Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Job 17:14
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
I have said to corruption, thou [art] my father, etc.] Not to the corruptible seed, of which he was begotten; nor to the corruption or purulent matter of his boils and ulcers, and the worms his flesh was now clothed with, (<180705>Job 7:5); but to that corruption his body would turn to in the grave, lying long enough to see it, which Christ’s body did not, (<191610>Psalm 16:10); that is, “to the pit of corruption” f681, as it may be rendered, meaning the grave, so called because in it dead bodies corrupt and putrefy: in houses are families consisting of various persons, of different relations, who dwell together in friendship and harmony, very lovingly and familiarly, as father and mother, brother and sister; so in the grave, the dwelling house of men, there are inhabitants that dwell together, as if they were familiar friends and acquaintance; and with these, Job claims kindred, such as corruption, rottenness, dust and worms, and these he speaks unto, not only very familiarly, but very respectfully; the note of Bar Tzemach is, “I honour the grave as a son a father, that it may receive me quickly;” yea, he speaks as not ashamed of the relation, but is fond of it; “I called” or “cried” f682 that is, aloud, with great vehemency and affection: to the worm, [thou art] my mother and my sister; these are the rather mentioned, because the relation is near, and they are very loving and tender, and abide in the house, (see <200704>Proverbs 7:4); he calls these his mother and sister, as the above Jewish commentator observes, because the might lie in their bosom; by all this Job would represent how familiar death and the grave were to him, and how little he dreaded them; yea, how desirable they were to him, since he should be at home, and among his relations and friends.
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