suis:" "Aish with her sons." He shews, that with some of the Arabian astrologers the name of the greater and lesser Bear was, "Feretrum majus et feretrum minus," "the greater and the lesser Bier, or Sarcophagus," on which a dead body is carried; and that the three stars in the tail of the Bear were called "the sons of," that is, the attendants or followers of the Bier, which was itself constituted of the other four conspicuous stars in the constellation. Hence Job says, "An feretrum deduces cum filiis suis?" Schmidt on this verse ventures a conjecture, namely, that by "Aish cum filiis suis" is meant Jupiter and his four satellites: the arguments by which he supports this conjecture may be seen in his note upon the passage.
That these four words have any allusion to the stars is merely conjecture. We do not find these names or any similar to them used by the Arabian astronomers, which we probably should do, had they been the names of constellations or stars on the celestial sphere in the days of Job. May not the words עש, בסיל, בימה, Ash, Kesil, Kimah, signify vapour, ice or snow[1], and rain, the three natural conditions of water; and the passages in which they occur be thus rendered?
Job ix. 8. Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth on the wave of the sea.
9. Which maketh the vapour, the snow, and the rain.
Job xxxviii. 30. The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31. Canst thou congeal the soft showers of rain, or loosen the bands of ice?
32. Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth[2] in his season? Canst thou produce the vapour with the dew-drops?
