gloomy 11nd terrifying thoughts which come Ver. 16. -Ri• root, 1he.ll be dried up over him from time to time (eh. iii. 25; vii. beneath, He shall be like e. tree whoee 14 ; ix. 28; xiii. 21) e.nd fill him with con- roots no moisture reaches, e,nd which, there. 1tero11tion. And ahe.11 drive him to bis feet; fore, withers and dries up (comp. eh. xiv. rother, ehall chase him at liis heals (see the 8, 9; xxix. 19). And e,bove shall his branch Revised Version). Like o pnck of hounds, be cut off; or, be withered (comp. eh. xiv. 2, or wolves, or jnokols. Jockols nre common where tho same verb is usetl). in Polestine ond tho ocljooent countries. Ver. 17.-Hia remembrance shall perish They hunt in pocks, nnd generally run down from the earth (comp. Ps. xxxiv. 16; cix. their prey; but do not, unless hord pressed 13). Thie is always spoken of in Scripture by hunger, e.tte.ck men. as a gree.t ce.lo.mity, one of the greatest that Ver. 12.-His strength shall be hunger- can befall a man. It was felt as such, not bitten. (So Dillme.nu, Cook, oncl the RE;- only by the Jews, but by the Semitic people vised Version.) To the other sufferings of geoero.lly, whose earnest desire to perpetuat" the wicked me.u she.II be added the pongs their memory is shown by the elabornte of hunger. His bodily strength shall dis• monuments and lengthy inscription, which appear, 11s destitution and famine come upon they set up in so many places. Arabian him. And destrnotion shall be ready at poetry, no less than Jewish, is penetrated his side. Ready to seize on him at any by the idea. lo one point of view it may moment. Some translate, "ready for his seem a vulgar ambition; but, in another, it bolting,'' i.e. ready to seize on him in case is a pathetic craving after tlmt continuance of his tripping or halting (so the Revised which the spirit of man naturally desires, Version). but of which it ha.a, apart from revelation, Ver. 13.-It shall devour the strength of no assurance. And he shall have no name bis skin; literally, the bars of his ekin, by in the street; or, in the world without (comp. which some understand "the muscles,'' some eh. v. 10). "the members,'' of his body. The general Ver. 18.-He she.11 be driven from light meaning is plain, that destruction shall into darkness, and chased out of the world always be close to him, and shall ultimately (comp. eh. x. 21, 22; xvii. 16). What Job make him its own. Even the firstborn of represents as a welcome retreat, whither be death she.11 devour his strength. By "the would gladly withdraw himself, Bildad de- firstborn of death" is probably intended, picts as a banishment, into which he will be either some wasting disease generally, or driven on account of his sins. perhaps the special disease from which Job Ver. 19.-He shall neither have son nor is suffering. nephew among bis people; rather, nor grand- Ver. 14.-His oonfidenoe she.11 be rooted son; i.e. "bis posterity shall be clean pnt out of his tabernacle; rather, he shall be out" (Ps. cix. H). Nor any remaiI!ing in bis rooted out of his tabernacle ( or, tent), which dwellings; rather, in the places where he is his confidenoo, or wherein he trusteth; sojourned (compare the Revised Version, i.e. he she.II be tom from the home, where which gives "in his sojourniogs "). It is he thought himself secure as in a strong- implied that the wicked ml\Il shall be e. hold. And it she.ll bring him; rather, one vagabond, without a home, sojourning now ehall bri'llfl him, or, he shall be broV,JJht. To here, now there, for a short time. Neither the king of terrors. Probably death, rather among his own people, nor in these places than Satan, is intended. None of Job's of his temporary abode, sho.11 he leave any "comforters" seems to have had any con- descendant. Bildad probably intends to ception of Satan 11s a personal being, nor •glance at the destruction of Job's childreu even Job himself. It is only the author, (eh. i. 19). or arranger, of the book who recognizes the Ver. 20.-They that come e.fter him ehall personality and power of the prince of be astonied at his day; i.e. "at the time of darlmesa. his visitation" (comp. Ps. xxxvii. 13, "The Vor. 15.-It she.11 dwell in bis te.berne.cle, Lord shall laugh at him. for he seeth beoe.use it is none of his; either, it (i.e. that his day is cowing;" and Ps. cxxxvii. 7, terror) al.all dwell in his tabernacle, which is "Remember the children of Edom in the flO longer ltis; or, they shall dwell in his day of Jerusalem," i.e. the day of its over- tabernacle that are none of Ms; i.e. strangers throw). A1 they that went before were ellflll inhabit the place where he dwelt affrighted. His fate shall alarm equally heretofore (compl\re the Revised Version). his cootewpomries and his suocessors, or Brimstone shall be soe.ttered upon his habi- possibly" the dwellers in the West and the tation. As Go<l rninou fire and brimstone dwellers in the East." out of heaven upon the cities of tho plo.in Ver. 21.-Surely suoh are the dwellings (Gen. xix. 2-1), 80 shall brimstone be scl\t- of the wioked. "Such as I have described tored upon his hnbitntion to ruin and destroy is the genero.1 condition o.nd mauner of life it (comp. Deut. xxix. 23; Ps. xi. 6). of the man who is wicked," And this is 810 THE BOOK OF JOB. [011. xvm.1-Bl.
the plule (or, poriffon) of him that lmoweth that the whole eerie& of denunoiationa (vora. ~ot God. The singular number used both li-21) is levelled &gain1t an individual- lD tliil cla1111e and ~e preoeding indioatea vis. Job.