An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…

Again to come a little nearer to our translation (though this be very significant) I am innocent; 'Tis a negative, I have done no hurt, or I have no guilt upon me. The Rabbins tell us,¹ the word cometh from a root which signifieth to wash, and so the Chaldee Paraphrase renders, I am washed; Others thus, I am brushed or combed; Mr Broughton, I am neat, like a man that hath put on his apparel decently; some are in a slovenly habit, or their clothes are foul; but Job could say as to his better part and spiritual clothing, I am innocent, washed, brushed, combed. I have no filth in my skirts, nor foulness in my hands. I go not in the nasty habit of sin, but in the lovely, comely, beautiful dress of Grace. Thus various is the sense of the word which we translate innocent. Job's conversation was so well ordered, that it had not a plight nor an hair (common infirmities excepted) amiss or out of order. Our translation gives in his mind fully, yet it is not unprofitable to take in this plenty and copiousness of elegant metaphors rising out of the original words, here rendered, I am innocent. But if we take the word strictly, then to be innocent, is to do or to have done no hurt, to be harmless, and so guiltless of the hurt or harm of any.

Againe to come a little nearer to our translation (though this be very significant) I am innocent; 'Tis a negative, I have done no hurt, or I have no guilt upon me. The Rabbins tell us,¹ the word cometh from a roote which signifieth to wash, and so the Chaldee Paraphrase renders, I am washed; Others thus, I am brushed or comb'd; Mr Broughton, I am neat, like a man that hath put on his apparrell decently; some are in a slovenly habit, or their cloaths are foule; but Job could say as to his better part and spirituall cloathing, I am innocent, washed, brushed, comb'd. I have no filth in my skirts, nor foulenesse in my hands. I goe not in the nasty habit of sin, but in the lovely, comely, beautifull dresse of Grace. Thus various is the sence of the word which we translate innocent. Job's conversation was so well ordered, that it had not a plight nor an haire (common infirmities excepted) amisse or out of order. Our translation gives in his mind fully, yet it is not unprofitable to take in this plenty and copiousness of elegant metaphors rising out of the original words, here rendred, I am innocent. But if we take the word strictly, then to be innocent, is to doe or to have done no hurt, to be harmelesse, and so guiltlesse of the hurt or harme of any.