78 Chap. r 8. An Expoftion upon the Bockof J O B. Verf, 13. Andhence it is that fome render It fha11 devour: his branch ; and by this branch the members ofhis body may be meant, be- caufe as the bodyof a tree (hoots forth branches, which are as its members, fo the body bath many members, which are as its branches, and fo the fame word mayvery well ferve both, Corroder veiles Againe, Others tranflate, It fhalldevoure the barres ofhis skin ; curia ejuu,ro.are- bones are as the barres ofthe skin, and therefore the ftrength d tweeies e;ud ofthe skin, like barres, the bones beare up and fupport both snora,.. Jun: skinne and fleflï. Theftrength ofhis skin. Devoret put.- chritudine'rr e j cs. vulg: More devget fPeciofa ejrms, 7o. The Vulgar reades, It 'halldevour,. the beauty ofhis skin ; the ftrength, fay wee, the beauty faith he. The Septuagint followes that reading, death (hall devoure his moft beautifull things, or thofe things which were moft amiable and pleafant inhis eye. Our reading is very futable both to the context and to the originali word; for the members of the body are the ftrength of it and the barres of a doore are the ftrength of it there- fore, it faall devour: theftrength of his skin, containes and takes in both. It'ball, what fhall ? What is the antecedent ? Some fay the devourer is famine, ofwhich he fpake in the former verfe; His ftrengthfhall be hunger-bitten ; famine full devoure ; famine is a great devourer, famine eates up both the ftrength and the beau- ty ofthe skin, it fuckes the marrow ofthe bones, all fade before the face offamine, (Lament. 4. 5.) Others underftand deftruelion ormifery in generali, as the de- vourer, defiruélionfhall be readyat hisfide, it ¡hall devour:. That is, deftru cion !hall devoure the ftrengthofhis skin; fo it is one- ly a repetition of the fame thing, with an elegant force and heightntng ofthe fence. Thefirft-berneofdeath(hall devoure hisftrength. The thing to beopened in this latter branch ( the fence be- ing the fame with the former) is, what we are to underftand by the firft-borne ofdeath , and how this phrafe and forme of fpeech is us'd in Scripture ; There are divers opinions a- lttors devoret bout it. primogenitunt ejtes.Rab.Dan Firft, One of the Rabbins conceives, that it is to be ex- pounded
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=