Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX.
Verſ. 1. MOreover Iob continued his parable.] See the Note, chap. 27.1.
Verſ. 2. Oh that I were as in moneths paſt, as in the daies when God preſerved me.] To wit, from thoſe miſeries which are ſince come upon me. And this Job might adde, not ſo much by way of deſiring the recovery of his former proſperity, as to imply that he was not aſhamed of his former proſperity, as if he had not behaved himſelf therein as became a man that feared God, but could wiſh with all his heart that it were now with him in every regard as it was then: thereby condemning his friends for paſſing ſuch uncharitable cenſures upon him, as if by his ſecret wickedneſſe in the daies of his proſperity, he had provoked God to bring thoſe miſeries upon him which of late he had endured. But if we take the words ſo, that therein he did indeed wiſh that he were in the ſame proſperous condition wherein he had been formerly, this he might lawfully deſire, ſo it were with ſubmiſſion to Gods will, and without any murmuring againſt that which God had laid upon him; and withall, his drift in mentioning this might chiefly be to imply, how unwarrantably they judged of him by his outward condition, ſince they might as well conclude that he was a righteous man and beloved of God becauſe of his former proſperity, as that he was a wicked man and hated of God becauſe of his preſent afflictions; as likewiſe to intimate, that in this regard his preſent miſeries were the greater, becauſe he had formerly lived in ſuch a proſperous condition.
Verſ. 3. When his candle shined upon mine head, &c.] That is, upon me, according to that Prov. 30.6. Bleſsings are upon the head of the juſt, that is, upon the juſt. Yet in this phraſe there may be alſo an alluſion to the lifting up or ſetting up of torches or candles on high, becauſe thereby they give the better light to men. However by the time when the candle of God ſhined upon his head, is meant the time when the Lord favoured him and proſpered him apparently, and when he did by his providence and the counſell of his ſpirit guide and direct him in all his waies. And to the ſame purpoſe is the following clauſe, when by his light I walked through darkneſſe; for thereby is meant, either that God proſpered him when times of great diſtreſſe lay upon others, or that through Gods favour he lived free from affliction in this world, the vale of tears and land of darkneſſe and ſorrow, or that God directed him in the moſt intricate difficulties that ever he met with. See the Notes, 2 Sam. 22.29. and Eſth. 8.16.
Verſ. 4. As I was in the daies of my youth, when the ſecret of God was upon my Tabernacle.] That is, when that ſpeciall and ſingular love which God did bear me was plainly manifeſted, by the great bleſſings he daily afforded to me and mine; Or, when God by his ſecret providence did protect, and by the ſecret counſell of his ſpirit did direct both me and my family: For all theſe may be tearmed the ſecret of God, as likewiſe Pſal. 25.14. The ſecret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and in other places.
Verſ. 6. When I washed my ſteps with butter, &c.] That is, when I enjoyed the choiceſt of Gods bleſſings in greateſt abundance. We have the like expreſſions, Gen. 49.11. and Deut. 33.24. concerning which ſee the Notes there. Yet the laſt clauſe, and the rock poured me out rivers of oyl, may imply not only abundance of oyl, as where ſtreams of water come guſhing forth out of rocks; but alſo that the barreneſt places yielded him plenty: for which ſee the Note, Deut. 32.13.
Verſ. 7. When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my ſeat in the ſtreet.] As by the gate is meant the place of judicature, (ſee the Note Gen. 22.17.) whether Job uſed to goe in great ſtate and honourably attended; ſo alſo by the ſtreet is meant any place of publick concourſe, where when the people met together about publick affairs, Job, as being a chief magiſtrate, had a ſeat prepared for him againſt he came thither.
Verſ. 8. The aged aroſe and ſtood up.] That is, as I paſſed by, or when I came in place where they were, the aged ariſing ſtood up; or, riſing from their ſeats, they continued ſtanding, whilſt I was preſent.
Verſ. 9. The Princes refrained talking, &c.] That is, they were ſilent preſently when I came in preſence; or, they ſtill gave way to me to ſpeak, and would not ſpeak themſelves when I was by: which is alſo expreſſed in other words in the following clauſe, and laid their hand on their mouth, of which ſee the Note, chap. 21.5. Yet ſome adde farther, that by putting their hand upon their mouth, the princes gave a ſign to others to be ſilent too.
Verſ. 10. The Nobles held their peace, &c.] To wit, when Job was by, or began to ſpeak: and their tongues cleaved to the roof of their mouth; that is, they were as mute as if it had been ſo; or, they durſt not ſpeak for fear.
Verſ. 11, When the ear heard me, then it bleſſed me, &c.] That is, they that heard me ſpeak commended me for that I ſpake, pronounced me bleſſed, or deſired God to bleſſe me: and when the eye ſaw me, it gave witneſſe to me; that is, as any ſaw me, they teſtifyed of me, how righteous and good I was in all my waies.
Verſ. 12. Becauſe I delivered the poor that cryed, the fatherleſſe, &c.] As if he had ſaid, It was not for my riches and greatneſſe that every one ſpake well of me; but for the good I did, and that eſpecially to thoſe from whom no requitall could be expected. And thus he confutes that ſlander of Eliphaz, chap. 22.9. Thou haſt ſent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherleſſe have been broken.
Verſ. 13. The bleſsing of him that was ready to perish came upon me.] To wit, becauſe I helped thoſe that were like to be utterly undone, and reſcued thoſe that were in the way of periſhing, from the oppreſſion of ſuch as would have ruined them; Or, becauſe I pardoned thoſe that were condemned to die.
Verſ. 14. I put on righteouſneſſe, and it clothed me; my judgement was as a robe and a diadem.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Whereas magiſtrates uſe to wear robes and diadems, and other glorious ornaments, to make them to be honoured and reverenced amongſt the people, the ornaments wherewith I ſought to adorn my ſelf were juſtice and judgement; and they were indeed an honour and glory to me both with God and man. His juſt dealing in that office of magiſtracy whereto God had raiſed him, he might compare to a garment which he put on, and wherewith he clothed himſelf, firſt, becauſe it was not naturall to him, he was born naked of any ſuch clothing; ſecondly, becauſe it was manifeſtly to be ſeen in all his actions, as a mans garments are viſible to every one that looks on him; thirdly, that he took as much care to do juſtly, as a man doth to dreſſe himſelf, and did as much delight in all righteous dealing, as men do in coſtly attire. But that which is firſt mentioned, was chiefly, I conceive, intended by Job.
Verſ. 15. I was eyes to the blind, &c.] This may include many particulars: as firſt, that he took order that the blind ſhould have all requiſite help afforded them; ſecondly, that he inſtructed thoſe that were ignorant, who are indeed ſpiritually blind, according to that which the Apoſtle ſpake to the Jew, Rom. 2.19. thou art confident, that thou thy ſelf art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkneſse; thirdly, that he counſelled and directed thoſe that for want of wiſedome knew not many times, both in publick and private affairs, which way to turn themſelves; and fourthly, more particularly, that when poor ſimple men had any cauſe pleaded before him, who, not underſtanding their own cauſe, were in danger to be gulled and deceived by thoſe that would yet ſeem to plead for them, he uſed to help ſuch ſimple ſouls, diſcovering for their benefit the juſtice of their cauſe, which they were not able to make good themſelves. And agreeably hereto we muſt alſo underſtand the ſecond clauſe, and feet was I to the lame; to wit, either of bodily lameneſſe, that he provided that ſuch poor wretches ſhould not want help, or ſecondly, of men figuratively lame, that is, poor weak men, that are not able as it were to ſtand of themſelves, or manage their affairs, that he ſupported and aided them.
Verſ. 16. I was a father to the poor, &c.] That is, I helped them, and counſelled them, and ſupplied them with all things that were neceſſary for them, and that with the care and affection of a father. As for the following clauſe, and the cauſe which I knew not, I ſearched out, it may imply two remarkable acts of juſtice in Job: to wit, firſt, that he did not content himſelf with righting thoſe that complained to him of wrong that was done them, but by ſearch and enquiry found out thoſe that were injurious in their dealings, and called them to an account, and ſo relieved thoſe that durſt not complain; and ſecondly, that when any cauſe was brought before him, he durſt not be raſh in paſſing judgement, nor would ſuffer thoſe that were the wrong-doers to carry the cauſe by any falſe dealing, but did alwaies weigh well every circumſtance, that there might be nothing which he did not throughly underſtand.
Verſ. 18. Then I ſaid, I shall die in my neſt.] That is, I ſhall die peaceably at home in my bed, in a good old age, having my children and family about me. Nor doth this contradict that which he ſaid before, chap. 3.25, 26; that which I was afraid of is come unto me; I was not in ſafety, neither had I reſt, yet trouble came. For as that did only imply, that he grew not carnally ſecure upon his proſperity, but ſtill looked upon all creature-comforts as mutable uncertain things; ſo this doth only imply, that finding himſelf in ſuch a proſperous condition through Gods bleſſing upon him and his, it ſeemed to him moſt probable and likely (at leaſt ſuch thoughts did ſometimes come into his mind) that ſurely he ſhould continue ſetled in that eſtate, till he came at laſt to die in his neſt: which he the rather thought alſo, becauſe his conſcience teſtified with him, that he had alwaies ſincerely endeavoured to walk uprightly before God, and ſo had not that cauſe of being perplexed with continuall fears of a diſmall change, as wicked men have, that enrich and raiſe themſelves by unlawfull means. And this he now alledgeth, as that which made his miſery now the more bitter and inſupportable, and ſhewed how wonderfull and unſearchable the wayes of God were, that notwithſtanding this, he ſhould now be brought into ſo low and ſad a condition.
Verſ. 19. My root was ſpread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.] That is, through the grace of God planted in my heart, and the bleſſing of God upon me and mine, and all that I did, I was in great proſperity, like a flouriſhing tree planted by the waters, and having it's branches refreſhed every night with dew from heaven.
Verſ. 20. My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.] That is, my proſperity, wiſedome and ſtrength was daily encreaſed: For by the bow in the Scripture is uſually meant a mans ſtrength; for ſo we ſee the continuance of Joſephs ſtrength is expreſſed, Gen. 49.24. But his bow abode in ſtrength, &c. See alſo 1 Sam. 2.4.
Verſ. 21. VntoUnto me men gave ear and waited, &c.] That is, they waited both till I ſpake, and whilſt I was ſpeaking, though I was never ſo long, as longing to know my advice, and to hear my judgement, and expecting nothing from me but what was full of wiſedome and juſtice.
Verſ. 22. After my words they ſpake not again, &c.] To wit, neither by gainſaying any thing I ſaid, nor by adding any thing which they conceived was wanting in that which I had ſpoken: and my ſpeech dropped upon them; that is, it was to them as a ſweet ſhowre of rain that diſtils gently upon the earth, and ſoaks into it; it was moſt pleaſing, welcome and profitable, chearing and refreſhing the minds of the hearers, and every way beneficiall to them. See the Note, Deut. 32.2.
Verſ. 23. And they waited for me as the rain, &c.] Moſt Expoſitours hold, that by the rain in this firſt clauſe is meant the rain which fell with them in Autumn, (when in thoſe parts their new-ſown ſeed was in danger to be ſpoiled for want of rain) which is uſually in the Scripture called the firſt or the early rain, Deut. 11.14. Jam. 5.7. and that becauſe the later rain ſeems to be oppoſed hereto in the following clauſe, and they opened their mouth wide as for the later rain. But however the meaning is, that they did as eagerly long to hear him ſpeak, as men long for rain in thoſe times when they moſt need it, and have been longeſt without it; and did as greedily gape after his words when he began to ſpeak, as the husbandman, or the chapped earth it ſelf gapes after the rain, yea even after the later rain; which is that which falls in the ſpring, and was moſt neceſſary in thoſe countries for the ripening and plumping of their corn, which began then with them to be nigh unto harveſt.
Verſ. 24. If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they caſt not down.] Some underſtand this thus, that no body would believe that which was ſpoken before them, if Job by a ſmile ſeemed but to ſuſpect that there was no truth or fair dealing in that which was ſaid; and that on the other ſide, when he gave any approbation to that which was ſpoken, by the chearfulneſſe of his countenance, thoſe that ſtood by ſlighted it not, but obſerving by his looks what his judgement was, they alſo approved it. But others take it thus, If I laughed on them, they believed it not; that is, they had ſuch a high opinion of my gravity, that if I ſpake any thing in a jeaſting, pleaſant manner, or did any other way ſhew my ſelf chearfull and familiar with any body, they could ſcarce believe that I laughed when I did laugh; what I ſpake in jeaſt they would think I ſpake it in earneſt, at leaſt that there was ſomewhat in it more then they diſcerned, nor durſt they thereupon carry themſelves in a familiar and jeaſting manner to me again: and to the ſame purpoſe alſo is the following clauſe, and the light of my countenance they caſt not down; for the meaning is, that when he ſo carried himſelf, no man, by taking offence at him, cauſed him to change his countenance; or, that they did not ſlight any look of his, but took a ſmile from him as a great matter; or, that his familiar carriage towards them did not embolden them to reverence him ever a whit the leſſe, at leaſt to doe or ſpeak any thing that ſhould grieve or anger him, or make him aſhamed, and ſo overcloud his countenance. The expreſſion is much like that, Gen. 4.5. Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Verſ. 25. I choſe out their way, and ſat chief, &c.] Two waies this is underſtood: Firſt, that he appointed them what courſe they ſhould take, and which way they ſhould goe, in any buſineſſe they had to doe, and was ſtill the chief man in all their meetings: or ſecondly, that he uſually went amongſt them, and was familiarly converſant with them; and yet this did not make them deſpiſe him, but ſtill he was all in all amongſt them, and advanced as the chief man whereever he came. As for that which follows, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners, the meaning of the firſt clauſe, I conceive, is unqueſtionably this, that he was obeyed and honourably attended, and his houſe reſorted to, more like a king in an army, then a private man or an inferiour magiſtrate, (and he compares himſelf to a king in an army, rather then in any other place, becauſe there the attendance of kings uſeth to be greateſt, the obedience of ſouldiers is moſt obſervable, and the reſort of company for advice and diſpatch of buſineſſe is moſt frequent.) But then the meaning of the laſt clauſe is more queſtionable, and as one that comforteth the mourners; for either that may be added in reference to the former clauſe, to wit, that he was as a king that comforteth the army, when by ſome diſtreſſe or diſaſter they are diſcouraged and dejected; or elſe the meaning may be, that men flocked after him farre and near, as they are wont to doe to one that is famous for his abilities to comfort thoſe that are of a ſad and drooping ſpirit: and ſo, however, one chief thing which Job intended to imply in theſe words may be, that notwithſtanding the honour that was done him, he was ready ſtill to comfort any that were in affliction and ſorrow.