Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 41
CHAP. XLI.
Verſ. 1. CAnst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou letteſt down?] That is, Canſt thou by angling take him, and ſo draw him out of the ſea with a line and a hook? becauſe the fiſh is wont to ſwallow down the anglers hook and line together, which the angler perceiving jerks up the line, and ſo the hook is ſtruck into the fiſh, ſometimes into the root or palate of his tongue; hence is the ſecond clauſe in this verſe, or his tongue with a cord which thou letteſt down? The drift of that which is ſaid here concerning the Leviathan, is the ſame as before in that which was ſaid concerning Behemoth, concerning which ſee the Note chap. 40.15. The great queſtion is what this Leviathan is, whether the Crocodile, as ſome ſay, or the ſea-dragon, as others, or the Whale, which is noted Gen. 1.21. as the greateſt of all living Creatures. The moſt Expoſitours underſtand it of the whale or whirl-pool; not thoſe whales which are uſuall in the Baltick or Mediterranean ſea, (with which the deſcription here given us of the Leviathan doth not agree in every particular;) but thoſe monſters which have been ſometimes ſeen in the great Ocean. And indeed that it muſt be meant of ſome ſea-monſter is evident; for as before he ſpake of the greateſt of the Creatures that live on the earth, ſo now he ſpeaks of the greateſt that live in the ſea: and whereever the Scripture mentions the Leviathan, it ſpeaks of him, as of a ſea-monſter; as Pſal. 104.26. There goe the ships, there is that Leviathan, whom thou haſt made to play therein; and where the king of Egypt is compared to this Leviathan, as Pſal.74.13, 14. Ezek. 29.3, 4. and in other places.
Verſ. 2. Canſt thou put an hook into his noſe? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?] Some hold that here the ſame queſtion, with that in the foregoing verſe is again propounded in other tearms, namely, whether he could in angling ſtrike his noſe or his jaw through with a fiſh-hook; for that, they ſay, is called a thorn in the ſecond clauſe, either becauſe they uſed thorns ſometimes in ſtead of fiſh-hooks, or becauſe their fiſh-hooks were ſharp as a thorn. Others will have the queſtion here propounded to be, whether he could with an awle or thorn bore through his noſe or jaws, and ſo ring him, as men ring hogs or bears, or lead him up and down by the noſe, as bears will be led, or at leaſt bring him into ſubjection. But I make no queſtion but that, as in the foregoing verſe he ſpake ironically of his angling for the Leviathan, as if he were ſome little fiſh, ſo here he ſpeaks of carrying him home when he had caught him, Canſt thou put an hook into his noſe? &c. that is, when thou haſt taken him, canſt thou hang him upon a fiſhers hook, a ruſh or thorn-twig, ſtruck through his noſe, or jaws, or gils, and ſo carry him home?
Verſ. 3. Will he make many ſupplications unto thee? &c.] That is, Will he with humble and flattering words entreat thee to give over purſuing him, or to ſpare his life? either there is an alluſion to men overmaſter'd by their mighty oppreſſours, who are thereupon forced to fawn upon them and beg their favour; or to men overcome in battel, who are then wont with all the art and humility they can, to beg for their lives; or elſe to ſpanniels, that will lye down before a man, and fawn upon him, as if they would beg for favour.
Verſ. 4. Wilt thou make a covenant with him? &c.] To wit, as men are wont to covenant with thoſe they have taken in war, that they ſhall pay them ſuch a ranſome or tribute, or that they ſhall be their vaſſals and ſervants; or as men are wont to covenant with thoſe they hire to be their ſervants: for to either of theſe the following words may alſo have reference, wilt thou take him for a ſervant for ever? The drift of both is to imply, that there was no taming or ſubduing the Leviathan, or that he could never be brought to ſerve men for hay and corn, as other creatures did.
Verſ. 5. Wilt thou play with him, as with a bird? wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?] That is, wilt thou tye him in a ſtring for thy little girls to make ſport with, or for thy maidens, that they may have them for thy children to play with? The drift of the words is to imply, how impoſſible it was to uſe the whale thus in regard of his vaſtneſſe and terrour.
Verſ. 6. Shall the companions make a banquet of him? &c.] Wilt thou (as fiſhermen are wont to doe, when they have taken ſome extraordinary fiſh) make a feaſt with him, by way of rejoycing or vaunting at the greatneſſe of thy draught? and ſo eat him, thou & thy companions together? that is, thy friends, whom thou inviteſt, or thy fellow-fiſhermen, joyned in company with thee? for fiſhermen are wont to joyn in partnerſhip together, eſpecially for the taking of greater fiſhes. And ſo likewiſe the following clauſe, shall they part him among the merchants? may alſo be underſtood of their diſtributing him at their eating him amongſt the merchants, whom out of reſpect they invite to ſo rare a feaſt; or elſe, of their ſelling him in parcels to thoſe that uſe to buy their fiſhes of them; or of the ſeverall commodities, which ſuch a fiſh would yield for the merchants, as whalebone, oyl, &c. But however the ſcope of all this is to imply, that the Leviathan was not by the ſtrength of man to be taken.
Verſ. 7. Canſt thou fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish-ſpears?] Becauſe theſe words ſeem plainly to allude to the ordinary manner of taking whales in theſe dayes, we may well hence conclude, that the Leviathan here ſpoken of is ſome more ſtupendious ſea-monſter, or at leaſt ſome other kind of whale that is in the great Ocean, of farre greater bulk and ſtrength and terrour then ours are, and therefore (as theſe words import) not to be taken with barbed irons and fiſh-ſpears, as ours may be.
Verſ. 8. Lay thine hand upon him, &c.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, ſince there is no poſſibility to ſubdue him by force, lay your hand gently upon him, and ſtroke him, and ſee if by that means thou canſt take him or tame him: remember the battel, doe no more; that is, remember how dreadfull it would be to contend with him, and therefore ſee only what you can doe by handling him gently. Again others take it thus, Lay thine hand upon him, &c. that is, offer him any violence, and he will ſoon ſo uſe thee, that remembring the battel, you will have no mind to meddle farther with him. But I rather underſtand the words thus, Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battel, doe no more, Doe no more but put forth your hand to touch him a little, and think what would become of you, if he ſhould ſeize upon you, & the very thought of the danger would in a manner ſtrike you dead, at leaſt you would ſoon be afraid to meddle any farther with him.
Verſ. 9. Behold, the hope of him is in vain.] That is, the hope of taking him.
Verſ. 11. Who hath prevented me that I should repay him? whatſoever is under the whole heaven is mine.] Having ſaid in the foregoing verſe, that if no man were able to grapple with the Leviathan, much leſſe would they be able to contend with God, (which is indeed the generall drift of all that is here ſpoken concerning this ſea-monſter,) None is ſo fierce that dare ſtir him up; who then is able to ſtand before me? hereupon he adds this, Who hath prevented me? &c. The drift whereof is, either firſt, to prove that it muſt needs be more impoſſible to contend with God, then with any creature, becauſe all the creatures are the work of his hands, and the ſtrength that is in any of the creatures muſt needs be but a very little portion of that infinite power that is in God, even as a drop of water. This we ſee is expreſſed in the laſt clauſe of this verſe, whatſoever is under the whole heaven is mine; and the firſt clauſe prefixed before this is to ſhew how unqueſtionable clear this is, and what a groſſe folly it were to aſcribe the work of creation to any but him, Who hath prevented me that I should repay him? It is ſpoken either firſt, as in a way of diſdain, as if he had ſaid, Who hath made any of the creatures for me, or been helpfull to me in the making of them, that I may acknowledge his kindneſſe, and requite him for it, as I am abundantly able to doe, having all under heaven at my diſpoſing? or elſe rather ſecondly, to prove that there was no contending with God, becauſe he was almighty, and that all the creatures, and ſo all men whatſoever, were under his abſolute power, that he might doe with them whatever he pleaſed; Who hath prevented me that I should repay him? &c. as if he ſhould have ſaid, There is no man ſo before-hand with me, by doing any thing for me, that I ſhould thereby be engaged to him, and become ſo obnoxious to him, that I muſt doe nothing, but what he will have me doe, or that I muſt be charged with injuſtice in that I doe; and that becauſe all the creatures are mine, the work of mine own hands, and therefore I cannot be bound unto any man, nor can any man juſtly complain of me, ſince I may ſurely doe what I will with mine own. The Apoſtle Paul ſeems to allude to this place, Rom. 11.35.
Verſ. 12. I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.] Some referre this to the man ſpoken of in the foregoing verſe, who hath prevented me that I should repay him? &c. as if the Lord had ſaid ironically, If there be ſuch a man, that hath thus prevented me, and ſo is able to contend with me, I would not conceal his praiſe, &c. But methinks it is clear, that the Lord doth here return to ſpeak of the Leviathan again.
Verſ. 13. Who can diſcover the face of his garment? &c.] By diſcovering the face of his garment may be meant, firſt, the plucking off his skin; as if it had been ſaid, who dares take him into his hands, and flea him, as men are wont to flea an eele? or ſecondly, the taking away the ſea from him, or at leaſt the leading him out of the ſea, which covers him as a garment; and it doth very emphatically ſet forth the hugeneſſe of this Creature, that the whole Ocean is ſaid to be as a garment to cover him. In this expreſſion there ſeems to be an alluſion to the handling of a horſe, as if it had been expreſſed thus, Canſt thou goe to him, as to a horſe in a ſtable, take off his cloth, bridle him, and then lead him out of the ſea, as out of a ſtable, that there he might be viewed or ridden? And to this agree the following words, Or who can come to him with his double bridle? to wit, to bridle him, and lead him out of the ſea. Some read this laſt clauſe thus, Or who can come to him within his double bridle? that is, within his lips or jaws, which being drawn open, by reaſon they are ſo exceeding great, have huge folds and wrinkles in them, which ſeem like a double bridle; and then the meaning muſt be, that when he gapes, no man will dare to come within his mouth, to wit, to view the inward parts of his mouth, to take away the prey he hath gotten from thence, or to ſee if there he can wound him.
Verſ. 14. Who can open the doores of his face? &c.] This alſo is meant of his upper and nether lips or jaws, which for their greatneſſe are like the double doors of ſome city gate, and ſo terrible therefore, that being ſhut, no man dares lay his hand upon them to force them open: which is farther ſet forth by the terrour of his teeth, his teeth are terrible round about. And becauſe it is commonly ſaid, that the whales in our ſeas have no teeth, nor no ſcales, of which mention is made, verſ. 15, 16, 17, it may hence be concluded, that the Leviathan here ſpoken of is ſome other ſea-monſter, at leaſt ſome other kind of whale, then thoſe that are uſually taken in our Northern ſeas.
Verſ. 18. By his neeſings a light doth shine, &c.] That is, when with his noſtrils he ſnores, and with great violence ſpouts out water aloft in the air, this water, by reaſon of its whiteneſſe and frothineſſe and thinneſſe, being ſpread into ſeverall drops, appears afarre off, eſpecially in the night, like ſo many flaſhes of lightening, or like the light of ſome ſparkling fire, or the breaking out of the Sun-light in the morning. To which alſo agrees the following clauſe, and his eyes are like the eye-lids of the morning, that is, they are red and fiery, and yield a bright ſhining light, like that of the morning. It is evident by the glittering and ſhining of cats eyes, when we ſee them in the dark, what a ſparkling light there may be in the eyes of ſome creatures; and becauſe the Leviathans eyes are alſo of a huge compaſſe, therefore they are ſaid to appear like the breaking forth of the Sun-beams at the firſt dawning of the morning.
Verſ. 19. Out of his mouth goe burning lamps, and ſparks of fire leap out.] This may be meant, firſt, as the words in the foregoing verſe, of the glittering of the water he ſpouts out of his mouth, appearing afarre off like ſparkling fire; or ſecondly, of his breath, which being like thick and hot ſmoke, appears to the beholders, as if there were ſome great fire from whence it proceeded, as is expreſſed in the following verſe, Out of his noſtrils goeth ſmoke, as out of a ſeething pot or caldron; or thirdly, of the exceeding heat of his breath, which by reaſon of the fiery conſtitution of his body may be ſulphureous, and ſo appear as fire, or at leaſt exceeding hot, as if there were ſparkles or flames of fire went along in it, or as if it were hot enough to ſet any thing on fire, (for all theſe are hyperbolicall expreſſions) according to that which followeth verſ. 21. his breath kindleth coals. And indeed that inward heat, which muſt concoct meat for ſuch a mountainous body, had need to be like that of thoſe huge fires in kitchins, where meat is dreſſed for great families.
Verſ. 22. In his neck remaineth ſtrength, &c.] That is, In that part of his body which is next his head, which is the neck in other creatures, he is exceeding ſtrong, and able to bear down all before him: and ſorrow is turned into joy before him; that is, that which is very terrible in it ſelf▪ and would exceedingly fright others, and cauſe ſorrow and mourning in others, as when he meets with other huge ſea-monſters, or ſhips armed for fight, or any other enemy, it is a joy to him, as hoping then to get ſome good prey, or delighting in his pride to try his ſtrength upon them.
Verſ. 24. His heart is as firm as a ſtone, yea as hard as a piece of the nether milſtone.] That is, He is as fearleſſe and mercyleſſe, as if his heart were of ſtone, yea the hardeſt of ſtones: for the nether milſtone is named, not ſo much becauſe that ſtill ſtands firm and is never moved, as becauſe the milſtone is made of a very hard ſtone, and the nether milſtone, becauſe it muſt bear the other, is uſually the harder of the two. Some underſtand it as an hyperbolicall expreſſion of the hardneſſe of the fleſh of his heart, to wit, that it is firm and hard, more like a ſtone then fleſh. But the former Expoſition I like much better.
Verſ. 25. When he raiſeth up himſelf, the mighty are afraid, &c.] That is, When he lifteth up himſelf, and ſo is ſeen above the waters, as a mountain in the ſea, the ſtouteſt that are, whether you underſtand it of fiſhes, beaſts or men, will be afraid: and it may more eſpecially be meant of marriners and ſouldiers in ſhips, men that are of all the moſt bold and fearleſſe; and to men I am ſure the following clauſe muſt be reſtrained, by reaſon of breakings they purify themſelves, that is, by reaſon of the Leviathans violent breaking of the ſea, as he turns this way or that, which makes it perilouſly rough and boiſterous; or by reaſon of the mighty waves daſhing and breaking one upon another, or upon any thing that is in their way, occaſioned by the rouling of his vaſt body in the ſea; or by reaſon of his uſuall breaking and daſhing of ſhips in pieces, they apprehend themſelves in preſent danger of death, and ſo thereupon doe what they can to expiate their ſins, that, if it may be, they may be delivered from that danger, as by confeſſing their ſins, by praying to God for mercy and favour, by offering ſacrifices, or at leaſt binding their ſouls in a vow for ſacrifices or other things. Some underſtand it of their vomiting, by reaſon of the ſeas tumbling their ſhip, as if it had been tranſlated, they purge themſelves, or of a worſe purging through fear; but our tranſlation, they purify themſelves, will hardly bear ſuch an Expoſition.
Verſ. 26. The ſword of him that layeth at him cannot hold, the ſpear, the dart, nor the habergeon.] Or, the breaſt-plate. This laſt is mentioned amongſt the reſt, to imply, that as no weapon can hurt him, ſo no arms can defend the man that ſhall dare to contend with him; that his teeth will pierce through an iron breaſt-plate, as eaſily as through a mans skin; or that, be a man never ſo well armed, he will ſoon for all that devour and ſwallow him up.
Verſ. 30. Sharp ſtones are under him, &c.] That is, Uſually he lyes upon the ſharpeſt-pointed ſtones and rocks, and yet they never hurt him. As for the next clauſe, he ſpreadeth sharp-pointed things upon the mire, though ſome take them to be a high hyperbole, to wit, that by his weight he grinds the ſtones into duſt, and ſo ſpreadeth it upon the mire; yet I rather conceive that by ſpreading ſharp-pointed things upon the mire is only meant, that by his weight he often breaks the craggy and ſharp ends and pieces of the rocks he lyes upon, which by that means are ſcattered here and there upon the mire in the bottome of the ſea: or elſe the ſcattering of ſtones ſlung at him, and the pieces of ſwords and ſpears and darts, which being broken upon his ſcales do fall and ſink down to the bottome of the ſea.
Verſ. 31. He maketh the deep to boyl like a pot, &c.] The meaning is, that partly by the moving of his huge body, and partly by his blowing out the waters from his mouth, he cauſeth the ſea to ſwell, and tumble and bubble and foam, as a pot of ſeething water will do, when it boyls on the fire. And in the following clauſe he compares it particularly to the boyling of a pot of oyntment, he maketh the ſea like a pot of oyntment; either becauſe that uſeth to be done with a violent fire, and by reaſon of its thickneſſe doth riſe and ſwell the more; or elſe rather to expreſſe how muddy the ſea is made thereby, and what a froth and ſcum there will be on the top of the waters,
Verſ. 32. He maketh a path to shine after him: one would think the deep to be hoary.] That is, As he ſwims along he leaves a kind of furrow behind him, which appears as the path where he went, where the water is ſhining and frothy, as if there were a hoary froſt upon the waters.
Verſ. 33. VponUpon the earth there is not his like, &c.] No, not the Behemoth before ſpoken of.
Verſ. 34. He beholdeth all high things, &c.] Some underſtand this of the height of his body, to wit, that when he raiſeth up himſelf, he can behold the very tops of the maſts of ſhips, and the higheſt hils and mountains on the lands. But there are two other Expoſitions of the words, that ſeem far more probable: firſt, that that they were intended to ſet forth his fearleſneſſe, to wit, that he is not afraid to behold the mightieſt and moſt terrible of all Gods creatures, but rather beholds them with fierceneſſe and fury, according to that expreſſion chap. 40.11. behold every one that is proud, and abaſe him: and ſecondly, that they imply with what ſcorn and contempt he looks upon the mightieſt of the creatures, either by ſea or land; he beholdeth all high things, that is, he deſpiſeth them, he looks downward upon them, ſlighting them as far inferiour to him, according to that Cant. 1.6. Look not upon me, that is, deſpiſe me not, becauſe I am black; he is a king over all the children of pride, that is, the greateſt, the mightieſt, the proudeſt of all the creatures by ſea or land, that pride themſelves in their great ſtrength.