Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 31:18
(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as [with] a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;)
18. he was brought up with me ] Rather, he (the fatherless) grew up with me. Job probably did not achieve his greatness, he was born to it. And possibly he inherited the traditions of a great and benevolent house. And thus even from his youth he took the place toward the poor of a patron and father.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For from my youth he was brought up with me – This verse is usually regarded as a parenthesis, though very various expositions have been given of it. Some have understood it as denying that he had in any way neglected the widow and the fatherless, and affirming that the orphan had always, even from his youth, found a father in him, and the widow a guide. Others, as our translators, suppose that it is a parenthesis thrown in to indicate his general course of life, although the imprecation which he makes on himself, if he had neglected the widow and the orphan, is found in Job 31:22. Luther reads the two previous verses as questions, and this as an answer to them, and so also do Rosenmuller and Noyes. Umbreit regards this verse as a parenthesis. This is probably to be considered as the correct interpretation, for this better agrees with the Hebrew than the other proposed. It implies a denial of having neglected the widow and the orphan, but the full expression of his abhorrence of a charge of having done so, is to be found in the strong language in Job 31:22. The unusual Hebrew word gadalniy probably stands for gadal imy – he was brought up with me. This form of the word does not occur elsewhere.
As with a father – That is, he always found in me one who treated him as a father. The meaning is, that he had always had under his care those who were orphans; that from his very youth they had been accustomed to look up to him as a father; and that they had never been disappointed in him. It is the language of one who seems to have been born to rank, and who had the means of benefiting others, and who had done it all his life. This accords also with the Oriental notions of kindness – requiring that it should be shown especially to the widow and the fatherless.
I have guided her – Margin, That is, the widow. The meaning is, that he had been her counsellor and friend.
From my mothers womb – This cannot be literally true, but it means that he had done it from early life; or as we would say, he had always done it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. This is a very difficult verse, and is variously translated. Take the following instances: – For from his youth he (the male orphan) was brought up with me as a father. Yea, I have guided her (the female orphan) from her mother’s womb. – Heath.
Nam a pueris educavit me commiseratio; jam inde ab utero matris meae illa me deduxit. – Houbigant.
“For commiseration educated me from my childhood;
And she brought me up even from my mother’s womb.”
This is agreeable to the Vulgate.
“Behold, from my youth calamity hath quickened me;
Even from my mother’s womb have I distributed it.”
This is Mr. Goods version, and is widely different from the above.
For mercy grewe up with me fro my youth,
And compassion fro my mother’s wombe.
Coverdale.
, . – Septuagint.
“For from my youth I nourished them as a father; and I was their guide from my mother’s womb.”
The Syriac. “For from my childhood he educated me in distresses, and from the womb of my mother in groans.” The Arabic is nearly the same.
The general meaning may be gathered from the above; but who can reconcile such discordant translations?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
From my youth; as soon as I was capable of managing my own affairs, and of doing good to others.
He was brought up with me, in my family, or at least under my care and protection.
As with a father, i.e. with all the diligence and tenderness of a father.
I have guided her, i.e. the widow, mentioned Job 31:16, and commonly joined with the fatherless.
From my mothers womb, i.e. from my tender years; ever since I was capable of discerning good and evil, I have made conscience of this duty; and this my continuance in well-doing is a good evidence of my sincerity therein.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. Parenthetical: assertingthat he did the contrary to the things in Job 31:16;Job 31:17.
hethe orphan.
guided hernamely, thewidow, by advice and protection. On this and “a father,”see Job 29:16.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For from my youth he was brought up with me as [with] a father,…. That is, the poor or the fatherless, one or both; as soon as he was at years of discretion, and was capable of observing the distressed circumstances of others, he had a tender and compassionate regard to the poor and fatherless, and acted the part of a father to them; was as affectionately concerned for them as if he had been their father, and took such care of them as if they were his children; see
Job 29:16;
and I have guided her from my mother’s womb; the widow, by his counsel and advice; an hyperbolical expression, signifying how early he was a succourer of such persons, by giving his friendly advice, or needful assistance; the Vulgate Latin version renders it, “from my youth mercy grew up with me”, c. a merciful disposition, a compassionate regard to the poor and fatherless this was as it were connatural to him; for though there is no good disposition really in man, without the grace of God, of which Job might early partake, yet there is a show of it in some persons, in comparison of others; some have a natural tender disposition to the poor, when others are naturally cruel and hardhearted to them; and so Mr. Broughton renders the words to this sense,
“for from my youth this grew with me as a father, and from my mother did I tender it:”
but the first sense seems best.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(18) For from my youth he.The pronouns refer to the fatherless of Job. 31:17 and to the widow of Job. 31:16.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Third strophe In CIVIL life, also, Job declares he had practised righteousness towards the dependent, and shown mercy to the suffering and defenceless. The entire strophe contemplates the false charges Eliphaz had made upon this very point, (Job 22:6-9,) and is enforced by a threefold appeal to God, and an imprecation that if he speak not the truth great bodily harm may come upon him, Job 31:16-23.
18. He The fatherless.
Her The widow.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 31:18. For from my youth, &c. Houbigant renders this most beautifully: how far it may be agreeable to the Hebrew, I take not upon me to determine. For compassion educated me from a child; she brought me up, even from my mother’s womb. Heath reads the passage thus; If from his youth I brought him not up as a father; yea I guided her from her mother’s womb; referring to both the male and female orphan.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 31:18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as [with] a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;)
Ver. 18. For from my youth he was brought up with me, &c. ] i.e. Ever since I could do anything it hath been my delight to be doing good to the poor orphans, whom I have tenderly bred, as a father useth to breed his children. Non est vulgare Dei donum, saith Mercer, This is no ordinary mercy for men to be of a merciful disposition and melting hearted toward the poor and necessitous, as some are naturally, and from the womb. Such are said to have been Artaxerxes Longimanus, Titus the emperor, Otho III, Stephen king of Hungary, Oswald king of England, &c.
And I have guided her from my mother’s womb] Ductavi illam, meaning the widow, or the orphan, to whom I have been a manly guide, and that of a child little. See the previous note. Sutton’s hospitals and many more monuments of charity in this kind are worthily alleged by some of our divines, to prove that, for their time and ability, Protestants have equalled and exceeded Papists in this way of good works. Job’s desire of doing good appeared early, as if it had been born with him; like as Plutarch writeth of Coriolanus, that he was so natural and expert a soldier, that he might seem to have been born with his arms upon his back and his weapons in his hands, ..
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
her: that is, the widow
Reciprocal: 2Ki 14:9 – The thistle Job 29:16 – a father Job 31:32 – The stranger Isa 58:7 – to deal
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 31:18. For from my youth As soon as I was capable of managing my own affairs, and doing good to others; he was brought up with me as with a father Under my care and protection, with all the diligence and tenderness of a father. And I have guided her The widow, mentioned Job 31:16; from my mothers womb From my tender years; ever since I was capable of discerning good from evil, I have made conscience of this duty.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
31:18
(For from my youth he was brought up with me, {n} as [with] a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;)
(n) He nourished the fatherless, and maintained the widows cause.