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 conscious renewal of communion with God after death? The context, it seems to me, is best satisfied by the former alternative. Job's mind is at present occupied with the cruelty, not of God (as when he said, 'O that thou wouldst appoint me a term and then remember me,' xiv. 13), but of his friends. His starting-point is, 'How long will ye (my friends) pain my soul?' &c. (xix. 2.) We may admit that the best solution of Job's problem would be 'the beatific vision' in some early and not clearly defined form of that deep idea; but if Job can say that he not merely dreams but knows this ('I know that I shall see God,' xix. 25, 26), the remainder of the colloquies ought surely to pursue a very different course{**? ;] as a matter of fact, neither Job nor his friends, nor yet Jehovah Himself, refers to this supposed newly-won truth, and the only part of 'Job's deepest saying' which the next speaker fastens upon (xx. 3) is the threatening conclusion (xix. 29). Ewald himself has drawn attention to this, without remarking its adverse bearing on his own interpretation.

Here, side by side, are Dr. A. B. Davidson's and Dr. W. H. Green's translations of the received text of vv. 25-27, and Dr. Bickell's version of his own emended text.

But I know that my redeemer liveth, and in after time he shall stand upon the dust and after this my skin is destroyed and without my flesh I shall see God: ' (The Argument of Job, pp. 204-5).]