That they were engraved with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever!
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
In a. Hebrew, "lead, in the rock for ever. "(Protestants) Septuagint have, "for ever "after book, (ver. 23) and subjoins, "with a writing instrument of iron and (or) lead, or be engraven on the rocks for a memorial. "Grabe insinuates that before there was only, "and on lead, or be engraven on the rocks. "(Haydock)
Instrument, (celte) means "a chisel "(Haydock) like coelum from coelo: "I engrave. "(Pineda)
St. Jerome, (ad Pam.) and the late editor of his works, retain this word, as the older editions of St. Gregory did; (Calmet) though certe, "surely "has been inserted instead, from several manuscripts by the Benedictines. (Haydock)
Ancient manuscripts and Latin Bibles have more generally the latter word. But the received editions are supported by many manuscripts (Calmet) and the Septuagint eggluthenai, expresses as much. Celtis est, gluthaion. (Amama). (Casaub. in Athen. vii. 20. p. 556.)
An inscription, in Dalmatia, has the same sense: Neque hic atramentum vel papyrus aut membra...
We desire what we have said with a troubled mind not be confusedly relegated to oblivion as a cause of shame. On the contrary we want what we have said seriously and carefully to be fixed in the memory and remain in the mouth of many people. Therefore also holy Job, intending to show that he had not poured out what he had said with a troubled mind but that his words were truthful and reasonable, wishes that his words are not only written on paper but also engraved on lead and stone, so that they may be preserved for a long time. - "Exposition on the Book of Job 19.23–24"
