lont triumph, a.nd tho rude jeers of the denuded himeelf of his honour and diantty "abjeote," who made him their" song" 1tnd an<l as it were trailed them in the ,Just. ' their'' byword" (oh. xxx. 9). And turned Ver. 16.-:My face ia foul with weeping. me over into the hands of the wicked. Job Ho hag wept so much that his fBCo is stained epenke ae if God hBrl wholly given him up, with his tears. And on my eyelids ia the mBcle him over to the wicked, to den! witl1 shadow of death. There is an awful shn,low him exnotly as they chose. 'fhie, of course, on his eyes and eyelids, portending death. wne not so. If the malcvulc11cFJ of Ba.tan Ver. 17.-Not for any injustice in mine W!IB limited by the DiviM will (eh. i. 12; hands; or, not that there is any vlr,/ence in my ii. 6) ; so, much more, would the malevo- hands (comp. Isri. )iii. 9, wliero tho expres- lence of man be limited. sion mccl of the Messiah is nearly the same). Ver. 12.-1 we.a at ee.ae (comp1tre the Job repudiates the charge of rapine a.ncl picture dro.wn in eh. i. 1-5). Job he.cl been robbery which Eliphaz has brought against "at eo.se," trBnquil, prosperous, happy. He him (eh. xv. 28, 3-1). Hie hands have not had been o.lmoat without a care, when sud- done violence to any. Also my prayer is denly " trouble ea.me." :But he ho.th broken pure. Neither ha.s he been guilty of the me a.sunder ; rather, he brake me asunder hyp:,crisy which Eliphaz has e.lso charged (see the Revised Version). In the midst of him with (eh. xv. 34). His prayers have his e!IBe and tranquillity, God suddenly been sincere and gennine. poured out his cho.stisements, and "brake Ver. 18.-0 earth, cover not thou my Joh asunder," i.e. destroyed hie life, mined blood! There was a widespread beli,J in it and broke it down. He he.th also tal:en tho ancient world that innocent blood, spilt me by my neck, and she.ken me to pieces ; upon the ground, cried to God for vengeance, or, druhed me to pieces. And set me up for and remainecl a dark blot upon the earth bis mark ; i.e. as a target for hie arrow ■ till it was avenged, or until it was covered (comp. Deut. xxxii. 23; eh. vi. 4; Ps. vii. up. Job apostrophizes the earth, and be- 13: xxxviii. 2, etc.: Lam. iii. 12). seeches it not to cover up his blood when he Ver. 13.-His arohers oompaas me round dies, as Le expects to do, shortly. And let about. God is represented, not as himself my cry have no place; i.e. let it \1ave uo the shooter of the arrows, but as surround- hiding-place, but fill earth and heaven. ing Job with e. body of archer~, who are Let it continue to be hea.rd until it is unacr his command and carry ont his will. answered. So, generally, Scripture represents the judg- Ver. 19.-Also now, behold, my Witness ments of God as carried out by infPrior is in heo.ven; rather, even noio (see the Re-, agents (sec 2 Sam. xxiv. 16; 1 Chron. xxi. vised Version). Job claims God for his 15: 2 Kings xix. 35, etc.). He oleaveth my Witness, looks to him for an ultimate vin- reins asunder, and doth not spare. The dication of his character, is sure that in one allusion is probably to J ob'e phyeico.1 suffer- way or another he will make his righteous- ings, which inc\udtd severe pu.ine in the ness clear o.e the noonday in the sight of lumbar region. He ponreth out my ga.11 men o.nd angels (see eh. xix. 25-27, of upon the ground. The rupture of the gall- which this is in some sort an anticipation). bladder ea.uses the contents to be spilt upon My record-or, 7w that vouches for me (Re- the ground. vised Version)-is on high-one of the so Ver. 14.-He breaketh me with breach frequent pleonaetio repetitious of one and upon breaoh. As au enemy, when he be- the same idea. sieges a town, crushes its resistance by means Ver. 20.-My friends scorn me; literally, of "breach upon breach," so is Job crushed my scorners are my companion-i; i.e. 1 have by one Rttack after another. He runneth to live with those who scorn rue (cowp. eh. upon me like a giant; i.e. with overwhelm- xxx. 1-13). But mine eye poureth out ing force-a force that is quite irresistible. teBrs unto God. It is not to bis " frieuds," Ver. 15.-I have sewed sackoloth upon or "companions," or "comforters," or auy my skin. Another transition. Job turns to human o.id, tho.t Job turns in bis distress. the consideration of how he has acted under God· a.lone is his Refuge. Forced by his' his severe afllictione. In the first place, he woes to pass his time iu weeping and mourn- has put ou sackcloth, not for a time merely, ing (sec ve1·. 16), it is to God that his heart as ordinary mourners do, but for a perma- turns, to God the.t he "pours out his tears." nency, so tho.t he may bo said lo have sewn Hardly as he thinks God to have used him, it to his akin. There is, perhaps, also an bitterly as he sometimes ventures to com- allusion to the C1clhesion of the garment to plain, yet the idea never crosses him of look- his mRny sores. And have defiled my horn ing for help or sympathy to any other quarter, in the dust. "My horn " is equivalent to of havin.~ recourse to any other support or "my pri<lo," "my dignity." Job, when he slay. "Thou~h he sby me, yet will 1 trust left hid stnte, and put on sackeloth, and in him" (eh. xiii. 15), expresses the deepest "11at down 11mong the 11ehes" ( eh, ii. 8), feeling of his heart, the firmest principle uf 282 'l'HE BOOK OF JOB. [oB', XVI, 1-22,
his nature. Nothing overrides it. Evon ing, "e.s a son of ma11," then the meaning " out of the depths" his soul cries to the is simply," Oh th11.t God would pl1!8d for man Lord (see Ps. cux. J). with himself, NI a man is wont to plead for Ver. 21.-0h that one might plead for a his felfow-mo.n I" But if we preter the other man with God ! The original here is ob- rendermg, "68 the Son of man,'' " Messio.nio tlcure. It may moon, Oh that he (i.e. God interpretation wiil be necess1uy. (So Pro- bim,elf) woul.d plead for a ma11 with God! fessor Lee 11.nd Dr. St11.nley Leathes). But i.e. would become a Mediator between him- Messianic interpretations of passages thnt self and man, plead for him, nndertnke his do not require them, 11.nd tha.t have no suoh rlefonoo, 11.nd ol,tain for him merciful con- traditional interpretation, require extreme sideration. Or, nearly 68 in the Authorized caution. Version, Oh that 008 might p1,ead for man Ver. 22.-When a few years are oome; (i.e. mankind at linge) u,ith God 1 interest literally, a nmnber of years, which generally him on their behalf, and obtain a merciful mea.ns a small number. I shall go the way judgment for them. The former rendering whenee I shall not return. This vene would is to be preferred. As a man plcadeth for more fitly begin the following chapter, which his neighbour ; literally, ns a son of man opens in o. similar strain, with an antici- (or, as the S°" of man) pl,eadeth for his pation of the near approaoh of death. neighbour. If we ta.ke the simpler render-