17 While he was yet speaking, H1696 there came H935 also another, and said, H559 The Chaldeans H3778 made out H7760 three H7969 bands, H7218 and fell H6584 upon the camels, H1581 and have carried them away, H3947 yea, and slain H5221 the servants H5288 with the edge H6310 of the sword; H2719 and I only am escaped H4422 alone to tell H5046 thee.
And Haran H2039 died H4191 before H6440 his father H1 Terah H8646 in the land H776 of his nativity, H4138 in Ur H218 of the Chaldees. H3778
For, lo, I raise up H6965 the Chaldeans, H3778 that bitter H4751 and hasty H4116 nation, H1471 which shall march H1980 through the breadth H4800 of the land, H776 to possess H3423 the dwellingplaces H4908 that are not theirs.
And Terah H8646 took H3947 Abram H87 his son, H1121 and Lot H3876 the son H1121 of Haran H2039 his son's H1121 son, H1121 and Sarai H8297 his daughter in law, H3618 his son H1121 Abram's H87 wife; H802 and they went forth H3318 with them from Ur H218 of the Chaldees, H3778 to go H3212 into the land H776 of Canaan; H3667 and they came H935 unto Haran, H2771 and dwelt H3427 there.
And David H1732 said H559 unto him, From whence comest H935 thou? And he said H559 unto him, Out of the camp H4264 of Israel H3478 am I escaped. H4422
And the Sabeans H7614 fell H5307 upon them, and took them away; H3947 yea, they have slain H5221 the servants H5288 with the edge H6310 of the sword; H2719 and I only am escaped H4422 alone to tell H5046 thee.
Behold the land H776 of the Chaldeans; H3778 this people H5971 was not, till the Assyrian H804 founded H3245 it for them that dwell in the wilderness: H6728 they set up H6965 the towers H971 thereof, they raised up H6209 the palaces H759 thereof; and he brought H7760 it to ruin. H4654
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 1
Commentary on Job 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The Book of Job
Chapter 1
The history of Job begins here with an account,
In all this he is set forth for an example of suffering affliction, from which no prosperity can secure us, but through which integrity and uprightness will preserve us.
Job 1:1-3
Concerning Job we are here told,
Job 1:4-5
We have here a further account of Job's prosperity and his piety.
Job 1:6-12
Job was not only so rich and great, but withal so wise and good, and had such an interest both in heaven and earth, that one would think the mountain of his prosperity stood so strong that it could not be moved; but here we have a thick cloud gathering over his head, pregnant with a horrible tempest. We must never think ourselves secure from storms while we are in this lower region. Before we are told how his troubles surprised and seized him here in this visible world, we are here told how they were concerted in the world of spirits, that the devil, having a great enmity to Job for his eminent piety, begged and obtained leave to torment him. It does not at all derogate from the credibility of Job's story in general to allow that this discourse between God and Satan, in these verses, is parabolical, like that of Micaiah (1 Ki. 22:19, etc.), and an allegory designed to represent the malice of the devil against good men and the divine check and restraint which that malice is under; only thus much further is intimated, that the affairs of this earth are very much the subject of the counsels of the unseen world. That world is dark to us, but we lie very open to it. Now here we have,
Job 1:13-19
We have here a particular account of Job's troubles.
Job 1:20-22
The devil had done all he desired leave to do against Job, to provoke him to curse God. He had touched all he had, touched it with a witness; he whom the rising sun saw the richest of all the men in the east was before night poor to a proverb. If his riches had been, as Satan insinuated, the only principle of his religion now that he had lost his riches he would certainly have lost his religion; but the account we have, in these verses, of his pious deportment under his affliction, sufficiently proved the devil a liar and Job an honest man.
Lastly, Here is the honourable testimony which the Holy Ghost gives to Job's constancy and good conduct under his afflictions. He passed his trials with applause, v. 22. In all this Job did not act amiss, for he did not attribute folly to God, nor in the least reflect upon his wisdom in what he had done. Discontent and impatience do in effect charge God with folly. Against the workings of these therefore Job carefully watched; and so must we, acknowledging that as God has done right, but we have done wickedly, so God has done wisely, but we have done foolishly, very foolishly. Those who not only keep their temper under crosses and provocations, but keep up good thoughts of God and sweet communion with him, whether their praise be of men or no, it will be of God, as Job's here was.