Job 15

— the number of years is hidden &c.] His prospect of many years to come may be suddenly shortened: he may be cut off in the height of his career by the stroke of death, when he least expects a change. Chappelow.

— his branch shall not be green.] Shall not continue green. His fate shall be like that of a vine or olive, that is withered by drought, or by a poisonous east wind: see the next verse. Scott.

Job 15:7

7. — thou hast made desolate all my company.] Thou, Eliphas, by thy slanders, sanctified by thy years and character, drivest away the few friends my adversity had left me. It is supposed he alludes to chap. xv. 34, “the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate.” Scott.

Job 15:8

8. And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, &c.] That is, my friends reproach me with it, as if it were a proof of my being wicked. Peters.

Or thus: the wrinkles that are suddenly grown in my face, bear witness to my extreme suffering. Bp. Hall.

Job 15:9

9. He teareth me in his wrath, &c.] This passage is generally referred to God as the agent. Caryl. Or, by a sudden change of the person, expressive of great emotion, he turneth from Eliphas to the audience; and, instead of continuing his address to him, complaineth bitterly of him. “He,” this man, my professed friend, is become my false accuser. Scott. The metaphor is taken from a beast of prey, who rends and tears his prey in pieces; and the same metaphor is carried on through the whole. Heath.

Job 15:10

10. They have gaped upon me with their mouth;] My friends, the instruments of God’s anger, have treated me with the greatest contempt, and combined to grieve me. Clark.

This was the case with Christ, as it had been with Job. In this, and in many other things, the Jews, who received this book as written under the influence of the Spirit of God, might have seen that the best of men may suffer wrongfully; and suffer by the malice of men and devils. Such is God’s will. Bp. Wilson.

— they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully;] A proverbial form of speech for atrocious defamation. Lam. iii. 30. Scott.

Job 15:13

13. — he poureth out my gall upon the ground.] A proverbial expression, which appears to be derived from hence; When a beast is taken and slain, it is usual, on taking out the bowels, to pour the gall on the ground, lest the overflowing of it should give a disagreeable

Job 15:21

21. A dreadful sound is in his ears: &c.] The wicked is here described as threatened by various dangers, though one only calamity may be destined to strike him: his misery is thus multiplied, because his conscience, and Providence, which conceals its intention, threaten him with all. Rickasik.

“A dreadful sound is in his ears, that in peace the destroyer will come upon him.” When there are no signs of invasions, insurrections, or plots against him, his disturbed imagination is continually presenting destruction to him. This is strong painting. Scott.

Job 15:22

22. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness.] If he fall into trouble he despairs of deliverance: instead of being delivered from this, a farther evil, even utter destruction, is ready to seize on him. Clark.

Job 15:23

23. He wandereth abroad for bread, &c.] This abrupt transition to the punishment of the wicked transgressor, admirably expresses the suddenness of the event, and presents him to our sight in a most deplorable state of calamity. Scott.

Job 15:26

26. He runneth upon him, even on his neck.] The wicked man maketh violent and presumptuous opposition to God, as if he could grapple with and overcome the Almighty; and fearlessly runs upon the most conspicuous judgments of God. Bp. Hall.

These images are borrowed from the single combat, which was much practised in the ancient wars. “Stretching out the hand” is the attitude of defiance: “strengthening himself,” or behaving himself insolently, may denote the haughty terms of the challenge; and “running, &c.” the intrepidity and fury of his attack. These bold metaphors are intended to express the most daring impiety, atrocious violation of the laws of God, with contempt of His vindictive justice. The whole may be thus translated: “For he stretched out his

VOL. I.

Job 15:27

27. Because he covereth his face with his fatness.] Because he is grown rich, powerful, and successful; and his only care is to pamper and please himself. Clark.

Job 15:28

28. And he dwelleth in desolate cities.] He possesseth cities which he hath laid desolate; and houses out of which he hath driven the owners, and which are running to ruin. Bp. Patrick.

The foregoing verse marked the sensuality of this wicked man. The character would have been left unfinished, had nothing been added concerning the oppressions by which that luxury was supported. I think, therefore, that by “dwelling in desolate cities, &c.” must be understood his getting possession of them by conquest, and depopulating them, partly by his sword, and partly by severe contributions and taxations. Scott.

Job 15:29

29. — neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.] The verse may be thus rendered: “He shall not (continue to) be rich, neither shall his might endure, and their prosperity shall not extend,” or “spread abroad in the earth,” like a flourishing tree. Parkhurst.

Job 15:30

30. He shall not depart &c.] He shall not come out of his calamities. The destruction of the tyrant, with his whole family and fortunes, is here represented by that of a lofty tree, which on some dark tempestuous day is fired by lightning, torn up by the wind, and hurled down the precipice on which it grew. Scott.

Job 15:31

31—35. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity:] Eliphas laid down his doctrine at the 20th verse of this chapter, that a wicked man’s life is full of misery; and having insisted long upon the proof, he now gives the application of it. Caryl.

31. Let not him that is deceived &c.] Let not him that is seduced into evil ways trust to uncertain greatness; for disappointments shall be all that he will gain by it: and he shall meet with these where he least expects them; and shall see his children wither away as well as himself. Bp. Patrick.

Job 15:32

32 It shall be [accomplished before] Or. cut off.

hand against God, and bade defiance to the Almighty. He ran upon Him with his neck,” that is, with his neck stooping and stretched out, the very attitude of a combatant running upon his adversary, “upon the thick boss of His buckler.” The scripture posts represent the Almighty armed with a shield, a sword, and a bow. Scott.

32. It shall be accomplished before his time, &c.] Affliction shall come when he least thinks of it, like fruit withered before it be ripe. Bp. Wilson.

Job 15:35

35. They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity.] See Ps. vii. 14; Isai. lix. 4. All his attempts are rendered abortive; yet he still persists in continuing new schemes of fraud. Grotius.

— their belly prepareth deceit.] Their secret thoughts do but in the end deceive themselves. Bp. Hall.

Chap. XVI, XVII. Job answers that Eliphas had said nothing new, nothing worthy of notice. Piety and virtue would not be extinguished, if they had no certain rewards in this life; the truly pious, he declares, would still persevere: he maintains his innocence, and calls God to witness that he is not polluted with secret sins. Michaelis.

Chap. XVI. ver. 4. — I could heap up words against you.] I could tack together (old) sayings against you; alluding to the speech of Eliphas, who in the preceding chapter had urged such sayings against Job. Parkhurst.

— shake mine head at you.] As a mark of scorn: so Ps. xxii. 7, “All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head.” Caryl.