THE

BOOK OF JOB.

As the time in which Job lived is so very uncertain (see the preface, and the observations at the end of the notes on the first chapter), the date found in our common English Bibles, which is upon the supposition that Moses wrote the book whilst among the Midianites, about one thousand five hundred and twenty years before the commencement of the Christian era, is inserted in the margin, not because it is the most probable, but because it is the most generally received.

CHAPTER I.

Character of Job, 1. His family, 2. His family, 2. His substance, 3. Care of his family, 4, 5. Satan accuses him to God as a selfish person, who served God only for the hope of secular rewards, 6-11. Satan is permitted to strip him of all his children and property, 12-19. Job's remarkable resignation and patience, 20-22.

4 And his sons went and feasted in their

2 And there were born unto him seven sons houses, every one his day, and sent and called

for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

5 And it was so, when the days of their hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-feasting were gone about, that Job sent and

and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all:

for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

a Gen. viii. 20. Ch. xlii. 8.Heb. all the days.- d Ch. ii. 1.

6 Now there was a day B. C. cir. 1520.

when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and 'Satan came also among them.

Ante I. Ol.

cir. 744. Ante U.C. c.767.

7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the

Heb. the adversary, 1 Chron. xxi. 1. -5 Heb. in the midst of them.

ה

b1 Kings xxi. 10, 13. Ch. xxxviii. 7. el Kings xxii. 19. Rev. xii. 9, 10.Verse 5. When the days of their feasting were gone angels. The Syriac retains the Hebrew words and about] At the conclusion of the year, when the letters, only leaving out the demonstrative he in the birth-day of each had been celebrated, the pious word haelohim, thus, baney father appears to have gathered them all together, Elohim. The Arabic nearly copies the Hebrew also that the whole family might hold a feast to the Lord, I banoa Iloheem; to which, if we give not offering burnt-offerings in order to make an atonement for sins of all kinds, whether presumptuous or committed through ignorance. This we may consider as a general custom among the godly in those ancient

times.

And

the literal translation of the Hebrew, we may give what translation we please. Coverdale (1535) translates it, serbauntes of God. The Targum supposes that this assembly took place on the day of the great atonement, which occurred once each year. And cursed God in their hearts.] there was a day of judgment, in the beginning of the uberechu Elohim. In this book, according to most inyear; and the troops of angels came, that they might terpreters, the verb 777 barach signifies both to bless stand in judgment before the Lord. But what are we and to curse; and the noun Elohim signifies to make of this whole account? Expositions are the true God, false gods, and great or mighty. The endless. That of Mr. Peters appears to me to be at reason why Job offered the burnt-offerings appears once the most simple and the most judicious: "The to have been this: in a country where idolatry Scripture speaks of God after the manner of men; flourished, he thought it possible that his children for there is a necessity of condescending to our capamight, in their festivity, have given way to idolatrous cities, and of suiting the revelation to our apprethoughts, or done something prescribed by idolatrous hension. As kings, therefore, transact their most rites; and therefore the words may be rendered thus: important affairs in a solemn council or assembly so It may be that my children have blessed the gods in God is pleased to represent himself as having his their hearts. Others think that the word 773 barach council likewise; and as passing the decrees of his should be understood as implying farewell, bidding providence in an assembly of his holy angels. We adieu-lest my children have bidden adieu to God, have here, in the case of Job, the same grand assembly that is, renounced him, and cast off his fear. To me held, as was before in that of Ahab, 1 Kings xxii.; this is very unlikely. Mr. Mason Good contends the same host of heaven, called here the sons of God, that the word should be understood in its regular presenting themselves before Jehovah, as in the vision and general sense, to bless; and that the conjunction of Micaiah they are said to stand on his right hand vau should be translated nor. "Peradventure my and on his left. A wicked spirit appearing among sons may have sinned, nor blessed God in their them, here called Satan or the adversary, and ther hearts." This version he supports with great learning. a lying spirit; both bent on mischief, and ready to I think the sense given above is more plain, and less do all the hurt they were permitted to do; for bot embarrassed. They might have been guilty of some were under the control of his power. The imagery i species of idolatry. This is possible even among just the same; and the only difference is in th those called Christians, in their banquets; witness manner of the relation. That mentioned above their songs to Bacchus, Venus, &c., which are count- Micaiah, as a prophet, and in the actual exercise less in number, and often sung by persons who would his prophetic office, delivers, as he received it, in think themselves injured, not to be reputed Chris-vision. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and a tians. Coverdale, in his translation (1535), renders the passage thus: Peradventure my sonnes have done some offence and have been unthankful to God in their hertes.

Thus did Job continually.] At the end of every year, when all the birth-day festivals had gone round. Verse 6. There was a day when the sons of God] All the Versions, and indeed all the critics, are puzzled with the phrase sons of God; beney haelohim, literally, sons of the God, or, sons of the gods. The Vulgate has simply filii dei, sons of God. The Septuagint, oi ayyeλoi rov Osov, the angels of God. The Chaldee, ♫ kittey malachaiya, troops of

the HOST of HEAVEN standing by him, on his right han and on his left; and there came forth a LYING SPIRI and stood BEFORE the Lord, and said.-1 Kings xx

with his history; and tells us, in his plain narrati style, There was a day when the SONS of God came

19-22. The other, as an historian, interweaves

PRESENT themselves BEFORE the Lord; and Satan ca

also among them. And this he delivers in the sa

manner as he does, There was a man in the land Uz, whose name was Job.

"The things delivered to us by these two inspi writers are the same in substance, equally high,

and accuses him to God

A. M. cir. 2484.

B. C. cir. 1520. Ante I. Ol. cir. 744.

Ante U.C.c.767.

a

CHAP. I.

LORD, and said, From going 9 Then Satan answered the to and fro in the earth, and LORD, and said, Doth Job fear from walking up and down in it. God for nought? 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

b

a Ch. ii. 2. Matt. xii. 43. 1 Pet. v. 8.

of selfishness.

A. M. cir. 2484.
B. C. cir. 1520.
Ante I. Ol.
cir. 744.
Ante U.C. c.767.

10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

с

b Heb. Hast thou set thine heart on.- c Or, cattle. captive by him at his will. It is well known that, among all those who make any profession of religion, those who deny the existence of the devil are they who pray little or none at all; and are, apparently, as careless about the existence of God as they are about the being of a devil. Piety to God is with them out of the question; for those who do not pray, especially in private (and I never met with a devildenier who did), have no religion of any kind, whatsoever pretensions they may choose to make.

above the reach of human sight and knowledge: but the manner of delivering them is different, each as suited best to his particular purpose. This, then, is the prophetical way of representing things, as to the manner of doing them, which, whether done exactly in the same manner, concerns us not to know; but which are really done and God would have them described as done in this manner, to make the more lively and lasting impression on us. At the same time, it must not be forgotten that representations of this kind are founded in a well-known and established Verse 7. From going to and fro in the earth] The truth, viz., the doctrine of good and bad angels, a translation of the Septuagint is curious: Iepiɛλ0wv point revealed from the beginning, and without a την γην και εμπεριπατησας την ὑπ ̓ ουρανον, παρειμι previous knowledge of which, the visions of the pro-"Having gone round the earth, and walked over all phets could scarcely be intelligible." See Gen. xxviii. that is under heaven, I am come hither." The And Satan came also] This word also is emphatic Chaldee says, "I am come from going round the in the original, on hassatan, the Satan, or the Adver-earth to examine the works of the children of men ; sary; translated by the Septuagint à diaßolos. The and from walking through it." Coverdale, who geneoriginal word is preserved by the Chaldee, Syriac, rally hits the sense, translates thus: I have gone and Arabic; indeed, in each of them the word signi- aboute the londe ond walked thorow it. Mr. Good fies an adversary. St. Peter, 1 Epist., chap. v., ver. 8, has it, From roaming round the earth, and walking plainly refers to this place; and fully proves that about it. Thassatan, which he literally translates ò avridikos, the ADVERSARY, is no other than ò diaßodos, the DEVIL, or chief of bad demons, which he adds to others by way of explanation. There are many daiμoves, demons, mentioned in Scripture; but the word Satan or devil is never found in the originals of the Old and New Testaments in the plural number. Hence we reasonably infer, that all evil spirits are under the government of ONE chief, the DEVIL, who is more powerful and more wicked than the rest. From the GREEK AaBoλos comes the LATIN Diabolus, the SPANISH Diablo, the FRENCH Diable, the ITALIAN Diavolo, the GERMAN Teuffel, the DUTCH Duivel, the ANGLOSAXON Deople, and the ENGLISH Devil, which some would derive from the compound THE-EVIL; & πovnρos, the evil one, or wicked one.

It is now fashionable to deny the existence of this evil spirit; and this is one of what St. John (Rev. ii. 24) calls τa Bałŋ rov oarava, the depths of Satan; as he well knows that they who deny his being will not be afraid of his power and influence; will not watch against his wiles and devices; will not pray to God for deliverance from the evil one; will not expect him to be trampled down under their feet, who has no existence; and, consequently, they will become an easy and unopposing prey to the enemy their souls. By leading men to disbelieve and dany his existence, he throws them off their guard; and is then their complete master, and they are led

St. Peter, as has been already stated, ver. 6, refers to this: Be sober, be vigilant; for your ADVERSARY the DEVIL GOETH about, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. I rather think, with Coverdale, that

arets here signifies rather that land, than the habitable globe. The words are exceedingly emphatic ; and the latter verb hithhallech being in the hithpael conjugation shows how earnest and determined the devil is in his work: he sets himself to walk; he is busily employed in it; he is seeking the destruction of men; and while they sleep, he wakes

while they are careless, he is alert. The spirit of this saying is often expressed by the simple inhabitants of the country: when they perceive a man plotting mischief, and frequent in transgression, they say, The devil is BUSY with him.

Verse 8. Hast thou considered my servant Job] Literally, Hast thou placed thy heart on my servant Job? Hast thou viewed his conduct with attention, whilst thou wert roaming about, seeking whom thou mightest devour? viz., the careless, prayerless, and profligate in general.

Verse 9. Doth Job fear God for nought?] Thou hast made it his interest to be exemplary in his conduct: for this assertion Satan gives his reasons in what immediately follows.

Verse 10. Hast thou not made an hedge about him] Thou hast fortified him with spikes and spears. Thou hast defended him as by an unapproachable hedge.

Verse 13. There was a day] The first day of the week, says the Targum. It no doubt refers to one of

Verse 11. But put forth thine hand] Shoot the those birth-day festivals mentioned before. dart of poverty and affliction against him. And he will curse thee to thy face.]

Verse 14. The asses feeding beside them] Nathonoth, the she-asses, which appear to have been more domesticated, as of more worth and use than the others, both for their milk and their work.

Presumptive evidence that

CHAP. I.

Job lived after Moses. easily direct the zig-zag lightning to every part of the | Sceing I have lost my temporal goods, and all my fields where the sheep were feeding, and so destroy domestic comforts, may God alone be all my portion! the whole in a moment. The Vulgate, Septuagint, and Coverdale add, The Lord hath done as he pleased.

Verse 17. The Chaldeans made out three bands] The Chaldeans inhabited each side of the Euphrates, near to Babylon, which was their capital. They were also mixed with the wandering Arabs, and lived like them on rapine. They were the descendants of Chesed, son of Nahor and brother of Huz, from whom they had their name Casdim, which we translate Chaldeans. They divided themselves into three bands, in order the more speedily and effectually to encompass, collect, and drive off the three thousand camels: probably they mounted the camels and rode off.

Verse 19. A great wind from the wilderness] Here was another proof of the influence of the prince of the power of the air. What mischief might he not do with this tremendous agent, were he not constantly under the control of the Almighty! He seems to have directed four different currents, which, blowing against the four corners or sides of the house, crushed it together, and involved all within in one common rain.

Verse 20. Rent his mantle] Tearing the garments, shaving or pulling off the hair of the head, throwing dust or ashes on the head, and sitting on the ground, were acts by which immoderate grief was expressed. Job must have felt the bitterness of anguish when he was told that, in addition to the loss of all his property, he was deprived of his ten children by a violent death. Had he not felt this most poignantly, he would have been unworthy of the name of man. Worshipped] Prostrated himself; lay all along upon the ground, with his face in the dust.

Verse 21. Naked came I out of my mother's womb] 1 had no earthly possessions when I came into the world; I cannot have less going out of it. What I have the Lord gave: as it was his free gift, he has a right resume it when he pleases; and I owe him gratitude for the time he has permitted me to enjoy this gift. Naked shall I return thither] Whither? Not to bis ther's womb surely; nor docs he call the earth Lis mother in this place. In the first clause of the verse he speaks without a metaphor, and in the latter he speaks in reference to the ground on which he was about to fall. As I came out of my mother's womb destitute of all earthly possessions, so shall I return shammah, THERE; i. e., to the earth on which he was now falling. That mother earth was a common expression in different nations, I allow; but I believe no such metaphor was now in the mind of Job. The Lord gave] The Chaldee has, "The WORD of the Lord, ~ x meymera dayai, gave; and the WORD of the Lord, and the house of his judgment, have taken away?" WORD is used here personally, as in many other places of all the Targums.

|

Verse 22. In all this Job sinned not] He did not give way to any action, passion, or expression, offensive to his Maker. He did not charge God with acting unkindly towards him, but felt as perfectly satisfied with the privation which the hand of God had occasioned, as he was with the affluence and health which that hand had bestowed. This is the transaction that the character of Job; in this, and in this alone, he gave the strong and vivid colouring to was a pattern of patience and resignation. In this Satan was utterly disappointed; he found a man who loved his God more than his carthly portion. This was a rare case, even in the experience of the devil. He had seen multitudes who bartered their God for money, and their hopes of blessedness in the world to come for secular possessions in the present. He had been so often successful in this kind of temptation, that he made no doubt he should succeed again. He saw many who, when riches increased, set their hearts on them, and forgot God. He saw many also who, when deprived of earthly comforts, blasphemed their Maker. He therefore inferred that Job, in similar circumstances, would act like the others; he was disappointed. Reader, has he, by riches or poverty, succeeded with thee? affluent, and patient and contented when in poverty? Art thou pious when

That Job lived after the giving of the law, seems to me clear from many references to the rites and ceremonies instituted by Moses. informed that he sanctified his children, and offered In chap. i. 5 we are burnt-offerings daily in the morning for each of them. This was a general ordinance of the law, as we may see, Lev. ix. 7: "Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin-offering and thy burnt-offering, and make an atonement for thyself and for the people." Ver. 22: "And Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering the burnt-offering."

This sort of offering, we are told above, Job offered continually; and this also was according to the law, Exod. xxix. 42: "This shall be a continual burntoffering throughout your generations." See also Numb. xxviii. 3, 6, 10, 15, 24, 31.

This custom was observed after the captivity, Ezra iii. 5: "They offered the continual burnt-offering: and of every one that offered a freewill-offering." See also Neh. x. 33. Ezekiel, who prophesied during the captivity, enjoins this positively, chap. xlvi. 13-15: "Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt-offering unto the Lord: thou shalt prepare it every morning." Job appears to have thought that his children might

Blessed be the name of the Lord.] The following is have sinned through ignorance, or sinned privately ;

a fine paraphrase on the sentiment in this verse:

"Good when he gives, supremely good;

Nor less when he denies;

Afflictions, from his sovereign hand,
Are blessings in disguise."

1733

and it was consequently necessary to make the due sacrifices to God in order to prevent his wrath and their punishment; he therefore offered the burntoffering, which was prescribed by the law in cases of sins committed through ignorance. See the ordinances