“Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! laid: Heb. lifted up”
My sins, &c. In the Hebrew my wrath. He does not mean to compare his sufferings with his real sins; but with the imaginary crimes which his friends falsely imputed to him: and especially with his wrath or grief, expressed in the third chapter, which they so much accused. Though, as he tells them here, it bore no proportion with the greatness of his calamity. (Challoner) — Job does not deny but he may have transgressed. (Calmet) See chap. vii. 20. — But his is not conscious of any mortal offence; such as his friends insisted he must have committed, as he was so cruelly tormented. (Haydock) — Some deny canonical authority to the words of Job, because God reprehended him. But St. Gregory (Mor. vii.) says, Ab æterno judice casurus laudari non potuit. (Du Hamel) — “The man who was on the point of falling, could not be praised by the eternal Judge;” (Haydock) and it seems to be a mistake that Job erred, (Houbigant) though asserted by many. See Calmet; Worthington, &c. — Wrath. Hebrew, “O that my grief (Haydock; or complaints. Calmet) were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together.” (Protestants) (Haydock) — A just man confesses his own sins, but not those which are wrongfully laid to his charge. (Worthington)
“For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. my words: that is, I want words to express my grief”
Heavier. The figure hyperbole is frequently used in Scripture, to give us some idea of what surpasses our understanding. Job intimates that the punishment was incomparably greater than his sins. As he and other saints, particularly our Saviour [Jesus Christ] and the blessed Virgin [Mary], have thus patiently suffered more than they had deserved, these merits form part of that treasure of the Church, out of which the pope and bishops are empowered to dispense indulgences, to release people from the pains due to sin, either in this world or in purgatory. (Worthington) — Septuagint, “Yea, these (sorrows) are heavier than the sand of the sea-shore. But, it seems my words are wicked.” (Haydock)
“For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.”
Rage. Hebrew, “poison,” (Haydock) or “venom;” (Chaldean; Menochius) as it was customary to use poisoned arrows. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “When I begin to speak, they pierce me. For what! Does the wild ass continually bray, except when he is in quest of food?” (Haydock) — It is easy for those to be silent who suffer nothing. The wild asses were so common in those parts, (Calmet) that Herod sometimes slew 40 in a hunt. (Josephus, Jewish Wars i. 16.) — Many fabulous accounts have been given of them. Some are still found in Ethiopia resembling a mule, except in the ears, and beautifully striped with grey, black, and reddish colours. (Bernier)
“Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?”
Salt. I wonder not that you should consider my lamentations as insipid; I now find some consolation in them, ver. 7. (Calmet) — Or can. Hebrew, “or is there any taste in the white of an egg?” (Protestants) or in blue milk? (Mercer) or “in the spittle, which a man swallows in a dream?” See Isaias xxviii. 8. If pain did not extort these complaints, should I find any pleasure in them? (Calmet) — Septuagint, “is there any taste in vain words?” Can I hear your arguments without indignation? (Haydock) (Menochius) — Some manuscripts add, “For to a hungry soul even bitter things appear to be sweet,” from Proverbs xxvii. 7. (Calmet)
“Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!”
Off, and release me from this state of misery and danger. (Haydock) — He is ready to die cheerfully, if it be God’s will. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “May the Lord, who has begun, wound me, but not take me away finally. Yea, let my city, over which I have exulted, be my grave. I will not spare, for I have not belied a word of my holy God.” (Haydock)
“What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?”
End. Septuagint, “time.” I am too weak and short-lived to bear all this. (Haydock) — I can perceive no end. (Menochius) — Keep. Protestants, “prolong my life.” (Haydock) — “What is the extent of my soul, to reach so far?” (Calmet) — Longanimity is the characteristic of a great soul. (Haydock)
“Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? of brass: Heb. brasen?”
Brass. This is proverbial. Homer (Iliad A) says, “Attack the Greeks; their skin is neither of stone, (Calmet) iron, or brass.” Those who are aware of their own frailty, ought not to expose themselves to dangerous company, particularly to those of the other sex.
“Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?”
Myself. “Have I not placed my trust in him?” God alone. (Haydock) — All my other friends have abandoned me, ver. 15. (Calmet) — Can they wonder if I express my grief? (Haydock) — Familiar. Hebrew, “is wisdom removed far from me?” (Haydock) — Has my strength abandoned me, so that I cannot be recognized? (Calmet)
“Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:”
Them. They shall run from a less to a greater evil. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “Those who respected me, have now fallen upon me, like snow or ice; (17) as when it is consumed with heat, it is no longer known where it was: (18) thus I have been abandoned by all, lost and expelled from my house.” Consider, (19) Hebrew continues, in the comparison of the torrents, (15) “which are hidden by the ice and snow,” and are left dry and of no service in summer, when most wanted. (Haydock) — So these friends stood by me only in the days of my prosperity. (Calmet) — Luther and the Dutch version follow the Vulgate, Amama says, improperly. He proposes that of Pagnin, “which (torrents) are darkened by the ice. Snow is concealed in (Montanus, upon) them.” (Haydock)
“The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.”
Entangled. Like meandering streams, my friends act crookedly. (Menochius)
“The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.”
While. Till the torrents subside, when the caravans from these towns of Arabia may pass on. Job may also address his friends, (Calmet) and bid them consider how few had taken any notice of him. (Menochius) — Protestants, “the troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.”
“They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.”
I. Hebrew, “they had hoped” to pass along. (Haydock)
“For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid. ye are: or, ye are like to them: Heb. to it nothing: Heb. not”
Come. Hebrew, “are good for nothing.” (Calmet) — Protestant marginal note, “like to them.”
“How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?”
Why. Hebrew, “How strong are the words of truth!” (Calmet) — Whereas. Protestants, “But what doth your arguing reprove?” What part of my discourse do you find erroneous? Septuagint, “But it seems the words of the man of truth are deceitful. Yet I do not beg from you (a word or) strength.” (Haydock)
“Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?”
Wind. Job humbles the vanity of Eliphaz. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “nor shall your rebuke silence my words: for I will not admit the sound of your discourse. Nay, you rush,” &c.
“Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things? my taste: Heb. my palate”
Mouth. He engages their attention. (Calmet) — Hebrew, “Cannot my taste discern perverse things,” (Protestants; Haydock) or “the evil” which I endure? My complaints are not surely unfounded. (Calmet)