Elihu proceeds in speaking magnifici- PREFACE. ently of God, and depreffing Job, ver. 21. he reprehends him and his Friends, as if they did not fee a refulgent Light which fhone aloft. (English Translation 21 And now Men fee not the bright Light, which is in the Clouds. 22 Fair (d) Weather cometh from the (e) North, with God is terrible Majesty. altered according to the Greek.) 21 The Light that shines afar off in the Skies, is not visible to all. 22 From the (e) North are (d)Clouds fending forth golden Rays; over these is the great Glory and Ma jefty. (d) How Gold came to fignify fair Weather, is a Queftion fufficient to puzzle the most learned Rabbi. Reasons are indeed given for it, but fuch as no Man of common Diferetion can approve of. Whether y were read by the LXX in the Original, and fince dropt, or whether this Word were fupplied by them, it must be confefs'd; that no Word could be more appofite. The very next Words imply fome particular Prefence of the divine Majefty, even in other Translations, as well as that of the LXX. But golden Clouds coming out of the North can denote nothing in good Senfe, but the Shekina removing from Jerufalem to Idumea, Job's Country. (e) That Jerufalem ftood North of Idumea is a Point in which all Geographers, fo far as I can inform my felf, are agreed. The divine Glory, or Presence, removed from the Temple at, or before the Time of its being burned by the Chaldeans. See Ezek. xi. 22, 23. And whither should it now be convey'd, but to the best among the Heathen, to the most pious of the Sons of Efau, Jacob's Brother? Yet not to make any permanent Abode with them, but to retreat from the holy Land by the fame Way by which it came thither. See Numb. xx. The LXX read for אלוה the prefent (English Translation 23 Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out, he is excellent in Power, and in Judgment, and in plenty of Juftice (f) he will not afflict. 24. Therefore Men do fear him. (g) He refpect eth not any that are wife in Heart. altered according to the Greek.) 23 Of the Almighty; we cannot find another like to him in Power, who decreeth justly: (f) will he not effectually hear, or anfwer? 24 Therefore shall Men fear him, (g) even Men that are wife in Heart shall fear him. The Writer of the Book of Job says, 'CHA P. XXXVIII. (English Translation 1 Then God answered altered according to the Greek.) I God fpake to fob in Job out of the Whirlwind. the Storm and Cloud. There are feveral Interlocutions between God and Job in the following Chapters; but at last Job fays, CHAP. XLII. English Translation 7 I have (b) heard of thee by the Hearing of the Ear; but now mine Eye feeth thee. altered according to the Greek.) 7 I have (b) before heard the Ears report of thee; but now mine Eye hath feen thee. (f) The fame Hebrew Word fignifies both to afflict, and to hear, or answer. Let the Reader judge, which Translators chofe the apteft Sense. (g) The LXX either read not or elfe turn'd the Words interrogatively, and then varied them into an Affirmative, as was their frequent Practice. They read in both Claufes. (b) Fob had often heard it thunder, and that in fuch a Manner, that he thought that God was in the Thunder. But he had never before heard God speaking to him in an articulate intelligible Voice Obferve Obferve that this Shekina reprefented PREFACE. that on Sinai, as well as that over the Ark. It confifted not only of a bright Cloud, but of a violent Storm, or Whirlwind, which made the Hearers and Spectators tremble; and above all, we have the Voice of God fpeaking from the Cloud. But that this Poet might, in fome Particular, exceed his Original, he supposes more than one Cloud, From the North are Clouds fending forth golden Rays. The Words of Mofes to the Peo ple, Deut. iv. 32, 33. are very observable, viz. Ask now of the Days that are paft, which were before thee, fince God created Man upon Earth; and ask from one Side of the Heaven even to the other, whether any fuch great Thing as this is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever People hear the Voice of God, Speaking out of the midst of the Fire, as thou haft, and live? If Mofes had ever heard this Hiftory of Job, he could not have faid this. On the other Side, neither Job, nor any of his Companions, do express any fuch extreme Wonder at God's thus fpeaking to them, as if it were a Thing perfectly new, and unheard of before. For they were probably Profelytes of the Gate, and fo knew the Writings of Mofes, and the Prophets. D 3 SER -Would God that all the Lord's People were Prophets. Shall firft fhew the Meaning of this S ER M. II. The Reasonableness of it. I. I am to fhew you the Meaning of this Wifh. And this wholly depends on the Signification of the Word Prophets. All will agree, that whatever that Exercife, or Bufinefs was, in which the LXX, together with Eldad and Medad, were imployed, was prophefying, and that D4 there, I. |