Chap. z 3. An Expofttioys upon the Book ofJos, Verf. s. lignifies properly to dig or plow the ground, to be very buhe; and by an /Intiphrafs ( frequent in the Hebrew tongue , which imployes many words to contrary fences ) it lignifies to do no- thing andto be filent, but to be altogether idle ;.fo tiley are,who neither donor fpeak, Further, Here is more than a barewith. for silence, here is an enforcement to it, O that yewo¡i,ld altoge- ther hold your peace ! The letter is, O that you in being filent, would be (dent, or , O that you would be moll filent in filence gob, thus ilrongly befpeaking the lilenceof his friends, may have a threefold reference;or at leaff hereferreth to force oneofthefe three things. Firff, To the' fpeech of Zophar , at the 3 a verfeof the i 1t Chapter, who had thus reproved fob, Should thy lies make men hold theirpeace? Herejob replies, As if hehad faid, Tou told me thatit was uncomely,my liesfhould make men hold their peace;er thap no man could hold his peaceat my.lìes,butPurelyyou havefpokenloch lies(fohe charges them in theverfe foregoing) and have talked fay much at random, that it would-very well becomeyou to hold your peace, and to be as mute asfifties : to fpeakro mere will beyour belt rhetarick ; or rather, youwillfpeak mofl when you fp,aknomore,, yourfaience will be morè perfwafive thanyour fpeech hath been. Secondly, This delireof perpetualfilence, mayhave reference to thatfevers daies _Pence whichwe readof in the fecondChap- ter of this Book when,fobs friends came- -to mourn with hart and to comfort him, the text,faith that theyfat down(even (Jaye:, and no man fluke word to him. Now, faith Job, Te held your peacea great while when you came to me ;. truly it had been very wellfor me if youhad altogether held yourpeace ; and I would you would now remember your firfl poflure ; and as you began with filence, fo conclude ; fit andfay nothing, , Q thatyouwouldaltoge- ther held yourpeace. Thirdly, We-may refer it to the-Whole matter of the con tefc between him and his friends: As ifhe had faid, Forafmuch as by altthat youhave.fpoken; you bavemot atall abated mypain, nor refolved my doubts, nor comforted my fpirit, . ser done me any good, I wifhyouwould give over fpeakin -Seeingyour fpeech as fefruitlefs, I -naifhyouwould befpeechlels O thatyou would al- together holdyourpeace l andwhereasyouhavegained no reputation of wifdom by fpeaking, pm may by forbearing to fpeakt,, as it 'fol- lows in the text And 36 5,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=