God challengeth Job to answer: The Hebrew is, If thou knowest understanding. And so the word is used (Isa. 29.24.) where we render, They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, or (as the Margin hath it) shall know understanding. Again, Huram said (2 Chron. 2.12.) Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that made heaven and earth; who hath given to David the King a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding; The Original is thus strictly read, Knowing prudence and understanding. Daniel spake in the same form (chap. 2.21.) He giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. To know is a work of the understanding: No man knoweth any thing, but by the help of his understanding. The understanding is the first or Master-wheel in that noble engine the soul of man; and when rightly informed and enlightened, all the other wheels or faculties of the soul move aright, unless over-poised ⟨p. 58⟩by passions and self-ends. Every rational creature hath an understanding, yet every rational creature doth not know understanding, that is, doth not, is not able to speak knowingly, or to use and act his understanding knowingly about every matter. The Lord supposeth Job might be defective here, and therefore bespeaks him thus, Declare, if thou hast understanding, or knowest understanding: As if he had said, The things which I question thee about, may possibly be too high or too big for thy understanding, 1such as possibly thou canst not reach. And hence, some render or rather paraphrase the Text thus; Declare, if thou art skilful in such great things as I now speak of: If thou art so wise as thou seemest to be by thy former contesting with my provide•ces, declare thy wisdom in this point, wherein I know thou wilt but declare thy ignorance, thy infancy, or inability to speak, as one speaks: Thou wilt show thy self but a child, while thou goest about to resolve this question. An experienced Architect, is not to be corrected by a Novice, who never took tool in hand, nor hath ever read line about that Art: Wilt thou therefore, who art made of the earth, undertake to reprehend my work, who made the earth, in ordering and disposing the condition of man on earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.
God challengeth Job to answer: The Hebrew is, If thou knowest understanding. And so the word is used (Isa. 29.24.) where we render, They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, or (as the Margin hath it) shall know understanding. Again, Huram said (2 Chron. 2.12.) Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that made heaven and earth; who hath given to David the King a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding; The Original is thus strictly read, Knowing prudence and understanding. Daniel spake in the same forme (chap. 2.21.) He giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. To know is a work of the understanding: No man knoweth any thing, but by the help of his understanding. The understanding is the first or Master-wheel in that noble engine the soul of man; and when rightly informed and inlightned, all the other wheels or faculties of the soul move aright, unless over-poized ⟨p. 58⟩by passions and self-ends. Every rational creature hath an understanding, yet every rational creature doth not know understanding, that is, doth not, is not able to speak knowingly, or to use and act his understanding knowingly about every matter. The Lord supposeth Job might be defective here, and therefore bespeaks him thus, Declare, if thou hast understanding, or knowest understanding: As if he had said, The things which I question thee about, may possibly be too high or too big for thy understanding, 1such as possibly thou canst not reach. And hence, some render or rather paraphrase the Text thus; Declare, if thou art skilful in such great things as I now speak of: If thou art so wise as thou seemest to be by thy former contesting with my provide•ces, declare thy wisdom in this point, wherein I know thou wilt but declare thy ignorance, thy infancy, or inability to speak, as one speaks: Thou wilt shew thy self but a child, while thou goest about to resolve this question. An experienced Architect, is not to be corrected by a Novice, who never took tool in hand, nor hath ever read line about that Art: Wilt thou therefore, who art made of the earth, undertake to reprehend my work, who made the earth, in ordering and disposing the condition of man on earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.
- 1Si peritu• sis tantarum rerum. Vatab.
