Matthew Poole and continuators on Job 6:21

21. For now ye are nothing ; ye see my casting down, and are afraid .

He gives the reason why he charged them with deceitfulness, and compared them to these deceitful Brooks.

Or, as nothing, the note of similitude being oft understood; Heb. as not. i. e. you are to me as if you had not been, or as if you had never come to me; for I have no benefit nor comfort from you and your discourse, but only an increase of my misery.

When you come near to me and perceive my great and manifold calamities, you stand as it were at a distance; you are shie of me, and afraid for your selves, either lest my fores or breath should insect you: or lest some further plagues should come upon me, wherein your selves for my sake, or because you are in my company, should be involved: or, lest I should be burdensom to you, and need and call for your charitable contribution to support my self, and the small remainders of my poor Family, or for your helping hand to assist and save me from mine enemies, who may possibly fall upon me in this place, as the Chaldaeans and Sabaeans did upon my Servants and Cattle elsewhere; which is implied in the next verses. So far are you from being true friends and comforts to me, as you would seem to be.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word], for new [illegible: 1 word] like to [illegible: 1 word] ▪; [illegible: 1+ letters]eb▪ to it.