25. "Let him draw it out, and it shall come from his entrails; "Ay, the crimsoned shaft from his gall! 26. All darkness treasured in reserve for him: 28. The increase of his house shall go into captivity, "Dispersed abroad in the day of His wrath. 29. Such is the lot of the wicked man from Elohim, "And the portion ordained him from El." SECTION XII. Job's Reply. Chap. xxi. Ver. 1. And Job answered and said: 2. Hear attentively my speech, And this may produce an alteration in your minds. 3. Bear with me while I speak, Though afterwards you deride my declaration. The notion of a just and visible retribution of Providence, in the government of the world, is the point the friends still maintain, and continue to Perhaps, red, fiery-looking, like the glare of lightning, or of a carbuncle.' Perhaps, these lines should be rendered, Upon him are terrors-all is darkness. Ill goeth it with him that is left in his tent. urge against Job. Job has something to advance against this, which he thinks may well refute their notions-if not, let them, at any rate, give him a patient hearing: 4. For me-after the manner of man, are my reflections, And whatever is matter' of observation, my spirit shall not curtail. That is, I would be understood to be speaking after the manner of men, stating things as they actually appear, and are open to common observation; not scrupling to describe facts just as they are. This will be enough to refute your notions of the providential dealings of God with man in this present life. 5. Attend to me, and wonder, And lay your hand on your mouth. 6. For while I record, I shudder, And trembling seizeth my flesh. Job is about to speak of the visible prosperity of the wicked; it was a matter awfully mysterious! however, it was a fact; and must be contemplated, by those who fear God, in silent astonishment. Job trembled to think of the real state of the case, and, perhaps, of the occasion to temptation and stumbling which it gave to many minds. a 7. It is notorious that the wicked live", They grow old, ay, are great in strength. , not, I think, a particle, but, as in the fourth verse, a matter of notoriety, or of observation." It is obvious. Compare SIM. LEX. Or, it will be that which will be productive of 8. Their seed is established with them in their presence, And their offspring before their eyes: 9. Their houses are in' peace without alarm, And no rod of Eloah is upon them. 10. Their bull gendereth, and faileth not, Their cow calveth, and casteth not her young. 11. They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children are frisking with delight:' 12. They rise up to the tabor and harp, And make merry at the sound of the pipe. 13. They wear away their days in pleasure, And quietly descend to the abode of the dead. 14. Yet they say unto El, "depart from us, "For we desire not to know thy ways." 15. "What is Shaddai, that we should serve him? "And what shall we be profited if we pray unto him?" 16. Lo, not in their own hands is their prosperity, The counsel of the wicked be far from me! That is to say, I state, as a matter of fact, that such is often seen to be the prosperous state of wicked people; and, such the effect of that prosperity on their minds, that they openly attest their opinion to be, that religion is of no use, and give up its profession. God forbid, says Job, that I should agree the sigh of acquiescence in my opinion, or of condolence with me. Or, 'enjoy life,'' live in prosperity;' strictly, are wont to live,' &c. a "Intumuit et non nauseavit,"-" excludit facile partu et non orbuta est." b SIMON, GOOD. e Mr. Good conceives, "advocacy, apology for." with them in their sentiments. I know, all the while, that the God, whom they forget, and not themselves, is the author of their prosperity; but still, such is the fact, they live without God in the world, and yet God doth prosper them! And Job goes on to ask, How often those visible interpositions of Providence, to punish the wicked, which the friends had described from the sayings' of the ancients, did, in fact, occur? meaning to intimate, that they were singular and unusual events. 6 17. How often is HE wont to extinguish the lamp of the wicked? And to bring their destruction upon them? -To distribute snares in his wrath? It is obvious, that Job, in these and the following lines, repeats the observations of Bildad in his last speech-chap. xviii. 6-14; and demands, How often will these visitations of God be seen to take place? 18. How often' will they become like stubble before the wind, And like the chaff that is snatched away by the storm? 19. How often' will Eloah lay it up for his children? -His labour make compensation for him? 20. And would he know it, would his eyes see his disgrace? And would he drink of the wrath of Shaddai? 21. For what is his desire towards his house, when he is gone, And his months have told out their number? Evidently referring to chap. xx. 8. "His children shall conciliate the poor, and their hands shall make restitution from his labour". The same word as is used in both places. U Job asks, how often is this seen to happen? and when it does happen, what punishment is it to the departed sinner, as he has no perception about it? 22. What, will HE teach discernment to a nothing? Will HF judge the worm-eaten body"? This, I think, replies to what Bildad said, or rather quoted, from the saying' of the ancients; "His bones were filled with his secret sin, and with him in the dust it shall lie down." Or, did Bildad mean that, in the circumstances attending the death of the wicked man, the retribution of divine justice would be seen? how little did this answer to the fact, as open to the observation of all! 23. One will die in his perfect strength, In his fulness of ease, and in peace ; b 24. His body replenished with fat, And marrow moistening his bones. 25. And another will die with an embittered spirit, And could not eat with relish. 26. Alike in the dust they lie down, 'Alike' the worm doth cover them. The argument of Job is very plain; the deaths of two notorious sinners of the same stamp will be found to be very different, as to the circumstances of their departure, before they take their common station in the grave: so that here you cannot point out a retributive providence. Mr. Good renders, "who, then, shall teach knowledge unto God, unto the Eternal that ruleth the heights?" But see SCHULTENS. Latifundia ejus.' SIMON. Viscera.' VULGATE. |