but it ie uxcl'BBive; it fe.ile to m11,ke 11,llow- m~tural world. It ill suggested that the e.n~e for the extremity of J oh'e sufferings, storm, which ultimately broke at the thoo• e.n,l the disturbing infl.uenoe of extreme phanin. (eh. x:txviii. 1), we.a already begin• sulforing on the mind and judgment. It ie, ning to gather, and turned the thoughts of e.t any rate, more eevere than God'e judg- meut upou hie eervunt (ah. xxxviii. 2; Elihu in this direction. He begins wit.h the :xlii. 7). oonsideration of how rain ie generated, po.sees Yer. 22.-llohold, God exe.lteth by his rapidly to the gathering of the olouds from power; rather, bdwld, God doeth l.oftily in all quarters, and thence to the loud crash- his p01oe1 (see the Hevised Version). Who ing of the thunder, and the de.zzling flashes tee.cheth like him 1 'fhi8 he.s been called "the kev-note ot· Elihu's whole dieoouree" of the lightning, which illumine even the (Cook). • 'l'he entire providential govern- lowest depths of the sea (ver. 30). The ment of 1he world by God he views as effects of the storm are then spoken of, in didactic, e.s II series of more.I loesons o.d- words the exact meaning of whioh is very drcssed to men by their Mn.ker (see eh. xxxiii. obscure (vere. 31-33), H, 16; Xll.\". 11; xu.n. 9, etc.). If the lessons intended are taken to heart, then Ver. 26.-Behold, God is great, and we all g008 well with men; if they are rejected, know him not. This is the final lesson then ven sad and terrible results follow which Elihu seeks to impress on his heareJ"s. (eh. xxxvi. 12). God is so grent that fully to comprehend Ver. 23.-Who hath elljoined him his way1 him transcencle the power of the human (comp. eh. nxiv. 13). While God is thus understanding. However much we know the univcrs,il and all-perfect Teacher, there of him, there ill more that we do not know. are sowe who would fain instruct him, dic- His nature is unsearchable; his depths tate the course which he ought to pursue, (l Oor. ii. 10) nre insorutable; try e.s we improve and amend his universe. Some- may, we oan never "find h;m out" (eh. thing of this spirit lrn.s appeared in Job's xxxvii. 23). Neither can the number of his remonstre.nces, which seem to insinuate years be searched out. Even hie duration, that the Divine g,,,-.:111mCDt of the world being et.ernal, is beyond us. We cannot might be carried on Lctt,,r thnn it is (see realize the thought of pre- and post-eternity. eh. ix. 22-2-!; x. 3; xiii 20-26; xvi. 11- Ver. 27.-For he maketh small the drops l'i, etc.). Elihu's int.ention is to reproye of water ; rather, he draweth up the drops of Job for Lis presumption. Or who can say, water; i.e. by the heat of hie sun he causes Thou hast wrought i.Diquity1 Job has not exhalations to arise from the sea and the said t1,is; but he ha,; gone ncaz to saying it moist ea.rth, and draws them up into the (cL. ix. 24; L 3; xxi. 7-26; xxiv. 2-12, higher regions of the atmosphere, where they etc.); compare the comment on eh. x:wv. are condensed into clouds, that he.og sus- 5-12. pended in the air. They pour down. re.in Ver. 24.-Remember tha.t thou magnify aooording to the vapour thereof; literally, his work. Instead of murmuring, Job should they flo10 do1.011 as rain j<YI' his mid. The "magnify God's work." He should recog- water collected in the clouds flows down in nize the mercy of God, even in his own the shape of rain for the purpoee of watering afflictions, and praise him for it. Which the earth (see Gen. ii 6, where the same men behold. Men are looking on, anxiously word (,11) occurs). cousideri.ug Job's sufferings ; he is a spec- Ver. 28.-Wbioh the olouds do drop and tacle, to them, IM! the a.po.ties were to men filsTil upon ma.n abundantly. AU is dnne/or and a1,gds (1 Cor. iv. 9), a.ud the more man, for his benefit and advante.ge. reason tLerefore that he should, by pa.lieut Ver. 29.-.6.lso can any understand the endurance, hy submission and confession, spreadingll of the clouds 1 The rapid genera- cause Lis snfferingc to rndound to the glory tion of clonde, their g11theripg together, seem- and honour of God. ingly, from all quarters, and the -way they Ver. 25.-Every man may 1ee it; rather, almost suddenly overspread the heavens BllB it, or ha.a aeen it. llan may behold it (1 Kings xvili. 45), a.re among the moat afar o1f; rather, belwlds it, or ha.a behild it, remarkable phenomena of nature, and e.re from afar. Job's afflictions have drawn all very difficult to " understand" and neeount eyes upon them-not only those of his for. Or the noise of his tabemaole. The neighbours, but of ma.ny who look on "from awful era.eh of the thunder, which echoes afar." along the sky- God's "tabernacle," or pavilion (Ps. :xviii 11)-is, if not as inex- Vers. 26-33.-Elihu pasees now t.o e. de- plieable, even more fearful and astounding. BCription, which most be allowed to be M.an shrinks and que.ils before tho. tei:rible eloq nent, of the power and providence of eound, and feels himself in the presence of God, a.wi Clipecially of his power in the a mighty and ii:.ecrutable power. 0B, XXXVI, 1-33.] THE BOOK OF JOB. 579
Ver. 80.-Behold, he 1preadeth hi1 light with light, i.e. with the lightning. Bo Vnl upon it, God flashes the weird brilliance ol was represen led in Aasyrian e.nd Zeue in his lightning over the heaven-not over Greek mythology, e.e filling their ha.uda with himself, as some translate (Rosenmiiller, thunderbolts, and hurling them upon their Oool[). He lights up the whole sky at once foes in their wrath. And oommandeth it with the electric sple11rlour,and even oovereth not to shine, etc. This rendering is wholly with it the bottom (literally, the roots) of the indefeusible. Tranelate, And layeth com- BBa, '.rhis is, of oouree, hyperbole; but it mand upoo it that it etrike the mark (com- seoms to be Elihu's meaning. pare the Revised VerHion). Ver. 31.-P'or by them judgeth he the Ver. 33.-The noise thereof showeth con- people. By hie clouds God works two cerning it; or, C011Cerning him. The loud opposite effects. On the one hand, he era.ah proclaims the fierceness of God's executes judgment upon the peoples, de- anger. The cattle also concerning the stroying their crepe, causing widespread vapour ; rather, it ehoweth the cattle aJ,,o con- ruin by inundations, smiting and slaying cerning him that goeth. up; i.e. the very numbers wilh his thunderbolts; on the cattle also feel that God is in the storm, other, he giveth meat in abundanoe, restoring rides upon it, and "goeth np" (comp. Ps. to the parched earth its fertility by means xlvii. 5). The rendering of the Revised of copious and refreshing showers, stimu- Version, "(It showeth) the cattle also con- lating vegetation, and so furthering the cerning the storm that cometh up," is very harvest. weak, e.nd nnworthy of 11uch an orator aa Ver. 32.-With oloude he oovereth the ElihtL light j rather, he 0011ereth both his hands