INTRODUCTION TO JOB 7 In this chapter Job goes on to defend himself in an address to God; as that he had reason to complain of his extraordinary afflictions, and wish for death; by observing the common case of mankind, which he illustrates by that of an hireling, Job 7:1; and justifies his eager de... [ Continue Reading ]
[IS THERE] NOT AN APPOINTED TIME TO MAN UPON EARTH?.... There is a set time for his coming into the world, for his continuance in it, and for his going out of it; this is to man "on earth", with respect to his being and abode here, not in the other world or future state: not in heaven; there is no c... [ Continue Reading ]
AS A SERVANT EARNESTLY DESIRETH THE SHADOW,.... Either the shadow of some great rock, tree, or hedge, or any shady place to shelter him from the heat of the sun in the middle of the day, which in those eastern countries is hot and scorching; and very burdensome and fatiguing it is for servants and l... [ Continue Reading ]
SO AM I MADE TO POSSESS MONTHS OF VANITY,.... This is not a reddition or application of the above similes of the servant and hireling, Job 7:1; for that is to be understood, and to be supplied at the end of Job 7:2; that as those looked for the shadow and payment of hire, so Job looked for and earne... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I LIE DOWN, I SAY, WHEN SHALL I ARISE,.... Or, "then I say", c. t that is, as soon as he laid himself down in his bed, and endeavoured to compose himself to sleep, in order to get rest and refreshment; then he said within himself, or with an articulate voice, to those about him, that sat up wit... [ Continue Reading ]
MY FLESH IS CLOTHED WITH WORMS AND CLODS OF DUST,.... Not as it would be at death, and in the grave, as Schmidt interprets it, when it would be eaten with worms and reduced to dust; but as it then was, his ulcers breeding worms, or lice, as some y; these spread themselves over his body: some think i... [ Continue Reading ]
MY DAYS ARE SWIFTER THAN A WEAVER'S SHUTTLE,.... Which moves very swiftly, being thrown quick and fast to and fro; some versions render it "a racer" b one that runs a race on foot, or rides on horseback, agreeably to Job 9:25; where, and in Job 7:7; to it, other similes are used, to set forth the sw... [ Continue Reading ]
O REMEMBER THAT MY LIFE [IS] WIND,.... Or, "breath" c; man's life is in his breath, and that breath is in his nostrils, and therefore not to be accounted of, or depended on; man appears by this to be a poor frail creature, whose life, with respect to himself, is very precarious and uncertain; it is... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EYE OF HIM THAT HATH SEEN ME SHALL SEE ME NO [MORE],.... Or "the eye of sight" e; the seeing eye, the most acute and quick sighted eye; so Mr. Broughton renders it, "the quick eye" f: this is to be understood as "after" g death, that then the sharpest eye should not see him, he would be out of t... [ Continue Reading ]
[AS] THE CLOUD IS CONSUMED AND VANISHETH AWAY,.... Which being dispersed by the wind, or broke up by the sun, is never seen, or returns more; for though the wise man speaks of clouds returning after the rain, this is not to be understood of the same clouds, but of succeeding ones, Ecclesiastes 12:2;... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL RETURN NO MORE TO HIS HOUSE,.... In a literal sense, built or hired by him, or however in which he dwelt; and if a good man, he will have no desire to return to that any more, having a better house, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; or in a figurative sense, either his b... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE I WILL NOT REFRAIN MY MOUTH,.... From speaking and complaining; seeing, besides the common lot of mankind, which is a state of warfare, sorrow, and trouble, and is as much as a man can well grapple with, extraordinary afflictions are laid upon me, which make life insupportable; and seeing... [ Continue Reading ]
[AM] I A SEA, OR A WHALE,.... Like the restless sea, to which very wicked, profligate, and abandoned sinners are compared, that are continually casting up the mire and dirt of sin and wickedness; am I such an one? or like the raging sea, its proud waters and foaming waves, to which fierce and furiou... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I SAY, MY BED SHALL COMFORT ME,.... When he thought within himself that he would lie down upon his bed and try if he could get a little sleep, which might comfort and refresh him, and which he promised himself he should obtain by this means, as he had formerly had an experience of: MY COUCH SH... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THOU SCAREST ME WITH DREAMS,.... Not with dreams and visions being told him, as were by Eliphaz, Job 4:13; but with dreams he himself dreamed; and which might arise from the force of his distemper, and the pain of his body, whereby his sleep was broken, his imagination disturbed, and his fancy... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THAT MY SOUL CHOOSETH STRANGLING,.... Not to strangle himself, as Ahithophel did, or to be strangled by others, this being a kind of death inflicted on capital offenders; but rather, as Mr. Broughton renders it, "to be choked to death" by any distemper and disease, as some are of a suffocating na... [ Continue Reading ]
I LOATHE [IT],.... Or "them" k, either his life, which was a weariness to him, or his bones, which were so painful and nauseous; or rather, "I am become loathsome", to himself, to his servants, and to his friends, and even his breath was strange to his wife; or "being ulcerated, I pine and waste awa... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT [IS] MAN, THAT THOU SHOULDEST MAGNIFY HIM?.... Man in his best estate, in his original state, was but of the earth, earthly; a mutable creature, and altogether vanity; so that it was wonderful God should magnify him as be did, raise him to such honour and dignity, as to set him over all the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
AND [THAT] THOU SHOULDEST VISIT HIM EVERY MORNING,.... That is, "daily", continually, as Aben Ezra interprets it; either in a way of love, grace, and mercy; so God has visited men, by raising up and sending his Son to be a Redeemer of them; the Son of God has visited them, as the dayspring from on h... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW LONG WILT THOU NOT DEPART FROM ME,.... From wrestling and contending with him, and afflicting of him; the Lord was too hard a combatant for job, and therefore he chose to be rid of him, and was impatient of it; or "look off from me" u; so Mr. Broughton renders it, "how long wilt thou not look fr... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE SINNED,.... Some render it, "if I have sinned" w; be it so that I have, as my friends say, yet since there is forgiveness with thee, why should I be so afflicted as I am? but there is no need of such a supplement, the words are an affirmation, I have sinned, or I am a sinner; not that he owne... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHY DOST THOU NOT PARDON MY TRANSGRESSION,.... Or "lift [it] up" d; every sin is a transgression of the law of God, and the guilt of it upon the conscience is a burden too heavy to bear, and the punishment of it is intolerable; pardon lifts up and takes away all manner of sin, and all that is in... [ Continue Reading ]