not act wrongly, for the government of the world is not a duty imposed upon Him from without, but a relation entered into freely by Him: the world is not the property of another, but of His free creative appointment; and how unselfishly, how devoid of self-seeking He governs it, is clear from the fact, that by the impartation of His living creative breath He sustains every living thing, and does not, as He easily might, allow them to fall away into nothingness. There is therefore a divine love which has called the world into being and keeps it in being; and this love, as the perfect opposite of sovereign caprice, is a pledge for the absolute righteousness of the divine rule.
Verses 16-20
Job 34:16-20 16 And oh understand now, hear this;
Hearken to the sound of my words. 17 Would one who hateth right also be able to subdue?
Or wilt thou condemn the All-just? 18 Is it becoming to say to a king: Worthless One!?
Thou evil-doer! to princes? 19 To Him who accepteth not the person of rulers,
And regardeth not the noble before the poor:
For they are all the work of His hands. 20 In a moment they die, and at midnight
The people are overthrown and perish,
And they put aside the mighty - not by the hand of man.
This strophe contains several grammatical rarities. At first sight it appears that Job 34:16 ought to be translated: “and if there is understanding (viz., to thee = if thou hast), then hear this.” But בּינה is accented as Milel and with Mercha, and can therefore not be a substantive (Hirz., Hahn, and others); for the retreat of the accent would be absolutely incomprehensible, and instead of a conjunctive, a distinctive, viz., Dechî, ought to be expected. Several of the old expositors, therefore, interpret with Nolde: quod quum ita sit,
