Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 4 · Chapter 40
CHAP. XL. Verſe 1. Moreover the Lord anſwered Job and ſaid]
HIC veriſimile eſt aliquantiſpèr Deum tacuiſſe, ſaith Mercer. Here it is likely that God held his peace a while, and ſeeing that Job replyed not, he added the following words, the more fully to convince and affect him. There is ſomewhat to do to reduce a ſinner from the error of his way, yea, though he be in part regenerate, the fleſh will play its part againſt the Spirit. This muſt be conſidered, and all gentleneſs uſed to thoſe that offend of infirmity, aſter Gods example here.
Verſe 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty inſtruct him?] Or,An diſputare cum Omnipotente eſt eruditio? Is it wiſdom to contend with the Almighty? No, but the greateſt folly and ſottiſhneſſe. Job might think otherwiſe, ſo long as he compared himſelf with others; but being once ſet by God in his ſuperexcellencies conſidered, he ſhall ſee his owne nothingneſſe, and ſit down in ſilence and patience, though ſeverely tryed, and ſharply afflicted.
He that reproveth God, let him anſwer it] Anſwer it if he can, or elſe yeeld the cauſe. Praeſtat herbam dare quàm turpitèr pugnare. But if Job have yet further a mind to queſtion and quarrel God in any his wayes and works, let it be heard what anſwer he can returne to what hath been already ſpoken.
Verſe 3. Then Job anſwered the Lord, and ſaid] 'Twas time for him, if ever, to ſtoop to the Moſt High, ſo far condeſcending to his meanneſſe, and to anſwer his expectation by acknowledging a fault, and promiſing amendment. Lo this is the guiſe of a godly perſon: He may be out, but he will not uſually be obſtinate. An humble man will never be an Heretick; convince him once, and he will yeeld: Not ſo the obſtinate and uncounſellable perſon; he runs away with conviction, as the unruly horſe doth with the bit between his teeth: and his wit will better ſerve him to deviſe a thouſand ſhifts to elude the truth, than his pride will ſuffer him once to yield to it, and acknowledge his errour.
Verſe 4. Behold I am vile] Light and little worth: and therefore deſerve to beſlighted and laid by, as a broken veſſel. The humble man vilifies, yea, nullifies himſelf before God, as Abraham, Gen. 18.27. as Agur, Prov. 30.2. as Paul, Epheſ. 3.8. as that Martyr who cryed out, Gehenna ſum Domine, Lord, thou art heaven, but I am hell, &c. Tantillitas noſtra, ſaith Ignatius of himſelf and his colleagues. Behold, 1 am an abject ſaith Job here, contemptible, and inconſiderable. This was well, but not all: an excellent confeſſion, but not full enough: his meanneſſe he acknowledgeth, and that he was no fit match for God: but not his ſinfulneſſe, with deſire of pardon, and deprecation of puniſhment: God therefore gives him not over ſo, but ſets upon him a ſecond time, verſ. 6. and brings him to it, chap. 42.1. There muſt be ſome proportion betwixt a mans ſin, and his repentance, Ezra. 9. and this, God will bring all his Jobs to, ere he leave them.
What ſhall I anſwer thee?] I am ſilenced, and ſet down; I ſee there is no reaſoning againſt thee. I acknowledge thy greatneſſe ſo plainly and plentifully demonſtrated in the fore-going diſcourſe: and am well pleaſed that thou ſhouldeſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, and over-come when thou judgeſt, Pſal. 51.4. Rom. 3.4.
I will lay my hand upon my mouth] I that have ſpoken more freely and boldly then I ought, Et ore patulo multa ſine judicio effutivi; and have opened my mouth more wide then was meet: will henceforth be better adviſed, and keep my mouth with a bridle, or muzzle, as Pſal. 39.1. See the Note on chap. 21. verſ. 5.
Verſe 5. Once have I ſpoken, but I will not anſwer] 'Tis enough of that Once: The Saints running out, and meeting with a bargain of ſin, come back by weepingcroſſe, and cry, What have I to do any more with wickedneſſe, Hoſ. 14.8? Judah knew his daughter Tamar no more, Gen. 38.26. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more, chap. 34.31, 32. That was Elihu's counſel; and now it is Jobs practiſe.
Tea, Twice] That is, Often: ſo eager was I ſet upon a diſpute. This was an Aggravation of Jobs ſin, the committing of it again and again. Numbers added to numbers are firſt ten times more; then, an hundred; then, a thouſand, &c. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, Jeremiah, 22.21. that was an ill buſineſſe.
But I will proceed no further] ſc. In this controverſie. I will not come into the liſts to contend with thee. I ſee there is no ſafety in ſuch a conteſt. In many things we offend all, ſaith St. James: and he is a perfect man who ſinneth not with his tongue. But as he who hath drunk poyſon, maketh haſte to caſt it up again, ere it get go the vitals: ſo ſhould we deal by our daily miſdoings. It is not falling into the water that drowns a man, but lying long under it. Bewaile thy ſin, and haſten to get out of it.
Verſe 6. Then anſwered the Lord unto Job out of a Whirl-Wind] As before, chap. 38.1. notwithſtanding Jobs ſubmiſſion. See the reaſon on verſ. 4. God took his out-burſts againſt him ſo very ill, that he is not eaſily pacified; but the better to abaſe Job, and quite to break the neck of his pride, he anſwereth him again angerly, not by a ſoft and ſtill voice, as he dealt by Eliah, but out of the whirl-wind, though with ſome abatement of terrour, as Rainban conceiveth from the leaving out here the notificative Article, ſet before Segnarab the whirl-wind in the 38 chapter. Peter was not over-forward to comfort thoſe that were prickt at heart with ſenſe of ſin, and fear of wrath; but preſſeth them yet further to repent, Act. 2.38. Men are apt to ſlight and ſlubber over the work, doing it to the halves; and muſt therefore be held hard to it, leſt it ſhould not be done to purpoſe.
Verſe 7. Gird up thy loynes now like a man] Reſume new ſtrength, and prepare your ſelf for a ſecond encounter: for I have not yet done with you. If therefore you think your ſelf able to ſtand in contention with me, ſhew your valour. See the Note on chap. 38.3.
Verſe 8. Wilt thou alſo diſannul my judgement?] Doſt thou think to ruin my juſtice, to eſtabliſh thine own innocency? and wilt thou needs be a ſuperiour judge over me? Wilt thou not revoke thy former expoſtulations and complaints againſt me, and with open mouth give me my due glory? Here God ſheweth his diſſatisfaction with Jobs former confeſſion.
Wilt thou condemne me, that thou maieſt be righteous?] Job had bolted out ſome words that either tended to this purpoſe, or ſeemed ſo to do to the juſt grief & offence of his friends. For this therefore he muſt be better humbled, and henceforth learn to abſtain not only from things ſimply evil, but ſeemingly ſo; quicquid fuerit malè coloratum, (as Bernard hath it) whatſoever looks but ill-favouredly.
Verſe 9. Haſt thou an arm like God?] That thou ſhouldeſt wreſtle a fall with him, and hope to over-match him? Thou haſt a mighty arm, ſaith David, ſtrong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. Pſal. 89.13. It ſpans the heavens, and holds the earth in the hollow of it. The weight of it broke the Angels backs: and the terrour of it may be ſeen in all thoſe writs of execution recorded in the Scriptures. Oh its a fearful thing, ſaith the Apoſtle, to fall into the (puniſhing) hands of the living God, Heb. 10.
Or canſt thou thunder with a voice like him?] Of Pericles the Oratour it is ſaid, that when he declaimed, Intonabat, fulgurabat, totam Graeciam commiſcebat, &c. Cicero.he thundered, he lightned, he mingled all Greece together. And Livy, ſpeaking of a certain Roman Commander, ſaith, Haec cum intonuiſſet iracundus, &c. Theſe things when he had thundered out angerly, and with a courage, the people departed of their own accord. Alexander the Great, being once vexed at his Souldiers for mutining and tumultuating, thunder-ſtruck them with theſe words, Faceſſite hins acyùs, neminem teneo; liberate occulos meos ingratiſſimi milites; Get you quickly out of my preſence, and be packing hence, ye ungrateful Souldiers. And Severus the Emperour in like ſort dealt with his unruly Army, Diſcedite Quirites, ſaid he, et incertum an Quirites; Theſe were terrible hard words, and very reſolutely uttered: But what's any, or all of this to the voice of Gods thunder, whereof ſee before? Knoweſt thou not, O Job, that thine arm is an arm of fleſh? and thy voice ſo ſmall and low, that a Fly would not be frighted at it?
Verſe 10. Deck thy ſelf now with Majeſty and Excellency] Or, With magnificence, and ſublimity. &c. i. e. Deum age, ſhew thy ſelf as God: for he thus decks himſelf, Pſal. 93.1. & 96.6. & 104.1, 2. Job 29.14.
And array thy ſelf with glory and beauty] That thou maieſt appear, Os humeroſque Deo ſimilis, as Herod afterwards in his cloth of ſilver, which being beaten upon by the Sun-beams (ſaith Joſephus) dazeled the peoples eyes, and drew from them that fond acclamation, It is the voice of a God, Act. 12.22.
Verſe 11. Caſt abroad the rage of thy wrath] In this glorious equipage; make thy juſt indignation felt by all the rebels of the world. Nemo te impunè laceſſet.
And behold every one that is proud] Look upon him oculo minaci, with a flaming eye: look through him, let him ſee thy diſpleaſure. Upon ſome God looketh, to convert them, as Chriſt did upon Peter, Luk. 22.61. Upon others, to confound them, —foreign.
And abaſe him] Abate his pride, and abaſe his pomp, and greatneſſe: this is God-like, Pſal. 147.6. Aeſop being asked by Chilo (one of the ſeven wiſe-men of Greece) What God was doing? Anſwered, He abaſeth the proud, and exalteth the lowly-minded. Tamberlain, to manifeſt that he knew how to puniſh the haughty, made Bajazet the great Turk to be ſhackled, and ſhut up in an iron cage, and ſo carried up and down as he paſſed through Aſia, to be ſcorned and derided of his own people. And when one of his Favourites requeſted him to remit ſome part of his ſeverity againſt the perſon of ſo great a Prince: Tamberlain anſwered,Turk. hiſt. f. 22… That he did not uſe that rigour againſt him out of hatred to the man, but to manifeſt the juſt judgement of God againſt the arrogant folly of ſo proud a Tyrant.
Verſe 12. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low] This God doeth, Iſai. 2.11, 12, 17. & 5.15. The Babel-builders, Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, Diocleſian, Attilas, and others for inſtances; Amurath the third King of Turks, in the pride of his heart, ſtiled himſelf, God of the Earth, Governour of the whole World,Turk. hiſt. f. 920 the Meſſenger of God, and faithful Servant of the great Prophet. This proud Prince was ſlain by an half-dead Chriſtian Souldier, who coming to crave his life of him after a battel,Ibid. 200. ſtabbed him in the bottom of his belly with a ſhort dagger; of which wound that King and Conquerour preſently died. See the Note on verſ. 11.
And tread down the wicked in their place] Heb Ʋnder them; lay them as low as may be. God putteth away all the wicked of the earth as droſſe, he treads them, as vile things, under his feet, Pſal. 110.1. till they bethink themſelves, and humble their ſouls at his feet for mercy: for then he will make the place of his feet glorious, as he promiſeth, Iſai. 60.13. and as Exod. 24.10. they ſaw under Gods feet as it were, a paved work of Sapphire ſtone; to ſhew that he had now changed their condition, the Bricks made in their bondage, into Sapphire. See Iſai. 54.11.
Verſe 13. Hide them in the duſt together] Make a hand of them all at once, as God can do his enemies by raking them all into the grave; yea, turning into hell; whole Nations that forget God, a whole rabble of rebels that fight againſt heaven, he can ſoon lay them low enough, even in that ſlimy valley, where are many already like them, and more ſhall come after them, chap. 21.31, 32. Now when God biddeth Job do all this, who was himſelf lying in the duſt, full of ſores and ſorrows, how could he but he greatly aſhamed, and affected with grief for his former follies?
And bind… their faces in ſecret] As Hamans face was covered when the King had ſentenced him, Eſth. 7.8. See the Note there: Or rather, as dead-mens faces uſe to be bound up and covered: for we like not to look on deaths face; Abraham was deſirous to bury his dead out of his ſight, Gen. 23.4. though ſhe had once been the deſire of his eyes, Ezek. 24.16. Lazarus came out of his grave with his face bound about with a napkin, Job. 11.14. See the like done to our Saviour, Job. 20.6, 7. though there was as little need to have done it, as was of thoſe ſweet ſpices brought by the good women to anoint his body, which could not ſee corruption, Mark 16.1.
Verſe 14. Then will I alſo confeſſe unto thee, &c.] Or, I will give praiſe unto thee, as thou by right ſhouldeſt do to me: not for my goodneſſe only, but for my greatneſſe and majeſty alſo, in deſtroying the wicked. See David doing it, Pſal. 18.27. and Moſes, Exod. 15.1. and the whole quire of heaven, Revel. 19.1, 2.
And that thine own right hand can ſave thee] That …hou art ſelf-ſufficient, and my compere;Et ego quoque praedicabo te beroa. Tig. ſtrong enough to maintain thine own cauſe, and that thou haſt ſome ſhew of reaſon to withſtand me. This is that which we all naturally (but fooliſhly) fancy. viz. that we are petty-gods within our ſelves: we would be abſolute and independent; when in truth all that we have is derivative; the Churches beauty is borrowed, Ezek. 16. and we may ſay of all that we are, as he did of his hatchet, Alas Maſter, I borrowed it, 2 King. 6.5.
Verſe 15. Behold now Behemoth which I made with thee] i.e. The Elephant called Behemoth; Vocatur Bellua per Antonomaſiam, & foreign Graec.that is Beaſts in the plural, for his hugeneſſe: as if he were made up of many beaſts. So David, aggravating his own brutiſhneſſe, ſaith, So fooliſh was I and ignorant: I was as a beaſt (Heb. Behemoth, beaſts in the plural) before thee, Pſal. 73.22. that is, as a great beaſt: his ſin ſwelled in his eyes, as a toad; he befools and be-beaſts himſelf, as reaſon required: for nothing is more irrational, than irreligion.
Which I made with thee] Thy fellow creature, made to ſerve thee. He is in the Chaldee called, foreign Pil; that is, Wonderful: becauſe the wonders of Gods glory do ſo marvellouſly appear in him. Made he was the ſame day with man, and hath a kind of familiarity and love to him, if brought up with him, doing him great good ſervice in Peace and War, and may be taught to adore Kings.
He eaieth graſſe like an Ox] He is not ravenous nor carnivorous; neither eateth he daily the graſſe upon a thouſand hills,Lyra. as the Hebrews fooliſhly fable, and that he is to be killed at the reſurrection to feaſt the Saints, as being a creature of a monſtrous bigneſſe. As the Ox li…eth up graſſe, Numb. 22.4. ſo doth the Elephant; yet not with his tongue, (which for ſo great a Beaſt is but little, neither read we here any thing at all of his voice, (to teach great men, faith One; not to ſpeak bigge ſwolne words) but with his Trunk or great Snout, called his tail, verſe 17 (as Beza thinketh) becauſe it beares the reſemblance of a taile,Ariſt. de N…. Anim l. 2. c. 5, 6. and is of moſt marvellous and neceſſary uſe to him. With this he grazeth, and with this he over-throweth trees, and then feedeth upon them. But he doth not proudly abuſe the mightineſſe of his limbs to the hurt of other cattle. yet he will not be wronged, and is of ſo great ſtrength, that no one man dare aſſault him.
Verſe 16. Lo now his ſtrength is in his loines] Wherein he is ſo ſtrong, that he can beare a wooden Tower upon his back, and upon that two and thirty men ſtanding to fight there-from. In India, where the hugeſt Elephants are, they ride upon the bigger, plow with the leſſer, and carry great loads and burdens with both. For which and the like purpoſes,Junius. totus robuſtiſſimus eſt ſupernè & infernè. Howbeit God hath chiefly placed his ſtrength, not in any offenſive part (his head hath no horns, nor his feet no clawes to do miſchief with) but in his loynes, and about his belly.
And his force is in the navel of his belly] Which muſt needs be very hard undergirded, when ſo great weight is made faſt to his back. Naturaliſts obſerve, That the ſofteſt part of the Elephant is his belly; and therefore the Rhinoceros, (his deadly enemy) ſetteth upon him there with his crooked horn whetted againſt a Rock, and overcometh him; yet is he ſtronger in his belly then other Creatures are in the back: and therfore his Navel is here called Navels in the plural. His skin is exceeding hard and rough, ſo that an Arrow can hardly pierce it. Yet Eleazer, Machab. 6 ruſhing into the enemies Army, gat under an Elephants belly, (upon which he thought King Antiochus rode) and killed him, being himſelf cruſhed to death with the weight of the Beaſt falling upon him.
Verſe 17. He moveth his tail like a Caedur] The Elephant hath but a ſmall and ſhort taile, for his bulk; Beza therefore rendreth it his prominent part which is as the Cedar, and interpreteth it of his Pr…bofeis, or large Snout,Sic. & Deodat. which truly (ſaith he) as being proper to the Elephant, and of very great uſe, might not in any wiſe, be pretermitted in this deſcription. See verſ. 15.
The ſinewes of his ſtones are wrapt together] This is alſo another of the Elephants properties, whoſe teſticles are hidden and ſtick to his belly, faſtned there by certaine ſinewes and ligaments, and do not hang as other beaſts teſticles do. As his genital members are but ſmall, conſidering his bigneſſe, ſo his luſt to the female is not great, never coupling with her but in ſecret, and when ſhe is once filled forbearing her company.
Verſe 18. His bones are as ſtrong pieces of braſſe] Or, As Conduit Pipes of braſſe. whereby may be underſtood his hollow bones. as by bars of Iron the ſolid ones and by both, (together with his Trunk, compoſed of griſtles, and his teeth and tuſhes eight foot long ſome of them) we may conjecture of the bigneſſe of his whole body; the hugeſt of all earthly creatures, ſaith Pliny; nine cubits high, ſaith Elian of ſome. Now can Job look upon ſuch a monſtrous creature, or hear his noiſe or ſtand before him without great horror? and will he not ſubmit to the great God and give him all his glory.
Verſe 19. He is the chief of the wayes of God] i.e. The Maſter-piece among all the beaſts (and perhaps firſt made) as Man is among all earthly creatures, being divini ingenii cura; as One calls him. Of all earthly irrational creatures, the Elephant is the hugeſt and ſtrongeſt and of moſt underſtanding.
He that made him can make his ſword to approach unto him] i.e. God alone can deal with him, and kill him. for no man dare undertake him unleſſe it be by Art and cunning; and that in Jobs dayes, likely, was not yet known or practiced. And if God had not given an horn to the Rhinoceros, and poiſon to the Dragon (who are the Elephants moſt mortal enemies) there were no beaſts to be found that could have the better of him. He is of himſelf long-lived, ſaith Ariſtotle. but God can, and doth cut him off at his pleaſure; and ſo he will thoſe maſterleſſe Monſters that perſecute his people, though they may ſeem to be out of the reach of his rod. Some read the words thus, He that made him, made his ſword to be near him; and intepret it of his Proboſcis, or Snout, wherewith, as with a ſword, he fights, and does many feats. Curtius ſaith, That when Porus the Indian King, being wounded in battle, fell down armed to the ground, his Elephant with his Trunk gently took him up, and ſet him upon his back again. Some in their wars have faſtned ſharp ſwords to the Snouts of the Elephants, and done much miſchief therewith to the enemy.
Verſe 20 Surely the Mountaines bring him forth food] And food enough, though he be of an huge body. Learne we to truſt unto Gods providence for our neceſſary proviſion: the earth is the Lords, and the fulneſſe thereof. See verſe 15.
Where all the beaſts of the field play] And play they may ſecurely for him; for he is ſo far from uſing his ſword to deſtroy them, that when he is to paſſe through the herds of other beaſts or cattle, he maketh way (ſaith Pliny) with his Snout, that he may not hurt any of them, and beckneth to them therewith, as it were with his hand, that he will only paſs by them, and do them no harm.
Verſe 21. He lyeth under the ſhady trees] Vatablus readeth the words queſtion-wiſe thus,Sic R. Levi. & Kimchi. Lyeth he under the ſhady trees in the covert of the reeds and fens? No ſuch matter, he is too big to be ſhaded by trees, neither can reeds and fens cover him. But Ariſtotle tells us, That he loves to lye by the banks of Rivers beſet with trees,Debiſt. anim. l. 9. c. 46 Plin. lib. 8. c. 10. as being naturally hot, and bred in hot Countries: and yet he is impatient of cold and winter. And therefore when Hannibal brought many Elephants out of Africa into Italy, they all periſhed in the cold Alps, except only that one whereupon Hannibal himſelf rode.
In the covert of the reed and fens] Hence Cardinus ſaith, That the Elephant is of a Swiniſh nature,Ad calorem frangendum craſſo caeno per. funduntur. Plin. delighted with mud and mire. And Gulielmus Pariſienſis applyeth, Behemoth in the fens, to the divel in ſenſual hearts. He ſleepeth in moiſt places, ſaith he; that is, in thoſe that lye melting in ſinful pleaſures and delights: therefore Luke 11. it is ſaid, that he walketh in dry places, ſeeking reſt, but finding none: and Ezek 47.11. when the waters of the Sanctuary overflowed, the miry places could not be healed.
Verſe 22. The ſhady trees cover him with their ſhadow &c.] He leaneth againſt thoſe trees, and ſleepeth, for lye downe and riſe again he cannot for want of joynts in his limbs. And why may not we conceive the trees in thoſe parts big enough to overſhade the Elephant; when as in America, but eſpecially in Braſile, the trees are ſo huge,Abbots Geog. pag. 271. that it is reported of them, that ſeveral families have lived in ſeveral armes of one tree, to ſuch a number as are in ſome petty Village or Pariſh amongſt us?
The willowes of the brook compaſſe him about] To ſhelter him from the wind and cold. And although they cannot ſwim, they are ſo big, yet they love to be about pooles and brooks for ſhade, and to eaſe their thirſt; for the Elephant drinketh off fourteen firkins of water in a morning, ſaith Ariſtotle, and eight at night, as it followeth,
Verſe 23. Behold he drinketh up a River, and haſteth not] Viz. Through fear, tanquam canis ad Nilum, as the dogs that drink at Nilus fear the Crocodile; or as they of this Land anciently drank in fear of their lives the whiles, and were therefore wont to have ſome friend to undertake for their ſafety: whence that expreſſion of him who is drunk to, I'll pledge for you. The Elephant as he drinks huge draughts (beyond that of the Camel,Lib. 8. cap. 18. who drinketh, ſaith Pliny, Et in praeteritum, & in futurum, for both the time paſt, and the time to come) ſo he drinks without diſturbance for who dare deal with him? Other cattle, through the frightfulneſſe of their diſpoſition, break their draughts to ſtare about them. Not ſo the Elephant, who drinks as if, he would exhauſt and drain dry the River, and ſteps into it with ſuch a big body as if he would ſtop the courſe of it; therefore ſome read the words thus, He hindreth the River that is haſteth not. Some by he haſteth not, underſtand that cuſtom of the Elephant, not to drink, till he have firſt by going into, and ſtirring the water made it pudley, for he loveth not clear waters, as Elian writeth. Neither yet doth he at any time enter higher into a River then he can breath through his large Snout, for ſwim he cannot by reaſon of the weightineſſe of his body, ſaith Ariſtotle.Hiſt. anim. l. 9. cap. 46.
He truſteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth] In the vaſt imagination of his fancy he conceits that he can devour and drink up whole Jordan at once. Jordan is the greateſt River of Canaan, running along the Land, and falling into the dead Sea which yet grows no bigger by ſwallowing it. Hereunto ſome think, that this Text alludeth. But better by Jordan here, (which ariſeth from the root of Lybanus, and as ſome ſay, from a double fountain, the one on the right ſide called Dan, and the other on the left called Jor) we may underſtand by a Synecdoche, any River; and ſo theſe words are nothing elſe but an hyperbolical repetition of the former.
Verſe 24 He taketh it with his eyes] It, that is, Jordan, which he thinks when he ſeeth it, to drink up at a draught; but it is better filling his belly then his eye, as we ſay. Others, He thruſteth his head in up to the eyes through extreme greedineſſe. Brentius readeth it, Oculis ſuis capitur ipſe, decipulis perforatur naſus; and ſaith, That this Creature is taken only by his eyes and noſe; for otherwiſe he is as ſlick and ſlippery as an Eele; ſo is Satan (ſaith he) neither can we ſhun his wiles but by the Spirit of faith.In Gen. 3. p. 67. But Nouns hoc ſpumoſum? Luther in one place calleth allegories, Spumam Scripturae, the froth of the Scriptures: and in another, the allegorical ſenſe is a beauteous harlot, that inticeth idle men, who think themſelves in Paradice, and in Gods boſom when they fall upon ſuch ſpeculations. Gregory and others (who have wholy allegorized this and the former chapter, applying all to the divel and Antichriſt) obſerved not what was the ſtate and ſcope of this diſputation. Some read the Text thus, Will any take him in his fight, will any pierce his noſe with ſnares? q.d. That is not the way to take him, or hold him when taken. He muſt be caught by wiles, and not by main force or open ſtrength (See Pliny to this purpoſe) although when he is once caught, he is ſoon tamed and made tractable to many uſes. See Ariſtotles hiſtory of living Creatures.Lib. 8. cap 8. et 9 Lib. 9. cap. 46. Pliny ſaith, he had ſeen Elephants dance on the Rope, and write Greek letters with their feet, &c.
His noſe pierceth through ſnares] Or, Will any bear his noſe to put in ſnares? Though he be apt enough to be tamed and taught, yet he will not endure halter, bridle, bit or ring in his noſe; as neither will Leviathan, of whom the like is ſpoken, chap. 41.1, 2.