Westminster Annotations, Job · Chapter 17 – Chapter 18
CHAP. XVII.
Vers. 1. BReath is corrupt] Or, spirit is spent.
V. 2. Are there not mockers with me?] In stead of comfort, being now at deaths door, his friends mocked at his words, chap. 21. 3.
continue] Heb. lodge.
continue in their provocation?] I cannot sleep in the night, because their taunts in the day stick in my minde.
V. 3. Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee] It may be read thus, Appoint, I pray thee, my surety with thee: That is, appoint Christ to plead my cause, and then which of these dare plead against me? it is sutable to Notes on chap. 26. 21. and to Rom. 8. 33. Heb. 7. 22. Or, Let some one go between us, that may procure me an equall hearing from thee.
strike hands] Prov. 6. 1. and 11. 15 and 17. 18.
V. 4. therefore shalt thou not exalt them] Either their persons, or their cause they plead against me.
V. 5. He that speaketh flattery to his friends] Psal. 12. 2. He that flattereth a man, and onelyonly judgeth him happy in his prosperity, shall not in himself onelyonly, but in his posterity be punished. Or, it may be he means, God will punish them for speaking falsly for Gods sake against him, as chap. 13. 7.
V. 6. He hath made me] Eliphaz, who spake last, and whom he pointed at in the verse before.
a by-word] I am derided by them who formerly rejoyced in me. Or, they make me a by-word, and I am plaid upon before them as a tabret: that is, they mock me, Job. 30. 9. Psal. 44. 13, 14.
aforetime] Or, before them.
V. 7. Mine eye also is dim] Psal. 6. 7.
my members] Or, my thoughts.
as a shadow] More like a shadow of a body, then true members, Psal. 6. 7.
V. 8. Ʋpright men shall be astonied at this] To wit, when they see the godly punished, but in the end they shall come to understanding, and know what shall be the reward of the hypocrite.
V. 9. The righteous also shall hold on his way] Not be discouraged by this scandall, but go on and encrease in piety, though good men be afflicted as well as bad.
hold on his way] Heb. lay hold on his way.
shall be stronger and stronger] Heb. shall adde strength. Isai. 40. 29, 31.
V. 10. do you return] Chap. 6. 29. Ye, my friends, repent, and be of my opinion, or come learn of me.
V. 11. My dayes are past] Chap. 7 6. and 9. 25.
my purposes are broken off] Of recovering my prosperity.
the thoughts of my heart] Heb. possessions. That is, the confident thoughts I might have of restauration, in regard of mine integrity.
V. 12. They change the night into day] My thoughts of their harsh words in the day, will not let me rest in the night, as v. 2. Chap. 7. 3, 4, 13.
short] Heb. neer; to wit, to an end.
because of the darknesse] The day in which I finde some case seems very short to me, because of the trouble I have in the night.
V. 13. If I wait, the grave is in mine house] The house I wait for is the grave, I prepare for it, as a man makes his bed against night: I look for no more prosperity.
V. 14. said] Heb. cried, or called.
Thou a…t my father] I have no more hope in father, mother, sister, or any worldly thing; for the dust and worms shall be to me in stead of them.
V. 15. where is now my hope?] That is, my hope is no where: I have no hope of a prosperous life.
as for my hope, who shall see it?] If I should hope, it were in vain: no man shall ever see me in prosperity.
V. 16. They shall go down to the bars of the pit] My hopes. See v. 15.
when our rest together is in the dust] Or, seeing there is a descent to the dust. I shall come first to the grave, and others must follow, and lose their expectations as well as I. See Chap. 3. 17. and 30. 23.
CHAP. XVIII.
Vers. 2. ERe you make an end of words] Thou, and thy companions that are of thy minde. And it may be some were present at this discourse, that approved of Job's words, chap. 35. 4.
V. 3. as beasts] I, and Eliphaz and Zophar. See chap. 17. 7. and 17. 4, 20.
V. 4. He teareth himself in his anger] Chap. 13. 14. He speaks to those that were present, of Jobs impatience: he carries himself like a mad man.
himself] Heb. his soul.
for thee] Now he turns him suddenly to Job. Shall God change the order of nature, fastned as a rock, for thy sake, by dealing with thee otherwise then he doth with all men?
V. 5. the light of the wicked shall be put out] Notwithstanding thy protestations, thou art wicked; for God hath afflicted thee, as he doth wicked men.
the spark of his fire shall not shine] His prosperity shall be totally taken away, and no spark of it left, 2 Sam. 14. 7. Prov. 13. 9. and 20. 20.
V. 6. candle] Or, lamp.
with him] which is with him.
V. 8. by his own feet] Wicked men bring themselves into dangers they cannot get out of.
he walketh upon a snare] They are continually in danger.
V. 9. r…bber shall prevail against him] Chap. 5. 5.
V. 10. laid] Heb. hidden.
V. 11. on every side] Chap. 15. 21. Jer. 6. 25. and 20. 3. and 46. 5. and 49. 29.
d…ive him] Heb. scatter him.
V. 12. His strength shall be hunger-bitten] Chap. 15. 23. That which should nourish him, shall be consumed by famine.
V. 13. strength] Heb. bars.
the first-born of death shall devour his strength] Some violent death shall consume his strength, Isai. 14. 30.
V. 14. His confidence shall be rooted out of his taberna…e] Chap. 8. 14. and 11. 20. Psal. 112. 10. Prov. 10. 28. There shall be left him no hope of deliverance, chap. 20. 21.
it shall bring him] Despair of help, mentioned in the beginning of the verse.
the king of terrours] To death, which is most feared.
V. 15. It shall dwell in his tabernacle] Fear, mentioned in the former verse.
none of his] Meaning, not truely come by.
brimstene shall be scattered upon his habitation] Though all the world would favour him, yet God would destroy him and his, chap. 1. 16. Gen. 19. 24.
V. 16. His root shall be dried up beneath] He shall be utterly ruined root and branch, as a tree whose roots and branches are decayed, Isai. 5. 24.
V. 17. His remembrance shall perish from the earth] Prov 2. 22. and 10. 7. Psal. 109. 13.
V. 18. He shall be driven] Heb. They shall drive him.
He shall be driven from light into darknesse] From off the earth, into the grave.
V. 19. son nor nephew among his people] Isai. 14. 22. Jerem. 22. 30.
V. 20. shall be astonied at his day] The day that God destroyeth him.
they that went before] Before them that lived after him; that is, they that beheld his fall.
went before him] Or, lived with him.
were affrighted] Heb. laid held on horrour.
V. 21. such are the dwellings of the wicked] Such an end shall the dwellings of wicked men have.
that knoweth not God] Isai. 1. 3. Jer. 9. 3. Psal. 79. 6. Do not honour God as they should, Rom. 1. 28. Tit. 1. 16.