JOB CHAPTER 38 The Lord answers Job, JOB 38:1: declareth his works of creation; the foundation and the measures of the earth, JOB 38:4; the stars; the sea, and its bounds, JOB 38:7; the morning, and its light, JOB 38:12; the depth of the sea; the gates and shadow of death; the breadth of the earth,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IS THIS? it is a question of admiration and reprehension, What and where is he that presumeth to talk at this rate? this language becomes not a creature, much less a professor of religion. The person here designed is not Elihu, who spoke last; but Job, who had spoken most, as is apparent from JO... [ Continue Reading ]
GIRD UP NOW THY LOINS; as warriors then did for the battle. Prepare thyself for the combat with me, which thou hast oft desired. I accept of thy challenge, JOB 13:22, and elsewhere. I WILL DEMAND OF THEE; or, _I will ask thee questions_; which he doth in the following verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then thou wast no where, thou hadst no being; thou art but of yesterday; and dost thou presume to judge of my eternal counsels? I made the world without thy help, and therefore can govern it without thy counsel, and I do not need thee to be the controller or censurer of my works. WHEN I LAID THE FOU... [ Continue Reading ]
Who hath prescribed how long and broad and deep it should be? OR WHO HATH STRETCHED THE LINE, to wit, the measuring line, to regulate all its dimensions, so as might be most convenient both for beauty and use?... [ Continue Reading ]
This strong and durable building hath no foundations but in God's power and word, which hath marvellously established it upon itself. OR WHO LAID THE CORNERSTONE THEREOF; by which the several walls and parts of the building are joined and fastened together, and in which, next to the foundations, the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MORNING STARS; either, 1. The stars properly so called, who are said to sing and praise God, objectively, because they give men ample occasion to do it in regard of their glorious light and stupendous motions, &c. Compare PSALMS 19:1, PSALMS 148:1, &c. But, 1. These stars are not here the obje... [ Continue Reading ]
Who was it, thou or I, that did set bounds to the vast and raging ocean, and shut it up as it were with doors within its proper place and storehouse, that it might not overflow the earth; which without God's powerful restraint it would do? See PSALMS 33:7, PSALMS 104:9. This sense seems most proper,... [ Continue Reading ]
When I covered it with vapours and clouds which arise out of the sea. and by God's appointment hover above it, and cover it like a garment. THICK DARKNESS, i. e. black and dark clouds, called _darkness_ by a usual metonymy of the adjunct. So the same thing is repeated in other words, after the manne... [ Continue Reading ]
BRAKE UP FOR IT MY DECREED PLACE, i.e. made those valleys, or channels, and hollow places in the earth, which might serve for a cradle to receive and hold this great and goodly infant when it came out of the womb. See GENESIS 1:9,10 PSA 33:7. Or, ordained or established my decree upon or concerning... [ Continue Reading ]
To wit, at the sand and shore of the sea, JEREMIAH 5:22. THY PROUD WAVES; which rage and swell as if they would overwhelm all the earth.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MORNING, i.e. the morning light, or the sun, which is the cause of it. Didst thou create the sun, and appoint the order and succession of day and night? SINCE THY DAYS; since thou wast born. This work was not done by thee, but by me, and that long before thou wast born. TO KNOW HIS PLACE; to obs... [ Continue Reading ]
That this morning light should in a moment spread itself over the face of the whole earth, from one end of the hemisphere to the other. SHAKEN OUT OF IT, from the face of the earth. And this effect the morning light hath upon the wicked, partly because it discovers them, and drives them into their l... [ Continue Reading ]
IT, to wit, the earth, mentioned in the next foregoing verse. IS TURNED; is transformed and changed in its shape and appearance. TO THE SEAL, or, _by the seal_, which makes a beautiful or valuable impression upon that clay, which in itself hath no form, nor worth, nor comeliness in it. So the earth,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, or _but_; for the following words seem to be added by way of opposition to what went before. The earth, and the men, and the things in it have the comfort and benefit of the light, but so have not the wicked. _Their light_, i.e. their portion of light. That light which is enjoyed by others is w... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPRINGS, Heb. _the tears_, i.e. the several springs out of which the waters of the sea flow as tears do from the eyes. Hast thou found out the utmost depth and bottom of the sea, which in divers places could never be reached by the wisest mariner, or the longest cables? And how then canst thou f... [ Continue Reading ]
Hast thou seen, or dost thou perfectly know, the place and state of the dead, the depths and bowels of that earth in which the generality of dead men are buried, or the several ways and methods of death, or the various states and conditions of men after death? And the same thing is repeated.... [ Continue Reading ]
Dost thou exactly know the whole compass and all parts of the earth, and the state and quality of all countries, and of the men and things in them? Give me an answer to these questions, which is far more easy to do, than to answer me to many other questions which I could put to thee about my secret... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WAY; or rather, _the place_, as the next clause explains it, and the Hebrew phrase will bear. WHERE LIGHT DWELLETH, i.e. hath its constant and settled abode; for in the place where Job lived, and in most other parts of the inhabited world, it is like a traveller, that cometh and goeth continuall... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THOU SHOULDEST TAKE IT, i.e. taking, bring or lead it, as this verb is oft used, as EXODUS 25:2 PSALMS 68:29, compared with EPHESIANS 4:11 1 KINGS 3:24, 1 KINGS 17:10 HOSEA 14:2. And many other such pregnant verbs there are in the Hebrew language, having the signification of two verbs included... [ Continue Reading ]
An ironical question: If thou pretendest that thou knowest these things, and canst readily answer these questions, how comest thou by this knowledge? Was it from hence, because thou wast born when I made the world, and that first constitution of the light and darkness in that order and succession wh... [ Continue Reading ]
Dost thou know where I have laid up those vast quantities of snow and hail which I draw forth when I see fit? Dost thou know the causes of them, and the way to produce them? But if thou art unacquainted with these treasures, it is intolerable presumption in thee to pretend that thou knowest those tr... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH, i.e. which snow, and especially hail. AGAINST THE TIME OF TROUBLE, i.e. when I intend to bring trouble or calamity upon any country or people for their sins, or for their trial. Or, _against the time of the enemy_, i.e. when I intend to punish mine or my people's enemies, and to fight against... [ Continue Reading ]
BY WHAT WAY; dost thou know all the causes, means, methods, and circumstances of this work of God? _Is the light parted or dispersed or distributed, to wit_, in the air, or upon the face of the earth? By LIGHT he understands either, 1. The lightning, which breaks forth suddenly out of a cloud, and w... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE OVERFLOWING OF WATERS; for the showers of rain which come down out of the clouds, orderly, moderately, and gradually, as if they were conveyed in pipes or channels; which, without the care of God's providence, would fall confusedly, and all together; and, instead of refreshing, would overwhe... [ Continue Reading ]
TO CAUSE IT TO RAIN; that the clouds being broken by lightning and thunder might pour down rain. WHEREIN THERE IS NO MAN, to wit, to water those parts by art and industry, as is usual in cultivated and inhabited places; which makes this work of Divine Providence more necessary and more remarkable, i... [ Continue Reading ]
TO SATISFY, by raining, not sparingly, but liberally and abundantly upon it. TO CAUSE THE BUD OF THE TENDER HERB TO SPRINGFORTH; there being many excellent and useful herbs found in desert places, which otherwise would be utterly neglected and despised.... [ Continue Reading ]
To wit, besides me. Is there any man upon earth than can beget or produce rain at his pleasure? No, this is my peculiar work. And therefore seeing thou knowest and canst do nothing as to the government of these ordinary effects of nature, how great presumption is it to arrogate to thyself the knowle... [ Continue Reading ]
What man either can produce them, or doth fully understand where or how they are engendered? For philosophers speak of these things only by guess, and the reasons which some assign for them are confuted by others; and so they will confute one another to the end of the world, and prove nothing solidl... [ Continue Reading ]
AS WITH A STONE, i.e. with ice as hard as a stone. THE FACE OF THE DEEP, i.e. the great sea, which is oft called _the deep_, as GENESIS 7:11 PSALMS 107:24 ISAIAH 51:10, ISAIAH 63:13 2 CORINTHIANS 11:25, which in some parts is frozen, which is a wonderful work of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
BIND, i.e. restrain or hinder them. Canst thou bind or shut up the earth when they open it? THE SWEET INFLUENCES; or, _the delights_; because this constellation by its benign and opening influences brings in the spring, the herbs and flowers, and other delights of the earth. PLEIADES, called also th... [ Continue Reading ]
CANST THOU BRING FORTH to wit, into view? canst thou make him to arise and appear in thy hemisphere? MAZZAROTH; by which he designs either, 1. All the constellations, and especially the twelve sign of the zodiac; or rather 2. Some particular constellation, as all the rest here mentioned are unders... [ Continue Reading ]
KNOWEST THOU? either, 1. Simply, and by speculation, dost thou understand them? Or, 2. Practically, or operatively, so as to establish or rule them, as the next clause implies. THE ORDINANCES OF HEAVEN; the laws, which are firmly established concerning their order, motion, or rest and their powerf... [ Continue Reading ]
CANST THOU LIFT UP THY VOICE TO THE CLOUDS; either thundering in them, or calling to them with a loud voice, commanding them to rain? MAY COVER THEE, i.e. thy land, when it needs and requires rain.... [ Continue Reading ]
CANST THOU SEND at thy pleasure, and upon thy errand? HERE WE ARE; an expression of servants, declaring their readiness to obey their masters commands; of which SEE POOLE ON "GENESIS 22:1" SEE POOLE ON "ISAIAH 6:8".... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE INWARD PARTS, to wit, of a man. Compare @JOB 19:27 PSALMS 51:6. Who gave thee that wit and understanding which thou hast, and which thou now usest so arrogantly and wickedly, to contend with me, and to censure my actions? WHO HATH GIVEN UNDERSTANDING TO THE HEART; so he limits the former gene... [ Continue Reading ]
Who can wisely search out and exactly find the number of the clouds? They are numberless, and filled with water, as the next clause implies. WHO CAN STAY THE BOTTLES OF HEAVEN, to wit, the clouds? in which the rain is kept as in bottles, out of which God poureth it when he sees fit.... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse containeth a description either, 1. Of a great drought, when the earth grows hard, and close, and compact; or 2. Of the condition of the earth presently after the fall of the rain, when the earth, which in time of drought was much of it dissolved into dust, is now by the rain cemented o... [ Continue Reading ]
Is it by thy care and providence that the lions, who live in desert places, are furnished with necessary provisions? This is justly mentioned as another wonderful work of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
When through age and infirmity they cannot range abroad for prey, as the young lions do; but lie still in their dens, as if they were expecting their food from God, from whom also they receive it. TO LIE IN WAIT; watching till some beast come that way upon which they may prey.... [ Continue Reading ]
Having mentioned the noblest of brute creatures, he now mentions one of the most contemptible and loathsome, to show the care of God's providence over all creatures, both great and small; which is more remarkable in ravens, because, 1. They devour flesh, which it is not easy for them to find. 2. T... [ Continue Reading ]