The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 308

CHAPTER XIX. insist on m11,gnirying yonrselve1 ngnlnat mo, 11,nd bringing up agninst me my" reproach;" Vere. 1-29.-Job bcgine liie anewer to then let me make appool to your pity. Bilrlrul'e eeoond speech by an expoetnlation Oonsider my whole condition-how I st11,n,t agsinet the unkindneee of hie friends, who with God, who perseoutes me and" destroys" me (ver. 10); bow I stand with my rel11,tivca break him in pieces, and torture him, with and ~uoh other friends as I have beside thoir reproaobes (vers. 1-5). He then once yourselves, who disclaim and forenke me more, and more plainly thnn on any other (vers. 13-19); and how I am conditioned oecaeion, reoounts hie woes. (1) His severe with respect to my body, emaciated and on treatment by God (v8l8. 6-13); (2) hie the verge of death (ver. 20); and then, if neither your friendship nor your sense of harsh usage by his J'C'lativee and friends justice will induce you to abstain from (veM!. 14-19); and (S) the pRin oaueed him persecuting me, abstain at any rnte for pity's by his di.seat,c (ver. 20); and appeals to his sake (ver. 21). And plea.d again■t me my friends on these grounds for pity and for- reproaoh, Job's speoial "reproach" WB8 bcamnce (vers. 21, 22). Next, he proooede that God had lnid his hand upon him. This ,vas a manifest fe.ct, and could not be denied. to make hie great avowal, prefacing it with His "oomforters" concluded from it Uiat he a wish for its preeerVBtion ae a perpetual was a monster of wickedness. record (vers. 23, 24); the avowal itself Ver. 6.-Know now that God hath over- follows (veM!. 25--27) ; and the speech thrown me; Ol', pervertedme-"subverted me terminates with a warning t.o hie "com- in my cause" (see Lam. iii. 6). And hath compassed me with his net. Professor· Lee forters," that if they oontinne to pereeoute thinks that the net, or rather noose, intendP-d him, a judgment will fa.ll upon them (vere. by the rare word -mo is the la,so, which 28, 29). was certainly employed in war (Herod., vii. 85), and probably also in hunting, 'from Vers. 1, 2.-Then J"ob answered and said, ancient times in the Ee.et. Bildod had in- How long will ye vex my 1oul, and brealt me sinuated tbe.t Job bad fallen into his own in pieces with words! Job ie no Stoic. He snare (eh. xviii. 7-9); Job replies that the is not insensible to his friends' attacks. On snare in which he is taken is from God. the contrary, their words sting him, torture Ver. 7.-Behold, I ory out of wrong; i.e. him, "break him in pieoos," wound his sonl "I cry out that I am wronged." I com- in its tenderest part. Bildad's atte.ck bad plain that sufferings are inflicted on me that been the cruellest of all, and it drives him I have not deserved. This he.s been Job's to expostulat.i.on (vers. 2-5) and entreaty complaint from the first ( eh. iii. 26; vi. 29; (vers. 21, 22). ix. 17, 22; x. 3, etc.). But I am not hee.rd; Ver. 3.-Theae tan times haTeye reproaohed i.e. " I am not listened to-my cry is not me. (For the UBe of the expression "ten answered." I cry aloud, but there is no times" for " many times," " frequently," see judgment; or, no decision-"no sentence." Gen. n:xi. 7, 41: Numb. xiv. 22; Neh. iv. All Job's appeals to God have elicited no 12; Dan. i. 20, ete.) Ye ue not ashamed reply from him. He still keeps silence. that ye make younelves strange to me; rather, Job appears from the first to have anticipated tJi.aJ ye deal hardly tmth me ( see the Revised such a theophany as ultimately te.h:E?s Version). The verb need does not occur place (eh. nxviii.-xli.) and vindicates 'his elsewhere, but seems to have the meaning of cbaract.cr. "ill use" or "ill treat" (see Professor Lee's Ver. 8.-He bath fenced up my we.y that I •Commentary on 1he Book of Job,' p. 328). oannot pe.ss (comp. eh. iii. 23; xiii. 27 ;. Hoe: Ver. 4.-A.nd be it indeed that I have ii. 6), and he bath set darkness in my paths. erred ; or, done u,,-ong. Job at no time main- Job complains of the want of light; in his tains his impeccability. Sins of infirmity heart he cries,'E11 Ii~ ,ptl.Ei «al liA«T<To11. Nothing be frequently pleads guilty to, and specially vexes Lim so much as his inability U> under- w intemperate speech (see eh. vi. 26; ix. stand why he is afflicted. 14, 20, etc.). Jline error remaineth with Ver. 9.-He bath stripped m.e of my glory. myself ; i.e. "it remainll mine; and I suffer The glory which he had in his prosperity; the punishment." not exactly that of a king, but that of a Ver. 5.-If indeed ye will magnify your- great sheikh or emir-of one who was on a sel vee again.It me. IT yon have no sense of par with the noblest of those about him jnstice, and e.re disinclined to pay any heed (see eh. i. 3). And taken the crown from my to my e1-postul&tio11S ; if yon intend Btill to head. Not an actual Cl'Own, whicb sbeikht OR, XIX. 1-20.] TIIE BOOK OF JOB. 321