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CHAP.

XVI.

[ שפתי יחשך

וניד

V. 5. and the moving of my Lips fhould affwage your Grief. 7 :qwn now] Rather OR THE MOVING OF MY LIPS SHOULD BE STOPPED. Job feems here to intimate to his Friends, that, if they were in his Cafe, he would plead on their Behalf, and administer what Comfort he could; or, at least, fympathise with them in Silence.

V. 8. And thou haft filled me with Wrinkles, pm] This Word occurs only in another Place, viz. Ch. XXII.16. The Idea of Wrinkles is deduced from the Chaldee and Syriac: but the Arabic Verb bë fignifies to tie Neck and Heels; which Sense, used as a Metaphor for IGNOMINIOUS TREATMENT, will I think beft fuit this Place, as well as the other referred to.

—and my Leannefs rifing up in me beareth Witness to my Face.,

: Rather [ויקם בי כחשי בפני יענה :

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AND HE THAT DEALETH DECEITFULLY WITH ME RISETH UP AGAINST ME,

and coN

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καταψά Sufcitatur

TENDETH TO MY FACE. Thus Symmachus-x avesy μoi xara‡Lδομενος κατα προσωπον με αντιλέγων μοι· and the Vulgate falfiloquus adverfus faciem meam, contradicens mihi.

V. 9. He teareth me in his Wrath, who hateth me: b] The natural Conftruction of thefe Words is WRATH TEARETH AND WITHSTANDETH ME.

אפו טרף

HIS

ועללתי בעפר קרני

V. 15. - and defiled my Horn in the Duft. :'p qova inbbyn ] Would not the Figurative, be more fuitable here than the Proper, Senfe either STRENGTH, POWER, or HONOUR? In that Cafe this Verse would be nearly parallel to Pf.VII. 5. — Let him tread down my Life upon the Earth, and lay MINE HONOUR IN THE DUST.

ותפלתי זכה : Rather [ על לא חמס בכפי

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V. 17. Not for any Injustice in mine Hands: alfo my Prayer is pure. THOUGH there were NO INJUSTICE IN MINE HANDS, AND MY PRAYER were PURE. See these two Particles thus ufed Ifa. LIII. 9.

ויוכח לגבר עם אלוה - ובן אדם לרעהו : ! eth for bis Neighbour

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V. 21. O that one might plead for a Man with God, as a Man plead] Rather, I think O THAT one MIGHT PLEAD FOR A MAN WITH GOD! AND THE SON OF MAN FOR HIS NEIGHBOUR, or FRIEND! The latter Hemiftic exegetical of the former. C

CHAP.

V. 2.

CHAP. XVII.

and doth not mine Eye continue in their Provocation?

Rather-DoTH NOT MINE EYE ABIDE UPON [ובהמרותם תלן עיני:

THEIR PROVOCATIONS?

V.

3. Lay down now, put me in a Surety with thee; "¬_NI_MD"w y] The Terms here are evidently forenfic, and refer to the Forms of commencing a Law Suit, where the Parties were bound in a Surety to abide the Iffue. Refpondere vadatus. Hor. Serm. Lib. I. S. 9. V. 36. In Lev. VI. 2. we find the Words

which are rendered בתשומת יד

in our Verfion-in Fellowship, but literally, IN PUTTING THE HAND, viz. by way of Engagement, or Pledge: accordingly I would propose to render now, PUT FORTH NOW (viz. the Hand) BIND ME IN A SURETY WITH THEE; and render at the Beginning of the next Verse SURELY. We find this Custom of fhaking, or joining Hands upon folemn Occafions, by way of Ratification, prevailed very univerfally. Thus Xenophon (Anab. Lib. II. & paffim) Oda per quiv ogres gegeνομενός, και ΔΕΞΙΑΣ ΔΕΔΟΜΕΝΑΣ. f Virgil, Eneid. III. v. 610.

Ipfe pater DEXTRAM Anchifes, haud multa moratus,

DAT juveni, atque animum PRÆSENTI PIGNORE FIRMAT. Quint. Curtius alfo introduces Darius speaking before his Death to Polyftratus, Alexandro hoc fidei regia unicum DEXTRÆ PIGNUS pro me DABIS. Hæc dicentem, ACCEPTA Polyftrati MANU, vita deftituit. Lib. I. And we read in Valerius (VI Argon. 339.) JUNGERE DEXTRAM AD

FOEDERA.

V. 5. He that Speaketh Flattery to his Friends, even the Eyes of his

Rather לחלק יגיד רעים - ועיני בניו תכלינה: .Children Jball fail

He that EXHORTETH THE WICKED TO PLUNDER, OF EXHORTETH TO BE A PARTNER WITH THE WICKED &c. Thus is the

Verb pn used in the first Sense, 2 Chron. XXVIII. 21. and implies the Guilt of Sacrilege; and in the latter, Prov. XVII. 2. XXIX. 24. The different Conftruction of Dy folely depends upon the Mafforetical Points. The Senfe here propofed feems more agreeable to the Context, to the general Scope of this Book, and to the Proceedings of God's particular Providence in the Adminiftration of human Affairs, particularly the Jewish. For it must be allowed, that he who perfuadeth

another

another to commit an Act of Impiety is as guilty as the Perpetrator; and that God in the fecond Commandment declares, "he will vifit "the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children;" which I apprehend is implied in thefe Words, the Eyes of his Children fhall fail, or they fhall fuffer fome temporal Evil. But the Cafe is different in refpect to ufing flattering Words: and Job furely never seems to have thought that his Friends were chargeable with that Sin. On the contrary, he may rather be thought to intimate here that they were privy to the Plunder of the Sabeans, or Chaldeans, Ch. I. v. 15, 17. Or the Words may poffibly admit of this Sense, HE THAT SPEAKETH SMOOTHLY TO EVILDOERS, i.e. encourageth them by Flattery to proceed in their Wickednefs. Or, Job may be understood to make an Apology for himself, for fpeaking fo freely of his Friends, by saying that he durft not flatter, becaufe &c. If either of these last Interpretations be admitted, the at the Beginning of the next Verfe ought to be tranflated, But.

V.6. He hath made me alfo a Byword of the People; and aforetime I was as a Tabret.] The latter Hemiftic, viz. 8 bus non, is not properly tranflated: it should be thus - I HAVE BEEN as A TABRET TO THE BEHOLDERS, or THOSE WHO LOOKED on me. As I Kings VII. 25. The Marginal Lection is before them: but in

.לפניהם that Cafe the Hebrew ought to be

V. 10. But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot

ואלם כלם תשובו ובאו נא - ולא אמצא .find one wife Man among you Rather [בכם חכם :

BUT WHEREFORE DO YE ALL RETURN

AND COME NOW, SEEING I CANNOT, &c. See the Particles thus ufed, Ch. XXXIII. 1. and ↑ Gen. XV. 2. Ruth. I. 21.

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V. 11. my Purposes are broken off, even the Thoughts of my Heart.

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is here rendered Thoughts מורשי The Word [זמתי נתקו מורשי לבבי :

without any Authority. It would therefore be better to tranflate this Place thus --- MY PURPOSES, THE POSSESSIONS OF MY HEART, ARE BROKEN OFF. Thus the Law of Mofes is called the Inheritance, or Poffeffion of the Ifraelites. Deut. XXXIII. 4.

V. 12. They change the Night into Day: the Light is fhort becaufe

Rather [לילה ליום ישימו - אור קרוב מפני חשך : .of Darknefs

Which CHANGE THE NIGHT INTO DAY: and THE APPROACHING LIGHT is DARKNESS BEFORE ME. As the Text is now C 2 read

read, muft I think be the Antecedent to the Verb: for which Reason I add the Relative for the Connection. But if we read W 181, the Conftruction will be - HE (viz. God, who is often underftood in the poetical Books) CHANGETH NIGHT INTO DAY: AND &c. That is I am kept waking the whole Night as in the Day; and the Morning Light is as gloomy to me as the Darkness of Night. So Bildad understood Job, as appears by his Reply in the next Chapter, V. 5 & 6.

[ אם אקוה שאול ביתי

V. 13. If I wait, the Grave is mine House; — his p8 ON ] Rather SURELY I WAIT FOR THE GRAVE, which is MY

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HOUSE; or --FOR MY HOUSE, THE GRAVE. The two Subftantives feem here put in Appofition.

-

V. 16. They shall go down to the Bars of the Pit,- baw 170] Thefe Words ought I think to be rendered IT SHALL GO DOWN with WAILING INTO THE GRAVE. I feparate from 7, making pn the Subject of the Verb, which in our Verfion is wanted; and confider as a Preposition, of which there is also need in this Place. Lastly, I make a Subftantive, as Ezek. VII. 11. from the Verb

.to lament נה

[אם יחד על עפר נחת : .Tuben our Ret together is in the Duft

Rather, I think

111

SURELY IT SHALL DESCEND ALTOGETHER

INTO THE DUST; this Hemiftic being confidered as exegetical of the foregoing.

CHA P. XVIII.

V. 2. How long will it be ere ye make an End of Words? — Ty WHEN, I PRAY YOU, WILL YE

- Rather [תשימון קנצי למלין

MAKE AN END &c.

Our old [טרף נפשו באפו - :

V. 4. He teareth himself in his Anger : Verfion here adds - Thou art as one that teareth &c. which connects better with the Context.

— and his Candle shall be put out with him. : qq, „by 1731]

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V. 6. Rather AND HIS CANDLE that is BY HIM SHALL BE EXTINGUISHED. Soy is ufed Judg. III. 19. & paffim.

[יצרו צעדי אונו

V.7. The Steps of his Strength fhall be ftraitened: Would not be more properly rendered here PowER?

V. II. and

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V. II.

and shall drive him to his Feet. : ] Rather AND SHALL DASH HIM TO PIECES IN HIS GOINGS; i. e. fhall bring him to Destruction when he falls into the Snare. Or thus AND SHALL SCATTER HIM (according to the Senfe of this Word in the Margin of our Verfion) IN HIS GOINGS; i. e. fhall drive him. from Place to Place, till at length he fall into the Toils of his Enemies. See Sa is used precifely in this Senfe, Gen. XXXIII. 14. where, in the Margin, we read according to the Foot: but it ought to be rendered GOINGs there, as well as here.

נפץ

and

פוץ

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[ יאכל בדי עורו

V. 13. It fhall devour the Strength of his Skin: In the Margin we find, Heb. BARS. But neither the Proper, nor the Figurative, Senfe can here be admitted. The chief Miftake lies in the Construction of "; which, instead of being confidered as a Subftantive, is really nothing more than the Prepofition with the adjective Particle, which is used with the following Letters, 5, 5, 1. This Hemiftic ought therefore to be rendered-HIS SKIN ABOUT (or UPON) HIM SHALL BE CONSUMED: The Affix having I fuppofe dropt out, and the Word being originally written 12, as in the next Hemistic, and Ch. XLI. 12. See thus conftrued Ch. XVII. 16. The Prepofition and he put Sackcloth about, or upon, his Loins. Gen. XXXVII. 34. This Particle is of Chaldee Origin, and is found only in this Book, Daniel, and Ezra. even the first born of Death fhall devour his Strength. :12 12 1] The firft-born of Death is a Phrafe that conveys no Idea; and the Allegations of Critics in Support of it are forced and unnatural. I would therefore confider as compounded of the Prepofition 2, and a Furnace; and render this Place thus DEATH SHALL CONSUME HIM IN THE FURNACE. It is well known that Furnace is ufed metaphorically for the greatest Oppreffion, fee Deut, IV. 20. Ifa. XLVIII. 10. &c.

- וישם שק במתניו,is here ufed as in this Inftance ב

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V. 15. It shall dwell in his Tabernacle, because it is none of his :

תשכון באהלו מבלי לו-.Brimione fhall be cattered upon bis Habitation -According to our prefent Verfion the Ante [יזרה על נוהו גפרית :

cedent to it ought to be Confidence, mentioned in the preceding Verfe. But this cannot be; as that Senfe would be contradictory both to the Affertion there, as well as to Fact. If it be Deftruction, fetched from the 13th Verfe; this is contrary to the Rules of found Interpretation, when no less than eight different Subftantives have intervened. In the old Verfion (the Tranflators being aware of these Inconveniences) the

Word

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