the advice is excellent; but it was perity was actually restored ( eh. xlii. 12- insulting t,o Job, who denied that he bad 16), these antioip&tions had their fulfil- any definite act of sin on his conscience. ment; but, as uttered by Zoph&r, there is Put it fB.r away; i.e. repent of it, confess a ring of insincerity about them, and we it u, God ; if the case admits of it, make cannot but feel thnt bis object in expatiating reps.ration or restitution. And let not at length on the det&ils of Job's coming wiokedn- dwell in thy tabernacles; or, happiness is not to console and encourage in tJ,y unJ,s. The insinuation seems to be bis friend, but rather to annoy and ex&s- that Job is n robber chief, and that his tent perute him, since the entire basis on which k!ld the tents of his followers e.re full of he builds is the assumption of Job's heinous ill-gotten spoils, the,froit of Iii.a raids upon guilt (vers. 3, 6, 11, 14), and the prosperity t.he defencelees. which he promises is to follow upon an Ver. 15.-J'or then; rather, surely thffl aeknowl€dgment of guilt and a putting (1l-t, th1, Revised Version). Bhalt thou lift away of iniquity (vers. 13, 14), which he <?JI• :I.I, 1-20.] THE BOO]it OF JOB. 195