Deliver me O Lord, and set me beside thee, and let any man’s hand fight against me.

“Ver. 3. Set me free, and put me beside thee, and let the hand of anyone fight against me. For He did not sin either in thought or deed: He was made to 'abide in bitterness' by His Passion, He was 'set free' by the Resurrection, He was 'put beside' the Father by His Ascension; in that having gone up into heaven He sitteth on the right hand of God. And because, after the glory of His Ascension, Judaea was stirred up in the persecuting of His Disciples, it is rightly said here, Let the hand of anyone fight against me. For the madness of the persecutors did then rage on His members, then the flame of cruelty blazed out against the life of the faithful; but where should the wicked go, or what should they do, whilst He Whom they persecuted on earth was now seated in heaven?”

“My spirit shall be wasted, etc. Job had shown above the manifold nature of his affliction, and the humility and innocence of his mind, and the brevity of a life that cannot return, from which the wordiness of his friends was being refuted; and therefore in this chapter he intends to make plain what has been said before, and finally to conclude to their ignorance. First, however, he begins to make plain what he had said about the course of human life, and he sets down beforehand the cause of the brevity of life, when he says my spirit shall be wasted: for the life of the body is through the vital spirits which are diffused from the heart to all the members, which, so long as they endure in the body, the body lives; but when the power of natural heat begins to grow weak in the heart, spirits of this kind are diminished — and this diminution and weakening he designates by the wasting of the spirit. And to this cause he subjoins the effect, saying my days shall be shortened: for the weakness of the vital spirit shortens the days of life. And lest anyone should believe that the wasted spirit would again have to be strengthened according to the species of this mortal life, to exclude this he adds and only the grave remains to me, as if to say: when the few days of this life are finished, nothing of the present life remains to me except the grave and those things which befit the grave. Then in another way he shows the vanity of their consolation: for they consoled him by saying that adversities of this kind had come upon him on account of sins, and that if he repented of these he would return to prosperity; but he, excluding this, says I have not sinned, namely because he did not have a conscience gnawing at him over any grave sin on account of which he might have incurred such great adversities — whence also below, in Job 27:6, he says "for my heart does not reproach me in all my life," and therefore this is not contrary to what is said in 1 John 1:8, "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves," and through this he expresses what he had said above concerning his innocence, "I have suffered these things without iniquity of my hand." He then adds and my eye dwells in bitternesses; he speaks in the plural, bitternesses, on account of the manifold adversities which he enumerated above; and he says dwells, because although amid his bitternesses he humbled himself, sewing sackcloth upon his skin, nevertheless the bitternesses still persist; he attributes bitternesses to the eye on account of weeping, of which he had said above, "my face is swollen with weeping," and again "my eye drops toward God" — for his eye wept in this way amid the bitternesses, that it was intent only on divine help, and therefore here it is added, deliver me: for he understood that he could be delivered only by him who had shut him up in the presence of the unjust one. But he was not asking to be delivered from adversity in the way that those seek who, after adversity, attain earthly prosperity, but he asks to be led to a spiritual height, whence he adds and set me beside you: for since God is the very essence of goodness, it is necessary that whoever is set beside God be delivered from evil. Now a man is set beside God insofar as he draws near to him in mind through knowledge and love, but this indeed happens imperfectly in the state of the way, in which man suffers assaults, yet because he is set beside God he is not overcome by them; but perfectly a man is set beside God in mind in the state of final beatitude, in which he can no longer suffer assaults, and this is what he shows himself to desire when he says and let the hand of whoever fight against me, because namely, however much some may wish to assail me, if I shall have been set perfectly beside you, no one's assault will trouble me: this, then, is that in which Job, amid his bitternesses, had consolation, hoping that he would be set beside God, where he could not fear assaults. But this spiritual consolation of Job's own wordy friends did not understand, and therefore he adds you have driven their heart far from discipline, namely your spiritual discipline, by which you teach men to hope for spiritual goods with temporal things despised; and because they place their hope only in temporal and lowest things, they cannot arrive at spiritual height so as to be set beside God, and this is what he adds, therefore they shall not be exalted. And from the fact that they have been made far from spiritual discipline, it follows that Eliphaz was promising Job only temporal things for his consolation, and this is what he adds, he promises spoil to his companions, that is, the acquisition of temporal things, which cannot come to one except by another's loss, whence the acquisition of temporal things is likened to plunder. But it is not universally true that after repentance men recover temporal prosperity, since not even the good always flourish in temporal prosperity, whence he adds and the eyes of his sons shall fail; by his sons he means those who, believing his promise, hope for temporal goods from the good deeds they do, but while they do not obtain them their eyes fail, as if falling from their hope. But just as Eliphaz was promising temporal goods to those who do well, so also he was asserting that all temporal adversities come upon the one who suffers them on account of his sins; and because Job had suffered many adversities, he set him up as an example before the common people, and this is what he adds, he has made me as it were a byword of the people, and his example before them, because namely, to assert his own opinion about the cause of adversities, he set up Job as an example, as if he had been punished for sin. Now it pertains to the zeal of the just that, seeing the rightness of the divine judgments perverted through false doctrine, they should be indignant, and therefore Job accordingly shows the greatness of his zeal in two ways: first indeed through a certain disturbance of mind — for anger through vice blinds the eye, but anger through zeal disturbs the eye, as Gregory says — and therefore he adds my eye has grown dim with indignation, namely the eye of reason, whose keenness is disturbed by the anger of zeal; second, through the fact that anger through zeal also produces a certain commotion in the body from grief — whence it is said in 1 Maccabees 2:24 that Mattathias, seeing a Jew sacrificing to idols, grieved and his reins trembled — and therefore here it is added and my members are reduced as it were to nothing, inasmuch as, namely, through grief the body of man seems to waste away. But someone might believe that this dimming of the eye was against justice, and this indignation against innocence, and therefore to exclude this he adds the just shall be astonished at this, as if he were to say: it also pertains to the just that, seeing the doctrine of the wicked, they should be astonished, and this astonishment he called dimming above. There follows and the innocent shall be roused against the hypocrite, as if to say: it is not against innocence if someone, moved by the zeal of justice, is stirred to indignation against a hypocrite who perverts true doctrine. And because, as has been said, anger through zeal disturbs the mind but does not blind it, thus the just man is astonished or grows dim from zeal, yet without departing from justice, and this is what he adds and the just man shall hold to his way, because namely he will not abandon it on account of the anger of zeal: for such anger does not precede reason but follows it, and therefore it cannot separate a man from justice; for anger through zeal is useful because it makes a man rise up against evils with greater strength of mind, and this is what he adds and he that has clean hands shall add strength, being stirred, namely, by zeal — whence also the Philosopher says in Book 3 of the Ethics that anger assists fortitude. Therefore turn, all of you, etc. After Job had set forth the things by which the opinion of Eliphaz is refuted, here he gathers together what has gone before and orders it toward showing his purpose. And first he rouses attention, saying therefore — namely, since the aforesaid things are true — all of you, who have gathered together against me, and your fathers, turn back from your errors, and come to consider the truth, which once seen it will be plain how far you are from true wisdom, and this is what he adds and I shall not find among you any wise man, and this he says to repress the boasting of Eliphaz, who had said above in Job 15:9, "What do you know that we do not know?" etc., and again, "the wise confess," etc. Now in this he intends chiefly to show their folly, in that they were promising him the consolation of temporal prosperity; against which he first sets forth that the time of his life has already for the most part passed away, and this is what he says, my days have passed. Then he sets forth the evils he suffers when he adds my thoughts are broken, that is, impeded from the quiet contemplation of wisdom on account of the bitterness of bodily pain, and this is what he adds tormenting my heart, because namely his thoughts were led away from the sweet consideration of truth into the bitterness by which his heart was tormented. Now this torment of heart not even the night interrupted, which is the time appointed for human rest, whence he adds they have turned night into day, because namely, on account of the aforesaid thoughts, he passed the night sleepless as if it were day. Now it is more grievous to suffer lack of sleep at night than in the day, because in the day a man's mind is relieved by the company of men and the sight of light; and therefore, while the night was sleepless for him, he desired that it end quickly, and this is what he adds and again after darkness I hope for light, that is, I hope that the light of day will again come after the darkness of night. But because Eliphaz was urging him to bear all adverse things patiently in expectation of the future, he accordingly shows what seems to him to remain for the future concerning temporal things, whence he says if I endure, that is, if I patiently bear such sorrows, nothing remains to me except the dwelling of the grave, and this is what he says, hell is my house; he calls the grave hell according to the opinion of those against whom he was disputing, who did not believe that the soul of man remained after death but only the body in the grave, which they called hell because it is situated beneath the earth. Now a man lying in the grave suffers darkness both on account of the failure of sense and also on account of the failure of external light, and therefore he adds in darkness I have spread my couch. But just as a man being born takes his origin from his parents, from which he contracts kinship with them, so after death, lying in the grave, he is dissolved into rottenness and worms, which are generated from his body, and therefore he adds I have said to rottenness, you are my father; my mother and my sister, to the worms, as if to say: since no other temporal thing will remain to me, kinship in the grave will remain to me only with rottenness and worms. From these things, then, drawing as it were to an absurdity, he concludes, saying where then is now my expectation? As if he were to say: if I should be consoled on account of the expectation of temporal prosperity, my expectation would be vain. And again he draws to a greater absurdity, adding and who considers my patience? As if to say: if I shall have endured through patience, nonetheless nothing remains but the grave and its darknesses, rottennesses and worms; if therefore I should have patience in order to merit temporal goods from God, it would follow that God does not consider patience, which is to deny providence. And lest perhaps someone should say that even in the grave temporal prosperity would be given to him by God, therefore, as though mocking this, he adds all that is mine shall go down into the deepest hell, that is, whatever is mine will be brought down to the grave, which alone remains to me; do you think that there at least there will be rest for me? That is, must I expect earthly prosperity even there? It is plain that this is ridiculous.”

“Lay down now,.... A pledge that thou wilt provide a surety, appoint and admit one to plead for me, and that thou wilt hear my cause, and determine it; or "put now", or "put, I pray thee" (r), thy heart and mind to me and my case, to my petition and request, and grant it: put me in a surety with thee; appoint, provide, and place a surety for me with thee, and let him appear to do his work and office: such an one Jesus Christ is; he is of God the Father's appointing to be the Mediator between God and men, and who himself voluntarily engaged and agreed to be the surety of the better testament; and this was known to the Old Testament saints, and to Job; and his prayer was the prayer of faith: and this work and office Christ performs; he was surety for his people from eternity, he drew nigh to God on their account, and struck hands with his Father, or covenanted and agreed with him about the salvation of his people, and the manner of it; he gave his word, his bond, to his Father for them, that he would save them; and upon that suretyship engagement of Christ all the Old Testament saints were pardoned, justified, and glorified; he promised and bound himself to pay all their debts, to satisfy for all their sins, to bring in an everlasting righteousness for them, and to bring them all safe to heaven and happiness; in order to which, he put himself in their room and stead, and laid down his life a ransom for them; upon which Job might say, and so may every believer, what follows, who is he that will strike hands with me? that will enter the lists, litigate and dispute the point with me, or bring any charge or accusation against me, having such a surety to answer for me, such an advocate to plead my cause, such a Mediator between God and man, who has made reconciliation for sin, brought in everlasting righteousness, and satisfied law and justice, see Rom 8:33; or else the sense is, "who is he", besides him that is a surety of God's appointing and providing, "can strike bands with me?" or be a surety for me? there is no other Mediator, Saviour, or Redeemer, besides him; if he had not undertaken the cause of his people, and the redemption of them, it must have ceased for ever, no other was equal to such a work; so that here is another reason used with the Lord to provide a surety, since no other could to any purpose. (r) "pone nunc", Montanus; "poae quaeso", Pagninus, Piscator, Mercerus, Cocceius, Schmidt; "sub cor tunm", Vatablus.”

“Lay down now--namely, a pledge or security; that is, be my surety; do Thou attest my innocence, since my friends only mock me (Job 17:2). Both litigating parties had to lay down a sum as security before the trial. put me in a surety--Provide a surety for me (in the trial) with Thee. A presage of the "surety" (Heb 7:22), or "one Mediator between God and man" (see on Job 16:21). strike hands--"who else (save God Himself) could strike hands with me?" that is, be my security (Psa 119:122). The Hebrew strikes the hand of him for whom he goes security (Pro 6:1).”

“3 Lay down now, be bondsman for me with Thyself; Who else should furnish surety to me?! 4 For Thou hast closed their heart from understanding, Therefore wilt Thou not give authority to them. 5 He who giveth his friends for spoil, The eyes of his children shall languish. It is unnecessary, with Reiske and Olsh., to read ערבני (pone quaeso arrhabonem meum = pro me) in order that שׂימה may not stand without an object; שׂימה has this meaning included in it, and the ארבני which follows shows that neither לבך (Ralbag) nor ידך (Carey) is to be supplied; accordingly שׂים here, like Arab. wḍ‛ (wâḍ‛), and in the classics both τιθέναι and ponere, signifies alone the laying down of a pledge. Treated by the friends as a criminal justly undergoing punishment, he seeks his refuge in God, who has set the mark of a horrible disease upon him contrary to his desert, as though he were guilty, and implores Him to confirm the reality of his innocence in some way or other by laying down a pledge for him (ὑποθήκη). The further prayer is ערבני, as word of entreaty which occurs also in Hezekiah's psalm, Isa 38:14, and Psa 119:122; ערב seq. acc. signifies, as noted on the latter passage, to furnish surety for any one, and gen. to take the place of a mediator (comp. also on Heb 7:22, where ἔγγυος is a synon. of μεσίτης). Here, however, the significant עמּך is added: furnish security for me with Thyself; elsewhere the form is ל ערב, to furnish security for (Pro 6:1), or לפני before, any one, here with עם of the person by whom the security is to be accepted. The thought already expressed in Job 16:21 receives a still stronger expression here: God is conceived of as two persons, on the one side as a judge who treats Job as one deserving of punishment, on the other side as a bondsman who pledges himself for the innocence of the sufferer before the judge, and stands as it were as surety against the future. In the question, Job 17:3, the representation is again somewhat changed: Job appears here as the one to whom surety is given. נתקע, described by expositors as reciprocal, is rather reflexive: to give one's hand (the only instance of the med. form of כּף תּקע) = to give surety by striking hands, dextera data sponsionem in se recipere (Hlgst.). And לידי is not to be explained after the analogy of the passive, as the usual ל of the agents: who would allow himself to be struck by my hand, i.e., who would accept the surety from me (Wolfson), which is unnatural both in representation and expression; but it is, according to Pro 6:1 (vid., Bertheau), intended of the hand of him who receives the stroke of the hand of him who gives the pledge. This is therefore the meaning of the question: who else (הוּא מי), if not God himself, should strike (his hand) to my hand, i.e., should furnish to me a pledge (viz., of my innocence) by joining hands? There is none but God alone who can intercede for him, as a guarantee of his innocence before himself and others. This negative answer: None but Thou alone, is established in Job 17:4. God has closed the heart of the friends against understanding, prop. concealed, i.e., He has fixed a curtain, a wall of partition, between their hearts and the right understanding of the matter; He has smitten them with blindness, therefore He will not (since they are suffering from a want of perception which He has ordained, and which is consequently known to Him) allow them to be exalted, i.e., to conquer and triumph. "The exaltation of the friends," observes Hirzel rightly, "would be, that God should openly justify their assertion of Job's guilt." Lwenthal translates: therefore art thou not honoured; but it is not pointed תּרמם = תּתרמם, but תּרמם, whether it be that אתם is to be supplied, or that it is equivalent to תּרממם (Ew. 62, a, who, however, prefers to take is as n. Hithpa. like תּקמם in the unimproved signification: improvement, since he maintains this affords no right idea), according to the analogy of similar verb-forms (Job 31:15; Isa 64:6), by a resolving of the two similar consonants which occur together. The hope thus expressed Job establishes (Job 17:5) by a principle from general experience, that he who offers his friends as spoil for distribution will be punished most severely for the same upon his children: he shall not escape the divine retribution which visits him, upon his own children, for the wrong done to his friends. Almost all modern expositors are agreed in this rendering of לחלק as regards Job 17:5; but חלק must not be translated "lot" (Ewald), which it never means; it signifies a share of spoil, as e.g., Num 31:36 (Jerome praedam), or even with a verbal force: plundering (from חלק, Ch2 28:21), or even in antithesis to entering into bond for a friend with all that one possesses (Stick., Schlottm.), a dividing (of one's property) = distraining, as a result of the surrender to the creditor, to which the verb הגּיד is appropriate, which would then denote denouncing before a court of justice, as Jer 20:10, not merely proclaiming openly, as Isa 3:9. We have translated "spoil," which admits of all these modifications and excludes none; the general meaning is certainly: one deserts (instead of shielding as an intercessor) his friends and delivers them up; יגּיד with a general subj., as Job 4:2 (if any one attempts), Job 15:3; Job 27:23. With respect to the other half of the verse, Job 17:5, the optative rendering: may they languish (Vaih.), to the adoption of which the old expositors have been misled by parallels like Psa 109:9., is to be rejected; it is contrary to the character of Job (Job 31:30). We agree with Mercerus: Nequaquam hoc per imprecationem, sed ut consequentis justissimae poenae denunciationem ab Iobo dictum putamus. For v. 5b is also not to be taken as a circumstantial clause: even if the eyes of his children languish (Ew., Hlgst. Stick., Hahn, Schl.). It is not רעהוּ, but רעים; and before supposing here a Synallage num. so liable to be misunderstood, one must try to get over the difficulty without it, which is here easy enough. Hence Job is made, in the intended application of the general principle, to allude to his own children, and Ewald really considers him the father of infant children, which, however, as may be seen from the prologue, is nothing but an invention unsupported by the history. Since it is בניו and not בניהם, we refer the suff. to the subj. of יגיד. The Waw of ועיני Mich. calls Waw consecutivum; it, however, rather combines things that are inseparable (certainly as cause and effect, sin and punishment). And it is יגיד, not הגיד, because the perf. would describe the fact as past, while the fut. places us in the midst of this faithless conduct. Job says God cannot possibly allow these, his three friends, the upper hand. One proclaims his friends as spoil (comp. Job 6:27), and the eyes of his children languish (comp. Job 11:20), i.e., he who so faithlessly disowns the claims of affection, is punished for it on that which he holds most dear. But this uncharitableness which he experiences is also a visitation of God. In the next strophe he refers all that he meets with from man to Him as the final cause, but not without a presage of the purpose for which it is designed.”