Job 22:30
He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
He shall deliver the island of the innocent,.... But where is there such an island, an island of innocent persons? it seems to be better rendered by others, "the innocent shall deliver the island" {s}: good men are sometimes, by their counsel and advice, and especially by their prayers, the means of delivering an island or country from ruin and destruction: but the word rendered "island" is a negative particle, as in 1 Samuel 4:21; and signifies "not"; and so in the Targum; which is
"a man that is not innocent shall be delivered:''
in like manner Jarchi interprets it, and so do Noldius {t} and others {u}; and the sense is, that Job, for he is the person spoken of, as appears from the following clause, should not only be beneficial by his prayers, to humble and good men, but even to the wicked, such as were not innocent and free from fault and punishment, but guilty, and obnoxious to wrath and ruin; and yet such should escape it, at least for the present, through the prayers and intercession of Job; or God should do this for Job's sake and his prayers:
and it is, or "he is"
delivered by the pureness of thine hands; either by his good works, setting a good example, which, being followed, would be the means of the prevention of present ruin; or by his lifting up pure and holy hands in prayer to God for a sinful people; which God often attends to and hears, and so delivers them from destruction; as the Israelites were delivered through the prayer of Moses, when they had made the golden calf, and worshipped it; see Ps 106:19; though sometimes God will not admit of an intercessor for such persons, Ezekiel 14:20.
{s} yqn ya jlmy "innocens insulam liberabit", Montanus; so Pagninus, Vatablus.
{t} Concordant. Ebr. Part. p. 25. No. 135.
{u} yqn ya "non innocentem", Drusius, Piscator, Michaelis; "non insontem", Schultens; to the same sense Beza, Mercerus, Codurcus, Junius, & Tremellius.