Job 10

shadow of death.] Rather, “a land of darkness, as the darkness of the shadow of death.” Dr. Durell. The original of this gloomy picture, drawn in the deepest shades of horreur, is probably the subterraneous chambers of the sepulchral grottoes. Scott. — without any order.] Where every thing is in such disorder as to resemble the primeval chaos. Capellus. The conduct of Job is an example of piety and of weakness: of piety, in acknowledging that the Almighty Being, from whom he received his life and all things, was perfectly righteous in all his ways; of weakness, in complaining that it would have been better he had never been born. Let us imitate his piety, and acknowledge at all times the goodness of our Creator: let us avoid his weakness, and submit without murmuring to God’s chastening hand. Ostervold. Chap. XI. Zophar goes beyond Eliphas and Bildad in the assertion, that none are visited by Divine chastisement but such as deserve it: he maintains that Job’s affliction is far short of his desert; and that Job himself would acknowledge it to be so, if he were able to fathom the counsels of God. He urges the vanity of attempting to flee from Divine justice and power, which are exerted always with a view to tame the wildness of human nature; and he concludes with an exhortation to Job to call to mind his past acts of injustice, and presently to make the best reparation for them in his power: the consequence of which would be the recovering of the favour of God, and his former prosperity. Bp. Stock. Ver. 2. — should a man full of talk be justified?] Acquitted from the crimes with which he is charged, and be accounted righteous merely because of his multitude of words? Clark.

Job 10:3

3. — shall no man make thee ashamed?] By confuting thee put thee to shame. Caryl.

Job 10:4

4. — My doctrine is pure.] The word “doctrine” is here, by a latitude of signification, used for discourse. Rosenmüller.

Job 10:5

5. But oh that God would speak, &c.] Zophar here alludes to the wish expressed by Job, chap. ix. 35. Rosenmüller. 6. — that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is!] The methods of His providence and wise disposal of things, with which thou art unacquainted, that thou hast deserved far more than He hath laid upon thee. Clark. — that they are double to that which is!] That in strict justice He might inflict upon thee double to what thou now sufferest. Bp. Hall.

Job 10:7

7—9. Canst thou by searching find out God? &c.] These three verses are an illustration or a comment

7. Canst thou by searching &c.] “Canst thou by searching find out God?” Dost thou know God intimately, and thoroughly within and without? Canst thou pierce into the centre of His perfections, and dive into the bottom of them? And “Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?” canst thou find out the Almighty to the very last and utmost of Him? so that thou canst say after a thorough search and inquiry, There is no perfection in God beyond this, there is nothing of Him now that remains to be known: this He is, and no other; that He is, and no otherwise; this He can do, and no more; hither doth His power, and knowledge, and wisdom reach, and no farther. “Canst thou do this?” These interrogations have the force of a vehement negation: as if he had said, No, thou canst not: God is unsearchable, He is incomprehensible. Abp. Tillotson. These words represent to us the vanity of an inquisitive temper, and the defect of our knowledge in respect to spiritual objects; but they are not designed to exclude our endeavours after the proof of a Deity, or to stifle those limited notions and apprehensions of the Divine nature and attributes, which God has thought fit to communicate to us. We are to make a right use and exercise of our reason, and to get as fully acquainted with the object of our worship as we can; but we are not to suffer our knowledge to move out of its sphere, or to presume that a finite being can comprehend the nature, or account for all the actions, of an infinite God. Dr. Coney.

Job 10:8

8—13. Thine hands have made me &c.] At ver. 3 of this chapter we found Job questioning with the Lord, “Is it good unto Thee that Thou shouldest oppress, that Thou shouldest despise the work of Thine hands?” In the following passage he insists upon and illustrates that argument by fitting it to his own condition: as if he had said, Am not I the work of Thine hands? ver. 8, and “yet Thou dost destroy me.” Caryl. 9. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me &c.] Need I put Thee in mind, that I was formed by Thee, as the potter works the clay into what shape he pleases? and now Thou art crumbling me in pieces again. Bp. Patrick.

8. It is as high as heaven;] The meaning is, The nature and perfections of God are above the understanding of any of His creatures. It is only His own infinite understanding that can frame a perfect idea of His own perfection. Abp. Tillotson. When we cannot comprehend a thing, we say it is beyond our reach; or, it is too high or too deep for us.

Job 10:10

10. — curdled me like cheese?] That is, brought me into shape. Bp. Wilson. Shall my substance receive so great a change, as to be brought near to its dissolution? This substance, which Thou wert solicitous in “pouring out as milk;” anxiously curious in its formation, when I was in the state of an embryo; blending and proportioning the several parts of the body to each other, so as to bring them to a beautiful perfection. This substance, which was “curdled like cheese;” the several members of which were once a rude uncongealed mass, without contexture, without beauty; but by Thy Almighty power secretly and surprisingly wrought: every loose divided limb receiving from Thee its proper shape and ligament, and taught by Thee its distinct use and office. Chappelow.

Job 10:13

13. And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: &c.] Thou hast conferred upon me great and signal blessings; but these evils, which I now suffer, Thou didst reserve for me, and appoint them to be inflicted upon me. Rosenmüller. “This is with Thee” is a phrase, which denotes the secret decree of God, chap. xxiii. 14. Scott.

Job 10:14

14. If I sin, then thou markest me, &c.] I cannot offend Thee in the least, but Thou, by whom I was thus formed, must needs know and observe it, and I cannot avoid Thy punishment for it. Bp. Patrick. 15. If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head.] That is, I cannot, will not hope for any such temporal deliverance upon account of my righteousness, as you are endeavouring to persuade me of, from a mistaken principle; and according to which, if no such deliverance should happen, you are still resolved to condemn me as an innocent man. Peters.

Job 10:16

16. — Thou huntest me as a fierce lion:] That is, as if I were a fierce lion: compare chap. iv. 10. The allusion, in this and the following verse, is to that manner of hunting the lion, wherein the hunters, armed with spears and javelins, formed themselves in a ring about the beast, and threw their weapons at him one after another. By this image, Job represents in lively colours the violent and rapid succession of his calamities. Scott. — thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.] Thou proceedest after an unusual and extraordinary manner with me, so that every one will wonder at it, Numb. xvi. 29, 30. Clark.

Job 10:17

17. Thou renewest thy witnesses against me.] Fresh witnesses of Thine anger rise up against me: Thou multipliest Thy plagues upon me, so that there is no end, but only a change of my conflicts. Bp. Patrick. The word, rendered “witnesses,” may be translated weapons, or attacks, or troops: in either of these ways, the allusion to the chase will be preserved. “Changes and war” means “changes of war;” or successions of war: denoting the war of the chase, carried on by repeated attacks. Scott.

Job 10:20

20. — cease then, and let me alone.] Hence we may observe, that except the Lord withdraw His hand, nothing in the world can give us ease. Caryl. 22. A land of darkness, as darkness itself: and of the Zophar reproveith Job. God’s wisdom Before CHRIST about 1520. without any order, and where the light is as darkness. # CHAP. XI.