Historical chapter commentary
Verse 1. Flock, to watch over them. Sanchez. Calmet.—I had so little confidence in them, ( Bible.) or they were so very mean. Calmet.—They were not as well fed as my dogs. Nicetas.—Job does not speak this out of contempt, as he was affable to all. But this proverbial expression denotes how vile these people were. Menochius.—Even the most contemptible, and such as were not fit to have the care of dogs, derided him. Worthington.
Verse 2. And they. Hebrew “Their old age is perished.” They were good for nothing all their lives. Calmet.
Verse 3. Who. Hebrew “solitary in,” and so forth Yet these vagabond ( Bible.) people now insult over me. Calmet.
Verse 4. Grass. “There (in Crete, where no noxious animal, no serpent lives) the herb alimos, being chewed, expels hunger for the day;” admorsa diurnam famem prohibet. Solin. 17.—The Hebrew malliuch, is rendered halima, by the Septuagint ( Bible.) and Bochart would translate, “who gather the halima from the bush.” Calmet.—Prot. “who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.” Bible.—Yet all agree that the latter is not proper for food. Calmet.—Rethamim may ( Bible.) designate any “shrubs or wild herbs,” as the Septuagint and Symmachus have explained it. Calmet.—Perhaps the very poor people might use the juniper or broom roots for food, ( Menochius.) or to burn in order to prepare their victuals. Bible.—The Arabs and Spaniards still use the word retama for “the birch-tree.” Parkhurst.
Verse 5. Who. Septuagint “through excessive hunger. Robbers rushed upon me.” Prot. “They were driven forth from among men; (the cried after them as after a thief.”) Bible.
Verse 6. Gravel of the torrents. Menochius.—Hebrew “in the rocks,” living like the Troglodites. Bible.
Verse 7. Pleased. Hebrew “brayed.” Calmet.—Briars. Prot. “nettles.” They were driven from the society of men and forced to abscond. Bible.
Verse 8. And not. Hebrew “viler than the earth.” Prot.
Verse 9. Bye-word. “Proverb.” Bible.—They speak of me with contempt. Calmet. 17:6.
Verse 10. Face. This most people explain literally; while some, ( Calmet.) as Job was herein a figure of Christ, ( Menochius. Matthew 26. Worthington.) think that the expression denotes the utmost contempt; (Saint Gregory and so forth) or that the people spit upon the ground ( Calmet.) for fear of contracting any infection; ( Bible.) and because lepers were held in the utmost abhorrence. Calmet.
Verse 11. For he. Prot. “Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me,” ( Bible.) being no longer under any restraint. Sometimes it was customary to put bits into the mouth of a person who was led to execution. Isaiah 37:29. Calmet.—The Hebrew plural, have put, insinuates the plurality of persons in God, ( Worthington.) though it may be as well referred to the enemies of Job.
Verse 12. Forthwith. Hebrew pirchach seems to be translated ( Bible.) by three terms, rising, calamities, and forthwith, as it denotes “a bud” which suddenly appears. Calmet.—Septuagint Βλαστον, “On the right hand of the bud they rose up.” Bible.—Hebrew “Youth stood up on the right,” to accuse me; (Psalms 108:6) or, “Scarcely had I begun to flourish, when they rose up,” and so forth The days of prosperity soon vanished, ( Calmet.) and young men were ready to insult the distressed, and, as it were, to trip them up. Menochius.—Septuagint “they stretched out their feet and trampled upon me, that they might destroy me.” Bible.—They seem to have read ( Calmet.) regliem, “their feet,” though the two last letters are now omitted in Hebrew Bible.
Verse 13. Help them, or me. Calmet. Septuagint “they took off my garment.” Bible.—Job seemed to be besieged, and could not escape. Calmet.
Verse 14. Down, (devoluti sunt.) They have proceeded to aggravate my misfortunes. Bible.—“They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me. Prot.
Verse 15. Nothing. Hebrew “terror.” Bible.—Desire. Hebrew “princess,” reason. Calmet.—Prot. “soul.” Septuagint “my hope has flown away like wind.” Bible.
Verse 16. Fadeth. Hebrew “is poured out,” ( Bible.) ready to take its flight. Psalms 41:5.
Verse 17. They that. Hebrew “my sinews take no rest.” Septuagint “are dissolved.” Bible.—The worms prey upon me, and I am like one in a raging fever. Calmet.
Verse 18. Coat. The worms are so numerous, ( Menochius.) or my enemies pour upon me. Calmet.—Septuagint “with great power He (God; Prot. my disease) has seized me by the garment.” Theodotion adds, “He has taken hold of me like the collar of my tunic:” ( Bible.) which corresponds with our shirt, and had an opening at the top. Calmet.
Verse 19. I am. Hebrew “He hat cast me into the mire;” (Prot.) or, “He regards me as dirt; my portion is on the earth and dust.” Bible.—All look upon me with horror and contempt. Calmet.
Verse 20. Not is supplied by Prot. in the second part of the verse from the first; ( Bible.) as this construction is not unusual in the Hebrew Septuagint “they have stood up, and have considered me,” ( Calmet.) to procure my entire ruin. Bible.
Verse 22. Dashed me in pieces, as if I had been raised so high for that purpose. Hebrew “thou hast dissolved my substance,” wisdom, and so forth The signification of tushiova ( Bible.) is very indeterminate. Calmet. 5:12. Calmet.—“Thou hast cast me far away from salvation.” Septuagint and Theodot. Bible.
Verse 23. Liveth. Death is a relief to a just man in tribulation. Worthington.
Verse 24. Consumption. Thou dealest mercifully with other people: but all the effects of thy anger fall upon me, even here. Septuagint “O that I might lay hands on myself, or desire another to do this for me!” Hebrew has nothing similar; but is very obscure: “He will not, however, stretch forth his had to the grave; and when they are wounded, they are healed.” Calmet.—Prot. “grave, though they cry in his destruction.” Bible.—The grave is more desirable than such a life. There the dead are freed from the miseries of this world. Calmet.
Verse 28. Mourning. Hebrew “blackened without the sun.” Bible.—Bile has disfigured my countenance, through excessive sorrow, verse 30. The dark olive complexions of the Jews and Arabs would be more susceptible of these effects. Calmet.—Indignation. I have not given way to passion, though I allowed full scope to my groans. Septuagint Bible.
Verse 29. Brother of dragons, and so forth Imitating these creatures in their lamentable noise. Challoner.—I was like those beasts which retire in order to lament. Worthington.—The dragons his dreadfully, when crushed by the elephant; (Saint Jerome) and the young ostriches, being abandoned, make great lamentations. Menochius. Delrio, t. ii. adag. 18.—This comparison occurs, Mic. 1:8. Natural history does not, however, represent these animals as very plaintive. The former term may denote sea monsters, or crocodiles; thannim: (Septuagint syrens) and “the daughters of the yahana,” signify “swans,” (Isaiah 13:21) though commonly rendered ostriches, as they are by the Septuagint and so forth Calmet.—Prot. have, “owls.” But we may adhere to the Vulg. Bible.
Verse 31. Weep. I have exchanged my sons of joy for mourning. Menochius.