Job Expounded, Commentary on Job · Chapter 17
❧ CHAPTER XVII.
Verse. 1 My breath faileth, my daies are put out, the graue (is ready) for me.
2. Vnles there are mockers with me and (vnlesse) mine eye continuallie watcheth in their prouocation.
3. Lay downe J pray thee and put me in suertie for thee, who is he that will touch mine hand?
1. Seing then that my breath is passing out of my bodie, & I hauing now as it were finished the course of my life, nothing remaineth, but that I bee laide in the graue: yet before I go hence with this infamous and reprochfull marke of hipocriticall holines towards God, and counterfeit behauiour and honestie towards men, which thou Eliphaz doest set vponupon me, 2. Come foorth now, loe here I doe commence an action of iniurie against thee, and cite thee to make answere before God the high iudge, vnlesse ye mocke me, and make no end of grieuing me night and daie, 3. I praie thee giuegive me thy hand and put me in suretie that thou wilt answer me at lawe, vvhichwhich if thou refuse to doe, is there anie of you else will clap handes with me?
4. Because thou hast hid their hearts from vnderstanding, therefore shalt thou not set them vp on high.
Neither doe I, O Lord, without good reason, so boldlie challenge them before that thy fearfull iudgement seat. For seing thou hast left them destitute of a right iudgement and vnderstanding, I doubt not at all, but that, thou beeing the iudge and decider of this controuersie, they shall bee put to the worste.
5. (He) that speaketh glozing wordes, (that is, flattereth) his dearest friends, loc, the eies of his children shall faile.
What then (happilie yee will saie) hadst thou rather, Iob, that we should flatter thee, seing thou canst not abide, but art so greatlie offended, when we freelie and louinglie tell thee of thy faults? God forbid. Nay, I abhorre him that deceiueth his friends with faire and flattering words; such a one bringeth Gods iust iudgement both vponupon him selfe and vponupon his children.
6. Trulie (God) hath made me a byworde of the people, and J am a timbrell to their faces, (that is, before men.)
7. And mine eie is drawne together by reason of indignation, & my whole creature, is as it were a shadowe.
8. The righteous are astonied at this, and the innocent shall bee mooued against the hipocrite.
9. But the righteous will hold his waie, and he whose hands are pure shall increase his strength, (that is, shall so much the more follow virtue.)
10. Returne therefore all of you, and come againe I praie you. For I find not one wise man among you.
6 This therefore is most true, and neither will I, neither can I denie it, that Iob is a by worde in euerie mans mouth, and a talking stock to all the people, yea & as it were a timbrel, whereat they make themselues merrie, and that this is befallen me, by the will and appointment of God.
7 Through griefe mine eies are become feeble, neither doe I now carie a bodie about me, but the shadow of a bodie, euen from the crovvne of the head to the sole of the foote. 8. Neither trulie am I ignorant, that not onlie leud and vnskilfull men are astonied at so strange and sudden a chance, but euen those also who are vvise and virtuouslie disposed: in so much that often times the godlie and innocent men take offence against those, who are in this sort afflicted, as against hipocrites 9. Neuerthelesse he which beareth an vpright and sound conscience, albeit his estate be thus wretched and miserable, yet hee swarueth not from the right waie, but so much the more constantlie goeth forward in vertue & godlines. 10. Therefore I praie you change that vvrong opinion vvhichwhich ye hauehave conceiued of me, returne to your right vvits, be better aduised, and deale more iustlie and indifferentlie vvith me. For I doe not finde one amongst you, vvho doth iustlie and fitlie comfort me.
11. My daies are past, my thoughtes are violentlie gone, the possessions (I saie) of my heart.
12 The night is appointed to me for daie, and the light is neere to the face of darkenes, (that is to present darkenes.)
13 Seeing I looke that the graue (shall be) mine house, and J shall make my bed in the darke.
14. And speaking vntounto the graue (I hauehave said) thou art my father, & to the gnawing of wormes, thou art my mother & my sister.
15. Where then shall bee my hope? and who shall behold the thing that J looked for?
16 (These things) shall go downe into the bottome of the pit, for asmuch as we shall rest together in the dust.
11 For as touching the other part of your consolation, in which ye bid me looke for wonderfull thinges, if so be I shall doe after your counsels, this also is vaine & to small purpose, For all my daies are gone, and what thinges soeuer I hauehave heretofore imagined with my selfe, yea, and those thinges, which I thought I alreadie moste surelie possessed as mine owne, are all in a moment taken from me.
12. The night, which is giuen to men to take their rest in, is to me become the daie appointed for labour and trauell: neither doe I reape any more pleasure or commoditie when the day light ariseth, then while the darke night is present.
13 Therefore for so much as I looke for nothing else, but to go downe into the graue as it were into a house, and there to lie couered in darkenesse; 14. and alreadie I hauehave called the pit by the name of father, and the gnawing of the wormes, by the name of mother and sister: 15. tell me I pray you, where shall I enioy the things which ye promise me, and who shall see me in that happie and flourishing estate, which ye go about to put me in hope of. 16. Doubtles these things shall accompanie mee goeing downe into the depth of the graue, that there we may abide and rest togither.