14 With kings H4428 and counsellors H3289 of the earth, H776 which built H1129 desolate places H2723 for themselves;
All they shall speak H6030 and say H559 unto thee, Art thou also become weak H2470 as we? art thou become like H4911 unto us? Thy pomp H1347 is brought down H3381 to the grave, H7585 and the noise H1998 of thy viols: H5035 the worm H7415 is spread H3331 under thee, and the worms H8438 cover H4374 thee. How art thou fallen H5307 from heaven, H8064 O Lucifer, H1966 son H1121 of the morning! H7837 H3213 how art thou cut down H1438 to the ground, H776 which didst weaken H2522 the nations! H1471 For thou hast said H559 in thine heart, H3824 I will ascend H5927 into heaven, H8064 I will exalt H7311 my throne H3678 above H4605 the stars H3556 of God: H410 I will sit H3427 also upon the mount H2022 of the congregation, H4150 in the sides H3411 of the north: H6828 I will ascend H5927 above the heights H1116 of the clouds; H5645 I will be like H1819 the most High. H5945 Yet thou shalt be brought down H3381 to hell, H7585 to the sides H3411 of the pit. H953 They that see H7200 thee shall narrowly look H7688 upon thee, and consider H995 thee, saying, Is this the man H376 that made the earth H776 to tremble, H7264 that did shake H7493 kingdoms; H4467
They that trust H982 in their wealth, H2428 and boast H1984 themselves in the multitude H7230 of their riches; H6239 None of them can H376 by any means H6299 redeem H6299 his brother, H251 nor give H5414 to God H430 a ransom H3724 for him: (For the redemption H6306 of their soul H5315 is precious, H3365 and it ceaseth H2308 for ever:) H5769 That he should still live H2421 for ever, H5331 and not see H7200 corruption. H7845 For he seeth H7200 that wise men H2450 die, H4191 likewise H3162 the fool H3684 and the brutish person H1198 perish, H6 and leave H5800 their wealth H2428 to others. H312
Damascus H1834 was thy merchant H5503 in the multitude H7230 of the wares of thy making, H4639 for the multitude H7230 of all riches; H1952 in the wine H3196 of Helbon, H2463 and white H6713 wool. H6785 Dan H2051 H1835 also and Javan H3120 going to and fro H235 occupied H5414 in thy fairs: H5801 bright H6219 iron, H1270 cassia, H6916 and calamus, H7070 were in thy market. H4627 Dedan H1719 was thy merchant H7402 in precious H2667 clothes H899 for chariots. H7396 Arabia, H6152 and all the princes H5387 of Kedar, H6938 they occupied H5503 with thee H3027 in lambs, H3733 and rams, H352 and goats: H6260 in these were they thy merchants. H5503 The merchants H7402 of Sheba H7614 and Raamah, H7484 they were thy merchants: H7402 they occupied H5414 in thy fairs H5801 with chief H7218 of all spices, H1314 and with all precious H3368 stones, H68 and gold. H2091 Haran, H2771 and Canneh, H3656 and Eden, H5729 the merchants H7402 of Sheba, H7614 Asshur, H804 and Chilmad, H3638 were thy merchants. H7402 These were thy merchants H7402 in all sorts H4360 of things, in blue H8504 clothes, H1545 and broidered work, H7553 and in chests H1595 of rich apparel, H1264 bound H2280 with cords, H2256 and made of cedar, H729 among thy merchandise. H4819 The ships H591 of Tarshish H8659 did sing H7788 of thee in thy market: H4627 and thou wast replenished, H4390 and made very H3966 glorious H3513 in the midst H3820 of the seas. H3220 Thy rowers H7751 have brought H935 thee into great H7227 waters: H4325 the east H6921 wind H7307 hath broken H7665 thee in the midst H3820 of the seas. H3220 Thy riches, H1952 and thy fairs, H5801 thy merchandise, H4627 thy mariners, H4419 and thy pilots, H2259 thy calkers, H919 H2388 and the occupiers H6148 of thy merchandise, H4627 and all thy men H582 of war, H4421 that are in thee, and in all thy company H6951 which is in the midst H8432 of thee, shall fall H5307 into the midst H3820 of the seas H3220 in the day H3117 of thy ruin. H4658 The suburbs H4054 shall shake H7493 at the sound H6963 of the cry H2201 of thy pilots. H2259 And all that handle H8610 the oar, H4880 the mariners, H4419 and all the pilots H2259 of the sea, H3220 shall come down H3381 from their ships, H591 they shall stand H5975 upon the land; H776 And shall cause their voice H6963 to be heard H8085 against thee, and shall cry H2199 bitterly, H4751 and shall cast up H5927 dust H6083 upon their heads, H7218 they shall wallow H6428 themselves in the ashes: H665 And they shall make themselves utterly H7144 bald H7139 for thee, and gird H2296 them with sackcloth, H8242 and they shall weep H1058 for thee with bitterness H4751 of heart H5315 and bitter H4751 wailing. H4553 And in their wailing H5204 they shall take up H5375 a lamentation H7015 for thee, and lament H6969 over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, H6865 like the destroyed H1822 in the midst H8432 of the sea? H3220
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 3
Commentary on Job 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
THE POEM OR DEBATE ITSELF (Job 3:2-42:6).
FIRST SERIES IN IT (Job 3:1-14:22).
JOB FIRST (Job 3:1-26).
Job 3:1-19. Job Curses the Day of His Birth and Wishes for Death.
1. opened his mouth—The Orientals speak seldom, and then sententiously; hence this formula expressing deliberation and gravity (Ps 78:2). He formally began.
cursed his day—the strict Hebrew word for "cursing:" not the same as in Job 1:5. Job cursed his birthday, but not his God.
2. spake—Hebrew, "answered," that is, not to any actual question that preceded, but to the question virtually involved in the case. His outburst is singularly wild and bold (Jer 20:14). To desire to die so as to be free from sin is a mark of grace; to desire to die so as to escape troubles is a mark of corruption. He was ill-fitted to die who was so unwilling to live. But his trials were greater, and his light less, than ours.
3. the night in which—rather "the night which said." The words in italics are not in the Hebrew. Night is personified and poetically made to speak. So in Job 3:7, and in Ps 19:2. The birth of a male in the East is a matter of joy; often not so of a female.
4. let not God regard it—rather, more poetically, "seek it out." "Let not God stoop from His bright throne to raise it up from its dark hiding-place." The curse on the day in Job 3:3, is amplified in Job 3:4, 5; that on the night, in Job 3:6-10.
5. Let … the shadow of death—("deepest darkness," Isa 9:2).
stain it—This is a later sense of the verb [Gesenius]; better the old and more poetic idea, "Let darkness (the ancient night of chaotic gloom) resume its rights over light (Ge 1:2), and claim that day as its own."
a cloud—collectively, a gathered mass of dark clouds.
the blackness of the day terrify it—literally, "the obscurations"; whatever darkens the day [Gesenius]. The verb in Hebrew expresses sudden terrifying. May it be suddenly affrighted at its own darkness. Umbreit explains it as "magical incantations that darken the day," forming the climax to the previous clauses; Job 3:8 speaks of "cursers of the day" similarly. But the former view is simpler. Others refer it to the poisonous simoom wind.
6. seize upon it—as its prey, that is, utterly dissolve it.
joined unto the days of the year—rather, by poetic personification, "Let it not rejoice in the circle of days and nights and months, which form the circle of years."
7. solitary—rather, "unfruitful." "Would that it had not given birth to me."
8. them … curse the day—If "mourning" be the right rendering in the latter clause of this verse, these words refer to the hired mourners of the dead (Jer 9:17). But the Hebrew for "mourning" elsewhere always denotes an animal, whether it be the crocodile or some huge serpent (Isa 27:1), such as is meant by "leviathan." Therefore, the expression, "cursers of day," refers to magicians, who were believed to be able by charms to make a day one of evil omen. (So Balaam, Nu 22:5). This accords with Umbreit's view (Job 3:7); or to the Ethiopians and Atlantes, who "used to curse the sun at his rising for burning up them and their country" [Herodotus]. Necromancers claimed power to control or rouse wild beasts at will, as do the Indian serpent-charmers of our day (Ps 58:5). Job does not say they had the power they claimed; but, supposing they had, may they curse the day. Schuttens renders it by supplying words as follows:—Let those that are ready for anything, call it (the day) the raiser up of leviathan, that is, of a host of evils.
9. dawning of the day—literally, "eyelashes of morning." The Arab poets call the sun the eye of day. His early rays, therefore, breaking forth before sunrise, are the opening eyelids or eyelashes of morning.
12. Why did the knees prevent me?—Old English for "anticipate my wants." The reference is to the solemn recognition of a new-born child by the father, who used to place it on his knees as his own, whom he was bound to rear (Ge 30:3; 50:23; Isa 66:12).
13. lain … quiet … slept—a gradation. I should not only have lain, but been quiet, and not only been quiet, but slept. Death in Scripture is called "sleep" (Ps 13:3); especially in the New Testament, where the resurrection-awakening is more clearly set forth (1Co 15:51; 1Th 4:14; 5:10).
14. With kings … which built desolate places for themselves—who built up for themselves what proved to be (not palaces, but) ruins! The wounded spirit of Job, once a great emir himself, sick of the vain struggles of mortal great men, after grandeur, contemplates the palaces of kings, now desolate heaps of ruins. His regarding the repose of death the most desirable end of the great ones of earth, wearied with heaping up perishable treasures, marks the irony that breaks out from the black clouds of melancholy [Umbreit]. The "for themselves" marks their selfishness. Michaelis explains it weakly of mausoleums, such as are found still, of stupendous proportions, in the ruins of Petra of Idumea.
15. filled their houses with silver—Some take this to refer to the treasures which the ancients used to bury with their dead. But see Job 3:26.
16. untimely birth—(Ps 58:8); preferable to the life of the restless miser (Ec 6:3-5).
17. the wicked—the original meaning, "those ever restless," "full of desires" (Isa 57:20, 21).
the weary—literally, "those whose strength is wearied out" (Re 14:13).
18. There the prisoners rest—from their chains.
19. servant—The slave is there manumitted from slavery.
Job 3:20-26. He Complains of Life because of His Anguish.
20. Wherefore giveth he light—namely, God; often omitted reverentially (Job 24:23; Ec 9:9). Light, that is, life. The joyful light ill suits the mourners. The grave is most in unison with their feelings.
23. whose way is hid—The picture of Job is drawn from a wanderer who has lost his way, and who is hedged in, so as to have no exit of escape (Ho 2:6; La 3:7, 9).
24. my sighing cometh before I eat—that is, prevents my eating [Umbreit]; or, conscious that the effort to eat brought on the disease, Job must sigh before eating [Rosenmuller]; or, sighing takes the place of good (Ps 42:3) [Good]. But the first explanation accords best with the text.
my roarings are poured out like the waters—an image from the rushing sound of water streaming.
25. the thing which I … feared is come upon me—In the beginning of his trials, when he heard of the loss of one blessing, he feared the loss of another; and when he heard of the loss of that, he feared the loss of a third.
that which I was afraid of is come unto me—namely, the ill opinion of his friends, as though he were a hypocrite on account of his trials.
26. I was not in safety … yet trouble came—referring, not to his former state, but to the beginning of his troubles. From that time I had no rest, there was no intermission of sorrows. "And" (not, "yet") a fresh trouble is coming, namely, my friends' suspicion of my being a hypocrite. This gives the starting-point to the whole ensuing controversy.