Let his roots be dried up beneath, and his harvest destroyed above.

“Let his roots be dried up beneath, and above let his crop be spoiled. For what do we understand by the title of 'roots,' which are set out of sight, and bring forth a shoot into open view, but the thoughts, which, while they are not seen in the heart, produce visible works? And hence by the title of a 'crop' there is denoted the same visible practice, which is thus produced from a hidden root. And whereas every bad man first dries up in the imaginings of temptation and afterwards dies off from good deeds, it is rightly said by Bildad, Let his roots be dried up beneath, and above let his crop be spoiled, in that, whereas the wicked man sets his thoughts in things below, and neglects to seek the delights of everlasting greenness, what is this but that he lets his 'roots be dried beneath?' Whose 'crop too is spoiled above,' in that all his practice is counted as nothing in the view of the judgment above, even if it seem good in the eyes of man. Thus the 'roots' are at the bottom, and the 'crop' above, in that we first send out good thoughts here, that we may one day deserve to receive the fruit of our good works in eternal recompensing; but every wicked person when he abandons good thoughts, and pours himself forth upon the things that are without, has 'his roots dried up below:' but 'above his crop is spoiled,' in that he, who persists barren here, after this life is bidden to no rewards.”

“But Bildad the Shuhite answering, and so on. Because Bildad the Shuhite was unable to grasp with his understanding the words of blessed Job set forth above, he supposed that what he himself did not understand was also being uttered in vain by the one speaking; hence at the beginning of his response he says, "How long will you cast forth words?" In this he seems to accuse him of three things: first, of the ineffectiveness of his speech, as though the aforesaid words of Job had no efficacy to establish anything, which is signified by his saying, "to what end"; second, he accuses him of a vain multiplication of words, as though Job's aforesaid words lacked the weight of sound meaning, which is signified by his saying, "words"; third, he notes in him a disordered connection of words, which is signified by his saying, "will you cast forth": for a man is said to cast forth words who scatters them in a disordered way, although this third point could also be referred to the boastfulness of arrogance. Now these three things arise in a person's speech from a defect of understanding; and since it is useless to converse with one who is deficient in understanding, he adds, "understand first, and so let us speak," as if to say: from the fact that you speak ineffectively, lightly, and in a disordered way, it is clear that you are deficient in understanding; therefore apply yourself first to understanding, and afterward we shall be able to confer with one another. Then he accuses him of presumption, because he had not accounted them wise, when he said, "I shall not find among you any wise man"; and so, answering to this, he adds, "Why are we reputed as beasts, and have become vile in your sight?" For a man who lacks wisdom appears like the beasts and vile, because it is in wisdom that man's honor and adornment consist. Consequently he rebukes him for anger, because he had said, "my eye grows dim with indignation," which he had wrongly understood, believing it to be such an indignation as had taken away from him the light of wisdom, not attending to what he had said afterward, "and the just man will hold to his way"; and so he adds, "Why do you destroy your soul in your fury?" For that man destroys his soul in fury who, on account of fury, falls away from wisdom and justice, which are especially the goods of the soul. These things, then, having been premised, by which he noted in the person of Job a defect of understanding, presumption, and fury, he consequently proceeds to the principal point on which the controversy turned, namely that the adversities of the present life were the punishments of sins — against which Job had said, "I have not sinned, and my eye abides in bitterness." But because Bildad was unable to use reasons in asserting his position, he wished to establish his position as though most firmly grounded on common opinion, and therefore he compared it to things that cannot be removed, namely the earth and the rocks; hence he says, "Shall the earth be forsaken for your sake, and shall the rocks be moved out of their place?" As if to say: this position, that adversities happen for sins, is as firm as the earth and the rocks; shall it, then, be able to be removed on account of your disputations, so that you may be proved innocent? Then he pursues his position more diffusely, recounting one by one the evils that befall sinners; among which he first sets down the cessation of prosperous successes, which he compares to light, because "he who walks in the light does not stumble," as is said in John 11:9; hence those to whom all things succeed prosperously according to their wish seem to walk in the light. Concerning the loss, then, of this light, that is, of prosperity, he says, "Shall not the light of the wicked be extinguished," that is, shall not his prosperity cease? But just as bodily light proceeds from the flame of a fire, so also the brightness of prosperity proceeds from a man's affection, when what he desires comes about for him; and therefore he adds, "nor shall the flame of his fire shine"? For by fire the ardor of love is customarily signified, according to that saying in Song of Songs 8:6, "its lamps are lamps of fire and flames." Now it must be considered that the prosperity of human success proceeds from a twofold cause: sometimes from human providence, as when a man prudently and cautiously arranges each and every thing, and with respect to this, concerning the cessation of prosperity, he says, "the light shall grow dark in his tabernacle," because, namely, both he himself and his household will lack prudence in their counsels; and sometimes the prosperity of human success proceeds from a higher cause, namely from divine providence, and with respect to this, describing the cessation of prosperity, he says, "and the lamp that is above him shall be extinguished" — not indeed that it does not shine in itself, but that it does not enlighten the wicked man. And he well called man's providence "light," as though borrowed from another, and God's providence a "lamp," as shining of itself. He set the light of human providence first, because by the fact that a man abandons the light of reason he seems to merit that he not be protected by the light of divine providence. Consequently, after the cessation of prosperity, he adds concerning adversity; with respect to which he first sets down impediments to action and endeavor. Now a man strives to attain the effect of his action from two sources: in one way through his own strength, and against this he says, "the steps of his strength shall be straitened," because, namely, the endeavor of his strength could not have ample progress; in another way a man endeavors to obtain something through wisdom, and with respect to this he says, "and his own counsel shall cast him down headlong," namely when what he had devised as useful becomes harmful to him. He says that the cause of these impediments proceeds from the man's own sin, when he adds, "for he has cast his feet into a net"; for just as one who of his own accord puts his foot into a net prepares himself for capture, so one who of his own accord thrusts himself into sinning disposes himself thereby to have his progress impeded, according to that saying in Proverbs 5:22, "his own iniquities catch the wicked man"; and just as in a net there are various meshes, so too in sin there are many diversities by which men are ensnared in different ways; and therefore he adds, "and he walks in its meshes," namely when he proceeds from one kind of sin to another, or from one manner of sinning to another. And because he of his own accord thrusts himself into dangers and does not desist but always proceeds further, therefore he will at some point feel an impediment; hence he adds, "his sole shall be held by a snare," that is, the progress of his will and action will be impeded by some contrary thing. Now harms of this kind arise, for those who proceed in sin, from a threefold cause: first, on the part of the sinner himself, who, the more he sins, the more he increases in himself the desire of sinning; and with respect to this he adds, "and thirst shall burn against him," because, namely, a sinful man sometimes considers by reason that something is harmful to him, but the burning desire of sinning compels him to act against his own judgment. Second, the cause of harm is sometimes from the very things in which he sins, as Ecclesiastes 5:12 says, "riches are kept to the hurt of their owner"; and harms of this kind arise sometimes from things already acquired, and with respect to this he says, "his snare is hidden in the earth," because, namely, in earthly things themselves there lies hidden some danger by which the feet of the sinner may be caught; and sometimes harms of this kind arise while a man is on the way of acquiring, and with respect to this he says, "and his trap is upon the path," because, namely, before the sinner obtains what he seeks, dangers lie hidden in the very way. Third, harms of this kind are caused on the part of other men, whose ambushes and assaults are feared; hence he adds, "terrors shall frighten him on every side," because, as is said in Wisdom 17:10, "since wickedness is timid, it has been given over to the condemnation of all"; and since a man is on guard against all, it is necessary that his acts be impeded in many ways; hence he adds, "and they shall entangle his feet," so that, namely, he cannot proceed freely anywhere. "Let his strength be weakened by hunger," and so on. Bildad had set forth beforehand the punishments of sinners pertaining to outward adversities; here, however, he begins to pursue the punishments pertaining to their persons. Now it must be considered that sins themselves are bound up with outward adversities, and therefore he pursued the outward adversities by foretelling them, as it were with a certain certainty; but bodily punishments do not seem to be directly caused by sins themselves, except perhaps by some, such as especially by gluttony and lust, by which a man sins against his own body; and therefore he does not pursue bodily punishments by way of pronouncement but rather by way of imprecation. He sets forth first the bodily punishments preceding death; and since life is preserved by nourishment, he first imprecates upon him the withdrawal of nourishment, from which a man first begins to be weakened, and with respect to this he says, "let his strength be weakened by hunger." Then, with nourishment failing, life too is taken away, and with respect to this he adds, "and let starvation invade his ribs," by which is signified the weakening of the vital operations, whose principle is the heart, which is contained beneath the ribs. Now the goods of the body which begin to be weakened by hunger are totally consumed by death; and the chief goods of the body seem to be beauty and strength, and therefore he adds, "let the firstborn death devour the beauty of his skin" — since, namely, beauty is considered in outward appearance — "and consume his arms," in which strength is especially observed — that is, an untimely death, forestalling the natural end of his age. Now a dead man is carried out from his house, and with respect to this he adds, "let his confidence be torn away from his tabernacle," because, namely, he placed his hope not in God but in the wealth and glory of his house, from which he is cast out after death. But cast out from his house, he is shut up in the tomb, where he is totally destroyed by death, and with respect to this he adds, "and let destruction tread upon him as a king," because, namely, death, with the full power as it were of a king, grinds him down into dust. But when he has gone out from his house, the household members remain, who are as dead to him, with whom he had society in life; and with respect to this he adds, "let the companions of him who is not dwell in his tabernacle," that is, of the dead man who has now ceased to be among human affairs. Now the household, when their patron has died, perform mourning and display certain signs of sadness, whether as to black and squalid garments or also as to certain foul odors; and with respect to this he says, "let brimstone be sprinkled in his tabernacle," by which is understood everything that can be a sign of sadness, just as also good odors are taken up as a sign of joy. Now when a man has died, frequently all the things that were his perish; showing this in turn, he begins first from things that spring from the earth, of which some, when he has died, still remain sown, and with respect to these he says, "let his roots be dried up beneath," so that, namely, whatever he sowed or planted may be destroyed so as not to bear fruit; and some indeed have already been brought to fruit, and with respect to these he adds, "but above let his harvest be crushed"; and this can be referred to any undertakings begun or already nearly completed. Then he proceeds to the fame that remains concerning a man after death, on account of which some desire to live on in the memories of men and to have glory even after death; hence, with respect to the blotting-out of the sinner from the memories of men, he adds, "let his memory perish from the earth"; and with respect to the cessation of his celebrated fame he adds, "and let his name not be celebrated in the streets," which he says pointedly, because there is no celebrity of a name except among a multitude, which is customarily found in the streets. And so, with memory and the celebrity of his name ceasing, the brightness of his glory will be changed into the darkness of perpetual oblivion; and this is what he adds, "he shall drive him out of light into darkness," that is, from worldly glory into oblivion. Now with his fame ceasing and his body consumed by death, nothing further of him will remain in the world — for Bildad and his companions were of the opinion that the soul did not remain after death — "and he shall remove him from the world," so that, namely, nothing of his remains in the world. But because parents also live on in their children, therefore, to exclude this too, he adds, "there shall be no seed of his," because his children will die, "nor offspring among his people," because neither grandsons nor great-grandsons will remain; nor even any who belong to him, hence he adds, "nor any remnants in his regions," that is, neither kinsmen nor household members through whom memory might be had of him. But he shows what effect follows from this in the hearts of others when he adds, "in his day" — namely, the day of his ruin — "the last shall be astonished," that is, the lesser ones of the people, out of excessive wonder, unable to consider how so great a glory of the sinner has suddenly been reduced to nothing; and as regards the greater ones he adds, "and horror shall invade the first," who fear, namely, lest something similar befall them. And this seems to have led him to reply to what Job had said above in 14:21: "whether his sons be noble or ignoble, he shall not understand it; yet his flesh, while he lives, shall grieve" — from which it seemed that Job had refuted the threats of his friends, or their promises concerning future contingent events after death; but here Bildad replies that misfortunes of this kind which happen after death, even though the dead man does not know of them, are nevertheless inflicted by God — such punishments — for the correction of others. And because he had set forth beforehand certain punishments of the sinner pertaining to the way of the present life, and certain others pertaining to the end of the way, namely to death or to what happens after death, therefore, as if by way of epilogue, he adds, "such then are the tabernacles of the wicked man," that is, his course along the way of the present life — for travelers make use of tabernacles; and as regards the ultimate end, which is as it were the terminus of the movement, he adds, "and this is the place of him who does not know God," whether through unbelief or through disobedience.”

“His remembrance shall perish from the earth,.... Not only are the wicked forgotten of God in heaven, and are as the slain he remembers no more, unless it be to pour out his wrath upon them, and punish them for their sins, for which great Babylon will come up in remembrance before him; but of men on earth, and in the very places where they were born, and lived all their days, Ecc 8:10; yea, those places, houses and palaces, towns and cities, which they have built to perpetuate their memory among men, perish and come to nought, and their memorial with them, Psa 9:5; and he shall have no name in the street; much less in the house of God, still less in heaven, in the Lamb's book of life; so far from it, that he shall have none on earth, no good name among men; if ever his name is mentioned after his death, it is with some brand of infamy upon him; he is not spoken of in public, in a court of judicature, nor in any place of commerce and trade, nor in any concourse of people, or public assembly of any note, especially with any credit or commendation; such is the difference between a good man and a wicked man, see Pro 11:7.”

“16 His roots wither beneath, And above his branch is lopped off. 17 His remembrance is vanished from the land, And he hath no name far and wide on the plain; 18 They drive him from light into darkness, And chase him out of the world. 19 He hath neither offspring nor descendant among his people, Nor is there an escaped one in his dwellings. The evil-doer is represented under the figure of a plant, Job 18:16, as we have had similar figures already, Job 8:16., Job 15:30, Job 15:32.; (Note: To such biblical figures taken from plants, according to which root and branch are become familiar in the sense of ancestors and descendants (comp. Sir. 23:25, 40:15; Wisd. 4:3-5; Rom 11:16), the arbor consanguineitatis, which is not Roman, but is become common in the Christian refinement of the Roman right, may be traced back; the first trace of this is found in Isidorus Hispalensis (as also the Cabbalistic tree אילן, which represents the Sephir-genealogy, has its origin in Spain).) his complete extirpation is like the dying off of the root and of the branch, as Amo 2:9; Isa 5:24, and "let him not have a root below and a branch above" in the inscription on the sarcophagus of Eschmunazar. Here we again meet with ימּל, the proper meaning of which is so disputed; it is translated by the Targ. (as by us) as Niph. יתמולל, but the meaning "to wither" is near at hand, which, as we said on Job 14:2, may be gained as well from the primary notion "to fall to pieces" (whence lxx ἐπιπεσεῖται), as from the primary notion "to parch, dry." אמל (whence אמלל, formed after the manner of the Arabic IX. form, usually of failing; vid., Caspari, 59) offers a third possible explanation; it signifies originally to be long and lax, to let anything hang down, and thence in Arab. (amala) to hope, i.e., to look out into the distance. Not the evil-doer's family alone is rooted out, but also his memory. With חוּץ, a very relative notion, both the street outside in front of the house (Job 31:32), and the pasture beyond the dwelling (Job 5:10), are described; here it is to be explained according to Pro 8:26 (ארץ וחוצות), where Hitz. remarks: "The lxx translates correctly ἀοικήτους. The districts beyond each persons' land, which also belong to no one else, the desert, whither one goes forth, is meant." So ארץ seems also here (comp. Job 30:8) to denote the land that is regularly inhabited - Job himself is a large proprietor within the range of a city (Job 29:7) - and חוץ the steppe traversed by the wandering tribes which lies out beyond. Thus also the Syr. version transl. 'al apai barito, over the plain of the desert, after which the Arabic version is el-barrı̂je (the synon. of bedw, bâdije, whence the name of the Beduin (Note: The village with its meadow-land is el-beled wa 'l-berr. The arable land, in distinction from the steppe, is el-ardd el-âmira, and the steppe is el-berrı̂je. If both are intended, ardd can be used alone. Used specially, el-berrı̂je is the proper name for the great Syrian desert; hence the proverb: el-hhurrı̂je fi 'l-berrı̇je, there is freedom in the steppe (not in towns and villages). - Wetzst.)). What is directly said in Job 18:17 is repeated figuratively in Job 18:18; as also what has been figuratively expressed in Job 18:16 is repeated in Job 18:19 without figure. The subj. of the verbs in Job 18:18 remains in the background, as Job 4:19; Psa 63:11; Luk 12:20 : they thrust him out of the light (of life, prosperity, and fame) into the darkness (of misfortune, death, and oblivion); so that the illustris becomes not merely ignobilis, but totally ignotus, and they hunt him forth (ינדּהוּ from the Hiph. הנד of the verb נדד, instead of which it might also be ינדהו from נדּה, they banish him) out of the habitable world (for this is the signification of תּבל, the earth as built upon and inhabited). There remains to him in his race neither sprout nor shoot; thus the rhyming alliteration נין and נכד (according to Luzzatto on Isa 14:22, used only of the descendants of persons in high rank, and certainly a nobler expression than our rhyming pairs: Germ. Stumpf und Stiel, Mann und Maus, Kind und Kegel). And there is no escaped one (as Deu 2:34 and freq., Arab. shârid, one fleeing; sharûd, a fugitive) in his abodes (מגוּר, as only besides Psa 55:16). Thus to die away without descendant and remembrance is still at the present day among the Arab races that profess Dı̂n Ibrâhı̂m (the religion of Abraham) the most unhappy thought, for the point of gravitation of continuance beyond the grave is transferred by them to the immortality of the righteous in the continuance of his posterity and works in this world (vid., supra, p. 386); and where else should it be at the time of Job, since no revelation had as yet drawn the curtain aside from the future world? Now follows the declamatory conclusion of the speech.”