The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 457

fr~>~ timC' to time, t0 ncl M judge and ad- have I taken from his gang to employ him mm1strator. 'When l prepaNd my aeat in in foroed labour " (ibid., vol. xii. 63). Anil the 1treet. On Buch occasions n seat would the tatherle■s, a.nd him that bad none to be brought out and "proparod," where the help him (oompo.re what is ea.id of the ideRl judge would sit to henr e11nsee and deliver king in Ps. lxxii. 12-14, " He sbo.11 deliver eentenoos (comp. '\'eh. iii. 7). the noocly when he orieth; the poor also, Ver. 8.-The young men saw me, and hid and him that hath no helper. He shall spo.re themselves; retired, i.e. withdrew to oorners, the poor and needy, and Hhall so.ve the souls that they might not obtrude them sol vcs on of the needy. He shall redeem their soul one so much their superior. Compare the from deceit and violeuoe: and procioua sho.11 reepeot paid to age by the Spartans. And tlleir blood be in his sight"). Cho.mpion- the aged arose, and stood up. Here the ship of the poor was anciently regarded as respect paid was not to age so much as t,o characteristic of the wise, good, strong ruler. dignity. Men as old as himself, or older, Ver. 13.-The blessing of him that was paid Job the compliment of stlmding up ready to perish oa.me upon me (comp. until he was seated, in consideration of hie ver. 11). Oppression in the East sometimes rs.nk and high office. So, in many assem• drives its victims to actual starvo.tion ·or to blies, l\l3 in our own courts of justice, in suicide. Isaiah calls the oppressors against Convocation, and elsewhere, when the pre- whom he inveighs "murderers" (Isa. i. 21). sident enter;;, all rise. These "perishing" ones Job often saved, Ver. 9.-The princes refrained talking. and they "bleSBed" him. And I caused the The other hGad-men of the tribe, recognizing widow's heart to sing for joy, How oold Job's superior rank and dignity, refrained are the words of Ameni, "No widow have from words a.s soon as he made his appear- I oppressed," compared with these I Job ance, and in silence awaited what he would was not content with mere abstinence from say. Perhaps we are IICBJ'cely to understand evil, mere negative virtue. He so actively literally the further statement that they and effectually relieved distress that afflio- laid their h&.nd on their mouth, which is tion was turned into happiness, and lam.en- probably as much e.n idiom as our phrase, tation into rejoicing. "they held their tongues " ( comp. eh. x:i::i. 5). Ver. H.-I put on righteousness, and it Ver. 10.-'l'he nobles held their peace. olothed me (comp. lea. bi. 10; Ps. cx:i::xii. The other leading men followed the example 9, etc.). Job "put on righteousness;" i.e. of the •• princes," :i.nd eqne.J.ly kept silence made it as the garment wherewith he clothed till Job hnd spoken. And their tongue himself withal (Ps. ci:i::. 18, 19), covered up cleaved to the roof of their mouth. A pleo- with it all his own natural imperfections, na.stic repetition. The meaning is simply and made it pa.rt and parcel of his being. they se.id nothing, they stood in rapt atten- It was a beautiful covering, and, when once tion. he had put it on, it clung to him, and could Ver, 11.-When the ear heard me, then not be removed. It •• clothed him," or it bleaed me. Job, having described his rs.ther, if we translate the Hebrew literally, reception by the nobles and chief meu of "clothed it.self with him," putting him on, the city, proceeds to speak of the beha.viom as he had put it on. It was not merely of the common people. The former were external; it wa.s internal, a habit of his soul :respectf'"ul and attent, the le.tt.er rejoiced and spirit. My judgment was as a robe and and made acclamation. Being of the class a diadem ; rather, my iustice (see the mDSt expoeed to oppression and wrong, they Revised Version). My "justice," or "right- hailed in the patriarch a cha.ntpion and a eousness,. (for the words are synonymous), protector. They were sure of redreSB and was at once my robe e.nd my crown, my justice where he WOE the judge. And when necessary clothing and my ornament (comp, the eye saw me, it gave witne11 to me. Isa. bi. 10, "He hath clothed me with the The eye of the poor man lighted up with ga.rment.sofB&l vation,he hathcovered me with joy and rejoicing e.s Job sat down upon the the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom seat of judgment, thus bearing witness to decketh l..iimself with ornaments, and o.s a Lie fairness, candour, and integrity. bride a.dorneth herself with her jewels"). Ver. 12.-Becauee I delivered the poor Ver. 15.-I we.a eyes to the blind, and feet that cried (compare the Instructions of was I to the lame. The Persian kings had Amen-em-hat : " Because I have made the officials, whom they mlled their ••eyes" and o.fflicted ones free from their afflictions, so their "ears "--observers who were to inform that their cries are heard no more" (' Records them of all that went on in the provinces of the Past,' vol ii. p. 12). And age.in the (' Ancient Monarchies,' vol. iii. p. 213), Inscription of Ameni-Amenemha: "No Job acted as " eyes" to the blind of his littw child have I injured; no widow have time, giving them the information which I oppreBBCd ; no fisherman have I hindered; their infirmity hindered them from obtain- DO shepherd hs ,e I detained ; no foreman ing. lie was a.llo "fed" to the J.a.w.oj taking OU, XXIX, 1-26.] THE BOO71 OF JOB. 473