The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 626

the objeot being to break down the last against the wicked, and let it be seen what remnnnts of pri<le nnd self-trust in the soul thou canst do in the way of restrrtining evil of the patriarch, and to bring him to com- and punishing transgressors." Behold every one thnt is proud, and aba11e hiin. If my pleto submission and dependence on tho ?Jorn I govemn:ien t does not satisfy thee, Divino will. The argument fnlls under improve upon 1t. Put down those wicked three heads-Orm Job cope with God in his ones whom thon sayest that I allow to general providence (vers. 6-14)? can he prosper (eh. xxiv. 2-23); "Rbase" them in oven copo with two of God's oreature11- the dust; do what thou accusest me of not doing. Then wilt thou have established with behemoth, or the hippopotamus (vers something of a claim to enter into contro- 15-24); with leviathan, or the crocodile versy with me. (oh. xii. 1-34)? Vere. 12, 13.-Look on eve-ry one that is proud, e.nd bring him low ; and tread down Ver. 6.-Then answered the Lord unto J'ob the wioked in their place. Hide them in out ot the whirlwind, and said (comp. eh. the dust together; ancl bind their faces ill xxxviii. 1). The storm still continned, or, aeoret. The i<lea of var. 11 is still further after a lull, ho.d returned. insisted on. Let Job manifest himself as e. Ver. 7 .-Gird up thy loins now like a man power among men, if he cannot riVlll God in (see the comment on ob. xuviii. 3): I will nature, Let him set the world to rights. demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Then he me.y claim to be heard with respect Job is given every opportunity of making to the more.I government of God. good his pleas before God. If he ho.a any- Ver. 14.-Then will I also confess unto thing to say that he really wishes to urge, thee that thine own right hand can save God is ready, nay, anxious, to hear him. thee. When he h1111 done what he has been Ver. 8.-Wilt thou also (rather, even) dis- challenged to do in vers. 9-13, then Job annul my judgment l i.e. maintain that my may venture to contend with God. He will judgment towards thee has not been just have established his own independence, and and equitable, and therefore, so far as it lies God will acknowledge him as an antagonist in thy power, disannul it? Wilt thou con- entitled to argue with him. demn me, that thou mayest be rightaJus l Dost thou think it nec111111ary to accuse me Vera. 15-24.-This passage, together of injustice, and condemn me, in order to with the whole of eh. ili, he.a been regarded establish thine own innocence? But there by some critics as an interpolation. Its is no such necessity. The two thing11-my omission would certainly not e.1fect the justice and thy innocence-a.re quite com- argument; and it is thought, in some patible. Only lay aside the notion that respects, to contain traces of a later age than affiictions must be punitive. Ver. 9.-Hast thou an arm like God 1 the.t which most commentators assign to the The might of God's arm is often dwelt upon remainder of the book, or, at any rat.e, to in Scripture. He brought Israel out of the greater portion of it. The recurrence Egypt "with a mighty hann and stretched- to the anime.I creation, when the subject out arm" (Dent. v.15 ; vii. 19, etc.). "Thou seemed to have been completed (eh. x:nu:. he.st a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand," says one of 30), is also e. difficulty. But, on the other the psalmists (Ps. lxuix. 13). "Awake, hand, as there is no varie.tion, either in awake, put on strength, 0 arm of the Lord I" the manueoripts or in the versions, and no says Isaiah (Ii. 9). No human strength, marked difference either of style or tone or not the strength of all men put together, thought between the rest of the book and can compare with it. Or canst thou thunder with a voioe like him l (comp. oh. uxviii. this controverted passage, it is best regarded 34, 35; and for the idea of thunder being as e.n integral portion of the work, proceed- the actue.l "voice of God," see eh. u.xvii. ing from the same author, although perhe.ps 4, 5; Ps. lxviii. 33; lxxvii. 18, eto.). at e. Inter period. No one denies that the Ver. 10.-Deok thyself now with majesty style is that of the best Hebrew poetry, or and exoellenoy ; and array thyself with glory and beauty. God is at all times that the book would be weakened by the •• clothed with majesty and strength" (Ps. excision of the passage. "Le style," so.ye x:oiii. 1), "with glory and beauty" (Ps. civ. M. Renan, "est celui des meilleurs endroit.s I). He " decks himself with light as with du po~me. Nulle part la coupe n'est plua e. garment" (Ps. oiv. 2). Job is challenged vigoreuse, le parallelisme plus sonore." to array himself similarly. Ver. 11.-Cast abroad the rage of thy Ver. 15.-Behold now behemoth. "Beh• wrath. "Give vent," i.e., "to thy anger moth" is ordinarily the plural of behemaA, JOB. 2 T  64-2 THE BOOK OF JOB.