Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Job · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
Verſ. 1. SVrely, there is a vein for the ſilver, and a place for the gold, where they fine it.] To wit, which men, by the naturall wiſedome which God hath given them, do ſearch and find out for their uſe, though they lye deep in the earth, many times under hills and mountains; and being ſo far out of ſight, and ſo hard to be diſcerned where they are, one would wonder how they ſhould be diſcovered. The greateſt difficulty is to know, what it is that Job aims at in thoſe words of his ſet down in this chapter, and what dependance they have with that which went before. Some conceive that Jobs drift here is to ſhew, that though worldly men do gather all variety of earthly treaſures, yet the godly have a treaſure above all theſe, which is true wiſedome, conſiſting in the knowledge and fear of God, verſ. 28. Others hold that Job labours to make out this, that if God diſpoſeth of all things with great wiſedome, and there is nothing done to any of the creatures without juſt reaſon, much leſſe can we think that God would puniſh man cauſeleſly. Others again ſay, that having ſet down in the foregoing chapter the miſerable end of thoſe fooliſh men, that ſought by wickedneſſe to make themſelves great, here now he ſhews the reaſon, why ſuch men did not ſeek after true wiſedome, to wit, becauſe they knew not where it was to be had, namely with God, and ſo ſet their hearts merely upon earthly things. But that which I find both moſt commonly, and moſt probably held by Expoſitours concerning the ſcope of this chapter, and the connection thereof with that which went before, is this, that having in the foregoing chapter yielded, that God doth often bring ruine upon wicked men here in this world in the concluſion, in this chapter now he undertakes to ſhew, that yet notwithſtanding the wiſedome of God in many other ſtrange diſpenſations of his Providence is altogether unſearchable, (as namely when he doth ſometimes on the other ſide proſper the wicked and afflict the righteous) thereby to prove that his friends were altogether vain, as he had ſaid, chap. 27.12. in judging ſo peremptorily that he was wicked, becauſe of his afflictions; as if there could not be in theſe proceedings of God with him a ſecret depth of wiſedome, which they were not able to dive into. Only for the farther illuſtration of the unſearchableneſſe of Gods wiſedome, firſt he ſhews here, in the beginning of the chapter, what deep ſecrets of Nature man by his wiſedome hath ſearched out, inſtancing in the finding out, the melting and fining the ſeverall minerals, that lye deep and hidden in the bowels of the earth; and then afterwards adds verſ. 12. that though the moſt hidden ſecrets of nature are thus found out by the wiſedome of man, yet the wiſedome of God they cannot ſearch out, But where, ſaith he, shall wiſedome be found? &c. where by wiſedome is meant the wiſedome of God in his unſearchable waies, as when he proſpers the wicked, and afflicts the righteous, &c.
Verſ. 2. Iron is taken out of the earth (or duſt) and braſſe is molten out of the ſtone.] That is, Iron is taken out of a brittle kind of earth, wherewith it is mixed; and braſſe out of the ſtone wherewith it is, as it were, incorporated: it is commonly called the Cadmian ſtone, as being a hard maſſe like a ſtone, and mingled with ſtone.
Verſ. 3. He ſetteth an end to darkneſſe, &c.] Some underſtand this of Gods putting an end to the darkneſſe of the night, by cauſing the light of the day to ſucceed in the room thereof: and others underſtand it generally thus, that man, by the naturall wiſedome that God hath given him, diſcovers and finds out the moſt hidden and unknown things. But the moſt Expoſitours hold, that Job ſtill proceeds to ſpeak of that choice art of diſcovering and drawing forth the minerals that are in the bowels of the earth, yea and perhaps in the ſea alſo. He ſetteth an end to darkneſſe. It is ſpoken either of man, to wit, that men by going into thoſe mines which they have digged deep in the earth, with candles or torches in their hands, do there diſcover thoſe minerals, which had from the creation lain hid there in darkneſſe; or that by fetching them out thence, they bring thoſe treaſures to light, which had been alwaies before hidden in darkneſſe (for though there be no expreſſe mention made of man in the foregoing verſes; yet becauſe in that which he had ſaid before concerning the taking of gold, ſilver, iron and braſſe out of the earth, his meaning was, that thoſe things were done by man, therefore as in relation ſtill to man, by whom thoſe things were done, he adds theſe words alſo, He ſetteth an end to darkneſſe:) Or elſe it is ſpoken of God, to wit, that He, namely by man as his inſtrument, and by the art and skill that he hath given to man, putteth an end to darkneſſe, that is, as is before ſaid, by diſcovering to man, and bringing forth to open view by the skill and induſtry of man, thoſe precious minerals, that lay ſo low in the dark bowels of the earth, that one would have thought it impoſſible they ſhould ever have been diſcovered. He putteth an end to darkneſſe, and ſearcheth out all perfection: that is, by ſearching he finds out and brings to light all the perfection of nature; or, thoſe things which are moſt precious and hardlieſt found, man diſcovers perfectly. The phraſe may imply both the preciouſneſſe of thoſe things that are found out, and likewiſe the bringing of them to their full perfection; and the drift of all is ſtill to ſhew, that all finite things man is able to comprehend, only the wiſedome of God is incomprehenſible. As for the following clauſe, the stones of darkneſſe and the shadow of death, thereby is meant either thoſe gems and precious ſtones, which are indeed of all other things moſt highly prized, and therefore may be mentioned here as the perfection of nature, or elſe any minerall ſtones, yea and even thoſe flints and rocky ſtones which they digge through, that they may come at the mineralls: all which may be called ſtones of darkneſſe and the shadow of death, becauſe they lye hid in the dark bowels of the earth, where never light was ſeen; and perhaps becauſe thoſe that deſcend into thoſe dark and deadly vaults of the earth, are expoſed there to manifold dangers of death. But what is meant by the darkneſſe of the ſhadow of death, ſee more fully in the Note, chap. 3.5.
Verſ. 4. The floud breaketh forth from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot, &c.] A very hard place this is, and therefore Expoſitours differ much concerning the meaning of it. But becauſe the drift of the Chapter is clearly to ſhew, that however man, by the wiſedome that God hath given him, is able to find out many ſecret things, and to effect matters of great wonder, yet he is no way able to comprehend the unſearchable wiſedome of God; therefore there are only two Expoſitions which to me ſeem probable, as being agreeable to the generall drift of Job in this place. The firſt is, that it is meant of mens finding out the way to turn the waters of rivers into other channels, or of draining lands that are overflown and drowned with waters: for by the floud that breaketh forth from the inhabitant is meant, either the ſtreams that break through or over the banks of the Sea or rivers, and ſo overflow thoſe grounds which were dry land, good paſture or arable before, and are ſaid to break forth from the inhabitant, becauſe they break forth from the inhabitants that dwell on the banks of thoſe rivers, or notwithſtanding all that the inhabitants can doe to damme them or keep them up, and drown ſome adjoyning grounds, where the foot of man never trod on water, or where never man remember'd any ſuch floud of waters before, and are therefore tearmed waters forgotten of the foot; and then the draining of theſe grounds, by carrying theſe waters away in channels digged for that purpoſe, is expreſſed in the following words, they are dryed up, they are gone away from men: Or by the floud that breaketh forth from the inhabitant is meant that torrent of waters, which breaketh forth from rivers, or overfloweth grounds in thoſe new channels, which are made by the inhabitants thereabouts for the diverting of thoſe rivers ſome other way, or for the draining of thoſe fenny grounds; which waters are therefore called the waters forgotten of the foot, becauſe when they are thus carried ſome other way, men walk dry-foot over thoſe old channels, where the rivers did formerly run, or over thoſe grounds that had been long drowned under water, as if they had forgotten that ever there had been waters there, and ſo the grounds are then made habitable, dry, and uſefull for ſeed or paſtorage, from whence they had no benefit before: which is intimated in the laſt words, as a matter of wonder, they are dryed up, they are gone away from men. The ſecond Expoſition is, that here an inſtance is given of a wonderfull difficulty, which thoſe that work in mines underground do ſometimes meet with, which yet the wiſedome of man finds a way to overcome, to wit, that when men are digging in thoſe mines many fathom under ground, a floud of waters ſometimes breaks out upon thoſe poor wretches that dwell there in thoſe dark caves of the earth, though they doe what they are able to prevent it, even a floud of waters which the foot of man never waded nor came near, and whereof they had not the leaſt knowledge, The floud breaketh out from the inhabitant, even the waters forgotten of the foot; but yet, by the art and induſtry of man, labouring day and night by engines made with wheels, theſe waters are drawn up in huge leather veſſels made of Oxe hides, and there above ground are poured forth and carried away, they are dryed up, they are gone away from men.
Verſ. 5. As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and under it is turned up as it were fire.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, And thus man, by the wiſedome and skill which God hath given him, gets bread out of the upper part of the earth, (and it may be ſpoken with reference particularly to that land ſpoken of in the foregoing verſe, which by his art he hath drained from the waters) and then out of the bowels of it he gets other precious things. For by as it were fire in the laſt clauſe muſt needs be meant either the materials of fire, as coales, brimſtone, &c. or metalls that are to be melted and fined in the fire, or rather glittering gold, and ſparkling precious ſtones, which for their ſplendour, when they are digged up, ſeem to have the appearance of fire. I know that there are ſome Expoſitours that do far otherwiſe underſtand this place, holding that Job ſpeaks here of the ſtrange and wonderfull works of God, to wit, that in the ſame place he hath made the upper part of the earth fat and fruitfull for the yielding of corn, and the under part of it nothing but veins of ſulphur and ſuch like: or that the Lord makes that land ſulphureous, hot and fiery, and therefore barren, which yielded before exceeding good corn. But the firſt Expoſition is clearly the beſt.
Verſ. 6. The ſtones of it are the place of Saphires, and it hath duſt of gold.] That is, out of the ſtone-quarries therein they get Saphires, and out of the mold thereof they gather gold, duſt of gold or gold ore.
Verſ. 7. There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vultures eye hath not ſeen, &c.] Though ſome conceive the meaning of theſe words to be this, that men ſearch for precious minerals in thoſe deſolate places, which neither bird nor beaſt will come near, becauſe of the ſulphureous ſmell that is there; yet I rather think that they are a poeticall expreſſion of the inacceſſibleneſſe of thoſe waies, which men by digging and mining paſſe through, to find out thoſe minerals and precious ſtones which they ſeek after, to wit, that they are paths which never creature found out before: fowls that will be flying into any place, yea even thoſe that are moſt quick-ſighted, as vultures and others, could never diſcover theſe ſecret paths; and thoſe ſavage beaſts, lions and ſuch like, that uſe to find out the ſecreteſt and deepeſt caves and dens of the earth to hide themſelves in, did never ſet foot there: for that alſo is added in the following verſe, the lions whelps have not troden, nor the fierce lion paſsed by it.
Verſ. 9. He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.] As before verſ. 3. ſo here alſo, in theſe three following verſes, ſome Expoſitours hold that Job ſpeaks of ſeverall great and wonderfull works of God; as firſt here, that God ſometimes by terrible earthquakes rendeth rocks in ſunder and overturneth mountains; ſecondly verſ. 10. that he cauſeth rivers many times to break forth out of flinty rocks, and that there is nothing hid from him; and thirdly verſ. 11. that oft times he dryeth up rivers, and ſo diſcovers what before lay hid there under deep waters. But, as is before noted, it is farre more agreeable to the ſcope of Job, to underſtand all theſe paſſages of thoſe things which are done by the wiſedome and skill which God gives to man: as firſt, that he putteth forth his hand upon the rock, &c. that is, man in ſearching for minerals and precious ſtones cutteth his way oft times through the flint or rock, and overturneth mountains by the root, to wit, either by digging them down to the very bottome, and carrying them away, or rather by mining under them, whereby the foundations indeed of mountains are removed, and ſometimes at length the mountains themſelves do ſink down into them: ſecondly, verſ. 10. that he cutteth out rivers among the rocks; whereby may be meant, either that when rivers have rocks on each ſide of them, there being no other way to drain them, man cutteth channels through the very rocks, that ſo the waters may be carried away thereby, and ſo the precious things that lye in the bottome of the old channels may be diſcovered; or elſe, that when men are working in mines underground, they cut paſſages through hard rocks many times, to wit, either to convey away thoſe flouds and torrents of waters that there break in upon them, and hinder their work, or elſe to convey ſome ſtreams of waters thither from other places, to ſet their water-mils on work, whereby they waſh the ore wherein the gold & other minerals are found, &c. and ſo his eye ſeeth every precious thing, that is, he diſcovereth all the precious things that ly hid in the bowels of the earth: & 3ly. verſ. 11. that he bindeth the flouds from overflowing; which may be meant either of mans artificiall ſtopping any chinks or clefts in the gutters & troughs, wherein they convey rivers from one place to another, that ſo the waters may not iſſue forth; or of his damming up rivers from turning into their old channels, when he means to divert them ſome other way, or from overflowing their grounds in times of great rain; or rather of his ſtopping and binding up the waters from breaking in upon them, when they are digging in their mines: and thus the hidden treaſures that lye in the bowels of the earth, or under deep waters, are brought forth for the uſe of men, and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
Verſ. 12. But where shall wiſedome be found?] In theſe words Job hath reference to thoſe words in the beginning of this Chapter, Surely there is a vein for the ſilver, &c. as if he had ſaid, Though the moſt hidden and ſecret things in nature may be ſearched out by that Reaſon and underſtanding which God hath given man, yet there is a wiſedome which is altogether unſearchable by humane Reaſon. And by wiſedome here is meant, either that ſupernaturall knowledge of God, and the way he hath appointed for the ſalvation of men, which can never be known but by revelation from God; or the knowledge of the ſecret counſels of God in the waies and works of his providence, as why he often proſpers the wicked and afflicts the righteous, which man by no art or skill of his can ever comprehend.
Verſ. 13. Man knoweth not the price thereof, &c.] That is, It cannot be purchaſed at any rate (as being indeed▪ of invaluable worth) nor doth man know where to get it: as is more fully expreſſed in the next words, neither is it found in the land of the living, that is, no man can poſſibly find it out, to wit, as being kept ſecret in the boſome of God, or only by God revealed unto men.
Verſ. 14. The depth ſaith, It is not in me; and the ſea ſaith, It is not in me.] By the depth, as it is here diſtinguiſhed from the ſea, we muſt needs underſtand either deep rivers, or the waters that are under the earth, or elſe rather the depth of the earth it ſelf; as Pſal. 75.20. there is expreſſe mention made we ſee of the depths of the earth. But however the meaning of this clauſe is, either that man cannot find out wiſedome, though he travels by land or by ſea never ſo farre; or rather, that it cannot be found either in the entrails of the earth, or in the bottome of the ſea, as gold and ſilver, and other coſtly minerals and precious ſtones many times are.
Verſ. 15. It cannot be gotten for gold, &c.] See the former Note, verſ. 13.
Verſ. 17. The exchange of it shall not be for jewels (or veſſels) of fine gold.] The price whereof is much enhaunſed many times by the curious workmanſhip thereof.
Verſ. 19. The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equall it.] That is, even thoſe gems that are the more eſteemed, becauſe they are fetched from a far country.
Verſ. 20. Whence then cometh wiſedome? &c.] See the former Note, verſ. 12.
Verſ. 21. Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept cloſe from the fowls of the air?] Though we read the laſt clauſe, as ſome do, and kept cloſe from the fowls of heaven, yet that it ſhould be meant of the angels in heaven ſeems to me very improbable. Rather I conceive the meaning of the whole verſe to be, either that man can no where find out this ſupernaturall wiſedome, as he doth many of the ſecrets of nature, minerals and precious ſtones, &c. and ſo this clauſe, that it is kept cloſe from the fowls of the air, is added to imply, that as it cannot be found in the depths of the earth or ſea, as he had ſaid before, ſo neither in the regions of the air above, (no where under heaven, no where but in the boſome of God;) ſo that though men could mount up into the air, and from thence behold all things on the earth, as the quick-ſighted fowls of the air do, yet they could not thereby diſcover this wiſedome: or elſe more generally, that no creature can attain to this wiſedome, farther at leaſt then God is pleaſed to reveal it to them; nature is a mere ſtranger to it, and therefore it is hid from all creatures high or low, whatever they are.
Verſ. 22. Destruction and death ſay, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.] The meaning is, that though they had heard ſome talk or mention of wiſedome, yet that was all, they were never able fully to find it out. Some by deſtruction and death, underſtand the devils and damned in hell; others the ſouls of the Saints departed, to wit, that even when they are no longer clogged with earthly bodies, and ſo are the freer to ſearch after wiſedome, they were never able fully to comprehend it; yea and others underſtand it more generally yet, of all men that have lived formerly from the firſt creation, and are now dead, to wit, that they were never any more able to find out this wiſedome of God, then thoſe that are now living: though formerly they lived many years, and ſo had great advantage to gain more wiſedome then others, and though ſome of them were in their times men of great wiſedome, as the Philoſophers and others, yet this ſupernaturall wiſedome of God they were never able to comprehend; that which they had was but a ſhadow of wiſedome, as farre ſhort of true wiſedome, as the fame of a thing is ſhort of the thing it ſelf. But laſtly, others underſtand by deſtruction and death, hell and the grave, or rather the depths and bowels of the earth and ſea, and ſo make the meaning to be this; that though there the fame of wiſedome hath been heard, to wit, becauſe the providence of God extends it ſelf to the ordering of all things there, yet there this ſupernaturall wiſedome cannot be learnt or found. And this Expoſition I conceive moſt probable, and judge this which is ſaid here to be much the ſame with that before, verſ. 14. The depth ſaith, It is not in me.
Verſ. 23. God underſtandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.] If we conceive that Job ſpeaks here of that ſupernaturall knowledge of God and the way of ſalvation, which is indeed the only true wiſedome of man, the meaning then muſt needs be, that God only knoweth how this is to be attained, becauſe God muſt reveal it to man, or he can never attain it: But if we underſtand it of the ſecret wiſedome of God in the government of the world, as queſtionleſſe Job intended it, then the meaning of the words is, that God, and he only, underſtands where this wiſedome is, becauſe it reſts only in his own boſome; he fully knows all the waies of his Providence, to wit, how and why all things are done, as why the wicked often proſper, and the righteous are afflicted, which are all to man altogether unſearchable.
Verſ. 24. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, &c.] That is, he beholds all things not only in heaven, but alſo throughout the world, to wit, that he may order and diſpoſe of them, as ſeems good unto himſelf: and this Job alledgeth as an evident proof, that therefore God muſt needs perfectly know the cauſe of all things that are done in the world, which are hidden from man. And indeed this place makes it clear, as I conceive, that the unſearchable wiſedome Job ſpeaks of in this chapter, which is known only to God, and which man cannot attain, is that of his counſels in all the waies and works of his Providence.
Verſ. 25. To make the weight for the winds, and he weigheth the waters by meaſure.] The meaning is, that God doth appoint and order ſuch a quantity and meaſure both of the winds and waters (whether we underſtand it of the rain that comes down from the clouds, or of the waters that are in ſeas, rivers, brooks and ſprings upon the earth) as may ſerve juſt for the accompliſhment of what he hath purpoſed with himſelf, whether for judgement or mercy: that either the winds or waters are more or leſſe in one place or in another, it is not by chance, but by the Providence of God, who ſees well and underſtands all that he doth.
Verſ. 26. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder, &c.] The drift of theſe words is, to ſhew that the unſearchable wiſedome, whereby God governs the world and the fulneſſe thereof, was with God, and therefore known to him from the beginning of the world, yea even from eternity. When he made a decree for the rain, &c. that is, when from all eternity he decreed, or when at the firſt creation he eſtabliſhed an order how the rain ſhould come to be bottled up in the clouds, when and where, in what meaſure and how long, it ſhould be afterwards poured down upon the earth; and ſo likewiſe concerning the lightning and the thunder, and all other things whatever.
Verſ. 27. Then did he ſee it, &c.] That is, then did he exactly know and underſtand that unſearchable wiſedome of his, whereby the world hath been ever ſince governed; and declare it, that is, (if we referre it to the creation of the world) then did he in part diſcover this his wiſedome by the admirable works which he made, and the order which he appointed to them, or (if we referre it to his eternall decree) then did he determine how it ſhould by his works be declared to men and angels; (and if we read this clauſe, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, and did number it, the meaning is, that he did particularly order, and manifeſted it ſeverally in every thing that he made:) he prepared it, yea and ſearched it out; that is, he decreed all things thereby, and eſtabliſhed them in a moſt excellent manner, as when things are done upon the moſt exact ſearch and enquiry. I know, ſome Expoſitours underſtand theſe two verſes, as they do all that went before, concerning that knowledge of God and of the way of ſalvation, which is the true wiſedome of man, and ſo give this as the meaning of the words, that this wiſedome was from the beginning known of God, and ordered by him to be the wiſedome of man, and accordingly was by him diſcovered to man, partly by his works, and partly by his word, which otherwiſe they could never have known: But the firſt Expoſition is by far the beſt.
Verſ. 28. And unto man he ſaid, Behold, the fear of the Lord that is wiſedome, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, And thus hath God reſerved to himſelf the wiſedome of his governing the world, as a ſecret which man can never attain; and the wiſedome which he hath appointed him to ſeek after, is to learn to fear him and to keep his Commandements. And with this Iob concludes his diſcourſe concerning the unſearchable wiſedome of God, partly thereby to condemn the raſh cenſures of his friends, and partly to ſhew that he had thus alwaies endeavoured to be wiſe, though they judged otherwiſe of him, and neither had nor would hereafter ſearch into Gods ſecrets.