Chapter XXVII
living magiiities apparitions, the term originally was applied to (/hosts, ani\ then to giants in general. [MyVGEE.] from nnder—UMBKElT joins this with the previous ViOrd
Ver. 1-23. It was now Zophar's turn to speak. But as he and the other two were silent, virtually aiiniittiiig de-
feat, after a pause Job proceeds. 1. parable—Applied in the East to a flgurative sententious embodiment of wisdom in poetic form, a gnome (Psalm 49. 4). conilisiued proceeded to put forth: implying elevation of discour.-^e.
treml)le /;-o??t beneatli (so Isaiali 14. 9). But the JIasoretic text joins it "under the waters." Tlius the place of the dead will be represented as under the xcalcrs IS. 4,
5) ; and the waters as under the earth ( Psalm 24. 2). Magee well translates thus, " The souls of the dead tremble ; (t'le places) under tlie waters, and their inhabitants." Thus the Masoretic connection is retained; and at the same time the parallel clauses are evenly balanced. "The inhabitants of the places under the waters" are those in Gehenna, the lower (;f the two parts into whichHlieol, according to the Jews, is divided; they answer to "destruction,"
'Z. (I Samuel 20. 3.) taken away . . . judgment—woriis unconsciouslj^ foreshadowing Jesus Christ tisaiah 53.8; Acts 8. 33). God will not give Job his right, by declaring his innocencre. vexed— made bitter (Ruth 1. 20). 3. Implying Job's knowledge of the fact that the living soul was breathed into man by God (Genesis 2. 7). "All the while." But M.\ukeij, " as yet all my breath is in me" (notwithstanding my trials): the reason why I can speak so boldly. 4r. (Ch. 6. 28, 30). The "deceit" would be if he were to admit guilt against the witness of his conscience.
t. e., the place of the wicked in v. G, as " Rephaim" (u. 5j to "Hell" (Klieol) d'. 6). Sheol comes from a //(&^•e^g root
ask, because it is insatiable (Proverbs 27. 20); or ask as a loan to be returned, implying Sheol is but a temporary abode, previous to the resurrection ; so for Kiiylisli Version "formed," LXX. and Clialdee translate, sliall be born,ov tor ft rrfirain, implying the dead are to hf given back (vom Sheol and born again into a new state. [Mageb.J G—(cli. 3.S.
5. justify yoti—approve of .your views, mine integrity —whicdi you deny, on account of my misfortunes. G. Rather, my " heart" (conscience) reproaches " not one of my days," t. e., 1 do not repent of any of niy days since 1 came into existence. [Mauker.] 7. Let . . . be-Ijct mine enemy be accounted as wicked, i. e., He who opposes my asseveration of innocence must be regarded as actuated by criminal luistility. Not a cur.se on his enemies. 8. " What hope hath the hypocrite, notwithstanding all his gains, when?" iVc. "Gained" is antithetic to "taktth away." Umiuieit's translation is an unmeaning tautology. "When God cuts off, when Ho laketh away hia
17; Psalm 139. 8; Proverbs 5. 11). deslructlon— ?7ie abode
of destruction, ?'. e., of lost souls. Hebrew, Abaddon (Revelation 9. 11). no eovering—from God's eyes. 7. Hint of the true theory of the earth. Its suspension in empty space is stated in the second clause. The north in particular is specifieil in the first, being believed to \n: the highest part of the earth (Isaiah 14. 13). The northern hemisphere or vault of heaven is included; often compared to a stretclied-out canopy (Psalm 104. "2). The chambers of the south are mentioned (ch. 9. 9), !. e., the southern liemisxiliere, consistently witli the earth's globular form. 8. in . . . clouds—as if in airy vessels, whi(di though light do not burst with the weightof water in them (Proverbs 30. 4). 'J. Rather, He enc.omj)alsseth or closeth. (iod makes the clouds a veil to screen the glor,y not only of His person, but even of Wie cz-«('?-/o?- o/ Histltronc from profane eyes. His agency is everywhere, yi'X Himself invisible (Psalm 18.11; 104.3). 10. Rather, "He hath drawn a circular bound round the waters" (Proverbs 8. 27; I'salm 104. i)). The horizon seems a circle. Indication is given of the globulnr form of the earth, unlil the day, Ac.—To the conliiiesof light and darkness. 'When llu; light I'allson our horizon, t he other hemisphere is dark. UMiiUKi rand M AUKEU translate, " He has mo.it perfect Ig (lit., to perfection) drawn the bound (taken from the 1st clause) between light and dai-kness" (cf. fienesis 1.4, (i, 9): where the bounding of tlie llglit from darkniws Is similarl.y hrouglit inio (iroxImlty with the bounding of the waters. 11. pillars— poetically for the mountains which seem to bear up the sky (Psalm 104. 32). astonlNln d—viz., from terror. Personlflcatioii. Ills reproof—O'sulm 101.7.) The thunder, reverberating from cliff to clKKHabakkuk 3. 10; Nahuml. 5). Vi. divldeth—(Psalm 71.13.) Perhaps at crea330
life." taketh away—iti., draws out the soul from the body, which is, as it were, its scabbard (ch. 4.21; I'salm
101. 29 ; Daniel 7. 15). Job says, he admits what Bildad saiil
(ch. 8. 13) and Zophar (cli. 20. 5). But he says, the very fact of his still calling upon God (w. 10) amidst all his trials, which 11 hypocrite would not dare to do, shows he is no " hypocrite." ». (Psalm Uti. 18.) 10. Alluding to ch. '22. 2(j. always call— lu^ may do so in times of prosperitj iu order to be thought religious. But he will not, as I do,
call on (iod in calamities verging on death. Tliereforo I cannot be a " hypocrite" (ch. 19. '25 ; 20.5; Psalm G2. 8). 11-
!43. These words are contrar.v to Job's previous .sentiments (notes, ch. 21. 22-;!3; 21.22-25). They therefore seem to be Job's statement, not so much of his own sentinicnts, as of what Zophar would havesaid had he spoken when his turn came (end of ch. 2(i). So Job stated the friends' opinion (ch. 21. 17-21 ; 24.18-21). The objection Is, why, it so, docs not Job answer Zophar's opinion, as stated by himself? The tact Is, it Is probable that Job tacitly, by giving, in ch. 28,, onl.y a general answer, implies, that lu spite of the wicked ojten dying, as he said. In prosi.erlty, he does not mean to deny that t he wicked are in tlic ntain dealt with according to right, and that God herein vindicates His moral government even here. Job tlieretore states Zophar's argument more strongly than Zophiir would have done. But by comparing i'. 13 with ch.20. "JS
Job's Speech Continued. JOB XXVIII. Wisdoni is an ExcellaU Gift of God.
depths (with torches), all. pri-fection—Ratlier, carries out liis search to tlie utmost perfection; most thoroughly searches the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death (thickest gloom), i, e., the stones, whatever they be, emlx'dded in tlie darkest bowels of the earth (Umbreit]
(' portion," "heritage"), it will l)e seen, it is Zoplinr's arCuniont, ratlier tlian his own, tliat Job .stales. Granting
it to l)e true, implies Job, you ought not to use it as an argument to criminate »te. For (ch. 28) the ways of Divine wi.sdom in atlliftiug the godly are insorutal)le : all that
is sure to man is, the tear of the Lord is wisdom (u. 2.S). hy the hand—Rather, concerning the liand of God, viz.,
(cli. 20. 10). 4. Tliree hardsliips in mining: 1. "A stream (flood) lireaks out at tlie side of tlie stranger;" viz,., the miner, a strange new-comer into places heretofore unexplored; his s-urprise at the sudden stream breaking out beside liim is expressed (English Version, from the inhabitant); 2. "Forgotten (unsupported) by the loot Ihey hang,"
vi'liat God does in governing men. witlitlxe Aiiiiiglity Tlie counsel or principle wliicth regulates God's dealings. li. " Ye yourselves see" that the wicked often are afflicted (though often the reverse ch. 21. Si). But do you "vainly"
iniilie this an argument to prove from my alilictions lliat
viz., by ropes, in descending. In the Hebrew, " Lo there" precedes this clause, graphically placing it as if before the eyes. 7'he waters are inserted by English 'Version. Are dried up, ought to be, "hang," "are suspended." English Version perhaps understood, waters of whose existence man was previously unconscious, and near which he never trod; and yet man's energy is such,, that Ijy pumps, Ac, he soon causes them to "dry up and go away." [So Herder.] 3. "Far away from men, they move with uncertain step;" they stagger; not "they are gone." [Umbreit.] 5.
I am wicked? 13. (Note v. 11.) 14. His family only increases to perish by sword or famine (Jeremiali IS. 21 ; ch.
6. 2*)), the couver.se. 15. Those tliat escape wsir and (amine
(i'. 14) shall be buried by l?ie deadlj/ pluf/ue—" death'' (ch.
18.13; Jeremiah 15.2; Revelation U. 8). Tlie plague of tlie Jliddle Ages was called "the black death." Buried by \t implies, that they would have none else but tlie deatli plague itself (poetically personified) to perform tlieir funeral rites, i. e., would have none. Uls—Ratlier, their widows. Transitions from singular to plural are frequent. Pol-ygamy is not implied. 16. dust . . . clay—Image.s of niullitudes iZecliariali 9.3). Many changes of raiment are a cliief constituent of wealth iu tlie East. 17. Introverted parallelUsm. My introduction. Of the four clauses in the two verses, 1 answers to 4, 2 to 3 (so Matthew 7. fi). 18. (Ch.
Its fertile surface yields food; and yet "beneath it is turned up as it were witli fire." So Pliny [Natural History 33] oljserves on the ingratilude of man who repays the debt he owes the earth for food, by digging out
its bowels. "Fire" was used in mining. [Umbreit.] English Version is simpler, which means pi'ecious stones which glow like fire; and so v. 6 follows naturally tEzekiel
8.1-1; 4.19.) The transition is natural from " raiment" (f.
l(i) to the "house" of the "moth" in it, and of it, wiieu in
28. 14). G. Sappliires are found in alluvial soil near rocks and embedded in gneiss. Tlie ancients distinguislied two kinds: 1. The real, of transparent blue: 2. That improperly so called, opaque, with gold sjiots, i. e., lapislazuli. To the latter, looking like gold dust, Umbreit refers "dust of gold." English Fersion better, " The .storip* of the earth are, &c., and the clods of it ( Vulgate) are gold ;" the par.aPel clauses are thu.s neater. 7. fowl—Ratlier, ravenous Inrd, or eagle, which is the most sharp-sighted of birds (Isaiah 40. 11). A vulture will spy a carcass at an amazing distance. The miner penetrates the earth by a way unseen by birds of keenest sight. 8. lion's wlielps Lit.,
its larva state. The inolli worm's house is broken whenever the "raiment" is shaken out, so frail is it. bootH—
bough-tormed hut whicli the guard of a vineyard raises
for temporary shelter (Isaiali 1.8). 19. gatliercd—Buried lionourably (Genesis 25.8; 2 Kings 22.20). But Umbkeit, agreeably to u. 18, which describes the short continuance of the sinner's prosperity, "He layetli himself rich in his bed, and nothing is robbed from him, he openeth liis eyes, and nothing more is there." If English 'Version be retained, the
first clause probably means, rich though he be in dying, he sliall not be honoured with a funeral; the second, "When he opens his eyes in the unseen world, it is only to Bee his destruction. LXX. read for " not gathered," He does not proceed, i. e., goes to his bed no more. So Maureb. 20. (Ch. 18. 11 ; 22. 11, 21.) Like a sudden violent flood (Isaiah 8.7,8; Jeremiah 47.2): conversely (Psalm 32.0). 21. (Ch. 21. 18 ; 15. 2 ; Psalm 58. 9.) 23. cast—viz., tliunderbolts
the sons of pride, i. e., the fiercest beasts, passed—The Hebrew implies the proud gait of the lion. Tlie miner ventures, where not even the fierce lion dares to go in pursuit of his prey. 9. rock—Flint. He puts forth his hand to cleave the hardest rock, by tlie roots—From their foundations, by undermining them. 10. //e cM<s channels to drain oft' the waters, which hinder his mining ; and when the waters are gone, he is able to see the precious things in the earth. 11. floods—"He restrains the streams from weeping ;" a poetical expression for the trickling subterranean r 'dls, which impede him ; answering to the first clause of V. 10; so also the two latter clauses iu each verse correspond. 12. Can man discover the Divine Wisdom by which the world is governed, as he can the treasures hidden in the earth? Certainly not. Divine Wisdom ia conceived as a person (v. 12-27) distinct from God (v. 23; also in Proverbs 8. 23, 27). The Almighty Word, Jesus Christ, we know now, is that Wisdom. The order of the world was originated and is maintained by the breathing forth (Spirit) of Wisdom, unfathomable and unpurcliasable by man. In verse 28, the only aspect of it, which relates to, and may be understood by, man, is stated, understanding—Insiglit into the plan of the Divine government. 13. Man can fix no price upon it, as it is nowhere to be found in man's abode (Isaiah .38. 11). Job implies both its valuable worth, and the impossiliility of buying it at any price. 15. Not the usual word for "gold;" from a Hebrew root, to shut up with care; t. e., purest gold
(ch. (i. 4; 7. 20; 10. 13; Psalm 7. 12, 13). 23. clap Ixaiuls—for joy at his downfall (Lamentations 2. 15; Nahum 3.19). Iklxs—deride (Jeremiah 25. 9). Job alludes to Bildad's words (ch. 18. 18).