EXPOSITION. OHAPTER XLil. to regard Job e.a bringing up the wol'da which God had spoken to him, to ponder Vera. 1-17.-This aonoluding eba.pter on them and a.newer them, or at 11ny rate to divides into two parts. In the firet pa.rt hallg hie reply upon them, than to imagine (V81'11. 1--6) Job makes hie final eubmission, God twice interrupting Job iu the humble bumbling himeelf in the dust before God. eonfessi.on that he wns anxious to make. We must underst.nnd, then,• after the word In the second (vere. 7-17) the l,istorica.l "knowledge," an ellipse of "thou se.yest.'' framework, in whioh the genera.I dialogue Therefore have I uttered that I understood is eet, is resumed e.nd brought to e. close. Dot. Therefore,, because of that reproof of God's approval of Joh is declared, e.nd his thine, I perceive the.t, in whe.t I se.id to my &nger denounced a.gi<inst the three friends, friends, I "darkened counsel "-I "uttered that I understood not," words wliich did who are required to expiate their guilt by a not clt11u the matter in controversy, but mcrifice.. e.nd only promieed forgiveness if obscured it. I dealt, in fa.et, with things Job will int.eniede on their belie.lf (ver. 8). too wonderful for me-beyond my oompre- The B11Crifice takes ple.oo (ver. 9); a.nd then hension-whioh I knew not, of wliich I had a brief account is appended of Job's after- no ree.l knowledge, bnt only e. semblance of knowledge, and on which, therefore, I had life-his prosperity, his reconciliation with better lmve been silent. his family and friends, his wealth, his sons Ver. 4..-Hear, I beseech thee, e.nd I will and daughters, e.nd his death in a good old speak; I will demand of thee, e.ncl declare age, when he we.a "!nil of days" (vera. thou unto me. Job refers to God's words 10-17). The poetic structure, begun in in eh. xxxviii, 3 e.nd :xl. 7, and reali,:es the humbling effect which they he.d liad 011 ah. iii 8, is continued io the end of ver. 6, him. They made him feel how little he when the style changes into proee of the knew on the subject of God's works alili IIIII.IIle character e.s that emplo_yed in ah. i., ways, and how little competent he was to ii., and in eh. xuii 1-S. judge them. Hence he burste into the con- feBBion- 1 •
Vers. 1, 2.-Then J'ob answered the Lord, Ver. 5.-I have heard of thee by the and said, I know that thou C&1l8t do every hearing of the ear. Hitherto, i.e., I have thing; i.£. I know e.nd acknowledge thy he.d nothing but hee.rse.y knowledge of thee,; olllilipotence, which thou llast set forth so I he.ve not known thee in e.ny true sense; ma.gnifi.cently before me in eh. xxxviii- but now-now that thou he.at 1·eveiµed thy- xli. It is brought home to me by the grand self-mine eye seeth thee; my spiritual eye review of thy works which thou hast made, is opened, a.nd I begin to see thee in thy and the details into which thou hast con- true might, thy true greatness, thy true descended to enter. I know also and inscrutableness. Now I recognize the dis- acknowledge that no thought oa.n be wi.th- tance which sepe.re.tes ue, e.nd feel how hol.den from thee; ie. I confess also thy unreasonable it is the.t I should contmd omni&cien-t.hat thou knowest even the with thee, argue with thee, e.ssume myself thouglit.! of ell creatoo beings (comp. Pa. to lie competent to paes judgment on thy xliv. 21; cnxix. 2; Heb. iv. 13, etc.). doinga. "Wherefore I abhor myself," etc. Ver. 8.-Who is he that hideth oou.neel Ver. 6.-Wherefore I abhor myself; or, I with.out knowledge t A. these a.re nearly waiJi.e my VXJrda (see the Revised Verdion). the word.. of God in eh. u:xviii. 2, some And repent in dust and ashes. Job we.a l!llppose that tliey must be his words again etill sitting on the ash-heap 011 which he here, p.ud imagine a 11hort dialogue in this had thrown himself when his disease first place between Job and the Alwiglity, emote him (eh. ii. 8). He had thrown him- 11,SSigning to Job ver. 2, the latter half of self on it in grief e.nd despair; he will ver. 8, and the whole of vere. ti e.nd 6, while remain seated on it in compunction and they Uiign to God ver. 4 and tLe first penitence. His self-humiliation is now a1&wie of nr. a. :Hut it ill far m,on, 1111,tuial eomJ>let.e. He doell not reba.ot what he baa OH, XLII, 1-17,] THE BOOK OF JOB. 663