Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/3_100_t.lzh/3_197.TXT

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fire that came down from heaven and destroyed Sodom
and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain. I am in-
clined to think it was a prodigious flash or flashes of
lightning; for as thunder is the voice of God, so
lightning, which accompanies it, may be called the
fire of God; and this agrees with the phraseology of
the passage; it comes from heaven, or the air, and
falls upon the earth, and strikes creatures and things
in it; and which, as it is the effect of natural causes,
Satan might be permitted to join them together and
effect it; and this was done, and the news of it ex-
pressed in such language as to make Job believe that
God was against him, and become his enemy, and
that the artillery of heaven was employed to his hurt,
and to the ruin of his substance: and hath burnt up the
sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; as the
fire or lightning which came down from heaven and
consumed the captains, and their fifties, in Elijah's
time, 2 Kings i. 10, 12. and such-like effects of light-
ning are often to be observed, both with respect to
men and cattle; these were the 7,000 sheep Job was
possessed of, ver. 3. and which were all destroyed at
once, with the servants that kept them, excepting
one; creatures very increasing, and very useful both
for food and clothing, and also used for sacrifice; and
it is thought that Satan's end in the destruction of these
was, that Job might conclude from hence that his
sacrifices were not acceptable to God, and therefore it
was in vain to serve him; which he hoped by this
means to bring him to express in a passionate manner
to God: and I only am escaped alone to tell thee; see
the note on vet. 15.
Ver. 17. While he was yet spealdng, there came also
another, &c.] Another messenger from another part
of Job's possessions, where his camels were, and this
before the last messenger had told his story out: and
said, the Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon
the camels, and have carried them away; these were
the 3,000 camels, as in ver. 3. and perhaps they were
in three separate companies and places, 1,000 in each,
and therefore the Chaldeans divided themselves into
three bands; or appointed three heads f, as it may be
rendered; there were three bodies of them under so
many leaders and commanders, and this was done,
that they might the more easily take them; and they
diffused or spread themselves {g}, as the word signifies,
upon or about the camels; they surrounded them on
all sides, or otherwise, these being swift creatures,
would have run away from them: these Chaldeans or
Chasdim were the descendants of Chesed, a son of
Nahor, who was brother to Abraham, Gen. xxii. 2O,
22. who settled in the east-country, not far from Job:
and this agrees with the character that Xenophon {h}
gives of the Chaldeans, at least some of them, in after-
times; that they lived upon robbing and plundering
others, having no knowledge of agriculture, but got
their bread by force of arms; and such as these Satan
could easily instigate to come and carry off Job's ca-
mels: yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the
sword, and I only am escaped alone to tell thee; see the
note on ver. 15.
'Ver. 18. 1Vhile he was yetspeaking, there ca?as an-
other, &c.] A servant of one of Job's sons, who was
in waiting at the feast before mentioned, and here
again repeated: and said, thy sons and thy daughters
were eating, and drinlcing wine in their eldest brother's
house; see the note on ver.
Ver. 19. And, behold, there came a great wind from
the wilderness, &c.] Most. probably from the wilder-
ness of Arabia, winds from such places being gene-
rally very strong, Jer. iv. 11, 12. as this was, and is
called a great one, a very strong and blustering one;
and being so, and because of the effects of it, and
being an uncommon and extraordinary one, as what
follows shews, a behold is prefixed to the account,
exciting attention and wonder: and smote the four cor-
ners of the house; which shews it to be an unusual
wind, it blowing from all parts and on all sides; and
was either a whirlwind, which whirled about this
house; or Satan, with his posse of devils with him,
took the advantage of the sweep of it, as it came by
this house, and with all their force and strength,
might and main, whirled it about it; otherwise Satan.
has no power to raise winds, and allay them at plea-
sure; God only creates them, holds them in his fists,
and brings them out of his treasures; and this wind
blowing from the desert, the devil and his angels took
the opportunity, and with such violence whirled it
about the house that it fell, as follows: and it fell
upon the young men, and they are dead; not upon Job's
sons only, but upon his daughters also, the word used
takes in both; and Mr. Broughton renders it, and it
fell upon the young folk; this was the sorest affliction
of all, and which Satan reserved to the last, that if the
others did not succeed to his wish, this might; and a.
very trying, grievous one it was, to lose all his chil-
dren at once in such a manner, and at such a time;
his children, which were parts of himself, whom he
had taken so much care of in their education, who
had been as olive-plants about his table, and now
brought up to men's and women's estates, comfortably
settled in the world, and living in great peace and
harmony among themselves, arid not one of them left
to comfort him under his other afflictions; and these
taken away- not by any distemper of body, which
would have prepared him for the stroke, but by a vio-
lent death; and which had the appearance of the
hand and .judgment, wrath and vengeance, of God; and
whilst they were feasting together in mirth and gaiety,
however innocent, and not in a serious frame of spirit,
or having any serious turn upon their minds for death
and eternity, of which they had no thought; had they
been in the house of God attending religious worship,
or though in their own houses, yet either in their clo-
sets praying, or else conversing about spiritual things,
with one another, it would have greatly taken off' of
the affliction; but to be snatched into eternity at once,
and in this manner, must be cutting to Job; though
there is no reason to think tha. t this was for any sin of
theirs, or through any displeasure of God to them,
but was permitted purel.y on Job's account, tbr the
trial of his faith, patience, sincerity, and integrity; and


{f} \^Myvar hvlv wmv\^ posuerunt tria capita, Montanus, Bolducius,
Schmidt; duces, Pagninus, Vatablus.
{g} \^wjvpyw\^ & diffuderunt se, Mercerus, Schmidt effuderunt se,
Cocceius.
{h} Cyropaedia, l. 3. c. 11.