Job 19

Job again complains of his friends, maintaining that the cause of his affliction must be found in God’s supremacy (2-6); describes his sufferings, and calls for pity (7-22); and declares his assurance of deliverance, and blessedness with God in a future life (23-29).

3 ten times. Many times.

that ye make yourselves strange to me. Or, “that ye crush me.”

4. Mine error remaineth with myself. The meaning is, It is I who suffer by it; and I should therefore have your sympathy.

5 my reproach. That is, my sufferings with which ye reproach me.

10. He hath destroyed me. Literally, “He hath broken me down.”

12. His troops. My numerous calamities attack me like an army, prepare their approaches and surround my tent.

15 dwell. Rather, “sojourn,” as guests.

16. I called. Rather, “I call . . . and he giveth me no answer, though I intreat him with my mouth”; a crowning humiliation.

17. Though I intreated, etc. Literally, “And my intreating.” Or, the word rendered “my intreating” may mean “I am loathsome”: see R.V. marg.

18 young children despised. Or, “Young lads despise.” An extreme indignity in Oriental countries: xxix. 7-10. The latter clause should read (R.V.), “If I arise, they speak against me.”

19 my inward friends. Heb., “men of my council”; i.e., intimate friends.

22 satisfied with my flesh. i.e., with having “devoured” me by your calumnies. In Syriac a calumniator is termed “an eater of flesh.”

23 printed. Rather, “inscribed,” as R.V.

24 an iron pen and lead. The “iron” or stylus carved the letters in the rock; the “lead” was melted and poured into the cavities.

25. For I know. Rather, “But I know” (R.V.).

my Redeemer liveth. Job now turns for comfort under the harsh judgement of men, to his assured belief. He had given up all hope of deliverance in this world, and regarded himself as a man who had been slain: see ch. xvi. 16-19; xvii. 11-16. And this is confirmed by his use of the word “Goel,” or Redeemer, the designation of the nearest kinsman, who was in Eastern usage “the avenger of blood.” It is, therefore, to his hope of vindication in a future life that he must here refer, in the conviction that after death he should joyfully behold his ever-living Vindicator, who would publicly appear and decide in his favour. This suggests an analogy between the present passage and some in the Book of Genesis; though the terms employed are so general that their full meaning is recognised chiefly by the help of later indications, such as that in Heb. xii. 13-16; see Gen. iv. 4; xlix. 10, 18, and notes. The references in this book are in harmony with its character and age, and with the distant vision which the early patriarchs had of gospel blessings; for they “saw them afar off.”

26. In my flesh. Rather, “without my flesh,” probably meaning, “set free from the flesh.”

27 not another. “Not a stranger”; “I shall see Him as no stranger to me,” i.e., as no more estranged.

my reins. The “reins,” or kidneys, were regarded in the East as the seat of deepest longing.

28. But ye should say, etc. In these words, Job seems to declare that the appearance of his Vindicator will bring judgement on his calumniators; see R.V. “If ye say, How we will assail him, seeing that the root of the matter is found in him! be ye afraid,” etc. The “root of the matter” is the ground, the real cause for Job’s troubles. This, his friends alleged, was found in Job himself.

29 wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword. Literally (as R.V. marg.), “wrath (or wrathful) are the punishments of the sword,” the Divine penalty on calumniators.