Notes on the Old and New Testaments

17 He may prepare it, but " the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

ment. Sir John Chardin says that in the East it is common to gather together immense quantities of furniture and ciotlies. According to D'Herbelot, Boktcri, an illustrious poet of Cufah in the ninth century, had so many presents made him in the course of his life, that when he died he was found possessed of an hundred complete suits of clothes, two hundred shirts, and five hundred turbans. Comp. Ezra ii. 60, and Neh. vii. 70. See Bochart Hieroz. P. II. Lib, iv. c. XXV. p. 617. This species of treasure is mentioned by Virgil;

The reason why wealth consisted so much in changes of raiment, is to be found in tlie fondness for display in Oriental countries, and in the fact that as fashions never change there, such treasures are valuable until they are worn out. In the ever-varying fashions of the West such treasures are comparatively of much less value. TI Jjs the clay. As the dust of the streets; or as abundant as mire.

17. The just shall put it ore. The righteous shall wear it. It shall pass out of the hands of him who prepared it, into tlie hands of others. The meaning is, that the wicked, though ihey become rich, would not live to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. These two verses contain a beautiful illustration of what Dr. Jebb calls the introverted parallciism — where the fourth member answers to tlie first, and the third to the second:

Thougli he heap up silver as the dust, And prepare raiment as the clay, The just shall put it [raiment] on,

A similar instance occurs in Matth. vii. 6:

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, Neither cast ye your ])earls hefore swine. Lest they [the swine] trample them under their feet,

18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.

For a full illustration of the nature of Hebrew poetry, the reader may consult De Wette, Einleitung in die Psalmen, translated in the Biblical Repository, vol. iii. pp. 445, seqq and Nordheimer's Hebrew Grammar, vol. ii. pp. 319, seqq. See also the Introduction to Job, § V. H The innocent shall diride the silver. That is, the righteous shall come into possession of it, and divide it among themselves. The wicked who had gained it shall not be permitted to enjoy it.

18. He buildeth his house as a inoth. The liouse which the moth builds is the slight fabric which it makes for its own dwelling in the garment which it consumes. On this verse comp. ch. viii. 14. The dwelling of the moth is composed of the materials of the garment on which it feeds, and there may be an allusion here not only to the fact that the house which the wicked reared for themselves would be temporary, and that it would soon pass away like the dwelling of the moth, but that it was obtained— like the dwelling of the moth — at the expense of others. The idea of frailty, however, and of its being only a very temporary habitation, is probably the main thought in the passage. The allusion here is to the moth-icorm as it proceeds from the egg, before it is changed into the chrysalis, aurelia, or nympli. " The young moth, upon leaving the egg which a papilio has lodged upon », piece of stuff, or a skin well dressed, and commodious for her purpose, immediately finds a habitation and food in the nap of the stuff, or hair of the skin. It gnaws and lives upon the nap, and likewise builds with it its apartment, accommodated both with a front door and a back one: the whole is well fastened to the ground of the stuff', with several cord* and a little glue. The moth sometimes thrusts her head out of out

19 Tlio rich " man shall lie ered: he openeth his cya^, and dmvii, but he shall not be gath- he is not. aLii. If!, o-j, a?. j opening, tuul somelinies out of the other, and perpetually demoHshes all about her; and when she has cleared the place about her, she draws out all the stakes of the tent, after which the carries it to some little distance, find then fixes it with her slender cords in a new situation." Burder. It is to the insect in its larvae or caterpillar state that Job refers here, and tlie slightness of the habitation will be easily understood by anyone who has watched the operations of the silk worm, or of the moths that Rpjjear in this country. Tlie idea is, that the habitation wiiich the wicked constructed was temporary and frail, and would soon be left. The Chaldeo and Striae render this 'the spider;' and so does Luther — Spi.nne. The slight gossamer dwelling of the spider would well correspond with the idea here expressed by Job. TT Jind as a booth. A tent, or cottage. If That the keeper maketh. That one who watches vineyards or gardens makes as a temporary shelter from the storm or the cold at night. Such edifices were very frail in their structure, and were designed to be only temporary habitations. See the subject explained in JNotes on Isa. i. 8. Niebuhr, in his description of Arabia, p 1.58, says, " In the mountains of Yemen they have a sort of' nest on the trees, where the Apabs sit to watch the fields after they have been planted. But in the Kehama, | where they have but few trees, they | build a light kind of scaffolding for this purpose " Mr. Southey opens the fifth part of his Curse of Keiiama with a similar allusion: I

" Evening comes on: — artsing from the stream, j Homewanl the tall flamingo wings his flight; I And when he sails athwart the setting heam, I His scarlet plumage glows with deeper light. The WATCHM.tN, at the wish'd approach of night, j

Gladly forsakes the field, where he all day, To scare the wirged plunderers from their prey,

19. The rich man. That is, the rich man who is wicked. IT Shall lie down. Shall die — for so tlie connection demands. IT But he shall not he gathered. In an honorable burial. The slain in battle are gathered together for burial; but he shall be unburied. The expressions 'to be gathered,' ' to be gathered to one's fathers,' frequently occur in the Scriptures, and seem to be used to denote a peaceful and happy death and an honorable burial. There was the idea' of a happy union with departed friends; of being honorably placed by their side in the grave, and admitted to companionsliip with them again in the unseen world. Comp. Gen. XXV. 8, xxxv. 29, xlix. 29, 33. Num. xxvii. 13. Deut. xxxii. 50. Jud. ii. 10. 2 Kings xxii. 20. Among the ancients, the opinion prevailed that the souls of those who were not buried in the customary manner, were' not permitted to enter Hades, or the abodes of the dead, but were doomed to wander for an hundred years upon the banks of the river Styx. Thus Homer (Iliad, xxiii. 71, seq.) represents the spirit of Patroclus as appearing to Achilles, and praying him that he would commit his body with proper honors to the earth. Sc) Palinurus is represented by Virgil (^^neid, vi. 36-5) as saying, 'Cast earth upon me, that I may have a calm repose in death.' The Hindoos, says Dr. Ward, believe that the souls of those who are unburied wander about and find no rest. It is possible that such views may have prevailed in the time of Job. The sentiment here is, that such an honored death would be denied the rich man of oppiession and wickedness. TI He openeth his eyes, and he is 7iot. That is, in the twinkling of an eye he is no more. From the midst of his affluence he is sud

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.

20. Terrors take hold on him as waters. That is, as suddenly and violently as angry floods. Comp. JVotes on ch. xviii. 14. 11.4 tempest stealeth hi in aicay. He is suddenly cut off by the wrath of God. A tempest comes upon him as unexpectedly as a thief or robber comes at niglit. Death is often represented as coming upon man with the silence of a thief, or the sudden violence of a robber at midnight. See Note ch. xxi. 18, comp. Matth. xxiv. 42-44.

21. The east icind carrieth him aieay. He is swept off as by the violence of a tempest. Severe storms arie represented in this book as coming from the East. Comp. Notes on ch. XV. 2. The ancients believed that men might be carried away by a tempest or whirlwind. Comp. Isa. xli. 16. See also Homer, Odys. xx. 63, seq. ■

"Snatch rac, yo whirlwinds, far from human race, Tost through ihe void illimitahle space: Or if dismounted from the rapid cloud, Jle with his whelming wave et Ocean shroud!" Pope.

Comp. Notes on ch. xxx. 22. The parallc'.f..ii here would seem to imply that the wind referred to was violent., hut it is possible that the allusion iiiav be to the burning winds of the desert, so well known in the East, and so frequently described by travellers. The Vulgate here renders the Hebrew word °"'1i^, ventus urcns, 'burning wind;' the I..XX in like manner, zai'ffo;!'/ the Syriac simply

22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: ' he would fain flee out of his hand.

23 Mi-n shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

which passes over the desert, and which was formerly supposed to be destructive of life. JMore recent travellers, however, tell us that it is not fatal to lite, tiiough exceedingly oppressive. IT.4/if/ as a slonn. See Ps. Iviii. 9. IT Hurleth him out of his place. Takes him entirely away, or removes him from the earth.

22. For God shall cast iiptm him. That is, God shall bring calamities upon him, or cast his thunderbolts upon him, and shall not pity him. IT He icould fain flee. He would gladly escape from the wrath of God, but he is unable to do it.

23. 3Ien shall clap their haiids at him. That is, they shall combine to drive him out of the world, and rejoice when he is gone. The same sentiment was also expressed by Bildad, ch. xviii. 18:

There can be no doubt, I think, that Job alludes to that sentiment, and that his object in quoting it is to show its incorrectness. He does not indeed go into a formal reply to it in the following chapters, but he seems to consider that he had already replied to it by the statements whicli he had made, and which showed the incorrectness of the views which his fri«nds.had taken. He had demonstrated in the previous^chapteYs that their main position was incorrect, and he asks (in ver. 12 of this chapter), Iiow it was possible that they could hold such sentiments as these, in the midst of all xho, facts wliicli surrounded tiicni.-' The whole current of events was against their opinion, and in the close of this chapter he enumerates the sentiments wiiich they had, advanced, vvhicli he regarded as so strange, and vvhicii he felt that he had now shown to be erroneous. Indeed, theij seem to have regarded themselves as confuted, for they were silent. Job had attacked and overthrown their main position, that men were treated according to their character in this life, and that consequently extraordinary sufferings were proof of extraordinary guilt, *ind, that being overthrown, they hari nothing more to say. Having silenced them, and shown the error of the opinions which he has here eiuunerated, he proceeds in the following citapters to state his own views on important topics connected with the providence of God, mainly dosignod to siiow that we are not to expect 1 jlly to comprehend the reason of hi; dispensations.

Various opinions liave Ijcen entertained of the design of this chapter,! id of the eonnection which it has with the preceding. A statement and examination of those < ^jinions may be found in Schultens and in Rosenmiiller. The most probable opinion, as it seen b to me, is, tliat the design is to sliow that we must acquiesce in the inscrutable dispensations of divine Providence, without being able fully to comprehend them. The ways of God are liigh and mysterious. Vast wisdom is shown in liis vvorlis, and there is much which man cannot comprehend. All his works are such as to excite tlic admiration of man. There is great obscurity in his dealings, and every wliere God had shown that his plans are far above those of man. Tlie friends of Job had pretended to understand tlie reason of the divine dispensations. They had maintained that when men suffered they clearly comprehended the cause and tliat the reason was that God dealt witli them strictly according to their character. This position Job had controverted. Ho had showed that it was not true in fact The wicked, he said, often lived long, and died in peace. But still, he admitted, that tliere was much which he could not understand. He did not know why they were thus permitted. to live, and he did not know wliy the righteous were subjected to trials so severe. All this, he now says, is to be resolved into the superior and infinite wisdom of God; and in that it becomes man to actiuiesce, even though he cannot now explain it. In illustration of this, he labors to show that man had made surprising discoveries in the works of nature; that he had penetrated the bowels of the earth, and had overcome the greatest obstacle in the attainment of knowledge and in the investigation of science, but still all that he had done or could do did not disclose to him the plans of tho divine administration, or tho reason of the divine dealings, and tlierefore true wisdom was to be found in the fear of the Lord, and in profound veneration for the Almighty. In sliowing this. Job adverts to the following topics.

(3.) He had wiought the earth, bringing food out of it; he had turned it up, and found out tho places of precious stones, vs. 5, ti.

(4.) He had far surpassed the wisdom of the brute creation; he had gone where their sagacity could not lead them, and had penetrated into dark regions which the keen eye of the vulture had not seen, and where even the lion had not adventured, vs. 7,8.

(5.) He had put forth extraordinary power. He had removed vast stones; had overturned mountains; liad cut canals through mighty rocks, and had confined and bound the angry floods, vs. 9- 11.

(6.) Yet still. Job says, none of these things revealed the secret plans of the divine administration. The wisdom which man sought was not to be found there. It was far above all the discoveries of science, and all the mere investigations of nature. It had not been found in the abyss or in the sea; it could not be bought with gold or silver, with the sapphire, with coral or pearls; rubies and the topaz could not purchase it. Even Destruction and Death said that they had only heard of it with their ears, vs. 12-22.

(7) It was to be found, therefore, only in Ood. He only understood the way of truo wisdom, and the reason of his own plans; and it became man to acquiesce in his inscrutable dealings. True wisdom was therefore to be found in the fear of the Lord, and in a profound veneration for the Almighty, vs. 23-28.

URELY there is a ' vein for the silver, and a place for gold 1 or, mine. wlicvc they fine it.

filtered, or gold thnt is j)urificd. Mai. iii. 3. It may refer here to an}' process of purifying or refining. It is commonly done by the application of heat. One of the instructive uses of the book of Job is the light which it throws incidentally on the state oi the ancient arts and sciences, and the condition of society in reference to the comforts of life at the early period of the world when the author lived. In this passage it is clear (1,) that the metals were then in general use, and (2,) that they were so wrought as to furnish, in the view of Job, a striking illustration of human wisdom and skill. Society was so far advanced as to make use not only of gold and silver, but also of copper and brass. The use of gold and silver commonly precedes the discovery of iron, and consequently the mention of iron in any ancient book indicates a considerably advanced state of society. It is, of course, not known to what extent the art of working metals was carried in the time of Job, as all that would be indicated here would be that the method of obtaining llic pure metal from the ore was understood. It may be interesting, however, to observe, that the art was early known to the Egyptians, and was carried by them to a considerable degree of perfection. Pharaoh arrayed Joseph in vestures of fine linen, and put a chain of gold about his neck, Gen. xli. 42, and great quantities of gold and silver ornaments were borrowed by the Israelites of the Egyptians, when they were about to go to the promised land. Gold and silver are mentioned as known in the earliest ages. Comp. Gen. ii. 11, 12, xli 42. Ex. XX. 23. Gen. xxiii. 15, 16. Iron is also mentioned as having being early known. Gen. jv.

1. Surely there is a vein for silver. Marg. mm<\ Coverdale renders this, " There are places where silver is molten." Prof Lee renders it, " There is an outlet for the silver," and supposes it means the coming out or separation of the silver from the earthy particles by which it is surrounded in the ore, not the coming out from the mine. The word rendered vein (NZJi'J) means properly a going forth, as the rising of the sun, Ps. xix. 7: the promulgation of an edict, Dan. ix. 25; then a place of going forth — as a gate, door, Ezek. xlii. 11, xliii. 11, and thence a mine, a vein, or a place of ibe going forth of metals; that is, a place where they arc procured. So the LXX here, "Eoti yao doyixjCo) to no<; oO-cv ylvfxat. — "there is a place for silver whence it is obtained." The idea luM-e is, that man had evinced his wisdom in finding out the mines of silver and working them. It was one of the instances of his skill that he had been able to penetrate into the earth, and bring out the ore of the precious metals, and convert it to valuable purposes. IF Jlnd a place for gold. A workshop, or laboratory, for working the precious metals. Job says, that even in his time such a laboratory was a proof of the wisdom of man. So now, one of the most striking proofs of skill is to be found; in the places where the precious i metals are purified, and v, rought into the various forms in which they are adapted to ornament and use. 11 Where they fine it — *1|?^^. The word here used {PPJ]) means properly to bind fast, to fetter; and then to compress, to squeeze through a strainer; and hence to strain, filter; and thence to purify — as wine that is thus

22. Tubal Cain was instructor in iron and brass. Gold and silver mines were early wrought in Egypt, and if Moses was the compiler of the book of Job, it is possible that some of the descriptions liere may have been derived from that country, and at all events the mode of working these precious metals was probably the same in Arabia and Egypt. From the mention of ear-rings, bracelets, and jewels of silver and gold, in the days of.\braham, it is evident that the art of metallurgy was known at a very remote period. Workmen are noticed by Homer as excelling in t)ie manufacture of arms, rich vases, and other objects inlaid or ornamented with vessels:

His account of the shield of Achilles (Hi. xviii. 474) proves that the art of working in the precious metals was well known in his time; and the skill required to delineate the various objects which he describes was such as no ordinary artisan, even at this time, could be supposed to possess. In Egypt, ornaments of gold and silver, consisting of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and trinkets, have been found in considerable abundance of the times of Osirtasen I., and Thothmes HI, the contemporaries of Joseph and of Moses. Diodorus (i. 49) mentions silver mines of Egypt which produced 3,200 myriads of min£E The gold mines of Egypt remained long unknown, and their position has been ascertained only a few years since by M. Linant and M. Bonomi. They lie in the Bishiree desert, about seventeen days' journey to the South-eastward from Derow. The matrix in which the gold in Egypt was found is quartz, and the excavations to procure the gold are exceedingly deep. The principal excavation is 180 feet deep. The

' earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

quartz thus obtained was broken by the workmen into small fragments of the size of a bean, and these were passed through hand-mills made of granitic stone, and when reduced to powder the quartz was washed on inclined tables, and the gold was thus separated from the stone. Diodorus says, that the principal persons engaged in mining operations were captives, taken in war, and persons who were compelled to labor in the mines, for offences against the government. They were bound in fetters, and compelled to labor night and day. " No attention," he says, " is paid to these persons; they have not even a piece of rag to cover themselves; and so wretched is their condition, that every one who witnesses it, deplores the excessive misery which they endure. No rest, no intermission from toil, are given either to the sick or the maimed; neither the weakness of age, nor women's infirmities, are regarded; all are driven to the work with the lash, till, at last, overcome with the intolerable weight of their afflictions, they die in the midst of their toil." Diodorus adds, " Nature, indeed, I think, teaches that as gold is obtained with immense labor, so it is kept with difficulty, creating great anxiety, and attended in iis use both with pleasure and with grief." It was, perhaps, in view of such laborious and difficult operations' in obtaining tiie precious metals, and of the skill which man had evinced in extracting them from the earth, that Job alluded here to the process as a striking proof of human wisdom. On the early use of the metals among the ancient Egyptians, the reader maj^ consult with advantage, Wilkinson's "Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians," vol. iii. p. 215. seq.

2. Iron. As has been remarked above, iron was early known, yet probably its common use indicates a more advanced state of civilization than tliat of gold and silver. The Mexicans were ignorant of tlie use of iron, though ornaments of gold and silver elegantly wrought abounded among them. Iron is less easily discovered than copper, though more abundant, and is wrought with more difficulty. Among the ancient nations, copper was in general use long before iron; and arms, vases, statues, and implements of every kind were made of tliis metal alloyed and hardened with tin, before iron came into general use. Tubal Cain is indeed mentioned (Gen. iv. 22) as the " instructor of every artificer in brass and iron,'' but no direct mention is made of iron arms (Num. xxxv. 16) or tools (Deut. xxvii. 5), until after the departure from Egypt. According to the Arundelian Marbles, iron was known one hundred and eighty-eight years before the Trojan war, about 1370 years B. C.; but Hesiod, Plutarch, and others, limit its discovery to a much later period. Homer, however, distinctly mentions its use, II. xxiii. 262:

That by the sideros of the poet is meant iron, is clear, from a simile which he uses in the Odyssey, derived from the quenching of iron in water, by whicli he illustrates the hissing produced in the eye of Polyphemus by piercing it with the burning stake:

" And as when armorers temper in the ford The keen-edged pole-axe or the shining sword, The red-hot metal hisses in the lake, Thus in the eye-ball hissed the plunging stake."

Iron is mentioned in tlie time of Og king of Bashan, 1450 B. C. It was at first, however, regarded as of great value, and its use was very limited. It was presented in tlie temples of Greece as among the most valuable offerings, and rings of iron have been found in the tombs of Egypt that had been worn as ornaments, showing the value of the metal. One of the reasons w'hy this metal comes so slowly into use, and why it was so rare in early times, was the difficulty of smelting the ore, and reducing it to a malleable state. " Its gross and stubborn ore," says Dr. Robertson (America, B. iv.), "must feel twice the force of fire, and go through two laborious processes, before it becomes fit for use." It was this fact wlu7h made it to Job such a proof of the wisdom of man that he had invented the process of making iron, or of separating it from the earthy portions in which it is found. II Is taken out of the earth. Rlarg dust. The form in whicli iron is found is too well known to need description. It is sel dom, if ever, found in its purity, and the ore generally has so much the appearance of mere earth, that it requires some skill to distinguish them. IT j3nd brass, ilttj^ni. Brass is early and frequently mentioned in the Bible (Gen. iv. 22. Ex. xxv. 3, xxvi. 11, et al), but there is little doubt that copper is meant in these places. Brass is a compound metal, made of copper and zinc — containing usually about one third of the weight in zinc — and. it is hardly probable that the art of compounding this was early known. Comp. Notes on ch. xx, 24. Dr. Good renders this, " And the rock, poureth forth copper." Coverdale, "The stones resolved to metal." Noyes, " The stone is melted into copper." Prof. Lee, " Also the stone [is taken from the earth] from which one fuseth copper." The Hebrew is, literally, 'And stone is poured out (p"^'^) copper.' The LXX renderit, " And brass is cut like stones;" that is, is cut from the quarry. The word stone here in the Hebrew (l^N) means, doubtless, ore in the form of stone; and the fact here mentioned, that such ore is fused into the '^'^^'^?, nchhiishd, is clear proof that copper is intended. Brass is never found in ore, and is never compounded in the earth. A similar idea is found in Pliny, who probably uses the word acs to denote copper, as it is com nionly employed in the ancient writ

3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

ingii Aes fit ex lapide aeroso, quein vocant Cadmiam; et igne lapides in nes solvaiiUir. Nat. Hist, xxxiv. i. Q2. On tlie guiieral subject of'ancient metallurgy, see Wilkinson's Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians, vol. iii. ch. ix.

'S. He setteth an end to dar/mcss. That is, man does. The reference liere is undoubtedly to the operations of mining, and the idea is, that man delves into the darkest regions; lie goes even to the outer limits of darkness: lie penetrates every where. Probably the allusion is derived from the custom of carrying torches into mines. II And searcheth out all perfection. Makes a complete searcli; examines every thing; carries the matter to the utmost. The idea is not that he searches out all perfection — as our translation would seem to convey; but that he makes a complete and thorough search — and yet after all he does not come to the true and liigliest wisdom. If The st07ies of darkness. The last stone, says Herdrsr, in the mining investigations in the time of Job; the corner or boundary stone, as it were, of the kingdom of darkness and night. Prof Lee supposes that there is allusion here to the fact that stones were used as v.eights, and that the idea is, that man had ascertained the exact iceight of the gross darkness, that is, had taken an accurate admeasurement of it, or had wholly investigated it. But this solution seems far-fetched. Schultens supposes the centre of the earth to be denoted by this expression. But it seems to me that the words 'stone' and 'darkness' are to be separated, and that tlie one is not used to qualify the other. The sense is, that man searches out every thing; he perfectly and accurately penetrates every where, and examines all ob-

4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; evert the loaters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

jects; — the stone (l?*?), that is, the rocks, the mines; the darkness (^SS<), that is, the darkness of tlie cavern, the interior of the earth; and the shadozo of death (niTsbS), that is, the most dark and impenetrable regions of the earth. So it is rendered by Coverdale: " The stones, the dark, and the horrible shadow."

4. The flood breaketh out from the inhuhitant. It would be ditficult to tell what idea our translators affixed to this sentence, though it seems to be a literal version of the Hebrew. There has been a great variety of rendering given to the passage. Noyes translates it:

" A flood goeth out from the realm of oblivion, They draw it up from the foot of the mountain, They remove it away from men."

According to this, the meaning. Herder says, would be, that " the dwelling of the forgotten would be the kingdom of the dead, and at greater depth than the deepest mines have readied. Streams break forth from the river of eternal oblivion beneath, and yet are overcome by the miners, pumped dry, and turned out of the way. Yet I confess," says he, "the passage remains obscure to my mind." Coverdale renders it, " With the river of water parteth he asunder the strange people, that knowetli no good neighborhood; sucli as are rude, unmannerly, and boisterous." The LXX render it, "The channels of brooks are choked up with sand; when to such as know not tlie right way strength is unavailing, and they are removed from among men." The

5 ^5 for the earth, out of it cometh bread; and under it is

difficulty of interpreting the passage has been felt by every expositor to be great; and there are scarcely two expositions alike There can be no doubt that Job refers to mining operations, and the whole passage should be explained with reference to such works. But the obscurity may possibly arise from the fact that mining operations were then conducted in a manner different from what they are now, and the allusion may be to some custom which was then well understood, but of which we now know nothing. A plausible interpretation, at least, has been furnished by Gesenius, and one which seems to me to be more satisfactory than any other. An explanation of the words in the passage will bring out this view. The word rendered ' breaketh out ' (yiS) means to break, rend, tear through — and here refers to the act of breaking through the earth for the purpose of sinking a shaft or pit in a mine. The word rendered ' flood ' (Vn?) means properly a stream or brook; then a valley in which a brook runs along; and here Gesenius supposes it means a shaft or pit of a mine. It may be called a r-Hij ndhhdl, or valley, from the resemblance to a gully which the water has washed away by a mountain-torrent. IT From the inhabitant. This conveys evidently no idea as it now stands. The Hebrew is "iJ'DSJO. The word "lis, from which "^S is derived, means to sojourn for a time, to dwell, as a stranger or guest; and the phrase liere means, 'away from any dweller or inliabitant;' that is, from where men dwell, or from the surface of the ground as the abode of men; that is, under ground. Or the idea is, that it is done where no one could dwell; It could not be the abode of man. IT Even the waters forgotten of the foot. The words ' even the waters ' are supplied by the translators. The Hebrew is ^i^"''?^ Oin^'::??!, and refers to being iinsupported by the foot. They go into a place where the foot yields no support, and they are obliged to suspend themselves in order to be sustained. H They are dried up — ^'^. The word ^t"], from which this is derived, means to hang down^ to be pendulous, as boughs are on a tree, or as a bucket is in a well. According to this interpretation, the meaning is, that they hang doicn fur from men in their mines, and swing to and fro like the branches of a tree in the wind. IT They are gone aicay from men. The word ''"J, from Siia^ means to move to and fro, to waver, to vacillate. Gr. and Latin rn'o), nuo, Germ, jiicken, to nod backwards and forwards. The sense here is, that, far from the dwellings of men, they leave to and fro in their deep mines, suspended by cords. They descend by the aid of cords, and not by a firm foothold, until they penetrate the deep darkness of the earth. Other interpretations may be seen, however, defended at length in Schultens, and in Rosenmiiller— who has adopted substantially that of Schultens — in Dr. Good, and in other commentaries. Few passages in the Bible are more obscure.

5. As for the earth, out of it cometh bread. That is, it produces food, or the materials for bread. The idea of Job seems to be, that it was proof of great wisdom and skill on the part of man that he had carried the arts of agriculture so far. The eartli in producing grain, and the arts of husbandry, were illustrative of wisdom and skill, but they did not impart the wisdom about the government of God which was desired. That was reserved to be imparted more directly by God himself, vs. 23, seq. IT Jlnd binder it is turned iip as it were fire. That is, on beingturned up it discloses precious stones that seem to glow like coals of fire. This is the obvious sense of this passage, though a different interpretation has been given by

6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires; and it hath 'dust of gold.

most exposilors. Job is speaking of mining. He describes the search for gold, and silver, and precious stones. He says that one of the wonders of wisdom in the earth is, that it produces nutritious grain; another, that when the same earth is turned up it seems to rest on a bed of fire. The dark ground is made to glow by the quantity of jewels that are disclosed, and its deep recesses seem to be on fire. There is no reference here, tlierefore, as it seems to me, to any volcanic agency, or to any belief that ihe earth rests on a sea of fire. The idea has been expressed in Sergeant's "Mine:"

Lutiier has given to the passage a different sense. Man bringet auch Feuer unten aus der Erde, da oben Speise auf wachst — " They bring fire from the earth beneath, where food grows up above." Coverdale, "• He bringeth food out of the earth; that which is under he consumeth with fire." Herder, " And underneath it is changed as by fire." Dr. Good, " Below it [the earth] windeth a fiery region."

6. The stones of it are the place. Among the stones of the earth sapphires arc found. "The situation of the sapphire is in alluvial soil, ifi tlie vicinity of rocks, belonging to the secondary floetz trap formation, and imbedded in gr.e'iss." Jamesoyi. "The sapphire occurs in considerable abundance in the granitic alluvion of Matura and SafTragam, in Ceylon." Davij. IT Sapphires. Comp. Note Isa. liv. 11. The sapphire is a precious stone, usually of a blue color, though it is sometimes yellow, red, violet, green, or white. In hardness it is inferior to the diamond only:

7 There " is a path which no fowl knoweth, and wliich the vulture's eye hath not seen:

Like sappliire, pear], in rich embroidery." Shaesfeare. " He tinctures rubies with their rosy hue,

The mineral is, ne.xt to the diamond, the most valuable of the precious stones. The most highly prized varieties are the crimson and carmine red; these are the Oriental ruby of the traveller, and next to the diamond are the most valuable jewels hitherto discovered. The blue varieties — the sapphire of the jeweller — are next in value to the red. The yellow varieties— the Oriental To^;ar of the jeweller— are of less value tlian the blue or true sapphire. Edin. Ency Art. Mineralogy. U And it hath dust of gold. Marg. or, gold ore. Literally, " The dusts of gold are in it." Gold is often found in the form of dust. It is obtained by washing it from the sand, and passing it over a fleece of wool, to which the gold adheres.

7. There is a path which no fotcl knoiceth. That is, a path in searching for gold and precious stones. The miner treads a way which is unseen by the bird of keenest vision. He penetrates into the deep darkness of the earth. The object &f Job is to show the wisdom and tlie intrepidity of man in penetrating these dark regions in searching fur sapphires and gold Tlie' most farsighted birds could not find their way to them. The most intrepid and fearless beasts of prey dared not adventure to those dangerous regions. The word rendered foicl (-■?") means either a ravenous beast, Jer. xii. 9, or more commonly a ravenous bird. See Notes on Isa. xlvi. 11. According to Bochart, Ilieroz. P. 11. L. 11. c. viii. p 1!I5, the word he/e denotes a rapacious bird of any kind; a bird which has a koi-n vision. IT Which the vulture's eye hath not seen. The vulture is di.-;-

8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; ' he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

linguislied for the remarkable keenness of its vision. On the deserts of Arabia, it is.said, when a camel dies, there is ahnost immediately discerned far in the distant sky, what seems at first to be a mere speck. As it draws nearer it is perceived to be a vuUiire that had marked the camel as he fell, and that comes to prey upon it. This bird is proverbial for the keenness of Its sight.

8. The lion's whelps. The lion that ventures into the most dangerous places in pursuit of prey, has not dared to go where man has gone in pursuit of precious stones and gold. On the words here used to designate the lion, see Bochart Hieroz. P. 1. Lib. iii. c. 1.

9. He pufteth forth his hand. That is, the miner in securing the precious metals and gems. IT Upo?i the rock. Marg. Jlint. The word here used (tti'^'Osn) occurs also in Ps. civ. 8. Deut. viii. 15, xx.xii. 13, It means Aint, silcx; and the idea is, that the miner approaclios the hardest substances He penetrates even the flint in searching for precious stones. Dr. Good renders it, " Sparry ore." Michaelis rend«;rs the same word in Deut. vii. 15, porphyry, or red granite. The idea is that notliing, however difhcult, not even cutting down the hardest rocks, deters the miner from pursuing his work. IT He overturneth the mountains hy the roots. That is, he digs under them, and they fall. The root of a mountain means its base or foundation. The following passage from Pliny (Hist, Nat.xxxiii. c. iv. § 2\) furnishes an admirable illustration of this passage: Tamen in silice facilior existimatur labor Est nanique terra ex (juodam argilla

10 He ° cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

11 He bindeth ' the floods from '^ overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

genere glaraj mixta, Candidam vocant, prope inexpugnabilis. Cuneis eam ferreis aggrediuntur, et iisdem malleis; nihilque durius putant, nisi quod inter omnia auri fama durissima est. Peracto opere cervices fornicuni ab ultimo caedunt, dantque signum ruinae, eamque solus intelligit in cacumine montis pervigil. Hie voce, ictuque, repente operarios revocari jubet, pariterque ipse devolat. Mons fractus caditin sese longo fragore, qui concipi humana mente non possit, et flatu incredibili. Spectant victores ruinam naturas.

10. He cutteth out rivers among the rocks. That is, in his operations of mining, he cuts channels for the water to flow ofl" through the rocks. This was done, as it is now, for the purpose of drawing off" the water that accumulates in mines. U His eije seeth every precious thing. Every valuable mineral or precious stone that lies imbedded in the rocks. It is evident from this, that mining operations were carried to a considerable extent in the time of Job. The ar. of thus penetrating the eartii, and laying open its secret treasures, indicate an advanced stage of society — a stage much removed from barbarism.

11. He bindeth the floods from overfloioing. Marg. loeeping. The Hebrew also is ' from weeping ' "^2313; referring to the water which trickles down the shaft of the mine. The idea is, tliat even the large strea.ns which break out in such mines, the fountains and springs which the miner encounters in his operations, he so efl'ectually restrains that they do not even trickle down or tceep on the sides of the shaft, but it is lefk perfectly dry. This is necessarv in opening mines of coa\ or minerals, and in making tunnels or otlier excavations. Yet any one wlio has passed into a coal mine, tlirougli a tunnel, or into any one of the deep natural caves of tlie earth, will sec liow difficult it is to close all tiie places where water would trickle down. It is in fact seldom done; and if done literally in the time of Job, it indicates a very advanced state of the art of mining. In sinking a shaft, it is often necessary to pass at different depths through strata of earth where the water oozes out in abundance, and where the operations would be necessarily suspended if it could not be stopped or drawn off. The machinery necessary for this constitutes a considerable part of the expense of mining operations. II./Ind the thing that is hid he bringeth forth to light. The concealed treasures; the gold and gems that are buried deep in the earth. He brings them out of their darkness, and converts them to ornament and to use. This ends the description which Job gives of the operations of mining in his time. We may remark in regard to this description (1) that the illustration was admirably chosen. His object was to ihow that true wisdom was not to be found by human science, or by mere investigation. He selects a case, therefore, where man had shown the most skill and wisdom, and where he had penetrated farthest into darkness. He penetrated the earth; drove his shaft through rocks; closed up gushing fountains, and laid bare the treasures that had been buried for generations in the regions of night. Yet all tiiis did not enable him fully to explain the operations of the divine government. (2.) The art of mining was carried to a considerable degree of perfection in the time of Job. This is shown by the fact that his description would apply very well to that art even as it is practised now. Substantially the same things were done then which are done now, though we cannot suppose with the «aiiic sidll, or to the same extent, or VOL. II. 5 with the same perfection of machinery. (3.) The time when Job lived was in a somewhat advanced period of society. The art of working metals to any considerable extent indicates such an advance. It is not found among barbarous tribes, and even where the art is to a considerable extent known, it is long before men learn to sink shafts in the earth, or to penetrate rocks, or to draw off water from mines. (4.) We see the wisdom and goodness which God has shown in regard to the things that are most useful to man. Those things which are necessary to his being, or which are very desirable for his comfort, are easily accessible; those which are less necessary, or whose use is dangerous, are placed in deep, dark, and almost inaccessible places. The fruits of tlie earth are near to man; water flows every where, and it is rare that he has to dig deep for it; and when found by digging, it is a running fountain, not soon exhausted like a mine of gold; and iron, also, the most valuable of the metals, is usually placed near the surface of the earth. But the pearl is at the bottom of the ocean; diamonds and other precious stones are in remote regions or imbedded in rocks; silver runs along in small veins, often in the fissures of rocks, and extending far into the bowels of the earth. The design of placing the precious metals in these almost inaccessible fissures of the rocks, it is not difficult to understand. Had Ihey been easily accessible, and limited in their quantity,' they would long since have been exhausted — causing at one time a glut in the market, and at others absolute want. As they are now, they exercise the utmost ingenuity of man, first to find them, and then to procure them; they are distributed in small quantities, so that their value is always great; they furnish a convenient circulating medium in all countries; they afford all that is needful for ornament. (5.) There is another proof of wisdom in regard to their arrangement in the earth, which was

12 But where " shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding 1

13 Man knoweth not the price b thereof; neithci is it found in the land of the liiing.

probably unknown in the time of Job. It is tlie fact that the most useful of the metals are found in immediate connection with the fuel required for their reduction, and the limestone which facilitates that reduction. This is now perfectly understood by mineralogists, and it is an instance of the goodness of God, and of the wisdom of his arrangements, which ought not to be disregarded or overlooked. They who wish to examine this subject more at length, may find some admirable views in BucUland's Geology and Mineralogy (Bridgewater Treatises), vol. i. pp. 392-415. 12. But ichere, shall tcisdovi he found? That is, the full understanding of the plans of God — for this is the point of incjuiry. The object of Job is to show that it is not to be found in the most profound science; by penetrating to the farthest extent of which man was capable in the earth, nor by any human investigations whatever. None of these things revealed the great plans of the Almighty in reference to his moral government, and particularly to the points which engrossed the attention of Job and his friends. Where true wisdom is to be found he proceeds to state in the subsequent verses.

13. Man knoireth not the price thereof. The word rendered price en"!?) means properly that which is set in a pile or row, or which is arranged in order. Here it means preparation, equipment — that is, any thing put in order, or ready. Judges xvii. 10. It ia also used in the sense of estimation or valuation. Lev. V. 15, 18, 25. The word price here, however, seems to form no proper answer to the question in the

14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith. If is not with me.

15 It ' cannot be gotten for gold, " neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

previous verse, as the question is, where wisdom is to be found, not what is its value. Many expositors have, therefore, introduced a different idea in their interpretation. Dr. Good renders it, " Man knoweth not its source." Prof Lee, " Man knoweth not its equal." Herder, " Man j| knoweth not the seat thereof" Cover- | dale, " No man can tell how worthy a thing she is." The LXX render it, " Man knoweth not — nd'ov civrfjc; — her way." But the word here used is not employed to denote a place or way, and the true interpretation doubtless is, that Job does not confine himself to a strict answer of the question proposed in ver. 12, but goes on to say that man could not buy it; he could neither find it, nor had he the means of purchasing it with all the wealth of which he was the owner. H J\'eithcr is it found in the land of the living. That is, it is not found among men. We must look to a higher source than man for true vvisdom. Comp. Isa.xxxviii ll,liii.8. 14. The depth saith. This is a beautiful personification. The object of this verse and the following is, to show that wisdom cannot be found in tiie deepest recesses to which man can penetrate, nor purciiased by any thing which rnan possesses. It must come from God only. The word depth here (DinPi) means properly a wave, billow, surge; then a ma.*;s of waters, a flood, or the deep ocean, Deut. viii. 7. Gen. vii. 11. Ps. xxxvi. 7; and then a gulf, or abyss. It ro fers here to the sea, or ocean; and the idea is, that its vast depths migiit be sounded, and true wisdom would not be found there.

16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

Marg.Jinc trold shall not be given for it. Tlie word which is here rendered gold, and in tlic margin._/iree gold ("li^), is not the common word used to denote tliis metal. It is derived from "150, to shut, to close, and means properh' that wliitli is shut up or enclosed; and hence Gesenius supposes it means pure gold, or the most precious gold, as that which is shut up or enclosed with care. Dr. Good renders it 'solid gold,' supposing it means that which is condensed, or beaten. The phrase occurs in nearly the same form (""^^^ -^Ii ^ gold shut up,' Marg.) in 1 Kings vi. 2U, 21, vii. 49, oU, X. 21. 2 Chron. iv. 21, 22, ix. 20, and undouhtedl}' denotes there the most precious kind of gold. Its relation to the sense of the verb to shut up is not certain. Prof. Lee supposes that the idea is derived from the use of the word, and of similar words in Arabic, where the idea of heating, fusing, giving another color, changing the shape, and thence of fixing, retaining, &c., is found; and that the idea here is that of fused or purified gold. Michaelis supposes that it refers to native gold that is pure and unadulterated, or the form of gold called dcndroidcs, from its shooting out in liie form of a tree — haumartig gcioachsenes Gold (from the Arab- however, that the Hebrew word "i5D wtis ever used to denote a tree. There can be no doubt that tiie word denotes gold of a pure kind, and it maij have been given to it because gold of that kind was carefully shut up in places of safe keeping; but it would seem more probable to me that it was given to it for some reason now unknown. Of many of the names now given by us to objects which are significant, and which are

17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it; and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels ' of fine gold,

easily understood by us, it would be impossible to trace the reason or propriety, after the lapse of four thousand years. IT JVeither shall silver he loeighed. That is, it would be impos sible to weigh out so much silver as to equal its value. Before the art of coining was known, it was common to weigh the precious metals that were used as a medium of trade. Comp. Gen. xxiii. 16.

16. The gold of Ophir. Uniformly spoken of as the most precious gold See Notes on ch. xxii. 24. II With, the precious onyx. The onyx is a semipellucid gem, with variously colored veins or zones. It is a variety of the chalcedony. The Arabic word denotes that which was of two colors, where the white predominated. The Greeks gave the name onrjx (ovvS) to the gem from its resemblance to the color of the thumb-nail. See Passow, y, Or the sapphire. Notes on ver. 6.

17. The gold and the crijstal. A crystal, in chemistry, is an inorganic body which, by the operation of affinity, has assumed tlie form of a regular solid, terminated by a number of plane and smooth surfaces. It is found in various forms and sizes, and is composed of a great variety of substances. The common rock crystal is a general name for all the transparent crystals of quartz, particularly Oi limpid or colorless quartz. Webster. The word here used (HiD^rT^) occurs nowhere else in the Bible. It is from Ti?J, to be clean, pure; and is given to the crystal on account of its transparency. In Arabic the word means either glass or crystal. Jerome translates it, vitrum — glass; the LXX, I'aAo? — crystal, or the lapis crystallinus. Hesychius says that the crystal denotes Xa^ngov xoi'ioi; — clear ice, or US-ov tI/uov — aprecious stone. Ther* is no reason to supi)osc iha.t ({lags \v;is known so early as tliis, anJ tlie probability is that tlie word here denotes something like tlie rock crystal, having a slrong resemblance to tlio diamond, and perhaps then regarded as nearly of equal value. It cannot be supposed that the relative value of gems was then Tinderstood as it is now. ^ Jewels of fine gold. Marg.

vessf.ls. Vhe Hebrew word "^^3 properly means vessels, or instruments. It may refer here, however, to ornaments for the person, as it was in that way chiefly that gold was employed. 18. JVo mention shall he mudc of coral. That is, as a price by wiiich to purchase wisdom, or in comparison with wisdom. The margin here is, Ramotli — retaining the Hebrew word J^TQS'H. Jerome renders it, excelsa — exalted or valuable things. So the LXX, MfTiwna — exalted or sublime things; as if the word were from t^"!, to be exalted. According to the Rabbins, the word here means red coral. It occurs also in Ezck. xxvii. 16, where it is mentioned as a valuable commodity in merchandise in which Syria traded with Tyre, and occurs in connection with emeralds, purple, broidered work, fine linen, and agate. The coral is a well known marine substance, not valued now as if it were a precious stone, but j)robably in tlve time of Job regarded as of value sufficient to be reckoned with gems. It was not rare, though iis uses were not known. As a beautiful object, it might at that time deserve to be mentioned in connection with pearls. It is now found in al)undance in tiie Red Sea, and jirobably that which was known to Job was obtained there. Shaw says, "In rowing gently over it [the port Tor], while the surface of the sea was calm, such a diversity or Madrepores, Fucn.<es, [uid otlier marine vegetables, presented themselves to the eve, that woc>uld not forbear taking them, as

of 'coral, or of pearls; for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

Pliny [L. xiii. cap. 25] had done before us, for a forest under water. The branched Madrepores particularly contributed very much to authorize the comparison; for we passed over several that were eight or ten feet high, growing sometimes pyramidical, like the cypress, and at other times had their branches more open and diff'used, like the oak; not to speak of others which, like the creeping plants, spread themselves over the bottom of the sea." Travels, p. 384, Ed. Oxford, 1738. It should be added, however, that there is no absolute certainty that Job referred here to coral. The Hebrew word would suggest simply that which was ezalted in value, or of great price; and it is not easy to determine to what particular substance Job meant to apply it. IT Or of pearls. tt5"iaa— Gai/s/t This word occin-s nowhere else, though '.:i3"3j3K — Elcrahish, is found in Ezek. xiU. 11, 13, xxxviii. 22, where it means hail-stones, or pieces of ice. Perhaps the word here means merely crifstal — resembling ice. So Umbreit,(jesenius, and others, understand it Prof. Lee supposes that the word liere used denotes that which is asrsrregated, and then what hmassire, or i-ast See his Note on this jilace. Jerome renders it, emlnentla — exalted, lofty things; the EXX retain the word without attempting to translate it —;'a,'7f; — and the fact that they have not endeavored to render it, is a strong circumstance to show that it is now liopeless to attempt to determine its meaning IT./Ihovc rallies. The ruby is a precious stone of a carmine red color, sometimes verging to violet There are two kinds of rubies, the oriental or corundum, and the spinelle. The ruby is next in hardness to the diamond, and approaches it in value. The oriental ruby is the same as the sapphire. The ruby is found in the kingdom of Pegu, in the Mysore country, in Ceylon, and in

19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neitlier shall it be valued with pure gold.

some Other places, and is usually imbedded in gneiss. It is by no means certain, however, that the word here used (S'^D'^DG) means rubies. Many of the Rabbins suppose that pearls are meant by it; and so Bocliart, Hieroz. ii. Lib. v. c. C, 7, understands it. J. D. Michaelis understands it to mean red corals, and Gesenius concurs with this opinion. Umbreit renders it, Perlen — pearls. The word occurs in Prov. iii. 15, viii. 11,,\x. 15, xxxi. 10. Lam. iv. 7. In the Proverbs, as here, it is used in comparison witli 2cisdo7n, and undoubtedly denotes one of the precious gems.

19. The topaz. The topaz is a precious stone, whose colors are yellow, green, blue, and red. Its natural place is in various primitive rocks, such as the topaz-rock, gneiss, and clay-slate. It is found in the granite and gneiss districts of Mar and Cairnsrrom, in Cornwall, in Brazil, and in various other places. The most valuable stones of this kind now known are those which are found in Brazil. This gem is much prized by jewellers, and is considered as one of the more beautiful ornamental stones. Tiie Hebrew word '^^■?'? pitdd occurs in Ex. xxviii. 17, xxxix. 10. Ezek. xxviii. 13, and in this place only. It is uniformly rendered topaz. It is not improbable that the English word topaz, and the Greek roTidttor, are derived fiom this, by a slight transposition of the letters— "T^ElJ. The Vulgate and the LXX render this topaz. IT Of Ethiopia. Heb. (li'2 — Cvsh. Coverdale here readers it, India. On the meaning of this word, and the region denoted by it, see Notes on Isa. xi. 11. It may mean either the j)art of Africa now known "IS Ethiopia, or Abyssinia and Nubia;

21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the ' air.

the southern part of Arabia, or the Oriental Cush in the vicinity of the Tigris. It is better, since the word has such ambiguity, to retain the original, and to translate it Cush. For any thing that appears, this may have denoted, in the time of Job, the southern part of Arabia. It is known that the topaz was found there. Thus Pliny says, Lib. xxxvii. 32, Reperta est — in Arabim insula, qua3 Citis vocatur; in qua Troglodytaj pracdones, diutius fame — prossi cum herbas radicesque effoderant, eruerunt topazion.

20. Whence then cometh wisdom? This question is now repeated from ver. 12, in order to give it greater emphasis. It is designed to fix the attention on the inquiry as one which found no solution in the discoveries of science, and whose solution was hidden from the most penetrating human intellect.

21. It is hid froin the eyes of all living. That is, of all men, and of all animals. Man has not found it by the most sagacious of all his discoveries, and the keenest vision of boasts and fowls has not traced it out. IT.^nd kept close. Heb. con, cealed. H From the fowls of the air. Comp. Notes on ver. 7. Umbreit remarks, on this passage, that there is attributed to the fowls in Oriental countries a deep knowledge, and an extraordinary gift of divination, and that they appear as the interpreters and confidants of the gods. One cannot but reflect, says he, on the personification of the good spirit of Ormuzd through the fowls, according to the doctrine of the Persians (Comp. Creutzer's Symbolik Th. 1. s. 723); upon the ancient fowl-king (Vogelkonig) Simurg upon the mountain Kap, representing the highest wisdom " of life; upon the discourses of the fowls of the great mystic poet ol

22 Destruction and death say, | 23 God " understaiidelh the We have heard the fame thereof j way thereof, and he knoweth the with our ears. place thereof.

the Persians, Feridcddin Attar, &c. Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, also, a considerahle part of tlieir divinations consisted in observing the fligiit of birds, as if they were endowed with intelligence, and indicated coming events by the course which they took. Comp. also, Eccles. X. 20, where wisdom or intelligence is ascribed to the birds of the air. " Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought; and curse not tlic rich in thy bed-chamber: for a bird of the air shall curry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell tlie matter."

22. Destruction. This is a personification which is exceedingly sublime. Job had spoken of the wonderful discoveries made by science, but none of them had disclosed true wisdom. It hod not been discovered in the shaft which the miner sank deep in the earth;. in the hidden regions which he laid open to-day, nor by the birds that saw to the farthest distance, or that were regarded as the interpreters of the will of the gods. It was natural to ask whether it might not have been discovered in the vast profound of the nether world — the regions of death and of night; and whether by making a bold appeal to the king that reigned there, a response migiit not be heard that would be more sati.sfactory. In ver. 14, tlie appeal had been made to the sea — with all its vast stores; here the appeal is to far deeper regions — to tlie nether world of darkness and of death. On the word used here ("0^?^*), '^e«'''Mcfiore, see Notes oncli. xxvi. 6. It is employed here, as in that place, to denote the nether world — the abode of departed spirits — the world where those are who have been destroijed by death, and to which the destruction of the grave is the entrance. H ^nd death. Death is used here to denote S/nwl, or the abode of the spirits of the dead. The sense is, that those deep and dark regions had simply heard the distant report of wisdom but they did not understand it, and that if one wont down there it would not be fully revealed to him. Perhaps there is an allusion to the natural expectation that, if one could go down and converse with the dead, he could fintl out much more than can be known on earth. It was to be presumed that they would understand much more about the unseen and future world, and about the plans and government of God, than man can know here. It was on this belief, and on the hope that some league or alliance could be made with the dead, inducing them to communicate what they knew, that the science of necromancy was founded. See Notes on Isa. viii. 19. IT Jfc have heard the fame thereof. Wc have heard the report of it, or a rumor of it. The meaning is, that they did not understand it fully, and that if man could penetrate to those dark regions, he could not get the information which he desired. Wisdom is still at such an immense distance that it is only a report, or rumor of it, which has reached us.

23. God undcrstandeth the icay thereof. These are doubtless the words of Job. The meaning is, that the reason of the divine dispensations could be known only to God himself. He had given no cleio by which man could discover this. He might carry his investigations far into the regions of science; he could penetrate! the earth, and look on the stars, but still all his investigations fell short of disclosing the reasons of the divine dispensations. The secret was lodged in his bosom, and he only could communicate it where and when ho pleased. It may be added here, that

24 For he " looketh to the ends of the eartli, and seetli under the whole heaven;

this is as true now as it was in the time of Job. Man lias carried the investigations of science almost infinitely farther than he had then, but stiH by the investigations of science he has by no means superseded the necessity of revelation, o-r shed light on the great questions that have, in all ages, so much perplexed the race. It is only by direct communication, by his word and by his Spirit, that man can be made to understand the reason of the divine doings, and nothing is better established by the course of events than the truth on which Job here so much insists, that scif.ncc cannot answer the questions of £0 much interest to man about the divine government.

24. For he looketh to the ends of the earth. That is, God sees and knows every thing. He looks upon the whole universe. Man sees objects dimly; he sees but a few, and he little, understands the bearing of one thing or another.

25. To make the weight for the winds. That is, to weigh the winds, and to measure the waters — things that it would seem most difficult to do. The idea here seems to be, that God had made all things by measure and by rule. Even the winds — so fleetingand imponderable — he hadadjusted and balanced in the most exact manner, as if he had weighed them when he made ihem. The air has weight, but it is not probable that this fact was known in the time of Job, or that lie adverted to it here. It is rather the idea suggested above, that the God who had formed every thing by exact rule, and who had power to govern the winds in the most exact manner, must be qualified to impart wisdom IT jl7id he weighclh the waters. Comp. Notes on Jsa. \\. 12. seq. The word rendered weigheth the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder;

in this place (I??}) means either to weigh, or to measure, Isa. xl. 12. As the ' measure ' here is mentioned, it rather means probably to adjust, to apportion, than to weigh. The waters are dealt out by measure; the winds are weighed. The sense' is, that though the waters of the ocean are so vast, yet God has adjusted them all with infinite skill, as if he had dealt them out by measure; and having done this, he is qualified to explain to man the reason of his doings. 26. When he made a decree for the rain. A statute or law (P^^) by which the rain is regulated. It is not sent by chance or hap-hazard. It is under the operation of regular and settled laws. We cannot suppose that those laws were understood in the time of Job, but the fact might be understood that the rain was regulated by laws, and that fact would show that God was qualified to impart wisdom. His kingdom was a kingdom of settled law and not of chance or caprice, and if the rain was regulated by statute, it was fair to presume that he did not deal with his people by chance, and that afflictions were not sent without rule. Comp. Notes on ch. v. 6. TI Aid a way. A path through which the rapid lightning should, pass — referring, perhaps, to the apparent opening in the clouds in which the lightning seems to move along. M The lightning of the thunder. T&e word lightning here C'^l'^ — hhaziz) properly means an arrow, from tTH, obsol., to pierce through, to transfix, to perforate; and hence the lightning — from the rapidity with which it passes — like an arrow. Tlie word ' thunder ' (f^^'lp) means voices, and hence thunder, as being by way of eminence the voice of God. Comp. Pe. xxix. 3-5, The

27 Then did he see it, and ^ declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

wliole expression licrc means ' the thunder-flash.' Coverdale renders this, ' when he gave the mighty floods a law;" but it undoubtedly refers to the thunder-storm, and the idea is, that he who controls the rapid lightning, regulating its laws and directing its path through the heavens, is qualified to communicate truth to men, and can explain the great principles on which his government is administered.

27. Then did he see it. That is, then did lie see wisdom. When in the work of creation he gave laws to the rain and the thunder-storm; when he weighed out the winds and measured out the waters, then he saw and understood the principles of true wisdom. There is a remarkable similarity between the expression here and Prov. viii. 27-30, "When he prepared the heavens, I [wisdom] ^as there; when he set a compass upon the face of the depth; when he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the foundations of the deep; when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment; when lie appointed the foundations of the earth; then I was by him as one brought up with him; I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." IT jind declare it. Marg. number. The word ("iSO) means, however, rather to declare, or to narrate; and the idea is, that even then he made known to intelligent beings the true principles of wisdom, as consisting in the fear of the Lord, and in suitable veneration for the Most High. In what way thi.t was made known. Job does not say; but there can be no doubt of the fact to wliicli he adverts, that even in his time the great principles of all real wisdom were made known to created intelligences,

Behold, the fear " of the Lord that is wisdom; ' and to depart from evil is understanding.

as consisting in profound veneration of God, in a willingness to bow under his dispensations, and to confide in him. 11 He prepared it. Made it a matter of thought and inquiry to find out what was real wisdom, and communicated it in a proper way to his creatures. The idea is, that it was not the result of chance, nor did it spring up of its own accord, but it was a matter of intelligent investigation on the part of God to know what constituted true wisdom. Probably, also. Job here means to refer to the attempts of man to investigate it, and to say that its value was enhanced from the fact that it had even required the search of God to find it out. Beautiful eulogiums of Wisdom may be seen in the Apocryphal book Ecclesiasticus, of which the following is a specimen: Wisdom shall praise herself. And shall glory in the midst of her people. In the congregation of the Most High shall she open her mouth, And triumph before his power. I came out of the mouth of the Most High, And covered the earth as a cloud. 1 dwell in high places, And my throne is in a cloudy pillar. I alone compassed the circuit of heaven, And walked in the bottom of the deep. In the waves of the sea, and in all the earth, And in every people and nation, I got a po3 session. He created me from the beginning, before the

28..^nd. unto man he said. At what time, or how. Job does not say. Prof. Lee supposes that this refers to the instruction which God gave in Paradise to our first parents; hut it may rather be supposed to refer to the universal tenor of the divine communications to man, and to all tliat God had said about the way of true wisdom. The meaning is, tliat the substance of all that God had.said to man was, that true wisdom was to be found in profound veneration of him.

H The fear of the LoKD,that is wisdom. Tlie vvurd 'Lord' here is improperly printed in small capitals, as if the word were i^J^^ — Jehovah. The original word is, however, "^STyt — Jldonai; and the fact is worthy of notice, because one point of the argument respecting the date of the book turns on the question whetlier the word Jehovah occurs in it. 8ce Notes on ch. xii. 9. The fear of the Lord is often represented as true wisdom. Prov. i. 7, xiv. 27, xv. 33, xix. 23. Ps. cxi. 10, et al. The meaning here is, that real wisdom is connected with a proper veneration for God, and with submission to him. We cannot understand his ways. Science cannot conduct us up to a full explanation of his government, nor can the most profound investigations disclose all that we would wish to know about God. In these circumstances, true wisdom is found in humble piety; in reverence for the name and perfections of God; in that veneration which leads us to adore him, and to believe that he is right, though clouds and darkness are round about him. To this conclusion Job, in all his perplexities, comes, and here his mind finds rest. H Jlnd to depart from evil is tinderstanding. To forsake every evil way inust be wise. In doing that, man knows that he cannot err. He walks safely who abandons sin, and in forsaking every evil way he knows that he cannot but be right. He may be in error when speculating about God, and the reasons of his government; he may be led astray when endeavoring to comprehend his dealings; but there can be no such perplexity in departing from evil. There he knoicshe is right. There his feet are on a rock. It is better to walk surely there than to involve ourselves in perplexity about profound and inscrutable operations of the divine character and government. It may be added here, also, that he who aims to lead a holy life, who has a virtuous heart, and who seeks to do always what is right, will have a clearer view of the government and truth of God, than the most profound intellect can obtain without a heart of piety; and that without that, all the investigations of the most splendid talents will be practically in vain.

Thi3 chapter is closely connected with the two following, and they together con.stitute a continuous ari^ument. Job returns to his own case, and probably designs to show that this is a striking illustration of the mysterionsnessof the divine dealings to which he had adverted in the last chapter. His general aim is to vindicate his own integrity against the charges of his friends, and to show that all that he had said about the unprecedented nature of his afflictions v.as well fcrinded. In ch. xxix. he beautifully descants on his former prosperity; in ch. x.xx. he exhibits the striking contrast between that and his present condition; and in ch. xxxi. in answer to the accusations of his friends, he relates the principal transactions of his past life, asserts his integrity as displayed in the discharge of all the duties which he owed to God and man, and again appeals to the omniscience and justice of God in proof of his sincerity. Lowlh,

This chapter is occupied with a description of his former prosperity. He refers particularly to the times when God smiled upon and blessed him; when he lifted the light of his countenance upon him, and his children were round about him, vs. 1-6; he speaks of tho respect which waM shown him when he went into the place of public concourse — when y ing men retire* «for« him, when princes and nobles were silent in his presence, and when the ears and eye- ot all blessed him for the good that he had done to tbe fatherless and to him that was ready to perish, vs. 7-13; he speaks of the time when he put on righteousness as a robe and a diadem, and when he was eyes to tbe blind and feet to the lame, vs. 14-17; and be refers to the fact that he then supposed that bis prosperity would be permanent, and to the universal respect in which he was held by all classes of men, vs. 18-25. Tbe whole picture in tbe chapter is one of uncommon beauty, and describes a state of the highest happiness and prosperity. It is the image ol a venerable patriarch, a wise counsellor, a'universal benefactor, a composer of difficulties, a man enjoying universal confidence and affection. It is an image of what was aimed at as constituting the highest state of earthly blessedness in the estimation of those who lived in patriarchal times, and is a beautiful portraiture of what would be regarded as the most honorable distinction in the hospitality and piety of the East. At tbe same time it is a beautiful description of pietjr and its effects every where; and of the respect shown to wisdom, virtue, and benevolence, jn all ages.

lyrOREOVER, Job 'continued his parable, and said, 2 O that I were as in months past, as ill the days tvhen God preserved me;

1. Moreover, Job continued his parable. See Notes on ch. xxvii. 1. It is probable tliat Job had paused to see if any one would attempt a reply. As his friends were silent, he resumed his remarks and went into a more full statement of liis sutTerings. The fact that Job more than once paused in his addresses to give his friends an opportunity to speak, and that they were silent when thev seemed called upon to vindicate their former sentiments, was what particularly roused the vv-rath of Elihu and induced him to answer. Ch. xxxii. 2-5.

2. Oh that I iccrc Heb, " Who will give.'" a common mode of exjjressing a wish. Comp. ch. vi. 8, xi. 5, xiii. 5, xxiii. 3. 'i Jls in months past. O that I could recall my former prosperity, and be as I was when I enjoyed the protection and i'avor of God. Probably one object of this wish was that his friends might see fiom v/hat a state of honor and happiness he had been brought down. They complained of him as impatient. He may have designed to show thetn that his lamentations were not unreasonable, when it was borne in mind from what a state of prosperity he had boon taken, and to what a condition of wo he had been brought. He, tlierefore, goes into

3 When '^ his candle shined upon my head, and whrn by his light I " walked through darkness;

this extended description of his former happiness, and dwells particularly upon the good which he was enabled then to do, and the respect which was shown him as a public benefactor. A passage strikingly similar to this occurs in Virgil,.^En. viii. 560:

O mibi pva^teritos referat si Jupiter annos ' Qualis eram, cum primam aciom Praeneste

sub ipsa Stravi, scutorumque incendi victor acervos. " O would kind beaven my strength and youth recall, Puch as [ was beneath Praeneste's wall; There where I made tbe foremost foes retire, And set whole heaps of conquered shields on fire!"

3. When his candle shinrd, vpon my head. Mnrg. or, lamp. Comp Notes ch xviii. 6. It was remarked in the Note on that place, that it was common to have lamps or lights always burning in a house or tent. When Job speaks of the lamps shining nn his he/id, the allusion is j)robably to tiie custom of sus])cn(iing a lamp from the ceiling— a custom which prevails among the wealthy Arabs. Srott. Virgil speaks of a similar thing in the palace of Dido:

Bependeiit lychni laquearibus aureii

" From gilded roofs depending lamps display Nocturnal beams that imitate the day." Dryden.

4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret " of God a Ps. 25. 14. i was upon my tabernacle;

tlu' custom is common every where; and tlie imnge is a beautiful illustration of the divine favor — of light and linppiness imparted by God, the great source of blessedness from above. The Hebrew word rendered ' shined ' (ISllia) has been the occasion of some perplexity in regard to its form. According to Ewald, Heb. Gram. p. 471, and Gesenius, Lex., it is the Iliphil form of ^'5'^ — to shine, the He preformative being dropped. The sense is, 'In his causing the light to shine.' Others suppose that it is the infinitive of Kal, with a pleonastic suffi.K; meaning ' when it shined;' i. e. tfie light. The sense is essentially the same. Comp. Schultens and RosenmOller in loco. IT And when by his light. Under his guidance and direction. IT / tcalked through darkness. " Here is reference probably to the fires or other ligU's which were carried before the caravans in tiieir nightly travels through the deserts." JS'oyes. The meaning is, that God afforded him protection, instruction, and guidance. In places, and on subjects that would have been othervvige dark, he counselled and led him. He enjoyed the manifestations of the divine favor; his understanding was enlightened, and he was enabled to compreiiend subjects that would have been otherwise perplexing and difficult. He refers, probably, to the inquiries about the divine government and administration, and to the questions that came before him as a magistrate or an umpire— questions that he was enabled K) determine with wisdom.

A. Jls I icas in the days of my youth. The word here rendered youth (^~}!^), properly means autumn — from mTI'^j to p/iicA,^?///, as being the time when fruits are gathered. Then it means that wiiich is mature; and the meaning here is probably mature or manly — " As I was in the days of my ripe- ness;" that is, of my vigor or strength. The whole passage shows that it does not mean youth., for he goes on to describe the honor and respect shown to him when in mature life. So the Septuagint — "Ots fifitjv inL[}oC&o)V odnvq — "When I made heavy, or laded my ways," an expression referring to autumn as being laden with fruit. So we speak of the spring, the autumn, and tlie winter of life, and by the autumn denote the maturity of vigor, experience, and wisdom. So the Greeks used the word onowa, Pindar, fslhm. 2, 7, 8; JVem. 5,10, ^schyl. Suppl. 1005, 1022. So Ovid:

Excessit Autumnus posito fervore juventas Maturus, mitisque inter juvenemque eeneni- que: Temperie mcdius, sparsis per tempora canis. Inde senilis) hiems trcmulo venit liorrida passu. Aut spolidta suos, aut, quos habct, alba capil-

The wish of Job was, that he might be restored to the vigor of mature life, and to the influence and honors which he had then, or rather, perhaps, it was that they might have a view of what he was then, that they might see from what a height he had fallen, and what cause he had of complaint and grief. IT When the secret of God was itpon my tabernacle. The meaning of this language is not clear, and considerable variety has obtained in the interpretation. The LXX render it, " When God watched over — iniay.onr]v innidro — my house." Vulg., "When God was secretly in mv tabernacle." Noyes, " When God was the friend of my tent." Coverdale renders the whole, " As I stood when I was wealthy and had enough; when God prospered my house." Umbreit, Als noch traulich Gott in meinem Zette weilte — " When God remained cordially in my tent." Herder, " When God took counsel with me in my tent."

The word rendered secret ("^"'■'3), means a couch or cushion on which one reclines, and then a divan, or

5 When the Almighty was with butter, and the rock poured yet with me, when my children ' me out rivers of oil; were about me; i 7 When I went out to the gate

6 When ° I washed my steps through the city, when I prepared

seems more probable that the image is designed to denote superfluity or abundance; and that where he trod streams of milk or cream flowed — so abundant was it round him. The word rendered steps (C5"^^rl) does not property denote the feet, but the tread, the going, the stepping. This sense corresponds with that of the other member of the parallelism. IT ^nrf the rock poured me out rivers of oil. Marg. with vie. The idea is, that the very rock near which he stood, seemed to pour forth oil. Instead of water gushing out, such seemed to be the abundance with which he was blessed, that tlie very rock poured out a running stream ol oil. Oil was of great value among the Orientals. It was used as an article of food, for light, for anointing the body, and as a valuable medicine. To say, then, that one had abundance of oil, was the same as to say that he had ample means of comfort and of luxury. Perhaps by the word rock here, there is an allusion to the places where olives grew. It is said that those which produced the best oil grew upon rocky mountains. There may be, also, an allusion to this in Dcut. xxxii. 13: "He made liim to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock." Prof. hee, and some others, however, understand here by the rock, the press where oil was extracted from olives, and which it is supposed was sometimes made of stone.

7. When I went ojit to the gate The gate of a city was a place of public concourse, and where courts were usually held. Job speaks here as a magistrate, and of the time when he went forth to sit as a judge, to try causes. U When I prepared my seat in the street. That is, to sit as a judge. The seat or tribunal was placed in circle of friends sitting together in consultation. See the word explained in the Notes on ch. xv. 8. The idea here probably is, that God came into his tent or dwelling as a friend, and that Job was, as it were, admitted to the secrecy of his friendship and to an acquaintance with his plans.

5. IVhen the ^mighty was jjet with me. Job regarded God as withdrawn from him. He now looked back with deep interest to the time when he dwelt with him.

6. When I washed my steps with butter. On the word rendered butter, see Notes on Isa. vii. 15. It properly means curdled milk. Umbreit renders it, Sahne; cream. Noyes, milk and so Wemyss. The LXX, » When my ways flowed with butter" — poiitvQo). So Coverdale, "When my ways ran over with butter." Herder, " And where I went a stream of milk flowed on." The sense may be, that cream or butter was so plenty that he was able to make use of it for the most common purposes — even for that of washing his feet. That butter was sometimes used for the purpose of anointing the feet — probably for comfort and health — as oil was for the head, is mentioned by Oriental travellers. Hassilquist (Travels in Palestine, p. 58), speaking of the ceremonies of the priests at Magnesia on Holy Thursday, says, " The priest washed and dried tlie feet, and afterward besmeared them with butter, which it was alleged was made from the first milk of a young cow." Bruce says that the king of Abyssynia daily anointed his head with butter. Burder, in Ilo.senmtlller's aite u. neue MorgenIand,i/i loc. It is possible that this use of butter was as ancient as the time of Job, and that he here alludes to it, but it

8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged arose, and stood up.

9 The princes refrained talk-

1 The voice of the nobles 7i)as hid,

tlie street, in tlie open air, before the gate of the city, where great numbers might be convened, and hear and see justice done. The Arabs, to (his day, hold their courts of justice in an open phice, under tlie heavens, as in a field or a market-place. Norden's Travels in Egypt, ii. 140. Tiiere has been, however, great variety of opinion in regard to the meaning of this verse. Schultens enumerates no less than ten diflerent interpretations of the passage. Herder translates it,

" When from my house I went to the assembly, And spread my carpet in the place of meeting."

Prof. Lee translates it, " When I went forth from the gate to the pulpit, and prepared my seat in the broad place." He supposes that Job refers to occasions wh6n he addressed the people, and to the respect which was shown him then. Dr. Good renders it, " As I went forth, the city rejoiced at me." It is probable, however, that our common version has given the true signification. The word rendered city (f^*?.!^), is a poetic form for ('^t"'P) ci<7/, but does not frequently occur. It is found in Prov. viii. 3, ix. 3, 14, xi. 11. The phrase '■ujion the city ' — Heb. r'^i^'^bs — or, « over the city,' may refer to the fact that the gate was in an elevated place, or that it was the c/u'e/" place, and, as it were, over or at the head of the city. Tlie meaning is, that as he went out from his house toward the gate that was situated in the most important part of the city, all did him reverence. 8. The ijouitg men saw me, and hid fhrmsclvfs. That is, they retired as if awed at my presence They gave place to me, or reverently withdrew as I passed along. IF ^nd the aged arose, vnA'stood up. Tlicy not merely

10 The 'nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

rose, but they continued to stand still until I had passed by. " This is a mos elegant description, and exhibits most correctly the great reverence and respect which was paid, even by the old and the decrepit, to the holy man, in passing along tlie streets, or wiien he sat in public. They not only rose, which in men so old was a great mark of distinction, but they stood; and they continued to do it, though the attempt was so difficult." Lowth. The whole image presents a beautiful illustration of Oriental manners, and of the respect paid to a man of known excellence of character and distinction.

9. The princes refrained talking. As a mark of respect, or in awe of his presence. IT Jlnd laid their hand on their mouth. To lay the finger or the hand on the mouth is every where an action expressive of silence or respect. Notes ch. xxi. 5. " In one of the subterranean vaults of Egypt, where the mummies lie buried, they found in the coffin an embalmed body of a woman, before which was placed a figure of wood, representing a youth on his knees, laying a finger on his mouth, and holding in his other hand a sort of chafing-dish, which was placed on his head, and in which, without doubt, had been some perfumes." Maillet.

10. Th e JVohlcs. Marg.f" The voice of the nobles was hid." Ijiterally, tins may be rendered, " as to the voice, the nobles hid themselves;" or the phrase here employed (Ci'1i53 Pip

'"*?n?) may be rendered, " the voice of the nobles was hid " — it beingcommon in the Hebrew when two nouns come together, of different numbers and gender, for the verb to conform to the latter. Rosenmtlller. The word ' nobles ' here is to be understood in

11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed " me; and when the eye saw 7ne, it gave witness to me:

12 Because I delivered '' the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

the sense of counsellors, or men of rank. They would now be called Emirs, or Shefks. IT Jlnd their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. They were so awed by my presence that they could not speak.

11. When the ear heard me. A personification for " they who heard me speak, blessed me." That is, they commended or praised me. TI ^nd when the eye sate me. All who saw me. U It gave witness to me. That is, the fixed attention to what he said, and the admiration which was shown by the eyes of the multitudes, were witnesses of the respect and honor in which he was held. Gray has a beautiful expression similar to this when he says,

12. Because I delivered the poor that cried. This is spoken of himself as a magistrate or judge — for the whole description relates to that. The meaning is, that when the poor man, who had no means of employing counsel, brought his cause before him, he heard him and delivered him from the grasp of the oppressor. He never made an appeal to him in vain. Comp. Prov. xxi. 13, xxiv. 11, 12. U JJnd. the fatherless. The orphan who brought his cause before him. He became the patron and protector of those whose natural protectors — their parents — had been removed by death. Comp. Notes on Isa. i. 17. H Jlnd him that had none to help him. Tlie poor man who had no powerful patron. Job says that, as a magistrate, he particularly regarded the cause of sucli persons, and saw tliat justice was done them

13 The blessing of hint that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14 I ' put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

— a beautiful image of the administration of justice in patriarchal times. This is the sense in which our translators understood this. But the parallelism seems rather to require that this should be applied to the fatherless who had no one to aid him, and the Hebrew, by understanding the conjunctive 1 as meaning when, will bear this construction. So it is understood by RosenmUller, Umbreit, Herder, and Noyes.

13. Tlie blessing of him that was ready to perish, &c. Of the man who was falsely accused, and who was in danger of being condemned, or of him who was exposed to death by poverty and want. H Jlnd I caused the widoic's heart to sing for joy. By becoming her patron and friend; by vindicating her cause, and saving her from the oppressive exactions of others Comp. Isa. i. 17.

14. / jnit on righteousness. Or justice — as a magistrate, and in all his transactions with his fellow-men. It is common to compare moral conduct or traits of character with various articles of apparel. Comp. Notes on Isa. xi. f), Ixi. 10. IT And it clothed me. It was my covering; I was adorned with it. So we speak ot being " clothed with humility;" and so, also, of the "garments of salvation." IT My judgment. Or rather justice — particularly as a magistrate. IT Was as a rohe. The word robe (b'^'S'O) denotes the mantle or outer garment that is worn by an Oriental. It constitutes the most elegant part of his dress. Notes on Isa. v:. 1. The idea is, that his strict justice was to him what the full flowino; robe vva?

15 I was eyes " to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

IG I was a father to the poor; and '' the cause which I knew not 1 searched out.

in apparel. It was that for which lie was best known; that by wliich he was distinguished, as one would be by an elegant and costly robe. ^ And a diadem. Or, turban. The word here used ^"^S-i — is from TjS^, to roll, or wind around, and is applied to the turban, because it was thus wound around the head. It is applied to the mitre of the high-priest (^Zech. iii. 5), and may also be to a diadem or crown. It more properly here, however, denotes the turban, which in the East is an essential part of dress. The idea is, that he was fully clad or adorned with justice.

1.3. / icas eyes to the blind. An exceedingly beautiful expression, whose meaning is obvious. He became their counsellor and guide. H And feet was / to the lame. I assisted them, and became their benefactor. I did for them, in providing a sujiport, what thev would have done for themselves if they had been in sound health.

16. / was a father to the poor. I took them under my protection, and treated them as if they were my [ own children, "il And the cause which I knew not I searched out. This is.according to the interpretation of Jerome. But the more probable i meaning is, ' the cause of him who j was unknown to me, that is, of the stranger, I searched out.' So Rosenmuller. Herder, Umbreit, and Good. I According to this, the sense is, that, ns a magistrate, he gave particular attention to the cuuse of the stranger, and investigated it with care. It is po.ssible that Job here designs specifically to reply to the charge brought against him by Eliphaz in ch. xxii. 6, seq. The duty of showing particular attention to the stranger is often inculcated in the Bible, and was re-

17 And I brake the 'juvs oi the wicked, and "plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

18 Then ' I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply 7ny days as the sand.

garded as essential to a character of uprightness and piety among the Orientals.

17. And I brake the jaics of the loicked. Marg. '■\ja2c-teeth, ov, grinders." The Hebrew word n"?n5D ^ the same, with the letters transposed, as m'ynb'O, is from SJinb, to bite— and means the biters, the grinders, the teeth. It is not used to denote the jaw. The image here is taken from wild beasts, with whom Job compares the wicked, and says that he rescued the helpless from their grasp, as he would a lamb from a lion or wolf. TT And phtcked. Marg cast. The margin is a literal translation, but the idea is, that he violently seized the spoil orprey which the wicked had taken, and by force tore it from him.

19. Then I said. So prosperous was I, and so permanent seemed my sources of happiness. I saw no reason why all this should not continue, and why the same respect and honor should not attend me to the grave. IT / shall die in my nest. I shall remain where I am, and in my present comforts, while I live. I shall then die surrounded by my family and friends, and encompassed with honors. A nest is an image of quietness, harmlessness, and comfort. So Spenser speaks of a nest:

tresure, 77(C neast of love, the lodging of delight, The bowre of bliss, the paradise of pleasure. Sonnet LXXVI.

The image here expresses the firm hope of a long life, and of a peacefid and tranquil death. The LXX render it, " My age shall grow old like the trunk of a palm tree " — arih/oq (foti'iy.oq — I shall live long. Comp. Bochart, Hieroz. P. ii. Lib.

19 My root teas ' spread out

vi. c. V. p. 820, for the reason of this translation. IT ^nd I shall multiply my days as the sand. Herder renders this, " the Phoenix;" and observes that tlie PhoBnix is obviously intended here, only through a double sense of the word, the figure of the bird is immediately changed for that of the palm-tree. The Rabbins generally understand by the word here rendered ' sand ' (^'^^) the Phoenix — a fabulous bird, much celebrated in ancient times. Rabbi Osaia in the book Bereshith Rabba, or Commentary on Genesis, says of this bird, " that all animals obeyed the woman [in eating the forbidden fruit] except one bird only by the name of?Tn — hhul, concerning which it is said in Job, ' I will multiply my days as the AAmZ— ^in3.'" Rabbi Jannai adds to this, that " this bird lives a thousand years, and in the end of the thousand years, a fire goes forth from its nest, and burns it up, but there remains, as it were, an egg, from which again the members grow, and it rises to life." Comp. Nonnus in Dionys. Lib. 40. Martial, Claudian, and others in Bochart, Hieroz. P. ii. Lib. vi. c. V. pp. 818-825. But the more correct rendering is, doubtless, the common one, and it is usual in the Scriptures to denote a great, indefinite number, by the sand. Gen. xxii. 17. Judges vii. 12. Habak. i. 9. A comparison.similar to this occurs in Ovid, Metam. Lib. xiv. 136. seq.:

Ego puUeriB hausti

Ostendens cumuluiii, quot haberet corpora

pulvis, Tot milii natules contingere vana rogavi.

The meaning is, that he supposed his days would be very numerous. Such were his expectations — expectations so soon to be disappointed. Such was his condition — a condition so soon to be reversed. The very circumstances in which he was placed were fitted to begrt a too confident expectation that his prosjicrity would

by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

continue, and the subsequent dealings of God with him should lead all who are in similar circumstances, not to confide in the stabilily of their comforts, or to suppo.s^e that their prosperity will be uninterrupted. It is difficult, when encompassed with friends and honors, to realize that there ever will be reverses; it is difficult to keep the mind from confiding in them as if they viust be permanent and secure.

19 My root was spread oat by the waters. Marg. as the Hebrew, o^7e?jed. The meaning is, that it was spread abroad or extended far, so that the moisture of the earth had free access to it; or it was like a tree planted near a stream, whose root ran down to the water. Tiiis is an image designed to denote great prosperity. In the East, such an image would he more striking than with us. Here green, large, and beautiful trees are so common as to excite little or im attention. In such a country as Arabia, however, wheie general deso lation exists, such a tree would be a most beautiful object, and a most striking image of prosperity. Comp. De Wette on Ps. i. 3. IT Jliul the dew lay all night vpon my branch. In the absence of rain — which seldom falls in deserts — the scanty vegetation is dependent on the dews that fall at night. Those dews are often very abundant. Volney (Travels i. 51) says, " VVe, who are inhabitants of humid regions, cannot well understand how a country can be productive without rain, but in Egypt, the dew which falls copiously in the night, supplies the place of rain." See, also, Shaw's Travels, p. 379. " To the same cause also [the violent heat of the day], succeeded afterwards bj' the coldness of the night, we may attribute the plentiful dews, and those thick, ofi'ensive mists, one or other of which we had every night too scjisiblc a proof of. The dews, particularly, (as we had the heavens

20 My glory teas ' fresh in me, and my " bow was • renewed in my hand.

only for our covering), would frequently wet us to the skin." The sense here is, as a tree standing on the verge of a river, and watered each night hy copious dews, appears beautiful and flourishing, so was my condition. The LXX, however, render this, "And the dew abode at night on my harvest" — y.di f)of)Ofi(; civhd&i^iyeTCti, li< tw d-foicifiw itnv. So the Chaldce— nV^'? ""l^nV T'':::-^. A thought, similar to the one in this passage, occurs in a Chinese Ode, translated by Sir William Jones, in his works, vol. ii. p. 351:

Vide illius aquae rivuni Virides arundines jucunde luxuriant I Sie est decorus virtutibus princeps noster! " Seest tliou yon stream, around whoso banks Tlie green reeds ciowd in joyous ranks.' In nutrient virtue and in grace, Such is the Prince that rules our race." Dr. Good. 20. My glory was fresh in vie. Marg. neio. "As we say, the man shall not overlive himself." Umhreit. The idea is, tiiat he was not exhausted; lie continued in vigor and strength. The image is probably taken from that suggested in the previous verse— from a tree, whose beauty and vigor were continued by the waters, and by the dew that lay on its branches. IF Jind my how. An emblem of vigor and strength. The ancients fought with the bow, and hence a man who was able to keep his bow constantly drawn, was an image of undimished and unwearied vigor. Comp. Gen. xlix. 24: " But his bow abode in strength." H Was renewed in my hand. Marg. as in Heb. changed. The meaning is, that it constantly renewed its strength. The idea is taken from a tree, which changes by renevving its leaves, beauty, and vigor. Isa. ix. 10, comp. Job xiv. 7. The sense is, that his bow gathered strength in his hand.

and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

T.»e figure is very conunon in Arabic poetry, many specimens of which may be seen in Schultens in loco.

21. Unto me men gave ear. Job here returns to the time when he sat in the assembly of counsellors, and to the respectful attention which was paid to all that he said. They listened when he spake; they waited for him to speak before they gave their opinion; and they were then silent. They neither interrupted him nor attempted a reply.

22. Jlfter my toords they spake not again. The highest proof which could be given of deference. So full of respect were they that they did not dare to dispute him; so sagacious and wise was his counsel that they were satified with it, and did not presume to suggest any otiier. IT j9nd my speech dropped vpoyi them. That is, like the dew or the gentle rain. So in Deut. xxxii. 2: