Westminster Annotations, Job · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Vers. 3. THese ten times] That is, many times, as Neh. 4. 12. Levit. 26. 26.
make yo… selves strange to me] Or, harden your selves against me.
V. 4. mine errour remaineth with my self] I my self shall be punished for it: or, ye have not yet confuted it.
V. 5. If indeed ye will magnifie your selves against me] Ye take a fit time to tread me under foot, now God hath humbled me.
V. 6. Know now that God hath …ver thrown me] He bursteth out into passion, and declareth that his affliction cometh of God, though he cannot see sufficient cause in himself.
and hath compassed me with his ne… ] Shut me into afflictions, that I cannot get out, Lam. 1. 13. Ezek. 12. 13. Hos. 7. 12.
V. 7. I cry out of wrong] I complain that wicked men have wronged me, and God will not right me.
wrong] Or, violence.
V. 8. He hath fenced up my way] Chap. 3. 23. Lam. 3. 7. So that I cannot get out of my afflictions.
he hath set darknesse in my paths] Uncomfortablenesse and sorrow: as light is put for joy, Psal. 97. 11.
V. 9. He hath stript me] Taken it off all, as a beasts skin, for so the word signifies.
my glory] Of my authority, and dignity of magistracy, chap. 29. 7, 14. 20. and 30. 11.
V. 10. mine hope hath he removed] Of restauration to prosperity, chap. 17. 5. not of eternall life, v. 25 of this chapter.
like a tree] Which is pluckt up, and hath no more hope to grow.
V. 11. counteth me unto him] Chap. 33. 10. and 13. 24.
as one of his enemies] In Hebrew it is, as his enemies; that is, as a deadly enemy. The plurall number encreaseth the signification.
V. 12. His troups come together] Job. 16. 33. Afflictions, like enemies, came against me in troups, cast a trench, and besieged me, chap. 6. 4. and 10 17.
V. 13. far from me] Psal. 88. 18. Another trouble in war, to take off associates.
are verily estranged from me] In Hebrew it is, onelyonly; that is, they onelyonly are as strangers to leave me, not as friends to help me.
V. 14. my familiar friends have forgotten me] In Hebrew, they that were well approved of me. An ill requitall.
V. 15. They that dwell in mine house] My houshold-servants; for children he had none left. By all these losses Job sheweth, that, touching the flesh, he had great occasion to be moved.
V. 16. I intreated him with my mouth] In Hebrew it is, with my very mouth. A servant should come at a beck, Matth. 8. 88. but mine regarded not my words.
V. 17. My breath is strange to my wife] She turns her face from me, as if my breath were unsavoury.
for the childrens sake] For the love and regard due to our children, the pledges of conjugall love, in whom we had an equall interest, though they were now taken away.
mine own body] Heb. my belly.
V. 18. young children despised me] Chap. 30. 1, 10. Or, the wicked.
V. 19. All my inward friends abhorred me] Psal. 41. 9. and 55. 13, 14, 20. Heb. the men of my secret.
V. 20. My bene cleaveth] Besides these great losses, and most cruell unkindnesse, he was touched in his own person, as followeth.
my skin] Psal. 102. 6. Lam. 4. 8. All my flesh was consumed; yea, the very gums about my teeth.
and] Or, as.
V. 21. for the hand of God hath touched me] Seeing I have these just causes to complain, condemn me not as an hypocrite, especially ye which should comfort me.
hand of God] Ruth 1. 13. 1 Sam. 6. 9.
touched me] Chap. 1. 11. and 2. 5.
V. 22. Why do ye persecute me as God] Is it not enough that God doth punish me, except ye by reproaches encrease my forrow?
not satisfied with my flesh?] To see my body wasted, but ye must trouble my minde? as wilde beasts are not satisfied with the flesh, but break the bones of what they prey upon, chap. 31. 31.
V. 23. Oh that my words were n…w written] Heb. Who will give, &c. Which I shall speak. Because they counted him a wicked man, he sets out his hope of resurrection to eternall life.
V. 24 in the rock for ever] That posterity may judge of my faith, and the equity of my cause, seeing ye will not.
V. 25. I knew that my Redeemer liveth] Who shall right me against you, and save my soul.
he shall stand at the later day] It may be read, Shall stand the last upon the ground; that is, shall carry away the victory over all enemies, 1 Cor. 15. 25, 26.
V. 26. And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God] Or, after I shall awake, though this body be destroyed, yet out of my flesh shall I see God.
worms destroy this body] Though worms cat not my skin onelyonly, but my flesh also.
in my flesh shall I see God] Job had a full hope, that his body and soul should enjoy Gods presence in the resurrection.
V. 27. Whom I shall see for my self] I shall receive my own body again, and not another from that, created anew, Isai. 26. 19. 1 Cor. 15. 53.
another] Heb. a stranger.
within me] Heb. in my bosome.
V. 28. seeing the root of the matter is found in me?] Or, and what root of matter is found in me? Gods promises are rooted in my heart, and true piety is found there: therefore I should not be condemned as an hypocrite.
V. 29. for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword] Either he means Gods wrath against them, or theirs against him.
that ye may know there is a judgement] To condemn them that judge rashly of others, Matth. 7. 1, 2. Rom. 4. 4. Jam. 4. 11, 12.