After this lived Job a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.
All Commentaries on Job 42:16 Go To Job 42
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Years, in all, as Judith is said to have dwelt in the house of her husband 105 years; though it is agreed that she only lived that space of time. (Haydock)
Authors are much divided about the length of Job's life. Some suppose that he was afflicted with the leprosy at the age of 70, for several months, (Tirinus) or for a whole year, (Calmet) or for seven, (Salien) and that he lived twice as long after his re-establishment, in all 210. (Calmet) (Tirinus) Septuagint, "Job lived after his chastisement 170 "(Grabe substitutes 140 years. Then he marks with an obel as redundant) "but all the years which he lived were 248 "and adds from Theodition, "And Job saw his sons and their children, even the fourth generation. "(Haydock)
The old Vulgate had also 248 years; while some Greek copies read 740. But Grotius thinks the life of Job was not extended beyond 200. Petau and Spanheim say 189, (Calmet) and Pindea 210, or rather 280, years. Yet the life of man, in the days of Moses, his contemporary, was not often longer than 120; so that if we allow Job 140, he would be an old man, and might see the fourth generation, ver. 10. (Haydock)
The Greeks celebrate his festival on the 6th, the Latins on the 10th of May. (Pineda)
Days. Here a long addition is found in the Greek, Arabic, and old Vulgate; and Theodotion has also inserted it in his version, as it seems to contain a true and ancient tradition, (see Eusebius, præp. ix. 25.) though the Fathers have properly distinguished it from the inspired text. It stands thus in the Alexandrian Septuagint with an obel prefixed: "But it is written, that he shall be raised again, with those whom the Lord will restore to life. "He, this man, as it is translated from the Syriac book, lived in the land of Ausites, (Hus.) on the borders of Idumea, and of Arabia, and was before called Jobab. But marrying an Arabian woman, he begot a son by name Ennon. But his father was Zareth, a descendant of the sons of Esau, and his mother was Bossora; (Arabic, a native of Bosra) so that he was the 5th (Arabic, the 6th) from Abraham. Now these were the kings who reigned in Edom; over which country he also ruled. First, Balac, son of Semphor; (others have Beor) and the name of his city was Dennaba. After Balak, Jobab, who is called Job. After him, Assom, a leader from the country of Theman. After this man, Adad, son of Barad, who slew Madian in the plain of Moab; and the name of his city was Gethaim. But the friends who came to him were, Eliphaz, of the Auchite tyrant; (Grabe substitutes the tyrant of the Saucheans, as they call our Suhites) Sophar, king of the Mineans. "What is marked with crotchets, (Haydock) has been probably taken from Theodotion. See the Greek Catena. What follows occurs in the Alexandrian manuscript. (Calmet)
"or eastern country. (Haydock)
Job might very well be the 5th or 6th from Abraham, if he were a contemporary with Moses, as Levi and Amram would live at the same time with Rahuel and Zare; (See 1 Paralipomenon i. 35, 44.) so that this tradition agrees with history. But what is said of the Syriac version is not so certain. (Calmet)
Some think the Syriac or Arabic was the original text, as the Greek seems to indicate, outos ermeneuetai ek tes Suriakes Biblou, en men ge katoikon The passage at the end, where this is repeated, may be an interpolation, as the latter part seems rather to belong to Job. For how could Theman have both Eliphaz and Zareth for his father? Grabe therefore, marks it as such. It would be too long for us to transcribe (Haydock) the praises which the Fathers have given to Job, and the resemblance which they have discovered between him and Jesus Christ. See Hebrews iv. 15 and xiii. 12.; Tertullian, patient.; St. Chrysostom, hom. xxxiv. in Matt. St. Ambrose, in Psalm xxxvii. 21., observes, that his behaviour on the dunghill was the greatest condemnation of satan, who fell by pride, though so highly favoured. (Calmet)
Besides the literal sense of this book, which displays the trials and victories of Job, we may consider him as a lively figure of Christ; who was perfectly innocent, and yet a man of sorrows: we may raise our minds to the contemplation of the greater glory which will attend the bodies of the just, after the resurrection; and, above all, we may discover lessons of morality, enforcing the observance of every virtue, and particularly of patience and resignation. (St. Gregory) (Worthington)
The books of Machabees, which are the only remaining pieces of sacred history, might have been here inserted, as they are in Calmet's edition, that so all the historical part might come together. But it is more common to place those books after the prophets. They only relate a few of the transactions which took place during the 400 or 500 years preceding the Christian era. The rest must be borrowed from Josephus, or from profane authors. It would, however, be proper to read those books, and to have an idea of that period, before we attempt to explain the prophecies. (Haydock)
