Bible Commentaries

Job 17:1-16.

JOB'S ANSWER CONTINUED.

1. breath . . . corrupt--result of elephantiasis. But UMBREIT, "my strength (spirit) is spent."

extinct--Life is compared to an expiring light. "The light of my day is extinguished."

graves--plural, to heighten the force.

2. UMBREIT, more emphatically, "had I only not to endure mockery, in the midst of their contentions I (mine eye) would remain quiet."

eye continue--Hebrew, "tarry all night"; a figure taken from sleep at night, to express undisturbed rest; opposed to

(Job 16:20),

when the eye of Job is represented as pouring out tears to God without rest.

3. Lay down now--namely, a pledge or security; that is, be my surety; do Thou attest my innocence, since my friends only mock me

(Job 17:2).

Both litigating parties had to lay down a sum as security before the trial.

put me in a surety--Provide a surety for me (in the trial) with Thee. A presage of the "surety"

(Heb 7:22),

or "one Mediator between God and man" (see on

Job 16:21).

strike hands--"who else (save God Himself) could strike hands with me?" that is, be my security

(Ps 119:122).

The Hebrew strikes the hand of him for whom he goes security

(Pr 6:1).

4. their heart--The intellect of his friends.

shalt . . . exalt--Rather imperative, "exalt them not"; allow them not to conquer [UMBREIT],

(Isa 6:9, 10).

5. The Hebrew for "flattery" is "smoothness"; then it came to mean a prey divided by lot, because a smooth stone was used in casting the lots

(De 18:8),

"a portion"

(Ge 14:24).

Therefore translate, "He that delivers up his friend as a prey (which the conduct of my friends implies that they would do), even the eyes," &c. [NOYES]

(Job 11:20).

Job says this as to the sinner's children, retorting upon their reproach as to the cutting off of his

(Job 5:4; 15:30).

This accords with the Old Testament dispensation of legal retribution

(Ex 20:5).

6. He--God. The poet reverentially suppresses the name of God when speaking of calamities inflicted.

by-word--

(De 28:37; Ps 69:11).

My awful punishment makes my name execrated everywhere, as if I must have been superlatively bad to have earned it.

aforetime . . . tabret--as David was honored

(1Sa 18:6).

Rather from a different Hebrew root, "I am treated to my face as an object of disgust," literally, "an object to be spit upon in the face"

(Nu 12:14).

So Raca means

(Mt 5:22)

[UMBREIT].

7.

(Ps 6:7; 31:9; De 34:7).

members--literally, "figures"; all the individual members being peculiar forms of the body; opposed to "shadow," which looks like a figure without solidity.

8. astonied--at my unmerited sufferings.

against the hypocrite--The upright shall feel their sense of justice wounded ("will be indignant") because of the prosperity of the wicked. By "hypocrite" or "ungodly," he perhaps glances at his false friends.