These is some difference in opinion about this spirit affirmed to be in man. Divers expound Elihu intending the Spirit of God; there is a spirit; that is, the divine Spirit, the holy Spirit of God, or God the Spirit is in man.1 One of the Greek translations puts it into the text; Surely the Spirit of God is in man; and the Chaldee paraphrase gives it in a like expression; Surely there is a prophetic spirit in the son of man, or, in the sons of men. Some are induced to this interpretation, because it would be (say they) but a cold argument to commend what he had to say for the rectifying Job, by telling him that man hath a reasonable soul, which is common to all men. Yet I rather conceive that in this first part of the verse, the spirit spoken of is the natural spirit of man, which in the latter part of the verse he affirms is instructed, by the inspiration of the Almighty, with supernatural light for special services. The word is often used in Scripture to note the reasonable soul, or those powers of the soul which are the vessels of reason, or in which natural reason hath its seat and exercise. There is a power of reasoning in man,2 or a spirit which is able to discourse of all things; there was such a natural power ⟨p. 52⟩implanted in man at his Creation, and though that power be much weakened and broken by the fall, yet there are, to this day, some remains of it in all men as borne into this world; Surely there is a spirit in man; And because the word is universal, or extendable to all men, therefore it is more then probable the word spirit here is to be taken in the largest sense; for every man hath not the Spirit of God: yea the word here used for man, notes man of the meanest rank or lowest form; surely there is a spirit (in enosh Mr Broughton translates) in sad man, in sickly man, in weak man, in the sickliest weakest and lowest of men there is a soul, a spirit endued with reason; this is, as the substratum or ground of the whole business, Surely there is a spirit in man. And in the latter part of the verse, Elihu showeth what that is which heighteneth raiseth and improveth this natural spirit, certainly there is a spirit in man, every man hath a reasonable soul.
These is some difference in opinion about this spirit affirmed to be in man. Divers expound Elihu intending the Spirit of God; there is a spirit; that is, the divine Spirit, the holy Spirit of God, or God the Spirit is in man.1 One of the Greek translations puts it into the text; Surely the Spirit of God is in man; and the Chaldee paraphrase gives it in a like expression; Surely there is a prophetick spirit in the son of man, or, in the sons of men. Some are induced to this interpretation, because it would be (say they) but a cold argument to commend what he had to say for the rectifying Job, by telling him that man hath a reasonable soule, which is common to all men. Yet I rather conceive that in this first part of the verse, the spirit spoken of is the naturall spirit of man, which in the latter part of the verse he affirmes is instructed, by the inspiration of the Almighty, with supernatural light for speciall services. The word is often used in Scripture to note the reasonable soule, or those powers of the soule which are the vessells of reason, or in which naturall reason hath its seate and exercise. There is a power of reasoning in man,2 or a spirit which is able to discourse of all things; there was such a naturall power ⟨p. 52⟩implanted in man at his Creation, and though that power be much weakned and broken by the fall, yet there are, to this day, some remaines of it in all men as borne into this world; Surely there is a spirit in man; And because the word is universall, or extendable to all men, therefore it is more then probable the word spirit here is to be taken in the largest sence; for every man hath not the Spirit of God: yea the word here used for man, notes man of the meanest ranke or lowest forme; surely there is a spirit (in enosh Mr Broughton translates) in sad man, in sickly man, in weak man, in the sickliest weakest and lowest of men there is a soule, a spirit indued with reason; this is, as the substratum or ground of the whole businesse, Surely there is a spirit in man. And in the latter part of the verse, Elihu sheweth what that is which heighteneth raiseth and improveth this naturall spirit, certainly there is a spirit in man, every man hath a reasonable soule.
- 1[Greek or Hebrew]. Symmach.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Symmach.
- 2[Greek or Hebrew] animam rationalem denotat.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 animam rationalem denotat.
