7 But now he hath made me weary: H3811 thou hast made desolate H8074 all my company. H5712
So am I made to possess H5157 months H3391 of vanity, H7723 and wearisome H5999 nights H3915 are appointed H4487 to me.
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. While he was yet speaking, H1696 there came H935 also another, and said, H559 The fire H784 of God H430 is fallen H5307 from heaven, H8064 and hath burned up H1197 the sheep, H6629 and the servants, H5288 and consumed H398 them; and I only am escaped H4422 alone to tell H5046 thee. 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. While he was yet speaking, H1696 there came H935 also another, and said, H559 Thy sons H1121 and thy daughters H1323 were eating H398 and drinking H8354 wine H3196 in their eldest H1060 brother's H251 house: H1004 And, behold, there came H935 a great H1419 wind H7307 from H5676 the wilderness, H4057 and smote H5060 the four H702 corners H6438 of the house, H1004 and it fell H5307 upon the young men, H5288 and they are dead; H4191 and I only am escaped H4422 alone to tell H5046 thee.
I loathe H3988 it; I would not live H2421 alway: H5769 let me alone; H2308 for my days H3117 are vanity. H1892
My soul H5315 is weary H5354 of my life; H2416 I will leave H5800 my complaint H7879 upon myself; I will speak H1696 in the bitterness H4751 of my soul. H5315
When the Almighty H7706 was yet with me, when my children H5288 were about H5439 me; When I washed H7364 my steps H1978 with butter, H2529 and the rock H6697 poured me out H6694 rivers H6388 of oil; H8081 When I went out H3318 to the gate H8179 through the city, H7176 when I prepared H3559 my seat H4186 in the street! H7339 The young men H5288 saw H7200 me, and hid H2244 themselves: and the aged H3453 arose, H6965 and stood up. H5975 The princes H8269 refrained H6113 talking, H4405 and laid H7760 their hand H3709 on their mouth. H6310 The nobles H5057 held H2244 their peace, H6963 and their tongue H3956 cleaved H1692 to the roof of their mouth. H2441 When the ear H241 heard H8085 me, then it blessed H833 me; and when the eye H5869 saw H7200 me, it gave witness H5749 to me: Because I delivered H4422 the poor H6041 that cried, H7768 and the fatherless, H3490 and him that had none to help H5826 him. The blessing H1293 of him that was ready to perish H6 came H935 upon me: and I caused the widow's H490 heart H3820 to sing for joy. H7442 I put H3847 on righteousness, H6664 and it clothed H3847 me: my judgment H4941 was as a robe H4598 and a diadem. H6797 I was eyes H5869 to the blind, H5787 and feet H7272 was I to the lame. H6455 I was a father H1 to the poor: H34 and the cause H7379 which I knew H3045 not I searched out. H2713 And I brake H7665 the jaws H4973 of the wicked, H5767 and plucked H7993 the spoil H2964 out of his teeth. H8127 Then I said, H559 I shall die H1478 in my nest, H7064 and I shall multiply H7235 my days H3117 as the sand. H2344 My root H8328 was spread out H6605 by the waters, H4325 and the dew H2919 lay all night H3885 upon my branch. H7105 My glory H3519 was fresh H2319 in me, H5978 and my bow H7198 was renewed H2498 in my hand. H3027 Unto me men gave ear, H8085 and waited, H3176 and kept silence H1826 at H3926 my counsel. H6098 After H310 my words H1697 they spake not again; H8138 and my speech H4405 dropped H5197 upon them. And they waited H3176 for me as for the rain; H4306 and they opened H6473 their mouth H6310 wide as for the latter rain. H4456 If I laughed H7832 on them, they believed H539 it not; and the light H216 of my countenance H6440 they cast not down. H5307 I chose H977 out their way, H1870 and sat H3427 chief, H7218 and dwelt H7931 as a king H4428 in the army, H1416 as one that comforteth H5162 the mourners. H57
I am weary H3021 with my groaning; H585 all the night H3915 make I my bed H4296 to swim; H7811 I water H4529 my couch H6210 with my tears. H1832 Mine eye H5869 is consumed H6244 because of grief; H3708 it waxeth old H6275 because of all mine enemies. H6887
My son, H1121 despise H3988 not the chastening H4148 of the LORD; H3068 neither be weary H6973 of his correction: H8433 For whom the LORD H3068 loveth H157 he correcteth; H3198 even as a father H1 the son H1121 in whom he delighteth. H7521
The Lord H136 GOD H3069 hath given H5414 me the tongue H3956 of the learned, H3928 that I should know H3045 how to speak H5790 a word H1697 in season to him that is weary: H3287 he wakeneth H5782 morning H1242 by morning, H1242 he wakeneth H5782 mine ear H241 to hear H8085 as the learned. H3928
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 16
Commentary on Job 16 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 16
SECOND SERIES.
Job 16:1-22. Job's Reply.
2. (Job 13:4).
3. "Words of wind," Hebrew. He retorts upon Eliphaz his reproach (Job 15:2).
emboldeneth—literally, "What wearies you so that ye contradict?" that is, What have I said to provoke you? &c. [Schuttens]. Or, as better accords with the first clause, "Wherefore do ye weary yourselves contradicting?" [Umbreit].
4. heap up—rather, "marshal together (an army of) words against you."
shake … head—in mockery; it means nodding, rather than shaking; nodding is not with us, as in the East, a gesture of scorn (Isa 37:22; Jer 18:16; Mt 27:39).
5. strengthen … with … mouth—bitter irony. In allusion to Eliphaz' boasted "consolations" (Job 15:11). Opposed to strengthening with the heart, that is, with real consolation. Translate, "I also (like you) could strengthen with the mouth," that is, with heartless talk: "And the moving of my lips (mere lip comfort) could console (in the same fashion as you do)" [Umbreit]. "Hearty counsel" (Pr 27:9) is the opposite.
6. eased—literally, "What (portion of my sufferings) goes from me?"
7. But now—rather, "ah!"
he—God.
company—rather, "band of witnesses," namely, those who could attest his innocence (his children, servants, &c.). So the same Hebrew is translated in Job 16:8. Umbreit makes his "band of witnesses," himself, for, alas! he had no other witness for him. But this is too recondite.
8. filled … with wrinkles—Rather (as also the same Hebrew word in Job 22:16; English Version, "cut down"), "thou hast fettered me, thy witness" (besides cutting off my "band of witnesses," Job 16:7), that is, hast disabled me by pains from properly attesting my innocence. But another "witness" arises against him, namely, his "leanness" or wretched state of body, construed by his friends into a proof of his guilt. The radical meaning of the Hebrew is "to draw together," whence flow the double meaning "to bind" or "fetter," and in Syriac, "to wrinkle."
leanness—meaning also "lie"; implying it was a "false witness."
9. Image from a wild beast. So God is represented (Job 10:16).
who hateth me—rather, "and pursues me hard." Job would not ascribe "hatred" to God (Ps 50:22).
mine enemy—rather, "he sharpens, &c., as an enemy" (Ps 7:12). Darts wrathful glances at me, like a foe (Job 13:24).
10. gaped—not in order to devour, but to mock him. To fill his cup of misery, the mockery of his friends (Job 16:10) is added to the hostile treatment from God (Job 16:9).
smitten … cheek—figurative for contemptuous abuse (La 3:30; Mt 5:39).
gathered themselves—"conspired unanimously" [Schuttens].
11. the ungodly—namely, his professed friends, who persecuted him with unkind speeches.
turned me over—literally, "cast me headlong into the hands of the wicked."
12. I was at ease—in past times (Job 1:1-3).
by my neck—as an animal does its prey (so Job 10:16).
shaken—violently; in contrast to his former "ease" (Ps 102:10). Set me up (again).
mark—(Job 7:20; La 3:12). God lets me always recover strength, so as to torment me ceaselessly.
13. his archers—The image of Job 16:12 is continued. God, in making me His "mark," is accompanied by the three friends, whose words wound like sharp arrows.
gall—put for a vital part; so the liver (La 2:11).
14. The image is from storming a fortress by making breaches in the walls (2Ki 14:13).
a giant—a mighty warrior.
15. sewed—denoting the tight fit of the mourning garment; it was a sack with armholes closely sewed to the body.
horn—image from horned cattle, which when excited tear the earth with their horns. The horn was the emblem of power (1Ki 22:11). Here, it is
in the dust—which as applied to Job denotes his humiliation from former greatness. To throw one's self in the dust was a sign of mourning; this idea is here joined with that of excited despair, depicted by the fury of a horned beast. The Druses of Lebanon still wear horns as an ornament.
16. foul—rather, "is red," that is, flushed and heated [Umbreit and Noyes].
shadow of death—that is, darkening through many tears (La 5:17). Job here refers to Zophar's implied charge (Job 11:14). Nearly the same words occur as to Jesus Christ (Isa 53:9). So Job 16:10 above answers to the description of Jesus Christ (Ps 22:13; Isa 50:6, and Job 16:4 to Ps 22:7). He alone realized what Job aspired after, namely, outward righteousness of acts and inward purity of devotion. Jesus Christ as the representative man is typified in some degree in every servant of God in the Old Testament.
18. my blood—that is, my undeserved suffering. He compares himself to one murdered, whose blood the earth refuses to drink up until he is avenged (Ge 4:10, 11; Eze 24:1, 8; Isa 26:21). The Arabs say that the dew of heaven will not descend on a spot watered with innocent blood (compare 2Sa 1:21).
no place—no resting-place. "May my cry never stop!" May it go abroad! "Earth" in this verse in antithesis to "heaven" (Job 16:19). May my innocence be as well-known to man as it is even now to God!
19. Also now—Even now, when I am so greatly misunderstood on earth, God in heaven is sensible of my innocence.
record—Hebrew, "in the high places"; Hebrew, "my witness." Amidst all his impatience, Job still trusts in God.
20. Hebrew, "are my scorners"; more forcibly, "my mockers—my friends!" A heart-cutting paradox [Umbreit]. God alone remains to whom he can look for attestation of his innocence; plaintively with tearful eye, he supplicates for this.
21. one—rather, "He" (God). "Oh, that He would plead for a man (namely, me) against God." Job quaintly says, "God must support me against God; for He makes me to suffer, and He alone knows me to be innocent" [Umbreit]. So God helped Jacob in wrestling against Himself (compare Job 23:6; Ge 32:25). God in Jesus Christ does plead with God for man (Ro 8:26, 27).
as a man—literally, "the Son of man." A prefiguring of the advocacy of Jesus Christ—a boon longed for by Job (Job 9:33), though the spiritual pregnancy of his own words, designed for all ages, was but little understood by him (Ps 80:17).
for his neighbour—Hebrew, "friend." Job himself (Job 42:8) pleaded as intercessor for his "friends," though "his scorners" (Job 16:20); so Jesus Christ the Son of man (Lu 23:34); "for friends" (Joh 15:13-15).
22. few—literally, "years of number," that is, few, opposed to numberless (Ge 34:30).