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Job Chapter
One
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JOB 1
In
this chapter, Job, the subject of the whole book, is described by his native
country, by his name, by his religious character, and by his family and his
substance, Job 1:1 a
particular relation is given of his children feasting together, and of Job's
conduct during that time, Job 1:4 of a
discourse which passed between God and Satan concerning him, the issue of which
was that Satan obtained leave of God to afflict Job in his outward affairs, Job 1:6 then
follows an account of his several losses, of his oxen, sheep, camels, asses,
and servants, by the Sabeans, Chaldeans, and fire from heaven, and of his sons
and daughters by the fall of the house in which they were through a violent
wind, Job 1:13, and the
chapter is concluded with the agreeable behaviour of Job in the midst of all
this, Job 1:20.
Job 1:1 There
was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was
blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.
YLT
1A man there hath been in
the land of Uz -- Job his name -- and that man hath been perfect and upright --
both fearing God, and turning aside from evil.
There was a man in the
land of Uz, whose name was Job,.... Of the signification of his name, see
the introduction to the book. The place where he dwelt had its name not from
Uz, a descendant of Shem, Genesis 10:23 but
from Uz, a son of Nahor, brother to Abraham, Genesis 22:21
unless it can be thought to be so called from Uz, of the children of Seir, in
the land of Edom; since we read of the land of Uz along with Edom, or rather of
Edom as in the land of Uz, or on the borders of it, Lamentations 4:21,
the Targum calls it the land of Armenia, but rather it is Arabia; and very
probably it was one of the Arabias Job lived in, either Petraea or Deserta,
probably the latter; of which Uz or Ausitis, as the Septuagint and Vulgate
Latin version read it, was a part; the same with the Aesitae of PtolemyF21Geograph.
l. 5. c. 19. ; and it is said to be near the land of CanaanF23Shalshalet
Hakabala, fol. 75. 2. , for in Arabia Felix the Sabeans lived; and certain it
is that this country was near to the Sabeans and Chaldeans, and to the land of
Edom, from whence Eliphaz the Temanite came: and as this very probably was a
wicked and an idolatrous place, it was an instance of the distinguishing grace
of God, to call Job by his grace in the land of Uz, as it was to call Abraham
in Ur of the Chaldeans; and though it might be distressing and afflicting to
the good man to live in such a country, as it was to Lot to live in Sodom, yet
it was an honour to him, or rather it was to the glory of the grace of God that
he was religious here, and continued to be so, see Revelation 2:13 and
gives an early proof of what the Apostle Peter observed, "that God is no
respecter of persons, but, in every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh
righteousness, is accepted with him"; that is, through Christ, Acts 10:34. Job, as
he is described by his name and country, so by his sex, "a man"; and
this is not so much to distinguish his sex, nor to express the reality of his
existence as a man, but to denote his greatness; he was a very considerable,
and indeed an extraordinary man; he was a man not only of wealth and riches,
but of great power and authority, so the mean and great man are distinguished
in Isaiah 2:9 see the
account he gives of himself in Job 29:7, by which
it appears he was in great honour and esteem with men of all ranks and degrees,
as well as he was a man of great grace, as follows:
and the man was perfect; in the same sense as
Noah, Abraham, and Jacob were; not with respect to sanctification, unless as
considered in Christ, who is made sanctification to his people; or with regard
to the truth, sincerity, and genuineness of it; or in a comparative sense, in
comparison of what he once was, and others are; but not so as to be free from
sin, neither from the being of it, which no man is clear of in this life, nor
from the actings of it in thought, word, and deed, see Job 9:20 or so as
to be perfect in grace; for though all grace is seminally implanted at once in
regeneration, it opens and increases gradually; there is a perfection of parts,
but not of degrees; there is the whole new man, but that is not arrived to the
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; there are all and every grace,
but not one perfect, not knowledge, nor faith, nor hope, nor love, nor
patience, nor any other: but then, as to justification, every good man is
perfect; Christ has completely redeemed his people from all their sins; he has
perfectly fulfilled the law in their room and stead; he has fully expiated all
their transgressions, he has procured the full remission of them, and brought
in a righteousness which justifies them from them all; so that they are free
from the guilt of sin, and condemnation by it, and are in the sight of God
unblamable, unreproveable, without fault, all fair and perfectly comely; and
this was Job's case:
and upright; to whom was shown the uprightness of Christ, or to whom the
righteousness of Christ was revealed from faith to faith, and which was put
upon him, and he walked in by faith, see Job 33:23,
moreover, Job was upright in heart, a right spirit was renewed in him; and
though he was not of the nation of Israel, yet he was, in a spiritual sense, an
Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile, the truth of grace and the root
of the matter being in him, Job 19:28, and he
was upright in his walk and conversation before God, and also before men;
upright in all his dealings and concerns with them, in every relation he stood,
in every office and character he bore:
and one that feared God; not as the devils, who
believe and tremble; nor as carnal men, when the judgments of God are in the
earth, hide themselves in fear of him; nor as hypocrites, whose fear or
devotion is only outward, and is taught by the precept of men; but as children
affectionately reverence their parents: Job feared God with a filial and godly
fear, which sprung from the grace of God, and was encouraged and increased by
his goodness to him, and through a sense of it; it was attended with faith and
confidence of interest in him, with an holy boldness and spiritual joy, and
true humility; and comprehended the whole of religious worship, both public and
private, internal and external:
and eschewed evil, or "departed from it"F24סר απεχομενος,
Sept. "recedens a malo", V. L. Montanus, Junius & Tremellius,
&c. ; and that with hatred and loathing of it, and indignation at it, which
the fear of God engages unto, Proverbs 8:13, he
hated it as every good man does, as being contrary to the nature and will of
God, abominable in itself, and bad in its effects and consequences; and he
departed from it, not only from the grosser acts of it, but abstained from all
appearance of it, and studiously shunned and avoided everything that led unto
it; so far was he from indulging to a sinful course of life and conversation,
which is inconsistent with the grace and fear of God,
Job 1:2 2 And seven sons and three
daughters were born to him.
YLT
2And there are borne to him
seven sons and three daughters,
And there were born unto
him,.... By his wife, in lawful wedlock, who was now living, and
after mentioned:
seven sons and three daughters; next to his religious
character, his graces, and spiritual blessings, and as the chief of his outward
mercies and enjoyments, his children are mentioned; and which are indeed
blessings from the Lord, and such as good men, and those that fear the Lord,
are sometimes blessed with, see Psalm 127:3 and to
have a numerous offspring was always esteemed a very great favour and blessing,
and as such was reckoned by Job; who, having so many sons, might hope to have
his name perpetuated by them, as well as his substance shared among them; and
having so many daughters, he might please himself with the thought of marrying
them into families, which would strengthen his friendship and alliance with
them; just the same number of sons and daughters had Bacchaeus, the third king
of CorinthF25Heraclides de Politiis ad calcem Aelian. Var. Hist. p.
439. .
Job 1:3 3 Also, his possessions were
seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five
hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the
greatest of all the people of the East.
YLT
3and his substance is seven
thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred pairs of oxen, and
five hundred she-asses, and a service very abundant; and that man is greater
than any of the sons of the east.
His substance also was
seven thousand sheep,.... For which he must have a large pasturage to feed them on, as
well as these would produce much wool for clothing, and flesh for food; this
part of his substance or possessions is mentioned first, as being the largest,
and most useful and profitable:
and three thousand camels; creatures fit to carry
burdens, and travel with, and were greatly valued on that account, especially
in the deserts of Arabia, near to which Job lived; and that not only because
they were strong for this purpose, but because they could endure much thirst
and want of water for a long time; See Gill on Leviticus 11:4, it
seems by this that Job carried on a commerce, and traded in distant parts,
whither he sent the produce of his lands and cattle, and trafficked with them:
these camels might not only be he, but she camels also, according to the
Septuagint version, which might be kept for breeding, and for their milk:
Aristotle observesF26Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 50. , some of the
inhabitants of the upper Asia used to have camels, to the number of 3000, the
exact number here mentioned; and by the number of these creatures the Arabians
estimated their riches and possessionsF1Leo African. Descript.
Africae, l. 9. p. 745. ; and so sheep are by the Greeks called μηλα, as it is thought, from
the Arabic word "mala", to be richF2Hinckelman. Praefat.
ad Alkoran. ; the riches of other people, and of particular persons, as of
Geryon, Atlas, and Polyphemus, are represented as chiefly consisting of their
flocks, and also of their herdsF3Vid. Homer. Odyss. 14. ver. 100,
&c. Virgil. Aeneid. l. 7. ver. 537. Justin e Trogo, l. 44. c. 4. Theocrit.
Idyll. 11. ver. 34. Ovid. Metamorph. l. 4. Fab. 17. & l. 13. Fab. 8. , as
follows:
and five hundred yoke of oxen; to plough his land with,
of which he must have a large quantity to employ such a number in, see 1 Kings 19:19
and five hundred she asses; which must be chiefly
for their milk; and no doubt but he had a considerable number of he asses also,
though not mentioned, which, as well as the others, were used to ride on, and
also to plough with, in those countries; it may be rendered only asses as by
some, and so may include both: Aristaeus, Philo, and PolyhistorF4Apud
Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 25. p. 430. give the same account of Job's
substance in the several articles as here:
and a very great household: this must be understood
of his servants only, since his children are before taken notice of; and the
same phrase is rendered "great store of servants", Genesis 26:14 and
in the margin, "husbandry" or "tillage", large fields and
farms; and the sense comes to much the same, whether it is taken the one way or
the other; if great store of servants, he must have large farms and many fields
to employ them in; and if a large husbandry, and much ground for tillage, he
must have many servants to manure and cultivate them: now these several
articles are mentioned, because, in those times and countries, as has been
observed, the substance of men chiefly lay in them, and according to them they
were reckoned more or less rich; not but that they had gold and silver also, as
Abraham had, Genesis 13:1, and
so had Job, Job 31:24, but
these were the principal things:
so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east; that lived in
Arabia, Chaldea, and other eastern countries; that is, he was a man of the
greatest wealth and riches, and of the greatest power and authority, and was
had in the greatest honour and esteem: now these temporal blessings are
observed, to show that grace and earthly riches are compatible, that they may,
and sometimes do, meet in the same person; as also to point at the goodness of
God, in bestowing such blessings on this good man, thereby fulfilling the
promise made to godliness and godly men, which respects this life, and that
which is to come; and they are mentioned chiefly for the sake of the loss of
these things after related, whereby the greatness of his loss and of his
afflictions would be the more easily perceived, and his patience in bearing
them appear the more illustrious; for by how much the greater was his
substance, by so much the greater were his losses and trials, and the more
remarkable his patience under them.
Job 1:4 4 And his sons would go and
feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send
and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
YLT
4And his sons have gone and
made a banquet -- the house of each [in] his day -- and have sent and called to
their three sisters to eat and to drink with them;
And his sons went and
feasted in their houses, everyone his day,.... It appears by this
that Job's sons were grown up to men's estate, that they were from him, and
were for themselves, and carried on a separate business on their own accounts,
and had houses of their own, and, perhaps, were married; and being at some
distance from each other, they met by appointment at certain times in their own
houses, and had friendly and family entertainments in turn; for such were their
feasts, not designed for intemperance, luxury, and wantonness, for then they
would not have been encouraged, nor even connived at, by Job; but to cherish
love and affection, and maintain harmony and unity among themselves, which must
be very pleasing to their parent; for a pleasant thing it is for any, and
especially for parents, to behold brethren dwelling together in unity, Psalm 133:1,
besides, these feasts were kept, not in public houses, much less in houses of
ill fame, but in their own houses, among themselves, at certain seasons, which
they took in turn; and these were either at their time of sheep shearing, which
was a time of feasting, 1 Samuel 25:2, or
at the weaning of a child, Genesis 21:8, or
rather on each of their birthdays, which in those early times were observed,
especially those of persons of figure, Genesis 40:20, and
the rather, as Job's birthday is called his day, as here, Job 3:1,
and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with
them; not to make a feast in their turn, but to partake of their
entertainment; which, as is commonly observed, showed humanity, kindness,
tenderness, and affection in them to their sisters, to invite them to take part
with them in their innocent and social recreations, and modesty in their
sisters not to thrust themselves into their company, or go without an
invitation; these very probably were with Job, and went to the feasts with his
leave, being very likely unmarried, or otherwise their husbands would have been
invited also.
Job 1:5 5 So it was, when the days
of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he
would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to
the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and
cursed[a] God in
their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
YLT
5and it cometh to pass, when
they have gone round the days of the banquet, that Job doth send and sanctify
them, and hath risen early in the morning, and caused to ascend burnt-offerings
-- the number of them all -- for Job said, `Perhaps my sons have sinned, yet
blessed God in their heart.' Thus doth Job all the days.
And it was so, when the
days of their feasting were gone about,.... When they had been
at each other's houses in turn; when the rotation was ended: something like
this is practised by the Chinese, who have their co-fraternities, which they
call "the brotherhood of the month"; this consists of thirty,
according to the number of days therein, and in a circle they go every day to
eat at one another's house by turns; if one man has not convenience to receive
the fraternity in his own house, he may provide it at another man's, and there
are many public houses very well furnished for this purposeF5Semedo's
History of China, par. 1. c. 13. : Job's sons probably began at the elder
brother's house, and so went on according to their age, and ended with the
younger brother; so when they had gone through the circuit, as the wordF6הקיפו "cum circulssent, vel circulum fecissent",
Vatablus; "circulum absolverent", Bolducius. signifies, and the
revolution was over, and they had done feasting for that season, or that year:
that Job sent and sanctified them; not that he did or could
make them holy, by imparting grace, or infusing holiness into them; at most he
could only pray for their sanctification, and give them rules, precepts, and
instructions about holiness, and exhortations to it; but here it signifies,
that being at some distance from them he sent messengers or letters to them to
sanctify and prepare themselves for the sacrifices he was about to offer for
them; either by some rites and ceremonies, as by washing themselves, and
abstinence from their wives, which were sometimes used as preparatory to divine
service, Genesis 35:2, or by
fasting and prayer; or, perhaps, no more is intended by it than an invitation
of them to come and attend the solemn sacrifice which he, as the head of the
family, would offer for them; so, to sanctify people, is sometimes to invite,
to call and gather them to holy service, see Joel 2:15 and so
the Targum renders it. "Job sent and invited them:"
and rose up early in the morning of the last of the days
of feasting; he took the first opportunity, and that as early as he could;
which shows the eagerness of his spirit for the glory of God, and the good of
his children, losing no time for his devotion to God, and regard for his
family; this being also the fittest time for religious worship and service, see
Psalm 5:3, and was
used for sacrifice, Exodus 29:39,
and offered burnt offering according to the number of them all either of his
ten children, or only his seven sons, since they only are next mentioned, and
were the masters of the feast: this was before the law of the priesthood was in
being, which restrained the offering of sacrifice to those in the office of
priests, when, before, every head of a family had a right unto it; and this
custom of offering sacrifice was before the law of Moses, it was of divine
institution, and in use from the time of the fall of man, Genesis 3:21, and
was by tradition handed down from one to another, and so Job had it; and which
was typical of the sacrifice of Christ, to be offered up in the fulness of time
for the expiation of sin; and Job, no doubt, by faith in Christ, offered up
those burnt offerings for his sons, and one for each of them, thereby
signifying, that everyone stood in need of the whole sacrifice of Christ for
the atonement of sin, as every sinner does:
for Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned; not merely as
in common, or daily sins of infirmity; for Job so full well knew the corruption
of human nature, that a day could not pass without sin in thought, word, or
deed; but some more notorious or scandalous sin; that, in the midst of their
feasting and mirth, they had used some filthy, or frothy, and unsavoury and
unbecoming language; had dropped some impure words, or impious jests, or done
some actions which would reflect dishonour on God and true religion, and bring
an odium on themselves and families: now Job was not certain of this, he had
had no instruction or intelligence of it; he only surmised and conjectured it
might be so; he was fearful and jealous lest it should: this shows his care and
concern, as for the glory of God, so for the spiritual welfare of his children,
though they were grown up and gone from him, and is to be considered in favour
of his sons; for by this it is evident they were not addicted to any sin, or
did not live a vicious course of life; but that they were religious and godly
persons; or, otherwise Job would have had no doubt in his mind about their
conduct and behaviour: the particular sin he feared they might have been guilty
of follows:
and cursed God in their hearts; not in the grossest
sense of the expression, so as to deny the being of God, and wish there was
none, and conceive blasphemy in their hearts, and utter it with their lips; but
whereas to bless God is to think and speak well of him, and ascribe that to him
which is his due; so to curse him is to think and speak irreverently of him,
and not to attribute to him what belongs unto him; and thus Job might fear that
his sons, amidst their feasting, might boast of their plenty, and of the
increase of their substance, and attribute it to their own diligence and industry,
and not to the providence of God, of which he feared they might speak
slightingly and unbecomingly, as persons in such circumstances sometimes do,
see Deuteronomy 32:15.
Mr. Broughton renders it, "and little blessed God in their hearts"
not blessing him as they should was interpretatively cursing him; the Hebrew
word used properly and primarily signifies to blessF7ברכו אלהים "benedixerint
Deo", V. L. Piscator. , and then the meaning is, either that his sons had
sinned, but took no notice of it, nor were humbled for it, but blessed God,
being prosperous and successful, as if they had never sinned at all, see Zechariah 13:1,
Sanctius adds the negative particle "not", as if the meaning was,
that they sinned, and did not bless God for their mercies as they should, Deuteronomy 8:10,
but this is too daring and venturous to make such an addition; though this is
favoured by the Targum, as in some copies, which paraphrases it,
and
have not prayed in the name of the Lord in their hearts: and because the word
is used at parting, and taking a farewell of friends, Cocceius thinks it may be
so used here, and the sense to be, that they sinned, and took their leave of
God, and departed from him; but rather, as the word Elohim is used of strange
gods, of false deities, Exodus 18:11. Job's
fears might be, lest his sons should have been guilty of any idolatrous action,
at least of blessing the gods of the Gentiles in their hearts, since feasting
sometimes leads to idolatry, Exodus 32:6, but
the first sense seems best, with which the Septuagint version agrees,
"it
may be my sons in their mind have thought evil things against the Lord:'
thus did Job continually; or "all those
days"F8כל הימים
"cunctis diebus", Pagninus, Montanus; "singulis diebus
illis", Junius & Tremellius; "omnibus diebus illis",
Piscator, Cocceius. ; that is, after every such circuit and rotation of
feasting, or after every feast day kept by them, he offered sacrifices for
them; or every yearF9"Singulis annis", Schmidt, Schultens;
see 1 Sam. xx. 7. , as some interpret the phrase, the feasts, and so the
sacrifices, being annual; all this is observed, partly further to describe the
piety of Job, his affection for his family, and concern for their spiritual
good, and the glory of God, and partly as a leading step to an later event, Job 1:18.
Job 1:6 6 Now there was a day when
the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan[b] also came
among them.
YLT
6And the day is, that sons
of God come in to station themselves by Jehovah, and there doth come also the
Adversary in their midst.
Now there was a day when
the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord,.... This is
generally understood of the angels, as in Job 38:7 who may be
thought to be so called, because of their creation by the father of spirits,
and their likeness to God in holiness, knowledge, and wisdom, and being
affectionate and obedient to him; as also on account of the grace of election,
and confirmation in Christ bestowed upon them, as well as because, in their
embassies and messages to men, they represent God, and so may be called gods,
and children of the Most High, for a like reason the civil magistrates are, Psalm 82:6 to which
may be added, their constituting with the saints the family of God in heaven
and earth: these, as they stand before God, and at his right hand and left, as
the host of heaven, in which posture Micaiah saw them in vision, 1 Kings 22:19, so
they may be said to go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth
into the several parts of all the world, to do the will and work of God
assigned them, Zechariah 6:5 and
then, having done their work, return again, and present themselves before the
Lord, to give an account of what they have done, and to receive fresh orders
from him, being ready to do his pleasure in everything he shall command them,
which is what is here supposed; though some think these were only the company
or band of angels which were set as a guard about Job, his person, family, and
substance, who now appeared before the Lord, to give an account of him, his
affairs, and circumstances, as required of them:
and Satan came also among them; which word signifies an
"adversary", as in 1 Kings 11:14 but
does not design here a man adversary, as there, or one that envied Job's
prosperity, as Saadiah Gaon thinks, but an evil spirit, the old serpent, the
devil, as in Revelation 12:9 who
is an implacable and bitter enemy to men, especially to Christ and his people;
and so has this name from his hatred of them, and opposition to them: OrigenF11Contr.
Cels. l. 6. observes, that this word, translated into the Greek language, is αντικειμενος, an
"adversary"; but R. LeviF12In Ioc. derives it from שטה, "to decline" or "turn aside"; and
so Suidas saysF13In voce σατανας.
, Satan, in the Hebrew language, is an apostate; and TheodoretF14In
2 Reg. Quaest. 37. mentions both, that it signifies either an adversary or an
apostate; the first derivation is best: knowing the end of the above meeting,
that it was with respect to Job, and therefore he came with an intent to
contradict what they should say of him, and to accuse him before God; he came
among them as one of them, transforming himself into an angel of light, as he
sometimes does; or he came, being sent for, and obliged to come to give an
account of himself, and of what he had been doing in the world, in order to be
reproved and punished: but though the stream of interpreters run this way, I
cannot say I am satisfied with it; for, setting aside the passages in this book
in question, angels are nowhere called "the sons of God"; for
besides, this being denied of them in the sense that Christ is, they are
represented as servants, yea, as servants to the sons of God, ministering
spirits to the heirs of salvation; they call themselves the fellow servants of
the saints, and of their brethren, but do not say that they are sons of the
same family, or fellow heirs, or their brethren, Hebrews 1:5,
moreover, they always stand in the presence of God, and behold his face, be
they where they will, Matthew 18:10 nor
is there any particular day assigned them for the service of God; for though
they are under the moral law, so far as it is suitable to their nature, yet not
under the ceremonial law, to which the observance of days belonged; and
besides, they have no rest night nor day, but continually serve God, and
glorify him, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty: and if this
presentation of themselves to God is supposed to be in heaven, as where else
should it be? it is not possible that Satan could come among them; he is fallen
from heaven, being cast down from thence, nor can he, nor ever will he, be able
to find a place any more there, see Luke 10:18 it seems
better therefore to understand this of the people of God, of professors of
religion, who, earlier than the times of Job, were distinguished from the men
of the world by this character, "the sons of God", Genesis 6:2, such
that were truly godly being so by adopting grace, and which was made manifest
by their regeneration by the Spirit of God, and by their faith in Christ, and
all were so by profession: now these assembled themselves together, to present
themselves, their bodies and souls, before the Lord, which was but their
reasonable service; as to pray unto him, and praise him, to offer sacrifice,
and perform every religious exercise enjoined in those times; the apostle uses
the like phrase of the saints' social worship, Romans 12:1 now for
this there was a "day"; though I very much question whether any
sabbath, or much less a seventh day sabbath, was as yet instituted; but
inasmuch as men agreed together to call on the name of the Lord, or to worship
him in a social way, Genesis 4:26 as it
was necessary that a place should be appointed to meet at, so a time fixed by
consent and agreement; even as now, the seventh day sabbath being abrogated,
Christians agree to meet on the first day of the week, called the Lord's day,
in imitation of the apostles of Christ; and on one of these days thus fixed and
agreed on was the above meeting, at which Satan came among them, as he
frequently does in the assembly of the saints, to do what mischief he can; by
snatching away the word from inattentive hearers, and by directing the eye to
such objects, and putting such things into the mind, as divert from the service
of God; or by suggesting to the saints themselves, that what is attended to
does not belong to them, with many other things of the like kind: the Targum
interprets this day of the day of judgment, at the beginning of the year, and
the sons of God of angels, as do other Jewish writers.
Job 1:7 7 And the Lord said to Satan,
“From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said,
“From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
YLT
7And Jehovah saith unto the
Adversary, `Whence comest thou?' And the Adversary answereth Jehovah and saith,
`From going to and fro in the land, and from walking up and down on it.'
And the Lord said unto
Satan, whence comest thou?.... This question is put, not as ignorant
of the place from whence he came; for the omniscient God knows all persons and
things, men and angels, and these good and bad, where they are, from whence
they come, and what they do, see Genesis 3:9 but it
is put either as being angry with him, and resenting his coming among the sons
of God, and chiding him for it, as having no proper business there, like the
question in Matthew 22:12, or
rather in order to lead on to another, and to bring out from him what he
intended to have expressed by him, of what he had seen and taken notice of in
the place from whence he came, and particularly concerning Job: how God and
spirits converse together we are not able to say; but no doubt there is a way
in which God talks with spirits, even with evil ones, as well as good ones, and
in which they speak to him; and so this does not at all affect the reality of
this narrative:
then Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro in
the earth, and from walking up and down in it; this he said as
swaggering and boasting, as if he was indeed the God of the whole world, the
Prince and King of it, and had and exercised a sovereign dominion over it, and
as such had been making a tour through it, and taking a survey of it, see Matthew 4:8, and as
if he was at full liberty to go where he pleased, and was under no control,
when he was in chains of darkness, and could go nowhere, nor do anything,
without divine permission; could not touch Job, nor his substance, nor, as in
the days of Christ, so much as enter into a herd of swine without leave:
likewise this may denote the disquietude and restlessness of this evil spirit,
who could not abide long in a place, but moving to and fro, seeking rest, but
finding none, Matthew 12:43, as
also his diligence and indefatigableness in doing and seeking to do mischief,
going about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, taking all
opportunities of doing injury, sowing his tares while men are asleep and off
their guard, 1 Peter 5:8, and so
the first word here used signifies a diligent search, and is rendered by some,
and particularly by Mr. Broughton, "from searching about the earth"F15So
Rambam and Ben Melech. , "and from walking in it"; and so the Targum,
from
going about in the earth, to search the works of the children of men, and from
walking in it; and it points at the place of Satan's abode, the earth, with the
circumambient air, Ephesians 2:2 and
the extent of his influence, which reaches not to heaven, and to the saints
there, out of which he is cast, and can never reenter, but to the earth only,
and men on it; and here no place is free from him; he and his angels are roving
about everywhere, city and country; public and private places, men's own
houses, or the house of God, are not exempt from them; and therefore all here
need to watch and pray, lest they enter into temptation, Matthew 26:41.
Schultens interprets the word of Satan going through the earth with great force
and violence, whipping and scourging miserable mortals.
Job 1:8 8 Then the Lord said to Satan,
“Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the
earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
YLT
8And Jehovah saith unto the
Adversary, `Hast thou set thy heart against My servant Job because there is
none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright, fearing God, and turning
aside from evil?'
And the Lord said unto
Satan, hast thou considered my servant Job,.... Or, "hast thou
put thine heart on my servant"F16השמת
לבך על עבדי
"nunquid posuisti cor tuum super servum meum", Pagninus, Montanus,
Bolducius, Schmidt. ; not in a way of love and affection to him, to do him any
good or service, there being an original and implacable enmity in this old
serpent to the seed of the woman; but rather his heart was set upon him in a
way of desire to have him in his hands, to do him all the mischief he could, as
the desire of his heart was toward Peter, Luke 22:31 but the
sense of the question is, since thou sayest thou hast been walking up and down
in the earth, hast thou not taken notice of Job, and cast an eye upon him, and
wished in thine heart to have him in thine hands to do him hurt? I know that
thou hast; hast thou not contrived in thine heart how to attack him, tempt him,
and draw him from my service, and into sins and snares, in order to reproach
and accuse him? thou hast, but all in vain; and so it is a sarcasm upon Satan,
as well as an expression of indignation at him for such an attempt upon him,
and as anticipating his accusation of Job; for it is as if he should further
say, I know he is in thine eye, and upon thine heart, now thou art come with a
full intent to accuse and charge him; so Jarchi, "lest thou set thine
heart", &c. so as "to have a good will to accuse him" he
had, but the Lord prevents him, by giving a high character of him, in these and
the following words: here he calls him "my servant"; not a servant of
men, living according to the lusts and will of men, and their customs and
forays of worship, superstition, and idolatry; nor a servant of sin and the
lusts of the flesh; nor of Satan, who boasted of the whole earth being his; but
the Lord's servant, not only by creation, but by special choice, by redemption,
by efficacious grace, and the voluntary surrender of himself to the Lord under
the influence of it; and by his cheerful and constant obedience he answered
this character; and the Lord here claims his property in him, acknowledges him
as his servant, calls him by name, and gives an high and honourable account of
him:
that there is none like him in the earth; or "in
the land"; in the land of Uz, so Obadiah Sephorno; whatever there were in
other countries, there were none in this, being in general idolaters; or in the
land of the people of the Heathen nations, as the Targum; or rather in the
whole earth, where Satan had been walking: and, very probably, Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, were now dead; Job being, as it should seem, between them and the
times of Moses; and though there might be many godly persons then living, who
were like to him in quality, being partakers of the same divine nature, having
the same image of God upon them, and the same graces in them, and a similar
experience of divine things, yet not upon an equality with him; he exceeded
them all in grace and holiness; and particularly, none came up to him for his
patience in suffering affliction, though this was often tried; as Moses
excelled others in meekness, and Solomon in wisdom; Job was an eminent saint
and servant of the Lord, a father in his family, a pillar in his house, like
Saul among the people, taller in grace and the exercise of it; and this is a
reason why he could not but be taken notice of by Satan, who has his eye more
especially on the most eminent saints, and envies them, and strikes at them;
and so the words are by some rendered, "for there is none like him"F17כי "nam", Piscator. ; or rather they may be
rendered, "but there is none like him"F18"Atqui",
Schmidt. : and so are opposed to the accusations and charges Satan was come
with against him:
a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth
evil? See Gill on Job 1:1. Here the
character there given is confirmed by the Lord in the express words of it.
Job 1:9 9 So Satan answered the Lord and said,
“Does Job fear God for nothing?
YLT
9And the Adversary answereth
Jehovah and saith, `For nought is Job fearing God?
Then Satan answered the
Lord, and said, doth Job fear God for nought. Satan does not deny any
part of Job's character, nor directly charge him with anyone sin; which shows
what a holy man Job was, how exact in his life and conversation, that the devil
could not allege any one thing against him; nor does he deny that he feared the
Lord; nay, he owns it, only suggests there was a private reason for it; and
this he dares not affirm, only puts it by way of question, giving an innuendo,
which is a wretched way of slander many of his children have learnt from him:
he insinuates that Job's fear of God, and serving him, was not "for
nought", or "freely"F19חנם
"gratis", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius Piscator,
Schmidt, Schultens. , it was not out of love to him, or with any regard to his
will, or his honour and glory, but from selfish principles, with mercenary
views, and for worldly ends and purposes: indeed no man fears and serves the
Lord for nought and in vain, he is well paid for it; and godliness has a great
gain along with it, the Lord bestows everything, both in a temporal and
spiritual way, on them that fear him; so that eventually, and in the issue,
they are great gainers by it; and they may lawfully look to these things, in
order to encourage them in the service and worship of God, even as Moses had
respect to the recompence of reward; when they do not make these, but the will
and glory of God, the sole and chief cause and end thereof: but the intimation
of Satan is, that Job's fear was merely outward and hypocritical, nor cordial,
hearty, and disinterested, but was entirely for his own sake, and for what he
got by it; and this he said as if he knew better than God himself, the searcher
of hearts, who had before given such an honourable character of him. Sephorno
observes, that he supposes that his fear was not a fear of the greatness of
God, a reverence of his divine Majesty, but a fear of punishment; or what we
call a servile fear, and not a filial one.
Job 1:10 10 Have You not made a hedge
around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You
have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the
land.
YLT
10Hast not Thou made a hedge
for him, and for his house, and for all that he hath -- round about?
Hast not thou made an
hedge about him,.... A fence, a wall of protection all around him? he had; he
encompassed him about with his love as with a shield, a hedge which could not
be broken down by men or devils; he surrounded him with his almighty power,
that none could hurt him; he guarded him by his providence, he caused his
angels to encamp about him; yea, he himself was a wall of fire around him; the
Targum interprets it the word of God: so thick was the hedge, so strong the
fence, that Satan could not find the least gap to get in at, to do him any
injury to his body or mind, without the divine permission; which he envied and
was vexed at, and maliciously suggests that this was the motive of Job's fear
of the Lord; and indeed it was an obligation upon him to fear him, but not the
sole cause of it:
and about his house; not the house in which
he dwelt; though Satan could have gladly pulled down that about his ears, as
well as that in which his children were; but it designs his family, who were
also by Providence protected in their persons and estates, and preserved from
the temptations of Satan, at least from being overcome by them, and even at the
times of their feasting before mentioned; this fence was about his servants
also, so that Satan could not come at and hurt any one that belonged to him,
which was a great grief and vexation of mind to him:
and about all that he hath on every side? his sheep,
his camels, his oxen, and his asses; for otherwise these would not have escaped
the malice and fury of this evil spirit they afterwards felt; but as these were
the gifts of the providence of God to Job, they were guarded by his power, that
Satan could not hurt them without leave:
thou hast blessed the work of his hands; not only what
he himself personally wrought with his own hands, but was done by his servants
through his direction, and by his order; the culture of his fields, the feeding
and keeping of his flocks and herds; all succeeded well; whatever he did, or was
concerned in, prospered:
and his substance is increased in the land; or
"broke out"F20פרץ
"erupit", Montanus, Piscator; "eruperit", Junius &
Tremellius; "prorupit", Schultens, ; like a breach of waters; see 2 Samuel 5:20;
exceeded all bounds; his riches broke forth on the right hand and on the left,
and flowed in, so that there were scarce any limits to be set to them; he
abounded in them; his sheep brought forth thousands; his oxen, camels, and
asses, stood well, and were strong to labour; and his wealth poured in upon him
in great plenty; all which was an eyesore to Satan, and therefore would
insinuate that this was the sole spring and source of Job's religion, devotion,
and obedience.
Job 1:11 11 But now, stretch out Your
hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
YLT
11The work of his hands Thou
hast blessed, and his substance hath spread in the land, and yet, put forth, I
pray Thee, Thy hand, and strike against anything that he hath -- if not: to Thy
face he doth bless Thee!'
But put forth thine hand
now,.... With draw thine hand of providence, power, and protection,
with which thou hast covered and screened him; and, instead of that,
"send"F21שלח "mitte",
Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Schmidt. forth thine afflicting
hand, not barely in a way of chastisement and correction, but in wrath and
vengeance, consuming and destroying all he had; and this he desires might be
done now, immediately, without delay, while Job was in the midst of his
prosperity; for Satan was in haste to have mischief done to him, being an
object of his great hatred and enmity: some, instead of "now", render
it, "I pray thee"F23נא
"quaeso", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Bolducius. , as being an
entreaty of Satan, and an importunate one, and which he was eagerly desirous of
obtaining; well knowing that no hurt could be done to Job without leave from
God, or his doing it himself: the Vulgate Latin version is, "put forth
thine hand a little", as if its being exerted but a little, or a small
touch of it, would be sufficient to discover Job's hypocrisy; but Satan
doubtless knew Job better than this suggests, and that such was his integrity,
that a small trial would not affect him; and besides, he immediately adds:
and touch all that he hath; which was not a slight
touch, but an heavy one, reaching to all his family and substance, and to his
person too, and the health of it at least; as appears by the proviso or saving
clause put in by the Lord afterwards, when he gave leave to smite him:
and he will curse thee to thy face; or, if he does not curse
thee to thy faceF24אם לא
"si non", Schultens. ; then, let it be so and so with me, worse than
it now is; let me have my full damnation; for the words are an imprecation of
the devil, wishing the worst of evils to himself, if Job, in such
circumstances, did not "curse" God to his "face"; that is,
not only openly and publicly, but impudently; signifying that he would fly in
his face, like a man passionate, furious, and enraged, and like those wicked
persons, hungry and hardly bestead, that would fret and curse their king and their
God, Isaiah 8:21 or like
those men, who, under their pains and sores, blasphemed him that had power over
them, Revelation 16:10,
or like those carnal professors, whose words were stout against God, Malachi 3:13 in
suchlike passionate expressions Satan insinuates Job would break out against
God, murmuring at and complaining of his providence, arraigning his wisdom,
righteousness, and holiness, in his dealings with him: or, if "he does not
bless thee to thy face"F25"Nisi in faciem tuam benedicet
tibi", Piscator, Schmidt. , as it may be rendered; that is, either he
"will bid thee farewell"F26"Si non in faciem tuam
valere te jussurus sit", Schultens. , and apostatize from thee; see Gill
on Job 1:5 as
sometimes nominal professors do, when affliction and tribulation come upon
them, they are offended, and drop their profession, Matthew 13:21 or,
as others, "if he hath not blessed thee to thy face"F1"Si
non super facies tuas benedixerit tibi", Montanus. ; then let it be thus
with me, that is, it will be then a clear case, that Job in times past had only
blessed God to his face, or outwardly; he had only honoured him with his lips,
but his heart was far from him, and his fear towards him taught by the precept
of men, as is the character of hypocrites, Isaiah 29:13 this
Satan wickedly insinuates; one of the Targums is,
if
he does not provoke thee to the face of thy Word; Ben Melech interprets על פניו "by thy life",
and takes it to be the form of an oath.
Job 1:12 12 And the Lord said to Satan,
“Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his
person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
YLT
12And Jehovah saith unto the
Adversary, `Lo, all that he hath [is] in thy hand, only unto him put not forth
thy hand.' And the Adversary goeth out from the presence of Jehovah.
And the Lord said unto
Satan, behold, all that he hath is in thy power,.... This he said not as
angry and displeased with Job, or as entertaining any ill opinion of him
through the suggestions of Satan, nor as gratifying that evil spirit; but in
order to convince and confound him, and to try the grace of Job, that he might
shine the brighter; and it may be observed, that the Lord alone had the
sovereign dispose of all that Job had, and that Satan could have no power over
him or his, but what was given him:
only upon himself put not forth thine hand; thus the Lord
restrained Satan, who could do nothing without his leave, and limits and bounds
the present affliction of his servant to his family and estate; reserving his
person and the health of it for another temptation and trial:
so Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord; the Targum
adds, "with power", authority, liberty of acting; not from his
general presence, which is everywhere, from whence there is no going; nor from
his gracious presence, in which he had not been; and much less his glorious
presence in heaven, from whence he had been cast long ago; but from the place
where the sons and people of God worshipped, and where he granted his presence
to them, and from conversing with God there: as soon as Satan had got leave, he
at once went forth to execute what he had permission to do, glad at heart he
had so far succeeded; and eager upon doing all the mischief he could to a man
that was the butt of his malice, and the object of his envy and hatred; the sad
effects and consequences of which follow.
Job 1:13 13 Now there was a day when
his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s
house;
YLT
13And the day is, that his
sons and his daughters are eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their
brother, the first-born.
And there was a day,.... Which
according to the Targum was the first day of the week, but this is not certain,
nor material; nor can it be said whether it was the day following that, Satan
had leave to do what he would with Job's substance, nor how long this was after
that; for though Satan was no doubt eager upon it, and in haste to do mischief;
yet besides its requiring some time to get the Sabeans and Chaldeans to march
out of their own country into Job's, so he would contrive and fix upon the most
proper time to answer his ends and purposes, which was
when his (Job's) sons and daughters were eating, and drinking wine
in their eldest brother's house; it should rather be rendered, "in the
house of their brother, the firstborn"; that is, of Job; for בכור relates not to brethren, but to parents, as Gussetins
observesF2Ebr. Comment. p. 127. : this was either the beginning of a
new turn, or rotation of their feasting with each other, which might begin with
the elder brother; or this was his birthday; see Job 1:4 and this
was the day Satan pitched upon to bring all the following calamities and
distresses upon Job; partly that they might fall with the greater weight upon
him, and more sensibly affect him, coming upon him while his family was
feasting; and while he was pleasing himself with the thoughts of having brought
up his children to men's and women's estate, and of the affluent circumstances
they were in; and of the unity, harmony, and love that subsisted amongst them,
of which their present feasting to gether was a proof; and partly that these
afflictions might the more look like the judgments of God upon him, just as the
men of the old world were eating and drinking when the flood came and destroyed
them all, Luke 17:27 and for
the same reasons these were all brought upon him in one day, to crush him the
more; and that it might be thought the hand of God was in it, in a way of wrath
and vengeance, and so irritate him to curse him to his face, which was what
Satan aimed at; see Isaiah 47:8.
Job 1:14 14 and a messenger came to
Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
YLT
14And a messenger hath come
in unto Job and saith, `The oxen have been plowing, and the she-asses feeding
by their sides,
And there came a messenger
unto Job,.... Not a messenger of Satan, as Jarchi, or one of his angels,
or evil spirits; though this is a sense which is embraced not only by some
Jewish Rabbins, but by several of the ancient Christian writers, as Sanctius on
the place observes; and such they suppose the other messengers after mentioned
were; but both this and they were servants of Job, who escaped the calamity
that came upon the rest of their fellow servants:
and said, the oxen were ploughing: the five hundred yoke of
oxen Job had, Job 1:3, which were
all out in the fields, and employed in ploughing them; and to plough with such
was usual in those times and countries, as it now is in some places; see 1 Kings 19:19
and the asses feeding beside them; beside the oxen, where
they were ploughing, in pasture ground, adjoining to the arable land; and
beside the servants that were ploughing with the oxen: "at their
hands"F2על ידיהם
"ad manus eorum", Mercerus. ; as it may be literally rendered, just
by them, under their eye and care; or "in their places"F3"Suis
locis", Vatablus, Schmidt; so Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and Bar Tzemach. ; where
they should be, and where they used to feedF4"More
solito", Schultens. ; these were the five hundred asses, male and female,
reckoned among Job's substance, Job 1:3, which were
brought hither to feed, and some for the servants to ride on; this ploughed
land being at some distance from Job's house; and others to carry the seed that
was was to be sown here: now the situation and employment of these creatures
are particularly mentioned, to show that they were in their proper places, and
at their proper work; and that what befell them was not owing to the want of
care of them, or to the indolence and negligence of the servants.
Job 1:15 15 when the Sabeans[c] raided them
and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the
sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
YLT
15and Sheba doth fall, and
take them, and the young men they have smitten by the mouth of the sword, and I
am escaped -- only I alone -- to declare [it] to thee.'
And the Sabeans fell upon
them,.... Or, "Sheba fell"F5ותפל
שבא "et delapsa est Seba", Montanus,
Bolducius; "et irruit Sheba", Schmidt, Cocceius. ; that is, as Aben
Ezra and Simeon Bar Tzemach supply it, an host of the Sabeans, or a company of
them; these were not the descendants of that Sheba that sprung from Ham, Genesis 10:7 nor of
him that came from Shem, Genesis 10:28, but
from Sheba, the son of Jokshan, a son of Abraham by Keturah, who with the rest
of her sons were sent into the east country, the country of Job; and these
Sabeans, who descended from the same, were his near neighbours, Genesis 25:3, they
were the inhabitants of one of the Arabias, it is generally said Arabia Felix;
but that is not likely, since it was a very plentiful country, the inhabitants
of which had no need to rob and plunder others; and besides was at a great
distance from the place of Job's habitation, and lay to the south, and not the
east; though StraboF6Geograph. l. 16. p. 536. indeed says, that the
Sabeans inhabited Arabia Felix, and made excursions into Syria, which agrees
with these Sabeans; but rather Arabia Deserta, as SpanheimF7Histor.
Jobi, c. 3. sect. 12. p. 44, &c. has abundantly proved, a barren place;
hence we read of Sabeans from the wilderness, Ezekiel 23:42, the
inhabitants of which lived upon the plunder of others; and these being
naturally given to spoil and rapine, were fit persons for Satan to work upon,
as he does in the children of disobedience; into whose hearts he put it to make
such a descent on Job's fields, and carry off his cattle, as they did; they
fell upon his oxen and asses at once and unawares, in a body, in an hostile and
furious manner:
and took them away; as a booty; they did not kill them, but
drove them off the ground, and led them into their own country for their use
and service:
yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; who were
ploughing with the oxen, and looking after the asses, and who might make an
opposition, though in vain; this was an addition to affliction, that not only
his cattle were carried off, but his servants were slain, who were born in his
house, or bought with his money:
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee; this single
servant was preserved, either by the special providence of God, in kindness to
Job, that he might know of a certainty, and exactly, and what had befallen him,
and how it came to pass, which men are naturally desirous of; or else, as it is
generally thought, through the malice and cunning of Satan, that the tidings
might the sooner be brought to him, and more readily be believed by him, and
strike him with the greater surprise, a servant of his own running with it,
whom he knew, and could believe; and he appearing with the utmost concern of
mind, and horror in his countenance.
Job 1:16 16 While he was still
speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and
burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have
escaped to tell you!”
YLT
16While this [one] is
speaking another also hath come and saith, `Fire of God hath fallen from the
heavens, and burneth among the flock, and among the young men, and consumeth
them, and I am escaped -- only I alone -- to declare [it] to thee.'
While he was yet speaking,
there came also another,.... Another messenger, one of Job's servants, from another part
of his fields where his sheep were grazing, and was one of those that kept
them; he came with another piece of bad news, even before the other had
finished his whole account; and the same is observed of all the other
messengers that follow: so Satan ordered it, that all Job's afflictions should
come upon him at once, and the news of them be brought him as thick and as fast
as they could, to surprise him the more into some rash expressions against God;
that he might have no intermission, no breathing time; no time for prayer to
God to support him under the affliction, and sanctify it unto him; no time for
meditation upon, or recollection of, past experiences of divine goodness, or of
promises that might have been useful to him; but they came one upon the back of
another, to hurry him into some indecent carriage and behaviour towards God,
being considered by him as his judgments upon him:
and said, the fire of God is fallen from heaven; which the
servant thought, or Satan put it into his mind to say, that it came immediately
from God, like that which destroyed Nadab and Abihu and the murmurers in the
camp of Israel, Leviticus 10:2 or,
as it is commonly thought, is so called, because a most vehement one, as a
vehement flame is called the flame of the Lord, Song of Solomon 8:6
this being such a fire as was never known, since the fire that came down from
heaven and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain. I am
inclined to think it was a prodigious flash or flashes of lightning; for as
thunder is the voice of God, so lightning, which accompanies it, may be called
the fire of God; and this agrees with the phraseology of the passage; it comes
from heaven, or the air, and falls upon the earth, and strikes creatures and
things in it; and which, as it is the effect of natural causes, Satan might be
permitted to join them together and effect it; and this was done, and the news
of it expressed in such language as to make Job believe that God was against
him, and become his enemy, and that the artillery of heaven was employed to his
harm, and to the ruin of his substance:
and hath burnt up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; as the fire
or lightning which came down from heaven and consumed the captains, and their
fifties, in Elijah's time, 2 Kings 1:10 and
such like effects of lightning are often to be observed, both with respect to men
and cattle; these were the 7000 sheep Job was possessed of, Job 1:3 and which
were all destroyed at once, with the servants that kept them, excepting one;
creatures very productive and very useful both for food and clothing, and also
used for sacrifice; and it is thought that Satan's end in the destruction of
these was, that Job might conclude from hence that his sacrifices were not
acceptable to God, and therefore it was in vain to serve him; which he hoped by
this means to bring him to express in a passionate manner to God:
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee; See Gill on Job 1:15.
Job 1:17 17 While he was still
speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided
the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of
the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
YLT
17While this [one] is
speaking another also hath come and saith, `Chaldeans made three heads, and
rush on the camels, and take them, and the young men they have smitten by the
mouth of the sword, and I am escaped -- only I alone -- to declare [it] to thee.'
While he was yet speaking,
there came also another,.... Another messenger from another part of Job's possessions,
where his camels were, and this before the last messenger had told his story
out:
and said, the Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the
camels, and have carried them away; these were the 3000
camels, as in Job 1:3 and perhaps
they were in three separate companies and places, 1000 in each, and therefore
the Chaldeans divided themselves into three bands; or "appointed three
heads"F6שמו שלשה
ראשים "posuerunt tria capita", Montanus,
Bolducius, Schmidt; "duces", Pagninus, Vatablus. , as it may be
rendered; there were three bodies of them under so many leaders and commanders,
and this was done, that they might the more easily take them; and they
"diffused or spread themselves"F7ויפשטו
"et diffuderunt se", Mercerus, Schmidt "effuderunt se",
Cocceius. , as the word signifies, upon or about the camels; they surrounded
them on all sides, or otherwise, these being swift creatures, would have run
away from them: these Chaldeans or Chasdim were the descendants of Chesed, a
son of Nahor, who was brother to Abraham, Genesis 22:20, who
settled in the east country, not far from Job: and this agrees with the
character that XenophonF8Cyropaedia, l. 3. c. 11. gives of the
Chaldeans, at least some of them, in later times; that they lived upon robbing
and plundering others, having no knowledge of agriculture, but got their bread
by force of arms; and such as these Satan could easily instigate to come and
carry off Job's camels:
yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword, and I only
am escaped alone to tell thee; See Gill on Job 1:15.
Job 1:18 18 While he was still
speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were
eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
YLT
18While this [one] is
speaking another also hath come and saith, `Thy sons and thy daughters are
eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their brother, the first-born.
While he was yet speaking,
there came another,.... A servant of one of Job's sons, who was in waiting at the
feast before mentioned, and here again repeated:
and said, thy sons and thy daughters were eating, and drinking
wine in their eldest brother's house; See Gill on Job 1:13.
Job 1:19 19 and suddenly a great wind
came from across[d] the
wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young
people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
YLT
19And lo, a great wind hath
come from over the wilderness, and striketh against the four corners of the
house, and it falleth on the young men, and they are dead, and I am escaped --
only I alone -- to declare [it] to thee.'
And, behold, there came a
great wind from the wilderness,.... Most probably from the wilderness of
Arabia, winds from such places being generally very strong, Jeremiah 4:11 as
this was, and is called a "great one", a very strong and blustering
one; and being so, and because of the effects of it, and being an uncommon and
extraordinary one, as what follows shows, a "behold" is prefixed to
the account, exciting attention and wonder:
and smote the four corners of the house; which shows
it to be an unusual wind, it blowing from all parts and on all sides; and was
either a whirlwind, which whirled about this house; or Satan, with his posse of
devils with him, took the advantage of the sweep of it, as it came by this
house, and with all their force and strength, might and main, whirled it about
it; otherwise Satan has no power to raise winds, and allay them at pleasure;
God only creates them, holds them in his fists, and brings them out of his
treasures; and this wind blowing from the desert, the devil and his angels took
the opportunity, and with such violence whirled it about the house that it
fell, as follows:
and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; not upon
Job's sons only, but upon his daughters also, the word used takes in both; and
Mr. Broughton renders it, "and it fell upon the young folk"; this was
the sorest affliction of all, and which Satan reserved to the last, that if the
others did not succeed to his wish, this might; and a very trying, grievous one
it was, to lose all his children at once in such a manner, and at such a time;
his children, which were parts of himself, whom he had taken so much care of in
their education, who had been as olive plants about his table, and now brought
up to men's and women's estates, comfortably settled in the world, and living
in great peace and harmony among themselves, and not one of them left to
comfort him under his other afflictions; and these taken away not by any
distemper of body, which would have prepared him for the stroke, but by a
violent death; and which had the appearance of the hand and judgment, wrath and
vengeance of God; and while they were feasting together in mirth and gaiety,
however innocent, and not in a serious frame of spirit, or having any serious
turn upon their minds for death and eternity, of which they had no thought; had
they been in the house of God attending religious worship, or though in their
own houses, yet either in their closets praying, or else conversing about
spiritual things, with one another, it would have greatly taken off of the
affliction; but to be snatched into eternity at once, and in this manner, must
be cutting to Job; though there is no reason to think that this was for any sin
of theirs, or through any displeasure of God to them, but was permitted purely
on Job's account, for the trial of his faith, patience, sincerity, and
integrity; and here, as in the former instances, only one servant was spared to
bring the sad tidings:
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee; so that all
the servants in the house, excepting this, perished in the ruins of it, as well
as Job's sons and daughters; see Gill on Job 1:15. It is a
notion of some Jewish writers, as Simeon bar Tzemach observes, that each of
these messengers, as soon as they had delivered their message, died, and so all
that Job had was delivered into the hands of Satan, and nothing left; but this
seems contrary to Job 19:16. It may
be observed that Aristeas, an Heathen writer, as quoted by Alexander PolyhistorF9Apud.
Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 25. p. 431. , another Heathen writer, gives
an account of each of these calamities of Job, just in the same order in which
they are here. It may be observed from all this, that no character ever so
great and high can secure persons from afflictions, even grievous ones; Job had
an high and honourable character given and confirmed by God himself, yet so
sorely afflicted; and let men be the beloved of God, his chosen and precious, his
covenant people, the redeemed of the Lamb, righteous and godly persons, the
sons and heirs of God, yet neither nor all of these exempt them from
afflictions; and those that befall them are many, frequent, and continued, and
come from different quarters, from men good and bad, and from devils, and all
by the permission and according to the will of God. And this shows us the
uncertainty of all outward enjoyments, gold, silver, cattle, houses, lands,
children, friends and relations, all perishing, and sometimes suddenly taken
away: and it may be observed, among all Job's losses, he did not lose anything
of a spiritual nature, not one spiritual blessing; though he lost all his
outward mercies, yet not the God of his mercies; not his covenant interest in
him, nor his share in his love, favour, and acceptance, which all still
continued; he did not lose his interest in a living Redeemer; his children were
all dead, but his Redeemer lived, and he knew it; he did not lose the principle
of grace in him, the root of the matter was still with him; nor anyone
particular grace, not his faith and confidence in God, nor his hope of eternal
life, nor his love and affection to God, and desire after him; nor his patience
and humility; nor his integrity, faithfulness, and honesty, which he retained
and held fast; nor any of his spiritual riches, which are durable; he had
riches in heaven, where thieves cannot break through and steal, a better and a
more enduring substance there, an inheritance incorruptible, reserved in the heavens
his conduct under all this follows.
Job 1:20 20 Then Job arose, tore his
robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
YLT
20And Job riseth, and rendeth
his robe, and shaveth his head, and falleth to the earth, and doth obeisance,
Then Job arose,.... Either
from table, being at dinner, as some think, in his own house; it being the time
that his children were feasting in their eldest brother's house; or from the
business in which he was employed, which he stopped on hearing this news; or
from his seat, or chair of state in which he sat; or rather the phrase only
signifies, that he at once, with strength of body, and rigour of mind, which
were not lost, as often they are in such cases, went about the following things
with great composure and sedateness. It is indeed generally observed, that
there is an emphasis to be put on the word "then", which may be as
well rendered "and", as if Job sat and heard very sedately, without
any perturbation of mind, the loss of his substance; but when tidings were
brought him of the death of his children, "then" he arose, as being
greatly moved and distressed; but it should be observed till now there was no
stop or intermission in the messengers, but before one had done speaking, another
came and began to tell his story, and so there was no opportunity, as well as
not the occasion, of arising and doing what follows; and which he did, not
through the violence of his passion, or excess of grief, but as common and
ordinary things, which were used to be done in that country for the loss of
relations, and in token of mourning for them:
and rent his mantle; or "cloak"F11את מעלז "pallium suum",
Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schultens; "tunicam
suam", Munster, Cocceius, Schmidt, Jo. Henric. Michaelis. , as Mr.
Broughton; but whether this was an outward garment, as each of these seem to
be, if the same with ours, or an interior one, as some think, it is not very
material to know; both were rent by Ezra upon a mournful occasion, Ezra 9:3, and it
was usual to rend garments for deceased relations, or when they were thought to
be so, see Genesis 37:29,
though some think that this was on the account of the blasphemous thoughts the
devil now suggested into his mind, being solicitous to gain his point, and work
upon him to curse God; upon which he rent his garment to show his resentment
and indignation at the thought of it, as the Jews used to rend their garments
at hearing of blasphemy; but the first sense is best:
and shaved his beard; either he himself, or
his servant by his orders; and which was done among the eastern nations as a
sign of mourning, see Isaiah 15:2 and
among the Greeks, as appears from HomerF12
κειρασθαι τε κομην, &c. Odyss. 4. ver. 198. & Odyss. 24.
ver. 46. ; nor was this contrary to the law in Deuteronomy 14:1,
where another baldness, not of the head, but between the eyes, is forbidden for
the dead; besides this was before that law was in being, and, had it been, Job
was not bound by it, being not of the Israelitish nation: some, as Jarchi, Aben
Ezra, and other Jewish writers, interpret this of his plucking or tearing off
the hair of his head; but this neither agrees with the sense of the word here
used, which has the signification of shearing or mowing, rather than of tearing
or plucking, nor with the firmness and composure of Job's mind, who betrayed
not any effeminacy or weakness; and though he showed a natural affection for
the loss of his substance, and children, as a man, and did not affect a stoical
apathy, and brutal insensibility, yet did not give any extraordinary vent to
his passion: he behaved both like a man, and a religious man; he mourned for
his dead, but not to excess; he sorrowed not as those without hope, and used
the common tokens of it, and rites attending it; which shows that mourning for
deceased relations, if done in moderation, is not unlawful, nor complying with
the rites and customs of a country, in such cases, provided they are not sinful
in themselves, nor contrary to the revealed and declared will of God:
and fell down upon the ground; in veneration of God, of
his holiness and justice, and as sensible of his awful hand upon him, and as
being humbled under it, and patiently submitting to it; he did not stand up,
and curse God to his face, as Satan said he would, but fell upon his face to
the ground; he did not curse his King and his God, and look upwards, see Isaiah 8:21 but
prostrated himself to the earth in great humility before him; besides, this may
be considered as a prayer gesture, since it follows:
and worshipped; that is, God, for who else should he
worship? he worshipped him internally in the exercise of faith, hope, love,
humility, patience, &c. and he worshipped him externally by praising him,
and praying to him, expressing himself as in the next verse: afflictions, when
sanctified, humble good men, cause them to lie low in the dust, and bring them
near to God, to the throne of his grace, and instead of arraigning his
providence, and finding fault with his dealings, they adore his majesty, and
celebrate his perfections.
Job 1:21 21 And he said: “Naked I came
from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken
away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
YLT
21and he saith, `Naked came I
forth from the womb of my mother, and naked I turn back thither: Jehovah hath
given and Jehovah hath taken: let the name of Jehovah be blessed.'
And said, naked came I out
of my mother's womb,.... Either literally, where he was conceived and lay, and from
whence he came into the world, though he afterwards wishes he never had, or had
died as soon as he did, Job 3:10, and so it
is expressive of his birth, and the circumstance of it; or figuratively, his
mother earth, from whence the first man sprang, and so all his posterity with
him, being as he of the earth, earthly, see Ecclesiastes 12:7,
which sense is mentioned by Jarchi and Aben Ezra; but the first sense seems
best: the nakedness referred to is not of the mind or soul, being destitute of
righteousness and holiness, with which the following clause will by no means
agree, but nakedness of body; and therefore as soon as a child is born, one of
the first things done to it is to wrap it in clothes provided for it, see Ezekiel 16:4 and
also a being without the things of this life; the apostle's words are a proper
comment on these, and explain them, and perhaps these are referred to by him,
"we brought nothing into this world", 1 Timothy 6:7, this
shows the necessity of the early care of Providence over us, and what reason we
have to be thankful for unknown mercies at the time of birth, and in the state
of infancy, Psalm 22:9 and what
obligations children lie under to parents, and what benefits they receive from
them at their first entrance into the world, and which they should religiously
requite when through old age they stand in need of their assistance, 1 Timothy 5:4, and
this may also serve to abate the pride of man, who will have no reason to boast
of his riches, nor of his fine clothes, when he considers his original
nakedness; and more especially the use of it may be, and which seems to be the
use Job made of it, to make the mind easy under the greatest losses. Job
considered he did not bring his substance, his servants, and his children into
the world with him; and now they were taken from him, he was but as he was when
he came into the world, and not at all the worse; he knew how to be abased, and
to abound, and in both was content:
and naked shall I return thither; not into his mother's
womb in a literal sense, which was impossible, John 3:4, but to
the earth, and to the dust of it, Genesis 3:19,
pointing to it with his finger, on which he now lay; meaning that he should go
to the place appointed for him, the grave, the house of all living, Job 30:23, and so
the Targum here has it,
to
the house of the grave, where he should lie unseen, as in his mother's womb,
till the resurrection morn; which would be a kind of a regeneration of him,
when he should be delivered up from thence, and enjoy a state of happiness and
glory: he should descend into the grave as naked as he was born, respecting not
so much the nakedness of his body, as being stripped of all worldly enjoyments,
see Ecclesiastes 5:15
and he says this in his present view of things; he thought once he should have
died in his nest, Job 29:18, in the
midst of all his prosperity, and left a large substance to his children; but
now all was taken away, and for the present had no hope or expectation of a
restoration, as afterwards was; but whereas he was now naked and bare of all,
he expected he should continue and die so: or this is said with respect to the
common case of men, who it is certain cannot carry anything out of the world
with them, either riches or honour, but must leave all behind them, 1 Timothy 6:7 which
may serve to loosen the minds of men from worldly things, not to set their eyes
and hearts upon them, nor to put their trust and confidence in them; and good
men may part with them, especially at death with pleasure, since they will have
no further use of them, and will have a better and a more enduring substance in
their stead:
the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; all outward
enjoyments, all the good things of this world, are the Lord's, and at his
dispose; the earth, and the fulness of it; kingdoms, nations, countries, houses
and lands, the beasts of the field, and cattle on a thousand hills; the gold
and silver, and all the riches of the earth: and these are the gifts of his
providence to the sons of men; nor have they anything but in a way of giving
and receiving; and even what they enjoy, through diligence and industry, is
owing to the blessing of God; and who gives not in such sort as that he loses
his property in what is given; this he still retains, these are talents which
he puts into the hands of men to use for themselves and others, and for which
they are accountable to him; and they are but stewards, with whom he will
hereafter reckon, and therefore has a right to take away when he pleases; and
both Job ascribes to God, not only the giving, but the taking away: he does not
attribute his losses to second causes, to the Sabeans and Chaldeans, to the
fire from heaven, and the wind from the desert, but to God, whose sovereign
will and overruling hand were in all; these were but the instruments of Satan,
and he had no power but what was given from God; and therefore to the counsel
of his will, who suffered it, Job refers it, and for that reason sits down
satisfied and quiet. This is all to be understood of temporal things only; for
of spiritual things it cannot be said that God gives and takes away; such gifts
are without repentance, and are irreversible, Romans 11:29, the
Targum is,
"the
Word of the Lord hath given, and the Word of the Lord and the house of his
judgment hath taken away; the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions add,
as
it pleased the Lord, so it is done:'
blessed be the name of the Lord; for all his blessings
and mercies; for all the gifts of nature and providence that had been bestowed,
which could not be claimed, and of which he knew himself unworthy; and for the
continuance of them so long with goodness and mercy had followed him all the
days or his life hitherto, and still he had mercies to bless God for; his wife
was still with him, he had some servants left, his own life was spared; he
continued as yet in health of body, and therefore could sing of mercy as well
as judgment; nor is there any state on earth a man can be in, but there is
something to bless God for; wherefore the apostle's exhortation will always
hold good, "in everything give thanks": 1 Thessalonians 5:18;
besides the name, the nature, the perfections, of God are always the same, and
therefore always to be celebrated, and blessing, honour, and glory, are to be
ascribed to him continually, in every state and condition of life; wherefore
the Arabic version adds, "from henceforth, and for ever"; which
agrees with Psalm 72:19; and
thus Job, instead of cursing God, blesses him, and proves the devil to be a
liar, as he was from the beginning; and shows his superiority over him through
the power of divine grace; this evil one could not touch him, he was overcome
by him, and his designs defeated.
Job 1:22 22 In all this Job did not
sin nor charge God with wrong.
YLT
22In all this Job hath not
sinned, nor given folly to God.
In all this Job sinned not,.... Not that
he was without sin, he was conscious to himself of it, and owns it, Job 9:20; but in
all the above things he did or said he sinned not; not in his rending his
garments, in shaving his head, and laying himself prostrate on the ground,
which were done as common usages in such cases, and not through excess of
passion; nor in anything that dropped from his lips, which were ill-becoming
the character he bore as a religious man; and though he might be guilty of some
failings and imperfections, as the best of men are, even in doing the best of
things, yet he sinned not that sin the devil said he would, that is, curse God
to his face; there was nothing of this, nor like it, but the reverse of it in
all he said and did:
nor charged God foolishly: or "gave not folly
to him"F13ולא נתן תפלה και
ουκ εδωκεν αφροσυνην, Sept. "nec attribuit
insulsitatem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius. ; did not
ascribe it to him, did not arraign his wisdom, nor charge him with folly;
though there might be some things he could not account for, or see into the
reasons of them, he knew the Lord could; he considered that he was a God of
knowledge, the only and all wise God, and did all things after the counsel of
his will, and to answer the best ends and purposes, and therefore he submitted
all to his wisdom; nor did he himself speak foolishly of him, arraigning his
justice and holiness, as if he had done wrong to him; he knew there was no
unrighteousness in God, nor in any of his ways and works, and that he had a
right to do what he would with his own, to give and take it away at his
pleasure: he spoke nothing that was "unsavoury"F14תפלה "insulsum", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus,
Bolducius. , as the word signifies; nothing contrary to right reason and true
religion; nothing unsuitable unto, or unbecoming him as a man, as a religious
man, as in connection with God, a servant of his, and one that feared him. The
Arabic version is, "nor blasphemed God"; and the Targum,
neither
did he set in order words of blasphemy before God; he did not curse God, as
Satan said he would, neither in heart and thought, nor in words; this is a
testimony of him given by the Lord himself, the searcher of hearts, and who
only could give such a testimony of him; and which, as Cocceius observes, is a
proof of the divine authority of this book.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)