10 And the LORD H3068 turned H7725 the captivity H7622 H7622 of Job, H347 when he prayed H6419 for his friends: H7453 also the LORD H3068 gave H3254 Job H347 twice as much H4932 as he had before.
If thou wert pure H2134 and upright; H3477 surely now he would awake H5782 for thee, and make the habitation H5116 of thy righteousness H6664 prosperous. H7999 Though thy beginning H7225 was small, H4705 yet thy latter end H319 should greatly H3966 increase. H7685
Turn again H7725 our captivity, H7622 H7622 O LORD, H3068 as the streams H650 in the south. H5045 They that sow H2232 in tears H1832 shall reap H7114 in joy. H7440 He that goeth H3212 forth H1980 and weepeth, H1058 bearing H5375 precious H4901 seed, H2233 shall doubtless H935 come H935 again with rejoicing, H7440 bringing H5375 his sheaves H485 with him.
[[To the chief Musician, H5329 A Psalm H4210 for the sons H1121 of Korah.]] H7141 LORD, H3068 thou hast been favourable H7521 unto thy land: H776 thou hast brought back H7725 the captivity H7622 H7622 of Jacob. H3290 Thou hast forgiven H5375 the iniquity H5771 of thy people, H5971 thou hast covered H3680 all their sin. H2403 Selah. H5542 Thou hast taken away H622 all thy wrath: H5678 thou hast turned H7725 thyself from the fierceness H2740 of thine anger. H639
Then shalt thou lay up H7896 gold H1220 as H5921 dust, H6083 and the gold of Ophir H211 as the stones H6697 of the brooks. H5158 Yea, the Almighty H7706 shall be thy defence, H1220 and thou shalt have plenty H8443 of silver. H3701
For he maketh sore, H3510 and bindeth up: H2280 he woundeth, H4272 and his hands H3027 make whole. H7495 He shall deliver H5337 thee in six H8337 troubles: H6869 yea, in seven H7651 there shall no evil H7451 touch H5060 thee. In famine H7458 he shall redeem H6299 thee from death: H4194 and in war H4421 from the power H3027 of the sword. H2719
And Moses H4872 said H559 unto Aaron, H175 Take H3947 a censer, H4289 and put H5414 fire H784 therein from off H6440 the altar, H4196 and put H7760 on incense, H7004 and go H3212 quickly H4120 unto the congregation, H5712 and make an atonement H3722 for them: for there is wrath H7110 gone out H3318 from the LORD; H3068 the plague H5063 is begun. H2490 And Aaron H175 took H3947 as Moses H4872 commanded, H1696 and ran H7323 into the midst H8432 of the congregation; H6951 and, behold, the plague H5063 was begun H2490 among the people: H5971 and he put H5414 on incense, H7004 and made an atonement H3722 for the people. H5971 And he stood H5975 between the dead H4191 and the living; H2416 and the plague H4046 was stayed. H6113
Separate H914 yourselves from among H8432 this congregation, H5712 that I may consume H3615 them in a moment. H7281 And they fell H5307 upon their faces, H6440 and said, H559 O God, H410 the God H430 of the spirits H7307 of all flesh, H1320 shall one H259 man H376 sin, H2398 and wilt thou be wroth H7107 with all the congregation? H5712
And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the LORD, H3068 Then the Egyptians H4714 shall hear H8085 it, (for thou broughtest up H5927 this people H5971 in thy might H3581 from among H7130 them;) And they will tell H559 it to the inhabitants H3427 of this land: H776 for they have heard H8085 that thou LORD H3068 art among H7130 this people, H5971 that thou LORD H3068 art seen H7200 face H5869 to face, H5869 and that thy cloud H6051 standeth H5975 over them, and that thou goest H1980 before H6440 them, by day time H3119 in a pillar H5982 of a cloud, H6051 and in a pillar H5982 of fire H784 by night. H3915 Now if thou shalt kill H4191 all this people H5971 as one H259 man, H376 then the nations H1471 which have heard H8085 the fame H8088 of thee will speak, H559 saying, H559 Because the LORD H3068 was not H1115 able H3201 to bring H935 this people H5971 into the land H776 which he sware H7650 unto them, therefore he hath slain H7819 them in the wilderness. H4057 And now, I beseech thee, let the power H3581 of my Lord H136 be great, H1431 according H834 as thou hast spoken, H1696 saying, H559 The LORD H3068 is longsuffering, H750 H639 and of great H7227 mercy, H2617 forgiving H5375 iniquity H5771 and transgression, H6588 and by no means H5352 clearing H5352 the guilty, visiting H6485 the iniquity H5771 of the fathers H1 upon the children H1121 unto the third H8029 and fourth H7256 generation. Pardon, H5545 I beseech thee, the iniquity H5771 of this people H5971 according unto the greatness H1433 of thy mercy, H2617 and as thou hast forgiven H5375 this people, H5971 from Egypt H4714 even until now. H2008 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 I have pardoned H5545 according to thy word: H1697
And all the congregation H5712 lifted up H5375 their voice, H6963 and cried; H5414 and the people H5971 wept H1058 that night. H3915 And all the children H1121 of Israel H3478 murmured H3885 against Moses H4872 and against Aaron: H175 and the whole congregation H5712 said H559 unto them, Would God H3863 that we had died H4191 in the land H776 of Egypt! H4714 or would God H3863 we had died H4191 in this wilderness! H4057 And wherefore hath the LORD H3068 brought H935 us unto this land, H776 to fall H5307 by the sword, H2719 that our wives H802 and our children H2945 should be a prey? H957 were it not better H2896 for us to return H7725 into Egypt? H4714 And they said H559 one H376 to another, H251 Let us make H5414 a captain, H7218 and let us return H7725 into Egypt. H4714
And Moses H4872 cried H6817 unto the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 What shall I do H6213 unto this people? H5971 they be almost H4592 ready to stone H5619 me. And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Go on H5674 before H6440 the people, H5971 and take H3947 with thee of the elders H2205 of Israel; H3478 and thy rod, H4294 wherewith thou smotest H5221 the river, H2975 take H3947 in thine hand, H3027 and go. H1980
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 42
Commentary on Job 42 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 42
Job 42:1-6. Job's Penitent Reply.
2. In the first clause he owns God to be omnipotent over nature, as contrasted with his own feebleness, which God had proved (Job 40:15; 41:34); in the second, that God is supremely just (which, in order to be governor of the world, He must needs be) in all His dealings, as contrasted with his own vileness (Job 42:6), and incompetence to deal with the wicked as a just judge (Job 40:8-14).
thought—"purpose," as in Job 17:11; but it is usually applied to evil devices (Job 21:27; Ps 10:2): the ambiguous word is designedly chosen to express that, while to Job's finite view, God's plans seem bad, to the All-wise One they continue unhindered in their development, and will at last be seen to be as good as they are infinitely wise. No evil can emanate from the Parent of good (Jas 1:13, 17); but it is His prerogative to overrule evil to good.
3. I am the man! Job in God's own words (Job 38:2) expresses his deep and humble penitence. God's word concerning our guilt should be engraven on our hearts and form the groundwork of our confession. Most men in confessing sin palliate rather than confess. Job in omitting "by words" (Job 38:2), goes even further than God's accusation. Not merely my words, but my whole thoughts and ways were "without knowledge."
too wonderful—I rashly denied that Thou hast any fixed plan in governing human affairs, merely because Thy plan was "too wonderful" for my comprehension.
4. When I said, "Hear," &c., Job's demand (Job 13:22) convicted him of being "without knowledge." God alone could speak thus to Job, not Job to God: therefore he quotes again God's words as the groundwork of retracting his own foolish words.
5. hearing of the ear—(Ps 18:44, Margin). Hearing and seeing are often in antithesis (Job 29:11; Ps 18:8).
seeth—not God's face (Ex 33:20), but His presence in the veil of a dark cloud (Job 38:1). Job implies also that, besides this literal seeing, he now saw spiritually what he had indistinctly taken on hearsay before God's infinite wisdom. He "now" proves this; he had seen in a literal sense before, at the beginning of God's speech, but he had not seen spiritually till "now" at its close.
6. myself—rather "I abhor," and retract the rash speeches I made against thee (Job 42:3, 4) [Umbreit].
Job 42:7-17. Epilogue, in prose.
7. to Eliphaz—because he was the foremost of the three friends; their speeches were but the echo of his.
right—literally, "well-grounded," sure and true. Their spirit towards Job was unkindly, and to justify themselves in their unkindliness they used false arguments (Job 13:7); (namely, that calamities always prove peculiar guilt); therefore, though it was "for God" they spake thus falsely, God "reproves" them, as Job said He would (Job 13:10).
as … Job hath—Job had spoken rightly in relation to them and their argument, denying their theory, and the fact which they alleged, that he was peculiarly guilty and a hypocrite; but wrongly in relation to God, when he fell into the opposite extreme of almost denying all guilt. This extreme he has now repented of, and therefore God speaks of him as now altogether "right."
8. seven—(See Introduction). The number offered by the Gentile prophet (Nu 23:1). Job plainly lived before the legal priesthood, &c. The patriarchs acted as priests for their families; and sometimes as praying mediators (Ge 20:17), thus foreshadowing the true Mediator (1Ti 2:5), but sacrifice accompanies and is the groundwork on which the mediation rests.
him—rather, "His person [face] only" (see on Job 22:30). The "person," must be first accepted, before God can accept his offering and work (Ge 4:4); that can be only through Jesus Christ.
folly—impiety (Job 1:22; 2:10).
9. The forgiving spirit of Job foreshadows the love of Jesus Christ and of Christians to enemies (Mt 5:44; Lu 23:34; Ac 7:60; 16:24, 28, 30, 31).
10. turned … captivity—proverbial for restored, or amply indemnified him for all he had lost (Eze 16:53; Ps 14:7; Ho 6:11). Thus the future vindication of man, body and soul, against Satan (Job 1:9-12), at the resurrection (Job 19:25-27), has its earnest and adumbration in the temporal vindication of Job at last by Jehovah in person.
twice—so to the afflicted literal and spiritual Jerusalem (Isa 40:2; 60:7; 61:7; Zec 9:12). As in Job's case, so in that of Jesus Christ, the glorious recompense follows the "intercession" for enemies (Isa 53:12).
11. It was Job's complaint in his misery that his "brethren," were "estranged" from him (Job 19:13); these now return with the return of his prosperity (Pr 14:20; 19:6, 7); the true friend loveth at all times (Pr 17:17; 18:24). "Swallow friends leave in the winter and return with the spring" [Henry].
eat bread—in token of friendship (Ps 41:9).
piece of money—Presents are usual in visiting a man of rank in the East, especially after a calamity (2Ch 32:23). Hebrew, kesita. Magee translates "a lamb" (the medium of exchange then before money was used), as it is in Margin of Ge 33:19; Jos 24:32. But it is from the Arabic kasat, "weighed out" [Umbreit], not coined; so Ge 42:35; 33:19; compare with Ge 23:15, makes it likely it was equal to four shekels; Hebrew kashat, "pure," namely, metal. The term, instead of the usual "shekel," &c., is a mark of antiquity.
earring—whether for the nose or ear (Ge 35:4; Isa 3:21). Much of the gold in the East, in the absence of banks, is in the shape of ornaments.
12. Probably by degrees, not all at once.
13. The same number as before, Job 1:2; perhaps by a second wife; in Job 19:17 his wife is last mentioned.
14. Names significant of his restored prosperity (Ge 4:25; 5:29).
Jemima—"daylight," after his "night" of calamity; but Maurer, "a dove."
Kezia—"cassia," an aromatic herb (Ps 45:8), instead of his offensive breath and ulcers.
Keren-happuch—"horn of stibium," a paint with which females dyed their eyelids; in contrast to his "horn defiled in the dust" (Job 16:15). The names also imply the beauty of his daughters.
15. inheritance among … brethren—An unusual favor in the East to daughters, who, in the Jewish law, only inherited, if there were no sons (Nu 27:8), a proof of wealth and unanimity.
16. The Septuagint makes Job live a hundred seventy years after his calamity, and two hundred forty in all. This would make him seventy at the time of his calamity, which added to a hundred forty in Hebrew text makes up two hundred ten; a little more than the age (two hundred five) of Terah, father of Abraham, perhaps his contemporary. Man's length of life gradually shortened, till it reached threescore and ten in Moses' time (Ps 90:10).
sons' sons—a proof of divine favor (Ge 50:23; Ps 128:6; Pr 17:6).
17. full of days—fully sated and contented with all the happiness that life could give him; realizing what Eliphaz had painted as the lot of the godly (Job 5:26; Ps 91:16; Ge 25:8; 35:29). The Septuagint adds, "It is written, that he will rise again with those whom the Lord will raise up." Compare Mt 27:52, 53, from which it perhaps was derived spuriously.