An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

The former part of this verse hath a respect to the latter part of the former; The wind passeth and cleanseth them, fair (or bright) weather cometh out of the North. It hath been showed before in opening the 9th verse of this Chapter, that the South wind engenders the Rain, and causeth foul weather, here (saith Elihu) fair weather cometh out of the North. The North wind (saith Solomon, Pro. 25.22.) driveth away Rain, so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. The North wind blows coldly, yet it blows clearly, it clears the Air from Clouds. We render, Fair weather ⟨p. 604⟩cometh out of the North. ¹The word translated fair weather, signifieth gold; gold cometh out of the North. Fair weather in its season, is worth much gold, and may well be called golden weather; the Sun in such seasons gilds both the Air and Earth with his precious beams. And I find an ancient Interpreter sticking much upon the strict signification of the Hebrew word, maintaining that gold is to be taken here properly; Out of the North cometh gold, because (saith he) in the Northern Countries, through the greatness of Cold, the heat in those parts is so pent in the bowels of the Earth, that it more fully concocts and refines the gold, than in other places: Out of the North comes gold, that is, the purest gold. But, I conceive, that was not at all the business of Elihu here; and I find the Scripture in another place expressing that which is shining, beautiful, and precious, by gold, (Zach. 4.12.) The oil which the two Olive-branches emptied out of themselves through the two golden pipes, is called gold, or golden oil, that is,² bright oil, pure oil; and so because the light of the Sun shining in fair weather is purer and more defecate than the purest gold, therefore this Scripture expresseth it by gold; through the North a golden cometh, saith Mr Broughton.

The former part of this verse hath a respect to the latter part of the former; The wind passeth and cleanseth them, fair (or bright) weather cometh out of the North. It hath been shewed before in opening the 9th verse of this Chapter, that the South wind ingenders the Rain, and causeth foule weather, here (saith Elihu) fair weather cometh out of the North. The North wind (saith Solomon,