Job 26

Ver. 1. — his parable.] See the note on Numb. xxiii. 7. The original word “Mashal” I take to be the general name for poetick style among the Hebrews, including every sort of it, as ranging under one or other, or all of the characters, of sententious, figurative, and sublime; which are all contained in the original notion, or in the use and application, of the word mashal. Parables or proverbs, such as those of Solomon, are always expressed in short pointed sentences; frequently figurative, being formed on some comparison; generally forcible and authoritative, both in the matter and the form. And such in general is the style of the Hebrew poetry. The verb mashal signifies to rule, to exercise authority; to make equal, to compare one thing with another; to utter parables, or acute, weighty, and powerful speeches, in the form and manner of parables, though not properly such. Thus Balaam’s first prophecy, Numb. xxiii. 7—10, is called his mashal, though it has hardly any thing figurative in it; but it is beautifully sententious, and, from the very form and manner of it, has great spirit, force, and energy. Thus Job’s last speeches, in answer to the three friends, are called mashals; from no one particular character, which discriminates them from the rest of the poem, but from the sublime, the figurative, the sententious manner, which equally prevails through the whole poem, and

Job 26:6

6. Hell is naked before him.] The meaning is, not merely that the region of death lies in prospect before Him, but that it is under His eye as part of His dominion. Death is the effect of His moral kingdom; and the consequences of death, the destruction of the body in the grave, and the disposal of unbodied souls in Sheol, are operations of His power. Scott.

Job 26:7

7. He stretcheth out the north &c.] He hath spread out this glorious hemisphere of the heavens upon the void and empty space of the light and thin air; and hangeth the great ball of the earth in the midst of heaven without any prop or foundation. Bp. Hall.

The “south,” in chap. ix. 9, means the southern hemisphere of the heavens: by the “north,” therefore, he here intends the northern half of the heavens. The expression “He stretcheth out” is that which the Hebrew poets generally use when they celebrate the formation of the heavens. It is a metaphor from a tent or pavilion. Issi. xl. 22. Scott.

— hangeth the earth upon nothing.] This has been formerly questioned by some, and denied by others. But now all agree in it, since so many have sailed round the earth; for that could never have been done, if the earth did not hang in the air, without any thing but the immediate hand of God to support it. But this is no new discovery: for here we see that Job, one of the oldest writers extant in the world, if not the oldest of all, knew it in his day. Bp. Beveridge.

Job 26:8

8. He bindeth up the waters &c.] He binds up the waters, and keeps them suspended in the clouds; through which they do not burst all at once, but distil by drops to moisten the earth in due season. Bp. Patrick.

This verse comprehends the whole process of Almighty power in making the air, raising the watery vapours, condensing them into clouds, and sustaining them in that form, so that their contents may not burst all at once upon the earth. Scott.

Job 26:9

9. He holdeth back the face of his throne.] He keeps the highest heavens, which is His throne, (Issi. lxvi. 1.) from our view, that its lustre and glory (Esek. i. 26.) should not reach us and dazzle our sight. Clark, Michaelis.

Job 26:11

11. The pillars of heaven tremble &c.] When God shews Himself angry by sending thunder, tempests, and earthquakes, the very heavens seem to tremble, and the whole universe to be moved by these tokens of His displeasure. Clark.

The figurative expression, “the pillars of heaven,” seems intended to represent the heavens under the idea of an immense fabric supported on stately columns. Their “trembling” and “astonishment” is the animated style of sublime poetry, to denote violent concussions of the air, and agitation of the clouds. The cause is God’s “reproof;” that is, thunder, lightning, and tempestuous winds, which are represented by the heathen, as well as by sacred poets, as effects and tokens of God’s displeasure at the sins of men. Scott.

Job 26:12

12. He divideth the sea with his power.] This passage probably refers to the separation of the waters at the creation: like the parallel passage chap. xxxviii. 8—11. In both places Rahab or “proud” is an epithet of the sea. Dr. Hales.

Or it may be no more than the description of a tempest: and if the former part of ver. 12 mean, that God sometimes by His power raises a violent storm at sea; the latter may be well enough understood of the pride or swelling of the sea itself, allayed again by the same Divine power and will that raised it. Peters.

Job 26:13

13. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; &c.] Finally by His wise contrivance the heavens were adorned and made thus beautiful as we behold them: His power made the celestial signs. Bp. Patrick. “The crooked serpent” may mean an heavenly constellation, called the great dragon or serpent; which being most eminent, as taking up a considerable part of the northern hemisphere, may well be put for all the rest of the constellations or stars, with which the heavens are garnished. Job was well acquainted with the doctrine of astronomy; and knew the nature and names of the stars and constellations, as appears also from chap. ix. 9, and xxxviii. 31. Poole.

Job 26:14

14. Lo, these are parts of his ways: &c.] The works of God are many and wonderful: we know but a very small part of them, and we cannot comprehend all the reasons of His conduct in the government of the world. God is so great, so powerful, so just and wise, that we ought not to presume to question any thing that He does, nor pry into His works with too much curiosity. We ought rather to be firmly persuaded that He governs all things with wisdom, justice, and goodness, and humbly submit to all His dispensations. Osterwald.

Chap. XXVII. Job, having refuted the principle on 3 Y 2 Job protesteth his sincerity. The hypocrite is without hope. Before CHRIST about 1820. to take up. my soul bitter. breath which God gave him. my days. MOREOVER Job † continued his parable, and said,