Paraphrase on the Book of Job, Chapter 40
CHAP. XL.
1. HAving said all this, now God1 Moreover the Lord answered Iob, and said. sets it home upon Job with this sharpe reprehension.
2. Hearest thou this, and by it perceivest2 Shall he that contendeth with the Al mighty, instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. thou not thy ignorance and weaknesse together with my power and wisdome, and thinkest thou now that it is fit for any man whatsoever to contend with one so almighty, and to instruct one so wise; hee that dares to question and quarrell God in any his wayes, and workes, as thou hast not stuck to doe, let him make answer to this that I have opposed, that so there may appeare to be some equality, and this doe thou, if thou canst?
3. Jobs spirit being appaled by3. Then Iob answered the Lord, and said. Gods immediate parlee, & unexpected apparition in the whirlewind, and his understanding being non-plust with such high questions, and withall seeing the Lord provoked, humbly addresseth himselfe to make answerto him in this manner.
4. I now confesse to thee, and all the4. Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. world, my sinne and folly in misbehaving my selfe in such a manner towards such a God, by questioning and not submitting to thee, but in stead of going on to doe so, I revoke my chal… and humble my sel…e at thy feet, acknowledging my selfe (compared with thee) every way vile and base, and utterly unable to answer any of thy demands, therefore I beg leave of thee that I may be silent, granting all thou hast said of thy greatnesse, and my weaknesse to be true, and bewailing my over-daring rashnesse.
5. Once indeed I was so foolish, as5. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer: yea, twice, but I will proceed no further. to desire a dispute betweene us, but I repent it, and now my turne comes to reply, I will make no answer, but confesse mine errour, yea, though then in passion I was eager upon it, yet now the case is altered with mee, I have enough of it, and my mouth is stopped for ever doing the like againe.
6. But God tooke the matter so ill6. Then answered the Lord unto Iob out of the whirlewind, and said. at Jobs hands, that he should so forget himselfe, and by his carriage in some respect, though not altogether, as it were, disprove him, and make good Satans words; that hee would not accept of this submission, but againe quite to breake the necke of his pride, angerly breakes in upon Job thus:
7. What dost thou flinch? Sure7. Gird up thy loynes now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. thou scornest it; Thou wilt certainly make good thy challenge; come therefore, stand to it, and play the man as thou saidst thou wouldest doe, I'll doe as I did; I'll oppose, and thou shalt answer.
8. Wilt thou also question and susspect8. Wilt thou also disanull my judgement? wilt thou condemne me, that thou maiest be righteous? my justice, as wicked men, and such as know not God are wont to do? I had not thought it by thee, or that thou wouldest have carried the matter so high through pride of spirit, as to go about to condemne mee of overmuch rigour, and justifie thy selfe.
9. Knowest thou me no better? art9. Hast thou an arme like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? thou any way my equall, or fit to contend with mee; is thy strength like mine; or canst thou equall the noise and terrour of my thunder with any speech and power of thine?
10. Canst thou make thy selfe a10. Decke thy selfe now with majestly and excellency, and aray thy selfe with glory and beauty. God as I am? if thou canst, doe; and adorne thy selfe with such majesty and excellency, glory and beauty as mine is.
11. Canst thou execute judgement11. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. in wrath all the world over, and canst thou perceive the proud behaviour and carriage of men every where, and abase them as I doe?
12. Behold with me every proudhearted12. Looke on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread downe the wicked in their place. man, and bring him downe, doe thou extend thy power like mee to roote out the wicked in every place wheresoever throughout the world they exalt themselves, and practise wickednesse.
13. Slay them in thy wrath, and bury13. Hide them in the dust together, and binde their faces in secret. them in the grave of forgetfulnesse, even all and every one, how many, or of what condition soever they be, extinguish thou their pride by death, and make their memories perish.
14. When thou canst doe these14. Then will I also confesse unto thee, that thine owne right hand can save thee. things, then will I confesse and say with thee, that thou art fit and able to encounter with me.
15. But yet for thy further convincing,15. Behold now, Behemoth which I made with thee, hee eateth grasse as an Oxe! I will instance to thee two of my most remarkeable creatures which I have framed, the one by land, the other by sea, which I would have thee take speciall notice of. And first, for the land, Consider the Elephant which is thy fellow creature, both of you made by me, how farre notwithstanding hee goeth beyond thee in hugenesse and strength and yet by my ordination hee is as harmelesse as any other beast, preying upon nothing but grasse, though he were able to devoure all afore him.
16. I have endowed him with wonderfull16. Lo now, his strength is in his loynes, and his force is in the navell of his belly. strength, but how, and where? Why not in any offensive part; his head hath no hornes, nor his feet no clawes to doe mischiefe with, but to the end he might bee more serviceable to man in bearing of burdens and drawing loads, I have placed it elsewhere, and chiefly in his lower parts, as his loines, and about his belly.
17. In so much that in the heate of his17. He moveth his taile like a Cedar: the sinewes of his stones are wrapt together. lust hee erects his generative part like a strong cedar Tree, being corroborated from natures cundit-pipes, the sinewes of his stones, which are wrapt together like as you see the roots of a great grown Tree, in the earth.
18. The bones in his body are as18. His bones are as strong pieces of brasse, his bones are like barres of iron. strong as if they were made of brasse, and like so many barres of iron.
19. Hee is if well considered the remarkeablest19. He is the chiefe of the wayes of God, he that made him, can make his sword to approach unto him. peece of creation that the earth affoordeth to set forth Gods power, and might, and yet as strong as he is, I that made him and gave him his strength, can breake his brasse and iron bones to peeces at my pleasure, though man be too weake for him.
20. And surely for all he so farre goes20. Surely the mountaines bring him forth food▪ where all the beasts of the field play. beyond all other beasts that none can stand against him or are equall to him for strength, yet hee is nourished with the same food that they are, with grasse, &c. And goes quietly with them, and feeds peaceably among them, without either hurting, or so much as frighting them, by mine appoyntment.
21. Through his naturall heate and21. He lieth under the shady trees, in the couert of the reed, and fennes. being bred in hot countries, his abode is in shady places, and for that cause lies much under Trees, and where there are high growne reeds, and fennes, thither he resorts.
22. He hants out the coolest places, as22. The shady Trees cover him with their shadow: the willowes of the brooke compasse him about. under great Trees and by brook-sides where willowes grow thick and affoord most shade, there is hee most conversant.
23. Consider what a huge proportion23. Behold, he drinketh up a River, and hasteth not, he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. he drinks to quench his thirst, as if he would quite exhaust and drinke the whole river dry, and whilst hee is drinking hee feares no danger as other cattel doe, that through the frightfulnes of their disposition break their drought to stare about them: In the vast imagination of his fancy he conceits he can devoure, and drinke up whole Jordan at once, when he goes thither to quench his thirst.
24. If he seeth a snare set for him, it inrageth24. He taketh it with his eyes: (or as in the margin, will any take him in his sight) his nose pierceth through snares. him being privy to his exceeding strength, in so much that with his trunck he makes his way through them with ease, and disdaine.