[Though] I [were] perfect
Really and truly so, not conscious of any sin in thought, word,
or deed; this is only a case supposed:
[yet] would I not know my soul;
I would not own myself to be so before God; I would not insist
upon such perfection in his presence, as what would justify me
before him; since I am sensible the highest perfection of a
creature is imperfection when compared with him: or the sense may
be, should I say I were "perfect, I should not know my own soul";
I should plainly appear to be ignorant of myself, as all
perfectionists are; they do not know their own souls, the plague
of their hearts, the evil of their thoughts, the vanity of their
minds; they do not take notice of these things, or do not look
upon them as sinful; they know not the nature of sin, and the
exceeding sinfulness of it:
I would despise my life;
even if ever so innocent, perfect, and just; his meaning is, that
he would not insist upon the continuance of it on that account;
he had no such value for it, such a love of life as to contend
with God upon the foot of justice about it; nor did he think it
worth asking for, so mean an opinion had he entertained of it,
see ( Job 7:16 )
.