Job 9:13

if God will not withdraw Rather, God withdraws not. His fury is persistent and inexorable till it has accomplished its purpose, cf. ch. Job 23:13-14.

the proud helpers do stoop Rather, the helpers of Rahab did stoop. The "helpers" are the abettors, the partizans and company of Rahab; and the clause illustrates by an example, the highest example that could be chosen, the statement in the first clause, God withdraws not his anger; to this wrath even the aiders of Rahab succumbed. (1) "Rahab" means pride or arrogancy. But the "helpers of pride" or the "proud helpers" is an expression too indefinite to occur in the present connexion, where, in addition, the perf. bowedbeneath him, points to a distinct historical event, adduced as an illustration. (2) In Psalms 87:4 Rahab is a name for Egypt; so Psalms 89:10; Isaiah 30:7 (for, "their strength" read Rahab), Isaiah 51:9. Any historical illustration, however, from the history of Egypt in connexion with Israel is not to be looked for in this Book, the scene of which is laid in an age anterior to the Exodus. Direct allusions do not occur to the history of Israel. Allusions of any kind are rare, but such as are made are to the general history of mankind before Israel became a nation, cf. ch. Job 22:16, a reference to the flood or the cities of the Plain. (3) In Isaiah 51:9 the parallel clause to "cut Rahab (Egypt) in pieces," is, "wounded the Dragon." Again in Psalms 74:13-14 the parallel to "didst divide the sea" is "brakest the heads of Leviathan." From this it appears that Egypt was called Rahab, Dragon or Leviathan with reference to its native monster, which was taken as the symbol of the nation and its character (cf. Psalms 68:30 margin). All this leads finally to the conclusion that Rahab is the monster of the sea, which is probably nothing but the sea itself, as appears from Job 26:12. In the poetical nature-myth this stormy sea, assaulting heaven with its waves, was personified as a monster leading his helpers on to wage war with heaven, but was quelled (ch. Job 26:12) by the might of God. This is the instance of God's power adduced by Job. That the Poet makes use of the floating fragments of superstition and mythology still existing in the popular mind has nothing surprising in it.