1.
Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2.
As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
GOD. Heb El. App-4 .
THE ALMIGHTY. Hebrew Shaddai. App-4 .
my soul = me. Hebrew. nephesh . App-13 .
3.
All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
breath. Hebrew. n - shamah , App-16 .
spirit = breath. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .
GOD Heb- Eloah App-4 .
4.
My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
wickedness. Hebrew. 'aval . App-44 .
5.
God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
God forbid = Far be it from me. Figure of speech Deists. App-6 .
die = expire.
6.
My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
7.
Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
8.
For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
what . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis . App-6 .
taketh away his soul. By a different division of the letters it means "when he lifteth up his soul to God", or "when God demandeth his soul".
his soul = himself; or, his life. Hebrew. nephesh . App-13 .
9.
Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?
Will . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis .
10.
Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?
always = continually.
11.
I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
I will teach you. This is Zophar ' s third and last address. (1) It is required by the Structure on p. 669 to complete the symmetry of the book. (2) The sentiments of Job 27:11 -- Job 28:28 demand it, for they are the very opposite of Job's and the same as Zophar's in Job 27:13 ; Job 20:29 . (3) If these are Job's words, then his friends had convinced him, which Elihu declares they had not done (Job 32:12 ). (4) The Hebrew of Job 29:1 does not mean "continued", but " added to take up his discourse", which may mean conclusion as well as continuance. (5) It marks off and separates Job 29:1 -- Job 31:40 from Job's ordinary replies. Instead of replying to Zophar, Job utters his "selfjustification" (in Job 29:1 -- Job 31:40 ), which corresponds with his lamentation in Job 3:1-26 , and forms the conclusion as that had been the introduction, and prepares us for "the words of Job are ended" in Job 31:40 . (6) Kennicott, Bernard, and Wolfsson assign a third address to Zophar.
12.
Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?
13.
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
This is the portion, &c. Zophar thus takes up the words with which he had concluded his second address (Job 20:29 ).
14.
If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
children = sons.
15.
Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
buried in death = buried through pestilence.
his widows. The widow of each one of them.
16.
Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;
17.
He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
18.
He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.
booth. Generally made of branches of trees. Compare Isaiah 1:8 .
keeper = watcher: i.e. vineyard watcher.
19.
The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.
he = it: i.e. his wealth which is out at interest.
gathered = gathered in, or collected.
he = it: i.e. his wealth is gone. Not he, the rich man, for if he opens his eyes, he "is", not "is not".
20.
Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.
21.
The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
22.
For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.
God is wrongly supplied. It means "he who was wont in times past to flee from the rich man will now come down on him". would fain flee. Hebrew a seeing would flee. Figure of speech Polyptoton = would hastily flee.
23.
Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.