Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Gud Shows His Power among the Animals. JOB XL. Job Humbleth hivisdf to God. answers to her proudly "lifting up herself." 19. The allusion to "the hor.se," f. 18, suggests the description of him. Arab poets delight in praising the horse; yet it is not mentioned in the possessions of Job (chs. 1. and 42). _ It seems to have been atthe time chiefly used for war, rather than " domestic purposes." thnnder—poetically for, " he with arched neck inspires fear as //ii/Jidcr does." Trans-
Tlipy brins forth witli ease anil do not need to reckon the months of pregnancy, as tlie shepherd does in the case of his tlocks. 3. " liow tlieniselves" in parturition; V>en(i on their linees(l Samuel 4. 19). bring fortU—Lit., cause their l/oiiiirj to cleave the u omh ami Irreak forth, sorrows—Their youna ones, the cause of their momentary pains. 4. are ill ioort ll Uiiig—In good condition, grow up strong, wltli lorii—Rather, in the field, without man's care, rctnrii imt— Heing able to provide for themselves. 5. %vlld ass —Two different Hebrew words are here used for the same late, "Majesty." [Umbreit.] Rather "the trembling, quivei-ing mane," answering to the "vibrating wing" of the ostrich (note 13) [Maurer]. Mane in Greek also is from a root meaning/e«7\ English Version is more sublime. 20, make . . . afraid—Rather, "canst thou (as I do) make him spring as the locust." So in Joel 2. 4 the comparison is between locusts and war-horses. The heads of the two are so like, that the Italians call the locusts.minial, the ass of the woods and the wild ass. (Note fi. 5; ch.
11. 12; 24.5; Jeremiah 2. 21.) loosed tlie bands—Given its lilierty to. Man can rob animals of freedom, but not, as Ood, give freedom, combined with subordination to fixed laws. 6. barren-/i7., naif, i. e., unfruitful. (So Marffirt, Psalm 107.34.) 7. mnltitnde—Rather, din: he sets it at cavalctta, "little horse." nostrils—Snorting furiously. 31. valley—Where the battle is joined, goeth on—Goetli forth (Numbers 1. 3; 21. 2.3). 33. qniver—lor the ai-roirs, which they contain, and which are directed "against him." glittering spear lit., glitlpring of the spear, like " lightning of the spear" (Habakknk3. 11). shield—Rather, defiance, being far away from it in the freedom of the wildeiiiess. driver—who urges on the tame ass to work. The wild ass is the symbol of uncontrolled freedom in the Knst ; even kings have, thei efore, added its name to them.
S. The range Lit., searching, "that which It finds by lance. 34. swallowetli—Fretting with impatience, he draws the ground towards him wit h his hoof, as if he would swalloiv it. The parallelism shows this to be the sense; not as Maurer, "scours over it." neither believeth— For joy. Rather, "he will not stared still, when the note of the trumpet" (soundeth). 35. saith—Poetically applied to his mettlesome neighing, whereby he shows his \h\e of the battle, smelletli—Snutfeth ; discerneth (Margin, searclilng is," &c. 9. nnleorn—Pliny, Natural History 8.
21, mentions such an animal; its figure is found depicted in the ruins of Persepolis. The Hebrew reem conveys the idea of loftiness i\Yu\ power (cf. Ramah, Indian Ham, Latin
JiomitK The rhinoceros was perhaps the original type of the unicorn. The Arab rim is a two-horned animal. Sometimes " unicorn" or reem is a mere poetical symbol or abstraction ; hut the buffalo is the animal refenred to here, from the contrast to the lame or, used in ploughing, Ac. (v.
I.saiah 11. 3). thnnder—Thundering voice. 36. The instinct by which .some birds migrate to warmer climes before winter. Rapid flying peculiarly characterizes the whole hawk genus. 37. eagle—It flies highest of all birds
10,12). crib—(Isaiah 1.8.) abide JM., pass the ni(/ht. 10. liis band—fastened to the horns, as its chief strength lies in t he head and shoulders, after tliee—Obedient to thee; willing to follow, instead of being goaded on before thee. thence called the bird of heaven. 38. abideth—Securely (Psalm 91. 1); it occupies the same abode mostly for life, crag lit., tooth (Margin, 1 Samuel 14. 5). strong place Citadel, fastness. 39. seeketh—Is on the lookout for. behold—the eagle descries its prey at an astonishing distance, by sight, rather than smell. 30. Quoted partly by Jesus Christ (Matthew 24. 28). The food of young eagles is the blood of victims brought Iry the parent, when they are still too feeble to devour flesh, slain—as the vulture chiefly feeds on carcasses, it is Included probably in the genus eagle,
11. tby labour—Rustic work. 12. believe—Trust, seed —Produce (1 Samuel 8. lo). into thy barn—Rather, gather
I'the contents of) thj/ threshinf/-floor [Maurer]; the corn threshed on it. 13. Rather, "the wing of the ostrich hen —(///., the (rri/ing bird ; as the Arab name for it means song ; referring to its night cries, ch. 30. 29 ; Micah 1. S) vibrates.joyousl.\% Is it not like the quill and feathers of the pious bird" (i\\9 stork)? [Umisreit.] The vibrating, quivering
serving for sail and oar at once, is characteristic of the ostrich in full course. Its white and black feathers in the wing and tail are like the stork's. But, unlike that bird, the symbol of parental love in the East, it with seeming want of natural (pions) affection deserts its young. Both birds are poetically called by descriptive instead of their usual appellative names. 14. Yet (unlike the stork) she leaveth, &c. Hence called by the Arabs the impious bird. However, the fact is, she Lays her eggs with great care and hatches them, as other birds do; hut in hot countries tlie eggs do not need so constant incubation; she therefore often leaves them; and sometimes forgets the place on her return; moreover, the outer eggs, intended for food, she feeds her young with; these eggs, lying separate in the sand, exposed to the sun, gave rise to the idea of her altogether leaving them. God descril)es her as she seems to man; Implying, though she ma.v seem foolishly to neglect her young, yet really
CHAPTER XL. ,
Ver. 1-21. Gon's Second Address. He had paused for a reply, but .lob was silent. 1. the l>ord Hebrew, JehoVAlt. 3. he that contendeth—As Job had so often expressed a wish to do. Or, rebuketh. Poes Job now still (after seeing and hearing of God"s nnijesty and wisdom) wish to set God right? answer It^—viz., tlie questions I have asked. 3. Irf>rd—Jehovah. 4. I am (too) vile (to reply). It is a very different thing to vindicate ourselves before God, from what It is before men. Job could do the latter, not the former, lay . . . hand upon . . . niontli — I have no plea to oft'er (ch. 21. 5 ; Judges 18. 19). 5. Once. . . twice Oflentiynrs, more than once (ch. 3;}. M, cf. with 29; Psalm 02.11): "I ha ve spoken," viz., against God. not answer—Not plead against thee. 0. theli Oitl Jkiiovaii. slie is guided by a sure instinct from God, as much as animals of instincts widely different. 10. On a slight nols<! often she forsakes her eggs, and returns not, as if she were "hardened towanls her young." Iier labonr In producing eggs, is j'n, vain (yet) she has no disr/uietiide (about her young); unlike other birds, who, if on(; egg and iinollx r are laken away, will goon layl ng t 111 their
7. (Note ;{8. 3.) Since Job has not only spoken against God, but accused Illm of injustice, (iod challenges lilm to try, could he govern the world, as (Iod by His jiower dolli, and punish the proud and wicked (i'. 7-14). 8. Wilt tho\i not only contend with, but set aside my judgment or justice In the government of the world, eondemn Deela ro nn' unrighteous, In order that thou mayest be accounted righteous (innocent; undeservingly afflicted). O. arm God's omnlpotence (Isaiah 53. I). tl>under— God's voice full number is made up. 17. tvisdoin—such as God gives to other animals, and to man (ch. .35. II). The Arab proverb Is, "foolish as an ostrich." Yet her very seeming wantof wislom is not without wise design of Ood, though man cannot see it; just as in the trials of the godly, wbleli seem so unreasonable to .lob, there lies hid a wise design. IH. Not wllhstanding her deticlenci(>s, she has<llst ingulsh Ing excellences, llftctlt . . . herself—for running; she cannot mount In the air. OrflSHNius translates, lashes her- ((!h. 37.4). 10. See, hast thou power and majesty like God's, to enable thee to judge and govern the world ? II. rn)'e— Rill lu-r, pour out the redunilant floods of, Ac. beliold—'I'ry, canst thou, as God, by a mere glance abase the pi'ou<l ( I.saiah 2. 1'2, AO? Vi. proud—high ;i>anlel 4. ;t7). in this place—On the sjiot; suddenly, before they can move from their place (note 31. 2ti; .30. '20). 13. (Isaiah 2. 10.) Abase and remove them out of the sight of men. bind . . . faces-1. c.Shul up their pcrsoiu. [Mauker.] But it refers self up to her course by flapping her wings. The old versions favour English Version, and the parallel "scorueth"