Job 36

Verse 3. Beginning. Hebrew “afar” from that God, who is ancient, and not of human invention; (Jeremiah 23:23) or from the consideration of the heavens. Nothing could be more magnificent than the descriptions which conclude this fourth part of the discourse. Calmet.

Verse 4. Lie. Every orator will promise to speak the truth, and will do so sometimes to gain credit. Worthington.—Shall be. Hebrew “is with thee.” Thou art not devoid of sense, and thou wilt ( Calmet.) surely approve my reasons, which are suggested by the God of all knowledge. Bible.

Verse 5. God. Septuagint “Know that the Lord will not cast away the innocent.” Theod. continues to verse 12: “The mighty, in strength of heart, (Wisd. 6) will not make the impious live, and will render judgment to the poor.” Bible.—They seem to have read Thom, which is now wanting in Hebrew Calmet.—“Behold God is mighty, and despiseth not any: mighty in strength and wisdom.” Prot. Bible.—Eliu begins to prove that God administers justice to all equally. Calmet.

Verse 7. Just. Hebrew Syr. and so forth “the just man, he will place him with kings on the throne.” Calmet.—Exalted, or “extolled” for ever, if they have done well. Worthington.—He always disposes of kingdoms. Menochius.

Verse 9. Violent, while in power and on the throne, or because even in a private station, their will has risen up in rebellion against God. Bible.—Poverty and afflictions are scourges, which are often inflicted by mercy, to bring us to a sense of duty. Calmet.

Verse 10. Ear, by secret inspirations, or by the admonition of pastors. Calmet.—Afflictions will also speak louder to them than any orator. Bible.

Verse 12. Folly. Hebrew “without knowledge.” He speaks of princes, ( Calmet.) and of all the wicked, who have not known the day of their visitation. Bible.—They shall suffer the punishment prepared for fools or wicked men. Menochius.

Verse 13. Bound, in misery and evil habits. They will not have recourse to God by humble prayer, though they perceive his displeasure, and design in punishing them.

Verse 14. Storm. Hebrew and Septuagint “in youth,” ( Bible.) being suddenly cut off, without having deplored the sins of their youth. Calmet.—Effeminate. Hebrew “the consecrated” to prostitution. Eliu compares those who will not attend unto God, to the most infamous characters. Calmet.—Septuagint “and let their life be taken away by the angels” ( Bible.) of death. Calmet. 33:23. Calmet.—He may allude to the impure Sodomites. Menochius.

Verse 16. He shall. He would have prevented thee from falling into this irremediable distress, if thou hadst imitated the poor who trust in Him. Calmet.—Yea, he will still restore thee to favour, if thou wilt repent. Bible.—He will fill thee with joy and plenty. Menochius.—Foundation. Hebrew, where there is not straitness. Prot. He would have rescued thee from distress, and set thee at large. Bible.—The psalmist often speaks in the same language. Calmet.

Verse 17. Recover. Thou shalt be treated as thou hast treated others. Hebrew is not well understood. It may be, “Thou hast spoken like the impious; but judgment and justice rule. (18) Beware lest wrath overtake thee, so that thy prayers may not avert it. (19) Will He regard thy cries, thy riches, gold or strength?” Calmet.

Verse 19. Without, or before thou be forced by tribulation. Menochius.—Lay aside all sentiments of pride, (Saint Gregory) or keep in awe the mighty, who administer justice in thy name. Menochius.—Prot. “Will he esteem thy riches? No, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.” Septuagint “Let not a willing mind incline thee unjustly to the prayer of the needy in distress.” Bible.

Verse 20. Prolong not the night, and so forth Prolong not causes that are brought before thee, but dispatch, by early rising, the business of them that come up to thee. Challoner.—Septuagint “and all the men of power do not withdraw in the night,” from just punishment. Theod. adds, “that the people may come up against them,” to demand vengeance. Do strict justice both to the rich and to the poor, without pity or fear. Bible.—This text is very obscure; and the Hebrew may have different meanings, which do not, however, seem well connected with the rest. “Plant not after night, when people retire home;” ( Calmet.) or Prot. “are cut off in their place.” Bible.—Delay not to banish temptations, or they will increase. Saint Gregory xxvi. 38. Worthington.

Verse 21. Iniquity, or blaspheming, (Calmet. 34:37. Menochius.) and murmurs, to which alone thou hast given way since thy fall. Calmet.

Verse 22. Lawgivers. Hebrew more, “a master.” In Chal. “a sovereign.” Grot. Septuagint “what potentate is against him?” Bible.—What art thou, to dare thus to resist him? Calmet.—Saint Gregory (xxvii. 1.) explains this as a prediction of Christ, “or singular lawgiver.” God is most able to punish transgressors, and willing to reward those who obey his laws. Worthington.

Verse 24. Not, is omitted in Hebrew and Septuagint “Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold;” Prot. ( Bible.) or “thou hast magnified,” formerly. Do so again.—Sung. The memory of great exploits was commonly preserved by canticles. Calmet.

Verse 25. All. The rest of this chapter, and the five first verses of the next, seem to be inserted in the Septuagint from Theodotion. “Every man sees in himself how many mortals are wounded,” and so forth—Off, in the stars, and so forth or in ancient times, what wonders God has performed. Calmet.—The works of God are like a ladder, by which we may ascend to the knowledge of him. Menochius. Wisd. 13. Bible.

Verse 27. Floods. God causes the water on the earth to evaporate, ( Calmet.) to form the clouds, ( Bible.) which afterwards fall in torrents. Menochius.—Theod. “the drops of rain are numbered by him,” and so forth Calmet. 26:8.

Verse 29. If. Hebrew “Also can any understand the spreading out of the clouds, the elevation or noise of his pavilion?” Bible.—What could be more magnificent that the throne of God! Calmet.

Verse 30. Ends. Lit. “the hinges,” or poles, cardines. Bible.—Hebrew “roots;” Aristotle (Meteor. ii. 1.) and Hesoid (Theog. 727,) use the same term, ( Calmet.) to denote the fountains which supply the sea. Bible.—Who ever discovered these deep recesses? Eliu describes a thunder-storm, when the sea is covered with darkness. He intimates that the pavilion of God, though hidden from us by the clouds, is not destitute of light. Calmet.—God inhabits light inaccessible. Bible.

Verse 31. Mortals. Hebrew “in abundance.” Bible.—By thunder he overwhelms many nations, while by moderate rains, he causes the earth ot fructify ( Calmet.) and nourish mankind. Menochius.

Verse 32. Hands, or clouds, which are compared to a hand. 3 Kennicott. 18:44. He opens his hand, and light appears. This expression denotes the utmost facility with which a very surprising thing is effected.—To come. Hebrew “by this obstacle.” He alludes to the sun’s eclipse, as if God’s hand covered its disk. Calmet.—Prot. “He … commandeth it not to shine, by the cloud that cometh betwixt.”

Verse 33. To it. The tabernacle of God is designed for his friends. Hebrew is very obscure. “Thunder announces the rain, and the very animals know it;” (Virgil describes their signs, Geor. i.) or “His thunder announces from above the clouds his wrath to men.” Calmet.—“The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.”