Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Chapter 38
CHAP. XXXVIII.
1. ELihu being fallen upon the1. Then the Lord answered Iob out of the whirlewind, and said: right subject, but wanting Majesty to set it forth, so as to take impression upon Job: Hereupon God taketh the word out of his mouth, and himselfe takes Job to taske; for the appaling of whose high spirit, and the better making way for his following discourse to take place, hee makes his first onset in a whirlewind, and thus bespeaks him with a terrifying voice:
2. Who is this whom I have overheard2. Who is this that darkeneth counsell by words without knowledge. to miscarry himselfe in this manner? Is it Job? I had not thought it; that hee had beene so unwise, or durst have beene so bold as to cast aspersions upon my wise and secret proceedings, with his weake reasonings, which faith onelyonly can make him understand.
3. Thou that bravest it so erewhile,3. Gird up now thy loines like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. and gavest me choise of weapon, now come on, let's see thy manhood, betake thy selfe to thy ward; for I meane to answer thy challenge, and to enter the list, against thee; onelyonly I will take the liberty thou hast given mee, I will oppose, and thou shalt answer, and judge when wee have done, if man be fit to cope with God, or to scan his actions.
4. Where Elihu left, there I'll begin:4. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Where wast thou, when I at first by my power and wisedome alone, without the help of thee, or any, made the great vast body of the earth to hang upon it's centre? If thou canst answer this, doe; say man, hadst thou any hand in it, or being at it?
5. Tell mee, Who hath measured5. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? it out in that circumference and diameter which it holds? Didst thou? or, knowest thou any besides my selfe that did it; or, who else hath disposed it in that forme, and stretched it forth to those severall quantities and proportions of sea and land which it beares?
6. Or tell me if thou canst, the way6. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof? and manner how it is done: Thou knowest how a house is built of fit materialls, by laying the foundations thereof with choice stones, choicely placed in the earth, and artificially agglutinated one to another. Now, let us see if thy skill serve thee in like manner to tell how this great piece of Architecture is framed, wherein, or whereon are the foundations of it laid, which hangs like a ball in the aire, or what skilfull work-man was there to begin this worke, or what materialls was there to erect it, which at first was framed by the meere will and wisdom of God out of nothing?
7. Before man had any being, not7. When the morning starres sang together, and all the sonnes of God shouted for joy. being yet created, when as at the beginning, Those glorious and excelling creatures, the first and best of all the workes of mine hands, did so unanimously rejoyce; and that all those sonnes and heires of heaven, the holy Angells, were so exceedingly ravished to see me about to put forth my power, and manifest my wisedome in such a manner, and in such workes for my glories sake.
8. Or tell me, What man, or whose8. Or who shut up the sea with doores, when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb? power and skill was it, that brought the sea within compasse, and placed it within it's bounds, when as it (not having the restraint which now it has) so universally at the first creation of it, with an unlimited violence, overspread and whelmed the whole earth with such a totall inundation and circumvolution; which is the naturall and proper course and motion of it; and from which it was then as impossible to be restrained or circumscribed by any humane power, as it is for a woman against nature to withstand her throwes, and conteine the fruit of her womb, when the time of her delivery is at hand.
9. I meane, at the very first of all,9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thicke darknesse a swadling band for it. when it received it's being; and I had set it no other bounds as yet, but only darknesse, which (before light was made) like a cloud was upon, and covered all the face of the deepe, and when onelyonly thicke darknesse (there being then no manner of light) surrounded it, as it surrounded the earth.
10. And then, when I, from whom10. And brake up for it my decreed place, and set barres and doores. it had it's being, did also give it the restriction which now it has, gathering it together by a perpetuall and powerfull decree into that place and pit which now containes the Ocean, placing the sand and bancks for bounds and limits.
11. And laid my commands upon11. And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be staied. it to abide there, and not to passe it's station, which restraint, though it seem impatiently to bear by it's flowing, yet it cannot prevaile or exceed it's boundary, but ebbeth backe againe, nor can it with all it's swelling and mountainous waves, though they tosse themselves and roare, goe onefoot further then I have set it, but they vanish so soone as ever they come to their appointed period.
12. If thou answerest me that these12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy daies? and caused the day-spring to know his place? things were all before thy time; then I aske thee, Hast thou either lengthned, or hastned the rising of the Sun at any time since thou wast borne? and hast thou ever caused the morning light in any one of those daies thou hast seene, to spread it selfe to it's uttermost bounds which I have appointed it?
13. That so it may shine forth farre13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it. and neere, to give light to the inhabitants of the earth, that by that meanes those evil-doers and night-birds (who hate the day light) might be affrighted and driven from the face thereof by it's rising, into their dens of darknesse.
14. By whose light and rise, the earth14. It is turned as clay to the seal, and they stand as a garment. receives it's proper shape and impression in the sight of all men which it lost in the darke, and all the severall fruits, flowers, and various workemanship of God in her produced creatures that grow thereupon appeare as the beautifull clothing therof.
15. But the guilty consciences of15. And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arme shall be broken. the wicked shall drive them into darke corners, like banished men; so that they shall not enjoy the comfortable use and sight of those things which the light affordeth; for this shall be the reward of them that rebelliously work wickednesse against God, their lives shall be miserable, and they shall be deprived of the good that others doe enjoy.
16. Hast thou ever seene, or beene16. Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? at the bottome of the sea; or hast thou with all thy skill and labour found out how deepe it is?
17. Hast thou ever descended into,17. Have the gates of death beene opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doore of the shadow of death? or seene the deepe Abysse of the earth, where it is darke and uncomfortable as hell, and where the dead onelyonly inhabite?
18. Hast thou ever placed the18. Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all? breadth of the earth, tell mee now thou that promisedst to reply, if thou canst give an exact account thereof?
19. Hast thou travelled to the places19. Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkenesse, where is the place thereof? of the sunnes rising and setting, so as to know the place of residence for the light, and to tell where darknesse dwells.
20. That when thou seest them20. That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? spread so wide in the aire, and wander so farre from home, thou maist carry them backe, and direct them into their way.
21. Knowest thou the places of21. Knowest thou it, because thou wast then borne? or because the number of thy daies be great? light and darknesse, either by vertue of thy then being, when they were first created by me, or hast thou gained this knowledge by long experience and much study?
22. Wast thou ever in my storehouses22. Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seene the treasures of the haile? of snow and haile, to see them where they are?
23. Which I create and keepe up23. Which I have reserved agaiust the time of trouble. above in my treasuries, till the time come that I thinke good to send them downe to execute my will in the punishment of men, and for to stand my friends in stead against their enemies and mine in the day of battell.
24. Knowest thou how it comes to24. By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the East-wind upon the earth? passe that the lightning should so forcibly break out of the cloud in a thunder storme, as even to break and interrupt the course of the strongest wind, and suddenly turne and scatter it all abroad into the severall corners of the world.
25. Who is it, thou or I, that divides25. Who hath divided a water-course for the overflowing of waters? or a way for the lightning of thunder? and sends the waterclouds (those great bottells of heaven) hither & thither, to poure out their raine, and to cause inundations in this or that place, or that directs the lightning which breakes forth of the thunder-cloud with such swift violence, to goe that way it takes, and doe the thing it effects?
26. Causing it by such meanes to26. To cause it to raine on the earth, where no man is, on the wildernesse, wherein there is no man? raine, not onelyonly in places inhabited, for the use of men, but even on the remotest parts of the world, where no man ever came, and in the vast wildernesse, where no man inhabits; (surely then it is not thee.)
27. Therby to satisfie the desolate and27. To satisfie the desolate and wast ground, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth. wast places which no man makes use of, and to cause the grasse and herb to grow even there, as I at first decreed it for the use of the wildbeasts also that inhabite there in stead of men.
28. These things are beyond thy28. Hahe the raine a father? or who hath begotten the drops of the dew? sphere, they are not ordinarily propagated according to thy understanding; for what father hath the raine, or who begets the drops of dew?
29. Or what woman can the ice29. Out of whose womb came the ice, and the hoary frost of heaven? who hath gendred it? call mother; and the hoary frost that comes downe from heaven upon the earth, by what man and woman is it begotten and conceaved?
30. The waters (thou seest) are covered30. The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deepe is frozen. with ice as if they were paved over with stone, and the deepest rivers become passable, being frozen over.
31. Canst thou alter the seasons of31. Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades? or loose the bands of Orion? the yeere, by appointing either the Spring-time to come later, by hindering the comming of the seven starres, which are proper to that season, and the distilling of their sweet influences: or canst thou dissolve the Winter frosts, accompanying the constellations of that season, and so expedite and shorten that cold and comfortlesse quarter.
32. Canst thou command those remote32. Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sonnes? and hidden starres of the South to shew themselves in their sommerseason, or direct the Northerne constellations to know their course, and to appeare in Autume?
33. Knowest thou the regiment33. Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? which is held and exercised up above in the heavenly orbes, what order and lawes God hath constituted for the motions and influences thereof; canst thou who livest here below order and dispose them to execute their severall uses and operations on earth whereto I have appointed them?
34. Canst thou command the34. Canst thou lift up thy voyce to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? clouds to doe thee service, and to send downe raine enough to serve thy turne when thou hast need?
35. Canst thou send the swift flying35. Canst thou send lightnings that they may goe, and say unto thee, Here we are? lightnings, and cause them goe from one end of the heavens to another in an instant, upon thy errand? canst thou bring them to offer themselves to be at thy command, as they are at mine?
36. Who is it that hath made man36. Who hath put wisedome in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? a reasonable creature, and given him understanding? hast thou made thy selfe so?
37. Who with all his wisdome can37. Who can number the clouds in wisdome? or who can stay the bottels of heaven? give a perfect accompt of those numberlesse clouds in the heavens, but I? Who both made them, and disposeth of them all, as many as they are, to their end and uses; or who but I can restraine the raine, which is heavie of it selfe, and intends downward, from falling out of the clouds?
38. When the ground hath had it's38. When the dust groweth into hardnesse, and the clods cleave fast together. fill; so that the light dust is turned into lumps of earth, and that which was tost with every wind, is clodded and agglutinated by water into an heavie substance.
39. Or, if thou canst not skill of39. Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lyons? or fill the appetite of the young lyons? these things, because they are above thee; then wilt thou undertake to provide food upon earth, where thou hast thine abode, for the beasts & birds that live thereupon; yea, for the most ravenous of them (which I doe) as the Lyon and his hungry whelps.
40. Hast thou given them the Art40. When they couch in their dennes, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? they use in catching their prey, with couchant and covert cunning to steale upon, and suddenly surprize it?
41. Or, is it by thy or my providence,41. Who provideth for the Raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lacke of meat. that the Ravens are provided for, and that the yong ones being early forsaken of the old, and wanting skill to shift for themselves, wandring here and there, yet have their cries heard, which nature hath taught them, to put up to God in their necessity, and answered with supply of food?