Job 18:20

“They that come after [him] shall be astonished at his day, etc.] At the day of his calamity and distress, ruin and destruction, (see <193713>Psalm 37:13 Obidiah 1:12); it would be extremely amazing to them how it should be, that a man who was in such flourishing and prosperous circumstances, should be brought at once, he and his family, into such extreme poverty, and into such a distressed and forlorn condition; they should be, as it were, thunderstruck at it, not being able to account for it: by these are meant such as are younger than the wicked man, and that continue longer than he, yet upon the spot when his calamity befell; or else posterity in later times, who would be made acquainted…”

“after . . . before--rather, "those in the West--those in the East"; that is, all people; literally, "those behind--those before"; for Orientals in geography turn with their faces to the east (not to the north as we), and back to the west; so that before--east; behind--north (so Zac 14:8). day--of ruin (Oba 1:12). affrighted--seized with terror (Job 21:6; Isa 13:8).”

“They that come after him - Future ages; they who may hear of his history and of the manner in which he was cut off from life. So the passage has been generally rendered; so, substantially, it is by Dr. Good, Dr. Noyes, Rosenmuller, and Luther. The Vulgate translates it novissimi; the Septuagint, ἔσχατοι eschatoi - “the last” - meaning those that should live after him, or at a later period. But Schultens supposes that the word used here denotes those in “the West,” and the corresponding word rendered “went before,” denotes those in “the East.” With this view Wemyss concurs, who renders the whole verse: “The West shall be astonished at his end; The East shall be panic-struck.” According to…”

“Astonied - At the day of his destruction. They shall be amazed at the suddenness, and dreadfulness of it. Before - Before the persons last mentioned. Those who lived in the time and place where this judgment was inflicted. Job 18:21”

“18:20 in the west . . . in the east: These phrases might refer to people from times past and times to come or to people from various places.”

“astonied: Deu 29:23, Deu 29:24; Kg1 9:8; Jer 18:16 his day: Psa 37:13, Psa 137:7; Eze 21:25; Oba 1:11-15; Luk 19:42, Luk 19:44 went: or, lived with him were affrighted: Heb. laid hold on horror, Job 2:12, Job 2:13, Job 19:13-19 Job 18:21”

“20 Those who dwell in the west are astonished at his day, And trembling seizeth those who dwell in the east; 21 Surely thus it befalleth the dwellings of the unrighteous, And thus the place of him that knew not God. It is as much in accordance with the usage of Arabic as it is biblical, to call the day of a man's doom "his day," the day of a battle at a place "the day of that place." Who are the אחרנים who are astonished at it, and the קדמנים whom terror (שׂער as twice besides in this sense in Ezek.) seizes, or as it is properly, who seize terror, i.e., of themselves, without being able to do otherwise than yield to the emotion (as Job 21:6; Isa 13:8; comp. on the contrary Exo 15:14.)?…”