Job 23:8-10, Psa 63:1-2 | JFB | STEP | 8. But I wish in vain. For "behold," &c. forward . . . backward —rather, "to the east —to the west. " The Hebrew geographers faced the east, that is, sunrise: not the north, as we do. So "before" means east: "behind," west (so the Hindus). Para, "before"—east: Apara, "behind"—west: Daschina, "the right hand"—south: Bama, "left"—north. A similar reference to sunrise appears in the name Asia, "sunrise," Europe, "sunset"; pure Babylonian names, as RAWLINSON shows.

Job 23:8-10

8. But I wish in vain. For "behold," &c.

forward . . . backward—rather, "to the east—to the west." The Hebrew geographers faced the east, that is, sunrise: not the north, as we do. So "before" means east: "behind," west (so the Hindus). Para, "before"—east: Apara, "behind"—west: Daschina, "the right hand"—south: Bama, "left"—north. A similar reference to sunrise appears in the name Asia, "sunrise," Europe, "sunset"; pure Babylonian names, as RAWLINSON shows.

9. Rather, "To the north."

work—God's glorious works are especially seen towards the north region of the sky by one in the northern hemisphere. The antithesis is between God working and yet not being beheld: as in Job 9:11, between "He goeth by," and "I see Him not." If the Hebrew bears it, the parallelism to the second clause is better suited by translating, as UMBREIT, "doth hide himself"; but then the antithesis to "behold" would be lost.

right hand—"in the south."

hideth—appropriately, of the unexplored south, then regarded as uninhabitable because of its heat (see Job 34:29).

10. But—correcting himself for the wish that his cause should be known before God. The omniscient One already knoweth the way in me (my inward principles: His outward way or course of acts is mentioned in Job 23:11. So in me, Job 4:21); though for some inscrutable cause He as yet hides Himself (Job 23:8, 9).

when—let Him only but try my cause, I shall, &c.

Psalms 63:1-2

1. early . . . seek thee—earnestly (Isa 26:9). The figurative terms—

dry and thirsty—literally, "weary," denoting moral destitution, suited his outward circumstances.

soul—and—flesh—the whole man (Ps 16:9, 10).

2. The special object of desire was God's perfections as displayed in his worship (Ps 27:4).