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Expanded Comments | Additional Comments |
| 1 Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear mine utterances, and hearken to all my words. |
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| 2 Behold now, I have opened my mouth, my tongue speaketh in my palate, |
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| 3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall utter knowledge purely. |
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| 4 The Spirit of *God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. |
Spirit of God – Invisible influence. R4519:6*
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| 5 If thou canst, answer me; array thy words before me: take thy stand. |
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| 6 Behold, before *God I am as thou; I also am formed out of the clay. |
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| 7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, nor my burden be heavy upon thee. |
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| 8 Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words: -- |
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| 9 I am clean without transgression; I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me; |
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| 10 Lo, he findeth occasions of hostility against me, he counteth me for his enemy; |
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| 11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths. |
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| 12 Behold, I will answer thee in this, thou art not right; for +God is greater than man. |
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| 13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters. |
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| 14 For *God speaketh once, and twice, -- and man perceiveth it not-- |
Once, yea twice – Thinking men observe the persistency with which questions of right and wrong, justice and injustice, are forced upon their consideration, demanding an expression of their individual principles. B152
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| 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; |
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| 16 Then he openeth men's ears, and sealeth their instruction, |
Then he openeth – With the thunder tones of the day of trouble. B153
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| 17 That he may withdraw man from his work, and hide pride from man. |
From his purpose – From his own purpose. B153
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| 18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing away by the sword. |
Soul from the pit – The being from death. R205:4, R277:1
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| 19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and with constant strife in his bones; |
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| 20 And his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty food; |
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| 21 His flesh is consumed away from view, and his bones that were not seen stick out; |
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| 22 And his soul draweth near to the pit, and his life to the destroyers. |
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| 23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his duty; |
Messenger – As defender. R5402:6
Among a thousand – A rare one. R5402:6
To shew – To declare. R5402:6
His uprightness – His own righteousness for man. R5402:6
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| 24 Then he will be gracious unto him, and say, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. |
Then he – God. R5402:6
Him – Man. R5402:6
Deliver – Release him. R5402:6
Down to the pit – Of death, or the grave. R5402:6; E462
Found a ransom – Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom price for all by paying the death penalty that was upon Adam, a corresponding price. R5402:6, R4154:3; E462
God will not let the sinner go unconditionally, but because he has found a ransom. R324:4, R1058:5
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| 25 His flesh shall be fresher than in childhood; he shall return to the days of his youth. |
He shall return – Restitution. R5402:6
Youth – To perennial youth, in which death and decay will find no place. R5402:6
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| 26 He shall pray unto +God, and he will receive him with favour; and he shall see his face with shoutings, and he will render unto man his righteousness. |
Pray unto God – Communion with God. R5402:6
Favourable – They shall find acceptance with God. R5402:6
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| 27 He will sing before men, and say, I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it hath not been requited to me; |
I have sinned – An acknowledgment that God is just and that the restitution was unmerited will be required. R5402:6
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| 28 He hath delivered my soul from going into the pit, and my life shall see the light. |
Deliver – Redeem. R5402:6
See the light – May be brought to the light. R5402:6
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| 29 Lo, all these things worketh *God twice, thrice, with man, |
Oftentimes – Margin: twice and thrice. Based on this and on Amos 2:4, the Jewish rabbis limited the granting of forgiveness to a repentant wrong-doer to three times; but our Lord taught forgiveness times without number. R2665:3
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| 30 To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of the living. |
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| 31 Mark well, Job, hearken unto me; be silent, and I will speak. |
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| 32 If thou hast anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify thee. |
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| 33 If not, hearken thou unto me; be silent, and I will teach thee wisdom. |
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