Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Verſ. 1. MY breath is corrupt, &c.] Some read this as it is in the margin of our Bibles, My ſpirit is ſpent, and ſo make his complaint to be, that his vitall ſpirits were in a manner quite waſted, and ſo conſequently his life alſo that was preſerved thereby. But taking it as it is in our Tranſlation, the meaning muſt needs be, that his breathing was ſtopped and marred, or rather that his breath was infected and ſtunk through ſome inward putrefaction; and ſo ſome Expoſitours underſtand that alſo, chap. 19.17. My breath is ſtrange to my wife, &c. And indeed it is clear that the drift of his words here was to ſhew, that by the decay of his body he might plainly ſee that his death could not be farre off; to which purpoſe is that alſo which follows, my daies are extinct, that is, the light of my life is in a manner quite extinguiſhed, according to that Prov. 24.20. the candle of the wicked shall be put out. As for the laſt clauſe, the graves are ready for me, the only doubt is why it is expreſſed in the plurall number. But for this to me it ſeems farre moſt probable that his meaning herein was plainly no more but this, that it would not be long ere he ſhould be lodged in ſome one of thoſe houſes of darkneſſe, which are the laſt home of all men living. As when it is ſaid of Iehoram king of Iudah that he was not buried in the ſepulchres of the kings, 2. Chron. 21.20. the meaning is only that he was not buried amongſt their ſepulchres: ſo when here Iob ſaith, the graves are ready for me, the meaning is only, that the place of buriall, the houſe of graves, as I may call it, was ready to receive him, to wit, becauſe it could not be long ere he ſhould be carried thither.
Verſ. 2. Are there not mockers with me? &c.] Here Iob returnes to complain of his friends (as indeed men in affliction are wont ſometimes to bend their ſpeech one way and ſometimes another) inferring it as a ſtrange thing, that notwithſtanding he was in ſo ſad a condition, ready every moment as it were to drop into the grave, yet they did nothing but mock and deride him; and ſo by that means did what in them lay, continually to vex him and provoke him to anger and indignation againſt them; for ſo much the following clauſe imports, and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation? to wit, that night and day their ſcoffs and deriding of him did evermore afflict him; for by that expreſſion of his eye continuing in their provocation he ſought to imply either 1. That the eye of his mind was continually upon their ſcornfull carriage of themſelves towards him, the remembrance of their ſcoffs did continually moleſt him, many times keeping him awake when he ſhould have ſlept, and ſometimes perhaps troubling him in his very dreames; Or 2. That they did thus continually provoke him to his very face, he was conſtrained to ſee himſelf continually mocked and derided by them.
Verſ. 3. Lay down now, put me in a ſurety with thee, &c.] A very obſcure paſſage this is, inſomuch that amongſt the ſeverall Expoſitions that are given of it, it is very hard to ſay which is the right. Some conceive that Iob ſpeaks here to Eliphaz, and deſires that by a pledge and a ſurety he would give him aſſurance, that he would referre his cauſe to Gods judgement, and that he would make good what he had ſaid, to wit, either concerning the wickedneſſe and hypocriſy wherewith he had charged Iob, or concerning the certain proſperity of the righteous and the calamities of the wicked, or elſe concerning that flouriſhing proſperity which he had promiſed to Iob, if he would repent and turn unto the Lord; Lay down now, ſaith Iob, put me in a ſurety with thee, as if he ſhould have ſaid, if you be ſo ſure that I am a wicked man and an hypocrite, and that therefore all theſe evils are come upon me that I ſuffer, and that if I repent then I ſhall have all things according to my hearts deſire again, Lay down now a pledge or a pawn that ſhall be forfeited, if you do not appear and make this good, put me in a ſurety with thee, that ſhall undertake for thee that this ſhall be done, and ſo let our cauſe be pleaded before an equall judge or umpire; and accordingly alſo they hold therefore that the laſt clauſe muſt be taken, either as a challenge to the reſt of his friends, that they would, if Eliphaz would not, undertake this his challenge, who is he that will ſtrike hands with me? (for in thoſe daies they uſed to confirme any agreement made between man and man by clapping or claſping of hands together, thereby as it were binding themſelves one to another, whence is that of Solomon, Prov. 6.1, 2. My ſon, if thou be ſurety for thy friend, if thou haſt ſtricken thy hand with a ſtranger, thou art ſnared with the words of thy mouth, &c.) or elſe as a denyall that any ſurety could be found, that would upon theſe conditions undertake for Eliphaz or his other two friends; who is he that will ſtrike hands with me? as if he ſhould have ſaid, I would gladly ſee the man that would upon theſe tearms make an agreement with me; but alas who is he that will doe it? Again, 2. Some think that as in the following verſes, ſo here alſo, Iob directs his ſpeech to God, and that (out of an over-violent deſire to have his innocency cleared, as being exceedingly net…ed with the unjuſt aſperſions which his friends had caſt upon him) he doth here as a man beſides himſelf preſſe God to lay down a pledge, and to put in a ſurety that would undertake for God, to wit, either that Iobs cauſe ſhould be tryed before Go… and not men, and that God and not man ſhould determine of it; or elſe that God would condeſcend to have the cauſe between God and him equally argued and heard, as between one man and another, and that God ſhould ſtand to what was determined after it had been thus argued, Lay down now, put me in a ſurety with thee, as who ſhould ſay, I know, O Lord, that poor mortall man cannot contend with thee, and that if he ſhould, he muſt needs be ſoon overwhelmed with thy majeſty and glory, and therefore I deſire that thou wouldeſt lay down a pawn and put in a ſurety, who may undertake for thee, that laying aſide thy majeſty, thou wilt ſuffer me to plead my cauſe with thee; and agreeably hereto they hold that the laſt words are added to imply, either how deſirous he was that ſuch a ſurety might be found that would undertake this for God, who is he that will ſtrike hands with me? or elſe how unlikely it was that any could be found that would undertake it. 3. Becauſe it ſeems very hard that Iob ſhould as it were profeſſe that he would not truſt God without a pawn and a ſurety, and that he ſhould ſpeak ſo immodeſtly and arrogantly to God, therefore ſome other Expoſitours hold that Iob deſires God to appoint him a ſurety, that ſhould undertake for the clearing of his innocency againſt the calumnies of his friends, or rather that ſhould engage himſelf to plead both for God and him againſt his unjuſt friends; and therefore they ſay it is ſaid put me in a ſurety with thee, that is, one that may be a ſurety both for thee and me: whereupon he adds alſo, either to imply his deſire that this might be, or his fear that it would not be, who is he that will ſtrike hands with me? And indeed ſuch a one as this Expoſition intends, Elihu did afterwards appear to be, when he undertook to umpire the buſineſſe betwixt Iob and his friends. But now 4. Others underſtand this of Chriſt the promiſed Meſſiah, Lay down now, put me in a ſurety with thee; who is he that will ſtrike hands with me? that is, let that which I now deſire be determined and eſtabliſhed; appoint Chriſt who is with thee in heaven, and hath already agreed with thee to be the ſurety of poor ſinners, appoint him I ſay to plead my cauſe and to ſtand up for me as my ſurety, and then I am ſure no man will dare to contend with me. And indeed theſe two laſt Expoſitions do beſt agree with the context.
Verſ. 4. For thou haſt hid their heart from underſtanding; therefore shalt thou not exalt them.] That he might not be thought over-bold and over-confident in deſiring that his cauſe might be examined and tryed, or in appealing as he had done to God, from his friends, he gives in theſe words as a reaſon why he did ſo earneſtly deſire this, and why he was ſo fearleſſe of having his cauſe any way tryed, to wit, becauſe God had hid their heart from underſtanding, that is, he had hid underſtanding from their heart, he had given them over to blindneſſe of mind, how wiſe ſoever they thought themſelves, to wit, in that particular controverſie which was now in debate betwixt Iob and them; Gods providences towards Iob were myſteries, and riddles to them which they could not unfold, and ſo accordingly they were in the dark, as concerning thoſe points which had been argued betwixt him and them, and were not able to diſcern between truth and errour, and therefore ſaith he, shalt thou not exalt them; where by not exalting them is meant, either that God would not honour them with letting them determine his cauſe, but would take the matter out of their hands into his own, or at leaſt put it into ſome other hand; or elſe that God would not give them occaſion to exalt themſelves over him, by giving ſentence on their ſide; however they now tryumphed over him, as if they had got the victory, yet when their cauſe came to be heard, he knew well that then God would take his part againſt them, and determine the cauſe for him and not for them, and then they ſhould have no cauſe to exalt themſelves.
Verſ. 5. He that ſpeaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.] Concerning this expreſſion of the failing of their eyes ſee the Notes, chap. 11.20. and Deut. 28.32. the meaning is, that God will not only puniſh ſuch flatterers in their own perſons, but even in their children alſo, who through Gods juſt judgement do tread in their fathers ſteps. But the great queſtion concerning theſe words is, why Iob ſpeaks here of Gods puniſhing thoſe that flatter their friends, ſince his friends (of whom he is now complaining) were ſo farre from flattering him, that they did rather revile him and falſely accuſe him, and to this five anſwers may be given 1. That he may therefore accuſe them of flattery, becauſe having alwaies ſpoken him ſo fair in the time of his proſperity, they were now ſo bitter againſt him in the hour of his adverſity. 2. That the flattery he intends was, that when they might ſo plainly perceive that he was irrecoverably ſpent, a dying man, as we uſe to ſpeak, yet they could tell him ſuch long ſtories of the proſperous eſtate he ſhould enjoy here in this world, if he would repent and ſeriouſly ſeek Gods face and favour, as that his eſtate ſhould be like the morning, that he ſhould outſhine the very Sun, and be a great man again, chap. 5.19, 20, and 8.5, and 11.15, 16, &c. 3. That the flattery which here he covertly ſtrikes at was, not their flattering him but their flattering of God; if God would puniſh thoſe that flatter their friends, they could expect no better who to curry favour with God, and under a flattering pretence of maintaining Gods juſtice, had moſt unjuſtly condemned him; which is that wherewith he had before charged his friends, chap. 13.8, 10. of which ſee the Notes there. 4. That he ſpake not this to charge them with flattery, but to clear himſelf from deſiring to be flattered; leaſt they ſhould think that he complained of their harſh dealing with him, becauſe he deſired they ſhould flatter him, to prevent this he gives them to underſtand that he was ſo farre from this, that he was aſſured that if men flattered their friends God would deſtroy both them and their poſterity, and 5. That he ſpake not this as a threat againſt his friends for their flattering of him, but as a threat againſt himſelf in caſe he ſhould have flattered them; he would not have them offended at his plainneſſe of ſpeech in reproving them, and telling them that God had hid their hearts from underſtanding, &c. and that becauſe he knew well how ſeverely God was wont to puniſh thoſe that flattered their friends, not in their own perſons only, but alſo in their poſterity.
Verſ. 6. He hath made me alſo a by-word of the people, and a…ore time I was as a tabret.] Here Iob returns to his wonted complaints of the ſad condition, whereinto God had brought him. Reading the laſt clauſe as it is in the margin of our Bibles, and before them I was as a tabret, it is as if he had ſaid, before their face or in their ſight, they being witneſſes of it, I was as a tabret; or elſe it is to the ſame purpoſe with the firſt clauſe, He hath made me alſo a by-word of the people (concerning which ſee the Note, Deut. 28.37.) for the meaning is, that they played upon him as a tabret, or that they made a laughing-ſtock of him, deriding him and ſporting themſelves with his miſery, according to the like expreſſions which we find elſewhere, as Lam. 3.14. I was a deriſion to all my people, and their ſong all the day, and Pſal. 44.13. Thou makeſt us a reproach to our neighbours, a ſcorn and a deriſion to them that are round about us. But if we read it as it is in our Bibles, and a…ore-time I was as a tabret, then the meaning muſt needs be, that whereas formerly report gave a pleaſant ſound of him to all mens ears, now men ſcoffed and flouted at him in every place; Or, that now they talked reproachfully and ſcoffingly of him in every corner, whereas in former times they rejoyced in his company, and it was a delight to them to be where he was.
Verſ. 7. And all my members are as a shadow.] As if he had ſaid, My body is no body indeed but as it were the ſhadow of a body; and this he might ſay, either with reſpect to his exceeding great weakneſſe, by reaſon whereof all the members of his body were in a manner uſeleſſe to him, they had the outward appearance and ſhape of members, but they could not do the office of ſuch members, he could not make any uſe either of hands or feet, &c. or elſe becauſe his whole body was ſo conſumed and waſted, that his members had as it were no ſubſtance in them, they were ſo meager and wan that he looked more like an apparition, then one that had a true body, and ſhould his friends ſee him they could not know him, but would take him for the ſhadow of Iob, rather then for Iob himſelf. But now if you read this clauſe as it is in the margin of our Bibles, and all my thoughts are as a shadow, then the meaning is, that his thoughts did ſuddenly vaniſh and paſſe away as a ſhadow; and indeed men in great diſtreſſe are wont to be full of various diſtracting thoughts, their minds running ſometimes upon one thing ſometime on another, which may well be that which Iob here complains of, to wit, that there was no ſtability in his thoughts becauſe of his miſeries.
Verſ. 8. Vpright men shall be astonied at this, &c.] Some Expoſitours make the ſenſe of theſe words to be this, that even upright men ſhall be aſtonied to ſee one, whom they judged a holy and righteous man, to be ſo ſeverely puniſhed, and ſhall thereupon raiſe up themſelves againſt him as againſt an hypocrite; and accordingly alſo they expound the following verſe, The righteous alſo shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be ſtronger and ſtronger, to wit, that the righteous afflicted man, though thus misjudged by his godly friends (which is indeed the ſoreſt of all tryalls) ſhall for all this hold on his way, and ſhall become more ſtrict and more zealous in the wayes of godlineſſe then he was before. But the commoner and as I conceive the better Expoſition is this, Vpright men shall be aſtonied at this, that is, wiſe and godly men (ſuch Iobs friends were) ſhall ſtand amazed at my ſtrange ſufferings, and ſhall hereupon condemn and deride me in my miſeries, and that eſpecially upon this ground, that I ſhould for all this perſevere in my dependance upon God, and maintain mine innocency and integrity againſt them; and the innocent shall ſtirre up himſelf againſt the hypocrite, that is, men of a holy life and pure conſcience ſhall hereupon rouſe up themſelves, to wit, either 1. To take his part and maintain his cauſe againſt thoſe hypocrites, that did ſo deride and falſely accuſe him, or 2. To oppoſe thoſe baſe hypocrites, that by his ſufferings ſhould take occaſion to blaſpheme God, to harden themſelves in their wickedneſſe, and to make a mock of godlineſſe, or 3. To encourage themſelves by this example not to faint in the like caſe, if it ſhould come to be their portion, but ſtoutly to maintain their integrity againſt thoſe that unjuſtly condemned them; And ſo likewiſe they underſtand the following verſe, The righteous alſo shall hold on his way, &c. to wit, that good and holy men will not be beaten off from the waies of righteouſneſſe, by ſeeing them that walk in thoſe waies ſo ſorely afflicted, deſpiſed, and derided, but will rather become the more zealous, and gather the more ſtrength hereby to comfort and encourage themſelves againſt ſuch temptations. So that the drift of theſe words alſo was, to ſhew that his grievous miſeries was no proof that he was a wicked man, and that God hath other holy ends for which he brings ſuch ſore calamities upon men, beſides the puniſhing of them for their ſins.
Verſ. 10. But as for you all, do you return and come now, &c.] This may be either ſpoken by way of advice to his friends, doe you return, that is, give over this erroneous conceit which you have hitherto maintained, change your minds, and come now, that is, cloſe with me in that which I ſhall ſay, or hearken to that which I ſhall now deliver: or elſe as a challenge farther to argue out the buſineſſe between them, (which ſeems the more probable becauſe in that ſenſe this very expreſſion, Return I pray you is uſed before, chap. 6.29. of which ſee the Note there) But as for you all, do you return and come now, that is, come and let us again argue the cauſe between us; were there never ſo many of you, I challenge every one of you to prepare your ſelves and to alledge the utmoſt you can for the juſtifying of that you have undertaken to maintain: for I cannot find one wiſe man among you, that is, in this particular you ſpeak not wiſely, I ſhall eaſily make it appear that in this which you affirm, that God would not afflict me thus were I not an hypocrite, you erre groſſely, and ſpeak as men that are altogether ignorant of the wayes of God; And it may well be which ſome think, that becauſe Eliphaz had now returned, as I may ſay, to reply upon him, and becauſe he ſaw perhaps his other two friends eager to fall upon him the ſecond time, therefore it was that he now bids defiance to them all, But as for you all, doe you return and come now, &c.
Verſ. 11. My daies are past, my purpoſes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.] As if he had ſaid, what do you tell me of comfortable daies? though I have done what I could to comfort my ſelf with hope and expectation of being freed from the miſeries which for the preſent I ſuffered, and with entertaining purpoſes of doing this or that when I came to be in a better condition (as indeed men in miſery are wont to catch at any thing, that may give them any hope of being delivered out of their troubles,) yet I ſee all is in vain, my life is in a manner at an end, all the thoughts and purpoſes of my heart this way are broken off, to wit, either by death which will put an end to them all, or elſe by divers other diſtracting thoughts, which my pain and other miſeries do continually ſuggeſt, and which will not ſuffer my thoughts to be long ſtedfaſtly pitched upon any thing, eſpecially any thing that ſhould comfort me. Now though ſome conceive that this is rendred as a reaſon, why they ſhould hearken to him and be warned by him, to wit, becauſe being a dying man he had not much more to ſay, nor was well able to utter what he had purpoſed to ſpeak, his pain and miſery interrupting him, and the thoughts of his heart being through diſtemper full of diſtractions; yet I rather think that the drift of theſe words is clearly to ſhew, how vain a thing it would be for him, a dying man, to expect any ſuch glorious condition here in this world as they had promiſed him, if he would repent and turn again unto the Lord, and that becauſe this agrees fully with that which follows.
Verſ. 12. They change the night into day, &c.] That is, theſe diſtracting thoughts (of which mention was made in the foregoing verſe) or my friends by cauſing ſuch diſtraction in my thoughts, make me paſſe the night without any reſt as if it were the day: the light is short becauſe of darkneſſe, that is, the light of my joy is short becauſe of the darkneſſe of my afflictions; or rather, the light is short becauſe of darkneſſe, that is, when the day comes it ſeems preſently to be gone again, ſo that I do very little enjoy the benefit of the day, and that either becauſe it ſeems over-clouded with the darkneſſe of my afflictions, or becauſe I am ſtreight way afraid of the dolefulneſſe of the night that is coming after it.
Verſ. 13. If I wait, the grave is mine houſe; I have made my bed in the darkneſſe.] That is, if I ſhould wait in hope to ſee an end of my miſeries, yet at laſt I am ſure the grave muſt be my houſe, there in the darkneſſe of the pit I muſt lay me down to reſt. Thus ſome Expoſitours underſtand theſe words. But I rather underſtand them thus, If I wait, the grave is my houſe, &c. that is, if I ſhould wait for that glorious change to which you ſay God would reſtore me, if I would repent and beg mercy at his hands, I ſhould certainly flatter my ſelf in vain, and that becauſe I am a dying man, and ſo the grave is the houſe where I muſt immediately be lodged, and in the darkneſſe thereof I am ready to lay down my ſelf to reſt.
Verſ. 14, I have ſaid to Corruption, Thou art my father; to the worm, Thou art my mother and my ſiſter.] It is the opinion of a learned man, and not altogether improbable, that becauſe great men in thoſe times had certain vaults, where the bodies of all their family were ſucceſſively laid, and placed in ſuch order, that when their children went in to them, they were able to ſay which was their grandfather and grandmother, their father and mother, &c. therefore Iob to imply that he ſhould not be buried in ſuch a way of ſtate, but ſhould be laid after the manner of meaner men in an ordinary grave, he ſaith here that in ſtead of being thus laid up with the anceſtours of his family, he ſhould only have rottenneſſe and wormes for his father, and mother, and ſiſters, in his buriall place. But the more ordinary expoſition of theſe words I take to be the better by farre, to wit, that Iobs drift therein is, as in thoſe before, to ſhew that he was hopeleſſe of life, and had in his thoughts given up himſelf, and that willingly, to the grave, I have ſaid to corruption, Thou art my father; to the worm, Thou art my mother and my ſiſter, as if he ſhould have ſaid, In ſtead of thoſe my near friends with whom I have lived, in the houſe of the grave, whether I am going apace, corruption and worms are the near allyes, the father, mother, brothers and ſiſters with whom I muſt dwell; And indeed to corruption and the worms he might the rather give theſe tearms of his neareſt allyes, becauſe he himſelf had his originall from the earth, and was no better, in regard of that corruption whereinto he ſhould be turned in the grave, then the grave-bred worms. But however by theſe expreſſions Iob would ſhew that he was ſo farre from looking upon death as an enemy, or a ſtranger, that he was upon fair tearms with death as with his neareſt allyance, yea that he was well acquainted with death, and took delight and contentment in death, as men do when after a long journey they return home to father, and mother, and brethren, and ſiſters.
Verſ. 15. And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall ſee it?] That is, when I ſhall be thus laid in the grave, what will become then of the hope you would give me of a proſperous eſtate here in this world, ſince doubtleſſe no man ſhall ever ſee me have a good day again here in this world? It is as if he ſhould have ſaid, It had been fitter you ſhould have propounded to me the bliſſe and glory, which after death I might expect in heaven; for I were indeed in a ſad condition, if I had no more hope in heaven, then I can expect here in this world.
Verſ. 16. They shall go down to the barres of the pit, when our reſt together is in the duſt.] Two ſeverall waies theſe words of Iob may be underſtood, 1. As an anſwer to the laſt words of the foregoing verſe; having ſaid there, As for my hope, who shall ſee it? He anſwers himſelf here in theſe words, They shall goe down to the bars of the pit, &c. as if he ſhould have ſaid, I look every hour to be laid in the grave, and therefore if there be any good to be hoped for by me, I muſt expect it there, and ſo they that will ſee my hope muſt paſſe through the gates of death, and goe down with me into the grave, that ſo they may there behold it, when we ſhall there lye at reſt together in the duſt, 2. As a farther illuſtration of the vanity of thoſe hopes, which his friends had propounded to him, They shall goe down, ſaith Iob, to the barres of the pit, &c. that is, truly all the hopes that you have propounded to me, or that I can conceive of living in proſperity again in this world, ſhall be all buried in the grave, and there both I and they ſhall periſh, when we ſhall all reſt together in the duſt.