Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 2. THen anſwered Zophar, &c.] This is the ſecond, and indeed the laſt reply of Zophar, who now as before took his turn in the third place; for though Eliphaz and Bildad did afterward reply again the third time upon Iob, yet Zophar after this ſpake no more. And obſervable it is that notwithſtanding Iob had in the foregoing chapter made ſuch a ſad relation of the wofull condition wherein at preſent he was, chap. 19.6. &c. and had ſo earneſtly beſought his friends, that they would take pity of him, verſ. 21. and had made ſuch a full and glorious confeſſion of his faith, verſ. 25, 26, 27. and had threatned them with the ſword of divine vengeance, if they proceeded on ſtill with ſuch fury againſt him as they had done, yet all this moved not Zophar, but that he again fell upon Iob with as much violence as ever.
Verſ. 2. Therefore do my thoughts cauſe me to anſwer, and for this I make haſt.] It ſeems Zophar did here interrupt Iob before he had made an end of ſpeaking, and ſo in theſe words he gives a reaſon why he could no longer keep ſilence; Therefore do my thoughts cauſe me to anſwer, and for this I make haſt, as if he ſhould have ſaid, Whereas I reſolved to have replyed no more, or whereas I was deſirous to let you goe on without interrupting you, till you had made an end of your own accord (as I know civility requires I ſhould doe) truly that which you have ſpoken hath ſtirred up thoſe thoughts in me, that do even compell me to ſpeak; doe what I can I am not able ſtill to bear what I hear, nor to forbear uttering what I have thought to ſay; being as one in travell, I muſt not ſtay any longer, but muſt however it be taken break in upon you. And ſo this word (therefore) may be either referred, 1. In generall to all that Iob had anſwered in the foregoing chapter, either by way of juſtifying himſelf, and profeſſing his hope of beholding to his joy, his Redeemer, when his dead body ſhould be raiſed from the grave, or by way of blaming his friends for their unfriendly and unmercifull dealing with him; as if he had ſaid, Finding how erroneous thou ſtill art in this great point of Gods dealing with man, therefore I could not forbear but I muſt again anſwer thee. Or 2. More particularly to thoſe ſevere cenſures which he had paſſed upon them for their dealing ſo harſhly with him; which may ſeem the more probable, becauſe in the following verſe he ſeems to make theſe cenſures (which he tearms reproaches) the ground of this his Reply, I have heard, ſaith he, the check of my reproach, and (therefore) the ſpirit of my underſtanding cauſeth me to anſwer; Or elſe 3. It may be referred yet more particularly (as many hold) to the very laſt words that Iob had ſpoken, chap. 19.29. There Iob had warned his friends to take heed leaſt the ſword of divine vengeance did not fall upon them for their fury and wrath againſt ſuch a diſtreſſed afflicted man as he was; for, ſaith he, wrath bringeth the punishments of the ſword, that ye may know there is a judgement: Now Zophar being exceedingly netled with theſe words, breaks out preſently as in relation thereto, Therefore doe my thoughts cauſe me to anſwer, and for this I make haſt, as if he ſhould have ſaid, Whereas you think to ſtop our mouths by threatning us with the judgements of God, ſo farre am I from being terrified herewith, that this above all forceth me to ſpeak, ſo that now I am not able to hold my peace any longer: And three reaſons may be conceived why Zophar ſhould, upon thoſe words above others, be ſo much ſtirred in his ſpirit, that he could no longer forbear. 1. Becauſe he might judge this moſt inſufferable, that he that lay under ſuch judgements of God himſelf, ſhould yet be ſo confident that he was in the right, as to threaten them with the judgements of God for ſpeaking againſt him; perceiving how he wrongfully applyed the judgements of God, it was time to make him ſ… his errour herein. 2. Becauſe he might apprehend, that he had now a notable advantage to convince him from his own words, ſince if wrath bringeth the punishments of the ſword (as Iob ſaid) what cauſe had he to be afraid of this ſword of divine vengeance, that had in ſo much fury and wrath uttered ſo many bitter ſpeeches againſt God, and ſo ſcornfully deſpiſed the admonition of his friends? and 3. Becauſe he might be eager to put him in mind, that if there were judgement and a ſword of divine vengeance for wicked men, he might thence know what himſelf was, whom this ſword of God had already ſo ſorely wounded. However obſervable is the expreſſion which Zophar here uſeth, My thoughts cauſe me to anſwer; for hereby he would ſeem to imply, that though he ſhould ſpeak zealouſly, yet he ſhould not ſpeak raſhly, becauſe he had ſeriouſly be thought himſelf of what he meant to ſay.
Verſ. 3. I have heard the check of my reproach, &c.] That is, the checks and taunts wherewith to my reproach thou haſt upbraided me, and ſcorned the truth of God which hath been ſpoken to thee; for though ſome Expoſitours referre this particularly to that ſharp expreſſion of Iob, chap. 19.23, why do ye perſecute me as God, and are not ſatisfied with my flesh? as if he ſhould have ſaid, What? Do you charge me with perſecuting you, with eating up your fleſh? Are you not aſhamed to caſt ſuch baſe reproaches upon us? And others to that before mentioned verſ. 29. where he had threatned them with the ſword of divine vengeance; yet I ſhould rather underſtand it generally, either of Iobs ſtiffeneſſe in maintaining ſtill the truth of his cauſe, and the innocency of his perſon, which Zophar eſteemed a reproach to them; or of all thoſe tart paſſages in Iobs ſpeeches, wherewith Zophar apprehended himſelf to be reproached, he ſtill applying that to himſelf, which Iob had ſpoken in common to them all. As for the following clauſe, and the ſpirit of my underſtanding cauſeth me to anſwer, by the ſpirit of his underſtanding may be meant, either the ſpirit of God enlightening his mind, and cauſing him to underſtand, or his ſoul by which he was inabled to underſtand, or the force and ſtrength of his underſtanding, or the higheſt, and chiefeſt, and moſt refined part of the underſtanding, that which is moſt free from the dregs of paſſion; But however doubtleſſe the drift of Zophar in this expreſſion was, either to imply that he meant to anſwer Iob with reaſon, and underſtanding, and not in paſſion and anger, as Iob had ſtill replyed upon them; or elſe rather to ſhew that the reaſon why he could not forbear ſpeaking any longer, was becauſe he did clearly underſtand, that it was the truth which they maintained againſt Iob, and was able by evident reaſon to convince him, of his folly in reproaching his friends as he had done for that which they had ſpoken, and of the wickedneſſe which they had charged him with.
Verſ. 4. Knoweſt thou not this of old, ſince man was placed upon earth, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, I appeal to thine own conſcience; ca…ſt thou be ignorant of that which the experience of all ages hath approved to be true, ever ſince God firſt made man and placed him upon the earth? to wit, (as it follows in the next verſe) that the tryumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? And well it may be, that when Zophar ſpake this he had in his thoughts, how God puniſhed Cain the ſon of Adam, and Ham and his curſed poſterity immediately after the flood.
Verſ. 6. Thaugh his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds.] That is, though he overtop all men in riches, honours, authority, and high eſteem, and be gotten up to the higheſt pitch of outward proſperity and glory, inſomuch that hereupon he exalts himſelf in his pride as a little God upon earth, and think his condition as unchangeable as the heavens; we have the like expreſſion Matth. 11.23. And thou Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell.
Verſ. 7. Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung, &c.] This expreſſion of Zophars may imply three things, to wit, 1. That God ſhould ſlay him and ſo he ſhould become a loath ſome ſtinking carcaſe, his body being turned wholly to rottenneſſe and putrifaction. 2. That when God began to execute his judgements upon him, he ſhould become loathſome, baſe, and abominable unto all men, ſo that none ſhould vouchſafe to ſave him, but he ſhould be caſt out with the deteſtation and abhorring of all, and 3. That he ſhould periſh utterly both he and his, according to that which is ſaid of Ieroboam, 1 Kings 14.10. I will take away the remnant of the houſe of Ieroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone (concerning which ſee the Note there)▪ And likely enough it is too, that Zophar might herein allude to the dunghill whereon Iob now ſat, chap. 2.8. and to the complaint he had made in the foregoing chapter, that God had ſtripped him of his glory, and taken away the crown from his head, and that all his neareſt friends, &c. deſpiſed him and ſtood aloof from him, and ſo intimated to him that it was not ſtrange at all that it was thus, ſince it was the uſuall portion of the wicked man thus to periſh as his own dung, that is, mans dung, the moſt loathſome of all dung. And to the ſame purpoſe is the following clauſe, they which have ſeen him shall ſay, where is he? for this implyes 1. That he ſhould be utterly cut off and not be ſeen any more, and 2. That they that had ſeen him with admiration in his height of proſperity, ſhould wonder to ſee afterward how on a ſudden he was quite periſhed and gone, not ſo much as any memoriall being left of him, and ſhould ſpeak of him in a way of ſcorn and contempt.
Verſ. 8. He shall fly away as a dream, &c.] That is, he ſhall ſuddenly periſh and come to nothing: for by the flying away of a dream is meant, either the utter forgetting of a dream, when a man dreams and waking on a ſudden, it is gone and there is no remembrance at all left of it; or elſe the vaniſhing away of thoſe appearances and viſions, which the fancy preſents to a man in his ſleep; look as when a man dreams of great treaſures, or dainty feaſts, or other things, but on a ſudden the dream vaniſheth, and ſo when he wakes all comes to nothing, there is no ſuch thing as he dreamt of (which is ſweetly expreſſed by the Prophet Iſaiah, chap. 29.8.) ſo ſhall it be with the wicked man, his proſperity ſhall ſuddenly vaniſh to nothing, and ſo he ſhall utterly periſh. Iob had wiſhed chap. 19.23, 24. That his words were written, that they were printed in a book, that they were graven with an iron pen in the rock for ever; perhaps in alluſion to this Zophar here tells him, that inſtead of being thus remembred in after times, he ſhould ſo utterly periſh, that there ſhould be no memoriall left of him, no more then there is of a dream when it is quite vaniſhed and gone.
Verſ. 9. Neither shall his place any more behold him.] This may be meant of thoſe amongſt whom he had formerly lived, to wit, that the men of his place ſhould never ſee him or obſerve him any more; or elſe of the place it ſelf wherein he had lived, concerning which ſee the Notes chap. 7.10, and 8.18.
Verſ. 10. His children shall ſeek to pleaſe the poor, &c.] If we read this clauſe as it is in the margin of our Bibles, The poor shall oppreſs his children, then the meaning is, either that the poor ſhould by violence take from his children, what he had by fraud or oppreſſion taken from them; or that his children ſhould come to ſuch extreme poverty & miſery, that even the poorer ſort of people ſhould be able to oppreſs them. But if we read it as it is in our Bibles, His children shall pleaſe the poor, then the meaning muſt be, either that his children (forced thereto by the ſentence and for fear of the ſentence of the judges, or otherwiſe) ſhould labour to appeaſe the poor, by reſtoring to them what their father had unjuſtly taken from them; or elſe that they ſhould fall into ſuch lamentable beggery and want, that they ſhould be glad to curry favour with poor men, that from them they might get ſome ſmall ſuccour. As for the ſecond clauſe, And his hands shall reſtore their goods, that is added to ſhew, that many times not the children of the wicked man, but the wicked man himſelf is forced to reſtore the goods he hath unjuſtly wreſted from the poor: And yet it is not neceſſary that this ſhould be limited, at leaſt to the wicked mans reſtoring to the former owners what he had unjuſtly taken from them: for even firſt when he dies and ſo muſt part with, and deliver up all that he had ſo injuriouſly gotten, or 2. When others ſhall by force or oppreſſion wreſt from him what he had by the ſame evil means wreſted from the poor, or 3. When by his own improvidence or folly he ſhall waſt what he had with ſuch greedineſſe and cruelty raked out of the eſtates of the needy, in all theſe reſpects it may be figuratively ſaid, that his hands reſtore their goods. And ſo this may be added as a reaſon of his childrens poverty, mentioned in the foregoing clauſe, to wit, that he could not leave them the goods he had gotten ſo ill, being forced as is before ſaid to reſtore them again.
Verſ. 11. His bones are full of the ſin of his youth, which shall lye down with him in the duſt.] Two ſeverall waies this may be underſtood; for 1. The meaning may be that in the ſins of his youth, he perſeveres even to his old age, the ſins into which he fell in his youth being inwardly ſetled and rooted in him, as if they were ſoaked into his bones and marrow, ſhall be as ſtrong in him, and bear as full ſway over him in his old age, as they did in his youth; and ſo it shall lye down with him in the duſt, whereby is meant, either that he ſhall die in his ſin without repentance and without pardon, and ſo his ſin, though nothing elſe, ſhall goe with him to the grave, the guilt of ſin lying ſtill upon him, eating his fleſh and damming his ſoul; or elſe that all his violence, and oppreſſion, and other ſins ſhall there have an end together with himſelf, there they ſhall as it were periſh with him, and be buried in the grave. And 2. By the ſin of his youth may be meant the puniſhments of his youthfull ſins; and then the ſenſe of the words is this, that God ſhould puniſh him in his old age for the ſin of his youth; only this expreſſion of his bones being full of the ſin of his youth may alſo imply. 1. The grievouſneſſe of the plagues wherewith he is puniſhed for the ſins of his youth, whether we underſtand it of bodily puniſhments or of the pains of a tortured conſcience, to wit, that they ſhould ſeiſe upon the whole man, and as it were ſhake and break his very bones within him; for thus ſore ſufferings and torments are uſually expreſſed in the Scripture, My bones are burnt as an hearth, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 102.3. and again Pſal. 109.18. As he cloatheth himſelf with curſing like as with a garment, ſo let it come into his bowels like water and like oyl into his bones. 2. That they ſhould be abundantly poured forth upon him, and 3. Perhaps alſo the quality of them, that his body yea even his very bones ſhould be rotted with the luxury and intemperance of his youth; and accordingly then the meaning of the laſt clauſe which shall lye down with him in the duſt is plain and eaſie, namely that theſe puniſhments ſhould never leave him till they had brought him to the grave.
Verſ. 12. Though wickedneſſe be ſweet in his mouth, &c.] This may be meant generally of any wickedneſſe whatſoever, which the wicked man commits; or particularly of the wickedneſſe of oppreſſing the poor, and wreſting their eſtates unjuſtly from them; and ſo the full drift of this paſſage is this, that though wickedneſſe yield much ſweet delight to the corrupt nature of man for a time, yet afterward it will work him extreme pain and ſorrow, and in the concluſion will certainly deſtroy him. Though wickedneſſe be ſweet in his mouth, that is, though a wicked man may take as much delight in his wickedneſſe, as a ſenſuall Epicure may take in ſome poyſoned ſweet meat, that at firſt may exceedingly pleaſe his taſt, though he hide it under his tongue, and verſ. 13. Though he ſpare it and forſake it not, but keep it ſtill within his mouth, that is, though he be loth to confeſſe, condemne, repent of and forſake his ſins, but ſeeks by many deceitfull waies and pretences to excuſe them (and ſo may the more properly be ſaid to hide them under his tongue) that he may ſtill continue to delight himſelf therein, even as a glutton will not be brought to ſpit out the ſweet meat that he hath in his mouth, yea is loth preſently to ſwallow it down, and therefore eats it ſparingly, champing it and rowling it up and down in his mouth, and ſo lets it goe down by little and little, that he may the longer pleaſe his palat with the ſweet taſt of it, yet, verſ. 14. his meat in his bowels is turned, that is, it is turned to be quite another thing then it ſeemed to be in his mouth, it is the gall of aſps within him, that is, his ſinne will at length prove bitter to him (as we ſee in nature, that thoſe meats that are ſweeteſt to the taſt turn moſt to bitterneſſe and choler in the ſtomach) yea it will bring miſerable pains and torments upon him, both in regard of outward puniſhments which God ſhall inflict, and inward torture of conſcience wherewith he ſhall be vexed, and ſo ſhall at length utterly deſtroy him, even as the ſweet meat which did ſo pleaſe the glutton, when it is gotten down into the ſtomach, doth there cauſe moſt griping inſufferable torments and at laſt kills him, to wit, as being mixed with the moſt violent incurable poyſon, the poyſon of aſps, which is here called the gall of aſps; either becauſe the gall of thoſe ſerpents is their poyſon, or rather becauſe his poyſon proves as bitter in the operation of it, as the meat wherewith it was mixed was ſweet to the taſt.
Verſ. 15. He hath ſwallowed down riches and he shall vomit them up again, &c.] The riches which he hath gotten with ſo much greedineſſe he ſhall with no little anguiſh and ſhame part with again, as men that have overladen their ſtomachs, or rather that have eaten ſome poyſon or other, are wont ſoon to vomit it up again, not only the poyſon it ſelf, but all beſides that is in their bellies: ſo ſhall it be with the wicked oppreſſour; either by the terrours of his own conſcience, which ſhall make him even ſick of what he hath ſo unjuſtly gotten, and reſtleſſe till he rid himſelf of it, or by ſome other means, God ſhall forceably bereave him, not only of his ill gotten goods, but of all his eſtate beſides.
Verſ. 16. He shall ſuck the poyſon of aſps; the vipers tongue shall ſlay him.] That is, it ſhall be with him as with a man that is poyſoned with the moſt violent and incurable poyſon, the poyſon of aſps or the tongue of the viper, to wit, in regard of his vomiting up the ill gotten goods he hath ſwallowed down, or in regard of the torment he ſhall endure, and that it ſhall at laſt bring him to a miſerable end.
Verſ. 17. He shall not ſee the rivers, the flouds, the brooks of honey and butter.] As if he had ſaid, When the wicked man hath gotten a great eſtate by rapine and oppreſſion, many flocks of ſheep and heards of cattel, he is then ready to promiſe himſelf abundance of felicity and content, that he ſhall take in the enjoyment of theſe things, how he will feaſt himſelf, and how he will ſwim in all kind of pleaſures and ſweet delights; but all this ſhall prove but a dream, he ſhall not enjoy the leaſt of this which he hath fancied to himſelf. Some, I know, underſtand this thus, that he ſhall not have the leaſt ſhare in that plenty of good bleſſings, which God promiſed to his people; as conceiving that Zophar herein alluded to that promiſe made to Abraham of the land of Canaan, as of a land flowing with milk and honey: yea ſome underſtand it of his never ſeeing thoſe infinite joyes, which God hath reſerved in heaven for the portion of his people, according to that expreſſion Pſal. 36.8. They shall be abundantly ſatisfied with the fatneſſe of thy houſe; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleaſures. But the firſt Expoſition I take to be far the beſt.
Verſ. 18. That which he laboured for shall he reſtore, &c.] That is, That which he hath gotten with much adoe, and a great deal of pains, in the waies of oppreſſion and fraud, he ſhall be forced to reſtore, or ſhall part with it again, (ſee the Note verſ. 10.) yet this may alſo comprehend what he hath gotten by his labour in an honeſt way, and ſo may be added purpoſely to imply, that in revenge of his rapine, he ſhould be ſtripped not of his ill-gotten goods only, but alſo of that which he had gathered together by his lawfull labours. As for the following clauſe, and shall not ſwallow it down, it is not contrary to what he had ſaid before, verſ. 15. He hath ſwallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; becauſe the meaning here is only, that God ſhould ſuddenly eaſe him of all that he had greedily gathered together; before he had well ſwallowed it down, he ſhould be forced to vomit it up again; it ſhould never be converted to his own perſonall benefit, or the benefit of his family. According to his ſubſtance shall the reſtitution be, and he shall not rejoyce therein, that is, he ſhall be fully as poor, as before he was rich and great; or rather he ſhall, by way of Gods forcing reſtitution from him, part with all that he hath even to a very farthing, and ſo as he hath begger'd others, he ſhall be utterly begger'd himſelf, and little joy he ſhall have of all that he hath ſcraped together.
Verſ. 20. Surely he shall not feel quietneſſe in his belly.] That is, he ſhall ſcarce at any time enjoy the leaſt hearts-eaſe; to wit, either becauſe of his inſatiable thirſt after riches, or his carking care to keep what he hath gotten, or rather becauſe of the terrours of his conſcience for his ill-gotten riches, or becauſe of thoſe continuall vexations wherewith he ſhall be hourly purſued, for the daily loſſe of that which he had taken ſuch pains to get.
Verſ. 21. There shall none of his meat be left, &c.] Some read this, as it is in the margin, There shall be none left for his meat, &c. as if he had ſaid, He ſhall have none of his poſterity left to eat what he leaves behind him, and ſo there ſhall be none to look for his goods when he is gone. But it is better tranſlated, as it is in our Bibles, There shall none of his meat be left, that is, he ſhall not have ſo much as a cruſt left to feed himſelf; therefore shall no man look for his goods, that is, his children or friends need not trouble themſelves to gape after or ſtrive for his goods when he is gone, becauſe there ſhall be nothing left for them; Or, there ſhall no man ſeek to rob or ſpoile him, as formerly, becauſe he ſhall have nothing left for himſelf.
Verſ. 22. In the fulneſſe of his ſufficiency he shall be in streights, &c.] Two ſeverall waies this may be underſtood: to wit, 1. That in the fulneſſe of his proſperity he ſhall be in as great ſtreights as the pooreſt, either becauſe of terrours of conſcience, or becauſe of his continuall fears of looſing what he hath gotten, or becauſe of the unquietneſſe of his ſpirit, in regard of his greedy covetous deſires, as not having yet what he would have. Or 2. That when he hath gotten ſuch abundance, that, with the rich man in the Goſpel, he begins now to ſay, Soul, thou haſt goods laid up for many years, take thine eaſe, eat, drink, and be merry, then on a ſudden the wrath of God ſhall fall upon him, and by means thereof he ſhall come into great ſtreights and troubles: for thereto agrees alſo the following clauſe, every hand of the wicked shall be upon him; that is, every ungodly, unconſcionable man, even thoſe haply that were before his friends or ſervants, ſhall oppreſſe and ſpoile him; and ſo he ſhall be cruſhed as he before cruſhed others, and as his hand was almoſt againſt every man, ſo every mans hand ſhall be againſt him.
Verſ. 23. When he is about to fill his belly, God shall caſt the fury of his wrath upon him, &c.] That is, when he thinks to ſit down in quiet, and to ſatiate himſelf in the enjoying of what he hath gotten, before he can do it, God ſhall pour out his judgements upon him, the ſad effects of his fierce fury and indignation; which is compared to a ſhowre of rain in the following clauſe, and he shall rain it upon him, to wit, 1. becauſe the judgements ſhould come upon him from heaven; 2. becauſe they ſhould come upon him ſuddenly and with great violence, as ſhowres of rain uſually do in the midſt of a fair day; 3. becauſe they ſhould ſeiſe upon him on every ſide in great abundance, as when a man is all over wet with a ſhowre of rain; and 4. becauſe they cannot be prevented or kept off, no more then the rain can be ſtopped that it ſhall not fall from the clouds. The expreſſion is much like that, Pſal. 11.6. VponUpon the wicked he shall rain ſnares, fire and brimſtone and an horrible tempest. As for the laſt clauſe, wherein it is ſaid theſe judgements of God ſhould be poured upon him while he is eating, that is added as an aggravation of the miſery of the wicked man, that theſe judgements ſhould come upon him when he is or would be moſt free, and fearleſſe, and pleaſant; even as it is ſaid of the Iſraelites, when they luſted for fleſh, and God gave them quails, Pſal. 78.30, 31. that while their meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them. And it may well be that Zophar had reſpect therein alſo to the death of Iobs children, by the falling of the houſe upon them, where they were eating together.
Verſ. 24. He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of ſteel shall ſtrike him through.] That is, God fighting againſt him as a man of war, he ſhall be ſo purſued with his judgements, that ſeeking to avoid one evil, he ſhall fall into another, or ſeeking to avoid a leſſer evil, he ſhall fall into a greater; as when a man flees from the iron weapon, the ſword or the ſpear, (againſt which a man well armed may more probably defend himſelf) and then an arrow from a bow of ſteel ſtrikes him through, the ſtroke thereof being unreſiſtable and deadly.
Verſ. 25. It is drawn and cometh out of the body, &c.] This is meant, I conceive, of the ſword of Gods indignation, or of the arrow ſhot out of the bow of ſteel, mentioned in the foregoing verſe; and the words may be underſtood two ſeverall waies: firſt thus, It is drawn, that is, it is drawn out of the ſheath, or out of the quiver, and cometh out of the body, that is, being thruſt or ſhot at the wicked man, it pierceth him through and through, and ſo cometh out of his body; and ſo the drift of theſe words muſt be to ſhew, that when God begins to avenge himſelf upon the wicked man, he will be ſure to ſtrike home, he will ſoon make an end of him: or ſecondly thus, It is drawn and cometh out of the body, that is, after the wicked man is ſtricken through with it, being drawn it cometh forth out of his body: to which purpoſe alſo is the following clauſe, yea the gliſtering ſword cometh out of his gall, that is, it pierceth through his very entrails; and the meaning is, that with terrible judgements (for that is intended in the gliſtering of the ſword) God would irrecoverably deſtroy him. Neither can it well be queſtioned, but that in this expreſſion Zophar did purpoſely aim at that complaint of Iobs concerning Gods dealing with him, chap. 16.13. He cleaveth my reins aſunder, and doth not ſpare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. As for the laſt words, terrours are upon him, thereby is meant, that when God ſhall thus begin to contend with him, partly by the affrightments of his own guilty conſcience, and partly by the ſeverity of Gods proceeding againſt him, as apprehending that he means to ſlay him, or that he hath already given him his deaths wound, he ſhall be even overwhelmed with terrours and fears.
Verſ. 26. All darkneſſe shall be hid in his ſecret places.] There may be ſeverall expoſitions given of theſe words, and all very probable: as 1. That by his ſecret places is meant the places where he hides and ſtores up his wealth; and ſo the meaning of theſe words ſhould be this, that all ſort of calamities ſhould be ſtored up together with his treaſures; as if he ſhould have ſaid, The wicked man ſhall never enjoy his wealth, becauſe the wrath of God ſhall reſt upon it. 2. That by his ſecret places is meant his heart or ſoul; and ſo the meaning of the words to be this, that all kind of diſmall fears, and terrours, and deſpairing thoughts ſhall fill his heart and poſſeſſe his ſoul, and 3. That by his ſecret places is meant whatever places he ſhould goe to, or means he ſhould uſe to hide or ſecure himſelf from danger; and then the meaning of theſe words is this, All darkneſse shall be hid in his ſecret places, that is, whereever, or by what means ſoever the wicked man ſhall ſeek to hide or ſecure himſelf, the darkneſſe of all kind of terrours and fears ſhall ſtill goe along with him, yea the darkneſſe of all kind of grievous calamities ſhall even there ſeiſe upon him. But this laſt I take to be far the beſt Expoſition.
A fire not blown shall conſume him.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, a ſoft gentle fire, to wit, judgements that ſhall conſume him ſecretly, by degrees, and as it were without any noiſe. But rather by a fire not blown is meant a fire not of mans kindling, and that needs not mans blowing, becauſe it will be ſure to burn fiercely enough without that: Or, ſudden unexpected judgements, which come upon men in ſome ſtrange manner, no man knows how; they are conſumed thereby, but no account can be given by whom or by what the fire was kindled. Some underſtand it of the eternall unquenchable fire of hell, which indeed would agree well with the words; for there needs no bellows to kindle that fire, the breath of the Lord like a ſtream of brimſtone shall kindle it, Iſa. 30.33. But it appears not any where elſe, that Iobs friends do ever ſpeak of any other but temporall judgements. Again, others underſtand it metaphorically, of a burning fire of terrours kindled in the conſcience; and others likewiſe of fire ſent immediately from God, ſuch as was that wherewith Sodome and Gomorrha was conſumed, and that which burnt up Iobs ſheep and ſervants, chap. 1.16. as we ſee that Iobs friends are often wont cloſely to hint unto him the judgements, that had fallen upon him and his. But I conceive it may be underſtood more generally, either of the wrath of God it ſelf, which is the kindler of all penall fires, or of any grievous judgements wherewith God in his wrath doth uſually conſume wicked men; for any ſore calamities ſent from God are oft in the Scripture compared to fire, as in Ezek. 20.47. Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree; the flaming flame shall not be quenched, &c. but eſpecially, as is before ſaid, of ſtrange, ſudden, and unexpected judgements.
Verſ. 27. The heaven shall reveal his iniquity, &c.] That is, judgements coming from heaven upon him ſhall proclaim him to be a wicked man. And it may be Zophar did hereby intimate the ſtrange fire and wind whereby Iobs cattel and children had been conſumed. And the earth shall riſe up againſt him, to wit, as an enemy, or as a witneſſe, when all earthly things ſhall be ready to execute Gods vengeance upon him. Yea and becauſe Iob chap. 16.18, 19. had appealed to heaven and earth for the juſtifying of himſelf, O earth cover not thou my bloud, and my witneſſe is in heaven; therefore in reference thereto it may well be conceived, that Zophar here tells him that both heaven and earth ſhould teſtify againſt him, and ſhould condemn him.
Verſ. 28. The increaſe of his houſe shall depart, &c.] That is, both his poſterity and eſtate ſhall be tranſmitted into other hands, or they ſhall ſuddenly periſh and come to nothing, ſee 2 Kings 20.17: and his goods shall flow away; of which the meaning may be, either that they ſhould be ſuddenly gone, or that they ſhould waſt away by little and little, as ſome waters do inſenſibly ebbe and ſink by little and little.
Verſ. 29. This is the portion of a wicked man from God, &c.] As Bildad before concluded his reply upon Iob, chap. 18.21. Surely ſuch are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God; ſo doth Zophar alſo here conclude his, This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God: as it were purpoſely to imply, that however angry Iob had ſeemed to be that Bildad ſhould ſo peremptorily conclude, that ſuch miſery was alwaies the portion of wicked men, yet he both did and would maintain the truth of that which Bildad had ſaid. This is the portion of a wicked man from God, &c. that is, this is the meſſe which God ſerves in to their table, theſe are the miſeries which befall wicked men, and that not by chance, but by the juſt and unreſiſtable appointment of God; men may bleſſe them, but God will ſurely curſe them: they may have great inheritances, and oppreſſing others may divide the ſpoile amongſt themſelves; but this is that which God hath allotted them for their portion, and which they ſhall be at laſt as ſure of, as of their juſt inheritance.