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Zohrap 1805
ՆԱԽԱԴՐՈՒԹԻՒՆ ՅՈԲԱՅ

Զայրս զայս ոմանք ըստ պատմութեան ազգահամարին՝ հինգերորդ ասեն յԱբրահամէ. քանզի զԵսաւայ ազգահամարն ածէ մինչեւ ՚ի Յոբաբ։ Առ որ ոմանք մտախոհ եղեալ ասացին՝ թէ սքանչելի այս իր եղեւ առանց գրոյ. զի գտանի Յոբ յառաջ քան զօրէնսն, եւ գրեցաւ յետ օրինացն. բայց յոր ժամանակ եւ եհաս կանխասացութիւնս այս՝ պատուեցաւ ՚ի ճշմարտութեան կողմնն իբրեւ զաւետարանսն եւ զմարգարէսն. մանաւանդ զի զջանս արւութեան որ առ Քրիստոսիւ լուսաւորեցաւ՝ նախ քան զՔրիստոս կանխագոյն ուղղեաց։ Արդ՝ զի մի՛ ՚ի մեծ իրս յայս կասկածանօք մնասցեն վասն օտարութեան ժամանակի գրողին, ասացին թէ բարեկամքն Յոբայ գրեցին աստուածային շնորհիւն. որպէս եւ ինքն ըղձայր յասելն. Ո՞ տայ ինձ գրել զբանս իմ, եւ դնել զսա ՚ի գիրս յաւիտենականս։ Գիտելի լիցի եւ այս, թէ ՚ի դէ՛պ է կարծել Մովսիսի զսա գրեալ՝ որ մերձաւոր էր ժամանակին, ՚ի խրա՛տ Իսրայէլի իբր նկարագիր զսա արկեալ։ Իսկ այլոց եղեւ կարծիք Սողոմոնի լինել գրօղ. զի ստիւքիրոն է՝ որպէս նորա բանքն։ Սակայն բազում մխիթարութիւն տայ համբերողաց Գիրքս՝ զայրս վշտագնեալ ՚ի մէջ բերեալ, որ զջանն ընկալաւ ըստ Քրիստոսի խորհրդոցն. եւ նախ ունէր զվկայութիւնն Աստուծոյ թէ ժամանեալ է ՚ի ծայրս բարեպաշտութեան, եւ յետոյ առ սիրելիսն զսպառնալիսն եւ զանխայելն, թէ վասն նորա ո՛չ կորուսի զձեզ։ Պա՛րտ է ամենայն զգուշութեամբ դիտել զխոշորութիւն բանիցս թէ առ ո՛վ ունի զդիտումնն, եւ մի՛ ընկղմել յանհասութիւնն. զի գրօղն կամելով ցուցանել զբազմահնար փորձանս Յոբայ ՚ի Սատանայէ, առ Աստուած բանիւքն տպաւորէր զտրտունջ դատախազութեանն. այլ զի ՚ի տունս չափով զգիրս՝ ըստ Եբրայեցւոցն արար, այսու ծաղկեալ ցանկալի արար զսա ամենայն քննողաց։ Դարձեալ գտանի սա ամենեցուն խրատ, թագաւորաց, քահանայից, իշխանաց, ռամկաց, աղքատաց, մեծամեծաց, վիրաւորաց. որոց տայ բեւր օրինակս, եւ հաստատէ ըստ ընչից՝ ըստ որդւոց՝ զորս ՚ի գայթագղութիւնս անկանին. նա՝ եւ որք ՚ի դիւաց վշտագնին՝ զհանգիստ եւ զբժշկութիւն գտանեն յայսմ գրոյ. եւ որք սմա զգուշանան՝ մեծախոհութեամբ տանին զրկանաց։ Սակայն զԱւսիդ աշխարհն՝ ոմանք ասեն թէ Սիոն է, եւ այլք թէ յԱրաբիայ է՝ կամ յԵդովմ. զի եւ յԱրաբիա տակաւին եւս երեւի գերեզման արդարոյն, յորում եւ էր կեանք երանելւոյն Յոբայ։ Ըստ որում ասէ աստուածային գիրն՝ եթէ եկաց յետ փորձանացն ամս հարեւր եւ եւթանասուն. եւ ամենայն զոր եկեաց, երկերիւր քառասուն եւ ութ. եւ է այս ստոյգ. զի յաւելումք եւթն զկալն նորա ՚ի փորձանսն, եւ եւթանասուն եւ ութն, յորում հանդիպեցաւ սկիզբն փորձանացն, որ ՚ի միասին լինի ութսուն եւ հինգ։ Զոր Աստուած կրկին ըստ այլ բարեացն զոր ետ նմա, եւ զկեանսն նոյնպէս շնորհեաց, զի ՚ի միասին համաձայնի ամենայն ՚ի թիւն։ Թողումք եւ յութսուն եւ հնգէն զեւթն (փորձանացն, որ մնաց միայն եւթանասուն եւ ութ,) որ մերձաւորի լինել հարեւր եւ եւթանասնիցն։ Ասեմ զի արար զամս կենաց իւրոց յետ փորձանացն երկերիւր քառասուն եւ ութ. քանզի երկրորդեմք զեւթնն զոր ՚ի փորձանսն. զոր թուել ՚ի ժամանակս կենաց իւրոց ո՛չ արժանացոյց, այլ առաւել կեանս իւր զա՛յս Աստուծոյ մարդասիրութիւնն համարեցաւ[9064]։

[5194][9064] Յետ առաջիկայ նախադրութեանս ՚ի նմին մատենագրէ յօրինելոյ ըստ ոճոյ այլոց նախադրութեանց, գրչագիր օրինակք յարեն եւ այլ իմն, մակագրեալ՝ Յուլիանեայ եպիսկոպոսի Աղիկառնացւոյ, զոր ՚ի վախճան մատենիս թողում կարգել ընդ այլ մնացորդս։ Այլ յաղագս զանց առնելոյ մատենագրիս եւ ՚ի գիրս յայս զսովորական ցուցակաւ գլխակարգութեանց, չունիմ ասել, մանաւանդ յետ բաժանելոյ զգիրս յերկոտասան գլուխս բանից, որպէս է տեսանել ՚ի լուսանցս բնաբանին։
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
Третий отдел ветхозаветных священных книг составляют в греко-славянской Библии книги "учительные", из которых пять - Иова, Псалтирь, Притчи, Екклезиаст и Песнь Песней признаются каноническими, а две - Премудрость Соломона и Премудрость Иисуса сына Сирахова [Современный распорядок учительных книг в греко-славянской Библии несколько отличается от древнего. Именно в Синайском кодексе они расположены в таком виде: Псалтирь, Притчи, Екклезиаст, Песнь Песней, Премудрость Соломона, Сирах, Иов; в Ватиканском списке за кн. Песнь Песней следует Иов и далее Премудрость Соломона и Сирах] неканоническими. В противоположность этому в еврейской Библии двух последних, как и всех вообще неканонических, совсем не имеется, первые же пять не носят названия "учительных", не образуют и особого отдела, а вместе с книгами: Руфь, Плач Иеремии, Есфирь, Даниил, Ездра, Неемия, первая и вторая Паралипоменон, причисляются к так называемым "кетубим", "агиографам", - "священным писаниям". Сделавшееся у раввинов-талмудистов техническим обозначением третьей части Писания название "кетубим" заменялось в древности другими, указывающими на учительный характер входящих в ее состав произведений. Так, у Иосифа Флавия современные учительные книги, кроме Иова, известны под именем "прочих книг, содержащих гимны Богу и правила жизни для людей" (Contra Apionem, I, 4); Филон называет их "гимнами и другими книгами, которыми устрояется и совершенствуется знание и благочестие" (О созерцательной жизни), а автор 2-ой Маккавейской книги - "ta tou Dauid kai epistolaV basilewn peri anaqhmatwn" - "книги Давида и письма царей о приношениях" (II:13-15). Наименование "ta tou Dauid" тождественно с евангельским названием учительных книг "псалмами" ("подобает скончатися всем написанным в законе Моисеове и пророцех и псалмех о мне" Лк XXIV:44), а это последнее, по свидетельству Геферника, имело место и у раввинов. У отцов и учителей церкви, выделяющих, согласно переводу LXX, учительные книги в особый отдел, они также не носят современного названия, а известны под именем "поэтических". Так называют их Кирилл Иерусалимский (4-е огласительное слово), Григорий Богослов (Suntagma. Rallh, IV, с. 363), Амфилохий Иконийский (ibid, с. 365), Вифаний Кипрский и Иоанн Дамаскин (Точное изложение православной веры, IV, 17). Впрочем, уже Леонтий Византийский (VI в. ) именует их "учительными", - "parainetika" (De Sectis, actio II. Migne 86: т., с. 1204).

При дидактическом характере всего Священного Писания усвоение только некоторым книгам названия "учительных" указывает на то, что они написаны с специальной целью научить, вразумить, показать, как должно мыслить об известном предмете, как его следует понимать. Данную цель в применении к религиозно-нравственным истинам и преследуют, действительно, учительные книги. Их взгляд, основная точка зрения на учение веры и благочестия - та же, что и в законе; особенность ее заключается в стремлении приблизить богооткровенную истину к пониманию человека, довести его при помощи различных соображений до сознания, что ее должно представлять именно так, а не иначе. Благодаря этому, предложенная в законе в форме заповеди и запрещения, она является в учительных книгах живым убеждением того, кому дана, кто о ней думал и размышлял, выражается как истина не потому только, что открыта в законе, как истина, но и потому, что вполне согласна с думой человека, стала уже как бы собственным его достоянием, собственной его мыслью. Приближая богооткровенные истины к человеческому пониманию, учительные книги, действительно, "совершенствуют сознание и благочестие". И что касается примеров такого освещения их, то они прежде всего наблюдаются в кн. Иова. Ее главное положение, вопрос об отношении правды Божией к правде человеческой, трактуется автором с точки зрения его приемлемости для человеческого сознания. Первоначально сомневавшийся в Божественном Правосудии, Иов оказывается в результате разговоров уверовавшим в непреклонность божественной правды. Объективное положение: "Бог правосуден" возводится на степень личного субъективного убеждения. Подобным же характером отличается и кн. Екклезиаст. Ее цель заключается в том, чтобы внушить человеку страх Божий (XII:13), побудить соблюдать заповеди Божии. Средством к этому является, с одной стороны, разъяснение того положения, что все отвлекающее человека от Бога, приводящее к Его забвению, - различные житейские блага не составляют для человека истинного счастья, и потому предаваться им не следует, и с другой - раскрытие той истины, что хранение заповедей дает ему настоящее благо, так как приводит к даруемому за добрую жизнь блаженству по смерти, - этому вечно пребывающему благу. Равным образом и кн. Притчей содержит размышления о началах откровенной религии, законе и теократии и влиянии их на образование умственной, нравственной и гражданской жизни Израиля. Результатом этого размышления является положение, что только страх Господень и познание Святейшего составляют истинную, успокаивающую ум и сердце, мудрость. И так как выражением подобного рода мудрости служат разнообразные правила религиозно-нравственной деятельности, то в основе их лежит убеждение в согласии откровенной истины с требованиями человеческого духа.

Раскрывая богооткровенную истину со стороны ее согласия с пониманием человека, учительные книги являются показателями духовного развития народа еврейского под водительством закона. В лице лучших своих представителей он не был лишь страдательным существом по отношению к открываемым истинам, но более или менее вдумывался в них, усваивал их, т. е. приводил в согласие со своими внутренними убеждениями и верованиями. Погружаясь сердцем и мыслию в область откровения, он или представлял предметы своего созерцания в научение, для развития религиозного ведения и споспешествования требуемой законом чистоте нравственности, как это видим в кн. Иова, Екклезиаст, Притчей и некоторых псалмах, (LXXVII, CIV, CV и т. п. ), или же отмечал, выражал то впечатление, которое производило это созерцание на его сердце, в лирической форме религиозных чувствований и сердечных размышлений (Псалтирь). Плод богопросвещенной рефлексии о Божественном откровении, данном еврейскому народу в закон, учительные книги носят по преимуществу субъективный характер в отличие от объективного изложения истин веры и благочестия в законе и объективного же описания жизни еврейского народа в книгах исторических. Другое отличие учительных книг - это их поэтическая форма с ее характерною особенностью - параллелизмом, определяемым исследователями еврейской поэзии как соотношение одного стиха с другим. Это - род рифмы мысли, симметрия идеи, выражаемой обыкновенно два или иногда три раза в различных терминах, то синонимических, то противоположных. Сообразно различному взаимоотношению стихов параллелизм бывает синонимический, антитический, синтетический и рифмический. Первый вид параллелизма бывает тогда, когда параллельные члены соответствуют друг другу, выражая равнозначащими терминами один и тот же смысл. Примеры подобного параллелизма представляет Пс CXIII - "когда вышел Израиль из Египта, дом Иакова - из (среды) народа иноплеменного, Иуда сделался святынею Его, Израиль - владением Его. Море (это) увидело и побежало, Иордан возвратился назад, горы прыгали, как овны, и холмы, как агнцы". Параллелизм антитический состоит в соответствии двух членов друг другу через противоположность выражений или чувств. "Искренни укоризны от любящего, и лживы поцелуи ненавидящего. Сытая душа попирает и сот, а голодной душе все горькое сладко" (Притч XXVII:6-7). "Иные колесницами, иные конями, а мы именем Господа Бога нашего хвалимся. Они поколебались и пали, а мы встали и стоим прямо" (Пс XIX:8-9). Параллелизм бывает синтетическим, когда он состоит лишь в сходстве конструкции или меры: слова не соответствуют словам и члены фразы членам фразы, как равнозначащие или противоположные по смыслу, но оборот и форма тождественны; подлежащее соответствует подлежащему, глагол - глаголу, прилагательное - прилагательному, и размер один и тот же. "Закон Господа совершен, укрепляет душу; откровение Господа верно, умудряет простых; повеления Господа праведны, веселят сердце; страх Господа чист, просвещает очи" (Пс XVIII). Параллелизм бывает, наконец, иногда просто кажущимся и состоит лишь в известной аналогии конструкции или в развитии мысли в двух стихах. В этих случаях он является чисто рифмическим и поддается бесконечным комбинациям. Каждый член параллелизма составляет в еврейской поэзии стих, состоящий из соединения ямбов и трохеев, причем самый употребительный стих евреев - гептасиллабический, или из семи слогов. Стихами этого размера написаны кн. Иова (III-XLII:6), вся книга Притчей и большинство псалмов. Встречаются также стихи из четырех, пяти, шести и девяти слогов, чередуясь иногда с стихами различного размера. Каждый стих является, в свою очередь, частью строфы, существенным свойством которой служит то, что она заключает в себе единую, или главную, мысль, полное раскрытие которой дается в совокупности составляющих ее стихов. Впрочем, в некоторых случаях то две различные мысли соединены в одной строфе, то одна и та же мысль развивается и продолжается далее этого предела.

Название книги. Место и время жизни Иова. Книга Иова (евр. ??? греч. Iwb) получила свое название от главного действующего в ней лица, история бедствий которого послужила для автора поводом к решению вопроса о причинах страданий праведника.

В книге своего имени Иов выступает со всеми признаками лица исторического: в ней указывается его происхождение, время и место жизни, ее продолжительность, дана характеристика семейной жизни страдальца, общественного положения и т. п. В противоположность этому еще Феодор Мопсуетский отрицал существование Иова, считая книгу его имени собранием басен. Одинаковый с ним взгляд высказывали еврейские раввины Реш-Лакиш и Самуил бар-Нахман. "Иова, - замечает последний, - никогда не существовало; он не был тварным человеком, но притчею, подобною той, которую Нафан предложил Давиду" (Талмуд. Baba. Bathra, 15а). Крайность подобного взгляда, повторенного впоследствии Салмазием, Михаэлисом, Августи и Де-Ветте, сознавалась уже самими раввинами, из которых Xай-Гаон (1000: г. ) изменил слова Самуила бар-Нахмана следующим образом: "Иов существовал, но он был сотворен, чтобы стать притчею". И действительно, отрицание существования Иова не мирится со свидетельством Св. Писания Ветхого и Нового Завета "Сын человеческий, говорит Господь пророку Иезекиилю, если бы какая земля согрешила предо Мно.... и (я) послал (бы) на нее голод и сталь губить на ней людей и скот; и если бы нашлись в ней сии три мужа: Ной, Даниил и Иов, - то они праведностью своею спасли бы только свои души... не спасли бы ни сыновей, ни дочерей, а они, только они, спаслись бы..." (Иез XIV:13-16). Упоминание об Иове наравне с несомненно историческими лицами - Ноем и Даниилом - не допускает никакого сомнения в историческом характере его личности. Историческую достоверность страданий Иова, следовательно и его самого, признают и известные слова Ап. Иакова: "Вот мы ублажаем тех, которые терпели. Вы слышали о терпении Иова и видели конец оного от Господа" (Иак V:11). Указывают еще на то, что имя Иова - символическое имя - "враждующий"; оно могло быть дано ему вследствие представления писателя, что он враждовал против Бога и друзей, следовательно, в соответствии с изображенным в книге его характером, т. е. оно - имя вымышленное. Если же вымышлено самое имя, то нет препятствий думать, что вымышлено и самое лице. Но, как видно из Библии, у евреев многие имена - Авраам, Израиль - имели символический характер, поскольку ими обозначались известные обстоятельства, а потому из символизма имени нельзя заключать о неисторичности лица. В устах народа Иов мог получить данное имя после своего несчастья, благодаря обнаружившемуся в бедствиях характеру. Об этом, может быть, и говорит приписка текста LXX, замечающая, что он ранее назывался Иоавом.

Если Иов - лицо вполне историческое, то возникает естественней вопрос о месте и времени его жизни. По словам самой книги, он жил в земле Уц, "во стране Авситидийстей", как называют ее LXX толковников (I:1). Но где именно находилась данная местность, с определенностью сказать нельзя. Замечание находящейся в конце книги по чтению LXX приписки: "на границах Идумеи и Аравии" (XLII:17) так же обще, как и указание 3: ст. I гл., что Иов был "знаменитее всех сынов Востока", т. е. арабов (см. толкование на этот стих); а упоминание о земле Уц в кн. пророка Иеремии (XXV:20) и в кн. Плач (IV:21) не выясняет ее положения. Правда, слова кн. Плач: "радуйся и веселись, дщерь Едома, живущая в земле Уц", дают, по-видимому, право думать, что Уц находилась в Идумее, составляла ее область. Но подобное предположение опровергается 20: и 21: ст. XXV гл. кн. пророка Иеремии, из которых видно, что земля Уц, упоминаемая отдельно от Идумеи, не входила в ее пределы. Если же пророк приписывает ее идумеянам, то это объясняется, по словам Эвальда, тем, что земля Уц была отдана им Навуходоносором за ту помощь, которую они оказали халдеем при завоевании Иудеи. Что касается Иер XXV:20: и д., то некоторые усматривают в данных стихах перечисление сопредельных стран и сообразно с этим местоположение Уц указывают между Египтом и Иудеею, на юго-восток от последней и на восток от Идумеи. Справедливость подобного соображения ослабляется 21: и 22: ст. данной главы, свидетельствующими, что при перечислении стран пророк не руководился началом сопредельности.

Отсутствие библейских указаний на местоположение земли Уц побуждает экзегетов прибегать к разного рода догадкам. Предполагают, что земля Уц получила свое название от имени Уц, усвояемого Библией трем лицам: старшему сыну Арама, внуку Сима (Быт X:23), старшему сыну Нахора, брата Авраама (Быт XXII:21) и первенцу Дишана, младшего сына Сеира Xорреяина (Быт XXXVI:28). Объясняя подобным образом происхождение названия Уц, местоположение данной земли указывают или в Сирии, стране Арама, или в Месопотамии, на берегах Евфрата, где жил Нахор, или же, наконец, в Идумее. Что касается последнего взгляда, то он не может быть признан справедливым по вышеуказанным основаниям. Мнение о положении земли Уц в пределах Месопотамии нашло себе место в александрийской редакции греческой приписки к книге Иова. В ней он называется живущим на берегах Евфрата, а его друг Валдад - сыном Амнона Xоварского (Xовар - приток Евфрата). Несмотря на свою древность (приписка известна уже Оригену) и данный взгляд едва ли может быть признан справедливым. Он не мирится с замечанием 19: ст. I гл. кн. Иова, что ветер, разрушивший дом моего старшего сына, пришел "от пустыни", точнее, "из стран, лежащих по ту сторону пустыни", и со словами Елиуя "буря идет с юга" (XXXVII:9). Взятые вместе, эти два выражения дают понять, что земля Уц находилась около северных пределов пустыни или в них самих. Месопотамию же нельзя считать пустынею. Что касается предположения о положении земли Уц в пределах Сирии, то оно подтверждается свидетельством древних писателей. Так, Евсевий Кесарийский, повторяя слова Иосифа Флавия, что Уц, сын Арама, был основателем Трахонитиды (все базальтовое пространство на восточной стороне Иордана, ограниченное на юге Галаадскими горами, а на севере сопредельное Дамаску) и Дамаска (Древности Иуд. кн. I, гл. 6), прибавляет: "отсюда происходил Иов" (De originibus. XI, 2, 6). По словам другого его сочинения (Onomastionia), Иoв жил в Ватанее, древнем Васане, в местности, называвшейся при нем "Astaroth Kamaim". Того же взгляда держится и блаж. Иероним (liber de situ ei nominis hebraeorum), замечая, что греческое наименование страны "Авсигида" - то же самое, что "Уситида", - дано ей по имени Уца, сына Арама, заселившего со своим потомством Трахонитиду (толкование на X гл. 23: ст. кн. Бытия). В Ватанее указывают местожительство Иова и арабские писатели, - историки Mugir ad din el Hambeli и Abulfeda и географ Muhammed el Makdesi: "Иову, - говорят два первые, - принадлежала Дамасская провинция Ватанея". Наглядным выражением данного предания служил сооруженный в области Дамаска монастырь в честь многострадального Иова (Volck. Calendarium Syriacum, с. 29).

Указывая в общих чертах местожительство Иова, находящаяся в конце книги по тексту LXX приписка определяет и время его жизни. По ее словам, он был пятым от Авраама, т. е. жил в патриархальный период, но позднее Авраама. Справедливость последнего замечания подтверждается тем, что два друга Иова Елифаз и Вилдад происходят от Авраама, первый через Фемана, внука Исава, второй через Савхея, сына Авраама от Xеттуры (см. прим. к 11: ст. II гл. ). Не менее достоверным признается и общее определение времени жизни Иова - в патриархальный период. По крайней мере, черты его быта вполне напоминают быт патриархальный. И прежде всего, подобно патриархам, Иов объединяет в своем лице права главы семьи с обязанностями священника. За отсутствием класса священников сам приносит жертвы (I:5; ср. Быт VIII:20; XII:7; XXII:2; XXVI:25; XXVIII:18; XXXV:7). Xарактеру домоисеевского патриархального времени вполне соответствует и та особенность, что приносимая Иовом жертва всесожжения является жертвою очистительною. Xотя по закону Моисееву подобное значение усвояется всякой кровавой жертве и в том числе - всесожжения (Лев I:4), но для очищения от греха установлены две специальные, неизвестные книге Иова, жертвы, - за грех (Лев IV:29, 32-33) и повинности (Лев V:25; VII:1). Неразвитости культа соответствует свойственная древности простота общественных отношений. За отсутствием правящей власти в виде царей или судей, суд производится народными старейшинами (XXIX:7-25; ср. Быт XXIII:5-6). Показателем глубокой древности является далее способ письма, вырезание букв на камне (XIX:24), употребление относимой пятикнижием к патриархальным временам монеты "кеситы" (XLII:11; Быт XXXIII:19), тех же, что и при патриархах музыкальных инструментов (XXI:12; XXX:31; Быт IV:21; XXXI:27), долголетие Иова и, наконец, замалчивание фактов после моисеевского времени при знакомстве с событиями раннего времени, - истреблением Содома (XVIII:15), потопом (XXIV:18).

Время написания кн. Иова и ее автор. Обычными данными для решения вопроса о времени написания и авторе той или другой священной книги служат ее собственные показания и свидетельства других священных писателей. Но сама книга Иова не содержит строго определенных указаний на время своего составления, а из посторонних свидетельств известно лишь свидетельство о ней пророка Иезекииля. Его слова: "Ной, Даниил и Иов... не спасли бы ни сыновей, ни дочерей от четырех тяжких казней: меча, голода, лютых зверей и моровой язвы" (Иез XIV:14-21) представляют почти буквальное повторение слов Елифаза (V:20, 22) и тем самым указывают на существование к его времени кн. Иова. Благодаря подобным условиям, вопрос о времени ее написания и авторе вызывал и вызывает в экзегетической литературе самые разнообразные ответы. На пространстве времени от Моисея до пророка Иезекииля и позже нет ни одного периода и эпохи, к которым не находили бы возможным приурочить написание нашей книги. И прежде всего, по мнению Талмуда (Jar. Sola V, 8, 6. Bathra 15а), разделяемому Оригеном, блаж. Иеронимом, Полихронием и высказанному в новейшее время Карпцовием, Ейхгорном, Яном, Бертольдом и Эбрардом, книга Иова написана в век Моисея. В подтверждение подобного взгляда указывают не только на ее незнакомство с законом, пророками, историей и религиозной терминологией Израиля, но и на сходство с Пятикнижием в языке. Некоторые еврейские слова и целые фразы употребляются только в этих двух книгах и более нигде. Таковы - "semez" - "молва", "слух" (Иов IV:12; Исх XXXII:25); "maschasch" - "ощупывать" (V:14; Втор XXVIII:29), "Kesita" (Быт XXXIII:19; Иов XLII:11), "доколе... дыхание Его во мне и дух Божий в ноздрях моих" (XXVII:3; Быт II:7), "умер Иов, ... насыщенный днями" (XLII:17; ср. Быт XV:15; XXV:8; XXXV:29). По другому взгляду, к защитникам которого принадлежат раввин Натан, отцы церкви - Григорий Богослов, Иоанн Златоуст и ортодоксальные протестантские, а равно и католические экзегеты - Геферник, Ган, Кейль, Делич, Калмет, Корнели, Вигуру, Кнабенбауер и др., книга Иова написана в период расцвета еврейской литературы и поэзии, - в век Соломона. Ему она соответствует по характеру, содержанию, форме и языку. Дидактическая по духу, она как нельзя более подходит к тому учительному направлению, которое выразилось в псалмах, притчах, Екклезиасте, и с ними же совладает в отдельных пунктах вероучения. Таково учение о божественной премудрости, ее трансцедентности, участии в творении мира (Иов XXVIII; Притч I-IX, особенно VIII), и о загробном существовании человека. По вопросу о нем кн. Иова высказывает те же самые взгляды, что и псалмы времени Давида и Соломона. В них автор оказывается сыном той эпохи, к которой принадлежал Еман, составитель LXXXVII Пс (Иов XIV:13; Пс LXXXVII:6; Иов XIV:12; Пс LXXXVII:11; Иов XIV:21; Пс LXXXVII:13: и т. п. ) Совпадая с Пс LXXXVII во взгляде на загробное существование, кн. Иова сходна с Пс LXXXVII в названии обитателей шеола "рефаимами" (XXVI:5; Пс LXXXVII:11); подземного мира - "аваддоном" (XXVI:6; Пс LXXXVII:12) и с Пс LXXXVIII в наименовании ангелов "святыми" (V:1; (XV:15; Пс LXXXVIII:8). Общими для всех трех являются также отдельные мысли и выражения (ср. Иов VII:7; Пс LXXXVIII:48; XIV:14; Пс LXXXVIII:49; XVI:19; Пс LXXXVIII:38; XIX:8, 13-14, 17; Пс LXXXVII:9; XXVI:12; Пс LXXXVIII:10). Равным образом при раскрытии сходного учения употребляются одинаковые обороты у Иов XIV:2: и в Пс XXXVI:2; Иов XV:35: и в Пс VII:15; Иов XVII:9: и в Пс LV:2-7; LXII:8-9; LXXII:26-28; XCIII:16-19; Иов XV:25-26: и в Пс LXXII:3-9; LXXIV:5-6; Иов XXII:11: и в Пс XVII:17; Иов XXII:13: и в Пс LXXII:11; Иов XXXVI:16: и в Пс XVII:20; Иов V:3: и в Притч XXIV:30; Иов V:17: и в Притч III:11; Иов XVIII:5; XXI:17: и Притч XIII:9; XX:20; XXIV:29; Иов XXVIII:18: и в Притч III:15: и т. п. Наконец, некоторые еврейские выражения, как, напр. "алас" - "веселиться" (Иов XX:18; Притч XII:18), "тахбулот" - "намерения" (Иов XXXVII:12; Притч I:5), встречаются только в кн. Иова и произведениях Соломона. Как написанная в век Соломона, книга Иова была известна, говорят защитники рассматриваемого взгляда, последующим библейским писателям, заимствовавшим из нее некоторые выражения. Так, слова Амоса V:8: "кто сотворил семизвездие и Орион", взяты у Иов IX:9; слова Исаии XL:2: "кончилось время борьбы его" у Иов VII:1; XLIV:24-25: "Господь один распростер небеса" у Иов IX:8; XIX:5: "истощатся воды в море, и река иссякнет и высохнет" у Иов XIV:11; XIX 11: "обезумели князья иранские, совет мудрых советников фараоновых стал бессмыслен" у Иов XII:24: (ср. еще Иов X:16: и Ис XXXVIII:13; Иов XXXVIII:17: и Ис XXXVIII:10: и т. п. ). Если с книгою Иова знаком Амос и Исаия, то она появилась не позже Соломона и его века, так как от смерти Соломона до Иеровоама II-го, современника Амоса, не появлялись ветхозаветные книги, и некому было писать их.

В то время как совпадения кн. Иова с псалмами, притчами, кн. пророков Амоса, Исаии и Иеремии (Иов III, Иep XX) дают вышеперечисленным экзегетам право считать ее написанною в век Соломона, в руках других ученых эти данные превращаются в доказательства ее позднейшего происхождения. Не Амос, Исаия и Иеремия были знакомы с кн. Иова, а, наоборот, автор последней - с их произведениями. Она позднее их, написана после Езекии, как рассуждает Ригм, или, по крайней мере, в век Исаии, как утверждает Штракк. Из других экзегетов Евальд и Ренан относят составление кн. Иова ко временам Манассии; Гирцель - ко временам отведения Иохаза в плен, так как ее автор обнаруживает знакомство с Египтом; Шрадер, Нольдеке, Рейс - к эпохе ассирийского пленения, на что указывает будто бы XII:14-24: кн. Иова. Самою позднею датою составления книги Иова считается у ученых отрицательного направления (Гроций, Клерик, Шрадер, Дильман) период после плена вавилонского. Данному времени она принадлежит будто бы потому, что носит в языке сильную арамейскую окраску, свойственную только послепленным библейским писателям; в грамматических формах и оборотах имеет себе параллель в Пс 136, у Даниила и Таргумах и, наконец, в некоторых пунктах вероучения (о сатане, ангелах-хранителях, - Иов I-II; V:1; XXXIII:23) сходна с кн. Даниила (IV:10, 14) и Захарии (III:1-3).

Только что перечисленные мнения западных библеистов нашли себе место и в русской, посвященной кн. Иова, литературе. Так, митрополит Филарет (Кн. Иова в русском переводе с краткими объяснениями), преосвященный Агафангел (Св. Иов многострадальный) и арх. Ф. Бухарев. (Св. Иов многострадальный) относят ее к числу древнейших произведений библейской письменности. "Догадкою, говорит первый, ко времени патриархов относится кн. Иова". "Она, - замечает последний, - произошла прежде Моисеева законодательства" (с. 4). Епископ Ириней (Орда) считает книгу Иова написанною при Езекии (Руководство к последовательному чтению учительных книг Ветхого Завета); митрополит Киевский Арсений (Введение в Св. книги Ветхого Завета. Труды Киев. Д. Ак. 1873, II) и проф. Юнгеров (Общее историко-критическое введение в свящ. кн. Ветхого Завета, с 25. Происхождение кн. Иова. Правосл. собеседник 1906. Март, с. 334) - перед пленом вавилонским; г. Писарев (О происхождении кн. Иова. Прав. обозрение. 1865. Май) и Афанасьев (Учительные кн. Ветхого Завета) - в век Соломона, а преосв. Филарет, еп. Рижский (Происхождение кн. Иова), основываясь на ее сходстве со всеми каноническими книгами, выдает ее за самое последнее по времени произведение библейской письменности. Книга Иова - одно из самых ранних и самых поздних произведений ветхозаветной канонической письменности, таковы два крайних мнения о времени ее происхождения. Но что касается первого, то оно допускает невозможный и невероятный факт появления в начале письменности такого произведения, которое по содержанию является верхом религиозной рефлексии, а по форме - одним из величайших поэтических произведений всего мира, - совершеннейшей по плану и величественной по выполнению поэмой. Периоду законодательства не свойственны отвлеченные теоретические рассуждения, тем более те, с которыми встречаемся в кн. Иова. В частности, творения Моисея проникнуты верою в Божественное Правосудие и строгое соответствие благочестия земному благополучию, а книга Иова не только выражает сомнение в этом, но и доходит до прямого отрицания правды в деле божественного мироправления (см. гл. IX, X, XII). По учению Моисея, счастье праведника, награда за благочестие заключается в пользовании земными благами (Втор XXVIII). Иов же как не радовался многому богатству своему и приобретению руки своей (XXXI:25), так точно не впал в уныние, лишившись их (I:21). Для него, благочестивого человека, земные блага не составляют высшей награды; таковою служит сам Бог (XXII:25), высшим благом - сознание преданности Ему (VI:10). Одним словом, в деле развития религиозного и нравственного сознания кн. Иова представляет по сравнению с Пятикнижием несомненный шаг вперед. Появление их в один век - дело невозможное. Не может быть допущено и второе мнение. За допленное происхождение книги Иова говорят вышеприведенные слова пророка Иезекииля. Повторяя 20-22: ст. V гл. кн. Иова, они предполагают ее существование. Что касается отмечаемых экзегетами признаков ее послепленного происхождения (учение о сатане и ангелах-хранителях), то они не имеют подобного значения. Учение о добрых духах, в частности об ангелах-хранителях, встречается уже в кн. Бытия (XXVIII:12-22; XXXII:1-2; XLVIII:16) и раскрыто в Пс XC, а кн. Царств говорят о злом, лживом духе (1: Цар XVI:14-15, 23; 3: Цар XXII:19-23). Ввиду этого нет достаточных оснований считать такое же точно учение кн. Иова заимствованным от персов в послепленный период.

составлена в промежуток времени между Моисеем и пленом Вавилонским, всего вероятнее, в век Соломона.

Если время написания кн. Иова может быть определено более или менее правдоподобно, то личность ее автора остается совсем неизвестною. Им не был, конечно, Моисей, а считать автором Соломона, как предполагают Григорий Богослов и отчасти Иоанн Златоуст, имеется столько же оснований, сколько и какого-нибудь мудреца его времени. Кейль делает, напр., предположение, что автором был Еман. Неизвестному автору еврею принадлежит, впрочем, только современная редакция кн. Иова; в основе же ее лежит, как думают, запись не еврейского, а арабско-идумейского происхождения: "Происхождение кн. в Аравии подтверждается, - говорит проф. Юнгеров, - обнаруженным в ней близким знакомством с жизнью народов, обитателей Аравии; напр., подробным описанием добывания золота, принятого в Аравии (XXVIII:1-11); понятным слушателям Господа описанием аравийских коней (XXXIX:19-25), страуса, онагра, единорога, павлина (XXXIX:1-18). У библейских писателей евреев ничего подобного не встречается, так как в густо населенной Палестине не могли водиться эти животные, любящие аравийский степной пустынный простор. Богатство Иова состояло, между прочим, из верблюдов (I:3), а они признаются собственностью жителей пустынь (Ис XXX:6), степей, кочевников и номадов (Суд VI:5; 1: Цар V:21; Иер XLIX:29). Ни в одной из библейских книг нет далее описания крокодилов, или левиафанов, как в речи Господа (XL-XLI). Это можно объяснить из того предположения, что евреем, в своем Иордане не видевшим чего-либо подобного, могло быть непонятно такое описание, а арабам, бывавшим в Египте со своими караванами (Быт XXXVII:25-28, 36) и видевшим в нильских водах сих животных, оно могло быть понятно. Вообще, иностранное, не еврейское, происхождение книги видно из молчания писателя и описываемых им лиц об евреях, еврейском ветхозаветном законе, событиях еврейской истории и т. п". (Православный собеседник 1906. Март, с. 336-337). Если же, несмотря на свое нееврейское происхождение, кн. Иова излагает чисто библейское учение о Боге, творении Мира, шеоле, добрых и злых духах и совпадает в языке с другими ветхозаветными книгами, то это объясняется тем, что первоначальная запись истории страданий и верований Иова (XIX:24-27) сделалась известною какому-либо еврейскому богодухновенному писателю, знакомому с арабским языком. Он перевел ее на еврейский язык, сделал, может быть, известные переделки, приблизил к библейским ветхозаветным воззрениям и при участии Божественного вдохновения составил каноническую книгу (Ibid, с. 339). Следы подобной переработки указывают, между прочим, в симметричном исчислении детей и имущества Иова: 7: сыновей и три дочери, 7: 000: овец и 3: 000: верблюдов; 500: волов и 500: ослиц; - в приурочении бедствий к одному дню, а равно и в строго выполненном плане, постепенности в ходе мыслей, постоянном параллелизме членов и т. п.

Состав и основная мысль книги Иова. Состоящая из 42: гл. книга Иова распадается на пять частей: пролог - I-II гл. ; разговоры Иова с друзьями - III-XXXI; речи Елиуя - XXXII-XXXVII; речи Господа - XXXVIII-XLII:6; эпилог - XLII:7-36. Из них пролог содержит, как и во всякой драме, завязку действия, - трижды возобновлявшегося спора Иова с друзьями. Не приведший к разрешению вопроса о причинах его страданий, так как спорящие остались при своих взглядах, он близится к концу, благодаря речам младшего друга Елиуя: они вызвали вмешательство Господа, сопровождающееся развязкою действия в эпилоге. В подобные рамки и вставлено содержание кн. Иова, раскрывающее ту главную мысль, что страдания праведника, составляя проявление борьбы между семенем жены и семенем змия (пролог), суть в то же время и показатели ее результатов, - конечного торжества правды, победы добра над злом. Пораженный по клевете сатаны всевозможными бедствиями, Иов остается верен Богу при лишениях материального характера (I:21-22; II:10), не изменяет Ему и в том случае, когда подвергается искушениям духовного свойства. Они заключаются в возможности утраты веры в Бога, как правосудное существо, в отречении от Него. И действительно, Иов близок к подобному состоянию. В моменты наибольшей возбужденности, наивысшего отчаяния он представляет Бога существом произвольным, губящим одинаково правых и виновных (IX:22-24) поддерживающим злодеев и нечестивых (XII:6-10; XXI:1-16). Всемогущий, не терпящий и не признающий возражений, Господь (IX:4-12) нарушает правду и по отношению к отдельным лицам и целым народам. Управляющая их судьбами божественная премудрость сказывается и проявляется в различного рода катастрофах, приводящих к гибели целые нации (XII:16-25). Подобный взгляд на божественное мироправление равносилен для Иова отказу от прежнего религиозного миросозерцания, одним из главных пунктов которого являлось представление о Боге, как правосудном существе (XXIX:1-5). Но отказаться от того, с чем сроднилась душа, что составляло ее жизнь, заветные убеждения, нельзя без борьбы. С новым представлением о Боге, сложившимся под влиянием страданий и особенно разговоров с друзьями, не мирятся ум и сердце страдальца. Последнее жаждет видеть в Боге милостивого, правосудного Судию (XIV:13-15; XXIII:3-7); на помощь ему является рассудок, придумывающий целый ряд соображений, при помощи которых Иов старается оправдать отношение к себе Бога, представить Его существом правосудным (X:2-12). В результате подобной борьбы вера побеждает сомнение (XVI:19; XIX:25-27). На Иове оправдываются его собственные слова, что поражаемый бедствиями "праведник будет крепко держаться пути своего, и чистый руками будет больше и больше утверждаться" (XVII:9). В силу вековой борьбы добра со злом страдания праведников, - представителей правды, - неизбежны. В качестве же факта личной, субъективной жизни они находят оправдание, возмещение в своих результатах, - в укреплении праведника в добре - "я крепился бы в моей беспощадной болезни, ибо я не отвергся изречений Святаго" (VI:10).

Подлинность книги Иова. Библейская исагогическая литература не знает примера отрицания подлинности всей книги Иова. Сомнению подвергаются лишь отдельные части: пролог (I, II), эпилог (XLII:7-17), речь Иова о божественной премудрости с предшествующим рассуждением о наказании нечестивых (XXVII:7: и д. XXVIII), описание бегемота и левиафана (XL:10-XLI) и, наконец, речи Елиуя (XXXII-XXVII).

Подлинность пролога и эпилога отвергаются прежде всего на том главном основании, что в противоположность остальным частям книги они написаны прозою. Но если, по справедливому замечанию Кейля, середина книги без исторического введения и заключения была бы торсом без головы и ног, то, с другой стороны, написанные прозою пролог и эпилог носят несомненный поэтический характер. За это ручается соразмерность в исчислении животных (I:3), описание небесного совета (I:6), поэтический параллелизм в речи Иова (I:21). Другое данное для отрицания пролога и эпилога заключается в предполагаемом противоречии их идее книги. В то время как она высказывает свой особый, глубокий взгляд на страдания, автор введения, особенно заключения, держится обычной ветхозаветной (Моисеевой) теории мздовоздаяния. Но что касается пролога, то содержащееся в нем учение о загадочности страданий Иова (небесный совет неизвестен ни ему, ни его друзьям) составляет несомненное указание на то, что при его составлении автором были приняты во внимание взгляды книги на данный предмет. Эпилог, действительно, проводит Моисееву теорию о мздовоздаянии и применяет ее к Иову. Но это объясняется тем, что одно словесное оправдание Иова без возвращения земного благосостояния не в состоянии удовлетворить ветхозаветного человека. В качестве признаков неподлинности пролога и эпилога указывают, наконец, на употребление в них божественного имени Иегова, - в поэтической части оно не встречается, а заменяется именами Элогим, Шаддай, на противоречие между I:18-19, и XIX:17: и учение о сатане, - продукт персидского влияния. Первое возражение основывается на простом недоразумении. Имя Иегова дважды встречается в поэтической части (XII:9; XXVIII:28) и не менее пяти раз в речах Господа (XXXVIII:1; XL:1, 3, 6; XIII:1). Более частое употребление в речах Иова и его друзей имен Элогим, Шаддай объясняется стремлением автора сообщить всему действию колорит патриархального, домоисеевского периода, в виду чего он и избегает имени Бога завета - Иегова (ср. Исх VI:3. Толков. Библ. I т., с. 291). По поводу второго возражения см. объяснение XIX:17: и третьего - конец отдела "Введения" "о времени написания кн. Иова".

Основанием для отрицания подлинности XXVII:7: и д. и XXVIII служит явное противоречие содержащегося в них учения с основными взглядами Иова. В XXVII:7: и д. сам страдалец излагает ту самую теорию мздовоздаяния, - наказания грешников, которую он же усиленно и настойчиво опровергает во многих речах (см. напр. XXI:7: и д. ; XXIV). Гл. XXVIII изображением божественной, непостижимой для человека, премудрости стремится возбудить чувство смирения пред Богом, что не соответствует горделивой уверенности Иова в своей правоте и вытекающему из нее нежеланию покаяться (см., напр., IX:21). Но признавая в XXVII:7: и д. факт божественного наказания грешников, Иов хочет исправить свой прежний односторонний взгляд, сводящийся к отрицанию Божественного Правосудия (см. еще толкование данных стихов). Всецело отвергать его нельзя, и в тоже время невозможно отрицать и случаев безнаказанности грешников (XXI:7: и д. ). Чтобы оттенить данную мысль, Иов и описывает в XXVIII гл. непостижимую для человека божественную премудрость: ее деятельность при распределении в жизни людей счастья и бедствий представляет много загадочного.

В качестве интерполяций гл. XL:10: и д. и XLI составляют, по мнению Эвальда, Мейера, Дильмана и Фюрста, произведение какого-нибудь иудея VI ст., бывавшего в Египте и описавшего двух Нильских животных. Основанием считать их позднейшею вставкою служат следующие соображения. 1) Смысл и цель речей Иеговы не допускают в данном месте описания животных. Наглядное при посредстве его изображения божественного всемогущества уместно в первой речи, но не во второй, раскрывающей мысль о Божественном Правосудии. 2) Самый способ доказательства божественного всемогущества не достигает цели. Если все животные, не исключая бегемота и крокодила, подчинены человеку (Быт I:26), то что же удивительного в том, что они повинуются Богу? Во-вторых, бегемот и крокодил - египетские животные, неизвестные жителям Палестины, а потому и описание их силы не может произвести особенного, необходимого в данном случае, впечатления. 3) Пространное описание животных совершенно излишне для целей второй речи, вполне законченной в XL:1-9. И наоборот, XLI:26: не составляет заключения, не содержит указания, что теперь должен отвечать Иов (XLII:1: и д).

Что касается первого возражения, то оно упускает из внимания, то обстоятельство, что автору чуждо отделение божественного всемогущества от правосудия. Уже из первой речи видно, что всемогущий, вносящий Своею силою порядок и гармонию в видимую природу, Господь есть в то же время и правосудный. Равным образом и описание двух исполинских животных, символов злой, восстающий против Бога силы, дает понять, что всемогущий и всеправедный Господь смиряет проявления зла. Неуместность и слабость второго возражения видна из того, что по тем же основаниям мы должны заподозрить подлинность описания землетрясений, затмения солнца (IX:5-6), замечания об Орионе (XXXVIII:31) и т. п.: не все обитатели Палестины были свидетелями первых явлений, не всем известно расположение звезд в созвездии Ориона (см. толкование). Не имеет силы и третье возражение. Если бы вторая речь Господа обнимала начальные девять стихов XL гл., то она была бы слишком кратка по сравнению с первой и не могла бы возбудить в Иове сознания своего ничтожества и божественного всемогущества (XLII:2). И наоборот, при современном составе книги оно прекрасно подготовляется как замечанием ст. 2-3: XL гл., так и заключительными штрихами в описании крокодила (XLI:26).

Основания, по которым ученые, - Эйхгорн, Де-Ветте, Шрадер, Мейер, Эвальд, Дильман, Давидсон, Ренан и др., из новейших Лей, - заподазривают подлинность речей Елиуя, следующие. 1) Об Елиуе ни слова не говорится ни в прологе, ни в эпилоге, и там и здесь упоминаются лишь три друга. Он выступает совсем неожиданно. В действительности, умолчание об Елиуе в прологе и эпилоге не составляет доказательства, будто его не было с друзьями, будто данное лицо вымышлено после и вставлено в книгу другим писателем. Елиуй был молод сравнительно с тремя друзьями и пришел, по его собственным словам, не для того, чтобы говорить, а чтобы слушать речи старших (XXXII:3-7). В виду этого писатель и умалчивает о нем до тех пор, пока не настала необходимость ввести и его в круг действий. Излишне упоминание об Елиуе и в эпилоге: он не был виновен за свои речи пред Богом и Иовом. Божественный гнев простирается лишь на трех старших друзей (XLII:7). 2) Речи Елиуя будто бы насильственно прерывают связь между последнею речью Иова и речами Иеговы. Вступление к этим последним необходимо предполагает, что Иов говорил непосредственно пред Господом, и отрывочный конец его последней речи (XXXI:33-40) объясняется только тем, что он вдруг был прерван Иеговою. Но если речь Господа имеет непосредственное отношение к последней речи Иова, а не к речам Елиуя, то это еще не говорит за то, что последние вставлены после. Бог вступает в разговор с Иовом по его собственному желанию (XXXI:35), а потому и Его слова должны непосредственно относиться к последней речи страдальца. Притом же Иов в продолжении речей Елиуя молчал, сообразно с чем они стоят совершенно отдельно, не так как, речи первых трех друзей, из которых Иов на каждую давал ответ. Смолкнувшего Иова Бог и вызывает на ответ (XXXVIII:1). Не давший ответа равному себе существу (XXXIII:4-7), может ли он возражать Господу? Переход от речей Елиуя к речам Иеговы вполне естествен и ясен. С внешней стороны он подготовлен тем, что последняя речь Елиуя произносится пред наступлением грозы (XXXVII:2-4), и вслед за этим в буре является Господь. Напрасно, наконец, и заявление, что речи Иова не окончены, так что Господь прерывает их. Наоборот, его последняя защитительная речь относится ко всему ранее им сказанному о своей невинности, как скрепляющая, удостоверяющая письмо подпись; - она то же самое, что "тав", последняя буква еврейского алфавита, употребляемая для засвидетельствования чего-нибудь (см. толков. XXXI:35). 3) Замечается резкий контраст между пространным введением в речи Елиуя (XXXII:2-6) и кратким замечанием о прибытии друзей. Введение в речи Елиуя необходимо для определения личности нового собеседника, выяснения его отношения к предшествующим ораторам. В них он выступает в роли третейского судьи между спорящими. Елиуй старается выяснить ошибки, которые допустил Иов в своих речах, и не касается вопроса о его греховности. И с этой стороны он подготовляет речи Господа, указывающего страдальцу новые, неотмеченные Елиуем, промахи в его суждениях. Поэтому-то во введении к речам Елиуя и отмечается его мудрость. 4) Сообразно с ответом Иова на речи друзей естественно ожидать, что он не оставит без возражения и речи Елиуя, чего, однако, не замечается. Молчание Иова не представляет ничего особенного, если принять во внимание тот контраст, который наблюдается между спорящими с Иовом друзьями и стоящим выше партийных счетов Елиуем. Его рассуждения подготавливают развязку действия, - в обличении неправых суждений Иова указывают тот путь, которым может быть поддержана его вера. И если цель автора указать, каким образом разрешаются сомнения Иова, каким образом вера в Бога торжествует в нем над сомнением, а к этому и направляются речи Елиуя, то странно требовать, чтобы он ввязал Иова в спор с новым другом. Это значило бы оттягивать решение вопроса. 5) Неподлинность речей Елиуя доказывают, наконец, их арамейской окраской и особенностями в слоге, - употреблением слов и оборотов, неизвестных речам остальных друзей. Но арамеизмы в речах Елиуя объясняются его арамейским происхождением из поколения Вуза (XXXII:2). Представитель иного, чем друзья, племени, Елиуй и говорит иначе. Что автор намеренно сообщил речам Елиуя арамейскую окраску, это видно из того, что она заметна только в двух случаях (XXXII:6: и д. ; XXXVI:2: и д. ).
Matthew Henry: Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible - 1706
THIS book of Job stands by itself, is not connected with any other, and is therefore to be considered alone. Many copies of the Hebrew Bible place it after the book of Psalms, and some after the Proverbs, which perhaps has given occasion to some learned men to imagine it to have been written by Isaiah or some of the later prophets. But, as the subject appears to have been much more ancient, so we have no reason to think but that the composition of the book was, and that therefore it is most fitly placed first in this collection of divine morals: also, being doctrinal, it is proper to precede and introduce the book of Psalms, which is devotional, and the book of Proverbs, which is practical; for how shall we worship or obey a God whom we know not? As to this book,
I. We are sure that it is given by inspiration of God, though we are not certain who was the penman of it. The Jews, though no friends to Job, because he was a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel, yet, as faithful conservators of the oracles of God committed to them, always retained this book in their sacred canon. The history is referred to by one apostle (James v. 11) and one passage (ch. v. 13) is quoted by another apostle, with the usual form of quoting scripture, It is written, 1 Cor. iii. 19. It is the opinion of many of the ancients that this history was written by Moses himself in Midian, and delivered to his suffering brethren in Egypt, for their support and comfort under their burdens, and the encouragement of their hope that God would in due time deliver and enrich them, as he did this patient sufferer. Some conjecture that it was written originally in Arabic, and afterwards translated into Hebrew, for the use of the Jewish church, by Solomon (so Monsieur Jurieu) or some other inspired writer. It seems most probable to me that Elihu was the penman of it, at least of the discourses, because (ch. xxxii. 15, 16) he mingles the words of a historian with those of a disputant: but Moses perhaps wrote the first two chapters and the last, to give light to the discourses; for in them God is frequently called Jehovah, but not once in all the discourses, except ch. xii. 9. That name was but little known to the patriarchs before Moses, Exod. vi. 3. If Job wrote it himself, some of the Jewish writers themselves own him a prophet among the Gentiles; if Elihu, we find he had a spirit of prophecy which filled him with matter and constrained him, ch. xxxii. 18.
II. We are sure that it is, for the substance of it, a true history, and not a romance, though the dialogues are poetical. No doubt there was such a man as Job; the prophet Ezekiel names him with Noah and Daniel, Ezek. xiv. 14. The narrative we have here of his prosperity and piety, his strange afflictions and exemplary patience, the substance of his conferences with his friends, and God's discourse with him out of the whirlwind, with his return at length to a very prosperous condition, no doubt is exactly true, though the inspired penman is allowed the usual liberty of putting the matter of which Job and his friends discoursed into his own words.
III. We are sure that it is very ancient, though we cannot fix the precise time either when Job lived or when the book was written. So many, so evident, are its hoary hairs, the marks of its antiquity, that we have reason to think it of equal date with the book of Genesis itself, and that holy Job was contemporary with Isaac and Jacob; though not coheir with them of the promise of the earthly Canaan, yet a joint-expectant with them of the better country, that is, the heavenly. Probably he was of the posterity of Nahor, Abraham's brother, whose first-born was Uz (Gen. xxii. 21), and in whose family religion was for some ages kept up, as appears, Gen. xxxi. 53, where God is called, not only the God of Abraham, but the God of Nahor. He lived before the age of man was shortened to seventy or eighty, as it was in Moses's time, before sacrifices were confined to one altar, before the general apostasy of the nations from the knowledge and worship of the true God, and while yet there was no other idolatry known than the worship of the sun and moon, and that punished by the Judges, ch. xxxi. 26-28. He lived while God was known by the name of God Almighty more than by the name of Jehovah; for he is called Shaddai--the Almighty, above thirty times in this book. He lived while divine knowledge was conveyed, not by writing, but by tradition; for to that appeals are here made, ch. viii. 8; xxi. 29; xv. 18; v. 1. And we have therefore reason to think that he lived before Moses, because here is no mention at all of the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, or the giving of the law. There is indeed one passage which might be made to allude to the drowning of Pharaoh (ch. xxvi. 12): He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through Rahab, which name Egypt is frequently called by in scripture, as Ps. lxxxvii. 4; lxxxix. 10; Isa. li. 9. But that may as well refer to the proud waves of the sea. We conclude therefore that we are here got back to the patriarchal age, and, besides its authority, we receive this book with veneration for its antiquity.
IV. We are sure that it is of great use to the church, and to every good Christian, though there are many passages in it dark and hard to be understood. We cannot perhaps be confident of the true meaning of every Arabic word and phrase we meet with in it. It is a book that finds a great deal of work for the critics; but enough is plain to make the whole profitable, and it was all written for our learning.
1. This noble poem presents to us, in very clear and lively characters, these five things among others:-- (1.) A monument of primitive theology. The first and great principles of the light of nature, on which natural religion is founded, are here, in a warm, and long, and learned dispute, not only taken for granted on all sides and not the least doubt made of them, but by common consent plainly laid down as eternal truths, illustrated and urged as affecting commanding truths. Were ever the being of God, his glorious attributes and perfections, his unsearchable wisdom, his irresistible power, his inconceivable glory, his inflexible justice, and his incontestable sovereignty, discoursed of with more clearness, fulness, reverence, and divine eloquence, than in this book? The creation of the world, and the government of it, are here admirably described, not as matters of nice speculation, but as laying most powerful obligations upon us to fear and serve, to submit to and trust in, our Creator, owner, Lord, and ruler. Moral good and evil, virtue and vice, were never drawn more to the life (the beauty of the one and the deformity of the other) than in this book; nor the inviolable rule of God's judgment more plainly laid down, That happy are the righteous, it shall be well with them; and Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with them. These are not questions of the schools to keep the learned world in action, nor engines of state to keep the unlearned world in awe; no, it appears by this book that they are sacred truths of undoubted certainty, and which all the wise and sober part of mankind have in every age subscribed and submitted to. (2.) It presents us with a specimen of Gentile piety. This great saint descended probably not from Abraham, but Nahor; or, if from Abraham, not from Isaac, but from one of the sons of the concubines that were sent into the east-country (Gen. xxv. 6); or, if from Isaac, yet not from Jacob, but Esau; so that he was out of the pale of the covenant of peculiarity, no Israelite, no proselyte, and yet none like him for religion, nor such a favourite of heaven upon this earth. It was a truth therefore, before St. Peter perceived it, that in every nation he that fears God and works righteousness is accepted of him, Acts x. 35. There were children of God scattered abroad (John xi. 52) besides the incorporated children of the kingdom, Matt. viii. 11, 12. (3.) It presents us with an exposition of the book of Providence, and a clear and satisfactory solution of many of the difficult and obscure passages of it. The prosperity of the wicked and the afflictions of the righteous have always been reckoned two as hard chapters as any in that book; but they are here expounded, and reconciled with the divine wisdom, purity, and goodness, by the end of these things. (4.) It presents us with a great example of patience and close adherence to God in the midst of the sorest calamities. Sir Richard Blackmore's most ingenious pen, in his excellent preface to his paraphrase on this book, makes Job a hero proper for an epic poem; for, says he, "He appears brave in distress and valiant in affliction, maintains his virtue, and with that his character, under the most exasperating provocations that the malice of hell could invent, and thereby gives a most noble example of passive fortitude, a character no way inferior to that of the active hero," &c. (5.) It presents us with an illustrious type of Christ, the particulars of which we shall endeavour to take notice of as we go along. In general, Job was a great sufferer, was emptied and humbled, but in order to his greater glory. So Christ abased himself, that we might be exalted. The learned bishop Patrick quotes St. Jerome ore than once speaking of Job as a type of Christ, who for the job that was set before him endured the cross, who was persecuted, for a time, by men and devils, and seemed forsaken of God too, but was raised to be an intercessor even for his friends and had added affliction to his misery. When the apostle speaks of the patience of Job he immediately takes notice of the end of the Lord, that is, of the Lord Jesus (as some understand it), typified by Job, James v. 11.
2. In this book we have, (1.) The history of Job's sufferings, and his patience under them (ch. i., ii., not without a mixture of human frailty, ch. iii. (2.) A dispute between him and his friends upon them, in which, [1.] The opponents were Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. [2.] The respondent was Job. [3.] The moderators were, First, Elihu, ch. xxxii.-xxxvii. Secondly, God himself, ch. xxxviii.-xli. (3.) The issue of all in Job's honour and prosperity, ch. xlii. Upon the whole, we learn that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but that when the Lord delivers them out of them all the trial of their faith will be found to praise, and honour, and glory.

The history of Job begins here with an account, I. Of his great piety in general (ver. 1), and in a particular instance, ver. 5. II. Of his great prosperity, ver. 2-4. III. Of the malice of Satan against him, and the permission he obtained to try his constancy, ver. 6-12. IV. Of the surprising troubles that befel him, the ruin of his estate (ver. 13-17), and the death of his children, ver. 18, 19. V. Of his exemplary patience and piety under these troubles, ver. 20-22. In all this he is set forth for an example of suffering affliction, from which no prosperity can secure us, but through which integrity and uprightness will preserve us.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
Preface to the Book of Job
This is the most singular book in the whole of the Sacred Code: though written by the same inspiration, and in reference to the same end, the salvation of men, it is so different from every other book of the Bible, that it seems to possess nothing in common with them, for even the language, in its construction, is dissimilar from that in the Law, the Prophets, and the historical books. But on all hands it is accounted a work that contains "the purest morality, the sublimest philosophy, the simplest ritual, and the most majestic creed." Except the two first chapters and the ten last verses, which are merely prose, all the rest of the book is poetic; and is every where reducible to the hemistich form, in which all the other poetic books of the Bible are written: it is therefore properly called a Poem; but whether it belongs to the dramatic or epic species has not been decided by learned men. To try it by those rules which have been derived from Aristotle, and are still applied to ascertain compositions in these departments of poetry, is, in my opinion, as absurd as it is ridiculous. Who ever made a poem on these rules? And is there a poem in the universe worth reading that is strictly conformable to these rules? Not one. The rules, it is true, were deduced from compositions of this description: - and although they may be very useful, in assisting poets to methodize their compositions, and to keep the different parts distinct; yet they have often acted as a species of critical trammels, and have cramped genius. Genuine poetry is like a mountain flood: it pours down, resistless, bursts all bounds, scoops out its own channel, carries woods and rocks before it, and spreads itself abroad, both deep and wide, over all the plain. Such, indeed, is the poetry which the reader will meet with in this singular and astonishing book. As to Aristotle himself, although he was a keen-eyed plodder of nature, and a prodigy for his time; yet if we may judge from his poetics, he had a soul as incapable of feeling the true genie createur, as Racine terms the spirit of poetry, as he was, by his physics, metaphysics, and analogies, of discovering the true system of the universe.
As to the book of Job, it is most evidently a poem, and a poem of the highest order; dealing in subjects the most grand and sublime; using imagery the most chaste and appropriate; described by language the most happy and energetic; conveying instruction, both in Divine and human things, the most ennobling and useful; abounding in precepts the most pure and exalted, which are enforced by arguments the most strong and conclusive, and illustrated by examples the most natural and striking.
All these points will appear in the strongest light to every attentive reader of the book; and to such its great end will be answered: they will learn from it, that God has way every where: that the wicked, though bearing rule for a time, can never be ultimately prosperous and happy; and that the righteous, though oppressed with sufferings and calamities, can never be forgotten by Him in whose hands are his saints, and with whom their lives are precious; that in this world neither are the wicked ultimately punished, nor the righteous ultimately rewarded; that God's judgments are a great deep, and his ways past finding out; but the issues of all are to the glory of his wisdom and grace, and to the eternal happiness of those who trust in him. This is the grand design of the book, and this design will be strikingly evident to the simplest and most unlettered reader, whose heart is right with God, and who is seeking instruction, in order that he may glorify his Maker, by receiving and by doing good.
Notwithstanding all this, there is not a book in Scripture on the subject of which more difficulties have been started. None, says Calmet, has furnished more subjects of doubt and embarrassment; and none has afforded less information for the solution of those doubts. On this subject the great questions which have been agitated refer, principally,
1. To the person of Job.
2. To his existence.
3. To the time in which he lived.
4. To his country.
5. To his stock or kindred.
6. To his religion.
7. To the author of the book.
8. To its truth.
9. To its authenticity; and,
10. To the time and occasion on which it was written.
With respect to the first and second, several writers of eminent note have denied the personality of Job; according to them, no such person ever existed; he is merely fabulous, and is like the Il penseroso, or sorrowful man of Milton; sorrow, distress, affliction, and persecution personified, as the name imports. According to them, he is a mere ideal being, created by the genius of the poet; clothed with such attributes, and placed in such circumstances, as gave the poet scope and materials for his work.
Thirdly, as to the time in which those place him who receive this as a true history, there is great variety. According to some, he flourished in the patriarchal age; some make him contemporary with Moses; that he was in the captivity in Egypt, and that he lived at the time of the exodus. Some place him in the time of the Israelitish judges; others in the days of David; others, in those of Solomon; and others, in the time of the Babylonish captivity, having been teacher of a school at Tiberias in Palestine, and, with the rest of his countrymen, carried away into Babylon; and that he lived under Ahasuerus and Esther. Fourthly, as to his country: some make him an Arab; others, an Egyptian; others, a Syrian; some an Israelite; and some, an Idumean. Fifthly, as to his origin: some derive him from Nachor, and others from Esau, and make him the fifth in descent from Abraham. Sixthly, as to his religion: some suppose it to have been Sabaeism; others, that it was patriarchal; and others, that he was bred up in the Jewish faith. Seventhly, as to the author of the work, learned men are greatly divided: some suppose the author to have been Elihu; others, Job; others, Job and his friends; others, Moses; some, Solomon; others, Isaiah; and others, Ezra, or some unknown Jew, posterior to the captivity. Eighthly, as to the book: some maintain that it is a history of fact, given by one best qualified to record it; and others, that it is an instructive fiction-facts, persons, dialogues and all, being supposititious; given, however, by the inspiration of God, in a sort of parabolic form, like those employed in the Gospel; and similar to that of the rich man and Lazarus. Ninthly, as to its authenticity: while some, and those not well qualified to judge, have asserted it to be a mere human production, of no Divine authority; others have clearly shown that the book itself, whatever questions may arise concerning the person, author, time, place, etc., was ever received by the Jewish Church and people as authentic, genuine, and divinely inspired; and incorporated, with the highest propriety, among the most instructive, sublime, and excellent portions of Divine revelation. Tenthly, as to the occasion on which it was written, there are considerable differences of opinion: some will have it to be written for the consolation of the Hebrews in their peregrinations through the wilderness; and others, for the comfort and encouragement of the Israelites in the Babylonish captivity: these state that Job represents Nehemiah, and that his three professed friends, but real enemies, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, represent Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian! and that the whole book should be understood and interpreted on this ground; and that, with a little allowance for poetic colouring, all its parts perfectly harmonize, thus understood; showing, in a word, that into whatsoever troubles or persecutions God may permit his people to be brought, yet he will sustain them in the fire, bring them safely through it, and discomfit all their enemies: and that whatsoever is true on this great scale, is true also on that which is more contracted; as he will equally support, defend, and finally render conqueror, every individual that trusts in him.
I shall not trouble my readers with the arguments which have been used by learned men, pro and con, relative to the particulars already mentioned: were I to do this, I must transcribe a vast mass of matter, which, though it might display great learning in the authors, would most certainly afford little edification to the great bulk of my readers. My own opinion on those points they may naturally wish to know; and to that opinion they have a right: it is such as I dare avow, and such as I feel no disposition to conceal. I believe Job to have been a real person, and his history to be a statement of facts.
As the preface to this book (I mean the first chapter) states him to have lived in the land of Uz, or Uts, I believe, with Mr. Good and several other learned men, this place to have been "situated in Arabia Petraea, on the south-western coast of the lake Asphaltites, in a line between Egypt and Philistia, surrounded with Kedar, Teman, and Midian; all of which were districts of Arabia Petraea; situated in Idumea, the land of Edom or Esau; and comprising so large a part of it, that Idumea and Ausitis, or the land of Uz, and the land of Edom, were convertible terms, and equally employed to import the same region: thus, Lam 4:21 : 'Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz."' See Mr. Good's Introductory Dissertation; who proceeds to observe: "Nothing is clearer than that all the persons introduced into this poem were Idumeans, dwelling in Idumea; or, in other words, Edomite Arabs. These characters are, Job himself, dwelling in the land of Uz; Eliphaz of Teman, a district of as much repute as Uz, and (upon the joint testimony of Jer 49:7, Jer 49:20; Eze 25:13; Amo 1:11, Amo 1:12, and Oba 1:8, Oba 1:9) a part, and a principal part, of Idumea; Bildad of Shuah, always mentioned in conjunction with Sheba and Dedan, all of them being uniformly placed in the vicinity of Idumea; Zophar of Naamah, a city whose name imports pleasantness, which is also stated, in Jos 15:21, Jos 15:41, to have been situated in Idumea, and to have lain in a southern direction towards its coast, or the shores of the Red Sea; and Elihu of Buz, which as the name of a place occurs but once in sacred writ, but is there (Jer 25:22, Jer 25:23) mentioned in conjunction with Teman and Dedan; and hence necessarily, like themselves, a border city upon Ausitis, Uz, or Idumea. It had a number of names: it was at first called Horitis, from the Horim or Horites, who appear to have first settled there. Among the descendants of these, the most distinguished was Seir; and from him the land was known by the name of the Land of Seir. This chief had a numerous family, and among the most signalized of his grandsons was Uz, or Uts; and from him, and not from Uz the son of Nahor, it seems to have been called Ausitis, or the Land of Uz. The family of Hor, Seir, or Uz, were at length dispossessed of the entire region by Esau, or Edom; who strengthened himself by his marriage with one of the daughters of Ishmael; and the conquered territory was denominated Idumea, or the land of Edom." I think this is conclusive as to the country of Job and his friends. See Mr. Good as above.
The man and his country being thus ascertained, the time in which he lived is the point next to be considered.
I feel all the difficulties of the various chronologies of learned men: all that has been offered on the subject is only opinion or probable conjecture; and, while I differ from many respectable authors, I dare not say that I have more to strengthen my opinion than they have to support theirs.
I do not believe that he lived under the patriarchal dispensation; nor in any time previous to the giving of the Law, or to the death of Moses. I have examined the opposite arguments, and they have brought no conviction to my mind. That he lived after the giving of the Law appears to me very probable, from what I consider frequent references to the Mosaic institutions occurring in the book, and which I shall notice in their respective places. I know it has been asserted there are no such references; and I am astonished at the assertion: the reader will judge whether a plain case is made out where the supposed references occur. An obstinate adherence to a preconceived system is like prejudice; it has neither eyes nor ears.
With this question, that relative to the author of the book is nearly connected. Were we to suppose that Job himself, or Elihu, or Job and his friends, wrote the work, the question would at once be answered that regards the time; but all positive evidence on this point is wanting: and while other suppositions have certain arguments to support them, the above claimants who are supported only by critical conjecture, must stand where they are for want of evidence. The opinions that appear the most probable, and have plausible arguments to support them, are the following:
1. Moses was the author of this book, as many portions of it harmonize with his acknowledged writings.
2. Solomon is the most likely author, as many of the sentiments contained in it are precisely the same with those in the Proverbs; and they are delivered often in nearly the same words.
3. The book was written by some Jew, in or soon after the time of the Babylonish captivity.
1. That Moses was the author has been the opinion of most learned men; and none has set the arguments in support of this opinion in so strong a light as Mr. Mason Good, in his Introductory Dissertation to his translation and notes on this book. Mr. G. is a gentleman of great knowledge, great learning, and correct thinking; and whatever he says or writes is entitled to respect. If he have data, his deductions are most generally consecutive and solid. He contends, "that the writer of this poem must in his style have been equally master of the simple and of the sublime; that he must have been minutely and elaborately acquainted with Astronomy, Natural History, and the general science of his age; that he must have been a Hebrew by birth and native language, and an Arabian by long residence and local study; and, finally, that he must have flourished and composed the work before the exodus." And he thinks that "every one of these features is consummated in Moses, and in Moses alone; and that the whole of them give us his complete lineaments and portraiture. Instructed in all the learning of Egypt, it appears little doubtful that he composed it during some part of his forty years' residence with the hospitable Jethro, in that district of Idumea which was named Midian." In addition to these external proofs of identity, Mr. Good thinks, "a little attention will disclose to us an internal proof, of peculiar force, in the close and striking similarity of diction and idiom which exists between the book of Job and those pieces of poetry which Moses is usually admitted to have composed. This point he proceeds to examine; and thinks that the following examples may make some progress toward settling the question, by exhibiting a very singular proof of general parallelism.
"The order of creation, as detailed in the first chapter of Genesis, is precisely similar to that described in20, the general arrangement that occupied the first day; - the formation of the clouds, which employed the second; - the separation of the sea, which took up a part of the third; - and the establishment of the luminaries in the skies, which characterized the fourth.
"In this general description, as given in Genesis, the vapor in the clouds, and the fluid in the sea, are equally denominated waters: thus, Gen 1:5-7, 'And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.'
"Let us compare this passage with10 : -
He driveth together the waters into His thick clouds;
And the cloud is not rent under them -
He setteth a bow on the face of the waters,
Till the consummation of light and of darkness.
"These are, perhaps, the only instances in the Bible in which the cloudy vapors are denominated waters, before they become concentrated into rain; and they offer an identity of thought, which strongly suggests an identity of person. The following is another very striking peculiarity of the same kind, occurring in the same description, and is perhaps still more in point. The combined simplicity and sublimity of Gen 1:3, 'And God said, Be light! and light was,' has been felt and praised by critics of every age, Pagan and Mohammedan, as well as Jewish and Christian; and has by all of them been regarded as a characteristic feature in the Mosaic style. In the poem before us we have the following proof of identity of manner,: -
Behold! He saith to the snow, Be!
On earth then falleth it.
To the rain - and it falleth; -
The rains of his might.
"This can hardly be regarded as an allusion, but as an instance of identity of manner. In the psalmist we have an allusion: and it occurs thus, Psa 33:9, הוא אמר ויהי hu amar vaiyehi, 'He spake, and it existed;' and I copy it that the reader may see the difference. The eulogy of Longinus upon the passage in Genesis is a eulogy also upon that in Job; and the Koran, in verbally copying the psalmist, has bestowed an equal panegyric upon all of them: -
Dixit, 'Esto;' et fuit. - He said, Be Thou; and it Was.
"With reference to the description of the creation, in the book of Genesis, I shall only farther observe, that the same simplicity of style, adapted to so lofty a subject, characteristically distinguishes the writer of the book of Job, who commonly employs a diction peculiarly magnificent, as though trusting to the subject to support itself, without the feeble aid of rhetorical ornaments. Of this the description of the tribunal of the Almighty, given in the first and second chapters of the ensuing poem, is a striking example, as indeed I have already remarked; and that of the midnight apparition in the fourth chapter is no less so.
"The following instances are of a more general nature, and lead, upon a broader principle, to the same conclusion: -
Job Exodus Job 4:9Job 20:26
Wherefore accountest thou me thine enemy?
Wouldst thou hunt down the parched stubble?
By the blast of God they perish;
And by the breath of His nostrils they are consumed.
Distress and anguish dismay him;
They overwhelm him as a king ready for battle.
Terrors shall be upon him -
Every horror treasured up in reserve for him.
A fire unblown shall consume him. Exo 15:7
Exo 15:8
Exo 15:10
Exo 15:16 Thou sentest forth thy wrath,
Consuming them as stubble.
And with the blast of thy nostrils
The waters were gathered together.
Thou didst blow with thy wind:
The sea covered them.
Terror and dread shall fall upon them:
By the might of thine arm they shall be still as a stone. Job Deuteronomy Job 18:15Job 18:17
18:24
7:25Job 8:18The heavens shall disclose his iniquity,
And the earth shall rise up against him.
Brimstone shall be rained down upon his dwelling.
Below shall his root be burnt up,
And above shall his branch be cut off.
Counsellors he leadeth captive,
And judges he maketh distracted.
He bewildereth the judgment of the leaders of the people of the land,
And causeth them to wander in a pathless dessert:
They grope about in darkness, even without a glimpse;
Yea, he maketh them to reel like the drunkard.
His roots shall be entangled in a rock;
With a bed of stones shall he grapple;
Utterly shall it drink him up from his place;
Yea, it shall renounce him, and say, "I never knew thee."
Behold the Eternal exulting in his course;
Even over his dust shall rise up another. Deu 28:22
Deu 28:23
Deu 28:24
Deu 28:28
Deu 28:29
Deu 28:63 And Jehovah shall mite thee with a consumption;
And with a fever, and with an inflammation,
And with an extreme burning.
And the heaven over thy head shall be brass;
And the earth under thee, iron.
And Jehovah shall make the rain of they land powder and dust;
From heaven shall it come down upon thee,
Until thou be destroyed.
Jehovah shall smite thee with destruction,
And blindness, and astonishment of heart.
And thou shalt grope at noonday,
As the blind gropeth in darkness:
And thou shalt not prosper in thy ways:
And thou shalt only be oppressed.
And consumed continually.
And it shall come to pass,
As Jehovah exulted over you,
To do you good, and to multiply you,
To destroy you, and reduce you to naught. "In this specimen of comparison it is peculiarly worthy of remark, that not only the same train of ideas is found to recur, but in many instances the same words, where others might have been employed, and perhaps have answered as well; the whole obviously resulting from the habit of thinking upon subjects in the same manner, and by means of the same terms which is common to every one, and which distinguishes original identity from intentional imitation. I will only advert to one instance: the use of the very powerful, but not very common verb שש sis, 'to exult,' exulto, glorior, γαυριαω, which occurs in the last verse of both the above passages, and is in each instance equally appropriate: ישיש יהוה yasis Yehovah - הוא משוש hu mesos.
"The same term is again employed, to express the spirited prancing of the high mettled war-horse.
"The above passage from9 has not been generally understood, and has been given erroneously in the translations." Mr. Good, in his notes, p. 101-103, enters at large into a defense of his version of this passage.
Job Deuteronomy Job 8:10Job 29:6Job 6:4For examine, I beseech thee, the past age;
Yea, gird thyself to the study of its forefathers;
Shall not they instruct thee, counsel thee,
And swell forth the sayings of their wisdom?
He shall not behold the branches of the river,
Brooks of honey and butter -
When my path flowed with butter,
And the rock poured out for me rivers of oil.
Though his face be enveloped with fatness,
And heaped up with fatness on his loins.
The arrows of the Almighty are within me;
Their poison drinketh up my spirit:
The terrors of God set themselves in array against me;
His arrows fly around me;
He pierceth my reins without mercy. Deu 32:7
Deu 32:13
Deu 32:14
Deu 32:15
Deu 32:23
Deu 32:42 Reflect on the days of old; Contemplate the times of ages beyond ages;
Inquire of thy father, and he will show thee;
Thine elders, and the will instruct thee.
He gave him to suck honey out of the rock
And oil out of the flinty rock,
Butter of kine, and milk of sheep.
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked:
Thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick;
Thou art enveloped with fatness.
I will heap mischiefs upon them,
I will spend my arrows upon them.
I will make mine arrows drunk with blood. "The fine pathetic elegy of the ninetieth psalm has been usually ascribed to Moses; and Dath imagines it was written by him a little before his death.
"Kennicott and Geddes have some doubt upon this point, chiefly because the ultimate period assigned in it to the life of man is fourscore years; while Moses was at his death a hundred and twenty years old, yet 'his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated;' Deu 34:7.
"The following comparison will, perhaps, have a tendency to confirm the general opinion, by rendering it probable that its author and the author of the Book of Job were the same person.
Job Psalm Job 14:3Job 14:18Job 7:21Job 11:16He springeth up as a flower, and is cut down;
Yea, he fleeth as a shadow, and endureth not.
And dost thou cast thine eyes upon such a one?
And wouldst thou bring me into judgment with thyself?
Yet now art thou numbering my steps;
Thou overlookest nothing of my sins: -
And for ever, as the crumbling mountain dissolveth,
And the rock mouldereth away from his place,
So consumest thou the hope of man,
Thou harassest him continually till he perish.
Why wilt thou not turn away from my transgression,
And let my calamity pass by?
If the iniquity of thy hand thou put away evil,
And let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles,
Lo! then shalt thou forget affliction;
As waters passed by shalt thou remember it:
And brighter shall the time be than noontide;
Thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt grow vigorous, like the day-spring. Psa 90:5
Psa 90:6
Psa 90:7
Psa 90:8
Psa 90:9
Psa 90:10
Psa 90:12
Psa 90:14
Psa 90:15
Psa 90:16
Psa 90:17 They are like the passing grass of the morning;
In the morning it springeth up and groweth:
In the evening it is cut down and withereth.
For we are consumed by thine anger,
And by thy wrath are we troubled.
Thou hast set our iniquities before thee:
Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
Behold, all our days are passed away in thy wrath,
We spend our years as a tale that is told.
Their strength is labor and sorrow;
It is soon cut off, and we flee away.
So teach us to number our days
That we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
O satisfy us early with thy mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days,
Make us glad according to the days of our affliction,
To the years we have seen
Let thy wonders be shown unto thy servants
And thy glory unto their children;
And let the beauty of Jehovah, our God, be upon us,
And establish thou the work of our hands. "The strictly and decidedly acknowledged productions of Moses are but few; and in the above examples I have taken a specimen from by far the greater number. It is, indeed, not a little astonishing that, being so few, they should offer a resemblance in so many points.
"There may at times be some difficulty in determining between the similarity of style and diction resulting from established habit, and that produced by intentional imitation; yet, in the former case, it will commonly, if I mistake not, be found looser, but more general; in the latter, stricter, but more confined to particular words or idioms; the whole of the features not having been equally caught, while those which have been laid hold of are given more minutely than in the case of habit. The manner runs carelessly through every part, and is perpetually striking us unawares; the copy walks after it with measured but unequal pace, and is restless in courting our attention. The specimens of resemblance now produced are obviously of the former kind: both sides have an equal claim to originality, and seem very powerfully to establish a unity of authorship."
Thus far Mr. Good; who has, on his own side of the question, most certainly exhausted the subject. The case he has made out is a strong one: we shall next examine whether a stronger cannot be made out in behalf of Solomon, as the second candidate for the authorship of this most excellent book.
2. That this book was the work of Solomon was the opinion of some early Christian writers, among whom was Gregory Nazianzen; and of several moderns, among whom were Spanheim and Hardouin. The latter has gone so far as to place the death of Job in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of David; and he supposes that Solomon wrote the work in question, about the second or third year of his reign. On this last opinion no stress whatever should be placed.
As the argument for Moses has been supported by supposed parallelisms between his acknowledged works and the Book of Job, so has that which attributes the latter to Solomon. That Solomon, from his vast learning and wisdom, was capable of such a work, none can deny. His knowledge in astronomy, natural history, politics, theology, languages, and the general science of his age, must have given him at least equal qualifications to those possessed by Moses. And if he was the author of the Song of Solomon, which most men believe, he had certainly a poetic mind, equal, if not superior, to all the writers who had existed previously to his time. The Book of Proverbs and that of Ecclesiastes are almost universally attributed to him: now, in the Book of Job, there are a multitude of sentiments, sentences, terms, and modes of speech, which are almost peculiar to Solomon, as will appear from the whole books.
In both we find the most exalted eulogium of wisdom. See Pro 8:11, etc. Job says, "The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, that is understanding;" Solomon says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction;" Pro 1:7.
Job speaks of the state of the dead nearly in the same terms as Solomon: compare with Pro 9:18.
Job says, "Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering." Solomon says, Pro 15:11, "Hell and destruction are before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of men?" Job says, "Man drinketh iniquity like water;" And Elihu charges him with "drinking up scorning like water;" The same image occurs in Solomon, Pro 26:6 : "He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool drinketh damage."
Init is said, "Fire shall consume the tabernacle of bribery." The same turn of thought occurs Pro 15:27 : "He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live."
Both speak of weighing the spirits or winds. See Pro 16:2 But to me the parallelism in these cases is not evident, as both the reason of the saying, and some of the terms in the original, are different. Job tells his friends, "If they would hold their peace, it would be their wisdom;" Solomon has the same sentiment in nearly the same words, Pro 17:28 : "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise; and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."
Solomon represents the rephaim or giants as in hell, or the great deep; Pro 2:18; Pro 9:18; Pro 7:27. The like sentiment is in See the Hebrew.
In it is said that "If the wicked heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver." The like sentiment is found, Pro 28:8 : "He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather for him that will pity the poor." Solomon says, Pro 16:18 : "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall:" and, "Before destruction the heart of man is haughty; and before honor is humility;" Pro 18:12 : and, "A man's pride shall bring him low; but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit." The same sentiment is expressed in: "When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is a lifting up; and he shall save the humble person."
Both speak nearly in the same way concerning the creation of the earth and the sea. "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? - Who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth as if it had issued from the womb?"8. This seems a reference to the flood. In Pro 8:22-29 Wisdom says: "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way - when as yet he had not made the earth - when he gave to the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth." These are precisely the same kind of conceptions, and nearly the same phraseology.
Init is said, "The wicked shall perish for ever, like his own Dung." And in Pro 10:7 it is said, "The name of the wicked shall Rot."
It would not be difficult to enlarge this list of correspondences by a collation of passages in Job and in Proverbs; but most of them will occur to the attentive reader. There is, however, another class of evidence that appears still more forcible, viz.: There are several term used frequently in the Book of Job and in the books of Solomon which are almost peculiar to those books, and which argue an identity of authorship. The noun תשיה tushiyah, which may signify essence, substance, reality, completeness, occurs in Job and Proverbs. See and Pro 2:7; Pro 3:21; Pro 8:14, and Pro 18:1. And it occurs only twice, as far as I can recollect, in all the Bible besides; viz., Isa 28:29, and Mic 6:9. The word הוה havvah, used in the sense of misfortune, ruinous downfall, calamity, occurs and in Pro 10:3; Pro 11:6; Pro 17:4; Pro 19:13. It occurs nowhere else, except once in Eze 7:26, once in Mic 7:3, and a few times in the Psalms, Psa 5:9; Psa 52:2, Psa 52:7; Psa 55:12; Psa 91:3; Psa 94:20; Psa 37:12; Psa 62:3.
The word תחבלות tachbuloth, wise counsels, occurs only in and in Pro 1:5; Pro 11:14; Pro 12:5; Pro 20:18; Pro 24:6; and nowhere else in the Bible in this form. And פתה potheh, the silly one, simpleton, fool, is used precisely in the same sense in Pro 19:7, and in various other parts of the same book. The word אבדון, abaddon, destruction, connected sometimes with שאול sheol, hell, or the grave; and מות maveth, death, occurs as above, and in Pro 15:11; Pro 27:20.
Calmet, who refers to several of the above places, adds: It would be easy to collect a great number of similar parallel passages; but it must make a forcible impression in favor of this opinion when we observe in Job and Proverbs the same principles, the same sentiments, the same terms, and some that are found only in Job and Solomon. We may add farther, the beauty of the style, the sublimity of the thoughts, the dignity of the matter, the form and order in which the materials of this writer are laid down, the vast erudition and astonishing fecundity of genius, all of which perfectly characterize Solomon.
Besides the above, we find many forms of expression in this book which prove that its author had a knowledge of the law of God, and many which show that he was acquainted with the Psalms of David, and a few very like what we find in the writings of the prophets. I shall insert a few more: -
Job Psalm Because he covereth his face with fatness Psa 17:10Psa 73:7 They are inclosed in their own fat.Their eyes stand out with fatness. If he set his heart upon man, he shall gather unto himself his spirit and his breath. Psa 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, and they are troubled: thou takest away their breath; they die, and return to their dust. Their houses are not in safe from fear; neither is the rod of God upon them. Psa 73:5 They are trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, casteth not her calf. Psa 144:13, Psa 144:14 Let our sheep bring forth thousands; and our oxen be strong to labor. They (the wicked) are as stubble before the wind; and as chaff that the storm carrieth away. Psa 1:4 The ungodly are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn. Psa 58:10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God. Psa 147:9 He giveth to the beast his food; and to the young ravens which cry. He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. Psa 107:40 He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness. Job Jeremiah Let the day perish in which I was born; and the night in which it was said, There is a man-child conceived.. See alsoJer 15:10Jer 20:14, Jer 20:15 Wo is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me, a man of strifeCursed be the day wherein I was also born - let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, and mighty in power? Jer 12:1, Jer 12:2 Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? they grow; yea, they bring forth fruit. Job Collate these verses with ob 28:13 But where shall wisdom be found, and where is the place of understanding?Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. Baruch 3:14, 15, 29,and seePro 1:20-23; Pro 2:2-7;Pro 3:13-18; Pro 4:5-9;Proverbs 8:10-35.
The remarkable sentiment that "God, as Sovereign of the world, does treat the righteous and the wicked, independently of their respective merits, with a similar lot in this life, and that like events often happen to both," is maintained in the Book of Job and the Ecclesiastes of Solomon.24 : "He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where and who is he?": "If I be wicked, wo unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head.": "Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to my Judge.": "The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly."9 : "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea are mighty in power? Their seed is established in their sight, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them."
Similar sentiments, with a great similarity of expression, are found in the following passages from Solomon. Ecc 6:8 : "For what hath the wise more than the fool?" Ecc 8:14 : "There be just men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked. Again, there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous." Ecc 9:2 : "All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not. As is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath." Ecc 7:15 : "There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness; and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness."
I may conclude this with the words of a learned translator of the book of Job, and apply in reference to Solomon what he applies to Moses: "The specimens of resemblance now produced have an equal claim to originality, and seem very powerfully to establish a unity of authorship." I think the argument much stronger in favor of Solomon as its author than of Moses: and while even here I hesitate, I must enter my protest against the conclusions drawn by others; and especially those who profess to show where David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc., have copied and borrowed from Job! Some of them, in all probability, never saw the book; and those who did had an inspiration, dignity, manner, and power of their own, that rendered it quite unnecessary to borrow from him. Such plagiarism would appear, in common cases, neither requisite nor graceful. I have a high opinion of the book of Job, but God forbid that I should ever bring it on a level with the compositions of the sweet singer of Israel, the inimitable threnodies of Jeremiah, or the ultra-sublime effusions of the evangelical prophet. Let each keep his place, and let God be acknowledged as the inspirer of all.
Thus, by exactly the same process, we come to different conclusions; for the evidence is now as strong that Job lived posterior to the days of Moses; that he was acquainted with the Law and the Prophets; that either he took much from the Psalms and Proverbs, or that David and Solomon borrowed much from him; or that Solomon, the son of David, wrote the history; as it is that he lived in the days of Moses.
For my own part, I think the later date by far the most probable; and although I think the arguments that go to prove Solomon to be the author are weightier than those so skilfully brought forth by learned men in behalf of Moses, yet I think if possible that it was the work of neither, but rather of some learned Idumean, well acquainted with the Jewish religion and writers; and I still hold the opinion which I formed more than thirty years ago, when I read over this book in the Septuagint, and afterwards in the Hebrew, that it is most probable the work was originally composed in Arabic, and afterwards translated into Hebrew by a person who either had not the same command of the Hebrew as he had of the Arabic, or else purposely affected the Arabic idiom, retaining many Arabic words and Arabisms; either because he could not find appropriate expressions in the Hebrew, or because he wished to adorn and enrich the one language by borrowing copiously from the other. The Hebrew of the book of Job differs as much from the pure Hebrew of Moses and the early prophets, as the Persian of Ferdoosy differs from that of Saady. Both these were Persian poets; the former wrote in the simplicity and purity of his elegant native language, adopting very few Arabic words; while the latter labors to introduce them at every turn, and has thus produced a language neither Persian nor Arabic. And so prevalent is this custom become with all Persian writers, both in prose and verse, that the pure Persian becomes daily more and more corrupted, insomuch that there is reason to fear that in process of time it will be swallowed up in the language of the conquerors of that country, in which it was formerly esteemed the most polished language of Asia. Such influence has the language of a conqueror on the country he has subdued; witness our own, where a paltry French phraseology, the remnant of one of the evils brought upon us by our Norman conqueror and tyrant, has greatly weakened the strong current of our mother tongue; so that, however amalgamated, filed, and polished by eminent authors, we only speak a very tolerable jargon, enriched, as we foolishly term it, by the spoils of other tongues. The best specimen of our ancient language exists in the Lord's prayer, which is pure English, or what is called Anglo-Saxon, with the exception of three frenchified words, trespasses, temptation, and deliver.
But to return to the book of Job. The collections of Mr. Good, Dr. Magee, and others, if they do not prove that Moses was the author of the book, prove that the author was well acquainted with the Mosaic writings; and prove that he was also acquainted with the ninetieth Psalm; and this last circumstance will go far to prove that he lived after the days of David, for we have no evidence whatever that the ninetieth Psalm was published previously to the collection and publication of the Psalms now generally termed the Psalms of David, though many of them were written by other hands, and not a few even after the Babylonish captivity. And, as to the inscription to this Psalm, תפלה משה איש האלהים tephillah Mosheh ish haelohim, "A prayer of Moses, the man of God;"
1. We know not that Moses the Jewish lawgiver is meant: it might be another person of the same name.
2. And even in that case it does not positively state that this Moses was the author of it.
3. The inscriptions to the Psalms are of dubious, and many of them of no authority: some of them evidently misplaced; and others either bearing no relation to the matter of the Psalms to which they are prefixed, or evidently contradictory to that matter.
Hence our translators have considered these inscriptions as of no authority; and have not admitted them, in any case, into the body of their respective Psalms. The parallelism, therefore, drawn from this Psalm, will not help much to prove that Moses was the author of the book of Job; but it will go far to prove, as will be seen in other cases, that the author of this book was acquainted with the book of Psalms, as several of the preceding collections testify; and that there is a probability that he had read the prophets that lived and wrote in the time, and after the time, of the Babylonish captivity, which appears to me the only thing that shakes the argument in favor of Solomon; unless we take the converse of the question, and say that Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah, all knew and borrowed from the book of Job. But this supposition will, in its turn, be shaken by the consideration that there are several things in the book of Job which evidently refer to the law as already given, and to some of the principal occurrences in the Israelitish history, if such references can be made out. These considerations have led me to think it probable that the book was written after the captivity by some unknown but highly eminent and inspired man. We may wonder, indeed, that the author of such an eminent work has not been handed down to posterity; and that the question should be left at the discretion of the whole limbus of conjecture; but we find, not only several books in the Bible, but also other works of minor importance and a later date, similarly circumstanced. We have no certain evidence of the author of the books of Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, or Esther; we can, in reference to them, make probable conjectures, but this is all. Even in the New Testament the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews is still unknown; though a pretty general tradition, and strong internal evidence, give it to St. Paul; yet this point is not so proved as to exclude all doubt.
The finest poems of heathen antiquity, the Iliad and Odyssey, cannot be certainly traced to their author. Of the person called Homer, to whom they have been attributed, no one knows any thing. He is still, for aught we know, a fabulous person; and the relations concerning him are entitled to little more credit than is due to the Life of Aesop by Planudes. Seven different cities have claimed the honor of being his birth-place. They are expressed in the following distich: -
Ἑπτα πολεις διεριζουσι περι ριζας Ὁμηρου,
Σμυρνα, Ῥοδος, Κολαφον, Σαλαμις, Χιος, Αργος, Αθηναι.
Smyrna, Rhodos, Colophon, Salamis, Chios, Argos, Athenae, Orbis de Patria certat, Homere, tua.
Nor have these claims ever been adjusted. Some have gone so far as to attribute the work to Solomon, king of Israel, composed after his defection from the true religion to idolatry! that the word Homer, Ὁμηρος Homeros, is merely Hebrew, אמרים omerim, with a Greek termination, signifying the sayings or discourses, from אמר amar, he spoke; the whole work being little more than the dialogues or conversations of the eminent characters of which it is composed. Even the battles of Homer are full of parleys; and the principal information conveyed by the poem is through the conversation of the respective chiefs.
The Makamaton, or assemblies, of the celebrated Arabic author Hariri, show us how conversations were anciently carried on among the Arabs, and even in the same country in which the plan of the poem of Job is laid; and were we closely to compare the sex concessus of that author, published by Schultens, we might find many analogies between them and the turn of conversation in the book of Job. But the uncertainty relative to the author detracts nothing from the merit and excellency of the poem. As it is the most singular, so it is the best, as a whole, in the Hebrew canon. It exhibits a full view of the opinions of the eastern sages on the most important points; not only their religion and system of morals are frequently introduced, but also their philosophy, astronomy, natural history, mineralogy, and arts and sciences in general; as well those that were ornamental, as those which ministered to the comforts and necessities of life. And on a careful examination, we shall probably find that several arts, which are supposed to be the discoveries of the moderns, were not unknown to those who lived in a very remote antiquity, and whom it is fashionable to consider as unlettered and uncultivated barbarians.
As the person, family, time, and descendants of Job are so very uncertain, I shall not trouble my readers with the many genealogical tables which have been constructed by chronologists and commentators; yet it might be considered a defect were I not to notice what is inserted at the end of the Greek and Arabic Versions relative to this point; to which I shall add Dr. Kennicott's Tables, and the substance of a letter which contains some curious particulars.
"And he (Job) dwelt in the land of Ausitis, in the confines of Idumea and Arabia; and his former name was Jobab. And he took to wife Arabissa, and begat a son whose name was Ennon. And his (Jobab's) father's name was Zarith, one of the sons of the children of Esau; and his mother's name was Bosora; and thus he was the fifth from Abraham."
"And these are the kings who reigned in Edom; which region he also governed; the first was Balak, the son of Beor, the name of whose city was Dennaba. And after Balak reigned Jobab, who is also called Job. And after him Assom, the governor of the country of the Temanites. After him Adad, the son of Basad, who cut off Madian in the plain of Moab; and the name of his city was Gethaim."
"The friends who came to visit him were Eliphaz, son of Sophan, of the children of Esau, king of the Temanites. Baldad, the son of Amnon, of Chobar, tyrant of the Sauchites. Sophar, king of the Minaites. Thaiman, son of Eliphaz, governor of the Idumeans."
"This is translated from the Syriac copy. He dwelt in the land of Ausitis, on the borders of the Euphrates; and his former name was Jobab; and his father was Zareth, who came from the east." This is verbatim from the Codex Alexandrinus.
The Arabic is not so circumstantial, but is the same in substance. "And Job dwelt in the land of Auz, between the boundaries of Edom and Arabia; and he was at first called Jobab. And he married a strange woman, and to her was born a son called Anun. But Job was the son of Zara, a descendant of the children of Esau; his mother's name was Basra, and he was the sixth from Abraham. Of the kings who reigned in Edom, the first who reigned over that land was Balak, the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Danaba. And after him Jobab, the same who is called Job. And after Job, he (Assom) who was prince of the land of Teman. And after him (Adad) the son of Barak, he who slew and put to flight Madian, in the plains of Moab; and the name of his city was Jatham. And of the friends of Job who visited him was Eliphaz, the son of Esau, king of the Temanites."
Dr. Kennicott says, When Job lived seems deducible from his being contemporary with Eliphaz, the Temanite, thus: -
Abraham 1 Isaac 1 2 Esau. Jacob. 2 3 Eliphaz. Levi 3 4 Teman. Kohath. 4 5 Eliphaz the Temanite. Amram - Job. 5 Moses. The late Miss Mary Freeman Shepherd, well known for her strong masculine genius, and knowledge of various languages, sent me the following genealogy and remarks, which she thought would clearly ascertain the time of Job. I faithfully transcribe them from her letter to me, a short time before her death.
"Shem, two years after the flood, begat Arphaxad and Uz, and also Aram 2 Arphaxad begat Salah at 35 Salah begat Eber at 30 Eber begat Peleg at 34 Peleg, in whose time the earth was divided, begat Reu at 30 Reu begat Serug at 32 Serug begat Nahor at 30 Nahor begat Terah at 29 Terah begat Abraham at 70 Abraham begat Ishmael at eighty-six, Israel at 100 Isaac married at forty, soon after, probably at forty-three, Esau and Jacob born 43 Jacob married at forty, had Reuben his first-born, and Levi born of Leah, by the time he was forty-four 44 Levi begat Kohath, suppose at 40 Kohath begat Amram, suppose at 40 Amram begat Moses, suppose at 40 After the deluge 599 "Shem was the father of Aram, who gave his name to the Aramites, i.e., the Syrians; and he was the father of Uz, who gave his name to the land of Uz, in which Job dwelt, not was born, for the text says, There was a man in the land of Uz, called Job.
"In Gen 46:13, one of the sons of Issachar is named Job. In the genealogies of Num 26:24, and in Ch1 7:1, he is called Jashub. It is remarkable that there is no mention in Chronicles of the sons of Jashub, or of any of the sons of Issachar, among the thousands of Israel, sons of Tola, where, might not Job be called Jashub? Mitzraim, i.e., Egypt, was a son of Ham; Uz and Aram, sons of Shem; Ishmael by Hagar, and Midian by Keturah, both sons to Abram. How well does this account for the nearness of the languages of these people, being scions from the same mother tongue!
"Ishmael, the father of the tribes of Arabia; Arabic was, therefore, not their mother tongue. The roots of these languages germinated from the Hebrew roots, and so a new language sprang up, afterwards formed according to grammatic rules, and enriched as arts and sciences, and cultivated genius, added new inventions. Things new and unknown before gave rise to new words or names. Nouns, and the action, operation, and effects of arts and sciences, produced verbs or roots. Thus the Arabic become so copious and rich, and has roots not in the pure original Hebrew. All this considered, might not Moses have written the book of Job, as parts of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel were written, after the captivity, in a mixed language, in order that it might be the better understood by those for whom it was written; those of the people who, being left in Jerusalem, had retained their native Hebrew; and those who had, by long residence in Babylon, corrupted and mingled it with the Chaldaic, which is a dialect of the Hebrew, like the modern language of Italy when compared with that of ancient Rome, or our modern Latin when compared with that of the Augustan age.
"By the influence of climate upon the organs of speech, the different avocations, usages, diet, turn of mind, and genius of men, the dialects which all streamed from one language, and pronounced in one and the same speech, confounded, (not annihilated, troubled, but not dried up), no new language then created, yet so confounded in utterance that they understood not one another's speech. The operation was upon the ear of the heart, as in the day of pentecost: one man spoke, and all, though of different tongues, understood; the ear suggested the various sounds to the tongue, and from thence the varied pronunciations of one and the same language often makes it misunderstood.
"Shem, who lived five hundred and two years after the deluge, being still alive, and in the three hundred and ninety-third year of his life, when Abram was born, therefore the Jewish tradition that Shem was the Melchisedek, (my righteous king of Salem), an epithet, or title of honor and respect, not a proper name, and, as the head and father of his race, Abraham paid tithes to him; this seems to me well founded, and the idea confirmed by these remarkable words, Psa 110:4, Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent, אתה כהן לעולם על דברתי מלכי-צדק atah cohen leolam al dibrathi malki-tsedek. As if he had said, Thou, my only-begotten Son, first-born of many brethren; not according to the substituted priesthood of the sons of Levi, who, after the sin of the golden calf, stood up in lieu of all the first-born of Israel, invested with their forfeited rights of primogeniture of king and priest; the Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, (change), Thou art a priest for ever after the (my order of Melchisedek, my own original primitive) order of primogeniture; even as Shem the man of name, the Shem that stands the first and foremost of the sons of Noah. The righteous prince and priest of the most high God meets his descendant Abraham after the slaughter of the kings, with refreshments; blessed him as the head and father of his race, and as such, he receives from Abraham the tithe of all the spoil.
"How beautifully does Paul of Tarsus, writing to the Hebrews, point through Melchisedek, - Shem, the head and father of their race, invested in all the original rights of primogeniture, priest of the most high God, blessing Abraham as such, as Levi even had existence, and as such receiving tithe from Abraham, and in him from Levi yet in the loins of his forefathers, when Moses on this great and solemn occasion records simply this: Melchisedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, sine genealogia; his pedigree not mentioned, but standing, as Adam in St. Luke's genealogy, without father and without mother, Adam of God, Luk 3:38; - how beautifully, I say, doth St. Paul point through Melchisedek to Jehoshua our great High Priest and King, whose eternal generation who shall declare! Hammashiach, the Lord's Anointed, Priest, and King, after the order of Melchisedek, only begotten first-born Son! The Levitical priesthood that arose from the sin of the golden calf and the forfeited rights of the first-born, in whose stead stood the sons of Levi, (the reward of their zeal for God, on that sad occasion). This right of primogeniture, as the streams of Jordan at the presence of God, conversus est retrorsum, to its fountain head; and Judah was his sanctuary, Psa 114:2. Reuben forfeited by incest his excellence; Simeon and Levi, the right in priority of birth, theirs; and Judah, he to whom his brethren should bow down as their head. From the time of Abraham, who married a sister of Haran, prince of the tribe of Judah, to the time of Jesus, the tribes of Levi and Judah intermarried: thus was incorporated the source and streams in one. And the very names of all the sons of the tribes of Israel lost in one, that of Jehudah, from which they call themselves Jehudim.
"The shebit, tribe, not scepter, the rod or ensign of the chief of a tribe. 'The tribe, genealogy, shall not recede from Jehudah until Shiloh come;' for whose genealogy they subsist. Ten, by the schism of Jeroboam, may be carried away beyond the river, and heard of no more; but Jehudah, Levi, and Benjamin, shall be tribes; and their registers shall be clear and unbroken until the temple and city and all the registers of genealogy are destroyed. The people are one; one people worshipping one God. 'I have prayed,' said Jehoshua Mashiach, 'that ye might be one in me, as I and my Father are one.'
"Ham, the son of Noah, begat Cush, and Cush begat Nimrod, and Saba, and others. Nimrod began a monarchy, and founded Babel. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh. Nimrod was therefore contemporary with Peleg. Compare Gen 2:8, Gen 2:9, with Genesis 9:10-25.
"Thus, in about two hundred and ten or twenty years after the deluge, by the confusion of tongues, was the earth divided; as its inhabitants, dispersing no doubt in families together formed themselves into nations, people, and tribes and kindreds, and from thence into tongues.
"From the knowledge I have of the Hebrew, I have caught a glance of the genius, spirit, and tone of the general march of the oriental tongues, and even of the expression of their character. To me the book of Job seems to have much of the Chaldee, both in words and idiom, and much of the sublimity and spirit of the writings of Moses. His grand descriptions of the Most High, his wondrous works, his power, wisdom, justice, and truth, all speak the historian of Genesis, the legislator of Israel, the unconsumed fire of the burning bush, the loud thunders of Sinai, and the shinings of the light of God. That pointed exactness and conciseness of narration that distinguish Moses, are also conspicuous in the book of Job. If Moses did indeed write this book, he wrote it for the nations, as well as for Israel; and took, as the best vehicle of a general conveyance, a language most generally understood. At this day, for the facilitating of intercourse in the Levant, Mediterranean, Archipelago, etc., there is a language called Lingua Franca, the language of the Franks. To Israel Moses conveyed the pure language of their fathers; but rather than the nations should be famished for bread, or die for thirst, he put manna in their coarse earthen vessels, and wine in their wooden cups.
"You see, my dear sir, how strong is female obstinacy; I struggle and contend for the body of Moses. I admire Moses; I admire Job. God, by the prophet Ezekiel and the apostle St. James, ascertains the history of Job to be a fact, not a fiction. And thus inspiration sustains its inspiration.
"Will you, dear sir, think it worth while to collect and put together these scattered scraps, as little pegs to better shelves, which you must furbish, smooth, and point; - too hard a work for Mary the aged? Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God: and in him see all truth." - M. F. S.
Miss Shepherd is a strong auxiliary to Mr. Good; still I remain unconvinced. My readers must choose for themselves.
The history of Job, but strangely disguised, is well known among the Asiatics. He is called by the Arabic and Persian historians Ayoub, which is exactly the same as the Hebrew איוב Ayoub, which Europeans have strangely metamorphosed into Job. In the Tareekh Muntekheb his genealogy is given thus: Ayoub the son of Anosh, the son of Razakh, the son of Ais, (Esau), the son of Isaac. He was a prophet, and was afflicted by a grievous malady three years, or according to others, seven years; at the end of which, when eighty years of age, he was restored to perfect health, and had a son named Bash ben Ayoub. Other writers say he had five sons, with whom he made war on a brutal people called Dsul Kefel, whom he exterminated because they refused to receive the knowledge of the true God, whom he preached to them. Khondemir, who entitles him Job the patient, gives us his history in the following manner: -
"Job, by his father's side, was descended from Esau, and by his mother from Lot. Abou Giaffer al Tabary relates that God sent him to preach to the inhabitants of Thaniah, a people who dwelt between Remla and Damascus; but three persons only received the truth. Nevertheless, as he was very zealous in the service of God, he rewarded his faith and obedience by heaping riches upon him, and giving him a numerous family. This excited the envy of the devil, who, presenting himself before God, accused Job as one who was selfish in his devotion; and, were it not for the temporal blessings which he received from his Maker, he would not worship even once in the day. God having given Satan permission to spoil Job of his goods, and deprive him of his children, he gave the same proofs of his piety, worshipping God as before, and patiently bearing his great losses. Satan, enraged to be thus baffled, presented himself once more before God, and asserted that Job continued thus faithful because he knew that God would reward his constancy with an equal or even greater portion of earthly blessings: but if he would afflict his body by some grievous disease, he would soon abandon his service, and be at the end of his patience. In order fully to show the piety of this exemplary man, God permitted Satan to afflict his body as he pleased, with the exception of his eyes, his ears, and his tongue. The devil, having received this permission, blew up the nostrils of Job such a pestilential heat as immediately turned his whole mass of blood into corruption, so that his whole body became one ulcer, the smell of which was so offensive that his greatest intimates could not approach him; and he was obliged to be carried out of the city, and laid in a distant place entirely by himself. Notwithstanding, Job continued both his patience and piety. His wife, Rosina, never forsook him, but continued daily to bring him the necessaries of life. Satan observing this, stole from her the provision she had made for her husband; and when reduced to the lowest ebb, he appeared to her under the form of an old bald woman, and told her, that if she would give her the two tresses of hair that hung down on her neck, she would provide her daily with what was necessary for her husband's support. This offer appearing so very advantageous in behalf of her afflicted husband, she accepted the offer, and gave the two tresses to the old woman.
"Satan, overjoyed at the success of his plots, went to Job, told him that his wife had been caught in the act of adultery, and that her tresses had been cut off, and here was the proof of the fact. Job, seeing this, and finding his wife without her tresses, not supposing that he was deceived by the devil, lost his patience, and bound himself by an oath, that if he should ever recover his health he would inflict on her the most exemplary punishment. Satan, supposing he had now gained his end, transformed himself into an angel of light, and went throughout the country as a messenger of God, informing the people that Job, who was counted a prophet, had fallen from his piety and brought the wrath of God upon him; that they should no more listen to his preaching, but banish him from among them, lest the curse of God should fall on the whole country.
"Job, coming to understand how the matter stood, had recourse to God by faith and prayer, and said these remarkable words, which are found in the Koran: 'Distress closes me in on every side: but thou, O Lord, art more merciful than all those who can feel compassion.' On this all his pains and sufferings immediately ceased; for Gabriel, the faithful servant of the Most High, descended from heaven, took Job by the hand, and lifting him up from the place where he lay, stamped on the ground with his foot, and immediately a spring of water rose up from the earth, out of which Job having drunk, and washed his body, he was instantly cleansed of all his ulcers, and restored to perfect health.
"God, having thus restored him, greatly multiplied his goods, so that the rain and the snow which fell around his dwelling were precious; and his riches became so abundant, as if showers of gold had descended upon him."
This is the sum of the account given by the oriental historians, who, forsaking the truth of the sacred history, have blended the story with their own fables. The great facts are however the same in the main; and we find that with them the personality, temptation, and deliverance of Job, are matters of serious credibility. Abul Faragius says that the trial of Job happened in the twenty-fifth year of Nahor, son of Serug; thus making him prior to Abraham. He calls him Ayoub assadeek, Job the righteous. See Abul Faragius, Ebn Batric, D'Herbelot, etc.
Commentators have considered this book as being divided into distinct parts. Mr. Good, who considers it a regular Hebrew epic, divides it into six parts or books, which he considers to be its natural division, and unquestionably intended by the author. These six parts are, an opening or exordium, containing the introductory history or decree concerning Job; three distinct series of arguments, in each of which the speakers are regularly allowed their respective turns; the summing up of the controversy; and the close of the catastrophe, consisting of the suffering hero's grand and glorious acquittal, and restoration to prosperity and happiness.

Character of Job, His family, His substance, Care of has family, Satan accuses him to God as a selfish person, who served God only for the hope of secular rewards,11. Satan is permitted to strip him of all his children and property,19. Job's remarkable resignation and patience,22.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
Introduction to Job
In reference to no part of the Scriptures have so many questions arisen as to the Book of Job. The time of its composition; the author; the country where the scene was laid; the question whether Job was a real person; the nature and design of the poem; have been points on which a great variety of opinion has been entertained among expositors, and on which different views still pRev_ail. It is important, in order to have a correct understanding of the book, that all the light should be thrown on these subjects which can be; and though amidst the variety of opinion which pRev_ails among men of the highest distinction in learning absolute certainty cannot be hoped for, yet such advances have been made in the investigation that on some of these points we may arrive to a high degree of probability.
Section 1. The Question whether Job Was a Real Person
The first question which presents itself in the examination of the book is, whether Job had a real existence. This has been doubted on such grounds as the following:
(1) The book has been supposed by some to have every mark of an allegory. Allegories and parables, it is said, are not uncommon in the Scriptures where a case is supposed, and then the narrative proceeds as if it were real. Such an instance, it has been maintained, occurs here, in which the author of the poem designed to illustrate important truths, but instead of stating them in an abstract form, chose to present them in the more graphic and interesting form of a supposed case - in which we are led to sympathize with a sufferer; to see the ground of the difficulty in the question under discussion in a more affecting manner than could be presented in an abstract form; and where the argument has all to interest the mind which one has when occurring in real life.
(2) it has been maintained that some of the transactions in the book must have been of this character, or are such as could not have actually occurred. Particularly it has been said that the account of the interview of Satan with yahweh --12; -7 must be regarded merely as a supposed case, it being in the highest degree improbable that such an interview would occur, and such a conversation be held.
(3) the same conclusion has been drawn from the artificial character of the statements about the possessions of Job, both before and after his trials - statements which appear as if the case were merely supposed, and which would not be likely to occur in reality. Thus, we have only round numbers mentioned in enumerating his possessions - as 7, 000 sheep, 3, 000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 she-asses. So, also, there is something artificial in the manner in which the sacred numbers seven and three are used. He had 7, 000 sheep, 7 sons - both before and after his trials; his three friends came and sat down 7 days and 7 nights without saying a word to condole with him ; and both before and after his trials he had three daughters. The same artificial and parabolical appearance, it is said, is seen in the fact that after his recovery his possessions were exactly doubled, and he had again in his old age exactly the same number of 7 sons and 3 daughters which he had before his afflictions.
(4) that the whole narration is allegorical or parabolical has been further argued from the conduct of the friends of Job. Their sitting down 7 days and 7 nights without saying anything, when they had come expressly to condole with him, it is said, is a wholly improbable circumstance, and looks as if the whole were a supposed case.
(5) the same thing has been inferred from the manner in which the book is written. It is of the highest order of poetry. The speeches are most elaborate; are filled with accurate and carefully prepared argument; are arranged with great care; are expressed in the most sententious manner; embody the results of long and careful observation, and are wholly unlike what would be uttered in unpremeditated and extemporary debate. No men, it is said, talk in this manner; nor can it be supposed that beautiful poetry and sublime argument, such as abound in this book, ever fell in animated debate from the lips of men. See Eichorn, Einleitung in das Alte Tes. V. Band. 129-131. From considerations such as these the historical character of the book has been doubted, and the whole has been regarded as a supposed case designed to illustrate the great question which the author of the poem proposed to examine.
It is important, therefore, to inquire what reasons there are for believing that such a person as Job lived, and how far the transactions referred to in the book are to be regarded as historically true.
(1) the fact of his existence is expressly declared, and the narrative has all the appearance of being a simple record of an actual occurrence. The first two chapters of the book, and a part of the last chapter, are simple historical records. The remainder of the book is indeed poetic, but these portions bare none of the characteristics of poetry. There are not to be found in the Bible more simple and plain historical statements than these; and there are none which, in themselves considered, might not be as properly set aside as allegorical. This fact should be regarded as decisive, unless there is some reason which does not appear on the face of the narrative for regarding it as allegorical.
(2) the account of the existence of such a man is regarded as historically true by the inspired writers of the Scriptures. Thus, in Eze 14:14, God says, "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it (the land), they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God." Compare Eze 14:16, Eze 14:20. Here Job is referred to as a real character as distinctly as Noah and Daniel, and all the circumstances are just such as they would be on the supposition that he had a real existence. They are alike spoken of as real "men;" as having souls - "they should deliver but their own souls by their own righteousness;" as having sons and daughters - "they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, they only shall be delivered" Eze 14:16; and are in all respects mentioned alike as real characters. Of the historic fact that there were such men as Noah and Daniel there can be no doubt, and it is evident that Ezekiel as certainly regarded Job as a real character as he did either of the others.
A parallel passage, which will illustrate this, occurs in Jer 15:1 : "Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people." Here Moses and Samuel are spoken of as real characters, and there is no doubt of their having existed. Yet they are mentioned in the same manner as Job is in the passage in Ezekiel. In either case it is incredible that a reference should have been made to a fictitious character. The appeal is one that could have been made only to a real character, and there can be no reasonable doubt that Ezekiel regarded Job as having really existed; or rather, since it is God who speaks and not Ezekiel, that he speaks of Job as having actually existed. The same thing is evident from a reference to Job by the apostle James: "Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy" Jam 5:11; that is, the happy issue to which the Lord brought all his trials, showing that he was pitiful to those in affliction, and of great mercy.
There can be no doubt that there is reference here to the sufferings of a real man, as there is to the real compassion which the Lord shows to one in great trials. It is incredible that this sacred writer should have appealed in this instance to the case of one whom he regarded as a fictitious character; and if the views of Ezekiel and James are to be relied on, there can be no doubt that Job had a real existence. Ezekiel mentions him just as he does Noah and Daniel, and James mentions him just as he does Elijah Jam 5:17; and so far as this historical record goes there is the same evidence of the actual existence of the one as of the other.
(3) the specifications of places and names in the book are not such as would occur in an allegory. Had it been merely a "supposed case," to illustrate some great truth, these specifications would have been unnecessary, and would not have occurred. In the acknowledged parables of the Scripture, there are seldom any very minute specifications of names and places. Thus, in the parable of the prodigal son, neither the name of the father, nor of the sons, nor of the place where the scene was laid, is mentioned. So of the nobleman who went to receive a kingdom; the unjust steward; the ten virgins, and of numerous others. But here we have distinct specifications of a great number of things which are in no way necessary to illustrate the main truth in the poem. Thus, we have not only the name of the sufferer, but the place of his residence mentioned, as if it were well known. We have the names of his friends, and the places of their residence mentioned - "Eliphaz the Temanite," and "Bildad the Shuhite," and "Zophar the Naamathite." and Elihu "the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram." Why are the places of residence of these persons mentioned unless it be meant to intimate that they were real persons, and not allegorical characters?
In like manner we have express mention of the Sabeans and the Chaldeans - specifications wholly unnecessary if not improbable if the work is an allegory. The single word "robbers" would have answered all the purpose, and would have been such as an inspired writer would have used unless the transaction were real, for an inspired writer would not have charged this offence on any class of men, thus holding them up to lasting reproach, unless an event of this kind had actually occurred. When the Savior, in the parable of the good Samaritan, mentions a robbery that occurred between Jerusalem and Jericho, the word "thieves," or more properly "robbers", is the only word used. No names are mentioned, nor is any class of men referred to, who would by such a mention of the name be held up to infamy. Thus, also we have the particular statement respecting the feasting of the sons and daughters of Job; his sending for and admonishing them; his offering up special sacrifices on their behalf; the account of the destruction of the oxen, the sheep, the camels, and the house where the sons and daughters of Job were - all statements of circumstances which would not be likely to occur in an allegory.
They are such particular statements as we expect to find respecting the real transactions, and they bear on the face of them the simple impression of truth. This is not the kind of information which we look for in a parable. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, almost the only one spoken by the Saviour where a name is mentioned, we have not that of the rich man; and though the name Lazarus is mentioned, yet that is all. We have no account of his family, of his place of residence, of his genealogy, of the time when he lived; and the name itself is so common that it would be impossible even to suspect whom the Savior had in his eye, if he had any real individual at all. Far different is this in the account of Job. It is true that in a romance, or in an extended allegory like the Pilgrim's Progress, we expect a detailed statement of names and places; but there is no evidence that there is any such extended fictitious narrative in the Bible, and unless the Book of Job be one there is no such extended allegory.
(4) the objections urged against this view are not such as to destroy the positive proof of the reality of the existence of Job. The objections which have been urged against the historical truth of the narrative, and which have already been in part alluded to, are principally the following:
The first is, the account of the interview between God and Satan in Job 1 and -13. It is alleged that this is so improbable a transaction as to throw an air of fiction over all the historical statements of the book. In reply to this, it may be observed, first, that even if this were not to be regarded as a literal transaction, it does not prove that no such man as Job lived, and that the transactions in regard to him were not real. He might have had an existence, and been stripped of his possessions, and subjected to these long and painful trials of his fidelity, even if this were a poetic ornament, or merely a figurative representation.
But, secondly, it is impossible to prove that no such transaction occurred. The existence of such a being as Satan is everywhere recognized in the Scriptures; the account which is here given of his character accords entirely with the uniform representation of him; he exerts no power over Job which is not expressly conceded to him; and it is impossible to prove that he does not even now perform the same things in the trial of good men, which it is said that he did in the case of Job. And even if it be admitted that there is somewhat of poetic statement in the form in which he is introduced, still this does not render the main account improbable and absurd. The Bible, from the necessity of the case, abounds with representations of this sort; and when it is said that God "speaks" to men, that he conversed with Adam, that he spake to the serpent Gen. 3, we are not necessarily to suppose that all this is strictly literal, nor does the fact that it is not strictly literal invalidate the main facts. There were results, or there was a series of facts following, as if this had been literally true; see the notes at -12.
A second objection to the historical truth of the transactions recorded in the book is, the poetic character of the work, and the strong improbability that addresses of this kind should ever have been made in the manner here represented. See Eichhorn, Einleit. v. 123, 124. They are of the highest order of poetry; they partake not at all of the nature of extemporaneous effusions; they indicate profound and close thinking, and are such as must have required much time to have prepared them. Especially it is said that it is in the highest degree improbable that Job, in the anguish of his body and mind, should have been capable of giving utterance to poetry and argument of this highly finished character. In regard to this objection, it may be observed,
(1) that even if this were so, and it were to be supposed that the arguments of the various speakers have a poetic character, and were in reality never uttered in the form in which we now have them, still this would not invalidate the evidence which exists of the historic truth of the facts stated about the existence and trials of Job. It might be true that he lived and suffered in this manner, and that a discussion of this character actually occurred, and that substantially these arguments were advanced, though they were afterward wrought by Job himself or by some other hand into the poetic form in which we now have them. Job himself lived after his trials 140 years, and, in itself considered, there is no improbability in the supposition, that when restored to the vigorous use of his powers, and in the leisure which he enjoyed, he should have thought it worthy to present the argument which he once held on this great subject in a more perfect form, and to give to it a more poetic cast. In this case, the main historic truth would be retained, and the real argument would in fact be stated - though in a form more worthy of preservation than could be expected to fall extemporaneously from the lips of the speakers. But
(2) all the difficulty may be removed by a supposition which is entirely in accordance with the character of the book and the nature of the case. It is, that the several speeches succeeded each other at such intervals as gave full time for reflection, and for carefully framing the argument. There is no evidence that the whole argument was gone through with "at one sitting;" there are no proofs that one speech followed immediately on another, or that a sufficient interval of time may not have elapsed to give opportunity for preparation to meet the views which had been suggested by the pRev_ious speaker. Everything in the book bears the marks of the most careful deliberation, and is as free as possible from the hurry and bustle of an extemporaneous debate. The sufferings of Job were evidently of a protracted nature. His friends sat down "seven days and seven nights" in silence before they said anything to him.
The whole subject of the debate seems to be arranged with most systematic care and regularity. The speakers succeed each other in regular order in a series of arguments - in each of these series following the same method, and no one of them out of his place. No one is ever interrupted while speaking; and no matter how keen and sarcastic his invectives, how torturing his reproaches, how bold or blasphemous what he said was thought to be, he is patiently heard until he has said all that he designed to say; and then all that he said is carefully weighed and considered in the reply. All this looks as if there might have been ample time to arrange the reply before it was uttered, and this supposition, of course, would relieve all the force of this objection. If this be so, then there is no more ground of objection against the supposition that these things were spoken, as it is said they were, than there is about the genuineness of the poems of the Grecian Rhapsodists, composed with a view to public recitation, or to the Iliad of Homer or the History of Herodotus, both of which, after they were composed, were recited publicly by their authors at Athens. No one can prove certainly that the several persons named in the book - Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zolphar, and Elihu - were incompetent to compose the speeches which are severally assigned to them, or that all the time necessary for such a composition was not taken by them.
Unless this can be done, the objection of its improbability, so confidently urged by Eichhorn (Einleit. v. 123ff.), and defended by Noyes (Intro. pp. xxi., xxi.), where he says that "the supposition that so beautiful and harmonious a whole, every part of which bears the stamp of the highest genius, was the casual production of a man brought to the gates of the grave by a loathsome disease, of three or four friends who had come to comfort him in his affliction, all of them expressing their thoughts in poetical and measured language; that the Deity was actually heard to speak half an hour in the midst of a violent storm; and that the consultations in the heavenly world were actual occurrences, is too extravagant to need refutation," is an objection really of little force.
A third objection has been derived from the round and doubled numbers which occur in the book, and the artificial character which the whole narrative seems to assume on that account. It is alleged that this is wholly an unusual and improbable occurrence; and that the whole statement appears as if it were a fictitious narrative. Thus Job's possessions of oxen and camels and sheep are expressed in round numbers; one part of these is exactly the double of another; and what is more remarkable still, all these are exactly doubled on his restoration to health. He had the same number of sons and the same number of daughters after his trial which he had before, and the number of each was what was esteemed among the Hebrews as a sacred number.
In regard to this objection, we may observe:
(1) That as to the round numbers, this is no more than what constantly occurs in historical statements. Nothing is more common in the enumeration of armies, of the people of a country, or of herds and flocks, than such statements.
(2) in regard to the fact that the possessions of Job are said to have been exactly "doubled" after his recovery from his calamities, it is not necessary to suppose that this was in all respects literally true. Nothing forbids us to suppose that, from the gifts of friends and other causes, the possessions of Job came so near to being just twice what they were before his trials, as to justify this general statement. In the statement itself, there is nothing improbable. Job lived 140 after his trials. If he had then the same measure of prosperity which he had before, and with the assistance of his friends to enable him to begin life again, there is no improbability in the supposition that these possessions would be doubled.
These are substantially all the objections which have been urged against the historical character of the book, and if they are not well founded, then it follows that it should be regarded as historically true that such a man actually lived, and that he passed through the trials which are here described. A more extended statement of these objections, and a refutation of them, may be found in the following works: - Warburton's Divine Legation of Moses, Vol. V. p. 298ff. ed. 8vo, London, 1811; Prof. Lee on Job, Intro. Section 11; and Magee on atonement and Sacrifice, p. 212, following, ed. New York, 1813. It should be said, however, that not a few writers admit that such a man as Job lived, and that the book has an historical basis, while they regard the work itself as in the main poetic. In the view of such critics, the poet, in order to illustrate the great truth which he proposed to consider, made use of a tradition respecting the sufferings of a well-known person of distinction, and gave to the whole argument the high poetic cast which it has now. This supposition is in accordance with the methods frequently adopted by epic and tragic poets, and which is commonly followed by writers of romance. This is the opinion of Eichhorn, Einleitung V. Section 638.
Section 2. The Question on Where Job Lived
In , it is said that Job dwelt "in the land of Uz." The only question, then, to be settled in ascertaining where he lived, is, if possible, to determine where this place was. From the manner in which the record is made ("the land of Uz") it would seem probable that this was a region of country of some considerable extent, and also that it derived its name from some man of that name who had settled there. The word Uz (עוּץ ‛ û ts), according to Gesenius, means a light, sandy soil; and if the name was given to the country with reference to this quality of the soil, it would be natural to fix on some region remarkable for its barrenness - a waste place or a desert. Gesenius supposes that Uz was in the northern part of Arabia Deserta - a place lying between Palestine and the Euphrates, called by Ptolemy Αἰσῖται Aisitai. This opinion is defended by Rosenmuller (Prolegomena); and is adopted by Spanheim, Bochart, Lee, Umbreit, Noyes, and the authors of the Universal History. Dr. Good supposes that the Uz here referred to was in Arabia Petraea, on the southwestern coast of the Dead Sea, and that Job and all his friends referred to in the poem were Idumeans. Introductory Dissertation, Section 1.
Eichhorn also supposes that the scene is laid in Idumea, and that the author of the poem shows that he had a particular acquaintance with the history, customs, and productions of Egypt. Einleit. Section 638. Bochart (in Phaleg et Canaan), Michaelis (Spicileg. Geog. Hebraeo.), and Ilgen (Jobi, Antiquis. carminis Hebrew natura et indoles, p. 91), suppose that the place of his residence was the valley of Guta near Damascus, regarded as the most beautiful of the four Paradises of the Arabians. For a description of this valley, see Eichhorn, Einleit. V. s. 134. The word עוּץ ‛ û ts (Uz) occurs only in the following places in the Hebrew Bible: Gen 10:23; Gen 22:21; Gen 36:28, and Ch1 1:17, Ch1 1:42; in each of which places it is the name of a man; and in Jer 25:20; Lam 4:21, and in , where it is applied to a country. The only circumstances which furnish any probability in regard to the place where Job lived, are the following:
(1) Those which enable us to determine with some probability where the family of Uz was settled, who not improbably gave his name to the country - as Sheba, and Seba, and Tema, and Cush, and Misraim, and others, did to the countries where they settled. In Gen 10:23; Uz עוּץ ‛ û ts, is mentioned as a grandson of Shem. In Gen 22:21; an Uz (English Bible, "Huz") is mentioned as the son of Nahor, brother of Abraham, undoubtedly a different person from the one mentioned in Gen 10:23. In Gen 36:28, an individual of this name is mentioned among the descendants of Esau. In Ch1 1:17, the name occurs among the "sons of Shem;" and in Ch1 1:42, the same name occurs among the descendants of Esau. So far, therefore, as the name is concerned, it may have been derived from one of the family of Shem, or from one who was a contemporary with Abraham, or from a somewhat remote descendant Esau. It will be seen in the course of this introduction, that there is strong improbability that the name was given to the country because it was settled by either of the two latter, as such a supposition would bring down the time when Job lived to a later period than the circumstances recorded in his history will allow, and it is therefore probable that the name was conferred in honor of the grandson of Shem. This fact, of itself, will do something to determine the place.
Shem lived in Asia, and we shall find that the settlements of his descendants originally occupied the country somewhere in the vicinity of the Euphrates; Gen 10:21-30. In Gen 10:23; Uz is mentioned as one of the sons of Aram, who gave name to the country known as Aramea, or Syria, and from whom the Arameans descended. Their original residence, it is supposed, was near the river Kir, or Cyrus, from where they were brought, at some period now unknown, by a deliverance resembling that of the children of Israel from Egypt, and placed in the regions of Syria; see Amo 9:7. The inhabitants of Syria and Mesopotamia are always called by Moses "Arameus": as they had their seat in and near Mesopotamia, it is probable that Uz was located also not far from that region. We should, therefore, naturally be led to look for the country of Uz somewhere in that vicinity. In Gen 10:30; it is further said of the sons of Shem, that "their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a mount of the East;" a statement which corresponds with what is said of Job himself, that he was "the greatest of all the men of the East" ; manifestly implying that he was an inhabitant of the country so called.
Various opinions have been entertained of the places where Mesha and Sephar were. The opinion of Michaelis is the most probable (Spicileg. pt. 11, p. 214), "that Mesha is the region around Passora, which the later Syrians called Maishon, and the Greeks Mesene. Under these names they included the country on the Euphrates and the Tigris, between Seleucia and the Persian Gulf. Abulfeda mentions in this region two cities not far from Passora, called Maisan, and Mushan. Here, then, was probably the northeastern border of the district inhabited by the Joktanites. The name of the opposite limit, Sephar, signifies in the Chaldee shore or coast, and is probably the western part of Yemen, along the Arabian Gulf, now called by the Arabs Tchiainah. The range of high and mountainous country between these two borders, Moses calls "the Mount of the East," or eastern mountains. It is also called by the Arabs, Djebal, i. e., "mountains," to the present day. See Rosenmuller's Alterthumskunde, iii. 163, 164.
The supposition that some portion of this region is denoted by the country where Uz settled, and is the place where Job resided is strengthened by the fact, that many of the persons and tribes mentioned in the book resided in this vicinity. Thus, it is probable that Eliphaz the Temanite had his residence there; see the notes at . The Sabeans probably dwelt not very remote from that region (see the notes at ); the Chaldeans we know had their residence there (notes, ), and this supposition will agree well with what is said of the tornado that came from the "wilderness," or desert; see the notes at . The residence of Job was so near to the Chaldeans and the Sabeans that he could be reached in their usual predatory excursions; a fact that better accords with the supposition that his residence was in some part of Arabia Deserta, than that it was in Idumea.
(2) this country is referred to in two places by Jeremiah, which may serve to aid us in determining its location; Lam 4:21 :
"Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
That dwellest in the land of Uz;
The cup shall pass through unto thee:
Thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked."
At first view, perhaps, this passage would indicate that the land of Uz was a part of Edom, yet it more properly indicates that the land of Uz was not a part of that land, but that the Edomites or Idumeans had gained possession of a country which did not originally belong to them. Thus, the prophet speaks of the "daughter of Edom," not as dwelling in her own country properly, but as dwelling "in the land of Uz" - in a foreign country, of which she had somehow obtained possession. The country of Edom, properly, was Mount Seir and the vicinity, south of the Dead Sea; but it is known that the Edomites subsequently extended their boundaries, and that at one period Bozrah, on the east of the Dead Sea, in the country of Moab, was their capital; see the Analysis of isa 34, and the notes at Isa 34:6. It is highly probable that Jeremiah refers to the period when the Idumeans, having secured these conquests, and made this foreign city their capital, is represented as dwelling there. If so, according to this passage in Lamentations, we should naturally look for the land of Uz somewhere in the countries to which the conquests of the Edomites extended - and these conquests were chiefly to the east of their own land. A similar conclusion will be derived from the other place where the name occurs in Jeremiah. It is in Jer 25:20 ff. "And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Askelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, and Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon," etc. Two things are apparent here. One is, that the country of Uz was distinct from the land of Edom, since they are mentioned as separate nations; the other is, that it was a country of some considerable extent, since it is mentioned as being under several "kings." There is, indeed, in this reference to it no allusion to its situation; but it is mentioned as being well known in the time of Jeremiah.
(3) the same thing is evident from the manner in which the residence of Job is spoken of in . He is there said to have been the "greatest of all the men of the east." This implies that his residence was in the land which was known familiarly as the country of the East. It is true, indeed, that we have not yet determined where the poem was composed, and of course do not know precisely what the author would understand by this phrase, but the expression has a common signification in the Scriptures, as denoting the country east of Palestine. The land of Idumea, however, was directly south; and we are, therefore, naturally led to look to some other place as the land of Uz; compare the notes at . The expression "the East," as used in the Bible, would in no instance naturally lead us to look to Idumea.
(4) the Septuagint renders the word Uz in . by Ασίτις Asitis - a word which seems to have been formed from the Hebrew עוּץ ‛ û ts, Utz, or Uz. Of course, their translation gives no intimation of the place referred to. But Ptolemy (Geog. Lib. v.) speaks of a tribe or nation in the neighborhood of Babylon, whom he calls Αὐσίται Ausitai, Ausitae (or as it was perhaps written Αἰσίται Aisitai), the same word which is used by the Septuagint in rendering the word Uz. These people are placed by Ptolemy in the neighborhood of the Cauchebeni - ὑπὸ υὲν τοῖς Καυχαβηνοις hupo men tois Kauchabē nois - and he speaks of them as separated from Chaldea by a ridge of mountains. See Rosenm. Prolegomena, p. 27. This location would place Job so near to the Chaldeans, that the account of their making an excursion into his country would be entirely probable. - It may be added, also, that in the same neighborhood we find a town called Sabas (Σάβας Sabas) in Diodorus Sic. Lib. iii. Section 46. Prof. Lee, p. 32. These circumstances render it probable that the residence of the patriarch was west of Chaldea, and somewhere in the northern part of Arabia Deserta, between Palestine, Idumea, and the Euphratcs.
(5) the monuments and memorials of Job still preserved or referred to in the East, may be adduced as some slight evidence of the fact that such a man as Job lived, and as an indication of the region in which he resided. It is true that they depend on mere tradition; but monuments are not erected to the memory of any who are not supposed to have had an existence, and traditions usually have some basis in reality. Arabian writers always make mention of Job as a real person, and his pretended grave is shown in the East to this day. It is shown indeed in six different places: but this is no evidence that all that is said of the existence of such a man is fabulous, anymore than the fact that seven cities contended for the honor of the birth of Homer is an evidence that there was no such man. The most celebrated tomb of this kind is that of the Trachonitis, toward the springs of the Jordan. It is situated between the cities still bearing the names of Teman, Shuah, and Naama - (Wemyss); though there is every reason to believe that these names have been given rather with reference to the fact that that was supposed to be his residence, than that they were the names of the places referred to in the book of Job. One of these tombs was shown to Niebuhr. He says (Reisebeschreib, i. 466, "Two or three hours east of Saada is a great mosque, in which, according to the opinion of the Arabs who reside there, the sufferer Job lies buried." "On the eastern limits of Arabia, they showed me the grave of Job, close to the Euphrates, and near the Helleh, one hour south from Babylon." is of importance to remark here only that all of these tombs are outside the limits of Idumea. Among the Arabians there are numerous traditions respecting Job, many of them indeed stories that are entirely ridiculous, but all showing the firm belief pRev_alent in Arabia that there was such a man. See Sale's Koran, vol. ii. pp. 174, 322; Magee on Atonement and Sacrifice, pp. 366, 367; and D'Herbelot, Bibli. Orient. tom. i. pp. 75, 432, 438, as quoted by Magee.
(6) the present belief of the Arabians may be referred to as corroborating the results to which we have approximated in this inquiry, that the residence of Job was not in Idumea, but was in some part of Arabia Deserta, lying between Palestine and the Euphrates. Eli Smith stated to me (November, 1840) that there was still a place in the Houran called by the Arabians, Uz; and that there is a tradition among them that that was the residence of Job. It is northeast of Bozrah. Bozrah was once the capital of Idumea (notes on Isa 34:6), though it was situated without the limits of their natural territory. If this tradition is well founded, then Job was not probably an Idumean. There is nothing that renders the tradition improbable, and the course of the investigation conducts us, with a high degree of probability, to the conclusion that this was the residence of Job. On the residence of Job and his friends, consult also Abrahami Peritsol Itinera Mundi, in Ugolin, Thes. Sac. vii. pp. 103-106.
Section 3. The Time When Job Lived
There has been quite as much uncertainty in regard to the time when Job lived, as there has been in regard to the place where he lived. It should be observed here, that this question is not necessarily connected with the inquiry when the book was composed, and will not be materially affected, whether we suppose it to have been composed by Job himself, by Moses, or by a later writer. Whenever the book was composed, if at a later period than that in which the patriarch lived, the author would naturally conceal the marks of his own time, by referring only to such customs and opinions as pRev_ailed in the age when the events were supposed to have occurred.
On this question, we cannot hope to arrive at absolute certainty. It is remarkable that neither the genealogical record of the family of Job nor that of his three friends is given. The only record of the kind occurring in the book, is that of Elihu , and this is so slight as to furnish but little assistance in determining when he lived. The only circumstances which occur in regard to this question, are the following; and they will serve to settle the question with sufficient probability, as it is a question on which no important results can depend.
(1) the age of Job. According to this, the time when he lived, would occur somewhere between the age of Terah, the father of Abraham, and Jacob, or about 1, 800 years before Christ, and about 600 years after the deluge. For the reasons of this opinion, see the notes at . This estimate cannot pretend to be entirely accurate, but, it has a high degree of probability. If this estimate is correct, he lived not far from 400 years before the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, and before the giving of the law on Mount Sinai; compare the notes at Act 7:6.
(2) as a slight confirmation of this opinion, we may refer to the traditions in reference to the time when he lived. The account which is appended to the Septuagint, that he was a son of Zare, one of the sons of Esau, and the fifth in descent from Abraham, may be seen in the notes at . A similar account is given at the close of the Arabic translation of Job, so similar that the one has every appearance of having been copied from the other, or of their having had a common origin. "Job dwelt in the land of Uz, between the borders of Edom and Arabia, and was before called Jobab. He married a foreign wife, whose name was Anun. Job was himself a son of Zare, one of the sons of Esau; and his mother's name was Basra, and he was the sixth in descent from Abraham. But of the kings who reigned in Edom, the first who reigned over the land was Balak, the son of Beor; and the name of his city was Danaba. And after him Jobab, who is called Job; and after him the name of him who was prince of the land of Teman; and after him his son Barak, he who slew and put to flight Madian in the plain of Moab, and the name of his city was Gjates. And of the friends of Job who came to meet him, was Elifaz, of the sons of Esau, the king of the Temanites." These traditions are worthless, except as they show the pRev_alent belief when these translations were made, that Job lived somewhere near the time of the three great Hebrew patriarchs.
A nearly uniform tradition also has concurred in describing this as about the age in which he lived. The Hebrew writers generally concur in describing him as living in the days of Isaac and Jacob. Wemyss. Eusebius places him about two "ages" before Moses. The opinions of the Eastern nations generally concur in assigning this as the age in which he lived.
(3) from the representations in the book itself, it is clear that he lived before the departure from Egypt. This is evident from the fact that there is no direct allusion either to that remarkable event, or to the series of wonders which accompanied it, or to the journey to the land of Canaan. This silence is unaccountable on any other supposition than that he lived before it occurred, for two reasons. One is, that it would have furnished the most striking illustration occurring in history, of the interposition by God in delivering his friends and in destroying the wicked, and was such an illustration as Job and his friends could not have failed to refer to, in defense of their opinions, if it were known to them; and the other is, that this event was the great storehouse of argument and illustration for all the sacred writers, after it occurred. The deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and the divine interposition in conducting the nation to the promised land, is constantly referred to by the sacred writers. They derive from those events their most magnificent descriptions of the power and majesty of Yahweh. They refer to them as illustrating his character and government. They appeal to them in proof that he was the friend and protector of his people, and that he would destroy his foes. They draw from them their most sublime and beautiful poetic images, and are never weary with calling the attention of the people to their obligation to serve God, on account of his merciful and wonderful interposition. The very point of the argument in this book is one that would be better illustrated by that deliverance, than by any other event which ever occurred in history; and as this must have been known to the inhabitants of the country where Job lived, it is inexplicable that there is no allusion to these transactions, if they had already occurred.
It is clear, therefore, that even if the book was written at a later period than the exode from Egypt, the author of the poem meant to represent the patriarch as having lived before that event. He has described him as one who was ignorant of it, and in such circumstances, and with such opinions, that he could not have failed to refer to it, if he was believed to have lived after that event. It is equally probable that Job lived before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This event occurred in the vicinity of the country where he lived, and he could not have been ignorant of it. It was, moreover, a case not less in point in the argument than the deliverance from Egypt was; and it is not conceivable that a reference to so signal a punishment on the wicked by the direct judgment of the Almighty, would have been omitted in an argument of the nature of that in this book. It was the very point maintained by the friends of Job, that God interposed by direct judgments to cut off the wicked; and the world never furnished a more appropriate illustration of this than had occurred in their own neighborhood, on the supposition that the calamities of Job occurred after that event.
(4) the same thing is apparent also from the absence of all allusion to the Jewish rites, manners, customs, religious ceremonies, priesthood, festivals, fasts, sabbaths, etc. There will be occasion in another part of this introduction (Section 4) to inquire how far there is in fact such a lack of allusion to these things. All that is now meant is, that there is an obvious and striking lack of such allusions as we should expect to find made by one who lived at a later period, and who was familiar with the customs and religious rites of the Jews. The plan of the poem, it may be admitted, indeed, did not demand any frequent allusion to these customs and rites, and may be conceded to be adverse to such an allusion, even if they were known; but it is hardly conceivable that there should not have been some reference to them of more marked character than is now found. Even admitting that Job was a foreigner, and that the author meant to preserve this impression distinctly, yet his residence could not have been far from the confines of the Jewish people; and one who manifested such decided principles of piety toward God as he did, could not but have had a strong sympathy with that people, and could not but have referred to their rites in an argument so intimately pertaining to the government of yahweh. The representation of Job, and the allusions in the book, are in all respects such as would occur on the supposition that he lived before the special Jewish polity was instituted.
(5) the same thing is manifest from another circumstance. The religion of Job is of the same kind which we find pRev_ailing in the time of Abraham, and before the institution of the Jewish system. It is a religion of sacrifices, but without any officiating priest. Job himself presents the offering, as the head of the family, in behalf of his children and his friends; ; . There is no priest appointed for this office; no temple, tabernacle, or sacred place of any kind; no consecrated altar. Now this is just the kind of religion which we find pRev_ailing among the patriarchs, until the giving of the law on Mount Sinai; and hence, it is natural to infer that Job lived anterior to that event. Thus, we find Noah building an altar to the Lord, and offering sacrifices, Gen 8:20; Abraham offering a sacrifice himself in the same manner, Gen 15:9-11; compare Gen 12:1-13; and this was undoubtedly the earliest form of religion. Sacrifices were offered to God, and the father of a family was the officiating priest.
These circumstances combined leave little doubt as to the time when Job lived. They concur in fixing the period as not remote from the age of Abraham, and there is no other period of history in which they will be found to unite. No question of great importance, however, depends on settling this question; and these circumstances determine the time with sufficient accuracy for all that is necessary, in an exposition of the book.
Section 4. The Author of the Book
A question of more vital importance than those which have been already considered, relates to the authorship of the book. As the name of the author is nowhere mentioned, either in the book itself or elsewhere in the Bible, it is of course impossible to arrive at absolute certainty; and after all that has been written on it, it is still and must be a point of mere conjecture. Still the question, as it is commonly discussed, opens a wide range of inquiry, and claims an investigation. If the name of the author cannot be discovered with certainty, it may be possible at least to decide with some degree of probability at what period of the world it was committed to writing, and perhaps with a degree of probability that may be sufficiently satisfactory, by whom it was done.
The first inquiry that meets us in the investigation of this point is, whether the whole book was composed by the same author, or whether the historical parts were added by a later hand. The slightest acquaintance with the book is sufficient to show, that there are in it two essentially different kinds of style - the poetic and prosaic. The body of the work, Job 3-42:6, is poetry; the other portion, Job 1; -13 and -17, is prose. The genuineness of the latter has been denied by many eminent critics, and particularly by DeWette, who regard it as the addition of some later hand. Against the prologue and the epilogue DeWette urges, "that the perfection of the work requires their rejection, because they solve the problem which is the subject of the discussion, by the idea of trial and compensation; whereas it was the design of the author to solve the question through the idea of entire submission on the part of man to the wisdom and power of God;" see Noyes, Intro. pp. xxi., xxii.
To this objection it may be replied:
(1) That we are to learn the view of the author only by all that he has presented to us. It may have been a part of his plan to exhibit just this view - not to present an abstract argument, but such an argument in connection with a real case, and to make it more vivid by showing an actual instance of calamity falling upon a pious man, and by a state of remarkable prosperity succeeding it. The presumption is, that the author of the poem designed to throw all the light possible on a very obscure and dark subject; and in order to that, a statement of the facts which preceded and followed the argument seems indispensable.
(2) without the statement in the conclusion of the prosperity of Job after his trials, the argument of the book is incomplete. The main question is not solved. God is introduced in the latter chapters, not as solving by explicit statements the questions that had given so much perplexity, but as showing the duty of unqualified submission. But when this is followed by the historical statement of the return of Job to a state of prosperity, of the long life which he afterward enjoyed, and of the wealth and happiness which attended him for nearly a century and a half, the objections of his friends and his own difficulties are abundantly met, and the conclusion of the whole shows that God is not regardless of his people, but that, though they pass through severe trials, still they are the objects of his tender care.
(3) besides, the prologue is necessary in order to understand the character, the language, and the arguments of Job. In the harsh and irRev_erent speeches which he sometimes makes, in his fearful imprecations in Job 3 on the day of his birth, and in the outbreaks of impatience which we meet with, it would be impossible for us to have the sympathy for the sufferer which the author evidently desired we should have, or to understand the depth of his woes, unless we had a view of his pRev_ious prosperity, and of the causes of his trials, and unless we had the assurance that he had been an eminently pious and upright man. As it is, we are prepared to sympathize with a sufferer of eminent rank, a man of pRev_ious wealth and prosperity, and one who had been brought into these circumstances or the very purpose of trial. We become at once interested to know how human nature will act in such circumstances, nor does the interest ever flag.
Under these sudden and accumulated trials, we admire, at first, the patience and resignation of the sufferer; then, under the protracted and intolerable pressure, we are not surprised to witness the outbreak of his feelings in Job 3; and then we watch with great interest and without weariness the manner in which he meets the ingenious arguments of his "friends" to prove that he had always been a hypocrite, and their cutting taunts and reproaches. It would be impossible to keep up this interest in the argument unless we were prepared for it by the historical statement in the introductory chapters. It should be added, that any supposition that these chapters are by a later hand, is entirely conjectural - no authority for any such belief being furnished by the ancient versions, manuscripts, or traditions. These remarks, however, do not forbid us to suppose, that, if the book were composed by Job himself, the last two verses in Job 42, containing an account of his age and death, were added by a later hand - as the account of the death of Moses Deu 34:1-12 must be supposed not to be the work of Moses himself, but of some later inspired writer.
If there is, therefore, reason to believe that the whole work, substantially as we have it now, was committed to writing by the same hand, the question arises, whether there are any circumstances by which it can be determined with probability who the author was. On no question, almost, pertaining to sacred criticism, have there been so many contradictory opinions as on this. Lowth, Magee, Prof. Lee, and many others, regard it as the work of Job himself. Lightfoot and others ascribe it to Elihu; some of the rabbinical writers, as also Kennicott, Michaelis, Dathe, and Good, to Moses; Luther, Grotius, and Doederlin, to Solomon; Umbreit and Noyes to some writer who lived not far from the period of the Jewish captivity; Rosenmuller, Spanheim, Reimar, Stauedlin, and C. F. Richter, suppose that it was composed by some Hebrew writer about the time of Solomon; Warburton regards it as the production of Ezra; Herder (Hebrew Poetry, i. 110) supposes that it was written by some ancient Idumean, probably Job himself, and was obtained by David in his conquests over Idumea. He supposes that in the later writings of David he finds traces of his having imitated the style of this ancient book.
It would be uninteresting and profitless to go into an examination of the reasons suggested by these respective authors for their various opinions. Instead of this, I propose to state the leading considerations which have occurred in the examination of the book itself, and of the reasons which have been suggested by these various authors, which may enable us to form a probable opinion. If the investigation shall result only in adding one more conjecture to those already formed, still it will have the merit of stating about all that seems to be of importance in enabling us to form an opinion in the case.
I. The first circumstance that would occur to one in estimating the question about the authorship of the book, is the foreign cast of the whole work - the fact that it differs from the usual style of the Hebrew compositions. The customs, allusions, figures of speech, and modes of thought, to one who is familiar with the writings of the Hebrews, have a foreign air, and are such as evidently show that the speakers lived in some other country than Judea. There is, indeed, a common Oriental cast diffused over the whole work, enough to distinguish it from all the modes of composition in the Occidental world; but there is, also, scarcely less to distinguish it from the compositions which we know had their origin among the Hebrews. The style of thought, and the general cast of the book, is Arabian. The allusions; the metaphors; the illustrations; the reference to historical events and to pRev_ailing customs, are not such as an Hebrew would make; certainly not, unless in the very earliest periods of history, and before the character of the nation became so formed as to distinguish it characteristically from their brethren in the great family of the East. Arabian deserts; streams failing from drought; wadys filled in the winter and dry in the summer; moving hordes and caravans that come regularly to the same place for water; dwellings of tents easily plucked up and removed; the dry and stinted shrubbery of the desert; the roaring of lions and other wild beasts; periodical rains; trees planted on the verge of running streams; robbers and plunderers that rise before day, and make their attack in the early morning; the rights, authority, and obligation of the גאל gô'el, or avenger of blood; the claims of hospitality; the formalities of an Arabic court of justice, are the images which are kept constantly before the mind.
Here the respect due to an Emir; the courtesy of manners which pRev_ails among the more elevated ranks in the Arabic tribes; the profound attention which listens to the close while one is speaking, and which never interrupts him (Herder i. 81), so remarkable among well-bred Orientals at the present day, appear everywhere. It is true, that many of these things may find a resemblance in the undoubted Hebrew writings - for some of them are the common characteristics of the Oriental people - but still, no one can doubt that they abound in this book more than in any other in the Bible, and that, as we shall see more particularly soon, they are unmixed as they are elsewhere, with what is indubitably of Hebrew origin. In connection with this, it may be remarked that there are in the book an unusual number of words, whose root is found now only in the Arabic, and which are used in a sense not common in the Hebrew, but usual in the Arabic. Of this all will be convinced who, in interpreting the book, avail themselves of the light which Gesenius has thrown on numerous words from the Arabic, or who consult the Lexicon of Castell, or who examine the Commentaries of Schultens and Lee. That more importance has been attached to this by many critics than facts will warrant, no one can deny; but as little can it be denied that more aid can be derived from the Arabic language in interpreting this book, than in the exposition of any other part of the Bible. On this point Gesenius makes the following remarks "Altogether there is found in the book much resemblance to the Arabic, or which can be illustrated from the Arabic; but this is either Hebrew, and pertains to the poetic diction, or it is at the same time Aramaish, and was borrowed by the poet from the Aramaean language, and appears here not as Aramaean but as Arabic. Yet there is not here proportionably more than in other poetic books and portions of books. It would be unjust to infer from this that the author of this book had any immediate connection with Arabia, or with Arabic literature." Geschichte der hebr. Sprache und Schrift, S. 88. The fact of the Arabic cast of the work is conceded by Gesenius in the above extract; the inferences in regard to the connection of the book with Arabia and with Arabic literature which may be derived from this, is to be determined from other circumstances; compare Eichhorn, Einleitung, v. S. 163ff.
II. A second consideration that may enable us to determine the question respecting the authorship of the book is, the fact that there are in it numerous undoubted allusions to events which occurred before the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, and the establishment of the Jewish institutions. The point of this remark is, that if we shall find such allusions, and also that there are no allusions to events occurring after that period, this is a circumstance which may throw some light on the authorship. It will at least enable us to fix, with some degree of accuracy, the time when the book was committed to writing. Now that there are manifest allusions to events occurring before that period, the following references will show; , "Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay, and wilt thou bring me to dust again?" Here there is an allusion in almost so many words to the statements in Gen 2:7; Gen 3:19, respecting the manner in which man was formed - showing that Job was familiar with the account of the creation of man, , "All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;" , "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life;" , "But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding."
Here there are undoubted allusions, also, to the manner in which man was formed - (compare Gen 2:7) - allusions which show that the fact must have been made known to the speakers by tradition, since it is not such a fact as man would readily arrive at by reasoning. The imbecility and weakness of man also, are described in terms which imply an acquaintance with the manner in which he was created. "How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth;" . In , there is probably an allusion to the fact that Adam attempted to hide himself from God when he had eaten the forbidden fruit. "If I covered my transgressions as Adam." For the reasons for supposing that this refers to Adam, see the notes at the verse. In -16, there is a manifest reference to the deluge. "Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood?"
See the notes on that passage. In connection with this we may refer also to the fact that the description of the modes of worship, and the views of religion, found in this book, show an acquaintance with the form in which worship was offered to God before the exode from Egypt. They are of precisely such a character as we find in the time of Abel, Noah, and Abraham. These events are not such as would occur to one who was not familiar with the historical facts recorded in the first part of the book of Genesis. They are not such as would result from a train of reasoning, but could only be derived from the knowledge of those events which would be spread over the East at that early period of the world. They demonstrate that the work was composed by one who had had an opportunity to become acquainted with what is now recorded as the Mosaic history of the creation, and of the early events of the world.
III. There are no such allusions to events occurring after the exode from Egypt, and the establishment of the Jewish institutions. As this is a point of great importance in determining the question respecting the authorship of the book, and as it as been confidently asserted that there are such allusions, and as they have been made the basis of an argument to prove that the book had an origin as late as Solomon or even as Ezra, it is of importance to examine this point with attention. The point is, that there are no such allusions as a Hebrew would make after the exode; or in other words, there is nothing in the book itself which would lead us to conclude that it was composed after the departure from Egypt. A few remarks will show the truth and the bearing of this observation.
The Hebrew writers were remarkable above most others for allusions to the events of their own history. The dealings of God with their nation had been so special, and they were so much imbued with the conviction that the events of their own history furnished proofs of the divine favor toward their nation, that we find in their writings a constant reference to what had happened to them as a people. Particularly the deliverance from Egypt, the passage of the Red Sea, the giving of the law on Sinai, the journey in the wilderness, the conquest of the land of Canaan, and the destruction of their enemies, constituted an unfailing depository of argument and illustration for their writers in all ages. All their poetry written subsequent to these events, abounds with allusions to them. Their prophets refer to them for topics of solemn appeal to the nation; and the remembrance of these things warms the heart of piety, and animates the song of praise in the temple-service. Under the sufferings of the "captivity," they are cheered by the fact that God delivered them once from much more galling oppression; and in the times of freedom, their liberty is made sweet by the memory of what their fathers suffered in the "house of bondage."
Now it is as undeniable as it is remarkable, that in the book of Job there are no such allusions to these events as a Hebrew would make. There is no allusion to Moses; no indisputable reference to their bondage in Egypt, to the oppressive acts of Pharaoh, to the destruction of his army in the Red Sea, to the rescue of the children of Israel, to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, to the perils of the wilderness, to their final settlement in the promised land. There is no reference to the tabernacle, to the ark, to the tables of the law, to the institution and the functions of the priesthood, to the cities of refuge, or to the special religious rites of the Hebrew people. There is none to the theocracy, to the days of solemn convocation, to the great national festivals, or to the names of the Jewish tribes. There is none to the special judicial laws of the Hebrews, and none to the administration of justice but such as we should find in the early patriarchal times.
These omissions are the more remarkable, as has been already observed, because many of these events would have furnished the most apposite illustrations of the points maintained by the different speakers of any which had ever occurred in history. Nothing could have been more in point, on numerous occasions in conducting the argument, than the destruction of Pharaoh, the deliverance and protection of the people of God, the care evinced for them in the wilderness, and the overthrow of their enemies in the promised land. So obvious do these considerations appear, that they seem to settle the question on one point in regard to the authorship of the book, and to show that it could not have been composed by a Hebrew after the exode. For several additional arguments to prove that the book was written before the exode, see Eichhorn, Einleit, section 641. As, however, notwithstanding these facts, it has been held by some respectable critics - as Rosenmuller, Umbreit, Warburton, and others - that it was composed as late as the time of Solomon, or even the captivity, it is important to inquire in what way it is proposed to set this argument aside, and by what considerations they propose to defend its composition at a later date than the exode. They are, briefly, the following:
(1) One is, that the very design of the poem, whenever it was composed, required that there should be no such allusion. The scene, it is said is laid, not in Palestine, but in a foreign country; the time supposed is that of the patriarchs, and before the exode; the characters are not Hebrew, but are Arabian or Idumean, and the very purpose of the author required that there should be no allusion to the unique history or customs of the Hebrews. The same thing, it is said, occurred which would in the composition of poem or romance now in which the scene is laid in a foreign land, or in the time of the Crusades or the Caesars. We should expect that the characters, the costume, the habits of that foreign country or those distant times, would be carefully observed. "As they (the characters and the author of the work) were Arabians who had nothing to do with the institutions of Moses, it is plain that a writer of genius would not have been guilty of the absurdity of putting the sentiments, eats of a Jew into the mouth of an Arabian, at least so far as relates to such tangible matters as institutions, positive laws, ceremonies, and history. The author has manifested abundant evidence of genius and skill in the structure and execution of the work, to account for his not having given to Arabians the obvious peculiarities of Hebrews who lived under the institutions of Moses, at whatever period it may have been written.
Even if the characters of the book had been Hebrews, the argument under consideration would not have been perfectly conclusive, for, from the nature of the subject, we might have expected as little in it that was Levitical or grossly Jewish, as in the Book of Proverbs or Ecclesiastes." Noyes, Introduction p. 28. This supposition assumes that the work was written in a later age than that of Moses. It furnishes no evidence, however, that it was so written. It can only furnish evidence that the author had genius and skill so to throw himself back into a distant age and into a foreign land, as completely to conceal his own uniqueness of country or time, and to represent characters as living and acting in the supposed country and period, without betraying his own. So far as the question about the author, and the time when the work was composed, is concerned, the fact here admitted, that there are no allusions to events after the exode, is quite as strong certainly in favor of the supposition that it was composed before as after that event.
There are still some difficulties on the supposition that it was written by a Hebrew of a later age, who designedly meant to give it an Arabic dress, and to make no allusion to anything in the institutions and history of his own country that would betray its authorship, One is, the intrinsic difficulty of doing this. It requires rare genius for an author so to throw himself into past ages, as leave nothing that shall betray his own times and country. We are never so betrayed as to imagine that Shakespeare lived in the time of Coriolanus or of Caesar; that Johnson lived in the time and the country of Rasselas; or that Scott lived in the times of the Crusaders. Instances have been found, it is admitted, where the concealment has been effectual, but they have been exceedingly rare. Another objection to this view is, that such a work would have been especially impracticable for a Hebrew, who of all men would have been most likely to betray his time and country.
The cast of the poem is highly philosophical. The argument is in many places exceedingly abstruse. The appeal is to close and long observation; to the recorded experience of their ancestors; to the observed effects of devine judgments on the world. A Hebrew in such circumstances would have appealed to the authority of God; he would have referred to the terrible sanctions of the law rather than to cold and abstract reasoning; and he could hardly have refrained from some allusion to the events of his own history that bore so palpably on the case, It may be doubted, also, whether any Hebrew ever had such versatility of genius and character as to divest himself wholly of the proper costume of his country, and to appear throughout as an Arabic Emir, and so as never in a long argument to express anything but such as became the assumed character of the foreigner. It should be remembered, also, that the language which is used in this poem is different from that which pRev_ailed in the time of Solomon and the captivity.
It has an antique cast. It abounds in words which do not elsewhere occur, and whose roots are now to be found only in the Arabic. It has much of the peculiarities of a strongly marked dialect - and would require all the art necessary to keep up the spirit of an ancient dialect. Yet in the whole range of literature there are not probably half a dozen instances where such an expedient as this has been resorted to - where a writer has made use of a foreign or an antique dialect for the purpose of giving to the production of his pen an air of antiquity. Aristophanes and the tragedians, indeed, sometimes introduce persons speaking the dialects of parts of Greece different from that in which they had been brought up (Lee), and the same is occasionally true of Shakespeare; but except in the case of Chatterton, scarcely one has occurred where the device has been continued through a production of any considerable length. There is a moral certainty that a Hebrew would not attempt it.
(2) a second objection to the supposition that the work was composed before the exode, or argument that it was composed by a Hebrew who lived at a much later period of the world, is derived from the supposed allusions to the historical events connected with the Jewish people, and to the unique institutions of Moses. It is not maintained that there is any direct mention of those events or those institutions, but that the author has undesignedly "betrayed" himself by the use of certain words and phrases such as no one would employ but a Hebrew. This argument may be seen at length in Warburton's Divine Legation of Moses, vol. v. pp. 306-319, and a full examination of it may be seen in Peters' Critical Dissertation on the Book of Job, pp. 22-36. All that can be done here is to make a very brief reference to the argument. Even the advocates for the opinion that the book was composed after the exode, have generally admitted that the passages referred to contribute but little to the support of the opinion. The passages referred to by Warburton are the following:
(a) The allusion to the calamities which the wickedness of parents brings upon their children. "He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail;" . "God layeth up his iniquity for his children; he rewardeth him, and they shall know it;" . Here it is supposed there is a reference to the principle laid down in the Hebrew Scriptures as a part of the divine administration, that the iniquities of the fathers should be visited upon their children. But it is not necessary to suppose that there was any particular acquaintance with the laws of Moses, to understand this. Observation of the actual course of events would have suggested all that is alleged in the Book of Job on this point. The poverty, disease, and disgrace which the vicious entail on their offspring in every land, would have furnished to a careful observer all the facts necessary to suggest this remark. The opinion that children suffer as a consequence of the sins of wicked parents was common all over the world. Thus, in a verse of Theocritus, delivered as a sort of oracle from Jupiter, Idyll. xxvi.
Εὐσεβέων παίδεσσι τὰ λώια, δυσσεβέων δ ̓ οὐ Eusebeō n paidessi ta lō ia dussebeō n d' ou.
"Good things happen to children of the pious, but not to those of the irreligious."
(b) Allusion to the fact that idolatry is an offence against the state, and is to be punished by the civil magistrate. "This also (idolatry) were an iniquity to be punished by the judge, for I should have denied the God that is above;" . This is supposed to be such a sentiment as a Hebrew only would have employed, as derived from his special institutions, where idolatry was an offence against the state, and was made a capital crime. But there is not the least evidence that in the patriarchal times, and in the country where Job lived, idolatrous worship might not be regarded as a civil offence; and whether it were so or not, there is no reason for surprise that a man who had a profound veneration for God, and for the honor due to his name, such as Job had, should express the sentiment, that the worship of the sun and moon was a heinous offence, and that pure religion was of so much importance that a violation of its principles ought to be regarded as a crime against society.
(c) Allusions to certain PHRASES such as only a Hebrew would use, and which would be employed only at a later period of the world than the exode. Such phrases are referred to as the following: "He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter;" . "Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart;" . "O that I were in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;" . It is maintained that these are manifest allusions to facts referred to in the books of Moses: that the first refers to the common description of the holy land; the second, to the giving of the law on Sinai; and the third, to the dwelling of the Shekinah, or visible symbol of God, on the tabernacle. To this we may reply, that the first is such common language as was used in the East to denote plenty or abundance, and is manifestly a proverbial expression. It is used by Pindar, Nem. εἰδ. γ; and is common in the Arabic writers. The second is only such general language as anyone would use who should exhort another to be attentive to the law of God, and has in it manifestly no particular allusion to the method in which the law was given on Sinai. And the third can be shown to have no special reference to the Shekinah or cloud of glory as resting on the tabernacle, nor is it such language as a Hebrew would employ in speaking of it. That cloud is nowhere in the Scripture called "the secret of God," and the fair meaning of the phrase is, that God came into his dwelling as a friend and counselor, and admitted him familiarly to communion with him; see the notes at . It was one of the privileges, Job says, of his earlier life that he could regard himself as the friend of God, and that he had clear views of his plans and purposes. Now, those views were withheld, and he was left to darkness and solitude.
(d) Supposed allusions to the miraculous history of the Jewish people. "Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and sealeth up the stars;" . Here it is supposed there is allusion to the miracle performed by Joshua in commanding the sun and moon to stand still. But assuredly there is no necessity for supposing that there is a reference to anything miraculous. The idea is, that God has power to cause the sun, the moon, and the stars to shine or not, as he pleases. He can obscure them by clouds, or He can blot them out altogether. Besides, in the account of the miracle performed at the command of Joshua, there is no allusion to the stars. "He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud;" . Here it is supposed there is an allusion to the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea. But the language does not necessarily demand this interpretation, nor will it admit of it.
The word improperly rendered "divideth," means to awe, to cause to cower, or tremble, and then to be calm or still, and is descriptive of the power which God has over a tempest. See the notes at the verse. There is not the slightest evidence that there is any allusion to the passage through the Red Sea. "He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;" . "Who can doubt," says Warburton, "but that these words alluded to the wandering of the Israelites 40 years in the wilderness, as a punishment for their cowardice and diffidence in God's promises?" But there is no necessary reference to this. Job is speaking of the control which God has over the nations. He has power to frustrate all their counsels, and to defeat all their plans. He can found all the purposes of their princes, and throw their affairs into inextricable confusion.
In the original, moreover, the word does not necessarily imply a "wilderness" or desert. The word is תהוּ tô hû a word used in Gen 1:2, to denote "emptiness," or "chaos," and may here refer to the "confusion" of their counsels and plans; or if it refer to a desert, the allusion is of a general character, meaning that God had power to drive the people from their fixed habitations, and to make them wanderers on the face of the earth. "I will show thee; hear me; and what I have seen will I declare; which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it;" -18. "The very way," says Warburton, "in which Moses directs the Israelites to preserve the memory of the miraculous works of God." And the very way, also, it may be replied, in which all ancient history, and all the ancient wisdom from the beginning of the world, was transmitted to posterity. There was no other method of preserving the record of past transactions, but by transmitting the memory of them from father to son; and this was and is, in fact, the method of doing it all over the East. It was by no means confined to the Israelites. "Unto whom alone the earth was given, AND NO STRANGER PASSED AMONGST THEM;" . "A circumstance," says Warburton, "agreeing to no people whatever but to the Israelites settled in Canaan." But there is no necessary allusion here to the Israelites. Eliphaz is speaking of the golden age of his country; of the happy and pure times when his ancestors dwelt in the land without being corrupted by the intermingling of foreigners.
He says that he will state the result of their wisdom and observation in those pure and happy days, before it could be pretended that their views were corrupted by any foreign admixture; see the notes on the passage. These passages are the strongest instances of what has been adduced to show that in the Book of Job there are allusions to the customs and opinions of the Jews after the exode from Egypt. It would be tedious and unprofitable to go into a particular examination of all those which are referred to by Dr. Warburton. The remark may be made of them all, that they are of so general a character, and that they apply so much to the pRev_ailing manners and customs of the East, that there is no reason for supposing that there is a special reference to the Hebrews. The remaining passages referred to, are ; , -10; ff; ; -12; and . A fu l examination of these may be seen in Peters' Critical Dissertation, pp. 32-36.
(3) A third objection to the supposition that the book was composed before the time of the exode, is derived from the use of the word yahweh. This word occurs several times in the historical part of the book -9, , ; -4, ; , , , and a few times in the body of the poem. The objection is founded on what God says to Moses, Exo 6:3; "And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but by my name yahweh was I not known to them." At the burning bush, when he appeared to Moses, he solemnly assumed this name, and directed him to announce him as "I am that I am," or as yahweh. From this it is inferred that, as the name occurs in the book of Job, that book must have been composed subsequently to the time when God appeared to Moses. But this conclusion does not follow, for the following reasons:
(a) It might be true that God was not known to "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," by this name, and still the name might have been used by others to designate him.
(b) The name yahweh was actually used before this by God himself and by others; Gen 2:7-9, Gen 2:15-16, Gen 2:18-19, Gen 2:21; Gen 3:9, et al; Gen 12:1, Gen 12:4, Gen 12:7-8, Gen 12:17; Gen 13:10, Gen 13:13-14; Gen 15:6, Gen 15:18; Gen 16:9-10, Gen 16:13, et saepe al. If the argument from this, therefore, be valid to prove that the book of Job was not composed before the exode, it will demonstrate that the book of Genesis was also a subsequent production.
(c) But the whole argument is based on a misapprehension of Exo 6:3. The meaning of that passage, since the name yahweh was known to the patriarchs, must be
(1) that it was not by this name that he had promulgated his existence, or was publicly and solemnly known. It was a name used in common with other names by them, but which He had in no special way appropriated to Himself, or to which He had affixed no special sacredness. The name which He had Himself more commonly employed was another. Thus when He appeared to Abraham and made Himself known, he said, "I am the ALMIGHTY GOD; walk before me, and be thou perfect;" Gen 17:1. So He appeared to Jacob: "I am GOD be fruitful and multiply;" Gen 35:11; compare Gen 28:3; Gen 43:14.
(2) at the bush Exo. 3; Exo 4:3, God publicly and solemnly assumed the name yahweh. He affixed to it a special sacredness. He explained its meaning, Exo 3:14. He said it was the name by which He intended especially to be known as the God of His people. He invested it with a solemn sacredness, as that by which He chose ever afterward to be known among His people as their God. Other nations had their divinities with different names; the God of the children of Israel was to be known by the special and sacred name yahweh. But this solemn assumption of the name is by no means inconsistent with the supposition that He might have used it before, or that it might have been used before in the composition of the Book of Job.
(4) a fourth objection to the supposition that the book was composed before the time of the exode, is, that the name Satan, which occurs in this book, was not known to the Hebrews at so early a date, and that in fact it occurs as a proper name only at a late period of their history. See Warburton's Divine Legation, vol. v. 353ff. In reply to this it may be observed,
(a) that the doctrine of the existence of an evil spirit of the character ascribed in this book to Satan, was early known to the Hebrews. It was known in the time of Ahab, when, it is said, the Lord had put a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets, Kg1 22:22-23, and the belief of such an evil spirit must have been early pRev_alent to explain in any tolerable way the history of the fall. On the meaning of the word, see the notes at .
(b) The word "Satan" early occurs in history in the sense of an adversary or accuser, and it was natural to transfer this word to the great adversary. See Num 22:22. In Zac 3:1-2, it is used in the same sense as in Job, to denote the great adversary of God appearing before him; see the notes at . Here Satan is introduced as a being whose name and character were well known.
(c) It is admitted by Warburton himself (p. 355), that the notion of "an evil demon," or a "fury," was a common opinion among the pagan, even in early ages, though he says it was not admitted among the Hebrews until a late period of their history. But if it pRev_ailed among the pagan, it is possible that the same sentiment might have been understood in Arabia, and that this might at a very early period have been incorporated into the Book of Job. See this whole subject examined in Peters' Critical Dissertation, pp. 80-92. I confess, however, that the answers which Peters and Magee (pp. 322, 323) give to this objection, are not perfectly satisfactory; and that the objection here urged against the composition of the book before the exode, is the most forcible of all those which I have seen. A more thorough investigation of the history of opinions respecting a presiding evil being than I have had access to, seems to be necessary to a full removal of the difficulty.
The real difficulty is, not that no such being is elsewhere referred to in the Scriptures; not that his existence is improbable or absurd - for the existence of Satan is no more improbable in itself than that of Nero, Tiberius, Richard III, Alexander VI, or Caesar Borgia, than either of whom he is not much worse; and not that there are no traces of him in the early account in the Bible; - but it is, that while in the Scriptures we have, up to the time of the exode, and indeed long after, only obscure intimations of his existence and character - without any particular designation of his attributes, and without any name being given to him, in the Book of Job he appears with a name apparently in common use; with a definitely formed character; in the full maturity of his plans - a being evidently as well defined as the Satan in the latest periods of the Jewish history. I confess myself unable to account for this, but still do not perceive that there is any impossibility in supposing that this maturity of view in regard to the evil principle might have pRev_ailed in the country of Job at this early period, though no occasion occurred for its statement in the corresponding part of the Jewish history. There may have been such a pRev_alent belief among the patriarchs, though in the brief records of their opinions and lives no occasion occurred for a record of their belief.
(5) a fifth objection has been derived from the fact that in the Book of Job there is a strong resemblance to many passages in the Psalms, and in the Book of Proverbs, from which it is inferred that it was composed subsequently to those books. Rosenmuller, who has particularly urged this objection, appeals to the following instances of resemblance; Psa 107:40; compare with 16:18; Psa 18:12; Psa 29:1-11 :23; ; Pro 8:26-29; Pro 30:4; -8; Pro 10:7; . It is unnecessary to go into an examination of these passages, or to attempt to disprove their similarity. There can be no doubt of their very strong resemblance, but still the question is fairly open, which of these books was first composed, and which, if one has borrowed from another, was the original fountain. Warburton has himself well remarked, that "if the sacred writers must needs have borrowed trite moral sentences from one another, it may be as fairly said that the authors of the Psalms borrowed from the book of Job, as that the author of Job borrowed from the book of Psalms." Works, vol. v. 320. The supposition that the Book of Job was first composed will meet the whole difficulty, so far as one was derived from the other. It should be added, also, that many of these sentiments consist of the common maxims that must have pRev_ailed among a people accustomed to close observation, and habituated to expressing their views in a proverbial form.
I have now noticed at length all the objections which have been urged, which seem to me to have any force, against the supposition that the Book of Job was composed before the exode from Egypt, and have stated the arguments which lead to the supposition that it had so early an origin. The considerations suggested are such as seem to me to leave no rational doubt that the work was composed before the departure from Egypt. The train of thought pursued, therefore, if conclusive, will remove the necessity of all further inquiry into the opinion of Luther, Grotius, and Doederlin, that Solomon was the author; of Umbreit and Noyes, that it was composed by some unknown writer about the period of the captivity; of Warburton, that it was the production of Ezra; and of Rosenmuller, Spanheim, Reimer, Staeudlin, and Richter, that it was composed by some Hebrew writer about the time of Solomon. It remains then to inquire whether there are any circumstances which can lead us to determine with any degree of probability who was the author. This inquiry leads us,
IV. In the fourth place, to remark that there are no sufficient indications that the work was composed by Elihu. The opinion that he was the author was held, among others, by Lightfoot. But, independently of the want of any positive evidence which would lead to such a conclusion, there are objections to this opinion which render it in the highest degree improbable. They are found in the argument of Elihu himself. He advances, indeed, with great modesty, but still with extraordinary pretensions to wisdom. He lays claim to direct inspiration, and professes to be able to throw such light on the whole of the perplexed subject as to end the debate. But in the course of his addresses, he introduces but one single idea on the point under discussion which had not been dwelt on at length by the speakers before. That idea is, that afflictions are designed, not to demonstrate that the sufferer was eminently guilty, as the friends of Job held, but that intended for the benefit of the sufferer himself, and might, therefore, be consistent with true piety.
This idea he places in a variety of attitudes; illustrates it with great beauty, and enforces it with great power on the attention of Job; compare -30, notes; -32, notes; -15, notes; -16, notes. But in his speeches Elihu shows no such extraordinary ability as to lead us to suppose that he was the author of the work. He does not appear to have understood the design of the trials that came upon Job; he gives no satisfactory solution of the causes of affliction; he abounds in repetition; his observation of the course of events had been evidently much less profound than that of Eliphaz, and his knowledge of nature was much less extensive than that of Job and the other speakers; and he was evidently as much in the dark in the great question which is discussed throughout the book as the other speakers were. Besides, as Prof. Lee has remarked (p. 44), the belief that Elihu wrote the book is inconsistent with the supposition that the first two chapters and the last chapter were written by the same author who composed the body of the work. He who wrote these chapters manifestly "saw through the whole affair," and understood the reasons why these trials came upon the patriarch. Those reasons would have been suggested by Elihu in his speech, if he had known them.
V. The supposition that Job himself was the author of the book, though it may have been slightly modified by some one subsequently, will meet all the circumstances of the case. This will agree with its foreign cast and character; with the use of the Arabic words now unknown in Hebrew; with the allusions to the nomadic habits of the times, and to the modes of living, and to the illustrations drawn from sandy plains and deserts; with the statements about the simple modes of worship pRev_ailing, and the notice of the sciences and the arts (see the introduction, Section 5), and with the absence of all allusion to the exode, the giving of the law, and the special customs and institutions of the Hebrews. In addition to these general considerations for supposing that Job was the author of the work, the following suggestions may serve to show that this opinion is attended with the highest degree of probability.
(1) Job lived after his calamities 140 years, affording ample leisure to make the record of his trials.
(2) the art of making books was known in his time, and by the patriarch himself, -24; . In whatever way it was done, whether by engraving on stone or lead, or by the use of more perishable materials, he was not ignorant of the art of making a record of thoughts to be preserved and transmitted to future times. Understanding this art, and having abundant leisure, it is scarcely to be conceived, that he would have failed to make a record of what had occurred during his own remarkable trials.
(3) the whole account was one that would furnish important lessons to mankind, and it is hardly probable that a man who had passed through so unusual a scene would be willing that the recollection of it should be entrusted to uncertain tradition. The strongest arguments which human ingenuity could invent, had been urged on both sides of a great question pertaining to the divine administration; a case of a strongly marked character had happened, similar to what is constantly occurring in the world, in which similar perplexing and embarrassing questions would arise; God had come forth to inculcate the duty of man in this case, and had furnished instruction that would be invaluable in all similar instances; and the result of the whole trial had been such as to furnish the strongest proof that however the righteous are afflicted, their sufferings are not proof that they are deceivers or hypocrites.
(4) the record of his own imperfections and failures is just such as we should expect from Job, on the supposition that he was the author of the book. Nothing is concealed. There is the most fair and full statement of his impatience, his murmuring, his irRev_erence, and of the rebuke which he received of the Almighty. Thus Moses, too, records his own failings, and, throughout the Scriptures, the sacred writers never attempt to conceal their own infirmities and faults.
(5) Job has shown in his own speeches that he was abundantly able to compose the book. In everything he goes immeasurably beyond all the other speakers, except God; and he who was competent, in trials so severe as his were, to give utterance to the lofty eloquence, the argument, and the poetry now found in his speeches, was not incompetent to make record of them in the long period of health and prosperity which he subsequently enjoyed. Every circumstance, therefore, seems to me to render it probable that Job was the compiler, or perhaps we should rather say, the editor of this remarkable book, with the exception of the record which is made of his own age and death. The speeches were undoubtedly made substantially as they are recorded, and the work of the author was to collect and edit those speeches, to record his own and that of the Almighty, and to furnish to the whole the proper historical notices, that the argument might be properly understood.
VI. But one other supposition seems necessary to meet all the questions which have been raised in regard to the origin of the work. It is, that Moses adopted it and published it among the Hebrews as a part of divine Rev_elation, and entrusted it to them, with his own writings, to be transmitted to future times. Several circumstances contribute to render this probable.
(1) Moses spent forty years in various parts of Arabia, mostly in the neighborhood of Horeb; and in a country where, if such a work had been in existence, it would be likely to be known.
(2) his talents and pRev_ious training at the court of Pharaoh were such as would make him likely to look with interest on any literary document; on any work expressive of the customs, arts, sciences, and religion of another land: and especially on anything having the stamp of uncommon genius.
(3) the work was eminently adapted to be useful to his own countrymen, and could be employed to great advantage in the enterprise which he undertook of delivering them from bondage. It contained an extended examination of the great question which could not but come before their minds - why the people of God were subjected to calamities; it inculcated the necessity of submission without murmuring, under the severest trials; and it showed that God was the friend of his people, though they were long afflicted, and would ultimately bestow upon them abundant prosperity. There is every probability, therefore, that if Moses found such a book in existence, he would have adopted it as an important auxiliary in accomplishing the great work to which he was called. It may be added
(4) that there is every reason to think that Moses was not himself the author of it. This opinion rests on such considerations as these:
(a) The style is not that of Moses. It has more allusion to proverbs, and maxims, and pRev_ailing views of science, than occur in his poetic writings; see Lowth, Prae. Hebr. xxxii.; Michaelis, Nat. et Epim. p 186, as quoted by Magee, p. 328, and Herder, Hebrew Poetry, vol. i. pp. 108, 109.
(b) Moses in his poetry almost invariably used the word yahweh as the name of God, rarely that of the Almighty (שׁדי shadday); in Job, the word yahweh rarely occurs in the body of the poem, some other name for the Deity being almost uniformly employed.
(c) In the book of Job there are numerous instances of words, the roots of which are now obsolete, or which are found only in the Arabic or Chaldee. See Prof. Lee, Intro. p. 50.
(d) The allusions to Arabic customs, opinions, and manners, are not such as would have been likely to be familiar to the mind of Moses. All that he could have learned of them would have been what he acquired, when over forty years of age, in keeping the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro; and though it might be said with plausibility that the forty years which he spent with him might have made him familiar with the habits of Arabia, still, in a poem of this length, we should have expected that these would not have been the only allusions. The most vivid and permanent impressions on the mind are those made in youth; and on the mind of Moses, those impressions had been received in Egypt. the work had been composed by him we should, therefore, bare expected that there would have been frequent allusions that would have betrayed Egyptian origin. But of these there are none, or if there are any which have such an origin, they are such as might have been readily learned from the common reports of travelers. But with all that pertained to the desert, to the keeping of flocks and herds, to the nomadic mode of life, to the poor and needy wanderers there, to the methods of plunder and robbery, the author of the poem shows himself to be perfectly familiar. It seems to me, therefore, that by this train of remarks, we are conducted to a conclusion tended with as much certainty as can be hoped for in the nature of the case, that the work was composed by Job himself in the period of rest and prosperity which succeeded his trials, and came to the knowledge of Moses during his residence in Arabia, and was adopted by him to represent to the Hebrews, in their trials, the duty of submission to the will of God, and to furnish the assurance that he would yet appear to crown with abundant blessings his own people, however much they might be afflicted.
Section 5. The State of the Arts and Sciences in the Time of Job
There is one important aspect still in which the book of Job may be contemplated. It is as an illustration of the state of the acts and sciences of the period of the world when it was composed. We are not indeed, in a poem of this nature, to look for formal treatises on any of the arts or sciences as then understood, but all that we can expect to find must be incidental allusions, or hints, that may enable us to determine with some degree of accuracy what advances society had then made. Such allusions are also of much more value in determining the progress of society, than extended descriptions of conquests and sieges would be. The latter merely change the boundaries of empire; the former indicate progress in the condition of man. Inventions in the arts and discoveries in science are fixed points, from which society does not go backward. I propose, then, as an illustration of the progress which society had made in the time of Job, as well as to prepare the mind to read the book in the most intelligent manner, to bring together the scattered notices of the state of the arts and sciences contained in this poem. No exact order can be observed in this; nor is there anything in the poem to indicate which of the things specified had the priority in point of time, or when the invention or discovery was made. The order of the arrangement chosen will have some reference to the importance of the subjects, and also some to what may be supposed to have first attracted attention. For a more full view of the various points that will be referred to, reference may be made to the notes on the various passages adduced.
I. Astronomy
The stars were early observed in Chaldea, where the science of astronomy had its origin. A pastoral people always have some knowledge of the heavenly bodies. The tending of flocks by night, under a clear Oriental sky, gave abundant opportunity for observing the motions of the heavenly bodies, and names would soon be given to the most important of the stars; the difference between the planets and the fixed stars would be observed, and the imagination would be employed in grouping the stars into fanciful resemblances to animals and other objects. In like manner, as caravans traveled much at night through the deserts, on account of the comparative coolness then, they would have an opportunity of observing the stars, and some knowledge of the heavenly bodies became necessary to guide their way. The notices of the heavenly bodies in this poem show chiefly that names were given to some of the stars; that they were grouped together in constellations; and that the times of the appearance of certain stars had been carefully observed, and their relation to certain aspects of the weather had been marked. There is no express mention of the planets as distinguished from the fixed stars; and nothing to lead us to suppose that they were acquainted with the true system of astronomy.
He commandeth the sun, and it riseth not,
And he sealeth up the stars.
He alone stretcheth out the heavens
And walketh upon the high waves of the sea.
He maketh Arcturus, Orion,
The Pleiades, and the secret chambers of the south.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
0:0: A large aquatic animal, perhaps the extinct dinosaur, plesiosaurus, the exact meaning is unknown. Some think this to be a crocodile but from the description in Job 41:1-41:34 this is patently absurd. It appears to be a large fire breathing animal of some sort. Just as the bomardier beetle has an explosion producing mechanism, so the great sea dragon may have an explosive producing mechanism to enable it to be a real fire breathing dragon.

Job 1:1, The holiness, riches, and religious care of Job for his children; Job 1:6, Satan, appearing before God, by calumniation obtains leave to afflict Job; Job 1:13, Understanding of the loss of his children and goods, in his mourning he blesses God.

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
Ἐπ ̓ αὐτῶν τῶν λέξεων [τοῦ βιβλίου] γενόμενοι σαφηνίσωμεν τὴν ἔννοιαν,αὐτοῦ ποδηγούντος ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὴν ἑρμηνείαν, τοῦ καὶ τὸν ἅγιονἸὼβ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐνισχύσαντος. - Olympiodoros.
The Opening - Job 1:1
Job's Piety in the Midst of the Greatest Prosperity - Job 1:1-5
The book begins in prose style: as Jerome says, Prosa incipit, versu labitur, pedestri sermone finitur. Prologue and epilogue are accordingly excepted from the poetical accentuation, and are accented according to the usual system, as the first word shows; for אישׁ has, in correct editions, Tebir, a smaller distinctive, which does not belong to the poetical accentuation. The writer does not begin with ויהי, as the writers of the historico-prophetical books, who are conscious that they are relating a portion of the connection of the collective Israelitish history, e.g., 1Kings 1:1, אישׁ ויהי, but, as the writer of the book of Esther (Esther 2:5) for similar reasons, with היה אישׁ, because he is beginning a detached extra-Israelitish history.
John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO JOB 1
In this chapter, Job, the subject of the whole book, is described by his native country, by his name, by his religious character, and by his family and his substance, Job 1:1 a particular relation is given of his children feasting together, and of Job's conduct during that time, Job 1:4 of a discourse which passed between God and Satan concerning him, the issue of which was that Satan obtained leave of God to afflict Job in his outward affairs, Job 1:6 then follows an account of his several losses, of his oxen, sheep, camels, asses, and servants, by the Sabeans, Chaldeans, and fire from heaven, and of his sons and daughters by the fall of the house in which they were through a violent wind, Job 1:13, and the chapter is concluded with the agreeable behaviour of Job in the midst of all this, Job 1:20.
1:11:1: Ա՛յր ոմն էր յԱւսիդ աշխարհի որում անուն էր Յո՛բ. եւ էր այրն այն ճշմարի՛տ, անարատ, արդար, աստուածապաշտ, մեկնեա՛լ յամենայն իրաց չարութենէ մեղաց[9066]։ [9066] Ոմանք. Էր յԱւստեր աշխարհի։
1 Աւսիդ[1] քաղաքում մի մարդ կար, որի անունը Յոբ էր: Այդ մարդը ճշմարտախօս էր ու անարատ, արդար էր ու աստուածապաշտ, ամէն տեսակի չար ու մեղաւոր գործերից հեռու:[1] 1. Եբրայերէն՝ Յուս կամ Ուզ:
1 Հուս* երկրին մէջ Յոբ անունով մարդ մը կար։ Այն մարդը կատարեալ ու արդար եւ աստուածավախ էր ու չարութենէ ետ կը քաշուէր։
Այր ոմն էր [1]յԱւսիդ աշխարհի`` որում անուն էր Յոբ. եւ էր այրն այն [2]ճշմարիտ, անարատ,`` արդար, աստուածապաշտ, մեկնեալ [3]յամենայն իրաց չարութենէ մեղաց:

1:1: Ա՛յր ոմն էր յԱւսիդ աշխարհի որում անուն էր Յո՛բ. եւ էր այրն այն ճշմարի՛տ, անարատ, արդար, աստուածապաշտ, մեկնեա՛լ յամենայն իրաց չարութենէ մեղաց[9066]։
[9066] Ոմանք. Էր յԱւստեր աշխարհի։
1 Աւսիդ[1] քաղաքում մի մարդ կար, որի անունը Յոբ էր: Այդ մարդը ճշմարտախօս էր ու անարատ, արդար էր ու աստուածապաշտ, ամէն տեսակի չար ու մեղաւոր գործերից հեռու:
[1] 1. Եբրայերէն՝ Յուս կամ Ուզ:
1 Հուս* երկրին մէջ Յոբ անունով մարդ մը կար։ Այն մարդը կատարեալ ու արդար եւ աստուածավախ էր ու չարութենէ ետ կը քաշուէր։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:11:1 Был человек в земле Уц, имя его Иов; и был человек этот непорочен, справедлив и богобоязнен и удалялся от зла.
1:1 ἄνθρωπός ανθρωπος person; human τις τις anyone; someone ἦν ειμι be ἐν εν in χώρᾳ χωρα territory; estate τῇ ο the Αυσίτιδι αυσιτις who; what ὄνομα ονομα name; notable Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov καὶ και and; even ἦν ειμι be ὁ ο the ἄνθρωπος ανθρωπος person; human ἐκεῖνος εκεινος that ἀληθινός αληθινος truthful; true ἄμεμπτος αμεμπτος faultless δίκαιος δικαιος right; just θεοσεβής θεοσεβης God-revering; reverential to God ἀπεχόμενος αντεχω hold close / onto; reach ἀπὸ απο from; away παντὸς πας all; every πονηροῦ πονηρος harmful; malignant πράγματος πραγμα act; matter
1:1 אִ֛ישׁ ʔˈîš אִישׁ man הָיָ֥ה hāyˌā היה be בְ vᵊ בְּ in אֶֽרֶץ־ ʔˈereṣ- אֶרֶץ earth ע֖וּץ ʕˌûṣ עוּץ [land of hiob] אִיֹּ֣וב ʔiyyˈôv אִיֹּוב Job שְׁמֹ֑ו šᵊmˈô שֵׁם name וְ wᵊ וְ and הָיָ֣ה׀ hāyˈā היה be הָ hā הַ the אִ֣ישׁ ʔˈîš אִישׁ man הַ ha הַ the ה֗וּא hˈû הוּא he תָּ֧ם tˈām תָּם complete וְ wᵊ וְ and יָשָׁ֛ר yāšˈār יָשָׁר right וִ wi וְ and ירֵ֥א yrˌē יָרֵא afraid אֱלֹהִ֖ים ʔᵉlōhˌîm אֱלֹהִים god(s) וְ wᵊ וְ and סָ֥ר sˌār סור turn aside מֵ mē מִן from רָֽע׃ rˈāʕ רַע evil
1:1. vir erat in terra Hus nomine Iob et erat vir ille simplex et rectus ac timens Deum et recedens a maloThere was a man in the land of Hus, whose name was Job, and that man was simple and upright, and fearing God, and avoiding evil.
1. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
1:1. There was a man in the land of Uz named Job, and he was a simple and honest man, fearing God and withdrawing from evil.
1:1. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name [was] Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name [was] Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil:

1:1 Был человек в земле Уц, имя его Иов; и был человек этот непорочен, справедлив и богобоязнен и удалялся от зла.
1:1
ἄνθρωπός ανθρωπος person; human
τις τις anyone; someone
ἦν ειμι be
ἐν εν in
χώρᾳ χωρα territory; estate
τῇ ο the
Αυσίτιδι αυσιτις who; what
ὄνομα ονομα name; notable
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
καὶ και and; even
ἦν ειμι be
ο the
ἄνθρωπος ανθρωπος person; human
ἐκεῖνος εκεινος that
ἀληθινός αληθινος truthful; true
ἄμεμπτος αμεμπτος faultless
δίκαιος δικαιος right; just
θεοσεβής θεοσεβης God-revering; reverential to God
ἀπεχόμενος αντεχω hold close / onto; reach
ἀπὸ απο from; away
παντὸς πας all; every
πονηροῦ πονηρος harmful; malignant
πράγματος πραγμα act; matter
1:1
אִ֛ישׁ ʔˈîš אִישׁ man
הָיָ֥ה hāyˌā היה be
בְ vᵊ בְּ in
אֶֽרֶץ־ ʔˈereṣ- אֶרֶץ earth
ע֖וּץ ʕˌûṣ עוּץ [land of hiob]
אִיֹּ֣וב ʔiyyˈôv אִיֹּוב Job
שְׁמֹ֑ו šᵊmˈô שֵׁם name
וְ wᵊ וְ and
הָיָ֣ה׀ hāyˈā היה be
הָ הַ the
אִ֣ישׁ ʔˈîš אִישׁ man
הַ ha הַ the
ה֗וּא hˈû הוּא he
תָּ֧ם tˈām תָּם complete
וְ wᵊ וְ and
יָשָׁ֛ר yāšˈār יָשָׁר right
וִ wi וְ and
ירֵ֥א yrˌē יָרֵא afraid
אֱלֹהִ֖ים ʔᵉlōhˌîm אֱלֹהִים god(s)
וְ wᵊ וְ and
סָ֥ר sˌār סור turn aside
מֵ מִן from
רָֽע׃ rˈāʕ רַע evil
1:1. vir erat in terra Hus nomine Iob et erat vir ille simplex et rectus ac timens Deum et recedens a malo
There was a man in the land of Hus, whose name was Job, and that man was simple and upright, and fearing God, and avoiding evil.
1:1. There was a man in the land of Uz named Job, and he was a simple and honest man, fearing God and withdrawing from evil.
1:1. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name [was] Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ mh▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
1. Раскрываемая в начальных пяти стихах при помощи конкретного примера, - жизни Иова, общая мысль о соответствии благочестия земному благополучию начинается характеристикою религиозно-нравственной жизни главного лица книги. "Непорочный", т. е. преданный всем сердцем Богу и добру (II:3; ср. I:21; XXIII:11-12; XXXI), Иов был безупречен в данном отношении, что подтверждается его "справедливостью" и "истинностью" (слав. ), - соответствием мыслей делам. Частнее, в основе религиозности Иова, - отношения к Богу, лежал "страх", - благоговейное представление о Боге, возбуждаемое сознанием Его величия, совершенств (XV:4; XXVII:23-24), и переходящее в трепет, когда к нему присоединялась мысль о Боге, как о праведном Судии и Воздаятеле, не терпящем зла (Быт III:10; XVIII:15; Пс LXlV:9). Представлением о Боге, не терпящем зла, определялась нравственность Иова: она сводилась, как и у всех ветхозаветных людей, к удалению от зла (Пс XXXIII:15; XXXVI:27; Притч XIV:16). О месте жительства Иова см. во Введении.
Matthew Henry: Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible - 1706
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
Concerning Job we are here told,
I. That he was a man; therefore subject to like passions as we are. He was Ish, a worthy man, a man of note and eminency, a magistrate, a man in authority. The country he lived in was the land of Uz, in the eastern part of Arabia, which lay towards Chaldea, near Euphrates, probably not far from Ur of the Chaldees, whence Abraham was called. When God called one good man out of that country, yet he left not himself without witness, but raised up another in it to be a preacher of righteousness. God has his remnant in all places, sealed ones out of every nation, as well as out of every tribe of Israel, Rev. vii. 9. It was the privilege of the land of Uz to have so good a man as Job in it; now it was Arabia the Happy indeed: and it was the praise of Job that he was eminently good in so bad a place; the worse others were round about him the better he was. His name Job, or Jjob, some say, signifies one hated and counted as an enemy. Others make it to signify one that grieves or groans; thus the sorrow he carried in his name might be a check to his joy in his prosperity. Dr. Cave derives it from Jaab--to love, or desire, intimating how welcome his birth was to his parents, and how much he was the desire of their eyes; and yet there was a time when he cursed the day of his birth. Who can tell what the day may prove which yet begins with a bright morning?
II. That he was a very good man, eminently pious, and better than his neighbours: He was perfect and upright. This is intended to show us, not only what reputation he had among men (that he was generally taken for an honest man), but what was really his character; for it is the judgment of God concerning him, and we are sure that is according to truth. 1. Job was a religious man, one that feared God, that is, worshipped him according to his will, and governed himself by the rules of the divine law in every thing. 2. He was sincere in his religion: He was perfect; not sinless, as he himself owns (ch. ix. 20): If I say I am perfect, I shall be proved perverse. But, having a respect to all God's commandments, aiming at perfection, he was really as good as he seemed to be, and did not dissemble in his profession of piety; his heart was sound and his eye single. Sincerity is gospel perfection. I know no religion without it. 3. He was upright in his dealings both with God and man, was faithful to his promises, steady in his counsels, true to every trust reposed in him, and made conscience of all he said and did. See Isa. xxxiii. 15. Though he was not of Israel, he was indeed an Israelite without guile. 4. The fear of God reigning in his heart was the principle that governed his whole conversation. This made him perfect and upright, inward and entire for God, universal and uniform in religion; this kept him close and constant to his duty. He feared God, had a reverence for his majesty, a regard to his authority, and a dread of his wrath. 5. He dreaded the thought of doing what was wrong; with the utmost abhorrence and detestation, and with a constant care and watchfulness, he eschewed evil, avoided all appearances of sin and approaches to it, and this because of the fear of God, Neh. v. 15. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Prov. viii. 13) and then by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil, Prov. xvi. 6.
III. That he was a man who prospered greatly in this world, and made a considerable figure in his country. He was prosperous and yet pious. Though it is hard and rare, it is not impossible, for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. With God even this is possible, and by his grace the temptations of worldly wealth are not insuperable. He was pious, and his piety was a friend to his prosperity; for godliness has the promise of the life that now is. He was prosperous, and his prosperity put a lustre upon his piety, and gave him who was so good so much greater opportunity of doing good. The acts of his piety were grateful returns to God for the instances of his prosperity; and, in the abundance of the good things God gave him, he served God the more cheerfully. 1. He had a numerous family. He was eminent for religion, and yet not a hermit, not a recluse, but the father and master of a family. It was an instance of his prosperity that his house was filled with children, which are a heritage of the Lord, and his reward, Ps. cxxvii. 3. He had seven sons and three daughters, v. 2. Some of each sex, and more of the more noble sex, in which the family is built up. Children must be looked upon as blessings, for so they are, especially to good people, that will give them good instructions, and set them good examples, and put up good prayers for them. Job had many children, and yet he was neither oppressive nor uncharitable, but very liberal to the poor, ch. xxxi. 17, &c. Those that have great families to provide for ought to consider that what is prudently given in alms is set out to the best interest and put into the best fund for their children's benefit. 2. He had a good estate for the support of his family; his substance was considerable, v. 3. Riches are called substance, in conformity to the common form of speaking; otherwise, to the soul and another world, they are but shadows, things that are not, Prov. xxiii. 5. It is only in heavenly wisdom that we inherit substance, Prov. viii. 21. In those days, when the earth was not fully peopled, it was as now in some of the plantations, men might have land enough upon easy terms if they had but wherewithal to stock it; and therefore Job's substance is described, not by the acres of land he was lord of, but, (1.) By his cattle--sheep and camels, oxen and asses. The numbers of each are here set down, probably not the exact number, but thereabout, a very few under or over. The sheep are put first, because of most use in the family, as Solomon observes (Prov. xxvii. 23, 26, 27): Lambs for thy clothing, and milk for the food of thy household. Job, it is likely, had silver and gold as well as Abraham (Gen. xiii. 2); but then men valued their own and their neighbours' estates by that which was for service and present use more than by that which was for show and state, and fit only to be hoarded. As soon as God had made man, and provided for his maintenance by the herbs and fruits, he made him rich and great by giving him dominion over the creatures, Gen. i. 28. That therefore being still continued to man, notwithstanding his defection (Gen. ix. 2), is still to be reckoned one of the most considerable instances of men's wealth, honour, and power, Ps. viii. 6. (2.) By his servants. He had a very good household or husbandry, many that were employed for him and maintained by him; and thus he both had honour and did good; yet thus he was involved in a great deal of care and put to a great deal of charge. See the vanity of this world; as goods are increased those must be increased that tend them and occupy them, and those will be increased that eat them; and what good has the owner thereof save the beholding of them with his eyes? Eccles. v. 11. In a word, Job was the greatest of all the men of the east; and they were the richest in the world: those were rich indeed who were replenished more than the east, Isa. ii. 6. Margin. Job's wealth, with his wisdom, entitled him to the honour and power he had in his country, which he describes (ch. xxix.), and made him sit chief. Job was upright and honest, and yet grew rich, nay, therefore grew rich; for honesty is the best policy, and piety and charity are ordinarily the surest ways of thriving. He had a great household and much business, and yet kept up the fear and worship of God; and he and his house served the Lord. The account of Job's piety and prosperity comes before the history of his great afflictions, to show that neither will secure us from the common, no, nor from the uncommon calamities of human life. Piety will not secure us, as Job's mistaken friends thought, for all things come alike to all; prosperity will not, as a careless world thinks, Isa. xlvii. 8. I sit as a queen and therefore shall see no sorrow.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:1: In the land of Uz - This country was situated in Idumea, or the land of Edom, in Arabia Petraea, of which it comprised a very large district. See the preface.
Whose name was Job - The original is איוב Aiyob; and this orthography is followed by the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. From the Vulgate we borrow Job, not very dissimilar from the Ιωβ Iob of the Septuagint. The name signifies sorrowful, or he that weeps. He is supposed to have been called Jobab. See more in the preface.
Perfect and upright - תם וישר tam veyashar; Complete as to his mind and heart, and Straight or Correct as to his moral deportment.
Feared God - Had him in continual reverence as the fountain of justice, truth, and goodness.
Eschewed evil - סר מרע sar mera, departing from, or avoiding evil. We have the word eschew from the old French eschever, which signifies to avoid. All within was holy, all without was righteous; and his whole life was employed in departing from evil, and drawing nigh to God. Coverdale translates an innocent and vertuous man, soch one as feared God, an eschued evell. From this translation we retain the word eschew.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:1: There was a man - This has all the appearance of being a true history. Many have regarded the whole book as a fiction, and have supposed that no such person as Job ever lived. But the book opens with the appearance of reality; and the express declaration that there was such a man, the mention of his name and of the place where he lived, show that the writer meant to affirm that there was in fact such a man. On this question see the Introduction, Section 1.
In the land of Uz - On the question where Job lived, see also the Introduction, Section 2.
Whose name was Job - The name Job (Hebrew איוב 'ı̂ yô b, Gr. Ἰώβ Iō b means properly, according to Gesenius, "one persecuted," from a root (איב 'â yab) meaning to be an enemy to anyone, to persecute, to hate. The primary idea, according to Gesenius, is to be sought in breathing, blowing, or puffing at, or upon anyone, as expressive of anger or hatred, Germ. "Anschnauben." Eichhorn (Einleit. section 638. 1,) supposes that the name denotes a man who turns himself penitently to God, from a sense of the verb still found in Arabic "to repent." On this supposition, the name was given to him, because, at the close of the book, he is represented as exercising repentance for the improper expressions in which he had indulged during his sufferings. The verb occurs only once in the Hebrew Scriptures, Exo 23:22 : But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak, then "I will be an enemy" אויב 'ô yê b "unto thine enemies" אויב את 'ê th 'ô yê b.
The participle איב 'oyē b is the common word to denote an enemy in the Old Testament, Exo 15:6, Exo 15:9; Lev 26:25; Num 35:23; Deu 32:27, Deu 32:42; Psa 7:5; Psa 8:2; Psa 31:8; Lam 2:4-5; ; ; , "et soepe al." If this be the proper meaning of the word "Job," then the name would seem to have been given him by anticipation, or by common consent, as a much persecuted man. Significant names were very common among the Hebrews - given either by anticipation (see the notes at Isa 8:18), or subsequently, to denote some leading or important event in the life; compare Gen 4:1-2, Gen 4:25; Gen 5:29; Sa1 1:20. Such, too, was the case among the Romans, where the "agnomen" thus bestowed became the appellation by which the individual was best known. Cicero thus received his name from a wart which he had on his face, resembling a "vetch," and which was called by the Latins, "cicer." Thus also Marcus had the name "Ancus," from the Greek word ανκὼν ankō n, because he had a crooked arm; and thus the names Africanus, Germanicus, etc., were given to generals who had distinguished themselves in particular countries; see Univer. Hist. Anc. Part ix. 619, ed. 8vo, Lond. 1779. In like manner it is possible that the name "Job" was given to the Emir of Uz by common consent, as the man much persecuted or tried, and that this became afterward the appellation by which he was best known. The name occurs once as applied to a son of Issachar, Gen 46:13, and in only two other places in the Bible except in this book; Eze 14:14; Jam 5:11.
And that man was perfect - (תמם tâ mam). The Septuagint have greatly expanded this statement, by giving a paraphrase instead of a translation. "He was a man who was true (ἀληθινός alē thinos), blameless (ἄμεμπτος amemptos), just (δίκαιος dikaios), pious (θεοσεβής theosebē s), abstaining from every evil deed." Jerome renders it, "simplex - simple," or "sincere." The Chaldee, שׁלם shā lam, "complete, finished, perfect." The idea seems to be that his piety, or moral character, was "proportionate" and was "complete in all its parts." He was a man of integrity in all the relations of life - as an Emir, a father, a husband, a worshipper of God. Such is properly the meaning of the word תם tâ m as derived from תמם tâ mam, "to complete, to make full, perfect" or "entire," or "to finish." It denotes that in which there is no part lacking to complete the whole - as in a watch in which no wheel is missing. Thus, he was not merely upright as an Emir, but he was pious toward God; he was not merely kind to his family, but he was just to his neighbors and benevolent to the poor. The word is used to denote integrity as applied to the heart, Gen 20:5 : לבבי בתם betā m lebā bı̂ y, "In the honesty, simplicity, or sincerity of my heart (see the margin) have I done this." So Kg1 22:34, "One drew a bow לתמוּ letumô in the simplicity (or perfection) of his heart;" that is, without any evil intention; compare Sa2 15:11; Pro 10:9. The proper notion, therefore, is that of simplicity. sincerity, absence from guile or evil intention, and completeness of parts in his religion. That he was a man absolutely sinless, or without any propensity to evil, is disproved alike by the spirit of complaining which he often evinces, and by his own confession, :
If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me;
If I say I am perfect, it shall prove me perverse.
So also -6 :
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear,
But now mine eye seeth thee;
Wherefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.
Compare Ecc 7:20.
And upright - The word ישׁר yâ shâ r, from ישׁר yâ shar, to be straight, is applied often to a road which is straight, or to a path which is level or even. As used here it means upright or righteous; compare Psa 11:7; Psa 37:14,; Deu 32:4; Psa 33:4.
And one that feared God - Religion in the Scriptures is often represented as the fear of God; Pro 1:7, Pro 1:29; Pro 2:5; Pro 8:13; Pro 14:26-27; Isa 11:2; Act 9:31, "et soepe al."
And eschewed evil - "And departed from (סוּר sû r) evil." Septuagint, "Abstaining from every evil thing." These then are the four characteristics of Job's piety - he was sincere; upright; a worshipper of God; and one who abstained from all wrong. These are the essential elements of true religion everywhere; and the whole statement in the book of Job shows Job was, though not absolutely free from the sins which cleave to our nature, eminent in each of these things.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:1: Uz: Gen 10:23, Gen 22:20, Gen 22:21, Huz, Gen 36:28; Ch1 1:17, Ch1 1:42; Jer 25:20; Lam 4:21
Job: Eze 14:14, Eze 14:20; Jam 5:11
perfect: Job 1:8, Job 2:3, Job 23:11, Job 23:12, Job 31:1-40; Gen 6:9, Gen 17:1; Kg2 20:3; Ch2 31:20, Ch2 31:21; Luk 1:6
one: Gen 22:12; Pro 8:13, Pro 16:6; Pe1 3:11
Job 1:2
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:1
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
The lxx translates, ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι; and adds at the close of the book, ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁρίοις τῆν Ἰδουμαίας καὶ Ἀραβίας, therefore north-east from Idumea, towards the Arabian desert. There, in the Arabian desert west from Babylon, under the Caucabenes, according to Ptolemy (v. 19, 2), the Αἰσῖται (Αἰσεῖται), i.e., the Uzzites, dwelt. This determination of the position of Uz is the most to be relied on. It tends indirectly to confirm this, that Οὖσος, in Jos. Ant. i. 6, 4, is described as founder of Trachonitis and Damascus; that the Jakut Hamawi and Moslem tradition generally (as recently Fries, Stud. u. Krit. 1854, ii.) mention the East Haran fertile tract of country north-west of Tm and Bzn, el-Bethenije, the district of Damascus in which Job dwelt;
(Note: Vid., Abulfeda, Historia anteislam. p. 26 (cf. 207f.), where it says, "The whole of Bethenije, a part of the province of Damascus, belonged to Job as his possession.")
that the Syrian tradition also transfers the dwelling-place of Job to Hauran, where, in the district of Damascus, a monastery to his honour is called Dair Ejjub (vid., Volck, Calendarium Syriacum, p. 29). All these accounts agree that Uz is not to be sought in Idumaea proper (Gebl). And the early historical genealogies (Gen 10:23; Gen 22:21; Gen 36:28) are not unfavourable to this, since they place Uz in relation to Seir-Edom on the one hand, and on the other to Aram: the perplexing double occurrence of such names as Tm and Dma, both in Idumaea and East Hauran, perhaps just results from the mixing of the different tribes through migration. But at all events, though Uz did not lie in Gebl, yet both from Lam 4:21, and on account of the reference in the book of Job itself to the Horites, a geographical connection between Idumaea and Ausitis is to be held; and from Jer 25:20 one is warranted in supposing, that עוץ, with which the Arabic name of Esau, ‛yṣ ('l-‛yṣ), perhaps not accidentally accords, was the collective name of the northern part of the Arabian desert, extending north-east from Idumaea towards Syria. Here, where the aborigines of Seir were driven back by the Aramaic immigrants, and to where in later times the territory of Edom extended, dwelt Job. His name is not symbolic with reference to the following history. It has been said, איּוב signifies one hostilely treated, by Satan namely.
(Note: Geiger (DMZ, 1858, S. 542f.) conjectures that, Sir. xlix. 9 (καὶ γὰρ ἐμνήσθη τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐν ὄμβρῳ), τῶν ἐχθρῶν is a false translation of איוב. Renan assents; but τῶν εχθρῶν suits there excellently, and Job would be unnaturally dragged in.)
But the following reasons are against it: (1) that none of the other names which occur in the book are symbolically connected with the history; (2) that the form קטּול has never a properly passive signification, but either active, as יסּור, reprover (as parallel form with קטּל), or neuter, as ילּוד, born, שׁכּור, drunken, also occasionally infinitive (vid., Frst, Concord. p. 1349 s.), so that it may be more correct, with Ewald, after the Arabic (אוּב, cognate with שׁוּב, perhaps also בּוא), to explain the "one going of himself." Similar in sound are, יוב, the name of one of the sons of Issachar (Gen 46:13); the name of the Idumaean king, יובב, Gen 36:33 (which the lxx, Aristeas, Jul. Africanus,
(Note: Vid., Routh, Relinquiae ii. 154f.: Ἐκ τοῦ Ἠσαῦ ἄλλοι τε πολλοὶ καὶ Ραγουὴλ γεννᾶται ἀφ ̓ οὗ Ζάρεδ, ἐξ οὗ Ἰὼβ ὅς κατὰ συγχώρησιν θεοῦ ὑπὸ διαβόλου ἐπειράσθη καὶ ἐνίκησε τὸν πειράζοντα.)
combine with Job); and the name of the king of Mauritania, Juba, which in Greek is written Ἰόβας (Didymus Chalcenter. ed. Schmidt, p. 305): perhaps all these names belong to the root יב, to shout with joy. The lxx writes Ἰώβ with lenis; elsewhere the א at the beginning is rendered by asper, e.g., Αβραάμ, Ἡλίας. Luther writes Hiob; he has preferred the latter mode, that it may not be read Job with the consonantal Jod, when it should be Iob, as e.g., it is read by the English. It had been more correctly Ijob, but Luther wished to keep to the customary form of the name so far as he could; so we, by writing Iob with vowel I, do not wish to deviate too much from the mode of writing and pronunciation customary since Luther.
(Note: On the authorizing of the writing Iob, more exactly ob, also job (not, however, Ijjob, which does not correspond to the real pronunciation, which softens ij into , and uw into ), vid., Fleischer's Beitrge zur arab. Sprachkunde (Abh. der schs. Gesellschaft d. Wissenschaften, 1863), S. 137f. [The usual English form Job is adopted here, though Dr. Delitzsch writes Iob in the original work. - Tr.])
The writer intentionally uses four synonyms together, in order to describe as strongly as possible Job's piety, the reality and purity of which is the fundamental assumption of the history. תּם, with the whole heart disposed towards God and what is good, and also well-disposed toward mankind; ישׁר, in thought and action without deviation conformed to that which is right; אלהים ירא, fearing God, and consequently being actuated by the fear of God, which is the beginning (i.e., principle) of wisdom; מרע סר, keeping aloof from evil, which is opposed to God. The first predicate recalls Gen 25:27, the fourth the proverbial Psalms (Ps 34:15; Ps 37:27) and Prov 14:16. This mingling of expressions from Genesis and Proverbs is characteristic. First now, after the history has been begun in praett., aorr. follow.
Geneva 1599
1:1 There was a man in the land of (a) Uz, whose name [was] Job; and that man was perfect and (b) upright, and (c) one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
The Argument - In this history the example of patience is set before our eyes. This holy man Job was not only extremely afflicted in outward things and in his body, but also in his mind and conscience, by the sharp temptation of his wife and friends: who by their vehement words and subtle disputations brought him almost to despair. They set forth God as a sincere judge, and mortal enemy to him who had cast him off, therefore in vain he should seek him for help. These friends came to him under pretence of consolation, and yet they tormented him more than all his afflictions did. Even so, he constantly resisted them, and eventually succeeded. In this story we must note that Job maintains a good cause, but handles it badly. His adversaries have an evil matter, but they defend it craftily. Job held that God did not always punish men according to their sins, but that he had secret judgments, of which man knew not the cause, and therefore man could not reason against God in it, but he should be convicted. Moreover, he was assured that God had not rejected him, yet through his great torments and afflictions he speaks many inconveniences and shows himself as a desperate man in many things, and as one that would resist God, and this is his good cause which he handles well. Again the adversaries maintain with many good arguments that God punishes continually according to the trespass, grounding on God's providence, his justice and man's sins, yet their intention is evil; for they labour to bring Job into despair, and so they maintain an evil cause. Ezekiel commends Job as a just man, (Ezek 14:14) and James sets out his patience for an example, (Jas 5:11).
(a) That is, of the country of Idumea, (Lam 4:21), or bordering on it: for the land was called by the name of Uz, the son of Dishan, the son of Seir (Gen 36:28).
(b) Since he was a Gentile and not a Jew and yet is pronounced upright and without hypocrisy, it declares that among the heathen God revealed himself.
(c) By this it is declared what is meant by an upright and just man.
John Gill
1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job,.... Of the signification of his name, see the introduction to the book. The place where he dwelt had its name not from Uz, a descendant of Shem, Gen 10:23 but from Uz, a son of Nahor, brother to Abraham, Gen 22:21 unless it can be thought to be so called from Uz, of the children of Seir, in the land of Edom; since we read of the land of Uz along with Edom, or rather of Edom as in the land of Uz, or on the borders of it, Lam 4:21, the Targum calls it the land of Armenia, but rather it is Arabia; and very probably it was one of the Arabias Job lived in, either Petraea or Deserta, probably the latter; of which Uz or Ausitis, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin version read it, was a part; the same with the Aesitae of Ptolemy (u); and it is said to be near the land of Canaan (w), for in Arabia Felix the Sabeans lived; and certain it is that this country was near to the Sabeans and Chaldeans, and to the land of Edom, from whence Eliphaz the Temanite came: and as this very probably was a wicked and an idolatrous place, it was an instance of the distinguishing grace of God, to call Job by his grace in the land of Uz, as it was to call Abraham in Ur of the Chaldeans; and though it might be distressing and afflicting to the good man to live in such a country, as it was to Lot to live in Sodom, yet it was an honour to him, or rather it was to the glory of the grace of God that he was religious here, and continued to be so, see Rev_ 2:13 and gives an early proof of what the Apostle Peter observed, "that God is no respecter of persons, but, in every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him"; that is, through Christ, Acts 10:34. Job, as he is described by his name and country, so by his sex, "a man"; and this is not so much to distinguish his sex, nor to express the reality of his existence as a man, but to denote his greatness; he was a very considerable, and indeed an extraordinary man; he was a man not only of wealth and riches, but of great power and authority, so the mean and great man are distinguished in Is 2:9 see the account he gives of himself in Job 29:7, by which it appears he was in great honour and esteem with men of all ranks and degrees, as well as he was a man of great grace, as follows:
and the man was perfect; in the same sense as Noah, Abraham, and Jacob were; not with respect to sanctification, unless as considered in Christ, who is made sanctification to his people; or with regard to the truth, sincerity, and genuineness of it; or in a comparative sense, in comparison of what he once was, and others are; but not so as to be free from sin, neither from the being of it, which no man is clear of in this life, nor from the actings of it in thought, word, and deed, see Job 9:20 or so as to be perfect in grace; for though all grace is seminally implanted at once in regeneration, it opens and increases gradually; there is a perfection of parts, but not of degrees; there is the whole new man, but that is not arrived to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; there are all and every grace, but not one perfect, not knowledge, nor faith, nor hope, nor love, nor patience, nor any other: but then, as to justification, every good man is perfect; Christ has completely redeemed his people from all their sins; he has perfectly fulfilled the law in their room and stead; he has fully expiated all their transgressions, he has procured the full remission of them, and brought in a righteousness which justifies them from them all; so that they are free from the guilt of sin, and condemnation by it, and are in the sight of God unblamable, unreproveable, without fault, all fair and perfectly comely; and this was Job's case:
and upright; to whom was shown the uprightness of Christ, or to whom the righteousness of Christ was revealed from faith to faith, and which was put upon him, and he walked in by faith, see Job 33:23, moreover, Job was upright in heart, a right spirit was renewed in him; and though he was not of the nation of Israel, yet he was, in a spiritual sense, an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile, the truth of grace and the root of the matter being in him, Job 19:28, and he was upright in his walk and conversation before God, and also before men; upright in all his dealings and concerns with them, in every relation he stood, in every office and character he bore:
and one that feared God; not as the devils, who believe and tremble; nor as carnal men, when the judgments of God are in the earth, hide themselves in fear of him; nor as hypocrites, whose fear or devotion is only outward, and is taught by the precept of men; but as children affectionately reverence their parents: Job feared God with a filial and godly fear, which sprung from the grace of God, and was encouraged and increased by his goodness to him, and through a sense of it; it was attended with faith and confidence of interest in him, with an holy boldness and spiritual joy, and true humility; and comprehended the whole of religious worship, both public and private, internal and external:
and eschewed evil, or "departed from it" (x); and that with hatred and loathing of it, and indignation at it, which the fear of God engages unto, Prov 8:13, he hated it as every good man does, as being contrary to the nature and will of God, abominable in itself, and bad in its effects and consequences; and he departed from it, not only from the grosser acts of it, but abstained from all appearance of it, and studiously shunned and avoided everything that led unto it; so far was he from indulging to a sinful course of life and conversation, which is inconsistent with the grace and fear of God,
(u) Geograph. l. 5. c. 19. (w) Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 75. 2. (x) Sept. "recedens a malo", V. L. Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, &c.
John Wesley
1:1 Uz - Part of Arabia. Perfect - Not legally or exactly, but as to his sincere intentions, hearty affections, and diligent endeavours to perform all his duties to God and men. Upright - Heb. right, exact and regular in all his dealings, with men; one of an unblameable conversation. Feared - One truly pious, and devoted to God. Eschewed - Carefully avoiding all sin against God or men.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:1 THE HOLINESS OF JOB, HIS WEALTH, &c. (Job 1:1-5)
Uz--north of Arabia-Deserta, lying towards the Euphrates. It was in this neighborhood, and not in that of Idumea, that the Chaldeans and Sabeans who plundered him dwell. The Arabs divide their country into the north, called Sham, or "the left"; and the south, called Yemen, or "the right"; for they faced east; and so the west was on their left, and the south on their right. Arabia-Deserta was on the east, Arabia-PetrÃ&brvbr;a on the west, and Arabia-Felix on the south.
Job--The name comes from an Arabic word meaning "to return," namely, to God, "to repent," referring to his end [EICHORN]; or rather from a Hebrew word signifying one to whom enmity was shown, "greatly tried" [GESENIUS]. Significant names were often given among the Hebrews, from some event of later life (compare Gen 4:2, Abel--a "feeder" of sheep). So the emir of Uz was by general consent called Job, on account of his "trials." The only other person so called was a son of Issachar (Gen 46:13).
perfect--not absolute or faultless perfection (compare Job 9:20; Eccles 7:20), but integrity, sincerity, and consistency on the whole, in all relations of life (Gen 6:9; Gen 17:1; Prov 10:9; Mt 5:48). It was the fear of God that kept Job from evil (Prov 8:13).
1:21:2: Եղեն նորա ուստերք եւթն՝ եւ դստերք երեք[9067]։ [9067] Ոմանք. Եւ եղեն նորա ուստերք... (3) եւ խաշինք նորա ԷՌ ոչխար, ուղտք։
2 Եօթը տղաներ ու երեք աղջիկներ ունեցաւ նա:
2 Անոր եօթը տղայ ու երեք աղջիկ ծնան։
Եղեն նորա ուստերք եւթն եւ դստերք երեք:

1:2: Եղեն նորա ուստերք եւթն՝ եւ դստերք երեք[9067]։
[9067] Ոմանք. Եւ եղեն նորա ուստերք... (3) եւ խաշինք նորա ԷՌ ոչխար, ուղտք։
2 Եօթը տղաներ ու երեք աղջիկներ ունեցաւ նա:
2 Անոր եօթը տղայ ու երեք աղջիկ ծնան։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:21:2 И родились у него семь сыновей и три дочери.
1:2 ἐγένοντο γινομαι happen; become δὲ δε though; while αὐτῷ αυτος he; him υἱοὶ υιος son ἑπτὰ επτα seven καὶ και and; even θυγατέρες θυγατηρ daughter τρεῖς τρεις three
1:2 וַ wa וְ and יִּוָּ֥לְדוּ yyiwwˌālᵊḏû ילד bear לֹ֛ו lˈô לְ to שִׁבְעָ֥ה šivʕˌā שֶׁבַע seven בָנִ֖ים vānˌîm בֵּן son וְ wᵊ וְ and שָׁלֹ֥ושׁ šālˌôš שָׁלֹשׁ three בָּנֹֽות׃ bānˈôṯ בַּת daughter
1:2. natique sunt ei septem filii et tres filiaeAnd there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
2. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
1:2. And there had been born to him seven sons and three daughters.
1:2. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters:

1:2 И родились у него семь сыновей и три дочери.
1:2
ἐγένοντο γινομαι happen; become
δὲ δε though; while
αὐτῷ αυτος he; him
υἱοὶ υιος son
ἑπτὰ επτα seven
καὶ και and; even
θυγατέρες θυγατηρ daughter
τρεῖς τρεις three
1:2
וַ wa וְ and
יִּוָּ֥לְדוּ yyiwwˌālᵊḏû ילד bear
לֹ֛ו lˈô לְ to
שִׁבְעָ֥ה šivʕˌā שֶׁבַע seven
בָנִ֖ים vānˌîm בֵּן son
וְ wᵊ וְ and
שָׁלֹ֥ושׁ šālˌôš שָׁלֹשׁ three
בָּנֹֽות׃ bānˈôṯ בַּת daughter
1:2. natique sunt ei septem filii et tres filiae
And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
1:2. And there had been born to him seven sons and three daughters.
1:2. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jg▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
2-3. За благочестие, по учению Ветхого Завета, человек награждался временными, земными благами (Втор XXVIII:1-13). Подобная точка зрения всецело разделяется и автором нашей книги. Влагая в уста сатаны слова: "разве даром богобоязнен Иов? Не ты ли кругом оградил его, дело рук его благословил?", он дает понять, что отмечаемое им многочадие Иова, обилие скота, доставлявшего пищу и одежду (овцы), служившего к переноске тяжестей и обработке полей (верблюды, волы и ослицы (ст. 15; ср. Быт XLII:26; 1: Цар XXV:18), а равно и множество неизбежной в данном случае прислуги (евр. "ебудда", "douleia" Акилы, LXX же одновременно усвояют данному слову двоякое значение: "uphresia pollh sfodra", - "слуг много зело", и "ergo megala hv autw epi thV ghV", - "дела велия бяху ему на земли", разумея, кажется, под делами земледелие, так как еврейское "ебудда" в Быт XXVI:14: они передают термином "gewrgia") суть награда за благочестие. Согласно Втор XXVIII:13, таким же воздаянием за праведность можно считать и славу Иова среди "всех сынов Востока", - потомков Авраама от наложниц, отправленных им на Восток (Быт XXV:6) и населявших Аравию, а равно и население Месопотамии, так как она называется "страною восточною" (Быт XXIX:1; Чис XXIII:7).
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:2: And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters - The same number was given to him again after these were lost, and his severe trials had been endured; see . Of his second family the names of the daughters are mentioned, . Of his first, it is remarkable that neither the names of his wife, his sons nor his daughters are recorded. The Chaldee, however, on what authority is unknown, says that the name of his wife was דינה dı̂ ynâ h, .
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:2: seven sons: Job 13:13; Est 5:11; Psa 107:38, Psa 127:3-5, Psa 128:3
Job 1:3
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:2
2, 3 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and servants in great number; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
Tit is a large, princely household. The numbers are large, but must not on that account be considered an invention. The four animals named include both kinds. With the doubled אלפי corresponds the also constructive מאות, the Tsere of which is never shortened, though in the singular one says מאת, from מאה. The aorists, especially of the verb היה (הוה), which, according to its root, signifies not so much esse as fieri, existere, are intended to place us at once in the midst of his prosperity. Ex iis, says Leo Africanus in reference to flocks, Arabes suas divitias ac possessiones aestimant. In fine, Job was without his equal among the קרם בני. So the tribes are called which extend from Arabia Deserta, lying to the east of Palestine, northwards to the countries on the Euphrates, and south over Arabia Petraea and Felix. The wisdom of these tribes, treasured up in proverbs, songs, and traditions, is mentioned in 3Kings 5:10, side by side with the wisdom of the Egyptians. The writer now takes a very characteristic feature from the life of Job, to show that, even in the height of prosperity, he preserved and manifested the piety affirmed of him.
John Gill
1:2 And there were born unto him,.... By his wife, in lawful wedlock, who was now living, and after mentioned:
seven sons and three daughters; next to his religious character, his graces, and spiritual blessings, and as the chief of his outward mercies and enjoyments, his children are mentioned; and which are indeed blessings from the Lord, and such as good men, and those that fear the Lord, are sometimes blessed with, see Ps 127:3 and to have a numerous offspring was always esteemed a very great favour and blessing, and as such was reckoned by Job; who, having so many sons, might hope to have his name perpetuated by them, as well as his substance shared among them; and having so many daughters, he might please himself with the thought of marrying them into families, which would strengthen his friendship and alliance with them; just the same number of sons and daughters had Bacchaeus, the third king of Corinth (y).
(y) Heraclides de Politiis ad calcem Aelian. Var. Hist. p. 439.
1:31:3: Եւ էին խաշինք նորա՝ եւթն հազար. ուղտք երե՛ք հազարք. լուծք եզանց հինգ հարեւր. եւ էշք մատակք արօտականք հինգ հարեւր. եւ սպասք բազում յոյժ. եւ գործք մեծամեծք էին նորա ՚ի վերայ երկրի։ Եւ էր այրն այն ազնուակա՛ն քան զամենայն արեւելեայսն։
3 Նրա հօտի մէջ եօթը հազար ոչխարներ կային, երեք հազար ուղտեր, հինգ հարիւր լուծ եզներ եւ արածող հինգ հարիւր մատակ էշեր. ունէր եւ բազմաթիւ սպասաւորներ: Մեծամեծ գործեր ունէր նա երկրի վրայ: Այդ մարդը բոլոր արեւելաբնակներից ամենաազնուականն էր:
3 Անոր ստացուածքը եօթը հազար ոչխար ու երեք հազար ուղտ եւ հինգ հարիւր մատակ էշ էր ու խիստ շատ ծառաներ ունէր։ Այն մարդը բոլոր արեւելքցիներէն մեծ էր։
Եւ էին խաշինք նորա` եւթն հազար ոչխար, ուղտք երեք հազարք, լուծք եզանց հինգ հարեւր, եւ էշք մատակք [4]արօտականք հինգ հարեւր. եւ սպասք բազում յոյժ, [5]եւ գործք մեծամեծք էին նորա ի վերայ երկրի.`` եւ էր այրն այն ազնուական քան զամենայն արեւելեայսն:

1:3: Եւ էին խաշինք նորա՝ եւթն հազար. ուղտք երե՛ք հազարք. լուծք եզանց հինգ հարեւր. եւ էշք մատակք արօտականք հինգ հարեւր. եւ սպասք բազում յոյժ. եւ գործք մեծամեծք էին նորա ՚ի վերայ երկրի։ Եւ էր այրն այն ազնուակա՛ն քան զամենայն արեւելեայսն։
3 Նրա հօտի մէջ եօթը հազար ոչխարներ կային, երեք հազար ուղտեր, հինգ հարիւր լուծ եզներ եւ արածող հինգ հարիւր մատակ էշեր. ունէր եւ բազմաթիւ սպասաւորներ: Մեծամեծ գործեր ունէր նա երկրի վրայ: Այդ մարդը բոլոր արեւելաբնակներից ամենաազնուականն էր:
3 Անոր ստացուածքը եօթը հազար ոչխար ու երեք հազար ուղտ եւ հինգ հարիւր մատակ էշ էր ու խիստ շատ ծառաներ ունէր։ Այն մարդը բոլոր արեւելքցիներէն մեծ էր։
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1:31:3 Имения у него было: семь тысяч мелкого скота, три тысячи верблюдов, пятьсот пар волов и пятьсот ослиц и весьма много прислуги; и был человек этот знаменитее всех сынов Востока.
1:3 καὶ και and; even ἦν ειμι be τὰ ο the κτήνη κτηνος livestock; animal αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him πρόβατα προβατον sheep ἑπτακισχίλια επτακισχιλιοι seven thousand κάμηλοι καμηλος camel τρισχίλιαι τρισχιλιοι three thousand ζεύγη ζευγος yoke; couple βοῶν βους ox πεντακόσια πεντακοσιοι five hundred ὄνοι ονος donkey θήλειαι θηλυς female νομάδες νομας five hundred καὶ και and; even ὑπηρεσία υπηρεσια much; many σφόδρα σφοδρα vehemently; tremendously καὶ και and; even ἔργα εργον work μεγάλα μεγας great; loud ἦν ειμι be αὐτῷ αυτος he; him ἐπὶ επι in; on τῆς ο the γῆς γη earth; land καὶ και and; even ἦν ειμι be ὁ ο the ἄνθρωπος ανθρωπος person; human ἐκεῖνος εκεινος that εὐγενὴς ευγενης noble τῶν ο the ἀφ᾿ απο from; away ἡλίου ηλιος sun ἀνατολῶν ανατολη springing up; east
1:3 וַ wa וְ and יְהִ֣י yᵊhˈî היה be מִ֠קְנֵהוּ miqnēhˌû מִקְנֶה purchase שִֽׁבְעַ֨ת šˈivʕˌaṯ שֶׁבַע seven אַלְפֵי־ ʔalᵊfê- אֶלֶף thousand צֹ֜אן ṣˈōn צֹאן cattle וּ û וְ and שְׁלֹ֧שֶׁת šᵊlˈōšeṯ שָׁלֹשׁ three אַלְפֵ֣י ʔalᵊfˈê אֶלֶף thousand גְמַלִּ֗ים ḡᵊmallˈîm גָּמָל camel וַ wa וְ and חֲמֵ֨שׁ ḥᵃmˌēš חָמֵשׁ five מֵאֹ֤ות mēʔˈôṯ מֵאָה hundred צֶֽמֶד־ ṣˈemeḏ- צֶמֶד span בָּקָר֙ bāqˌār בָּקָר cattle וַ wa וְ and חֲמֵ֣שׁ ḥᵃmˈēš חָמֵשׁ five מֵאֹ֣ות mēʔˈôṯ מֵאָה hundred אֲתֹונֹ֔ות ʔᵃṯônˈôṯ אָתֹון she-ass וַ wa וְ and עֲבֻדָּ֖ה ʕᵃvuddˌā עֲבֻדָּה slaves רַבָּ֣ה rabbˈā רַב much מְאֹ֑ד mᵊʔˈōḏ מְאֹד might וַ wa וְ and יְהִי֙ yᵊhˌî היה be הָ hā הַ the אִ֣ישׁ ʔˈîš אִישׁ man הַ ha הַ the ה֔וּא hˈû הוּא he גָּדֹ֖ול gāḏˌôl גָּדֹול great מִ mi מִן from כָּל־ kkol- כֹּל whole בְּנֵי־ bᵊnê- בֵּן son קֶֽדֶם׃ qˈeḏem קֶדֶם front
1:3. et fuit possessio eius septem milia ovium et tria milia camelorum quingenta quoque iuga boum et quingentae asinae ac familia multa nimis eratque vir ille magnus inter omnes OrientalesAnd his possession was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a family exceedingly great: and this man was great among all the people of the east.
3. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.
1:3. And his possession was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, along with five hundred pairs of oxen and five hundred she-donkeys, and also a very large family. And this man was great among all the people of the east.
1:3. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east:

1:3 Имения у него было: семь тысяч мелкого скота, три тысячи верблюдов, пятьсот пар волов и пятьсот ослиц и весьма много прислуги; и был человек этот знаменитее всех сынов Востока.
1:3
καὶ και and; even
ἦν ειμι be
τὰ ο the
κτήνη κτηνος livestock; animal
αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him
πρόβατα προβατον sheep
ἑπτακισχίλια επτακισχιλιοι seven thousand
κάμηλοι καμηλος camel
τρισχίλιαι τρισχιλιοι three thousand
ζεύγη ζευγος yoke; couple
βοῶν βους ox
πεντακόσια πεντακοσιοι five hundred
ὄνοι ονος donkey
θήλειαι θηλυς female
νομάδες νομας five hundred
καὶ και and; even
ὑπηρεσία υπηρεσια much; many
σφόδρα σφοδρα vehemently; tremendously
καὶ και and; even
ἔργα εργον work
μεγάλα μεγας great; loud
ἦν ειμι be
αὐτῷ αυτος he; him
ἐπὶ επι in; on
τῆς ο the
γῆς γη earth; land
καὶ και and; even
ἦν ειμι be
ο the
ἄνθρωπος ανθρωπος person; human
ἐκεῖνος εκεινος that
εὐγενὴς ευγενης noble
τῶν ο the
ἀφ᾿ απο from; away
ἡλίου ηλιος sun
ἀνατολῶν ανατολη springing up; east
1:3
וַ wa וְ and
יְהִ֣י yᵊhˈî היה be
מִ֠קְנֵהוּ miqnēhˌû מִקְנֶה purchase
שִֽׁבְעַ֨ת šˈivʕˌaṯ שֶׁבַע seven
אַלְפֵי־ ʔalᵊfê- אֶלֶף thousand
צֹ֜אן ṣˈōn צֹאן cattle
וּ û וְ and
שְׁלֹ֧שֶׁת šᵊlˈōšeṯ שָׁלֹשׁ three
אַלְפֵ֣י ʔalᵊfˈê אֶלֶף thousand
גְמַלִּ֗ים ḡᵊmallˈîm גָּמָל camel
וַ wa וְ and
חֲמֵ֨שׁ ḥᵃmˌēš חָמֵשׁ five
מֵאֹ֤ות mēʔˈôṯ מֵאָה hundred
צֶֽמֶד־ ṣˈemeḏ- צֶמֶד span
בָּקָר֙ bāqˌār בָּקָר cattle
וַ wa וְ and
חֲמֵ֣שׁ ḥᵃmˈēš חָמֵשׁ five
מֵאֹ֣ות mēʔˈôṯ מֵאָה hundred
אֲתֹונֹ֔ות ʔᵃṯônˈôṯ אָתֹון she-ass
וַ wa וְ and
עֲבֻדָּ֖ה ʕᵃvuddˌā עֲבֻדָּה slaves
רַבָּ֣ה rabbˈā רַב much
מְאֹ֑ד mᵊʔˈōḏ מְאֹד might
וַ wa וְ and
יְהִי֙ yᵊhˌî היה be
הָ הַ the
אִ֣ישׁ ʔˈîš אִישׁ man
הַ ha הַ the
ה֔וּא hˈû הוּא he
גָּדֹ֖ול gāḏˌôl גָּדֹול great
מִ mi מִן from
כָּל־ kkol- כֹּל whole
בְּנֵי־ bᵊnê- בֵּן son
קֶֽדֶם׃ qˈeḏem קֶדֶם front
1:3. et fuit possessio eius septem milia ovium et tria milia camelorum quingenta quoque iuga boum et quingentae asinae ac familia multa nimis eratque vir ille magnus inter omnes Orientales
And his possession was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a family exceedingly great: and this man was great among all the people of the east.
1:3. And his possession was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, along with five hundred pairs of oxen and five hundred she-donkeys, and also a very large family. And this man was great among all the people of the east.
1:3. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
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Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:3: His substance also was seven thousand sheep - A thousand, says the Chaldee, for each of his sons. Three thousand camels: a thousand for each of his daughters. Five hundred yoke of oxen for himself. And five hundred she-asses for his wife. Thus the Targum divides the substance of this eminent man.
A very great household - עבדה רבה מאד abuddah rabbah meod, "a very great estate." The word עבדה abuddah refers chiefly to husbandry, including all manner of labor in the field, with cattle, and every description of servants.
The greatest of all the men of the East - He was more eminent than any other person in that region in wisdom, wealth, and piety. He was the chief emir of that district.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:3: His substance - Margin, or "cattle." The word used here מקנה mı̂ qneh is derived from קנה qâ nâ h, to gain or acquire, to buy or purchase, and properly means anything acquired or purchased - property, possessions, riches. The wealth of nomadic tribes, however, consisted mostly in flocks and herds, and hence the word in the Scripture signifies, almost exclusively, property in cattle. The word, says Gesenius, is used "strictly" to denote sheep, goats, and neat cattle, excluding beasts of burden (compare Greek κτῆνος ktē nos, herd, used here by the Septuagint), though sometimes the word includes asses and camels, as in this place.
Seven thousand sheep - In this verse we have a description of the wealth of an Arab ruler or chief, similar to that of those who are at this day called "Emirs." Indeed the whole description in the book is that which is applicable to the chief of a tribe. The possessions referred to in this verse would constitute no inconsiderable wealth anywhere, and particularly in the nomadic tribes of the East. Land is not mentioned as a part of this wealth; for among nomadic tribes living by pasturage, the right to the soil in fee simple is not claimed by individuals, the right of pasturage or a temporary possession being all that is needed. For the same reason, and from the fact that their circumstances require them to live in movable tents, houses are not mentioned as a part; of the wealth of this Emir. To understand this book, as well as most of the books of the Old Testament, it is necessary for us to lay aside our notions of living, and transfer ourselves in imagination to the very dissimilar customs of the East. The Chaldee has made a very singular explanation of this verse, which must be regarded as the work of fancy, but which shows the character of that version: "And his possessions were seven thousand sheep - a thousand for each of his sons; and three thousand camels - a thousand for each of his daughters; and five hundred yoke of oxen - for himself; and five hundred she-asses - for his wife."
And three thousand camels - Camels are well-known beasts of burden, extensively used still in Arabia. The Arabs employed these animals anciently in war, in their caravans, and for food. They are not unfrequently called "ships of the desert," particularly valuable in arid plains because they go many days without water. They carry from three to five hundred pounds, in proportion to the distance which they have to travel. Providence has adapted the camel with wonderful wisdom to sandy deserts, and in all ages the camel must be an invaluable possession there. The driest thistle and the barest thorn is all the food that he requires, and this he eats while advancing on his journey without stopping or causing a moment's delay. As it is his lot to cross immense deserts where no water is found, and where no dews fall, he is endowed with the power of laying in a store of water that will suffice him for days - Bruce says for thirty days.
To effect this, nature has provided large reservoirs or stomachs within him, where the water is kept pure, and from which he draws at pleasure as from a fountain. No other animal is endowed with this power, and were it not for this, it would be wholly impracticable to cross those immense plains of sand. The Arabians, the Persians, and others, eat the flesh of camels, and it is served up at the best tables in the country. One of the ancient Arab poets, whose hospitality grew into a proverb, is reported to have killed yearly, in a certain month, ten camels every day for the entertainment of his friends. In regard to the hardihood of camels, and their ability to live on the coarsest fare, Burckhardt has stated a fact which may furnish an illustration. In a journey which he made from the country south of the Dead Sea to Egypt, he says, "During the whole of this journey, the camels had no other provender than the withered shrubs of the desert, my dromedary excepted, to which I gave a few handfuls of barley each evening." Trav. in Syria, p. 451; compare Bruce's Travels, vol. iv. p. 596; Niebuhr, Reise-beschreibung nach Arabien, 1 Band, s. 215; Sandys, p. 138; Harmer's Obs. 4:415, ed. Lond. 1808, 8vo; and Rob. Cal.
And five hundred yoke of oxen - The fact that Job had so many oxen implies that he devoted himself to the cultivation of the soil as well as to keeping flocks and herds; compare . So large a number of oxen would constitute wealth anywhere.
And five hundred she-asses - Bryant remarks (Observations, p. 61) that a great part of the wealth of the inhabitants of the East often consisted of she-asses, the males being few and not held in equal estimation. She-asses are early mentioned as having been in common use to ride on; Num 22:25; Jdg 5:10. Kg2 4:24 (Hebrew). One reason why the ass was chosen in preference to the horse, was that it subsisted on so much less than that animal, there being no animal except the camel that could be so easily kept as the ass. She-asses were also regarded as the most valuable, because, in traversing the deserts of the country they would furnish travelers with milk. It is remarkable that "cows" are not mentioned expressly in this enumeration of the articles of Job's wealth, though "butter" is referred to by him subsequently as having been abundant in his family, . It is possible, however, that "cows" were included as a part of the "five hundred yoke of בקר bâ qâ r." here rendered "oxen;" but which would be quite as appropriately rendered "cattle." The word is in the common gender, and is derived from בקר bâ qar, in Arabic to cleave, to divide, to lay open, and hence, to plow, to cleave the soil. It denotes properly the animals used in plowing; and it is well known that cows are employed as well as oxen for this purpose in the East; see Jdg 14:18; Hos 4:10; compare Deu 32:14, where the word בקר bâ qâ r is used to denote a cow - "milk of kine," Gen 33:13 (Hebrew).
And a very great household - Margin, "husbandry." The Hebrew word here (עבדה ‛ ă bû ddâ h)ambiguous. - It may denote service rendered, that is, work, or the servants who performed it; compare Gen 26:14, margin. The Septuagint renders it ὑπηρεσία hupē resia, Aquila δουλεία douleia, and Symmachus, οἰκετία oiketia; all denoting "service," or "servitude," or that which pertained to the domestic service of a family. The word refers doubtless to those who had charge of his camels, his cattle, and of his husbandry; see . It is not implied by the word here used, nor by that in , that they were "slaves." They may have been, but there is nothing to indicate this in the narrative. The Septuagint adds to this, as if explanatory of it, "and his works were great in the land."
So that this man was the greatest - Was possessed of the most wealth, and was held in the highest honor.
Of all the men of the East - Margin as in Hebrew "sons." The sons of the East denote those who lived in the East. The word "East" קדם qedem is commonly employed in the Scriptures to denote the country which lies east of Palestine. For the places intended here, see the Introduction, Section 2, (3). It is of course impossible to estimate with accuracy the exact amount of the value of the property of Job. Compared with many persons in modern times, indeed, his possessions would not be regarded as constituting very great riches. The Editor of the Pictorial Bible supposes that on a fair estimate his property might be considered as worth from thirty to forty thousand pounds sterling - equivalent to some 200, 000 (circa 1880's). In this estimate the camel is reckoned as worth about 45. 00 dollars, the oxen as worth about five dollars, and the sheep at a little more than one dollar, which it is said are about the average prices now in Western Asia. Prices, however, fluctuate much from one age to another; but at the present day such possessions would be regarded as constituting great wealth in Arabia. The value of the property of Job may be estimated from this fact, that he had almost half as many camels as constituted the wealth of a Persian king in more modern times.
Chardin says, "as the king of Persia in the year 1676 was in Mesandera, the Tartars fell upon the camels of the king and took away three thousand of them which was to him a great loss, for he had only seven thousand." - Rosenmuller, Morgenland, "in loc." The condition of Job we are to regard as that of a rich Arabic Emir, and his mode of life as between the nomadic pastoral life, and the settled manner of living in communities like ours. He was a princely shepherd, and yet he was devoted to the cultivation of the soil. It does not appear, however, that he claimed the right of the soil in "fee simple," nor is his condition inconsistent with the supposition that his residence in any place was regarded as temporary, and that all his property might be easily removed. "He belonged to that condition of life which fluctuated between that of the wandering shepherd, and that of a people settled in towns. That he resided, or had a residence, in a town is obvious; but his flocks and herds evidently pastured in the deserts, between which and the town his own time was probably divided. He differed from the Hebrew patriarchs chiefly in this, that he did not so much wander about "without any certain dwelling place."
This mixed condition of life, which is still frequently exhibited in Western Asia, will, we apprehend, account sufficiently for the diversified character of the allusions and pictures which the book contains - to the pastoral life and the scenes and products of the wilderness; to the scenes and circumstances of agriculture; to the arts and sciences of settled life and of advancing civilization." - Pict. Bib. It may serve somewhat to illustrate the different ideas in regard to what constituted wealth in different countries, to compare this statement respecting Job with a remark of Virgil respecting an inhabitant of ancient Italy, whom he calls the most wealthy among the Ausonian farmers:
Seniorque Galaesua.
Dum paci medium se offert; justissimus unus
Qui fuit, Ausoniisque olim ditissimus arvis:
Quinque greges illi balantum. quina redibant
Armenta, et terram centurn vertebat aratris.
Aeneid 7:535-539.
Among the rest, the rich Galaesus lies;
A good old man, while peace he preached in vain,
Amid the madness of the unruly train:
Five herds, five bleating flocks his pasture filled,
His lands a hundred yoke of oxen tilted.
Dryden
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:3: substance: or, cattle, Gen 12:5, Gen 13:6, Gen 34:23; Ch2 32:29
seven: Job 42:12; Gen 12:16; Num 31:32-34; Jdg 6:5; Sa1 25:2; Kg2 3:4; Pro 10:22
household: or, husbandry, Ch2 26:10
greatest: Job 29:9, Job 29:10, Job 29:25
men: Heb. sons, Jdg 6:3, Jdg 7:12, Jdg 8:10; Kg1 4:30
of the east: Gen 25:6, Gen 29:1; Num 23:7
Job 1:4
Geneva 1599
1:3 His (d) substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of (e) the east.
(d) His children and riches are declared, to commend his virtue in his prosperity and his patience and constancy when God took them from him.
(e) Meaning, the Arabians, Chaldeans, Idumeans etc.
John Gill
1:3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep,.... For which he must have a large pasturage to feed them on, as well as these would produce much wool for clothing, and flesh for food; this part of his substance or possessions is mentioned first, as being the largest, and most useful and profitable:
and three thousand camels; creatures fit to carry burdens, and travel with, and were greatly valued on that account, especially in the deserts of Arabia, near to which Job lived; and that not only because they were strong for this purpose, but because they could endure much thirst and want of water for a long time; See Gill on Lev 11:4, it seems by this that Job carried on a commerce, and traded in distant parts, whither he sent the produce of his lands and cattle, and trafficked with them: these camels might not only be he, but she camels also, according to the Septuagint version, which might be kept for breeding, and for their milk: Aristotle observes (z), some of the inhabitants of the upper Asia used to have camels, to the number of 3000, the exact number here mentioned; and by the number of these creatures the Arabians estimated their riches and possessions (a); and so sheep are by the Greeks called as it is thought, from the Arabic word "mala", to be rich (b); the riches of other people, and of particular persons, as of Geryon, Atlas, and Polyphemus, are represented as chiefly consisting of their flocks, and also of their herds (c), as follows:
and five hundred yoke of oxen; to plough his land with, of which he must have a large quantity to employ such a number in, see 3Kings 19:19
and five hundred she asses; which must be chiefly for their milk; and no doubt but he had a considerable number of he asses also, though not mentioned, which, as well as the others, were used to ride on, and also to plough with, in those countries; it may be rendered only asses as by some, and so may include both: Aristaeus, Philo, and Polyhistor (d) give the same account of Job's substance in the several articles as here:
and a very great household: this must be understood of his servants only, since his children are before taken notice of; and the same phrase is rendered "great store of servants", Gen 26:14 and in the margin, "husbandry" or "tillage", large fields and farms; and the sense comes to much the same, whether it is taken the one way or the other; if great store of servants, he must have large farms and many fields to employ them in; and if a large husbandry, and much ground for tillage, he must have many servants to manure and cultivate them: now these several articles are mentioned, because, in those times and countries, as has been observed, the substance of men chiefly lay in them, and according to them they were reckoned more or less rich; not but that they had gold and silver also, as Abraham had, Gen 13:1, and so had Job, Job 31:24, but these were the principal things:
so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east; that lived in Arabia, Chaldea, and other eastern countries; that is, he was a man of the greatest wealth and riches, and of the greatest power and authority, and was had in the greatest honour and esteem: now these temporal blessings are observed, to show that grace and earthly riches are compatible, that they may, and sometimes do, meet in the same person; as also to point at the goodness of God, in bestowing such blessings on this good man, thereby fulfilling the promise made to godliness and godly men, which respects this life, and that which is to come; and they are mentioned chiefly for the sake of the loss of these things after related, whereby the greatness of his loss and of his afflictions would be the more easily perceived, and his patience in bearing them appear the more illustrious; for by how much the greater was his substance, by so much the greater were his losses and trials, and the more remarkable his patience under them.
(z) Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 50. (a) Leo African. Descript. Africae, l. 9. p. 745. (b) Hinckelman. Praefat. ad Alkoran. (c) Vid. Homer. Odyss. 14. ver. 100, &c. Virgil. Aeneid. l. 7. ver. 537. Justin e Trogo, l. 44. c. 4. Theocrit. Idyll. 11. ver. 34. Ovid. Metamorph. l. 4. Fab. 17. & l. 13. Fab. 8. (d) Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 25. p. 430.
John Wesley
1:3 Camels - Camels in these parts were very numerous, and very useful, both for carrying burdens in these hot and dry countries, as being able to endure thirst much better than other creatures, and for service in war. Asses - He - asses also may be included in this expression, because the greatest part of them (from which the denomination is usually taken) were she asses. The greatest - That lived in those parts. The account of his piety and prosperity comes before the account of his afflictions, to shew that neither of these will secure us from the common, no, nor from the uncommon calamities of human life.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:3 she-asses--prized on account of their milk, and for riding (Judg 5:10). Houses and lands are not mentioned among the emir's wealth, as nomadic tribes dwell in movable tents and live chiefly by pasture, the right to the soil not being appropriated by individuals. The "five hundred yoke of oxen" imply, however, that Job tilled the soil. He seems also to have had a dwelling in a town, in which respect he differed from the patriarchs. Camels are well called "ships of the desert," especially valuable for caravans, as being able to lay in a store of water that suffices them for days, and to sustain life on a very few thistles or thorns.
household-- (Gen 26:14). The other rendering which the Hebrew admits, "husbandry," is not so probable.
men of the east--denoting in Scripture those living east of Palestine; as the people of North Arabia-Deserta (Judg 6:3; Ezek 25:4).
1:41:4: Միաբանեալ գային որդիք նորա առ միմեանս, առնէին խրախութիւն զօրհանապազ. առեալ ընդ իւրեանս եւ զերեսին քորսն իւրեանց ուտել եւ ըմպել ընդ նոսա[9068]։ [9068] Ոմանք. Միաբանեալ կային որդիք նորա։
4 Նրա որդիները, համաձայնելով, իրենց հետ իրենց երեք քոյրերին վերցնելով, իրար մօտ էին գալիս, խրախճանքներ սարքում, նրանց հետ ուտում-խմում:
4 Անոր տղաքը կ’երթային ու ամէն մէկը իր օրը տուներնին հացկերոյթ կ’ընէին եւ մարդ ղրկելով երեք քոյրերնին կը հրաւիրէին, որպէս զի իրենց հետ ուտեն ու խմեն։
Միաբանեալ գային որդիք նորա առ միմեանս, առնէին խրախութիւն զօրհանապազ, առեալ ընդ իւրեանս եւ զերեսին քորսն իւրեանց` ուտել եւ ըմպել ընդ նոսա:

1:4: Միաբանեալ գային որդիք նորա առ միմեանս, առնէին խրախութիւն զօրհանապազ. առեալ ընդ իւրեանս եւ զերեսին քորսն իւրեանց ուտել եւ ըմպել ընդ նոսա[9068]։
[9068] Ոմանք. Միաբանեալ կային որդիք նորա։
4 Նրա որդիները, համաձայնելով, իրենց հետ իրենց երեք քոյրերին վերցնելով, իրար մօտ էին գալիս, խրախճանքներ սարքում, նրանց հետ ուտում-խմում:
4 Անոր տղաքը կ’երթային ու ամէն մէկը իր օրը տուներնին հացկերոյթ կ’ընէին եւ մարդ ղրկելով երեք քոյրերնին կը հրաւիրէին, որպէս զի իրենց հետ ուտեն ու խմեն։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:41:4 Сыновья его сходились, делая пиры каждый в своем доме в свой день, и посылали и приглашали трех сестер своих есть и пить с ними.
1:4 συμπορευόμενοι συμπορευομαι converge; travel with δὲ δε though; while οἱ ο the υἱοὶ υιος son αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him πρὸς προς to; toward ἀλλήλους αλληλων one another ἐποιοῦσαν ποιεω do; make πότον ποτος.1 drinking bout; drink καθ᾿ κατα down; by ἑκάστην εκαστος each ἡμέραν ημερα day συμπαραλαμβάνοντες συμπαραλαμβανω take along with ἅμα αμα at once; together καὶ και and; even τὰς ο the τρεῖς τρεις three ἀδελφὰς αδελφη sister αὐτῶν αυτος he; him ἐσθίειν εσθιω eat; consume καὶ και and; even πίνειν πινω drink μετ᾿ μετα with; amid αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
1:4 וְ wᵊ וְ and הָלְכ֤וּ hālᵊḵˈû הלך walk בָנָיו֙ vānāʸw בֵּן son וְ wᵊ וְ and עָשׂ֣וּ ʕāśˈû עשׂה make מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה mištˈeh מִשְׁתֶּה drinking בֵּ֖ית bˌêṯ בַּיִת house אִ֣ישׁ ʔˈîš אִישׁ man יֹומֹ֑ו yômˈô יֹום day וְ wᵊ וְ and שָׁלְח֗וּ šālᵊḥˈû שׁלח send וְ wᵊ וְ and קָרְאוּ֙ qārᵊʔˌû קרא call לִ li לְ to שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת šᵊlˈōšeṯ שָׁלֹשׁ three אַחְיֹֽותֵיהֶ֔םאחיתיהם *ʔaḥyˈôṯêhˈem אָחֹות sister לֶ le לְ to אֱכֹ֥ל ʔᵉḵˌōl אכל eat וְ wᵊ וְ and לִ li לְ to שְׁתֹּ֖ות šᵊttˌôṯ שׁתה drink עִמָּהֶֽם׃ ʕimmāhˈem עִם with
1:4. et ibant filii eius et faciebant convivium per domos unusquisque in die suo et mittentes vocabant tres sorores suas ut comederent et biberent cum eisAnd his sons went, and made a feast by houses, every one in his day. And sending, they called their three sisters, to eat and drink with them.
4. And his sons went and held a feast in the house of each one upon his day; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
1:4. And his sons went and made a feast by houses, each one on his day. And sending, they called their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
1:4. And his sons went and feasted [in their] houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
And his sons went and feasted [in their] houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them:

1:4 Сыновья его сходились, делая пиры каждый в своем доме в свой день, и посылали и приглашали трех сестер своих есть и пить с ними.
1:4
συμπορευόμενοι συμπορευομαι converge; travel with
δὲ δε though; while
οἱ ο the
υἱοὶ υιος son
αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him
πρὸς προς to; toward
ἀλλήλους αλληλων one another
ἐποιοῦσαν ποιεω do; make
πότον ποτος.1 drinking bout; drink
καθ᾿ κατα down; by
ἑκάστην εκαστος each
ἡμέραν ημερα day
συμπαραλαμβάνοντες συμπαραλαμβανω take along with
ἅμα αμα at once; together
καὶ και and; even
τὰς ο the
τρεῖς τρεις three
ἀδελφὰς αδελφη sister
αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
ἐσθίειν εσθιω eat; consume
καὶ και and; even
πίνειν πινω drink
μετ᾿ μετα with; amid
αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
1:4
וְ wᵊ וְ and
הָלְכ֤וּ hālᵊḵˈû הלך walk
בָנָיו֙ vānāʸw בֵּן son
וְ wᵊ וְ and
עָשׂ֣וּ ʕāśˈû עשׂה make
מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה mištˈeh מִשְׁתֶּה drinking
בֵּ֖ית bˌêṯ בַּיִת house
אִ֣ישׁ ʔˈîš אִישׁ man
יֹומֹ֑ו yômˈô יֹום day
וְ wᵊ וְ and
שָׁלְח֗וּ šālᵊḥˈû שׁלח send
וְ wᵊ וְ and
קָרְאוּ֙ qārᵊʔˌû קרא call
לִ li לְ to
שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת šᵊlˈōšeṯ שָׁלֹשׁ three
אַחְיֹֽותֵיהֶ֔םאחיתיהם
*ʔaḥyˈôṯêhˈem אָחֹות sister
לֶ le לְ to
אֱכֹ֥ל ʔᵉḵˌōl אכל eat
וְ wᵊ וְ and
לִ li לְ to
שְׁתֹּ֖ות šᵊttˌôṯ שׁתה drink
עִמָּהֶֽם׃ ʕimmāhˈem עִם with
1:4. et ibant filii eius et faciebant convivium per domos unusquisque in die suo et mittentes vocabant tres sorores suas ut comederent et biberent cum eis
And his sons went, and made a feast by houses, every one in his day. And sending, they called their three sisters, to eat and drink with them.
1:4. And his sons went and made a feast by houses, each one on his day. And sending, they called their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
1:4. And his sons went and feasted [in their] houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ mh▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
4-5. Xарактеристика благочестия Иова восполняется новою чертою. Он заботится не только о личной нравственности, но и нравственности своих детей, выражая это в приношении жертвы всесожжения (замечание синодального текста о жертве за грех заимствовано из перевода LXX; еврейский текст упоминает только о жертве всесожжения) за возможные с их стороны грехи в дни пиршеств. Последние устроялись его сыновьями, "каждым в своем доме, в свой день" (ст. 4), т. е. или в дни рождения, как полагают некоторые, ссылаясь в подтверждение данного взгляда на III:1: "проклял день свой" и Быт XL:20: (обычай праздновать дни рождения), или же ежедневно, как думают другие. Последнее понимание представляется более вероятным. Семь пиршественных дней, падающих, сообразно с днями рождения, на различное время года, и потому отделенных друг от друга такими или иными промежутками, едва ли могут быть названы "кругом" (ст. 5). Второй взгляд не требует непременно допущения той невероятной мысли, что дети Иова все время, круглый год проводили в пирах. После семидневного пиршества мог быть перерыв.
Matthew Henry: Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible - 1706
4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
We have here a further account of Job's prosperity and his piety.
I. His great comfort in his children is taken notice of as an instance of his prosperity; for our temporal comforts are borrowed, depend upon others, and are as those about us are. Job himself mentions it as one of the greatest joys of his prosperous estate that his children were about him, ch. xxix. 5. They kept a circular feast at some certain times (v. 4); they went and feasted in their houses. It was a comfort to this good man, 1. To see his children grown up and settled in the world. All his sons were in houses of their own, probably married, and to each of them he had given a competent portion to set up with. Those that had been olive-plants round his table were removed to tables of their own. 2. To see them thrive in their affairs, and able to feast one another, as well as to feed themselves. Good parents desire, promote, and rejoice in, their children's wealth and prosperity as their own. 3. To see them in health, no sickness in their houses, for that would have spoiled their feasting and turned it into mourning. 4. Especially to see them live in love, and unity, and mutual good affection, no jars or quarrels among them, no strangeness, no shyness one of another, no strait-handedness, but, though every one knew his own, they lived with as much freedom as if they had had all in common. It is comfortable to the hearts of parents, and comely in the eyes of all, to see brethren thus knit together. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is! Ps. cxxxiii. 1. 5. It added to his comfort to see the brothers so kind to their sisters, that they sent for them to feast with them; for they were so modest that they would not have gone if they had not been sent for. Those brothers that slight their sisters, care not for their company, and have no concern for their comfort, are ill-bred, ill-natured, and very unlike Job's sons. It seems their feast was so sober and decent that their sisters were good company for them at it. 6. They feasted in their own houses, not in public houses, where they would be more exposed to temptations, and which were not so creditable. We do not find that Job himself feasted with them. Doubtless they invited him, and he would have been the most welcome guest at any of their tables; nor was it from any sourness or moroseness of temper, or for want of natural affection, that he kept away, but he was old and dead to these things, like Barzillai (2 Sam. xix. 35), and considered that the young people would be more free and pleasant if there were none but themselves. Yet he would not restrain his children from that diversion which he denied himself. Young people may be allowed a youthful liberty, provided they flee youthful lusts.
II. His great care about his children is taken notice of as an instance of his piety: for that we are really which we are relatively. Those that are good will be good to their children, and especially do what they can for the good of their souls. Observe (v. 5) Job's pious concern for the spiritual welfare of his children,
1. He was jealous over them with a godly jealousy; and so we ought to be over ourselves and those that are dearest to us, as far as is necessary to our care and endeavour for their good. Job had given his children a good education, had comfort in them and good hope concerning them; and yet he said, "It may be, my sons have sinned in the days of their feasting more than at other times, have been too merry, have taken too great a liberty in eating and drinking, and have cursed God in their hearts," that is, "have entertained atheistical or profane thoughts in their minds, unworthy notions of God and his providence, and the exercises of religion." When they were full they were ready to deny God, and to say, Who is the Lord? (Prov. xxx. 9), ready to forget God and to say, The power of our hand has gotten us this wealth, Deut. viii. 12, &c. Nothing alienates the mind more from God than the indulgence of the flesh.
2. As soon as the days of their feasting were over he called them to the solemn exercises of religion. Not while their feasting lasted (let them take their time for that; there is a time for all things), but when it was over, their good father reminded them that they must know when to desist, and not think to fare sumptuously every day; though they had their days of feasting the week round, they must not think to have them the year round; they had something else to do. Note, Those that are merry must find a time to be serious.
3. He sent to them to prepare for solemn ordinances, sent and sanctified them, ordered them to examine their own consciences and repent of what they had done amiss in their feasting, to lay aside their vanity and compose themselves for religious exercises. Thus he kept his authority over them for their good, and they submitted to it, though they had got into houses of their own. Still he was the priest of the family, and at his altar they all attended, valuing their share in his prayers more than their share in his estate. Parents cannot give grace to their children (it is God that sanctifies), but they ought by seasonable admonitions and counsels to further their sanctification. In their baptism they were sanctified to God; let it be our desire and endeavour that they may be sanctified for him.
4. He offered sacrifice for them, both to atone for the sins he feared they had been guilty of in the days of their feasting and to implore for them mercy to pardon and grace to prevent the debauching of their minds and corrupting of their manners by the liberty they had taken, and to preserve their piety and purity.
For he with mournful eyes had often spied,
Scattered on Pleasure's smooth but treacherous tide,
The spoils of virtue overpowered by sense,
And floating wrecks of ruined innocence.--Sir R. BLACKMORE.
Job, like Abraham, had an altar for his family, on which, it is likely, he offered sacrifice daily; but, on this extraordinary occasion, he offered more sacrifices than usual, and with more solemnity, according to the number of them all, one for each child. Parents should be particular in their addresses to God for the several branches of their family. "For this child I prayed, according to its particular temper, genius, and condition," to which the prayers, as well as the endeavours, must be accommodated. When these sacrifices were to be offered, (1.) He rose early, as one in care that his children might not lie long under guilt and as one whose heart was upon his work and his desire towards it. (2.) He required his children to attend the sacrifice, that they might join with him in the prayers he offered with the sacrifice, that the sight of the killing of the sacrifice might humble them much for their sins, for which they deserved to die, and the sight of the offering of it up might lead them to a Mediator. This serious work would help to make them serious again after the days of their gaiety.
5. Thus he did continually, and not merely whenever an occasion of this kind recurred; for he that is washed needs to wash his feet, John xiii. 10. The acts of repentance and faith must be often renewed, because we often repeat our transgressions. All days, every day, he offered up his sacrifices, was constant to his devotions, and did not omit them any day. The occasional exercises of religion will not excuse us from those that are stated. He that serves God uprightly will serve him continually.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:4: Feasted in their houses, every one his day - It is likely that a birthday festival is here intended. When the birthday of one arrived, he invited his brothers and sisters to feast with him; and each observed the same custom.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:4: And his sons went and feasted in their houses - Dr. Good renders this, "and his sons went to hold a banquet house." Tindal renders it, "made bankertea." The Hebrew means, they went and made a "house-feast;" and the idea is, that they gave an entertainment in their dwellings, in the ordinary way in which such entertainments were made. The word used here (משׁתה mı̂ shteh) is derived from שׁתה shâ thâ h, "to drink;" and then to drink together, to banquet. Schultens supposes that this was merely designed to keep up the proper familiarity between the different branches of the family, and not for purposes of Rev_elry and dissipation; and this seems to accord with the view of Job. He, though a pious man, was not opposed to it, but he apprehended merely that they might have sinned in their hearts, . He knew the danger, and hence, he was more assiduous in imploring for them the divine guardianship.
Every one his day - In his proper turn, or when his day came round. Perhaps it refers only to their birthdays; see , where the word "day" is used to denote a birthday. In early times the birthday was observed with great solemnity and rejoicing. Perhaps in this statement the author of the Book of Job means to intimate that his family lived in entire harmony, and to give a picture of his domestic happiness strongly contrasted with the calamities which came upon his household. It was a great aggravation of his sufferings that a family thus peaceful and harmonious was wholly broken up. - The Chaldee adds, "until seven days were completed," supposing that each one of these feasts lasted seven days, a supposition by no means improbable, if the families were in any considerable degree remote from each other.
And sent and called for their three sisters - This also may be regarded as a circumstance showing that these occasions were not designed for Rev_elry. Young men, when they congregate for dissipation, do not usually invite their "sisters" to be with them; nor do they usually desire the presence of virtuous females at all. The probability, therefore, is, that this was designed as affectionate and friendly family conversation. In itself there was nothing wrong in it, nor was there necessarily any danger; yet Job felt it "possible" that they might have erred and forgotten God, and hence, he was engaged in more intense and ardent devotion on their account; .
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:4: sent and called: Psa 133:1; Heb 13:1
Job 1:5
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:4
4, 5 And his sons went and feasted in the house of him whose day it was, and sent and called for their sisters to eat and drink with them. And it happened, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, I may be that my sons have sinned, and dismissed God from their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
The subordinate facts precede, Job 1:4, in perff.; the chief fact follows, Job 1:5, in fut. consec. The perff. describe, according to Ges. 126, 3, that which has happened repeatedly in the past, as e.g., Ruth 4:7; the fut. consec. the customary act of Job, in conjunction with this occurrence. The consecutio temporum is exactly like 1Kings 1:3.
Tit is questionable whether אישׁ בּית is a distinct adverbial expression, in domu unuiscujusque, and יומו also distinct, die ejus (Hirz. and others); or whether the three words are only one adverbial expression, in domo ejus cujus dies erat, which latter we prefer. At all events, יומו here, in this connection, is not, with Hahn, Schlottm., and others, to be understood of the birthday, as Job 3:1. The text, understood simply as it stands, speaks of a weekly round (Oehler and others). The seven sons took it in turn to dine with one another the week round, and did not forget their sisters in the loneliness of the parental home, but added them to their number. There existed among them a family peace and union which had been uninterruptedly cherished; but early on the morning of every eighth day, Job instituted a solemn service for his family, and offered sacrifices for his ten children, that they might obtain forgiveness for any sins of frivolity into which they might have fallen in the midst of the mirth of their family gatherings.
The writer might have represented this celebration on the evening of every seventh day, but he avoids even the slightest reference to anything Israelitish: for there is no mention in Scripture of any celebration of the Sabbath before the time of Israel. The sacred observance of the Sabbath, which was consecrated by God the Creator, was first expressly enjoined by the Sinaitic Thora. Here the family celebration falls on the morning of the Sunday, - a remarkable prelude to the New Testament celebration of Sunday in the age before the giving of the law, which is a type of the New Testament time after the law. The fact that Job, as father of the family, is the Cohen of his house, - a right of priesthood which the fathers of Israel exercised at the first passover (מצרים פסח), and from which a relic is still retained in the annual celebration of the passover (הדורות פסח), - is also characteristic of the age prior to the law. The standpoint of this age is also further faithfully preserved in this particular, that עולה here, as also Job 42:8, appears distinctly as an expiatory offering; whilst in the Mosaic ritual, although it still indeed serves לכפר (Lev 1:4), as does every blood-offering, the idea of expiation as its peculiar intention is transferred to הטאת and אשׁם. Neither of these forms of expiatory offering is here mentioned. The blood-offering still bears its most general generic name, עולה, which it received after the flood. This name indicates that the offering is one which, being consumed by fire, is designed to ascend in flames and smoke. העלה refers not so much to bringing it up to the raised altar, as to causing it to rise in flame and smoke, causing it to ascend to God, who is above. קדּשׁ is the outward cleansing and the spiritual preparation for the celebration of the sacred festival, as Ex 19:14. It is scarcely necessary to remark, that the masculine suffixes refer also to the daughters. There were ten whole sacrifices offered by Job on each opening day of the weekly round, at the dawn of the Sunday; and one has therefore to imagine this round of entertainment as beginning with the first-born on the first day of the week. "Perhaps," says Job, "my children have sinned, and bidden farewell to God in their hearts." Undoubtedly, בּרך signifies elsewhere (3Kings 21:10; Ps 10:3), according to a so-called ἀντιφραστικὴ εὐφημία, maledicere. This signification also suits Job 2:5, but does not at all suit Job 2:9. This latter passage supports the signification valedicere, which arises from the custom of pronouncing a benediction or benedictory salutation at parting (e.g., Gen 47:10). Job is afraid lest his children may have become somewhat unmindful of God during their mirthful gatherings. In Job's family, therefore, there was an earnest desire for sanctification, which was far from being satisfied with mere outward propriety of conduct. Sacrifice (which is as old as the sin of mankind) was to Job a means of grace, by which he cleansed himself and his family every week from inward blemish. The futt. consec. are followed by perff., which are governed by them. כּכה, however, is followed by the fut., because in historical connection (cf. on the other hand, Num 8:26), in the signification, faciebat h.e. facere solebat (Ges. 127, 4, b). Thus Job did every day, i.e., continually. As head of the family, he faithfully discharged his priestly vocation, which permitted him to offer sacrifice as an early Gentile servant of God. The writer has now made us acquainted with the chief person of the history which he is about to record, and in Job 1:6 begins the history itself.
John Gill
1:4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, everyone his day,.... It appears by this that Job's sons were grown up to men's estate, that they were from him, and were for themselves, and carried on a separate business on their own accounts, and had houses of their own, and, perhaps, were married; and being at some distance from each other, they met by appointment at certain times in their own houses, and had friendly and family entertainments in turn; for such were their feasts, not designed for intemperance, luxury, and wantonness, for then they would not have been encouraged, nor even connived at, by Job; but to cherish love and affection, and maintain harmony and unity among themselves, which must be very pleasing to their parent; for a pleasant thing it is for any, and especially for parents, to behold brethren dwelling together in unity, Ps 133:1, besides, these feasts were kept, not in public houses, much less in houses of ill fame, but in their own houses, among themselves, at certain seasons, which they took in turn; and these were either at their time of sheep shearing, which was a time of feasting, 1Kings 25:2, or at the weaning of a child, Gen 21:8, or rather on each of their birthdays, which in those early times were observed, especially those of persons of figure, Gen 40:20, and the rather, as Job's birthday is called his day, as here, Job 3:1,
and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them; not to make a feast in their turn, but to partake of their entertainment; which, as is commonly observed, showed humanity, kindness, tenderness, and affection in them to their sisters, to invite them to take part with them in their innocent and social recreations, and modesty in their sisters not to thrust themselves into their company, or go without an invitation; these very probably were with Job, and went to the feasts with his leave, being very likely unmarried, or otherwise their husbands would have been invited also.
John Wesley
1:4 Feasted - To testify and maintain their brotherly love. His day - Each his appointed day, perhaps his birth - day, or the first day of the month.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:4 every one his day--namely, the birthday (Job 3:1). Implying the love and harmony of the members of the family, as contrasted with the ruin which soon broke up such a scene of happiness. The sisters are specified, as these feasts were not for revelry, which would be inconsistent with the presence of sisters. These latter were invited by the brothers, though they gave no invitations in return.
1:51:5: Եւ իբրեւ յա՛նգ ելանէին աւուրք խրախութեանն, առաքէր Յոբ՝ եւ սրբէր զնոսա. յարուցեալ ընդ առաւօտս մատուցանէր վասն նոցա զոհս ըստ թուոյ նոցա, եւ զուարակ մի վասն մեղաց որդւոց նոցա. քանզի ասէր Յոբ՝ թէ գուցէ որդիքն իմ ՚ի միտս իւրեանց իմացան չարութիւն զԱստուծոյ. ա՛յսպէս առնէր Յոբ զամենայն աւուրս նոցա[9069]։ [9069] Ոմանք. Յանկ ելանէին աւուրք խրախութեան նոցա, առա՛՛։ Այլք. Վասն մեղաց ընդ ոգւոց նոցա։
5 Եւ երբ աւարտւում էին խրախճանքի օրերը, Յոբը նրանց յետեւից մարդիկ էր ուղարկում եւ սրբագործում էր նրանց. առաւօտեան վեր կենալով՝ նրանց համար, ըստ նրանց թուի, զոհեր էր մատուցում՝ մէկական զուարակ[2], նրանց մեղքերի համար: Յոբն ասում էր. «Գուցէ իմ զաւակներն իրենց մտքում չար բան մտածեցին Աստծու մասին»: Այսպէս էր անում Յոբը՝ նրանց խրախճանքների բոլոր օրերին: [2] 2. Եզ կամ հորթ (սովորաբար զոհաբերութեան):
5 Երբ հացկերոյթին օրերը կը լմննային, Յոբ կանչել կու տար* զանոնք ու կը սրբէր եւ առտուն կ’ելլէր՝ անոնց ամենուն թիւովը ողջակէզներ կը մատուցանէր. որովհետեւ կ’ըսէր Յոբ. «Կարելի է տղաքս մեղք գործեցին ու սրտերնուն մէջ Աստուծոյ հայհոյեցին»։ Միշտ այսպէս կ’ընէր Յոբ։
Եւ իբրեւ յանգ ելանէին աւուրք խրախութեանն, առաքէր Յոբ եւ սրբէր զնոսա. յարուցեալ ընդ առաւօտս մատուցանէր վասն նոցա զոհս ըստ թուոյ նոցա, [6]եւ զուարակ մի վասն մեղաց` ընդ որդւոց նոցա.`` քանզի ասէր Յոբ, թէ` Գուցէ որդիքն իմ ի միտս իւրեանց իմացան չարութիւն զԱստուծոյ. այսպէս առնէր Յոբ զամենայն աւուրս [7]նոցա:

1:5: Եւ իբրեւ յա՛նգ ելանէին աւուրք խրախութեանն, առաքէր Յոբ՝ եւ սրբէր զնոսա. յարուցեալ ընդ առաւօտս մատուցանէր վասն նոցա զոհս ըստ թուոյ նոցա, եւ զուարակ մի վասն մեղաց որդւոց նոցա. քանզի ասէր Յոբ՝ թէ գուցէ որդիքն իմ ՚ի միտս իւրեանց իմացան չարութիւն զԱստուծոյ. ա՛յսպէս առնէր Յոբ զամենայն աւուրս նոցա[9069]։
[9069] Ոմանք. Յանկ ելանէին աւուրք խրախութեան նոցա, առա՛՛։ Այլք. Վասն մեղաց ընդ ոգւոց նոցա։
5 Եւ երբ աւարտւում էին խրախճանքի օրերը, Յոբը նրանց յետեւից մարդիկ էր ուղարկում եւ սրբագործում էր նրանց. առաւօտեան վեր կենալով՝ նրանց համար, ըստ նրանց թուի, զոհեր էր մատուցում՝ մէկական զուարակ[2], նրանց մեղքերի համար: Յոբն ասում էր. «Գուցէ իմ զաւակներն իրենց մտքում չար բան մտածեցին Աստծու մասին»: Այսպէս էր անում Յոբը՝ նրանց խրախճանքների բոլոր օրերին:
[2] 2. Եզ կամ հորթ (սովորաբար զոհաբերութեան):
5 Երբ հացկերոյթին օրերը կը լմննային, Յոբ կանչել կու տար* զանոնք ու կը սրբէր եւ առտուն կ’ելլէր՝ անոնց ամենուն թիւովը ողջակէզներ կը մատուցանէր. որովհետեւ կ’ըսէր Յոբ. «Կարելի է տղաքս մեղք գործեցին ու սրտերնուն մէջ Աստուծոյ հայհոյեցին»։ Միշտ այսպէս կ’ընէր Յոբ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:51:5 Когда круг пиршественных дней совершался, Иов посылал {за ними} и освящал их и, вставая рано утром, возносил всесожжения по числу всех их [и одного тельца за грех о душах их]. Ибо говорил Иов: может быть, сыновья мои согрешили и похулили Бога в сердце своем. Так делал Иов во все {такие} дни.
1:5 καὶ και and; even ὡς ως.1 as; how ἂν αν perhaps; ever συνετελέσθησαν συντελεω consummate; finish αἱ ο the ἡμέραι ημερα day τοῦ ο the πότου ποτος.1 drinking bout; drink ἀπέστελλεν αποστελλω send off / away Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov καὶ και and; even ἐκαθάριζεν καθαριζω cleanse αὐτοὺς αυτος he; him ἀνιστάμενος ανιστημι stand up; resurrect τὸ ο the πρωὶ πρωι early καὶ και and; even προσέφερεν προσφερω offer; bring to περὶ περι about; around αὐτῶν αυτος he; him θυσίας θυσια immolation; sacrifice κατὰ κατα down; by τὸν ο the ἀριθμὸν αριθμος number αὐτῶν αυτος he; him καὶ και and; even μόσχον μοσχος calf ἕνα εις.1 one; unit περὶ περι about; around ἁμαρτίας αμαρτια sin; fault περὶ περι about; around τῶν ο the ψυχῶν ψυχη soul αὐτῶν αυτος he; him ἔλεγεν λεγω tell; declare γὰρ γαρ for Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov μήποτε μηποτε lest; unless οἱ ο the υἱοί υιος son μου μου of me; mine ἐν εν in τῇ ο the διανοίᾳ διανοια mind; intention αὐτῶν αυτος he; him κακὰ κακος bad; ugly ἐνενόησαν εννοεω to; toward θεόν θεος God οὕτως ουτως so; this way οὖν ουν then ἐποίει ποιεω do; make Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov πάσας πας all; every τὰς ο the ἡμέρας ημερα day
1:5 וַ wa וְ and יְהִ֡י yᵊhˈî היה be כִּ֣י kˈî כִּי that הִקִּיפֽוּ֩ hiqqîfˈû נקף go around יְמֵ֨י yᵊmˌê יֹום day הַ ha הַ the מִּשְׁתֶּ֜ה mmištˈeh מִשְׁתֶּה drinking וַ wa וְ and יִּשְׁלַ֧ח yyišlˈaḥ שׁלח send אִיֹּ֣וב ʔiyyˈôv אִיֹּוב Job וַֽ wˈa וְ and יְקַדְּשֵׁ֗ם yᵊqaddᵊšˈēm קדשׁ be holy וְ wᵊ וְ and הִשְׁכִּ֣ים hiškˈîm שׁכם rise early בַּ ba בְּ in † הַ the בֹּקֶר֮ bbōqer בֹּקֶר morning וְ wᵊ וְ and הֶעֱלָ֣ה heʕᵉlˈā עלה ascend עֹלֹות֮ ʕōlôṯ עֹלָה burnt-offering מִסְפַּ֣ר mispˈar מִסְפָּר number כֻּלָּם֒ kullˌām כֹּל whole כִּ֚י ˈkî כִּי that אָמַ֣ר ʔāmˈar אמר say אִיֹּ֔וב ʔiyyˈôv אִיֹּוב Job אוּלַי֙ ʔûlˌay אוּלַי perhaps חָטְא֣וּ ḥāṭᵊʔˈû חטא miss בָנַ֔י vānˈay בֵּן son וּ û וְ and בֵרֲכ֥וּ vērᵃḵˌû ברך bless אֱלֹהִ֖ים ʔᵉlōhˌîm אֱלֹהִים god(s) בִּ bi בְּ in לְבָבָ֑ם lᵊvāvˈām לֵבָב heart כָּ֛כָה kˈāḵā כָּכָה thus יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה yaʕᵃśˌeh עשׂה make אִיֹּ֖וב ʔiyyˌôv אִיֹּוב Job כָּל־ kol- כֹּל whole הַ ha הַ the יָּמִֽים׃ פ yyāmˈîm . f יֹום day
1:5. cumque in orbem transissent dies convivii mittebat ad eos Iob et sanctificabat illos consurgensque diluculo offerebat holocausta per singulos dicebat enim ne forte peccaverint filii mei et benedixerint Deo in cordibus suis sic faciebat Iob cunctis diebusAnd when the days of their feasting were gone about, Job sent to them, and sanctified them: and rising up early, offered holocausts for every one of them. For he said: Lest perhaps my sons have sinned, and have blessed God in their hearts. So did Job all days.
5. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burn offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
1:5. And when the days of their feasting had been completed, Job sent to them and sanctified them, and, getting up at dawn, he offered holocausts for each one. For he said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and have not praised God in their hearts.” So Job did all the days.
1:5. And it was so, when the days of [their] feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings [according] to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
And it was so, when the days of [their] feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings [according] to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually:

1:5 Когда круг пиршественных дней совершался, Иов посылал {за ними} и освящал их и, вставая рано утром, возносил всесожжения по числу всех их [и одного тельца за грех о душах их]. Ибо говорил Иов: может быть, сыновья мои согрешили и похулили Бога в сердце своем. Так делал Иов во все {такие} дни.
1:5
καὶ και and; even
ὡς ως.1 as; how
ἂν αν perhaps; ever
συνετελέσθησαν συντελεω consummate; finish
αἱ ο the
ἡμέραι ημερα day
τοῦ ο the
πότου ποτος.1 drinking bout; drink
ἀπέστελλεν αποστελλω send off / away
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
καὶ και and; even
ἐκαθάριζεν καθαριζω cleanse
αὐτοὺς αυτος he; him
ἀνιστάμενος ανιστημι stand up; resurrect
τὸ ο the
πρωὶ πρωι early
καὶ και and; even
προσέφερεν προσφερω offer; bring to
περὶ περι about; around
αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
θυσίας θυσια immolation; sacrifice
κατὰ κατα down; by
τὸν ο the
ἀριθμὸν αριθμος number
αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
καὶ και and; even
μόσχον μοσχος calf
ἕνα εις.1 one; unit
περὶ περι about; around
ἁμαρτίας αμαρτια sin; fault
περὶ περι about; around
τῶν ο the
ψυχῶν ψυχη soul
αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
ἔλεγεν λεγω tell; declare
γὰρ γαρ for
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
μήποτε μηποτε lest; unless
οἱ ο the
υἱοί υιος son
μου μου of me; mine
ἐν εν in
τῇ ο the
διανοίᾳ διανοια mind; intention
αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
κακὰ κακος bad; ugly
ἐνενόησαν εννοεω to; toward
θεόν θεος God
οὕτως ουτως so; this way
οὖν ουν then
ἐποίει ποιεω do; make
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
πάσας πας all; every
τὰς ο the
ἡμέρας ημερα day
1:5
וַ wa וְ and
יְהִ֡י yᵊhˈî היה be
כִּ֣י kˈî כִּי that
הִקִּיפֽוּ֩ hiqqîfˈû נקף go around
יְמֵ֨י yᵊmˌê יֹום day
הַ ha הַ the
מִּשְׁתֶּ֜ה mmištˈeh מִשְׁתֶּה drinking
וַ wa וְ and
יִּשְׁלַ֧ח yyišlˈaḥ שׁלח send
אִיֹּ֣וב ʔiyyˈôv אִיֹּוב Job
וַֽ wˈa וְ and
יְקַדְּשֵׁ֗ם yᵊqaddᵊšˈēm קדשׁ be holy
וְ wᵊ וְ and
הִשְׁכִּ֣ים hiškˈîm שׁכם rise early
בַּ ba בְּ in
הַ the
בֹּקֶר֮ bbōqer בֹּקֶר morning
וְ wᵊ וְ and
הֶעֱלָ֣ה heʕᵉlˈā עלה ascend
עֹלֹות֮ ʕōlôṯ עֹלָה burnt-offering
מִסְפַּ֣ר mispˈar מִסְפָּר number
כֻּלָּם֒ kullˌām כֹּל whole
כִּ֚י ˈkî כִּי that
אָמַ֣ר ʔāmˈar אמר say
אִיֹּ֔וב ʔiyyˈôv אִיֹּוב Job
אוּלַי֙ ʔûlˌay אוּלַי perhaps
חָטְא֣וּ ḥāṭᵊʔˈû חטא miss
בָנַ֔י vānˈay בֵּן son
וּ û וְ and
בֵרֲכ֥וּ vērᵃḵˌû ברך bless
אֱלֹהִ֖ים ʔᵉlōhˌîm אֱלֹהִים god(s)
בִּ bi בְּ in
לְבָבָ֑ם lᵊvāvˈām לֵבָב heart
כָּ֛כָה kˈāḵā כָּכָה thus
יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה yaʕᵃśˌeh עשׂה make
אִיֹּ֖וב ʔiyyˌôv אִיֹּוב Job
כָּל־ kol- כֹּל whole
הַ ha הַ the
יָּמִֽים׃ פ yyāmˈîm . f יֹום day
1:5. cumque in orbem transissent dies convivii mittebat ad eos Iob et sanctificabat illos consurgensque diluculo offerebat holocausta per singulos dicebat enim ne forte peccaverint filii mei et benedixerint Deo in cordibus suis sic faciebat Iob cunctis diebus
And when the days of their feasting were gone about, Job sent to them, and sanctified them: and rising up early, offered holocausts for every one of them. For he said: Lest perhaps my sons have sinned, and have blessed God in their hearts. So did Job all days.
1:5. And when the days of their feasting had been completed, Job sent to them and sanctified them, and, getting up at dawn, he offered holocausts for each one. For he said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and have not praised God in their hearts.” So Job did all the days.
1:5. And it was so, when the days of [their] feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings [according] to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:5: When the days of their feasting were gone about - At the conclusion of the year, when the birthday of each had been celebrated, the pious father appears to have gathered them all together, that the whole family might hold a feast to the Lord, offering burnt-offerings in order to make an atonement for sins of all kinds, whether presumptuous or committed through ignorance. This we may consider as a general custom among the godly in those ancient times.
And cursed God in their hearts - וברכו אלהים uberechu Elohim. In this book, according to most interpreters, the verb ברך barach signifies both to bless and to curse; and the noun אלהים Elohim signifies the true God, false gods, and great or mighty. The reason why Job offered the burnt-offerings appears to have been this: in a country where idolatry flourished, he thought it possible that his children might, in their festivity, have given way to idolatrous thoughts, or done something prescribed by idolatrous rites; and therefore the words may be rendered thus: It may be that my children have blessed the gods in their hearts. Others think that the word ברך barach should be understood as implying farewell, bidding adieu - lest my children have bidden adieu to God, that is, renounced him, and cast off his fear. To me this is very unlikely. Mr. Mason Good contends that the word should be understood in its regular and general sense, to bless; and that the conjunction ו vau should be translated nor. "Peradventure my sons may have sinned, nor blessed God in their hearts." This version he supports with great learning. I think the sense given above is more plain, and less embarrassed. They might have been guilty of some species of idolatry. This is possible even among those called Christians, in their banquets; witness their songs to Bacchus, Venus, etc., which are countless in number, and often sung by persons who would think themselves injured, not to be reputed Christians. Coverdale, in his translation, (1535), renders the passage thus: Peradventure my sonnes have done some offense, and have been unthankful to God in their hertes.
Thus did Job continually - At the end of every year, when all the birthday festivals had gone round.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:5: And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about - Dr. Good renders this, "as the days of such banquets returned." But this is not the idea intended. It is, when the banquets had gone round as in a circle through all the families, "then" Job sent and sanctified them. It was not from an anticipation that they "would" do wrong, but it was from the apprehension that they "might" have sinned. The word rendered "were gone about" (נקף nâ qaph) means properly to join together, and then to move round in a circle, to Rev_olve, as festivals do; see the notes at Isa 29:1 : "Let the festivals go round." Here it means that the days of their banqueting had gone round the circle, or had gone round the several families. Septuagint "When the days of the entertainment (or drinking, πότου potou) were finished." A custom of feasting similar to this pRev_ails in China. "They have their fraternities which they call the brotherhood of the months; this consists of months according to the number of the days therein, and in a circle they go abroad to eat at one another's houses by turns. If one man has not conveniences to receive the fraternity in his own house, he may provide for them in another; and there are many public houses well furnished for this purpose." See Semedo's History of China, i chapter 13, as quoted by Burder in Rosenmuller's Morgenland. "in loc."
That Job sent - Sent for them, and called them around him. He was apprehensive that they might have erred, and he took every measure to keep them pure, and to maintain the influence of religion in his family.
And sanctified them - This expression, says Schultens, is capable of two interpretations. It may either mean that he "prepared" them by various lustrations, ablutions, and other ceremonies to offer sacrifice; or that he offered sacrifices for the purpose of procuring expiation for sins which they might actually have committed. The former sense, he remarks, is favored by the use of the word in Exo 19:10; Sa1 16:5, where the word means to prepare themselves by ablutions to meet God and to worship him. The latter sense is demanded by the connection. Job felt as every father should feel in such circumstances, that there was reason to fear that God had not been remembered as he ought to have been, and he was therefore more fervent in his devotions, and called them around him, that their own minds might be affected in view of his pious solicitude. What father is there who loves God, and who feels anxious that his children should also, who does not feel special solicitude if his sons and his daughters are in a situation where successive days are devoted to feasting and mirth? The word here rendered "sanctified" (קדשׁ qâ dash) means properly to be pure, clean, holy; in Pihel, the form used here, to make holy, to sanctify, to consecrate, as a priest; and here it means, that he took measures to make them holy on the apprehension that they had sinned; that is, he took the usual means to procure for them forgiveness. The Septuagint renders it ἐκάθαριζεν ekatharizen, he purified them.
And rose up early in the morning - For the purpose of offering his devotions, and procuring for them expiation. It was customary in the patriarchal times to offer sacrifice early in the morning. See Gen 22:3; Exo 32:6.
And offered burnt-offerings - Hebrew "and caused to ascend;" that is, by burning them so that the smoke ascended toward heaven. The word rendered "burnt-offerings" (עולה ‛ ô lâ h) is from עלה ‛ â lâ h, "to ascend" (the word used here and rendered "offered"), and means that which was made to ascend, to wit, by burning. It is applied in the Scriptures to a sacrifice that was wholly consumed on the altar, and answers to the Greek word ὁλόκαυστον holokauston, "Holocaust." See the notes at Isa 1:11. Such offerings in the patriarchal times were made by the father of a family, officiating as priest in behalf of his household. Thus, Noah officiated, Gen 8:20; and thus also Abraham acted as the priest to offer sacrifice, Gen 12:7-8; Gen 13:18; Gen 22:13. In the earliest times, and among pagan nations, it was supposed that pardon might be procured for sin by offering sacrifice. In Homer there is a passage which remarkably corresponds with the view of Job before us; Iliad 9:493:
The gods (the great and only wise)
Are moved by offerings, vows, and sacrifice;
Offending man their high compassion wins,
And daily prayers atone for daily sins.
Pope
According to the number of them all - Sons and daughters. Perhaps an additional sacrifice for each one of them. The Septuagint renders this, "according to their numbers, καί μόσχον ἕνα περὶ ἁμαπτίας περὶ τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν kai moschon hena peri hamartias peri tō n psuchō n autō n - a young bullock for sin or a sin-offering for their souls."
It may be that my sons have sinned - He had no positive or certain proof of it. He felt only the natural apprehension which every pious father must, that his sons might have been overtaken by temptation, and perhaps, under the influence of wine, might have been led to speak reproachfully of God, and of the necessary restraints of true religion and virtue.
And cursed God in their hearts - The word here rendered curse is that which is usually rendered "bless" ברך bā rak. It is not a little remarkable that the same word is used in senses so directly opposite as to "bless" and "to curse." Dr. Good contends that the word should be always rendered "bless," and so translates it in this place, "peradventure my sons may have sinned, "nor" blessed God in their hearts," understanding the Hebrew prefix ו (v) as a disjunctive or negative participle. So too in , rendered in our common translation, "curse God and die," he translates it, "blessing God and dying." But the interpretation which the connection demands is evidently that of cursing, renouncing, or forgetting; and so also it is in . This sense is still more obvious in Kg1 21:10 : "Thou didst "blaspheme" ברך bā rak God and the king." So also Kg1 21:13 of the same chapter - though here Dr. Good contends that the word should be rendered "bless," and that the accusation was that Naboth "blessed" or worshipped the gods, even Moloch - where he supposes the word מלך melek, should be pointed מלך mô lek and read "Molech." But the difficulty is not removed by this, and after all it is probable that the word here, as in , means to "curse." So it is understood by nearly all interpreters. The Vulgate indeed renders it singularly enough, "Lest perhaps my sons have sinned, and have blessed God (et benedixerint Deo) in their hearts." The Septuagint, "Lest perhaps my sons in their mind have thought evil toward God" - κακὰ ἐνεόησαν πρὸς Θεόν kaka enenoē san pros Theon. The Chaldee, "Lest my sons have sinned and provoked yahweh (יהוה וארגיזדקדם) in their hearts." Assuming that this is the sense of the word here, there are three ways of accounting for the fact that the same word should have such opposite significations.
(1) One is that proposed by Taylor (Concor.), that pious persons of old regarded blasphemy as so abominable that they abhorred to express it by the proper name, and that therefore by an "euphemism" they used the term "bless" instead of "curse." But it should be said that nothing is more common in the Scriptures than words denoting cursing and blasphemy. The word אלה 'â lâ h, in the sense of cursing or execrating, occurs frequently. So the word גדף gâ daph, means to blaspheme, and is often used; Kg2 19:6, Kg2 19:22; Isa 37:6, Isa 37:23; Psa 44:16. Other words also were used in the same sense, and there was no necessity of using a mere "euphemism" here.
(2) A second mode of accounting for this double use of the word is. that this was the common term of salutation between friends at meeting and parting. It is then supposed to have been used in the sense of the English phrase "to bid farewell to." And then, like that phrase, to mean "to renounce, to abandon, to dismiss from the mind, to disregard." The words χαίρειν chairein, in Greek, and "valere" in Latin, are used in this way. This explanation is suggested by Schultens, and is adopted by Rosenmuller and Noyes, who refer to the following places as parallel instances of the use of the word. Virg. Ecl. 8, 58. "Vivite Sylvoe" - a form, says the Annotator on Virgil (Delphin), of bidding farewell to, like the Greek χαίρετε chairete - "a form used against those whom we reject with hatred, and wish to depart." Thus, Catull. 11. 17: Cum suis vivat, valeatque moechis. So Aesch. Agam. 574:
Καὶ πολλὰ χαίρειν ξυμφοραῖς καταξιῶ
Kai polla chairein cumforais kataciō.
Thus, Plutarch, Dion. p. 975. So Cicero in a letter to Atticus (Psa 8:8), in which he complains of the disgraceful flight of Pompey, applies to him a quotation from Aristophanes; πολλὰ χαίρειν εἰπὼν τῷ καλῷ polla chairein eipō n tō kalō - "bidding farewell to honour he fled to Brundusium;" compare Ter. And. 4:2. 14. Cicero de Nat. Deor. 1. 44. According to this interpretation, it means that Job apprehended they had renounced God in their hearts. that is, had been unmindful of him, and had withheld from him the homage which was due. - This is plausible: but the difficulty is in making out the use of this sense of the word in Hebrew. That the word was used as a mode of "parting salutation" among the Hebrews is undoubted. It was a solemn form of invoking the divine blessing when friends separated; compare Gen 28:3; Gen 47:10. But I find no use of the word where it is applied to separation in the sense of "renouncing," or bidding farewell to "in a bad sense;" and unless some instances of this kind can be adduced, the interpretation is unsound, and though similar phrases are used in Greek, Latin, and other languages, it does not demonstrate that this use of the word obtained in the Hebrew.
(3) A third, and more simple explanation is that which supposes that the original sense of the word was "to kneel." This, according to Gesenius, is the meaning of the word in Arabic. So Castell gives the meaning of the word - "to bend the knees for the sake of honour;" that is, as an act of respect. So in Syriac, "Genua flexit̂ procubuit." So "Genu." the "knee." Then it means to bend the knee for the purpose of invoking God, or worshipping. In the Piel, the form used here, it means
(1) to bless God, to celebrate, to adore;
(2) to bless men - that is, to "invoke" blessings on them; to greet or salute them - in the sense of invoking blessings on them when we meet them; Sa1 15:13; Gen 47:7; Sa2 6:20; or when we part from them; Gen 47:10; Kg1 8:66; Gen 24:60;
(3) to "invoke evil," in the sense of "cursing others." The idea is, that punishment or destruction is from God, and hence, it is "imprecated" on others. In one word, the term is used, as derived from the general sense of kneeling, in the sense of "invoking" either blessings or curses; and then in the general sense of blessing or cursing. This interpretation is defended by Selden, de jure Nat. et Gent. Lib. II. 100:11:p. 255, and by Gesenius, Lexicon. The idea here is, that Job apprehended that his sons, in the midst of mirth, and perhaps Rev_elry, had been guilty of irRev_erence, and perhaps of reproaching God inwardly for the restraints of virtue and piety. What is more common in such scenes? What was more to be apprehended?
Thus did Job continually - It was his regular habit whenever such an occasion occurred. He was unremitted in his pious care; and his solicitude lest his sons should have sinned never ceased - a beautiful illustration of the appropriate feelings of a pious father in regard to his sons. The Hebrew is, "all day;" that is, at all times.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:5: sanctified: Job 41:25; Gen 35:2, Gen 35:3; Exo 19:10; Sa1 16:5; Neh 12:30; Joh 11:55
rose up: Gen 22:3; Psa 5:3; Ecc 9:10
offered: Job 42:8; Gen 8:20; Exo 18:12, Exo 24:5; Lev 1:3-6
according: Kg1 18:31; Act 21:26
It may be: Co2 11:2
cursed: Job 1:11, Job 2:9; Lev 24:10-16; Kg1 21:10, Kg1 21:13
in their hearts: Gen 6:5; Jer 4:14, Jer 17:9, Jer 17:10; Mar 7:21-23; Act 8:22; Co1 4:5
Thus: Job 27:10
continually: Heb. all the days, Luk 1:75, Luk 18:7; Eph 6:18
Job 1:6
Geneva 1599
1:5 And it was so, when the days of [their] feasting were gone about, that Job sent and (f) sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and (g) offered burnt offerings [according] to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and (h) cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job (i) continually.
(f) That is, commanded them to be sanctified: meaning, that they should consider the faults that they had committed, and reconcile themselves for the same.
(g) That is, he offered for each of his children an offering of reconciliation, which declared his religion toward God, and the care that he had for his children.
(h) In Hebrew it is, "blessed God", which is sometimes taken for blaspheming and cursing, as it is here and in (3Kings 21:10, 3Kings 21:13).
(i) While the feast lasted.
John Gill
1:5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about,.... When they had been at each other's houses in turn; when the rotation was ended: something like this is practised by the Chinese, who have their co-fraternities, which they call "the brotherhood of the month"; this consists of thirty, according to the number of days therein, and in a circle they go every day to eat at one another's house by turns; if one man has not convenience to receive the fraternity in his own house, he may provide it at another man's, and there are many public houses very well furnished for this purpose (e): Job's sons probably began at the elder brother's house, and so went on according to their age, and ended with the younger brother; so when they had gone through the circuit, as the word (f) signifies, and the revolution was over, and they had done feasting for that season, or that year:
that Job sent and sanctified them; not that he did or could make them holy, by imparting grace, or infusing holiness into them; at most he could only pray for their sanctification, and give them rules, precepts, and instructions about holiness, and exhortations to it; but here it signifies, that being at some distance from them he sent messengers or letters to them to sanctify and prepare themselves for the sacrifices he was about to offer for them; either by some rites and ceremonies, as by washing themselves, and abstinence from their wives, which were sometimes used as preparatory to divine service, Gen 35:2, or by fasting and prayer; or, perhaps, no more is intended by it than an invitation of them to come and attend the solemn sacrifice which he, as the head of the family, would offer for them; so, to sanctify people, is sometimes to invite, to call and gather them to holy service, see Joel 2:15 and so the Targum renders it. "Job sent and invited them:"
and rose up early in the morning of the last of the days of feasting; he took the first opportunity, and that as early as he could; which shows the eagerness of his spirit for the glory of God, and the good of his children, losing no time for his devotion to God, and regard for his family; this being also the fittest time for religious worship and service, see Ps 5:3, and was used for sacrifice, Ex 29:39,
and offered burnt offering according to the number of them all either of his ten children, or only his seven sons, since they only are next mentioned, and were the masters of the feast: this was before the law of the priesthood was in being, which restrained the offering of sacrifice to those in the office of priests, when, before, every head of a family had a right unto it; and this custom of offering sacrifice was before the law of Moses, it was of divine institution, and in use from the time of the fall of man, Gen 3:21, and was by tradition handed down from one to another, and so Job had it; and which was typical of the sacrifice of Christ, to be offered up in the fulness of time for the expiation of sin; and Job, no doubt, by faith in Christ, offered up those burnt offerings for his sons, and one for each of them, thereby signifying, that everyone stood in need of the whole sacrifice of Christ for the atonement of sin, as every sinner does:
for Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned; not merely as in common, or daily sins of infirmity; for Job so full well knew the corruption of human nature, that a day could not pass without sin in thought, word, or deed; but some more notorious or scandalous sin; that, in the midst of their feasting and mirth, they had used some filthy, or frothy, and unsavoury and unbecoming language; had dropped some impure words, or impious jests, or done some actions which would reflect dishonour on God and true religion, and bring an odium on themselves and families: now Job was not certain of this, he had had no instruction or intelligence of it; he only surmised and conjectured it might be so; he was fearful and jealous lest it should: this shows his care and concern, as for the glory of God, so for the spiritual welfare of his children, though they were grown up and gone from him, and is to be considered in favour of his sons; for by this it is evident they were not addicted to any sin, or did not live a vicious course of life; but that they were religious and godly persons; or, otherwise Job would have had no doubt in his mind about their conduct and behaviour: the particular sin he feared they might have been guilty of follows:
and cursed God in their hearts; not in the grossest sense of the expression, so as to deny the being of God, and wish there was none, and conceive blasphemy in their hearts, and utter it with their lips; but whereas to bless God is to think and speak well of him, and ascribe that to him which is his due; so to curse him is to think and speak irreverently of him, and not to attribute to him what belongs unto him; and thus Job might fear that his sons, amidst their feasting, might boast of their plenty, and of the increase of their substance, and attribute it to their own diligence and industry, and not to the providence of God, of which he feared they might speak slightingly and unbecomingly, as persons in such circumstances sometimes do, see Deut 32:15. Mr. Broughton renders it, "and little blessed God in their hearts" not blessing him as they should was interpretatively cursing him; the Hebrew word used properly and primarily signifies to bless (g), and then the meaning is, either that his sons had sinned, but took no notice of it, nor were humbled for it, but blessed God, being prosperous and successful, as if they had never sinned at all, see Zech 13:1, Sanctius adds the negative particle "not", as if the meaning was, that they sinned, and did not bless God for their mercies as they should, Deut 8:10, but this is too daring and venturous to make such an addition; though this is favoured by the Targum, as in some copies, which paraphrases it,
and have not prayed in the name of the Lord in their hearts: and because the word is used at parting, and taking a farewell of friends, Cocceius thinks it may be so used here, and the sense to be, that they sinned, and took their leave of God, and departed from him; but rather, as the word Elohim is used of strange gods, of false deities, Ex 18:11. Job's fears might be, lest his sons should have been guilty of any idolatrous action, at least of blessing the gods of the Gentiles in their hearts, since feasting sometimes leads to idolatry, Ex 32:6, but the first sense seems best, with which the Septuagint version agrees,
"it may be my sons in their mind have thought evil things against the Lord:''
thus did Job continually; or "all those days" (h); that is, after every such circuit and rotation of feasting, or after every feast day kept by them, he offered sacrifices for them; or every year (i), as some interpret the phrase, the feasts, and so the sacrifices, being annual; all this is observed, partly further to describe the piety of Job, his affection for his family, and concern for their spiritual good, and the glory of God, and partly as a leading step to an later event, Job 1:18.
(e) Semedo's History of China, par. 1. c. 13. (f) "cum circulssent, vel circulum fecissent", Vatablus; "circulum absolverent", Bolducius. (g) "benedixerint Deo", V. L. Piscator. (h) "cunctis diebus", Pagninus, Montanus; "singulis diebus illis", Junius & Tremellius; "omnibus diebus illis", Piscator, Cocceius. (i) "Singulis annis", Schmidt, Schultens; see 1 Sam. xx. 7.
John Wesley
1:5 When - When each of them had had his turn. Satisfied - He exhorted them to examine their own consciences, to repent of any thing, which had been amiss in their feasting, and compose their minds for employments of a more solemn nature. Early - Thereby shewing his ardent zeal in God's service. May be - His zeal for God's glory, and his true love to his children, made him jealous. Cursed - Not in a gross manner, which it is not probable either that they should do, or that Job should suspect it concerning them, but despised or dishonoured God; for both Hebrew and Greek words signifies cursing, are sometimes used to note only, reviling or setting light by a person. Hearts - By slight and low thoughts of God, or by neglecting to give God the praise for the mercies which they enjoyed. Thus - It was his constant course at the end of every feasting time, to offer a sacrifice for each. Parents should be particular in their addresses to God, for the several branches of their family; praying for each child, according to his particular temper, genius and disposition.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:5 when the days of their feasting were gone about--that is, at the end of all the birthdays collectively, when the banquets had gone round through all the families.
cursed God--The same Hebrew word means to "curse," and to "bless"; GESENIUS says, the original sense is to "kneel," and thus it came to mean bending the knee in order to invoke either a blessing or a curse. Cursing is a perversion of blessing, as all sin is of goodness. Sin is a degeneracy, not a generation. It is not, however, likely that Job should fear the possibility of his sons cursing God. The sense "bid farewell to," derived from the blessing customary at parting, seems sufficient (Gen 47:10). Thus UMBREIT translates "may have dismissed God from their hearts"; namely, amid the intoxication of pleasure (Prov 20:1). This act illustrates Job's "fear of God" (Job 1:1).
1:61:6: Եւ եղեւ իբրեւ օրս այս՝ եւ ահա եկին հրեշտակք Աստուծոյ կա՛լ առաջի Տեառն. եկն եւ Սատանայ ընդ նոսա յածեալ ընդ երկիր եւ շրջեալ ՚ի նմա[9070]։ [9070] Ոմանք. Եւ իբրեւ եղեւ զօրս զայս, եկին հր՛՛... յածեալ յերկրի եւ շր՛՛։
6 Եւ մի օր ահա Աստծու հրեշտակները եկան կանգնեցին Տիրոջ առաջ. նրանց հետ սատանան էլ եկաւ՝ ման գալով երկրի երեսին, շրջելով նրա վրայ:
6 Արդ՝ օր մը՝ Աստուծոյ որդիները գացին Տէրոջը առջեւ կայնելու։ Սատանան ալ գնաց անոնց հետ։
Եւ եղեւ իբրեւ օրս այս, եւ ահա եկին [8]հրեշտակք Աստուծոյ կալ առաջի Տեառն. եկն եւ Սատանայ ընդ նոսա [9]յածեալ ընդ երկիր եւ շրջեալ ի նմա:

1:6: Եւ եղեւ իբրեւ օրս այս՝ եւ ահա եկին հրեշտակք Աստուծոյ կա՛լ առաջի Տեառն. եկն եւ Սատանայ ընդ նոսա յածեալ ընդ երկիր եւ շրջեալ ՚ի նմա[9070]։
[9070] Ոմանք. Եւ իբրեւ եղեւ զօրս զայս, եկին հր՛՛... յածեալ յերկրի եւ շր՛՛։
6 Եւ մի օր ահա Աստծու հրեշտակները եկան կանգնեցին Տիրոջ առաջ. նրանց հետ սատանան էլ եկաւ՝ ման գալով երկրի երեսին, շրջելով նրա վրայ:
6 Արդ՝ օր մը՝ Աստուծոյ որդիները գացին Տէրոջը առջեւ կայնելու։ Սատանան ալ գնաց անոնց հետ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:61:6 И был день, когда пришли сыны Божии предстать пред Господа; между ними пришел и сатана.
1:6 καὶ και and; even ὡς ως.1 as; how ἐγένετο γινομαι happen; become ἡ ο the ἡμέρα ημερα day αὕτη ουτος this; he καὶ και and; even ἰδοὺ ιδου see!; here I am ἦλθον ερχομαι come; go οἱ ο the ἄγγελοι αγγελος messenger τοῦ ο the θεοῦ θεος God παραστῆναι παριστημι stand by; present ἐνώπιον ενωπιος in the face; facing τοῦ ο the κυρίου κυριος lord; master καὶ και and; even ὁ ο the διάβολος διαβολος devilish; devil ἦλθεν ερχομαι come; go μετ᾿ μετα with; amid αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
1:6 וַ wa וְ and יְהִ֣י yᵊhˈî היה be הַ ha הַ the יֹּ֔ום yyˈôm יֹום day וַ wa וְ and יָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ yyāvˈōʔû בוא come בְּנֵ֣י bᵊnˈê בֵּן son הָ hā הַ the אֱלֹהִ֔ים ʔᵉlōhˈîm אֱלֹהִים god(s) לְ lᵊ לְ to הִתְיַצֵּ֖ב hiṯyaṣṣˌēv יצב stand עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon יְהוָ֑ה [yᵊhwˈāh] יְהוָה YHWH וַ wa וְ and יָּבֹ֥וא yyāvˌô בוא come גַֽם־ ḡˈam- גַּם even הַ ha הַ the שָּׂטָ֖ן śśāṭˌān שָׂטָן adversary בְּ bᵊ בְּ in תֹוכָֽם׃ ṯôḵˈām תָּוֶךְ midst
1:6. quadam autem die cum venissent filii Dei ut adsisterent coram Domino adfuit inter eos etiam SatanNow on a certain day, when the sons of God came to stand before the Lord, Satan also was present among them.
6. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
1:6. But on a certain day, when the sons of God came to attend in the presence of the Lord, Satan also arrived among them.
1:6. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them:

1:6 И был день, когда пришли сыны Божии предстать пред Господа; между ними пришел и сатана.
1:6
καὶ και and; even
ὡς ως.1 as; how
ἐγένετο γινομαι happen; become
ο the
ἡμέρα ημερα day
αὕτη ουτος this; he
καὶ και and; even
ἰδοὺ ιδου see!; here I am
ἦλθον ερχομαι come; go
οἱ ο the
ἄγγελοι αγγελος messenger
τοῦ ο the
θεοῦ θεος God
παραστῆναι παριστημι stand by; present
ἐνώπιον ενωπιος in the face; facing
τοῦ ο the
κυρίου κυριος lord; master
καὶ και and; even
ο the
διάβολος διαβολος devilish; devil
ἦλθεν ερχομαι come; go
μετ᾿ μετα with; amid
αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
1:6
וַ wa וְ and
יְהִ֣י yᵊhˈî היה be
הַ ha הַ the
יֹּ֔ום yyˈôm יֹום day
וַ wa וְ and
יָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ yyāvˈōʔû בוא come
בְּנֵ֣י bᵊnˈê בֵּן son
הָ הַ the
אֱלֹהִ֔ים ʔᵉlōhˈîm אֱלֹהִים god(s)
לְ lᵊ לְ to
הִתְיַצֵּ֖ב hiṯyaṣṣˌēv יצב stand
עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon
יְהוָ֑ה [yᵊhwˈāh] יְהוָה YHWH
וַ wa וְ and
יָּבֹ֥וא yyāvˌô בוא come
גַֽם־ ḡˈam- גַּם even
הַ ha הַ the
שָּׂטָ֖ן śśāṭˌān שָׂטָן adversary
בְּ bᵊ בְּ in
תֹוכָֽם׃ ṯôḵˈām תָּוֶךְ midst
1:6. quadam autem die cum venissent filii Dei ut adsisterent coram Domino adfuit inter eos etiam Satan
Now on a certain day, when the sons of God came to stand before the Lord, Satan also was present among them.
1:6. But on a certain day, when the sons of God came to attend in the presence of the Lord, Satan also arrived among them.
1:6. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ mh▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
6. При благочестии Иова причина постигших его бедствий заключалась не в нем; она лежала вне его, - в клевете злого духа (ст. 9-11), давшей Божественному Правосудию повод доказать на примере Иова торжество правды и добра над злом. На поэтическом языке автора книги данная мысль выражена образно: им нарисована небесная картина явления пред лице Божие "сынов Божьих", т. е. ангелов (Пс XXVIII:1; LXXXVIII:7; Дан III:92), названных так по своей богосозданной и богоподобной природе, и вместе с ними сатаны (ср. 3: Цар XXII:19-22). Последнее имя, выражая идею злого, коварного существа, в смысле нарицательном обозначает вообще противника, клеветника (Чис XXII:22; 1: Цар XXIX:4; 3: Цар V:18; XI:14, 23, 25; Пс CVIII:6), а в смысле собственном - злого духа (1: Пар XXI:1; Зах III:1). "Гассатан" (с опред. членом) - враг в абсолютном смысле, - враг Божий, божественных планов и творений - людей, их спасения.
Matthew Henry: Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible - 1706
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Job was not only so rich and great, but withal so wise and good, and had such an interest both in heaven and earth, that one would think the mountain of his prosperity stood so strong that it could not be moved; but here we have a thick cloud gathering over his head, pregnant with a horrible tempest. We must never think ourselves secure from storms while we are in this lower region. Before we are told how his troubles surprised and seized him here in this visible world, we are here told how they were concerted in the world of spirits, that the devil, having a great enmity to Job for his eminent piety, begged and obtained leave to torment him. It does not at all derogate from the credibility of Job's story in general to allow that this discourse between God and Satan, in these verses, is parabolical, like that of Micaiah (1 Kings xxii. 19, &c.), and an allegory designed to represent the malice of the devil against good men and the divine check and restraint which that malice is under; only thus much further is intimated, that the affairs of this earth are very much the subject of the counsels of the unseen world. That world is dark to us, but we lie very open to it. Now here we have,
I. Satan among the sons of God (v. 6), an adversary (so Satan signifies) to God, to men, to all good: he thrust himself into an assembly of the sons of God that came to present themselves before the Lord. This means either, 1. A meeting of the saints on earth. Professors of religion, in the patriarchal age, were called sons of God (Gen. vi. 2); they had then religious assemblies and stated times for them. The King came in to see his guests; the eye of God was on all present. But there was a serpent in paradise, a Satan among the sons of God; when they come together he is among them, to distract and disturb them, stands at their right hand to resist them. The Lord rebuke thee, Satan! Or, 2. A meeting of the angels in heaven. They are the sons of God, ch. xxxviii. 7. They came to give an account of their negotiations on earth and to receive new instructions. Satan was one of them originally; but how hast thou fallen, O Lucifer! He shall no more stand in that congregation, yet he is here represented, as coming among them, either summoned to appear as a criminal or connived at, for the present, though an intruder.
II. His examination, how he came thither (v. 7): The Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? He knew very well whence he came, and with what design he came thither, that as the good angels came to do good he came for a permission to do hurt; but he would, by calling him to an account, show him that he was under check and control. Whence comest thou? He asks this, 1. As wondering what brought him thither. Is Saul among the prophets? Satan among the sons of God? Yes, for he transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. xi. 13, 14), and would seem one of them. Note, It is possible that a man may be a child of the devil and yet be found in the assemblies of the sons of God in this world, and there may pass undiscovered by men, and yet be challenged by the all-seeing God. Friend, how camest thou in hither? Or, 2. As enquiring what he had been doing before he came thither. The same question was perhaps put to the rest of those that presented themselves before the Lord, "Whence came you?" We are accountable to God for all our haunts and all the ways we traverse.
III. The account he gives of himself and of the tour he had made. I come (says he) from going to and fro on the earth. 1. He could not pretend he had been doing any good, could give no such account of himself as the sons of God could, who presented themselves before the Lord, who came from executing his orders, serving the interest of his kingdom, and ministering to the heirs of salvation. 2. He would not own he had been doing any hurt, that he had been drawing men from the allegiance to God, deceiving and destroying souls; no. I have done no wickedness, Prov. xxx. 20. Thy servant went nowhere. In saying that he had walked to and fro through the earth, he intimates that he had kept himself within the bounds allotted him, and had not transgressed his bounds; for the dragon is cast out into the earth (Rev. xii. 9) and not yet confined to his place of torment. While we are on this earth we are within his reach, and with so much subtlety, swiftness, and industry, does he penetrate into all the corners of it, that we cannot be in any place secure from his temptations. 3. He yet seems to give some representation of his own character. (1.) Perhaps it is spoken proudly, and with an air of haughtiness, as if he were indeed the prince of this world, as if the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them were his (Luke iv. 6), and he had now been walking in circuit through his own territories. (2.) Perhaps it is spoken fretfully, and with discontent. He had been walking to and fro, and could find no rest, but was as much a fugitive and a vagabond as Cain in the land of Nod. (3.) Perhaps it is spoken carefully: "I have been hard at work, going to and fro," or (as some read it) "searching about in the earth," really in quest of an opportunity to do mischief. He walks abut seeking whom he may devour. It concerns us therefore to be sober and vigilant.
IV. The question God puts to him concerning Job (v. 8): Hast thou considered my servant Job? As when we meet with one that has been in a distant place, where we have a friend we dearly love, we are ready to ask, "You have been in such a place; pray did you see my friend there?" Observe, 1. How honourably God speaks of Job: He is my servant. Good men are God's servants, and he is pleased to reckon himself honoured in their services, and they are to him for a name and a praise (Jer. xiii. 11) and a crown of glory, Isa. lxii. 3. "Yonder is my servant Job; there is none like him, none I value like him, of all the princes and potentates of the earth; one such saint as he is worth them all: none like him for uprightness and serious piety; many do well, but he excelleth them all; there is not to be found such great faith, no, not in Israel." Thus Christ, long after, commended the centurion and the woman of Canaan, who were both of them, like Job, strangers to that commonwealth. The saints glory in God--Who is like thee among the gods? and he is pleased to glory in them--Who is like Israel among the people? So here, none like Job, none in earth, that state of imperfection. Those in heaven do indeed far outshine him; those who are least in that kingdom are greater than he; but on earth there is not his like. There is none like him in that land; so some good men are the glory of their country. 2. How closely he gives to Satan this good character of Job: Hast thou set thy heart to my servant Job? designing hereby, (1.) To aggravate the apostasy and misery of that wicked spirit: "How unlike him are thou!" Note, The holiness and happiness of the saints are the shame and torment of the devil and the devil's children. (2.) To answer the devil's seeming boast of the interest he had in this earth. "I have been walking to and fro in it," says he, "and it is all my own; all flesh have corrupted their way; they all sit still, and are at rest in their sins," Zech. i. 10, 11. "Nay, hold," saith God, "Job is my faithful servant." Satan may boast, but he shall not triumph. (3.) To anticipate his accusations, as if he had said, "Satan, I know thy errand; thou hast come to inform against Job; but hast thou considered him? Does not his unquestionable character give thee the lie?" Note, God knows all the malice of the devil and his instruments against his servants; and we have an advocate ready to appear for us, even before we are accused.
V. The devil's base insinuation against Job, in answer to God's encomium of him. He could not deny but that Job feared God, but suggested that he was a mercenary in his religion, and therefore a hypocrite (v. 9): Doth Job fear God for nought? Observe, 1. How impatient the devil was of hearing Job praised, though it was God himself that praised him. Those are like the devil who cannot endure that any body should be praised but themselves, but grudge the just share of reputation others have, as Saul (1 Sam. xviii. 5, &c.) and the Pharisees, Matt. xxi. 15. 2. How much at a loss he was for something to object against him; he could not accuse him of any thing that was bad, and therefore charged him with by-ends in doing good. Had the one half of that been true which his angry friends, in the heat of dispute, charged him with (ch. xv. 4, xxii. 5), Satan would no doubt have brought against him now; but no such thing could be alleged, and therefore, 3. See how slyly he censured him as a hypocrite, not asserting that he was so, but only asking, "Is he not so?" This is the common way of slanderers, whisperers, backbiters, to suggest that by way of query which yet they have no reason to think is true. Note, It is not strange if those that are approved and accepted of God be unjustly censured by the devil and his instruments; if they are otherwise unexceptionable, it is easy to charge them with hypocrisy, as Satan charged Job, and they have no way to clear themselves, but patiently to wait for the judgment of God. As there is nothing we should dread more than being hypocrites, so there is nothing we need dread less that being called and counted so without cause. 4. How unjustly he accused him as mercenary, to prove him a hypocrite. It was a great truth that Job did not fear God for nought; he got much by it, for godliness is great gain: but it was a falsehood that he would not have feared God if he had not got this by it, as the event proved. Job's friends charged him with hypocrisy because he was greatly afflicted, Satan because he greatly prospered. It is no hard matter for those to calumniate that seek an occasion. It is not mercenary to look at the eternal recompence in our obedience; but to aim at temporal advantages in our religion, and to make it subservient to them, is spiritual idolatry, worshipping the creature more than the Creator, and is likely to end in a fatal apostasy. Men cannot long serve God and mammon.
VI. The complaint Satan made of Job's prosperity, v. 10. Observe, 1. What God had done for Job. He had protected him, made a hedge about him, for the defence of his person, his family, and all his possessions. Note, God's peculiar people are taken under his special protection, they and all that belong to them; divine grace makes a hedge about their spiritual life, and divine providence about their natural life, so they are safe and easy. He had prospered him, not in idleness or injustice (the devil could not accuse him of them), but in the way of honest diligence: Thou hast blessed the work of his hands. Without that blessing, be the hands ever so strong, ever so skilful, the work will not prosper; but, with that, his substance has wonderfully increased in the land. The blessing of the Lord makes rich: Satan himself owns it. 2. What notice the devil took of it, and how he improved it against him. The devil speaks of it with vexation. "I see thou hast made a hedge about him, round about;" as if he had walked it round, to see if he could spy a single gap in it, for him to enter in at, to do him a mischief; but he was disappointed: it was a complete hedge. The wicked one saw it and was grieved, and argued against Job that the only reason why he served God was because God prospered him. "No thanks to him to be true to the government that prefers him, and to serve a Master that pays him so well."
VII. The proof Satan undertakes to give of the hypocrisy and mercenariness of Job's religion, if he might but have leave to strip him of his wealth. "Let it be put to this issue," says he (v. 11); "make him poor, frown upon him, turn thy hand against him, and then see where his religion will be; touch what he has and it will appear what he is. If he curse thee not to thy face, let me never be believed, but posted for a liar and false accuser. Let me perish if he curse thee not;" so some supply the imprecation, which the devil himself modestly concealed, but the profane swearers of our age impudently and daringly speak out. Observe, 1. How slightly he speaks of the affliction he desired that Job might be tried with: "Do but touch all that he has, do but begin with him, do but threaten to make him poor; a little cross will change his tone." 2. How spitefully he speaks of the impression it would make upon Job: "He will not only let fall his devotion, but turn it into an open defiance--not only think hardly of thee, but even curse thee to thy face." The word translated curse is barac, the same that ordinarily, and originally, signifies to bless; but cursing God is so impious a thing that the holy language would not admit the name: but that where the sense requires it it must be so understood is plain form 1 Kings xxi. 10-13, where the word is used concerning the crime charged on Naboth, that he did blaspheme God and the king. Now, (1.) It is likely that Satan did think that Job, if impoverished, would renounce his religion and so disprove his profession, and if so (as a learned gentleman has observed in his Mount of Spirits) Satan would have made out his own universal empire among the children of men. God declared Job the best man then living: now, if Satan can prove him a hypocrite, it will follow that God had not one faithful servant among men and that there was no such thing as true and sincere piety in the world, but religion was all a sham, and Satan was king de facto--in fact, over all mankind. But it appeared that the Lord knows those that are his and is not deceived in any. (2.) However, if Job should retain his religion, Satan would have the satisfaction to see him sorely afflicted. He hates good men, and delights in their griefs, as God has pleasure in their prosperity.
VIII. The permission God gave to Satan to afflict Job for the trial of his sincerity. Satan desired God to do it: Put forth thy hand now. God allowed him to do it (v. 12): "All that he has is in thy hand; make the trial as sharp as thou canst; do thy worst at him." Now, 1. It is a matter of wonder that God should give Satan such a permission as this, should deliver the soul of his turtle-dove into the hand of the adversary, such a lamb to such a lion; but he did it for his own glory, the honour of Job, the explanation of Providence, and the encouragement of his afflicted people in all ages, to make a case which, being adjudged, might be a useful precedent. He suffered Job to be tried, as he suffered Peter to be sifted, but took care that his faith should not fail (Luke xxii. 32) and then the trial of it was found unto praise, and honour, and glory, 1 Pet. i. 7. But, 2. It is a matter of comfort that God has the devil in a chain, in a great chain, Rev. xx. 1. He could not afflict Job without leave from God first asked and obtained, and then no further than he had leave: "Only upon himself put not forth thy hand; meddle not with his body, but only with his estate." It is a limited power that the devil has; he has no power to debauch men but what they give him themselves, nor power to afflict men but what is given him from above.
IX. Satan's departure from this meeting of the sons of God. Before they broke up, Satan went forth (as Cain, Gen. iv. 16) from the presence of the Lord; no longer detained before him (as Doeg was, 1 Sam. xxi. 7) than till he had accomplished his malicious purpose. He went forth, 1. Glad that he had gained his point, proud of the permission he had to do mischief to a good man; and, 2. Resolved to lose no time, but speedily to put his project in execution. He went forth now, not to go to and fro, rambling through the earth, but with a direct course, to fall upon poor Job, who is carefully going on in the way of his duty, and knows nothing of the matter. What passes between good and bad spirits concerning us we are not aware of.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:6: There was a day when the sons of God - All the versions, and indeed all the critics, are puzzled with the phrase sons of God; בני האלהים beney haelohim, literally, sons of the God, or sons of the gods. The Vulgate has simply filii dei, sons of God. The Septuagint, οἱ αγγελοι του θεου, the angels of God. The Chaldee, כתי מלאכיא kittey malachaiya, troops of angels. The Syriac retains the Hebrew words and letters, only leaving out the demonstrative ה he in the word האלהים haelohim, thus, (Syriac) baney Elohim. The Arabic nearly copies the Hebrew also, (Arabic) banoa Iloheem; to which, if we give not the literal translation of the Hebrew, we may give what translation we please. Coverdale (1535) translates it, servauntes of God. The Targum supposes that this assembly took place on the day of the great atonement, which occurred once each year. And there was a day of judgment in the beginning of the year; and the troops of angels came, that they might stand in judgment before the Lord. But what are we to make of this whole account? Expositions are endless. That of Mr. Peters appears to me to be at once the most simple and the most judicious: "The Scripture speaks of God after the manner of men, for there is a necessity of condescending to our capacities, and of suiting the revelation to our apprehension. As kings, therefore, transact their most important affairs in a solemn council or assembly, so God is pleased to represent himself as having his council likewise; and as passing the decrees of his providence in an assembly of his holy angels. We have here, in the case of Job, the same grand assembly held, as was before in that of Ahab, 1 Kings 22:6-23; the same host of heaven, called here the sons of God, presenting themselves before Jehovah, as in the vision of Micaiah they are said to stand on his right hand and on his left. A wicked spirit appearing among them, here called Satan or the adversary, and there a lying spirit; both bent on mischief, and ready to do all the hurt they were permitted to do; for both were under the control of his power. The imagery is just the same; and the only difference is in the manner of the relation. That mentioned above, Micaiah, as a prophet, and in the actual exercise of his prophetic office, delivers, as he received it, in a vision. "I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the Host of Heaven standing by him, on his right hand and on his left, and there came forth a Lying Spirit, and stood Before the Lord, and said," Kg1 22:19-22. The other, as a historian, interweaves it with his history; and tells us, in his plain narrative style, "There was a day when the sons of God came to Present themselves Before the Lord, and Satan came also among them." And this he delivers in the same manner as he does, There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job.
"The things delivered to us by these two inspired writers are the same in substance, equally high, and above the reach of human sight and knowledge; but the manner of delivering them is different, each as suited best to his particular purpose. This, then is the prophetical way of representing things, as to the manner of doing them, which, whether done exactly in the same manner, concerns us not to know; but which are really done: and God would have them described as done in this manner, to make the more lively and lasting impression on us. At the same time, it must not be forgotten that representations of this kind are founded in a well-known and established truth, viz., the doctrine of good and bad angels, a point revealed from the beginning, and without a previous knowledge of which, the visions of the prophets could scarcely be intelligible." See Gen 28:10-15.
And Satan came also - This word also is emphatic in the original, השטן hassatan, the Satan, or the adversary; translated by the Septuagint ὁ Διαβολος. The original word is preserved by the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic; indeed, in each of them the word signifies an adversary. St. Peter, Pe1 5:8, plainly refers to this place; and fully proves that השטן hassatan, which he literally translates ὁ αντιδικος, the Adversary, is no other than ὁ Διαβολος, the Devil, or chief of bad demons, which he adds to others by way of explanation. There are many διαμονες, demons, mentioned in Scripture, but the word Satan or devil is never found in the originals of the Old and New Testaments in the plural number. Hence we reasonably infer, that all evil spirits are under the government of One chief, the Devil, who is more powerful and more wicked than the rest. From the Greek Διαβολος comes the Latin Diabolus, the Spanish Diablo, the French Diable, the Italian Diavolo, the German Teuffel, the Dutch Duivel, the Anglo-Saxon and the English Devil, which some would derive from the compound The - Evil; ὁ πονηρος, the evil one, or wicked one.
It is now fashionable to deny the existence of this evil spirit; and this is one of what St. John (Rev 2:24) calls τα βαθη του σατανα, the depths of Satan; as he well knows that they who deny his being will not be afraid of his power and influence; will not watch against his wiles and devices; will not pray to God for deliverance from the evil one; will not expect him to be trampled down under their feet, who has no existence; and, consequently, they will become an easy and unopposing prey to the enemy of their souls. By leading men to disbelieve and deny his existence, he throws them off their guard; and is then their complete master, and they are led captive by him at his will. It is well known that, among all those who make any profession of religion, those who deny the existence of the devil are they who pray little or none at all; and are, apparently, as careless about the existence of God as they are about the being of a devil. Piety to God is with them out of the question; for those who do not pray, especially in private, (and I never met with a devil-denier who did), have no religion of any kind, whatsoever pretensions they may choose to make.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:6: Now there was a day - Dr. Good renders this, "And the day came." Tindal." Now upon a time." The Chaldee paraphrasist has presumed to specify the time, and renders it, "Now it happened in the day of judgment (or scrutiny, דדינא ביומא), "in the beginning of the year," that hosts of angels came to stand in judgment before yahweh, and Satan came." According to this, the judgment occurred once a year, and a solemn investigation was had of the conduct even of the angels. In the Hebrew there is no intimation of the frequency with which this occurred, nor of the time of the year when it happened. The only idea is, that "the sons of God" on a set or appointed day came to stand before God to give an account of what they had done, and to receive further orders in regard to what they were to do. - This is evidently designed to introduce the subsequent events relating to Job. It is language taken from the proceedings of a monarch who had sent forth messengers or ambassadors on important errands through the different provinces of his empire, who now returned to give an account of what they had observed, and of the general state of the kingdom. Such a return would, of course, be made on a fixed day when, in the language of the law, their report would be "returnable," and when they would be required to give in an account of the state of the kingdom. If it be said that it is inconsistent with the supposition that this book was inspired to suppose such a poetic fiction, I reply,
(1) That it is no more so than the parables of the Savior, who often supposes cases, and states them as real occurrences, in order to illustrate some important truth. Yet no one was ever led into error by this.
(2) It is in accordance with the language in the Scripture everywhere to describe God as a monarch seated on his throne, surrounded by his ministers, and sending them forth to accomplish important purposes in different parts of his vast empire.
It is not absolutely necessary, therefore, to regard this as designed to represent an actual occurrence. It is one of the admissible ornaments of poetry; - as admissible as any other poetic ornament. To represent God as a king is not improper; and if so, it is not improper to represent him with the usual accompaniments of royalty, - surrounded by ministers, and employing angels and messengers for important purposes in his kingdom. This supposition being admitted, all that follows is merely in "keeping," and is designed to preserve the verisimilitude of the conception. - This idea, however, by no means militates against the supposition that angels are in fact really employed by God in important purposes in the government of his kingdom, nor that Satan has a real existence, and is permitted by God to employ an important agency in the accomplishment of his purposes toward his people. On this verse, however, see the Introduction, Section 1, (4).
The sons of God - Angels; compare . The whole narrative supposes that they were celestial beings.
Came to present themselves - As having returned from their embassy, and to give an account of what they had observed and done.
Before the Lord - Before יהוה yehovâ h. On the meaning of this word, see the notes at Isa 1:2. A scene remarkably similar to this is described in Kg1 22:19-23. Yahweh is there represented as "sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left." He inquires who would go and persuade Ahab that he might go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? "And there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him." This he promised to do by being "a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets."
And Satan came also among them - Margin, "The adversary" came "in the midst of them." On the general meaning of this passage, and the reasons why Satan is introduced here, and the argument thence derived respecting the age and authorship of the book of Job, see the Introduction, Section 4, (4). The Vulgate renders this by the name "Satan." The Septuagint: ὁ διάβολος ho diabolos - the devil, or the accuser. The Chaldee, סטנא saṭ enā', "Satan." So the Syriac. Theodotion, ὁ ἀντικείμενος ho antikeimenos - "the adversary." The word rendered "Satan" שׂטן ś â ṭ â n is derived from שׂטן ś â ṭ an "Satan," to lie in wait, to be an adversary, and hence, it means properly an adversary, an accuser. It is used to denote one who "opposes," as in war Kg1 11:14, Kg1 11:23, Kg1 11:25; Sa1 29:4; onc who is an adversary or an accuser in a court of justice Psa 109:6, and one who stands in the way of another; Num 22:22, "And the angel of yahweh stood in the way for an adversary against him" לה לשׂטן leś â ṭ â n lô h, "to oppose him."
It is then used by way of eminence, to denote the "adversary," and assumes the form of a proper name, and is applied to the great foe of God and man - the malignant spirit who seduces people to evil, and who accuses them before God. Thus, in Zac 3:1-2, "And he showed me Joshua the priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Loan said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan;" compare Rev 12:10, "Now is come salvation - for the accuser ὁ κατηγορῶν ho katē gorō n - that is, Satan, see Rev 12:9) of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." - The word does not often occur in the Old Testament. It is found in the various forms of a verb and a noun in only the following places. As a verb, in the sense of being an adversary, Psa 71:13; Psa 109:4, Psa 109:20, Psa 109:29; Zac 3:1; Psa 38:20; as a noun, rendered "adversary" and "adversaries," Kg1 5:4; Kg1 11:14, Kg1 11:23, Kg1 11:25; Num 22:22, Num 22:32; Sa1 29:4; Sa2 19:22; rendered "Satan," Ch1 21:1; Psa 109:6; -9, ; -4, -7; Zac 3:2; and once rendered "an accusation," Ezr 4:6.
It was a word, therefore, early used in the sense of an adversary or accuser, and was applied to anyone who sustained this character, until it finally came to be used as a proper name, to denote, by way of eminence, the prince of evil spirits, as the adversary or accuser of people. An opinion has been adopted in modern times by Herder, Eichhorn, Dathe, Ilgen, and some others, that the being here referred to by the name of Satan is not the malignant spirit, the enemy of God, the Devil, but is one of the sons of God, "a faithful, but too suspicious servant of yahweh." According to this, God is represented as holding a council to determine the state of his dominions. In this council, Satan, a zealous servant of yahweh, to whom had been assigned the honorable office of visiting different parts of the earth, for the purpose of observing the conduct of the subjects of yahweh, makes his appearance on his return with others.
Such was the piety of Job, that it had attracted the special attention of yahweh, and he puts the question to Satan, whether in his journey be had remarked this illustrious example of virtue. Satan, who, from what he has observed on earth, is supposed to have lost all confidence in the reality and genuineness of the virtue which man may exhibit, suggests that he doubts whether even Job serves God from a disinterested motive; that God had encompassed him with blessings, and that his virtue is the mere result of circumstances; and that if his comforts were removed he would be found as destitute of principle as any other man. Satan, according to this, is a suspicious minister of yahweh, not a malignant spirit; he inflicts on Job only what he is ordered to by God, and nothing because he is himself malignant. Of this opinion Gesenius remarks (Lexicon), that it "is now universally exploded."
An insuperable objection to this view is, that it does not accord with the character usually ascribed to Satan in the Bible, and especially that the disposition attributed to him in the narrative before us is wholly inconsistent with this view. He is a malignant being; an accuser; one delighting in the opportunity of charging a holy man with hypocrisy, and in the permission to inflict tortures on him, and who goes as far in producing misery as he is allowed - restrained from destroying him only by the express command of God. - In Arabic the word Satan is often applied to a serpent. Thus, Gjauhari, as quoted by Schultens, says, "The Arabs call a serpent Satan, especially one that is conspicuous by its crest, head, and odious appearance." It is applied also to any object or being that is evil. Thus, the Scholiast on Hariri, as quoted by Schultens also, says, "Everything that is obstinately rebellious, opposed, and removed from good, of genii, human beings, and beasts, is called Satan." - The general notion of an adversary and an opponent is found everywhere in the meaning of the word. - Dr. Good remarks on this verse, "We have here another proof that, in the system of patriarchal theology, the evil spirits, as well as the good, were equally amenable to the Almighty, and were equally cited, at definite periods, to answer for their conduct at his bar."
Rosenmuller remarks well on this verse, "It is to be observed, that Satan, no less than the other celestial spirits, is subject to the government of God, and dependent on his commands (compare ) where Satan equally with the sons of God (אלהים בן bê n 'ĕ lohı̂ ym) is said to present himself before God (לחהיצב lehı̂ tyatsē b; that is, λειτουργεῖν leitourgein), to minister. Yahweh uses the ministry of this demon (hujus daemonis) to execute punishment, or when from any other cause it seemed good to him to send evil upon men. But he, although incensed against the race of mortals, and desirous of injuring, is yet described as bound with a chain, and never dares to touch the pious unless God relaxes the reins. Satan, in walking round the earth, could certainly attentively consider Job, but to injure him he could not, unless permission had been given him."
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:6: Now: Job 2:1
the sons: Job 38:7; Dan 3:25; Luk 3:38
came to: Psa 103:20; Mat 18:10
Satan: Heb. the adversary, Kg1 22:19; Ch1 21:1; Zac 3:1; Rev 12:9, Rev 12:10
came also: Joh 6:70
among them: Heb. in the midst of them
Job 1:7
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:6
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah; and Satan came also in the midst of them.
The translation "it happened on a day" is rejected in Ges. 109, rem. 1, c.
(Note: The references to Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar have been carefully verified according to the English edition published by Bagster and Sons, London. - Tr.)
The article, it is there said, refers to what precedes - the day, at the time; but this favourite mode of expression is found at the beginning of a narrative, even when it cannot be considered to have any reference to what has preceded, e.g., 4Kings 4:18. The article is used in the opposite manner here, because the narrator in thought connects the day with the following occurrence; and this frees it from absolute indefiniteness: the western mode of expression is different. From the writer assigning the earthly measure of time to the place of God and spirits, we see that celestial things are represented by him parabolically. But the assumptions on which he proceeds are everywhere recognised in Scripture; for (1.) האלהים בּני, as the name of the celestial spirits, is also found out of the book of Job (Gen 6:2; cf. Ps 29:1; Ps 59:7; Dan 3:25). They are so called, as beings in the likeness of God, which came forth from God in the earliest beginning of creation, before this material world and man came into existence (Job 28:4-7): the designation בּני points to the particular manner of their creation. (2.) Further, it is the teaching of Scripture, that these are the nearest attendants upon God, the nearest created glory, with which He has surrounded himself in His eternal glory, and that He uses them as the immediate instruments of His cosmical rule. This representation underlies Gen 1:26, which Philo correctly explains, διαλέγεται ὁ τῶν ὅλων πατὴρ ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεσιν; and in Ps 59:6-8, a psalm which is closely allied to the book of Job, קהל and סוד, of the holy ones, is just the assembly of the heavenly spirits, from which, as ἄγγελοι of God, they go forth into the universe and among men. (3.) It is also further the teaching of Scripture, that one of these spirits has withdrawn himself from the love of God, has reversed the truth of his bright existence, and in sullen ardent self-love is become the enemy of God, and everything godlike in the creature. This spirit is called, in reference to God and the creature, השּׂטן ,er, from the verb שׂטן, to come in the way, oppose, treat with enmity, - a name which occurs first here, and except here occurs only in Zech 3:1-10 and 1Chron 21:1. Since the Chokma turned, with a decided preference, to the earliest records of the world and mankind before the rise of nationalities, it must have known the existence of this God-opposing spirit from Gen. 2f. The frequent occurrence of the tree of life and the way of life in the Salomonic Proverbs, shows how earnestly the research of that time was engaged with the history of Paradise: so that it cannot be surprising that it coined the name השּׂטן for that evil spirit. (4.) Finally, it agrees with 3Kings 22:19-22; Zech 3:1, on the one hand, and Rev. 12 on the other, that Satan here appears still among the good spirits, resembling Judas Iscariot among the disciples until his treachery was revealed. The work of redemption, about which his enmity to God overdid itself, and by which his damnation is perfected, is during the whole course of the Old Testament history incomplete.
Herder, Eichhorn, Lutz, Ewald, and Umbreit, see in this distinct placing of Satan in relation to the Deity and good spirits nothing but a change of representations arising from foreign influences; but if Jesus Christ is really the vanquisher of Satan, as He himself says, the realm of spirits must have a history, which is divided into two eras by this triumph. Moreover, both the Old and New Testaments agree herein, that Satan is God's adversary, and consequently altogether evil, and must notwithstanding serve God, since He makes even evil minister to His purpose of salvation, and the working out of His plan in the government of the world. This is the chief thought which underlies the further progress of the scene. The earthly elements of time, space, and dialogue, belong to the poetic drapery.
Instead of על התיצּב, לפני is used elsewhere (Prov 22:29): על is a usage of language derived from the optical illusion to the one who is in the foreground seeming to surpass the one in the background. It is an assembly day in heaven. All the spirits present themselves to render their account, and expecting to receive commands; and the following dialogue ensues between Jehovah and Satan: -
Geneva 1599
1:6 Now there was a day when the (k) sons of God came to present themselves (l) before the LORD, and Satan (m) came also among them.
(k) Meaning the angels, who are called the sons of God because they are willing to execute his will.
(l) Because our infirmity cannot comprehend God in his majesty, he is set forth to us as a King, that our capacity may be able to understand that which is spoken of him.
(m) This declares that although Satan is an adversary to God, yet he is compelled to obey him, and do him all homage, without whose permission and appointment he can do nothing.
John Gill
1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord,.... This is generally understood of the angels, as in Job 38:7 who may be thought to be so called, because of their creation by the father of spirits, and their likeness to God in holiness, knowledge, and wisdom, and being affectionate and obedient to him; as also on account of the grace of election, and confirmation in Christ bestowed upon them, as well as because, in their embassies and messages to men, they represent God, and so may be called gods, and children of the Most High, for a like reason the civil magistrates are, Ps 82:6 to which may be added, their constituting with the saints the family of God in heaven and earth: these, as they stand before God, and at his right hand and left, as the host of heaven, in which posture Micaiah saw them in vision, 3Kings 22:19, so they may be said to go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth into the several parts of all the world, to do the will and work of God assigned them, Zech 6:5 and then, having done their work, return again, and present themselves before the Lord, to give an account of what they have done, and to receive fresh orders from him, being ready to do his pleasure in everything he shall command them, which is what is here supposed; though some think these were only the company or band of angels which were set as a guard about Job, his person, family, and substance, who now appeared before the Lord, to give an account of him, his affairs, and circumstances, as required of them:
and Satan came also among them; which word signifies an "adversary", as in 3Kings 11:14 but does not design here a man adversary, as there, or one that envied Job's prosperity, as Saadiah Gaon thinks, but an evil spirit, the old serpent, the devil, as in Rev_ 12:9 who is an implacable and bitter enemy to men, especially to Christ and his people; and so has this name from his hatred of them, and opposition to them: Origen (k) observes, that this word, translated into the Greek language, is an "adversary"; but R. Levi (l) derives it from "to decline" or "turn aside"; and so Suidas says (m), Satan, in the Hebrew language, is an apostate; and Theodoret (n) mentions both, that it signifies either an adversary or an apostate; the first derivation is best: knowing the end of the above meeting, that it was with respect to Job, and therefore he came with an intent to contradict what they should say of him, and to accuse him before God; he came among them as one of them, transforming himself into an angel of light, as he sometimes does; or he came, being sent for, and obliged to come to give an account of himself, and of what he had been doing in the world, in order to be reproved and punished: but though the stream of interpreters run this way, I cannot say I am satisfied with it; for, setting aside the passages in this book in question, angels are nowhere called "the sons of God"; for besides, this being denied of them in the sense that Christ is, they are represented as servants, yea, as servants to the sons of God, ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation; they call themselves the fellow servants of the saints, and of their brethren, but do not say that they are sons of the same family, or fellow heirs, or their brethren, Heb 1:5, moreover, they always stand in the presence of God, and behold his face, be they where they will, Mt 18:10 nor is there any particular day assigned them for the service of God; for though they are under the moral law, so far as it is suitable to their nature, yet not under the ceremonial law, to which the observance of days belonged; and besides, they have no rest night nor day, but continually serve God, and glorify him, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty: and if this presentation of themselves to God is supposed to be in heaven, as where else should it be? it is not possible that Satan could come among them; he is fallen from heaven, being cast down from thence, nor can he, nor ever will he, be able to find a place any more there, see Lk 10:18 it seems better therefore to understand this of the people of God, of professors of religion, who, earlier than the times of Job, were distinguished from the men of the world by this character, "the sons of God", Gen 6:2, such that were truly godly being so by adopting grace, and which was made manifest by their regeneration by the Spirit of God, and by their faith in Christ, and all were so by profession: now these assembled themselves together, to present themselves, their bodies and souls, before the Lord, which was but their reasonable service; as to pray unto him, and praise him, to offer sacrifice, and perform every religious exercise enjoined in those times; the apostle uses the like phrase of the saints' social worship, Rom 12:1 now for this there was a "day"; though I very much question whether any sabbath, or much less a seventh day sabbath, was as yet instituted; but inasmuch as men agreed together to call on the name of the Lord, or to worship him in a social way, Gen 4:26 as it was necessary that a place should be appointed to meet at, so a time fixed by consent and agreement; even as now, the seventh day sabbath being abrogated, Christians agree to meet on the first day of the week, called the Lord's day, in imitation of the apostles of Christ; and on one of these days thus fixed and agreed on was the above meeting, at which Satan came among them, as he frequently does in the assembly of the saints, to do what mischief he can; by snatching away the word from inattentive hearers, and by directing the eye to such objects, and putting such things into the mind, as divert from the service of God; or by suggesting to the saints themselves, that what is attended to does not belong to them, with many other things of the like kind: the Targum interprets this day of the day of judgment, at the beginning of the year, and the sons of God of angels, as do other Jewish writers.
(k) Contr. Cels. l. 6. (l) In Ioc. (m) In voce (n) In 2 Reg. Quaest. 37.
John Wesley
1:6 A day - A certain time appointed by God. The sons - The holy angels, so called, Job 38:7; Dan 3:25, Dan 3:28, because of their creation by God, for their resemblance of him in power, and dignity, and holiness, and for their filial affection and obedience, to him. Before - Before his throne, to receive his commands, and to give him an account of their negotiations. But you must not think that these things are to be understood literally; it is only a parabolical representation of that great truth, that God by his wise and holy providence governs all the actions of men and devils: It being usual with the great God to condescend to our shallow capacities, and to express himself, as the Jews phrase it, in the language of the sons of men. And it is likewise intimated, that the affairs of earth are much the subject of the counsels of the unseen world. That world is dark to us: but we lie open to it.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:6 SATAN, APPEARING BEFORE GOD, FALSELY ACCUSES JOB. (Job 1:6-12)
sons of God--angels (Job 38:7; 3Kings 22:19). They present themselves to render account of their "ministry" in other parts of the universe (Heb 1:14).
the Lord--Hebrew, JEHOVAH, the self-existing God, faithful to His promises. God says (Ex 6:3) that He was not known to the patriarchs by this name. But, as the name occurs previously in Gen 2:7-9, &c., what must be meant is, not until the time of delivering Israel by Moses was He known peculiarly and publicly in the character which the name means; namely, "making things to be," fulfilling the promises made to their forefathers. This name, therefore, here, is no objection against the antiquity of the Book of Job.
Satan--The tradition was widely spread that he had been the agent in Adam's temptation. Hence his name is given without comment. The feeling with which he looks on Job is similar to that with which he looked on Adam in Paradise: emboldened by his success in the case of one not yet fallen, he is confident that the piety of Job, one of a fallen race, will not stand the test. He had fallen himself (Job 4:19; Job 15:15; Jude 1:6). In the Book of Job, Satan is first designated by name: "Satan," Hebrew, "one who lies in wait"; an "adversary" in a court of justice (1Chron 21:1; Ps 109:6; Zech 3:1); "accuser" (Rev_ 12:10). He has the law of God on his side by man's sin, and against man. But Jesus Christ has fulfilled the law for us; justice is once more on man's side against Satan (Is 42:21); and so Jesus Christ can plead as our Advocate against the adversary. "Devil" is the Greek name--the "slanderer," or "accuser." He is subject to God, who uses his ministry for chastising man. In Arabic, Satan is often applied to a serpent (Gen 3:1). He is called prince of this world (Jn 12:31); the god of this world (2Cor 4:4); prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2). God here questions him, in order to vindicate His own ways before angels.
1:71:7: Եւ ասէ Տէր ցՍատանայ. Դու ուստի՞ գաս։ Պատասխանի ետ Սատանայ Տեառն, եւ ասէ. Շրջեալ ընդ երկիր եւ յածեալ ՚ի ներքոյ երկնից՝ եկեալ կամ[9071]։ [9071] Ոմանք. Եւ ասէ Տէր ընդ Սատանայ. Ուստի՞։ Ուր Ոսկան. Եւ ասէ Աստուած։
7 Եւ Տէրն ասաց սատանային. «Որտեղի՞ց ես գալիս դու»: Պատասխան տուեց սատանան Տիրոջն ու ասաց. «Երկրի երեսին շրջելով ու երկնքի տակ ման գալով եմ եկել»:
7 Տէրը ըսաւ Սատանային. «Ուրկէ՞ կու գաս»։ Ու սատանան պատասխան տուաւ Տէրոջը ու ըսաւ. «Երկրի վրայ շրջելէն ու անոր վրայ պտըտելէն»։
Եւ ասէ Տէր ցՍատանայ. Դու ուստի՞ գաս: Պատասխանի ետ Սատանայ Տեառն, եւ ասէ. Շրջեալ ընդ երկիր եւ յածեալ [10]ի ներքոյ երկնից` եկեալ կամ:

1:7: Եւ ասէ Տէր ցՍատանայ. Դու ուստի՞ գաս։ Պատասխանի ետ Սատանայ Տեառն, եւ ասէ. Շրջեալ ընդ երկիր եւ յածեալ ՚ի ներքոյ երկնից՝ եկեալ կամ[9071]։
[9071] Ոմանք. Եւ ասէ Տէր ընդ Սատանայ. Ուստի՞։ Ուր Ոսկան. Եւ ասէ Աստուած։
7 Եւ Տէրն ասաց սատանային. «Որտեղի՞ց ես գալիս դու»: Պատասխան տուեց սատանան Տիրոջն ու ասաց. «Երկրի երեսին շրջելով ու երկնքի տակ ման գալով եմ եկել»:
7 Տէրը ըսաւ Սատանային. «Ուրկէ՞ կու գաս»։ Ու սատանան պատասխան տուաւ Տէրոջը ու ըսաւ. «Երկրի վրայ շրջելէն ու անոր վրայ պտըտելէն»։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:71:7 И сказал Господь сатане: откуда ты пришел? И отвечал сатана Господу и сказал: я ходил по земле и обошел ее.
1:7 καὶ και and; even εἶπεν επω say; speak ὁ ο the κύριος κυριος lord; master τῷ ο the διαβόλῳ διαβολος devilish; devil πόθεν ποθεν from where; how can be παραγέγονας παραγινομαι happen by; come by / to / along καὶ και and; even ἀποκριθεὶς αποκρινομαι respond ὁ ο the διάβολος διαβολος devilish; devil τῷ ο the κυρίῳ κυριος lord; master εἶπεν επω say; speak περιελθὼν περιερχομαι go around τὴν ο the γῆν γη earth; land καὶ και and; even ἐμπεριπατήσας εμπεριπατεω walk around in τὴν ο the ὑπ᾿ υπο under; by οὐρανὸν ουρανος sky; heaven πάρειμι παρειμι here; present
1:7 וַ wa וְ and יֹּ֧אמֶר yyˈōmer אמר say יְהוָ֛ה [yᵊhwˈāh] יְהוָה YHWH אֶל־ ʔel- אֶל to הַ ha הַ the שָּׂטָ֖ן śśāṭˌān שָׂטָן adversary מֵ mē מִן from אַ֣יִן ʔˈayin אַיִן whence תָּבֹ֑א tāvˈō בוא come וַ wa וְ and יַּ֨עַן yyˌaʕan ענה answer הַ ha הַ the שָּׂטָ֤ן śśāṭˈān שָׂטָן adversary אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker] יְהוָה֙ [yᵊhwˌāh] יְהוָה YHWH וַ wa וְ and יֹּאמַ֔ר yyōmˈar אמר say מִ mi מִן from שּׁ֣וּט ššˈûṭ שׁוט rove about בָּ bā בְּ in † הַ the אָ֔רֶץ ʔˈāreṣ אֶרֶץ earth וּ û וְ and מֵֽ mˈē מִן from הִתְהַלֵּ֖ךְ hiṯhallˌēḵ הלך walk בָּֽהּ׃ bˈāh בְּ in
1:7. cui dixit Dominus unde venis qui respondens ait circuivi terram et perambulavi eamAnd the Lord said to him: Hast thou considered my servant, Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil?
7. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
1:7. The Lord said to him, “Where do you come from?” Answering, he said, “I have circled the land, and walked around in it.”
1:7. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it:

1:7 И сказал Господь сатане: откуда ты пришел? И отвечал сатана Господу и сказал: я ходил по земле и обошел ее.
1:7
καὶ και and; even
εἶπεν επω say; speak
ο the
κύριος κυριος lord; master
τῷ ο the
διαβόλῳ διαβολος devilish; devil
πόθεν ποθεν from where; how can be
παραγέγονας παραγινομαι happen by; come by / to / along
καὶ και and; even
ἀποκριθεὶς αποκρινομαι respond
ο the
διάβολος διαβολος devilish; devil
τῷ ο the
κυρίῳ κυριος lord; master
εἶπεν επω say; speak
περιελθὼν περιερχομαι go around
τὴν ο the
γῆν γη earth; land
καὶ και and; even
ἐμπεριπατήσας εμπεριπατεω walk around in
τὴν ο the
ὑπ᾿ υπο under; by
οὐρανὸν ουρανος sky; heaven
πάρειμι παρειμι here; present
1:7
וַ wa וְ and
יֹּ֧אמֶר yyˈōmer אמר say
יְהוָ֛ה [yᵊhwˈāh] יְהוָה YHWH
אֶל־ ʔel- אֶל to
הַ ha הַ the
שָּׂטָ֖ן śśāṭˌān שָׂטָן adversary
מֵ מִן from
אַ֣יִן ʔˈayin אַיִן whence
תָּבֹ֑א tāvˈō בוא come
וַ wa וְ and
יַּ֨עַן yyˌaʕan ענה answer
הַ ha הַ the
שָּׂטָ֤ן śśāṭˈān שָׂטָן adversary
אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker]
יְהוָה֙ [yᵊhwˌāh] יְהוָה YHWH
וַ wa וְ and
יֹּאמַ֔ר yyōmˈar אמר say
מִ mi מִן from
שּׁ֣וּט ššˈûṭ שׁוט rove about
בָּ בְּ in
הַ the
אָ֔רֶץ ʔˈāreṣ אֶרֶץ earth
וּ û וְ and
מֵֽ mˈē מִן from
הִתְהַלֵּ֖ךְ hiṯhallˌēḵ הלך walk
בָּֽהּ׃ bˈāh בְּ in
1:7. cui dixit Dominus unde venis qui respondens ait circuivi terram et perambulavi eam
And the Lord said to him: Hast thou considered my servant, Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil?
1:7. The Lord said to him, “Where do you come from?” Answering, he said, “I have circled the land, and walked around in it.”
1:7. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jg▾ gnv▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
7. На обращенный к сатане вопрос Господа: "откуда ты пришел?", вопрос, свидетельствующий не об отсутствии у Бога всеведения, а о полной нравственной противоположности между ним и злым духом, доходящей как бы до незнания Господом дел сатаны (ср. XXI:14), последний отвечает общей фразой: "ходил по земле" (евр. "шут" обозначает быстрый обход от одного конца местности до другого - 2: Цар XXIV:2, 8; Ам VIII:12; Зах IV:10) "и обошел ее" - с целью наблюдения (1: Пет V:8).
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:7: From going to and fro in the earth - The translation of the Septuagint is curious: Περιελθων την γην και εμπεριπατησας την ὑπ' ουρανον, παρειμι; "Having gone round the earth, and walked over all that is under heaven, I am come hither." The Chaldee says, "I am come from going round the earth to examine the works of the children of men; and from walking through it." Coverdale, who generally hits the sense, translates thus: I have gone aboute the londe ond walked thorow it. Mr. Good has it, from roaming round the earth, and walking about it.
St. Peter, as has been already stated, Pe1 5:8, refers to this: "Be sober, be vigilant; for your Adversary the Devil Goeth About, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." I rather think, with Coverdale, that ארץ arets here signifies rather that land, than the habitable globe. The words are exceedingly emphatic; and the latter verb התהלך hithhallech being in the hithpael conjugation shows how earnest and determined the devil is in his work: he sets himself to walk; he is busily employed in it; he is seeking the destruction of men; and while they sleep, he wakes - while they are careless, he is alert. The spirit of this saying is often expressed by the simple inhabitants of the country: when they perceive a man plotting mischief, and frequent in transgression, they say, The devil is Busy with him.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:7: And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? - This inquiry does not appear to have been made as if it was improper that Satan should have appeared there, for no blame seems to have been attached to him for this. He came as a spirit that was subject to the control of yahweh; he came with others, not to mingle in their society, and partake of their happiness, but to give an account of what he had done, and of what he had observed. The poetic idea is, that this was done periodically, and that "all" the spirits employed by yahweh to dispense blessings to mortals, to inflict punishment, or to observe their conduct, came and stood before him. Why the inquiry is directed particularly to "Satan," is not specified. Perhaps it is not meant that there was any "special" inquiry made of him, but that, as he was to have so important an agency in the transactions which follow, the inquiry that was made of him only is recorded In respect to the others, nothing occurred pertaining to Job, and their examination is not adverted to. Or it may be, that, as Satan was known to be malignant, suspicious, and disposed to think evil of the servants of God, the design was to direct his attention particularly to Job as an illustrious and indisputable example of virtue and piety.
From going to and fro in the earth - Dr. Good renders this, "from roaming round." Noyes, "from wandering over." The word which is here used (שׁוּט shû ṭ) means properly,
(1.) to whip, to scourge, to lash;
(2.) to row, that is, to lash the sea with oars;
(3.) to run up and down, to go here and there, or to and fro, so as to lash the air with one's arms as with oars, and hence, to travel over a land, or to go through it in order to see it, Sa2 24:2, Sa2 24:8.
Dr. Good, in conformity with the interpretation proposed by Schultens, says that "the word imports, not so much the act of going forward and backward, as of making a circuit or circumference; of going round about. The Hebrew verb is still in use among the Arabic writers, and in every instance implies the same idea of gyration or circumambulation." In Arabic, according to Castell, the word means "to heat, to burn, to cause to boil, to consume:" then to propel to weariness, as e. g. a horse, and then to make a circuit, to go about at full speed, to go with diligence and activity. Thus, in Carnuso, as quoted by Schultens, "a course made at one impulse to the goal is called שׁוט shô ṭ. In Sa2 24:2, the word is used in the sense of passing around through different places for the purpose of taking a census. "Go now (Margin, "compass") through all the tribes of Israel." In Num 11:8, it is applied to the Israelites going about to collect manna, passing rapidly and busily in the places where it fell for the purpose of gathering it.
In Zac 4:10, it is applied to "the eyes of Yahweh," which are said to "run to and fro through the earth," that is, he surveys all things as one does whose eye passes rapidly from object to object. The same phrase occurs in Ch2 16:9. In Jer 5:1, it is applied to the action of a man passing rapidly through the streets of a city. "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem "compare Jer 49:3. From these passages it is clear that the idea is not that of going "in a circuit" or circle, but it is that of passing rapidly; of moving with alacrity and in a hurry; and it is not improbable that the "original" idea is that suggested in the Arabic of "heat" - and thence applied to a whip or scourge because it produces a sensation like burning, and also to a rapid journey or motion, because it produces heat or a glow. It means that Satan had been active and diligent in passing from place to place in the earth to survey it. The Chaldee adds to this, "to examine into the works of the sons of men."
And from walking - That is, to investigate human affairs. On this verse it is observed by Rosenmullcr, that in the life of Zoroaster (see Zendavesta by John G. Kleukner, vol. 3: p. 11,) the prince of the evil demons, the angel of death, whose name is "Engremeniosch," is said to go far and near through the world for the purpose of injuring and opposing good people.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:7: Whence: Job 2:2; Kg2 5:25
From going: Zac 1:10, Zac 1:11, Zac 6:7; Mat 12:43; Pe1 5:8; Rev 12:9, Rev 12:12-17, Rev 20:8
Job 1:8
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:7
7 Then Jehovah said to Satan, Whence comest thou? Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
The fut. follows מאין in the signification of the praes., Whence comest thou? the perf. would signify, Whence hast thou come? (Ges. 127, 2). Cocceius subtly observes: Notatur Satanas velut Deo nescio h.e. non adprobante res suas agere. It is implied in the question that his business is selfish, arbitrary, and has no connection with God. In his answer, בּ שׁוּט, as 2Kings 24:2, signifies rapid passing from one end to the other; התלּך, an observant roaming forth. Peter also says of Satan, περιπατεῖ (1Pet 5:8.).
(Note: Among the Arabs the devil is called 'l-ḥârt, el-hharith - the active, busy, industrious one.)
He answers at first generally, as expecting a more particular question, which Jehovah now puts to him.
Geneva 1599
1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence (n) comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, (o) From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
(n) This question is asked for our infirmity: for God knew where he had come from.
(o) In this is described the nature of Satan, which is always seeking his prey, (1Pet 5:8).
John Gill
1:7 And the Lord said unto Satan, whence comest thou?.... This question is put, not as ignorant of the place from whence he came; for the omniscient God knows all persons and things, men and angels, and these good and bad, where they are, from whence they come, and what they do, see Gen 3:9 but it is put either as being angry with him, and resenting his coming among the sons of God, and chiding him for it, as having no proper business there, like the question in Mt 22:12, or rather in order to lead on to another, and to bring out from him what he intended to have expressed by him, of what he had seen and taken notice of in the place from whence he came, and particularly concerning Job: how God and spirits converse together we are not able to say; but no doubt there is a way in which God talks with spirits, even with evil ones, as well as good ones, and in which they speak to him; and so this does not at all affect the reality of this narrative:
then Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it; this he said as swaggering and boasting, as if he was indeed the God of the whole world, the Prince and King of it, and had and exercised a sovereign dominion over it, and as such had been making a tour through it, and taking a survey of it, see Mt 4:8, and as if he was at full liberty to go where he pleased, and was under no control, when he was in chains of darkness, and could go nowhere, nor do anything, without divine permission; could not touch Job, nor his substance, nor, as in the days of Christ, so much as enter into a herd of swine without leave: likewise this may denote the disquietude and restlessness of this evil spirit, who could not abide long in a place, but moving to and fro, seeking rest, but finding none, Mt 12:43, as also his diligence and indefatigableness in doing and seeking to do mischief, going about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, taking all opportunities of doing injury, sowing his tares while men are asleep and off their guard, 1Pet 5:8, and so the first word here used signifies a diligent search, and is rendered by some, and particularly by Mr. Broughton, "from searching about the earth" (o), "and from walking in it"; and so the Targum,
from going about in the earth, to search the works of the children of men, and from walking in it; and it points at the place of Satan's abode, the earth, with the circumambient air, Eph 2:2 and the extent of his influence, which reaches not to heaven, and to the saints there, out of which he is cast, and can never reenter, but to the earth only, and men on it; and here no place is free from him; he and his angels are roving about everywhere, city and country; public and private places, men's own houses, or the house of God, are not exempt from them; and therefore all here need to watch and pray, lest they enter into temptation, Mt 26:41. Schultens interprets the word of Satan going through the earth with great force and violence, whipping and scourging miserable mortals.
(o) So Rambam and Ben Melech.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:7 going to and fro--rather, "hurrying rapidly to and fro." The original idea in Arabic is the heat of haste (Mt 12:43; 1Pet 5:8). Satan seems to have had some peculiar connection with this earth. Perhaps he was formerly its ruler under God. Man succeeded to the vice royalty (Gen 1:26; Ps 8:6). Man then lost it and Satan became prince of this world. The Son of man (Ps 8:4) --the representative man, regains the forfeited inheritance (Rev_ 11:15). Satan's replies are characteristically curt and short. When the angels appear before God, Satan is among them, even as there was a Judas among the apostles.
1:81:8: Եւ ասէ ցնա Տէր. Նայեցա՞ր մտօք քովք ընդ ծառայ իմ ընդ Յոբ. զի ո՛չ գոյ իբրեւ զնա ՚ի վերայ երկրի, այր անարատ՝ ճշմարիտ՝ աստուածապաշտ՝ մեկնեալ յամենայն իրաց չարաց[9072]։ [9072] Յօրինակին. Ընդ ծառա՛յին ընդ Յոբ։ Օրինակ մի. Ընդդէմ ծառայի իմոյ Յոբայ, զի։
8 Եւ Տէրն ասաց նրան. «Ուշադրութիւն դարձրի՞ր իմ ծառայ Յոբին, որի նման անարատ, ճշմարտախօս, աստուածապաշտ, ամէն տեսակի չար գործերից հեռու մնացող մարդ չկայ երկրի վրայ»:
8 Տէրը ըսաւ Սատանային. «Իմ Յոբ ծառայիս աղէկ ուշադրութիւն ըրի՞ր։ Երկրի վրայ անոր պէս կատարեալ եւ արդար, աստուածավախ ու չարութենէ ետ քաշուող մարդ չկայ»։
Եւ ասէ ցնա Տէր. Նայեցա՞ր մտօք քովք ընդ ծառայ իմ ընդ Յոբ, զի ոչ գոյ իբրեւ զնա ի վերայ երկրի, այր [11]անարատ, ճշմարիտ`` աստուածապաշտ, մեկնեալ [12]յամենայն իրաց չարաց:

1:8: Եւ ասէ ցնա Տէր. Նայեցա՞ր մտօք քովք ընդ ծառայ իմ ընդ Յոբ. զի ո՛չ գոյ իբրեւ զնա ՚ի վերայ երկրի, այր անարատ՝ ճշմարիտ՝ աստուածապաշտ՝ մեկնեալ յամենայն իրաց չարաց[9072]։
[9072] Յօրինակին. Ընդ ծառա՛յին ընդ Յոբ։ Օրինակ մի. Ընդդէմ ծառայի իմոյ Յոբայ, զի։
8 Եւ Տէրն ասաց նրան. «Ուշադրութիւն դարձրի՞ր իմ ծառայ Յոբին, որի նման անարատ, ճշմարտախօս, աստուածապաշտ, ամէն տեսակի չար գործերից հեռու մնացող մարդ չկայ երկրի վրայ»:
8 Տէրը ըսաւ Սատանային. «Իմ Յոբ ծառայիս աղէկ ուշադրութիւն ըրի՞ր։ Երկրի վրայ անոր պէս կատարեալ եւ արդար, աստուածավախ ու չարութենէ ետ քաշուող մարդ չկայ»։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:81:8 И сказал Господь сатане: обратил ли ты внимание твое на раба Моего Иова? ибо нет такого, как он, на земле: человек непорочный, справедливый, богобоязненный и удаляющийся от зла.
1:8 καὶ και and; even εἶπεν επω say; speak αὐτῷ αυτος he; him ὁ ο the κύριος κυριος lord; master προσέσχες προσεχω pay attention; beware τῇ ο the διανοίᾳ διανοια mind; intention σου σου of you; your κατὰ κατα down; by τοῦ ο the παιδός παις child; boy μου μου of me; mine Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov ὅτι οτι since; that οὐκ ου not ἔστιν ειμι be κατ᾿ κατα down; by αὐτὸν αυτος he; him τῶν ο the ἐπὶ επι in; on τῆς ο the γῆς γη earth; land ἄνθρωπος ανθρωπος person; human ἄμεμπτος αμεμπτος faultless ἀληθινός αληθινος truthful; true θεοσεβής θεοσεβης God-revering; reverential to God ἀπεχόμενος αντεχω hold close / onto; reach ἀπὸ απο from; away παντὸς πας all; every πονηροῦ πονηρος harmful; malignant πράγματος πραγμα act; matter
1:8 וַ wa וְ and יֹּ֤אמֶר yyˈōmer אמר say יְהוָה֙ [yᵊhwˌāh] יְהוָה YHWH אֶל־ ʔel- אֶל to הַ ha הַ the שָּׂטָ֔ן śśāṭˈān שָׂטָן adversary הֲ hᵃ הֲ [interrogative] שַׂ֥מְתָּ śˌamtā שׂים put לִבְּךָ֖ libbᵊḵˌā לֵב heart עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon עַבְדִּ֣י ʕavdˈî עֶבֶד servant אִיֹּ֑וב ʔiyyˈôv אִיֹּוב Job כִּ֣י kˈî כִּי that אֵ֤ין ʔˈên אַיִן [NEG] כָּמֹ֨הוּ֙ kāmˈōhû כְּמֹו like בָּ bā בְּ in † הַ the אָ֔רֶץ ʔˈāreṣ אֶרֶץ earth אִ֣ישׁ ʔˈîš אִישׁ man תָּ֧ם tˈām תָּם complete וְ wᵊ וְ and יָשָׁ֛ר yāšˈār יָשָׁר right יְרֵ֥א yᵊrˌē יָרֵא afraid אֱלֹהִ֖ים ʔᵉlōhˌîm אֱלֹהִים god(s) וְ wᵊ וְ and סָ֥ר sˌār סור turn aside מֵ mē מִן from רָֽע׃ rˈāʕ רַע evil
1:8. dixitque Dominus ad eum numquid considerasti servum meum Iob quod non sit ei similis in terra homo simplex et rectus et timens Deum ac recedens a maloAnd the Lord said to him: Hast thou considered my servant, Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil?
8. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil.
1:8. And the Lord said to him, “Have you not considered my servant, Job? For there is no one like him in the land, a simple and honest man, fearing God and withdrawing from evil.”
1:8. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil:

1:8 И сказал Господь сатане: обратил ли ты внимание твое на раба Моего Иова? ибо нет такого, как он, на земле: человек непорочный, справедливый, богобоязненный и удаляющийся от зла.
1:8
καὶ και and; even
εἶπεν επω say; speak
αὐτῷ αυτος he; him
ο the
κύριος κυριος lord; master
προσέσχες προσεχω pay attention; beware
τῇ ο the
διανοίᾳ διανοια mind; intention
σου σου of you; your
κατὰ κατα down; by
τοῦ ο the
παιδός παις child; boy
μου μου of me; mine
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
ὅτι οτι since; that
οὐκ ου not
ἔστιν ειμι be
κατ᾿ κατα down; by
αὐτὸν αυτος he; him
τῶν ο the
ἐπὶ επι in; on
τῆς ο the
γῆς γη earth; land
ἄνθρωπος ανθρωπος person; human
ἄμεμπτος αμεμπτος faultless
ἀληθινός αληθινος truthful; true
θεοσεβής θεοσεβης God-revering; reverential to God
ἀπεχόμενος αντεχω hold close / onto; reach
ἀπὸ απο from; away
παντὸς πας all; every
πονηροῦ πονηρος harmful; malignant
πράγματος πραγμα act; matter
1:8
וַ wa וְ and
יֹּ֤אמֶר yyˈōmer אמר say
יְהוָה֙ [yᵊhwˌāh] יְהוָה YHWH
אֶל־ ʔel- אֶל to
הַ ha הַ the
שָּׂטָ֔ן śśāṭˈān שָׂטָן adversary
הֲ hᵃ הֲ [interrogative]
שַׂ֥מְתָּ śˌamtā שׂים put
לִבְּךָ֖ libbᵊḵˌā לֵב heart
עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon
עַבְדִּ֣י ʕavdˈî עֶבֶד servant
אִיֹּ֑וב ʔiyyˈôv אִיֹּוב Job
כִּ֣י kˈî כִּי that
אֵ֤ין ʔˈên אַיִן [NEG]
כָּמֹ֨הוּ֙ kāmˈōhû כְּמֹו like
בָּ בְּ in
הַ the
אָ֔רֶץ ʔˈāreṣ אֶרֶץ earth
אִ֣ישׁ ʔˈîš אִישׁ man
תָּ֧ם tˈām תָּם complete
וְ wᵊ וְ and
יָשָׁ֛ר yāšˈār יָשָׁר right
יְרֵ֥א yᵊrˌē יָרֵא afraid
אֱלֹהִ֖ים ʔᵉlōhˌîm אֱלֹהִים god(s)
וְ wᵊ וְ and
סָ֥ר sˌār סור turn aside
מֵ מִן from
רָֽע׃ rˈāʕ רַע evil
1:8. dixitque Dominus ad eum numquid considerasti servum meum Iob quod non sit ei similis in terra homo simplex et rectus et timens Deum ac recedens a malo
And the Lord said to him: Hast thou considered my servant, Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil?
1:8. And the Lord said to him, “Have you not considered my servant, Job? For there is no one like him in the land, a simple and honest man, fearing God and withdrawing from evil.”
1:8. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jg▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
8-11. Xодившему по земле для наблюдения злому духу и задается теперь естественный вопрос: обратил ли он внимание на исключительное благочестие Иова (ст. 8: ср. Быт VI:9; VII:1), а в не замедлившем последовать ответе сатаны сказывается его полная противоположность Господу. По словам сатаны, в благочестии Иова нет ничего выдающегося, заслуживающего похвалы, как то делает Бог, - оно корыстно. Иов чтит Господа лишь потому, что это для него выгодно: в награду за благочестие он избавляется Богом от всяких бедствий ("кругом оградил", ср. Ис V:5) и пользуется успехом во всех своих делах. Истинный, т. е. корыстный, характер благочестия Иова скажется в том случае, если Господь "прострет на него свою руку" (ст. 11), - поразит бедствиями (Исх III:20; IX:15; Пс XXXI:4; XXXVII:3). При таких обстоятельствах не будет побуждения к благочестию. Оно исчезнет, мало того, сменится проклятием "в лице", т. е. проклятием дерзким, беззастенчивым (Ис LXV:3). Синодальное чтение: "благословит ли он тебя?" передает из целой еврейской фразы: "им-ло ал-панейка йебарекека" только последнее слово. "Йебарекека" - глагольная форма от "барак", означающего и "благословлять", и "проклинать", "хулить" (I:5; II:9; 3: Цар XXI:10, 13), причем последнее значение всеми усвояется данному глаголу и в настоящем случае. Ближе к подлиннику славянское чтение: "аще не в лице тя благословит".
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:8: Hast thou considered my servant Job - Literally, Hast thou placed thy heart on my servant Job? Hast thou viewed his conduct with attention, whilst thou wert roaming about, seeking whom thou mightest devour? viz., the careless, prayerless, and profligate in general.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:8: Hast thou considered my servant Job? - Margin, "Set thine heart on." The margin is a literal translation of the Hebrew. Schultens remarks on this, that it means more than merely to observe or to look at - since it is abundantly manifest from the following verses that Satan "had" attentively considered Job, and had been desirous of injuring him. It means, according to him, to set himself against Job, to fix the heart on him with an intention to injure him, and yahweh means to ask whether Satan had done this. But it seems more probable that the phrase means to consider "attentively," and that God means to ask him whether he had carefully observed him. Satan is represented as having no confidence in human virtue, and as maintaining that there was none which would resist temptation, if presented in a form sufficiently alluring. God here appeals to the case of Job as a full refutation of this opinion. The trial which follows is designed to test the question whether the piety of Job was of this order.
That there is none like him in the earth - That he is the very highest example of virtue and piety on earth. Or might not the word כי kı̂ y here be rendered "for?" "For there is none like him in the earth." Then the idea would be, not that he had considered "that" there was none like him, but God directs his attention to him "because" he was the most eminent among mortals.
A perfect and an upright man - See the Notes at . The Septuagint translates this verse as they do .
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:8: considered: Heb. set thy heart on, Job 2:3, Job 34:14; Eze 40:4
my servant: Num 12:7, Num 12:8; Psa 89:20; Isa 42:1
none: Num 12:3; Kg1 4:30, Kg1 4:31; Kg2 23:25
a perfect: Job 1:1, Job 8:20, Job 9:22, Job 9:23; Psa 18:23; Joh 1:47
upright: Job 12:4, Job 17:8, Job 17:9, Job 23:11, Job 23:12; Psa 84:11
one: Neh 5:15; Psa 36:1; Pro 8:13; Luk 23:39, Luk 23:40
escheweth: Psa 34:14, Psa 37:27; Isa 1:16
Job 1:9
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:8
8 Then said Jehovah to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil.
By כּי Jehovah gives the reason of His inquiry. Had Satan been observant of Job, even he must have confessed that there was on the earth real genuine piety. לב שׂים, animum advertere (for לב is animus, נפשׁ anima), is construed with על, of the object on which the attention falls, and on which it fixes itself, or אל, of the object towards which it is directed (Job 2:3). The repetition of the four predicates used of Job (Job 1:1) in the mouth of Jehovah (though without the waw combining both pairs there) is a skilful touch of the poet. Further on, the narrative is also interwoven with poetic repetitions (as e.g., Job 34 and Gen 1), to give it architectural symmetry, and to strengthen the meaning and impression of what is said. Jehovah triumphantly displays His servant, the incomparable one, in opposition to Satan; but this does not disconcert him: he knows how, as on all occasions, so here also, to deny what Jehovah affirms.
John Gill
1:8 And the Lord said unto Satan, hast thou considered my servant Job,.... Or, "hast thou put thine heart on my servant" (p); not in a way of love and affection to him, to do him any good or service, there being an original and implacable enmity in this old serpent to the seed of the woman; but rather his heart was set upon him in a way of desire to have him in his hands, to do him all the mischief he could, as the desire of his heart was toward Peter, Lk 22:31 but the sense of the question is, since thou sayest thou hast been walking up and down in the earth, hast thou not taken notice of Job, and cast an eye upon him, and wished in thine heart to have him in thine hands to do him hurt? I know that thou hast; hast thou not contrived in thine heart how to attack him, tempt him, and draw him from my service, and into sins and snares, in order to reproach and accuse him? thou hast, but all in vain; and so it is a sarcasm upon Satan, as well as an expression of indignation at him for such an attempt upon him, and as anticipating his accusation of Job; for it is as if he should further say, I know he is in thine eye, and upon thine heart, now thou art come with a full intent to accuse and charge him; so Jarchi, "lest thou set thine heart", &c. so as "to have a good will to accuse him" he had, but the Lord prevents him, by giving a high character of him, in these and the following words: here he calls him "my servant"; not a servant of men, living according to the lusts and will of men, and their customs and forays of worship, superstition, and idolatry; nor a servant of sin and the lusts of the flesh; nor of Satan, who boasted of the whole earth being his; but the Lord's servant, not only by creation, but by special choice, by redemption, by efficacious grace, and the voluntary surrender of himself to the Lord under the influence of it; and by his cheerful and constant obedience he answered this character; and the Lord here claims his property in him, acknowledges him as his servant, calls him by name, and gives an high and honourable account of him:
that there is none like him in the earth; or "in the land"; in the land of Uz, so Obadiah Sephorno; whatever there were in other countries, there were none in this, being in general idolaters; or in the land of the people of the Heathen nations, as the Targum; or rather in the whole earth, where Satan had been walking: and, very probably, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were now dead; Job being, as it should seem, between them and the times of Moses; and though there might be many godly persons then living, who were like to him in quality, being partakers of the same divine nature, having the same image of God upon them, and the same graces in them, and a similar experience of divine things, yet not upon an equality with him; he exceeded them all in grace and holiness; and particularly, none came up to him for his patience in suffering affliction, though this was often tried; as Moses excelled others in meekness, and Solomon in wisdom; Job was an eminent saint and servant of the Lord, a father in his family, a pillar in his house, like Saul among the people, taller in grace and the exercise of it; and this is a reason why he could not but be taken notice of by Satan, who has his eye more especially on the most eminent saints, and envies them, and strikes at them; and so the words are by some rendered, "for there is none like him" (q); or rather they may be rendered, "but there is none like him" (r): and so are opposed to the accusations and charges Satan was come with against him:
a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? See Gill on Job 1:1. Here the character there given is confirmed by the Lord in the express words of it.
(p) "nunquid posuisti cor tuum super servum meum", Pagninus, Montanus, Bolducius, Schmidt. (q) "nam", Piscator. (r) "Atqui", Schmidt.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:8 considered--Margin, "set thine heart on"; that is, considered attentively. No true servant of God escapes the eye of the adversary of God.
1:91:9: Ե՛տ պատասխանի Սատանայ, եւ ասէ ընդդէմ Տեառն. Միթէ ձրի՞ պաշտիցէ Յոբ զՏէր[9073]. [9073] ՚Ի լուս՛՛. Եւ ասէ առաջի Տեառն. համաձայն ոմանց ՚ի բնաբ՛՛։
9 Պատասխան տուեց սատանան՝ ընդդիմանալով Տիրոջը. «Միթէ Յոբը ձրի՞ է պաշտում Տիրոջը.
9 Սատանան պատասխան տուաւ Տէրոջը ու ըսաւ. «Միթէ Յոբ ձրի՞ Աստուած կը պաշտէ։
Ետ պատասխանի Սատանայ, եւ ասէ ընդդէմ Տեառն. Միթէ ձրի՞ պաշտիցէ Յոբ [13]զՏէր:

1:9: Ե՛տ պատասխանի Սատանայ, եւ ասէ ընդդէմ Տեառն. Միթէ ձրի՞ պաշտիցէ Յոբ զՏէր[9073].
[9073] ՚Ի լուս՛՛. Եւ ասէ առաջի Տեառն. համաձայն ոմանց ՚ի բնաբ՛՛։
9 Պատասխան տուեց սատանան՝ ընդդիմանալով Տիրոջը. «Միթէ Յոբը ձրի՞ է պաշտում Տիրոջը.
9 Սատանան պատասխան տուաւ Տէրոջը ու ըսաւ. «Միթէ Յոբ ձրի՞ Աստուած կը պաշտէ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:91:9 И отвечал сатана Господу и сказал: разве даром богобоязнен Иов?
1:9 ἀπεκρίθη αποκρινομαι respond δὲ δε though; while ὁ ο the διάβολος διαβολος devilish; devil καὶ και and; even εἶπεν επω say; speak ἐναντίον εναντιον next to; before τοῦ ο the κυρίου κυριος lord; master μὴ μη not δωρεὰν δωρεα present σέβεται σεβομαι venerate; stand in awe of Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov τὸν ο the θεόν θεος God
1:9 וַ wa וְ and יַּ֧עַן yyˈaʕan ענה answer הַ ha הַ the שָּׂטָ֛ן śśāṭˈān שָׂטָן adversary אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker] יְהוָ֖ה [yᵊhwˌāh] יְהוָה YHWH וַ wa וְ and יֹּאמַ֑ר yyōmˈar אמר say הַֽ hˈa הֲ [interrogative] חִנָּ֔ם ḥinnˈām חִנָּם in vain יָרֵ֥א yārˌē ירא fear אִיֹּ֖וב ʔiyyˌôv אִיֹּוב Job אֱלֹהִֽים׃ ʔᵉlōhˈîm אֱלֹהִים god(s)
1:9. cui respondens Satan ait numquid frustra timet Iob DeumAnd Satan answering, said: Doth Job fear God in vain?
9. Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
1:9. Answering him, Satan said, “Does Job fear God to no purpose?
1:9. Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought:

1:9 И отвечал сатана Господу и сказал: разве даром богобоязнен Иов?
1:9
ἀπεκρίθη αποκρινομαι respond
δὲ δε though; while
ο the
διάβολος διαβολος devilish; devil
καὶ και and; even
εἶπεν επω say; speak
ἐναντίον εναντιον next to; before
τοῦ ο the
κυρίου κυριος lord; master
μὴ μη not
δωρεὰν δωρεα present
σέβεται σεβομαι venerate; stand in awe of
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
τὸν ο the
θεόν θεος God
1:9
וַ wa וְ and
יַּ֧עַן yyˈaʕan ענה answer
הַ ha הַ the
שָּׂטָ֛ן śśāṭˈān שָׂטָן adversary
אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker]
יְהוָ֖ה [yᵊhwˌāh] יְהוָה YHWH
וַ wa וְ and
יֹּאמַ֑ר yyōmˈar אמר say
הַֽ hˈa הֲ [interrogative]
חִנָּ֔ם ḥinnˈām חִנָּם in vain
יָרֵ֥א yārˌē ירא fear
אִיֹּ֖וב ʔiyyˌôv אִיֹּוב Job
אֱלֹהִֽים׃ ʔᵉlōhˈîm אֱלֹהִים god(s)
1:9. cui respondens Satan ait numquid frustra timet Iob Deum
And Satan answering, said: Doth Job fear God in vain?
1:9. Answering him, Satan said, “Does Job fear God to no purpose?
1:9. Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:9: Doth Job fear God for naught? - Thou hast made it his interest to be exemplary in his conduct: for this assertion Satan gives his reasons in what immediately follows.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:9: Doth Job fear God for nought? - "Is his religion disinterested? Would not anyone be willing to worship God in such circumstances?" The idea is that there was nothing genuine about his piety; that religion could not be tried in prosperity; that Job had an abundant compensation for serving God, and that if the favors conferred on him were taken away, he would be like the rest of mankind. Much of the apparent virtue and religion of the world is the result of circumstances, and the question here proposed "may," it is to be feared, be asked with great propriety of many professors of religion who are rich; it "should" be asked by every professed friend of the Most High, whether his religion is not selfish and mercenary. Is it because God has blessed us with great earthly advantages? Is it the result of mere gratitude? Is it because he has preserved us in peril, or restored us from sickness? Or is it merely because we hope for heaven, and serve God because we trust he will reward us in a future world? All this may be the result of mere selfishness; and of all such persons it may be appropriately asked, "Do they fear God for nought?" True religion is not mere gratitude, nor is it the result of circumstances. It is the love of religion for its own sake - not for reward; it is because the service of God is right in itself, and not merely because heaven is full of glory; it is because God is worthy of our affections and confidence, and not merely because he will bless us - and this religion will live through all external changes, and survive the destruction of the world. It will flourish in poverty as well as when surrounded by affluence; on a bed of pain as well as in vigorous health; when we are calumniated and despised for our attachment to it, as well as when the incense of flattery is burned around us, and the silvery tones of praise fall on our ear; in the cottage as well as the palace; on the pallet of straw as well as on the bed of down.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:9: Doth Job: Job 1:21, Job 2:10, Job 21:14, Job 21:15; Mal 1:10; Mat 16:26; Ti1 4:8, Ti1 6:6
Job 1:10
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:9
9-11 Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast Thou not made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Hast Thou not blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land? But put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he hath: truly he will renounce Thee to Thy face.
Satan is, according to the Rev_ 12:10, the κατήγωρ who accuses the servants of God day and night before God. It is a fact respecting the invisible world, though expressed in the language and imagery of this world. So long as he is not finally vanquished and condemned, he has access to God, and thinks to justify himself by denying the truth of the existence and the possibility of the continuance of all piety. God permits it; for since everything happening to the creature is placed under the law of free development, evil in the world of spirits is also free to maintain and expand itself, until a spiritual power comes forward against it, by which the hitherto wavering conflict between the principles of good and evil is decided. This is the truth contained in the poetic description of the heavenly scene, sadly mistaken by Umbreit in his Essay on Sin, 1853, in which he explains Satan, according to Ps 109:6, as a creation of our author's fancy. The paucity of the declarations respecting Satan in the Old Testament has misled him. And indeed the historical advance from the Old Testament to the New, though in itself well authorized, has in many ways of late induced to the levelling of the heights and depths of the New Testament. Formerly Umbreit was of the opinion, as many are still, that the idea of Satan is derived from Persia; but between Ahriman (Angramainyus) and Satan there is no striking resemblance;
(Note: Moreover, it is still questionable whether the form of the ancient doctrine of fire-worship among the Persians did not result from Jewish influences. Vid., Stuhr, Religionssysteme der herdn. Vlker des Orients, S. 373-75.)
whereas Diestel, in his Abh. ber Set-Typhon, Asasel und Satan, Stud. u. Krit., 1860, 2, cannot indeed recognise any connection between עזאזל and the Satan of the book of Job, but maintains a more complete harmony in all substantial marks between the latter and the Egyptian Typhon, and infers that "to Satan is therefore to be denied a purely Israelitish originality, the natural outgrowth of the Hebrew mind. It is indeed no special honour for Israel to be able to call him their own. He never has taken firm hold on the Hebrew consciousness." But how should it be no honour for Israel, the people to whom the revelation of redemption was made, and in whose history the plan of redemption was developed, to have traced the poisonous stream of evil up to the fountain of its first free beginning in the spiritual world, and to have more than superficially understood the history of the fall of mankind by sin, which points to a disguised superhuman power, opposed to the divine will? This perception undoubtedly only begins gradually to dawn in the Old Testament; but in the New Testament, the abyss of evil is fully disclosed, and Satan has so far a hold on the consciousness of Jesus, that He regards His life's vocation as a conflict with Satan. And the Protevangelium is deciphered in facts, when the promised seed of the woman crushed the serpent's head, but at the same time suffered the bruising of its own heel.
The view (e.g., Lutz in his Biblishce Dogmatik) that Satan as he is represented in the book of Job is not the later evil spirit, is to be rejected: he appears here only first, say Herder and Eichhorn, as impartial executor of judgment, and overseer of morality, commissioned by God. But he denies what God affirms, acknowledges no love towards God in the world which is not rooted in self-love, and is determined to destroy this love as a mere semblance. Where piety is dulled, he rejoices in its obscurity; where it is not, he dims its lustre by reflecting his own egotistical nature therein. Thus it is in Zech 3:1-10, and so here. Genuine love loves God חנּם (adverb from חן, like gratis from gratia): it loves Him for His own sake; it is a relation of person to person, without any actual stipulations and claim. But Job does not thus fear God; ירא is here praet., whereas in Job 1:1 and Job 1:8 it is the adjective. God has indeed hitherto screened him from all evil; שׂכתּ from שׂוּך, sepire, and בּעד (בּעד) composed of בּ and עד, in the primary signification circum, since עד expresses that the one joins itself to the other, and בּ that it covers it, or covers itself with it. By the addition of מסּביב, the idea of the triple בּעד is still strengthened. מעשׂה, lxx, Vulg., have translated by the plural, which is not false according to the thought; for ידים מעשׂה is, especially in Deuteronomy, a favourite collective expression for human enterprise. פּרץ, a word, with the Sanskrito-Sem. frangere, related to פּרק, signifying to break through the bounds, multiply and increase one's self unboundedly (Gen 30:30, and freq.). The particle אוּלם, proper only to the oldest and classic period, and very commonly used in the first four books of the Pentateuch, and in our book, generally ואוּלם, is an emphatic "nevertheless;" Lat. (suited to this passage at least) verum enim vero. אם־לא is either, as frequently, a shortened formula of asseveration: May such and such happen to me if he do not, etc., = forsooth he will (lxx ἦ μήν); or it is half a question: Attempt only this and this, whether he will not deny thee, = annon, as Job 17:2; Job 22:20. The first perhaps suits the character of Satan better: he affirms that God is mistaken. בּרך signifies here also, valedicere: he will say farewell to thee, and indeed על־פּניך (as Is 65:3), meeting thee arrogantly and shamelessly: it signifies, properly, upon thy countenance, i.e., say it to thee, to the very face, that he will have nothing more to do with thee (comp. on Job 2:5). In order now that the truth of His testimony to Job's piety, and this piety itself, may be tried, Jehovah surrenders all Job's possessions, all that is his, except himself, to Satan.
Geneva 1599
1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for (p) nought?
(p) He fears you not for your own sake, but for the blessing that he received from you.
John Gill
1:9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, doth Job fear God for nought. Satan does not deny any part of Job's character, nor directly charge him with anyone sin; which shows what a holy man Job was, how exact in his life and conversation, that the devil could not allege any one thing against him; nor does he deny that he feared the Lord; nay, he owns it, only suggests there was a private reason for it; and this he dares not affirm, only puts it by way of question, giving an innuendo, which is a wretched way of slander many of his children have learnt from him: he insinuates that Job's fear of God, and serving him, was not "for nought", or "freely" (s), it was not out of love to him, or with any regard to his will, or his honour and glory, but from selfish principles, with mercenary views, and for worldly ends and purposes: indeed no man fears and serves the Lord for nought and in vain, he is well paid for it; and godliness has a great gain along with it, the Lord bestows everything, both in a temporal and spiritual way, on them that fear him; so that eventually, and in the issue, they are great gainers by it; and they may lawfully look to these things, in order to encourage them in the service and worship of God, even as Moses had respect to the recompence of reward; when they do not make these, but the will and glory of God, the sole and chief cause and end thereof: but the intimation of Satan is, that Job's fear was merely outward and hypocritical, nor cordial, hearty, and disinterested, but was entirely for his own sake, and for what he got by it; and this he said as if he knew better than God himself, the searcher of hearts, who had before given such an honourable character of him. Sephorno observes, that he supposes that his fear was not a fear of the greatness of God, a reverence of his divine Majesty, but a fear of punishment; or what we call a servile fear, and not a filial one.
(s) "gratis", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius Piscator, Schmidt, Schultens.
John Wesley
1:9 For nought - Out of pure love and respect to thee? No. It is policy, not piety, that makes him good; he doth not serve thee, but serveth himself of thee, serving thee for his own ends.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:9 fear God for naught--It is a mark of the children of Satan to sneer and not give credit to any for disinterested piety. Not so much God's gifts, as God Himself is "the reward" of His people (Gen 15:1).
1:101:10: ո՞չ դու ամրացուցեր զարտաքին նորա՝ եւ զներքին տան նորա, եւ որ ինչ միանգամ արտաքոյ շուրջ զնովա՛ւ է. զգործս ձեռաց նորա օրհնեցեր, եւ զանասուն նորա բազմացուցեր ՚ի վերայ երկրի։
10 չէ՞ որ դու ես պաշտպանել նրան արտաքուստ ու նրա տունը՝ ներքուստ, եւ ամէն ինչ, որ կայ նրա շուրջը. նրա ձեռքի գործերը դու ես օրհնել, երկրի վրայ նրա անասունները դու ես բազմացրել:
10 Չէ՞ որ դուն անոր ու անոր տանը եւ անոր ամէն ունեցածներուն շուրջը ցանկով պատեցիր, անոր ձեռքերուն գործերը օրհնեցիր ու անոր ստացուածքը երկրի վրայ շատցաւ։
ո՞չ դու ամրացուցեր զարտաքին նորա եւ զներքին տան նորա, եւ որ ինչ միանգամ արտաքոյ շուրջ զնովաւ է. զգործս ձեռաց նորա օրհնեցեր, եւ զանասուն նորա բազմացուցեր ի վերայ երկրի:

1:10: ո՞չ դու ամրացուցեր զարտաքին նորա՝ եւ զներքին տան նորա, եւ որ ինչ միանգամ արտաքոյ շուրջ զնովա՛ւ է. զգործս ձեռաց նորա օրհնեցեր, եւ զանասուն նորա բազմացուցեր ՚ի վերայ երկրի։
10 չէ՞ որ դու ես պաշտպանել նրան արտաքուստ ու նրա տունը՝ ներքուստ, եւ ամէն ինչ, որ կայ նրա շուրջը. նրա ձեռքի գործերը դու ես օրհնել, երկրի վրայ նրա անասունները դու ես բազմացրել:
10 Չէ՞ որ դուն անոր ու անոր տանը եւ անոր ամէն ունեցածներուն շուրջը ցանկով պատեցիր, անոր ձեռքերուն գործերը օրհնեցիր ու անոր ստացուածքը երկրի վրայ շատցաւ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:101:10 Не Ты ли кругом оградил его и дом его и все, что у него? Дело рук его Ты благословил, и стада его распространяются по земле;
1:10 οὐ ου not σὺ συ you περιέφραξας περιφρασσω the ἔξω εξω outside αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him καὶ και and; even τὰ ο the ἔσω εσω inside; inner τῆς ο the οἰκίας οικια house; household αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him καὶ και and; even τὰ ο the ἔξω εξω outside πάντων πας all; every τῶν ο the ὄντων ειμι be αὐτῷ αυτος he; him κύκλῳ κυκλω circling; in a circle τὰ ο the ἔργα εργον work τῶν ο the χειρῶν χειρ hand αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him εὐλόγησας ευλογεω commend; acclaim καὶ και and; even τὰ ο the κτήνη κτηνος livestock; animal αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him πολλὰ πολυς much; many ἐποίησας ποιεω do; make ἐπὶ επι in; on τῆς ο the γῆς γη earth; land
1:10 הֲ hᵃ הֲ [interrogative] לֹֽא־ lˈō- לֹא not אַ֠תָּהאת *ʔattˌā אַתָּה you שַׂ֣כְתָּ śˈaḵtā שׂוך fence בַעֲדֹ֧ו vaʕᵃḏˈô בַּעַד distance וּ û וְ and בְעַד־ vᵊʕaḏ- בַּעַד distance בֵּיתֹ֛ו bêṯˈô בַּיִת house וּ û וְ and בְעַ֥ד vᵊʕˌaḏ בַּעַד distance כָּל־ kol- כֹּל whole אֲשֶׁר־ ʔᵃšer- אֲשֶׁר [relative] לֹ֖ו lˌô לְ to מִ mi מִן from סָּבִ֑יב ssāvˈîv סָבִיב surrounding מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה maʕᵃśˈē מַעֲשֶׂה deed יָדָיו֙ yāḏāʸw יָד hand בֵּרַ֔כְתָּ bērˈaḵtā ברך bless וּ û וְ and מִקְנֵ֖הוּ miqnˌēhû מִקְנֶה purchase פָּרַ֥ץ pārˌaṣ פרץ break בָּ bā בְּ in † הַ the אָֽרֶץ׃ ʔˈāreṣ אֶרֶץ earth
1:10. nonne tu vallasti eum ac domum eius universamque substantiam per circuitum operibus manuum eius benedixisti et possessio illius crevit in terraHast thou not made a fence for him, and his house, and all his substance round about, blessed the works of his hands, and his possession hath increased on the earth?
10. Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
1:10. Have you not fortified him, as well as his house and every one of his belongings around him, blessed the works of his hands, and his possession has increased in the land?
1:10. Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land:

1:10 Не Ты ли кругом оградил его и дом его и все, что у него? Дело рук его Ты благословил, и стада его распространяются по земле;
1:10
οὐ ου not
σὺ συ you
περιέφραξας περιφρασσω the
ἔξω εξω outside
αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him
καὶ και and; even
τὰ ο the
ἔσω εσω inside; inner
τῆς ο the
οἰκίας οικια house; household
αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him
καὶ και and; even
τὰ ο the
ἔξω εξω outside
πάντων πας all; every
τῶν ο the
ὄντων ειμι be
αὐτῷ αυτος he; him
κύκλῳ κυκλω circling; in a circle
τὰ ο the
ἔργα εργον work
τῶν ο the
χειρῶν χειρ hand
αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him
εὐλόγησας ευλογεω commend; acclaim
καὶ και and; even
τὰ ο the
κτήνη κτηνος livestock; animal
αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him
πολλὰ πολυς much; many
ἐποίησας ποιεω do; make
ἐπὶ επι in; on
τῆς ο the
γῆς γη earth; land
1:10
הֲ hᵃ הֲ [interrogative]
לֹֽא־ lˈō- לֹא not
אַ֠תָּהאת
*ʔattˌā אַתָּה you
שַׂ֣כְתָּ śˈaḵtā שׂוך fence
בַעֲדֹ֧ו vaʕᵃḏˈô בַּעַד distance
וּ û וְ and
בְעַד־ vᵊʕaḏ- בַּעַד distance
בֵּיתֹ֛ו bêṯˈô בַּיִת house
וּ û וְ and
בְעַ֥ד vᵊʕˌaḏ בַּעַד distance
כָּל־ kol- כֹּל whole
אֲשֶׁר־ ʔᵃšer- אֲשֶׁר [relative]
לֹ֖ו lˌô לְ to
מִ mi מִן from
סָּבִ֑יב ssāvˈîv סָבִיב surrounding
מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה maʕᵃśˈē מַעֲשֶׂה deed
יָדָיו֙ yāḏāʸw יָד hand
בֵּרַ֔כְתָּ bērˈaḵtā ברך bless
וּ û וְ and
מִקְנֵ֖הוּ miqnˌēhû מִקְנֶה purchase
פָּרַ֥ץ pārˌaṣ פרץ break
בָּ בְּ in
הַ the
אָֽרֶץ׃ ʔˈāreṣ אֶרֶץ earth
1:10. nonne tu vallasti eum ac domum eius universamque substantiam per circuitum operibus manuum eius benedixisti et possessio illius crevit in terra
Hast thou not made a fence for him, and his house, and all his substance round about, blessed the works of his hands, and his possession hath increased on the earth?
1:10. Have you not fortified him, as well as his house and every one of his belongings around him, blessed the works of his hands, and his possession has increased in the land?
1:10. Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jg▾ gnv▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:10: Hast not thou made a hedge about him - Thou hast fortified him with spikes and spears. Thou hast defended him as by an unapproachable hedge. He is an object of thy peculiar care; and is not exposed to the common trials of life.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:10: Hast thou not made an hedge about him? - Dr. Good remarks, that to give the original word here its full force, it should be derived from the science of engineering, and be rendered, "Hast thou not raised a "palisado" about him?" The Hebrew word used here (שׂוּך ś û k) properly means "to hedge"; to hedge in or about; and hence, to protect, as one is defended whose house or farm is hedged in either with a fence of thorns, or with an enclosure of stakes or palisades. The word in its various forms is used to denote, as a noun, "pricks in the eyes" Num 33:55; that is, that which would be like thorns; "barbed irons" , that is, the barbed iron used as a spear to take fish; and a hedge, and thorn hedge, Mic 7:4; Pro 15:19; Isa 5:5. The idea here is, that of making an enclosure around Job and his possessions to guard them from danger. The Septuagint renders it περιέφραξας periephracas, to make a defense around," to "circumvallate" or inclose, as a camp is in war. In the Syriac and Arabic it is rendered, "Hast thou not protected him with thy hand? The Chaldee, "Hast thou protected him with thy word? The Septuagint renders the whole passage, "Hast thou not encircled the things which are without him" (τὰ ἔξω αὐτοῦ ta exō autou) that is, the things abroad which belong to him, "and the things within his house." The sense of the whole passage is, that he was eminently under the divine protection, and that God had kept himself, his family, and property from plunderers, and that therefore he served and feared him.
Thou hast blessed the work of his hands - Thou hast greatly prospered him.
And his substance is increased in the land - His property, . Margin, "cattle." The word "increased" here by no means expresses the force of the original. The word פרץ pâ rats means properly to break, to rend, then to break or burst forth as waters do that have been pent up; Sa2 5:20, compare Pro 3:10, "So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses "shall burst out" פרץ pâ rats with new wine;" that is, thy wine-fats shall be so full that they shall overflow, or "burst" the barriers, and the wine shall flow out in abundance. The Arabians, according to Schultens, employ this word still to denote the mouth or "embouchure" - the most; rapid part of a stream. So Golius, in proof of this, quotes from the Arabic writer Gjanhari, a couplet where the word is used to denote the mouth of the Euphrates:
"His rushing wealth o'er flowed him with its heaps;
So at its mouth the mad Euphrates sweeps."
According to Sehultens, the word denotes a place where a river bursts forth, and makes a new way by rending the hills and rocks asunder. In like manner the flocks and herds of Job had burst, as it were, every barrier, and had spread like an inundation over the land; compare Gen 30:43; Ch2 31:5; Exo 1:7; .
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:10: an hedge: Gen 15:1; Deu 33:27; Sa1 25:16; Psa 5:12, Psa 34:7, Psa 80:12; Isa 5:2, Isa 5:5; Zac 2:5, Zac 2:8; Pe1 1:5
about: Gen 39:5; Deu 28:2-6; Psa 71:21, Psa 128:1-4
thou hast blessed: Job 42:12; Gen 26:12, Gen 30:30, Gen 49:25; Deu 7:13, Deu 33:11; Psa 90:17, Psa 107:38; Pro 10:22
substance: or, cattle, Gen 30:43
Job 1:11
Geneva 1599
1:10 Hast not thou made (q) an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
(q) Meaning, the grace of God, which served Job as a rampart against all temptations.
John Gill
1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him,.... A fence, a wall of protection all around him? he had; he encompassed him about with his love as with a shield, a hedge which could not be broken down by men or devils; he surrounded him with his almighty power, that none could hurt him; he guarded him by his providence, he caused his angels to encamp about him; yea, he himself was a wall of fire around him; the Targum interprets it the word of God: so thick was the hedge, so strong the fence, that Satan could not find the least gap to get in at, to do him any injury to his body or mind, without the divine permission; which he envied and was vexed at, and maliciously suggests that this was the motive of Job's fear of the Lord; and indeed it was an obligation upon him to fear him, but not the sole cause of it:
and about his house; not the house in which he dwelt; though Satan could have gladly pulled down that about his ears, as well as that in which his children were; but it designs his family, who were also by Providence protected in their persons and estates, and preserved from the temptations of Satan, at least from being overcome by them, and even at the times of their feasting before mentioned; this fence was about his servants also, so that Satan could not come at and hurt any one that belonged to him, which was a great grief and vexation of mind to him:
and about all that he hath on every side? his sheep, his camels, his oxen, and his asses; for otherwise these would not have escaped the malice and fury of this evil spirit they afterwards felt; but as these were the gifts of the providence of God to Job, they were guarded by his power, that Satan could not hurt them without leave:
thou hast blessed the work of his hands; not only what he himself personally wrought with his own hands, but was done by his servants through his direction, and by his order; the culture of his fields, the feeding and keeping of his flocks and herds; all succeeded well; whatever he did, or was concerned in, prospered:
and his substance is increased in the land; or "broke out" (t); like a breach of waters; see 2Kings 5:20; exceeded all bounds; his riches broke forth on the right hand and on the left, and flowed in, so that there were scarce any limits to be set to them; he abounded in them; his sheep brought forth thousands; his oxen, camels, and asses, stood well, and were strong to labour; and his wealth poured in upon him in great plenty; all which was an eyesore to Satan, and therefore would insinuate that this was the sole spring and source of Job's religion, devotion, and obedience.
(t) "erupit", Montanus, Piscator; "eruperit", Junius & Tremellius; "prorupit", Schultens,
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:10 his substance is increased--literally, "spread out like a flood"; Job's herds covered the face of the country.
1:111:11: Բայց ո՛չ աղէ՛ առաքեա՛ դու զձեռն քո, եւ ա՛րկ յամենայն ինչս նորա. եթէ ո՞չ յերեսս իսկ օրհնեսցէ զքեզ[9074]։ [9074] ՚Ի բազումս պակասի. Բայց ոչ աղէ առա՛՛։
11 Բայց դէ փորձի՛ր մեկնել ու գցել քո ձեռքը նրա ամբողջ ունեցուածքին, ու կը տեսնես, որ նա դէմառդէմ կ’անիծի քեզ»:
11 Հիմա ձեռքդ երկնցուր ու անոր ամէն ունեցածին դպչէ ու պիտի տեսնես թէ ի՛նչպէս քեզի պիտի հայհոյէ»։
Բայց ոչ, աղէ առաքեա դու զձեռն քո եւ արկ յամենայն ինչս նորա. եթէ ոչ յերեսս իսկ օրհնեսցէ զքեզ:

1:11: Բայց ո՛չ աղէ՛ առաքեա՛ դու զձեռն քո, եւ ա՛րկ յամենայն ինչս նորա. եթէ ո՞չ յերեսս իսկ օրհնեսցէ զքեզ[9074]։
[9074] ՚Ի բազումս պակասի. Բայց ոչ աղէ առա՛՛։
11 Բայց դէ փորձի՛ր մեկնել ու գցել քո ձեռքը նրա ամբողջ ունեցուածքին, ու կը տեսնես, որ նա դէմառդէմ կ’անիծի քեզ»:
11 Հիմա ձեռքդ երկնցուր ու անոր ամէն ունեցածին դպչէ ու պիտի տեսնես թէ ի՛նչպէս քեզի պիտի հայհոյէ»։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:111:11 но простри руку Твою и коснись всего, что у него, благословит ли он Тебя?
1:11 ἀλλὰ αλλα but ἀπόστειλον αποστελλω send off / away τὴν ο the χεῖρά χειρ hand σου σου of you; your καὶ και and; even ἅψαι απτομαι grasp; touch πάντων πας all; every ὧν ος who; what ἔχει εχω have; hold εἰ ει if; whether μὴν μην surely; certainly εἰς εις into; for πρόσωπόν προσωπον face; ahead of σε σε.1 you εὐλογήσει ευλογεω commend; acclaim
1:11 וְ wᵊ וְ and אוּלָם֙ ʔûlˌām אוּלָם but שְֽׁלַֽח־ šᵊˈlˈaḥ- שׁלח send נָ֣א nˈā נָא yeah יָֽדְךָ֔ yˈāḏᵊḵˈā יָד hand וְ wᵊ וְ and גַ֖ע ḡˌaʕ נגע touch בְּ bᵊ בְּ in כָל־ ḵol- כֹּל whole אֲשֶׁר־ ʔᵃšer- אֲשֶׁר [relative] לֹ֑ו lˈô לְ to אִם־ ʔim- אִם if לֹ֥א lˌō לֹא not עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon פָּנֶ֖יךָ pānˌeʸḵā פָּנֶה face יְבָרֲכֶֽךָּ׃ yᵊvārᵃḵˈekkā ברך bless
1:11. sed extende paululum manum tuam et tange cuncta quae possidet nisi in facie tua benedixerit tibiBut stretch forth thy hand a little, and touch all that he hath, and see if he bless thee not to thy face.
11. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face.
1:11. But extend your hand a little, and touch all that he possesses, and see if he still praises you to your face.”
1:11. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face:

1:11 но простри руку Твою и коснись всего, что у него, благословит ли он Тебя?
1:11
ἀλλὰ αλλα but
ἀπόστειλον αποστελλω send off / away
τὴν ο the
χεῖρά χειρ hand
σου σου of you; your
καὶ και and; even
ἅψαι απτομαι grasp; touch
πάντων πας all; every
ὧν ος who; what
ἔχει εχω have; hold
εἰ ει if; whether
μὴν μην surely; certainly
εἰς εις into; for
πρόσωπόν προσωπον face; ahead of
σε σε.1 you
εὐλογήσει ευλογεω commend; acclaim
1:11
וְ wᵊ וְ and
אוּלָם֙ ʔûlˌām אוּלָם but
שְֽׁלַֽח־ šᵊˈlˈaḥ- שׁלח send
נָ֣א nˈā נָא yeah
יָֽדְךָ֔ yˈāḏᵊḵˈā יָד hand
וְ wᵊ וְ and
גַ֖ע ḡˌaʕ נגע touch
בְּ bᵊ בְּ in
כָל־ ḵol- כֹּל whole
אֲשֶׁר־ ʔᵃšer- אֲשֶׁר [relative]
לֹ֑ו lˈô לְ to
אִם־ ʔim- אִם if
לֹ֥א lˌō לֹא not
עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon
פָּנֶ֖יךָ pānˌeʸḵā פָּנֶה face
יְבָרֲכֶֽךָּ׃ yᵊvārᵃḵˈekkā ברך bless
1:11. sed extende paululum manum tuam et tange cuncta quae possidet nisi in facie tua benedixerit tibi
But stretch forth thy hand a little, and touch all that he hath, and see if he bless thee not to thy face.
1:11. But extend your hand a little, and touch all that he possesses, and see if he still praises you to your face.”
1:11. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jg▾ gnv▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:11: But put forth thine hand - Shoot the dart of poverty and affliction against him.
And he will curse thee to thy face - אם לא על פניך יברכך im lo al paneycha yebarechecca, "If he will not bless thee to thy appearances." He will bless thee only in proportion to the temporal good thou bestowest upon him; to the providential and gracious appearances or displays of thy power in his behalf. If thou wilt be gracious, he will be pious. The exact maxim of a great statesman, Sir Robert Walpole: Every man has his price. "But you have not bought such a one?" "No, because I would not go up to his price. He valued himself at more than I thought him worth; and I could get others cheaper, who, in the general muster, would do as well." No doubt Sir R. met with many such; and the devil many more. But still God has multitudes that will neither sell their souls, their consciences, nor their country, for any price; who, though God should slay them, will nevertheless trust in him; and be honest men, howsoever tempted by the devil and his vicegerents. So did Job; so have done thousands; so will all do, in whose hearts Christ dwells by faith.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:11: But put forth thine hand now - That is, for the purpose of injuring him, and taking away his property.
And touch all that he hath - Dr. Good renders this, "and smite." The Vulgate and the Septuagint, "touch." The Hebrew word used here נגע nâ ga‛ means properly to "touch;" then to touch anyone with violence Gen 26:11; Jos 9:19, and then to smite, to injure, to strike; see Gen 32:26, Gen 33; Sa1 6:9; ; compare the notes at Isa 53:4. Here it means evidently to smite or strike; and the idea is, that if God should take away the property of Job, he would take away his religion with it - and the trial was to see whether this effect would follow.
And he will curse thee to thy face - He will do it openly and publicly. The word rendered "curse" here ברך bā rak is the same as that used in , and which is usually rendered "bless;" see the notes at . Dr. Good contends that; it should be rendered here "bless," and translates it as a question: "Will he then, indeed, bless thee to thy face?" But in this he probably stands alone. The evident sense is, that Job would openly renounce God, and curse him on his throne; that all his religion was caused merely by his abundant prosperity, and was mere gratitude and selfishness; and that if his property were taken away, he would become the open and avowed enemy of him who was now his benefactor.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:11: But put: Job 1:12, Job 2:5; Isa 5:25
touch: Job 4:5, Job 19:21; Gen 26:11; Psa 105:15; Zac 2:8
and he will curse thee: Heb. if he curse thee not, Job 1:5, Job 1:21, Job 2:9; Isa 8:21; Mal 3:13, Mal 3:14; Rev 16:9, Rev 16:11, Rev 16:21
Job 1:12
Geneva 1599
1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and (r) touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to (s) thy face.
(r) This signifies that Satan is not able to touch us, but it is God that must do it.
(s) Satan notes the vice to which men are commonly subjected, that is, to hide their rebellion and to be content with God in the time of prosperity which view is disclosed in the time of their adversity.
John Gill
1:11 But put forth thine hand now,.... With draw thine hand of providence, power, and protection, with which thou hast covered and screened him; and, instead of that, "send" (u) forth thine afflicting hand, not barely in a way of chastisement and correction, but in wrath and vengeance, consuming and destroying all he had; and this he desires might be done now, immediately, without delay, while Job was in the midst of his prosperity; for Satan was in haste to have mischief done to him, being an object of his great hatred and enmity: some, instead of "now", render it, "I pray thee" (w), as being an entreaty of Satan, and an importunate one, and which he was eagerly desirous of obtaining; well knowing that no hurt could be done to Job without leave from God, or his doing it himself: the Vulgate Latin version is, "put forth thine hand a little", as if its being exerted but a little, or a small touch of it, would be sufficient to discover Job's hypocrisy; but Satan doubtless knew Job better than this suggests, and that such was his integrity, that a small trial would not affect him; and besides, he immediately adds:
and touch all that he hath; which was not a slight touch, but an heavy one, reaching to all his family and substance, and to his person too, and the health of it at least; as appears by the proviso or saving clause put in by the Lord afterwards, when he gave leave to smite him:
and he will curse thee to thy face; or, if he does not curse thee to thy face (x); then, let it be so and so with me, worse than it now is; let me have my full damnation; for the words are an imprecation of the devil, wishing the worst of evils to himself, if Job, in such circumstances, did not "curse" God to his "face"; that is, not only openly and publicly, but impudently; signifying that he would fly in his face, like a man passionate, furious, and enraged, and like those wicked persons, hungry and hardly bestead, that would fret and curse their king and their God, Is 8:21 or like those men, who, under their pains and sores, blasphemed him that had power over them, Rev_ 16:10, or like those carnal professors, whose words were stout against God, Mal 3:13 in suchlike passionate expressions Satan insinuates Job would break out against God, murmuring at and complaining of his providence, arraigning his wisdom, righteousness, and holiness, in his dealings with him: or, if "he does not bless thee to thy face" (y), as it may be rendered; that is, either he "will bid thee farewell" (z), and apostatize from thee; see Gill on Job 1:5 as sometimes nominal professors do, when affliction and tribulation come upon them, they are offended, and drop their profession, Mt 13:21 or, as others, "if he hath not blessed thee to thy face" (a); then let it be thus with me, that is, it will be then a clear case, that Job in times past had only blessed God to his face, or outwardly; he had only honoured him with his lips, but his heart was far from him, and his fear towards him taught by the precept of men, as is the character of hypocrites, Is 29:13 this Satan wickedly insinuates; one of the Targums is,
if he does not provoke thee to the face of thy Word; Ben Melech interprets "by thy life", and takes it to be the form of an oath.
(u) "mitte", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Schmidt. (w) "quaeso", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Bolducius. (x) "si non", Schultens. (y) "Nisi in faciem tuam benedicet tibi", Piscator, Schmidt. (z) "Si non in faciem tuam valere te jussurus sit", Schultens. (a) "Si non super facies tuas benedixerit tibi", Montanus.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:11 curse thee to thy face--in antithesis to God's praise of him (Job 1:8), "one that feareth God." Satan's words are too true of many. Take away their prosperity and you take away their religion (Mal 3:14).
1:121:12: Յայնժամ ասէ Տէր ցՍատանայ. Ահա զամենայն ինչս նորա տա՛մ ՚ի ձեռս քո, բայց ՚ի նա մի՛ մերձենայցես։ Եւ ել Սատանայ յերեսաց Տեառն։
12 Այն ժամանակ Տէրն ասաց սատանային. «Ահա նրա ամբողջ ունեցուածքը քո ձեռքն եմ տալիս, պայմանով որ նրա անձին ձեռք չտաս»: Եւ սատանան հեռացաւ Տիրոջ առաջից:
12 Տէրը ըսաւ Սատանային. «Ահա անոր ամէն ունեցածը քու ձեռքդ կու տամ. միայն թէ իրեն վրայ ձեռք չերկնցնես»։ Այն ժամանակ Սատանան Տէրոջը առջեւէն գնաց։
Յայնժամ ասէ Տէր ցՍատանայ. Ահա զամենայն ինչս նորա տամ ի ձեռս քո, բայց ի նա մի՛ մերձենայցես: Եւ ել Սատանայ յերեսաց Տեառն:

1:12: Յայնժամ ասէ Տէր ցՍատանայ. Ահա զամենայն ինչս նորա տա՛մ ՚ի ձեռս քո, բայց ՚ի նա մի՛ մերձենայցես։ Եւ ել Սատանայ յերեսաց Տեառն։
12 Այն ժամանակ Տէրն ասաց սատանային. «Ահա նրա ամբողջ ունեցուածքը քո ձեռքն եմ տալիս, պայմանով որ նրա անձին ձեռք չտաս»: Եւ սատանան հեռացաւ Տիրոջ առաջից:
12 Տէրը ըսաւ Սատանային. «Ահա անոր ամէն ունեցածը քու ձեռքդ կու տամ. միայն թէ իրեն վրայ ձեռք չերկնցնես»։ Այն ժամանակ Սատանան Տէրոջը առջեւէն գնաց։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:121:12 И сказал Господь сатане: вот, все, что у него, в руке твоей; только на него не простирай руки твоей. И отошел сатана от лица Господня.
1:12 τότε τοτε at that εἶπεν επω say; speak ὁ ο the κύριος κυριος lord; master τῷ ο the διαβόλῳ διαβολος devilish; devil ἰδοὺ ιδου see!; here I am πάντα πας all; every ὅσα οσος as much as; as many as ἔστιν ειμι be αὐτῷ αυτος he; him δίδωμι διδωμι give; deposit ἐν εν in τῇ ο the χειρί χειρ hand σου σου of you; your ἀλλὰ αλλα but αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him μὴ μη not ἅψῃ απτομαι grasp; touch καὶ και and; even ἐξῆλθεν εξερχομαι come out; go out ὁ ο the διάβολος διαβολος devilish; devil παρὰ παρα from; by τοῦ ο the κυρίου κυριος lord; master
1:12 וַ wa וְ and יֹּ֨אמֶר yyˌōmer אמר say יְהוָ֜ה [yᵊhwˈāh] יְהוָה YHWH אֶל־ ʔel- אֶל to הַ ha הַ the שָּׂטָ֗ן śśāṭˈān שָׂטָן adversary הִנֵּ֤ה hinnˈē הִנֵּה behold כָל־ ḵol- כֹּל whole אֲשֶׁר־ ʔᵃšer- אֲשֶׁר [relative] לֹו֙ lˌô לְ to בְּ bᵊ בְּ in יָדֶ֔ךָ yāḏˈeḵā יָד hand רַ֣ק rˈaq רַק only אֵלָ֔יו ʔēlˈāʸw אֶל to אַל־ ʔal- אַל not תִּשְׁלַ֖ח tišlˌaḥ שׁלח send יָדֶ֑ךָ yāḏˈeḵā יָד hand וַ wa וְ and יֵּצֵא֙ yyēṣˌē יצא go out הַ ha הַ the שָּׂטָ֔ן śśāṭˈān שָׂטָן adversary מֵ mē מִן from עִ֖ם ʕˌim עִם with פְּנֵ֥י pᵊnˌê פָּנֶה face יְהוָֽה׃ [yᵊhwˈāh] יְהוָה YHWH
1:12. dixit ergo Dominus ad Satan ecce universa quae habet in manu tua sunt tantum in eum ne extendas manum tuam egressusque est Satan a facie DominiThen the Lord said to Satan: Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand: only put not forth thy hand upon his person. And Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
12. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
1:12. Therefore, the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, everything that he has is in your hand, only do not extend your hand against him.” And Satan departed from the face of the Lord.
1:12. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD:

1:12 И сказал Господь сатане: вот, все, что у него, в руке твоей; только на него не простирай руки твоей. И отошел сатана от лица Господня.
1:12
τότε τοτε at that
εἶπεν επω say; speak
ο the
κύριος κυριος lord; master
τῷ ο the
διαβόλῳ διαβολος devilish; devil
ἰδοὺ ιδου see!; here I am
πάντα πας all; every
ὅσα οσος as much as; as many as
ἔστιν ειμι be
αὐτῷ αυτος he; him
δίδωμι διδωμι give; deposit
ἐν εν in
τῇ ο the
χειρί χειρ hand
σου σου of you; your
ἀλλὰ αλλα but
αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him
μὴ μη not
ἅψῃ απτομαι grasp; touch
καὶ και and; even
ἐξῆλθεν εξερχομαι come out; go out
ο the
διάβολος διαβολος devilish; devil
παρὰ παρα from; by
τοῦ ο the
κυρίου κυριος lord; master
1:12
וַ wa וְ and
יֹּ֨אמֶר yyˌōmer אמר say
יְהוָ֜ה [yᵊhwˈāh] יְהוָה YHWH
אֶל־ ʔel- אֶל to
הַ ha הַ the
שָּׂטָ֗ן śśāṭˈān שָׂטָן adversary
הִנֵּ֤ה hinnˈē הִנֵּה behold
כָל־ ḵol- כֹּל whole
אֲשֶׁר־ ʔᵃšer- אֲשֶׁר [relative]
לֹו֙ lˌô לְ to
בְּ bᵊ בְּ in
יָדֶ֔ךָ yāḏˈeḵā יָד hand
רַ֣ק rˈaq רַק only
אֵלָ֔יו ʔēlˈāʸw אֶל to
אַל־ ʔal- אַל not
תִּשְׁלַ֖ח tišlˌaḥ שׁלח send
יָדֶ֑ךָ yāḏˈeḵā יָד hand
וַ wa וְ and
יֵּצֵא֙ yyēṣˌē יצא go out
הַ ha הַ the
שָּׂטָ֔ן śśāṭˈān שָׂטָן adversary
מֵ מִן from
עִ֖ם ʕˌim עִם with
פְּנֵ֥י pᵊnˌê פָּנֶה face
יְהוָֽה׃ [yᵊhwˈāh] יְהוָה YHWH
1:12. dixit ergo Dominus ad Satan ecce universa quae habet in manu tua sunt tantum in eum ne extendas manum tuam egressusque est Satan a facie Domini
Then the Lord said to Satan: Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand: only put not forth thy hand upon his person. And Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
1:12. Therefore, the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, everything that he has is in your hand, only do not extend your hand against him.” And Satan departed from the face of the Lord.
1:12. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
12. Ответ сатаны, представляя клевету на Иова, бросал в то же время тень и на Божественное Правосудие; Господь награждает заведомо неискреннего человека. В целях торжества правды все достояние праведника и отдается теперь в руки злого духа. Ему предоставляется испытать благочестие Иова тем способом, на который он сам указал (ст. 11).
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:12: All that he hath is in thy power - Satan cannot deprive a man even of an ass, a sheep, or a pig, but by especial permission of God. His power and malice are ever bounded, and under control.
So Satan went forth - The Targum adds, with authority from the presence of the Lord.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:12: All that he hath is in thy power - Margin, as in Hebrew "hand." That is, all this is now committed to thee, for it is manifest that hitherto Satan had no power to injure even his property. He complained that God had made a hedge around all that Job possessed. Now it was all entrusted to him in order that he might make full trim of the faith of Job. The grant extended to his sons and daughters as well as to his property.
Only upon himself put not forth thine hand - Job himself was not to be visited with sickness nor was his life to be taken. The main accusation of Satan was, that Job was virtuous only because God encompassed him with so many blessings, and especially because he had endowed him with so much property. The trial, therefore, only required that it should be seen whether his piety was the mere result of these blessings.
So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord - That is from the council which had been convened; see the notes at .
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:12: Behold: Kg1 22:23; Luk 8:32, Luk 22:31, Luk 22:32; Joh 19:11; Co2 12:7
power: Heb. hand, Gen 16:6; Jer 38:5; Joh 3:35, Joh 3:36
only: Job 2:4-6; Psa 76:10; Isa 27:8; Co1 10:13
So Satan: Job 2:7; Luk 8:33
Job 1:13
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:12
12 Then Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. And Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.
Notice well: The divine permission appears at the same time as a divine command, for in general there is not a permission by which God remains purely passive; wherefore God is even called in Scripture creator mali (the evil act as such only excepted), Is 45:7. Further, the divine arrangement has not its foundation in the sin which still clings to Job. For in the praise conferred upon Job, it is not said that he is absolutely without sin: universal liability to sin is assumed not only of all the unrighteousness, but even of all the righteousness, of Adam's race. Thirdly, the permission proceeds, on the contrary, from God's purpose to maintain, in opposition to Satan, the righteousness which, in spite of the universal liability to sin, is peculiar to Job; and if we place this single instance in historical connection with the development of the plan of redemption, it is a part of the conflict of the woman's seed with the serpent, and of the gradual degradation of Satan to the lake of fire. After Jehovah's permission, Satan retires forthwith. The license is welcome to him, for he delights in the work of destruction. And he hopes to conquer. For after he has experienced the unlimited power of evil over himself, he has lost all faith in the power of good, and is indeed become himself the self-deceived father of lies.
Geneva 1599
1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in (t) thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the (u) presence of the LORD.
(t) God does not give Satan power over man to gratify him, but to declare that he has no power over man, but that which God gives him.
(u) That is, went to execute that which God had permitted him to do for else he can never go out of God's presence.
John Gill
1:12 And the Lord said unto Satan, behold, all that he hath is in thy power,.... This he said not as angry and displeased with Job, or as entertaining any ill opinion of him through the suggestions of Satan, nor as gratifying that evil spirit; but in order to convince and confound him, and to try the grace of Job, that he might shine the brighter; and it may be observed, that the Lord alone had the sovereign dispose of all that Job had, and that Satan could have no power over him or his, but what was given him:
only upon himself put not forth thine hand; thus the Lord restrained Satan, who could do nothing without his leave, and limits and bounds the present affliction of his servant to his family and estate; reserving his person and the health of it for another temptation and trial:
so Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord; the Targum adds, "with power", authority, liberty of acting; not from his general presence, which is everywhere, from whence there is no going; nor from his gracious presence, in which he had not been; and much less his glorious presence in heaven, from whence he had been cast long ago; but from the place where the sons and people of God worshipped, and where he granted his presence to them, and from conversing with God there: as soon as Satan had got leave, he at once went forth to execute what he had permission to do, glad at heart he had so far succeeded; and eager upon doing all the mischief he could to a man that was the butt of his malice, and the object of his envy and hatred; the sad effects and consequences of which follow.
John Wesley
1:12 Behold, &c. - It seems strange, that, God should give Satan such a permission as this. But he did it for his own glory, for the honour of Job, for the explanation of providence, and the encouragement of his afflicted people in all ages.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:12 in thy power--Satan has no power against man till God gives it. God would not touch Job with His own hand, though Satan asks this (Job 1:11, "thine"), but He allows the enemy to do so.
1:131:13: Եւ է՛ր իբրեւ զօրս զայս. ուստերքն Յոբայ եւ դստերք նորա՝ ուտէին եւ ըմպէին գինի ՚ի տա՛ն երիցու եղբօրն իւրեանց։
13 Եւ այդ այն օրն էր, երբ Յոբի տղաներն ու աղջիկները իրենց աւագ եղբօր տանը ուտում ու գինի էին խմում:
13 Օր մը Յոբին տղաքն ու աղջիկները իրենց մեծ եղբօրը տանը մէջ կ’ուտէին ու գինի կը խմէին։
Եւ էր իբրեւ զօրս զայս, ուստերքն Յոբայ եւ դստերք նորա` ուտէին եւ ըմպէին գինի ի տան երիցու եղբօրն իւրեանց:

1:13: Եւ է՛ր իբրեւ զօրս զայս. ուստերքն Յոբայ եւ դստերք նորա՝ ուտէին եւ ըմպէին գինի ՚ի տա՛ն երիցու եղբօրն իւրեանց։
13 Եւ այդ այն օրն էր, երբ Յոբի տղաներն ու աղջիկները իրենց աւագ եղբօր տանը ուտում ու գինի էին խմում:
13 Օր մը Յոբին տղաքն ու աղջիկները իրենց մեծ եղբօրը տանը մէջ կ’ուտէին ու գինի կը խմէին։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:131:13 И был день, когда сыновья его и дочери его ели и вино пили в доме первородного брата своего.
1:13 καὶ και and; even ἦν ειμι be ὡς ως.1 as; how ἡ ο the ἡμέρα ημερα day αὕτη ουτος this; he οἱ ο the υἱοὶ υιος son Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov καὶ και and; even αἱ ο the θυγατέρες θυγατηρ daughter αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him ἔπινον πινω drink οἶνον οινος wine ἐν εν in τῇ ο the οἰκίᾳ οικια house; household τοῦ ο the ἀδελφοῦ αδελφος brother αὐτῶν αυτος he; him τοῦ ο the πρεσβυτέρου πρεσβυτερος senior; older
1:13 וַ wa וְ and יְהִ֖י yᵊhˌî היה be הַ ha הַ the יֹּ֑ום yyˈôm יֹום day וּ û וְ and בָנָ֨יו vānˌāʸw בֵּן son וּ û וְ and בְנֹתָ֤יו vᵊnōṯˈāʸw בַּת daughter אֹֽכְלִים֙ ʔˈōḵᵊlîm אכל eat וְ wᵊ וְ and שֹׁתִ֣ים šōṯˈîm שׁתה drink יַ֔יִן yˈayin יַיִן wine בְּ bᵊ בְּ in בֵ֖ית vˌêṯ בַּיִת house אֲחִיהֶ֥ם ʔᵃḥîhˌem אָח brother הַ ha הַ the בְּכֹֽור׃ bbᵊḵˈôr בְּכֹר first-born
1:13. cum autem quadam die filii et filiae eius comederent et biberent vinum in domo fratris sui primogenitiThere came a messenger to Job, and said: The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them,
13. And it fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house,
1:13. So, on a certain day, when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine, in the house of their first-born brother,
1:13. And there was a day when his sons and his daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
And there was a day when his sons and his daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother' s house:

1:13 И был день, когда сыновья его и дочери его ели и вино пили в доме первородного брата своего.
1:13
καὶ και and; even
ἦν ειμι be
ὡς ως.1 as; how
ο the
ἡμέρα ημερα day
αὕτη ουτος this; he
οἱ ο the
υἱοὶ υιος son
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
καὶ και and; even
αἱ ο the
θυγατέρες θυγατηρ daughter
αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him
ἔπινον πινω drink
οἶνον οινος wine
ἐν εν in
τῇ ο the
οἰκίᾳ οικια house; household
τοῦ ο the
ἀδελφοῦ αδελφος brother
αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
τοῦ ο the
πρεσβυτέρου πρεσβυτερος senior; older
1:13
וַ wa וְ and
יְהִ֖י yᵊhˌî היה be
הַ ha הַ the
יֹּ֑ום yyˈôm יֹום day
וּ û וְ and
בָנָ֨יו vānˌāʸw בֵּן son
וּ û וְ and
בְנֹתָ֤יו vᵊnōṯˈāʸw בַּת daughter
אֹֽכְלִים֙ ʔˈōḵᵊlîm אכל eat
וְ wᵊ וְ and
שֹׁתִ֣ים šōṯˈîm שׁתה drink
יַ֔יִן yˈayin יַיִן wine
בְּ bᵊ בְּ in
בֵ֖ית vˌêṯ בַּיִת house
אֲחִיהֶ֥ם ʔᵃḥîhˌem אָח brother
הַ ha הַ the
בְּכֹֽור׃ bbᵊḵˈôr בְּכֹר first-born
1:13. cum autem quadam die filii et filiae eius comederent et biberent vinum in domo fratris sui primogeniti
There came a messenger to Job, and said: The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them,
1:13. So, on a certain day, when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine, in the house of their first-born brother,
1:13. And there was a day when his sons and his daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jg▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ mh▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
13-19. По клятвенному уверению сатаны (ст. 11), пораженный несчастием Иов похулит Бога. К достижению данной цели и направлены перечисленные в настоящих стихах бедствия. Как таковые, они представляют некоторые особенности, рассчитанные на то, чтобы вызвать со стороны Иова проклятие. Во-первых, бедствия падают на день пиршественного собрания детей Иова в доме его старшего сына (ст. 13). В день радости, веселья, каким был и настоящий день, всякое горе чувствуется по закону контраста гораздо сильнее, чем в обыкновенное время. Под влиянием же сильного горя скорее может возникнуть и недовольство. Во-вторых, бедствия следуют одно за другим с необыкновенною быстротою: не успевает Иов придти в себя от вести об одном несчастье, как ему доносят о другом ("еще он, - вестник, - говорил, как приходит другой", ст. 16, 17). Быстрота бедствий должна была действовать на Иова подавляющим образом, и действительно, по выражению страдальца, она "потрясла его" (XVI:12). Подавленность же духа и неразлучная с нею спутанность в мыслях представляют самую удобную почву для ропота. И, в-третьих, виновником бедствий является сам Бог; великий скот Иова попаляется "огнем Божиим" (ст. 16, см. ниже). Эта подробность могла составить самое сильное испытание для веры праведника. Стоит ли быть благочестивым, преданным Господу, раз Он сам наказывает своего верного раба?
Matthew Henry: Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible - 1706
13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
We have here a particular account of Job's troubles.
I. Satan brought them upon him on the very day that his children began their course of feasting, at their eldest brother's house (v. 13), where, he having (we may suppose) the double portion, the entertainment was the richest and most plentiful. The whole family, no doubt, was in perfect repose, and all were easy and under no apprehension of the trouble, now when they revived this custom; and this time Satan chose, that the trouble, coming now, might be the more grievous. The night of my pleasure has he turned into fear, Isa. xxi. 4.
II. They all come upon him at once; while one messenger of evil tidings was speaking another came, and, before he had told his story, a third, and a fourth, followed immediately. Thus Satan, by the divine permission, ordered it, 1. That there might appear a more than ordinary displeasure of God against him in his troubles, and by that he might be exasperated against divine Providence, as if it were resolved, right or wrong, to ruin him, and not give him time to speak for himself. 2. That he might not have leisure to consider and recollect himself, and reason himself into a gracious submission, but might be overwhelmed and overpowered by a complication of calamities. If he have not room to pause a little, he will be apt to speak in haste, and then, if ever, he will curse his God. Note, The children of God are often in heaviness through manifold temptations; deep calls to deep; waves and billows come one upon the neck of another. Let one affliction therefore quicken and help us to prepare for another; for, how deep soever we have drunk of the bitter cup, as long as we are in this world we cannot be sure that we have drunk our share and that it will finally pass from us.
III. They took from him all that he had, and made a full end of his enjoyments. The detail of his losses answers to the foregoing inventory of his possessions.
1. He had 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 she-asses, and a competent number of servants to attend them; and all these he lost at once, v. 14, 15. The account he has of this lets him know, (1.) That it was not through any carelessness of his servants; for then his resentment might have spent itself upon them: The oxen were ploughing, not playing, and the asses not suffered to stray and so taken up as waifs, but feeding beside them, under the servant's eye, each in their place; and those that passed by, we may suppose, blessed them, and said, God speed the plough. Note, All our prudence, care, and diligence, cannot secure us from affliction, no, not from those afflictions which are commonly owing to imprudence and negligence. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman, though ever so wakeful, wakes but in vain. Yet it is some comfort under a trouble if it found us in the way of our duty, and not in any by-path. (2.) That is was through the wickedness of his neighbours the Sabeans, probably a sort of robbers that lived by spoil and plunder. They carried off the oxen and asses, and slew the servants that faithfully and bravely did their best to defend them, and one only escaped, not in kindness to him or his master, but that Job might have the certain intelligence of it by an eye-witness before he heard it by a flying report, which would have brought it upon him gradually. We have no reason to suspect that either Job or his servants had given any provocation to the Sabeans to make this inroad, but Satan put it into their hearts to do it, to do it now, and so gained a double point, for he made both Job to suffer and them to sin. Note, When Satan has God's permission to do mischief he will not want mischievous men to be his instruments in doing it, for he is a spirit that works in the children of disobedience.
2. He had 7000 sheep, and shepherds that kept them; and all those he lost at the same time by lightning, v. 16. Job was perhaps, in his own mind, ready to reproach the Sabeans, and fly out against them for their injustice and cruelty, when the next news immediately directs him to look upwards: The fire of God has fallen from heaven. As thunder is his voice, so lightning is his fire: but this was such an extraordinary lightning, and levelled so directly against Job, that all his sheep and shepherds were not only killed, but consumed by it at once, and one shepherd only was left alive to carry the news to poor Job. The devil, aiming to make him curse God and renounce his religion, managed this part of the trial very artfully, in order thereto. (1.) His sheep, with which especially he used to honour God in sacrifice, were all taken from him, as if God were angry at his offerings and would punish him in those very things which he had employed in his service. Having misrepresented Job to God as a false servant, in pursuance of his old design to set Heaven and earth at variance, he here misrepresented God to Jacob as a hard Master, who would not protect those flocks out of which he had so many burnt-offerings. This would tempt Job to say, It is in vain to serve God. (2.) The messenger called the lightning the fire of God (and innocently enough), but perhaps Satan thereby designed to strike into his mind this thought, that God had turned to be his enemy and fought against him, which was much more grievous to him than all the insults of the Sabeans. He owned (ch. xxxi. 23) that destruction from God was a terror to him. How terrible then were the tidings of this destruction, which came immediately from the hand of God! Had the fire from heaven consumed the sheep upon the altar, he might have construed it into a token of God's favour; but, the fire consuming them in the pasture, he could not but look upon it as a token of God's displeasure. There have not been the like since Sodom was burned.
3. He had 3000 camels, and servants tending them; and he lost them all at the same time by the Chaldeans, who came in three bands, and drove them away, and slew the servants, v. 17. If the fire of God, which fell upon Job's honest servants, who were in the way of their duty, had fallen upon the Sabean and Chaldean robbers who were doing mischief, God's judgments therein would have been like the great mountains, evident and conspicuous; but when the way of the wicked prospers, and they carry off their booty, while just and good men are suddenly cut off, God's righteousness is like the great deep, the bottom of which we cannot find, Ps. xxxvi. 6.
4. His dearest and most valuable possessions were his ten children; and, to conclude the tragedy, news if brought him, at the same time, that they were killed and buried in the ruins of the house in which they were feasting, and all the servants that waited on them, except one that came express with the tidings of it, v. 18, 19. This was the greatest of Job's losses, and which could not but go nearest him; and therefore the devil reserved it for the last, that, if the other provocations failed, this might make him curse God. Our children are pieces of ourselves; it is very hard to part with them, and touches a good man in as tender a part as any. But to part with them all at once, and for them to be all cut off in a moment, who had been so many years his cares and hopes, went to the quick indeed. (1.) They all died together, and not one of them was left alive. David, though a wise and good man, was very much discomposed by the death of one son. How hard then did it bear upon poor Job who lost them all, and, in one moment, was written childless! (2.) They died suddenly. Had they been taken away by some lingering disease, he would have had notice to expect their death, and prepare for the breach; but this came upon him without giving him any warning. (3.) They died when they were feasting and making merry. Had they died suddenly when they were praying, he might the better have borne it. He would have hoped that death had found them in a good frame if their blood had been mingled with their feast, where he himself used to be jealous of them that they had sinned, and cursed God in their hearts--to have that day come upon them unawares, like a thief in the night, when perhaps their heads were overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness--this could not but add much to his grief, considering what a tender concern he always had for his children's souls, and that they were now out of the reach of the sacrifices he used to offer according to the number of them all. See how all things come alike to all. Job's children were constantly prayed for by their father, and lived in love one with another, and yet came to this untimely end. (4.) They died by a wind of the devil's raising, who is the prince of the power of the air (Eph. ii. 2), but it was looked upon to be an immediate hand of God, and a token of his wrath. So Bildad construed it (ch. viii. 4): Thy children have sinned against him, and he has cast them away in their transgression. (5.) They were taken away when he had most need of them to comfort him under all his other losses. Such miserable comforters are all creatures. In God only we have a present help at all times.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:13: There was a day - The first day of the week, says the Targum. It no doubt refers to one of those birthday festivals mentioned before.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:13: And there was a day - That is, on the day on which the regular turn came for the banquet to be held in the house of the older brother; compare the notes at .
And drinking wine - This circumstance is omitted in . It shows that wine was regarded as an essential part of the banquet, and it was from its use that Job apprehended the unhappy results referred to in .
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:13: when: Job 1:4; Pro 27:1; Ecc 9:12; Luk 12:19, Luk 12:20, Luk 17:27-29, Luk 21:34
Job 1:14
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:13
13-15 And it came to pass one day, when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother, that a messenger came to Job, and said, The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them, when the Sabeans fell upon them, and carried them away, and smote the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
The principal clause, היּום ויהי, in which the art. of היּום has no more reference to anything preceding than in Job 1:6, is immediately followed by an adverbial clause, which may be expressed by participles, Lat. filiis ejus filiabusque convivantibus. The details which follow are important. Job had celebrated the usual weekly worship early in the morning with his children, and knew that they were met together in the house of his eldest son, with whom the order of mutual entertainment came round again, when the messengers of misfortune began to break in upon him: it is therefore on the very day when, by reason of the sacrifice offered, he was quite sure of Jehovah's favour. The participial construction, the oxen were ploughing (vid., Ges. 134, 2, c), describes the condition which was disturbed by the calamity that befell them. The verb היוּ stands here because the clause is a principal one, not as Job 1:13, adverbial. על־ידי, properly "at hand," losing its radical meaning, signifies (as Judg 11:26) "close by." The interpretation "in their places," after Num 2:17, is untenable, as this signification of יד is only supported in the sing. שׁבא is construed as fem., since the name of the country is used as the name of the people. In Genesis three races of this name are mentioned: Cushite (Gen 10:7), Joktanish (Gen 10:28), and Abrahamic (Gen 25:3). Here the nomadic portion of this mixed race in North Arabia from the Persian Gulf to Idumaea is intended. Luther, for the sake of clearness, translates here, and 3Kings 10:1, Arabia. In ואמּלטה, the waw, as is seen from the Kametz, is waw convertens, and the paragogic ah, which otherwise indicates the cohortative, is either without significance, or simply adds intensity to the verbal idea: I have saved myself with great difficulty. For this common form of the 1 fut. consec., occurring four times in the Pentateuch, vid., Ges. 49, 2. The clause לך להגּיד is objective: in order that - so it was intended by the calamity - I might tell thee.
John Gill
1:13 And there was a day,.... Which according to the Targum was the first day of the week, but this is not certain, nor material; nor can it be said whether it was the day following that, Satan had leave to do what he would with Job's substance, nor how long this was after that; for though Satan was no doubt eager upon it, and in haste to do mischief; yet besides its requiring some time to get the Sabeans and Chaldeans to march out of their own country into Job's, so he would contrive and fix upon the most proper time to answer his ends and purposes, which was
when his (Job's) sons and daughters were eating, and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; it should rather be rendered, "in the house of their brother, the firstborn"; that is, of Job; for relates not to brethren, but to parents, as Gussetins observes (b): this was either the beginning of a new turn, or rotation of their feasting with each other, which might begin with the elder brother; or this was his birthday; see Job 1:4 and this was the day Satan pitched upon to bring all the following calamities and distresses upon Job; partly that they might fall with the greater weight upon him, and more sensibly affect him, coming upon him while his family was feasting; and while he was pleasing himself with the thoughts of having brought up his children to men's and women's estate, and of the affluent circumstances they were in; and of the unity, harmony, and love that subsisted amongst them, of which their present feasting to gether was a proof; and partly that these afflictions might the more look like the judgments of God upon him, just as the men of the old world were eating and drinking when the flood came and destroyed them all, Lk 17:27 and for the same reasons these were all brought upon him in one day, to crush him the more; and that it might be thought the hand of God was in it, in a way of wrath and vengeance, and so irritate him to curse him to his face, which was what Satan aimed at; see Is 47:8.
(b) Ebr. Comment. p. 127.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:13 JOB, IN AFFLICTION, BLESSES GOD, &c. (Job 1:13-22)
wine--not specified in Job 1:4. The mirth inspired by the "wine" here contrasts the more sadly with the alarm which interrupted it.
1:141:14: Եւ ահա հրեշտակ եկն առ Յոբ՝ եւ ասէ ցնա. Հարկիք եզանցն վարէին, եւ էշքն մատակք արածէին առ նոքօք։
14 Եւ ահա մի պատգամաբեր եկաւ Յոբի մօտ ու ասաց նրան. «Լծկան եզները վար էին անում, մատակ էշերն էլ՝ արածում նրանց մօտերքը.
14 Պատգամաբեր մը եկաւ Յոբին ու ըսաւ. «Երբ եզները կը հերկէին ու մատակ էշերը անոնց քով կ’արածուէին,
Եւ ահա հրեշտակ եկն առ Յոբ եւ ասէ ցնա. Հարկիք եզանցն վարէին, եւ էշքն մատակք արածէին առ նոքօք:

1:14: Եւ ահա հրեշտակ եկն առ Յոբ՝ եւ ասէ ցնա. Հարկիք եզանցն վարէին, եւ էշքն մատակք արածէին առ նոքօք։
14 Եւ ահա մի պատգամաբեր եկաւ Յոբի մօտ ու ասաց նրան. «Լծկան եզները վար էին անում, մատակ էշերն էլ՝ արածում նրանց մօտերքը.
14 Պատգամաբեր մը եկաւ Յոբին ու ըսաւ. «Երբ եզները կը հերկէին ու մատակ էշերը անոնց քով կ’արածուէին,
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:141:14 И {вот}, приходит вестник к Иову и говорит:
1:14 καὶ και and; even ἰδοὺ ιδου see!; here I am ἄγγελος αγγελος messenger ἦλθεν ερχομαι come; go πρὸς προς to; toward Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov καὶ και and; even εἶπεν επω say; speak αὐτῷ αυτος he; him τὰ ο the ζεύγη ζευγος yoke; couple τῶν ο the βοῶν βους ox ἠροτρία αροτριαω plow καὶ και and; even αἱ ο the θήλειαι θηλυς female ὄνοι ονος donkey ἐβόσκοντο βοσκω pasture; feed ἐχόμεναι εχω have; hold αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
1:14 וּ û וְ and מַלְאָ֛ךְ malʔˈāḵ מַלְאָךְ messenger בָּ֥א bˌā בוא come אֶל־ ʔel- אֶל to אִיֹּ֖וב ʔiyyˌôv אִיֹּוב Job וַ wa וְ and יֹּאמַ֑ר yyōmˈar אמר say הַ ha הַ the בָּקָר֙ bbāqˌār בָּקָר cattle הָי֣וּ hāyˈû היה be חֹֽרְשֹׁ֔ות ḥˈōrᵊšˈôṯ חרשׁ plough וְ wᵊ וְ and הָ hā הַ the אֲתֹנֹ֖ות ʔᵃṯōnˌôṯ אָתֹון she-ass רֹעֹ֥ות rōʕˌôṯ רעה pasture עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon יְדֵיהֶֽם׃ yᵊḏêhˈem יָד hand
1:14. nuntius venit ad Iob qui diceret boves arabant et asinae pascebantur iuxta eosThere came a messenger to Job, and said: The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them,
14. that there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
1:14. a messenger came to Job, who said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys were grazing beside them,
1:14. And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:

1:14 И {вот}, приходит вестник к Иову и говорит:
1:14
καὶ και and; even
ἰδοὺ ιδου see!; here I am
ἄγγελος αγγελος messenger
ἦλθεν ερχομαι come; go
πρὸς προς to; toward
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
καὶ και and; even
εἶπεν επω say; speak
αὐτῷ αυτος he; him
τὰ ο the
ζεύγη ζευγος yoke; couple
τῶν ο the
βοῶν βους ox
ἠροτρία αροτριαω plow
καὶ και and; even
αἱ ο the
θήλειαι θηλυς female
ὄνοι ονος donkey
ἐβόσκοντο βοσκω pasture; feed
ἐχόμεναι εχω have; hold
αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
1:14
וּ û וְ and
מַלְאָ֛ךְ malʔˈāḵ מַלְאָךְ messenger
בָּ֥א bˌā בוא come
אֶל־ ʔel- אֶל to
אִיֹּ֖וב ʔiyyˌôv אִיֹּוב Job
וַ wa וְ and
יֹּאמַ֑ר yyōmˈar אמר say
הַ ha הַ the
בָּקָר֙ bbāqˌār בָּקָר cattle
הָי֣וּ hāyˈû היה be
חֹֽרְשֹׁ֔ות ḥˈōrᵊšˈôṯ חרשׁ plough
וְ wᵊ וְ and
הָ הַ the
אֲתֹנֹ֖ות ʔᵃṯōnˌôṯ אָתֹון she-ass
רֹעֹ֥ות rōʕˌôṯ רעה pasture
עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon
יְדֵיהֶֽם׃ yᵊḏêhˈem יָד hand
1:14. nuntius venit ad Iob qui diceret boves arabant et asinae pascebantur iuxta eos
There came a messenger to Job, and said: The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them,
1:14. a messenger came to Job, who said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys were grazing beside them,
1:14. And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:14: The asses feeding beside them - אתנות athonoth, the she-asses, which appear to have been more domesticated, as of more worth and use than the others, both for their milk and their work.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:14: And there came a messenger unto Job - Hebrew מלאך mal'â k; the word usually rendered "angel," appropriately rendered "messenger" here. The word properly means "one who is sent."
The oxen were plowing - Hebrew "the cattle" (בקר bâ qâ r) including not merely "oxen," but probably also "cows;" see the notes at .
And the asses - Hebrew אתון 'â thô n "she-asses." The "sex" is here expressly mentioned and Dr. Good maintains that it should be in the translation. So it is in the Septuagint αἱ θήλειαι ὄνοι hai thē leiai onoi. So Jerome, "asinoe." The reason why the sex is specified is, that female asses, on account of their milk, were much more valuable than males. On this account they were preferred also for traveling; see the notes at .
Beside them - Hebrew "By their hands," that is, by their sides, for the Hebrew יד yâ d is often used in this sense; compare the notes at Isa 33:21.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:14: messenger: Sa1 4:17; Sa2 15:13; Jer 51:31
Job 1:15
John Gill
1:14 And there came a messenger unto Job,.... Not a messenger of Satan, as Jarchi, or one of his angels, or evil spirits; though this is a sense which is embraced not only by some Jewish Rabbins, but by several of the ancient Christian writers, as Sanctius on the place observes; and such they suppose the other messengers after mentioned were; but both this and they were servants of Job, who escaped the calamity that came upon the rest of their fellow servants:
and said, the oxen were ploughing: the five hundred yoke of oxen Job had, Job 1:3, which were all out in the fields, and employed in ploughing them; and to plough with such was usual in those times and countries, as it now is in some places; see 3Kings 19:19
and the asses feeding beside them; beside the oxen, where they were ploughing, in pasture ground, adjoining to the arable land; and beside the servants that were ploughing with the oxen: "at their hands" (b); as it may be literally rendered, just by them, under their eye and care; or "in their places" (c); where they should be, and where they used to feed (d); these were the five hundred asses, male and female, reckoned among Job's substance, Job 1:3, which were brought hither to feed, and some for the servants to ride on; this ploughed land being at some distance from Job's house; and others to carry the seed that was was to be sown here: now the situation and employment of these creatures are particularly mentioned, to show that they were in their proper places, and at their proper work; and that what befell them was not owing to the want of care of them, or to the indolence and negligence of the servants.
(b) "ad manus eorum", Mercerus. (c) "Suis locis", Vatablus, Schmidt; so Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and Bar Tzemach. (d) "More solito", Schultens.
John Wesley
1:14 Messenger, &c. - One messenger immediately followed another; Satan so ordering by God's permission, that there might seem to be more than ordinary displeasure of God against him in his troubles, and that he might not have leisure to recollect himself, but be overwhelmed by a complication of calamities.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:14 the asses feeding beside them--Hebrew, "she asses." A graphic picture of rural repose and peace; the more dreadful, therefore, by contrast is the sudden attack of the plundering Arabs.
1:151:15: Եւ եկին գերեվարք եւ գերեցին զնոսա, եւ զմանկտին կոտորեցին սրով. ե՛ս միայն ապրեալ՝ եկի պատմել քեզ։
15 գերեվարողները[3] եկան ու տարան նրանց, իսկ քո ծառաներին սրով կոտորեցին: Միայն ես ազատուելով՝ եկայ քեզ պատմելու»:[3] 3. Եբրայերէն՝ սեբայեցիք:
15 Սեբայեցիները յարձակեցան ու զանոնք առին ու ծառաները սուրի բերնէ անցուցին։ Միայն ե՛ս ազատեցայ ու եկայ, որպէս զի քեզի պատմեմ»։
եւ եկին [14]գերեվարք եւ գերեցին զնոսա, եւ զմանկտին կոտորեցին սրով. ես միայն ապրեալ` եկի պատմել քեզ:

1:15: Եւ եկին գերեվարք եւ գերեցին զնոսա, եւ զմանկտին կոտորեցին սրով. ե՛ս միայն ապրեալ՝ եկի պատմել քեզ։
15 գերեվարողները[3] եկան ու տարան նրանց, իսկ քո ծառաներին սրով կոտորեցին: Միայն ես ազատուելով՝ եկայ քեզ պատմելու»:
[3] 3. Եբրայերէն՝ սեբայեցիք:
15 Սեբայեցիները յարձակեցան ու զանոնք առին ու ծառաները սուրի բերնէ անցուցին։ Միայն ե՛ս ազատեցայ ու եկայ, որպէս զի քեզի պատմեմ»։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:151:15 волы орали, и ослицы паслись подле них, как напали Савеяне и взяли их, а отроков поразили острием меча; и спасся только я один, чтобы возвестить тебе.
1:15 καὶ και and; even ἐλθόντες ερχομαι come; go οἱ ο the αἰχμαλωτεύοντες αιχμαλωτευω capture ᾐχμαλώτευσαν αιχμαλωτευω capture αὐτὰς αυτος he; him καὶ και and; even τοὺς ο the παῖδας παις child; boy ἀπέκτειναν αποκτεινω kill ἐν εν in μαχαίραις μαχαιρα short sword σωθεὶς σωζω save δὲ δε though; while ἐγὼ εγω I μόνος μονος only; alone ἦλθον ερχομαι come; go τοῦ ο the ἀπαγγεῖλαί απαγγελλω report σοι σοι you
1:15 וַ wa וְ and תִּפֹּ֤ל ttippˈōl נפל fall שְׁבָא֙ šᵊvˌā שְׁבָא Sheba וַ wa וְ and תִּקָּחֵ֔ם ttiqqāḥˈēm לקח take וְ wᵊ וְ and אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker] הַ ha הַ the נְּעָרִ֖ים nnᵊʕārˌîm נַעַר boy הִכּ֣וּ hikkˈû נכה strike לְ lᵊ לְ to פִי־ fî- פֶּה mouth חָ֑רֶב ḥˈārev חֶרֶב dagger וָֽ wˈā וְ and אִמָּ֨לְטָ֧ה ʔimmˌālᵊṭˈā מלט escape רַק־ raq- רַק only אֲנִ֛י ʔᵃnˈî אֲנִי i לְ lᵊ לְ to בַדִּ֖י vaddˌî בַּד linen, part, stave לְ lᵊ לְ to הַגִּ֥יד haggˌîḏ נגד report לָֽךְ׃ lˈāḵ לְ to
1:15. et inruerunt Sabei tuleruntque omnia et pueros percusserunt gladio et evasi ego solus ut nuntiarem tibiAnd the Sabeans rushed in, and took all away, and slew the servants with the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell thee.
15. and the Sabeans fell , and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
1:15. and the Sabeans rushed in and carried away everything, and they struck the servants with the sword; and I alone evaded them to tell you.”
1:15. And the Sabeans fell [upon them], and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
And the Sabeans fell [upon them], and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee:

1:15 волы орали, и ослицы паслись подле них, как напали Савеяне и взяли их, а отроков поразили острием меча; и спасся только я один, чтобы возвестить тебе.
1:15
καὶ και and; even
ἐλθόντες ερχομαι come; go
οἱ ο the
αἰχμαλωτεύοντες αιχμαλωτευω capture
ᾐχμαλώτευσαν αιχμαλωτευω capture
αὐτὰς αυτος he; him
καὶ και and; even
τοὺς ο the
παῖδας παις child; boy
ἀπέκτειναν αποκτεινω kill
ἐν εν in
μαχαίραις μαχαιρα short sword
σωθεὶς σωζω save
δὲ δε though; while
ἐγὼ εγω I
μόνος μονος only; alone
ἦλθον ερχομαι come; go
τοῦ ο the
ἀπαγγεῖλαί απαγγελλω report
σοι σοι you
1:15
וַ wa וְ and
תִּפֹּ֤ל ttippˈōl נפל fall
שְׁבָא֙ šᵊvˌā שְׁבָא Sheba
וַ wa וְ and
תִּקָּחֵ֔ם ttiqqāḥˈēm לקח take
וְ wᵊ וְ and
אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker]
הַ ha הַ the
נְּעָרִ֖ים nnᵊʕārˌîm נַעַר boy
הִכּ֣וּ hikkˈû נכה strike
לְ lᵊ לְ to
פִי־ fî- פֶּה mouth
חָ֑רֶב ḥˈārev חֶרֶב dagger
וָֽ wˈā וְ and
אִמָּ֨לְטָ֧ה ʔimmˌālᵊṭˈā מלט escape
רַק־ raq- רַק only
אֲנִ֛י ʔᵃnˈî אֲנִי i
לְ lᵊ לְ to
בַדִּ֖י vaddˌî בַּד linen, part, stave
לְ lᵊ לְ to
הַגִּ֥יד haggˌîḏ נגד report
לָֽךְ׃ lˈāḵ לְ to
1:15. et inruerunt Sabei tuleruntque omnia et pueros percusserunt gladio et evasi ego solus ut nuntiarem tibi
And the Sabeans rushed in, and took all away, and slew the servants with the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell thee.
1:15. and the Sabeans rushed in and carried away everything, and they struck the servants with the sword; and I alone evaded them to tell you.”
1:15. And the Sabeans fell [upon them], and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
15. Под именем Савеян в кн. Бытия и Паралипоменон известны две народности: одна, происшедшая от сына Xама Xуша (Быт X:7; 1: Пар I:9), другая - от потомка Сима Иоктана (Быт X:28; 1: Пар I:22). Но если первая обитала в Африке (Толковая Библия, 1: т., с. 71-72), то в настоящем случае разумеется, очевидно, вторая, поселившаяся в северной Аравии от Персидского залива до Идумеи.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:15: And the Sabeans fell - The Vulgate alone understands this of a people. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic, understand it as implying a marauding party. The Chaldee says, "Lilith, queen of Zamargad, rushed suddenly upon them, and carried them away." The Sabeans mentioned here are supposed to have been the same with those who were the descendants of Abraham by Keturah, whose son Jokshan begat Sheba. The sons of Keturah were sent by Abraham into the east, Gen 25:6, and inhabited Arabia Deserta, on the east of the land of Uz. Hordes of predatory banditti were frequent in those countries and continue so to the present day. They made sudden incursions, and carried off men, women, children, cattle, and goods of every description; and immediately retired to the desert, whither it was in vain to pursue them.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:15: And the Sabeans - Hebrew שׁבא shebâ', Vulgate, "Suboei." The Septuagint gives a paraphrase, καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ αἰχμαλωτεύοντες ἠχμαλώτευσαν kai elthonia hoi aichmalō teuontes ē chmalō teusan, "And the plunderers coming, plundered them," or made them captive. On the situation of Sheba and Seba, see Isa 43:3, note; Isa 45:14, note; Isa 9:6, note. The people here referred to were, undoubtedly, inhabitants of some part of Arabia Felix. There are three persons of the name of Sheba mentioned in the Scriptures.
(1) A grandson of Cush; Gen 10:7.
(2) A son of Joktan; Gen 10:28.
(3) A son of Jokshan, the son of Abraham by Keturah.
"Calmet." The Sheba here referred to was probably in the southern part of Arabia, and from the narrative it is evident that the Sabeans here mentioned were a predatory tribe. It is not improbable that these tribes were in the habit of wandering for purposes of plunder over the whole country, from the banks of the Euphrates to the outskirts of Egypt. The Bedawin Arabs of the present day resemble in a remarkable manner the ancient inhabitants of Arabia, and for many centuries the manners of the inhabitants of Arabia have not changed, for the habits of the Orientals continue the same from age to age. The Syriac renders this simply, "a multitude rushed" upon them;" omitting the word "Sabean."
Fell upon them - With violence; or rushed unexpectedly upon them. This is the way in which the Arab tribes now attack the caravan, the traveler, or the village, for plunder.
And took them away - As plunder. It is common now to make such sudden incursions, and to carry off a large booty.
They have slain the servants - Hebrew נערים na‛ arı̂ ym, "the young men." The word נער na‛ ar, properly means a "boy," and is applied to an infant just born, Exo 2:6; Jdg 13:5, Jdg 13:7; or to a youth, Gen 34:19; Gen 41:12. It came then to denote a servant or slave, like the Greek παῖς pais; Gen 24:2; Kg2 5:20; compare Act 5:6. So the word "boy" is often used in the Southern States of North America to denote a slave. Here it evidently means the servants that were employed in cultivating the lands of Job, and keeping his cattle. There is no intimation that they were slaves. Jerome renders it "pueros, boys;" so the Septuagint τοῦς παὶδας tous paidas.
And I only am escaped alone - By myself, בד bad. There is no other one with me. It is remarkable that the same account is given by each one of the servants who escaped, -17, . The Chaldee has given a very singular version of this - apparently from the desire of accounting for everything, and of mentioning the "names" of all the persons intended. "The oxen were plowing, and Lelath, queen of Zamargad, suddenly rushed upon them, and carried them away."
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:15: Sabeans: Gen 10:7, Gen 10:28, Gen 25:3; Psa 72:10; Isa 45:14; Eze 23:42; Joe 3:8
and I only: Job 1:16, Job 1:17, Job 1:19; Sa1 22:20, Sa1 22:21
Job 1:16
Geneva 1599
1:15 And the (x) Sabeans fell [upon them], and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
(x) That is, the Arabians.
John Gill
1:15 And the Sabeans fell upon them,.... Or, "Sheba fell" (e); that is, as Aben Ezra and Simeon Bar Tzemach supply it, an host of the Sabeans, or a company of them; these were not the descendants of that Sheba that sprung from Ham, Gen 10:7 nor of him that came from Shem, Gen 10:28, but from Sheba, the son of Jokshan, a son of Abraham by Keturah, who with the rest of her sons were sent into the east country, the country of Job; and these Sabeans, who descended from the same, were his near neighbours, Gen 25:3, they were the inhabitants of one of the Arabias, it is generally said Arabia Felix; but that is not likely, since it was a very plentiful country, the inhabitants of which had no need to rob and plunder others; and besides was at a great distance from the place of Job's habitation, and lay to the south, and not the east; though Strabo (f) indeed says, that the Sabeans inhabited Arabia Felix, and made excursions into Syria, which agrees with these Sabeans; but rather Arabia Deserta, as Spanheim (g) has abundantly proved, a barren place; hence we read of Sabeans from the wilderness, Ezek 23:42, the inhabitants of which lived upon the plunder of others; and these being naturally given to spoil and rapine, were fit persons for Satan to work upon, as he does in the children of disobedience; into whose hearts he put it to make such a descent on Job's fields, and carry off his cattle, as they did; they fell upon his oxen and asses at once and unawares, in a body, in an hostile and furious manner:
and took them away; as a booty; they did not kill them, but drove them off the ground, and led them into their own country for their use and service:
yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; who were ploughing with the oxen, and looking after the asses, and who might make an opposition, though in vain; this was an addition to affliction, that not only his cattle were carried off, but his servants were slain, who were born in his house, or bought with his money:
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee; this single servant was preserved, either by the special providence of God, in kindness to Job, that he might know of a certainty, and exactly, and what had befallen him, and how it came to pass, which men are naturally desirous of; or else, as it is generally thought, through the malice and cunning of Satan, that the tidings might the sooner be brought to him, and more readily be believed by him, and strike him with the greater surprise, a servant of his own running with it, whom he knew, and could believe; and he appearing with the utmost concern of mind, and horror in his countenance.
(e) "et delapsa est Seba", Montanus, Bolducius; "et irruit Sheba", Schmidt, Cocceius. (f) Geograph. l. 16. p. 536. (g) Histor. Jobi, c. 3. sect. 12. p. 44, &c.
John Wesley
1:15 Sabeans - A people of Arabia, who led a wandering life, and lived by robbery and spoil. I - Whom Satan spared, that Job might have speedy and certain intelligence of his calamity.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:15 Sabeans--not those of Arabia-Felix, but those of Arabia-Deserta, descending from Sheba, grandson of Abraham and Keturah (Gen 25:3). The Bedouin Arabs of the present day resemble, in marauding habits, these Sabeans (compare Gen 16:12).
I alone am escaped--cunningly contrived by Satan. One in each case escapes (Job 1:16-17, Job 1:19), and brings the same kind of message. This was to overwhelm Job, and leave him no time to recover from the rapid succession of calamities--"misfortunes seldom come single."
1:161:16: Եւ մինչդեռ նա խօսէր, այլ հրեշտակ եկն առ Յոբ՝ եւ ասէ ցՅոբ. Հո՛ւր անկաւ յերկնից՝ եւ այրեաց զհօտսն, եւ զհովիւսն ըստ նմին օրինակի եկեր. ե՛ս միայն մնացեալ՝ եկի պատմել քեզ։
16 Եւ մինչ նա խօսում էր, մի ուրիշ պատգամաբեր եկաւ ու Յոբին ասաց. «Երկնքից կրակ թափուեց ու այրեց հօտերը, հովիւներին էլ նոյն ձեւով ճարակեց: Միայն ես մնացի ու եկայ քեզ պատմելու»:
16 Երբ անիկա տակաւին կը խօսէր, ուրիշ մէկն ալ եկաւ ու ըսաւ. «Երկնքէն Աստուծոյ կրակը իջաւ ու հօտերը եւ ծառաները այրեց ու զանոնք սպառեց եւ միայն ես ազատեցայ եւ եկայ որ քեզի պատմեմ»։
Եւ մինչդեռ նա խօսէր, այլ հրեշտակ եկն առ Յոբ` եւ ասէ ցՅոբ. [15]Հուր անկաւ յերկնից եւ այրեաց զհօտսն, եւ զհովիւսն ըստ նմին օրինակի եկեր. ես միայն մնացեալ` եկի պատմել քեզ:

1:16: Եւ մինչդեռ նա խօսէր, այլ հրեշտակ եկն առ Յոբ՝ եւ ասէ ցՅոբ. Հո՛ւր անկաւ յերկնից՝ եւ այրեաց զհօտսն, եւ զհովիւսն ըստ նմին օրինակի եկեր. ե՛ս միայն մնացեալ՝ եկի պատմել քեզ։
16 Եւ մինչ նա խօսում էր, մի ուրիշ պատգամաբեր եկաւ ու Յոբին ասաց. «Երկնքից կրակ թափուեց ու այրեց հօտերը, հովիւներին էլ նոյն ձեւով ճարակեց: Միայն ես մնացի ու եկայ քեզ պատմելու»:
16 Երբ անիկա տակաւին կը խօսէր, ուրիշ մէկն ալ եկաւ ու ըսաւ. «Երկնքէն Աստուծոյ կրակը իջաւ ու հօտերը եւ ծառաները այրեց ու զանոնք սպառեց եւ միայն ես ազատեցայ եւ եկայ որ քեզի պատմեմ»։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:161:16 Еще он говорил, как приходит другой и сказывает: огонь Божий упал с неба и опалил овец и отроков и пожрал их; и спасся только я один, чтобы возвестить тебе.
1:16 ἔτι ετι yet; still τούτου ουτος this; he λαλοῦντος λαλεω talk; speak ἦλθεν ερχομαι come; go ἕτερος ετερος different; alternate ἄγγελος αγγελος messenger καὶ και and; even εἶπεν επω say; speak πρὸς προς to; toward Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov πῦρ πυρ fire ἔπεσεν πιπτω fall ἐκ εκ from; out of τοῦ ο the οὐρανοῦ ουρανος sky; heaven καὶ και and; even κατέκαυσεν κατακαιω burn up τὰ ο the πρόβατα προβατον sheep καὶ και and; even τοὺς ο the ποιμένας ποιμην shepherd κατέφαγεν κατεσθιω consume; eat up ὁμοίως ομοιως likewise καὶ και and; even σωθεὶς σωζω save ἐγὼ εγω I μόνος μονος only; alone ἦλθον ερχομαι come; go τοῦ ο the ἀπαγγεῖλαί απαγγελλω report σοι σοι you
1:16 עֹ֣וד׀ ʕˈôḏ עֹוד duration זֶ֣ה zˈeh זֶה this מְדַבֵּ֗ר mᵊḏabbˈēr דבר speak וְ wᵊ וְ and זֶה֮ zeh זֶה this בָּ֣א bˈā בוא come וַ wa וְ and יֹּאמַר֒ yyōmˌar אמר say אֵ֣שׁ ʔˈēš אֵשׁ fire אֱלֹהִ֗ים ʔᵉlōhˈîm אֱלֹהִים god(s) נָֽפְלָה֙ nˈāfᵊlā נפל fall מִן־ min- מִן from הַ ha הַ the שָּׁמַ֔יִם ššāmˈayim שָׁמַיִם heavens וַ wa וְ and תִּבְעַ֥ר ttivʕˌar בער burn בַּ ba בְּ in † הַ the צֹּ֛אן ṣṣˈōn צֹאן cattle וּ û וְ and בַ va בְּ in † הַ the נְּעָרִ֖ים nnᵊʕārˌîm נַעַר boy וַ wa וְ and תֹּאכְלֵ֑ם ttōḵᵊlˈēm אכל eat וָ wā וְ and אִמָּ֨לְטָ֧ה ʔimmˌālᵊṭˈā מלט escape רַק־ raq- רַק only אֲנִ֛י ʔᵃnˈî אֲנִי i לְ lᵊ לְ to בַדִּ֖י vaddˌî בַּד linen, part, stave לְ lᵊ לְ to הַגִּ֥יד haggˌîḏ נגד report לָֽךְ׃ lˈāḵ לְ to
1:16. cumque adhuc ille loqueretur venit alter et dixit ignis Dei cecidit e caelo et tactas oves puerosque consumpsit et effugi ego solus ut nuntiarem tibiAnd while he was yet speaking, another came, and said: The fire of God fell from heaven, and striking the sheep and the servants, hath consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell thee.
16. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
1:16. And while he was still speaking, another arrived, and he said, “The fire of God fell from heaven, and, having struck the sheep and the servants, it consumed them; and I alone escaped to tell you.”
1:16. While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee:

1:16 Еще он говорил, как приходит другой и сказывает: огонь Божий упал с неба и опалил овец и отроков и пожрал их; и спасся только я один, чтобы возвестить тебе.
1:16
ἔτι ετι yet; still
τούτου ουτος this; he
λαλοῦντος λαλεω talk; speak
ἦλθεν ερχομαι come; go
ἕτερος ετερος different; alternate
ἄγγελος αγγελος messenger
καὶ και and; even
εἶπεν επω say; speak
πρὸς προς to; toward
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
πῦρ πυρ fire
ἔπεσεν πιπτω fall
ἐκ εκ from; out of
τοῦ ο the
οὐρανοῦ ουρανος sky; heaven
καὶ και and; even
κατέκαυσεν κατακαιω burn up
τὰ ο the
πρόβατα προβατον sheep
καὶ και and; even
τοὺς ο the
ποιμένας ποιμην shepherd
κατέφαγεν κατεσθιω consume; eat up
ὁμοίως ομοιως likewise
καὶ και and; even
σωθεὶς σωζω save
ἐγὼ εγω I
μόνος μονος only; alone
ἦλθον ερχομαι come; go
τοῦ ο the
ἀπαγγεῖλαί απαγγελλω report
σοι σοι you
1:16
עֹ֣וד׀ ʕˈôḏ עֹוד duration
זֶ֣ה zˈeh זֶה this
מְדַבֵּ֗ר mᵊḏabbˈēr דבר speak
וְ wᵊ וְ and
זֶה֮ zeh זֶה this
בָּ֣א bˈā בוא come
וַ wa וְ and
יֹּאמַר֒ yyōmˌar אמר say
אֵ֣שׁ ʔˈēš אֵשׁ fire
אֱלֹהִ֗ים ʔᵉlōhˈîm אֱלֹהִים god(s)
נָֽפְלָה֙ nˈāfᵊlā נפל fall
מִן־ min- מִן from
הַ ha הַ the
שָּׁמַ֔יִם ššāmˈayim שָׁמַיִם heavens
וַ wa וְ and
תִּבְעַ֥ר ttivʕˌar בער burn
בַּ ba בְּ in
הַ the
צֹּ֛אן ṣṣˈōn צֹאן cattle
וּ û וְ and
בַ va בְּ in
הַ the
נְּעָרִ֖ים nnᵊʕārˌîm נַעַר boy
וַ wa וְ and
תֹּאכְלֵ֑ם ttōḵᵊlˈēm אכל eat
וָ וְ and
אִמָּ֨לְטָ֧ה ʔimmˌālᵊṭˈā מלט escape
רַק־ raq- רַק only
אֲנִ֛י ʔᵃnˈî אֲנִי i
לְ lᵊ לְ to
בַדִּ֖י vaddˌî בַּד linen, part, stave
לְ lᵊ לְ to
הַגִּ֥יד haggˌîḏ נגד report
לָֽךְ׃ lˈāḵ לְ to
1:16. cumque adhuc ille loqueretur venit alter et dixit ignis Dei cecidit e caelo et tactas oves puerosque consumpsit et effugi ego solus ut nuntiarem tibi
And while he was yet speaking, another came, and said: The fire of God fell from heaven, and striking the sheep and the servants, hath consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell thee.
1:16. And while he was still speaking, another arrived, and he said, “The fire of God fell from heaven, and, having struck the sheep and the servants, it consumed them; and I alone escaped to tell you.”
1:16. While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
16. Выражение "огонь Божий" напоминает тождественные выражения: "огонь от Господа" (Быт XIX:24), "огонь Господень" (Чис XI:1; 3: Цар XVIII:38), "огонь Божий" (4: Цар I:12), и потому должно быть понимаемо в буквальном смысле. Другие, ссылаясь на 18-19: ст. , видят в данном выражении указание или на молнию, которою сопровождается буря, или на убивающий людей и животных ветер самум.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:16: The fire of God is fallen - Though the fire of God may mean a great, a tremendous fire, yet it is most natural to suppose lightning is meant; for as thunder was considered to be the voice of God, so lightning was the fire of God. And as the prince of the power of the air was permitted now to arm himself with this dreadful artillery of heaven, he might easily direct the zigzag lightning to every part of the fields where the sheep were feeding, and so destroy the whole in a moment.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:16: While he was yet speaking - All this indicates the rapidity of the movement of Satan, and his desire to "overwhelm" Job with the suddenness and greatness of his calamities. The. object seems to have been to give him no time to recover from the shock of one form of trial before another came upon him. If an interval had been given him he might have rallied his strength to bear his trials; but afflictions are much more difficult to be borne when they come in rapid succession. - It is not a very uncommon occurrence, however, that the righteous are tried by the rapidity and accumulation as well as the severity of their afflictions. It has passed into a proverb that "afflictions do not come alone."
The fire of God. - Margin, "A great fire;" evidently meaning a flash of lightning, or a thunderbolt. The Hebrew is "fire of God;" but it is probable that the phrase is used in a sense similar to the expression, "cedars of God," meaning lofty cedars; I or "mountains of God," meaning very high mountains. The lightning is I probably intended; compare Num 16:35; see the note at Isa 29:6.
From heaven - From the sky, or the air. So the word heaven is often used in the Scriptures; see the notes at Mat 16:1.
And hath burnt up the sheep - That lightning might destroy herds and men no one can doubt; though the fact of their being actually consumed or burned up may have been an exaggeration of the much affrighted messenger. - The narrative leads us to believe that these things were under the control of Satan, though by the permission of God; and his power over the lightnings and the winds may serve to illustrate the declaration, that he is the "Prince of the power of the air," in Eph 2:2.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:16: there came: Gen 19:24; Lev 9:24; Kg1 18:38; Kg2 1:10, Kg2 1:12, Kg2 1:14; Amo 7:4; Rev 13:13
The fire of God: or, A great fire, Exo 9:28; Sa1 14:15 *marg.
Job 1:17
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:16
The Second Messenger:
16 While he was yet speaking, another came, and said, The fire of God fell from heaven, and set fire to the sheep and servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
The fire of God, which descends, is not a suitable expression for Samm (Schlottm.), that wind of the desert which often so suddenly destroys man and beast, although indeed it is indicated by certain atmospheric phenomena, appearing first of a yellow colour, which changes to a leaden hue and spreads through the atmosphere, so that the sun when at the brightest becomes a dark red. The writer, also, can scarcely have intended lightning (Rosenm., Hirz., Hahn), but rain of fire or brimstone, as with Sodom and Gomorrha, and as 3Kings 18:38; 4Kings 1:12.
Geneva 1599
1:16 While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The (y) fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
(y) Which was also done by the craft of Satan, to tempt Job even more grievously, so he might see that not only men were his enemies, but that God made war against him.
John Gill
1:16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another,.... Another messenger, one of Job's servants, from another part of his fields where his sheep were grazing, and was one of those that kept them; he came with another piece of bad news, even before the other had finished his whole account; and the same is observed of all the other messengers that follow: so Satan ordered it, that all Job's afflictions should come upon him at once, and the news of them be brought him as thick and as fast as they could, to surprise him the more into some rash expressions against God; that he might have no intermission, no breathing time; no time for prayer to God to support him under the affliction, and sanctify it unto him; no time for meditation upon, or recollection of, past experiences of divine goodness, or of promises that might have been useful to him; but they came one upon the back of another, to hurry him into some indecent carriage and behaviour towards God, being considered by him as his judgments upon him:
and said, the fire of God is fallen from heaven; which the servant thought, or Satan put it into his mind to say, that it came immediately from God, like that which destroyed Nadab and Abihu and the murmurers in the camp of Israel, Lev 10:2 or, as it is commonly thought, is so called, because a most vehement one, as a vehement flame is called the flame of the Lord, Song 8:6 this being such a fire as was never known, since the fire that came down from heaven and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain. I am inclined to think it was a prodigious flash or flashes of lightning; for as thunder is the voice of God, so lightning, which accompanies it, may be called the fire of God; and this agrees with the phraseology of the passage; it comes from heaven, or the air, and falls upon the earth, and strikes creatures and things in it; and which, as it is the effect of natural causes, Satan might be permitted to join them together and effect it; and this was done, and the news of it expressed in such language as to make Job believe that God was against him, and become his enemy, and that the artillery of heaven was employed to his harm, and to the ruin of his substance:
and hath burnt up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; as the fire or lightning which came down from heaven and consumed the captains, and their fifties, in Elijah's time, 4Kings 1:10 and such like effects of lightning are often to be observed, both with respect to men and cattle; these were the 7000 sheep Job was possessed of, Job 1:3 and which were all destroyed at once, with the servants that kept them, excepting one; creatures very productive and very useful both for food and clothing, and also used for sacrifice; and it is thought that Satan's end in the destruction of these was, that Job might conclude from hence that his sacrifices were not acceptable to God, and therefore it was in vain to serve him; which he hoped by this means to bring him to express in a passionate manner to God:
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee; See Gill on Job 1:15.
John Wesley
1:16 The fire of God - As thunder is the voice of God, so lightning is his fire. How terrible then were the tidings of this destruction, which came immediately from the hand of God! And seemed to shew, that God was angry at his very offerings, and would receive no more from his hands.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:16 fire of God--Hebraism for "a mighty fire"; as "cedars of God"--"lofty cedars" [Ps 80:10]. Not lightning, which would not consume all the sheep and servants. UMBREIT understands it of the burning wind of Arabia, called by the Turks "wind of poison." "The prince of the power of the air" [Eph 2:2] is permitted to have control over such destructive agents.
1:171:17: Եւ մինչդեռ նա խօսէր, ա՛յլ հրեշտակ եկն՝ եւ ասէ ցՅոբ. Ասպատակաւորք ասպատակեցին ՚ի մեզ երեք առաջք եւ պատեցան զուղտուքն՝ եւ գերեցին զնոսա, եւ զմանկտին կոտորեցին սրով. ե՛ս միայն ապրեալ՝ եկի պատմել քեզ[9075]։ [9075] Ոմանք. Եկն առ Յոբ եւ ասէ ցՈբ։
17 Եւ մինչ նա խօսում էր, մի ուրիշ պատգամաբեր եկաւ ու Յոբին ասաց. «Ասպատակներ[4] ասպատակեցին մեզ երեք խմբերով, շրջապատեցին ուղտերն ու տարան դրանք, իսկ քո ծառաներին սրով կոտորեցին: Միայն ես ազատուելով՝ եկայ քեզ պատմելու»:[4] 4. Եբրայերէն՝ քաղդէացիք:
17 Երբ անիկա տակաւին կը խօսէր, ուրիշ մէկն ալ եկաւ ու ըսաւ. «Քաղդէացիները երեք գունդի բաժնուած՝ ուղտերուն վրայ յարձակեցան եւ զանոնք առին ու ծառաները սուրի բերնէ անցուցին։ Միայն ե՛ս ազատեցայ ու եկայ, որպէս զի քեզի պատմեմ»։
Եւ մինչդեռ նա խօսէր, այլ հրեշտակ եկն եւ ասէ ցՅոբ. [16]Ասպատակաւորք ասպատակեցին ի մեզ երեք առաջք, եւ պատեցան զուղտուքն եւ գերեցին զնոսա, եւ զմանկտին կոտորեցին սրով. ես միայն ապրեալ` եկի պատմել քեզ:

1:17: Եւ մինչդեռ նա խօսէր, ա՛յլ հրեշտակ եկն՝ եւ ասէ ցՅոբ. Ասպատակաւորք ասպատակեցին ՚ի մեզ երեք առաջք եւ պատեցան զուղտուքն՝ եւ գերեցին զնոսա, եւ զմանկտին կոտորեցին սրով. ե՛ս միայն ապրեալ՝ եկի պատմել քեզ[9075]։
[9075] Ոմանք. Եկն առ Յոբ եւ ասէ ցՈբ։
17 Եւ մինչ նա խօսում էր, մի ուրիշ պատգամաբեր եկաւ ու Յոբին ասաց. «Ասպատակներ[4] ասպատակեցին մեզ երեք խմբերով, շրջապատեցին ուղտերն ու տարան դրանք, իսկ քո ծառաներին սրով կոտորեցին: Միայն ես ազատուելով՝ եկայ քեզ պատմելու»:
[4] 4. Եբրայերէն՝ քաղդէացիք:
17 Երբ անիկա տակաւին կը խօսէր, ուրիշ մէկն ալ եկաւ ու ըսաւ. «Քաղդէացիները երեք գունդի բաժնուած՝ ուղտերուն վրայ յարձակեցան եւ զանոնք առին ու ծառաները սուրի բերնէ անցուցին։ Միայն ե՛ս ազատեցայ ու եկայ, որպէս զի քեզի պատմեմ»։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:171:17 Еще он говорил, как приходит другой и сказывает: Халдеи расположились тремя отрядами и бросились на верблюдов и взяли их, а отроков поразили острием меча; и спасся только я один, чтобы возвестить тебе.
1:17 ἔτι ετι yet; still τούτου ουτος this; he λαλοῦντος λαλεω talk; speak ἦλθεν ερχομαι come; go ἕτερος ετερος different; alternate ἄγγελος αγγελος messenger καὶ και and; even εἶπεν επω say; speak πρὸς προς to; toward Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov οἱ ο the ἱππεῖς ιππευς cavalry; rider ἐποίησαν ποιεω do; make ἡμῖν ημιν us κεφαλὰς κεφαλη head; top τρεῖς τρεις three καὶ και and; even ἐκύκλωσαν κυκλοω encircle; surround τὰς ο the καμήλους καμηλος camel καὶ και and; even ᾐχμαλώτευσαν αιχμαλωτευω capture αὐτὰς αυτος he; him καὶ και and; even τοὺς ο the παῖδας παις child; boy ἀπέκτειναν αποκτεινω kill ἐν εν in μαχαίραις μαχαιρα short sword ἐσώθην σωζω save δὲ δε though; while ἐγὼ εγω I μόνος μονος only; alone καὶ και and; even ἦλθον ερχομαι come; go τοῦ ο the ἀπαγγεῖλαί απαγγελλω report σοι σοι you
1:17 עֹ֣וד׀ ʕˈôḏ עֹוד duration זֶ֣ה zˈeh זֶה this מְדַבֵּ֗ר mᵊḏabbˈēr דבר speak וְ wᵊ וְ and זֶה֮ zeh זֶה this בָּ֣א bˈā בוא come וַ wa וְ and יֹּאמַר֒ yyōmˌar אמר say כַּשְׂדִּ֞ים kaśdˈîm כַּשְׂדִּים Chaldeans שָׂ֣מוּ׀ śˈāmû שׂים put שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה šᵊlōšˈā שָׁלֹשׁ three רָאשִׁ֗ים rāšˈîm רֹאשׁ head וַֽ wˈa וְ and יִּפְשְׁט֤וּ yyifšᵊṭˈû פשׁט strip off עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon הַ ha הַ the גְּמַלִּים֙ ggᵊmallîm גָּמָל camel וַ wa וְ and יִּקָּח֔וּם yyiqqāḥˈûm לקח take וְ wᵊ וְ and אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker] הַ ha הַ the נְּעָרִ֖ים nnᵊʕārˌîm נַעַר boy הִכּ֣וּ hikkˈû נכה strike לְ lᵊ לְ to פִי־ fî- פֶּה mouth חָ֑רֶב ḥˈārev חֶרֶב dagger וָ wā וְ and אִמָּ֨לְטָ֧ה ʔimmˌālᵊṭˈā מלט escape רַק־ raq- רַק only אֲנִ֛י ʔᵃnˈî אֲנִי i לְ lᵊ לְ to בַדִּ֖י vaddˌî בַּד linen, part, stave לְ lᵊ לְ to הַגִּ֥יד haggˌîḏ נגד report לָֽךְ׃ lˈāḵ לְ to
1:17. sed et illo adhuc loquente venit alius et dixit Chaldei fecerunt tres turmas et invaserunt camelos et tulerunt eos necnon et pueros percusserunt gladio et ego fugi solus ut nuntiarem tibiHe was yet speaking, and behold another came in, and said: Thy sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother,
17. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
1:17. And while he also was still speaking, another arrived, and he said, “The Chaldeans organized three attacks, and advanced on the camels and took them; and not only that, but they have struck the servants with the sword; and I alone fled to tell you.”
1:17. While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee:

1:17 Еще он говорил, как приходит другой и сказывает: Халдеи расположились тремя отрядами и бросились на верблюдов и взяли их, а отроков поразили острием меча; и спасся только я один, чтобы возвестить тебе.
1:17
ἔτι ετι yet; still
τούτου ουτος this; he
λαλοῦντος λαλεω talk; speak
ἦλθεν ερχομαι come; go
ἕτερος ετερος different; alternate
ἄγγελος αγγελος messenger
καὶ και and; even
εἶπεν επω say; speak
πρὸς προς to; toward
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
οἱ ο the
ἱππεῖς ιππευς cavalry; rider
ἐποίησαν ποιεω do; make
ἡμῖν ημιν us
κεφαλὰς κεφαλη head; top
τρεῖς τρεις three
καὶ και and; even
ἐκύκλωσαν κυκλοω encircle; surround
τὰς ο the
καμήλους καμηλος camel
καὶ και and; even
ᾐχμαλώτευσαν αιχμαλωτευω capture
αὐτὰς αυτος he; him
καὶ και and; even
τοὺς ο the
παῖδας παις child; boy
ἀπέκτειναν αποκτεινω kill
ἐν εν in
μαχαίραις μαχαιρα short sword
ἐσώθην σωζω save
δὲ δε though; while
ἐγὼ εγω I
μόνος μονος only; alone
καὶ και and; even
ἦλθον ερχομαι come; go
τοῦ ο the
ἀπαγγεῖλαί απαγγελλω report
σοι σοι you
1:17
עֹ֣וד׀ ʕˈôḏ עֹוד duration
זֶ֣ה zˈeh זֶה this
מְדַבֵּ֗ר mᵊḏabbˈēr דבר speak
וְ wᵊ וְ and
זֶה֮ zeh זֶה this
בָּ֣א bˈā בוא come
וַ wa וְ and
יֹּאמַר֒ yyōmˌar אמר say
כַּשְׂדִּ֞ים kaśdˈîm כַּשְׂדִּים Chaldeans
שָׂ֣מוּ׀ śˈāmû שׂים put
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה šᵊlōšˈā שָׁלֹשׁ three
רָאשִׁ֗ים rāšˈîm רֹאשׁ head
וַֽ wˈa וְ and
יִּפְשְׁט֤וּ yyifšᵊṭˈû פשׁט strip off
עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon
הַ ha הַ the
גְּמַלִּים֙ ggᵊmallîm גָּמָל camel
וַ wa וְ and
יִּקָּח֔וּם yyiqqāḥˈûm לקח take
וְ wᵊ וְ and
אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker]
הַ ha הַ the
נְּעָרִ֖ים nnᵊʕārˌîm נַעַר boy
הִכּ֣וּ hikkˈû נכה strike
לְ lᵊ לְ to
פִי־ fî- פֶּה mouth
חָ֑רֶב ḥˈārev חֶרֶב dagger
וָ וְ and
אִמָּ֨לְטָ֧ה ʔimmˌālᵊṭˈā מלט escape
רַק־ raq- רַק only
אֲנִ֛י ʔᵃnˈî אֲנִי i
לְ lᵊ לְ to
בַדִּ֖י vaddˌî בַּד linen, part, stave
לְ lᵊ לְ to
הַגִּ֥יד haggˌîḏ נגד report
לָֽךְ׃ lˈāḵ לְ to
1:17. sed et illo adhuc loquente venit alius et dixit Chaldei fecerunt tres turmas et invaserunt camelos et tulerunt eos necnon et pueros percusserunt gladio et ego fugi solus ut nuntiarem tibi
He was yet speaking, and behold another came in, and said: Thy sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother,
1:17. And while he also was still speaking, another arrived, and he said, “The Chaldeans organized three attacks, and advanced on the camels and took them; and not only that, but they have struck the servants with the sword; and I alone fled to tell you.”
1:17. While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
17. Имя халдеев (древневавилонское "Kashdu", позднейшее "Kardu" и "Kaldu", откуда греческое "Сaldaioi") усвояется народности, населявшей местность между Евфратом и Аравийской пустыней, от Борзиппы на севере до Персидского залива на юге, а также устья Тигра и Евфрата. Оно сохранено в трех древнебиблейских выражениях: Ур Xалдейский, (Ur Kashdim), Арфаксад (Arpakeshad) и Кесед (Быт XXII:22). Достоверность сказания о разбойничьих набегах Xалдеев на восточно-заиорданскую сторону подтверждается свидетельством так называемых Телль-Амарнских надписей о существовании деятельных сношений между Месопотамией и всей Палестиной в патриархальный период.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:17: The Chaldeans made out three bands - The Chaldeans inhabited each side of the Euphrates near to Babylon, which was their capital. They were also mixed with the wandering Arabs, and lived like them on rapine. They were the descendants of Chesed, son of Nahor and brother of Huz, from whom they had their name Casdim, which we translate Chaldeans. They divided themselves into three bands, in order the more speedily and effectually to encompass, collect, and drive off the three thousand camels: probably they mounted the camels and rode off.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:17: The Chaldeans - The Septuagint translates this, αἱ ἱππεῖς hai hippeis), "the horsemen." Why they thus expressed it is unknown. It may be possible that the Chaldeans were supposed to be distinguished as horsemen, and were principally known as such in their predatory excursions. But it is impossible to account for all the changes made by the Septuagint in the text. Tho Syriac and the Chaldee render it correctly, "Chaldeans." The Chaldeans (Hebrew כשׂדים kaś dı̂ ym) were the ancient inhabitants of Babylonia. According to Vitringa (Commentary in isa tom. i. p. 412, c. xiii. 19), Gesenius (Commentary zu Isa 23:13), and Rosenmailer (Bib. Geog. 1, 2, p. 36ff), the Chaldees or Casdim were a warlike people who orignally inhabited the Carduchian mountains, north of Assyria, and the northern part of Mesopotamia. According to Xenophon (Cyrop. iii. 2, 7) the Chaldees dwelt in the mountains adjacent to Armenia and they were found in the same region in the campaign of the younger Cyrus, and the retreat of the ten thousand Greeks. Xen. Anaba. iv. 3, 4; v. 5, 9; viii. 8, 14.
They were allied to the Hebrews, as appears from Gen 22:22, where כשׂד keś ed (whence "Kasdim") the ancestor of the people is mentioned as a son of Nabor, and was consequently the nephew of Abraham. And further, Abraham himself emigrated to Canaan from Ur of the Chaldees כשׂדים אוּר 'û r kaś dı̂ ym, "Ur of the Kasdim"), Gen 11:28; and in Judith 5:6, the Hebrews themselves are said to be descended from the Chaldeans. The region around the river Chaboras, in the northern part of Mesopotamia, is called by Ezekiel Eze 1:3 "the land of the Chaldeans;" Jeremiah Jer 5:15 calls them "an ancient nation;" see the notes at Isa 23:13. The Chaldeans were a fierce and warlike people, and when they were subdued by the Assyrians, a portion of them appear to have been placed in Babylon to ward off the incursions of the neighboring Arabians. In time "they" gained the ascendency over their Assyrian masters, and grew into the mighty empire of Chaldea or Babylonia. A part of them, however, appear to have remained in their ancient country, and enjoyed under the Persians some degree of liberty. Gesenius supposes that the Kurds who have inhabited those regions, at least since the middle ages, are probably the descendants of that people. - A very vivid and graphic description of the Chaldeans is given by the prophet Habakkuk, which will serve to illustrate the passage before us, and show that they retained until his times the predatory and fierce character which they had in the days of Job; -11 :
For lo I raise up the Chaldeans,
A bitter and hasty nation,
Which marches far and wide in the earth.
To possess the dwellings which are not theirs.
They are terrible and dreadful,
Their judgments proceed only from themselves.
Swifter titan leopards are their horses,
And fiercer than the evening wolves.
Their horsemen prance proudly around;
And their horsemen shall come from afar and fly,
Like the eagle when he pounces on his prey.
They all shall come for violence,
In troops their glance is ever forward!
They gather captives like the sand!
And they scoff at kings,
And princes are a scorn unto them.
They deride every strong hold;
They cast up mounds of - earth and take it.
This warlike people ultimately obtained the ascendency in the Assyrian empire. About the year 597 B. C. Nabopolassar, a viceroy in Babylon, made himself independent of Assyria, contracted an alliance with Cyaxares, king of Media, and with his aid subdued Nineveh, and the whole of Assyria. From that time the Babylonian empire rose, and the history of the Chaldeans becomes the history of Babylon. - "Rob. Calmet." In the time of Job, however, they were a predatory race that seem to have wandered far for the sake of plunder. They came from the North, or the East, as the Sabeans came from the South.
Made out three bands - literally, "three heads." That is, they divided tbemselves, for the sake of plunder, into three parties. Perhaps the three thousand camels of Job occupied three places remote from each other, and the object of the speaker is to say that the whole were taken.
And fell upon the camels - Margin, "And rushed." The word is different from that which in is rendered "fell." The word used here פשׁט pâ shaṭ means to spread out, to expand. It is spoken of hostile troops, Ch1 14:9, Ch1 14:13; of locusts which spread over a country, Nah 3:15; and of an army or company of marauders. Jdg 9:33, Jdg 9:44; Sa1 27:8. This is its sense here.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:17: The Chaldeans: Gen 11:28; Isa 23:13; Hab 1:6
fell: Heb. rushed
I only am: Job 1:15; Sa2 1:3
Job 1:18
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:17
The Third Messenger:
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans ranged themselves in three bands, and rushed upon the camels, and carried them away, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Without any authority, Ewald sees in this mention of the Chaldeans an indication of the composition of the book in the seventh century b.c., when the Chaldeans under Nabopolassar began to inherit the Assyrian power. Following Ewald, Renan observes that the Chaldeans first appear as such marauders about the time of Uzziah. But in Genesis we find mention of early Semitic Chaldeans among the mountain ranges lying to the north of Assyria and Mesopotamia; and later, Nahor Chaldeans of Mesopotamia, whose existence is traced back to the patriarchal times (vid., Genesis, p. 422),
(Note: This reference is to Delitzsch's Commentar ber die Genesis, 1860, a separate work from the Keil and Delitzsch series. - Tr.)
and who were powerful enough at any time to make a raid into Idumaea. To make an attack divided into several ראשׁים, heads, multitudes, bands (two - Gen. Job 14:15; three - Judg 7:16, 1Kings 11:11; or four - Judg. Job 9:34), is an ancient military stratagem; and פּשׁט, e.g., Judg 9:33, is the proper word for attacks of such bands, either for plunder or revenge. In לפי־חרב, at the edge of the sword, l'epe, ל is like the usual acc. of manner.
John Gill
1:17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another,.... Another messenger from another part of Job's possessions, where his camels were, and this before the last messenger had told his story out:
and said, the Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away; these were the 3000 camels, as in Job 1:3 and perhaps they were in three separate companies and places, 1000 in each, and therefore the Chaldeans divided themselves into three bands; or "appointed three heads" (f), as it may be rendered; there were three bodies of them under so many leaders and commanders, and this was done, that they might the more easily take them; and they "diffused or spread themselves" (g), as the word signifies, upon or about the camels; they surrounded them on all sides, or otherwise, these being swift creatures, would have run away from them: these Chaldeans or Chasdim were the descendants of Chesed, a son of Nahor, who was brother to Abraham, Gen 22:20, who settled in the east country, not far from Job: and this agrees with the character that Xenophon (h) gives of the Chaldeans, at least some of them, in later times; that they lived upon robbing and plundering others, having no knowledge of agriculture, but got their bread by force of arms; and such as these Satan could easily instigate to come and carry off Job's camels:
yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword, and I only am escaped alone to tell thee; See Gill on Job 1:15.
(f) "posuerunt tria capita", Montanus, Bolducius, Schmidt; "duces", Pagninus, Vatablus. (g) "et diffuderunt se", Mercerus, Schmidt "effuderunt se", Cocceius. (h) Cyropaedia, l. 3. c. 11.
John Wesley
1:17 Chaldeans - Who also lived upon spoil, as Xenephon and others observe.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:17 Chaldeans--not merely robbers as the Sabeans; but experienced in war, as is implied by "they set in array three bands" (Hab 1:6-8). RAWLINSON distinguishes three periods: 1. When their seat of empire was in the south, towards the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. The Chaldean period, from 2300 B.C. to 1500 B.C. In this period was Chedorlaomer (Gen 14:1), the Kudur of Hur or Ur of the Chaldees, in the Assyrian inscriptions, and the conqueror of Syria. 2. From 1500 to 625 B.C., the Assyrian period. 3. From 625 to 538 B.C. (when Cyrus the Persian took Babylon), the Babylonian period. "Chaldees" in Hebrew--Chasaim. They were akin, perhaps, to the Hebrews, as Abraham's sojourn in Ur, and the name "Chesed," a nephew of Abraham, imply. The three bands were probably in order to attack the three separate thousands of Job's camels (Job 1:3).
1:181:18: Եւ մինչդեռ նա խօսէր՝ ա՛յլ հրեշտակ գայր եւ ասէր ցՅոբ. Մինչդեռ ուստերքն քո, եւ դստերք ուտէին եւ ըմպէին առ երիցու եղբօրն իւրեանց՝
18 Եւ մինչ նա խօսում էր, մի ուրիշ պատգամաբեր եկաւ ու Յոբին ասաց. «Մինչ քո տղաներն ու աղջիկներն իրենց աւագ եղբօր մօտ ուտում-խմում էին,
18 Երբ անիկա տակաւին կը խօսէր, ուրիշ մէկն ալ եկաւ ու ըսաւ. «Երբ տղաքդ ու աղջիկներդ իրենց մեծ եղբօրը տանը մէջ կ’ուտէին ու գինի կը խմէին,
Եւ մինչդեռ նա խօսէր, այլ հրեշտակ գայր եւ ասէր ցՅոբ. Մինչդեռ ուստերքն քո եւ դստերք ուտէին եւ ըմպէին առ երիցու եղբօրն իւրեանց:

1:18: Եւ մինչդեռ նա խօսէր՝ ա՛յլ հրեշտակ գայր եւ ասէր ցՅոբ. Մինչդեռ ուստերքն քո, եւ դստերք ուտէին եւ ըմպէին առ երիցու եղբօրն իւրեանց՝
18 Եւ մինչ նա խօսում էր, մի ուրիշ պատգամաբեր եկաւ ու Յոբին ասաց. «Մինչ քո տղաներն ու աղջիկներն իրենց աւագ եղբօր մօտ ուտում-խմում էին,
18 Երբ անիկա տակաւին կը խօսէր, ուրիշ մէկն ալ եկաւ ու ըսաւ. «Երբ տղաքդ ու աղջիկներդ իրենց մեծ եղբօրը տանը մէջ կ’ուտէին ու գինի կը խմէին,
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:181:18 Еще этот говорил, приходит другой и сказывает: сыновья твои и дочери твои ели и вино пили в доме первородного брата своего;
1:18 ἔτι ετι yet; still τούτου ουτος this; he λαλοῦντος λαλεω talk; speak ἄλλος αλλος another; else ἄγγελος αγγελος messenger ἔρχεται ερχομαι come; go λέγων λεγω tell; declare τῷ ο the Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov τῶν ο the υἱῶν υιος son σου σου of you; your καὶ και and; even τῶν ο the θυγατέρων θυγατηρ daughter σου σου of you; your ἐσθιόντων εσθιω eat; consume καὶ και and; even πινόντων πινω drink παρὰ παρα from; by τῷ ο the ἀδελφῷ αδελφος brother αὐτῶν αυτος he; him τῷ ο the πρεσβυτέρῳ πρεσβυτερος senior; older
1:18 עַ֚ד ˈʕaḏ עַד unto זֶ֣ה zˈeh זֶה this מְדַבֵּ֔ר mᵊḏabbˈēr דבר speak וְ wᵊ וְ and זֶ֖ה zˌeh זֶה this בָּ֣א bˈā בוא come וַ wa וְ and יֹּאמַ֑ר yyōmˈar אמר say בָּנֶ֨יךָ bānˌeʸḵā בֵּן son וּ û וְ and בְנֹותֶ֤יךָ vᵊnôṯˈeʸḵā בַּת daughter אֹֽכְלִים֙ ʔˈōḵᵊlîm אכל eat וְ wᵊ וְ and שֹׁתִ֣ים šōṯˈîm שׁתה drink יַ֔יִן yˈayin יַיִן wine בְּ bᵊ בְּ in בֵ֖ית vˌêṯ בַּיִת house אֲחִיהֶ֥ם ʔᵃḥîhˌem אָח brother הַ ha הַ the בְּכֹֽור׃ bbᵊḵˈôr בְּכֹר first-born
1:18. loquebatur ille et ecce alius intravit et dixit filiis tuis et filiabus vescentibus et bibentibus vinum in domo fratris sui primogenitiHe was yet speaking, and behold another came in, and said: Thy sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother,
18. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
1:18. He was still speaking, and behold, another entered, and he said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine in the house of their first-born brother,
1:18. While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother' s house:

1:18 Еще этот говорил, приходит другой и сказывает: сыновья твои и дочери твои ели и вино пили в доме первородного брата своего;
1:18
ἔτι ετι yet; still
τούτου ουτος this; he
λαλοῦντος λαλεω talk; speak
ἄλλος αλλος another; else
ἄγγελος αγγελος messenger
ἔρχεται ερχομαι come; go
λέγων λεγω tell; declare
τῷ ο the
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
τῶν ο the
υἱῶν υιος son
σου σου of you; your
καὶ και and; even
τῶν ο the
θυγατέρων θυγατηρ daughter
σου σου of you; your
ἐσθιόντων εσθιω eat; consume
καὶ και and; even
πινόντων πινω drink
παρὰ παρα from; by
τῷ ο the
ἀδελφῷ αδελφος brother
αὐτῶν αυτος he; him
τῷ ο the
πρεσβυτέρῳ πρεσβυτερος senior; older
1:18
עַ֚ד ˈʕaḏ עַד unto
זֶ֣ה zˈeh זֶה this
מְדַבֵּ֔ר mᵊḏabbˈēr דבר speak
וְ wᵊ וְ and
זֶ֖ה zˌeh זֶה this
בָּ֣א bˈā בוא come
וַ wa וְ and
יֹּאמַ֑ר yyōmˈar אמר say
בָּנֶ֨יךָ bānˌeʸḵā בֵּן son
וּ û וְ and
בְנֹותֶ֤יךָ vᵊnôṯˈeʸḵā בַּת daughter
אֹֽכְלִים֙ ʔˈōḵᵊlîm אכל eat
וְ wᵊ וְ and
שֹׁתִ֣ים šōṯˈîm שׁתה drink
יַ֔יִן yˈayin יַיִן wine
בְּ bᵊ בְּ in
בֵ֖ית vˌêṯ בַּיִת house
אֲחִיהֶ֥ם ʔᵃḥîhˌem אָח brother
הַ ha הַ the
בְּכֹֽור׃ bbᵊḵˈôr בְּכֹר first-born
1:18. loquebatur ille et ecce alius intravit et dixit filiis tuis et filiabus vescentibus et bibentibus vinum in domo fratris sui primogeniti
He was yet speaking, and behold another came in, and said: Thy sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother,
1:18. He was still speaking, and behold, another entered, and he said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine in the house of their first-born brother,
1:18. While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jg▾ gnv▾ kad▾ tr▾ ab▾ all ▾
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:18: Eating and drinking wine - ; the notes at , .
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:18: there came: Job 6:2, Job 6:3, Job 16:14, Job 19:9, Job 19:10, Job 23:2; Isa 28:19; Jer 51:31; Lam 1:12; Amo 4:6-11
Thy sons: Job 1:4, Job 1:13, Job 8:4, Job 27:14; Psa 34:19; Ecc 9:2
eating: Sa2 13:28
Job 1:19
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:18
The Fourth Messenger:
18 While he was yet speaking, another also came, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: and, behold, a great wind came across from the desert, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Instead of עוד, we have עד here: the former denotes continuity in time, the latter continuity in space, and they may be interchanged. עד in the signif. "while" is here construed with the participle, as Neh 7:3; comp. other constructions, Job 8:21; 1Kings 14:19; Jon 4:2. "From the other side of the desert" is equivalent to, from its farthest end. הנּערים are the youthful sons and daughters of Job, according to the epicene use of נער in the Pentateuch (youths and maidens). In one day Job is now bereft of everything which he accounted the gift of Jehovah, - his herds, and with these his servants, which he not only prizes as property, but for whom he has also a tender heart (Job 31); last of all, even his dearest ones, his children. Satan has summoned the elements and men for the destruction of Job's possessions by repeated strokes. That men and nations can be excited by Satan to hostile enterprises, is nothing surprising (cf. Rev_ 20:8); but here, even the fire of God and the hurricane are attributed to him. Is this poetry or truth? Luther, in the Larger Catechism, question 4, says the same: "The devil causes strife, murder, rebellion, and war, also thunder and lightning, and hail, to destroy corn and cattle, to poison the atmosphere," etc., - a passage of our creed often ridiculed by rationalism; but it is correct if understood in accordance with Scripture, and not superstitiously. As among men, so in nature, since the Fall two different powers of divine anger and divine love are in operation: the mingling of these is the essence of the present Kosmos. Everything destructive to nature, and everything arising therefrom which is dangerous and fatal to the life of man, is the outward manifestation of the power of anger. In this power Satan has fortified himself; and this, which underlies the whole course of nature, he is able to make use of, so far as God may permit it as being subservient to His chief design (comp. Rev_ 13:13 with Th2 2:9). He has no creative power. Fire and storm, by means of which he works, are of God; but he is allowed to excite these forces to hostility against man, just as he himself is become an instrument of evil. It is similar with human demonocracy, whose very being consists in placing itself en rapport with the hidden powers of nature. Satan is the great juggler, and has already manifested himself as such, even in paradise and in the temptation of Jesus Christ. There is in nature, as among men, an entanglement of contrary forces which he knows how to unloose, because it is the sphere of his special dominion; for the whole course of nature, in the change of its phenomena, is subject not only to abstract laws, but also to concrete supernatural powers, both bad and good.
Geneva 1599
1:18 While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy (z) sons and thy daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
(z) This last plague declares that when one plague is past which seems hard to bear, God can send us another far more grievous, to try his and teach them obedience.
John Gill
1:18 While he was yet speaking, there came another,.... A servant of one of Job's sons, who was in waiting at the feast before mentioned, and here again repeated:
and said, thy sons and thy daughters were eating, and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; See Gill on Job 1:13.
1:191:19: յանկարծակի հո՛ղմն մեծ եկն յանապատէ՝ եւ եհա՛ր զչորեսին անկիւնս տանն, եւ անկաւ տունն ՚ի վերայ որդւոցն քոց՝ եւ վախճանեցան. ե՛ս միայն ապրեալ՝ եկի պատմել քեզ։
19 անապատից յանկարծակի սաստիկ հողմ փչեց ու խփեց տան չորս անկիւններին. տունը փլուեց քո զաւակների վրայ, ու նրանք վախճանուեցին: Միայն ես ազատուելով՝ եկայ քեզ պատմելու»:
19 Ահա անապատէն մեծ հով մը եկաւ ու այնպէս զարկաւ տանը, որ անոնց վրայ փլաւ ու անոնք մեռան։ Միայն ե՛ս ազատեցայ ու եկայ, որպէս զի քեզի պատմեմ»։
յանկարծակի հողմն մեծ եկն յանապատէ եւ եհար զչորեսին անկիւնս տանն, եւ անկաւ տունն ի վերայ որդւոցն քոց եւ վախճանեցան. ես միայն ապրեալ` եկի պատմել քեզ:

1:19: յանկարծակի հո՛ղմն մեծ եկն յանապատէ՝ եւ եհա՛ր զչորեսին անկիւնս տանն, եւ անկաւ տունն ՚ի վերայ որդւոցն քոց՝ եւ վախճանեցան. ե՛ս միայն ապրեալ՝ եկի պատմել քեզ։
19 անապատից յանկարծակի սաստիկ հողմ փչեց ու խփեց տան չորս անկիւններին. տունը փլուեց քո զաւակների վրայ, ու նրանք վախճանուեցին: Միայն ես ազատուելով՝ եկայ քեզ պատմելու»:
19 Ահա անապատէն մեծ հով մը եկաւ ու այնպէս զարկաւ տանը, որ անոնց վրայ փլաւ ու անոնք մեռան։ Միայն ե՛ս ազատեցայ ու եկայ, որպէս զի քեզի պատմեմ»։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:191:19 и вот, большой ветер пришел от пустыни и охватил четыре угла дома, и дом упал на отроков, и они умерли; и спасся только я один, чтобы возвестить тебе.
1:19 ἐξαίφνης εξαιφνης all of a sudden πνεῦμα πνευμα spirit; wind μέγα μεγας great; loud ἐπῆλθεν επερχομαι come on / against ἐκ εκ from; out of τῆς ο the ἐρήμου ερημος lonesome; wilderness καὶ και and; even ἥψατο απτομαι grasp; touch τῶν ο the τεσσάρων τεσσαρες four γωνιῶν γωνια corner τῆς ο the οἰκίας οικια house; household καὶ και and; even ἔπεσεν πιπτω fall ἡ ο the οἰκία οικια house; household ἐπὶ επι in; on τὰ ο the παιδία παιδιον toddler; little child σου σου of you; your καὶ και and; even ἐτελεύτησαν τελευταω meet an end ἐσώθην σωζω save δὲ δε though; while ἐγὼ εγω I μόνος μονος only; alone καὶ και and; even ἦλθον ερχομαι come; go τοῦ ο the ἀπαγγεῖλαί απαγγελλω report σοι σοι you
1:19 וְ wᵊ וְ and הִנֵּה֩ hinnˌē הִנֵּה behold ר֨וּחַ rˌûₐḥ רוּחַ wind גְּדֹולָ֜ה gᵊḏôlˈā גָּדֹול great בָּ֣אָה׀ bˈāʔā בוא come מֵ mē מִן from עֵ֣בֶר ʕˈēver עֵבֶר opposite הַ ha הַ the מִּדְבָּ֗ר mmiḏbˈār מִדְבָּר desert וַ wa וְ and יִּגַּע֙ yyiggˌaʕ נגע touch בְּ bᵊ בְּ in אַרְבַּע֙ ʔarbˌaʕ אַרְבַּע four פִּנֹּ֣ות pinnˈôṯ פִּנָּה corner הַ ha הַ the בַּ֔יִת bbˈayiṯ בַּיִת house וַ wa וְ and יִּפֹּ֥ל yyippˌōl נפל fall עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon הַ ha הַ the נְּעָרִ֖ים nnᵊʕārˌîm נַעַר boy וַ wa וְ and יָּמ֑וּתוּ yyāmˈûṯû מות die וָ wā וְ and אִמָּ֨לְטָ֧ה ʔimmˌālᵊṭˈā מלט escape רַק־ raq- רַק only אֲנִ֛י ʔᵃnˈî אֲנִי i לְ lᵊ לְ to בַדִּ֖י vaddˌî בַּד linen, part, stave לְ lᵊ לְ to הַגִּ֥יד haggˌîḏ נגד report לָֽךְ׃ lˈāḵ לְ to
1:19. repente ventus vehemens inruit a regione deserti et concussit quattuor angulos domus quae corruens oppressit liberos tuos et mortui sunt et effugi ego solus ut nuntiarem tibiA violent wind came on a sudden from the side of the desert, and shook the four corners of the house, and it fell upon thy children, and they are dead: and I alone have escaped to tell thee.
19. and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
1:19. when suddenly a severe wind rushed forth from a region of the desert and shook the four corners of the house, which collapsed and crushed your children, and they are dead; and I alone escaped to tell you.”
1:19. And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee:

1:19 и вот, большой ветер пришел от пустыни и охватил четыре угла дома, и дом упал на отроков, и они умерли; и спасся только я один, чтобы возвестить тебе.
1:19
ἐξαίφνης εξαιφνης all of a sudden
πνεῦμα πνευμα spirit; wind
μέγα μεγας great; loud
ἐπῆλθεν επερχομαι come on / against
ἐκ εκ from; out of
τῆς ο the
ἐρήμου ερημος lonesome; wilderness
καὶ και and; even
ἥψατο απτομαι grasp; touch
τῶν ο the
τεσσάρων τεσσαρες four
γωνιῶν γωνια corner
τῆς ο the
οἰκίας οικια house; household
καὶ και and; even
ἔπεσεν πιπτω fall
ο the
οἰκία οικια house; household
ἐπὶ επι in; on
τὰ ο the
παιδία παιδιον toddler; little child
σου σου of you; your
καὶ και and; even
ἐτελεύτησαν τελευταω meet an end
ἐσώθην σωζω save
δὲ δε though; while
ἐγὼ εγω I
μόνος μονος only; alone
καὶ και and; even
ἦλθον ερχομαι come; go
τοῦ ο the
ἀπαγγεῖλαί απαγγελλω report
σοι σοι you
1:19
וְ wᵊ וְ and
הִנֵּה֩ hinnˌē הִנֵּה behold
ר֨וּחַ rˌûₐḥ רוּחַ wind
גְּדֹולָ֜ה gᵊḏôlˈā גָּדֹול great
בָּ֣אָה׀ bˈāʔā בוא come
מֵ מִן from
עֵ֣בֶר ʕˈēver עֵבֶר opposite
הַ ha הַ the
מִּדְבָּ֗ר mmiḏbˈār מִדְבָּר desert
וַ wa וְ and
יִּגַּע֙ yyiggˌaʕ נגע touch
בְּ bᵊ בְּ in
אַרְבַּע֙ ʔarbˌaʕ אַרְבַּע four
פִּנֹּ֣ות pinnˈôṯ פִּנָּה corner
הַ ha הַ the
בַּ֔יִת bbˈayiṯ בַּיִת house
וַ wa וְ and
יִּפֹּ֥ל yyippˌōl נפל fall
עַל־ ʕal- עַל upon
הַ ha הַ the
נְּעָרִ֖ים nnᵊʕārˌîm נַעַר boy
וַ wa וְ and
יָּמ֑וּתוּ yyāmˈûṯû מות die
וָ וְ and
אִמָּ֨לְטָ֧ה ʔimmˌālᵊṭˈā מלט escape
רַק־ raq- רַק only
אֲנִ֛י ʔᵃnˈî אֲנִי i
לְ lᵊ לְ to
בַדִּ֖י vaddˌî בַּד linen, part, stave
לְ lᵊ לְ to
הַגִּ֥יד haggˌîḏ נגד report
לָֽךְ׃ lˈāḵ לְ to
1:19. repente ventus vehemens inruit a regione deserti et concussit quattuor angulos domus quae corruens oppressit liberos tuos et mortui sunt et effugi ego solus ut nuntiarem tibi
A violent wind came on a sudden from the side of the desert, and shook the four corners of the house, and it fell upon thy children, and they are dead: and I alone have escaped to tell thee.
1:19. when suddenly a severe wind rushed forth from a region of the desert and shook the four corners of the house, which collapsed and crushed your children, and they are dead; and I alone escaped to tell you.”
1:19. And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
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Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:19: A great wind from the wilderness - Here was another proof of the influence of the prince of the power of the air. What mischief might he not do with this tremendous agent, were he not constantly under the control of the Almighty! He seems to have directed four different currents, which, blowing against the four corners or sides of the house, crushed it together, and involved all within in one common ruin.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:19: There came a great wind - Such tornadoes are not less common in Oriental countries than in the United States. Indeed they abound more in regions near the equator than they do in those which are more remote; in hot countries than in those of higher latitude.
From the wilderness - Margin, "From aside." That is, from aside the wilderness. The word here rendered "from aside" in the margin (מדבר mı̂ dbâ r ) means properly "from across," and is so rendered by Dr. Good. The word עבר ‛ â bar means literally a region or country beyond, or on the other side, sc. of a river or a sea, which one must "pass;" Jdg 11:18; Gen 2:10-11; Deu 1:1, Deu 1:5. Then it means on the other side, or beyond; see the notes at Isa 18:1. Here it means that the tornado came sweeping across the desert. On the ample plains of Arabia it would have the opportunity of accumulating its desolating power, and would sweep everything before it. The Hebrew word here rendered "wilderness," מדבר mı̂ dbâ r, does not express exactly what is denoted by our word. We mean by it usually, a region wholly uncultivated, covered with forests, and the habitation of wild beasts. The Hebrew word more properly denotes a "desert;" an uninhabited region, a sterile, sandy country, though sometimes adapted to pasture. In many places the word would be well translated by the phrases "open fields," or "open plains;" compare Joe 2:22; Psa 65:13; Jer 23:10; Isa 42:11; Gen 14:6; Gen 16:7; Exo 3:1; Exo 13:18; Deu 11:24; compare Isa 32:15; Isa 35:1-2.
And smote the four corners of the house - Came as a tornado usually does, or like a whirlwind. It seemed to come from all points of the compass, and prostrated everything before it.
And it fell upon the young men - The word here rendered" young men" is the same which is rendered in , , servants הנערים hana‛ arı̂ ym. There can be no reasonable doubt, however, that the messenger by the word here refers to the children of Job. It is remarkable that his daughters are not particularly specified, but they may be included in the word used here נערים na‛ arı̂ ym, which may be the same in signification as our phrase "young people," including both sexes. So it is rendered by Etchhorn: Es sturtzo tiber den jungen Leuten zusammen.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:19: a great: Jer 4:11, Jer 4:12; Eph 2:2
from: Heb. from aside, etc
it fell: Jdg 16:30; Kg1 20:30; Mat 7:27; Luk 13:1-5; Act 28:4
they are dead: Gen 37:32, Gen 37:33, Gen 42:36; Sa2 18:33
Job 1:20
John Gill
1:19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness,.... Most probably from the wilderness of Arabia, winds from such places being generally very strong, Jer 4:11 as this was, and is called a "great one", a very strong and blustering one; and being so, and because of the effects of it, and being an uncommon and extraordinary one, as what follows shows, a "behold" is prefixed to the account, exciting attention and wonder:
and smote the four corners of the house; which shows it to be an unusual wind, it blowing from all parts and on all sides; and was either a whirlwind, which whirled about this house; or Satan, with his posse of devils with him, took the advantage of the sweep of it, as it came by this house, and with all their force and strength, might and main, whirled it about it; otherwise Satan has no power to raise winds, and allay them at pleasure; God only creates them, holds them in his fists, and brings them out of his treasures; and this wind blowing from the desert, the devil and his angels took the opportunity, and with such violence whirled it about the house that it fell, as follows:
and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; not upon Job's sons only, but upon his daughters also, the word used takes in both; and Mr. Broughton renders it, "and it fell upon the young folk"; this was the sorest affliction of all, and which Satan reserved to the last, that if the others did not succeed to his wish, this might; and a very trying, grievous one it was, to lose all his children at once in such a manner, and at such a time; his children, which were parts of himself, whom he had taken so much care of in their education, who had been as olive plants about his table, and now brought up to men's and women's estates, comfortably settled in the world, and living in great peace and harmony among themselves, and not one of them left to comfort him under his other afflictions; and these taken away not by any distemper of body, which would have prepared him for the stroke, but by a violent death; and which had the appearance of the hand and judgment, wrath and vengeance of God; and while they were feasting together in mirth and gaiety, however innocent, and not in a serious frame of spirit, or having any serious turn upon their minds for death and eternity, of which they had no thought; had they been in the house of God attending religious worship, or though in their own houses, yet either in their closets praying, or else conversing about spiritual things, with one another, it would have greatly taken off of the affliction; but to be snatched into eternity at once, and in this manner, must be cutting to Job; though there is no reason to think that this was for any sin of theirs, or through any displeasure of God to them, but was permitted purely on Job's account, for the trial of his faith, patience, sincerity, and integrity; and here, as in the former instances, only one servant was spared to bring the sad tidings:
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee; so that all the servants in the house, excepting this, perished in the ruins of it, as well as Job's sons and daughters; see Gill on Job 1:15. It is a notion of some Jewish writers, as Simeon bar Tzemach observes, that each of these messengers, as soon as they had delivered their message, died, and so all that Job had was delivered into the hands of Satan, and nothing left; but this seems contrary to Job 19:16. It may be observed that Aristeas, an Heathen writer, as quoted by Alexander Polyhistor (i), another Heathen writer, gives an account of each of these calamities of Job, just in the same order in which they are here. It may be observed from all this, that no character ever so great and high can secure persons from afflictions, even grievous ones; Job had an high and honourable character given and confirmed by God himself, yet so sorely afflicted; and let men be the beloved of God, his chosen and precious, his covenant people, the redeemed of the Lamb, righteous and godly persons, the sons and heirs of God, yet neither nor all of these exempt them from afflictions; and those that befall them are many, frequent, and continued, and come from different quarters, from men good and bad, and from devils, and all by the permission and according to the will of God. And this shows us the uncertainty of all outward enjoyments, gold, silver, cattle, houses, lands, children, friends and relations, all perishing, and sometimes suddenly taken away: and it may be observed, among all Job's losses, he did not lose anything of a spiritual nature, not one spiritual blessing; though he lost all his outward mercies, yet not the God of his mercies; not his covenant interest in him, nor his share in his love, favour, and acceptance, which all still continued; he did not lose his interest in a living Redeemer; his children were all dead, but his Redeemer lived, and he knew it; he did not lose the principle of grace in him, the root of the matter was still with him; nor anyone particular grace, not his faith and confidence in God, nor his hope of eternal life, nor his love and affection to God, and desire after him; nor his patience and humility; nor his integrity, faithfulness, and honesty, which he retained and held fast; nor any of his spiritual riches, which are durable; he had riches in heaven, where thieves cannot break through and steal, a better and a more enduring substance there, an inheritance incorruptible, reserved in the heavens his conduct under all this follows.
(i) Apud. Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 25. p. 431.
John Wesley
1:19 The young men - This was the greatest of Job's losses, and therefore Satan reserved it to the last, that if the other provocations failed, this might make him curse God. They died by a wind of the devils raising, but which seemed to be the immediate hand of God. And they were taken away, when he had the most need of them, to comfort him under all his other losses. Such miserable comforters are creatures: in God we have a constant and sufficient help.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:19 a great wind from the wilderness--south of Job's house. The tornado came the more violently over the desert, being uninterrupted (Is 21:1; Hos 13:15).
the young men--rather, "the young people"; including the daughters (so in Ruth 2:21).
1:201:20: Ապա յարուցեալ Յոբ՝ պատառեաց զհանդերձս իւր, եւ կտրեաց զվարսս գլխոյ իւրոյ. եւ անկեալ ՚ի գետին երկի՛ր եպագ Տեառն,
20 Ապա Յոբը վեր կացաւ, պատառոտեց իր հագուստները, կտրեց իր գլխի մազերը եւ գետին փռուելով՝ երկրպագեց Տիրոջն ու ասաց.
20 Այն ատեն Յոբ ելաւ, իր պատմուճանը պատռեց եւ գլխուն մազերը կտրեց ու գետինը իյնալով երկրպագութիւն ըրաւ
Ապա յարուցեալ Յոբ պատառեաց զհանդերձս իւր, եւ կտրեաց զվարսս գլխոյ իւրոյ, եւ անկեալ ի գետին երկիր եպագ Տեառն:

1:20: Ապա յարուցեալ Յոբ՝ պատառեաց զհանդերձս իւր, եւ կտրեաց զվարսս գլխոյ իւրոյ. եւ անկեալ ՚ի գետին երկի՛ր եպագ Տեառն,
20 Ապա Յոբը վեր կացաւ, պատառոտեց իր հագուստները, կտրեց իր գլխի մազերը եւ գետին փռուելով՝ երկրպագեց Տիրոջն ու ասաց.
20 Այն ատեն Յոբ ելաւ, իր պատմուճանը պատռեց եւ գլխուն մազերը կտրեց ու գետինը իյնալով երկրպագութիւն ըրաւ
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1:201:20 Тогда Иов встал и разодрал верхнюю одежду свою, остриг голову свою и пал на землю и поклонился
1:20 οὕτως ουτως so; this way ἀναστὰς ανιστημι stand up; resurrect Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov διέρρηξεν διαρρηγνυμι rend; tear τὰ ο the ἱμάτια ιματιον clothing; clothes αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him καὶ και and; even ἐκείρατο κειρω shear; crop τὴν ο the κόμην κομη hairstyle τῆς ο the κεφαλῆς κεφαλη head; top αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him καὶ και and; even πεσὼν πιπτω fall χαμαὶ χαμαι on the ground προσεκύνησεν προσκυνεω worship καὶ και and; even εἶπεν επω say; speak
1:20 וַ wa וְ and יָּ֤קָם yyˈāqom קום arise אִיֹּוב֙ ʔiyyôv אִיֹּוב Job וַ wa וְ and יִּקְרַ֣ע yyiqrˈaʕ קרע tear אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker] מְעִלֹ֔ו mᵊʕilˈô מְעִיל coat וַ wa וְ and יָּ֖גָז yyˌāḡoz גזז shear אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker] רֹאשֹׁ֑ו rōšˈô רֹאשׁ head וַ wa וְ and יִּפֹּ֥ל yyippˌōl נפל fall אַ֖רְצָה ʔˌarṣā אֶרֶץ earth וַ wa וְ and יִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃ yyištˈāḥû חוה bow down
1:20. tunc surrexit Iob et scidit tunicam suam et tonso capite corruens in terram adoravitThen Job rose up, and rent his garments, and having shaven his head, fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
20. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped;
1:20. Then Job got up and tore his garments, and, having shaved his head, he collapsed on the ground, and worshipped,
1:20. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped:

1:20 Тогда Иов встал и разодрал верхнюю одежду свою, остриг голову свою и пал на землю и поклонился
1:20
οὕτως ουτως so; this way
ἀναστὰς ανιστημι stand up; resurrect
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
διέρρηξεν διαρρηγνυμι rend; tear
τὰ ο the
ἱμάτια ιματιον clothing; clothes
αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him
καὶ και and; even
ἐκείρατο κειρω shear; crop
τὴν ο the
κόμην κομη hairstyle
τῆς ο the
κεφαλῆς κεφαλη head; top
αὐτοῦ αυτος he; him
καὶ και and; even
πεσὼν πιπτω fall
χαμαὶ χαμαι on the ground
προσεκύνησεν προσκυνεω worship
καὶ και and; even
εἶπεν επω say; speak
1:20
וַ wa וְ and
יָּ֤קָם yyˈāqom קום arise
אִיֹּוב֙ ʔiyyôv אִיֹּוב Job
וַ wa וְ and
יִּקְרַ֣ע yyiqrˈaʕ קרע tear
אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker]
מְעִלֹ֔ו mᵊʕilˈô מְעִיל coat
וַ wa וְ and
יָּ֖גָז yyˌāḡoz גזז shear
אֶת־ ʔeṯ- אֵת [object marker]
רֹאשֹׁ֑ו rōšˈô רֹאשׁ head
וַ wa וְ and
יִּפֹּ֥ל yyippˌōl נפל fall
אַ֖רְצָה ʔˌarṣā אֶרֶץ earth
וַ wa וְ and
יִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃ yyištˈāḥû חוה bow down
1:20. tunc surrexit Iob et scidit tunicam suam et tonso capite corruens in terram adoravit
Then Job rose up, and rent his garments, and having shaven his head, fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
1:20. Then Job got up and tore his garments, and, having shaved his head, he collapsed on the ground, and worshipped,
1:20. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
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А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
20-22. Терпеливо перенеся гибель имущества, Иов не мог удержаться, чтобы не выразить глубокого волнения ("встал", ср. Иона III:6) и печали ("разодрал одежду", ср. 2: Цар I:11; III:31; "остриг голову", ср. Ис XV:2-3) при известии о смерти детей. Но она не только не переходит в отчаяние и ропот, но соединяется с глубокою покорностью воле Божией, выраженной и в действии ("поклонился"), и в словах: "наг я вышел из чрева матери моей, наг и возвращусь" туда (шамма). Ничего не имеющим Иов готов возвратиться "туда", т. е. по контексту "в чрево матери", не матери в буквальном смысле (Иона III:4), а в недра матери-земли. Она называется "матерью" (Сир XL:1), как начало, всепроизводящее, рождающее, даже и человека в виду его создания из земли. Сообразно с этим и еврейское слово "ерец" (земля) - женского рода, и отдельные страны, земли, носят женские имена: Палестина - название "девы Израилевой" (Ам V:2), Финикия - "девицы, дочери Сидона" (Ис XXIII:12), Идумея "дщери Едома" (Плач IV:21), Xалдея - "девицы, дочери Вавилона" (Иc XLVII:1, 5) и т. п. Источником покорности, терпения Иова является сознание, что Тот, Кто дал ему все блага, волен и отнять их (ст. 21).
Matthew Henry: Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible - 1706
20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
The devil had done all he desired leave to do against Job, to provoke him to curse God. He had touched all he had, touched it with a witness; he whom the rising sun saw the richest of all the men in the east was before night poor to a proverb. If his riches had been, as Satan insinuated, the only principle of his religion now that he had lost his riches he would certainly have lost his religion; but the account we have, in these verses, of his pious deportment under his affliction, sufficiently proved the devil a liar and Job an honest man.
I. He conducted himself like a man under his afflictions, not stupid and senseless, like a stock or stone, not unnatural and unaffected at the death of his children and servants; no (v. 20), he arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, which were the usual expressions of great sorrow, to show that he was sensible of the hand of the Lord that had gone out against him; yet he did not break out into any indecencies, nor discover any extravagant passion. He did not faint away, but arose, as a champion to the combat; he did not, in a heat, throw off his clothes, but very gravely, in conformity to the custom of the country, rent his mantle, his cloak, or outer garment; he did not passionately tear his hair, but deliberately shaved his head. By all this it appeared that he kept his temper, and bravely maintained the possession and repose of his own soul, in the midst of all these provocations. The time when he began to show his feelings is observable; it was not till he heard of the death of his children, and then he arose, then he rent his mantle. A worldly unbelieving heart would have said, "Now that the meat is gone it is well that the mouths are gone too; now that there are no portions it is well that there are no children:" but Job knew better, and would have been thankful if Providence had spared his children, though he had little of nothing for them, for Jehovah-jireh--the Lord will provide. Some expositors, remembering that it was usual with the Jews to rend their clothes when they heard blasphemy, conjecture that Job rent his clothes in a holy indignation at the blasphemous thoughts which Satan now cast into his mind, tempting him to curse God.
II. He conducted himself like a wise and good man under his affliction, like a perfect and upright man, and one that feared God and eschewed the evil of sin more than that of outward trouble.
1. He humbled himself under the hand of God, and accommodated himself to the providences he was under, as one that knew how to want as well as how to abound. When God called to weeping and mourning he wept and mourned, rent his mantle and shaved his head; and, as one that abased himself even to the dust before God, he fell down upon the ground, in a penitent sense of sin and a patient submission to the will of God, accepting the punishment of his iniquity. Hereby he showed his sincerity; for hypocrites cry not when God binds them, ch. xxxvi. 13. Hereby he prepared himself to get good by the affliction; for how can we improve the grief which we will not feel?
2. He composed himself with quieting considerations, that he might not be disturbed and put out of the possession of his own soul by these events. He reasons from the common state of human life, which he describes with application to himself: Naked came I (as others do) out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither, into the lap of our common mother--the earth, as the child, when it is sick or weary, lays its head in its mother's bosom. Dust we were in our original, and to dust we return in our exit (Gen. iii. 19), to the earth as we were (Eccl. xii. 7), naked shall we return thither, whence we were taken, namely, to the clay, ch. xxxiii. 6. St. Paul refers to this of Job, 1 Tim. vi. 7. We brought nothing of this world's goods into the world, but have them from others; and it is certain that we can carry nothing out, but must leave them to others. We come into the world naked, not only unarmed, but unclothed, helpless, shiftless, not so well covered and fenced as other creatures. The sin we are born in makes us naked, to our shame, in the eyes of the holy God. We go out of the world naked; the body does, though the sanctified soul goes clothed, 2 Cor. v. 3. Death strips us of all our enjoyments; clothing can neither warm nor adorn a dead body. This consideration silenced Job under all his losses. (1.) He is but where he was at first. He looks upon himself only as naked, not maimed, not wounded; he was himself still his own man, when nothing else was his own, and therefore but reduced to his first condition. Nemo tam pauper potest esse quam natus est--no one can be so poor as he was when born.--Min. Felix. If we are impoverished, we are not wronged, nor much hurt, for we are but as we were born. (2.) He is but where he must have been at last, and is only unclothed, or unloaded rather, a little sooner than he expected. If we put off our clothes before we go to bed, it is some inconvenience, but it may be the better borne when it is near bed-time.
3. He gave glory to God, and expressed himself upon this occasion with a great veneration for the divine Providence, and a meek submission to its disposals. We may well rejoice to find Job in this good frame, because this was the very thing upon which the trial of his integrity was put, though he did not know it. The devil said that he would, under his affliction, curse God; but he blessed him, and so proved himself an honest man.
(1.) He acknowledged the hand of God both in the mercies he had formerly enjoyed and in the afflictions he was now exercised with: The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. We must own the divine Providence, [1.] In all our comforts. God gave us our being, made us, and not we ourselves, gave us our wealth; it was not our own ingenuity or industry that enriched us, but God's blessing on our cares and endeavours. He gave us power to get wealth, not only made the creatures for us, but best owed upon us our share. [2.] In all our crosses. The same that gave hath taken away; and may he not do what he will with his own? See how Job looks above instruments, and keeps his eye upon the first Cause. He does not say, "The Lord gave, and the Sabeans and Chaldeans have taken away; God made me rich, and the devil has made me poor;" but, "He that gave has taken;" and for that reason he is dumb, and has nothing to say, because God did it. He that gave all may take what, and when, and how much he pleases. Seneca could argue thus, Abstulit, sed et dedit--he took away, but he also gave; and Epictetus excellently (cap. 15), "When thou art deprived of any comfort, suppose a child taken away by death, or a part of thy estate lost, say not apolesa auto--I have lost it; but apedoka--I have restored it to the right owner; but thou wilt object (says he), kakos ho aphelomenos--he is a bad man that has robbed me; to which he answers, ti de soi melei--What is it to thee by what hand he that gives remands what he gave?"
(2.) He adored God in both. When all was gone he fell down and worshipped. Note, Afflictions must not divert us from, but quicken us to, the exercises of religion. Weeping must not hinder sowing, nor hinder worshipping. He eyed not only the hand of God, but the name of God, in his afflictions, and gave glory to that: Blessed be the name of the Lord. He has still the same great and good thoughts of God that ever he had, and is as forward as ever to speak them forth to his praise; he can find in his heart to bless God even when he takes away as well as when he gives. Thus must we sing both of mercy and judgment, Ps. ci. 1. [1.] He blesses God for what was given, though now it was taken away. When our comforts are removed from us we must thank God that ever we had them and had them so much longer than we deserved. Nay, [2.] He adores God even in taking away, and gives him honour by a willing submission; nay, he gives him thanks for good designed him by his afflictions, for gracious supports under his afflictions, and the believing hopes he had of a happy issue at last.
Lastly, Here is the honourable testimony which the Holy Ghost gives to Job's constancy and good conduct under his afflictions. He passed his trials with applause, v. 22. In all this Job did not act amiss, for he did not attribute folly to God, nor in the least reflect upon his wisdom in what he had done. Discontent and impatience do in effect charge God with folly. Against the workings of these therefore Job carefully watched; and so must we, acknowledging that as God has done right, but we have done wickedly, so God has done wisely, but we have done foolishly, very foolishly. Those who not only keep their temper under crosses and provocations, but keep up good thoughts of God and sweet communion with him, whether their praise be of men or no, it will be of God, as Job's here was.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:20: Rent his mantle - Tearing the garments, shaving or pulling off the hair of the head, throwing dust or ashes on the head, and fitting on the ground, were acts by which immoderate grief was expressed. Job must have felt the bitterness of anguish when he was told that, in addition to the loss of all his property, he was deprived of his ten children by a violent death. Had he not felt this most poignantly, he would have been unworthy of the name of man.
Worshipped - Prostrated himself; lay all along upon the ground, with his face in the dust.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:20: Then Job arose - The phrase to arise, in the Scriptures is often used in the sense of beginning to do anything. It does not necessarily imply that the person had been pRev_iously sitting; see Sa2 13:13.
And rent his mantle - The word here rendered "mantle" מעיל me‛ı̂ yl means an upper or outer garment. The dress of Orientals consists principally of an under garment or tunic - not materially differing from the "shirt" with us - except that the sleeves are wider, and under this large and loose pantaloons. Niebuhr, Reisebescreib. 1. 157. Over these garments they often throw a full and flowing mantle or robe. This is made without sleeves; it reaches down to the ankles; and when they walk or exercise it is bound around the middle with a girdle or sash. When they labor it is usually laid aside. The robe here referred ire was worn sometimes by women, Sa2 13:18; by men of birth and rank, and by kings, Sa1 15:27; Sa1 18:4; Sa1 24:5, Sa1 24:11; by priests, Sa1 28:14, and especially by the high priest under the ephod, Exo 28:31. See Braun de vest Sacerd. ii. 5. Schroeder de vest. muller.
Hebrew p. 267; Hartmann Ilcbraerin, iii. p. 512, and Thesau. Antiq. Sacra. by Ugolin, Tom. i. 509, iii. 74, iv. 504, viii. 90, 1000, xii. 788, xiii. 306; compare the notes at Mat 5:40, and Niebuhr, as quoted above. The custom of rending the garment as an expression of grief pRev_ailed not only among the Jews but also among the Greeks and Romans. Livy i. 13. Suetonius, in "Jul. Caes." 33. It pRev_ailed also among the Persians. Curtius, B. x. c. 5, section 17. See Christian Boldich, in Thesau. Antiq. Sacra. Tom. xii. p. 145; also Tom. xiii. 551, 552, 560, xxx. 1105, 1112. In proof also that the custom pRev_ailed among the Pagan, see Diod. Sic. Lib. i. p. 3, c. 3, respecting the Egyptians; Lib. xvii. respecting the Persians; Quin. Curt. iii. 11; Herod. Lib. iii. in Thalia, Lib. viii. in Urania, where he speaks of the Persians. So Plutarch in his life of Antony, speaking of the deep grief of Cleopatra, says, περίεῤῥηξατο τοῦς πέπλους επ ̓ αὐτῷ perierrē cato tous piplous ep' autō. Thus, Herodian, Lib. i.: καῖ ῥηξαμένη εσθῆτα kai rē camenē esthē ta. So Statius in Glaucum:
Tu mode fusus humi, lucem aversaris iniquam,
Nunc torvus pariter vestes, et pectora rumpis.
So Virgil:
Tune pins Aeneas humeris abscindere vestem,
Auxilioque vocare Deos, et tendere palmas.
Aeneid v. 685.
Demittunt mentes; it scissa veste Latinus,
Conjugis attonitus fatis, urbisque ruina,
Aeneid 12:609.
So Juvenal, Sat. x.:
ut primos edere planctus
Cassandra inciperet, scissaque Polyxena palla.
Numerous other quotations from the Classical writers, as well as from the Jewish writings, may be seen in Ugolin's Sacerdotium Hebraicum, cap. vi. Thesau. Antiq. Sacrar. Tom. xiii. p. 550ff.
And shaved his head - This was also a common mode of expressing great sorrow. Sometimes it was done by formally cutting off the hair of the head; sometimes by plucking it violently out by the roots, and sometimes also the beard was plucked out, or cut off. The idea seems to have been that mourners should divest themselves of that which was usually deemed most ornamental; compare Jer 7:29; Isa 7:20. Lucian says that the Egyptians expressed their grief by cutting off their hair on the death of their god Apis, and the Syrians in the same manner at the death of Adonis. Olympiodorus remarks on this passage, that the people among whom long hair was regarded as an ornament, cut it off in times of mourning; but those who commonly wore short hair, suffered it on such occasions to grow long. See Rosenmuller, Morgenland, "in loc." A full description of the customs of the Hebrews in times of mourning, and particularly of the custom of plucking out the hair, may be seen in Martin Geier, de Hebraeorum Luctu, especially in chapter viii.
Thesau. Antiq. Sacra. xxxiil. p. 147ff. The meaning here is that Job was filled with excessive grief, and that he expressed that grief in the manner that was common in his day. Nature demands that there should be "some" external expression of sorrow; and religion does not forbid it. He pays a tribute to the nature with which God has endowed him who gives an appropriate expression to sorrow; he wars against that nature who attempts to remove from his countenance, conversation, dress, and dwelling, everything that is indicative of the sorrows of his soul in a time of calamity. Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus; and religion is not designed to make the heart insensible or incapable of grief. Piety, like every kind of virtue, always increases the susceptibility of the soul to suffering. Philosophy and sin destroy sensibility; but religion deepens it. Philosophy does it on principle - for its great object is to render the heart dead to all sensibility; sin produces the same effect naturally. The drunkard, the licentious man, and the man of avarice, are incapable of being affected by the tender scenes of life. Guilt has paralyzed their feelings and rendered tthem dead. But religion allows people to feel, and then shows its power in sustaining the soul, and in imparting its consolations to the heart that is broken and sad. It comes to dry up the tears of the mourner, not to forbid those tears to flow; to pour the balm of consolation into the heart, not to teach the heart to be unfeeling.
And fell down upon the ground - So Joshua in a time of great calamity prostrated himself upon the earth and worshipped, Jos 7:6. - The Orientals were then in the habit, as they are now, of prostrating themselves on the ground as an act of homage. Job seems to have done this partly as an expression of grief, and partly as an act of devotion - solemnly bowing before God in the time of his great trial.
And worshipped - Worshipped God. He resigned himself to his will. A pious man has nowhere else to go in trial; and he will desire to go nowhere else than to the God who has afflicted him.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:20: rent: Gen 37:29, Gen 37:34; Ezr 9:3
mantle: or robe
fell: Deu 9:18; Sa2 12:16-20; Ch2 7:3; Mat 26:39; Pe1 5:6
Job 1:21
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:20
The Conduct of Job:
20, 21 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah.
The first three messengers Job has heard, sitting, and in silence; but at the news of the death of his children, brought by the fourth, he can no longer overcome his grief. The intensity of his feeling is indicated by rising up (cf. Jon 3:6); his torn heart, by the rending of his mantle; the conscious loss of his dearest ones, by cutting off the hair of his head. He does not, however, act like one in despair, but, humbling himself under the mighty hand of God, falls to the ground and prostrates himself, i.e., worshipping God, so that his face touches the earth. השׁתּחוה, se prosternere, this is the gesture of adoration, προσκήνησις.
(Note: Vid., Hlemann's Abh. ber die biblische Gestaltung der Anbetung, in his Bibelstudien, Abth. 1 (1859).)
יצתי is defectively written, as Num 11:11; cf. infra, Job 32:18. The occurrence of שׁמּה here is remarkable, and may have given rise to the question of Nicodemus, Jn 3:4 : μὴ δύναται ἄνθρωπος εἰς τῆν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν. The writer of Ecclesiastes (Eccles 5:14) has left out this difficult שׁמה. It means either being put back into a state of unconsciousness and seclusion from the light and turmoil of this world, similar to his former state in his mother's womb, which Hupfeld, in his Commentatio in quosdam Iobeidos locos, 1853, favours; or, since the idea of אמּי בּטן may be extended, return to the bosom of mother earth (Ew., Hirz., Schlottm., et al.), so that שׁמה is not so much retrospective as rather prospective with reference to the grave (Bttch.), which we prefer; for as the mother's bosom can be compared to the bosom of the earth (Ps 139:15), because it is of the earth, and recalls the original forming of man from the earth, so the bosom of the earth is compared to the mother's, Sir. 40:1: ἀφ ̓ ἡμέρας ἐξόδου ἐκ γαστρὸς μητρὸς ἕως ἡμέρας ἐπιταφῆς εἰς μητέρα πάντων. The writer here intentionally makes Job call God יהוה. In the dialogue portion, the name יהוה occurs only once in the mouth of Job (Job 12:9); most frequently the speakers use אלוה and שׁדי. This use of the names of God corresponds to the early use of the same in the Pentateuch, according to which שׁדי is the proper name of God in the patriarchal days, and יהוה in the later days, to which they were preparatory. The traditional view, that Elohim describes God according to the attribute of justice, Jehovah according to the attribute of mercy, is only in part correct; for even when the advent of God to judgment is announced, He is in general named Jehovah. Rather, אלהים (plur. of אלוהּ, fear), the Revered One, describes God as object; יהוה or יהוה, on the other hand, as subject. אלהים describes Him in the fulness of His glorious majesty, including also the spirits, which are round about Him; יהוה as the Absolute One. Accordingly, Job, when he says יהוה, thinks of God not only as the absolute cause of his fate, but as the Being ordering his life according to His own counsel, who is ever worthy of praise, whether in His infinite wisdom He gives or takes away. Job was not driven from God, but praised Him in the midst of suffering, even when, to human understanding and feeling, there was only occasion for anguish: he destroyed the suspicion of Satan, that he only feared God for the sake of His gifts, not for His own sake; and remained, in the midst of a fourfold temptation, the conqueror.
(Note: In Oliver Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield (vid., Jul. Hamberger, Gott und seine Offenbarung, S. 71), there is much that reminds one of the book of Job, especially the repeated misfortunes which befall the worthy clergyman, his submission under all, and the issue which counterbalances his misfortune. But what is copied from the book of Job appears to be only superficial, not to come from the depth of the spiritual life.)
Throughout the whole book he does not go so far as to deny God (אלהים בּרך), and thus far he does not fall into any unworthy utterances concerning His rule.
Geneva 1599
1:20 Then Job arose, and (a) rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
(a) Which came not from impatience, but declares that the children of God are not insensible like blocks, but that in their patience they feel affliction and grief of mind: yet they do not rebel against God as the wicked do.
John Gill
1:20 Then Job arose,.... Either from table, being at dinner, as some think, in his own house; it being the time that his children were feasting in their eldest brother's house; or from the business in which he was employed, which he stopped on hearing this news; or from his seat, or chair of state in which he sat; or rather the phrase only signifies, that he at once, with strength of body, and rigour of mind, which were not lost, as often they are in such cases, went about the following things with great composure and sedateness. It is indeed generally observed, that there is an emphasis to be put on the word "then", which may be as well rendered "and", as if Job sat and heard very sedately, without any perturbation of mind, the loss of his substance; but when tidings were brought him of the death of his children, "then" he arose, as being greatly moved and distressed; but it should be observed till now there was no stop or intermission in the messengers, but before one had done speaking, another came and began to tell his story, and so there was no opportunity, as well as not the occasion, of arising and doing what follows; and which he did, not through the violence of his passion, or excess of grief, but as common and ordinary things, which were used to be done in that country for the loss of relations, and in token of mourning for them:
and rent his mantle; or "cloak" (k), as Mr. Broughton; but whether this was an outward garment, as each of these seem to be, if the same with ours, or an interior one, as some think, it is not very material to know; both were rent by Ezra upon a mournful occasion, Ezra 9:3, and it was usual to rend garments for deceased relations, or when they were thought to be so, see Gen 37:29, though some think that this was on the account of the blasphemous thoughts the devil now suggested into his mind, being solicitous to gain his point, and work upon him to curse God; upon which he rent his garment to show his resentment and indignation at the thought of it, as the Jews used to rend their garments at hearing of blasphemy; but the first sense is best:
and shaved his beard; either he himself, or his servant by his orders; and which was done among the eastern nations as a sign of mourning, see Is 15:2 and among the Greeks, as appears from Homer (l); nor was this contrary to the law in Deut 14:1, where another baldness, not of the head, but between the eyes, is forbidden for the dead; besides this was before that law was in being, and, had it been, Job was not bound by it, being not of the Israelitish nation: some, as Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and other Jewish writers, interpret this of his plucking or tearing off the hair of his head; but this neither agrees with the sense of the word here used, which has the signification of shearing or mowing, rather than of tearing or plucking, nor with the firmness and composure of Job's mind, who betrayed not any effeminacy or weakness; and though he showed a natural affection for the loss of his substance, and children, as a man, and did not affect a stoical apathy, and brutal insensibility, yet did not give any extraordinary vent to his passion: he behaved both like a man, and a religious man; he mourned for his dead, but not to excess; he sorrowed not as those without hope, and used the common tokens of it, and rites attending it; which shows that mourning for deceased relations, if done in moderation, is not unlawful, nor complying with the rites and customs of a country, in such cases, provided they are not sinful in themselves, nor contrary to the revealed and declared will of God:
and fell down upon the ground; in veneration of God, of his holiness and justice, and as sensible of his awful hand upon him, and as being humbled under it, and patiently submitting to it; he did not stand up, and curse God to his face, as Satan said he would, but fell upon his face to the ground; he did not curse his King and his God, and look upwards, see Is 8:21 but prostrated himself to the earth in great humility before him; besides, this may be considered as a prayer gesture, since it follows:
and worshipped; that is, God, for who else should he worship? he worshipped him internally in the exercise of faith, hope, love, humility, patience, &c. and he worshipped him externally by praising him, and praying to him, expressing himself as in the next verse: afflictions, when sanctified, humble good men, cause them to lie low in the dust, and bring them near to God, to the throne of his grace, and instead of arraigning his providence, and finding fault with his dealings, they adore his majesty, and celebrate his perfections.
(k) "pallium suum", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schultens; "tunicam suam", Munster, Cocceius, Schmidt, Jo. Henric. Michaelis. (l) , &c. Odyss. 4. ver. 198. & Odyss. 24. ver. 46.
John Wesley
1:20 Shaved - Caused his hair to be shaved or cut off, which was then an usual ceremony in mourning. Worshipped - Instead of cursing God, which Satan said he would do, he adored him, and gave him the glory of his sovereignty, of his justice, and of his goodness also, in this most severe dispensation.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:20 Job arose--not necessarily from sitting. Inward excitement is implied, and the beginning to do anything. He had heard the other messages calmly, but on hearing of the death of his children, then he arose; or, as EICHORN translates, he started up (2Kings 13:31). The rending of the mantle was the conventional mark of deep grief (Gen 37:34). Orientals wear a tunic or shirt, and loose pantaloons; and over these a flowing mantle (especially great persons and women). Shaving the head was also usual in grief (Jer 41:5; Mic 1:16).
1:211:21: եւ ասէ. Մե՛րկ իսկ եկի ես յորովայնէ մօր իմոյ, եւ մերկանդամ դարձայց անդրէն[9076]։ [9076] Ոմանք. Եւ մերկ անդամ դարձայց անդր։
21 «Իմ մօր որովայնից ես մերկ դուրս եկայ, մերկ էլ կը վերադառնամ:
21 Ու ըսաւ. «Մօրս արգանդէն մերկ ելայ ու հոն մերկ պիտի դառնամ։
եւ ասէ. Մերկ իսկ եկի ես յորովայնէ մօր իմոյ, եւ մերկանդամ դարձայց անդրէն:

1:21: եւ ասէ. Մե՛րկ իսկ եկի ես յորովայնէ մօր իմոյ, եւ մերկանդամ դարձայց անդրէն[9076]։
[9076] Ոմանք. Եւ մերկ անդամ դարձայց անդր։
21 «Իմ մօր որովայնից ես մերկ դուրս եկայ, մերկ էլ կը վերադառնամ:
21 Ու ըսաւ. «Մօրս արգանդէն մերկ ելայ ու հոն մերկ պիտի դառնամ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:211:21 и сказал: наг я вышел из чрева матери моей, наг и возвращусь.
1:21 αὐτὸς αυτος he; him γυμνὸς γυμνος naked ἐξῆλθον εξερχομαι come out; go out ἐκ εκ from; out of κοιλίας κοιλια insides; womb μητρός μητηρ mother μου μου of me; mine γυμνὸς γυμνος naked καὶ και and; even ἀπελεύσομαι απερχομαι go off; go away ἐκεῖ εκει there ὁ ο the κύριος κυριος lord; master ἔδωκεν διδωμι give; deposit ὁ ο the κύριος κυριος lord; master ἀφείλατο αφαιρεω take away ὡς ως.1 as; how τῷ ο the κυρίῳ κυριος lord; master ἔδοξεν δοκεω imagine; seem οὕτως ουτως so; this way καὶ και and; even ἐγένετο γινομαι happen; become εἴη ειμι be τὸ ο the ὄνομα ονομα name; notable κυρίου κυριος lord; master εὐλογημένον ευλογεω commend; acclaim
1:21 וַ wa וְ and יֹּאמֶר֩ yyōmˌer אמר say עָרֹ֨ם ʕārˌōm עָרֹום naked יָצָ֜אתִייצתי *yāṣˈāṯî יצא go out מִ mi מִן from בֶּ֣טֶן bbˈeṭen בֶּטֶן belly אִמִּ֗י ʔimmˈî אֵם mother וְ wᵊ וְ and עָרֹם֙ ʕārˌōm עָרֹום naked אָשׁ֣וּב ʔāšˈûv שׁוב return שָׁ֔מָה šˈāmā שָׁם there יְהוָ֣ה [yᵊhwˈāh] יְהוָה YHWH נָתַ֔ן nāṯˈan נתן give וַ wa וְ and יהוָ֖ה [yhwˌāh] יְהוָה YHWH לָקָ֑ח lāqˈāḥ לקח take יְהִ֛י yᵊhˈî היה be שֵׁ֥ם šˌēm שֵׁם name יְהוָ֖ה [yᵊhwˌāh] יְהוָה YHWH מְבֹרָֽךְ׃ mᵊvōrˈāḵ ברך bless
1:21. et dixit nudus egressus sum de utero matris meae et nudus revertar illuc Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit sit nomen Domini benedictumAnd said: Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord.
21. and he said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither:
1:21. and he said, “Naked I departed from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Just as it pleased the Lord, so has it been done. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
1:21. And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither:
And said, Naked came I out of my mother' s womb, and naked shall I return thither:

1:21 и сказал: наг я вышел из чрева матери моей, наг и возвращусь.
1:21
αὐτὸς αυτος he; him
γυμνὸς γυμνος naked
ἐξῆλθον εξερχομαι come out; go out
ἐκ εκ from; out of
κοιλίας κοιλια insides; womb
μητρός μητηρ mother
μου μου of me; mine
γυμνὸς γυμνος naked
καὶ και and; even
ἀπελεύσομαι απερχομαι go off; go away
ἐκεῖ εκει there
ο the
κύριος κυριος lord; master
ἔδωκεν διδωμι give; deposit
ο the
κύριος κυριος lord; master
ἀφείλατο αφαιρεω take away
ὡς ως.1 as; how
τῷ ο the
κυρίῳ κυριος lord; master
ἔδοξεν δοκεω imagine; seem
οὕτως ουτως so; this way
καὶ και and; even
ἐγένετο γινομαι happen; become
εἴη ειμι be
τὸ ο the
ὄνομα ονομα name; notable
κυρίου κυριος lord; master
εὐλογημένον ευλογεω commend; acclaim
1:21
וַ wa וְ and
יֹּאמֶר֩ yyōmˌer אמר say
עָרֹ֨ם ʕārˌōm עָרֹום naked
יָצָ֜אתִייצתי
*yāṣˈāṯî יצא go out
מִ mi מִן from
בֶּ֣טֶן bbˈeṭen בֶּטֶן belly
אִמִּ֗י ʔimmˈî אֵם mother
וְ wᵊ וְ and
עָרֹם֙ ʕārˌōm עָרֹום naked
אָשׁ֣וּב ʔāšˈûv שׁוב return
שָׁ֔מָה šˈāmā שָׁם there
יְהוָ֣ה [yᵊhwˈāh] יְהוָה YHWH
נָתַ֔ן nāṯˈan נתן give
וַ wa וְ and
יהוָ֖ה [yhwˌāh] יְהוָה YHWH
לָקָ֑ח lāqˈāḥ לקח take
יְהִ֛י yᵊhˈî היה be
שֵׁ֥ם šˌēm שֵׁם name
יְהוָ֖ה [yᵊhwˌāh] יְהוָה YHWH
מְבֹרָֽךְ׃ mᵊvōrˈāḵ ברך bless
1:21. et dixit nudus egressus sum de utero matris meae et nudus revertar illuc Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit sit nomen Domini benedictum
And said: Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord.
1:21. and he said, “Naked I departed from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Just as it pleased the Lord, so has it been done. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
1:21. And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither:
ru▾ LXX-gloss▾ bhs-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
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Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:21: Naked came I out of my mother's womb - I had no earthly possessions when I came into the world; I cannot have less going out of it. What I have the Lord gave: as it was his free gift, he has a right to resume it when he pleases; and I owe him gratitude for the time he has permitted me to enjoy this gift.
Naked shall I return thither - Whither? Not to his mother's womb surely; nor does he call the earth his mother in this place. In the first clause of the verse he speaks without a metaphor, and in the latter he speaks in reference to the ground on which he was about to fall. As I came out of my mother's womb destitute of the earthly possessions, so shall I return שמה shammah, There; i.e., to the earth on which he was now falling. That mother earth was a common expression in different nations, I allow; but I believe no such metaphor was now in the mind of Job.
The Lord gave - The Chaldee has, "The Word of the Lord, מימרא דיי meymera dayai, gave; and the Word of the Lord and the house of his judgment, have taken away!" Word is used here personally, as in many other places of all the Targums.
Blessed be the name of the Lord - The following is a fine paraphrase on the sentiment in this verse: -
"Good when he gives, supremely good;Nor less when he denies;
Afflictions from his sovereign hand,Are blessings in disguise."
Seeing I have lost my temporal goods, and all my domestic comforts, may God alone be all my portion! The Vulgate, Septuagint, and Coverdale, add, The Lord hath done as he pleased.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:21: And said, Naked came I out - That is, destitute of property, for so the connection demands; compare Ti1 6:7; "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." A similar expression also occurs in Pliny, "Hominem natura tanturn nudism." Nat. Hist. proem. L. vii. Job felt that he was stripped of all, and that he must leave the world as destitute as he entered it.
My mother's womb - The earth - the universal mother. That he refers to the earth is apparent, because he speaks of returning there again. The Chaldee adds קבוּרתא לבית lebē yt qebû ratā' - "to the house of burial." The earth is often called the mother of mankind; see Cic. de Nat. Deor. ii. 26; compare Psa 139:15. Dr. Good remarks, that "the origin of all things from the earth introduced, at a very early period of the world, the superstitious worship of the earth, under the title of Dameter, or the "Mother-goddess," a Chaldee term, probably common to Idumea at the time of the existence of Job himself. It is hence the Greeks derive their Δημήτνρ Dē mē tē r (Demeter), or as they occasionally wrote it Γημήτηρ Gē mē tē r (Ge-meter), or Mother Earth, to whom they appropriated annually two religious festivals of extraordinary pomp and solemnity. Thus, Lucretius says,
Linquitur, ut merito materhum nomen adepta
Terra sit, e terra quoniam sunt cuneta creata.
v. 793.
- "Whence justly earth
Claims the dear name of mother, since alone
Flowed from herself whate'er the sight enjoys."
For a full account of the views of the ancients in regard to the "marriage" (ἱερός γάμος gamos hieros)of the "heaven" and the "earth," from which union all things were supposed to proceed, see Creuzer's Symbolik und Mythologie der alt. Volk. Erst. Theil, p. 26, fg.
And naked - Stripped of all, I shall go to the common mother of the race. This is exceedingly beautiful language; and in the mouth of Job it was expressive of the most submissive piety. It is not the language of complaint; but was in him connected with the deep feeling that the loss of his property was to be traced to God, and that he had a right to do as he had done.
The Lord gave - Hebrew יהוה yehovâ h. He had nothing when he came into the world, and all that he had obtained had been by the good providence of God. As "he" gave it, he had a right to remove it. Such was the feeling of Job, and such is the true language of submission everywhere. He who has a proper view of what he possesses will feel that it is all to be traced to God, and that he has a right to remove it when he pleases.
And the Lord hath taken away - It is not by accident; it is not the result of haphazard; it is not to be traced to storms and winds and the bad passions of people. It is the result of intelligent design, and whoever has been the agent or instrument in it, it is to be referred to the overruling providence of God. Why did not Job vent his wrath on the Sabeans? Why did he not blame the Chaldeans? Why did he not curse the tempest and the storm? Why did he not blame his sons for exposing themselves? Why not suspect the malice of Satan? Why not suggest that the calamity was to be traced to bad fortune, to ill-luck, or or to an evil administration of human affairs? None of these things occurred to Job. He traced the removal of his property and his loss of children at once to God, and found consolation in the belief that an intelligent and holy Sovereign presided over his affairs, and that he had removed only what he gave.
Blessed be the name of the Lord - That is, blessed be yahweh - the "name" of anyone in Hebrew being often used to denote the person himself. The Syriac, Arabic, and some manuscripts of the Septuagint here adds "foRev_er." - "Here," says Schmid, "the contrast is observable between the object of Satan, which was to induce Job to renounce God, and the result of the temptation which was to lead Job to bless God." Thus, far Satan had been foiled, and Job had sustained the shock of the calamity, and showed that he did not serve God on account of the benefits which be had received from him.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:21: Naked came: Gen 3:19; Psa 49:17; Ecc 5:15, Ecc 12:7; Ti1 6:7
the Lord gave: Job 2:10; Gen 30:2; Ecc 5:19; Lam 3:38; Jam 1:17
taken away: Gen 45:5; Sa2 16:12; Kg1 12:15; Psa 39:9; Isa 42:24, Isa 45:7; Amo 3:6; Mat 20:15; Act 4:28
blessed: Job 1:11; Sa1 3:18; Kg2 20:19; Psa 34:1, Psa 89:38-52; Isa 24:15; Eph 5:20; Th1 5:18
Job 1:22
Geneva 1599
1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return (b) thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; (c) blessed be the name of the LORD.
(b) That is, into the belly of the earth, which is the mother of all.
(c) By this he confesses that God is just and good, although his hand is sore on him.
John Gill
1:21 And said, naked came I out of my mother's womb,.... Either literally, where he was conceived and lay, and from whence he came into the world, though he afterwards wishes he never had, or had died as soon as he did, Job 3:10, and so it is expressive of his birth, and the circumstance of it; or figuratively, his mother earth, from whence the first man sprang, and so all his posterity with him, being as he of the earth, earthly, see Eccles 12:7, which sense is mentioned by Jarchi and Aben Ezra; but the first sense seems best: the nakedness referred to is not of the mind or soul, being destitute of righteousness and holiness, with which the following clause will by no means agree, but nakedness of body; and therefore as soon as a child is born, one of the first things done to it is to wrap it in clothes provided for it, see Ezek 16:4 and also a being without the things of this life; the apostle's words are a proper comment on these, and explain them, and perhaps these are referred to by him, "we brought nothing into this world", Ti1 6:7, this shows the necessity of the early care of Providence over us, and what reason we have to be thankful for unknown mercies at the time of birth, and in the state of infancy, Ps 22:9 and what obligations children lie under to parents, and what benefits they receive from them at their first entrance into the world, and which they should religiously requite when through old age they stand in need of their assistance, Ti1 5:4, and this may also serve to abate the pride of man, who will have no reason to boast of his riches, nor of his fine clothes, when he considers his original nakedness; and more especially the use of it may be, and which seems to be the use Job made of it, to make the mind easy under the greatest losses. Job considered he did not bring his substance, his servants, and his children into the world with him; and now they were taken from him, he was but as he was when he came into the world, and not at all the worse; he knew how to be abased, and to abound, and in both was content:
and naked shall I return thither; not into his mother's womb in a literal sense, which was impossible, Jn 3:4, but to the earth, and to the dust of it, Gen 3:19, pointing to it with his finger, on which he now lay; meaning that he should go to the place appointed for him, the grave, the house of all living, Job 30:23, and so the Targum here has it,
to the house of the grave, where he should lie unseen, as in his mother's womb, till the resurrection morn; which would be a kind of a regeneration of him, when he should be delivered up from thence, and enjoy a state of happiness and glory: he should descend into the grave as naked as he was born, respecting not so much the nakedness of his body, as being stripped of all worldly enjoyments, see Eccles 5:15 and he says this in his present view of things; he thought once he should have died in his nest, Job 29:18, in the midst of all his prosperity, and left a large substance to his children; but now all was taken away, and for the present had no hope or expectation of a restoration, as afterwards was; but whereas he was now naked and bare of all, he expected he should continue and die so: or this is said with respect to the common case of men, who it is certain cannot carry anything out of the world with them, either riches or honour, but must leave all behind them, Ti1 6:7 which may serve to loosen the minds of men from worldly things, not to set their eyes and hearts upon them, nor to put their trust and confidence in them; and good men may part with them, especially at death with pleasure, since they will have no further use of them, and will have a better and a more enduring substance in their stead:
the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; all outward enjoyments, all the good things of this world, are the Lord's, and at his dispose; the earth, and the fulness of it; kingdoms, nations, countries, houses and lands, the beasts of the field, and cattle on a thousand hills; the gold and silver, and all the riches of the earth: and these are the gifts of his providence to the sons of men; nor have they anything but in a way of giving and receiving; and even what they enjoy, through diligence and industry, is owing to the blessing of God; and who gives not in such sort as that he loses his property in what is given; this he still retains, these are talents which he puts into the hands of men to use for themselves and others, and for which they are accountable to him; and they are but stewards, with whom he will hereafter reckon, and therefore has a right to take away when he pleases; and both Job ascribes to God, not only the giving, but the taking away: he does not attribute his losses to second causes, to the Sabeans and Chaldeans, to the fire from heaven, and the wind from the desert, but to God, whose sovereign will and overruling hand were in all; these were but the instruments of Satan, and he had no power but what was given from God; and therefore to the counsel of his will, who suffered it, Job refers it, and for that reason sits down satisfied and quiet. This is all to be understood of temporal things only; for of spiritual things it cannot be said that God gives and takes away; such gifts are without repentance, and are irreversible, Rom 11:29, the Targum is,
"the Word of the Lord hath given, and the Word of the Lord and the house of his judgment hath taken away; the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions add,
as it pleased the Lord, so it is done:''
blessed be the name of the Lord; for all his blessings and mercies; for all the gifts of nature and providence that had been bestowed, which could not be claimed, and of which he knew himself unworthy; and for the continuance of them so long with goodness and mercy had followed him all the days or his life hitherto, and still he had mercies to bless God for; his wife was still with him, he had some servants left, his own life was spared; he continued as yet in health of body, and therefore could sing of mercy as well as judgment; nor is there any state on earth a man can be in, but there is something to bless God for; wherefore the apostle's exhortation will always hold good, "in everything give thanks": Th1 5:18; besides the name, the nature, the perfections, of God are always the same, and therefore always to be celebrated, and blessing, honour, and glory, are to be ascribed to him continually, in every state and condition of life; wherefore the Arabic version adds, "from henceforth, and for ever"; which agrees with Ps 72:19; and thus Job, instead of cursing God, blesses him, and proves the devil to be a liar, as he was from the beginning; and shows his superiority over him through the power of divine grace; this evil one could not touch him, he was overcome by him, and his designs defeated.
John Wesley
1:21 Naked - I brought none of these things with me, when I came out of my mother's womb into the world, but I received them from the hand of God, who hath now required his own again. Return thither - I shall be as rich when I die as I was when I was born, and therefore have reason to be contented with my condition, which also is the common lot of all men. Into the lap of our common mother, the earth, as the weary child lays its head in its mother's bosom. We go out of the world naked; the body doth, tho' the sanctified soul goes clothed. (2Cor 5:3.) Death strips us of all our enjoyments: clothing can neither warm nor adorn a dead body. Taken - He hath taken away nothing but his own, and what he so gave that he reserved the supreme disposal of in his own hand. And what is it to me, by what hand he that gives, resumes what he gave?
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:21 Naked-- (Ti1 6:7). "Mother's womb" is poetically the earth, the universal mother (Eccles 5:15; Eccles 12:7; Ps 139:15). Job herein realizes God's assertion (Job 1:8) against Satan's (Job 1:11). Instead of cursing, he blesses the name of JEHOVAH (Hebrew). The name of Jehovah, is Jehovah Himself, as manifested to us in His attributes (Is 9:6).
1:221:22: Տէր ետ՝ եւ Տէր առ. որպէս Տեառն հաճոյ թուեցաւ՝ նոյնպէս եւ եղեւ. եղիցի՛ անուն Տեառն օրհնեալ[9077]։ [9077] Ոմանք. Եւ յայսմ ամենայն անցս։
22 Տէրը տուեց, Տէրն էլ յետ առաւ: Ինչպէս որ հաճելի էր Տիրոջը, այնպէս էլ եղաւ: Թող օրհնեալ լինի Տիրոջ անունը»:
[21] Տէրը տուաւ ու Տէրը առաւ, օրհնեալ ըլլայ Տէրոջը անունը»։
Տէր ետ եւ Տէր առ. [17]որպէս Տեառն հաճոյ թուեցաւ` նոյնպէս եւ եղեւ.`` եղիցի անուն Տեառն օրհնեալ:

1:22: Տէր ետ՝ եւ Տէր առ. որպէս Տեառն հաճոյ թուեցաւ՝ նոյնպէս եւ եղեւ. եղիցի՛ անուն Տեառն օրհնեալ[9077]։
[9077] Ոմանք. Եւ յայսմ ամենայն անցս։
22 Տէրը տուեց, Տէրն էլ յետ առաւ: Ինչպէս որ հաճելի էր Տիրոջը, այնպէս էլ եղաւ: Թող օրհնեալ լինի Տիրոջ անունը»:
[21] Տէրը տուաւ ու Տէրը առաւ, օրհնեալ ըլլայ Տէրոջը անունը»։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:22[1:21] Господь дал, Господь и взял; [как угодно было Господу, так и сделалось;] да будет имя Господне благословенно!
1:22 ἐν εν in τούτοις ουτος this; he πᾶσιν πας all; every τοῖς ο the συμβεβηκόσιν συμβαινω converge; occur αὐτῷ αυτος he; him οὐδὲν ουδεις no one; not one ἥμαρτεν αμαρτανω sin Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov ἐναντίον εναντιον next to; before τοῦ ο the κυρίου κυριος lord; master καὶ και and; even οὐκ ου not ἔδωκεν διδωμι give; deposit ἀφροσύνην αφροσυνη nonsense τῷ ο the θεῷ θεος God
1:22 בְּ bᵊ בְּ in כָל־ ḵol- כֹּל whole זֹ֖את zˌōṯ זֹאת this לֹא־ lō- לֹא not חָטָ֣א ḥāṭˈā חטא miss אִיֹּ֑וב ʔiyyˈôv אִיֹּוב Job וְ wᵊ וְ and לֹא־ lō- לֹא not נָתַ֥ן nāṯˌan נתן give תִּפְלָ֖ה tiflˌā תִּפְלָה unseemliness לֵ lē לְ to אלֹהִֽים׃ פ ʔlōhˈîm . f אֱלֹהִים god(s)
1:22. in omnibus his non peccavit Iob neque stultum quid contra Deum locutus estIn all these things Job sinned not by his lips, nor spoke he any foolish thing against God.
[21]. the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
1:22. In all this, Job did not sin by his lips, nor did he speak any foolish thing against God.
[1:21] the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD:

[1:21] Господь дал, Господь и взял; [как угодно было Господу, так и сделалось;] да будет имя Господне благословенно!
1:22
ἐν εν in
τούτοις ουτος this; he
πᾶσιν πας all; every
τοῖς ο the
συμβεβηκόσιν συμβαινω converge; occur
αὐτῷ αυτος he; him
οὐδὲν ουδεις no one; not one
ἥμαρτεν αμαρτανω sin
Ιωβ ιωβ Iōb; Iov
ἐναντίον εναντιον next to; before
τοῦ ο the
κυρίου κυριος lord; master
καὶ και and; even
οὐκ ου not
ἔδωκεν διδωμι give; deposit
ἀφροσύνην αφροσυνη nonsense
τῷ ο the
θεῷ θεος God
1:22
בְּ bᵊ בְּ in
כָל־ ḵol- כֹּל whole
זֹ֖את zˌōṯ זֹאת this
לֹא־ lō- לֹא not
חָטָ֣א ḥāṭˈā חטא miss
אִיֹּ֑וב ʔiyyˈôv אִיֹּוב Job
וְ wᵊ וְ and
לֹא־ lō- לֹא not
נָתַ֥ן nāṯˌan נתן give
תִּפְלָ֖ה tiflˌā תִּפְלָה unseemliness
לֵ לְ to
אלֹהִֽים׃ פ ʔlōhˈîm . f אֱלֹהִים god(s)
1:22. in omnibus his non peccavit Iob neque stultum quid contra Deum locutus est
In all these things Job sinned not by his lips, nor spoke he any foolish thing against God.
1:22. In all this, Job did not sin by his lips, nor did he speak any foolish thing against God.
[1:21] the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
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Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
1:22: In all this Job sinned not - He did not give way to any action, passion, or expression, offensive to his Maker. He did not charge God with acting unkindly towards him, but felt as perfectly satisfied with the privation which the hand of God had occasioned, as he was with the affluence and health which that hand had bestowed. This is the transaction that gave the strong and vivid colouring to the character of Job; in this, and in this alone, he was a pattern of patience and resignation. In this Satan was utterly disappointed; he found a man who loved his God more than his earthly portion. This was a rare case, even in the experience of the devil. He had seen multitudes who bartered their God for money, and their hopes of blessedness in the world to come for secular possessions in the present. He had been so often successful in this kind of temptation, that he made no doubt he should succeed again. He saw many who, when riches increased, set their hearts on them, and forgot God. He saw many also who, when deprived of earthly comforts, blasphemed their Maker. He therefore inferred that Job, in similar circumstances, would act like the others; he was disappointed. Reader, has he, by riches or poverty, succeeded with thee? Art thou pious when affluent, and patient and contented when in poverty?
That Job lived after the giving of the law, seems to me clear from many references to the rites and ceremonies instituted by Moses. In we are informed that he sanctified his children, and offered burnt-offerings daily to the morning for each of them. This was a general ordinance of the law, as we may see, Lev 9:7 : "Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin-offering and thy burnt-offering, and make an atonement for thyself and for the people." Lev 9:22 : "And Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering the burnt-offering."
This sort of offering, we are told above, Job offered continually; and this also was according to the law, Exo 29:42 : "This shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations." See also Num 28:3, Num 28:6, Num 28:10, Num 28:15, Num 28:24, Num 28:31.
This custom was observed after the captivity, Ezr 3:5 : "They offered the continual burnt-offering: and of every one that offered a freewill-offering." See also Neh 10:33. Ezekiel, who prophesied during the captivity, enjoins this positively, Eze 46:13-15 : "Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt-offering unto the Lord; thou shalt prepare it every morning."
Job appears to have thought that his children might have sinned through ignorance, or sinned privately; and it was consequently necessary to make the due sacrifices to God in order to prevent his wrath and their punishment; he therefore offered the burnt-offering, which was prescribed by the law in cases of sins committed through ignorance. See the ordinances Leviticus 4:1-35; Lev 5:15-19, and particularly Num 15:24-29. I think it may be fairly presumed that the offerings which Job made for his children were in reference to these laws.
The worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as being the most prevalent and most seductive idolatry, was very expressly forbidden by the law, Deu 4:19 : "Take heed, lest thou lift up thine eyes to heaven; and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them." Job purges himself from this species of idolatry,28 : "If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge; for I should have denied the God that is above."
He clears himself also from adultery in reference to the law enacted against that sin,12 : "If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbor's door; then let my wife grind to another: for this is a heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges." See the law against this sin, Exo 20:14, Exo 20:17 : "Thou shalt not commit adultery: thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife." Lev 20:10 : "The man that committeth adultery with another man's wife shall surely be put to death;" see Deu 22:22. And for the judge's office in such cases, see Deu 17:9-12 : "Thou shalt come unto the priests and Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days; and they shall show thee the sentence of judgment." Sa1 2:25 : "If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him."
The following will, I think, be considered an evident allusion to the passage of the Red Sea, and the destruction of the proud Egyptian king:: "The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at his reproof. He divideth the sea with his power; and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud." These, with several others that might be adduced, are presumptive proofs that the writer of this book lived after the giving and establishment of the law, if not much later, let Job himself live when he might. See other proofs in the notes.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
1:22: In all this - In all his feelings and expressions on this occasion.
Job sinned not - He expressed just the feelings and manifested just the submission which he ought to do.
Nor charged God foolishly - Margin, "Attributed folly to God." Vulgate, "Neither did he speak any foolish thing against God." The Septuagint renders it, "and he did not impute (or give, ἐδωκεν edō ken) folly (ἀφροσύνην aphrosunē n) (indiscretion, 'Thompson') to God." Good renders this, "nor vented a murmur against God;" and remarks that the literal rendering would be, "nor vented froth against God. Tindal renders it, "nor murmured foolishly against God." The Hebrew word תפלה tı̂ phlâ h is derived from the obsolete root תפל tâ phê l, "to spit out;" and hence, to be insipid, tasteless, not seasoned. The noun, therefore, means properly that which is spit out; then that which is insipid or tasteless; and then folly. Wit and wisdom are represented by Oriental writers as pungent and seasoned; compare the expression among the Greeks of "Attic salt," meaning wit or wisdom. The word "folly" in the Scriptures often means wickedness, for this is supreme folly. Here it has this sense, and means that Job did not say anything "wrong." Satan was disappointed and had borne a false accusation before God. He did "not" charge God foolishly, and he did "not" curse him to his face.
From this instructive narrative of the manner in which Job received afflictions, we may learn
(1) That true piety will bear the removal of property and friends without murmuring. Religion is not based on such things, and their removal cannot shake it. It is founded deeper in the soul, and mere external changes cannot destroy it.
(2) When we are afflicted, we should not vent our wrath on winds and waves; on the fraud and perfidy of our fellow-men; on embarrassments and changes in the commercial world; on the pestilence and the storm. Any or all of these may be employed as instruments in taking away our property or our friends, but we should trace the calamity ultimately to God. Storms and winds and waves, malignant spirits and our fellow-men, do no more than God permits. They are all restrained and kept within proper limits. They are not directed by chance, but they are under the control of an intelligent Being, and are the wise appointment of a holy God.
(3) God has a right to remove our comforts. He gave them - not to be our permanent inheritance, but to be withdrawn when he pleases. It is a proof of goodness that we have been permitted to tread his earth so long - though we should be allowed to walk it no more; to breathe his air so long - though we should be permitted to inhale it no more; to look upon his sun and moon and stars so long - though we should be permitted to walk by their light no more; to enjoy the society of the friends whom he has given us so long - though we should enjoy that society no longer. A temporary gift may be removed at the pleasure of the giver, and we hold all our comforts at the mere good pleasure of God.
(4) We see the nature of true resignation. It is not because we can always see the "reason" why we are afflicted; it consists in bowing to the will of a holy and intelligent God, and in the feeling that he has a "right" to remove what he has given us. It is his; and may be taken away when he pleases. It may be, and should be yielded, without a complaint - and to do this "because" God wills it, is true resignation.
(5) We see the true source of "comfort" in trials. It is not in the belief that things are regulated by chance and hap-hazard; or even that they are controlled by physical laws. We may have the clearest philosophical view of the mode in which tempests sweep away property, or the pestilence our friends; we may understand the laws by which all this is done, but this affords no consolation. It is only when we perceive an "intelligent Being" presiding over these events, and see that they are the result of plan and intention on his part, that we can find comfort in trial. What satisfaction is it for me to understand the law by which fire burns when my property is swept away; or to know "how" disease acts on the human frame when my child dies; or how the plague produces its effects on the body when friend after friend is laid in the grave? This is "philosophy;" and this is the consolation which this world furnishes. I want some higher consolation than that which results from the knowledge of unconscious laws. I want to have the assurance that it is the result of intelligent design, and that this design is connected with a benevolent end - and that I find only in religion.
(6) We see the "power" of religion in sustaining in the time of trial. How calm and submissive was this holy man! How peaceful and resigned! Nothing else but piety could have done this. Philosophy blunts the feelings, paralyses the sensibilities, and chills the soul; but it does not give consolation. It is only confidence in God; a feeling that he is right; and a profound and holy acquiescence in his will, that can produce support in trials like these. This we may have as well so Job; and this is indispensable in a world so full of calamity and sorrow as this is.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
1:22: In all this: Job 2:10; Jam 1:4, Jam 1:12; Pe1 1:7
charged God foolishly: or, attributed folly to God, Job 34:10, Job 34:18, Job 34:19, Job 40:4-8; Rom 9:20
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch
1:22
22 In all this Job sinned not, nor attributed folly to God.
In all this, i.e., as the lxx correctly renders it: which thus far had befallen him; Ewald et al. translate incorrectly: he gave God no provocation. תּפלה signifies, according to Job 24:12, comp. Job 6:6, saltlessness and tastelessness, dealing devoid of meaning and purpose, and is to be translated either, he uttered not, non edidit, anything absurd against God, as Jerome translates, neque stultum quid contra Deum locutus est; or, he did not attribute folly to God: so that נתן ל are connected, as Ps 68:35; Jer 13:16. Since נתן by itself nowhere signifies to express, we side with Hirzel and Schlottm. against Rdiger (in his Thes.) and Oehler, in favour of the latter. The writer hints that, later on, Job committed himself by some unwise thoughts of the government of God.
Geneva 1599
1:22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God (d) foolishly.
(d) But declared that God did all things according to justice and equity.
John Gill
1:22 In all this Job sinned not,.... Not that he was without sin, he was conscious to himself of it, and owns it, Job 9:20; but in all the above things he did or said he sinned not; not in his rending his garments, in shaving his head, and laying himself prostrate on the ground, which were done as common usages in such cases, and not through excess of passion; nor in anything that dropped from his lips, which were ill-becoming the character he bore as a religious man; and though he might be guilty of some failings and imperfections, as the best of men are, even in doing the best of things, yet he sinned not that sin the devil said he would, that is, curse God to his face; there was nothing of this, nor like it, but the reverse of it in all he said and did:
nor charged God foolishly: or "gave not folly to him" (m); did not ascribe it to him, did not arraign his wisdom, nor charge him with folly; though there might be some things he could not account for, or see into the reasons of them, he knew the Lord could; he considered that he was a God of knowledge, the only and all wise God, and did all things after the counsel of his will, and to answer the best ends and purposes, and therefore he submitted all to his wisdom; nor did he himself speak foolishly of him, arraigning his justice and holiness, as if he had done wrong to him; he knew there was no unrighteousness in God, nor in any of his ways and works, and that he had a right to do what he would with his own, to give and take it away at his pleasure: he spoke nothing that was "unsavoury" (n), as the word signifies; nothing contrary to right reason and true religion; nothing unsuitable unto, or unbecoming him as a man, as a religious man, as in connection with God, a servant of his, and one that feared him. The Arabic version is, "nor blasphemed God"; and the Targum,
neither did he set in order words of blasphemy before God; he did not curse God, as Satan said he would, neither in heart and thought, nor in words; this is a testimony of him given by the Lord himself, the searcher of hearts, and who only could give such a testimony of him; and which, as Cocceius observes, is a proof of the divine authority of this book.
(m) , Sept. "nec attribuit insulsitatem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius. (n) "insulsum", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Bolducius.
John Wesley
1:22 Charged - Heb. not imputed folly to God; so far was he from blaspheming God, that he did not entertain any dishonourable thought of God, as if he had done anything unworthy of his infinite wisdom, or justice, or goodness, but heartily acquiesced in his good pleasure, and in his righteous though sharp proceedings against him. Discontent and impatience do in effect impute folly to God. Against the workings of these we should carefully watch, acknowledging that God has done well, but we have done foolishly.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
1:22 nor charged God foolishly--rather, "allowed himself to commit no folly against God" [UMBREIT]. Job 2:10 proves that this is the meaning. Not as Margin "attributed no folly to God." Hasty words against God, though natural in the bitterness of grief, are folly; literally, an "insipid, unsavory" thing (Job 6:6; Jer 23:13, Margin). Folly in Scripture is continually equivalent to wickedness. For when man sins, it is himself, not God, whom he injures (Prov 8:36). We are to submit to trials, not because we see the reasons for them, nor yet as though they were matters of chance, but because God wills them, and has a right to send them, and has His own good reasons in sending them.
1:231:23: Եւ յայսմ ամենայնի անցս որ անցին ընդ նա՝ ո՛չ մեղաւ Յոբ առաջի Տեառն, եւ ո՛չ ետ անզգամութիւն Աստուծոյ։
23 Եւ նրան պատահած այս բոլոր դէպքերի ժամանակ Յոբը չմեղանչեց Տիրոջ առաջ, ոչ էլ անզգամութիւն հանդէս բերեց Աստծու հանդէպ:
22 Այս ամենուն մէջ Յոբ չմեղանչեց ու Աստուծոյ դէմ անզգամութիւն չըրաւ։
Եւ յայսմ ամենայնի [18]անցս որ անցին ընդ նա`` ոչ մեղաւ Յոբ [19]առաջի Տեառն``, եւ ոչ ետ անզգամութիւն Աստուծոյ:

1:23: Եւ յայսմ ամենայնի անցս որ անցին ընդ նա՝ ո՛չ մեղաւ Յոբ առաջի Տեառն, եւ ո՛չ ետ անզգամութիւն Աստուծոյ։
23 Եւ նրան պատահած այս բոլոր դէպքերի ժամանակ Յոբը չմեղանչեց Տիրոջ առաջ, ոչ էլ անզգամութիւն հանդէս բերեց Աստծու հանդէպ:
22 Այս ամենուն մէջ Յոբ չմեղանչեց ու Աստուծոյ դէմ անզգամութիւն չըրաւ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
1:231:22 Во всем этом не согрешил Иов и не произнес ничего неразумного о Боге.
[22]. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God with foolishness.
[1:22]. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
KJV [22] In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly:

1:22 Во всем этом не согрешил Иов и не произнес ничего неразумного о Боге.
[1:22]. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
ru▾ erva_1895▾ kjv_1900▾