Job 9

Job 9:3

Was, &c. - Or, on the king’s part, to determine civil causes and controversies between man and man, by the laws of that kingdom; between the king and people; as in matters of tribute, or grievances.

Job 9:15

Divisions - Or, for the Levites (those who were not settled in Jerusalem) there were divisions, places appointed for them, and distributed among them. Thus were they settled free and easy, tho’ few and poor. And they might have been happy, but for that general lukewarmness, with which they are charged by the prophet Malachi, who prophesied about this time and in whom prophecy ceased for some ages, ’till it revived in the great prophet.

Job 9:17

Priests - The chief of the priests, the heads of those twenty four courses which David appointed by divine direction, 1 Chronicles 24:1 - 19. And whereas there were twenty four, and here but twenty - two, and ver.12, &c. only twenty, the reason of this difference may be, because two of the twenty four courses were extinct in Babylon, and two of the persons here named, ver.2,5, Hattush, and Maadiah, may be omitted in the account of the posterity of these, ver.12, &c. because they had no posterity. Ezra - Either this was another Ezra, or if it were the same mentioned Ezra 7:1, he lived to a great age; which may well be supposed, considering his great sobriety, and his great piety to which God promised long life, and withal the special providence of God continuing him so long in such a season, wherein the church of God did greatly need his help and counsel.

Job 9:24

Moreover, &c. - He was to see, that the psalms of thanksgiving were continually sung in the temple, in due time and manner.

Job 9:26

Jeshua - Here follows a catalogue of the Jewish high - priests; which was the more necessary, because their times were now to be measured, not by the years of their kings as formerly, but by their high - priests.

Job 9:28

Priests - As their fathers were priests in the days of Joshua, so in the days of Joiakim the son of Joshua, the sons of those persons executed the priesthood in their father’s steads, some of their fathers probably being yet living, and many of them dead.