The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 343

prosperous mRn 11. compt1?"Rtivoly rare oocnr- ohilrlren and daeoendanta? •• :Ap~s mol lo rencc 7 How oft oometh their destruction deluge" 'le tM selfish thought of bad men upon them ! When the problem here pro- generally, when tlley ea.et a gle.noe e.t the pounded CR.me before Asaph, he seems t.o times ·which are to fellow their decease. have solved it by tl10 suppC18ition tht in aU The fate of those whom they leave b_ehind cas88 retrihution visited the wicked in this them troubles thciu but little. It would life, 1tnd that they were <'ast down from. scarcely cauoo then1 I\ pang to know that their proeperity. "I went," he SI\YB, "int.o their post.erity would soon bo "clean pttt the SR11ctnar1" of God ; then understood I the out." When the number of hia months is end of these men. Surelv thou didst oot cut Oft' in the midst; i.e. when liis appointed tliem in slippery plllOes; thou castedst them time is come, and he knows that "the down into destruction. How are they brought number of his months" is accomplished. into desolation, e.s in R moment I They are Ver. 22.-She.ll e,ny teaoh God knowledge t utterlv consumed with terrors. As a dream Job has been senrohing the" deep things of when ·one awaketh; so, 0 Lord, when thou God," speculating upon the method of the nwakest, thou shalt despise their image " Divine government of the world. He hna (Ps. lxxiii. 17-20). Job mainfains that perhaps rashly ventured to" rush in where 1moh a catastrophe happens but seldom, and angels fee,r to tread." Now, however, he that for the most part the wichd go down checks himself with the confession that to the grave in peaco. God distributeth God's we.ye are inscrutable, his knowledge sorroWI! in ms anger. This is not an in- far beyond any knowledge possessed bi dependent clause. The sense runs on : man. Men must not presume to jndge him-:·. Ho1c oft u it that the candle of the wicked it is for him to judge them. Belling hejudgeth is put out, and thaJ destnicti.on cometh upon those that a.re high. None so exalted, none them. and God shower-, 101TOUJR upon them in so advanced in wisdom and knowledge, none hu angerf (compare the comment on the so venturesome in sounding depths that next verse). they cannot fathom, but God is above them,. Ver. 18.-They a.re as stubble before the judges them, knows their hearts, and, e,ccord- wind, Bll.d u cha.ff tbat the 'Storm oarrieth ing to his infallible wisdom, condemns or· away; rather. How oft u it that they are as approves them. This is •a chastening stubble before the wind, a7ld as cha.ff, etc. ? thought, nnd its effect on Job is to make The ooustruction begnn in the first clause him contract his sails, and, leaving the of vcr. 17 is carried on to the end of ver. 18. empyrean, content himself with a lower "Stubble" nnd "che.tf" are ordinary figures !light. Previously he has maintained, as· if for foolish and ungodly men, whom the he were admitted to the Divine counsels; blast of God's anger sweeps away to destruc- that the prosperity <if the wicked was a rule' tion (comp. Exod. xv. 7; Pa. i. 4; mv.5; of God's government. Now he goes no- la..tiii. 13 ; Isa. :r.:xvii IS; x:xia:. 5 ; xli. 2, further than to say that there is no rule etc.). discoverable. Happiness _and misery are Ver. 19.--God layeth up his iniquity for dispensed-e.s far RB man can see-on no his children.. Job snppoees his opponents definite principle, e,iid, at the end,· one lot to make this answer to his arguments. happens to all : all go down int.o the tomb, .. God," they may BB.Y, "punishes the wicked and lie in the dust, and·the worms·devonr man in his children" (comp. Exod. xx. 5). them (vers. 23-26). • Job doee not deny that he may do so, but Ver. 28.-0ne dieth in his fnll strength, llllggests a better course in the next sentence. being wholly at ease and quiet. Some con- Re rewardeth him; rather, let him recompense tinue healthy e.nd vigorous in body, peaceful ii, on himBBlf-let him m~ke the wicked and satisfied in mind, up to the very moment· man himself suffer, e,nd !hen he -ah.all know. of their departure (comp. ver. 13, "They it. He shall perceive and know that he is spend their days in wealth, and in a receiving tLe dne rewe.rd of his wick,Jtl- moment go down to the grave"). ness. Ver. 24.-HiB breasts are full of milk; Ver. 2O.-lli.e eyes ah.all see his deatruc- re.ther, his milk-paiJ.s, e.s in the margin. ti.on ( or, l.et hu own ey68 see his d68tructwn), The me.in wealth of the time being- cattle, IUld he shall drink (or, let him drink) of the the man whose milk-pails e,re always full is ,rre,th of the Almighty. It will impress the prosperous roan. And his bones are him far more with a sense of his wickedness, moistened with marrow. Beiug thus wealthy aud of his guilt in God's sight, if he receives e,nd prosperous, his body is fat and well punishment in his own person, than if he nourished. merely Bllff.,l'I vicariously through his Ver. 25.-And another dieth in the bitter- cliildren. nen of his soul. Others he,ve to suffer Ver. 21.-l'or what pleuure hath he in terribly before death comes to them. Their hu ho1111e after him t Whe.t does he ,.are, wliole life is wretched, and their spirit is ordinarily, about ihe he.ppinen of his embittered by their misfortunes. And never OH. XXI, 1-34,] THE BOOK OF JOB. 357