in another part of the Bible, (the only book extant in the Hebrew dialect, and comparatively of very small fize,) while they continued in the Arab line, and therefore are found in their more voluminous writings. It does not then follow, upon the fuppofition of the fo remote antiquity of the book, because there are Arabic terms in the book of Job, that it was originally written in the Arabic language, as it now ftands,and only tranflated into Hebrew. To argue thus, upon this scheme, † is very abfurd; and the abfurdity It is the fame thing in effect as to the explication of these Arabifms, if Elihu be made the writer of it as he is by Dr. Lightfoot, who alfo thinks Job's time fell in with the fervitude of Ifrael in Egypt. This notion he builds partly on the filence about him, chap. ii. 1 1. partly on his fpeaking of himself as the historian, xxxii. 15, 16, 17. Works, vol. 1. p. 23. This last however cannot be justly said of him more than of others, for he only there recites his words in the first perfon as before, ver. 6. 7. which also the former fpeakers fometimes did, Job, ix. 2 2. xxvii. II, 12. An objection hath been made to this early date of Job's book, that there are many Chaldaisms in it, of which fort are reckoned the terminations of words plural in 'in, instead of 'im. For it hath been hence inferred, that it was written about the time of the captivity, when the purity of the language of the Jews became tainted by intercourfe with the Chaldeans. But fays Mr. Schultens, how can it be made appear that they are Chaldean idioms, and not genuine Hebrew modes of fpeech of the most antient and venerable stamp? Such plural terminations are found elsewhere, as Prov. xxxi. 3. and Ezek. xxvi. 18. It hath been also urged, I know, against giving this poetical piece fo great antiquity as the age of Mofes or Job, that there is mention in it of writing upon lead, Job xix. 24. For this they pretend must be the fense, as, indeed, it is that which the Vulgate verfion exhibits, lead being too foft a substance for graving letters upon a rock, especially unto perpetuity. But lead, they add, was not in ufe for writing upon, till far pofterior times. It may, however, be answered, 'tis true, lead was not the first materials that were employed for this purpose, it only fuc of it may perhaps be rendered more striking to ma ny readers in this manner. Let us take for granted, that the Welch and Galic are only different dialects of the old Celtic tongue, derived from it as two ftreams from the fame fountain; and let us imagine that the writings preferved in the Welch are far more numerous than those which are conveyed down in the Galic: what a poor argument would it ceeded in such use of it, to palm leaves, and barks of trees. For fays Pliny, Hift. Nat lib. 13. cap. 41. Olim in palmarum foliis fcriptitatum ⚫ et libris quarundam arborum: poftea publica monumenta plumbeis voluminibus, mox et privata linteis confici coepta, aut ceris. Pugillarium ⚫ enim ufum fuiffe etiam ante Trojana tempora invenimus apud Home'rum.' Nevertheless, if its ufe was introduced according to this order, it must have been very antient. Agreeably, Paufanias, who flourished under Adrian, about 1 17 years after Christ, says, he faw in Boeotia, Hefiod's poem of the Epya, or Labours, written on lead; but many parts of it effaced, or greatly injured by time. Lib. 9. cap. 31. Pag. 771. Και μοι μολυβδον εδείκνυσεν — —τα πολλα ύπο το χρονο λελυμασμένα γεγραπίαι δε αυτω τα εργα. And he adds, He was ⚫ told Hefiod left this poem in writing without the invocation of the 'muses then prefixed to it,' as it is indeed still; a circumftance very obfervable! But without pretending to affert that it was a practice in Job's time, to imprint characters upon leaden tables, it does not seem to me that fuch is the neceffary, or even probable, sense of the paffage. For if the matter, on which the words were to be written, had been defigned, it would have been a Bagnephereth, as it is afterward batzur, in the rock, instead of vegnephereth, which, from the connection wherein it stands, points out fomething which was to be used like iron in marking the words, rather than the substance, upon which they were to be written. We may therefore fay, lead being too pliable a fubftance for being used as a ftyle, or inftrument of writing on a rock, that lead to be melted and poured into the characters cut in the rock by the iron style, that the fame might be more confpicuous and legible, is there meant. So Bochart Hieroz. lib. 2. c. 44. page 466. and R. Salomo have explained it, be to persuade us, that an old Galic piece was first written in Welch, and afterwards tranflated from the original Welch, that some vocables, or conftructions, to be met with in it, are not to be feen in any other of the few Galic productions which are handed down to our times, but only in the more various and large Welch compofitions? In like manner let us affume it, that the French and German have the fame relation of dialects to the Latin tongue; and that authors have compofed in the French in far greater number, and upon much greater diversity of fubjects, than in the German: how lame and insufficient a proof would it be, that an antient German book was merely a verfion of a French original, that fome terms mentioned in it are not found in any other of the (by fuppofition) few German works that are extant, but only in the more extensive French writings? Every one muft perceive, upon the flightest reflection, that fuch words might belong to the mother languages respectively, the Celtic and Latin, and be, in the fucceffion of ages, loft in one dialect thence formed, but be continued in the other thro' accidental causes. For indeed the more we go back in the examination of different dialects of the fame tongue, and the nearer we come to that period when the progenitors of those who use them had one speech, there is always the greater fimilarity and agreement in the founds that are fignificant of their ideas. Whereas, the farther we afcend in our investigation of different languages, we discover always the leffer likeness and coincidence of phrase and diction *. Now * This hath been obferved to be the cafe of the French and English; and agreeably, it hath been taken notice of, that the more antient En all this applies to the book of Job, the Hebrew and Arabic being only two dialects of the fame primaeval language, and the books written in the former, being inconfiderable for fize and number, in comparifon of those we have in the latter. It is then equally foolish to conclude, because there are words here no where else found in the Hebrew volume, but occurring in Arabian works, that the book of Job was an Arabian compofition at firft, and that our Hebrew copy is only a tranflation of it. So much for vindicating the book of Job against Mr. Voltaire's reflection, upon the various hypothefes which learned men have embraced about its age and author; for this method I have rather chofen, than to decide among the contending parties. It is a book written with much loftinefs of ftile and expreffion, on account of which it hath excited the wonder of every paft age, and will in like manner raise the admiration of every fucceeding one. What grand defcriptions have we here, through the courfe of the dispute between Job and his friends, whether adverfity is a proof of God's wrath and displeasure in this world, and through the series of the divine applica glish books have fewer words of a French extraction and derivation in them. Yet we should take heed we do not build religious doctrines on this or that affertion of the humane interlocutors, except fo far as the fame is confonant to the dictates of reason, or confirmed by paffages of speakers or writers inspired, seeing God himself cenfured them. Is it not evident Job's friends were mistaken, in supposing that great afflictions were a demonftration of great crimes.-That the worldly profperity of finners, where it takes place, always foon ceases, so as to reveal their iniquity to men? &c. tion to Job, of the perfections, and works, and meafures of Deity! What excellent delineations do we meet with through the human dialogue of the virtues and vices of men! While again in the historical relation at the beginning of the book, we behold a fignal inftance of God's visiting a man, even with unufual and fore afflictions, not for the punishment of his fins, but for the trial and display of the truth and ftrength of his religion; and a ftriking pattern of dutiful fubmiffion under these calamities, unexpected as they were in their arrival, and immediate as they were in their fucceffion to one another. And then in the narrative at the end, we fee an illuftrious example of the divine interpofition to vindicate traduced innocence, and crown diftreffed virtue even upon earth with a happy deliverance, and tranfcendent profperity. SECTION IV. Of his reflections, in his Philofophical Dictionary, against the genuineness of Solomon's writings. * MR. VOLTAIRE, in his Philofophical Dictionary, under the article Solomon, proposes this queftion with a great air of confidence, that the point which he aims to deny by it, cannot be maintained: I mean that the books which the Jews afcribe to Solomon, really belong to him. Is this fame wife So'lomon really author, fays he, of the works father❝ed on him?' And then he goes on to attack each *Page 327-330. |
