John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 9:18
He will not suffer me to take my breath ,.... Which some think refers to Job's disease, which was either an asthma, or a quinsy in his throat, which occasioned great difficulty in breathing: I should rather think the allusion is to the hot burning winds in those countries before mentioned, which sometimes blew so strongly as almost to take away a man's breath; so the above traveller F21 Travels. par. 1. B. 2. c. 34. p. 177. reports, that between Suez and Cairo (in Egypt) they had for a... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 9:14-21
What Job had said of man's utter inability to contend with God he here applies to himself, and in effect despairs of gaining his favour, which (some think) arises from the hard thoughts he had of God, as one who, having set himself against him, right or wrong, would be too hard for him. I rather think it arises from the sense he had of the imperfection of his own righteousness, and the dark and cloudy apprehensions which at present he had of God's displeasure against him. I. He durst not... read more