Simon, ° (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,

And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.

And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode ° both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go show these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

6:36 sinneth not. Solomon recognized that it was impossible for even the best of men to live a sinless life, so all would need some means of receiving forgiveness. The universality of sin becomes a basic doctrine of New Testament revelation (e.g., Romans 3:23; 5:12; James 2:10; 4:17).

1:1 Job. Job was a real person, as confirmed in both Old and New Testaments (Ezekiel 14:14,20; James 5:11), despite the contention of religious liberals that he was only a mythological character. The entire context of Job’s narrative is clearly in the patriarchal age, probably the time of Abraham or earlier. Jacob had a grandson named Job (Genesis 46:13) and there are several Jobabs in the Bible (e.g., Genesis 36:33), but all of these clearly lived after the time of this Job. Some have suggested that Job was either Shem or Melchizedek, but these are mere speculations. Job’s narrative stands all alone, probably the oldest book of the Bible, except for the first eleven chapters of Genesis.

Introduction to Job Except for the first eleven chapters of Genesis, which almost certainly were originally written by Adam, Noah, the sons of Noah, and Terah, then eventually edited by Moses (compare with “Introduction” to Genesis), the book of Job is probably the oldest book in the Bible. It contains more references to Creation, the Flood and other primeval events than any book of the Bible except Genesis, and provides more insight into the age-long conflict between God and Satan than almost any other book. Remarkably, it also seems to contain more modern scientific insights than any other book of the Bible. Uniform Jewish tradition ascribed the book of Job to Moses and also accepted it as part of the true canon of Scripture. This ascription seems quite reasonable if Moses is regarded as the editor and original sponsor of Job’s book rather than its author. Undoubtedly Job himself was the original author (Job 19:23,24), writing down his memoirs, so to speak, after his restoration to health and prosperity. Moses most likely came into possession of Job’s record during his forty-year exile from Egypt in the land of Midian (not far from Job’s own homeland in Uz), and quickly recognized its great importance, perhaps slightly editing it for the benefit of his own contemporaries. It was all probably similar to how he compiled and organized the primeval records from which he has also given us the book of Genesis. Job, according to God’s own testimony, was the most righteous and godly man in the world, at least up to that time (Job 1:8; 2:3). That he was a real historical person, and not just a fictional character in a great dramatic poem, as some have alleged, is confirmed in Ezekiel 14:14,20, and James 5:11. Paul quotes from Job 5:13 in I Corinthians 3:19. Job evidently lived about the time of Abraham. It is significant that, despite the prevalent ancient tradition of Moses’ connection with the book, the book of Job nowhere mentions the Mosaic laws or even the children of Israel. It clearly was written well before the time of Jacob (“Israel”). The land of Uz, where Job lived as “the greatest of all the men of the east” (Job 1:3, a geographical reference probably inserted by Moses, since Uz was east of Midian) and “dwelt as a king in the army” (Job 29:25), was later to become the land of Edom (compare Lamentations 4:21). Quite possibly it was originally settled by Uz himself, who was a grandson of Shem (Genesis 10:22,23). The antiquity of the time of Job is further indicated by the fact that he probably lived at least two hundred years (Job 42:16), longer even than Abraham (Genesis 25:7). Job’s book is considered a masterpiece of literature, even by those who reject its historicity and/or its divine inspiration. Its pervasive theme—one of interest in all times and places—is the mystery of the suffering of the righteous in a world created by a righteous and omnipotent God. However, though this may be the theme of the book, that is not its purpose, for the book never answers that question. Even God, in His remarkable four-chapter monologue (Job 38–41) at the end of the book, never even mentions the question at all. Rather, God emphasizes the vital importance of the doctrine of special creation and the sovereign right of the Creator to use and test His creatures as He wills. He is never unjust and never capricious, and we must simply rest and rejoice in that fact by faith.

11:7 countenance doth behold. Some translations invert this statement, reading it as: “The upright shall behold His countenance,” It is true either way, but the King James rendering is more consistent with the parallelism of the first part of the verse.

25:6 tender mercies. This is the first of ten references in the Old Testament (all in the Book of Psalms) to God’s “tender mercies” (one word in the Hebrew). There are two New Testament references to God’s “tender mercy” (Luke 1:78; James 5:11). The association here with God’s “loving kindness” is a beautifully felicitous choice of words to describe God’s great love for His people.

42:5 Why art thou cast down. Instead of complaining and asking God why He had been forgotten, the trusting believer instead questions his own soul. Why should he be discouraged, since God does exist and does care, in spite of the immediate circumstances. There is such a thing as a “trial of your faith” (I Peter 1:7), and it is vital that we endure such testings (James 1:12), repeatedly reminding ourselves to “hope thou in God.” In good time we again shall see “the help of His countenance.”

60:1 turn thyself to us again. This is the last of David’s six “Michtams.” The meaning of “michtam” is uncertain but seems to reflect deep concern overlain with trust. The King James translators believed it was related to the Hebrew word for “engraving” and so called such psalms “golden psalms.”

64:3 whet their tongue. The tongue with its bitter words is compared to a sword, to arrows, and to a whetted razor. The tongue can be “a fire, a world of iniquity,” set “on fire of hell” (James 3:6). A major weapon of the enemies of God is the use of lying words, deceitful words, angry words. The main defensive weapon is the Word, with its words of truth and peace.

90:9 tale that is told. This phrase, “tale that is told” is actually only one word in the Hebrew, whose basic meaning is that of a mournful or sighing sound. The idea is one of brevity and sadness. Compare James 4:14.

144:4 days are as a shadow. Moses wrote that man’s days are like “a tale that is told” (Psalm 90:9), James said they were like “a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). Job, like David, here, said that “our days upon earth are a shadow” (Job 8:9), even though he lived another 140 years after that (Job 42:16). We must live whatever days we may have in light of eternity.