Job 42:14

WEB

He called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren Happuch.

KJV

And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.

Commentary

And he called the name of the first Jemima,.... That is, the name of the first and eldest daughter was called by Job Jemima; which either signifies "day", so the Targum interprets it, and most do, and so is the same with Diana; or, as Spanheim (u) observes, it may be the same with the Arabic word "jemama", which signifies a turtle or dove (w); and who also observes that a country in Arabia is so called, and perhaps from her; and which seems to be confirmed by the Arabic geographer (x), who speaks of a queen called Jamama, who dwelt in a city of the country he describes as being on the north of Arabia Felix, and also speaks of a way from thence to Bozrah in Edom; and the name of the second, Kezia; or Cassia; an aromatic herb of a very fragrant smel l, as we render the word, Psa 45:8 ; and from this person the above learned writer conjectures Mount Casius in Arabia might have its name; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch; which signifies an horn or vessel of paint, such as the eastern women used to paint their faces, particularly their eyes with, Jer 4:30 ; and as Jezebel did, Kg2 9:30 ; or "the ray of a precious stone"; some say the carbuncle (y) or ruby; according to the Targum, the emerald; in Ch1 29:2 , the word is rendered "glittering stones". Now these names may have respect to Job's daughters themselves, to their external beauty, afterwards observed, so the Targum, "he called the one Jemima, because her beauty was as the day; the other he called Kezia, because she was precious like cassia; and another he called Kerenhappuch, because great was the brightness of the glory of her countenance, as the emerald.'' The complexion of the first might be clear as a bright day, though like that but of a short duration; see Sol 6:10 ; the next might have her name from the fragrancy and sweetness of her temper; and the third, as being so beautiful that she needed no paint to set her off, but was beauty and paint herself; or her beauty was as bright and dazzling as a precious stone; see Lam 4:7 . Or these may respect their internal qualities, virtues, and graces; being children of the day, and not of the night; having a good name, which is better than all spices; and possessed of such graces as were comparable to jewels and precious stones. Though it might be, that Job, in giving them these names, may have respect to the change of his state and condition; his first daughter he called Jemima, or "day", because it was now day, with him: he had been in the night and darkness of adversity, temporal and spiritual, but now he enjoyed a day of prosperity, and of spiritual light and joy; the justness of his cause appeared, his righteousness was brought forth as the light, and his judgment as noonday; and the dispensations of divine Providence appeared to him in a different light than he had seen them in: his second daughter he called Kezia, or Cassia, an herb of a sweet smell, in opposition to the stench of his ulcers and of his breath, which had been so very offensive, and from which he was now free; and may denote also the recovery of his good name, better than precious ointment, in which cassia was an ingredient: his youngest daughter he called Kerenhappuch, the horn of paint, in opposition to his horn being defiled in the dust, and his face foul with weeping, Job 16:15 ; or if Kerenhappuch signifies the horn turned, as Peritsol interprets it, it may have respect to the strange and sudden turn of Job's affairs: and it is easy to observe, that men have given names to their children on account of their present state and condition, or on account of the change of a former one; see Gen 41:51 . (u) Hist. Jobi, c. 12. s. 7. (w) Golii Lexic. Arab. col. 2767, 2768. (x) Geograph. Nub. Climat. 2. par. 6. (y) Hiller. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 356.