Secondly, The text, according to another reading (which others insist much upon, and conceive pertinent to the scope of Elihu) runs thus;1 For now men cannot see the bright light in the Clouds, when the wind passeth and cleanseth them. Mr Broughton translates clearly so, his words are these; And now men cannot look upon the light, when it is bright in the Air, then a wind passeth and cleanseth it. And then the sense of the whole verse is plainly a setting forth of the excellency, or superexcellency rather, of the light of the Sun, which is so clear and splendid, that if the Air be but cleansed from Clouds, if it be but a pure Air, no man is able to face it, nor his eye directly to behold it. We behold all things by the light of the Sun, but no man can steadfastly behold the light in the Sun; no man can look right up to the Sun, when it casts forth its fiery rays, and shines bright upon us. And this some conceive so genuine and clear an exposition of the Text, that the light of it may seem to obscure and darken all others. Now, according to this second reading, the whole verse, with that which followeth, contains an argument to confirm the former proposition, laid down at the 20th verse: If a man speak, he shall be swallowed up, that is, if a man come too nigh unto God, and be over-bold with him, he shall even be swallowed up of his brightness & that it is so, I prove thus (saith El•hu) The very light of the Sun,2 which shines in the Air, is so bright and so powerful, that no man is able to hold up his eyes against it: And if so, then from the lesser to the greater, his argument riseth thus; If when the Sun shineth brightly, no man is able to look upon it, then much less are we able to behold the bright ⟨p. 603⟩Majesty of God, or to comprehend his greatness.
Secondly, The text, according to another reading (which others insist much upon, and conceive pertinent to the scope of Elihu) runs thus;1 For now men cannot see the bright light in the Clouds, when the wind passeth and cleanseth them. Mr Broughton translates clearly so, his words are these; And now men cannot look upon the light, when it is bright in the Air, then a wind passeth and cleanseth it. And then the sence of the whole verse is plainly a setting forth of the excellency, or superexcellency rather, of the light of the Sun, which is so clear and splendid, that if the Air be but cleansed from Clouds, if it be but a pure Air, no man is able to face it, nor his eye directly to behold it. We behold all things by the light of the Sun, but no man can stedfastly behold the light in the Sun; no man can look right up to the Sun, when it casts forth its fiery rayes, and shines bright upon us. And this some conceive so genuine and clear an exposition of the Text, that the light of it may seem to obscure and darken all others. Now, according to this second reading, the whole verse, with that which followeth, contains an argument to confirm the former proposition, laid down at the 20th verse: If a man speak, he shall be swallowed up, that is, if a man come too nigh unto God, and be over-bold with him, he shal even be swallowed up of his brightness & that it is so, I prove thus (saith El•hu) The very light of the Sun,2 which shines in the Air, is so bright and so powerful, that no man is able to hold up his eyes against it: And if so, then from the lesser to the greater, his argument riseth thus; If when the Sun shineth brightly, no man is able to look upon it, then much less are we able to behold the bright ⟨p. 603⟩Majesty of God, or to comprehend his greatness.
- 1•im enim non respi•iunt (homines) lucem (quum) nitida est in superioribus nubibus, quas ventus transiens purgavit. Translatio Jun:
- 2Nemo potest adversis oculis •itidum solem contueri, quis ergo ferat praesenti•m Majesta•• dei. Jun:
