Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Verſ. 1. AFter this opened Iob his mouth.] That is, though for a while he ſat ſilent as being overwhelmed with grief and not able to ſpeak, according to that of David, Pſal. 77.4. I am ſo troubled that I cannot ſpeak; yet getting at laſt ſome power over himſelf he gave vent to his ſorrows and curſed his day; or thus, though hitherto Iob had carried himſelf with admirable patience, yet after this now at length he began to ſpeak, and that freely and boldly (for that is the meaning of this Hebrew phraſe, Iob opened his mouth) having ſat ſilent with his friends a long time before, he began now to complain of his miſeries, and gave therein too much liberty to himſelf, and was carried too farre beyond the bounds of patience by his paſſions, and therefore afterward was ſharply reproved by God out of the whirlewind. chap. 38.2. Who is this that darkneth counſell by words without knowledge? and condemned by himſelf, chap. 40.4. Behold I am vile what shall I anſwer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth, &c. And ſo again, chap. 42.3, 6. And doubtleſſe the cauſe of this ſudden change was becauſe God was now pleaſed to withdraw not only the light of his countenance, to make his tryall the more terrible, but alſo the ſtrength of grace whereby he had been hitherto enabled to endure with ſuch patience what he had ſuffered, & that to make it manifeſt, that all comfort and ſtrength to ſtand in tryalls comes from God, and what the holieſt and beſt of Gods ſervants would be, if they ſhould be left unto themſelves: yet it is not ſtrange that Iobs patience ſhould be ſo highly extolled in the Scripture, if we conſider, 1. That his afflictions were not only exceeding great and very many but had alſo continued a long time upon him ere he brake forth into this impatience; for at the end of this diſpute which he had with his friends, ere they left him, God began to raiſe him up again, chap. 42.10. and yet then he had been many months, (as ſome conceive many years) under theſe heavy preſſures, we ſee what he ſaith, chap. 7.3. I am made to poſſeſſe months of vanity. 2. That upon the ſilence of his friends ſo many daies together, the Devil might have occaſion to ſuggeſt that even they alſo (as his other friends had done before) deemed him a wicked man upon whom God had begun to pour forth his wrath, and therefore had not one word of comfort for him, which might much imbitter his ſoul. 3. That in his greateſt impatience he was not wholly over-born, his deſire was ſtill to approve himſelf to God, only the fleſh luſted againſt the ſpirit and prevailed ſometimes too farre over him, and when he did forget himſelf, it was not ſo much Iob that did it, as ſin that dwelt in him, Rom. 7.17. he ſtill ſtrove againſt it; and 4. That he did at length prevail over his corruptions, we ſee what he ſaith chap. 40.4, 5. Behold I am vile, I will lay my hand upon my mouth, I will ſpeak no more: …nd chap. 42. I abhorre my ſelf, and repent in duſt and ashes. And herein eſpecially is the patience of Iob commended to us as a pattern, becauſe at the end he prevailed and got the day, Iam. 5.11. Behold, we count them happy which endure: ye have heard of the patience of Iob, and have ſeen the end of the Lord.
And curſed his day.] That is, his birth-day, as it is expreſſed verſ. 3. Let the day perish wherein I was born, not the very day whereon he was born, which was long ſince paſt and gone, but his anniverſary birth-day, which was in its time to return every year, as is evident verſ. 4. Let that day be darkneſſe, let not God regard it, &c. And this he curſed, to wit, with thoſe execrations mentioned in the following verſes, not as having a thought that thoſe things were like to befall his birth-day upon his imprecations, or as deliberately and ſeriouſly wiſhing it might ſo be, only tranſported with the heat of his paſſions, he ſeeks thereby with all vehemency to expreſſe, how he abhorred his life, what a diſmall and unhappy thing it was to him that he was ever born, &c.
Verſ. 3. Let the day perish wherein I was born and the night, &c.] That is, whereas the tydings of a child born, eſpecially of a man child, are uſually received with much joy, & their birth-daies afterwards ſolemnized with a great deal of mirth and jollity; I may rather wiſh that I had never been born, or that the day of my birth and the night of my conception may periſh, and not have their courſe in the Kalender amongſt the daies and nights of the year, at leaſt that they may be no more ſolemnized but may be buried in eternall oblivion (as it is more plainly expreſſed verſ. 6. Let it not be joyned to the daies of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.) and that becauſe I was born to ſo much miſery and ſorrow. Some Expoſitours indeed will have the night whereof Iob here ſpeaks to be not the night of his conception, becauſe it could not be then known that a man child was conceived, but the night of his birth. But there is no neceſſity that we ſhould thus underſtand the words, for as Eſa. 48.8. Thou waſt called a tranſgreſſour from the womb, is the ſame with Thou haſt been a tranſgreſſour from the womb. So here the night wherein it was ſaid, a man child is conceived, is to be underſtood in the ſame ſenſe as if he had ſaid, the night wherein a man child was conceived; from this verſe to the beginning of the 42 chapter in the originall the Penman of the holy Ghoſt hath expreſſed all that paſſed betwixt Iob and his friends, &c. in meeter.
Verſ. 4. Let that day be darkneſſe.] This may be underſtood figuratively, let it be alwaies a ſad and ſorrowfull day; but I rather conceive that it was meant properly, let it be alwaies a pitchy dark day even as darkneſſe it ſelf. The like may be ſaid alſo concerning the laſt clauſe of this verſe, neither let the light shine upon it.
Let not God regard it from above, &c.] That is, let not the Lord afford that day the light of the Sun from above, nor other the influences of the heavens; that we enjoy a ſucceſſion of light and darkneſſe, fruitfull times and ſeaſons it is from Gods care and providence over the world, and hence is that expreſſion which Moſes uſeth concerning the land of Canaan, Deut. 11.12. The eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year: So that when Iob wiſheth that the Lord would not regard that day from above, it is all one as if he had wiſhed that God would not mind it nor yield it the leaſt of thoſe bleſſings which he affords to other daies.
Verſ. 5. Let darkneſſe and the shadow of death ſtain it, &c.] That is, a moſt extreme darkneſſe, to wit, firſt a darkneſſe like death that may be the very image and ſhadow of death, or 2. a darkneſſe like that wherewith dead men are overwhelmed that lye buried in their graves, or 3. a ſtifling killing darkneſſe, ſuch as where damps and thick vapours that are in deep pits, that ſtrike men ſuddenly dead, or 4. a diſmall horrible darkneſſe, like enough to kill men with the very terrour of it, for hereto hath that clauſe reference alſo in the end of the verſe, Let the blackneſſe of the day terrifie it, that is, make it terrible to men. All this may be comprehended under this phraſe of the shadow of death, and when Iob wiſhed that ſuch a darkneſſe might ſtain the day whereon he was born, the ground of the expreſſion is this, that darkneſſe takes away the glory of a day, and hides the beauty of all things whatſoever.
Verſ. 7. Lo, let that night be ſolitary, let no joyfull voice come therein.] That is, whereas the night is uſually the time of feaſting, dancing, and all kind of jollity, as at marriages and all other times of feſtivity and rejoycing whatſoever, let it not be ſo on that unhappy night wherein I was conceived, but quite contrary let it be ſolitary, ſtill, and ſilent, yea, let the darkneſſe thereof be ſo terrible, (all the ſtars in heaven withdrawing their light,) that neither man nor beaſt may dare to ſtir or move either within dores or without.
Verſ. 8. Let them curſe it that curſe the day, who are ready to raiſe up their mourning.] That is, all that in the bitterneſſe of their ſorrows are wont to curſe the day, as being weary both of life and light, let them curſe that night wherein I was conceived and bo…n. Some expoſitours underſtand this of fiſhermen and marriners, and that becauſe they read the laſt clauſe of this verſe, according to the tranſlation which is ſet in the margin of our Bibles (who are ready to raiſe up a Leviathan) Such mens mouths are uſually full of moſt fearfull execrations and curſes, and eſpecially when they are imployed in taking whales, that huge fiſh which is called a Leviathan, chap. 41.1. And that becauſe the fiſhing for the whale is a buſineſſe of great charge and greater danger, ſo that when they have ſeized upon one and are ready to raiſe him up, if by any miſhap they looſe him again, they are wont violently to break forth into all kind of fearfull imprecations againſt that unlucky and unfortunate day, becauſe great loſſes cauſe great paſſions, ſpecially in ſuch ungodly wretches; and therefore, ſay they, Iob here wiſheth that theſe men might curſe the night of his conception; and to this we may adde too, that ſome referre this to the curſing of thoſe marriners, who as they ſail along lighting at unawares upon ſome place where they are ready to ſtirre or raiſe up a whale, do thereupon ſeeing themſelves in ſuch imminent danger, curſe the day that they entred upon that voyage, or that brought them within the reach of this ſea-monſter now ready to ſink their veſſell and drown them all. Again, others by Leviathan underſtand the Devil, metaphorically ſo called, to whom many authours in like manner apply that place, Eſa. 27.1. In that day the Lord with his ſore, and great, and ſtrong ſword, shall punish Leviathan the piercing ſerpent, even Leviathan that crooked ſerpent, and ſo conceive theſe words to be meant of thoſe furious men, that in their paſſions are wont to wiſh the Devil might take either themſelves, or others that are the occaſion of their miſery. Let them curſe it that in the extremity of their impatience, not only uſe to curſe the day, but alſo are ready ever and anon in their rage to raiſe up a Leviathan, that is, to call upon the Devil to take them. But now if we read the words according as our Tranſlatours have rendered it, Let them curſe it that curſe the day, who are ready to raiſe up their mourning, There is another expoſition may be given of theſe words, which ſeems far more apt and eaſie, to wit, that whereas there were uſually in thoſe times certain perſons, both men and women, that were hired to howle and lament at funeralls, or any other times of great calamitie and diſmall ſorrow, and that becauſe they could doe it artificially, they were trained up to it, and had certain ſad and dolefull ditties wherein they did in a ſolemn and paſſionate manner curſe, ſometimes the day of thoſe ſad accidents, ſometimes thoſe that were the occaſion of it, to which cuſtome many places of Scripture clearly have reference, as Amos 5.16. They shall call the husband-man to the mourning, and ſuch as are skilfull of lamentation to wailing. And ſo again Ier. 9.17. 2 Chron. 35.25. Mat. 9.23. Ezek. 30.2. Ioel 1.15. Theſe now that were ſo ready and prepared at all times to raiſe up a mourning, or to call their company together to mourn, theſe I ſay Iob deſires might be imployed to curſe the night wherein he was conceived. And happily ſome one ditty they might have fulleſt of bitter imprecations, that was called a Leviathan.
Verſ. 9. Let the ſtars of the twilight thereof be dark, &c.] The ſtars are a great ornament to the heaven, like ſo many ſpangles or Oes of gold ſet in the Canopy of heaven, they are alſo a great delight and comfort in the night and of ſpeciall uſe for the direction of ſea-men and others. To expreſſe therefore what cauſe he had to be troubled that ever he was conceived, Iob here wiſheth the night of his conception might not have a ſtar ſhining in it, that it might have no mixture of light… no not in the twilight of the evening, nor in the dawning of the morning (called here in the Hebrew the eye-lids of the morning, becauſe the beams of the Sun the eye of the world, do then firſt diſcover themſelves) but deſireth that rather it might be a perpetuall night, then that any mixture of light by the approach of the morning ſhould any whit abate the terrour of its darkneſſe. Let it look for light but have none, which expreſſion is uſed as an aggravation of the nights darkneſſe, that there ſhould be a long expectation of light, and then at laſt their expectation ſhould be fruſtrate.
Verſ. 10. Becauſe it shut not up the dores of my mothers womb, nor hid ſorrow from mine eyes.] To wit, either that I might not have been conceived, or at leaſt that I had not been born, and ſo might never have ſeen thoſe ſorrows, that now I have lived to ſee; for here Iob begins to render the reaſon why he had curſed both the day of his birth, and the night of his conception; and therefore this may be referred to both.
Verſ 12. Why did the knees prevent me? &c.] That is, why did the midwife ſo carefully prevent my falling upon the earth, by receiving me ſo charily into her lap, that I might be afterward waſhed, and ſwadled, and nurſed up? why did ſhe not rather ſuffer me to fall from the womb to the earth, where I might have lyen and periſhed preſently? and it may well be which ſome think, that in theſe expreſſions Iob alludes to that execrable cuſtome uſed in thoſe times by unnaturall parents, who were wont to caſt out their children aſſoon as they were born, and there to leave them upon the cold earth naked and helpleſſe, whereto the holy Ghoſt alſo ſeems to have reſpect in that remarkable place. Ezek. 16, 3, 4, 5. Thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite; and as for thy nativity in the day thou waſt born, thy navell was not cut, neither waſt thou waſhed in water to ſupple thee, thou waſt not ſalted at all, nor ſwadled at all; none eye pitied thee, to do any of theſe unto thee, to have compaſsion upon thee, but thou waſt caſt out in the open field, to the loathing of thy perſon, in the day that thou waſt born.
Verſ. 13. For now should I have lyen ſtill and been quiet, &c.] It is evident that Iob ſpeaks here only of the reſt of the body in the grave, and the freedome which death brings from all worldly troubles and ſorrows whatſoever; for he ſpeaks of the reſt which befalls all men after death, the bad as well as the good, the wicked oppreſſours as well as the poor that are oppreſſed by them, as is evident verſ. 17. &c. There the wicked ceaſe from troubling: and there the weary be at rest. But ſince Iob knew well enough (doubtleſſe) and did certainly believe, that when the bodies of men are laid in the graue, yet their ſouls then paſſe to greater pains and miſeries, unleſſe they be of Gods elect, to whom through Chriſts merits, an entrance is given to heaven and everlaſting glory, why doth Iob here make no mention of this, but only ſpeak of the reſt of mens carcaſes in the grave, as if he believed not the immortality of the ſoul, nor put any difference betwixt the wicked and the righteous after death? ſurely becauſe 1. He had a kind of ſecret aſſurance concerning the bliſſe of his ſoul after death, and ſo made no mention of that, and 2. Becauſe through the vehement perturbations of his mind at preſent, and the violence of his paſſions by reaſon of the extremity of his ſufferings, he only now minded as it were and thought upon the happineſſe of thoſe that were at quiet in their graves, and the thought of a ſecond life, and the reſurrection of mens bodies to ſhame or glory, they lye for the preſent as forgotten, buried under the rubbiſh of his confuſed paſſions, as Moſes when he ſaw the people of God like to be cut off, by the revenging hand of Gods juſtice, did in a manner forget (what he knew well enough) the immutability of Gods decree, and was only carried with the vehemency of his affections to the people of God, and his earneſt deſire of Gods glory, when he wiſhed. Exod, 32.32. that he would forgive the people their ſin, or elſe blot him out of the book of life.
Verſ. 14. With Kings and counſellours of the earth, which build deſolate places for themſelves.] That is, had I died immediately either in the womb, or ſo ſoon as ever I was born, beſides that I ſhould have eſcaped all the miſeries I have now ſuffered, in the grave I ſhould have been not one jot in a worſe condition, then the greateſt Kings and Nobles are when they come to die, for all the great pomp and pleaſure they have lived in before, and the great pomp of their ſepulchers when they are dead: for by Kings and counſellers which built deſolate places for themſelves are meant here the moſt glorious, the mightieſt Princes of the world, that by reaſon of their great power and riches ſought to perpetuate the memory of their name by building deſolate places, that is, either 1. by erecting huge and ſtately tombes and monuments, as memorialls of their buriall in thoſe places, ſuch as were the Egyptians Pyramids, &c. which are called deſolate places, not only becauſe the dead bodies buried there are left as it were forſaken of all friends in a deſolate condition, but alſo becauſe ſuch monuments were built uſually not in towns and cities, but abroad in the fields in ſolitary and unfrequented places▪ whence is that of the prophet, Ezek. 26.20. where foreſhewing the deſtruction of Tyre, he ſpeaks as in the name of the Lord thus, When I shall bring thee down with them that deſcend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall ſet thee in the low parts of the earth, in places deſolate of old, &c. or 2. by rebuilding what their anceſtours durſt not attempt, great houſes or cities formerly ruined, that had been a long time waſt places, as the Prophet calls them, Iſa. 58.12. whereof there had been nothing but the foundations left for many generations; or rather, 3. by building in places formerly deſolate, wherein haply one would wonder how ſuch buildings could be raiſed, either great cities or ſtately houſes for themſelves to dwell in, and that of ſuch a huge bigneſſe and vaſt compaſſe, that a Princes family cannot fill them, but ſtill they ſeem in many places empty and deſolate.
Verſ. 15. Or with Princes that had gold, who filled their houſes with ſilver.] That is, with the richeſt of Princes, who gathered in their life time the greateſt maſſe of treaſure; yet ſome underſtand this, as ſpoken with reference to a cuſtome uſed in thoſe times, of burying much treaſure in the houſes, that is, the graves and tombes of their great Princes.
Verſ. 16. Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been, &c.] That is, had I not been born, but dyed in the womb, (which alſo Iob had wiſhed before verſ. 10.) ſuch as the condition of abortives is, that periſh in the womb, to wit, either thoſe that by ſome miſchance miſcarry within a while after they are conceived, (called here an hidden untimely birth, becauſe they are preſently laid by or caſt away as unpleaſing ſpectacles, or not at all looked after; or elſe becauſe the form and lineaments of a child in ſuch imperfect embryoes cannot well be diſcerned,) or thoſe that have their full and perfect ſhape, but then die in the wombe, and ſo being dead-born never ſee light; ſuch (ſaith Iob) had been then my condition, I had not been, that is, I had never been numbred amongſt the ſons of Adam, but had been wholly buried in oblivion, and had paſſed without name, as Solomon we ſee ſpeaks of ſuch an untimely birth. Eccleſ. 6.4. He cometh in and departeth in darkneſſe, and his name shall be covered with darkneſſe.
Verſ. 17. There the wicked ceaſe from troubling, and there the weary be at rest.] By the weary here may be meant thoſe that wicked oppreſſours have wearied with continuall troubles; and then the ſumme of the whole verſe is this, that in the grave the oppreſſours and the oppreſſed are both at reſt together. But the weary here intended may be alſo the wicked perſecutours and oppreſſours, that do weary and tire out themſelves with vexing and troubling others, till they come to be laid in the graves and then there they are at reſt, and this may ſeem the more probable expoſition, becauſe in the following verſe he ſpeaks of thoſe that ſuffer, and here therefore it is likely of thoſe only that make men ſuffer.
Verſ. 18. There the priſoners rest together, they hear not the voice of the oppreſſour.] Becauſe wicked oppreſſours uſe bitter words, and with their terrible threatning, and their inſulting and ſcoffing language are wont to wound as deeply thoſe that are under their power, as any other way: hence is this expreſſion, they hear not the voice of the oppreſſour.
Verſ. 20. Wherefore is light given to him that is in miſery, and life unto the bitter in ſoul?] Theſe words are added, to imply how earneſtly now he deſired death; They are indeed a kind of expoſtulation with God, for continuing life to thoſe that are in ſuch miſery, that they had rather die then live; but doubtleſſe, though the extremity of his miſeries wrung theſe words from him, yet he did not utter them with a purpoſe to contend with God, and to charge him with dealing too hardly with thoſe that are in miſery. Indeed they are words of lamentation rather then expoſtulation, wherefore is light given to him that is in miſery? that is, Alas, it were well for thoſe that are in bitter calamities, if they might die: they cannot but earneſtly deſire it, and it is a kind of addition to their miſeries, that they muſt live, though they would die. Revel. 9.6. And in thoſe daies shall men ſeek death, and shall not find it, and shall deſire to die, and death shall flee from them.
Verſ. 23. Why is light given to a man whoſe way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?] That is, to a man that cannot find out the meaning of Gods dealing with him, or why it is that he is ſo ſorely afflicted; or rather, to a man whom God hath ſo hedged and hemmed in with many and divers calamities, and thoſe ſo deſperate and inextricable, that (poor wretch) it is not poſſible he ſhould conceive which way to turn himſelf, or what courſe to take to find out any way of eſcape, whereby he might wind himſelf out of theſe troubles, and therefore muſt needs be in continuall perplexity to think what will become of him, and what the end will be of all theſe miſeries that are fallen upon him. Much to this purpoſe is that complaint of the Church, Lam. 3.9. He hath incloſed my waies with hewen stone: he hath made my paths crooked.
Verſ. 24. For my ſighing cometh before I eat.] This is added, to imply that he was one of thoſe, of whom he had ſpoken, to whom it was an addition of miſeries, that they muſt ſtill live, though they can ſee no hope of deliverance, and that becauſe though he had alwaies worked out his ſalvation with fear and trembling (which is at leaſt implyed verſ. 25, 26. The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me,) yet his miſeries were ſo grievous and continuall, without intermiſſion, that he had not ſo much ſpace of freedome, as to eat his meat in quiet, nor could forbear his ſighs and tears, when the naturall deſire of food was moſt urgent upon him; which indeed is moſt like that complaint of the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 102.9. I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. Some expoſitours underſtand this of his ſighing becauſe of the pain it would be to him to eat, in regard of his ulcers, wherewith he was every where filled, or becauſe it grieved him to think that he muſt by feeding uphold the life, which he would ſo gladly be rid of; but the firſt expoſition is far the moſt proper.
And my roarings are poured out like the waters.] That is, violently, abundantly and without ceaſing; for he compares his roaring to the pouring out of waters. 1. Becauſe when waters are poured forth, or break through the banks that before held them in, they ruſh out in great abundance and with unreſiſtable violence. 2. Becauſe the waters of rivers flow on continually without ceaſing, as being ſtill ſupplyed from their fountains and ſprings, and 3. Becauſe the noiſe of his roarings, by reaſon of their violence, was much like that of waters, where they break forth with ſuch fury and carry all before them that ſtands in their way. It muſt be a great affliction that can make a man of ſpirit to mourn, and therefore much more that which makes him cry out and roare; & therefore the extremity of a mans miſery is uſually ſet forth in the Scripture by this that it makes him roar; as Pſal. 32.3. I roared for the very diſquietneſſe of my ſoul; So that when Iob complains not only that his ſorrows made him roar, but alſo that his roarings were poured forth like water, this implyes how exceeding grievous his miſeries were.
Verſ. 25. For the thing I greatly feared is come upon me, &c.] This is added as an aggravation of his miſery, (to ſhew what juſt cauſe he had to be weary of his life) to wit, that in the daies of his proſperity he had not lived careleſſely and ſecurely as wicked men uſe to doe, that when things go well with them confidently aſſure themſelves that there ſhall never come a change, and ſo walk on preſumptuouſly in their own waies, without any fear either of God or man; but that he had alwaies conſidered before hand what might befall him, and out of an awfull apprehenſion of the great alterations, which God could make in his condition even in an inſtant, he had alwaies walked humbly with God, and looked narrowly to his waies, that he might avoid his indignation; and yet notwithſtanding that which he feared was fallen upon him. Had he in his proſperity glutted himſelf with pleaſure and lived ſecurely, it had been another matter (for to ſuch God hath threatned deſtruction. 1 Theſ. 5.3. When they ſhall ſay, peace and ſafety; then ſudden deſtruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not eſcape) But (ſaith Iob) I was not in ſafety, I did not think my ſelf ſafe, but as one that ever feared what might come, I ſtill watched over my waies, and yet theſe grievous troubles are come upon me.