While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Ver. 27. While the earth remaineth.] Heb., All the days of the earth. The earth then (though Solomon in some sense says it endureth for ever) hath its set and certain number of days appointed it by God. For "the earth also and the works therein shall be burnt up". 2Pe 3:10 And this the heathen had heard of, and hammered at; as Lucretius, who disputes the matter out of natural causes. So doth Cicero, De Nat. Deorum, lib. i. 2. And Ovid, Metamorph. i.: Esse quoque in fatis meminit ,& c. There he hath also a large relation of the general flood in Deucalion's days: so he calleth Noah. Lucian a hath the like in his book, De Dea Syriae. And Plutarch speaketh of the sending forth of the dove, and of her return unto Deucalion into the ark. "But we have a more sure word of prophecy."
Cold and heat, and summer and winter, &c.] Lopez de Gomara saith that the kings of Mexico, when they are consecrated, use to take their oath after this manner: - I swear that the sun, during my life, shall hold on his course, and keep his wonted glory and brightness, and that the clouds shall send down rain, the river shall run, and the earth bring forth all manner of fruit, &c. But "can any of the vanities of the heathen give rain?" &c. Jer 14:22
a Dialog. De Industr. Animal.