.---y 318 Chap, 2. An ExpofiYion upon the Bookof J OB. Verf. 13. nights, and then it refers to the Ceremony of mourning for the dead ; it was -a cuffom to mourn Leven dayes for the dead : Jobs friends looked upon him as a deadman, and fo they mourned for hirn,accordiríg to the manner of mourning for the dead. Jofeph made a-mourning for his Father Jacob feven days, Gen. 50. to. Wehave the like timeofmourning mentioned,' Sam.3'.r3. The time ofmourning varied both in times andplaces. The Egyptians mourned for Jacob threefcore and ten days, Gen. 50. 3. The If- raelites mourned for M,gfes thirty days, Dust. 34. 8. which cu- limn ofmourning thirty days for the dead, continued long after Jo[ep?as;,i. among the Jews : For Jofephus reports, that when the Jews debello dud, thought he had been killed, they mournedthirty dayes for him. e. Yg. So that we may take it here precifely for feven days and (even nights, and refer it to the cuftom of mourning for the dead, or in cal °s of extream follow among that people. It follow- eth And none fpake a word unto him. This is the fourth Ceremony of their mourning , their filence. In great niournings , filence makes up their folemnity. So Lam. 2. '0. there are joyned to- gether, The Elders ofthe Daughters of Zion fit upon the ground, there is the former Ceremony, and kept filence. Now whereas it is Laid, they kept filence; we need not underhand it fo ílrily, as if for feven days and feven nights they never fpake a word. It is ufual likewife in all languages, and very frequent inScripture, that what is but feldom done,or done but a little, is faidnot to be done at all; as inA6ts 27. 33. Paul faithof thole that were in the Ship, That for fourteen dayes they had failed, having taken no. thing; a thing beyond the firength ofman, take it ftridly,to fair fourteen days, taking nothing. But it is ufual to fay, that is not doneat all, which is but a little done ; They took nothing to eat, that is, they took very fparingly, they did eat only fo much as would, according to our language, keep Life and Soul together. In Ifaiah 20. 3. it is Laid, that Ifäiah walked naked, andbarefoot fer three}ears : Now it cannot be conceived , that the Prophet walked, as we fay, hark naked, for three years together ; He is faid to walk naked, becaufe he had not filch or fo much clothing as formerly and ufually he had worn. So here, they fpake not a word to him, that is, They did not (peak much, they fpake very little tohim ; Or fecondly thus, Reftriffively to the matter; they fpakenot a word, by way of difpute or argument ( which was the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=