The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 509

AJ'('echeE< of the three t'riende w&.s nil ; they to eBy. n.e ■pint wiWn me oonatraineth h"d entirely failed to a.newer Job's 11.rg,l- me; litt>l'll,IJy1 the spirtt:-of my belly; i.e. ments. "my inwwd toolings and emotions.'' , Oom. Ver. 18.-Leat ·ye 1hould ■ay, W,e have p0.ro Zophar's statements in oh. xx. 2, 3 ; foud out wisdom ; or, beware 1at ye ,ay, and Job's own decle.r&tions in oh. :xiii., th0.t We ha.tie fo"nd ttMd-0m (eee tlie Revised he tnu.sr speak (vers. 13, 19). There is a Yeraion). "Do not suppose, i.e., that yon state of intense exeitement, when reticence have triumphed in the controversy, that becomes impossible, yonr mode of meeting Job's complaints is Ver. 19.-Behold, lnybellyis u wine which the wipe end right one. The ex0.ct rev<'rse hath no vent. The process of fermentation is th<' rase. You have not v0.nquisbed Job. properly takes place in the vat, from which On tlw contrary, be is unvanquishoo, and the gas evolved in the oper&tion can freely remains ma8ter of the field. If be is ever escape. When wine was put into skins before to be ,·11.nquished, it will not be by you. ferment0.tion was oomplete,and gas continued God thnmteth (mtber, may th.rnst) him to be evolved, the effect was that the skins down, not ma.u. A true prophecy I (see became distended. as the gu had no vent, eh. :d. 1-14). and then not nnfrequently the skins would Ver. 14.-lfow he h0.th Bot directed his burst, especially if they were .old ones (see words against me. Elibn thinks t.hat he Matt. ix. 17). It is ready'toburst like new ran interlere in the controversy with the bottles. Even if the·ekins were new, they better prospect of a good result, since he is would undergo disteusion, and would e.ppe0.r untouched by any of Job's words, and C&ll as if " ready to burst/' though the actual therefore speak without passion or resent- ce.tastrophe might be a.voided. Elihu's pent- ment. JI' either will I &DBWer him with your up feelings seem to him, if they do not speeches. He is also going to bring forwerd a obte.in a vent, to threaten som'e s_uch result. fresh arguments, which, ns they avoid the Ver. 20.-I will spee.k, that I Di0.y be re• line tnkcn by the three friends, may soothe, freshed; rather, that I may obtain relief; or, instead of exasperating, the patrie.roh. according to some, "the.t I may be abl,;, tQ Ver. 15.-They were amazed, they breathe" (Cook, Rosenmiiller). Elihu feels answered no more. A change from the almost su:ffoce.ted by conflicting feelings of second t.o the third person, possibly as mge (vers. l.,-3),disappointment. (vers. U, seeming lees disresJl('ctfnl. Or perhaps 12), and anxiety to vindicate God's honour Elihu turns from t.he three friends at this (ver. 2). I will open my lips Rnd e.nswer. point, as Professor Lee supposes., and ad- In the remainder of Elihu's discourse the dresses himself to Job. Job's•• comforters," attempt is me.de to "answer" Job (see eh. be says, "were amazPd" by his last speech, xx:xiii.-x:x.xvii), with what success will be and could find nothing to say in reply to it. considered elsewhere. Consequently, t ~ left off speaking. Ver. 21.-Let me not, I pray you, accept Ver. 16.-When I he.d waited (f-Or they any man's person. Elihu hope1J that, in: what apa.ke not, out Bliood still, e.nd answered no he is about to say, he will not permit him- more); rather, as in the Revised Version, Belf t.o be swayed by any personal bias; that and shall I wait, became they speak not, he will neither nndnly favour the upper becau.ae they et.and llfill, a.ad anmaer no more 1 classes nor tbe vulgar (see Professor Lee, on Am I t.o wait until they she.11 have recovered the difference between l!i•N and c11t, ' Book themeelves, 0.nd found something t.o answer? of Job,' p. 444), but ,vill _treat all fairly and Surely tbis is not necessary. Neither equite.bly. Neither let me (he says) give courtesy nor etiquette prescribes it, Espe- da.ttering titles 11J1to man. Professor Lee cially when I have waited so long, and have observes on this : "The Oriental practice of so much t.o say, and am so exceedingly giving long and fulsome titles is too well anxious to say it (see vere. 18-20). Elihu known to need anything beyond the mere shows all the impatience and ardour of ·e. mention of the fa.et.'' Elihu certainly, in young speaker (see ver. 6), and feels the the whole of his adclretis, flatters no one. confidence that young men so often feel in Ver. 22.-l!'or I know not to give fl0.ttering the wisdom and persuasiveness of their words titles; i.e. it is not my habit to give flatter- (comp. eh. x.xxiii. 1---{i). ing titles, nor have I any knowledge of the Ver. 17.-1 said, I will a.usw-er also my 0.rt. I should expect that, if such were ·my pa.rt, I also will show mine opinion. 'l'he habit, my llaker would soon ta.ke me a.way; initial "I said" is snperfl.noDB. Elibu, would soon, i.e., remove me from the ee.rth, having a.eked hlmself the question, "Shall as one whose influence was not for good, but Iw11it?" in ver. 16, here gives the answer. for evil. Ffattery is condemned by Job, in He will not we.it any longer, he will take eh. :nii, 5; by De.vid, in the Psalms (iii. 9: the word, he will aet forth his eonriction. 'Xii. 2, 3 ; luviii. 86); , and by Solomon, in Ver. l 8.-l'or I am fullofmatter; literally, the Book of Proverbs (ii. 16 ; vii. 21 ; :u. J am full of w,orda; i.e. I have very mueh 19 ; xx,-iii. 23, eto.).  OIi. Xfi:n 1....,22,j' ,nm nooK' OF JOB. . 523