feeble self-how incapable he ie of being the oppressed are numerous; everywhere touched by any of thy doings." there are complaints and outcries. They Ver. 6.-lf thllu sinneat, what doest thou ory out by reason of the arm of the mighty. qainst him 1 Man's sins 11gainet God can- The oppressors are, for the most pint, the not injure him, diminish from hie power, or mighty of the earth-kings, princes, noble, lower his dignity. They cnn only injure (seo Isa. i. 23; iii. 14, 15; Hos. v. 10; the sinner himself. God does not punish Amos iv. 1, etc.). them becouse they harm him, bnt becanee Ver. 10.-But none saith, Where is God they are discords in the harmony of hie my Maker l The oppressed, in many cases, moral universe. Or even if thy transgres- do not appeal to God at all. They mutter liona be multiplied; i.e. if thou persistest in and complain nod groan because of their a long course of sin, and add est" rebellion " afflictions; bnt they have not enough faith to transgression, ancl self-complacency to in God to cry to him. Or, if they do so cry, rebellion, and "multipliest thy words against it is not in a right spirit; it is deepond- God" (eh. xxxiv. 37)--even then, what doest ingly, despairingly, not confidently or cheer- thou unto him 1 i.e. what• hurt dost thou fully. Gori is one who giveth songs in the inflict upon him? None. night. 'fhe truly pious man sings hymns Ver. 7.-If thou be righteous, what givest of praise in his affliction, as Paul and Silas thou him 1 By parity of rensoning, as our did in the jail at Philippi, looking to God sine do not injure God, so our righteousness with faith and a lively hope for deliver- cannot benefit him. As David says, '' My ance. goodness extendeth not to thee " (Ps. xvi. Ver. 11.-Who teacheth us more than the 2). Or what reoeiveth he of thine hand 1 beasts of the earth, and ma.keth ns wiser All things being already God's, we can but than the fowls of heaven. Elihu probably give him of hie own. We cannot really alludes to Job's defence of his complaints add to his possessions, or to bis glory, or as natural, like the instinctive cries of beasts to hie felicity. We cannot, as somo have and birds (eh. vi. 5). God, he says, has snppoeed tboy could (' Religions of the given to man a higher nature than he has Anoient World,' pp. 143, 144), lay him bestowed ou the brutes; and this nature under an obligation. should teach him to carry hie grie fa to God Ver. 8.-Thy wickedness may hurt a man in a proper spirit-a spirit of faith, piety, as thou art; and thy righteo11B11ess may humility, and resignation. If men cried to profit the son (rather, a son) of man. Job him in this spirit, they wonl,l obtain an must not think, Elihn means, that, because answer. If they do not obtain an answer, it his good actions benefit and his bad actions must be that the proper spirit is lacking injul'e hie fellow men, therefore they must (comp. Jas. iv. 3). also in the one case injure and in the other Ver. 12.-There they cry. "There," benefit God. The cases are not parallel. smitten by calamity, they do at last cry to God is too remote, too powerful, too great, God. But none giveth answer. They" ask, to be touohed by his actions. Job has done and receive not." Why? Because of the wrong, therefore, to expect that God would pride of evil men. Because, i.e., they ask necessarily reward his righteousness by a proudly, not humbly; they claim relief wi prosperous, happy life, and worse to com- a right, not as a favour; they approach God plain because his expectations have been in a spirit that offends him and prevents diSBppointed. It is of his mere spontaneous him from granting their req nests. goodness and bounty that God rewards Ver. 13.-Surely God will not hee.r vanity. the godly. God will not hear prayers that are rendered ''vain" by sin or defect in those who offer Vera. 9-14.-Job bad made it a frequent them, 11s by a want of faith, piety, humility, subject of complaint that God did not hear, or resignation. Neither will the Almighty or at any rate did not answer, his prayers regard any such petitions. nnd cries for relief. Elihu answers that Ver. 14.-Although thou myest thou sheJ.t Job's case is not exceptional. Those who not see him; rather, How much less when thou sayest thou canst not see him ! ( corn pare ory out against oppression and suffering the Revised Version); i.e. how runch lesa frequently receive no nnswer, but it is will God attend to thy pmyers wlien thou because they •• ask amiss." Job should have eayest that thou canst not see or fi°:d him patience and trust. (eh. ix. 11; xxiii. 3, 8-10), that be 1s alto- gether bid from thee, and treats thee as an Ver. 9.-By reason of the multitude of tmemy (oh. xxxiii. 10) I Still, judgment (or, oppressions they make the oppressed to cry ; the cause, i.e. " thy cause") is before him, rather, by reason of the multitude of oppres- 01· "awaits his decision." Therefore trust eiom, men cry out. It is not Job only who thou in him. Wait on, in patience and cries to God. Oppressors are numerous ; trust The last word is not yet spoken. GGG THE BOOK OF JOB. [cH, XXXV, 1-16,
YE>rs. 15, 16.-Leaving his Bdrioe to sink 01mon °?ok, and, with a slight difference, int.o Job's mind, Elihu turns from him to our Revisers.) God had not visited Job the byetandere, and remarkR, with some with any freeh afflictions on acoount of hie severity, that it is because .'.rob has not belln vehement expostulations and overbold and reckleBB words. Yet he knoweth it not lD punished enough, because God has not great extremity. The Authorized Veraion viPited him for hie petulanoe and arrogauoe, a.gain wholly misses the meaning. Trana. thst he indulges in "high swelling words lo.te, with the Revised Version, Neither doth of vsuity," and oontinues to utter words he greatly regard (Job's) am>ganoo. which are foolish and" without knowledge." Ver. 16.-Therefore doth .Job open hia mouth in vain; or, in,ianity(comp. ver.-13). Ver. 15.-But now, because it ienot so, he He multiplieth word■ without knowle(lge ; hath visited in his anger. Thie is an im- i.e. he is bold to speak words that are vain possible rendering. The Hebrew is per- and insensate, beoause God -baa not,- ns he feotly plain, and is t.o be translated literally might have done, punished him for hie B8 follows : Bvt n01.0, beoaUBe he hath 'ROt previous uttemnoea. tuited 1iu (i.e. Job's) anger. (So Schult.en&,