1.
My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.
1. breath . . . corrupt—result
of elephantiasis. But UMBREIT,
"my strength (spirit) is spent."
extinct—Life is
compared to an expiring light. "The light of my day is
extinguished."
graves—plural, to
heighten the force.
2.
Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?
2. UMBREIT,
more emphatically, "had I only not to endure mockery, in
the midst of their contentions I (mine eye) would remain
quiet."
eye continue—Hebrew,
"tarry all night"; a figure taken from sleep at night, to
express undisturbed rest; opposed to (), when the eye of Job is represented as pouring out tears
to God without rest.
3.
Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?
3. Lay down now—namely, a
pledge or security; that is, be my surety; do Thou attest my
innocence, since my friends only mock me (). Both litigating parties had to lay down a sum as security
before the trial.
put me in a surety—Provide
a surety for me (in the trial) with Thee. A presage of the "surety"
(Hebrews 7:22), or "one
Mediator between God and man" (see on Hebrews 7:22).
strike hands—"who
else (save God Himself) could strike hands with me?" that is, be
my security (Psalms 119:122).
The Hebrew strikes the hand of him for whom he goes security
(Proverbs 6:1).
4.
For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.
4. their heart—The intellect
of his friends.
shalt . . . exalt—Rather
imperative, "exalt them not"; allow them not to conquer
[UMBREIT], (Isaiah 6:9;
Isaiah 6:10).
5.
He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.
5. The Hebrew for
"flattery" is "smoothness"; then it came to mean
a prey divided by lot, because a smooth stone was used
in casting the lots (Deuteronomy 18:8),
"a portion" (Genesis 14:24).
Therefore translate, "He that delivers up his friend as a prey
(which the conduct of my friends implies that they would do), even
the eyes," c. [NOYES]
(Job 11:20). Job says this as
to the sinner's children, retorting upon their reproach as to
the cutting off of his (Job 5:4
Job 15:30). This accords with the
Old Testament dispensation of legal retribution (Job 15:30).
6.
He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.
6. He—God. The poet
reverentially suppresses the name of God when speaking of calamities
inflicted.
by-word— (Deuteronomy 28:37;
Psalms 69:11). My awful punishment
makes my name execrated everywhere, as if I must have been
superlatively bad to have earned it.
aforetime . . . tabret—as
David was honored (1 Samuel 18:6).
Rather from a different Hebrew root, "I am treated to my
face as an object of disgust," literally, "an object to be
spit upon in the face" (1 Samuel 18:6). So Raca means (1 Samuel 18:6) [UMBREIT].
7.
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.
7. (Psalms 6:7;
Psalms 31:9; Deuteronomy 34:7).
members—literally,
"figures"; all the individual members being peculiar forms
of the body; opposed to "shadow," which looks like a figure
without solidity.
8.
Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.
8. astonied—at my unmerited
sufferings.
against the hypocrite—The
upright shall feel their sense of justice wounded ("will be
indignant") because of the prosperity of the wicked. By
"hypocrite" or "ungodly," he perhaps glances at
his false friends.
9.
The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
9. The strength of religious
principle is heightened by misfortune. The pious shall take fresh
courage to persevere from the example of suffering Job. The image is
from a warrior acquiring new courage in action (Isaiah 40:30;
Isaiah 40:31; Philippians 1:14).
10.
But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.
10. return—If you have
anything to advance really wise, though I doubt it, recommence your
speech. For as yet I cannot find one wise man among you all.
11.
My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.
11. Only do not vainly speak of
the restoration of health to me; for "my days are past."
broken off—as the
threads of the web cut off from the loom ().
thoughts—literally,
"possessions," that is, all the feelings and fair hopes
which my heart once nourished. These belong to the heart, as
"purposes" to the understanding; the two together
here describe the entire inner man.
12.
They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.
12. They—namely, "my
friends."
change the night into
day—that is, would try to persuade me of the change of my
misery into joy, which is impossible [UMBREIT]
(Job 11:17); (but) the light
of prosperity (could it be enjoyed) would be short because of the
darkness of adversity. Or better for "short," the Hebrew
"near"; "and the light of new prosperity should be
near in the face of (before) the darkness of death"; that is,
they would persuade me that light is near, even though darkness
approaches.
13.
If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.
14.
I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou are my mother, and my sister.
14. Thou art my father,
&c.—expressing most intimate connection (). His diseased state made him closely akin to the grave and
worm.
15.
And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?
15. Who shall see it fulfilled?
namely, the "hope" () which they held out to him of restoration.
16.
They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.
16. They—namely, my hopes
shall be buried with me.
bars— (). Rather, the wastes or solitudes of the pit
(sheol, the unseen world).
rest together—the rest
of me and my hope is in, &c. Both expire together. The word
"rest" implies that man's ceaseless hopes only rob him of
rest.