John Trapp on Job 7:20

Verſe 20. I have ſinned] or, Have I ſinned? Have I fallen into any foul offence, as theſe men charge me? Am I guilty of any thing more then involuntary failings, unavoidable infirmities? although I know that theſe alſo are downright ſins, fruits of the fleſh properly ſo called, miſſings of the mark, as the word here ſignifieth, and for ſuch I humbly confeſſe them, I put my ſelf into the hands of thy juſtice in hope of thy mercy: and what wilt thou more of thy poor creature?

What ſhall I do unto thee] No ſooner had Job confeſſed his ſin, but he is deſirous to know a remedy. Reprobates can cry Peccavi, I have ſinned: but then they proceed not to ſay as here, What ſhall I do? they open their wound, but lay not on a plaiſter, and ſo the wounds made by ſin are more putrified, and grow more dangerous. Job would be directed what to do for remedy: he would have pardoning grace and prevailing grace upon any terms: and more then this, what can I do unto thee? as the Septuagint render this text. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

O thou preſerver of men?] Of all men, but eſpecially of t[illegible: 1 letter]em that b[illegible: 1 letter]lieve, 1 Tim. 4.10 The Grecians called their Jupiter [non-Latin text not transcribed], the Deliverer or Preſerver of their perſons: and again [non-Latin text not transcribed] from [non-Latin text not transcribed] a wall, as if he were the watch and defender of their houſes. Some tender it O thou obſerver of men. But theſe are praiſes proper to the true God the Keeper of his Iſrael, Pſalm 121.4. The Preſerver of the Faithful, Pſalm 31.23. Whom he keepeth as the apple of his eye, Pſalm 17.8. that tendereſt piece of the tendereſt part, moſt diligently and ſtrongly guarded by nature with [illegible: 1 letter]unicles. It is the wiſedom of a Chriſtian in his addreſſes into God to make choice of fit and appoſite titles and Attributes: for the ſtrengthening of his faith, and increaſing of his fervency.

Why haſt thou ſet me as a mark againſt thee] As a bul-wark, as an object, or as a rock of offence, againſt which thou mayeſt alwaies daſh: ſo Vatablus rendreth it: to the ſame ſenſe Job asketh chap. 19.11. and 13.24. Wherefore holdeſt thou me for thine enemy? So Lam. 3.12. and Job 16.13. Job conceived, that God dealt with him no otherwiſe then the Turks did with the great Crucifix of Conſtantinople, Turk. hiſt. 347 upon the head whereof they put a Turks cap, and ſo ſettting it up in deriſion, ſhot at it with their arrows, calling it the God of the Christians: Or as the ſame Turks at the taking of Tripolis in Barbary, dealt with one John de Chabas a French man, who in the time of the ſiege had ſhot off the hand of the Clark General of the Army.Ibid. 756. They brought him into the town, ſaith the ſtory, and when they had cut off his hands and noſe, they put him quick into the ground to the waſt, and there for their pleaſure ſhot at him with their arrowes, and afterwards cut his throat.

So that I am a burden to my ſelf] How can he be otherwiſe, who is a but-mark for Almighty God, who cleft his very reins a ſunder, and powred our his gall upon the ground, Job 16.13. Job had once before complained, that the poiſon of Gods arrows had drunk up his ſpirits chap. 6. Neither did any thing lie ſo heavy upon him, or was ſo burdenſome to him as this, that God ſeemed to frown upon him, and to fight againſt him with his own hand. The Septuagint and Talmudiſts read thus, So that I am a burthen unto th[illegible: 1 letter]e, viz. with my complaints and expoſtulations: this, ſay they, was the ancient reading.