Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 14
Verſ. 1. MAn that is born of a woman is of few daies and full of trouble.] He ſaith not Man is of few daies, but, Man that is born of a woman, which words are added. 1. To note that this is the condition of all mankind, every mothers child, none excepted, according to that Matth. 11.11. Among them that are born of women there hath not riſen a greater then Iohn the Baptiſt, and 2. To note what the cauſe is why man is of ſuch a fading, weak, and miſerable condition, to wit, becauſe he hath his originall, from ſuch a poor, weak, frail creature as woman is. Though man was weakned by ſin as well as woman, yet becauſe a greater degree of weakneſſe was inflicted upon woman as a puniſhment of ſin, (in regard whereof the Apoſtle Peter calls the woman the weaker veſſel, 1 Pet. 3.7.) therefore mans being born of a woman is made the chief ground of mans frailty; having his deſcent from one, who being defiled with ſin lyeth under the curſe of bearing ſo many weakneſſes and ſorrows, no marvell though he be born a poor, weak, helpleſſe creature, few of daies and full of trouble. Now this which Iob here ſaith of the frailty and miſery of man, he ſpeaks it as in reference to himſelf, thereby ſtill to imply that he was fitter to be an object of pity and compaſſion, then of ſuch fury and indignation as God had ſhown againſt him.
Verſ. 3. And doeſt thou open thine eyes upon ſuch an one? &c.] Though theſe words may be taken in a generall ſenſe, to wit, that it was much that God ſhould vouchſafe to look towards ſuch a poor, baſe wretch as man is, either by way of favour to watch over him for his preſervation, and to provide for him, or in any other reſpect (and therefore ſome underſtand it thus, that he acknowledged it a ſingular favour, that ſo miſerable a wretch as he was ſhould be admitted to ſtand and plead his cauſe before him, to which alſo they apply the following clauſe, and bringeſt me into judgement with thee?) yet conſidering both what went before and what follows after, it is more likely that Iob ſpeaks here of Gods opening his eyes upon him to ſearch into his ſins, and to ſee how he might puniſh him for his tranſgreſſions; for as men are ſaid to wink at a man when they will not take notice of what he hath done amiſſe that they might puniſh him for it, ſo they may be ſaid to open their eyes upon a man, when they ſet themſelves ſtrictly to enquire into their offences and to bring them into judgement; and accordingly the meaning of theſe words ſeems to be this, that it was ſtrange that God ſhould think ſuch a poor deſpicable creature as man is worthy his anger; or that he ſhould ſo farre mind him as to take vengeance on him for his ſins.
Verſ. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.] That is, there is not one born of ſinfull parents after the manner of men, but he muſt needs be ſinfull as they are; or not one who can any way procure, that he that is born of parents polluted with originall ſin ſhould not himſelf be polluted and unclean: yea and it may referre to mens actions too, that a man unclean by nature cannot bring forth any clean thing, that is, any clean action; what ſinfull man doth muſt needs be ſinfull. Now this Iob adds. 1. To abaſe himſelf, and to make his heart ſtoop under the ſeverity of Gods proceedings with him, ſince being ſo unclean it was no wonder though the moſt holy God ſhould lay his hand ſo heavy upon him: and 2. To intimate that though God might moſt juſtly condemne ſuch a filthy wretch as he was, if he ſhould examine him according to the rigour of his righteous judgement (and by this implyed confeſſion of his ſpirituall uncleanneſſe he did covertly condemne his friends, who charged him with ſaying that he was perfectly righteous and pure from ſin) yet conſidering this was the inevitable condition of all men, who muſt needs be ſinfull becauſe they came out of the loins of ſinfull parents, therefore he hoped and deſired, that God would take compaſſion of him and not deal in ſuch extremity with him.
Verſ. 5. Seeing his daies are determined, &c.] This plea of Iobs is much like that of the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 89.46, 47. Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is, &c. to wit, that ſince God had appointed that man ſhould die, as the juſt reward of his ſins, and had determined the ſet time of his death, which could not be farre off, he would therefore let that ſuffice, and not make that little time he had to live ſo extremely irkſome with inſupportable miſeries; which is that he deſires in the following verſe.
Verſ. 6. Turn from him that he may reſt, &c.] An expreſſion much like that, chap. 7.19. How long wilt thou not depart from him? as if he had ſaid, Mark not ſo ſtrictly what he is, or what he hath done, meddle not with him but let him be quiet, take off thine heavy hand and let him ſpend his daies peaceably without moleſtation, till he shall accomplish as an hireling his daies, that is, till he hath finiſhed the time appointed him for his living here to ſerve thee in his generation, which being as the daies of an hireling, full of hard travell and ſorrow, his coming to the period thereof muſt needs be welcome and acceptable to him. See the Note chap. 7.2.
Verſ. 7. For there is hope of a tree if it be cut down, &c.] The plea he uſeth here is this, If it were poſſible for a man after death to live again here in this world, as a tree cut down will ſprout up again, the hope that his life then might be more comfortable would enable him the more patiently to bear his preſent ſufferings. But alas there is no hope of this. A tree indeed though it be felled down to the ground, yet may ſprout out with freſh tender branches again.
Verſ. 8. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the ſtock thereof die in the ground.] That is, though the root through age be in a manner withered and ſhrunk, and no ſign of life appear in the ſtock.
Verſ. 9. Yet through the ſent of water it will bud and ſpring forth boughs like a plant.] That is, like a young tree newly planted. As for that expreſſion, through the ſent of water it will bud, either thereby he intended to ſhew by what means the roots of ſuch a tree may be as it were revived again, to wit, that if it be watered it will bud forth a-freſh, or elſe it is uſed to ſhew how little a thing will cauſe it to ſprout out again, to wit, that if any moiſture comes but near it, if it doe as it were but ſmell the waters, it will ſuck in moiſture and ſap, and grow up with new tender branches.
Verſ. 10. But man dieth and waſteth away; yea man giveth up the ghoſt, and where is he?] As if he ſhould have ſaid, there's no hope of his living again here in this world: concerning which ſee the Note, chap. 7.9. Indeed in the ſeverall tearms that are here uſed to expreſſe mans dying and the order of them, there is ſome difficulty. Some conceive that in the firſt words, But man dieth and wasteth away, by mans dying is meant the ſame that is afterwards tearmed giving up the ghoſt, and then by waſting away is meant either his waſting away by ſickneſſe, (and if ſo then there is an hyſteron proteron in the words, as if he had ſaid, Man dieth being waſted away with ſickneſſe,) or elſe rather his waſting away by death, as if he had ſaid, man dieth, and then conſumes and rots away. But others take dying and waſting away in the firſt clauſe to be but preparatories and antecedents to mans giving up the ghoſt, which the particle yea ſeems to confirm, man dieth and waſteth away, that is, man decayeth and waſteth away by degrees, death creeping upon him daily by little and little, yea, at laſt man giveth up the ghoſt and then, where is he?
Verſ. 11. As the waters fail from the ſea, and the flood decayeth and dryeth up.] By the ſea here may be meant any great confluence of waters; for ſuch are uſually in the Scriptures called ſeas, as for inſtance that which is called the lake of Geneſareth Luke 5.1. is alſo called the ſea of Tiberias, Ioh. 21.1. But however the greateſt difficulty here is what is meant by the waters failing from the ſea and the flouds decaying and drying up; and to what purpoſe it is here alledged: Some underſtand it thus, that as when the waters fail from the ſea, that is, when the ſea fails to ſend forth waters through the pores of the earth unto the rivers, then the rivers and flouds decay and dry up; ſo the naturall and radicall moiſture being ſpent in a man, he dies, as it is expreſſed in the following verſe, and ſo is laid in the bed of his grave. Again others give this to be the meaning of it, that as when the waters fail or paſſe away from the ſea or rivers, to wit, either by evaporation, or by running over the banks into the land, or by gliding away in their ſeverall channels, or by ſoaking into the earth and ſo drying up in times of great heat and drouth, theſe very waters thus failing or paſſing away do never return to their places again; ſo it is with man when he dies, he is taken away, and there is no poſſibility of his returning to his place again; for ſo it follows in the next verſe.
Verſ. 12. So man lyeth down and riſeth not, till the heavens be no more, &c.] This phraſe till the heavens be no more may be taken two ſeverall waies, to wit, either that man being once laid in the grave ſhall never riſe again, namely to live again here in this world, and that becauſe the heavens ſhall for ever continue, whence is that expreſſion Pſal. 89.29. His ſeed alſo will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the daies of heaven, and verſ. 36, 37. His ſeed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the Sun before me, &c. or elſe that he ſhall not riſe again till the generall Reſurrection, when it may be ſaid, that the heavens shall be no more, becauſe if they ſhall not be wholly diſſolved, yet at leaſt they ſhall be ſo farre changed, that they ſhall be no more the ſame heavens that they were before, according to that Pſal. 102.26. all of them shall wax old like a garment, as a veſture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed, and that of the Apoſtle. 2 Pet. 3.12, 13. The heavens being on fire shall be diſſolved, and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat; nevertheleſſe we according to his promiſe look for new heavens, &c.
Verſ. 13. O that thou wouldeſt hide me in the grave, that thou wouldeſt keep me ſecret untill thy wrath be paſt, &c.] 1. Many Expoſitours underſtand this of Iobs deſiring to die, that he might be freed from thoſe heavy effects of Gods wrath that now he endured, and be laid in the grave, (where he ſhould be ſure to be ſhelterd from all ſtorms) till the indignation of God againſt him were over; and that the following words that thou wouldeſt appoint me a ſet time and remember me, are either a farther enlarging of this his requeſt, namely that God would appoint him a ſet time when he would lodge him in that longed-for bed of his grave, and that at that ſet appointed time he would not fail to remember to hide him there; (and if ſo we underſtand theſe words, it was unadviſed paſſion and not grace that was breathed forth in this deſire) or elſe are added to imply his expectation of being raiſed up again at the laſt day; and ſo the meaning of the words they take to be this, that in regard of the grievous calamities that he now ſuffered, he was moſt deſirous to die, only then withall he deſired, that God would not caſt him off in the grave, but ſet him a time wherein he would remember him in mercy, and raiſe him up again, to wit, at the day of the generall Reſurrection. 2. Others do otherwiſe underſtand theſe words, to wit, that Iob having before ſaid, that when man dieth he is irrecoverably cut off from living any more in this world, he profeſſeth here that were it not for that he ſhould be glad with all his heart that he might dy, and be laid up in the grave, becauſe there he ſhould be hidden as it were from the wrath of God that now he endured, O that thou wouldeſt hide me in the grave; that thou wouldeſt keep me ſecret, untill thy wrath be paſt, that thou wouldeſt appoint me a ſet time, and remember me; as if he ſhould have ſaid, ſo that I might be laid in the grave only for a time, and that God would appoint me a ſet time, wherein he would not fail to remember me in mercy and to raiſe me up again to live here in a more comfortable condition, even as the ſtocks of trees that are cut down, that ſeem in the winter to lye dead in the ground, and yet in the Spring do ſprout out afreſh, then it would be a pleaſure to me to die, and to be laid up in the grave. And indeed this I conceive is more probable, then ſome judge it to be. 1. Becauſe he ſpeaks of Gods appointing him a ſet time, which ſeems to intend a prefixed time for his riſing again in particular, namely to live here in this world, and cannot well be underſtood of that day which God hath appointed for the generall Reſurrection of all mankind. 2. Becauſe he ſpeaks of it, as of a moſt unlikely and improbable thing, which he could rather wiſh then believe, O that thou wouldeſt hide me in the grave, &c. and 3. Becauſe this well agrees with the generall ſcope of Iobs ſpeech in this place. 3. Some take it thus, that he deſires that God would at a ſet time appointed lay him up in his grave, in the chambers of death; only he would not that God ſhould then quite caſt him off, but deſires that God ſhould even there remember him. And whereas according to this expoſition he ſhould deſire death, without any expreſſion of his deſire to be raiſed up again from the grave; to this it is anſwered, that he ſpeaks as a man diſtracted ſo with ſorrowes, that he asks of God he well knows not what; eaſed he would be of his trouble, and out of his deſire of that, he wiſheth what came next to mind or lay uppermoſt in his thoughts; let God hide him in the grave, or doe what he would with him to free him from his ſad eſtate, ſo he did not utterly forget him. And laſtly by the grave may be meant any place under ground, where he might be hidden a-live; ſuch as were thoſe caves and dens in the earth where the Saints in times of perſecution were wont to hide themſelves, and ſo were for the time as men buried a-live. Heb. 11.36; and ſo then his deſire is only, that he might be hidden ſomewhere under ground, where he might be in ſafe cuſtody out of the reach of thoſe troubles that now annoyed him, till the indignation of God were over, and that then at a time prefixed God would remember him and fetch him forth again. But which way ſoever we take theſe words, moſt probable it is that he uſeth this phraſe of being hid in the grave, in alluſion to the cuſtome of thoſe Eaſtern countries, where they uſed in thoſe times to have great caves or vaults for their ſepulchers or burying places, whereinto in times of danger they were wont to run and hide themſelves.
Verſ. 14. If a man die, shall he live again? All the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come.] As the former words ſo theſe alſo are divers waies expounded by Interpreters. Some ſay that the change here meant is that which Iob had wiſhed or deſired in the foregoing verſe, to wit, his being raiſed out of the grave after he had been hidden there for a time, to live again here in this world; and accordingly they conceive that the firſt words were ſpoken by way of admiration, If a man die, shall he live again? Is that poſſible? and then that the next words were added as the Reſolution of Iob upon this ſuppoſition, as if he ſhould have ſaid, Could this be, or let this be granted, and then ſurely all the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come, that is, I will willingly wait all the ſet time allotted for my abode in the grave, untill the change ſhall come of my being raiſed up again from thence; and thus they ſay he ſpake in reference to his foregoing words, O that thou wouldest appoint me a ſet time and remember me. Again others conceive that he ſpeaks here of his change at the generall Reſurrection of the dead; and ſo they take the firſt words to be ſpoken, either of mans living again in this world, and the interrogation to be a vehement negation, If a man die, shall he live again? No, I know he ſhall not; it is altogether impoſſible; and that thereupon he adds, All the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come; as if he had ſaid, I am not therefore afraid to die, there being no fear of returning hither again after death, again to endure the miſeries of this preſent world, but will gladly wait all my appointed time till my change at the Reſurrection of the dead ſhall come: or elſe of mans living again at the day of judgement; and of thoſe that underſtand it thus, ſome hold that the interrogation doth here intend an affirmation of that concerning which the queſtion is propounded, If a man die, shall he live again ▪ as if he had ſaid, I know he ſhall, there will a day come when God will raiſe him up and reſtore him to life again; whereupon he inferres that he would wait in expectation of this bleſſed change, All the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come: and others conceive that it is ſpoken by way of doubting, and accordingly they make this to be the drift of the words, to wit, that the firſt words contain the temptation wherewith Iob was tempted, namely that he queſtioned whether man being dead could ever riſe again, If a man die, shall he live again? Is this poſſible? and then that the next clauſe contains the Reſolution of his faith overcoming that temptation, All the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come, as if he had ſaid, yes I know there ſhall a change come after death, when they that are dead ſhall riſe and live again, and ſo corruption ſhall put on incorruption, and therefore all my appointed time I will wait till that change ſhall come. But laſt of all there is another expoſition, which to me ſeems beſt, as beſt agreeing with other foregoing paſſages, namely that by his appointed time here is meant the time allotted him of God for his living here in this world, according to that he had ſaid before verſ. 5. His daies are determined, the number of his moneths are with thee, &c. and ſo the ſenſe of the words is this, that ſince being dead there was no hope of living again here in this world, there was nothing for him to doe but all his appointed time to wait upon God till his change come, that is, till God ſhould be pleaſed to deliver him from this ſad condition wherein he now lived, and put him into a more proſperous eſtate, or rather till the time of his departure out of this world was come, when he doubted not but God would receive him to his mercy.
Verſ. 15. Thou shalt call and I will anſwer thee, thou wilt have a deſire to the work of thine hands.] That is, out of the love thou beareſt me as thy creature, and much more as one in whom thou haſt renewed thine own image, thou wilt not caſt me off for ever, but wilt receive me again unto thy ſelf; which is ſpoken in reference to the former clauſe, Thou shalt call and I will anſwer thee, of which alſo there are ſeverall expoſitions given by Interpreters, anſwerable to thoſe they give of the foregoing verſes; for 1. Some take it to be ſpoken as in reference to that which they conceive he intended verſ. 13. where he ſpeaks of his being hid for a time in the grave, namely that if that might be ſo, if God would hide him for a time till his indignation were over, and then would remember him in mercy again, then when God ſhould call him forth, he would readily come forth unto him, hoping to live here in his favour again. 2. Some underſtand this alſo of the Reſurrection, Thou shalt call, that is, thou ſhalt command me to ariſe from the dead, and I will anſwer thee, that is, I ſhall as in obedience to thy command readily ariſe and preſent my ſelf before thee, not needing then to fear thy face as hypocrites will; and indeed though this phraſe of Gods calling him, may be uſed in reference to the manner of Gods raiſing men from the dead, concerning which the Apoſtle ſaith, 1. Theſſ. 4.16. The Lord himſelf shall deſcend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Chriſt shall riſe firſt, &c. yet by the call of God may be meant ſimply the will and command of God, as where it is ſaid that God called for a famine upon the land, Pſal. 105.16. that is, he commanded a famine to be in the land; and ſo our Saviour ſpeaks of the Reſurrection, Ioh. 5.28. The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, &c. and 3. Some underſtand it of Gods calling him out of this world by death, and ſo conceive that Iob here profeſſeth his readineſſe to yield to Gods call herein, and that becauſe he knew God would one day remember him in mercy and not utterly caſt…off the work of his own hands.
Verſ. 16. For now thou numbrest my steps, &c:] This is added as a reaſon why he ſo earneſtly deſired to die, or to be hid in the grave, as he had ſaid verſ. 13. till Gods wrath and indignation was over; or why he had beſought God that he would withdraw his hand and let him finiſh his daies in peace, verſ. 6. namely becauſe God did now at preſent proceed with ſuch ſeverity againſt him, as one that took ſtrict notice of all his waies, that not one ſin of his might ſcape unpuniſhed. See chap. 10.14. To which purpoſe alſo is that which follows in the next verſe, of Gods ſealing up his tranſgreſſions in a bag, that is, his laying them up in ſtore, as evidences and indictments againſt him; of which ſee the Note, Deuter. 32.34.
Verſ. 18. And ſurely the mountain falling cometh to nought; and the rock is removed out of his place, &c.] The drift of theſe words is either 1. To imply that God proceeded with as much fury and violence againſt him, as when he overturns mountains and removes rocks out of their places, &c. or 2. To intimate that if the ſtrongeſt creatures, and thoſe that ſeem moſt ſtedfaſtly ſetled in their places, cannot ſtand before the indignation of the Lord, much leſſe could poor, weak man ſtand before it, and that therefore God needed not proceed with ſuch over-bearing violence againſt him as he now did; or 3. To bewail his continuing ſo long in ſo great miſeries, that when the ſtrongeſt creatures were not able to ſtand before Gods power when he meant to bring them to nought, and ſo the hope of man was deſtroyed by his hand, as is expreſſed in the laſt clauſe of the 19 verſe, that is, all things wherein vain men hope, or all the vain things wherein men are wont to hope, yet he a poor, weak creature ſhould hold out againſt ſo many and great afflictions, and live in the midſt of ſo many deaths, or 4. To renew his old requeſt that he might die, that ſince all things, even thoſe that were the moſt like to continue, were often removed and waſted out of their place, ſo he deſired it might alſo be with him; or 5. To intimate his fear leaſt his patience ſhould fail, and thereupon to deſire that God would in pity releaſe him, ſurely the mountain falling cometh to nought, &c. as if he had ſaid, mountains and rocks will fail, and how much ſooner may my patience fail? My strength is not the ſtrength of ſtones, as he had ſaid before, chap. 6.12. and therefore either remove my afflictions or remove me out of this world; or 6. To ſhew that God proceeding ſo ſeverely againſt him, and not ſuffering any ſin of his to paſſe unpuniſhed (as he had ſaid in the foregoing verſes) as other creatures, that ſeem more ſurely ſetled then man is, do utterly periſh by the mighty power of God, ſo it muſt needs be with man, he alſo muſt needs be cut off irrecoverably, The mountain (ſaith Iob) falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place, to wit, ſometimes by extraordinary earth-quakes, ſometimes by the violence of great flouds and inundations of waters, the waters wear the ſtones, by continuall beating and dropping upon them, thou washeſt away the things that grow out of the duſt, namely when rivers or ſeas overflowing or breaking through the banks, do with a mighty torrent ſweep away all before them, and thou deſtroyeſt the hope of man, that is, and thus after the ſame manner is man cut off and deſtroyed by death, and that as concerning any hope of living again here in this world irrecoverably; and this I conceive moſt probable to have been the drift of Iob in theſe words, being the ſame in effect with that which he had ſaid before verſ. 11, 12.
Verſ. 20. Thou prevaileſt for ever against him and he paſſeth; thou changeſt his countenance and ſendeſt him away.] That is, it is alwaies thus, be a man never ſo ſtrong, die he muſt; if thou contendeſt with him, he muſt needs ſink under thine hand and that irrecoverably, it being altogether impoſſible that he ſhould reſiſt the ſtroke of thine hand; his comelineſſe and beauty thou ſoon turneſt into a ghaſtly aſhy paleneſſe, and ſo ſendeſt him packing out of this world.
Verſ. 21. His ſons come to honour and he knoweth it not, &c.] This may be meant either of man after death, as in reference to what he had ſaid immediately before concerning mans paſſing away out of this world, to wit, that after that he never knoweth more what is done here in this world; whether his children live in proſperity or miſery, it is all one to him, for he knoweth not how it fares with them: and then it is added to ſhew how abſolutely men are by death cut off from all poſſible communion with thoſe that remain behind them: Or elſe it may be meant of man when he is dying, to wit, either that through the anguiſh and extremity of pain and miſery which he endures, he regards no earthly thing how nearly ſoever it concerns him; be his children in a proſperous or in a mean condition, he minds it not, it works in him neither joy nor ſorrow, or elſe that this is one part of his miſery, that dying he knoweth not what ſhall become of his children.
Verſ. 22. But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his ſoul within him shall mourn.] Thoſe Expoſitours that underſtand the foregoing words of man after death, muſt needs find it too difficult to give a reaſon how after that this ſhould come in, But his flesh upon him shall have pain, &c. Yet two ſeverall waies they alledge how this may be inferred upon that which went before, though ſo underſtood, for 1. Some take the words to be a figurative and poeticall expreſſion of the ſad condition of a man cut off by death, his flesh upon him shall have pain, (alluding to the worms gnawing the fleſh of his body) and his ſoul within him shall mourn, that is, it ſhall be diſquieted and grieved, becauſe it is parted from the body; it is, ſay they, ſuch a poeticall expreſſion, as that afterward chap. 21.33. where it is ſaid of man in the grave, the clods of the valley shall be ſweet unto him: and 2. Some make the connexion thus, that having ſaid in the former verſe, that man after death knoweth nothing what is done in the world, this that follows is added in this ſenſe, But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his ſoul within him shall mourn, as if he ſhould have ſaid, But yet whilſt he lives he ſhall have pain and ſorrow; and therefore any man may judge whether it were not better for me to die then to live. But now underſtand the foregoing words of man dying, and then the dependance of this upon that is eaſie and clear; There he had ſaid that man dying minds not how it is, or knows not how it ſhall be with his children; whereto he adds now, But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his ſoul within him shall mourn, that is, he ſhall be wholly taken up with the thoughts and ſenſe of his own miſery, the pain and ſorrow that lyes upon him.