Job 17

Job 17:1-16.

JOB'S

ANSWER

CONTINUED.

1. breath . . . corrupt--result of elephantiasis. But UMBREIT, "my

strength (spirit) is spent."

extinct--Life is compared to an expiring light. "The light of my

day is extinguished."

graves--plural, to heighten the force.

2. UMBREIT, more emphatically, "had I only not to endure mockery, in the midst of their contentions I (mine eye) would remain quiet."

eye continue--Hebrew, "tarry all night"; a figure taken

from sleep at night, to express undisturbed rest; opposed to

(Job 16:20),

when the eye of Job is represented as pouring out tears to God

without rest.

3. Lay down now--namely, a pledge or security; that is, be my surety;

do Thou attest my innocence, since my friends only mock me

(Job 17:2).

Both litigating parties had to lay down a sum as security before the

trial.

put me in a surety--Provide a surety for me (in the trial) with Thee.

A presage of the "surety"

(Heb 7:22),

or "one Mediator between God and man" (see on

Job 16:21).

strike hands--"who else (save God Himself) could strike hands with

me?" that is, be my security

(Ps 119:122).

The Hebrew strikes the hand of him for whom he goes security

(Pr 6:1).

4. their heart--The intellect of his friends.

shalt . . . exalt--Rather imperative, "exalt them not"; allow them

not to conquer [UMBREIT],

(Isa 6:9, 10).

5. The Hebrew for "flattery" is "smoothness"; then it came to

mean a prey divided by lot, because a smooth stone was used in

casting the lots

(De 18:8),

"a portion"

(Ge 14:24).

Therefore translate, "He that delivers up his friend as a prey (which

the conduct of my friends implies that they would do), even the eyes,"

&c. [NOYES]

(Job 11:20).

Job says this as to the sinner's children, retorting upon their

reproach as to the cutting off of his

(Job 5:4; 15:30).

This accords with the Old Testament dispensation of legal retribution

(Ex 20:5).

6. He--God. The poet reverentially suppresses the name of God when

speaking of calamities inflicted.

(De 28:37;

Ps 69:11).

My awful punishment makes my name execrated everywhere, as if I must

have been superlatively bad to have earned it.

aforetime . . . tabret--as David was honored

(1Sa 18:6).

Rather from a different Hebrew root, "I am treated to my face as

an object of disgust," literally, "an object to be spit upon in the

face"

(Nu 12:14).

So Raca means

(Mt 5:22)

[UMBREIT].

7.

(Ps 6:7; 31:9;

De 34:7).

members--literally, "figures"; all the individual members being

peculiar forms of the body; opposed to "shadow," which looks like a

figure without solidity.

8. astonied--at my unmerited sufferings.

against the hypocrite--The upright shall feel their sense of

justice wounded ("will be indignant") because of the prosperity of the

wicked. By "hypocrite" or "ungodly," he perhaps glances at his false

friends.

9. The strength of religious principle is heightened by misfortune.

The pious shall take fresh courage to persevere from the example of

suffering Job. The image is from a warrior acquiring new courage in

action

(Isa 40:30, 31;

Php 1:14).

10. return--If you have anything to advance really wise, though I

doubt it, recommence your speech. For as yet I cannot find one wise man

among you all.

11. Only do not vainly speak of the restoration of health to me;

for "my days are past."

broken off--as the threads of the web cut off from the loom

(Isa 38:12).

thoughts--literally, "possessions," that is, all the feelings and

fair hopes which my heart once nourished. These belong to the heart, as "purposes" to the understanding; the two together here describe

the entire inner man.

12. They--namely, "my friends."

change the night into day--that is, would try to persuade me of the

change of my misery into joy, which is impossible

[UMBREIT]

(Job 11:17);

(but) the light of prosperity (could it be enjoyed) would be short

because of the darkness of adversity. Or better for "short," the

Hebrew "near"; "and the light of new prosperity should be near

in the face of (before) the darkness of death"; that is, they would

persuade me that light is near, even though darkness approaches.

13. Rather, "if I wait for this grave (Sheol, or the unseen world)

as my house, and make my bed in the darkness

(Job 17:14),

and say to corruption," rather, "to the pit" or "grave," &c.

(Job 17:15).

Where then is my hope? [UMBREIT]. The apodosis is

at

Job 17:15.

14. Thou art my father, &c.--expressing most intimate connection

(Pr 7:4).

His diseased state made him closely akin to the grave and worm.

15. Who shall see it fulfilled? namely, the "hope"

(Job 11:18)

which they held out to him of restoration.

16. They--namely, my hopes shall be buried with me.

bars--

(Isa 38:10).

Rather, the wastes or solitudes of the pit (sheol, the

unseen world).

rest together--the rest of me and my hope is in, &c. Both expire

together. The word "rest" implies that man's ceaseless hopes only rob

him of rest.