*H I have often heard such things as these: you are all troublesome comforters.
Ver. 2. Comforters. "Job's friends or comforters," are become proverbial, to denote people who do the contrary to what they seem to promise. H. — 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. C. — He was not ignorant that tyrants and wicked men were often, nay generally till the age in which he lived, visited with visible judgments. H.
*H Shall windy words have no end? or is it any trouble to thee to speak?
Ver. 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. C. xv. 3. H. — Trouble. You can speak without any pain: but the case is far different with me. M. — Heb. "what emboldeneth thee to answer?" H. — Who asks thee for advice? C. — True friends will give it without upbraiding, or laying false crimes to the charge of any one. W.
*H I also could speak like you: and would God your soul were for my soul.
Ver. 4. My soul. If you had experienced my state of misery, (H.) I surely would not have behaved thus to you. C.
*H I would comfort you also with words, and would wag my head over you.
Ver. 5. Wag, or shake my head out of pity. C. xlii. 11. Nah. iii. 7. The same sign often indicates astonishment or contempt. Ps. xxi. 8. Matt. xxvii. 39. C.
*H But what shall I do? If I speak, my pain will not rest: and if I hold my peace, it will not depart from me.
Ver. 7. But. Heb. "If I speak," &c.
*H But now my sorrow hath oppressed me, and all my limbs are brought to nothing.
Ver. 8. Limbs. Heb. "company," (H.) or family. The assemblage of my limbs is also disordered by the leprosy.
*H My wrinkles bear witness against me, and a false speaker riseth up against my face, contradicting me.
Ver. 9. Against me, in your opinion, as if I were guilty of lies. Heb. "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; (C.) 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. M. — Prot. "my leanness riseth up." H.
*H They have opened their mouths upon me, and reproaching me they have struck me on the cheek, they are filled with my pains.
Ver. 11. Cheek. His friends seemed so enraged, as to be disposed to do so. C. — These expressions were strikingly verified in Christ. M. — The outrages may also be attributed to the devil; (C.) or, by personification, to the malady of Job. M.
*H He hath compassed me round about with his lances, he hath wounded my loins, he hath not spared, and hath poured out my bowels on the earth,
Ver. 14. Lances. Heb. "archers." Sept. "they have encompassed me, throwing lances into my veins, or loins, not sparing," &c. H. — Bowels. Heb. and Sept. "gall," being afflicted with a dysentery. S. Thomas explains it of his children, who were slain. H.
*H I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin, and have covered my flesh with ashes.
Ver. 16. Flesh. Heb. "horn." Sept. "strength." H. — I have lost all my beauty and splendor, and have put on the garments of penance. C.
*H My face is swollen with weeping, and my eyelids are dim.
Ver. 17. Dim. Heb. and Sept. "covered with the shadow of death," (H.) greatly impaired. Some have almost lost their sight by weeping; and death seemed ready to close Job's eyes. C.
*H These things have I suffered without the iniquity of my hand, when I offered pure prayers to God.
Ver. 18. Hand, which has not been defiled with any injustice. M. — When. Heb. "and my prayer was pure." I never neglected this sacred duty, (C. i. 5.) as my friends accuse me. C. xv. 4. H. — They continued in their false accusation: so he repeats the same true answer. W.
*H O earth, cover not thou my blood, neither let my cry find a hiding place in thee.
Ver. 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 Gen. iv. 10. C. — 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.
*H My friends are full of words: my eye poureth out tears to God.
Ver. 21. Full. Heb. "scorners." Therefore I appeal to inanimate things; and, above all, to God, who cannot give a wrong judgment.
*H And O that a man might so be judged with God, as the son of man is judged with his companion!
Ver. 22. Judged. Heb. "might plead." H. — 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, v. 23. Pineda.
*H For behold short years pass away, and I am walking in a path by which I shall not return.
Ver. 23. Years. Heb. and Sept. "of number." Pauperis est numerare pecus. H. — Like a man under affliction, Job repeats what he had said. C. xiv. 5. M. and C. x. 20. H.