Job 27
PATYea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. And he was afraid of a sorer punishment, if he stayed there. (See Grotius, de Iraperio.S. P. circa Sacra, p. 251.) chap, xxviii.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. managed during his minority by the princes of the people. But Jacobus Capellus rather thinks he reigned sixteen years by himself alone; and then took his son into society with him, in the government of the kingdom. “Ver. 9. And Jotham slept with his fathers,< and they buried him in the city of David: and Akaz his son reigned in his stead.] See 2 Kings xv. 38. As Bildad began to decline the dispute, so Zophar quite gives it over: either looking upon Job as incurably obstinate, or (as we might more charitably conceive, were’ it not for what we read xxxii. 1.) being convinced he had more reason on his side. Whose silence so raised the spirit of Job, that he now triumphs over his opponents: as the word mashal, which we render parable, may denote. For it signifies among the Hebrews an elegant ingenious kind of speech; excelling, and, as it were, domineering over all other, in its pithiness, or neatness, or some other rare quality. Such is the following discourse of Job, which begins (in this chapter) with a vehement protestation that he would never desert his plea; nor yield to their doctrine, that a remarkable vengeance always attends upon wickedness in this world: ihough he grants, and largely here asserts, that sometimes there doth.
Job 27:1
«/ OTHAM teas twenty and five years old when he began foreign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: his mother’s name also was Jerushah, the daughter ofZadok. JjLOREOVER, Job continued his parable, and said.] After Job had made some pause, and Zophar (whose turn it was now to speak) had nothing at all td reply, he proceeded with greater eloquence than ever to assert his innocence; saying,
Job 27:2
And he did that tvhich tvas right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah did. The very same is said in 2 Kings xv. 33, 34.. Howbeit he entered not into the temple of the Lord.] Some imagine, he was so frighted at what befel his father, that he did not so much as go into the court of the temple, or that he did not offer sacrifices in the temple, but in high places. But this doth not well agree with the words foregoing: therefore the meaning rather is, that he imitated his father in all that was good in him; but did not profanely enter into the temple to offer incense, as he did., And the people did yet corruptly.] For they offered incense in high places, 2 Kings xv. 35. and, as some think, committed idolatry. As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul] I protest by the eternal God, who, for the present, will not judge my cause; by the omnipotent Lord of the world, who hath loaded me with so many afflictions, that they have taken away all the pleasure of life from me:
Job 27:3
lie built the high gam of the house of the Lord. It was built before by Solomon, but he repaired it, (2 Kings xv.35.) and, as some think, added a very glorious structure to it. And on the wall of Ophel he built much.] The Targum translates it, a palace: but others understand by Ophel a high place, or cliff, where there was a tower. Pellicamis thinks, the meaning is, that he much beautified, as well as repaired, the porch of the Lord’s house, which was a hundred and twenty cubits high. All the while my breath is in vie, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils.] I protest, t say, that as long as I have breath in my body, and he shall enable me to speak & word,
Job 27:4
Moreover, he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. That is, he took care to fortify his kingdom strongly on all sides against his enemies. My lips shall not Speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.] My tongue Shall be the faithful interpreter of mine hekrt, and I will never speak otherways than I think.
Job 27:5
He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. This people had been entirely subdued by David, as we read 2 Sam. x. xii. 31. but now it seems they had recovered so much strength, that they invaded the country of Judah; but were overthrown by Jotham. And the children ofAmmon gave 1dm the same year a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley.] He made them tributaries to him; and they began the very same year to pay the tribute. So much did the children ofAmmon pay unto him, both the second year and the third.] Either this was the agreement, that for three years they should make this acknowledgment; or, at the three years* end they grew so strong again, that they refused to continue it longer. God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove my integrity from me.] Therefore never hope I will yield to your opinion, which I know to be false: no, 1 abhor the thought of it, and will sooner die than confess the guilt you charge me withal. Ver. G. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.] You shall never extort that from me, but I will resolutely maintain my righteousness, and not be persuaded by any reasons to desert its defence: my’consciencc doth not hitherto accuse me, and it shall never upbr^Kd me hereafter, for betraying mine innocence.
Job 27:6
So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. Directed his counsels and actions aright, according to the rule of God’s word. Solomon Jarchi here observes, that all the kings of Judah had some ill thing laid to their charge, but only Jotham: for David himself sinned grievously in the matter of Uriah: Solomon was drawn away by his wives to countenance idolatry: Rehoboam forsook the law of God; and Abijah walked in his steps: Asa took the treasures of God’s house, and sent them to the king of Syria; and likewise put the prophet in the stocks: Jehoshaphat entered into society with the wicked; and so he goes on with the rest. But in Jotham (saith he) there is no fault found; which is a wonder, when there were so few good people among them: for his integrity was not so great, as the corruption of his people; who immediately after his death joined with Ahaz in his abominable idolatries.
Job 27:7
Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways. He had wars not only with the Ammonites, but with the Syrians, and with the ten tribes, as may be gathered from 2 Kings xv. 37. Lo, they are wntten in the book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.] The affairs of the kings of Judah are commonly said to be recorded in the Chronicles of the kings of Judah: but this king’s actions, it seems, were so eminent, that the Israelites also recorded some of them in their books. Let mine enemy be as the xoicked, and he that riseth tip against me as the unrighteous.] And let me tell you, he that sets himself against me, and would have me thought wicked, shall bo found so himself in the end: I say again, he shall prove himself unrighteous sooner than me;
Job 27:8
He xvasfivc-and-tiventy years old when he began to reign; and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. This was said before, ver. 1. and it is not easy to give an account why it is here repeated. Unless it be true, which Kiinchi saith, that Jotham was born the same year that his father was struck with a leprosy’; but was not king till he grew up, and was instructed in the government; which was For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?] Who knows very well it is madness for a man to counterfeit piety when he hath none: for though he may get riches by that pretence while he lives, yet what hope hath he when he dies?
Job 27:9
Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?. Nay, before that, when any calamity comes upon him, will God give any regard to the cries of one who regarded him so little?
Job 27:10
Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?. Or will he himself have the confidence to go to God, and expect any comfort from him? will he not rather despond in such a case, and cease to call upon him?
Job 27:11
I will teach you by the hand of God; that which isioith the Almighty will I not conceal. Do not disdain to learn of me, and I will make you understand what God doth with the wicked; and discover to you some of the secrets of his Almighty providence.
Job 27:12
Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?. Behold, there is not one of you but hath by his own experience found what I am about to say to be certainly true; and yet, such is your vanity, you will defend an ungrounded opinion.
Job 27:13
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. I grant that a wicked man (but not all wicked men, as you maintain) doth sometimes receive such punishment from God as he deserves: which might make other tyrannical oppressors fear to meet with the same vengeance.
Job 27:14
If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword; and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. We have seen, for instance, his numerous posterity fall by the sword of justice or war, Or by the fury of a popular tumult: and they who escaped, were reserved to perish with cruel hunger;
Job 27:15
Those that remain of him shall be buried in death; and his widows shall not weep. Or else with such pestilential diseases, that none would adventure to bury them, nor did their widows survive to lament them.
Job 27:16
Though he heapeth up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay. So that if ho have treasured up such heaps of riches, that he values silver no more than dust, nor costly apparel and furniture than the mire of the street;
Job 27:17
He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. He shall have only the trouble of gathering them together, but none of his shall enjoy them: God shall translate all these treasures to another family, who shall do morcgood with them.
Job 27:21
And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the daij of his death. The punishment was capital for meddling rashly with Divine ministrations, as we see from the beginning, in the case of Nadab and Abihu, (Lev. x. 1, 2. and see Numb. iii. 10. xviii. 7.) Now the leprosy was a kind of death, because it separated those who were smitten with it from the society of men, as if they were dead, and no part of this world. And dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he ivas cut off from the house of the Lord.] In the Hebrew the words are, he dwelt in a house of freedom; so such places were called, because such as were there were exempt from the common affairs, and shut up from the conversation of men: whence such as are laid in their grave, are said to be free among the dead, (Psal. lxxxviii. 5.) because removed from all the affairs and conversation of the world. (See Dr. Hammond upon that place, annot. c.) And Jotham his sort was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.] See 2 Kings xv. 5.
Job 27:22
Noiu the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son ofAmoz, write. This shews, the prophets were wont (as I have before observed) to write the history of their own times. For Isaiah prophesied in the beginning of Uzziah’s reign,, and, as Abarbinel thinks, before Hosea, who lived in the same period of time; and prophesied before Jeremiah and Ezekiel..
Job 27:23
So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings. This was in the city of David, as we read in 2’Kings xv. 7. For they said, He is a leper.] Therefore he was not buried in the sepulchre of the kings his predecessors; but had a several burial-place when he was 1 dead, as he had a several house while he lived. And Jotham his son reigned in his stead*