The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 341

attain to grea.t power,. ba.ve a numerous a.nd tba.t be ha.a a rifht to be impa.tient, if Go4 lonrllhing offspring, proaper, grow rich, . does not vouohlla.fe hiln l!.'n a.n~er, lpend their time in feaeting and jollity- Vera. S,. 6.-HeN! we hne ll.n o.brupt nay, openly renounoe God and decline to tt-a.neition. Job 'ie a.bout· to controvert pnr.y to him-yet suffer no harm, and whell Zopha.r'e theory of the certs.in retribution they die, go down to th e gmn, witl!lout that overtakes the wioked man ln this life, BUffering ''in e. moment" (vers. 5-15). To . . the sugges ' t·10n th a t from t·1me t o ti.. me t"- ,ue.,.., and to mamtam that, on the cont.co.ry, · . . he are cut off suddenly in a signa.1 wa,y, he · • usual~y prospers _(vers, 7-18), Knowmg ,, H fte - tl • ? ,. r - thG'r that, m thus runnmg counter to the gQneral &nBWCr&, ow O n 15 llB O ra "How seldom I" (vers. 17, 18). To the further re -1gio , J" • US t h" h ·n ~ao- ing,_ e wi arouse muc h · th-• 'h • bed. • th • horror and md1gne.tion on the port of those -.uggest1on ... • ey are punlB m eir . h . • k • 0 hildren h . li .. H • eh b tte if who hear him, e prefaces his remar s with ih e u:i~edes,. tho~ mu e rl., a notice that they will cause o.stonishment; e"I" were p m eir own persons d. kn 1 d h • h h" f (ve;._ 19-21). As it is he argues, ooo e.n an e.c owe gment t ~t .. e., •~el ' caunot refieot upon the subJeot without a ....-ent 1'.e.ppens to all (vers. 23 - 26)- _In feeling of a4rm and dismay. He thus hopes 110ncluB1on, ~eobs~r•ee that common<>pimon partially to diee.rm hiri opponents.. •· supports b!B view (vers. 29-33), and · · , denounces as futile the attempts of his Ver. 5:-Kark me; literally, 1.co'k to me; oomforteni to con"l"ince him, since his views· ie. " attenq ~o me," for I all). about" to ~ay and ibeus :respecting the facts of God's something well worth attenti!>n. And be government are diametrically opposed to astonished. . Prepare, yourselves, i.e., for -.oh other (ver. S4). something that will a.stonieh ' you. .And lay yoar hand upon your mouth; .. Har- pocrates, the Egyptian god of silence, :wa.s Vem. l, 2.-But lob answered and said, often represented with his finger on his lips Bear cliligently my speech, and let this be (see the author'11 • History of Ancient 70w: ooI1.Bola.tioJ1&. As ye have no other Egypt,' vol. i p. 862). T.b.e sym.hoJ,iam.:is console.tion to offer me, at least attend almost onivt.rs~. -.Job begs his auditors to diligently to what I say. That will be some "refrain thei,r. )ips," and, however . J!lU_ch comfort to me, and I will accept it in lieu astonished, to keep silence until,,l;ie· has of the coll8ulations which I might have concluded. _ • • • • • .. ., . looked for e.t your hands. Ver. 6.-Even when I rem'emb~; i.ti; Ver. 3.-Bder me that I may 11peak; or, "when I think upon the subject." :t e.m .,_.ffer me, afld I auo 'IDil.l speak There is afraid, and trembling taketb hold on my an emphasis on the "I" ('::llN). Job implies :flesh.. A shudder runs through his whole that his opponents are not allowing him frame. Hie words will, he knows, seem to his fair share of the argument, which is e.n -vei;ge upon impiety. acc1111&ti.on that can BCB.I"Cely be jnetified. Ver. 7.-Wherefore do the· wicked live; Swee the dialogue Dpened, Job's speeches 1,eoome old, yea, are mighty in pqwerL Job have occupied deven chapters, those of his asks fpr an expla11ation of the facts which "comforters" seven only. But a controver- hie own experience has impressed . .upo~ sialist who has much to say is a.pt to think him. He ho.s seen that "the wicked. live" that sufficient time is not e.llowed him. quite as long as the righteous, the.tin many And a:fter that I have spoken, mock on. Job cases they attain to a ripe old. age, . a_nd dOEll! not hope to convinee, or silence, or become e.mong thll powerful of the •earth. she.me the other interlocutors. When he The great " pyramid kings " of Egypt; ha.; said his say, all that he expects is whose cruel oppressions were remembertitl mockery e.nd derision. down to the time of -Herodotus '(Herod., ii, Ver. 4.-A.s for me, is my complaint to 124-128), reigned respectively, according man? Do I addreBB myself to man, pour to Egyptian tradition, sixty-three ant! sixty- out my complaint to him, and expect him to six years(Manetho ap. Enseb.,' Chron. Can.,' redrllliB my wronga? No; far otherwise. I . pruii' ii). Rameses II., the cruel oppressor address myself to God, from whom alone of the Jews, and the Phare.oh from whom l can look for effectual assistance. AD4 j1 Moses fled, had a reign of si~ty-seven years it were flO ; rather, om,d if ~o. if tbis is the (' Hist. of Ancient Egypt,' vot ·ii. p. 301). aiee, if my r.ppea.l ie to God, and h.e me.kes Ver. 8.-Their seed ii established in their ~ no answer, then why ah,ould_ noi -a,.y light with them_ (comp. i's. ;x:vii. '14; and -,irit be troubled 1 or, Why Bl,ould I not be see below, eh. xxvii. 14). It coulil ·sMrcely trnpatientf (Revued Ve111ion). ;Job thinb he doubted that the _wicked bad as mah~ OH, ;ur, 1-34,,] THE BOOK OF JOB, 355