may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them, stamping them to pieces by walking over the nest. V. 16. She is hardened against her young ones, apparently dealing harshly with them, as though they were not hers; her labor is in vain without fear, it does not seem to bother the ostrich that her labor in laying the eggs is vain when they are crushed in this manner, v. 17. because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath He imparted to her understanding, the stupidity of the ostrich being proverbial in Arabia. V. 18. What time she lifteth up herself on high, lifting herself to her full height with a lashing movement, she scorneth the horse and his rider, mocking them by the swiftness of her flight. The Lord now turns to the description of the war-horse, highly prized and praised in Arabia since ancient times. V. 19. Hast thou given the horse strength, namely, his warlike strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder, literally, "with fluttering hair," with a waving mane? V. 20. Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper, rather, make him leap or gallop like the locust? The glory of his nostrils is terrible; when he snorts, it strikes terror to the heart. V. 21. He paweth in the valley, while the soldiers are scouting and making preparations for a battle, he is impatient for the fray, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth on to meet the armed men, ready to meet even a host in armor.

V. 22. He mocketh at fear and is not affrighted, the excitement of the battle rather taking hold of him, neither turneth he back from the sword. V. 23. The quiver, namely, that of the horseman seated upon him, rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield, all sounds which would terrorize a timid animal. V. 24. He swalloweth the

ground with fierceness and rage, as he rushes over it in full gallop; neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet, he does not stand still, he cannot contain himself when the trumpet sounds, he must get into the fray. V. 25. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha! neighing with joyful eagerness for the battle; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting, the battle-cries of the soldiers engaged in battle. Of all the poetic descriptions of the war-horse in the entire ancient literature, this, aside from the fact of its divine inspiration, is the oldest and most beautiful. V. 26. Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, flying up to great heights as a result of Job's understanding, and stretch her wings toward the south, in the annual migration, to this day one of the secrets of bird-life? V. 27. Doth the eagle mount up, soaring in stately flight, at thy command and make her nest on high? Was all this a result of Job's power and authority? V. 28. She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, that being the place where she locates her aerie, from which she has a wide outlook over the country, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place, a mighty castle and watchtower. V. 29. From thence she seeketh her prey, piercing the atmosphere far and wide with her sharp vision, and her eyes behold afar off. V. 30. Her young ones also, as true birds of prey, suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is she, the vulture being here included in the genus eagle. All these considerations, the mere recital of which had the effect of rendering Job speechless with awe, showed that God's majesty is infinitely exalted above man's criticism, that man simply cannot undertake to measure God according to the rules and ideas of mortal men.

Job's Confession and God's Second Address.

JOB RETRACTS HIS CHARGES. V. 1. Moreover, since Job was still silent, the Lord answered Job and said, v. 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him, continue his critical attitude after all that had now been laid before him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it, giving the proper replies and explanations of all the marvels set forth. Job had censured: let him now make good his charges. V. 3. Then Job answered the Lord and said, v. 4. Behold, I am vile, too base to offer a solution of the problems presented; what shall I answer Thee? He was unable to present so much as another argument. I will lay mine hand upon my mouth, closing it tightly, imposing absolute silence upon himself. V. 5. Once have I spoken, in making his challenge against

God; but I will not answer, not making another attempt to censure the Lord; yea, twice, referring to his repeated charges; but I will proceed no further. He retracted his former statements, he no longer dared to criticize God, since the Lord's miraculous wisdom and providential care was too evident to permit of his further opposition.

THE LORD REBUKES JOB'S PRESUMPTION. V. 6. Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, in order to lead him to a still higher stage of humiliation, so that he would willingly bow under the chastening hand of God, and said, v. 7. Gird up thy loins now like a man, again making ready for a sharp encounter; I will demand of thee, asking some further explanations, and declare thou unto Me. Cp. chap. 38, 3. V. 8. Wilt thou also disannul My judgment, altogether

abolishing and setting aside God's right? Wilt thou condemn Me, boldly stating that God was unjust, that thou mayest be righteous? For that is what Job's contentions really had been equivalent to. V. 9. Hast thou an arm like God, possessing almighty power? Or canst thou thunder with a voice like Him? this being an evidence of divine omnipotence and government in nature. V. 10. Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency, Job should put on these attributes of divine greatness and authority, if he made such claims; and array thyself with glory and beauty, with all the proofs of the Creator's majesty. V. 11. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath, letting it break forth and overflow in a flood, as the almighty Lord is able to do; and behold every one that is proud, and abase him, displaying such authority to punish as God exercises continually. V. 12. Look on every one that is proud and bring him low, as God can by a mere angry glance destroy the wicked; and tread down the wicked in their place, overthrowing them and annihilating their power. V. 13. Hide them in the dust together, so that the earth covers their graves; and bind their faces in secret, in the darkness and secrecy of death's realm, with the voice of their presumption and pride forever stilled. V. 14. Then will I also confess unto thee, joining in Job's praise of himself, that thine own right hand can save thee, bringing him help and salvation, this idea being implied in Job's charges, together with this, that he would vigorously administer true justice. The Lord's questions are full of majestic irony, in order to bring Job to the full realization of his untenable position.

JOB'S WEAKNESS CONTRASTED WITH THE STRENGTH EVEN OF THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.-V. 15. Behold now behemoth, a monster beast, the water-ox, or hippopotamus, which is made with thee, created by the hand of God like the human beings and living with them on the earth; he eateth grass as an ox, the tender plants, the reeds of the Nile, after the manner of domesticated cattle. V. 16. Lo, now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly, in the sinews and muscles of his abdomen. V. 17. He moveth

his tail like a cedar, bending it like a cedarbough, with great firmness and elasticity; the sinews of his stones, rather, of his thighs, are wrapped together, firmly knit or twisted, like the tendrils of the vine or like a strong rope. V. 18. His bones are as strong pieces of brass, tubes or channels of strength; his bones are like bars of iron, tenacious as wrought iron. V. 19. He is the chief of the ways of God, the firstling of God's almighty power, among the mightiest of His creatures; He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him, literally, his Maker furnished to him his sword, the sharp teeth with which he cuts down his food and which he uses in his own defense. V. 20. Surely the mountains bring him forth food, being obliged to provide food for him, if need be, where all the beasts of the field play, unhurt by him, since he is not a beast of prey, but a herbivorous animal. V. 21. He lieth under the shady trees, the lotus-bushes of the lowlands of Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean countries, in the covert of the reed and fens; for the lowlands near the river are his habitat. V. 22. The shady trees, the lotus-bushes, cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about, there are his favorite haunting-places. V. 23. Behold, he drinketh up a river and hasteth not, rather, the river becomes violent, turbulent with a quick rise, but he is not startled; he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth, he is unconcerned even if a river with the swiftly rushing course of Jordan overflows its banks, swelling up to its mouth during the spring freshets. V. 24. He taketh it with his eyes; his nose pierceth through snares. The Hebrew rather seems a challenging question: Will any one take him before his eyes, with open force, or pierce through his nose with cords? The answer is implied: No man will dare to undertake such a dangerous attack; the only way of taking the hippopotamus being by guile, in pitfalls. This picture was painted before Job's eyes in order to make him realize his own insignificance, because one of his own fellow-creatures, entirely in the power of God's providence, was mightier than he himself. What little cause, then, did he have for arrogance and conceit!

Further Reproof of Job. JOB'S WEAKNESS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE CROCODILE. V. 1. Canst thou draw out leviathan, the great and fierce crocodile of Egypt and other Mediterranean countries, with an hook, or purse-net, or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? Rather, "Into the line dost thou press down his tongue," namely, when he has

taken the bait and the drawing of the line pushes aside his tongue. V. 2. Canst thou put an hook, a ring made of plaited rushes, such as were drawn through the gills of captured fishes to prevent their escaping, into his nose, or bore his jaw through with a thorn, with an iron hook or ring, in order to tame him? V. 3. Will he, in order to regain his freedom, make many supplications unto thee? Will

he speak soft words unto thee, pleading for the master's favor with flatteries, as a domesticated animal might? V. 4. Will he make a covenant with thee, an agreement to submit himself? Wilt thou take him for a servant forever, making him a slave? V.5. Wilt thou play with him as with a bird, as one coddles and teases a pet canary? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens, making him a pet of the female house-slaves? The answer is implied in every case: No; for he is utterly untamable. V. 6. Shall the companions make a banquet of him? That is, Do the members of the fishermen's guild make him an object of trade and barter? Shall they part him among the merchants? Can they divide him among the Canaanites? Can they handle him that easily? V. 7. Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, in trying to kill him with a spear or dart? or his head with fish-spears, in hunting him with a harpoon? V. 8. Lay thine hand upon him; remember the battle, do no more, that is, if one should have the foolhardiness to attempt a fight with a fierce crocodile, he would never try it again, the remembrance of that one attempt would last forever. V. 9. Behold, the hope of him is in vain, namely, the hope of the man who would risk an encounter with such a monster. Shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? The very sight of the fierce amphibian fills the heart of the beholder with terror. V. 10. None is so fierce, rash or foolhardy, that dare stir him up, although, after all, he is a mere animal. Who, then, is able to stand before Me? Who will dare to appear before the Lord as His adversary? V. 11. Who hath prevented Me, having given something to God in the first place, having become His creditor, that I should repay him? Who among all men has the right to claim anything at the hand of God? Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is Mine; therefore He owes nothing to any creature. To these facts the Lord adds an impressive description of the crocodile's structure and mode of living. V. 12. I will not conceal his parts, He feels constrained to mention also his members, nor his power, nor his comely proportion, his gracefulness in spite of his great size. V. 13. Who can discover the face of his garment, the scaly coat of mail on his back? This is so firmly connected with his body that no man can take it off. Or who can come to him with his double bridle? Who would venture to enter into the open jaws of the crocodile, as he stretches his mouth with its double row of sharp teeth? V. 14. Who can open the doors of his face, the mighty, slashing jaws? His teeth are terrible round about, their terror being all the greater since his sixty-six teeth are not covered by the lips. V. 15. His scales are his pride, the bony shields of his

back, divided by furrows, shut up together as with a close seal, fitted together with the exactness of a seal pressed down on paper or parchment. V. 16. One is so near to another that no air can come between them. V. 17. They are joined one to another, they stick together that they cannot be sundered, they form a perfect and impenetrable shield. V. 18. By his neesings, when he blows out his breath, together with water and slime, through his nostrils, a light doth shine, it seems like a flash of light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning, of the dawn, when the first red glow appears in the east. V. 19. Out of his mouth go burning lamps, streams of water shining like torches, and sparks of fire leap out. V. 20. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or cauldron, as when a kettle is heated over a strongly smoking fire of reeds, all this describing the snorting and fretting of the crocodile when angry. V. 21. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth, this being a highly poetic description of the crocodile's fiery breath, of the steaming of his nostrils. V. 22. In his neck remaineth strength, dwelling there, making its permanent home there, and sorrow is turned into joy before him, before his advance terror and despair leap with fearful strides, this showing the effect of his appearance upon men and beasts. V. 23. The flakes of his flesh are joined together, his very flanks and dewlaps make no impression of looseness or flabbiness; they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved, being fixed upon him in rows of smaller scales, solid as a shield. V. 24. His heart is as firm as a stone, molded into a solid piece, yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone, which was always particularly hard, in order to bear the movement of the grinding. V. 25. When he raiseth up himself, with all this fierceness of his heart, the mighty are afraid; by reason of breakings they purify themselves, that is, they are so overcome with astonishment and terror that they miss their aim. V. 26. The sword of him that layeth at him, in an effort to wound or kill him, cannot hold, it glances off without effect; the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon, no matter what weapon or missile is used. V. 27. He esteemeth iron as straw, for it has no effect on his mailed hide, and brass as rotten wood, since it bends and breaks on the shield of his back. V. 28. The arrow, literally, "the son of the quiver," cannot make him flee; slingstones are turned with him into stubble, utterly powerless to harm him. V. 29. Darts are counted as stubble, large clubs considered as so much chaff; he laugheth at the shaking of a spear, mocking at all human weapons. V. 30. Sharp stones are under him,

the ventral part, or plastron, of his skin consists of pointed shards, sharp scales; he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire, the pointed scales of his plastron leaving marks on the soft ground like those made by the iron spikes of the ancient threshingsledge. V. 31. He maketh the deep to boil like a pot, namely, by his threshings and slashings of the water; he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment, all frothy and foamy as a result of his tumbling and rushing in the water. V. 32. He maketh a path to shine after him, his trail, or wake, on the surface

of the water is shiny; one would think the deep to be hoary, the foam looking like gray hair scattered on the water. V. 33. Upon earth there is not his like, or, "one who has dominion over him," who is made without fear, he is altogether fearless. V. 34. He beholdeth all high things, looking them boldly in the face, without the slightest flinching; he is a king over all the children of pride, a tyrant and ruler even in the midst of animals who are fearless. This being true, and man being powerless to control this creature, how dare he criticize the great Creator?

Job Reinstated by God. JOB'S HUMBLE CONFESSION. V. 1. Then Job, now fully overcome by the Lord's arguments, answered the Lord and said, v. 2. I know that Thou canst do everything, the omnipotence, the creative power of God, had been set before him in the most convincing manner, and that no thought can be withholden from Thee, no undertaking, no venture, is forbidden to Him; no matter what He does, His justice cannot be questioned. No matter how hard it is for men to understand, God's ways are always right. V. 3. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? That was the question which the Lord had addressed to Job at the beginning of His discourse, chap. 38, 2, and Job now acknowledges the truth of this verdict. Therefore have I uttered that I understood not, making statements concerning things beyond his comprehension; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not, passing judgment on God's government of human affairs which cannot be fathomed by man's finite mind as long as he is in this world. V. 4. Hear, I beseech Thee, and I will speak, for Job was ready now to make the right answer; I will demand of Thee, and declare Thou unto me, he was ready humbly to ask and to receive instruction. V. 5. I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, he had drawn his conclusions from outward and incomplete observation only, which, as he now realizes, was faulty; but now mine eye seeth Thee, he had had his spiritual vision opened to the real essence of God, to an understanding of His attributes. V. 6. Wherefore I abhor myself, Job utterly repudiated and rejected all his rash statements, which had cast slurs upon God's justice, and repent in dust and ashes, in the deepest humiliation and mourning. That is the proper attitude to take if one is convinced of any wrong in his past life; not to slur over the matter, but to make a full confession, to come to the Lord with meekness and repentance, asking His forgiveness.

JOB VINDICATED AND RESTORED TO PROSPERITY.V. 7. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, after Job had made his penitent reply, the Lord said unto Eliphaz, the Temanite, as the spokesman and leader of the three friends, My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends, Bildad and Zophar; for ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right as My servant Job hath, they had persisted in their endeavor to brand Job as an enormous sinner, guilty of gross trespasses, their conclusion therefore having been that calamities always prove guilt, this being a false representation of God's manner of dealing with Job. V. 8. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, cp. Num. 23, 1, and go to My servant Job, who was to act in the capacity of priest, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering, to make an atonement for themselves; and My servant Job shall pray for you, acting as mediator in their behalf, interceding for them; for him will I accept, regarding him favorably, lest I deal with you after your folly, visiting the penalty of their foolishness upon them, in that ye have not spoken of Me the thing which is right like My servant Job. V. 9. So Eliphaz, the Temanite, and Bildad, the Shuhite, and Zophar, the Naamathite, went and did according as the Lord commanded them. The Lord also accepted Job, regarding him favorably in his intercession for his friends. V. 10. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, restored him, vindicated him, amply indemnified him for the losses which he had sustained, when he prayed for his friends, thus showing the proper forgiving spirit; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. V. 11. Then came there unto him all his brethren and all his sisters, all the relatives who had so heartlessly withdrawn from him during his misery, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, cp. chap. 19, 13-19, and did eat bread with him in his house, once more

glad to enjoy his hospitality; and they bemoaned him, after the fashion of friends of this type, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money, a piece of gold believed to have been stamped with the figure of a lamb, worth about four times as much as a shekel, Gen. 33, 19, and every one an earring of gold, for noserings and earrings were worn by both men and women at that time. V. 12. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning, by doubling his former substance; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses, cp. chap. 1, 3. V. 13. He had also seven sons and three daughters, a large family being a special sign of God's blessing upon a household. V. 14. And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch, all three names being descriptive of the beauty, charm, and grace of

the young women and of the happy change in Job's fortunes. V. 15. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job, distinguished for extraordinary beauty; and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren, this being an indication of the fine harmony which prevailed in this family. V. 16. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years and saw his sons and his son's sons, even four generations, a special proof of divine favor, Ps. 128, 6; Prov. 17, 6. V. 17. So Job died, being old and full of days, a long and happy life also being a blessing of Jehovah, Gen, 25, 8; 35, 29. Note: Many a Christian who is bearing heavy crosses has received comfort from the lesson of Job. It may not always happen so that sufferers among the believers are returned to health and prosperity as was Job, but the time will come when they will know and understand the ways of God, realizing fully that He always has thoughts of peace toward us and never thoughts of evil, that He always desires our welfare.

The Book of Psalms, or the Psalter, is the great prayer-book of the Church of all times, the collection of divinely inspired odes or songs whose singing was of old accompanied by instruments of music. Under the guidance of God the Psalms as we now know them were at various times collected, five sections, or books, being distinguished (Ps. 41, 13; 72, 18. 19; 89, 52; 106, 48; 150), the final arrangement being made after the Babylonian Captivity by Ezra, as the tradition of the Jews has it.

To more than one hundred psalms are prefixed inscriptions which give one or more particulars and directions for the public rendering of the sacred song, such as the name of the author, of the instrument on which the accompaniment was to be played, of the style of the music or of the poetry, of the melody which the choirmaster was to choose, of the subject or occasion for which it was written. The "chief musician” was the superintendent of the Temple music, who was probably at the same time the leader of the Temple orchestra and the director of the Temple chorus of priests and Levites.

The Psalter is usually called "The Psalms of David," since he is the only author mentioned in the New Testament, Luke 20, 42, and because his name appears in more titles than that of any other writer. The name of David appears in the heading of about one half of the psalms;

besides, the authorship of Ps. 2 and Ps. 95 is ascribed to him, Acts 4, 25; Heb. 4, 7. He may have written others which are not credited to him. To Asaph, a Levite and one of the three heads of David's choir at Jerusalem, are ascribed twelve psalms; to the sons of Korah, a celebrated family of singers and poets in the time of David, eleven, including Ps. 88, whose author, Heman, belonged to the sons of Korah; to Solomon, two; to Moses, one; and to Ethan, one of the three masters of the Temple music, one.

Of special interest to us are the Messianic psalms, including Ps. 2, 8, 16, 22, 24, 40, 45, 47, 68, 69, 72, 89, 93, 97, 110, 118; they refer to the Messiah, the promised Redeemer of the world, portraying more or less vividly and completely His person and work, His birth, betrayal, agony, and death, His triumph over death, His ascension into heaven and enthronement at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.1)

Of the general contents of the psalter, Luther writes: "It should be noted that the entire Psalter deals with five subjects; therefore we divide it into five parts. In the first place, some psalms prophesy of Christ and of the

1) Cp. Concordia Bible Class, April, 1919, 57 to 60; Fuerbringer, Einleitung in das Alte Testament, 49-53.