which is oft called by that, or the like name, which the following
Clauſe of the verſe may ſeem to favour. Or,. 2. Ofthe Elephants
crunk, which being ſo eminent and remarkable a part, would not
q Seing thou makeſt thy ſelf equal, yea, ſuperiour to me in Ju-'| Probably be omitred inthis Deſcription, to which theſe words very
htly agree, beczuſe of its admirable morion and ſtrength. Nor is it ſrrange that this is called his Tail, becauſe that word: is oft uſed improperly for any end of a thing, as Iſa: 7: 4. See alſo Dent; 25:18: & 28;:13,*44, g This may be noted becauſe the Elephants Teſticles do rot bang down below the belly, as they do in other Beaſts, but are contained within his belly where they are faſtned by Ligaments ofextraordinary ſtrength. Or, the ſinews of the ter- ror thereof, to wit, of the Trunk laſt mentioned under the name of the Tail, 3. e. its terrible Sinews are ſtrongly and ſtrangely wrapped rogether, that he can moveit as he liſteth with wonderful dexterity and ſtrength. Or, the Sinews of his Thighs, as the latter word oft ſignifies in the Arabick Tongue, which is very near akin to the He- brew. The Thighs and Feet of the Hippopotamus are noted to be ſo ſinewy and ſtrong, that one of them is able to break or overturn a large Boar. SEE 18 His bones þ are as ſtrong pieces of Braſs ? ; bis
bones are like bars of iron.
h Under whichtitle are coryprehended his Ribs (as the LXX.here render it) and his teeth, # Exceeding hard and ſtrong, as they are in both theſe Creatures.
19 He is the chief of the ways of God &: he that made him, can make his ſword to approach unto him /.
k i, e, Of God's Works, to wit, of that ſort, or among living and brute Creatures This is eminently ard unqueſtionably true ofthe Elephant, in regard of his vaſt bulk, and ſtrength joine with great aQtivity, and eſpecially of his admirable ſagacity a® aptneſs to learn, and of his ſigular uſefulneſs to Mankind, his Lord and Maſter, and God's Vicegerent in the World,and many 0* ther commendable qualities. And the Hippopotamus alſo is in fome ſort, as others note, the chief, os one of the chief of God's Works,
in
Chap p XL, " |
{Heb riſe
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' bimin|
fair? g yy his | we with
iGh 2
p. XL,
| Whirlpool, I thou
* p, XLI- J
; ard of its great bulk and frength and ſagacity, and the man- _ his Dates Tonk in the Water and upon the Land, But it mu
be granted that rhe Elephant doth exceed the Hippopotamus 1n mar» ny things: 1Though he beſo ſtrong and terrible, yer God can ea- fily ſubdue and deſtroy him.either immediately,or by arming other, Creatures as the Rhinoceros,or Dragon, or Tiger,againſt him: Or he that made him hath applied or given to him his Sword, or Arms, to wit, his Trunk, which may not unfitly be called his Sword, becauſe thereby he doth both defend himſelf,and offend his enemies. And this Trunk of his being a thing very obſerveable and admirable in him, and therefore not likely to be negle&ed in his Deſcription, if it were not intended by his Tail. v: 17: may ſeem to be deſigned in
20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food mw 3 where all the Beaſts of the field play ».
»» Though this Creature be vaſtly great, and require much food, and no Man careth for it, yes God provides for it out of his own ſtores, and makes even deſert mountains to afford him ſufficient ſu- ftenance. The Hippopotamus alſo,though he live moſt in the Wa- ter, fetched his food from the Land,and from the Mountains or Hills, which are nigh into the River Nile. n They not only feed ſecure- ly,but ſport themſelves by him or with him,, being taught by expe- rience that he is gentle and harmleſs, and never preys upon them-
21 He lieth s under the ſhady trees,in the covert of
the reeds, and fens p. {-
« TheElephanr lies down to reſt himſelf: and it is but fabulous which ſome Writers affirm that they have no joints in their Legs, and ſo cannot lye down, but ſleep or reſt themſclves ſtanding or leaning againſt a Tree, Which is denied and confuted by A4riftorle in his Hiſtory of Living Creatures, 2, 4: and by later Writers. ? For the Elephant being a Creature naturally hot, and living generally in bot Countries, diligently ſeeks for and delights in ſhady and wateriſh places,as is noted by 4riſfotle, and afrer him by Pliny. and lian.
22 The ſhady trees cover him with their ſhadow ;
the willows of the brook q compaſs him abour.
q Or, of Nilw, of which this word is oft uſed in Scripture» And this ſeems to be the chief Argument by which the learned Bochart proves this to be meantof the Hippopotamus, whoſe conſtant reſi- dence is in or near the River of Nilus,or the Willows that grow by it, But it is well alledged by our Learned and Judicious Cary!, that this word Naal is never uſed to expreſs Nilus when 1t is put by it ſelf, as here it is, buronly where the werd Egypt is added to it, as it 3s in all the places which Bochare produceth. And this very phraſe, the Willows ef the Brook, is uſed of other Brooks or Rivers beſides
Heb, Ge Nilus, as Lev: 23; 40* Compare Iſa: 15: 5. - wſch, 23 Behold, Þ he drinketh up r a river 5 an haſteth " not t: he truſteththat he can draw up Jordan into his