discipline and save him. ¶ Delivereration was, is not specified; and

The

was the reason why the stroke of punishment should be removed, and why the sufferer should be saved from death. This might be called by Elihu a ransom '-using the word in a very large sense.

There can be

no doubt that such a fact often occurs. God lays his hand on his erring and wandering children. He brings upon them afflictions which would consign them to the grave, if they were not checked. Those af flictions are effectual in the case. They are the means of true repentance; they call back the wanderer; they lead him to put his trust in God, and to seek his happiness again in him; and this result of his trials is a reason why they should extend no farther. The object of the affliction has been accomplished, and the penitence of the sufferer is a sufficient reason for lightening the hand of affliction, and restoring him again to health and prosperity. This is not properly an atonement, or a ransom,

him. Heb., redeem him. The what was the actual idea which Elihu attached to it, it is now impossible word here used (7) properly means with certainty to determine. to let loose, to cut loose; and then connection would rather lead us to to buy loose; that is, to redeem, to suppose that it was something seen ransom for a price. Sometimes it is in the sufferer himself; some change used in the general sense of freeing wrought in his mind by his trials; or delivering, without reference to a some evidence of acquiescence in the price, comp. Deut. vii. 8. Jer. xv. 21. government of God, and some maniPs. xxxiv. 23. Job vi. 23; but usual-festation of true repentance, which ly there is a reference to a price, or to some valuable consideration, either expressed or implied. Comp. Notes on Isa. xliii. 3. Here the appropriate idea is expressed, for it is said, as a reason for redeeming or rescuing him, I have found a ransom.' That is, the ransom' is the valuable consideration on account of which he was to be rescued from death. From going down to the pit. The grave; the world of darkness. Notes, ver. 18. That is, he would keep him alive, and restore him again to health. It is possible that by the word pit here, there may be a reference to a place of punishment, or to the abodes of the dead as places of gloom and horror, especially in the case of the wicked; but the more probable interpretation is, that it refers to death alone. I have found. That is, there is a ransom; or, I have seen a reason why he should not die. The idea is, that God was looking for some reason on account of which it would be proper to release the sufferin the sense in which the word is er, and restore him to the accustomed now technically used, but the Hebrew tokens of his favor, and that such a word here used would not be inapransom had now appeared. There propriately employed to convey such was now no necessity why those an idea. Thus, in Ex. xxxii. 30, the sufferings should be prolonged, and intercession of Moses is said to be he could consistently restore him to that by which an atonement would health. A ransom. Marg. 'or, an ¶ be made for the sin of the people. atonement. Heb., kōpher. On "Moses said unto the people, Yo the meaning of this word, see Notes have sinned a great sin; and now I on Isa. xliii. 3. The expression here will go up unto the Lord; peradven means that there was something ture I shall make which could be regarded as a valua- (, ăkăppěrâ, from ?, kâable consideration, or a reason why phar), for your sin." Here, it is the sufferer should not be further manifest that the act of Moses in maafflicted, and why he should be pre-king intercession was to be the public served from going down to the grave. reason, or the ransom,' why they What that price, or valuable consid- were not to be punished. So the

an atonement

25 His flesh shall be fresher than 'a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth : 26 He shall pray unto God, man his righteousness.

and he will be favourable unto him; and he shall see his face with joy for he will render unto

27 He looketh upon men; and if any say,

I or, he shall look upon men, and say, I have
sinned.
a 1 Jno. 1. 9.

I have sinned,

and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

שור

God. That is, he shall be able to would be, he sings before men,' and look up to him with peace and com- thus the reference would be to the fort. This language is similar to that sufferer, meaning that he would have which is so frequently employed in occasion to rejoice among men. See the Scriptures, in which God is said Gesenius on the word. According to to lift upon us the light of his counte- the other view, the word is derived nance. The meaning here is, that the from shūr, to look round; to afflicted man would be again permitted care for, or regard; and according to to look by faith on God, being reconthis, the reference is to God, meanciled to him, and would see in his ing that he carefully and attentively face no indication of displeasure. T observes men in such circumstances, For he will render unto man his right- and, if he sees evidence that there is eousness. He will deal with him in true penitence, he has compassion and justice and equity. When he sees saves. This idea certainly accords evidence of penitence, he will treat better with the scope of the passage him accordingly; and if in the afflictthan the former, and it seems to me ed man he discerns true piety, he is to be regarded as correct. ¶ And if will regard and treat him as his friend. any say, I have sinned. Heb. "And The meaning is, that if there is in the says," that is, if the sufferer, under sufferer any sincere love to God, he will not be indifferent to it, but willing to confess his faults, then God is the pressure of his afflictions, is willtreat him as possessing it. This is ready to show him mercy. This acstill true, and universally true. If cords with what Elihu purposed to there is in the heart of one who is state of the design of afflictions, that they were intended to bring men to reflection, and to be a means of wholesome discipline. There is no doubt that he meant that all this should be understood by Job as applicable to himself, for he manifestly means to be understood as saying that he had not seen in him the evidence of a penitent mind, such as he supposed afflictions were designed to produce ¶ And perverted that which was right. That is, in regard to operations and views of the divine government. He had held error, or had cherished wrong apprehensions of the divine character. Or it may mean, that he had dealt unjustly with men in his intercourse with them. ¶ And it profited me not. The word here used

afflicted any real piety, God will not treat him as an impenitent sinner, but will manifest his mercy to him, and show to him the favors which he confers only on his friends.

27. He looketh upon men. Marg. or, he shall look upon men, and say, I have sinned.” Umbreit renders this, Nun singt er jubelnd zu den Menschen-" now he sings joyfully among men." So Noyes, "He shall sing among men, and say.' Prof. Lee, "He shall fully consider or pronounce right to men, so that one shall say, I have sinned." Coverdale, "Such a respect hath he unto men. Therefore, let a man confess and say, I have offended." The LXX render it, Εἶτα τότε απομέμψεται ἄνθρωπος ávròs kavto—"then shall a man blame himself," &c. These various—shâva) means properly to be renderings arise from the difference of signification attached to the Hebrew word. According to our interpretation, it is derived from

-shir, to sing, and then the meaning

even or level; then to be equal, or of like value; and here may mean, that he now saw that it was no advantage to him to have done wickedly, since it brought upon him such a punishment, or the benefit which he re

1

28 He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.

α

30 To bring back his sou from the pit, " to be enlightened with the light of the living.

b

31 Mark well, O Job; hearken

2 twice and thrice. a Ps. 40. 1, 2. Is. 38. 17 b Ps. 56. 13. Acts 26. 18.

my soul." ¶
Notes ver. 18.

29 is

29 Lo, all these things worketh 2God oftentimes with man, 1 or, He hath delivered my soul, &c., and my life. ceived from his life of wickedness From going into the pit. was no equivalent for the pain which ¶ And his life shall he had been called to suffer in conse- see the light. Here there is the same quence of it. This is the common This is the common variety of reading which occurs in interpretation. Rosenmüller, how-regard to the word soul. The present ever, suggests another, which is, that Hebrew text is () he designs by this language to exmy life;" press his sense of the divine mercy, The phrase "to see the light many MSS. read (in) "his life. and that it means my afflictions are in no sense equal to my deserts. I equivalent to live. Death was reprehave not been punished as I might where there was no ray of light. See sented as going down into regions justly have been, for God has interch. iii. 20, x. 21, 22. posed to spare me.' It seems to me, however, that the former interpretation accords best with the meaning of the words and the scope of the passage. It would then be the reflection of a man on the bed of suffering, that the course of life which brought him there had been attended with no advantage, but had been the means of plunging him into deserved sorrows, from which he could be rescued only by the grace of God.

That is, he takes all these methods 29. Lo, all these things worketh God. from their evil ways. to warn men, and to reclaim them ¶ Oftentimes. This may be taken either, as it is by Heb. as in the margin, twice, thrice. number, meaning that God takes fre our translators, to denote an indefinite number, meaning that God takes fre peats the admonition when they disquent occasion to warn men, and re reguard it, or more probably Elihu refers here to the particular methods which he had specified, and which were three in number. First, warnings in the visions of the night, vs. 14-17. Second, afflictions, 19-22. Third, the messenger which God sent to make the sufferer acquainted with the design of the affliction, and to assure him that he might return to God, vs. 23-26. So the LXX understand it, who render it, odoùs Točisthree ways, referring to the three methods which Elihu had specified.

28. He will deliver his soul. Marg. "He hath delivered my soul." There are various readings here in the text, which give rise to this diversity of interpretation. The present reading in the text is my soul; and according to this, it is to be regarded as the language of the sufferer celebrating the mercy of God, and is language which is connected with the confession in the previous verse, I have sinned; I found it no advantage; and he hath rescued me from death.' Many MSS., however, read pit.

—his soul; and according to this, the language would be that of Elihu, saying, that in those circumstances God would deliver him when| he made suitable confession of his sin. The sense is essentially the same The Vulgate has, "He will deliver his soul;" the LXX, "Save

30. To bring back his soul from the

To keep him from descending beneath. He takes these methods of to the grave, and to the dark world warning men, in order that they ma▾ not bring destruction on themselves See ver. 18. T To be enlightened with the light of the living. That he may still enjoy life, and not descend to the world of shades.

31. Mark well, O Job, hearken unto

unto me, hold thy peace, and | I will speak.

32 If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak; for I

me, &c. Elihu designs to intimate that he had much more to say which demanded close attention. He begged, therefore, that Job would hear him patiently through.

desire to justify thee.

33 If not, hearken unto me : hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.

and if he could, he wished to vindicate the character of Job from the aspersions which had been cast upon it.

33. If not, hearken unto me, &c. If nothing has been said from which 32. If thou hast any thing to say, you dissent, then listen to me, and I answer me. In the previous verse, will explain further the perplexing Elihu had asked that Job would hear subject which has excited so much all that he had to say. Yet here, in discussion. These remarks of Elihu view of what he had said, he asks of imply great confidence in the truth of him that if there were any thing from what he had to say, but they are not which he dissented, he would now arrogant and disrespectful. He treats express his dissent. We may sup- Job with the utmost deference; is pose that he paused at this part of his willing to hear all that could be said speech, and as what he had said re- in opposition to his own views, and is lated particularly to Job, he felt that desirous of not wounding his feelings, it was proper that he should have an or doing injustice to his cause. opportunity to reply. ¶ For I desire may be supposed that he paused here, to justify thee. I would do you jus- to give Job an opportunity to reply, tice. I would not pervert what you but as he made no remarks, he rehave said, or attribute to you any sumed his discourse in the following wrong opinions or any improper chapter. The views which he had motives. Perhaps there may be in-expressed were evidently new to Job, cluded also a wish to vindicate him, if he possibly could. He did not desire to dispute for the sake of disputing, or to blame him if he could avoid it, but his aim was the truth;

It

and were entirely at variance with those of his three friends, and they appear to have been received by all with profound and respectful silence.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.

ELIHU appears to have paused, to give Job an opportunity to reply to what he had said. When he found that he had nothing to reply, he addresses particularly the friends of Job designing to vindicate the ways of God, and to examine some of the positions which Job had advanced. He had been grieved and offended that they had not replied to what he considered to be his erroneous sentiments (ch. xxxii. 3), and now he proposes to reply to those sentiments himself, and to show what was the truth in the matter. The chapter contains the following points:

I. The introduction to the speech, in which Elihu addresses himself particularly to the friends of Job, and asks their careful consideration of the whole subject, vs. 1-4.

II. A statement of the sentiments of Job which he considered erroneous, and which he proposed to examine, vs. 5-9. Particularly, Job had said that he was righteous; that God had not dealt with him as he ought to have done; and that there was no advantage in serving God