HIS DAY] the day of his birth. It was thought that the days of the year had an existence of their own, so that any given day would come round again in its turn. Hence Job is not cursing a day which long ago ceased to be, but one which year by year comes back to blight the happiness of others as it b... [ Continue Reading ]
JOB CURSES HIS DAY Job curses the day of his birth. He asks why he did not die at birth: why should his wretched life be prolonged? We are now confronted with a striking change in Job's frame of mind from that presented in Job 2:10. Probably a considerable interval had elapsed before his friends ar... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe the piled-up malediction. The power and pathos of the chapter are remarkable.... [ Continue Reading ]
STAIN IT] RV 'claim it for their own.' BLACKNESS OF, etc.] RV 'all that maketh black the day'; e.g. eclipses and unusual darknesses.... [ Continue Reading ]
LET IT NOT BE JOINED, etc.] let it be blotted out of the calendar. The ancients believed in lucky and unlucky days. Let this day ruin no more lives, it has ruined enough.... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLITARY] RV 'barren.' NO JOYFUL VOICE] as on the occasion of a birth.... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THEM CURSE IT THAT CURSE THE DAY] A reference to magicians who professed to be able to cast spells on a day and make it unlucky, apparently causing eclipses, as the next line suggests. WHO ARE READY TO RAISE UP THEIR MOURNING] RV 'Who are ready to raise up leviathan' (a mythical dragon). It was... [ Continue Reading ]
DAWNING OF THE DAY] lit. 'eyelids of the morning.' 11-19. Job asks why he did not die at birth; a very fine passage expressive of great bitterness of soul.... [ Continue Reading ]
PREVENT ME] RV 'receive me.' It was usual for the newborn child to be laid on its father's knees in token of ownership. If he suffered it to remain he pledged himself TO bring it up.... [ Continue Reading ]
DESOLATE PLACES] RM 'solitary piles': cp. the pyramids of Egypt, which were the royal burying-places. 15-19. In reading these verses, in spite of their great beauty, we cannot help contrasting the vague and cheerless ideas about the future state in these early days with the clearer knowledge and gl... [ Continue Reading ]
Perhaps an allusion to the valuables buried in ancient tombs.... [ Continue Reading ]
OPPRESSOR] rather, 'taskmaster.' 20-26. Job asks why his wretched life should be prolonged.... [ Continue Reading ]
There may be a connexion of thought here with the 'hid treasures' of Job 3:21. The idea is perhaps that of violating an ancient tomb. The entrance was usually hidden carefully.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSE WAY IS HID] in perplexity and doubt.... [ Continue Reading ]
Translate, 'For my sighings are instead of my eating, and my groans are poured out like drink': cp. Psalms 42:3. 25, 26. The verbs should all be in the present tense in these vv. Job's grief and sickness make him full of gloomy forebodings, which are constantly being realised. The passionate compl... [ Continue Reading ]