JOB CHAPTER 37 God's great works, lightning, thunder, snow, rain,
winds, frosts, clouds, and his providences towards nations, whether
for correction or mercy, call for reverence and fear, JOB 37:1; as
also his unsearchable wisdom in them, JOB 37:15. We are ignorant, and
cannot speak to God; but must... [ Continue Reading ]
It seems not improbable, that whilst Elihu was speaking it thundered
greatly, and that tempest was begun wherewith God ushered in his
speech, as it here follows, JOB 38:1, and that this occasioned his
return to that subject of which he had discoursed before, and his
exhortation to them to mind it wi... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DIRECTETH IT, to wit, his voice; which he shooteth or guideth like
an arrow to the mark, so disposing it that it may do that work for
which he sends it. UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN; far and wide through all
the parts of this lower world. UNTO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH; from one
end of the heaven to the op... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER IT A VOICE, i.e. after the lightning. For though the thunder be
in order of nature before the lightning, yet the lightning is seen
before the thunder is heard. WITH THE VOICE OF HIS EXCELLENCY, or,
_with his excellent_, or _high_, or _lofted_ voice, both loud and full
of majesty and awfulness.... [ Continue Reading ]
MARVELLOUSLY; with a wonderful and terrible noise, and so as to
produce many wonderful effects, as the breaking down of great and
strong trees or buildings, the killing of men in a stupendous manner,
&c. GREAT THINGS DOETH HE, even in the course of nature, and in
visible things; which all men see, b... [ Continue Reading ]
By his powerful word and will the snow is made in the air, and falls
upon the earth where and when he seeth fit. THE GREAT RAIN OF HIS
STRENGTH, i.e. those great storms or showers of rain which come with
great force and irresistible violence.... [ Continue Reading ]
By these great snows and rains he drives men out of the fields, and
seals or binds tap their hands from all that work, and drives them
home to their houses, and in a manner shuts them up there. See GENESIS
7:16 EXODUS 9:19. Or, _by his hand or power_ (i.e. by those powerful
works of his hand here me... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN, in great rains or deep snows, the beasts go into dens for
shelter and comfort.... [ Continue Reading ]
OUT OF THE SOUTH, Heb. _out of the inner chamber_; as the southern
part of the world is called, because in a great part it was and is hid
and unknown to those who live in the northern hemisphere, in which
Job's habitation lay. _Or, out of the chambers of the south_, as it is
more largely expressed,... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE BREATH OF GOD, i.e. by the word of God, as this very phrase is
explained, PSALMS 33:6; by his will or appointment, to which as the
principal cause all these works are ascribed. THE BREADTH OF THE
WATERS IS STRAITENED; the frost dries up the waters in great measure,
and bringeth the remainder... [ Continue Reading ]
BY WATERING, to wit, the earth; by causing them first to receive and
return, and then to pour forth abundance of water. HE WEARIETH THE
THICK CLOUD, by filling and burdening them with much water, and making
them to go long journeys to water remote parts, and at last to spend
and empty themselves the... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS TURNED ROUND ABOUT; the clouds (now mentioned) are carried about
to this or that place. BY HIS COUNSELS; not by chance, (though nothing
seems to be more casual and uncertain than the motions of the clouds,)
but by his order and governance. THAT THEY MAY DO WHATSOEVER HE
COMMANDETH THEM; either... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CAUSETH IT TO COME, Heb. _he maketh it_ (to wit, the cloud, or
clouds, and the rain which is in it) _to find_, to wit, a path, or to
find out the persons or place to which God intends either good or hurt
by it. FOR CORRECTION, Heb. _for a rod_, to scourge or correct men by
immoderate showers. Or,... [ Continue Reading ]
If there be so much matter of wonder and adoration in the most obvious
and sensible works of God, how wonderful must his deep and secret
counsels and judgments be! And therefore it would better become thee
humbly to admire, and quietly to submit to them, than to murmur or
quarrel with them.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN GOD DISPOSED THEM, to wit, the things before mentioned, the
clouds, rain, snow, thunder and lightning, and other meteors. Did God
ask counsel from thee to acquaint thee with his counsels in the
producing and ordering of them, when, and where, and in what manner he
should dispose them? God order... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BALANCINGS; how God doth as it were weigh and suspend the clouds
in balances; so that although they are ponderous and flail of water,
yet they are by his power kept up in the thin air from falling down
upon us in spouts and floods, as sometimes they have done, and
generally would do, if not over... [ Continue Reading ]
How and why thy garments keep thee warm; of which as there are some
natural causes, so it is certain that they are not sufficient to do it
without God's blessing, as experience shows, HAGGAI 1:6. THE EARTH,
i.e. the air about the earth. BY THE SOUTH WIND; which though
sometimes it brings tempests, J... [ Continue Reading ]
Wast thou his co-worker or assistant in spreading out the sky like a
tent or canopy over the earth? or canst thou spread out such another
sky? Then indeed thou mayst with some colour pretend to be privy to
his counsels, and to judge of his works. WHICH IS STRONG; which though
it be very thin and tra... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO HIM, i.e. unto God, either by way of apology for thee; or rather,
by way of debate and disputation with him about his counsels and ways:
about which we know not what to say, and therefore are willing to be
taught by thee, who pretendest to such exquisite knowledge of these
matters. So it is a r... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT I SPEAK, Heb. _that I will speak_. Shall I send, or who dare
carry, a challenge from me to God, or a message that I am ready and
desirous to debate with him concerning his proceedings? This indeed
thou hast done in effect, but far be such presumption from me. IF A
MAN SPEAK; if a man should be... [ Continue Reading ]
AND; or, _for_, as this particle is oft rendered; the following words
containing a reason of those which go before. NOW: this particle is
either,
1. A note of time, and so it intimates a sudden change which then was
in the weather, which having been very dark, began now to clear up; or
rather,
2.... [ Continue Reading ]
FAIR WEATHER; or, _when_ (which particle may well be understood out
of, the foregoing verse; and so this may be a further description of
the time when men cannot see or gaze upon the sun, namely, when) _fair
weather_, &c. Heb. _gold_; either,
1. Properly. And so this may be noted as another wonderf... [ Continue Reading ]
WE CANNOT FIND HIM OUT, to wit, to perfection, as it is expressed, JOB
11:7. We cannot comprehend him; his being, power, wisdom, justice, and
his counsels proceeding from them, are past our finding out; and
therefore it is most absurd and intolerable that thou, O Job,
presumest to censure what thou... [ Continue Reading ]
MEN DO THEREFORE FEAR HIM; for this cause, to wit, because of God's
infinite and excellent perfections, and especially those mentioned in
the foregoing verse, _men do or should_ (for the future tense is oft
used potentially, as Hebricians know) _fear_ or _reverence him_, and
humbly submit to him, an... [ Continue Reading ]