Job 4

Verse 1. Themanite. People of this city, about twelve miles from Petra, in Arabia, were renowned for wisdom. Jeremiah 49:7. Baruch 2:22. Pythagoras therefore visited this country. Saint Cyril con. Jul. x.—Eliphaz attempts to prove that no innocent person is chastised. He does not speak of small faults, to which any person may be exposed, and which God may severely punish. But he will have Job to be a great offender, at least in secret, and represents himself in too advantageous a light; though he was really a good man, and meant well. Calmet.—But this did not exempt him from sin, (Calmet. 42) no more than Eliu. Calmet. 32. Bonum ex integra causa; malum ex quolibet defectu; as theologians agree. Bible.

Verse 2. Conceived? and to which the speech of Job had given occasion. Menochius.—Septuagint “Who shall bear the force of thy words? For if thou,” and so forth Bible.

Verse 4. Knees. It is just that thou shouldst apply thy instructions to thyself. Menochius.

Verse 5. And thou. Septuagint “and has touched thee. But thou makest haste” ( Bible.) to flee. Hebrew “art consternated.” We may easily prescribe for others, but when we are sick we know not what to do. Calmet.

Verse 6. Where? Septuagint “Rather is not thy fear foolishness as well as thy hope, and the innocence of thy path?” Bible.—Is not all hypocrisy? Menochius. Calmet.—Many of the assertions of Job’s friends are true, but their inferences are false. Menochius.

Verse 7. Destroyed? They never were eternally. But Abel and many other just persons, have been exposed to tribulation in this world, ( Worthington.) for their greater improvement. Yet Eliphaz falsely concludes from the sufferings of Job, that he must have been a criminal. Calmet.—If any one should now hold the same opinion, we should deem him very ignorant or foolish. But we have observed, (Pref.) that this was not so obvious at that time. Cain, the giants, Her, Onan, Sodom, and so forth had been made examples of divine vengeance. But a new order of things was now commencing. Houbigant.

Verse 8. Reap them. He insinuates that Job now reaps what he had sown. Galatians 6:8.

Verse 11. Tiger. Hebrew Layish, means also an “old lion.” Septuagint μυρηκολεων, “ant-lion,” which some have deemed fabulous, improperly. Bochart, vi. 5. Ælian, xvii. 42.—Eliphaz tacitly accuses Job of violence and pride. Ven. Bede. Calmet.

Verse 12. Private. Heretics pretend such obscure visions, rather to get credit than to edify others. Saint Gregory verse 18. Worthington.—Many suppose that Eliphaz was guilty of feigning: but the greatest part think that he had truly seen a vision, but did not draw the proper conclusion from it. Calmet.—Prot. “Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.” Bible.

Verse 13. The horror. Hebrew “thoughts,” while I considered the cause of thy distress. Calmet.

Verse 15. Spirit: angel, or gentle breeze. Calmet.

Verse 16. And I. Prot. “there was silence, and I heard a voice.” Marg. “a still voice.” Septuagint “But I heard a breeze and a voice.” Bible.

Verse 17. Maker. It is thought that these were the words of the angel. If God punish without cause, may not the sufferer esteem himself the better of the two? You must therefore be guilty. Calmet.—Job would never dispute; but God was infinitely more pure than man, who may nevertheless be free from grievous sins. Worthington.—The highest angel has nothing but what he has received from God, in comparison with whom he is still as a mere nothing. But this does not prove that Job was a criminal, or that he pretended to arrogate to himself any excellence, independent of the giver of all good gifts. He did not assert that he was impeccable: yet, with God’s grace, he might be innocent. Calmet.

Verse 18. Angels, who fell, as the fathers explain it. E. Tirinus.—Hebrew “behold, he put no trust in his servants, and his angels he charged with folly.” Calmet. 15:15 and 25:5 and 2 Peter 2:4. Prot. Bible.

Verse 19. Foundation. Children of Adam, whose bodies are taken from the dust. Menochius.

Verse 20. Understandeth. Hebrew “regardeth.” Septuagint “can help himself.” Bible.—Man is justly punished because he does not reflect on what he ought. Calmet.

Verse 21. And they. Hebrew “doth not their dignity pass away with them? They die without wisdom.” Bible.—This is but too frequently the case of the great ones of this world, who never discern true from false riches. Calmet.