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| 1 But, in very deed, hear, I pray thee, Job, my discourse, and, to all my words, give thou ear. |
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| 2 Lo! I pray thee, I have opened my mouth, My tongue, with my palate, hath spoken, |
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| 3 Mine utterances come straight from mine own heart, and, what I know, my lips have truly spoken; |
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| 4 The spirit of GOD, hath made me, and, the inspiration of the Almighty, giveth me life. |
Spirit of God – Invisible influence. R4519:6*
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| 5 If thou art able to answer me, Set in order before me–take thy stand! |
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| 6 Lo! I am like thyself toward GOD, From clay, have I been nipped off, even I! |
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| 7 Lo! my terror, will not startle thee, nor, my hand, upon thee, be heavy. |
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| 8 But thou hast spoken in mine ears, and, the sound of words, I heard:– |
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| 9 Pure am, I, without transgression,–Clean am, I, and have no iniquity; |
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| 10 Lo! occasions of hostility, would he find against me, He counteth me an enemy to him; |
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| 11 He putteth–in the stocks–my feet, He watcheth all my paths. |
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| 12 Lo! in this, thou hast not been right–let me answer thee, For, GOD, is greater than, man. |
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| 13 Wherefore, against him, hast thou contended? For, with none of his reasons, will he respond. |
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| 14 For, in one way, GOD may speak,–and, in a second way, one may not heed it:– |
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, a vision of the night, when a deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed, |
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| 16 Then, uncovereth he the ear of men, and, on their correction, affixeth a seal; |
Then he openeth – With the thunder tones of the day of trouble. B153
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| 17 To turn a son of earth from his deed, while yet, pride, from man he concealeth: |
From his purpose – From his own purpose. B153
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| 18 He keepeth back his said from the pit, and his life from passing away by a weapon. |
Soul from the pit – The being from death. R205:4, R277:1
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| 19 Or he is chastised with pain, upon his bed, and, the strife of his bones, is unceasing! |
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| 20 So that his life maketh loathsome [his] food, and his soul, dainty meat; |
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| 21 His flesh wasteth away out of sight, and bared are the bones once unseen; |
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| 22 So doth his soul draw near to the pit, and his life to the inflicters of death: |
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| 23 If there hath been near him a messenger who could interpret–one of a thousand, to declare to the son of earth His uprightness, |
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 hath he shewed him favour, and said, Set him free from going down to the pit, I have found a price of redemption! |
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 hath been made fresher than a child's, he hath returned to the days of his youth;
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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 made supplication unto GOD, who hath accepted him, and he hath beheld his face with a shout of triumph, Thus hath he given back to 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 sang before men, and said, I sinned, and, uprightness, I perverted, yet he requited me not; |
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 ransomed my soul from passing away into the pit,–and, my life, in the light, shall have vision. |
Deliver – Redeem. R5402:6
See the light – May be brought to the light. R5402:6
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| 29 Lo! a these things, doth GOD work, two ways, three, with a 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, to enlighten with the light of the living. |
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| 31 Mark well, O Job, and hearken to me, Be silent, and, I, will speak: |
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| 32 If there is anything to say, reply to me, Speak, for I desire to justify thee; |
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| 33 If not, do, thou, hearken unto me, Be silent, that I may teach thee wisdom. |
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