216 OF AN EROTESIS, OR INTERROGATiON. Book I. C H A P. V. Of an Eew'"~';, (Erotefis) or Interrogation. T(j the foregoing jive, we may add this Figure in L ogifm, viz. Eewr..,;, which fignifies Interrogation, or a/king a Ql;tet1ion ; which becaufe it is peculiar to the Idioms of the Hebrew and Greek, of the Old and New Tet1ament ; we will briefly and particularly treat of, ( 1.) With Refpecr to its Force, Energy, or peculiar Emphajis. (2.) With Reference to its Ufe. The jir.ft we will confider according to the Order of interrogative Words. The interrogative Particle, Who, befides its ordinary grammatical Signification, which limply denotes ajking, ( l'fal. xv. 1. and XXIV. 3· !fa. xlii. 2 4. and lxiii. 1, &c.) fometimes fignifies an abfolute Negative, when the Speech is of Perfons; as Pfal. xciv. 16. Who will rife 11p for me again.ft the Evil-doers? or, who will.ftand up for me again.ft the Workers of I~tiquity? as if he had faid, No Man can help me; fo have I been dealt withal: It is only God can relieve me, as Verfe I7l'fal. cvi. 2. Who can utter the mighty Ans of the Lord? who can jhe<.v forth his Praife? that is, none can do it; yet Pfal. ix. 14. David fays, 'I"hat I may fhew forth all thy Praift in the Gates of the Daughter of Sion : Which Text R . Kimchi thus reconciles ; viz. in the former Text we are to undert1and the Praife of God, with Reference to thofe great Things which he had done for his People in general : In the latter, what he had done for David in par– ticular. We may add, that the firft Place may be meant of the mot1 perfeft Praife of Jehovah, in the celebrating of which, no Proportion can be ftated fo as to correfpond with it: The latter, an earneft Endeavor to return Thanks and Praife to the very utmofr of human Faculty: See l'fal. xl. 5· and cxiii. 5· Who is like u11to the Lord our God? that is, there is none amongfr Men, who can fo really condole your Cafe, and fo mightily help you; for God was, and is, both willing and able. He fpeaks here of a Divine Grace, Aid, and Help: There is his gracious Encouragement given for our Hope in the next Verfes. Ifa. lviii. 3· Who can declare his Generation? that is, none can, becaufe he is eternal. Ileb. i. 5· For unto which of the Angels faid he at any 'J"ime; 'l"hou art my Son, &c. Verfe 13. But to which ofthe Angels faid he at any 'I'ime, Sit on my Right-hand, &c. that is, he never faid fo to any of the Angels: See lfa. xl. 13, 14. Luke xiv. 5· Joh1• viii. 46. R.om. viii. 3' • 33, 34, 35· and xi. 34, 35· 1 Cor. ix. 7, &c. Sometimes it does not abfolutefy deny, but reftri[livefy, fo that the Partide quis, who, is put for quotufquifq; how many, which denotes Fewnefs, or Paucity; as J'fal. xc. I r. Who knoweth the Power of thine Anger.~ that is, they are indeed but few, to wit, the Servants of the Lord: as Verfes q, 16. Jfa. liii. r. Hof. xiv. 10, &c. Some– times it denotes the Difficulty of the Ql;teftion afked: I Sam. ii. 25. If a Man .fin again.ft the L ord, who jhall interceed for him? That is, how difficult is it to appeafe the Lord, when he is angry for our Sins ? Frov. xxxi. 10 . Wbo caOJ find a Woman of Strength? (or Anivity, viz. a virtuous vVoman ?) this does not Jignify that fuch are no where to be found, but that they are rare: See Matt. xix. 25, 26. Mark x. 26. with Vetfe 23, &c. The Interrogative, an, nunquid, whether, befides its common Signification, which limply and affirmatively alks a Que!tion; Gen. xviii. 21. Numb. xiii. 19. Ram. iii. 3, 5,. 6, & c. fometimes denotes an ab7olute Negation, as Gen. xviii. 14. Whether is there any 'J"hi>~g too hard for the Lord? that is, there is nothing too hard for him : Verfe 17· Whether jhall I hide froliJ Abraham the 'J"hing I am about to do? that is, I will not hide it from him ; Gen. xxx. ~-Whether am I in God's.ftead, who hathwith-heldfrom thee the Fruit of the Womb? as if he had faid, Can I arrogate that to myfelf, which is the vVork of God? (that is, I can by no Means do it) He made thee barren; and he only can make tbee fruitful. See Gen. l. 19. Job xl. 20, U c. Joel i. 2, &c. On the contrary, a negative Inter;ogative, as, is not, is to be underftood _affirma– tively, as Gw. xiii. 9· Is not the whole Land before thee? that ts, the whole Land ts before thee; Gen. xxxvii. I3· And Jfrael[aid unto Jofeph, Do not thy Brethren_ feed the Flock . in Shechem? that is, they do fo: Exod. iv. '4· Is not Aaron the Levtte thy Brother, whom I know to be eloquent? that is, I know that he is fQ: See Deut. xi. 30. Jojh. x. 13. Rutb
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