Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
Verſ. 2. HOw haſt thou helped him that is without power? &c.] Iob here anſwers Bildad, and that ſomewhat tartly, becauſe he had ſpoken ſo impertinently, preſſing ſtill thoſe truths concerning the infinite Majeſty, power, and juſtice of God, which he did never deny, and that not for the comfort of Job, but rather to drive him to deſpair. The words muſt be underſtood as ſpoken ironically; and that either as ſpoken by way of upbraiding Bildad, for undertaking to plead Gods cauſe for him, (according to that he had ſaid before, chap. 13.7, 8.) and doing it withall ſo ſillily, How haſt thou helped him that is without power? &c. as if he had ſaid, If God be of ſuch infinite Majeſty and power as you have ſpoken, why do you think ſo highly of your ſelf, as to undertake to plead for him? ſure you think that God hath no power to help himſelf, and is not able to plead his own cauſe, and therefore you ſtep in to his aid: and how effectually have you done it! if you mark it, you have done it to great purpoſe, God is much the better for this help that you have afforded him: Or elſe as in relation to Job himſelf, How haſt thou helped him that is without power? &c. as if he had ſaid, You have come a long journey purpoſely, as you pretended, to comfort a poor, fainting, helpleſſe man; and have you not done it, think you, to the purpoſe? you make account you have done great wonders; but, alas, what am I the better for all that you have ſpoken? The truth is, it had been better for me if you had never come near me. And indeed this I take to be the true meaning of the words. As for that phraſe in the laſt clauſe, of ſaving the arm that hath no ſtrength, ſee the Note, chap. 4.3.
Verſ. 3. How haſt thou counſelled him that hath no wiſedome? &c.] This alſo is ſpoken ironically. And becauſe they that ſpeak that in defence of God and his works, which God never intended, do thereby as it were counſell and adviſe God what he ſhould ſay or doe, therefore many Expoſitours do alſo underſtand theſe words, as if Iob did herein upbraid Bildad for undertaking to teach God, How haſt thou counſelled him that hath no wiſedome? as if he ſhould have ſaid, You think that God is not wiſe enough to order his affairs in the government of the world without your advice; and oh what admirable wiſe and ſolid counſell have you given him! and accordingly alſo do they underſtand the following clauſe, and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? as if he had ſaid, by way of ſcorn, you have now fully informed God how he ought to ſway the affairs of his kingdome. But I rather think that Iob ſpeaks this alſo as in reference to himſelf, How haſt thou counſelled him that hath no wiſedome? as if he had ſaid, Sure you take me to be a man void of all wiſedome and underſtanding, and ſo in pity to me have given me counſell: But, alas, if I be ſo, ſurely I am not like to be much the wiſer for this counſell that you have given me: and how haſt thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? as if he had ſaid, You have now indeed hit the nail on the head, you have fully and convincingly opened the cauſe between God and me; and how? by ſpeaking that which is nothing to the purpoſe, and by taking a great deal of pains to inform me of that which I knew before as well as your ſelf.
Verſ. 4. To whom haſt thou uttered words? &c.] This alſo was ſpoken either (as ſome think) as in relation to God, To whom haſt thou uttered words? that is, Is it to God you have addreſſed your words in this which you have ſpoken? and if ſo, have you conſidered who he is to whom you have ſpoken? what? will you undertake to teach the omniſcient and all-wiſe God? which is the ſame in effect with that he had ſaid before, chap. 21.22. of which ſee the Note there: Or elſe, as in relation to Iob himſelf, To whom haſt thou uttered words? as if he had ſaid, Do you conſider who I am, and in what condition I am? have you uttered words ſuitable to and fit for a man in ſuch a ſad diſtreſſed condition as I am? or, To whom haſt thou uttered words? is it not to one that knoweth theſe things as well as your ſelf? what do you take me to be? think you that I am ſo ſilly and ignorant, that I know not theſe things that you have uttered? It is the ſame he had ſaid before, chap. 12.3. of which ſee the Note there. As for the following clauſe, and whoſe ſpirit came from thee? it is expounded by Commentatours many ſeverall waies; of which three are moſt probable. Firſt, ſome underſtand it thus, whoſe ſpirit came from thee? that is, Did not God give thee that life and breath whereby thou haſt ſpoken? and wilt thou teach him who gives thee life and breath, and who is the father of the ſpirits of all fleſh? 2. Some make this to be the ſenſe of the words; whoſe ſpirit came from thee? that is, who is it that hath taught you theſe high myſteries? Did you ſpeak them of your ſelf, and had you them from any body elſe? or do you think that the ſpirit of God did dictate them to you? No, doubtleſſe, ſuch impertinencies were never of Gods ſpirit, but of your own. And 3. others give this to be the meaning; whoſe ſpirit came from thee? as if he had ſaid, whoſe ſpirit haſt thou revived by this which thou haſt ſpoken? Surely not mine. Becauſe when mens fainting ſpirits are revived by the conſolations of a friend, they ſeem to receive a new life, as it were, and ſpirit from thoſe that have thus cheared them up; therefore in ſtead of ſaying, whom haſt thou revived or comforted with thy words? he expreſſeth himſelf thus, whoſe ſpirit came from thee?
Verſ. 5. Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.] or, with the inhabitants thereof. Here Iob begins to ſhew, that he could ſay as much or more of the infinite power and the all-ruling Providence of God, as Bildad had ſaid; and to that end at firſt he inſtanceth in this, that Gods Providence extends it ſelf to the very bottom of the ſea, where he forms not only the fiſhes that are to live there, but alſo divers dead things, as all kind of minerals, corall, pearls, amber, together with divers plants and herbs that grow there.
Verſ. 6. Hell is naked before him, and deſtruction hath no covering.] As if he had ſaid, You, Bildad, told me, that God maketh peace in his high places; but I can adde hereto, that Gods providence extends not only to the high places in heaven, but alſo to the low places and depths in hell. By deſtruction here almoſt all Expoſitours underſtand the place of deſtruction, to wit, the place of the damned; and then if by Hell in the firſt clauſe the ſame be meant, then the ſecond clauſe is but only a repetition of what was ſaid in the firſt. But by Hell others underſtand the grave, and conſequently alſo all the hidden lower parts of the earth; and then the meaning is this, that God beholdeth all things, even the grave and hell, and all the loweſt parts of the earth, he ſees all that the grave hath devoured, and beholdeth what becomes of every part of man when the grave hath conſumed him, and what the damned in Hell both doe and ſuffer. And thus he confirms what Bildad had ſaid chap. 25.3. (underſtanding it, as many do, of Gods omniſcience) upon whom doth not his light ariſe? yea probable it is that Iob the rather mentioned this, to imply to his friends that in regard of this omniſcience of God, it would be a joy to him to appear before God, who knew him better then they did: and withall to wipe off that aſperſion Eliphaz had caſt upon him, chap. 22.13. And thou ſayeſt, How doth God know? can be judge through the dark cloud?
Verſ. 7. He ſtretcheth forth the North over the empty place, &c.] The meaning of this is, either that God ſtretcheth out the heavens from one Pole to another over the region of the air, (for the North, that is, the Northern part of heaven, the Hemiſphere of the Arctick or Northern Pole, is here figuratively put for the whole heaven, becauſe that part was neareſt the climate where he dwelt; and the region of the air is called the empty place, becauſe the air is as nothing, and what hath nothing but air in it we count empty, at leaſt it is as nothing in regard of bearing up and ſupporting the heavens;) or elſe, that God ſtretcheth out the heavens even to the Northern pole, where the earth under it is uninhabited, and is therefore called here the empty place, meaning that Gods providence orders all things that are done there, according to that, chap. 38.26. where God is ſaid to cauſe it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderneſſe, wherein there is no man. And then in the next place, the earth is ſaid to hang upon nothing, either in relation to the center of the earth, which is ſaid to be through Gods appointment the cauſe of the ſtability of the earth in its place, in regard all heavy things round about preſſe thither, and yet is but an imaginary thing, indeed nothing; or elſe in relation to the earths hanging in the midſt of the air, having nothing to ſupport it, but Gods almighty power.
Verſ. 8. He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, &c.] That is, By a divine force he keeps them within the clouds, which himſelf hath made to be as it were the bottles of heaven, as they are called chap. 38.37. and the cloud is not rent under them; that is, the waters do not break through with their weight, and fall down all together, but are let out by degrees, as through a ſtrainer or watering-pot, when and how God is pleaſed.
Verſ. 9. He holdeth back the face of his throne, and ſpreadeth his cloud upon it.] The higheſt Heaven is the throne of God, Eſa. 66.1. and is ſo called, becauſe there he manifeſts himſelf, as princes do upon their thrones, in greateſt majeſty and glory: and then the full diſcovery of that infinite light and glory wherein God dwells, is the face of his throne, which in this life is hidden from the beſt of his ſervants. Or elſe the clear and bright outſide of heaven, which appears to the eye of man that looks up thither, is the face of his throne: and then therefore God holdeth back the face of his throne, when, as it is in the next clauſe, he ſpreadeth his cloud upon it, that is, when he withdraws it from the ſight of man by overſpreading it with clouds. See the Note, 2 Sam. 22.12.
Verſ. 10. He hath compaſſed the waters with bounds, untill the day and night come to an end.] That is, as long as this world ſhall laſt: and it is ſaid that God hath compaſſed the waters with bounds, both becauſe he did at firſt diſpoſe of the waters in thoſe hollow places and channels of the earth, wherein they are now held, (of which ſee the Note, Gen. 1.9.) and alſo becauſe by his Providence he doth ſtill keep in the unruly waves, not ſuffering them to break out beyond the bounds whereto God hath confined them.
Verſ. 11. The pillars of heaven tremble, and are aſtonished at his reproof.] That is, When God ſhews himſelf in his indignation, in thundering and tempeſtuous ſtorms or earthquakes, the very heavens ſeem as affrighted, to tremble as if the foundations thereof were ſhaken, yea the whole Univerſe ſeems to be moved, as a houſe built upon pillars totters when the pillars thereof are ſhaken, ſo that one would think that heaven and earth would come together. Some by the pillars of heaven here underſtand the angels; others the ſtrength and powers of heaven; others thoſe high mountains and hills which ſtand up in the air, as pillars ſupporting the heavens, and whereon the heavens to the eye of man ſeem to lean and reſt, and are therefore called the foundations of heaven, 2 Sam. 22.8. of which ſee the Note there: but the firſt Expoſition is moſt generally approved.
Verſ. 12. He divideth the ſea with his power, &c.] Some Expoſitours underſtand this of Gods dividing the Red ſea before the Iſraelites when he carried them out of Egypt; and accordingly alſo they underſtand the following clauſe, and by his underſtanding he ſmiteth through the proud, to wit, that God by his wiſedome drawing their enemies into the Red ſea, as into a net, did there deſtroy that inſolent tyrant Pharaoh, and with him thoſe proud Egyptians that followed him. But I cannot conceive that Job intended any ſuch thing, becauſe firſt, it is generally held that Job lived long before Moſes time; and 2. he ſeems all the way here to ſpeak of the ordinary continuall works of Gods providence, and not of any ſuch unuſuall and extraordinary work: and therefore it is not ſaid that he divided, but he divideth the ſea with his power. Nor is it much more probable that others ſay, that by theſe words, he divideth the ſea with his power, is meant, that God cauſeth the waters of the ſea through the earth to riſe up in ſeverall fountains and ſprings, and ſo divideth it into ſeverall ſeas, and rivers, and brooks. The true meaning of theſe words I conceive is this, that God divideth the ſea, that is, he breaks the waves thereof, and cauſeth them to cleave in ſunder, and ſo to fight and daſh one againſt another, to wit, when in tempeſtuous weather he maketh ſuch gulfs in the ſea, the waves ſtanding up like mountains on each ſide of them, that the very foundations of the earth ſeem to be diſcovered, as is expreſſed 2 Sam. 22.16. of which ſee the Note there: and accordingly we muſt underſtand the following clauſe, of Gods ſtilling the ſea again when it is thus tempeſtuous, and by his underſtanding he ſmiteth through the proud. For though ſome by the proud here underſtand the whale, and that the rather, becauſe the whale is elſewhere called a king over all the children of pride, chap. 41.34. and is many times caſt up in great tempeſts, and left dead upon the land, yet I rather think that by the proud is meant the proud ſea, according to a like expreſſion, chap. 38.11. where God ſaith of the ſea, here shall thy proud waves be ſtayed; and ſo the meaning is, that when the ſea ſwells and rageth, and lifts up his proud waves as it were unto the clouds, God preſently ſubdues and ſtills the proud ſea, and makes it lye down as ſtill as a dead man doth when he falls down, being ſmitten through by the ſword or arrow of his enemy.
Verſ. 13. By his ſpirit he hath garnished the heavens, &c.] Becauſe in the foregoing verſe Job had ſpoken of ſtilling the tempeſtuous ſea, therefore ſome conceive here he ſhows how this is done, to wit, by a ſudden clearing of the heavens: By his ſpirit he hath garnished the heavens, that is, By a fair gale of wind he drives away the clouds, and then the garniſhing of the heavens with innumerable lights is evidently ſeen. But becauſe our Tranſlatours have render'd the words, not, he doth garnish, but, he hath garnished, therefore I rather underſtand it of Gods creating the Sun, Moon, and ſtars at the firſt; By his ſpirit he hath garnished the heavens, that is, by his own eſſentiall power, or, by his holy ſpirit, he hath adorned the heavens with many glorious lights. As for the following clauſe, his hand hath formed the crooked ſerpent, ſome by the crooked ſerpent underſtand that meteor ſometimes ſeen in the aire, which naturaliſts call the flying ſerpent; and others, thoſe celeſtiall circles or ſphears, which are involved one within another, as a ſerpent wrappeth up himſelf in many folds, or elſe ſome of the Conſtellations of heaven; as ſome underſtand it of the Zodiack, which goes athwart the heavens; others of that which is called via lactea, the milky way; and others of that Conſtellation near the Northern Pole, which from its faſhion or figure is called the Dragon or Serpent, that divides the two Bears with its tail; which may ſeem, I confeſſe, the more probable, becauſe of the joyning of this with that foregoing clauſe of Gods garniſhing the heavens. But yet, becauſe it may well be queſtioned, whether thoſe figures of the heavenly Conſtellations which Aſtronomers have fancied, and the names which thereupon have been given them, were ſo ancient as the daies of Job; I think it farre more probable, which others ſay, that by the crooked ſerpent is meant all kind of ſerpents that crawl upon the earth, or all kind of ſea-monſters that are in the Ocean; or, more particularly, the Whale, which is indeed elſewhere alſo called Leviathan, the piercing ſerpent, or, the Bar-like crooked ſerpent, Iſa. 27.1; who thereupon do make the generall drift of theſe words to be this, that as God made the beauteous lights of the heavens above, ſo he alſo made the moſt deformed and harmfull creatures that are on the earth, or in the ſea below, and that in both God hath manifeſted his almighty power.
Verſ. 14. Lo theſe are parts of his waies, &c.] That is, his works, wherein he comes forth, as it were, and manifeſts himſelf unto men: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can underſtand? Some underſtand this laſt clauſe thus, It is very little or nothing to ſpeak of that we can hear from man concerning theſe wonders of Gods works, but if God ſhould ſpeak of them himſelf, who could endure or underſtand him, when he ſhould thunder out theſe things in his mighty power and Majeſty? Others underſtand it properly of the thunder, which is indeed very terrible to all the creatures here below, to wit, that none can underſtand whence it is, or how it is done. But the beſt Expoſition of the words I conceive is this, that by the thunder of his power is meant figuratively, either the might, and excellency, and terrour of Gods power, to wit, that it is incomprehenſible, or elſe (which is much to the ſame effect) the declaration or ſounding forth of Gods power by the voice of all his works of Creation, according to that, Pſal. 19.1. The heavens declare the glory of God, &c. which, becauſe of its glorious excellency, and force, and terrour, is called the thunder of his power; and becauſe none can ſufficiently underſtand ſo much of the mighty power of God as is taught us by the Creatures, therefore it is ſaid, the thunder of his power who can underſtand? And indeed, in our ordinary ſpeech, we uſe to ſay a man thunders it, when he ſpeaks with mighty eloquence, vehemence and power; and chap. 39.25. the tumultuous noiſe of an army ready to the battel is called the thunder of the Captains. And thus hath Iob ſhewn that he could ſay as much of the terrible might and Majeſty of God as Bildad had ſaid.