Job 2

But as for Job, ‘‘Doth he fear God for nought?” saith the adversary. “Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased; but put forth thy hand now and touch all that he hath and see if he will not curse thee to thy face.” Satan has deeply studied human nature; and though he might be mistaken in this instance, it is indeed true that many profess religion on principles of self-interest, and renounce it, when they find their religion and their interest clash. But Job was not of this character, and to prove this, and set his character in the strongest light, permission is given to try him by poverty and distress. No sooner is this given, than Satan, ever upon the alert in evil, collects the Sabian and Chaldean banditti to plunder him of his property.

“The prince of the power of the air” is even suffered to ride the whirlwind, and to wield the thunderbolt, that destroys his family and consumes his flock; and it is now, we apprehend, that Job is most advantageously presented to us as an example of patience—the most eminent in the Old Testament history. Aaron, it is true, lost two of his sons, and held his peace: Eli heard with submission the decree against his family: but Job appears to have felt more keenly; and yet, in the moment of his agony, not only submitted, but gratefully adored. ‘‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord! In all this Job sinned not.”

Chap. II. Ver. 1—13. Satan foiled in his first attempt, obtains leave to increase his afflictions, for the farther trial of his faith—The sons of God, as the holy angels are called here, and in (Job 38:7). again assemble in the divine presence; and Satan, doubtless in the disguise of an angel of light, ((2 Corinthians 11:14).) presents himself again among them: and to a repetition of the same questions, the Almighty adds, concerning Job, “and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movest me against him, to destroy him without cause.” On this, we may remark; 1. That Job sustained all his losses, not only of his property but children, without murmuring or repining: ‘‘In all this he sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”

2. That though Satan may tempt without sufficient cause, God has a wise and important reason for permitting him. ‘The trial of our faith being much more precious than (that) of gold which perisheth.” (1 Peter i. 7.) Thus Job, when he came forth out of the furnace of affliction, was humbled, and thereby prepared to bear the redoubled felicity of his latter days, and afterwards the higher enjoyments of another world. Satan now pleads that it wanted only the addition of personal feeling to render Job an apostate, and discover his hypocrisy. ‘To prove the falsehood of this charge, and to advance the character of Job to all posterity, the enemy is permitted to add this farther trial; and, with judgment equal, “in all diseases.”

{It is difficult to ascertain the exact import of the ancient proverb here quoted, ‘Skin for skin: what we judge most probable is subjoined in the notes: the general meaning, however, is, that there is nothing so near and dear, but a man will part with it to save his life, or his soul. ‘He will give the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul.” (Micah vi. 7.) But Job still “retained his integrity:” Satan, therefore, found it necessary to employ an accomplice, and that accomplice he found in the patriarch’s wife; and he suggested to her the temptation most exactly suited to his wishes. He had predicted that, as his sufferings became more intense, Job would curse his Maker to his face; and this, (strange to think!) is the very thing that she advises, “Dost thou still retain thy integrity?”

As if she had said, “Wilt thou still serve that God who thus tormenteth thee? Curse him, and then die; for die thou evidently must!” Or perhaps the temptation was still more desperate, and pointed to suicide—‘Why wilt thou thus continue to suffer, when thy sufferings might so easily be terminated by thine own hand? ‘Curse him’ for his cruelty, and fly from it.” Were this woman an idolater, as is not improbable, this is easily accounted for; for the heathen often cursed their gods, and had, in general, no expectations of an hereafter. Job’s reply seems to countenance this, by ranking her with foolish, that is, with wicked women; and from this time it is likely that she deserted him, as we infer from his complaint, (Job 19:17). and perhaps never lived to see his happy restoration. Job’s reply to this temptation is no less admirable than his conduct in the former instance: “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and not receive evil?” “In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” On this passage we shall ground only one remark, but it is an important one. regard them as coming from God, since they cannot come without his permission, and are never permitted, but for some valuable scheme. “All things work together for good to them that love God.” ((Romans 8:28).) The news of Job’s melancholy reverse of circumstances soon spread in the surrounding country, and three of his former friends, whom the Septuagint translators denominate kings, (meaning in the patriarchal sense,) though all inferior to Job, who was “the greatest man in all the east,”

came, as by common consent, to visit and to “comfort him.” His disorder had so altered him, that, at first, they did not know him; and when they did they wept over him, and sprinkled dust upon their heads, and sat down with him in silence in the open air, or probably spread a tent near him. But they saw his grief was so passionate and overwhelming, that they sat the first seven days (which shows that they divided their time into weeks) without addressing him. It does not follow, however, that they conversed not among themselves. On the contrary, it is likely they now formed a free judgment on his case, and arranged the plan and order of the subsequent conversations.

Notes on the verses

Ver. 11. And he will curse thee.—The learned Selden says, “It is most certain that the verb barak, signifies to execrate, or curse, as well as to bless; and this, as I think, (he adds,) not by antiphrasis, as some will have it; but almost from the very idiom of the sacred language, it may signify either way, according to the connexion in which it is used, as among the Latins sacrare and imprecari. For, as the first signifies at some times, to devote any one, by curses, to destruction, and at others, to consecrate any thing to God; and as we call for either good or evil upon others, so barak denotes what a man wishes, or calls for with an ardent mind, whether it be salvation or perdition. And when applied to the Deity, it either signifies addressing him by praises and thanksgivings

(which is more common,) or with revilings and reproaches: and the difference is to be collected from the nature of the case, and from the context.” Parkhurst, however, denies this, and insists that the word uniformly means, to bless; and he is followed by Drs. Good, Clarke, Boothroyd, and many others. Here, therefore, they render the words interrogatively, ‘Will he then, indeed, bless thee to thy face?” But this is surely very tame for the prince of apostate spirits! The Heb. particle (am) is frequently used in oaths and protestations; and we should rather render it, supplying the necessary verb, ‘‘See if he curse thee not to thy face!” i.e. I protest he will. Compare (Numbers 14:23), and note; (Psalms 95)

11. Ver. 15. Sabeans.—These Sabeans were probably those who were the descendants of Abraham, by Keturah, and who inhabited Arabia Deserta, east of the land of S; though some think they were the descendants of Sheba, son of Cush, and inhabited Arabia Felix. —Bagster. Ver. 16. The fire of God.—This is literal; and does not mean, as in the margin, ‘a great fire,” but fire from heaven: i.e. the lightning. Ver. 19. A great wind from.—Good, “across” the wilderness, or rather, “desert.” Bruce describes a whirlwind which took him and two of his servants off their feet, and threw them; also lifted a camel, which happened to be in the centre of its vortex, and broke its ribs. It also “demolished one half of a small hut, as if it had been cut through with a knife, and dispersed the materials all over the plain, leaving the other half standing.”

Ver. 21. Naked came I, &c.—Here may be a double reference; but that the earth was “the mother of us all,” seems a favourite idea among the poets of all nations. The earth was called by the Chaldeans Dameter, and by the Greeks Demeter, or mother-goddess. Chap. II. Ver. 3. “Lo destroy him without cause.—It is here expressly asserted, that there was no cause for suspecting Job’s integrity, or for treating him as a hypocrite, as Satan had insinuated. Ver. 4. Skin for skin.—This very ancient proverb is diversely explained. The two following are the most probable interpretations. 1, “Skin after skin,” says Parkhurst, who thinks it may refer to the renovation of skin on the human body, importing that a man may “bear even to have his skin, as it were, stripped off again and again, provided only that his life be safe.” In support of this, Schultens says, the kindred verb in Arabic, which means to flay, or strip off the skin,”

is also applied to stripping a person of his property, or fortune. Dr. Good (who mentions this) prefers, however, 2. The popular translation, ‘skin for skin;” supposing the skins of animals to be a staple article of trade, then skin for skin, or all the skins which a man possesses, will he give for his own skin; that is, to save his life, or soul. Ver. 7. Sore biles.—“Ulcerous sores,” Boothroyd; “A burning ulcer,” or black leprosy, of the -Good. [Shechin ra, supposed to be the Judham, Arabs, termed Elephantiasis by the Greeks, from its rendering the skin, like that of the elephant, scabrous, dark-coloured, and furrowed all over with tubercles. This loathsome, and most afflictive disease is accompanied with most intolerable itching.

)—Bagster. Ver. 8. A potsherd.—A piece of broken earthenware. Such fragments were hence cast upon the dust heap, without doors, where Job was now sitting in distress. Ver. 9. Curse God and die.—Parkhurst renders this, “‘Dost thou yet retain thine integrity, blessing God, and dying?” and he is followed by most modern translators; but we greatly hesitate to follow him. Surely there is no time more appropriate for blessing God, than that of death! But in the lips of such characters as Satan and Job’s wife, cursing seems more appropriate, than blessing. Ver. 11. Job’s three friends—The LXX. thus designate them: 1. Eliphaz, king of the Temanites, (an Edomite, (Genesis 36:10-11).) 2. Bildad, chief of the Sanchites, (or Shuites.) And, 3.

Zophar, king of the Minuites, or Naamathites. They were probably the chief of these tribes, but by no means independent sovereigns. Chap. III. Ver. 2. Job spake.—The term does not always imply a previous question, (as we find in our Lord’s discourses,) but merely a reference to some previous circumstance. Job perceived the thoughts of his friends in their silence, and broke out into the following passionate exclamations. Ver. 3. Let the day perish.—[That is, as we say, “Let it be blotted out of the Calendar.” It was an ancient custom to mark certain days as fortunate or unfortunate, because on them some fortunate or calamitous event had occurred. Mournful dirges were rehearsed with loud lamentations, on the unfortunate ones; on which they never indulged themselves in any mirth or pleasure.] —Bagster.— The night in which it was said.—Both members of this verse certainly refer to his birth, and the latter most accurately to the announcement of it to his father; ‘‘the night in which it was announced (namely, to his father) a man child is brought forth;”’ (so Good) or, more strictly, ‘‘has been.”

Ver. 4. Let not God regard it.—“Unclose;” Good; who says the verb, both in Hebrew and Arabic, is “to open, or unclose.” “The idea of not opening, or unlocking, the morning, is beautifully poetical. Ver. 5. Stain it.—Boothroyd, “Claim it;” as belonging rather to midnight than the day.—Let a cloud dwell on it.—More literally, as well as poetically, “Let the storm pitch on it,” as a traveller pitcheth his tent. Possibly it may allude to that intense darkness that sometimes indicated the divine presence. See (Psalms 18:11).—Let the blackness of the day terrify it.—“But what is the blackness of the day?” says Dr. Good. We may reply, the tempest just referred to, which is far more awful than the natural darkness of the day.

Ver. 8. Let them curse it (the night) that curse the day.—{That is, probably, “Let them curse my birth-day who hate daylight, such as thieves, murderers, &c., and let them curse it who, like me, being weary of life, are so desperate as to provoke the leviathan.”}—Bagster. Ver. 14. Which built, &c.—[Who erect splendid mausoleums, funeral monuments, &c., to keep their names from perishing, while their bodies are turned to corruption.]—Bagster. Ver. 19. Small and great.—{The grave is the common receptacle of all; where all sorts and conditions of men are equally blended, and ultimately reduced to one common dust. All men begin and end life alike; “Pale death, with equal pace, knocks at the palaces of kings, and at the cottages of the poor.”} Ver. 20. Whose way is hid.—That is, who is surrounded with troubles, from which he can see no possible way of escape.

Ver. 25. For the thing, &c.—From the moment of his reverse of circumstances, he dreaded their accumulation and increase. Ver. 26. I was not in safety.—Heath renders it, “I have no more ease,” &c. We should prefer the following, ‘I have had no more ease, nor rest, nor quiet; but trouble (only) hath come.” So Scott, (the poet:) “Still trembling, suffering, I’m allowed to know No ease from terror, nor one pause from woe.”