Attributed commentary excerpt
Barnes' Notes on Job 36:14
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Notes on the Whole Bible
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
They die in youth - Margin, “Their soul dieth.” The word “soul” or “life” in the Hebrew is used to denote oneself. The meaning is, that they would soon be cut down, and share the lot of the openly wicked. If they amended their lives they might be spared, and continue to live in prosperity and honor; if they did not, whether openly wicked or hypocrites. they would be early cut off. And their life is amnong the unclean - Margin, “Sodomites.” The idea is, that they would be treated in the same way as the most abandoned and vile of the race. No special favor would be shown to them because they were “professors” of religion, nor would this fact be a shield against the treatment which they deserved. They could not be classed with the righteous, and must, therefore, share the fate of the most worth mss and wicked of the race. The word rendered “unclean” (קדשׁים qâdêsh) is from קדשׁ qâdash, “to be pure or holy”; and in the Hiphil to regard as holy, to consecrate, or devote to the service of God, as e. g. a priest; Exodus 28:41; Exodus 29:1. Then it means to consecrate or devote to “any” service or purpose, as to an idol god. Hence, it means one consecrated or devoted to the service of Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians or Venus, and as this worship was corrupt and licentious, the word means one who is licentious or corrupt compare Deuteronomy 23:18; 1 Kings 14:24; Genesis 38:21-22. Here it means the licentious, the corrupt, the abandoned; and the idea is, that if hypocrites did not repent under the inflictions of divine judgment, they would be dealt with in the same way as the most abandoned and vile. On the evidence that licentiousness constituted a part of the ancient worship of idols, see Spencer “de Legg. ritual Hebraedor.” Lib. ii. cap. iii. pp. 613, 614, Ed. 1732. Jerome renders this, “intereffoeminatos.” The Septuagint strangely enough has: “Let their life be wounded by angels.” return to 'Top of Page'
How to use this source
This excerpt is attributed to its named commentary. It is included as a historical study resource and should be evaluated in light of Scripture and other relevant evidence.
