SECTION VI. •Ca. xx.xvm.-XLI. CLOSE OF THE CoNTBOVEBSY BY THE INTERFEBENCB OF THE .ALMIGHTY. EXPOSITION. -a sort of at"gumentwm ad w,-eoundia-to OHA.PTER XXXVIII. Job's profound ignorance of God's natural The discourse, by whioh the Almighty government, which incapacitates him from answers Job and rebukes· bis "friends," passing judgment upon what is far more oocupies four ohapters (oh. xxniii.-xli.), incomprehensible and mysterious, God's It is broken rnto two parts by the interposi- moral government. The points adduceJ, in tion of a short confession on Job's part which Job is oh1lllenged to claim that he (oh. xl. 8-5). Oh. xxxviii. and xxxix. are has knowledge, or confess that he is closely connected, and form a single appeal ignorout, are: (1) The creation of the THE BOOR OF JOll [on. xxx.vm. 1-41.
materiRl world (oh. xnviii. 4:-7). (2) The (<'h, ix. 32-35; xiii. 8, 18--22; xxiil, 4~7; cont.rol nnd government of tho BOB (vers. 8- xxxi. 35). God now off'era to grnnt his 11). (3) The bringing forth of the dttwn request, nnd bide him stnnd forth " ns n man," 11.nd "gird himself" for the contest, (vere. 12-15). (4) The formRtion of Shool, which he hnschallengcd. For I will demand of light nnd duk-nees, of snow, hail, floods, of thee, and anawer thou ~e. He will begin rain, lightning, thunder, ioe, dew, hORrfrost with intorrogfltorieswhioh Job must answor: (vere. 17-30). (5) The government of the then Job will he entitle,! to put questions Ftnr., end of the clouds (vers. 31--38). to him. Job, however, on the opportunity .(6) The creation, endowment with instincts, being gi.en him, shrinks bnck, e.nd says . " Behold, I 11m vile: what elmll I answer and general direct.ion of the animl\l world- thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth, wild goots, binds, wild asses, "·ild c"ttle, Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: o8triches, homes, hawks, eagles (eh. xxxix. vea, twice; but I will proooe,I no. further" l~'l0.) The tone of the appeal is 1rn~tRined (eh. xl. 4, 5). The confident boldness which at a high pitch, and the entire ra~sagc is ho felt when God seemed far off disnppeare in his presence, aud ie replaced by diffidence one of extroordinnry foroe and eloqucnco. and distrust. Ver. 4.-Where we.et thou when I laid Ver. 1.-Then the Lord &nswered Job out the fonndations of the earth ! Wast thou of the whirlwind. It is J'llma.rk"d, with present? Didst 'thou witness it? If not, reason, that the special mention of Job e.e whnt c11nst thou know concerning it? And the person answered "implie• that another if thou knowest nothing of creation, what speaker had intervened" (Wordsworth); canst thou know of deeper things? The "·bile the attachment of the article to the metaphor, by which the orentiou of the word "whirlwind" implies some previous earth is compared to tho foundation of an mention of tliat phenomenon, which is only edifice, is a common one (Ps. cii. 25; civ. 5; to be found in the discourse of Elihu (eh. Prov. viii. 29; Isa. xlviii. 13; Ii. 13, 16; ::UX'l"ii 9). Both points have &n importo.nt Zech. xii. I; Heb. i. 10, etc.), and is to he 1-ring on the genuineness of the disputed viewed e.e a concession to human weakness, section eh. :uxii-xx.xvii. And said. creation itself, as it actulllly took place, The q~estion whether there WRI! a!I objec- being inconceivable. Declare, if thou hast tive utterance of hnmlln words out of the understanding. That is, if thou hast any whirlwind, or only a en~jective impression knowledge on the subject (CO!]Jp. ver. 18). of the tbonghts reoorded on the minds of Ver. 5.-Who determined the measures those present, is Illlimporte.nt. In any C-9:8e, thereon Everything.in creation is orderly, there was a revelation direct from God, which mee.snred, predetermined, governed by law furnished an authoritative solution of the and will. The ectulll weight of the planets questions debated to all who had been is fixed by Divine- ·wisdom, with a view to engaged in the debo.te. the stability and enduringness of the.solar Ver. 2.-Who is this that da.rkeneth system (comp. lea. xl. 12). If thouknowest; oounsel by words without kno~le~e t It litere.lly, for thou lmowest-o.n anticipation is very noticeable that God entirely 1gno_ree of . the lofty irony which comes out 6G the reasoninn-e of Elihu, and addressee him- remarkably in ver. 21. Or who hllth self, in the" first ~ance, wholly to ?ob, stretched the line upon it t Human builder& with whom he begrne by remonstmting. determine the dimensions of their construc- ,Job lllls not been without fault. He has tions by means of e. measuring-line (Ezek. spoken many "words without knowledge" :rl. 3-49, etc.). The writer carries out his or with insufficient knowledge, and has metaphor of a building by supposing a thus trenched on irreverence, and given the measuring-rod to be.ve been used at the enemies of God occe.eion to blaspheme. creation of the earth also. Some find a Moreover, he has "darkened counsel." In- trace of the idea in Gen. i. 9, where they stead of me.king the ways of God clear to translate ~;:! 11p,•., "Let the waters be 1th. friends and companions, he has cast donbt.s upon God's moml government ~eh. marlred ou.t with a line." xxi 7-26), upon hiB mercy and lovm~- Ver. 6.--Whereupon are the foundations kindnese (eh. xvi 7-H~ almost upon h!9 thereof fastened 1 These. details follow jUBtice (eh. xii:. 7; :r:x.n. 1-:-35). He 1e naturally upon the adoption of the particular thus open to censure, and receives censure, metaphor of a house or building. They are nnd owns bimaelf "vile" (eh. xl. 4), before not to be pressed. The object is to impress peace and reconoiliation can be ~bli;9hed. on Job hi.a utter ignorance of God's ways in Yer. S_--Gircl up now thy lolll.l like a creation. Or who laid the oorner-stone man. Job had.desired to oontend with God, ther'°fl Who gave the le.et finishing touch 1,, r,lelld ,ritp hi111, aud 11,rguci out p111 C!llle to the w9rk (see l's, oiviii. 22; Zeeb. iv, 7)7 on. x::uvrn. 1-41.] THE BOOK OF ,JOB. 609