Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.

“When I relaxed from my wonted gravity (a virtue much esteemed in the East) and smiled, they could hardly credit it; and yet, notwithstanding my condescension, they did not cast aside reverence for my gravity.”

“But now they mock me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to entrust with my sheep dogs.

“They are not allowed to enter a house, but run about wild in the open air, living on offal and chance morsels (Ps 59:14, 15). Here again we are reminded of Jesus Christ (Ps 22:16).”

What use to me was the strength of their hands, since their vigor had left them?

“If their fathers could be of no profit to me, much less the sons, who are feebler than their sires; and in whose case the hope of attaining old age is utterly gone, so puny are they (Job 5:26) [MAURER].”

so that they lived on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground.

“They are forced "to dwell." cliffs of the valleys--rather, "in the gloomy valleys"; literally, "in the gloom of the valleys," or wadies. To dwell in valleys is, in the East, a mark of wretchedness.”

A senseless and nameless brood, they were driven off the land.

“The Horites in Mount Seir (Ge 14:6 with which compare Ge 36:20, 21; De 2:12, 22) were probably the aborigines, driven out by the tribe to which Job's ancestors belonged; their name means troglodytæ, or "dwellers in caves."”

Because God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint in my presence.

“He--that is, "God"; antithetical to "they"; English Version here follows the marginal reading (Keri). my cord--image from a bow unstrung; opposed to Job 29:20. The text (Chetib), "His cord" or "reins" is better; "yea, each lets loose his reins" [UMBREIT].”

They advance as through a wide breach; through the ruins they keep rolling in.

“But it is better to retain the image of Job 30:12, 13. "They came [upon me] as through a wide breach," namely, made by the besiegers in the wall of a fortress (Isa 30:13) [MAURER].”

Night pierces my bones, and my gnawing pains never rest.

“In the Hebrew, night is poetically personified, as in Job 3:3: "night pierceth my bones (so that they fall) from me" (not as English Version, "in me"; see Job 30:30).”

Yet no one stretches out his hand to a ruined man when he cries for help in his distress.

“Expressing Job's faith as to the state after death. Though one must go to the grave, yet He will no more afflict in the ruin of the body (so Hebrew for "grave") there, if one has cried to Him when being destroyed.”

I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.

“"Dragon," Hebrew, tannim, usually means the crocodile; so perhaps here, its open jaws lifted towards heaven, and its noise making it seem as if it mourned over its fate [BOCHART].”

For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.

“In the earliest times punished with death (Ge 38:24). So in later times (De 22:22). Heretofore he had spoken only of sins against conscience; now, one against the community, needing the cognizance of the judge.”

Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?

“Slaveholders try to defend themselves by maintaining the original inferiority of the slave. Eph 6:9 make the common origin of masters and servants the argument for brotherly love being shown by the former to the latter.”

though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—

“Parenthetical: asserting that he did the contrary to the things in Job 31:16, 17. he--the orphan. guided her--namely, the widow, by advice and protection. On this and "a father," see Job 29:16.”

then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.

“Job alludes to Eliphaz' charge (Job 22:9). The first "arm" is rather the shoulder. The second "arm" is the forearm. from the bone--literally, "a reed"; hence the upper arm, above the elbow.”

For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.

“For--that is, the reason why Job guarded against such sins. Fear of God, though he could escape man's judgment (Ge 39:9). UMBREIT more spiritedly translates, Yea, destruction and terror from God might have befallen me (had I done so): mere fear not being the motive.”

if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,

“The Hebrew here for "sun" is light. Probably light was worshipped as the emanation from God, before its embodiments, the sun, &c. This worship prevailed in Chaldea; wherefore Job's exemption from the idolatry of his neighbors was the more exemplary.”

if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,

“So he might easily know of the fall, through the two links which connect Adam and Abraham (about Job's time), namely, Methuselah and Shem. Adam is representative of fallen man's propensity to concealment (Pr 28:13).”

because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—

“A just retribution that he who hides his sin from God, should have it exposed before man (2Sa 12:12). But Job had not been so exposed, but on the contrary was esteemed in the assemblies of the "tribes"--("families"); a proof, he implies, that God does…”

(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.

“"Behold my sign," that is, my mark of subscription to the statements just given in my defense: the mark of signature was originally a cross; and hence the letter Tau or T. Translate, also "Oh, that the Almighty," &c.”

I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—

“A good conscience imparts a princely dignity before man and free assurance in approaching God. This can be realized, not in Job's way (Job 42:5, 6); but only through Jesus Christ (Heb 10:22).”

then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.

“At Job 31:37 would be the regular conclusion in strict art. But Job 31:38-40 are naturally added by one whose mind in agitation recurs to its sense of innocence, even after it has come to the usual stopping point; this takes away the appearance of…”

This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God,

“Elihu--meaning "God is Jehovah." In his name and character as messenger between God and Job, he foreshadows Jesus Christ (Job 33:23-26). Barachel--meaning "God blesses." Both names indicate the piety of the family and their separation from idolaters. Buzite--Buz was son of Nahor, brother of Abraham.”

It is not only the old who are wise, or the elderly who understand justice.

“Great--rather, "old" (Job 32:6). "Greater, less" for the older, the younger. judgment--what is right.”

Indeed, I waited while you spoke; I listened to your reasoning; as you searched for words,

“Therefore Elihu was present from the first. reasons--literally, "understandings," that is, the meaning intended by words. whilst--I waited until you should discover a suitable reply to Job.”

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

“On the other hand, "the breath of the Almighty hath inspired me" (as Job 32:8); not as English Version, "given me life"; therefore "I am according to thy wish (Job 9:32, 33) in God's stead" to thee; a "daysman," umpire, or mediator, between God and…”