Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
Ver. 7. Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not] God, in framing the world, began above, and wrought downward; but Job, in describing the great works of God here, began below; and now goes upward from earth to heaven. It is as natural to the heaven to move as to the earth to stand still. Copernicus's opinion, that the earth turns round, and heaven stands still, is worthily exploded. Round the earth is, indeed, notwithstanding the hills and valleys (as an apple is round, notwithstanding some knots and bunches in it), and being round, it is naturally apt for motion (the Pythagoreans held that the earth was natura sua mobilis, as the heavens are), but God hath fixed and made it immoveable, while the heavenly bodies are restless in their courses. The sun (the glistering sun, as the word here signifieth) rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race, Psalms 19:5. Bellarmine saith, that in the eighth part of an hour the sun runneth 700 miles (De ascens. mentis in Deum, grad. 7); but God, the sovereign of the sun, can speak to it, and it riseth not. If he do but give the word of command to the sun not to rise, the morning shall be made darkness, Amos 4:13, and the day dark with night, Amos 5:8. Was it not so in that three days' darkness in Egypt? Exodus 12:21, in that miraculous standing still of the sun in Joshua's days, when the sun rose not with the antipodes one morning, and the stars were sealed up part of the night? Joshua 10:13, in that dismal darkness (mentioned by Lavater upon this text), March 12, 1585, lasting for a quarter of an hour, and being so like the night, that the fowls went to roost at noon, and many fell to their prayers for pardon of their sins, as thinking verily that the day of judgment was come. There was no solar eclipse for this date. St Paul in the tempest at sea saw neither sun nor stars for many days, Acts 27:20. And I have read of a foreigner, who having been in these parts in the deep of winter, and returning home again, desired one that was then bound for England to commend him to the sun when he next saw him, for I have not seen him there, said he, of a whole fortnight together, Ezekiel 32:7. I will cover the sun with a cloud; and, in that sense, speak to it that it rise not.
And sealeth up the stars] Heb. Sets a seal upon the stars, making them hide their heads, and withdraw their influences: for stars are God's storehouses, Deuteronomy 28:12, which he openeth or shutteth at his pleasure. Every star is like a purse of gold; out of which God can, when he will, throw down riches and plenty into the earth; but many of them never appear to us, though visible to the antipodes, Job 37:7 .