When he raiseth up himself Showing himself upon the top of the waters; the mighty are afraid Even the stout-hearted, who used to be above fear. By reason of breakings By reason of their great danger and distress; which is expressed by this very word, Psalms 60:2; Jonah 1:4. They purify themselves Those who ordinarily live in the neglect of God; they cry unto God in their trouble, and endeavour to purge their consciences from the guilt of their sins. Houbigant translates this verse, When he raiseth up himself, the mighty flee; the princes quit their purposed journey. But Heath interprets the last clause thus: for very terror they fall to the ground; and he observes, very properly, that the word
שׁבר, sheber, here used, strongly expresses the idea of terror; our English word shiver is thought to have been derived from it. Henry, who understands this, and all the other parts of this description, of the whale, thus paraphrases this verse: “When he raiseth up himself, like a moving mountain in the great waters, even the mighty are afraid, lest he overturn their ships, or do them some other mischief: by reason of the breakings he makes in the water, which threaten death, they purify themselves, confess their sins, betake themselves to their prayers, and get ready for death.” Dr. Young, who understands it of the crocodile, to which it is manifestly more applicable, interprets it thus:
“When late awaked, he rears him from the floods,
And stretching forth his stature to the clouds,
Writhes in the sun aloft his scaly height,
And strikes the distant hills with transient light;
Far round are fatal damps of terror spread,
The mighty fear, nor blush to own their dread.”