Matthew Poole and continuators on Job 18

2. How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? Mark , and afterwards we will speak.

Either 1. You my Brethren. Why do you not give over discoursing with Iob, who is wholly transported with rage, and not fit to be discoursed with, at least until both you and he have better considered what to say. Or rather 2. Thou, O Iob, of whom he speaks here, as also v. 3. in the plural number, either because there were some other person or persons present at this Debate, who by their words or gestures shewed themselves favourers of Iob's cause: or because it was a common Idiotism of the Eastern Language to speak thus of one person, especially where he was one of Eminency or Authority. Iob's Speeches were generally longer than his friends, and they seemed very tedious to them.

Consider the matter and our words better. Or, inform us, Heb. make us to understand. Seeing thou lookest upon us as ignorant and brutish men, as it follows, do thou instruct and inform us. Cease cavilling and railing, and produce thy strong Reasons, that we may consider and answer them, or yield to them.

3. Wherefore are we counted as Beasts , and reputed vile in your sight ?

i. e. Ignorant, blockish and stupid men, Ch. 17. 4, 10.

Heb. polluted, or unclean, i. e. not fit to be conversed or discoursed with; or contemptible, as such things are.

Either 1. To your faces, or in your own hearing. Or 2. In thy sight or Judgment, O Iob; so he speaks of Iob in the plural number, as he did v. 2.

Marginal references: Heb. hidden. Lam. 4. 1.

4. He teareth himself in his anger: shall the Earth be forsaken for thee ? and shall the rock be removed out of his place ?

i. e. Iob, of whom he speaks in the third person for the second, as Ch. 12. 4. & 16. 7. Obad. 3 3. Or, O thou that tearest thy self. Thou complainest of us for vexing thee with our speeches, when in truth thou art thy own greatest tormenter by thy own impatience and rage.

To wit, by God. Shall God give over the government of the Earth, and Men, and things in it, and suffer all things to fall out by chance, and promiscuously to good and bad men, without any regard to his Truth, or Wisdom, or Justice? Shall God forbear to rule the World righteously, as he hath hitherto done, in favouring good men, and destroying the wicked?

i. e. For thy sake; or to prevent thy Complaints and Clamours.

Shall the Counsels of God, which are more firm and unmoveable than Rocks, and the whole course of his Providence be altered to comply with thy fancies or Humours?

Marginal references: Heb. his Soul.

5. Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out , and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

The thing is true and certain, notwithstanding thy dissatisfaction and opposition against it.

All their Glory and Felicity shall perish.

i. e. Their highest and brightest Glory, which he calleth the spark, &c. because, like a spark, it shines briskly for a moment, but is quickly extinct.

6. The Light shall be dark in his Tabernacle , and his Candle shall be put out with him .

i. e. In his Family. In stead of his former splendour, both he and his shall fall into extremity of misery.

i. e. His Glory shall die with him, and not descend to his posterity, as he hoped and designed. Or, his Candle, which was with him, or shone upon him, shall be put out.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word], Lamp.

7. The steps of his strength shall be straitned , and his own Counsel shall cast him down .

i. e. His strong steps, by a vulgar Hebraism. By steps he means his Counsels, as the next branch explains it, his attempts and actions, and by steps of strength, such of them as seem to be most firm and settled, contrived with greatest strength of Understanding, and carried on with great resolution and might.

i. e. Shall be hindred and entangled. He shall be cast into great difficulties, and troubles, and perplexities, so that he shall not be able to proceed, and to accomplish his Enterprizes, but shall find himself ensnared by his own devices, as the next words declare it. This Phrase is used also, Prov. 4. 11, 12. and it is opposed to the enlarging of a mans way or steps, which signifies success and prosperity, as Psal. 4. 1. & 31. 8.

He shall be undone by his own contrivances, either because God will give him up to dangerous and destructive mistakes of his way, or because God will oppose him, and turn his own devices against him; which he can easily do, by throwing in unexpected accidents.

8. For he is cast into a Net by his own Feet , and he walketh upon a snare .

By his own choice, and design, and actions.

And therefore must needs be entangled and destroyed.

9. The Grin shall take him by the heel , and the Robber shall prevail against him.

i. e. Take fast hold of him, so as to keep him in those distresses

When he is ensnared, the Robber shall come upon him, and take, and spoil, or kill him. Or, the horrible or terrible man, the Huntsman, that said the Snare for him. A Metaphor from those who hunt for wild Beasts, who first lay snares for them, and then seize upon them in the snares.

Marginal references: Chap. 5. 5.

10. The Snare is laid for him in the ground , and a Trap for him in the way.

Where he doth not expect nor discern it. The former snare he laid for himself, but this was laid for him by another.

Marginal references: Heb. hidden.

11. Terrours shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his Feet .

Both from men, and from God, and from his own unquiet Mind and guilty Conscience.

Shall force him to flee hither and thither, and he knows not whither, being secure and safe no where, but pursued by terrours from place to place.

Marginal references: Ch. 15. 21. Jer. 6. 25. & 20. 3. & 46. 5. & 49. 29.; Heb. scatter him.

12. His strength shall be hunger-bitten , and destruction shall be ready at his side .

Either 1. His Children, which are, and are called a mans strength, as Gen. 49. 3. Psal. [illegible: 1+ letters] 27. 4, 5. Or rather 2. His Wealth, and Power, and Prosperity.

Or famished, i. e. utterly consumed.

i. e. Shall follow him at the heels, as a most diligent servant, or constant companion.

Marginal references: Ch. 15. 23.

13. It shall devour the strength of his skin : even the first-born of death shall devour his strength.

Heb. The bars, or rather, the branches of the skin, i. e. either the veins, and sinews which branch out themselves through the skin as well as elsewhere: Or the fat and flesh which like Bars support the skin, and adorn and beautifie it, as branches do a Tree; without which the skin is shrivel'd up and deformed.

i. e. A most remarkable and terrible kind of death. The first-born was the chief of his Brethren, and therefore this title is given to things eminent in their kind, as Isa. 14. 30. Col. 1. 18. Heb. 12. 23. Rev. 1. 5.

Marginal references: Heb. bars.

14. His confidence shall be rooted out of his Tabernacle . and it shall bring him to the King of terrours .

i. e. All the matter of his Confidence, his Riches, Children, &c.

i. e. Out of his Habitation.

To wit, the loss of his Confidence.

Either 1. Into extream Fears and horrours of mind. Or 2. To Death, which even Aristotle called, The most terrible of all terribles. And this it will do▪ either because it will expose him to his Enemies, who will kill him: or because the sense of his disappointments, and losses, and dangers, will oppress his Spirits, and break his Heart.

Marginal references: Chap. 8. 14. & 11. 20. Psal. 112. 10. Prov. 10. 28.

15. It shall dwell in his Tabernacle , because it is none of his : brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation .

It, i. e. destruction, expressed v. 12. and designed by this particle, it, v. 13. shall not come upon him and his for a season, for then there might be some hopes of Recovery; but it shall fix its abode with him.

This may be added either 1. By way of correction, did I say, his Tabernacle? I must retract the expression; for in truth, it is none of his, it is become another mans. Or 2. As a reason of the ruine of his Tabernacle, because it is none of his own, but got from others by deceit or violence. But these words are, and may be joined with the former, and both thus rendred, A stranger, (Heb. one that is not his, that is not descended from him, and hath no relation to him) shall dwell in his Tabernacle, i. e. shall possess his House and Goods.

It shall be utterly and prodigiously destroyed, as it were by Fire and Brimstone. He seems to allude both to the destruction of Sodom, upon which God did scatter Brimstone and Fire, which happened not long before these times, and could not be unknown to them who lived near that place, and were diligent observers of Gods works; and to the judgment which be[illegible: 1+ letters]el Iob, Ch. 1. 16. when the stranger hath taken and rifled his dwelling, he shall forsake it as an accursed place, and shall burn it with Fire and Brimstone; that there may be no monument of so vile a person left upon the Earth.

16. His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off .

i. e. He shall be destroyed both root and branch, i. e. both himself and all his posterity. Compare Mal. 4. 1.

17. His remembrance shall perish from the Earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

Instead of that Honour and Renown which he designed to have both whilest he lived, and after his death, he is not so much as remembred unless it be with contempt and reproach.

Marginal references: Psal. 109. 13. Prov. 2. 22. & 10. 7.

18. He shall be driven from light into darkness , and chased out of the World.

Heb. They shall drive him. i. e. his Enemies, or those whom he hath oppressed; or they whom God shall appoint to do it, whether Angels or men. Or it is an impersonal Speech, and to be rendred passively, as it is also Iob 7. 3. Luk. 12. 20. & 16. 9.

From a splendid and prosperous Life to disgrace and misery, and to the Grave, the Land of Darkness and Forgetfulness, as the following words explain it.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] shall [illegible: 1 word] ▪

19. He shall neither have Son nor Nephew among his People , nor any remaining in his, dwellings.

But if any such survive, they shall be in the hands and power of strangers, or rather of their Enemies.

Marginal references: Isa. 14. 2[illegible: 1+ letters] Jer. 22. 3[illegible: 1+ letters].

20. They that come after him shall be astonied at his day , as they that went before were affrighted .

i. e. At the day of his destruction, as the word day is used, Psal. 37. 13. & 137. 7. Ezek. 21. 25. Obad. 12. They shall be amazed at the suddenness, and dreadfulness, and prodigiousness of it, as Iob's Friends were at his Calamities, Ch. 2. 12, 13.

i. e. Before the persons last mentioned. Those who lived in the time and place where this judgment was inflicted.

Or, filled with horrour, partly through Humanity and Compassion, and partly for Fear, lest the Judgment should overtake them also.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 word] with [illegible: 1 word].; Heb. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1+ letters]old or [illegible: 1 word] ▪

21. Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God .

i. e. Who doth not acknowledge, nor fear, nor serve God, as this Phrase is used, 1 Sam. 2. 12. Psal. 79. 6. 2 Thes. 1. 8.