Job 9:1
_THEN JOB ANSWERED AND SAID,_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN JOB ANSWERED AND SAID,_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I KNOW IT IS SO OF A TRUTH: BUT HOW SHOULD MAN BE JUST WITH GOD?_ I know it is so - that God does not "pervert justice" (Job 8:3). BUT HOW SHOULD A MAN BE JUST WITH GOD? But (even though I be sure of being in the right) how can a mere weak man assert his right (be just) with the omnipotent God?... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF HE WILL CONTEND WITH HIM, HE CANNOT ANSWER HIM ONE OF A THOUSAND._ If he (God) will contend, with him - literally, 'deign to enter into judgment:' 'If it were His good, pleasure х_ YACHPOTS_ (H2654)] to enter into judgment with him' - i:e., to argue with man as to the rights of the question at... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE IS WISE IN HEART, AND MIGHTY IN STRENGTH: WHO HATH HARDENED HIMSELF AGAINST HIM, AND HATH PROSPERED?_ He is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Hebrew, 'Wise in heart (understanding)! And mighty in power!' God confounds the ablest arguer by His wisdom, and the mightiest by His power. HARDEN... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHICH REMOVETH THE MOUNTAINS, AND THEY KNOW NOT: WHICH OVERTURNETH THEM IN HIS ANGER._ And they know not - Hebrew for 'suddenly; unexpectedly; before they are aware of it;' "at unawares" (Psalms 35:8) - Hebrew, which he knoweth not of.... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHICH SHAKETH THE EARTH OUT OF HER PLACE, AND THE PILLARS THEREOF TREMBLE._ Which shaketh the earth ... pillar's thereof tremble. The earth is regarded, poetically, as resting on pillars, which tremble in an earthquake. "The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillar... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHICH COMMANDETH THE SUN, AND IT RISETH NOT; AND SEALETH UP THE STARS._ Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not - namely, in an eclipse, or the darkness that accompanies earthquakes (Job 9:6). SEALETH UP - i:e., totally covers, as one would seal up a room, that its contents may not be seen.... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHICH ALONE SPREADETH OUT THE HEAVENS, AND TREADETH UPON THE WAVES OF THE SEA._ Spreadeth out. "He stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in" (Isaiah 40:22; Psalms 104:2). But throughout it is not so much God's creating, as His governing power over natur... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHICH MAKETH ARCTURUS, ORION, AND PLEIADES, AND THE CHAMBERS OF THE SOUTH._ Maketh. Umbreit translates, from the Arabic, covereth up. This accords with the context, which describes His boundless power as controller, rather than as creator. But as "the stars" (Job 9:7) are represented as already se... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHICH DOETH GREAT THINGS PAST FINDING OUT; YEA, AND WONDERS WITHOUT NUMBER._ Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. Repeated from Eliphaz (Job 5:9). As much as to say, I know as well as you (Job 5:10) Gods stupendous power: but Job dwells chiefly on God's terri... [ Continue Reading ]
_LO, HE GOETH BY ME, AND I SEE HIM NOT: HE PASSETH ON ALSO, BUT I PERCEIVE HIM NOT._ Lo, he goeth by me. Not only nature, but man experiences the terrors of God's resistless power. I SEE HIM NOT: HE PASSETH ON. The image is that of a howling wind - "As the whirlwinds in the South pass through" (Is... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, HE TAKETH AWAY, WHO CAN HINDER HIM? WHO WILL SAY UNTO HIM, WHAT DOEST THOU?_ Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? If "He taketh away" suddenly and violently, as in my case, all that was dear to me, still a mortal cannot call Him to account. He... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF GOD WILL NOT WITHDRAW HIS ANGER, THE PROUD HELPERS DO STOOP UNDER HIM._ If God - or else, 'God will not withdraw His anger' - i:e., so long as a mortal obstinately resists (Umbreit). THE PROUD HELPERS - the arrogant, who would help one contending with the Almighty, are of no avail, however mig... [ Continue Reading ]
_HOW MUCH LESS SHALL I ANSWER HIM, AND CHOOSE OUT MY WORDS TO REASON WITH HIM?_ How much less shall I - who am weak-seeing that the mighty have to stoop before Him - CHOOSE OUT MY WORDS - use a well-chosen speech, in order to reason in contention with Him.... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHOM, THOUGH I WERE RIGHTEOUS, YET WOULD I NOT ANSWER, BUT I WOULD MAKE SUPPLICATION TO MY JUDGE._ Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer (Job 10:15). Though I were conscious of no sin, yet I would not dare to say so, but leave it to His judgment and mercy to justify me. "I know not... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF I HAD CALLED, AND HE HAD ANSWERED ME; YET WOULD I NOT BELIEVE THAT HE HAD HEARKENED UNTO MY VOICE._ If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.-For he breaketh me with a tempest. 'I would not believe that He had hearkened (attended) unto... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE WILL NOT SUFFER ME TO TAKE MY BREATH, BUT FILLETH ME WITH BITTERNESS._ He will not suffer me to take my breath - cf. Job 7:19, "How long wilt thou not-let me alone until I swallow down my spittle.... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF I SPEAK OF STRENGTH, LO, HE IS STRONG: AND IF OF JUDGMENT, WHO SHALL SET ME A TIME TO PLEAD?_ If I speak of strength, lo he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead? It is impossible but that Job must be deterred from the thought of a judicial controversy with God, seeing... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF I JUSTIFY MYSELF, MINE OWN MOUTH SHALL CONDEMN ME: IF I SAY, I AM PERFECT, IT SHALL ALSO PROVE ME PERVERSE._ If I justify myself. Maurer translates-`If I were just' - i:e., if I had right on my side х_ 'ETSDAAQ_ (H6663)]. This accords with Job 9:21. So also translate, not as English version, 'I... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOUGH I WERE PERFECT, YET WOULD I NOT KNOW MY SOUL: I WOULD DESPISE MY LIFE._ Though I were perfect, yet would not know my soul - literally (here and in Job 9:20), 'I perfect! I should not know my soul! I would despise (disown) my life' - i:e., Though conscious of innocence, I should be compelled... [ Continue Reading ]
_THIS IS ONE THING, THEREFORE I SAID IT, HE DESTROYETH THE PERFECT AND THE WICKED._ One thing - translate 'It is all one; whether perfect or wicked-He destroyeth.' This was the point Job maintained against his friends (Job 4:7, etc.; 8:3,6), that the righteous and wicked alike are afflicted; and th... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF THE SCOURGE SLAY SUDDENLY, HE WILL LAUGH AT THE TRIAL OF THE INNOCENT._ If - `While (His) scourge (Isaiah 28:15) slays suddenly (both the perfect and the wicked, Job 9:22), He laughs at (disregards and treats as though He laughed at) the trial (calamity) of the innocent.' Umbreit (cf my 'Critic... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE EARTH IS GIVEN INTO THE HAND OF THE WICKED: HE COVERETH THE FACES OF THE JUDGES THEREOF; IF NOT, WHERE, AND WHO IS HE?_ The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof - referring to righteous judges, in antithesis to "the wicked," in the parallel fi... [ Continue Reading ]
_NOW MY DAYS ARE SWIFTER THAN A POST: THEY FLEE AWAY, THEY SEE NO GOOD._ A post - a courier. In the wide Persian empire such couriers, on dromedaries or on foot, were employed to carry the royal commands to the distant provinces (Esther 3:13; Esther 3:15; Esther 8:14). My days aura a not like the s... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEY ARE PASSED AWAY AS THE SWIFT SHIPS: AS THE EAGLE THAT HASTETH TO THE PREY._ Swift ships, х_ 'ªNIYOWT_ (H591) _ 'EEBEH_ (H16)] - rather, canoes of reeds, or papyrus-skiffs, used on the Nile, swift from their lightness - "vessels of bulrushes" (Isaiah 18:2).... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF I SAY, I WILL FORGET MY COMPLAINT, I WILL LEAVE OFF MY HEAVINESS, AND COMFORT MYSELF:_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I AM AFRAID OF ALL MY SORROWS, I KNOW THAT THOU WILT NOT HOLD ME INNOCENT._ I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. The apodosis to 27-`If I say, etc., I still am afraid of all my sorrows (returning), because I know that thou wilt (dost) not (by removing my suffe... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF I BE WICKED, WHY THEN LABOUR I IN VAIN?_ If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain? The if is better omitted: I (am treated by God, once for all, as) IF I BE WICKED, WHY THEN LABOUR I IN VAIN? The if is better omitted: I (am treated by God, once for all, as) wicked; why then labour I in vain (t... [ Continue Reading ]
_IF I WASH MYSELF WITH SNOW WATER, AND MAKE MY HANDS NEVER SO CLEAN;_ Snow water - thought to be more cleansing than common water, owing to the whiteness of snow. "I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalms 51:7; Isaiah 1:18). NEVER SO CLEAN - better to answer to the parallelism of the first clause, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_YET SHALT THOU PLUNGE ME IN THE DITCH, AND MINE OWN CLOTHES SHALL ABHOR ME._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR HE IS NOT A MAN, AS I AM, THAT I SHOULD ANSWER HIM, AND WE SHOULD COME TOGETHER IN JUDGMENT._ For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. "Neither may he contend with Him that is mightier than he" (Ecclesiastes 6:10); "Woe unto him that str... [ Continue Reading ]
_NEITHER IS THERE ANY DAYSMAN BETWIXT US, THAT MIGHT LAY HIS HAND UPON US BOTH._ Daysman between us, that might lay his hand upon us both - mediator or umpire х_ MOWKIYACH_ (H3198), an arbitrator, from _ YAAKACH_ (H3198), to manifest or reprove]. There is no umpire to whose authoritative decision b... [ Continue Reading ]
_LET HIM TAKE HIS ROD AWAY FROM ME, AND LET NOT HIS FEAR TERRIFY ME:_ Rod - not here the symbol of punishment, but of power (Umbreit). Job cannot meet God on fair terms, so long as God deals with him on the footing of His Almighty power. But Job 21:9; Job 37:13, margin, favour the view that the rod... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN WOULD I SPEAK, AND NOT FEAR HIM; BUT IT IS NOT SO WITH ME._ It is not so with me - as it now is, God not taking His rod away, I am not on such a footing of equality as to be able without fear to vindicate myself-literally, 'I (am) not so with myself:' which Maurer explains-`I am not so in my... [ Continue Reading ]