JOB CHAPTER 1
Job's country, and sincere holiness: his children; their feasts; and
his religious care for them, JOB 1:1. Satan's appearance before God:
God's character of Job, JOB 1:6. Satan imputeth Job's goodness to his
prosperity; and so obtaineth leave to afflict him in his goods, JOB
1:9. Job's... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Camels in these parts were very numerous, as is manifest from JUDGES
7:12 1 CHRONICLES 5:21, and from the plain testimonies of Aristotle
and Pliny, and very useful, and proper both for carrying of burdens in
these hot and dry countries, as being able to endure thirst much
better than other creatures... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS SONS WENT AND FEASTED, to testify and maintain their brotherly
love. EVERY ONE HIS DAY; not every day of the week and of the year;
which would have been burdensome and tedious to them all, and gross
luxury and epicurism, which holy Job would not have permitted; but
each his appointed day, whethe... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE DAYS OF THEIR FEASTING WERE GONE ABOUT; when each of them had
had his turn, which peradventure came speedily, though not immediately
one after another; and there was some considerable interval before
their next feasting time. JOB SENT AND SANCTIFIED THEM, i.e. he
exhorted and commanded them... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WAS A DAY, i.e. a certain time appointed by God. THE SONS OF
GOD, i.e. the holy angels, so called JOB 38:7 DANIEL 3:25,28, because
of their creation by God, as Adam also was, LUKE 3:38, and for their
great resemblance of him in power, and dignity, and holiness, and for
their filial affection a... [ Continue Reading ]
God being here represented as Judge, rightly begins with an inquiry,
as the ground of his further proceedings, as he did GENESIS 3:9,
GENESIS 4:9. FROM GOING TO AND FRO IN THE EARTH; where by thy
permission I range about, observing with great diligence all the
dispositions and actions of men, and wo... [ Continue Reading ]
Hast thou taken notice of him, and his spirit and carriage? and what
hast thou to say against him?... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. Sincerely and freely, and out of pure love and respect to thee?
No. It is policy, not piety, that makes him good; he doth not serve
thee, but serveth himself of thee, and is a mere mercenary, serving
thee for his own ends.... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE A HEDGE ABOUT HIM, i.e. defended him by thy special care and
providence from all harms and inconveniencies; which is able to oblige
and win persons of the worst tempers. HIS HOUSE; his children and
servants.... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT FORTH THINE HAND, to wit, in way of justice and severity, as that
phrase is used, ISAIAH 5:25 EZEKIEL 25:7,13,16. TOUCH, i.e. afflict or
destroy, as this word is used, GENESIS 26:11 RUTH 2:9 PSALMS 105:15
MALACHI 2:8. HE WILL CURSE THEE TO THY FACE; he who is now so forward
to serve and bless th... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THAT HE HATH IS IN THY POWER; I give thee full power and liberty
to deal with his wife, children, servants, and all his estate,
whatsoever thy wit or malice shall prompt thee to do. UPON HIMSELF;
his person, body or soul. FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, i.e. from
that place where God was represen... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. Beside the oxen, therefore both were taken away together.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SABEANS; a people of Arabia, who led a wandering life, and lived
by robbery and spoiling of others, as Strabo and other heathen writers
note. I ONLY AM ESCAPED ALONE TO TELL THEE; whom Satan spared no less
maliciously than he destroyed the rest, that Job might have speedy and
certain intelligenc... [ Continue Reading ]
WHILE HE WAS YET SPEAKING; before he could have time to compose his
disturbed mind, and to digest his former loss, or indeed to swallow
his spittle, as he expresseth it, JOB 7:19. THE FIRE OF GOD; a
terrible flame of fire sent from God in an extraordinary manner, to
intimate that both God and men we... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHALDEANS, who also lived upon the spoil, as Xenophon and others
observe. MADE OUT THREE BANDS, that they might come upon them several
ways, and nothing might be able to escape them.... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. Feasting after their manner, and, as Job generally feared and
suspected, sinning against God, JOB 1:5, which was a dreadful
aggravation of the judgment.... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THE WILDERNESS; whence the fiercest winds came, as having most
power in such open places. See JEREMIAH 4:11, JEREMIAH 13:24. SMOTE
THE FOUR CORNERS; in which the chief strength of the house did
consist. It smote these either all together, or rather successively,
one immediately after another, b... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JOB AROSE FROM HIS SEAT, whereon he was sitting in a disconsolate
posture. RENT HIS MANTLE, to testify his deep sense of and just sorrow
for the heavy hand of God upon him, and his humiliation of himself
under his hand. See GENESIS 37:34. _Shaved his head_, i.e. caused the
hair of his head to b... [ Continue Reading ]
I brought none of these things which I have now lost with me, when I
came out of my mother's womb into the world but I received them from
the hand and favour of that God who hath now required his own again. I
still have all that substance wherewith I was born, and have lost only
things without and b... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. Under all these pressures; or, in all that he said or did upon
these sad occasions; JOB SINNED NOT, to wit, in such manner as the
devil presaged that he would, and as is expressed in the following
words. As Christ saith, 1 THESSALONIANS 9:3, _Neither hath this man
sinned, nor his parents_, to w... [ Continue Reading ]