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Introduction
This Book takes its name from the holy man of whom it treats: who, according to the more probable opinion, was of the race of Esau; and the same as Jobab, king of Edom, mentioned Gen. 36.33. It is uncertain who was the writer of it. Some attribute it to Job himself; others to Moses, or some one of the prophets. In the Hebrew it is written in verse, from the beginning of the third chapter to the forty-second chapter.
Chapter 1
[1] Hus: The land of Hus was a part of Edom; as appears from Lam. 4. 21.-- Ibid.
[1] Simple: That is, innocent, sincere, and without guile. [4] And made a feast by houses: That is, each made a feast in his own house and had his day, inviting the others, and their sisters. [5] Blessed: For greater horror of the very thought of blasphemy, the scripture both here and ver. 11, and in the following chapter, ver. 5 and 9, uses the word bless to signify its contrary. [6] The sons of God: The angels.-- Ibid. Satan also, etc. This passage represents to us in a figure, accommodated to the ways and understandings of men, 1. The restless endeavours of Satan against the servants of God; 2. That he can do nothing without God's permission; 3. That God doth not permit him to tempt them above their strength: but assists them by his divine grace in such manner, that the vain efforts of the enemy only serve to illustrate their virtue and increase their merit.
Chapter 3
[1] Cursed his day: Job cursed the day of his birth, not by way of wishing evil to any thing of God's creation; but only to express in a stronger manner his sense of human miseries in general, and of his own calamities in particular.
Chapter 4
[17] Shall man be justified in comparison of God: These are the words which Eliphaz had heard from an angel, which, ver. 15, he calls a spirit.
Chapter 6
[2] My sins: He does not mean to compare his sufferings with his real sins: but with the imaginary crimes which his friends imputed to him: and especially with his wrath, or grief, expressed in the third chapter, which they so much accused. Though, as he tells them here, it bore no proportion with the greatness of his calamity.
Chapter 9
[9] Arcturus: These are names of stars or constellations. In Hebrew, Ash, Cesil, and Cimah. See note chap. 38, ver. 31.
[17] Without cause: That is, without my knowing the cause: or without any crime of mine.
Chapter 14
[13] That thou mayst protect me in hell: That is, in the state of the dead; and in the place where the souls are kept waiting for their Redeemer.
Chapter 15
[4] Thou hast made void fear: That is, cast off the fear of offending God.
[18] Wise men confess and hide not their fathers: That is, the knowledge and documents they have received from their fathers they are not ashamed to own.
Chapter 17
[2] Not sinned: That is, I am not guilty of such sins as they charge me with.
[13] Hell: Sheol. The region of the dead.
[16] Deepest pit: Literally, hell.
Chapter 19 [6] With an equal judgment: St. Gregory explains these words thus: Job being a just man, and truly considering his own life, thought that his affliction was greater than his sins deserved: and in that respect, that the punishment was not equal, yet it was just, as coming from God, who gives a crown of justice to those who suffer for righteousness' sake, and proves the just with tribulations, as gold is tried by fire. [25] I know that my Redeemer liveth: Ver. 25, 26, and 27 shew Job's explicit belief in his Redeemer, and also of the resurrection of the flesh, not as one tree riseth in place of another, but that the selfsame flesh shall rise at the last day, by the power of God, changed in quality but not in substance, every one to receive sentence according to his works in this life.
Chapter 20 [18] According to the multitude of his devices: That is, his stratagems to gratify his passions and to oppress and destroy the poor.
Chapter 21 [33] Acceptable to the gravel of Cocytus: The Hebrew word, which St. Jerome has here rendered by the name Cocytus, (which the poets represent as a river in hell,) signifies a valley or a torrent: and in this place, is taken for the low region of death and hell: which willingly, as it were, receives the wicked at their death: who are ushered in by innumerable others that have gone before them; and are followed by multitudes above number.
Chapter 26 [13] His obstetric hand brought forth the winding serpent: That is, the omnipotent power of God: which brought forth all things created in time, but conceived in the Divine mind from all eternity. The winding serpent, a constellation of fixed stars winding round the north pole, called Draco. This appears from the foregoing part of the same verse, His spirit hath adorned the heavens.
Chapter 30 [1] But now the younger in time: That is, younger than I am, and as it were obscure, when I was conspicuous and in magnificence; they now look down on me. [29] Brother of dragons: Imitating these creatures in their lamentable noise.
Chapter 31 [26] If I beheld the sun: If I behold the sun and moon with admiration, knowing them to be created and governed by the power of God, I call on my adversaries to produce any thing against me, whereby I could be charged with worshipping the sun or moon.
Chapter 32 [21] I will not level God with man: Here Eliu considers that Job hath put himself on a level with God, by the manner he assumed to justify his own life in speaking to God as if he spoke to an equal: Eliu expresses in the following ver. 22 his fear of punishment hereafter for such an attempt.
Chapter 36 [16] Out of the narrow mouth: That is, out of hell, whose entrance is narrow, and its depth bottomless; but figuratively meant here, that is, from his miseries and calamity to be restored to his former state of happiness. [21] For this thou hast begun to follow after misery: Eliu charges Job, that notwithstanding his misery, he does not fear God as he ought: but in his judgment, falls into iniquity.
Chapter 37 [7] He sealeth up: When he sends those showers of his strength, that is, those storms of rain, he seals up, that is, he shuts up the hands of men from their usual works abroad, and confines them within doors, to consider his works; or to forecast their works, that is, what they themselves are to do. [20] He shall be swallowed up: All that man can say when he speaks of God, is so little and inconsiderable in comparison with the subject, that man is lost, and as it were swallowed up in so immense an ocean.
Chapter 38 [1] The Lord: That is, an angel speaking in the name of the Lord. [31] Pleiades: Hebrew, Cimah. A cluster of seven stars in the constellation Taurus or the Bull. Arcturus, a bright star in the constellation Bootes. The Hebrew name Cesil, is variously interpreted; by some, Orion; by others, the Great Bear is understood. [36] Understanding: That instinct by which he distinguishes the times of crowing in the night.
Chapter 39 [34] Spoken inconsiderately: If we discuss all Job's words (saith St. Gregory), we shall find nothing impiously spoken; as may be gathered from the words of the Lord himself, chap. 42, ver. 7, 8; but what was reprehensible in him, was the manner of expressing himself at times, speaking too much of his own affliction, and too little of God's goodness towards him, which here he acknowledges as inconsiderate.
Chapter 40 [10] Behemoth: In Hebrew, behema, which signifies in general an animal; but many authors explain, that here it is put for the elephant. [14] He will apply his sword: This text is variously explained: some explain the sword, the horn given to the animal for his defence: others, the power that God hath given to the animal for his defence: others, the power that God hath given to man to slay him, notwithstanding his great size and strength. [20] Leviathan: The whale or some sea monster.
Chapter 41 [16] Angels: Elim, Hebrew: which signifies here, the mighty, the most valiant, shall fear this monstrous fish, and in their fear shall seek to be purified. [21] Under him: He shall not value the beams of the sun; and gold to him shall be like mire. |