it repenteth] This is spoken of God by a figure called Anthropopathia, whereby humane passions for mans better apprehension are ascribed to God; & wherby we are to understand that as man, when he repenteth changeth his act, so God when he changeth his act is said to repent, the cause by a Metonymie being put for the effect: for repentance being properly a trouble of minde or conscience for some fault, over-sight or impotence to effect what one would, cannot consist with the infinite goodnesse, and wisdome, or power of God, who is not as man that he should repent in a proper sense, 1 Samuel 15:29. in whom there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change, James 1:17. since there is no frailty or ficklenesse in him; no error in his counsels, no deceiving of his expectations, no disappointment of his purpose; and though there be in him a will many times to change his owne act, yet is there not at any time in him a change of his will.
grieved him at the heart] In property of speech God hath neither heart, nor griefe; for he is a most pure and uncompounded Spirit, impossible to suffer any thing that can afflict: this therefore is a continuation of the former figure. See the precedent Annotation.