“But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock. younger: Heb. of fewer days than I”
Flock, to watch over them. (Sanchez) (Calmet) — I had so little confidence in them, (Haydock) or they were so very mean. (Calmet) — They were not as well fed as my dogs. (Nicetas.) — Job does not speak this out of contempt, as he was affable to all. But this proverbial expression denotes how vile these people were. (Menochius) — Even the most contemptible, and such as were not fit to have the care of dogs, derided him. (Worthington)
“Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?”
And they. Hebrew, “Their old age is perished.” They were good for nothing all their lives. (Calmet)
“For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste. solitary: or, dark as the night in: Heb. yesternight”
Who. Hebrew, “solitary in,” &c. Yet these vagabond (Haydock) people now insult over me. (Calmet)
“Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.”
Grass. “There (in Crete, where no noxious animal, no serpent lives) the herb alimos, being chewed, expels hunger for the day;” admorsa diurnam famem prohibet. (Solin. 17.) — The Hebrew malluach, is rendered halima, by the Septuagint (Haydock) and Bochart would translate, “who gather the halima from the bush.” (Calmet) — Protestants, “who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.” (Haydock) — Yet all agree that the latter is not proper for food. (Calmet) — Rethamim may (Haydock) designate any “shrubs or wild herbs,” as the Septuagint and Symmachus have explained it. (Calmet) — Perhaps the very poor people might use the juniper or broom roots for food, (Menochius) or to burn in order to prepare their victuals. (Haydock) — The Arabs and Spaniards still use the word retama for “the birch-tree.” (Parkhurst)
“They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)”
Who. Septuagint, “through excessive hunger. Robbers rushed upon me.” Protestants, “They were driven forth from among men; (they cried after them as after a thief.”) (Haydock)
“To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks. caves: Heb. holes”
Gravel of the torrents. (Menochius) — Hebrew, “in the rocks,” living like the Troglodites. (Haydock)
“Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.”
Pleased. Hebrew, “brayed.” (Calmet) — Briars. Protestants, “nettles.” They were driven from the society of men and forced to abscond. (Haydock)
“They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth. base: Heb. men of no name”
And not. Hebrew, “viler than the earth.” (Protestants)
“And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.”
Bye-word. “Proverb.” (Haydock) — They speak of me with contempt, chap. xvii. 6.
“They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face. and: Heb. and withhold not spittle from”
Face. This most people explain literally; while some, (Calmet) as Job was herein a figure of Christ, (Menochius; Matthew xxvi.; Worthington) think that the expression denotes the utmost contempt; (St. Gregory, &c.) or that the people spit upon the ground (Calmet) for fear of contracting any infection; (Haydock) and because lepers were held in the utmost abhorrence. (Calmet)
“Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.”
For he. Protestants, “Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me,” (Haydock) being no longer under any restraint. Sometimes it was customary to put bits into the mouth of a person who was led to execution, Isaias xxxvii. 29. (Calmet) — The Hebrew plural, have put, insinuates the plurality of persons in God, (Worthington) though it may be as well referred to the enemies of Job.
“Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.”
Forthwith. Hebrew pirchach seems to be translated (Haydock) by three terms, rising, calamities, and forthwith, as it denotes “a bud” which suddenly appears. (Calmet) — Septuagint Blaston, “On the right hand of the bud they rose up.” (Haydock) — Hebrew, “Youth stood up on the right,” to accuse me; (Psalm cviii. 6.) or, “Scarcely had I begun to flourish, when they rose up,” &c. The days of prosperity soon vanished, (Calmet) and young men were ready to insult the distressed, and, as it were, to trip them up. (Menochius) — Septuagint, “they stretched out their feet and trampled upon me, that they might destroy me.” (Haydock) — They seem to have read (Calmet) regliem, “their feet,” though the two last letters are now omitted in Hebrew. (Haydock)
“They mar my path, they set forward my calamity , they have no helper.”
Help them, or me. (Calmet) Septuagint, “they took off my garment.” (Haydock) — Job seemed to be besieged, and could not escape. (Calmet)
“They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.”
Down, (devoluti sunt.) They have proceeded to aggravate my misfortunes. (Haydock) — “They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.[“] (Protestants)
“Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud. my soul: Heb. my principal one”
Nothing. Hebrew, “terror.” (Haydock) — Desire. Hebrew, “princess,” reason. (Calmet) — Protestants, “soul.” Septuagint, “my hope has flown away like wind.” (Haydock)
“And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.”
Fadeth. Hebrew, “is poured out,” (Haydock) ready to take its flight, Psalm xli. 5.
“My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.”
They that. Heberw, “my sinews take no rest.” Septuagint, “are dissolved.” (Haydock) — The worms prey upon me, and I am like one in a raging fever. (Calmet)
“By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.”
Coat. The worms are so numerous, (Menochius) or my enemies pour upon me. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “with great power He (God; Protestants, my disease) has seized me by the garment.” Theodotion adds, “He has taken hold of me like the collar of my tunic:” (Haydock) which corresponds with our shirt, and had an opening at the top. (Calmet)
“He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.”
I am. Hebrew, “He hath cast me into the mire;” (Protestants) or, “He regards me as dirt; my portion is on the earth and dust.” (Haydock) — All look upon me with horror and contempt. (Calmet)
“I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.”
Not is supplied by Protestants in the second part of the verse from the first; (Haydock) as this construction is not unusual in the Hebrew. Septuagint, “they have stood up, and have considered me,” (Calmet) to procure my entire ruin. (Haydock)
“Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance . substance: or, wisdom”
Dashed me in pieces, as if I had been raised so high for that purpose. Hebrew, “thou hast dissolved my substance,” wisdom, &c. The signification of tushiova (Haydock) is very indeterminate, chap. v. 12. (Calmet) — “Thou hast cast me far away from salvation.” (Septuagint and Theodotion) (Haydock)
“For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.”
Liveth. Death is a relief to a just man in tribulation. (Worthington)
“Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction. grave: Heb. heap”
Consumption. Thou dealest mercifully with other people: but all the effects of thy anger fall upon me, even here. Septuagint, “O that I might lay hands on myself, or desire another to do this for me!” Hebrew has nothing similar; but is very obscure: “He will not, however, stretch forth his hand to the grave; and when they are wounded, they are healed.” (Calmet) — Protestants, “grave, though they cry in his destruction.” (Haydock) — The grave is more desirable than such a life. There the dead are freed from the miseries of this world. (Calmet)
“I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.”
Mourning. Hebrew, “blackened without the sun.” (Haydock) — Bile has disfigured my countenance, through excessive sorrow, ver. 30. The dark olive complexions of the Jews and Arabs would be more susceptible of these effects. (Calmet) — Indignation. I have not given way to passion, though I allowed full scope to my groans. (Septuagint) (Haydock)
“I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls . owls: or, ostriches”
Brother of dragons, &c. Imitating these creatures in their lamentable noise. (Challoner) — I was like those beasts which retire in order to lament. (Worthington) — The dragons hiss dreadfully, when crushed by the elephant; (St. Jerome) and the young ostriches, being abandoned, make great lamentations. (Menochius) (Delrio, t. ii. adag. 18.) — This comparison occurs, Micheas i. 8. Natural history does not, however, represent these animals as very plaintive. The former term may denote sea monsters, or crocodiles; thannim: (Septuagint, syrens) and “the daughters of the yahana,” signify “swans,” (Isaias xiii. 21.) though commonly rendered ostriches, as they are by the Septuagint, &c. (Calmet) — Protestants have, “owls.” But we may adhere to the Vulgate. (Haydock)
“My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.”
Weep. I have exchanged my songs of joy for mourning. (Menochius)