Matthew Poole and continuators on Job 19:26

26. And though after my skin, worms destroy this body ; yet in my flesh shall I see God :

The style of this and other Poetical Books is concise and short, and therefore many words are to be understood in some places, to compleat the sense: The meaning of the place is this; Though my skin is now in a great measure consumed by Sores, and the rest of it together with this body shall be devoured by the Worms, which may seem to make my case quite desperate. Heb. And though (which [illegible: 1+ letters]article, as it is oft elsewhere, is here to be understood, as the opposition of the next branch sheweth) after my skin (which either now is or suddenly will be consumed by Sores or Worms) they (i. e. the destroyers or devourers, as is implyed in the Verb; such Impersonal speeches being usual in the Scripture; as Gen. 50. 26. Luke 12. 20. & 16. 9. where the actions are expressed, but the persons or things acting are understood. And by the Destroyers, he most probably designs the Worms which do this work in the Grave) destroy or cut off, or devour this; i. e. all this which you see left of me, this which I now point to, all this which is contained within my skin, all my flesh and bones, this which I know not what to call, whether a living Body, or a dead Carkass, because it is between both; and therefore he did not say, this body, because it did scarce deserve that name.

For the Particle and is oft used adversatively, Or, then, as it is oft rendred.

Heb. out of my flesh, or with (as the Particle Mem is used, Can. 1. 2. & 3. 9. Isa 57. 8.) my flesh; i. e. with eyes of flesh, as Iob himself calls them Chap. 10. 4. Or with bodily eyes; my flesh or body being raised from the Grave, and restored and reunited to my soul. And this is very sitly added, to shew that he did not speak of a mental or spiritual, but of a corporeal Vision, and that after his death.

The same whom he called his Redeemer, v. 25. i. e. Christ; of which see the note there, who being God-man, and having taken flesh▪ and appearing in his flesh or body with and for Iob upon the earth, as was said v. 25. might very well be seen with his bodily eyes. Nor is this understood of a simple seeing of him; for so even they that pierced him shall see him, Revel. 1. 7. but of seeing him with delight and comfort, as that word is oft understood, as Gen. 48. 11. Iob 42. 16. Psalm 128. 5. Isa. 53. 11. of that glorious and beauti[illegible: 1+ letters]ying Vision of God, which is promised to all God's people, Psalm 16. 11. & 17. 15. Matth. 5. 8. 1 Cor. 13. 12. 1 Iohn. 3. 2.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span].