The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 488

mB11ter11.•• Moreover, to eet up two Inda. bable. The religious traditione or the Chal- pendent gods ls tb destroy the idea of God, d.eee, which note the war in heaven, the whioh itnplies suprem11oy over evf!rJ other Deluge, the building of the Tower of Babel, being. and the confusion of tongues, conte.in no Ver. 29.-If I rejoioed at the deatruotion mention of Adam or of Paradise. Nor, so of him that hated me. "If at o.ny time I far as I am aware, is there, among other WI\B me.Jovolont, if I wished evil to others, ancient legends, any near parallel to the and rojoiced when evil co.me upon them, story of the Fall as related in Gen. iv. being (as tho G1·eekH exprcaeed it) brixa1p- Much Jess does the subordinate detail of l1<a1<os-if I so •noted even in the case of Ad.im hiding himself make its appearance my 011emy-then," etc. The o.podoeis is in any of them. The marginal rendering, wanting, but ml\y be supplied by e.ny suit- "after the manner of men," is therefore, I able imprecation (see vers. 8, 10, 22, 40). think, to be preferred. By hiding mine ini- Or lifted up myself--,-i.e. was puffed up and quity in my bosom. This is not particularly exalted~when evil found him. In the old apposite to the case of Adam, who "hid him- world n,ien genel,'lllly regarded themselves self from the presence of the Lord God amo111J as fully entitled to exult e.t the downfall the frees of the garden" (Gen. iv. 8). of an enemy, and to triumph over him with Ver. 34.-Did I fear a great multitude 1 words of contumely nnd scorn (comp. Judg. rather, because I feared the great multitude, v. 19-31; Pa. xviii. 37-42; lea. x. 8-14, or the great a88embly; i e. the gathering of etc.). There appears -to be but one other the people in the gate on occasions of public paeeoge in t.he Old Testament, besides the business. If Job had been consciou~ of any present, in which the· contrary disposition great and heinous sins, he would not have is shown. Thie is Prov. xvii, 5, where the led the open and public life which, pre- writer declares that "he who is glad at viously to his calamities, he had always !ed calamities ahall not be unpunished." (eh. xxix. 7-10, 21-25); he would have Ver. 30.-Neither have I suif'ered my been afraid to make bis appearance at public mouth to· sin by wishing a ourse to his soul. meetings, Jest bis sins should have become Mueh less, Job means, hBve I gone beyond known, and should dra.w upon him scorn the thought to the word, and imprecated and ·contempt, instead of the respect and e. curse upon him with my mouth, as the acclamations to which be was accustomed. manner of most men is towards their enemies Or did the contempt of families terrify me 1 (see 2 Sam. xvi. 5; I Sam. xvii. 43; Neh. rather, and the contempt of families terrified xiii. 25; Pe. cix. 28; Jer. xv. 10, etc.). me. The contempt of tl,e assembled tribes Ver. 31.-If the men of my tent said not, and families, which wight have been poured Oh 'that we he:d of his flesh ! we cannot be out upon him at such meetings, would have aatisfled. A very obscure passage, but been quite sufficient to prevent his attending probably to be connected with the following them. If by any accident be had found verse, in which Job boasts of hie hospitality. himself at one, e.nd bod seen that he was Translate, If the men of my tent did not say, looked upon with disfavour, he must ba.ve Who can find a man that has not been satis- kept silence in order to a.void observation. fied with Ms meat? The apodosis is wanting, Prudence would have counselled that more as ia ver. 28. complete abstention which is implied in the Ver. 32.-The stranger did not lodge in phre.se, and went not out of the door ; i.e. the street; i.e. "I did not suffer any stranger "stayed at home in miae own honse." who came under my notice to lodge in the Ver. 35.-0h that one would hear ma! i.e. street, but, like Abraham (Gen. xviii. 2-8), Oh that I had e.n opportunity of plea,liug went out to him, and invited him in, to my cause before e. just judge! of having pnrtnke of my hospitolity;" This is still the charges openly brought iig,,inst me, and practice of .Arab elieikhs in Syria, Palestine, having "one" to hear my reply to them I ancl the adjacent countries (see Dr. Cun- Job does not regard his "cowforters" as ningham Geikie's 'Holy Land and the Biblo,' such persons. They are prejudieed; they vol. i. p. 283). But I opened my doors to hn,e even made themselves bis accusers. the traveller; literally, to the way; i.e. "my Behold, my desire is, that the Almighty house g11ve on the street, cmd I kept. my would answer me; rnther, behold, here i8 house door open." Compare the Mishna, my signature! let the .Almighty a11swer me. "Let thy house be open to the street" This 1mssage is parenthetic. Job would (' Pirke Aboth,' § 5). prefer to be judged by God, if it were Ver. 33.-If I covered my transi;rossions possible, and therefore throws out the wish. BI Adam; or, after the manner of men. It Here is his plea in eh. nix.-xxxi.; aud docs not seem to me likely that Jub bad here is his attestation by word of mouth, such a knowlodge of Adam's conduct in the which is equivalent to his signature. And garden of Eden as would have made an that mine adversary had written e. book; allusion to it in this placo natural or prn- or, lint! pemic,!. cm indictment against me. 60i THE BOOK OF JOB.