proaching, or receding, with fome Particles, fuch as toward, near, back, added to it. It is ufed intranfitively only in two other Places befides this, viz. Judg. IV. 6. and XX. 37. and in both fignifies properly to go, march, or advance. In the former Inftance the true Sense is disguised by the Prepofition which follows being rendered toward; as if Barak had been directed only to approach near to Mount Tabor; and not, as appears to have been the Cafe, TO GO UP TO it, and collect his Forces upon the Mount; fee V. 12, 14. In the latter Inftance the Translation runs, and the Liers in wait drew themselves along, instead of THEY MARCHED UP, AND &c.

V. 2.

CHAP. XXII.

- as he that is wife may be profitable unto himself? 150 :-'wp 10’by ] ' is never used as a Particle of Comparison: it ought to be rendered here BECAUSE.

V. 8. But as for the mighty Man, he had the Earth: 1 7] Three Words might here be fpared in our Verfion, if we BUT THE MIGHTY MAN HAD THE EARTH.

render

V. 9. and the Arms of the fatherless have been broken. 87] The Verb is here corrupt. If the Sense given to it in our Verfion be right, it ought then to have been 1837: but it is more than probable that 27 is the true Lection, for the Difference is flighter, it fuits with the preceding Hemiftic, and has the Countenance of all the ancient Interpreters; with whom therefore I would render AND THOU HAST BROKEN THE ARMS OF THE FATHERLESS.

אשר קמטו ולא עת

V. 16. Which were cut down out of Time; hopp Rather WHO WERE AFFLICTED BEFORE their TIME.

311

Verb occurs no where elfe except Ch. XVI. 8. which fec.

8] This

V. 17. Which faid unto God, Depart from us: and what can the

[האמרים לאל סור ממנו - ומה יפעל שדי למו: ? ilmighty do for them

The LXX, Syriac, and Arabic, read here (inftead of 1 for them) FOR US; which the Sense seems to require.

V.20. Whereas our Subftance is not cut down ;-) SDN) Instead of 'p, all the ancient Versions read here 12p, or 12; which doubtless is the true Reading. For the Word 'p, as a Subftantive, is not to be found; and the Pronoun of the firft Perfon is foreign to the

D 2

the Subject. p fignifies standing Corn, and the has here the Force of, as in numberless Places. The true Tranflation therefore seems to be - IS NOT THEIR STANDING CORN CUT DOWN? [AND DOTH NOT THE FIRE CONSUME WHAT REMAINETH TO THEM?]

V. 24. Then halt thou lay up Gold as the Duft, and the Gold of Ophir as the Stones of the Brooks.

ושית על עפר בצר

] Rather-THEN SHALT THOU PUT THY GOLD UPON THE EARTH, AND the Gold OF OPHIR ON THE ROCKS OF THE VALLEYS. Becaufey is never ufed as a Particle of Comparison; as was observed on V. 2. neither has ever that Force; for the Inftances adduced by Noldius are evident Mistakes for . I tranflate by EARTH, a Signification it frequently has in this Book; fee Ch. XIX. 25. XXX. 6. &c. particularly as it is opposed to VALLEYS (as in the last Place referred to) which is as genuine a Sense of as that of Brooks. In this Verfe is a double Paronomafia. The Sense of Eliphaz, as here explained, feems to be this If thou return to the Almighty &c. "thou wilt fo utterly difregard Gold, and whatever is esteemed "precious, as to throw them in the Highways; for thy fole Delight, "Comfort, and Support will be in Him."

V. 25.

and thou shalt have Plenty of Silver. : 75 midvin A001} The marginal Reading is- Silver of Strength. But would it not be better to render thefe Words - AND THY STRENGTH, SILVER: the Verb understood from the foregoing Claufe? The first Senfe has no Authority to fupport it; the fecond is harfh: but the latter feems liable to no Exception, and correfponds exactly with the preceding Hemiftic; if be rendered GOLD, as it certainly ought to be: for it never fignifies Defence without fome of the Heemantic Letters. And it may be obferved that the Word, which occurs but thrice, is twice applied to God; fo that it may well be confidered in this Place as equivalent to a Rock, a Name, or Attribute, frequently afcribed to Him. Or thus, FOR THE ALMIGHTY SHALL BE THY CHOICEST GOLD, (fo properly fignifies) AND SILVER OF WEIGHT (or, the fineft Silver) TO THEE. The Fineness of Silver being in Proportion to its Weight. For the Verb by fignifies to be weary; and hence its Derivative by may not improperly be confidered as fignifying a Load, or Weight, which fatigues the Perfon who carries it.

and he shall fave the humble Perfon." D'y nvi} AND THE HUMBLE PERSON SHALL BE SAVED

for

the

the Verb is in Hophal. By this Construction the Enallage of Perfons is alfo avoided.

ן ימלט אי נקי

V. 30. He shall deliver the Island of the innocent ; in this Place does not feem to be a Subftantive, but an Adverb, as Ch. XV. 23. I would therefore render it with the Syriac and ArabicTHE INNOCENT, WHEREVER he is, WILL ESCAPE, or DELIVER HIMSELF; and this is also the Sense of the LXX and Vulgate, though they omit this Particle. There is befides an Inconfiftency in making with our Verfion God and Job employed together in delivering an Island. and it is delivered by the Pureness of thine Hands. 2 T] If the preceding Emendation be admitted, o must be conftrued imperfonally, viz. AND DELIVERANCE SHALL BE to thee BY THE PURITY OF THINE HANDS: or elfe we must read an, THOU SHALT BE DELIVERED, with the LXX; or change the into 7 a after ', with the Syriac and Arabic, and render PURITY OF HIS HANDS.

СНАР. ХХІІГ.

V.2.my Stroke is heavier than my Groaning.

by

BY THE

I would here adopt the Lection of the LXX, Syriac, and Arabic, 17 HIS HAND, viz. God's, fo often understood, and fo lately mentioned. A Stroke, fay the Critics, is derived from the Hand; because it is inftrumental to it. But, by Parity of Reafon, it might fignify ten thousand other Things which are performed by its Agency. Befides, do not Strokes owe their Existence to a Million of other Caufes ? Nay, were the Suppofition allowed to be probable, my Stroke would, but be equivocal, at beft; either active or paffive; either the Stroke that I inflicted, or the Stroke that I received. In refpect to the Places commonly referred to in Support of this Senfe, a fatisfactory Reason may be given in every Inftance, fo as to invalidate the Application in this Paflage.

V.

3. O that I knew where I might find him! that I might come

-Or [מי יתן ידעתי ואמצאהו - אבוא עד תכונתו : ! even to bis Seat

O THAT I KNEW WHERE I MIGHT FIND HIM; I WOULD even GO TO HIS SEAT!

V.6.

- No; but he would put Strength in me.

There is a great Difficulty in accounting for the Meaning of

I cannot think that we have Authority to supply here a Substantive to compleat the Sense; but am perfuaded that this Hemiftic ought to be rendered - No; BUT HE WOULD BE ASTONISHED, or BE SILENT, BEFORE ME; that is, "He would have Nothing to object to mine Apology." See the fame Verb D, not ow, thus ufed Ch. XXI. 5.

66

V.7. There the righteous might difpute with him :- MED] The fame Words occur Ch. XIII. 3. and are there rendered to reafon with him. The Meaning of Job in both Places was, that he would prove his Innocence before God.

V.9. On the left Hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold

I go forward, at the אהלך The Verb [שמאל בעשתו ולא אחז -: him

Beginning of the preceding Verfe, is supposed to extend to this Hemiftic: but I doubt whether fo extenfive an Influence can be admitted. We have here a Verb, which at present is useless, to say the leaft of it, when applied to God. This fame Verb with the Arabic Signification given to it, and a Change of Persons, would exactly fuit this Place. Las fignifies ADIIT eum; ADIIT eum fpe alicujus boni; RECESSIT ab eo ad alium. The Senfe would then be- WHEN I TURN TO THE LEFT, THERE I CANNOT BEHOLD HIM. The Syriac reads Aww alemd I fought at my left Hand, and the Arabic

من

شمالی طلبت

cil la care to the fame Effect. And it cannot appear extraordinary that Job, who is allowed to have been an Arab, fhould occafionally ufe an Arabic Idiom. It is univerfally agreed, that in this Book we have many other Words borrowed from that Language and the Chaldee.

V. 12. I have efteemed the Words of his Mouth more than my ne

Rather - I HAVE LAID UP THE [מחקי צפנתי אמרי פיו : .cellary Food

WORDS OF HIS MOUTH WITHIN MY BOSOM. So render the LXX and Vulgate. For the Verb s never fignifies to esteem, and the Senfe given pn is forced. Note pn a Bofom is fometimes found without the, as Prov. XVII. 23. &c.

Rather [ ומי ישיבנו

V. 13. But he is in one Mind, and who can turn him? 82 810 THOUGH HE be ALONE, YET WHO CAN TURN HIM? The here, prefixed to the Nominative Case, in 18 is redundant; as 1 Kings XIII. 34. Hof. XIII. 9. &c.

V. 14. For

V. 14. For he performeth the Thing that is appointed for me: " P] Rather-YEA, HE WILL RESTORE ME MY DUE. Thus is the Word rendered, Lev. X. 13, 14. Or-MY PORTION, as Gen. XLVII. 22.

and many him.

[ וכהנה רבות עמו : .Juch Things are with him

The Words are with him, are too idiomatic; fit only for the Margin in the Text they ought to be rendered are IN HIS POWER.

CHA P. XXIV.

V. 1. Why, Jeeing Times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they

מדוע משדי לא נצפנו עתים - וידעו ? that know bim not fee bis Days

The Authors of our present Version, in order I suppose to put the most favourable Conftruction on Job's Words, are here chargeable with a violent Tranfpofition; befides confounding the Hemistics. The old Verfion feems to give this Verfe its genuine Meaning, and the proper Explanation, viz. How SHOULD NOT THE TIMES BE HID FROM THE ALMIGHTY, SEEING THAT THEY WHICH KNOW HIM SEE NOT HIS DAYS ? "Thus Job fpeaketh in his Paffions, and after the Judgment of the Flesh: that is, that he "feeth not the Things that are done at Times; neither yet hath a "peculiar Care over all, because he punisheth not the wicked, nor "revengeth the godly." The Note upon Days is alfo pertinent, viz. "when he punisheth the wicked, and rewardeth the good."

V. 5. rifing betimes for a Prey:, the Wilderness yieldeth Food for

them and for their Children;

– לו לחם משחרי לטרף ערבה ער- בהלו,to be thus divided ערבה--לו ought not the Words .9

and the two Hemiftics rendered--- RISING BETIMES TO PLUNDER THE ENEMY; THEY GET HASTILY (i.e. BY RAPINE) FOOD FOR THEIR CHILDREN? See this Verb thus used, Efth. II. 9. and Prov. XX. 21.

V.6. They reap every one his Corn in the Field; nnya] The LXX, Chaldee, and Vulgate, feem to have read or ba for they thus render this Place They reap in a Field which is not their own. The true Lection, however, feems to be sp, and this the Senfe AND THEY REAP THE FIELDS IN THE NIGHT, viz. of the oppreffed, mentioned in the next Hemiftic. This Interpretation