ple.ined by the pe.re.llel in the second mem- be juatitied. I e.m confident, l.e., th11.t tho ber of the verse. The genere.l manning is, oe.UBe, if it be fully heard, will be rlec:ded "Why do I jeopardize everything-my body, in my favour. It will e.ppee.r that I he.ve taking it as it were between my teeth; and not brought my ce.lamitiea upon myself by my soul, to.king it e.s it were in my he.nd ? " my own miadoingR. or juatifice.tion, in the Neither Idea will bear minute e.ae.lysia; but forensic aeme, of impnted righteowmeBB, the latter, at any rate, we.a known to the with its concomitant ideas, Job, of conrse, Greeks (A then.,' Deipnoaoph.,' p. 569), and knows nothing. is common in English. And put my life in Ver. 19.-Who is he that will plee.d with my hand (comp. Judg. xii. 3; I Se.m. xix. me 1 Will God himself plead? 01" will he 5; xxviii. 21; Pa. oxix. 109). depute some one, me.n or e.ngel? Job is Ver. 15.-Though he sle.y me, yet will impatient that the pleadings should begin. I trust in him; re.ther, yet will I wait Far now, if I hold my tongne, I shall give /or him. The po.see.go is one of the _few in up the ghost. Some translate, "For now this book where there e.re two ree.clrngs- shall I hold my peace and give up the ',n•H \', e.nd ',n•H N',, Those who prefer the ghost,'' which they explain to mean, "If le.tter commonly render it, " I he.ve no God does implea,l me, I shall take refuge in hope;" but it is pointed out by Canon Cook silence, and atre.ightway expire." But this seems e.n impossible conclusion, when all that there a.re reasons for rege.rding N', e.s that Job has been aiming at and striving an e.rchaio form for \',, which sometimes for since bis opponents taxe<l him with takes its place. If this be not allowed, the wickedness haH been that he might "speak reading ,r, will have to be preferred, on the to the Almighty, and reason with God" double authority of the versions and of the (ver. 3). It is far simpler to keep to the context. Job cannot possibly he.ve said, in translation of the Authorized Version, and one verse, "I _have no hope," and in the understand Job to mean that things have next, "He (God) shall be my Salvation." now ree.ched e. point at which he must lint I will maintain mine own ways before either speak or expire. him; i.e. " I will maintain the.t they are Ver. 20.-0nly do not two thinga unto me. right and good -ways, not open to the impu- Before beginning his plea, Job has two tations the.t my •friends' have cast upon requests to make of God. (I) That he will them" (eh. iv. 7, 8; viii. 6, 20; xi. 11, 141 put an end for a time to bis bodily suffer- 20). inga-5Ilapend them, at any rate, while the Ver. 16.-He also shall be my Salvation. pleading continues; (2) that he will during \Whatever God does to him (ver. 13), what- the same space abstain from terrifying him lever burden he lays upon him, though he mentally, as he had done on previous occa- I even "slay" him (ver. 15), yet Job is sure sions (eh. vi. 4; vii. 14; ix. 14; see below,
l that ultimately, in one way or another, God will be his Salvation. It is this determined trustfulness which at once gives Job's cha- re.cter its strength, and atones in a c~rtain sense for his over-boldness in challenging ver. 21). Then will I not hide myself from thee; literally, fr<Ym thy faee (comp. eh. ix. 34, 35, "Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me : then would I speak, and not fear him "). God to a controversy. His heart is right Ver. 21.-Withdraw thine he.nd far from with God. Though the secrets of the un- me; i.e. "thy a_fl!icting hand." Job views seen world have been hidden from him, and all bis physical suffering e.s coming directly the condition of man after death is e. mystery from the hand of God-momentarily caused on which he can only form vague conjec- by him, anil therefore removable by him tures, yet he is sure that in the end God at any moment. He he.s no thougllt for will not fail him. For an hypocrite she.11 secondary co.uses. And let not thy dread not come before him. If he were e. hypocrite make me afraid. Job speaks here and else- the ce.se would be different; he would where of spiritual terrors-tboae vague and tremble before God, instead of feeling impalpable fears which suggest themselves confident. But, knowing that he is honest iu wardly to the soul, e.nd a.re far more and true, he is not afro.id ; he is bold to pe.inful, far more dreadful, than any amount "come before him," e.nd plead his cause of bodily anguish. Unless he is free from before him. these, as well e.s from physical po.ins, he Ver. 17.-Hear diligently my speech, and cannot plead his cause freely e.nd fully. my deole.re.tion with your ears. A last Ver. 22.-Then ce.11 thou, e.nd I will 11ppeal to his opponents to give him their e.nswer. "Then "-when I am free from full e.ttention ( comp. ver. 6). suffering, both mental and bodily-implea.d Ver. 18.-llehold now, I he.ve ordered my me, bring thy ohe.rges age.inst me, and I co.use; i.e. i have prepared my plee.dings, will answer them. As Mr. Froude observes, and arranged them; I know whu.t I am "Job himself had been educated in the o.bC\ut to BEiy. Also I know that I shall eame creed " as his comforter»; " he, too, 228 THE BOOK OF JOB. [OB. un. 1--28.