The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 627

"n be11.11t;" bu\ it ia eoaroely possible to like bar1 of lroa, Either the ribs, or the understand the word in this sense in the solid bones of the lower leg, forearm, el.6:, ;present peal!ll.ge. where it seems to be a noun aro intended. singohu·, being followed by singular verbs, Ver. 19.-Xe is the ehlef ef the way■ of and represented by singular pronouns. God. Thie i11 the main argument in favour -Hence modern oritiOB nlmOl!t unanimously of the elephant, rather thl\u tLe bippopotn- rega.rd the word bere as designating '' some mns, being intended (see Sohulteus, ad loo,), particular animal." The mammoth, the It h&s, indeed, been 11,rgued that some speci- rhinoceros, the hippopotamus, end the ele- mens of the hippopotamus exceed the ele- ~h&nt hnvc been suggested. Of these the phant in height and hulk (Canon Cook, in mammoth is precluded by the want of any the • Speaker's Commentary,' vol. iv. p. 19): e,·idencc that it existed in Job's day, and hut no modem ne.turalist certainly wouli;l tl.te rhinooeroe by the absenoe of any allu- place the former animal above the latter sion to its peculiar teature. Authorities in any catalogue raisonnt'e of anime.ls o.r- arc divided almost equally between the ranged according to their size and impor- elephant and the hippopotamus; but the tance. The elephant, however, mo.y not have be6t rPc('.nt Hehraishl and naturalists in- been known to the e.uthor of Joh, or, &t any cline rather to the latter. Whioh I made rate, the Asiatio species, which seems not to with thee; i.e. "which I created at the have been imported into ABSyria before the same time as I created thee" (Gen. i. 2-1- middle of the ninth century u.o. In this case, 26). Re eateth ,grll88 aa an ox; i.e. he is the hippopotamus might well seem to him gmminivorous, not carnivorous. This is the grandest of the works of God. He that admitted io be true of the hippopotamus, made him can make his sword to approach which li\'es in the Nile during the day, unto him. This is explained to mean, and at night emerges from the river, and " Only God can attack behemoth with suc- devastates the crops of SUg&2'-o&ne, rice, cess e.nd slay him ; m&n is powerless to do and millet. so" (Ce.non Cook, St&nley Leathes, Revise<I. Ver. 16.-l.o now, his Btrmigth is in his Version). But the Egyptians, from very 1aiDa. The strength of the hippopotamus early times, used to atte.ck the hippopoto.mus is its principal characteristio. Weighing and slay him (Wilkinson, in the author's often two thousand kilogrammes, and of a • Herodotus.' vol. ii. p. 100). It is better, abort thick mnke, when l'oneed to anger it therefore, to translate the pe.ssage, with hu a force which is irresistible. In the Schultens, "He that made him bath fur- water it upsets large boats; on le.nd it nished him with his swoi·d," and to under- forces its Wt<J through dense thickets e.nd st&nd by " his sword " those sharp teeth fences of all kin&. The loins are espe- with which the hippopotamus is sa.id _to oially strong, being deep, broad, e.nd im- " cut the grass a, neatly as if it were mown, Jnellilely muscular. And his foroe is in the and to eever, as if with shears, a tolerably -vel of hill belly; rather, in the mUIClea of stout and thick stem". (Wood, 'Natural lais beUy. The word used (□•'1'-w) ooours History,' vol i. p. 762). Compare the • The- (tll Iy i.u this pl&ce. It is a plUr&I form, riaca' of Nicander, ll. 566, -567- and therefore cannot designe.te &single ob- ject, like the navel. The root seems to be •a trrou, ..-b11 N E~OS vr~p 'J',111Ji al8a11.&.a111111'' the Syriac ll!rir, "firm," whence Schultena BOITICE', a.pa{,P"I"''" 5~ l<l&lff/V iw1/JruE..-al &p,,.,, ... proposes to translat.e D'"l'~ by firmitates. Ver. 17.-B:e moveth hill t&illike a cedar. Ver. 20.-ISurelythe monntains bring him The t.ail of the hippopot.aznus is remarkably forth food. Neither the hippopotamus nor abort and thick. It only bends slightly, the elephant is an inhabitant of "moun- being stiff and unyielding, like the stem of tains,'' according to our use of the word. a cedar. The mews of his stone1 (rather, But the harim (Cl')")) of the origic.ol is used of liiE thighs) are wrapped together; or, in- of very moderate eminences. In the highly ten.oovffl one tDith a,wther (so Professor Lee poetical language of Job, and especially of and Mr. Houghton). this p&BS&ge, the term may well be applied Ver. 18.-Ril bones are &B strong piecea to the hills on either side of the Nile, of brass; rather, aB tubes of bronze. The which approach closely to the river, ~D<l to great thigh-hones-µ.T1p!a of the Greeb- this day furnish the hippopotamus with a are probably intended. These are hollow, portion of it.s food (see Hasselquiet, ' Tra- being filled with marrow, and are so strong vels,' p. 188). Where all the beasts of the ibat they may be well compared to "tubes 11.eld play. By "the beasts of the ji.eM," of bronze." (On the identity of ,it/diuihaA seem to be meant the cattle and other do- or ni!'l,lwsheth with " bronze " mther than mestic animalB which are not driven from '' hrlll!I!," sec the o.rticle on" Brass," in Dr. their puture-grounda by the ''river-horse" W. Smith's 'Dictionary of the Bible,' voL CTristre.m, 'Nat. Hist. of the Bible,' p. 52). i. p. 225.) Jlia bone11 (rather, h.u n.1-) are Ver. 21.-B:e lieth under the 1hady trees ; OR, XL, 1-24,] THE BOOK OF JOB. 643