| Scripture |
Expanded Comments | Additional Comments |
| 1 Man, born of woman! Of few days, and full of trouble! |
Man – Mankind. R5402:1
Full of trouble – Job's prophetic wisdom. Life under present conditions is full of trial and sorrow, from the cradle to the tomb. R5402:3
The world is full of troubled hearts. Each of us has not only his own burdens, but our weaknesses are augmented by the idiosyncracies of others. SM262:1
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| 2 As a flower he hath gone forth, and is cut off, And he fleeth as a shadow and standeth not. |
Continueth not – No wonder Lazarus and others were silent about their experiences in hades. R822:5*
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| 3 Also on this Thou hast opened Thine eyes, And dost bring me into judgment with Thee. |
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| 4 Who giveth a clean thing out of an unclean not one. |
Who can bring – Comparatively few parents seem to realize that when children are less than graceful in feature and character a responsibility for the defects rests upon them. R5251:1
All existence comes from the father and not the mother, the mother receiving and nourishing the germ until it is able to maintain an independent existence. R776:3
In harmony with this principle God was the "Father," or life-giver, while the earth was the mother of Adam. R776:5
A clean thing – Perfect, free from sin, in the full sense of the word. R5402:3, R1506:3
Jesus' perfect life "proceeded forth and came from God" (John 8:42) and was merely developed and nourished in Mary. E105
Jehovah has begotten sons of the divine nature as well as other natures--angelic (Job 2:1; Job 38:7; Heb. 2:9), human (Luke 3:38) and the "new creatures" who shall be of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). R777:4, R354:5
Similarly, father Adam was born into being perfect because he was born of God, though his mother (the earth) was still imperfect except for the specially prepared Garden of Eden. E106
If the father is perfect, the child will be so. R776:6
In the case of Jesus, a perfect life-germ transferred by divine power from a pre-existent condition to the embryo condition was born "holy" and "perfect", though of an imperfect mother. R777:2
Out of an unclean – Out of Adam, the contaminated fountain. E103; R5402:3, R777:1
Applying to the man and not to the woman. R777:1
It would not be possible that any imperfect human pair could bring forth absolutely perfect children. R5251:1; CR428:2; R1780:6
Though life or being comes from the father, form and nature come from the mother. R777:2
The female furnishes organism as well as sustenance--in fact, furnishes all except the life-seed or sperm, which comes from the father or life-giver. E103
Illustrated by the offspring of the union between the "daughters of men" and those angels which kept not their first estate--their progeny had the vitality of the fathers but the nature of their mothers. R777. 2
In the typical dispensation a child inherited blessings and privileges from its father according to the favor and standing of its mother (Gen. 21:10; Exod. 21:4; Gal. 4:30). R777:5
Not one – No man would have such power. But this is the very power which God possesses and exercised in the birth of Jesus. OV151:3
Not answered by the doctrine of "Immaculate Conception"; for, if Mary had been free from Adamic sin she must have received it from her mother, and so on all the way back to Eve, "the mother of all living." (Gen. 3:20) R776:2
When Adam fell the whole human creation was made subject to the inherent taint of sin and its condemnation to death. R1780:6
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| 5 If determined are his days, The number of his months [are] with Thee, His limit Thou hast made, And he passeth not over; |
Determined – In the Lord's hands. R5402:3
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| 6 Look away from off him that he may cease, Till he enjoy as an hireling his day. |
That he may rest – Let all men live out their short time in peace. Job did not see the ministry of trouble. R5402:3, R1506:3
Hireling – Why afflict those who already have a heavy, burdensome task. R5402:3
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| 7 For there is of a tree hope, if it be cut down, That again it doth change, That its tender branch doth not cease. |
That it will sprout – But man cannot sprout, he cannot raise himself, he must await the great Deliverer. R194:2
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| 8 If its root becometh old in the earth, And its stem doth die in the dust, |
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| 9 From the fragrance of water it doth flourish, And hath made a crop as a plant. |
The scent of water – Favorable conditions. R5402:3
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| 10 And a man dieth, and becometh weak, And man expireth, and where [is] he |
Man dieth – Utter hopelessness of man in death, so far as any powers of his own are concerned. R5402:3
Wasteth away – There is no root left, no spark of life remains. R5402:3
Giveth up the ghost – Life. R142:3, R279:1; A210
"Gasps out, expires", Young. R754:5*
Where is he? – As the diamond loses its beauty when light is withdrawn. R142:3, R279:1
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| 11 Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becometh waste and dry. |
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| 12 And man hath lain down, and riseth not, Till the wearing out of the heavens they awake not, Nor are roused from their sleep. |
Riseth not – Loses all power to raise himself. R1506:3, R5402:4, R194:2
Till the heavens – The present powers of spiritual control. R1506:3, R194:2
The present order of things, or dominion of earth, is symbolically termed "the heavens." These must give place to the Kingdom of Christ, the "new heavens," when the dead shall be awakened. R1018:4*
A blessed provision, they shall not be awakened until surrounding circumstances shall be more favorable for their trial. R846:2
Be no more – Till the new dispensation has been ushered in. HG194:6
Out of their sleep – Unconscious, peaceful rest. R2172:3
Of death; by anyone, until God's due time. R5402:4
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| 13 O that in Sheol Thou wouldst conceal me, Hide me till the turning of Thine anger, Set for me a limit, and remember me. |
Hide me – A human being, not a new creature. R5109:1
In the grave – Sheol, oblivion, the state of death. SM524:1; E359, E410; R5402:4, R2598:5, R2600:1
Because of his experience he wished for death, that he might have no further experience with sin. PD26/37; R5402:4
Sheol not here translated "hell" because it would have been absurd for Job to have prayed to God to hide him in a hell of torments. R2598:5
Keep me secret – Hidden in the grave. R1506:4, R5402:4
Thy wrath be past – This time of wrath which has now lasted for 6,000 years is to be brought to a close by the great Day of Vengeance. E410, E346, E359; R1378:1, R2805:4, R1881:2
The "wrath" here mentioned is elsewhere called the "curse." SM524:2
Until the reign of sin and death should be ended and the Sun of Righteousness shine with healing in his beams. R1506:4, R2805:4; HG194:6; R332:4
The saints are to be raised before the day of wrath, but the class Job speaks of do not arise until the time of trouble is over. R194:3
After the seven last plagues are fulfilled. HG91:3
Until the dawn of the great Lord's day. R1017:2*, R5109:1; SM525:T
A set time – God's due time, when evil shall have no more dominion. R5402:4
The resurrection time. HG194:6
And remember me – By calling me from oblivion into being again, a resurrection. E360; R2600:1, R5109:4, R5402:4; PD26/37
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| 14 If a man dieth doth he revive All days of my warfare I wait, till my change come. |
Shall he live again? – There is a longing hope within man that death does not end all existence. E383
Will I wait – Death is a condition of rest, of quiet, of peaceful unconsciousness. R5059:6, R5605:4, R4794:2
Until God's due time. R5402:4
Till my change come – The hope of a resurrection. R1017:6*
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| 15 Thou dost call, and I I answer Thee; To the work of Thy hands Thou hast desire. |
Thou shalt call – The time of wrath is to be brought to a close by the great Day of Vengeance. E410
In the resurrection morning. R5402:4; SM525:T
"The dead shall hear the voice of the Son." (John 5:25) E346
"Thou shalt seek me in the morning." (Job 7:21) E359
If man is not in existence, yet comes forth when called, the calling forth is a re-creation. R846:4
Like Lazarus, at the call of Jesus, earth's dead millions shall again spring into existence. R604:3*, R678:3
And I will answer – A re-creation. R846:4, R1017:6*, R604:3
Will spring into being again, at thy Word. R678:3, R1378:1, R5402:5
All will answer the resurrection call. E359
Work of thine hands – His people are his workmanship (Eph. 2:10). R5402:5
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| 16 But now, my steps Thou numberest, Thou dost not watch over my sin. |
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| 17 Sealed up in a bag [is] my transgression, And Thou sewest up mine iniquity.
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| 18 And yet, a falling mountain wasteth away, And a rock is removed from its place. |
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| 19 Stones have waters worn away, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And the hope of man Thou hast destroyed. |
The hope of man – In himself. E348
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| 20 Thou prevailest [over] him for ever, and he goeth, He is changing his countenance, And Thou sendest him away. |
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| 21 Honoured are his sons, and he knoweth not; And they are little, and he attendeth not to them. |
He knoweth it not – A direct contradiction to the claims of spirit mediums that they hold communication with the dead. R265:5
The Israelites were distinctly told that the "dead know not anything." (Eccl. 9:5) SM99:2; OV215:T, OV362:3; Q204:3
Contrary to the teachings of Spiritualism. R2170:2
Total unconsciousness. "There is no ... knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest" (Eccl 9:10)--no knowledge of anything until the resurrection. R4794:1, R4551:6, R5303:1; E348; A210
Thus Dorcas (Acts 9:32-43), though a good woman and a child of the Lord, when awakened to life, had no wonderful experiences or mysterious visions to relate. R1450:6
During the Jewish age God guarded his typical people against delusions of lying spirits, that the dead are alive. R1642:6
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| 22 Only his flesh for him is pained, And his soul for him doth mourn.' |
Soul within him – Signifying that man would suffer and mourn from his inmost being. Q836:T
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