Soul, because hope deferred causeth pain to the soul, Proverbs xiii. 12. (Menochius) --- Hebrew, "their hope shall be the sorrow, or the breathing out of the soul." (Calmet) --- Protestants, "the giving up of the ghost." Marginal note, "a puff of breath," chap. xviii. 14. (Haydock) CHAPTER XI. You. Hebrew, "truly you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!" This irony is very sharp. (Calmet) --- "Are you alone men? or shall?" &c. (Septuagint; Syriac) Mocked. He retaliates on Sophar, (chap. xi. 3.; Haydock) who had very seriously exhorted Job to call on God, as if he had been ignorant of this duty. (Calmet) --- God will one day force the wicked to retract their false notion, in despising his servants, Wisdom v. 3. (Worthington) The lamp. Such is the just man, who under affliction is (Haydock) exposed to the ridicule of men who live at their ease. --- For. Hebrew, "to fall." (Calmet) Septuagint, "It was appointed for me to fall under others at the time fixed." Abound. Hebrew, "are at peace." (Calmet) --- The prosperity of the wicked is therefore no proof that they are pleasing to him. (Haydock) --- All nature testifies that God exercises a sovereign dominion over his works. He may therefore cause the just to suffer, though they be guiltless. This is one of Job's grand maxims. (Calmet) Taste. For this no master is requisite; so I stood in no need of your information, (Calmet) of such trite remarks. (Haydock) Ancient. He rather chides the youth of Sophar for offering to give him lessons. Old age is indeed commonly wiser and more experienced. Yet, what is man's knowledge compared to that of God! ver. 3. To a. Hebrew, "to be despoiled" of their wisdom and riches. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "into captivity." (Haydock) --- Crafty plotters at last fall into such misconduct, as to be derided by men of the meanest capacity. (Worthington) Looseth. Septuagint, "setteth kings upon the throne," &c. --- Belt. This was usually very magnificent, and a military ornament. See that of Pallas described. (Virgil, \'c6neid x.) Job intimates that God derives kings of their authority, at pleasure. Hebrew may also signify that he looseth the bond or prisoner of kings, and reduces themselves to slavery. (Calmet) --- Things never remain long in the same state. (Haydock) --- Even kings are sometimes obliged to beg. (Menochius) Without. Hebrew, "despoiled." Septuagint, "captives." Cohanim, may comprise both sacred ministers and civil princes, 1 Kings viii. 18. All are equally subject to God. (Calmet) CHAPTER XII. Speakers. Permitting them to speak deceitfully, (Calmet) or causing their oracles to be contemned. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "he withdraws speech from men of confidence." (Calmet) --- Neemanim, (Haydock) ambassadors or prime ministers, Numbers xii. 7. He disconcerteth the best concerted plans. Relieveth. Hebrew, "ungirdeth (disarms) the strong." (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "but the lowly (humble) he has healed." Of death. Tsalmaveth (Haydock) may perhaps simply denote darkness. (Calmet) --- God bringeth to light the most hidden things. (Haydock) Multiplieth. Hebrew, Septuagint, and Syriac, "deceiveth," (Calmet) suffering them to confide too much in their strength, so that they fall an easy prey. (Haydock) --- How many nations, once so powerful, are now fallen; while others of no account have risen to eminence! Changeth. Hebrew, "taketh away the heart," or prudence "of princes." Hence they follow the most absurd counsels, Isaias xxix. 19. (Calmet) --- No way. This was the case of Pharao, when he pursued the Israelites into the sea; (Tirinus) and the like may rationally be feared by those princes, who attempt to make innovations in the true religion, or in the sound laws of a kingdom. (Menochius) All, without your information. (Calmet) Reason. Hebrew, "to dispute with, or before God," concerning the matter which we have in hand. He appeals to God, as to the judge of all. Having. Hebrew, "But ye are sewers of lies." (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "unskilful surgeons, (who, instead of sewing up a wound, increase it) and all of you doctors of evil;" vain empirics. --- Maintainers. Protestants, "ye are all physicians of no value." (Haydock) Men. Proverbs xvii. 28. If you had been silent, you might still have had the reputation of wisdom. (Calmet) Judgment. Hebrew, "pleading" before our common judge. (Haydock) Accept. Hebrew, "will you not be seized with fear?" Olympiodorus translates, "will you stad in his presence, and dispute with him?" (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "Are you sent to be judges?" &c., or, do you suppose that you hope to gain his favour? (Calmet) --- He knows the state of my soul best; then I myself: but you are quite in the dark. (Worthington) Or. Hebrew, "Is it good that he should examine you, would you escape?" (Calmet) His. Hebrew, "persons." Because you see me afflicted, you infer that I am guilty; and think this mode of judging most honourable to God, whom you wish thus to please. (Haydock) --- But he stands not in need of lies; (Calmet) and something farther is still to be proved. (Haydock) --- You judge rashly, as if you designed to please a prince, (Menochius) without examining the cause of the accused. (Haydock) Necks. Septuagint, "body." Hebrew also, (Haydock) "heights," (Calmet) or "fortifications." (Grotius) Whatsoever. Hebrew, "come what will. " Septuagint, "that my anger may cease." (Haydock) Why you seem to ask do I thus eagerly desire to die, (Haydock) as if I wear tearing my own flesh, and exposing my soul to danger, (Worthington) like a madman? (Tirinus) --- Is it not better for me to address myself to God, that he would hasten my departure, than thus to tear my flesh with my teeth? (Calmet) --- Some have supposed that Job really did so in extreme anguish, (Ven. Bede) the leprosy occasioning such an insupportable irritation. (Haydock) --- But the expression insinuates an interior anguish or despair; (Isaias xlix. 26.) in which sense Pythagoras enjoins, "no to eat the heart." --- Hands, in imminent danger of death, Psalm cxviii. 109. --- St. Gregory explains it in a moral sense: "It is to manifest the intention of the heart by the actions." (Haydock) In him. Hebrew lu is read, though lo, "not," is written in the Hebrew text. (Haydock) --- Protestants, &c., follow the sense of the Vulgate, and Junius comes to the same, as he reads lo with an interrogation: "Should I not hope in him?" Luther and the Belgic version go astray: "Behold he shall kill me, and I cannot expect," or hope; I am resolved to die: which words indicate "extreme impatience." (Amama) --- Septuagint, "If the powerful (or Lord) lay [ not ] hands on me, since it is commenced? No: but I shall speak and arraign [ you ] before him," &c. The words not and you are thus placed in Grabe's edition. (Haydock) --- Ways. I do not pretend that I am quite blameless. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "I will maintain (Marginal note: prove or argue) mine own ways before him." (Haydock) --- I will hope, like Abraham, even against hope, to shew that I am not actuated by despair: yet I will continue to declare my innocence, ver. 16. (Tirinus) Hypocrite. If I were such, I should not dare to appeal so boldly to his tribunal. (Calmet) Truths. Literally, "riddles" to you. Hebrew achavathi, (Haydock) means "instructions," &c. (Calmet) Just. He was in extreme anguish, yet still trusted in God. (Worthington) Peace. It will be some consolation to explain my reasons. If I am fairly overcome, I shall die with more content. (Calmet) Only. He makes the same petition to God as [in] chap. ix. 34., and xxxiii. 7. (Haydock) Offences, which might be hidden to Job himself. (Worthington) --- He speaks to God with the freedom which he had requested, desiring to know if he were really guilty, (Calmet) that he might give glory to him, (Haydock) by an humble confession. CHAPTER XIII. Bitter. The judge wrote down the sentence; which he read, or gave to his officer. (Calmet) --- Youth, for which I thought I had satisfied. (Haydock) Stocks, in which the person's legs were sometimes stretched to the sixth hole; (Calmet) at other times, the neck was confined. (Menochius) --- Some translate the Hebrew, "in the mud," which agrees with the other part of the verse. --- Steps. Hebrew and Septuagint, "roots," or ankles, which retain the prints made by the stocks. Rottenness. Septuagint, "an old vessel," or skin, to contain wine, &c. (Calmet) --- My condition might excite pity. (Menochius) Man. He exposes to God the common miseries of mankind. (Calmet) --- They cannot avoid many miseries in their short life, yet may be brought to heaven. (Worthington) Shadow. Pulvis et umbra sumus. (Horace iv. Ode 7.) "Come then, ye men, whom nature condemns to spend your days in darkness, ye who resemble the leaves, are of little strength, formed of mud, shadow-like,...of a day's duration, miserable mortals, men like dreams, attend to the immortals." (Aristophanes, Avib.) --- Most of these expressions occur in Job, Psalm ci. 12., Wisdom ii. 5., and Ecclesiastes ii. 23., &c. With thee. He seems beneath God's attention: (Arist.[Aristotle?] Met. viii. 9.; Cicero, Nat. ii.) but as the knowledge and other attributes of the Deity are infinite, he must necessarily attend to the whole creation. The moral actions of men being also infinite in their object, tending to God, or contradicting his ordinances, they are not beneath the consideration of an infinite Being. (Calmet) Seed, is not expressed in Hebrew, " unclean. " It may refer to Adam. There is no contagion in the seed to infect the soul, as Tertullian supposed; it in only unclean in the cause, as every person who is born according to the common course of nature, becomes a child of Adam, and partakes in his original sin. (The Scholastics) (Tirinus) --- Only art. Essence itself. (Denis the Carthusian) --- "The justification of the sinner is a greater miracle than the creation of the world." (St. Augustine, ibid.) --- The birth of Jesus Christ was free from stain; (Luke i. 35.) as was also the conception of his virgin Mother [Mary], by the power of God; (Menochius) and his grace, as it is piously believed. (Haydock) --- He alone can purify man. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "who can produce what is clean out of the unclean? Not one." Or Chaldean, "Is there not one?" Septuagint, "For who shall be pure from corruption? Not so much as one: though his life be only of one day upon earth." The more ancient Fathers have generally quoted the text in this manner, to prove original sin; (Haydock; St. Cyrian; Tertullian, St. Deo. Mag.[St. Leo the Great?] in Nat. i., &c. Tirinus) and Bellarmine almost does the same, (Grat. iv. 4.) observing that the Septuagint have taken in three words from the following verse: "though his days are few." Yet there are some words which are not in Hebrew, though the doctrine here maintained is indubitable. (Amama) --- Job was fully convinced of it, and adduced it as plea for mercy. It also tends to keep us in the most profound humility and watchfulness, to resist the motions of concupiscence. (Calmet) --- Man, -----"Now too late, Saw the rash error, which he could not mend; An error fatal not to him alone, But to his future sons, his fortune's heirs." (Blair's Grave. Milton, x. 151.) (Haydock) Hireling, who rejoices at being permitted to rest a little. So, before death, suffer me to have some relaxation, chap. vii. 1. Dust. After being even exposed to the air, for a long time, some branches will take root, like the rose of Jericho, the willow, &c. Scent, or light touch, Daniel iii. 94. (Menochius) Is he? Will he naturally come to life again? Sea. There would be no supply of rain for the fountains. (Ecclesiastes i. 7.) All would continue dry: so when the blood is once gone, life is at an end. See 2 Kings xiv. 14. (Calmet) --- The water cannot go back. (Menochius) Till. At that time, the general resurrection will take place. (Vatable) (Scultet.) --- But people will never revive, according to the course of nature. In St. Matthew v. 18., and Psalm lxxi. 7., till is used in this sense. (Calmet) That thou mayst protect me in hell. That is, in the state of the dead; an din the place where souls are kept waiting for their Redeemer; (Challoner) and in the grave, where the body awaits the resurrection. (Haydock) --- These words are repeated in the office of the dead, in the name of the souls in purgatory. (Denis the Carthusian, a. 34.) --- They are adduced in proof of limbo. But sheol denotes also "the grave." (Amama) --- What then? The soul is not confined there. It must consequently be explained of the lower receptacle for souls, as well as of the grave. (Haydock) Dead. Shall one in a condition nearly as bad, like myself, be restored to health? Yes, I entertain this hope. (Calmet) --- Thinkest thou, is not in Hebrew or Septuagint. The latter speaks (Haydock) clearly of the resurrection. (Calmet) --- "For if a man die, shall he revive, having completed the days of his life? I wait (for thee) till I be again." (Grabe) (Haydock) --- Warfare. Chap. vii. 1. But. Hebrew, "Mark out, (Calmet) or dost thou not observe my sin?" This fills me with terror, (Haydock) unless thou shew mercy. Cured. Hebrew, "sewed up." This method and sealing was in use to keep things of value, before locks were invented. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "thou hast noted if I had transgressed unwillingly, Greek: akon. " Yet God will not make us accountable for what we cannot help. Man. Hebrew and Septuagint, "the hope of man." (Haydock) --- He must not expect to be more privileged than all other things, which time consumes. (Calmet) --- Job again deplores human misery. (Menochius) Strengthened. Septuagint, "driven away." (Pagnin, &c.) --- "Thou wilt treat him harshly." (Calmet) Or dishonour. He cannot naturally be informed. (Menochius) --- God may, however, reveal to souls departed, what may increase their accidental happiness or misery. (Haydock) --- Hence the Church prays to the saints. Job is speaking chiefly of the body in the grave, and of what appear exteriorly. During life man cannot foresee the state of his children; not in the other world, would their condition render him happy or otherwise. (Calmet) (Mercer) --- Septuagint, "If his sons be many,...or....few, he knows not." (Haydock) --- He is not affected in the same manner as he would be, if living. (Worthington) Over. Hebrew, "within him." (Haydock) --- During life man is full of cares, and presently he is consigned to the dreary tomb, ver. 19. (Calmet)