Job 13

Job 13:2

what ye know] This relateth to chap. XII. 3.

Job 13:3

to reason with God] Rather then with his friends; he is weary of that. And he joynes herein with Zophar in his wish, chap. XI. 5. because he could clear his own innocencie, before him, who sees his heart; and that he is no hypocrite, ver. 16. as his friends take him to be, by Gods harsh dealing with him.

Job 13:4

of lies] Against God, and me.

Job 13:6

Hear now] Bids them save their labour in speaking, unlesse it were to better purpose, ver. 5. And now hearken to him, and his reasonings, for God, against them, and in defence of himself.

Job 13:9

mock him?] Or seek to delude and beguile him; pleading his cause by bad arguments?

Job 13:10

accept persons Though it be Gods own person.

Job 13:13

crooked Serpent] Some understand this of the Orbs; or of a fiery Meteor, called the flying Dragon; or of the Whale.

Job 13:14

my flesh in my teeth?] Grief and plagues enough to make me teare my flesh.

put my life] Every moment be in danger to die.

Job 13:15

yet will I trust] Here the Cetib, or written in the text, is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉not: And so the Reading and rendering may rather be this, should I not trust in him? And thus the denying Interrogative is equivalent to an affirming Enunciative. The like may well be admitted, Esay XLIX. 5, 6. And there are sundry Interrogatives found in Scripture where the Negative is suppressed; as Job XX. 4. Gen. XXVII. 36. 1 Sam. II. 27, 28. 2 Sam. XXIII. 19. Jer. III. 6. and XXXI. 20. Ezek. XX. 30. Amos VI. 2. And the Masorets in like cases to this in Job, do usualy adscribe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to him; as their Keri in the margin. And they use this liberty more in this one word, then in any other in the Old Testament.

Job 13:16

before him] To plead his cause with confidence, as I am ready to do.

Job 13:18

I have ordered my Cause] He prepares for his trial before God. I am ready to plead.

justified] For the various significations of this word, see the Annotations here.

Job 13:20

Only] That he may have a fair trial.

then] I will go on in my plea.

Job 13:22

Then call thou] He offers the choise to God, whether he will be Plaintif, or Defendant: such is his confidence.

and answer thou me.] This is too much for any man, or creature, to say to God. Yet the extremity of his case brings him to this extremity.

Job 13:23

How many] Here begins his Plea; and continues to the end of the next Chapter. Let me know my charge; and condemn me not before I be heard.

Job 13:24

wherefore] If no heinous cause be alledged.

Job 13:25

break a leaf] No honour to a Gyant to break and bruise an infant.

Job 13:27

a print upon] Followest me step by step; not one step behinde me; to mark my sinnes, to plague me, and prevent my escape.