Historical chapter commentary
Verse 2. Comforters. “Job’s friends or comforters,” are become proverbial, to denote people who do the contrary to what they seem to promise. Bible.—Never did men sustain worse the character of comforters. They all magnify their knowledge and piety, and make the most absurd application of their principles to Job’s condition. Calmet.—He was not ignorant that tyrants and wicked men were often, may generally till the age in which he lived, visited with visible judgments. Bible.
Verse 3. Windy, inconclusive arguments. They all entertain a mean opinion of their adversaries, as they did not agree in the application of the propositions. Hence though they might be true, they were nothing to their present purpose. Calmet. 15:3. Bible.—Trouble. You can speak without any pain: but the case is far different with me. Menochius.—Hebrew “what emboldeneth thee to answer?” Bible.—Who asks thee for advice? Calmet.—True friends will give it without upbraiding, or laying false crimes to the charge of any one. Worthington.
Verse 4. My soul. If you had experienced my state of misery, ( Bible.) I surely would not have behaved thus to you. Calmet.
Facile, cum valemus, recta consilia ægrotis damus:
Tu si hic sis, aliter sentias. Terent. Andria.
Verse 5. Wag, or shake my head out of pity. Calmet. 42:11. Nahum 3:7. The same sign often indicates astonishment or contempt. Psalms 21:8. Matthew 27:28. Calmet.
Verse 7. But. Hebrew “If I speak,” and so forth
Verse 8. Limbs. Hebrew “company,” ( Bible.) or family. The assemblage of my limbs is also disordered by the leprosy.
Verse 9. Against me, in your opinion, as if I were guilty of lies. Hebrew “my leanness bears witness, my falsehood has risen up against me and answered me to my face;” which may be understood in the same sense as the argument of Eliphaz. He is designated by the false speaker; ( Calmet.) unless we explain it of the wrinkles, which falsely indicated that Job was advanced in years, or of the malady; whence it was gathered that he must be a criminal. Menochius.—Prot. “my leanness riseth up.” Bible.
Verse 11. Cheek. His friends seemed so enraged, as to be disposed to do so. Calmet.—These expressions were strikingly verified in Christ. Menochius.—The outrages may also be attributed to the devil; ( Calmet.) or, by personification, to the malady of Job. Menochius.
Verse 14. Lances. Hebrew “archers.” Septuagint “they have encompassed me, throwing lances into my veins, or loins, not sparing,” and so forth Bible.—Bowels. Hebrew and Septuagint “gall,” being afflicted with a dysentery. Saint Thomas explains it of his children, who were slain. Bible.
Verse 16. Flesh. Hebrew “horn.” Septuagint “strength.” Bible.—I have lost all my beauty and splendor, and have put on the garments of penance. Calmet.
Verse 17. Dim. Hebrew and Septuagint “covered with the shadow of death,” ( Bible.) greatly impaired. Some have almost lost their sight by weeping; and death seemed ready to close Job’s eyes. Calmet.
Verse 18. Hand, which has not been defiled with any injustice. Menochius.—When. Hebrew “and my prayer was pure.” I never neglected this sacred duty, (Calmet. 1:5) as my friends accuse me. Calmet. 15:4. Bible.—They continued in their false accusation: so he repeats the same true answer. Worthington.
Verse 19. In thee. Let the cry of my blood, which issues from my wounds, and the injury which my reputation has suffered, come before the throne of God. Calumny is a species of murder. See Genesis 4:10. Calmet.—If I be really guilty, I am willing to remain unburied. Let the dogs lick up my blood. Cajet.—Cry. Let the hills re-echo my sufferings. Pineda.
Et quodcumque meæ possunt narrare querelæ,
Cogar ad argutas dicere solus aves. Propertius.
Verse 21. Full. Hebrew “scorners.” Therefore I appeal to inanimate things; and, above all, to God, who cannot give a wrong judgment.
Verse 22. Judged. Hebrew “might plead.” Bible.—Earthly judges may be compelled to pronounce sentence publicly. Job is afraid lest the justice of his cause should remain undecided, till death overtook him, verse 23. Pineda.
Verse 23. Years. Hebrew and Septuagint “of number.” Pauperis est numerare pecus. Bible.—Like a man under affliction, Job repeats what he had said. Calmet. 14:5. Menochius. and Calmet. 10:20. Bible.