773

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For APR I L, 1772.

ART. I. The Book of Job, in English Verse; tranflated from the ori ginal Hebrew; with Remarks hiftorical, critical, and explanatory. By Thomas Scott. 4to. 11. 1 s. Cadell, &c. 1771.

TH

HIS performance recommends itself to the public in a double capacity; as a tranflation of the book of Job in verse, and as a learned and elaborate commentary upon that valuable, but difficult part of the Old Teftament. It will be neceffary, therefore, to confider the work before us in these two diftinct views; and, in order to do juftice to its poetical cha. racter, it may not be improper to make fome obfervations on the nature and verfification of the original poem from which it is tranflated.

Various are the opinions concerning the time in which the book of Job was written; but the fuffrages of the best critics are in favour of its very early antiquity. They think that it was either compofed by Job himfelf, or by Elihu, or fome nearly cotemporary inhabitant of Idumæa; or, if the work of Mofes (which is, perhaps, the moft probable notion) that it was his firft production, when he refided in the land of Midian, after he had fled from the court of Egypt. According to any of these fuppofitions, it must have been one of the oldeft, if not abfolutely the oldeft book in the world. With regard to the nature of the poem, it is univerfally agreed that it is dramatic. But when this is afferted, it can only be faid that it is dramatic in a general fenfe, in confequence of the feveral characters being introduced as fpeaking in their proper perfons. The book of Job is not a ftrict drama, in the Grecian fignification of the word, fo as to contain a regular fable or action, deduced, by imitation, through a feries of events, till it is brought to its final catastrophe. It is, however, a fine compofition in the more general dramatic form, and is conducted with an order and beauty not to be paralleled in any other parts of the facred VOL. XLVI.

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poetry. That this mode of writing fhould be carried thus far at fo carly a period, and perhaps in the first inftance, is a circumfiance worthy of obfervation; and (were it not rather foreign to our prefent purpose) might fuggeft an enquiry, not very difficult to be folved, why the Hebrews did not go farther, and proceed to the perfect drama?

As the book of Job is, in its own fpecies, a regular, fo it is a peculiarly beautiful and noble poem. It is fublime in the highest degree, and abounds with the strongest paffions. The paffions it principally expreffes are the more vehement ones, fuch as Grief in its excefs, Anger, Indignation, and those violent emotions which are calculated to infpire the foul with terror, and to raise the grandeft and most elevated feelings. Nor is it deftitute of very fine inftances of the pathetic, or deficient, as occafion offers, in painting the agreeable and joyful affections of the mind. It is adorned, likewife, with picturesque and animated defcriptions, with noble and ftriking fentiments, with bold and glowing figures, with ftrong and expreffive metephors, and, in fhort, with all the fuperior graces of poetry. Add to this, that the diction is highly beautiful, the compofition elegant, and the verfification finifhed and accurate, according to the nature of the Hebrew verfification.

From all thefe circumftances, it may be expected that the book of Job muft appear to great advantage in an English poetical drefs: yet this, perhaps, will not be found to be the cafe; efpecially if a tranflation be clofe and concise, so as to agree exactly with the original. The caufe of this muft be fought for in the conftruction of the Hebrew poetry, which is broken into fhort periods, confifting, in general, of two fhort fentences; the latter of which correfponds to the former, either as fynonimous with it, or antithefis to it, or agreeing in the number and difpofition of the words.' Hence the verfification of the Jewish writers is deficient in the concatenation and variety that are to be met with in the finished productions of Greece and Rome, and the beft that have been written in modern languages, and affumes an aphoriftic form. In confequence of this form, it feems to appear in the most advantageous light, when exhibited in a kind of measured prose, such as Mr. Macpherfon has given to the public, with regard to the works of Oman. We find that the happieft tranflators of the poetical parts of fripture have not fucceeded entirely to their wilbes, fo as to come up to the fpirit and dignity of the original, and therefore it is not a matter of furprize that this should be, in fome mcafure, the cafe with Mr. Scott; more particularly, as he has confined himflf, in general, to a clofe and exact verfion of the book of Job. We do not mean hereby to derogate from Mr. Scott's merit, which is confiderable. He

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hath undoubtedly taken great pains to do juftice to his author: but, inftead of making any farther obfervations, we shall enable our Readers to judge for themfelves, by laying before them a specimen of the tranflation.

I.

CHAP. XXVIII.

The vein of filver, and the golden mine,
And how the metal from its ore to fine,
2. T'educe hard iron from the rocky mafs,

And turn the ftone by fufion into brafs,
3. To man are known. Man, with gigantic pains,
Explores the depths where ancient darkness reigns,
Limits her kingdom, and with light invades
The marble caverns of the central fhades.
4. They scoop the rock, and pendulous defcend;
Loft from the fun their mazy way they bend,
5. Through burning naphtha in the bowell'd earth,
Whose bofom gives the nodding harvest birth:
6. Where fpangled fapphires in her flints are bred,
And golden glebes extend their fhining bed:
7. A path, which fowl of rapine never try'd,

Not by the vulture's piercing eye defcry'd;
8. Which beafts of fierceft countenance would fear,
Nor dares to ftalk the bold black lion here.

9.

Man this explores: his hardy hand o'erthrows
The marble roots whereon the mountain grows:
10. He cleaves deep channels in the rocky ground,
Collects the ftreams of all the fprings around,
And bids the torrent with impetuous roar
Rend off the craft, and bare the precious ore:
11. Then with new law th' unruly flood restrains,
To the laft drop its raging waters drains;
Breaks the ftrong feal of nature, and to light
Triumphant brings the fulgent spoils of night.

12.

'But where is Wifdom found? what happy coaft
"The glory of this lovely birth can boast!
13. No mortal her unbounded value knows,

Her value in no mortal climate grows:

14. The great abyfs through her dark regions cries,
"Not in my rich domains the purchafe lies;"
15. Ocean, nor yet in mine." Not golden fand,
Nor filver ingots the exchange command:
16. Not Ophir's wealth, nor the clear fapphire's fky,
Nor diamond's lightning with her beam may vie
17. Or chrystal vafe, with golden circies bound,

Or gold that heaves with fculptur'd life around.
18. Beryls and orient pearls no more be nam'd,
19. The blush of rubies, or the topaz fam'd

Arabia's verdant pride: nor crowns be laid
In loaded fcale, with Wifdem to be weigh'd.

20.

Where, then, is Wisdom found? what happy coaft
The glory of this lovely birth can boast?

21. Hid from all living, far beyond the height
Of strongest pinion in its loftiest flight.

22.

'Death and Destruction call, "learn fomewhat here,
The voice of Wisdom vibrates in our ear."
23. Herfelf acceffible to God alone,

24.

To him her birth-place and her ways are known:
Earth's utmost bounds lay fpread before his view,
He with a glance look'd all creation through:
25. The wild winds balanc'd, weigh'd the fwelling feas,
26. And the
gave
and the cloud decrees;
When rains should fall, when ruddy lightning fly,
And the big thunder roar along the sky:
27. He faw the whole, he number'd every part,
The finish'd fyftem of Almighty art,

vapour

Approv'd, and ftablifh'd his imperial plan: 23. Then spoke this leffon to his creature man; "Thy mighty Maker fear, from evil flee, This, Adam, is the wisdom left to thee."

The fecond view in which the work before us is to be confidered, is as a commentary upon the book of Job; and here it appears to no small advantage. Mr. Scott is well qualified for this part of the undertaking, by his great knowledge of the Oriental languages, his diligent ftudy of the original, and his complete acquaintance with the beft critics. Hence, independently of the poetical character of the prefent performance, it will be deemed very valuable, by proper judges, as a faithful translation, and a judicious and learned explication of a sublime, important, and difficult portion of facred writ.

For the information and fatisfaction of our Readers, we fhall add another fpecimen, accompanied with the Author's notes. Both the specimens have been taken without any particular felection.

1, 2.

CHAP. XXIX.

O happy months, and happy days, long filed!
When God, the guardian of my honour'd head,

CHAP. XXIX.

3. Shin'd

The connection with the foregoing chapter is eafy. His own cafe was an inftance of thofe incomprehenfible ways of Providence of which he had been difcourfing. He now gives an entire view of it *, as a kind of Epinicium, or fong of victory, as Schultens fpeaks. His aim is to fhew, that all his pleadings and complaints were juftly founded. In the prefent chapter he fets forth his former felicity in the fingular favour of God to his perfon, family, and fortunes; and in the veneration paid to him by his tribe for the wisdom of his counfels

a Chap. xxix, xxx. xxxi,

Shin'd on his favourite with diftinguish'd rays,
Difpell'd all darkness, and illum'd my ways:
4. In autumn of my glory, when the Pow'r
Trufted his counfels to my hallow'd bow'r :

5. While

fels and the juftice of his administration. To which he adds the pleafing hope he had entertained of the permanence of all that happiness, in reward of his virtue.

Ver. 3. When his candle, &c.] The extraordinary favour of God, and its effects, namely, conftant cheerfulness, profperity of condition, and luftre of character, feem to be all comprehended in these beautiful metaphors. The former, his candle, or rather his lamp, is probably an allusion to the lamps which hung from the cieling of the banqueting rooms of the wealthy Arabs. The latter, by his light I walked through darkness, refers, it is likely, to the fires, or other lights, which were carried before the caravans in their night travels through the defarts ».

darkness] times of general calamity; war, famine, peftilence. The divine protection and guidance were his conftant fecurity and delightful confidence in fuch feafons of danger.

Ver. 4. in the days of my youth] In my autumnal days; that is, as Mr. Heath freely turns it, in the days of my profperity. Autumn is a pleasant season in thofe hot climates: the heats are then abated, the rains fall, and the grapes and other fruits are in perfection.

When the fecret of God, &c.] Among men, communication of one's fecrets is a mark of the higheft confidence and most intimate friendship. Accordingly the Pfalmift expreffeth the friendship of God to all good men by faying, The Secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will fhew them his covenant. The meaning is, I fuppofe, he will lead them into a clear knowledge of his will and of his gracious defigns in favour of piety and virtue. A prophet enjoyed this divine intercourfe in a fuperior degree: fhall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? I incline to think, that Job was thus diftinguished, and had the honour of being a divinely commiffioned minifter of religion to his tribe. Compare chap. vi. 10. upon my tabernacle] in, or within, my tabernacle.

a See the note on chap. xviii. 6.

b See Pitts' Account of the Mahometans, p. 150.

In the Arabic verfion of the Pfalms

.in the days of my autumn בימי חירפי c •

It alfo

(lxxiii. 18.) 5 stands opposed to summer, and denotes the winter half year. fignifies, in that language, the autumnal feason. (See Schultens, and Caftell, Lex.) The author of an Essay towards a new Translation of the Bible remarks, that this word fhould be rendered the autumn in Gen. viii. 22, it being the time of plowing, Prov. xx. 4. p. 187.

d Quum meo tabernaculo familiaris effet Deus. se Pfal. xxv. 14.

Caftalio.

⚫f Gen. xviii. 17. Compare John xv. 15. James ii. 23. gin, or within. The prepofition is equivalent to Exod. xxxiii, 21, upon a rock, rather within the rock. See ver. 22.

in,

Exod. xxix. 3. Nold. p. 698.

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