again cover the flesh which has become subject to decay and corruption. Yet in my flesh shall I see God, literally, "Out of my flesh shall I behold God." The body which, in the corruption of death, was stripped of its skin will once more be clothed with that covering, and then, from out of that same body, Job would see God. Job is so sure of this fact that he pictures the scene in concrete terms. V. 27. Whom I shall see for myself, literally, "behold unto me," for my benefit, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, not a stranger. It is a beholding, a seeing, in the supernatural manner which is often connected with visions. It is a beholding of God in the bliss of eternal salvation. So great is Job's longing for the wonderful revelation to which he is looking forward that he cries out: Though my reins be consumed within me, literally, "are consumed my reins in my ab

domen," it is a consuming anxiousness which filled Job in the midst of his great tribulation; he was eating out his heart in longing for the last great day of salvation. V. 28. But ye should say, Why persecute we him, if they should still insist upon pursuing him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me? If they still persisted in charging him with guilt, with harboring in his own heart the root of the calamities which had befallen him, they should beware. V. 29. Be ye afraid of the sword, which the vengeance of God would bring upon them; for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, the crimes, the transgressions, of the sword are invariably overtaken by wrath, that ye may know there is a judgment, the slanderers and blasphemers will finally be laid low by the justice of the Lord, a statement which is full of consolation also in these last days of the world.

Zophar's Second Speech.

ZOPHAR STATES WHY HE MUST SPEAK. V. 1. Then answered Zophar, the Naamathite, speaking for the second time, cp. chap. 11, and said, v. 2. Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, because the statements of Job filled him with excitement, for that very reason he felt that his reply should be tempered by calm consideration, and for this I make haste, he was storming inwardly, he was deeply perturbed, his inward impulse gave him no rest, he felt constrained to furnish an answer because of the surging excitement in his mind, which, however, should be governed by calm thoughts. V. 3. I have heard the check of my reproach, he was obliged to hear Job's chiding, to his disgrace, as he regarded it, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer, the knowledge which his mind had gained in the course of the dispute furnished him with information concerning the proper way of judging Job, with the latter's insulting attacks. He was eagerly impetuous to give Job back blow for blow. V. 4. Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, since earth was inhabited, as far as the accounts of men go back, v. 5. that the triumphing of the wicked is short, that it never extends over a long period of time, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment, that the joyful confidence of the ungodly cannot last? This was probably directed at Job's certainty of eventual vindication, as he had expressed it at the end of his last speech, chap. 19, 25-27. Zophar was a representative of the class of people who feel obliged to parade their own judgment in every case that comes to their notice.

ZOPHAR PICTURES THE END OF THE UNGODLY. V. 6. Though his excellency mount up to

the heavens, that is, his ambitious plans, his exaltation in rank and power, and his head reach unto the clouds, the ungodly apparently gaining all that his heart desires; v. 7. yet he shall perish forever like his own dung, spurned, falling into decay, and forgotten; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he? He will have disappeared so utterly and quickly that his vanishing will occasion surprise. V. 8. He shall fly away as a dream and shall not be found, just as fleeting, just as perishable; yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night, scared away like a phantom before God's mighty intervention. V. 9. The eye also which saw him shall see him no more, even a careful scanning would yield no results, since God's removal of the wicked would not leave a trace behind; neither shall his place any more behold him. V. 10. His children shall seek to please the poor, that is, they will be obliged to do that by God's judgment, God will compel them to pay out to them, and his hands shall restore their goods, through his children, who would be under compulsion to give back the wealth, the money, which he had taken from the poor by his wicked exactions. V. 11. His bones are full of the sin of his youth, they were indeed full of the vigor of youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust, all the strength and vigor of his body will be laid in the grave. V. 12. Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue, holding evil in his mouth like a sweet-tasting morsel, v. 13. though he spare it and forsake it not, sparing it to prolong his enjoyment of it, but keep it still within his mouth, retaining it against his palate, persisting in the lustful enjoyment of his wickedness, v. 14. yet his meat in his

bowels is turned, the food of wickedness which he finally swallows, it is the gall of asps within him, the venom of serpents in his intestines. V. 15. He hath swallowed down riches, all the possessions which he gained by his wicked grasping, and he shall vomit them up again, unable to retain what he had so eagerly appropriated; God shall cast them out of his belly, administering an emetic to him, forcing him to disgorge his illgotten wealth. V. 16. He shall suck the poison of asps, this will turn out to be the effect upon him; the viper's tongue shall slay him, his punishment will come upon him as quickly as the striking of one of the very venomous serpents of the Arabian desert, whose sting is almost immediately fatal. V. 17. He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter, the wicked would get no opportunity to delight in, to enjoy, brooks, creeks, rivers of honey and cream, he would be given no opportunity to enjoy his prosperity. V. 18. That which he labored for shall he restore, being obliged to give it back to those from whom he has wrested it, and shall not swallow it down, not enjoy it; according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein, that is, in the same ratio as he heaped up his property by forbidden means his enjoyment in it would be diminished, he must lack the enjoyment which he had promised himself in them. V. 19. Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor, first crushed and then abandoned the defenseless, because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not, not being able to fit out and to arrange the houses which he gained by unjust means, v. 20. surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, rest in the seat of his gluttony and avarice, he shall not save of that which he desired, literally, "with his most valued treasure he shall not escape." The allusion is probably to the fact that Job had been stripped of all he had. V. 21. There shall none of his meat be left, literally, "there is nothing remaining to his food," that is, nothing escaped his greediness; therefore shall no man look for his goods, his ill-gotten prosperity will not endure. V. 22. In the fulness of his sufficiency, while he has more than he needs for his actual wants, while he is surfeited with good things, he shall be in straits, poverty and distress will

take hold on him; every hand of the wicked shall come upon him, the wretched people who were abused by him will inflict vengeance on him for the violence which they had suffered. V. 23. When he is about to fill his belly, or, "That it may serve for the filling of his belly," that for once the wicked may have enough and more than enough, God shall cast the fury of His wrath upon him, as it glows with a white heat, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating, with his food, so that he consumes the fire of God's wrath with every meal. V. 24. He shall flee from the iron weapon, while the wicked flees from the iron armor, and the bow of steel shall strike him through, the arrow from a brass bow will pierce him. V. 25. It is drawn and cometh out of the body, the wicked himself drawing the arrow of God out of his body, in order to save his life, if possible; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall, for he himself removes the gleaming steel; terrors are upon him, as he realizes that his doom is upon him. V. 26. All darkness shall be hid in his secret places, is saved up to strike that which he has hoarded, that is, every kind of calamity will descend upon the precious things which he fondly believed to be safe; a fire not blown shall consume him, that is, such a fire as requires no human agency to keep it alive, a supernatural fire; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle, the fire of God devouring that which still remains after former calamities have passed by. V. 27. The heaven shall reveal his iniquity, they do so at all times, God Himself witnessing against him; and the earth shall rise up against him, all creation testifying the fact that he merits destruction. V. 28. The increase of his house shall depart, all that he has garnered, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath, when the divine wrath will descend upon him. V. 29. This is the portion of a wicked man from God, that which is assigned to him, what he must finally expect, and the heritage appointed unto him by God. In the end the wicked has nothing but misery and wretchedness for his portion. In the entire discourse it is evident that Zophar has Job in mind and wants him to apply the statements to himself. The sneering insinuations in similar cases are intended to cut the victim to the quick.

Job's Reply to Zophar's Speech. JOB APPEALS FOR CONSIDERATION.-V. 1. But Job answered and said, in setting aside the insinuations of Zophar, v. 2. Hear diligently my speech and let this be your consolations. What Job was about to state was to take the place of the bungling attempts of his

21.

friends to set matters right. At the same time attentive silence would provide more real comfort than all their empty talk. V. 3. Suffer me that I may speak, they should consent to his speaking, enduring it once more; and after that I have spoken, mock on, this last being addressed to Zophar on account of

his cutting statements. V. 4. As for me, is my complaint to man, that is, was it in regard to man, did it concern men, being directed against them? And if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled? It was an extraordinary, superhuman burden under which Job was groaning, bearing which he might well have become impatient. V. 5. Mark me and be astonished and lay your hand upon your mouth, being awed into silence by the intensity of Job's suffering. V. 6. Even when I remember, I am afraid, his own thinking of it made him stand confused and aghast with astonishment, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh, his body shaking with terror. "It is to be noted how by these strong expressions the friends are prepared to hear something grave, fearful, astounding, to wit, a proposition, founded on experience which seems to call in question the divine justice, and to the affirmation of which Job accordingly proceeds hesitatingly and with visible reluetance." (Lange.)

JOB POINTS OUT THE DIFFERENCE IN CALAMITIES BEFALLING MEN.-V. 7. Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Whereas Zophar had maintained that they die early, chap. 20, 5, Job here states that they live on, that they reach a ripe old age, that they are mighty in possessions. V. 8. Their seed is established in their sight with them; their posterity, their children, endure, they remain, they surround the wicked, so that the latter have the benefit and the enjoyment of their companionship, and their offspring before their eyes, all this in contrast with Job's having been bereaved of all his children. V. 9. Their houses are safe from fear, literally, "peace from fear," peace lives in them, and they are far removed from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them, namely, for the purpose of punishing them. They suffer neither such terrors nor such scourges as had brought ruin upon Job. V. 10. Their bull gendereth and faileth not; their cow calveth and casteth not her calf, neither miscarriage nor any other accident hinders the increase of their herds. V. 11. They send forth their little ones like a flock, their large number in itself being a sign of blessing, and their children dance, skipping in joyous and healthful play, the possession of a flourishing troop of children being regarded as a piece of good fortune throughout the Bible. V. 12. They take the timbrel and harp, singing aloud in their festivities, and rejoice at the sound of the organ, a pipe or a set of pipes, the three instruments mentioned being the simplest and the most ancient species, the first representatives of instruments of percussion (tambourines), of string instruments (a small lute or lyre), and wind instruments. V. 13. They spend their days in wealth, in the full enjoyment of prosperity,

and in a moment go down to the grave; having had a care-free life, they enjoy also a quick death, without prolonged suffering. V. 14. Therefore, or "yet," they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways. Their pros perity, which should have constrained them to turn to God in appreciation and gratitude, rather makes them proud and conceited. V. 15. What is the Almighty that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have if we pray unto Him? Filled with haughty self-assurance, they account the service of God and prayer to Him as useless. V. 16. Lo, their god is not in their hand! Their prosperity, as Job contends, surely cannot be a matter of their own power; God must in some way be connected with it, a fact which makes the solution of the problem so difficult. The counsel of the wicked is far from me. Job refuses in any manner to take the part of the ungodly or to renounce God, even if he cannot understand this part of the Lord's government. V. 17. How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! that is, How rarely is their lamp, the light of their prosperity, extinguished! And how oft cometh their destruction upon them? The answer implied is: Seldom enough. God distributeth sorrows in His anger, rather, "How often does He distribute sorrows in His anger?" The answer is again implied: It happens only rarely that they suffer calamities; usually they are perfectly happy all their lives. V. 18. They are as stubble before the wind and as chaff that the storm carrieth away. Here again a question is intended: How often does this well-deserved punishment strike them? Cp. Ps. 73, 3-8. V. 19. God layeth up his iniquity for his children, that is, for the children of the wicked, this exclamation showing what hopes Job still held. He rewardeth him, and he shall know it, or, Let God recompense, repay it to the ungodly, that he may feel it. That is what Job expects from the justice of God. V. 20. His eyes, those of the wicked person, shall see his destruction, feeling the blow of the divine punishment, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty, quaffing it like a bitter draught. V. 21. For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, what does the wicked care about those whom he leaves behind, what interest has he in their welfare, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst? As long as he can enjoy the full term of his life and have the full benefit of its pleasures, the selfish evildoer is satisfied. What comes after him does not bother him. Job implies, of course, that the wicked should therefore be punished during his life, for this very reason, but that events seldom take this just turn. Not only is it impossible, however, to judge God correctly in

this respect; His present dealings with men are, in general, beyond the knowledge and teaching of men. V. 22. Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing He judgeth those that are high, the heavenly dignitaries, the angels themselves. How, then, can a mere mortal presume to be the teacher of God? V. 23. One dieth in his full strength, in the full possession of the highest prosperity, being wholly at ease and quiet, lacking nothing in human happiness. V. 24. His breasts, rather, his troughs, milk-pails, skins for carrying liquids, are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow, literally, "the marrow of his bones is well watered," like rich, irrigated meadow-land. V. 25. And another, in contrast with this person, dieth in the bitterness of his soul and never eateth with pleasure, not even having tasted of prosperity. V. 26. They, the fortunate with the unfortunate, shall lie down alike in the dust, in the grave, and the worms shall cover them. In death all men are equal, becoming a prey to the worms. No mere man, then, has the right to draw conclusions or to judge the righteousness of God from the evidence of his eyes alone.

JOB REBUKES HIS FRIENDS FOR THEIR ONESIDEDNESS. — - V. 27. Behold, I know your thoughts, Job knows the plans of their hearts, and the devices, the careful reasonings, the schemes, which ye wrongfully imagine against me, doing violence to him by trying to force him into a confession of guilt. V. 28. For ye say, Where is the house of the prince, of the mighty and influential nobleman? And where are the dwelling-places of the wicked, literally, "the tent of the dwellings of the wicked"? The text emphasizes the splendor and the spaciousness of the wicked person's dwelling. Such taunts as this were directed at Job in fastening the blame of wickedness upon him. Upon this sneering

question Job answers. V. 29. Have ye not asked them that go by the way, inquiring of travelers well acquainted with history and human destinies? And do ye not know their tokens, they should not fail to note and to know what such experienced people would be able to tell them of the different fate of men, v. 30. that the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction, held back, spared in the day of ruin? They shall be brought forth to the day of wrath, led away from the overflowing wrath, taken beyond its reach. Job's argument is that the wicked must indeed die like every other person, but that he is spared all the misfortune of life, that he is happy to the day of his death. V. 31. Who shall declare his way to His face? namely, that of God, in questioning His judgments. And who shall repay Him what He hath done? No man will successfully challenge the divine conduct, for God renders to no man an account of His actions. V. 32. Yet shall he be brought to the grave, Job here brings out the opinion and experience of travelers, and shall remain in the tomb, even after the burial of the wicked his monument or burial mound keeps watch at his tomb and keeps his memory alive. V. 33. The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, the very earth under which he rests being like a soft couch to him, and every man shall draw after him, imitating his example of a happy life and an easy death, as there are innumerable before him. V. 34. How, then, comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood, and nothing else? Since they cast unfounded suspicions upon the character of Job, they were guilty of a perfidious transgression against God, namely, on account of the lack of charity and by reason of the injustice which they exhibited. Note the warning contained in this verse, which bids all men desist from judging and condemning.

The Third Speech of Eliphaz. ELIPHAZ CHARGES JOB WITH WICKEDNESS. V. 1. Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, answered and said, ignoring Job's argument concerning the prosperity of the ungodly, v. 2. Can a man be profitable unto God, no matter how good or how great he may be in this world, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? This is really the answer to the first part of the verse: God, being absolutely wise, is not influenced by the wisdom of any man. V. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, a gain or advantage to Him, who Himself is perfection, that thou art righteous? The most blameless life of men cannot add to His bliss; He is never actuated by selfish motives. Or is it gain to Him that

thou makest thy ways perfect, striving to be absolutely righteous in his manner of living? God does not reward the pious because they bring Him any benefit by their piety, nor does He punish sinners because their transgressions diminish His blessedness. V. 4. Will He reprove thee for fear of thee? Will He enter with thee into judgment? It must not enter one's mind that God was sending this punishment upon Job on account of his godliness, since God never acts from selfish motives, and because the cause of Job's calamity must lie in himself, as Eliphaz supposed. V. 5. Is not thy wickedness great and thine iniquities infinite? Eliphaz here boldly

draws the conclusion to which his first statements entitled him, as he thought: Because

God sends such afflictions only as punishment for transgressions, and because He is never influenced and guided by any selfish motives and arbitrary notions, therefore it follows that Job is guilty. This accusation he now tries to back up by an enumeration of sins of which he supposed Job had become guilty. V. 6. For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught, there being no need for Job, who had been wealthy, to be so exacting in collecting moneys due him from his relatives, and stripped the naked of their clothing, taking even the last piece of garment which they possessed, Ex. 22, 25. 26; Deut. 24, 6. 10. 11, against every sentiment of humanity. V. 7. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, as they fainted in their thirst, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry, thus setting aside the fundamental demands of charity. V. 8. But as for the mighty man, literally, "the man of the arm or fist," he had the earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it, that is, the honored, influential one. Thus Eliphaz accused Job of selfishness and greed, of taking the whole land for himself and letting the poor suffer. V.9. Thou hast sent widows away empty, when they appealed to him for help, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken, they were treated with the most inhuman cruelty, deprived of all their rights and powers. V. 10. Therefore, as a punishment of such sins, snares are round about thee, various forms of destruction besieged him, and sudden fear troubleth thee, a sudden deadly anguish overpowered him time and again, v. 11. or darkness, that thou canst not see, the night of suffering admitting no ray of consoling light; and abundance of waters cover thee, bursting upon him with overwhelming misery. was a bitter and unjust accusation which Eliphaz heaped upon Job.

It

WARNING TO AVOID FURTHER PUNISHMENTS. V. 12. Is not God in the height of heaven, the infinitely Exalted One, ruling the world and punishing evil? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are! God is immensely exalted over puny man with his feeble criticism of divine justice and every suspicion of God's wisdom. V. 13. And thou sayest, How doth God know? His wisdom cannot extend to the every-day affairs of men. Can He judge through the dark cloud? The idea is that God is wholly separated and shut off from the business of men, so that He does not concern Himself about them. V. 14. Thick clouds are a covering to Him that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven, on its immense vault, so engrossed in His own exaltation that He overlooks and neglects the affairs of the insignificant world of men. V. 15. Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Did Job intend to observe and follow the way of the wicked children of the world? V. 16. Which were cut down

out of time, being swept away by a calamity before they had reached the normal span of life, whose foundation was overflown with a flood, the place where they and their dwellings stood became fluid as quicksand, causing them to sink down; v. 17. which said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do for them? Both speeches are attributed to the ungodly, with whom Eliphaz here classes Job, in allusion to chap. 21, 14. 15. V. 18. Yet He filled their houses with good things, it was God who had granted to these very scoffers the prosperity which they enjoyed; but the counsel of the wicked is far from me! Eliphaz here echoes the declaration of Job, chap. 21, 16, but includes Job in the number of the wicked. V. 19. The righteous see it and are glad, namely, over the destruction which would surely come upon the wicked; and the innocent laugh them to scorn, mocking at those whose insolence has such a shameful end. V. 20. Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. That is the sum of the mocking speeches which the righteous heap upon the ungodly: Verily, destroyed is our adversary, and what is left of their prosperity the fire has devoured! In this sneering manner Eliphaz attempted to apply the doctrine of divine retribution to the case of Job.

ness.

V. 21. Ac

AN ADMONITION TO REPENT. quaint now thyself with Him, make friends with the Lord while there is yet time, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee, Job would again receive the blessing of the Lord if he would but repent of his wickedV. 22. Receive, I pray thee, the law from His mouth, the instruction from the mouth of God should guide him on the right way, and lay up His words in thy heart, he should keep them like a precious treasure from which he might draw at all times. V. 23. If thou return to the Almighty, coming close to Him once more by real sorrow and penitence, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles, for that must ever be the result of the true godly sorrow over sins. V. 24. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, casting down the gold ore as it comes from the mines as so much worthless trash, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks, dropping it among the pebbles of the streams as possessing no lasting value. V. 25. Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense, literally, "and shall become the Almighty thy pieces of gold," Job's one rich treasure, and thou shalt have plenty of silver, silver in bars or heaps, the greatest riches in the possession of God's mercy. V. 26. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, since in Him is the greatest joy of the righteous, and shalt lift up thy face unto God, with the confidence of a favorite son. V. 27. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, with a firm trust in God's