JOB CHAPTER 39 Of the wild goats and hinds, JOB 39:1; the wild ass, JOB 39:5; the unicorn, JOB 39:9; the peacock, stork, and ostrich, JOB 39:13; the horse, JOB 39:19; the hawk; the eagle, JOB 39:26. These creatures, not fully known to Job, or governed by him, are sufficient to convince him that he i... [ Continue Reading ]
Dost thou exactly know when they did conceive, and when they will bring forth? which is more uncertain in these than in other creatures, because there fall out many accidents which cause them to bring forth before their time, as thunder, PSALMS 29:9, and other like causes of sudden fear, which may b... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY BOW THEMSELVES; being taught by a Divine instinct to dispose themselves in such a posture as may be fittest for their safe and easy bringing forth. THEY BRING FORTH THEIR YOUNG ONES, to wit, with great pain, being almost torn or rent asunder with the birth, as the word signifies; or, without an... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE IN GOOD LIKING; or, _grow strong_, or _fat_; notwithstanding their great weakness caused by their hard entrance into the world. WITH CORN; which they find and feed upon in the fields. Or, as _with corn_, i.e. as if they were fed with corn; the particle as being oft deficient, and to be supplied.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO HATH SENT OUT THE WILD ASS FREE? who hath given him this disposition, that he loves freedom, and avoids and hates that subjection which other creatures quietly and contentedly endure? WHO HATH LOOSED THE BANDS OF THE WILD ASS? which is not to be understood privatively, as if God took off the ban... [ Continue Reading ]
Who useth and loveth to dwell in desert lands, JEREMIAH 2:24 HOSEA 8:3,9. THE BARREN LAND; called _barren_, not simply, for then he must be starved there; but comparatively, unmanaged, and therefore in a great measure unfruitful land.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SCORNETH; either, 1. He feareth them not when they pursue him, because he is swift, and can easily escape them. Or, 2. He values them not, nor any provisions or advantages which he may have from them, but prefers a vagrant and solitary life in the wilderness before them. Or, 3. He disdains to s... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RANGE OF THE MOUNTAINS; that which he searcheth out or findeth in the mountains. He prefers that mean provision and hardship with his freedom, before the fattest pastures with servitude. Why so weak and harmless a creature as the wild ass should be untamable, when the most savage lions and tiger... [ Continue Reading ]
It is much disputed among the learned, but is not needful to be known by others, whether there be or ever was such a creature as we call the unicorn; or whether this _reem_, which is the Hebrew name of it, be the _rhinoceros_, as some would have it; or a certain kind of wild goat, called _oryx_, whi... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE FURROW, i.e. in thy furrowed field, by a metonymy. Or, _to_ or _for_ (as the prefix _beth_ is oft used, as GENESIS 11:4 LEVITICUS 16:22 JOB 24:5) THE FURROW, i.e. to make furrows, or to plough; for which work cattle use to be bound together, that they may be directed by the husbandman, and ma... [ Continue Reading ]
WILT THOU TRUST HIM, to wit, for the doing of these works, because he is very able for thy work? And wilt thou by thy power make him willing, or force him, to put forth and spend his strength in thy service? THY LABOUR; either, 1. Thy work of ploughing and harrowing. Or rather, 2. The fruit of thy... [ Continue Reading ]
WILL BRING HOME THY SEED, Heb. _will return thy seed_; either, 1. By ploughing and harrowing thy land so well that it shall make a good return to thee for thy seed. Or rather, 2. By bringing into thy barn, as it follows, thy seed, i.e. the product of thy seed, or thy sheaves of corn, as this word... [ Continue Reading ]
GAVEST THOU: the style of this book is very concise, and some verb is manifestly wanting to supply the sense; and this seems to be fitly understood out of JOB 39:19, where it is expressed. _The goodly_; or, _triumphant_; that wherein it triumpheth or prideth itself. _Wings_, or _feathers_; Heb. _win... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH, i.e. which ostrich; whose property this is noted to be by naturalists. Or, _but_; for this unnatural quality is opposed to the goodliness of her wings or feathers. IN THE EARTH; in the place where she lays them; where she leaves them, either, 1. From care, lest she should crush and break the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FEET, to wit, of wild beasts _as it follows_ passing that way.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE IS HARDENED; or, _he_, i.e. God, _hardens her_; or, _she hardeneth herself. Against her young ones_, i.e. against her eggs, which he calls her YOUNG ONES emphatically, to aggravate her fault and folly in destroying those eggs, which, if not neglected, would have been young ones. AS THOUGH THEY W... [ Continue Reading ]
Because God hath not implanted in her that natural instinct, and providence, and affection, which he hath put into other birds and beasts towards their young. And yet no man presumes to reproach me for making this difference in my creatures. And as little reason hast thou to blame me for afflicting... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE LIFTETH UP HERSELF ON HIGH, to flee from her pursuer; to which end she lifteth up her head and body, and spreads her wings. SHE SCORNETH THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER she despiseth them in regard of her greater swiftness; for though she cannot fly because of her great bulk, being said to be as big as... [ Continue Reading ]
STRENGTH; either strength of body; or rather, courage and generous confidence, for which the horse is highly commended. WITH THUNDER, i.e. with snorting and neighing; in the making of which nereid the neck, in regard of the throat, which is within it, and a part of it, is a principal instrument; whi... [ Continue Reading ]
AS A GRASSHOPPER; which is easily affrighted, and chased away by the least noise of a man. Or, as divers others render the place, _Didst thou make him to move like a grasshopper_, skipping and leaping as he goes? So he describes the posture of a gallant and generous horse, who curvets, and pranceth,... [ Continue Reading ]
HE PAWETH; or, _he diggeth_. Through courage and wantonness he cannot stand still, but is beating, as it were digging, up the earth with his feet. IN THE VALLEY: this he adds, partly because the ground being there more plain and smooth, he hath the better conveniency for his prancing and pawing with... [ Continue Reading ]
AT FEAR, i.e. at all instruments and objects of terror, as fear is oft used, as PROVERBS 1:26, PROVERBS 10:21. He despiseth what other creatures dread. FROM THE SWORD; or, _because of the sword_; or, _for fear of the sword_, as this phrase is used, ISAIAH 21:15, ISAIAH 31:8 JEREMIAH 14:16, JEREMIAH... [ Continue Reading ]
THE QUIVER; or although _the quiver_ &c. So this comes in as an aggravation of his courage, notwithstanding the just causes of fear which are mentioned in this verse. And the _quiver_ is here put for the arrows contained in it, by a metonymy, very usual in this very case, and in all sorts of authors... [ Continue Reading ]
The sense is either, 1. He is so earnest and eager upon the battle, that he rusheth into it with all speed; and runs over the ground so swiftly, that he might seem to have swallowed it tap. Or, 2. He is so full of war-like rage and fury, that he not only champs his bridle, but is ready to tear and... [ Continue Reading ]
HA, HA; an expression of joy and alacrity, declared by his proud neighings; whereby he doth in some sort answer the sound of the trumpets, in way of scorn and challenge. HE SMELLETH, i.e. he perceiveth, as this phrase is used, JUDGES 16:9. AFAR OFF; at some distance, either of place, or rather of ti... [ Continue Reading ]
DOTH THE HAWK FLY in so singular a manner, so strongly and steadily, so constantly and unweariedly, so swiftly and speedily, so regularly and cunningly, to catch her prey, _by thy wisdom_; didst thou inspire her with that wisdom? STRETCH HER WINGS TOWARD THE SOUTH; which she doth, either. 1. When s... [ Continue Reading ]
MOUNT UP; fly directly upward, till she be out of thy sight; which no other bird can do. ON HIGH; in the highest and inaccessible rocks. Compare JEREMIAH 49:16 OBADIAH 1:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
Which she doth partly for the security of herself and her young; and partly that she may thence have the better prospect to discern her prey, as it followeth.... [ Continue Reading ]
Her sight is exceeding sharp and strong, so that she is able to look upon the sun with open eyes, and to behold the smallest prey upon the earth or sea, when she is mounted out of our sight; which when she spies, she flies to it with incredible swiftness, even like an arrow out of a bow.... [ Continue Reading ]
BLOOD; either of the prey which the eagle hath brought to her nest for them, or of that which themselves catch and kill, being betimes inured to this work by their dams. Naturalists note of the eagle, that she drinketh no water, but blood only. WHERE THE SLAIN ARE; where any dead carcasses are, yea,... [ Continue Reading ]