Historical chapter commentary
Verse 1. Parable: speaking in a figurative poetic style, Numbers 23:7. Job grants that God generally punishes the wicked, but he maintains that he also chastises the just; and hence admonishes all to revere his judgments and wisdom, and to decline from evil; which truths must always subsist, whatever my be the conduct of Providence. Calmet.—Parables do not always imply similies, but sometimes pithy, and profound sentences, spoken by the wisest men.
Verse 2. Judgment. Chal. “my rule of judging.” Septuagint “Live the Lord, who hath judged me thus.” Sym. “hath despised my judgment.” The expression seems very harsh, and may be one of those which God blames. Calmet. 40:3. E. Calmet.—Yet we shall examine that point later. Calmet. 42. Bible.—He may only mean that he is so well convinced of his innocence, that he calls God to witness it, ( Calmet.) and adores his ways, ( Bible.) in not permitting him to appear before his tribunal, ( Calmet.) to justify himself; ( Menochius.) so the he is abandoned to the rash judgments of others. Calmet. 34:5. Isaias (40:27) and Sophonias (3:15) speak in similar terms. Calmet.—God deferred passing sentence, for Job’s greater trial. Worthington.
Verse 3. Nostrils: while I live. Bible.—Genesis 2:7. Ezekiel 37:14. Calmet.
Verse 5. Till. Never will I abandon this path, ( Bible.) nor will I yield to your reasons, ( Calmet.) or cease to defend myself. Menochius.—It would have been contrary to justice and charity, ( Bible.) as well as to truth, to confess a false crime. Worthington.
Verse 7. Enemy, or opponent. Hebrew “my enemy shall be,” and so forth Bible.—In effect, those who maintained the contrary to what Job taught, favoured the cause of impiety, as they represented God never punishing his servants, and so forth ( Calmet.) which is contrary to experience; ( Bible.) though it was not so evident at that time. Houbigant.—Job is so far from thinking riches a proof of sanctity, that he rather would wish his enemy to have them, ( Menochius.) as they are too frequently an incentive to sin. Bible.
Verse 8. Soul, in death: What will it profit? and so forth Matthew 16:26. All this proves demonstratively another world. Calmet.
Verse 9. Him. Like Antiochus, the wicked pray only through fear of punishment, and their request is therefore rejected. 2 Maccabees 9:13. Menochius.
Verse 11. Hand, or grace of God.—Hath, how he acts, and with what design. Calmet.—Quid disponat Deus. Saint Augustine
Verse 13. Portion. This you have repeatedly asserted; and ( Bible.) I acknowledge it is generally, but not always, the case. Calmet.
Verse 14. Bread. Septuagint “if they grow up to manhood, they shall beg.” Psalms 36:25. Bible.
Verse 15. In death; without honour. Sanctius.—Weep for him. Septuagint “his widows no one shall lament, or pity.” Bible. Psalms 77:63. Menochius.
Verse 18. Moth. Hebrew “as the polar star.” Jun.—But the Chal. and so forth translate with the Vulg. which agrees better with the latter part of the verse. The moth devours another’s property, like the wicked man, who lodges commodiously, though not at his own expense.—Keeper of a field, or of a vineyard. Calmet.—Septuagint “His house has slipt away like a moth, and what he has kept (or his riches) like a spider.” Bible.—The moth demolishes its own house, and is then disturbed, ( Menochius.) or thrown with the rotten wood into the fire.
Verse 19. Nothing. His riches are all left behind! The men of riches have slept their sleep, and have found nothing in their hands. They awake as from a dream, (Calmet. 20:8. Bible.) and then they form a true estimate of things. Menochius.—God chiefly punishes the wicked in death. Psalms 75. Worthington.
Verse 20. Night. Darkness often denotes disgrace and misery.
Verse 22. And he (God) shall, or Septuagint the wind, ( Calmet.) “shall fall upon him.” Bible.—Flee. Yet he will not escape, ( Menochius.) though he flee with all expedition. Bible.
Verse 23. Place. God having waited patiently a long time, at last displays the effects of his indignation, with a sort of contempt. Proverbs 1:26. Ezekiel 5:13. Calmet. Psalms 2:4. Menochius. Pineda.—Every passenger who shall witness his fall, and his now abandoned place, shall also testify his approbation. Bible.