Job's new Appeal to God, in the form of an effort to discover what in the Divine Nature it can be that will explain his terrible sufferings The chapter attaches itself closely to the last words of ch. 9, precisely as ch. 7 to the end of ch. 6. Ch. 9 ended with the expression of the feeling on Job's... [ Continue Reading ]
_leave my complaint upon myself_ Rather, GIVE FREE COURSE TO MY COMPLAINT, cf. ch. Job 7:11 _seq_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Do not condemn me_ Or, _make me not guilty_; that is, by mere arbitrary will. Job felt himself "made guilty" by his afflictions, which to all were proofs that God held him guilty. _thou contendest with me_ Job's afflictions were proof that God had a contention or plea against him, Job desires to k... [ Continue Reading ]
_is it good unto thee_ The usual meaning of the phrase is, Is it thy pleasure, does it seem right to thee? Deuteronomy 23:17. The words might also mean, Is it becoming thee? Exodus 14:12. The former sense suits the connexion better, because Job is groping after the discovery of some characteristic o... [ Continue Reading ]
Job hazards the supposition that God has eyes like men and may see amiss, to account for His mistaken treatment of him.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then he asks if God's life be brief like human life, that by the inquisition of chastisements He seeks to bring Job's sin to light, lest His victim should outlive Him, and hurries on his punishment lest some one should rescue His captive from His hand.... [ Continue Reading ]
_thou knowest_ Rather, THOUGH thou knowest. All these suppositions are vain; for as to the first (Job 10:4), God knew that Job was guiltless, and as to the other, none could rescue from His hand. The suppositions are but a subtle mode of appealing from God to God Himself, from God's dealing in provi... [ Continue Reading ]
According to the Hebrew punctuation this verse reads, Thine hands have fashioned me and made me, Together round about; and thou dost destroy me! Mention of God's hand, Job 10:7, suggests how of old God's hand fashioned him with lavish expenditure of skill on all his parts, and he brings the contr... [ Continue Reading ]
The figure is that of a potter who has lavished infinite care upon his vessel, and now reduces his work of elaborate skill and exquisite ornament into dust again.... [ Continue Reading ]
These verses refer to the formation of the child in the womb, from conception to full growth, cf. Psalms 139:13-16.... [ Continue Reading ]
_fenced me_ Rather, WOVEN, or, knit me.... [ Continue Reading ]
_granted me life and favour_ i. e. granted me life and shewn me loving kindness. The verse speaks of God's dealing with Job from the time he was born and became a living man. _thy visitation_ i. e. thy providence.... [ Continue Reading ]
_and these things hast thou hid_ Better perhaps, BUT THESE THINGS DIDST THOU HIDE. _this_is _with thee_ Rather, THIS WAS WITH THEE, was thy purpose, and in thy thoughts, cf. ch. Job 9:35. "These things" and "this" refer to the details about to be given (Job 10:14) of God's deep purpose cherished be... [ Continue Reading ]
The contradiction between this dealing with Job in the womb and since his birth and God's present treatment of him is only to be reconciled by the supposition that God's present severe treatment of Job had been resolved on from the first, and that His careful fashioning of him and care over him had... [ Continue Reading ]
_If I sin, then thou markest_ Rather, IF I SINNED THEN THOU WOULDST MARK. Similarly, WOULDST NOT ACQUIT. "To sin" here appears to mean, to be guilty of trivial sins (ch. Job 7:20; Job 13:26); if he sinned even venially his sin would be held in remembrance against him and not remitted. This is the fi... [ Continue Reading ]
_if I be wicked_ Better, WERE I WICKED guilty of great offences. Job cannot express what would be the punishment of greater sins were e guilty of them, but indicates its incalculable severity by the exclamation, Woe unto me! This the second supposition. _and if I be righteous_ Rather, AND WERE I ri... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse reads, AND IF IT (i. e. my head) SHOULD LIFT ITSELF UP, THOU WOULDST HUNT me as a fierce lion, AND AGAIN SHEW &c. Cf. the figure of a wild beast again, ch. Job 16:9. There is a touch of sarcasm in the words "shew thyself marvellous upon me," marvellous in the variety and nature of His pla... [ Continue Reading ]
_thou renewest_ WOULDST RENEW. Similarly, AND INCREASE. All the verbs in these verses (Job 10:14) are to be translated from the point of view of God's intention cherished beforehand with regard to Job. This intention has, of course, been carried out, and has been fulfilled in Job's present condition... [ Continue Reading ]
Perplexed even to despair by this idea of the purpose of God Job asks, Why God ever gave him existence at all? and as in ch. Job 3:11 _seq_. wishes he had never seen life. _hast thou brought_ DIDST THOU BRING. _Oh that I had given_ I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN.... [ Continue Reading ]
He begs for a little easing of his pain ere he departs to the land of darkness. _are not my days few_ The same argument as ch. Job 7:16. _cease then, and let me alone_ Another reading is, _let him cease then_, &c. In the last case the speaker turns away from God and speaks of Him. In the rest of t... [ Continue Reading ]
_without any order_ There Chaos reigns; cf. the beautiful description of the effect of light upon the earth, ch. Job 38:12-14. _the light is as darkness_ The light in that region is No light, but rather darkness visible. Job's three friends, strong in their traditional theory and unobservant of f... [ Continue Reading ]