Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 23:9
On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold [him]: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see [him]:
On the left hand – That is, in the North – at the left hand when the face was turned to the East. So the Chaldee, – on the North. The other versions, the Vulgate, the Septuagint, the Syriac, Castellio, Luther, etc., render it on the left hand. The common term among the Hebrews for the North is tsaphon – (from tsaphan – to hide, or conceal), meaning the hidden, concealed, or dark region, since the ancients regarded the North as the seat of gloom and darkness, (Homer, Odyssey ix. 25ff), while they supposed the South to be illuminated by the sun. Gesenius. Frequently, however, as here, the word left, or left hand, is used. The region of the North is intended.
Where he doth work – Where there are such wonderful manifestations of his majesty and glory. May Job here not refer to the Aurora Borealis, the remarkable display of the power of God which is seen in those regions? May he not have felt that there was some special reason why he might hope to meet with God in that quarter, or to see him manifest himself amidst the brilliant lights that play along the sky, as if to precede or accompany him? And when he had looked to the splendor of the rising sun, and the glory of his setting, in vain, was it not natural to turn his eye to the next remarkable manifestation, as he supposed, of God, in the glories of the Northern lights, and to expect to find him there? There is reason to think that the ancient Chaldeans, and other pagans, regarded the regions of the North, illuminated with these celestial splendors, as the special residence of the gods (see the notes at Isa 14:13), and it seems probable that Job may have had allusion to some such prevailing opinion.
But I cannot behold him – I can see the exhibition of remarkable splendor, but still God is unseen. He does not come amidst those glories to give me an opportunity to carry my cause before him. The meaning, then, of this is, Disappointed in the East and the West. I turn to the North. There I have been accustomed to witness extraordinary manifestations of his magnificence and glory. There beautiful constellations circle the pole. There the Aurora plays, and seems to be the manifestation of the glory of God. Next to the glory of the rising and setting sun, I turn to those brilliant lights, to see if there I may not find my God, but in vain. Those lights are cold and chilly, and reveal no God to my soul. Disappointed, then I turn to the last point, the South, to see if I can find him there.
He hideth himself on the right hand – On the South. The South was to the ancients an unknown region. The deserts of Arabia, indeed, stretched away in that region, and they were partially known, and they had some knowledge that the sea was beyond. But they regarded the regions farther to the South, if there was land there, as wholly impassable and uninhabitable on account of the heat. The knowledge of geography was slowly acquired, and, of course, it is impossible to tell what were the views which prevailed on the subject in the time of Job. That there was little accuracy of information about remote countries must be regarded as an indisputable fact; and, probably, they had little conception of distant parts of the earth, except that formed by conjecture. Interesting details of the views of the ancients, on this subject, may be found in the Encyclopedia of Geography, vol. i. pp. 10-68; compare particularly the notes at Job 26:10.
The earth was regarded as encompassed with waters, and the distant southern regions, on account of the impossibility of passing through the heat of the torrid zone, were supposed to be inaccessible. To those hidden and unknown realms, Job says he now turned, when he had in vain looked to each other quarter of the heavens, to see if he could find some manifestation of God. Yet he looked to that quarter equally in vain. God hid or concealed himself in those inaccessible regions so that he could not approach him. The meaning is, I am also disappointed here. He hides himself in that distant land. In the burning and impassable wastes which stretch themselves to an unknown extent there, I cannot find him. The feet of mortals cannot traverse those burning plains, and there I cannot approach him. To whatever point of the compass I turn, I am left in equal darkness. What a striking description is this of the darkness that sometimes comes over the Christians soul, prompting to the language, O that I knew where I might find him! That I could come to his throne!
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. On the left hand, where he doth work] In these two verses Job mentions the four cardinal points of the heavens: the EAST, by the word kedem, which signifies before; the WEST, by achor, which signifies after, or the back part; the NORTH, by semol, which signifies the left; and the SOUTH, by yamin, which signifies the right. Such is the situation of the world to a man who faces the east; see Ge 13:9; Ge 13:11; Ge 28:14. And from this it appears that the Hebrews, Idumeans, and Arabs had the same ideas of these points of the heavens. It is worthy of remark that Job says, He hideth himself on the right hand, (the south,) that I cannot see him: for in fact, the southern point of heaven is not visible in Idumea, where Job was. Hence it comes that when he spake before, Job 9:9, of the constellations of the antarctic pole, he terms them the hidden chambers of the south; i.e., those compartments of the celestial concave that never appeared above the horizon in that place. – See Calmet.
Mr. Good translates these verses as follows: –
Behold! I go forward, and he is not there;
And backward, but I cannot perceive him.
On the left hand I feel for him, but trace him not:
He enshroudeth the right hand, and I cannot see him.
The simple rendering of Coverdale is nervous and correct: –
For though I go before, I fynde hym not:
Yf I come behynde, I can get no knowledge of him:
Yf I go on the left syde to pondre his workes,
I cannot atteyne unto them:
Agayne, yf I go on the right syde, he hydeth himself,
That I cannot se him.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Where he doth work, to wit, in a special and peculiar manner, more than in other parts of the world; for so indeed God did work in those parts which were northward from Job, because there mankind (among whom God delights to be and to work) were most numerous, and most ingenious to discern Gods works. There also was the seat of the Assyrian empire, which was eminent in Jobs time, and afterwards of the other successive empires; in and by all which God did many great and glorious works. But this Hebrew word is by others, and that very properly and fitly, rendered when, or whilst, he worketh, to wit, in an eminent manner. So this is added to aggravate Jobs unhappiness. We may certainly find any man when and where he is working; but I, saith he, search for God even when and where he is working, and yet cannot find him out.
He hideth himself, to wit, from me; he withdraweth his favour, and will not afford me his presence and audience.
I cannot see him; either,
1. I cannot discern his counsels and ways, and the reasons of his severe dealings with me. Or rather,
2. He doth not appear to me as a judge, to examine my cause and arguments, but condemns me without hearing me.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. Rather, “To the north.”
workGod’s gloriousworks are especially seen towards the north region of the skyby one in the northern hemisphere. The antithesis is between Godworking and yet not being beheld: as in Job9:11, between “He goeth by,” and “I seeHim not.” If the Hebrew bears it, the parallelismto the second clause is better suited by translating, as UMBREIT,”doth hide himself”; but then the antithesis to “behold”would be lost.
right hand“in thesouth.”
hidethappropriately,of the unexplored south, then regarded as uninhabitable because ofits heat (see Job 34:29).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold [him],…. The northern part of the world, where his seat is, or the circle of the earth, says Bar Tzemach, and who has stretched out the north over the empty place, Job 26:7. Jarchi’s note is, when he created it, he did not make it the place of his throne: God works everywhere in a way of providence, but in some places more eminently than in others; the northern part of the world is observed to be more inhabited than the southern, and the people of it to be more active in war and business than elsewhere; and more and greater things are done by God among them as instruments than among any other; and Mr. Caryl observes, that the Gospel has ever more generally and more clearly been preached here than in the southern parts of the world; and perhaps by the northern chambers in Ezekiel’s vision, Eze 42:1, were designed the Protestant churches in the northern parts, as it is well known the Protestant doctrine is called the northern heresy: but what Job meant by God’s works in the north is not easy to say; but as this refers to some place where God had been used to work either in the way of providence or grace, it was the most likely one to find him in, and yet Job could not behold him, or get any sight of him, either as on a throne of grace or justice:
he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see [him]; or “he covereth the right hand” h, the southern parts of the world; he covers the face of the south with his face, that I cannot see him, so Jarchi; this is said because the south is covered with the waters of the ocean, as Bar Tzemach observes; what we call the South sea: or rather the meaning is, that God covered himself on the right hand, or on the south, as with a garment, as the word signifies; wrapped himself up either in light inaccessible, as with a garment, or with clouds of darkness, that he could not be seen; and if he hides himself, as he often does from the best of men, who can behold him? Job 34:29; see Job 9:11.
h “operiet dextram”, Montanus, Junius Tremellius so Cocceius, Drusius, Schmidt, Schultens, & Broughton.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9. On the left hand To the north.
Where he doth work Where more strikingly the phenomena of nature declare divine agency. He may have had in mind the weird “auroral light” which an unseen power calls into being and suspends upon the brow of night without the agency of sun, moon, or stars.
He hideth himself If in the north Job find not God, it were vain to turn to the south, (“the right hand,”) where barren wastes of sand stretched interminably away. Amid such desolation the imagination might well conceive that God had hidden himself, Job 9:11. The deep impression the invisibility of God made upon the ancient mind is reflected in the inscription made upon the base of the statue of the goddess of wisdom, Neith, (Minerva,) at Sais, Egypt “I am all which hath been, which is, and which will be, and no mortal has yet lifted my veil.” PLUTARCH, De Iside, etc., sec. 9.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 23:9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold [him]: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see [him]:
Ver. 9. On the left hand, where he doth work ] i.e. Northward; where God is said to work; either because that in the north part of heaven are more signs, and of more remarkable influence, than in the south; or else because the northern parts of the world are more inhabited than the southern, because more temperate; and so there is more of God to be seen there in his works, as letters refracted in a glass. Seculum est speculum, quo Deum intueamur.
But I cannot behold him
He hideth hlmself on the right hand, &c.
That I cannot see him
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
he hideth himself: Psa 89:46, Isa 8:17
Reciprocal: Job 9:11 – he goeth Job 10:13 – hid Job 34:29 – when he hideth Job 42:5 – mine Psa 10:1 – hidest Psa 139:5 – beset me Son 3:1 – but