Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

“Passing from creation to phenomena in the existing inanimate world. Hast thou--as God daily does. commanded the morning--to rise. since thy days--since thou hast come into being. his place--It varies in its place of rising from day to day, and yet it has it…”

“"What is the way (to the place wherein) light dwelleth?" The origin of light and darkness. In Ge 1:3-5, 14-18, "light" is created distinct from, and previous to, light-emitting bodies, the luminaries of heaven.”

“Dost thou know its place so well as to be able to guide, ("take" as in Isa 36:17) it to (but UMBREIT, "reach it in") its own boundary, that is, the limit between light and darkness (Job 26:10)?”

“Light travels from the sun to the earth, ninety millions of miles, in eight minutes. which scattereth--rather, "And by what way the east wind (personified) spreads (scattereth) itself." The light and east wind are associated together, as both come from one qu…”

“Since rain fails also on places uninhabited by man, it cannot be that man guides its course. Such rain, though man cannot explain the reason for it, is not lost.”

“Can any visible origin of rain and dew be assigned by man? Dew is moisture, which was suspended in the air, but becomes condensed on reaching the--in the night--lower temperature of objects on the earth.”

“The unfrozen waters are hid under the frozen, as with a covering of stone. frozen--literally, "is taken"; the particles take hold of one another so as to cohere.”

“But English Version agrees better with the Hebrew. The seven stars are closely "bound" together (see on Job 9:9). "Canst thou bind or loose the tie?" "Canst thou loose the bonds by which the constellation Orion (represented in the East as an impious giant cha…”

“Arcturus--Ursa Major. his sons?--the three stars in his tail. Canst thou make them appear in the sky? The great and less Bear are called by the Arabs "Daughters of the Bier," the quadrangle being the bier, the three others the mourners.”

“But Hebrew supports English Version. The connection is, "Who hath given thee the intelligence to comprehend in any degree the phenomena just specified?" heart--not the usual Hebrew word, but one from a root "to view"; perception.”

“"Is it not like the quill and feathers of the pious bird" (the stork)? [UMBREIT]. The vibrating, quivering wing, serving for sail and oar at once, is characteristic of the ostrich in full course. Its white and black feathers in the wing and tail are like the s…”

“On a slight noise she often forsakes her eggs, and returns not, as if she were "hardened towards her young." her labour--in producing eggs, is in vain, (yet) she has not disquietude (about her young), unlike other birds, who, if one egg and another are taken …”

“Rather "the trembling, quivering mane," answering to the "vibrating wing" of the ostrich (see on Job 39:13) [MAURER]. "Mane" in Greek also is from a root meaning "fear." English Version is more sublime.”

“Quoted partly by Jesus Christ (Mt 24:28). The food of young eagles is the blood of victims brought by the parent, when they are still too feeble to devour flesh. slain--As the vulture chiefly feeds on carcasses, it is included probably in the eagle genus.”

“Since Job has not only spoken against God, but accused Him of injustice, God challenges him to try, could he govern the world, as God by His power doth, and punish the proud and wicked (Job 40:7-14).”

“Wilt thou not only contend with, but set aside My judgment or justice in the government of the world? condemn--declare Me unrighteous, in order that thou mayest be accounted righteous (innocent; undeservingly afflicted).”

“On the other hand, Job 40:21, 22 are characteristic of the amphibious river horse. So leviathan (the twisting animal), Job 41:1, is a generalized term for cetacea, pythons, saurians of the neighboring seas and rivers, including the crocodile, which is the …”

“Chief of the works of God; so "ways" (Job 26:14; Pr 8:22). can make his sword to approach--rather, "has furnished him with his sword" (harpe), namely, the sickle-like teeth with which he cuts down grain. English Version, however, is literally right.”

“The mountain is not his usual haunt. BOCHART says it is sometimes found there (?). beasts . . . play--a graphic trait: though armed with such teeth, he lets the beasts play near him unhurt, for his food is grass.”

“"Jordan" is used for any great river (consonant with the "behemoth"), being a poetical generalization (see on Job 40:15). The author cannot have been a Hebrew as UMBREIT asserts, or he would not adduce the Jordan, where there were no river horses.”

“Rather, "partners" (namely, in fishing). make a banquet--The parallelism rather supports UMBREIT, "Do partners (in trade) desire to purchase him?" So the Hebrew (De 2:6). merchants--literally, "Canaanites," who were great merchants (Ho 12:7, Margin).”

“If a man dare attack one of My creatures (Ge 49:9; Nu 24:9), who will dare (as Job has wished) oppose himself (Ps 2:2) to Me, the Creator? This is the main drift of the description of leviathan.”

“I will not conceal--a resumption of the description broken off by the digression, which formed an agreeable change. his power--literally, "the way," that is, true proportion or expression of his strength (so Hebrew, De 19:4). comely proportion--literally, "t…”

“Rather, his "furrows of shields" (as "tubes," "channels," see on Job 40:18), are, &c., that is, the rows of scales, like shields covering him: he has seventeen such rows. shut up--firmly closed together.”

“Whenever he moves. sea--the Nile (Isa 19:5; Na 3:8). pot of ointment--the vessel in which it is mixed. Appropriate to the crocodile, which emits a musky smell.”