Rigen, or at least some antient Otions. They have been since inserted in the Great Criticks, tom. 5. of the first Edition. This is one of his first Pieces.
Among the Jewish Doctors are, Aben Ezra, Solomon Jarchi, and Aaron Ariob, who made a literal Comment in Hebrew, printed at Thessalonica, in the Year 1601, in 4to. under this Title, Oleum Myrrhæ: taken from the Comments of other Rabbins. He lived about the end of the 16th Century.
Eliezer’s Comment, intitled, Augens Doctrinam, was printed last at Hamburg, in 1711, in 4to. He was a German Jew, the Son of Elias, a Physician, and Head of the Synagogue of Posnania in Poland. He died in 1586.
Author under his Name, has written three Books on Job, which go no farther than the 3d chapter, ver. 19. This is an useful Work, tho it has its Blemishes. It is only in the Latin Editions of Origen. Erasmus said no more of it than that it was the Performance of some impertinent Author; inepti Auctoris. F. le Long has discovered that it was written by one Maximus, an Arian Bishop.
Catena in Job, per Petrum Comitolum, Venet. 1587, in 4to. Comitolus was indeed the first who published this Catena of the Greek Fathers, in Latin only; but Patricius Junius has since contributed much to the Perfection of it, by inserting the Greek; and John Terentius had it printed at Franekar, 1663, in 4to. St. John Chrysostom has composed some Homilies upon Job. It will be necessary to see what D. Montfaucon will say in his new Edition.
Ambrosius de Interpellatione Job & David, tom. 1. p. 626. We have said already what opinion we should have of Explanations of this sort by this holy Doctor.
We should not forget St. Austin, whose Annotations on this Book are in the third Tome of his Works, p. 626. of the new Edition. Cassiodorus, in his divine Institutions, says, that he treats this Matter there with his usual Penetration, chap. 6. M. Du Pin says that it is a Paraphrase or literal Explication of the sacred Text.
Olympiodorus, printed in the Catena Græc. in Job; published by Patrick Junius at London, 1697, in fol. In the same Catena there are Fragments of many antient Fathers, which make this Collection considerable.
Venerable Bede, or rather Philip the Priest, Disciple to St. Jerom, printed in the new Edition of St. Jerom, tom. 2. p. 70. Appendic. cum textu interlineari, & fusius, tom. 5. p. 678. John Sichard had before published Philip’s Comment under his Name at Basil, 1529, in fol. and Martianay, who has since put it out, informs us that it is the same as is mentioned by Gennadius; that the Author died about 430. Baronius says in 456, under the Emperor Marcian.
St. Gregory the Great has composed five and thirty Books of Morals upon Job. It is known sufficiently how much they are esteemed. The Benedictine Fathers have inserted them in the first Tome of the new Edition. What St. Odo has written, is only an exact Copy of this Work, in the like number of Books, and in the same kind; Bibl. PP. tom. 17. p. 315. They had been before printed at Paris, in 1617, in 8vo.
Bruno of Aste, or Signy, upon Job. This is printed with his Comment upon the Pentateuch. See above.
Aug. Cermelli, Ord. Præd. Catena in Job; Genuæ, 1636, in fol.
Thomas Aquinas has written upon Job much in the Method and Style of the Schoolmen, with Divisions, Definitions, &c. His Comment was printed at Venice, 1505, in fol. and at Rome, 1562, in 4to. It is likewise in the large Collections of his Works, tom. 1. ibid. 1570, fol. Petri Blæsensis Angli Compendium super Job, tom. 24. Bibl. PP. p. 1153. & in novissima Edit. Petri Blæsensis, p. 408, & seq.
Franc. Titelman, in Job. These are paraphrastical Illustrations, with Annotations. The last Edition is of Antwerp, 1566, in 4to. See hereafter.
Gaspar Sanctius, a Jesuit, his Comment is in great esteem. The last Edition of it was in 1712. at Lipsick, in 4to.
The historical Explanation of John Ferus, a Franciscan; printed at Cologn, 1574, in 8vo. and in German, ibid. 1571.
Franc. Feuardentius, a Franciscan, has Homilies only upon the three first Chapters, and the last in French and Latin; printed at Paris, 1606, in 8vo.
Hieronym. Osorius senior, in Job; inter Opera Osorii Nepotis, Rom. 1592. His three Books of Paraphrases upon Job, are among his other Works, in fol. His Nephew has added Notes of his own. Osorius, the elder, was of Lisbon; he studied the Belles Lettres at Salamanca, and Philosophy at Paris, being but 19 Years of age. He went to Bologna, where he finished his Studies; return’d into his own Country, taught the holy Scripture at Conimbra, was made Bishop of Sylves in Portugal, and died in 1580, being 74 Years of age. See his Life written by his Nephew, and placed before his Works.
Steuchus Eugubinus, in Job. He is not so concise in his Discourses upon Job, as in his Notes upon the Pentateuch. They were printed separately at Venice, 1567, in 4to.
Didaci de Zuniga, or rather Stunica, Comment in Job. With his Comment upon Job, he has join’d the Hebrew Text, the Latin Version of the Vulgate, the Greek of the Septuagint, and the Chaldee, in order to explain and reconcile them; printed at Toledo, 1584, in 4to. and at Rome in 1591. He was a Spaniard of Salamanca, an Augustinian Hermit, and flourished till 1580. His Style in his Comments, says Nicholas Antonio, in his new Bibl. Hisp. where he makes his Elogium, p. 250. is very pure, and comes near to that of the old Romans. He understood the three learned Languages.
Cypriani de la Huerga Cisterciensis, in Job. Complut. 1582.
F. Senault’s Paraphrase upon Job was so much esteemed, as to have been printed several times. The last Edition is of Roan, 1667, in 8vo. It has had an anonymous Adversary, who has censured it unjustly under the counterfeit Name of Eugenius. It is not said where or when it was printed. F. Senault, born at Paris, was Priest of the Oratory, Preacher to the King, and fourth General of his Congregation. He died in 1672. at 71 Years of age.
John de Pineda, a Spanish Jesuit. This Author is in great request, and his Comment is thought to be one of the best which has been written upon Job. He is very diffuse, and leaves nothing unexamined. His Comment is in two Volumes in folio. They who have him, may do very well without the generality of other Commentators. Pineda died in 1637. at the age of fourscore. We have other Works of his writing, whereof we have taken notice in their proper place. There have been two late Editions of his Comment; one at Lyons, 1701. the other at Venice, 1710. The best part of it is the Paraphrase which goes along with it, and is only upon some select Chapters. At the end of each Volume there is a Table, wherein he explains the Hebrew Words made use of by him. See upon Kings.
Franc. Vavassoris, S. I. liber Job cum poetica Metaphrasi & Expositione literali, in fol. Amstelod. 1709. p. 423. This Comment is literal and critical, and is well written in Latin. The Author died in 1683. His literal Exposition was printed first at Paris, 1679, in 8vo. It was afterwards inserted in the Collection of his Works. He was of the Diocess of Autun; born in 1605. F. le Long places his Death in 1681. He was an Orator and Poet, as we may judge by what he has left on different Subjects.
In his Comment upon Job, he keeps to the literal Sense; and did not compose it, till after he had taught the holy Scripture for 35 Years. The beauty of his Diction, and the clearness of his Explanation, make it regretted that he did not write more upon this Matter.
To these Authors we may add James Boulduc, who wrote a Comment and a Paraphrase upon Job; printed at Paris, 1629, in 4to. the first Edition. The second ibid. 1637, two Volumes in fol. He has join’d the Latin Version of the Hebrew Text and his Paraphrase, the different Editions and Translations compared with the Vulgate. We have mentioned him above; and shall speak of him again upon the Epistle of St. Jude, and in the Article of divine Worship.
Philip Codurc’s Scholia, or Annotations upon Job, were printed at Paris, in 1651, in 4to. and in the Great Criticks of London, tom. 3. He wrote likewise Observations upon the most difficult Places of this Book; printed at Paris, 1647. and 1657, in 8vo, in French. M. Du Pin, in his Bibliotheque Ecclesiastique, for the 17th Century, tom. 2. p. 331. gives us a just Commendation of these Annotations, which he intitles a Comment. In these the Author does, indeed, demonstrate his profound Knowledge in the Oriental Languages. He explains literally the Hebrew Text, adds the Chaldee Paraphrase, with the other Versions and Explanations of the Rabbins. Nevertheless, M. Simon blames him for dwelling too long upon Trifles; and adhering too much to the Chaldee Paraphrast, a fabulous and absurd Author.
Balthasar Cordier, in Latin Corderius, published Illustrations on the Book of Job; printed at Antwerp, 1656, in fol. He was of Antwerp, where he was born in the Year 1592. became a Jesuit in 1612. and died in 1650. He understood perfectly the Greek Tongue.
Jerom de Cruce put out likewise Illustrations upon the Book of Job, with this Title; Stoicus illustratus, sive liber Job illustratus ex placitis Stoico- Christianis, in Spanish, at Saragossa, 1638, in fol. This is all that he has written upon the Scripture. He was a Spaniard, of the Order of St. Jerom; and lived about the middle of the 17th Century.
James Janson has Enarrations upon Job; printed at Louvain, in 1623. and 1643, in fol. and other Works upon the Scripture, which we shall mention hereafter. See the Psalms, &c. Janson, born at Amsterdam, taught the holy Scriptures at Louvain; and was made Dean of St. Peter’s. He died in 1625, at 78 Years of age. See what Valerius Andreas says of him in his Bibliotheca Hispanica.
John à Jesu Maria wrote a Paraphrase upon the Book of Job; printed at Rome 1611, in 4to. and other Works, which we shall speak of at another opportunity. This Author was a Spaniard, a barefooted Carmelite, and General of his Order. He died in 1614.
Henry Jonghem wrote short Illustrations upon the Book of Job, wherein he follows the literal Sense, taken out of the best Authors; printed at Antwerp, in 1661, in 8vo. This is all that he has published upon any part of Scripture. Nevertheless, M. Du Pin attributes a Comment to him upon Job, different from his Explanation; printed ibid. in 1667. and takes notice of his other Works in his Tables, tome 3. p. 323.
Francis Pean has joined his literal and moral Comment upon Job, with that which he wrote upon the Pentateuch; at Paris, in 1680, in 8vo.
William du Vair wrote Meditations upon this Book in French; printed at Paris, in 1606, in 8vo. and in the Collection of his Works, ibid. in 1641, in fol. This, according to F. le Long, must be a second Edition; for that which is in our Library of St. Mibiel, is of 1625, in a very fine Character and large Paper. These Meditations are no more indeed than a kind of Paraphrase; for he begins with the sacred Text, and adds Reflections to it, when the Subject requires them: however, they may be of use to those who seek only to be edified by them. M. Du Vair, born at Paris in 1558, of an illustrious family, filled the most noble Employments under Henry IV. and Lewis XIII. He was made Bishop of Lizieux, and died in 1621. His Wit was very penetrating and lively, his Judgment very solid; and, above all, his Moderation was admirable.