וַיָּ֣מָת אִיּ֔וֹב זָקֵ֖ן וּשְׂבַ֥ע יָמִֽים׃
Lalu Ayub meninggal dunia, tua dan puas dengan hari-harinya.
Rabbeinu Bahya
However, our sages (Berachot 7) have already explained how to reconcile what is written in these verses. The verse threatening that he sins of the fathers will be visited upon their sons or later generations presumes that the sons or grandsons will continue in the evil path their parents had walked before them. When this is the case G’d will not feel unjustified in applying His retribution to the sons or grandsons of the original sinners. The reason that the Torah limits such retribution to four generations after the original sin has been committed is explained in Job 42,17 where the blessing Job received is that he lived to see the fourth generation of his descendants. The Torah (Genesis 50,23) also reports that Joseph was blessed to see the fourth generation of his offspring. In other words, biological relationships are presumed to be meaningful up to and including the fourth generation, not beyond that. Seeing that a person may live to see his great-great grandchildren, their death may remind him of his being punished for his original sin. If the fifth generation were to be punished for that sin it would have absolutely no impact on the original sinner. When in a patriarchal society the senior member of the family is concerned about his offspring, he does not include in such concern the fifth and subsequent generations. If a wicked person has observed that his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather had been guilty of similar sins and had not been punished to the best of his knowledge, it is important that he be punished and that he bear the collective responsibility
. Upon hearing such an explanation any intelligent son is bound to ask that if this is indeed so why did the Torah write (in Exodus 32,34) “on the day when I make My account, I shall bring their sin to account against them?” Our sages (Jerusalem Talmud Taanit 4,5) have stated that there is not a single generation in history which has not accumulated a small measure of the sin of the golden calf in its own time. Elsewhere, (Rashi) this statement is understood to mean that whenever a generation of Jews is being punished for their transgressions, a small amount of afflictions are added to reduce the outstanding guilt of the generation which made and worshipped the golden calf. Whichever is the correct interpretation, how is this delayed punishment compatible with the limitation to four generations which we read about in our verse? The answer provided by our sages is that the meaning of the verb פוקד in 32,34 is not “settles accounts” but merely “He remembers.” Whenever the Jewish people in any generation commit any sin, such a sin reminds G’d of their original collective sin, the sin of the golden calf. He no longer has to settle an account with us as that account has been paid in full when the Temple was destroyed.
We find (Ezekiel 9,1) that the prophet quotes G’d as saying קרבו פקודות העיר ואיש כלי משחיתו בידו, “bring near those appointed over the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand!” The Torah in 32,34 refers to what the prophet Ezekiel referred to, i.e. an imperative to G’d’s agents to liquidate the Temple, etc.
. Upon hearing such an explanation any intelligent son is bound to ask that if this is indeed so why did the Torah write (in Exodus 32,34) “on the day when I make My account, I shall bring their sin to account against them?” Our sages (Jerusalem Talmud Taanit 4,5) have stated that there is not a single generation in history which has not accumulated a small measure of the sin of the golden calf in its own time. Elsewhere, (Rashi) this statement is understood to mean that whenever a generation of Jews is being punished for their transgressions, a small amount of afflictions are added to reduce the outstanding guilt of the generation which made and worshipped the golden calf. Whichever is the correct interpretation, how is this delayed punishment compatible with the limitation to four generations which we read about in our verse? The answer provided by our sages is that the meaning of the verb פוקד in 32,34 is not “settles accounts” but merely “He remembers.” Whenever the Jewish people in any generation commit any sin, such a sin reminds G’d of their original collective sin, the sin of the golden calf. He no longer has to settle an account with us as that account has been paid in full when the Temple was destroyed.
We find (Ezekiel 9,1) that the prophet quotes G’d as saying קרבו פקודות העיר ואיש כלי משחיתו בידו, “bring near those appointed over the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand!” The Torah in 32,34 refers to what the prophet Ezekiel referred to, i.e. an imperative to G’d’s agents to liquidate the Temple, etc.
Rashi
and seeing my affliction Heb. וראה. This is not an expression of the imperative, but is an adjective. וראה עניי is badlace (?) in Old French, “that I see it all the time.” As you say (below, at the end of the Book), “וּשְׂבַע יָמִים, and I am sated with days,” like “וְשָׂבֵעַ יָמִים” (with a “kamatz” under the “sin”) so do you say; וּרְאֵה, like וְרוֹאֶה, “and seeing my affliction.”