and commandeth it not to shine by the Cloud that cometh be Rather [ויצו עליה במפגיצ : .twixt --- AND COMMANDETH THE עליה UPPER REGION BY THAT WHICH IS INTERPOSED; i. e. by fuch Interpofition He as it were iffues His Orders to the upper Regions above the Clouds, that their Radiance fhould not vifit the Earth. by is not here a Prepofition with the affix Pronoun, because it cannot agree with its fuppofed Antecedent; but seems to be used for an upper Chamber; a Term not unusual in Scripture to denote Regions: thus Ch. IX. 9. the Chambers of the South; and Ch. XXXVII. 9. Out of the Chamber cometh the Whirlwind; and Pf. CIV. 2. 13. He layeth the Beams of his Chambers in the Waters. He watereth the Hills from his Chambers. And, not to mention more Inftances, we meet with Chambers of Death, Prov. Ch. VII. 27. : V.33. the Cattle also concerning the Vapour. hwy by as mapp] Thefe very obfcure Words, which have fo much perplexed the Critics, may, I think, without Violence admit of this Conftruction, viz. IT IS RED HOT WITH INDIGNATION, THEREFORE IT BURNETH. pis here confidered as the Part. fing. m. Hiph. for xp, as Ezek. VIII. 3. Now the Verb p in Arabic, fo alfo in Hebrew primarily, fignifies to be red hot, to be inflamed; whence is derived its moft ufual Signification, to be moved with Zeal. The Prepofition gy is used in the like Manner as it is here, Gen. XLI. 32; and the Verb by has the Senfe of burning, Exod. XXVII. 20. Numb. VIII. 3. &c. Or may be conftrued by the Gerund, viz. IN ASCENDING, or all the way upwards. The Words thus explained will perfectly agree with the three preceding Hemiftics, which clearly defcribe the Rife, Progress, and Effect of Thunder and Lightning. These Symptoms here described might well strike Elihu with Awe and Trembling; after which, as the Storm increaseth, he goes on to describe the loud Bursts of Thunder, and the Flashes of the Lightning. V. 2. Hear attentively the Noife of his Voice, — up tana vow wou] Rather --- HEAR ATTENTIVELY HIS VOICE, WITH TREMBLING: or---HEAR ATTENTIVELY THE RATTLING (or CONCUSSION) OF HIS VOICE. ירעם V. 4. He thundereth with the Voice of his Excellency ; — y p] Would not- WITH HIS MAJESTIC VOICE be better? not [בקול גאונו and יעקב מכי and he will not stay them, when his Voice is heard. py p yo] As there is no Antecedent to the plural Affix; ought not there to be a marginal Note, as in the old Verfion, viz. That is, Rains and Thunders? Or might not the Text be read - ' apy and thus rendered STROKES when HIS VOICE IS HEARD? i. e." the Effects of his "Thunderbolts." The very fame Word, and fame Construction occur Jer. XVIII. 21. AND HE WILL NOT RESTRAIN THE V.6. likewife to the fmall Rain, and to the great Rain of his Strength. 100 běˆi 709 ] Rather-LIKEWISE TO THE SHOWER OF RAIN, EVEN THE SHOWER OF THE RAINS OF HIS STRENGTH: i.e. even to the Showers of the most violent Rain. ביד כל אדם יחתום V.7. He fealeth up the Hand of every Man: — ' N 50 7] Rather, I think - BY MEANS of them (viz. the violent Rains just mentioned) HE SHUTTETH UP EVERY MAN. SHUTTETH UP EVERY MAN. 7 fignifies here through the Agency or Inftrumentality. There may perhaps appear a Sort of Catachrefis in attributing Hands to Clouds, or to the Tongue; as Prov. XVIII. 21. &c. but in all these Cafes, where the Head, Hand, Heart, Feet, or other Parts of Body, are used with reference to inanimate Matter, the Etymology is not fo much to be attended to as the Analogy. Rather [ובמעונותיה תשכן : V.8. and remain in their Places. - IN THEIR CAVERNS; exegetical of DENS in the preceding Hemistic. V. 9. Out of the South cometh the Whirlwind, and Cold out of the What the precite [מן החדר תבוא סופה - ממזרים קרה : .North Idea conveyed by these Words, 17 and 1, is, cannot be determined with Certainty. Our Tranflators give the firft the Senfe of South, because that Word is joined to it Ch. IX. 9. and of course, by a Sort of Analogy, founded on Experience, make the other Word to fignify the North. This, it must be acknowledged, is but a weak Foundation to build upon a better Ground, however, in my Opinion might be found, were we to render 7 THE UPPER REGIONS; for it fignifies a Chamber, a Recefs, or Repository, as Ch. IX. 9. Pf. CXXXV, 7. In regard to the other correfponding Word, it appears to me to be a a Word of the fame Import as its Re אצרות or אצרים Miftake for lative, and used in a Parallel Place in the next Chap. V. 22. But I lay no Stress on this Conjecture; and would therefore render D THE CONSTEL CONSTELLATIONS, a generic Name, to which it has an indubitable Right. V.11. Alfo by watering he wearieth the thick Cloud: Rather ALSO WITH FAIR WIND HE DRIVETH AWAY THE THICK CLOUD. This doubtless is the true Sense of in this Place, from the Verb To make clean, clear, and bright. But where our Tranflators got the Idea of watering, I cannot find. As the Verb mo occurs only in this Place, I give it the Signification of the Arabic, Longe removit, amandavit. he fcattereth his bright Cloud. ] Rather HE SCATTERETH THE CLOUD BY HIS LIGHT (or BRIGHTNESS.) על פני V. 12. — upon the Face of the World in the Earth. an up by 8] The old Verfion seems here preferable, viz. UPON THE FACE OF THE WHOLE WORLD; which corresponds to the Orbis terrarum of the Latins. He caufeth it to come, whether for Correction, or for his Land, אם לחסד ימצאהו : .or for Mercy It is [אם לשבט אם לארצו V. 13. not improbable that DN is repeated before 5 by the Mistake of an ignorant Transcriber, who finding the prefixed might think it neceffary to add the DN too, as in the other Inftances. Without it the Senfe would be complete and proper HE CAUSETH IT TO COME UPON HIS LAND, WHETHER FOR CORRECTION, OR FOR MERCY. [הפיע אור עננו : .and caufed tbe Light of bis Cloud to bine V. 15. Rather AND CAUSED THE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE THE CLOUD. DOST [ והתדע וגו V. 16. Doft thou know &c. 1] AND DOST THOU KNOW? I add the from the last Word; imagining it more neceflary in this Place than there. V. 18. Rather [כראי מוצק: 'pin which is ftrong, and as a molten looking Glass? which is SOLID LIKE A MOLTEN MIRROUR. Our Tranflators, not feeing the Connection between Strength and a Looking Glafs, make of each of those Ideas feparate Articles. But it ought to be remembered, that the Inftruments originally used for the Purpose of reflecting the Light were Plates of polished Metal; than which a more apt Simile could not be used in respect to the Sky. V. 19. for we cannot order our Speech by reafon of Darkness. Rather [לא נערך מפני חשך : REASON OF DARKNESS. WE CANNOT BE PREPARED BY See Ch. XXXIII. 5. V. 20. Shall it be told him that I speak? if a Man Speak, furely be ON ·727815700n] [היספר לו כי אדבר- אם אמר איש כי יבלע : .hall be wallowed up Rather SPEAK IF ANY ONE SAY SO, HE SHALL BE SWALLOWED UP. Our Tranflators make the first Hemiftic to have reference to God's Omniscience but the Context directly opposes that Senfe. It seems more probable that this alludes to Job's great Prefumption, in wishing to be able to find God in order to difpute with him. Ch. XXIII. 3, 4. See alfo XVI. 21. SHALL IT BE SAID TO HIM, BUT (or SURELY) I WILL V. 21. And now Men fee not the bright Light, which is, in the Clouds: but the Wind paffeth and cleanfeth them.18 18 8 y passeth ועתה לא ראו Rather - AND NOW [בהיר הוא בשחקים - ורוח עברה ותטהרם : Men SEE NOT THE LIGHT, WHICH IS BRIGHT ABOVE (or WITHIN) THE CLOUDS, TILL THE WIND &c. See thus ufed, Numb. XIV. 10. Deut. XXXI. 15. Exod. XX. 10. and Gen. XVIII. 5. I Sam. XIV. 24. V. 22. — with God is terrible Majefty. :77 87 mb ther Prepofition thus conftrued, Lev. XV. 25. by] RaSee the שרי לא V. 23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: " The Affix Pronoun might with Propriety be paffed over unnoticed, as being an Hebraism; thus - WE CANNOT FIND OUT THE ALMIGHTY. and in Plenty of Justice, TEOUS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. CHA P. p1] Rather- AND PLENAs Exod. XXXIV.6. &c. V. 8. when it brake forth, as :831] Simply thus ISSUING OUT OF THE WOMB. [בגיחו מרחם יצא XXXVIII. if it had iued out of the Womb. WHEN IT BRAKE FORTH, V. 10. — and brake up for it my decreed Place: pny nawnı] In the Margin we read and established my Decree upon it; which is a much better Senfe: The old Verfion is to the fame Effect: but Spithamis di V. 12. — and caufed the Dayspring to know it's Place. 10p] Here the mafforetical Lection ought doubtlefs to be inferted into the Text; viz. n . V.,14. It is turned as Clay to the Seal, and they stand as a Garment. The Connection of this [תתהפך כחמר חותם - ויתיצבו כמו לבוש : Verfe, as it is now read in our Verfion, is not obvious. The Tranflation of it ought I think to be this - IT IS CHANGED AS CLAY by AN IMPRESSION; AND THEY ARE MADE TO STAND FORTH AS A GARMENT upon it, that is, covering the Earth with their Light. So God is faid to cover Himfelf with Light as with a Garment. Pf.CIV. 2. The Antecedent to the fingular Pronoun is the Earth; and the plural Pronoun has the Morning and the Dayspring for its Antecedent. The Senfe of the former Hemiftic feems to be "The Earth, after the "Gloom of the Night is paft, is as much changed in its external Appearance, as the rude Mafs of Clay is by the Form it receives from Art." V. 15. וזרוע רמה תשכר : .and the bigb Arm Jhall be broken 10 רמה but is the Participle of ; רום is not derived from רמה For -is here a Pre מ and רבים cannot poffibly agree with ספר [רבים: burt in an unexpected perfidious Way. V. 21. - or because the Number of thy Days is great. T pofition fignifying on account of. It would therefore be more accurate to render --- OR ON ACCOUNT OF THE NUMBER OF THY MANY DAYS. ארץ : V. 24. which scattereth the East Wind upon the Earth. ' ] Rather - AND THE EAST WIND SCATTERED UPON THE EARTH; 7778, by what Way, being repeated from the preceding Hemiftic. V. 26. - wherein there is no Man. 18] Rather WHEREIN there is NO ONE, or NO INHABITANT; because wy is rendered Man in the preceding Hemiftic. V. 30. The |