Job Expounded, Commentary on Job · Chapter 7
¶ THE SVMME AND ORDER of the VII. Chapter.
IOB letting passe his friendes whose false accusations and aduise, he sufficientlie shewed, that be vtterlie misliked, turning his speech to God him selfe, in the sixe former verses, in most pitifull sort complaineth that he is otherwise dealt withall, then other men be: that their traueiles are neither continuall nor vnfruitfull, but of his miseries there is no end, nor any hope that it wil euer be better hereafter.
In the 7, 8, 9, 10. verses, the wretched estate of mortallitie in it selfe beeing set downe, he endeauoureth to draw God as it were vntounto this, that it would please him to content himselfe with the former afflictions, adding no more to the rest.
In the 11. verse, and so to the end of the 19. The flesh striuing against the spirite, doth wrest out somewhat immoderate complaints from Iob; Such notwithstanding, as that at no time he breaketh foorth into vngodlinesse and blasphemie.
Jn the 20. and 21. verses, the spirit repressing and keeping downe the rage of the flesh, Iob comming againe vntounto himselfe, doeth most earnestlie craue pardon for his sinne, & some mitigatiō of his griefe.
CHAPTER VII.
1 Js there not a setled, and appointed time of mans warrefare here vponupon earth: and are not his daies as the daies of an hireling?
BVT trulie such is the estate of mortall men, that as soldiers they be not in continuall fight, but that their vvarrefare is ended vvith peace, and then follovveth the receyt of their paye, vvhichwhich is the end of their trauaile: which also doth appeare in other sorts of hirelings, when they hauehave finished their taske.
2 As a seruant longeth for the shadow, and as an hireling looketh (for the reward) of his worke.
So seruants wish and wait for the darknesse of the night, which finishing their day labours, yeeldeth them a quiet rest; so workmen in the euening attend to receiue their set wages.
3 So my lot hath beene the moneths of vanitie (that is, painefull without profit,) and troublesome nights hauehave bene appointed to me.
But my estate is farre otherwise. For their laboures are set out vntounto them for the day times, but vntounto me for whole moneths. & such wherof no profit ariseth: & vntounto thē the nights are alotted for rest, but for trouble and anguish vntounto me.
4 If I laid me downe, J said, when shall J arise? and (when) will the …ning hauehave ended (her course:) and J am euen ful with tossing … fro vntounto the dawning of the day.
… lying vponupon my couch, I am so farre from taking rest, … …ay, when will the time come, that I may rise? howe … before the night will be ended? and being altogether without rest, I do nothing else but tosse vp and downe, vntill the morning.
5 My fleshe is clothed with wormes: and my skinne is rente and riuen asunder with the clottes of dust.
My flesh is couered ouer with wormes, as with a garment: my fleshe is cutte, and as it were deuided into small clottes.
6 My dayes hauehave bene lighter then a weauers shuttle, and they are spent without hope.
Moreouer, those my best and quietest dayes hauehave passed away verie suddenly and swiftly, euen as a weauers shuttle glideth ouer the webbe: yea, and they are cleane gone with out any hope of euer seeing them againe.
7 Remember that my life is but a blast, and that mine eyes shall not returne to see that which is good.
Remember, O God, that I am borne a man, who of himselfe is miserable enough, although thou addest no more affliction vntounto him. For this life being common to me with all other liuing thinges, is nothing else but a breath or winde passing to and fro: and mine eyes beeing once closed and shutte vp by death, shall neuer receiue light to behold againe the pleasure of this life.
8 The eye of him that seeth mee, (that is, of him that desireth to see me with his eyes) shall not see me: thine eyes shall be vponupon me, and I shall be no longer.
9 As the cloude breaketh and vanisheth away, so he that goeth downe to the graue, shall come vp no more.
10 He shall returne no more to his house: neither shall his place know him any more.
8 It is sufficient that death shall suddeinly ouertake me, so that thou needest not to call for any other miserie to destroy me withall. For being once dead, no man shal euer find me againe, although with his eies he leaue no corner vnsearched: yea, and if thou thy selfe wouldest happily behold me, it should be in vaine: for I shall not be a man any longer.
9 But as a cloude, after it is once dispersed, vanisheth away, so, whosoeuer descendeth into the deepe graue, returneth not to liue here againe in this worlde.
10 Neither shall he come any more vntounto his familie: nay, the remembrance of him shall so perish in that place, as if he had neuer bene seene there.
11. Wherefore J will not holde my peace: J will speake in the trouble of my spirite: J will speake in the bitternesse of my soule.
Which thinges being so, I will, so long as I am able to bring foorth a worde, with full mouth speake, whatsoeuer my troubled spirite and the most bitter griefe of my minde shall giuegive me to vtter.
12. Am I a sea or whalefishe, that thou keepest mee in warde?
Am I the raging violence of the Sea, which can by no waight or force be kept vnderunder, or as those vntaimed and fierce seamonsters, that thou shouldest so hedge me in with euils on eueryevery side, as though thou were afraid least I should escape away from thee?
13. When I hauehave sayde, my couche shall relieue me, my bedde shall (somewhat) ease my complayninges.
14. Thou fearest me with dreames, and astonishest mee with visions.
15. Therefore I preferred strangling before breathing, and death before my bones.
13. For if I hauehave at any time sayde with my selfe, It may be, that the night will bring some comfort vntounto mee, when I am a bedde, and that my couche will cause my moninges to cease. 14. Then am I wholy dismayed with dreames and visions. 15. Insomuch that I thinke that those, who are strangled, are to be accounted in case farre better, then is this most miserable life of mine, & that I shoulde rather wish to die, then to carrie about with me these my rotten bones.
16. I am wearie (of life) I shall not liue alway, withdrawe thy hand from me, for my dayes are vanitie.
This life is loathsome vntounto me, which verily, howsoeuer for a while thou continuest the same in this miserable estate, shall not last euer. Leaue off, I pray thee, any longer to torment him, who is appointed to dye, and can not escape death.
17 What is man, that thou doest magnifie him, and that thou settest thy heart vponupon him?
18. And doest inquire after him eueryevery morning, & tryest him eueryevery moment.
19. Howe long will it be (yer) thou depart from me? neither wilt thou let me alone, whiles I hauehave swallowed my spettle.
17. 18. What is there in vile and base man, that some time thou shouldest so highly extoll him, and bee so carefull for him, as I hauehave had experience of heretofore: sometime againe cast him downe headlong, euen thither, whither I, being altogether thrust out of my former estate, am now fallen: to the ende thou mayest, hauing by the breake of the day eueryevery morning made inquisition against him, with such seueritie punish both his thoughtes and deedes; and also call him to so hard and streight accompt, eueryevery minute of an houre?
19. And I pray thee, O God, when wilt thou, after all this while, holde thy hand from striking me, at the least, so long time, till I may, poore miserable wretch that I am, but euen swallow downe my spettle?
20. I hauehave sinned, what shall J doe vntounto thee, O thou preseruer of men? why hast thou set me right agrinst thee, and I am a burthen vntounto thee?
Loe, I confesse and acknowledge my selfe to bee a sinner: What am I able to doe with thee? O thou that art so carefull ouer mans saluation, and to whome the life of thy saints is so deare and precious, why hast thou set mee against thee as a marke to shoote at? and why am I so burdensome vntounto thee, that thou canst not beare and suffer me any longer?
21. And why doest not thou take away my transgression, and remoue from me mine iniquitie? For now shall I sleepe in the dust, and if thou seekest me betimes in the morning, J shall not be.
Alas, why doest thou not rather put away all mine offences, and make an ende of these thy corrections? For, by the grieuousnesse of this affliction, I am brought to such extremitie, that out of hande I shall lye in the dust: and albeit thou vse great diligence in seeking mee out, yet shalt thou not finde me: because henceforth, I shall not be a man any longer.