iDg might which be ponessea? No, Job on the right llaD.41 that I oannot ■ee him; answeni, certainly not ; but b.e would pot litere.lly, and I do not. see him, strength in me; or, rather, but 1Ml would Ver. 10.-But he lmoweth the way that I take; or, the tbO!f that is wllh me. My gi,x, heed l-0 me. 1le ll!OUld par, attentiOft t,o my eau,.,; (comp. eh. iv. 20, ad fin., where the inability to find Qoo. does not in any way ame verb is need). interfere with his perfect knowledge of me. Yer. 7.-There the righteou might dis- God knows both• ·the way of the righteous" pute with him. There, before hie high tri- (Ps. i. 6) " and "the way of the wicked," bune.I (ver. 8), the upright me.n (,le") might which" he turns upside down" (Pa. oxlvi. 9), argue or re!U!On with him, appealing from He is "about our pe.th, and e.bout our bed, his juBtiOO 1;o his mercy~m God the Judge and spieth out all our we.ye" (Ps. oxxxix. 2). to G,,d the Saviour (Le&thes). vindioating When he hath tried me, I shall oome· forth his integrity, ncknowledging hie transgrea- as gold; i.e. e.s gold from the f.Irnaoe, I 11ions, and pleading that they were sins of shall oome forth purified, when my trial is infirmity--•md at le.st obtaining from God over (comp. Ps. xii 6; Isa. i. 25; Jer. vi. the acquittal anticipated in the eooond 29, 30; ix. 7, eto.). Job seems at. Inst to olauee of the veree. In the absence of any he.ve woke np to the conception that there· reTelation of an Advocate who will plead is a purifying power in affliction. • our cnlll!e before God for us, Job would Ver. 11.-Xy foot bath held hia atepa; ireem to have been jnetified in expecting rather, hath held clo&, to his steps, or his nob a liberty of pleading his own cause as 'IJ(Jt1;; ie. I have followed in God's way, antl he here sets forth. So sb.ould I be delivered kept as close to it as possible. . In other for ever from my J'udge. The "Judge of all words. I havakept his way, and not declined the earth " will certainly and necesse.rily from it. "do right." Job's conscience testifies to his Ver. 12.- Neither have I gone baok from substantial integrity and uprightness (comp. dle commandment of his lips, Professor l John iii. 21). He is, therefore, oonfident Lee rightly observes that this declaration that, if he can onae bring his cause to God's •• takes it for granted the.t, at least, some cognizance, he will obtain m-,quittel and precepts of God he.d been revealed before deliverance. this time"(' Book of Job,' p. 370). There were .. commandments" which· Job recog- Vere. 6. 9.-Here Job.returns to the com- nized ae having proceeded from God, and plaint of ver. 3. He cannot "find" God. "words" which he looked upon as being the God hides himself. It is in vain the.t he utt.ers.nces of his month. This is strong aea.rches on every side. There is no mani- evidence of a primeval revelation which, festation, no open vision. Nothing, how- if not reduced to writing, had, at any rate, been handed down by tradition to Job's day. ever, leads him to doubt God's existence, or Gen. iii. 14-19 e.nd ix. 1-7 me.y afford the even his presence where he is unperceived. true explanation of this difficulty. I have "Job's conviction of God's absolute presence esteemed the word■ of his mouth more than oomes out moat strongly when he feels that my 11eoe1sary food. This is sce.roely strong he cannot discern him"' (Cook). enough. Job ·se.ys, •• I ha'1e treasured up, taken to myself, and J>Teserved the words of Ver. 8.-Behold, I go fmnrd, but 1w is his mouth," either " more than my neces- not there ; that is, " He is not there to my sary food" or" more thnn my own Ie.w." If ~ - " I me.y believe it, but I have the former rendering be preferred, there is Do aeneible proof of it, and I cannot demon- no need of explanation; if the latter, we strate it. And baokward, but I CB.DD.ot per- must regard "my own le.w" as meaning oaive him. In describing locality, the "the Jaw of my own mind, my own will, the Hebrews, .A.re.be, and Orientals generally will of the natural man " (Cook). always imagined themselves to be looking Ver. 13.-But he is in one mind, and who eastmud. fe.ciug the rising Bllll, Hence the can torn him 1 Once more we hear the same word is used for " in front," "forwards," voice of complaint. The happier tone of and .. the eW!t;" for " behind." "back- thought which extends from ver. 6 to ver. wuds," and " the west; " for "the left 12 grows out of a se.nguine hope on Job's hand " Bnd "the north ; " for " the right pa.rt that God will bring him before his he.nd" e.ud "the south." tribunal, and judge his cause according to Yer. !:!.-Ou the left hand, where he doth righteousness. Now he bethinks himself work; literally, in his 'UJOf'kshop. There is that hitherto God, notwitbste.nding his nn ellipse after" worksl,op" of some ph1ase prayers, has refused to summon him to his lih •· I look for him." lint I cannot behold judgment-seat, and begins to fear that there h'm: rather, but I apprehend him not-I is no likelihood of his changing. •• He is cannot as it were, lay my hand upon him Onfl," or, "in one." With him is" no vu.ri- (LXX., "' ,cd..-.uxov). Re hideth himself ab1tness, neither shadow of turning" (Jae. L OH, XXIlL,1-17.] THE BOOK OF JOB. 393
17). How ls it likely that he wfll aot in the When I conllider, I e.m afraid of him. When future otherwise than he has acted in the I reflect on the many forms of Bllft'ering pnst? Wh11t hie soul deaireth, even that he which I me.y still have to undergo, my feara doeth. A somewhBt ho.r11h wlJ.y of saying iacreo.ee, I tremble o.t the fatare. that Goel doetb that which Beemeth him Ver. 16.-l!'or God me.keth my bee.rt soft; best-o.nd which, therefore, ls best. Job or,/aint, as in Lev. xxvi. 36 and Deut. xx. does not reo.lly suppose that Clod is aotae.ted 8. He te.kee away my courage, e.nd leaves by caprice or fo.vouritism. me o. prey to terror. And the Almighty Ver. 14.-l!'or he performeth the thing troubleth me. The verb used (the hiph. thnt is appointed for me; i.e. he will ne- form of ~;i:i) is o. very strong oue, and means suredly aocomplieh whatever he he.a decreed " hatb filled me with horror and conster- for me. I cannot expect thBt he will blench nation." or change. And many suoh tliinge e.re with Ver. 17.-:Bece.use I we.a not cut oif before him. He has many other wee.pone in hie the darknesa, neither ha.th he covered the armoury, many other woes with which he darkness from my face. Job complains of might afflict me. two things: (1) That he was not cut off (i.e. Ver. 15.-Therefore am I troubled at his removed from earth) before the great dark- presenoe. The thought of these further ness fell upon hie life- (comp. eh. iii. 11- afflictions troubles me, e.nd makes me shrink 13). (2) That he was not "covered," i.e. from his unseen presence. I know not how sheltered and protected, by the love e.nd care soon he may le.y a fresh burden upon me. of God when the dark days came.