or:, und" the lotu, tre,, (Revised Version), SaUz Babyltmica., 01' "weeping willow " ill Tho Lotus •ulvestri,, or· 'lotu, Cyrwnaica, Iese likely. ' " grows nbund11ntly on tho hot bnnks of Ver. 23.-Behold, he c1rlnketh up a. river, the Upper Nilo" (Cook), nnd is thought to and hnateth not; re.ther, behold, la a rfoer be tho tree here inlenrled (Solmltens, Cook, 011erflmo, h8 lremhleth not (1/tv 71'/\TJµ.µ.Jpa. ,1- Houghton, nnd others). But the irlentifi- ,,.,,.,.a.,, oi, µ.~/ alu9..,9ff, LXX.). As nn amphi- oation is very doubtful. The dense shede bious animA.l, the overflowing of a river hRs of trees is sought alike hy the hippopotamus no terrors for the hippopote.mns. But it nnd the elephant, In the oovert of the reed, would he.ve some terrors for an elephant. e.nd fena, This is exnotly desoriptive of the He trusteth the.t he onn dre.w up Jordan into hippopotRmus; for leas so of the elephant. his mouth. It is better to tre.nslate, he i,, Gordon Cumming snys, " At every turn Btea,dfriat (or, confident), though Jordan swell there occurred deep, still pools, nod oocn- e11en to his mouth. "Jordan" probably sionnl sandy islands, densely clnd with stnnds for e.ny large and strong-flowing lofty reeds. Above and beyond these river. The conjecture the.t p-,. is e. cor- reeds stood trees of immense age, beneath ruption of ,,, which often stands for "the which grew a rnnk kind of grnss, on Nile," is ingenious, but unnecessary. which the sen-cow (hippopotamus) delights Ver. 24.-He te.keth it with hia eyes; to pasture" (' Lion-Hunter of South Africn,' re.ther, ShaJJ, one take him when he is looking p. 297). on 1 "Can he be captured," i.e.," when his Ver, 22.-The shBdy trees (or, the lotus eyes e.re open, and when he sees what is in- trees) cover him with their shadow (see the tended? No. IC captured at all, it must be comment on. ver. 21); the willows of the by subtlety, when he is not on the we.tch." brook oompnss him rolllld about. The "wil- His nose pierceth through auares ; rather, low of the brook" (Lev. xxiii. 40) is pro- Or can one bore his nostri'l with cord, 1 i.e. bably the Saliz lEgyptiaca, or safsaf, which can we lead him away captive, with e. ring grows plentifully in the Nile volley, fring- or hook pBBsed throngh his nose, and a. ing the course both of the Nile itself and cord attached (compare the next chapter, of the many streams derived from it. The ver. 2)?
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-5.-Jehovah to Job: th1J first answer-the application, L JEHOVAH's CONDESCENSION TOWARDS JoB. 1. In listening with patient silence to Job's censures and complaints. "Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? " literally, "Shnll the reprover [i.e. of God] contend in contending with the Almighty? " This is the first formal notice taken by Jehovah of the fact that Job had indulged in censori.ous reflections against the Divine character and adrninistr .. tion. They had all been heard by that ever-listening ear which no sound can escape. But no sign or indication had been given that the Deity was cognizant of the reflections cast upon him by his angry servant. Patiently he had suffered Job to proceed against him as far as he thought good. And the like meek, uncomplaining attitude does he still preserve towards them, whether ungodly unbelievers or backsliding professors, :who cast reproaches on his Name (Ps. l. 21). The Divine patience in the face of man's provocations to wrath is a sublime mirncle of condescension. 2. In seeking rather to remove Job's censures by instruction. than to silence them by chastisement. When e.t length Job had ended his long arraignment of the Divine government of the world, it would not have been surprising had God descended on him by way of punishment, calling him to account for his over-bold behaviour. Instead of that, thi, Almighty causes an ambe.ssador, Elihu, to deal with him by way of education, imparting to him such views of God's character and we.ys as might serve to correct his misapprehensions. Nny, himself, the supreme Jehovah, stoops to become his own Ambassador for the selfsame purpose, that he might set before the mind of his servant such an image and presentment of himself that the misconceptions which ge.ve rise to his censures might be removed. What God gave to Job out of the whirlwind he has in the Person of Jesus Christ given to the world-a. manifostation of himself-and for a like purpose, n.ot condemnation, but salvation (John iii. 17), through the removal of those erroneous idea.a which hinder men from giving him their confidence and love (2 Cor. iv. 6). 3. In submitting to diacuss the question of his own character with his c-rroture. " He that reproveth God, let him answer it; " i.e. if Job had anything to urge in reply to the representation which God had given of himself, God was ready to e.ttend to it. Surely (l4-( THE BOOK OF JOB. [OR, XL, 1-24-,