The Book of Job
Job 1
Chapter I · Vol. II, pp. 939–942
1 The holiness, riches, and religious care of Job for his children. 6 Satan, appearing before God, by calumniation obtaineth leave to tempt Job. 13 Understanding of the loss of his goods and children, in his mourning he blesseth God.
1 There was a man in the land of aUz whose name was bJob; and that man was cperfect1 and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.2
A.M. cir. 2484. B.C. cir. 1520.
a Ge.10.23; 22.21. La.4.21. 1 Ch.1.17,42.
b Ge.10.29; 36.33,34. Eze.14.14,20. Ja.5.11.
c Ge.6.9. Lu.1.6 ch.2.3. Ps.119.6,7. 1 Th.2.10. Pr.16.6. See ver.8. 2 Co.1.12. Tit.2.11,12.
1 Not a legal perfection, see ch. 9. 20; 7. 20. The word signifies complete, that is, Job was a believer in Christ, whose day he saw by faith and rejoiced, ch. 19. 25. For the manner in which a believer is perfect and complete, see Jn. 17. 23. Col.2.10.—C.
A.M. cir. 2484. B.C. cir. 1520.
2 Avoided evil as one avoids something dangerous and venomous.—C.
2 And there were dborn unto him seven sons and three daughters.
d Ps.127.3,4; 128.3-5.
3 His esubstance3 also fwas seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household;4 so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the geast.
4 And his hsons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day;5 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 sanctifiedi them, and krose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, lIt may be that my sons have sinned, and mcursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job ncontinually.
6 Now there was a oday when the psons of God came to qpresent themselves before the LORD, and Satan7 came also among them.8
7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From rgoing to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the LORD said unto Satan, 9Hast thou considered smy servant Job, that there is tnone like him in the earth, a uperfect and an xupright man, one ythat feareth God, and zescheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast thou not amade an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast bblessed the work of his hands, and his substance1 is increased in the land:
11 But cput forth thine hand now, and dtouch all that he hath, and he will ecurse thee to thy face.2
12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, allf that he hath is in thy power;3 only gupon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan wenth forth from the presence of the LORD.4
3 Heb. hand, Ge.16.6.
g 1 Co.10.13. Is.27.8.
h Ro.3.15. Pr.4.16; 1.16. Is.59.7. 1 Pe.5.8. ch.2.7.
4 Is this to be considered a real dialogue, or an allegory; a narrative of facts, or a representation by parable? When it is recollected that Jehovah literally conversed with Abraham (Ge.15.1,2,7,8,18; 17.1,18,19), and afterwards with Jacob (Ge. 32. 24, 30), and that he spoke with Moses 'face to face' (Ex. 33. 11); and then when it is farther recollected that Jesus, the Word that was God—the Word become flesh' (Jn. 1. 1, 14), 'God manifest in the flesh' (1 Ti. 3. 16), permitted Satan to tempt him verbally (Mat. 4. 3, 11), there will be less difficulty in apprehending how this narrative may reveal and record a reality of the invisible, and not present a mere figurative emblem. But, if any be otherwise minded, still let it be remembered, that a figure is a figure of some reality, and that consequently the narrative, however interpreted, represents the reality of an invisible government over the good and the evil of this visible world.—C.
13 And there was a day iwhen 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 ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them;
15 And the jSabeans5 fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I konly am escaped alone to tell thee.
j Ge.10.7,28; 25.3, i.e. wild Arabs.
5 Probably the descendants of Sheba, the grandson of Abraham (Ge. 25. 3), whom he sent into 'the east country' (ver. 6), where Job 'was the greatest of all the men of the East.' C. —— More probably either a tribe of the Cushite Sabaeans (Ge. 10. 7), or of the people of the same name descended from Joktan (10.28). I believe the age of Job to be too early to admit of the possibility of the descendants of Sheba being here referred to.—P.
16 Whilel he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The mfire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burnt up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
l ver.14,15,17,18.
m Or, A great fire, lightning, Ge.19.24. 1 Ki.18.38. Nu.11.1. Re.13.13, with Ep.2.2.
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The nChaldeans made out three bands, and fell6 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 Whileo 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 pa great wind from7 the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it qfell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20 Then Job rarose, and rent his 8mantle, and shaved his head, and sfell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, tNaked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I ureturn thither:9 the LORD xgave, and the LORD hath takeny away; blessed zbe the name of the LORD.
A.M. cir. 2484. B.C. cir. 1520.
t Ec.5.15. Ps.49.17. 1 Ti.6.7.
u Ge.3.19. ch.30.23. Ec.12.7. He.9.27.
9 The body shall return to its mother earth, from whence it was taken.—C.
x Ge.33.5,11. Jos.24.3,4. Ro.11.36. 1 Ch.29.14,16. La.3.38.
y Is.42.24. Ge.45.5. Am.3.6. 2 Sa.16.10. Mat.20.15. 1 Ki.12.15.
Notes
[Ver. 1. Uz. There are three persons called Uz in Scripture. The son of Aram, Ge. 10. 23; the son of Nahor, Ge. 22. 21; and the son of Dishan, Ge. 36. 28. Hence the difficulty of deciding upon what country is called by this name. The most probable opinion, because the best supported by Scripture reference, is that which places Uz in Edom, or Idumæa, as in La. 4. 21, where Uz and Edom are identified. The same may be seen by referring to Je. 49. 7; Eze. 25. 13; Am. 1. 11; and in Ob. 9 the men of Teman are described as inhabitants of Idumæa, and in Job 2. 11 Eliphaz is described as a Temanite. C.]
Ver. 3. [Job was 'the greatest of all the men of the east;' literally, 'the Bene-Kedem,' a people who dwelt in Arabia, and chiefly in that section of it which lay east and south-east of Palestine. Hence it may be concluded that the land of Uz was in Arabia Petraea. Jeremiah groups it with Egypt, Philistia, Edom, and Moab, Je. 25. 20; in one passage he seems to identify it with part of Edom:—'Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz,' La. 4. 21. The name was derived from Aram's eldest son, who was founder of one of the primeval tribes, which took his name, and settled in the land of Uz, Ge. 10. 23, 31. When travelling in the countries east of Palestine, I often heard from intelligent natives the tradition that Jebel-Hauran was the country of Job; and I found several places in that wild region bearing the name of the patriarch. P.]
Ver. 5. [Cursed God in their hearts. Nor blessed God in their hearts.—Note, In all efforts for promoting religion, let the heart—the conversion, the purifying, the watching of the heart, be the chief object. C.]
Ver. 6. [Of the invisible kingdom of God we know literally nothing beyond what God is pleased to reveal; therefore, when it pleases God to reveal it to us, it must needs be by corresponding emblems from visible governments. Still it must be remembered that these emblems have originals of which they are the copies; and that whilst through these emblems 'we see but in part, and know but in part,' yet we see there is a heavenly worship and an invisible government in which spirits of evil may accuse the children of God in heaven, even as their coadjutors, evil-spirited men, have ever done on earth; and in which they may obtain a limited power of inflicting injury, even as on earth wicked men obtain a similar power; while Jehovah restrains both, and finally compels all things to 'work together for good to them that love God.' C.]
Ver. 7. [It must not be inferred from this narrative that Satan has admission to the assembly of the saints in heaven. The Lord is here represented as holding a solemn court. Before it Satan appears. He appears as a subject of the Ruler of the Universe, though a wicked and rebellious one. And it is seen in this remarkable incident that, while pursuing his own wicked purposes, he is still made, by the all-wise, overruling providence of God, instrumental in promoting the glory of God and the ultimate good of God's true children. The dealings of Satan with Job are in harmony with what we read of him in the New Testament. Paul's thorn in the flesh was 'a messenger of Satan,' 2 Co. 12. 7; the tares in the field were sown by Satan, Mat. 13. 29; the poor woman mentioned in Lu. 13. 16 is said to have been bound by Satan. He is thus represented as the author of physical as well as moral evil. He is permitted in God's mysterious providence to torture the body as well as to tempt and oppress the soul. His character and work are well indicated in his name, Satan, 'the adversary.' P.]
Ver. 11. [We have a key here to the moral of the book and of Job's history. It was intended to be a life lesson to all God's people. Job was a good man. He was prosperous, happy, and useful. Under the divine protection and blessing he enjoyed as large an amount of felicity as weak humanity is capable of. 'One question could be raised by envy: May not the goodness which secures such direct and tangible rewards be a refined form of selfishness? In the world of spirits, where all the mysteries of existence are brought to light, Satan suggests the doubt, 'Doth Job fear God for nought?' and asserts boldly that if these external blessings were withdrawn Job would cast off his allegiance. One problem is thus distinctly propounded which this book is intended to discuss and solve—Can goodness exist irrespective of reward?' P.]
Ver. 17. [The Chaldeans. The word literally signifies robbers. They gave name to an indefinite extent of country bordering on the Euphrates. C.——The Chaldees were one of the primeval races who settled early on the great alluvial plain near the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris. Ur was a city of the Chaldees, and must always be remembered as the native place of Abraham. The Chaldees possessed the characteristics of true Bedawîn—restless, fierce, and predatory. They were of Cushite origin. The raid here mentioned will remind the reader of that in which Sodom fell and Lot was carried away captive. P.]
Ver. 19. [Infidels have scoffed at a wind smiting the four corners of a house at once, but in their scoffing they but display their ignorance; a whirlwind would exactly smite the house as the messenger described. C.——Satan's power, as here represented, is very extensive. It reaches to individuals, nations, and the elements of nature. In all this the incidental statements in Job are in entire harmony with the notices in the New Testament. He is the great tempter of man, insinuating doubts, suggesting evil, visiting with bodily infirmity. He is spoken of as 'prince of this world,' and even 'god of this world,' Jn. 12. 31; 2 Co. 4. 4:—that is, of the physical world, able to employ the elements as his instruments against the people of God. P.]
Reflections.—God can easily raise up instances of remarkable piety, even among wild Arabs and amidst wealth: and he delights to propagate the fame of such as are remarkably pious. It is a mercy for children to have parents deeply and constantly concerned for the glory of God and the good of their souls. However lawful feasting and mirth may be on some occasions, there is always need after it to examine our hearts and conduct, and to supplicate the pardon of our mistakes in it. How closely Satan attends saints, ministers, and angels, particularly when they present themselves before God! We have great need to be always sober and vigilant, when our adversary the devil goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. And many, not less odious to God in their tempers and designs than Satan, thrust themselves into the assemblies of God's people in their house of prayer. The noted favourites and servants of God are peculiarly the objects of Satan's malice. But precise are the limits by which he is restricted by God, who knoweth all his designs. And they who approve themselves faithful servants to God, will find him faithful to them in preserving them from the snares of the devil. It is very common for Satan and his instruments to reproach the people of God as selfish and hypocritical in their religion: and almost as common to ascertain their declarations with curses and imprecations. And when God, for holy ends, lengthens Satan's chain against his own people, how inexpressibly forward is he in carrying on mischief to the utmost extent of his permission! There is need then in our happiest estate to rejoice with trembling. How heavy are sore troubles when they come from every quarter and on everything, one upon the neck of another; and the last the most dreadful. Happy is it when we are graciously weaned from created comforts, of which we may be so quickly and in so awful a manner deprived. But no affliction should indispose us for God's worship. The more trouble we feel the more need we have of his grace to support us. And the views of our death should wean us from perishing things. All that we have is God's gift, lent or given to us: and whatever we lose, enough is left to deserve our thankfulness. Nay, a spirit of meekness bestowed is a greater blessing than all that God can take from us. But, nevertheless, how powerful are the influences of God's grace, that can render his people composed and heartily resigned to his will under the sharpest trials! In all my troubles let me view God's hand and acquiesce in his will: and let them all drive me into the arms, the bosom of my God.