An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

But I rather adhere to our own reading, Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? That is, because thou livedst then, and hast lived ever since, and so hast gathered up the knowledge of these things by observation. Surely when I put these things in order, when I disposed the way, and the dwelling, the path and place of light & darkness, and took them to their bound, thou hadst not so much as a being; how then camest thou to this knowledge! I know, and thou must needs confess, it is not because thou wast then born; wast thou? The purpose of God in this question, as to show that he was before the Creation of the world, even from everlasting, therefore knew all things; but that Job was of little standing in the world, and therefore knew little, especially not those things proposed. There is a double reading and understanding of this verse.

But I rather adhere to our own reading, Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? That is, because thou livedst then, and hast lived ever since, and so hast gathered up the knowledge of these things by observation. Surely when I put these things in order, when I disposed the way, and the dwelling, the path and place of light & darkness, and took them to their bound, thou hadst not so much as a being; how then camest thou to this knowledge! I know, and thou must needs confess, it is not because thou wast then born; wast thou? The purpose of God in this question, as to shew that he was before the Creation of the world, even from everlasting, therefore knew all things; but that Job was of little standing in the world, and therefore knew little, especially not those things proposed. There is a double reading and understanding of this verse.

Some both of the ancients and moderns expound it ironically, as if the Lord to humble Job, put a scorn upon him in such a tenor as this: Doubtless thou knowest the dwelling of light, and the place of darkness, thou knowest when and how I settled the motions of the heavens, and the changes which they make here in this lower world; ¹because thou art as old as the heavens, or contemporary with the worlds creation; Thou wast born sure, when I did these things? As if the Lord had said plainly and reprovingly, Wilt thou who (upon the matter) wast born but three days ago,