In this Verse, a reason or an account is given of this blockishness, carelessness and fearlessness of the Ostrich; it is, Because God hath deprived her of wisdom. More foolish than an Ostrich, is a proverb for the greatest fool. The Hebrew Text may be read thus; God hath made her to forget wisdom. Now, as one may be said to forget that which he hath not, so that which he never had. In the description that Bildad gives of a wicked man (Chap. 8.13.) he saith, This is the portion of them that forget God; 1And who are they? the words are a periphrasis of the wicked, To forget God is their character; they may be said to forget God, who never had any true knowledge or remembrance of him. Thus (Gen. 41.30.) There shall arise after them (that is, after the seven years of plenty) seven years of famine, and all the plenty shall be forgotten to the Land of Egypt. In a time of famine, we are rather quickened to remember former years of plenty, together with the wast that we then made of it, and our unthankfulness for it. When the Israelites had nothing but Manna in the wilderness, they complained (Num. 11.5.) We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers, and melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic. Now, when 'tis said, that in the seven years of famine, they should forget the seven years of plenty, the meaning is, they should have no plenty at all; the forgetting of it was not the not having of plenty in their memories, but the not having it in their hands. When a people are in a time of trouble, they remember their former peace; and when in straights, they remember their former liberty; but they are said in straights, and trouble, and famine, not to remember their liberties, peace and plenty, because they have none of them. Thus here God hath made her to forget wisdom, that is, she hath ⟨p. 414⟩no wisdom, nor knowledge, nor understanding; and when it is said, according to our translation, God hath deprived her of wisdom, we are not to take it, as if God had taken that stock of wisdom from her which once she had; but his depriving her of wisdom, is his not communicating wisdom to her, or his not trusting her with a stock of wisdom; For so it followeth, Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
In this Verse, a reason or an account is given of this blockishness, carelessness and fearlessness of the Ostrich; it is, Because God hath deprived her of wisdom. More foolish than an Ostrich, is a proverb for the greatest fool. The Hebrew Text may be read thus; God hath made her to forget wisdom. Now, as one may be said to forget that which he hath not, so that which he never had. In the description that Bildad gives of a wicked man (Chap. 8.13.) he saith, This is the portion of them that forget God; 1And who are they? the words are a periphrasis of the wicked, To forget God is their character; they may be said to forget God, who never had any true knowledge or remembrance of him. Thus (Gen. 41.30.) There shall arise after them (that is, after the seven years of plenty) seven years of famine, and all the plenty shall be forgotten to the Land of Egypt. In a time of famine, we are rather quickned to remember former years of plenty, together with the wast that we then made of it, and our unthankfulness for it. When the Israelites had nothing but Manna in the wilderness, they complained (Num. 11.5.) We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers, and melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick. Now, when 'tis said, that in the seven years of famine, they should forget the seven years of plenty, the meaning is, they should have no plenty at all; the forgetting of it was not the not having of plenty in their memories, but the not having it in their hands. When a people are in a time of trouble, they remember their former peace; and when in straights, they remember their former liberty; but they are said in straights, and trouble, and famine, not to remember their liberties, peace and plenty, because they have none of them. Thus here God hath made her to forget wisdom, that is, she hath ⟨p. 414⟩no wisdom, nor knowledge, nor understanding; and when it is said, according to our translation, God hath deprived her of wisdom, we are not to take it, as if God had taken that stock of wisdom from her which once she had; but his depriving her of wisdom, is his not communicating wisdom to her, or his not trusting her with a stock of wisdom; For so it followeth, Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
- 1Oblivisci aliquis dicitur, cujus nullam nuquam scientiam aut notitiam habuit. Drus.
