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much property he may possess, because he is without God, in whom all good things are stored. You have an example of this in Alexander the Great, who, not content with the sovereignty of one world, groaned on learning that there were more worlds.

Ver. 27. IDEM: Creatures, when they see the impieties and crimes of the ungodly, are silent until God pronounces judgment; but when His judgment is revealed, then all creatures betray

the crimes which the ungodly have committed in their presence. In Christ however the sins of all the godly are covered, nay, are absorbed.— WOHLFARTH: Nature is leagued against sin! It is an incontrovertible truth which we find here, written thousands of years ago-he who departs from God's ways contends against heaven and earth, which from the beginning of the ages have been arrayed against sin, as a revolt against God's sacred ordinances.

B.-JOB: That which experience teaches concerning the prosperity of the ungodly during their life on earth argues not against but for his innocence:

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2 Hear diligently my speech,

and let this be your consolations.

3 Suffer me that I may speak ;

and after that I have spoken, mock on.

4 As for me, is my complaint to man?

and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled ?

5 Mark me, and be astonished,

and lay your hand upon your mouth.

6 Even when I remember I am afraid,

and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

2. Along with the fact of the prosperity of the wicked, taught by experience (vers. 7-16), stands the other fact of earthly calamity befalling the pious and the righteous:

7 Wherefore do the wicked live,

VERSES 7-26.

become old, yea, are mighty in power?

8 Their seed is established in their sight with them,

and their offspring before their eyes.

9 Their houses are safe from fear,

neither is the rod of God upon them.

10 Their bull gendereth and faileth not;

their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.

12 They take the timbrel and harp,

and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

13 They spend their days in wealth,

and in a moment go down to the grave.

14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us,

for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways.

15 What is the Almighty that we should serve Him?
and what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?

16 Lo, their good is not in their hand!

the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out?

and how oft cometh their destruction upon them? God distributeth sorrows in His anger.

18 They are as stubble before the wind,

and as chaff that the storm carrieth away. 19 God layeth up His iniquity for His children: He rewardeth him, and he shall know it.

20 His eyes shall see his destruction,

and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?

22 Shall any teach God knowledge?

seeing He judgeth those that are high.

23 One dieth in his full strength,

being wholly at ease, and quiet.

24 His breasts are full of milk,

and his bones are moistened with marrow.

25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul,

and never eateth with pleasure.

26 They shall lie down alike in the dust.

and the worms shall cover them.

8. Rebuke of the friends because they set forth only one side of that experience, and use it to his prejudice.

27 Behold, I know your thoughts,

VERSES 27-34.

and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

28 For ye say, Where is the house of the prince?

and where are the dwelling-places of the wicked?

29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way?

and do ye not know their tokens ?

30 that the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

31 Who shall declare his way to his face?

and who shall repay him what he hath done?
32 Yet shall he be brought to the grave,
and shall remain in the tomb.

33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him,
and every man shall draw after him,
as there are innumerable before him.

34 How then comfort ye me in vain,
seeing in your answers there remaineth

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL.

1. The obstinacy of the friends, who show neither the desire nor the inclination to solve the mystery of Job's sufferings in a friendly spirit, and in such a way as would not wound his feel ings, drives Job to come out in theoretic opposition to the narrow and external interpretation of the doctrine of retribution advocated by them, and to change his reply from the essentially personal character which it had previously borne into a strict criticism of their doctrine. Having first calmly but bitterly challenged their attention to that which he had to communicate to them (vers. 2-6), he urges against them the mysterious fact that often the ungodly revel in superfluity of prosperity to the end of their life, while on the contrary the pious are often

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throughout their earthly life pursued by misfortune (vers. 7-26). In view of a distribution of prosperity and adversity so unequal, and so much at variance with the moral desert of men, it was decidedly unjust, nay malicious and false on the part of the friends to undertake to brand him as a wicked man on account of his misfortune (vers. 27-34). The whole discussion which brilliantly demonstrates Job's superiority over the friends in respect to the stand point of ethical perception and experience, and which serves to introduce the last turn which the colloquy takes, and which is decisive of his complete victory, is divided into five strophes, of five verses each, the first strophe covering the exordium (vers. 2-6), the remaining four constituting the Second Division [the former two of these strophes again being occupied with the fact, the latter two with the argument showing the fact to

be irreconcilable with their theory of retribu- | viz.: as being dumb with astonishment, comp. tion; Dillm.]; followed by two strophes of four ch. xxix. 9; xl. 4— Imper. cons. Hiph. verses each [rebuking the one-sidedness of the friends] constituting the Third Division (vers. from D (comp. ch. xvii. 8; xviii. 20) [with 27-34.) Pattach for Tsere in pause], obstupescite. According to the reading (Imper. Hoph. of the same verb) [as some regard it even with the punctuation hoshammu] the meaning is not essentially different.

2. First Division (and strophe): Exordium:

vers. 2-6. Job announces that he is about to speak of a mysterious and indeed an astounding phenomenon, which demands the entire attention of the friends.

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Ver. 2. Hear, I pray, hear my speech! Ver. 6. Verily if I think on it I am conand let this be instead of your consola-founded ( apodosis; comp. ch. vii. 14) tions-or: "in order that this may supply the place of your consolations, may prove to me a and my flesh seizes on horror. In Heb. comfort instead of them, seeing that they so is subject; comp. the similar phraseology poorly accomplish their purpose" (comp. ch. xv. 11; xvi. 2). [A fine touch of irony: attentive silence would be a much more real comfort than all their ineffectual talk!]

Ver. 8. Suffer me (N, with Kamets before the tone, comp. Jon. i. 12; 1 Kings xx. 33; Gesenius 60 [? 59] Rem. 1)—and then will I speak (1, 'i, in contrast with the "you" of the Imper., although without a particularly strong accent); and after that I have spoken, thou mayest mock (yn, concessive, Ewald 136, e). The demand for a patient hearing of his rebuke, which reminds us somewhat of the saying of Themistocles-"Strike, but hear me!" (Plutarch, Themist. c. 11), is specifically addressed in the second half to Zophar, whose last discourse must have grieved him particularly, and who in fact after the rejoinder which Job now makes had nothing more to say, and could only leave the mocking assaults on Job to be resumed by his older companions. [So in xvi. 3 Job had singled out Eliphaz in his reply, and again in ch. xxvi. 2-4, he singles out Bildad].

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in ch. xviii. 20. she, from the

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means convulsive quaking, terror, as in the New Testament εκθαμβεῖσθαι καὶ ἀδημονεῖν (Mark xiv. 33). It is to be noted how by these strong expressions the friends are prepared to hear something grave, fearful, astounding, to wit a proposition, founded on experience, which seems to call in question the divine justice, and to the affirmation of which Job accordingly proceeds hesitatingly, and with visible reluctance.

3. Second Division: First Half: The testimony of experience to the fact that the wicked are often, and indeed ordinarily prosperous: vers. 7-16.

Second Strophe: vers. 7-11. Why do the wicked live on-instead of dying early, as Zophar had maintained, chap. xx. 5. The same question is propounded by Jeremiah, ch. xii. 1 seq.; comp. Ps. lxxiii. Mal. iii. 13 seq. Become old, yea, strong in power, or: "are become old (lit. advanced in years, comp. P') and mighty in possessions." In regard to (with accus. of specification) comp. the equivalent phrase, Ps. lxxiii. 12; and in regard to see above ch. xv. 29; xx. 15, 18.

Ver. 8.

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Their posterity is established here not "standing in readiness," as in ch. xii. 5; xv. 23, but "enduring, firmly established, as in (Ps. xciii. 2) before them round about them, surrounding them in the closest proximity; this is the meaning of Day, Schlottm., Vaih., [Fürst, Noyes] etc.), in behalf not: "like themselves" (Rosenm., Umbreit, of which latter signification to be sure ch. ix. 26 might be cited; but the parallel expression before their eyes "-in the second member, favors rather the former sense. [And their offspring before their eyes.

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Ver. 4. Does my complaint go forth from me in regard to man? i. e. as for me (emphatically prefixed, and then resumed again in '', Gesen. 8 145 [ 142], 2), is my complaint directed against men ? is my complaint ( as in ch. vii. 13; ix. 27; x. 1), concerning men, or is it not rather concerning something that has a superhuman cause, something that is decreed by God? That in this last thought lies the tacit antithesis to DN is evident from the second member: or why should I not be impatient? lit. "why should my spirit not become short," comp. ch. vi. 11; Mic. ii. 7; Zech. xi. 8; Prov. xiv. 29. That which follows gives us to understand more distinctly that itch. v. 25-" is exactly expressed by our issue, was something quite extraordinary, superhuman. under the burden of which Job groans, and concerning which he has to complain. [The rendering of the last clause found in E. V. Lee, Wemyss, etc.: "And if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?" is both less natural, in view of the antecedent probability that DN is cor-related to the interrogative, less simple, and less satisfactory in the meaning which it yields. E.].

Ver. 5. Turn ye to me and be astonished, and lay the hand on the mouth,

as in ,צֵאצָאִים

though perhaps the reduplication rather implies issue's issue." Carey]. Job, having been himself so ruthlessly stripped of his children, makes prominent above all else this aspect of the external prosperity of the wicked, that namely which is exhibited in a flourishing posterity, a fine trait of profound psychological truth! [To be noted moreover is the pathetic repetition of the thought in both members of the verse, and its no less pathetic resumption in ver. 11. This picture of a complete and peaceful household, with its circle of joyous youth fascinates the be

reaved father's heart exceedingly, and he dwells | 2y, instead of which several MSS. and Ed's. on it with yearning fondness!]

Ver. 9. Their houses [are] peace (D, the same as Diba; comp. ch. v. 24 [where see rem. in favor of the more literal and forcible rendering obtained by not assuming the preposition at all; E.] Isaiah xli. 3) without fear. , like 10 ch. xix. 26; (comp. ch. xi. 15; Is. xxii. 8) and the rod of Eloah cometh not upon them, i. e. to punish them; comp. in ch. ix. 34; xxxvii. 13 [How different from the fate of his own "house!" No such "Terror, no such "Scourge' as that which had made his a ruin! -E.].

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Ver. 10. From the state of the household the description turns to that of the cattle, with the peculiarity that here exceptionally the sing. takes the place of the plur., which is used almost throughout to designate the wicked (so again below ver. 19, and in like manner ch. xxiv. 5, 16 seq.). His bull gendereth and faileth not (Zöckler lit.-"his bull covereth and impregnates"]., in itself of common gender, is here indicated as a masc. both by the contrast with in 6, and by its predic. 2, "to cover, to gender" (comp. " produce fruit," Josh. v. 11, 12). The additional strengthening clause, neque efficit ut ejiciat (semen) indicates that the impregnation is successful. The second member is entirely parallel. His cow calveth easily (a, synon. with hp, op, Is. xxxiv. 15; lxvi. 7) and miscarries not, neque abortum patitur, comp. Gen. xxxi. 38; Ex. xxiii. 26.

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Ver. 11. Once more Job recurs to the fairest instance of earthly prosperity, the possession of a flourishing troop of children. On D comp. above on ch. xix. 18 [where however the word suggests, as it does not necessarily here, a bad quality in the children themselves; Bernard's rendering "they send forth their wicked little children," introduces an incongruous element into the picture, which Job contemplates here as a pleasing and attractive one.-E.] As tony, "to send forth, to let loose," see Isa. xxxii. 20.

Third Strophe: Vers. 12-16. They (the wicked) sing loud with the playing of timbrel and harp; hence with joyous festivity, as in Isa. v. 12.—NY” (scil. Sip) lit. "they raise their voice," i. e., in loud jubilations or songs of joy; comp. Is. xlii. 11.-, used as in Ps. xlix. 5 [4] of the musical accompaniment; hence, "with, to the timbrel and harp.' On the contrary the reading preferred by the Masora and several Rabbis, would signify “at, during the playing of the timbrel, etc." (2 of the proximate specification of time, as in [“about the time”], vype, etc.). Concerning

have in ch. xxx. 31, and in Ps. cl. 4, comp. Delitzsch on Gen. iv. 21; Winer, Realwörterb. II., 123 seq. ["The three musical instruments here mentioned are certainly the most ancient, and are naturally the most simple, and indeed may be regarded as the originals of every species of musical instrument that has since been invented, all which may be reduced to three kinds-string instruments, wind instruments, and instruments of percussion; and the harp, the y, pipe, and then, tabor, may be considered as the first representatives of each of these species respectively." Carey, see illus trations in Carey, p. 453 seq., and Smith Bib. Dict. under "Harp, Timbrel, and Organ"].

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Ver. 13. They spend in prosperity their days. So according to the K'ri 52, (lit. “they complete, finish," comp. ch. xxxvi. 11; Ps. xc. 9), while the K'thibh 2 would be, according to Isa. lxv. 22="they use up, wear out (usu conterunt) [which is more expressive than the K'ri, signifying not only that they bring their life to an end, but that they use it up, get out of it all the enjoyment that is in it.-E.]. In either case the affirmation is made in direct contradiction to the opposite descriptions of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, as e. g., ch. xv. 32; xviii. 14; xx. 11.-And in a moment (a like our "in a trice" [Germ. : "im Nu"], hence down to Sheol,-they thus enjoy a quick quickly, easily, without a struggle) they sink death, free from suffering, having fully enjoyed their life even to the end. The connection does not allow us to understand it of an "evil sudden death," but rather requires the idea of a euthanasy.- might in itself be the Imperf. Niph. of л: "they are frightened down [others, e. g., Bernard; " they are crushed, or hurled down"], to which however the Accus. loci

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is ill suited. More correctly the form is derived from лn, the Imperf. of which is writIt may be read here either (for ann-so Ewald, Hirzel), or with reduplication of the in pause [Dageshforte emphatic, Green, & 24, c] after the Masora; comp. Gesen. Lehrgeb., p. 45; Ewald, & 93, d.

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Ver. 14 seq. And yet they say unto God, Depart from us," etc., etc. i. e.. notwithstanding their prosperity ["the fut. consec. does not here denote temporally that which follows upon and from something else, but generally that which is inwardly connected with something else, and even with that which is contradictory, and still occurring at the same time;" DEL.], which should constrain them to gratitude towards God, they will know nothing about Him, yea, they account the service of God and prayer to Him as useless. y, precibus adire; comp. Ruth i. 16; Jer. vii. 16; xxvii. 18.

Ver. 16. After the frivolous words of the un

godly Job here resumes his own description, and concludes the section in which he states his proposition.-Behold, not in their hand stands their prosperity.—This is not an objection as

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sumed by Job to be made by his opponents, as whereas on the contrary Job is asking how below in ver. 19 (Schnurrer, Schlottm., Kamph.) often was this the case?-E.]: (how often) does [Noyes, Elzas], but an expression of Job's own He distribute sorrows in His anger? The conviction, who intends herewith to set forth subject is God (comp. ch. xx. 23). The partithat not they, but God Himself is in some mysteri- cular affirmation of his opponents, to which Job ous way the cause of their prosperity, by which he here alludes, is the close of Zophar's last speech would indicate the difficulty of the problem, with (ch. xx. 29), the ph of which is distinctly which he is here occupied in general. The sentence is not an expression of Job's disapproba- enough echoed here in the ph. The retrotion of the view of life prevalent among the spective reference to this passage would be still wicked (Ewald) [Carey, Wordsworth], for such an expression of disapprobation first appears in more definite if we were to derive D'? from b, and the position of the words in a shows, measuring-line (so the Targ., Ewald, Hirz, clearly that the main emphasis lies on D3 Dillmann [Schlott., Renan, Fürst]), and explain The interrogative rendering of the clause, "Be-it to mean "lots. heritages" (comp. Ps. xvi. 6). hold is not their prosperity in their hand?" It is more natural, nevertheless. (with the LXX. (Rashi, Hirzel, Heiligst., Welte, Hahn [Renan]) Vulg., Gesenius, Rosenm. [E. V., Good, Lee, is contradicted by the use of , not N Noyes, Ber., Rod., Elz.], etc., to take the word in its ordinary sense="sorrows, calamities" (plur. at the beginning. [Moreover the connection of 2). ["The plur. does not occur in that with b according to such a rendering is strained. -E]-The counsel of the wicked be far tropical sense (of "lots"), and if it were so infrom me! The same formula of detestation re tended here, Dan, or on an might at curs in the following discourse of Eliphaz, ch. least be expected." D1.]. Also the translation xxii 18-p is us d in a precative or "snares, gins," (Stic kel, Hahn, Delitzsch) yields optative sense (Ewald, 223, 6); it is thus esa meaning good in itself, and would have, moresentially equivalent to the formula elsewhere in over, the special recommendation of furnishing ["It is the perf. of certainty, a retrospective reference to ch. viii. 10-12, the which expresses that which is wished as a fact, and blook. same passage of Bildad's discourse to which a but with an emotional exclamative accent." The expression-" to distribute Del.]. In respect to, here in the sense of snares"-is however altogether too harsh, and the assumption that such an unusual expression fundamental maxim, di-position, view of life, is occasioned by the collateral reference to ch. comp. ch. v. 13; x. 3; xviii. 7. Job thus per- xviii. 10 seq., and to ch. xx. 29, is altogether sists decidedly here again in his refusal in any way to renounce God; comp. ch. i. 11; ii. 5.

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[This strong repudiation by Job of the practical atheism of the wicked is of especial importance to the moral problem of the book.-E.].

too artificial.

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tinues to extend): How often are they as Ver. 18 (over which the influence of straw (chopped straw) [a figure occurring only 4. Second Division: Second Half. Antithetic before the wind, and as chaff (Ps. i. 4; Is. here: the figure of chaff is more frequent. Del.] demonstration of the preceding proposition derived from experience, with reference to the opxvii. 18) which the whirlwind snatches posite affirmations of the friends, and their pos-ch. xx. 8, 9, if not as regards the expressions, away? An allusion to Zophar's description, sible reproaches.

Fourth Strophe: Vers. 17-21. [The views of the friends in regard to retribution denied both as to the fact and the principle].

Ver. 17 involves a reference to certain expressions which Bildad had used in ch. xviii. in justification of his doctrine, particularly to his description of the "extinguishing of the light of the wicked" (ch. xviii. 5), and of the sudden destruction ("prop. pressure of suffering" Del.) of the same (ch. xviii. 12), but only to call in question the correct application of these figures. How oft does the lamp of the wicked go out, and their destruction break upon them?-In Job's mind this "how oft" (72, comp. Ps. lxxviii. 40) is naturally equivalent to "how rarely;" for he decidedly doubts the general correctness of those affirmations of Bildad Moreover the influence of this interrogative" how oft" extends to the third member of the verse [which accordingly is not to be rendered affirmatively, as in E. V., "God distributeth sorrows in His anger"-a rendering which changes the meaning of the entire context, making it an assertion by Job that God does punish the wicked as the friends had taught

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still as regards the sense.

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Ver. 19 "God lays up his calamity for his (the wicked man's) children!" ( in the signification "calamity;" comp. ch. xi. 11; xv. 35.) [There is possibly a play on the word 1, which may be rendered either his wealth," or "his calamity."-His treasure is the coming wrath! 8 also means "iniquity," and some (E. V., Del., etc.) render it so here. Here, however, the "evil" which is the punishment of "evil" best suits the context.

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E.] This is an objection of the opponents, which links itself to similar affirmations by Eliphaz (ch. v. 4) and Zophar (ch. xx. 10), and which Job himself here formulates, in order forthwith to refute it: (Rather) let Him recompense it to him (or, in view of the emphasis belonging to the word bearing the principal tone: " to him let Him repay it") that he may feel it (YT) here sentire, to feel, to be sensible of, as in Is. ix. 8; Hos. ix. 7; Ezek. xxv. 14). In a manner quite similar the prophets Jeremiah (ch. xxxi. 29 seq.) and Ezekiel (ch. xviii.) controvert the similar doctrine of the vicarious expiation of the guilt of parents by their pos

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