Job 27:3

27:1-6 Job's friends now suffered him to speak, and he proceeded in a grave and useful manner. Job had confidence in the goodness both of his cause and of his God; and cheerfully committed his cause to him. But Job had not due reverence when he spake of God as taking away his judgment, and vexing his soul. To resolve that our hearts shall not reproach us, while we hold fast our integrity, baffles the designs of the evil spirit.

All the while my breath is in me,.... So long the oath of God would be upon him, or he bound himself under it: and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; which signifies the same thing. The breath of a man is his spirit, and this is of God, the Father of spirits; he first breathed into man the breath of life, and he became a living soul or spirit, Genesis 2:7; it is he that gives life and breath to every man, Acts 17:25, and continues it as long as he pleases, which is a very precarious thing; for it is in his nostrils, where it is drawn to and fro and soon and easily stopped; nor will it always continue, it will some time not be, it will go forth, and then man dies, and returns to the earth, Ecclesiastes 12:7; but as long as there is breath there is life; so that to say this is the same as to say, as long as I live, or have a being, Psalm 104:33; and while that continued, Job looked upon himself under the oath he had taken by the living God.

3 . all the while ] The sense is rather as given above, according to the parallel passage, 2 Samuel 1:9 . The phrase “my life” in the first clause is lit. my breath . The words are parenthetical, and are thrown in to add weight to the affirmation of his rectitude which Job is about to make ( Job 27:4 ); they imply that, though reduced by disease, he is in possession of all his powers, and flings the whole force of his being into his affirmation.

Verse 3. - All the while my breath is in me. This verse is parenthetic. Job claims in it to be in possession of all his faculties, notwithstanding his sufferings. The right translation would seem to be, "For my life is yet whole within me" (see the Revised Version). And the spirit of God is in my nostrils . The spirit of God, originally breathed into man's nostrils, whereby he became a living soul ( Genesis 2:7 ), is still, Job says, within him, and makes him capable of judging and declaring what is right. Job 27:3

My breath; which is the constant companion and certain sign of life, both coming in with it, Genesis 2:7 , and going out with it, 1 Kings 17:17 Psalm 144:4 . Or, my soul , or life . The spirit of God ; that spirit or soul which God breathed into me, Genesis 2:7 , and preserveth in me. Or rather, the breath of God , i.e. which God breathed into me, which eminently appears in a man’s nostrils.

And the spirit of God is in my nostrils - As long as I live. The "spirit of God" here means the breath that God breathed into man when he created him, Genesis 2:7 . It would seem probable that there was an allusion to that fact by the language here, and that the knowledge of the way in which man was created was thus handed down by tradition.

1 Then Job continued to take up his proverb, and said: 2 As God liveth, who hath deprived me of my right, And the Almighty, who hath sorely saddened my soul - 3 For still all my breath is in me, And the breath of Eloah in my nostrils - 4 My lips do not speak what is false, And my tongue uttereth not deceit! 5 Far be it from me, to grant that you are in the right: Till I die I will not remove my innocence from me. 6 My righteousness I hold fast, and let it not go: My heart reproacheth not any of my days. 7 Mine enemy must appear as an evil-doer, And he who riseth up against me as unrighteous. The friends are silent, Job remains master of the discourse, and his continued speech is introduced as a continued שׂאת משׁלו (after the analogy of the phrase נשׂא קול), as in Numbers 23:7 and further on, the oracles of Balaam. משׁל is speech of a more elevated tone and more figurative character; here, as frequently, the unaffected outgrowth of an elevated solemn mood. The introduction of the ultimatum, as משׁל, reminds one of "the proverb (el-methel) seals it" in the mouth of the Arab, since in common life it is customary to use a pithy saying as the final proof at the conclusion of a speech. continued...

Verse 17. - And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. [Does this mean that he was dead? Keil thinks it perfectly clear that it does. Bahr is as firmly persuaded that it does not. He justly remarks (1) that the same expression occurs in Daniel 10:17 (cf. 1 Kings 10:5 ) where it does not imply death. (2) That as the text does not say, "and he died ," we must conclude that it did not mean to say it. (3) Verses 18, 20 do not necessitate the belief that he was dead (see below). (4) Josephus, who was not afraid of the miraculous, has interpreted the words thus: ὡς καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀφεῖναι καὶ δόξαι νεκρον . To this it may be added that נְשָׁמָה simply means breath , and that where it is desired to convey the idea of rife , additional words are used (as in Genesis 2:7 , "the breath of life; Genesis 7:22 , "the breath of the spirit of life ." C f. Job 27:3 , Proverbs 20:27 (where the intelligence or reason appears to be meant), Ecclesiastes 3:21 . It must be confessed also that the statement, "his sickness was so sore," etc., is quite apropos and intelligible, if we may understand that he lay in a state of coma, but would be an extremely roundabout way of affirming that he was dead. 1 Kings 17:17

Terrors shall be upon him - Every horror treasured up in reserve for him. A fire unblown shall consume him. Exodus 15:7 Exodus 15:8 Exodus 15:10 Exodus 15:16 Thou sentest forth thy wrath, Consuming them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils The waters were gathered together. Thou didst blow with thy wind: The sea covered them. Terror and dread shall fall upon them: By the might of thine arm they shall be still as a stone. Job Deuteronomy Job 20:27 Job 18:15 Job 18:16 Job 18:17 18:24 7:25 Job 8:17 Job 8:18 Job 8:19 The heavens shall disclose his iniquity, And the earth shall rise up against him. Brimstone shall be rained down upon his dwelling. Below shall his root be burnt up, And above shall his branch be cut off. Counsellors he leadeth captive, And judges he maketh distracted. He bewildereth the judgment of the leaders of the people of the land, And causeth them to wander in a pathless dessert: They grope about in darkness, even without a gl JOB 1: 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. JOB 1: 3 His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.

At Job 33:33 Elihu pauses for a reply; then proceeds in Job 34:1. ## CHAPTER 34 Job 34:1-37. 1. answered —proceeded. 2. This chapter is addressed also to the "friends" as the thirty-third chapter to Job alone. 3. palate —(See on Job 12:11; Job 33:2). 4. judgment —Let us select among the conflicting sentiments advanced, what will stand the test of examination. 5. judgment —my right. Job's own words (Job 13:18; 27:2). 6. Were I to renounce my right (that is, confess myself guilty), I should die. Job virtually had said so (Job 27:4, 5; 6:28). M AURER , not so well, "Notwithstanding my right (innocence) I am treated as a liar," by God, by His afflicting me. my wound —literally, "mine arrow," namely, by which I am pierced. So " my stroke" ("hand," Job 23:2, Margin ). My sickness (Job 6:4; 16:13). without transgression —without fault of mine to deserve it (Job 16:17). 7. (Job 15:16). Image from the camel. scorning —against God (Job 15:4). 8. Job virtually goes in company (makes common cause) with the wicked, by taking up their sentiments (Job 9:22, 23, 30; 21:7-15), or at least by saying, that those who act on such sentiments are unpunished (Malachi 3:14). To deny God's righteous government because we do not see the reasons of His acts, is virtually to take part with the ungodly. 9. with God —in intimacy (Psalms 50:18, Margin ). 10. The true answer to Job, which God follows up (Job 38:1-41).